24. This Satuarday morneing we intended, if the should watter hindred not, to goe in wᵗʰ our fleet and set upon the Dutch; sending a party of 35 men of warr, 13 fire ships, and 24 tendors ahead of us, to make the onsett, and we wᵗʰ the whole fleet to have seconded them. But this our intention was this day prevented by God Almighty’s providence, the wind bloweing very hard at S.W. and Wᵗ.S.Wᵗ. This morneing came in to the fleet the Soveraigne, Victory, and Dyamond, out of the river of Thames. Yesterday our scouts gave us accᵗ that yᵉ Dutch fleet, of all sorts that could be told, did not exceed 84. All this day the wind hath blowne very hard at S.W. and W.S.W.; forct us strick our yard, and some ships both topmast and yard.
25. This Sonday the wind hath blowne very hard at W.S.Wᵗ.; forct us in yᵉ afternoone to strick our topmasts and get our sprit-saile yard under the boltsprit. This day severall of the French ships broke from ther ground tackle, but brought up againe wᵗʰ other anchors and rode fast.
26. This Monday, in the forenoon, the wind continued bloweing hard at W.S.W., as did also the night past, but not so violently as the day formerly. In the afternoone the wind dullered. We sett our topmasts and got up oʳ yards; our neighbours the Dutch did the like also. Toward evening indiferent faire weather.
27. This Tuesday the wind hath bine from the S.Wᵗ. back to yᵉ S.Eᵗ., wᵗʰ very thick weather, and then veered to the N.Wᵗ., wᵗʰ some tymes very thick [weather] and raine and wind; all this day very unconstant weather. This afternoone we spread our red flagg for the severall divissions drawne out of the fleet to get themselves into a body for the first onsett upon the enemy; but did not weigh ourselves. Our party out of our squadron anchored to leewards of us, and neere half way betweene yᵉ Dutch fleet and ours. This day yᵉ standard was spread for the flagg oficers. When come on bord, twas resolved that tomorrow, about 10 in the morning, the flood being done and faire weather, that we weigh and atacque the Dutch fleet now rideing in the Schoonvelt, steereing with an easey saile upon them; and, in case they go in to Flushing, then to anchor in their places; and, that they stand of into sea, to stand out with them.
28. This Wedensday morneing, being indiferent faire weather, we prepared our ship; gote upp our sheat anchor, slung our yards, &c. The wind at west, a fresh gale. By 10 aclock we gote up our anchor, and made sayle. Brave weather; wind at W. b. N. and W.N.Wᵗ. We wᵗʰ our squadron steered N.E. b. E. wᵗʰ the north end of the Dutch fleet, yᵉ French wᵗʰ the body, and yᵉ blew squadron wᵗʰ the south part of them. To 11 aclock thay rode most of them fast at anchor, not so much as ther fore topsailes loose. About 12 at noone we bore downe upon the Dutch and ingaged ther van, and the French in the body, our blew squadron in the reare. We fought till twas darke, tacking to and againe in the Schoon Velt. What certaine damage we did the enemy we cannot tell. This night we sailed and drove out againe; came into 6 fadom watter on yᵉ oyster banck. By day light we were gote 3 leagues without the Schoon Velt.
29. This Thursday morneing we anchored in 13 fadom watter by our judgement, S. b. Eᵗ. from Oostend, 6 or 7 leagues of. This day yᵉ Prince called a councill of flagg oficers. Ordered, that yᵉ respective flaggs call ther divissions on bord and take accᵗ of what damages recᵈ yesterday in the bataile. This day the wind blew very hard at S.Wᵗ.; forct us to strick our topmasts and yards and veere out our shot of cable 2½ without bord. This afternoone, about 3 aclock, the Prince sent away a packet for Whitehall, by whome I wrote for London.
30. This Fryday the wind blew very hard, most part of the day, at S.Wᵗ. and W.S.Wᵗ. Towards evening lesse wind. We got up our topmasts.
31. This Satuarday forenoone, foggy weather; afternoone, very faire weather; the wind at N.Eᵗ. This day the Prince tooke resolution to shift shipps, ours being so tender that we could not beare out our lower tire of gunns in the late bataile.
June 1. This Sonday, yᵉ first day of June, the Dutch fleet many of them were under saile, but came not out to us. We gote up our anchor and came to saile wᵗʰ all the fleet, but anchored againe and birth’t our selves in our anchoring posture agreed on, to say: the flaggs to ride N. and south of each other, 4 cables length distant; and the ships of the severall divissions to ride N.W. and S.E. from there flaggs, 2 cable length distant of one side and the other; the flagg ships as they are ranged in ther line of bataile. This day we struck some broken gunns down into hold, and some whole, to the number of tenn, to stiffen our ship if posible.