Shall we be dumb, whilst Birds do use their Art?
No let’s in Sorrow bear with them a part,
When that y’ve done for Mall, bereft of life,
Rejoyce with me, dead, dead’s my wicked Wife.
August the ninth, steering Northerly forty two Leagues, we found per observationem the Ship to run but thirty seven Leagues, which is five Leagues less by reason of the Current which sets us the South-wards Latitude at 6 Degrees 24 Longitude 36 Degrees 58 West from the Salthil. This afternoon we were in the Latitude of the Changus, to the West-wards of them, not seeing any sign of danger, the variation is good help if heedfully observ’d, finding about 22 Degrees when you are in 7 or 8 Degrees of Southerly Latitude, a Northerly course[course] will go clear of all danger. The twelfth of this moneth we crost Æquator, steering North, North east, Latitude 10 Degrees, Seconds 85 Digits Southerly Longitude 36 Degrees 51 digits West, the wind at South and by West, the variation 19 Degrees, Seconds 35 Digits West.
The twenty-fifth of August we lay a try with main course, and mizen our Drift North 9 Leagues, the wind at South west, a fresh Gale. One of our men taking our main Top-sail, cryed out a Sail, a Sail. In a quarter of an hour by the help of my Prospective, I could discern her to be an Enemy of considerable force, about some forty four pieces of Ordinance. She made towards us with all the speed she could, and we to shorted our way, bore up to her with all the Sail we could make, so that we fetch’t up one the other quickly although we had but thirty six Guns, eight less than she carry’d, and having fewer men withal we feared her not, but ran up board and board with her before we fir’d a Gun, and then we poured in a whole broad-side into her, whilst we pepper’d them above with whole Vollies of small shot: they returned us the like kindness, which kill’d us four outright besides what were wounded. Our Captain behav’d himself very manfully, and so bestirr’d himself in the fight, shewing so clear a courage as would have animated a very Coward to fight, as for my own part the meer observation of his magnanimous behaviour, infus’d into me more valour than I thought my self capable to contain, or able to make use of: my Land-water Soldiers, the Scrivener and his two Companions, by the Captains example, and my encouraging, look’d Death as boldly, and as daringly in the face, as if they had intended to look him out of countenance, though at first no shot, either great or small went whistling by them but what made them dap their heads, as if that would secure them; that Bullet which injures man never tattles in his ear the ensuing danger; that Bullet that whistles in the Air, proclames your crown as safe from cracking, as is the Goose after she hath past through the Barn door stooping lest her lofty head should knock the top thereof.
There was not any in the Ship exempted from Service, every man as he was Quartered not budging, but doing the utmost he could to offend his Enemy; a brave young stout fellow (whom I shall never forget) standing by me and my Bantam Comrades,[Comrades,] a shot came and took away his legg with that fury, that it rebounded from the side; falling, he seemed not a wit daunted, but called out aloud, Courage Captain, I warrant you Victory, if you will but send down this Foot and Legg of mine to the Gunner, and let him send it to them instead of shot, and I shall laugh to see here, how it will kick the Arses of those insolent Rogues; Gregory standing by and seeing what had past, though something scar’d, yet would not discover any fright, and to hide it the better, commended the brave resolution of the man, and as he was laughing at the odness of his conceit (poor Fellow) a shot came and took away one side of his face, so dyed immediately, now it may be said, he could laugh at him but with half a mouth. This last unhappy Bout so scared the little valor which was in the Scrivener, that he instantly quitted his station, and disorder’d more men in his way to his supposed safety, the Hold, than twenty Troopers could have done in the midst of a Foot-company, a little afterwards the Drugster attempted to do the like, some of the men in the waste, seeing him upon his flight (just as I was moving on the same design) cried out, knock him down, knock down that cowardly fellow with a handspike, thinking they had meant me, being on the motion, I endeavour’d to prove the contrary by giving him a sore pelt over the noddle with my Musquet which laid him a sleep on the Deck; was highly commended by our Captain for so doing, telling me that two such fellows among a thousand men, nay an Army of ten times the number, might by their fear occasion their total overthrow.
The Drugster recovering got to his Quarters, and thought it better to dye fighting than to be kill’d for being afraid to dye, to work he went with a Blunderbuss, and fired it so often that he durst not charge it again till it was cooler, my Musquet was in the like condition. By this time the Enemy began to stand away from us, but we were resolv’d to keep her company, and make her pay for the trouble and cost she had put us to. We perceiv’d she had much a doe to keep herself above water, so that we were not long before we came to bear again upon her, which we did so efficaciously, that by a lucky shot penetrating her powder room she blew up, we being so near her, I verily thought she would have blown us into the air too, as she did her own men, part of which fell down into our Ship, as if you would have scatter’d faggot sticks off a house top: we had not above six men in all kill’d, and about nine wounded, none mortally, which were immediately committed into the hands of an excellent Chirurgion we had aboard, who took such a special care of them that before we came to Surrat, they were all perfectly cured.
Our ship receiv’d some dammage which was rectifyed by our Carpenters as well as they could for the present, and sail’d forward in our voyage. The next day we were forc’d to lye a Try again, which we did the thirtieth day, the wind at South-west allowing each days drift. The one and thirtieth we shortned sail all but our Sprit-sail, top-sail because of falling too soon with the Coast of India. This month we ran eight hundred fifty two Leagues on several Courses.
From the first to the fourth of September, we stood away only with a sprit-sail top-sail the course and distances, &c., observed having a fair wind Westerly, but the next we steer’d East and by North, with Sprit-sail and fore-topsail. The fifth from twelve to six (per Compass) East five Leagues, having at four of the Clock had ground sixty four fathome Oazy sand, then set more sail and stood in North, North-west till six in the morning, our depth in running the Course of seven Leagues was fifty five, sixty and sixty-four Fathome in Latitude, about 20 Degrees, Seconds 42 and Longitude 30 Degrees, Seconds, 3 Digits West. On the sixth day we steer’d East and by North, till four in the afternoon, at which time we saw Land, it was low and Sandy banks, with some Trees, and a white Tower or Church which may be seen four or five Leagues off. This place was judged by those men of ours that had sail’d often this way, to be fourteen Leagues to the westward of Diu. This evening we took a small boat not far off Poramena, bound to Chichauho near Caule, they had only three horses in her, having nothing in her worth making prize, we dismist them the next day without taking ought from them. The seventh and eight dayes we stood off and on, expecting to meet with some Jonks. On the ninth we met with a Jonk of Gogo, coming from Mare Rubram, or the Red-Sea, richly laden, which we took, imagining we now were made for ever, but the Commander soon dasht all our joyes, by producing a pass from the President of Surrat, upon sight hereof our Captain durst not detain her. I was on board her and having seen some part of her Cargo, I judg’d by that the richness of the rest, and therefore perswaded the Captain to make her prize though she had a hundred president passes, but he would not yeild, knowing better the danger than I did, and so dismist her to my great sorrow.