This 4th day of June, Wedensday, before noone, the Dutch fleet, then rideing in Schoonvelt, all wayed and came to saile and came out to us. We wayed with our fleet; put ourselves in the best posture we could; but, makeing saile, we gote ahead next the blew squadron, leaveing most of the French in the reare, with our Vice Admirall. Betwixt 4 and 5 aclock the Dutch fleet—Trump in the van, De Rutter in the body—bore downe towards us (the wind at N.Eᵗ., a very fresh gale). We ingaged till twas darke, more then ½ range of our shot distant. We kept our lufe; they did likewise the same; would not come close to us. What damage we did them we know not. On our parts we lost 2 fire ships; shatterd our ships, many of them, in hull, masts, yards, and rigging. Comdʳˢ killed were: Capt. White of the Warspight, and Capt. Sadleton of the Crowne.[a] What number of men slaine in the fleet, know not. This night we stood to the northwards with our foresaile and mainetopsailes only. Most of the Dutch fleet, at 12 aclock at night, tackt away from us; the remainder tackt after them at 2 aclock.
5. Betwixt 4 and 5 we tackt of after them; stood of wᵗʰ 2 topsailes; put out our Jack flagg. Called a council of warr to know the condition of our fleet; found our ships to be shatred in our masts and rigging, not to be repaired in the sea; our powder and shot the greatest part spent in two batailes. Haveing no shot in the fleet for recrute, twas resolved by the Prince, for the more expedition (sic) fitting the fleet out againe, to saile for the buoy of the Nore. We tackt; stood in for the shore, seeing Laistoforland.[] Stood away alongst the shore, wᵗʰout the sands called Alborough knapes. The wind at N.E., we steered away S.W. by S., haveing an ebb tyde to goe without the Shipwash.[c] The flood comeing upon us sett us in so neare yᵉ Sheepewash, that we were within a mile and a halfe of itt. We hauld of south, and, after we were about that sand, we steered up the Swine.[d] After 8 at night we anchored in 13 fadom watter, above the Gunflit at least 2 miles. All the fleet likewise anchored.
6. This Fryday morneing the wind came to the S.W.; litle wind. We wayed to plye up, and plyed the tyde to an end. Anchored about 2 miles belowe the Midle Ground buoy,[e] in 8 fadom watter.
7. This Satuarday, 8 in the morning, we wayed; wind at Wᵗ. and W. b. N. We turned up as high as the Oase Edge buoy;[f] there anchored and rode all night.
8. This Sonday, wind at east, we wayed and ran up to the buoy of the Nore. There anchored, about a mile below the buoy.
9. This Monday the wind blew very hard at Eᵗ and E.S.Eᵗ, with raine; forct us to strick our topmasts and yards. The wind hath blowne very hard all this day, and vered back to the E.N.Eᵗ.
10. This Tuesday, wind came to the north. Slaby weather and cold; bloweing a fresh gale.
11. This Wedensday wind at N.Wᵗ. and north. This day the King and Duke came on bord us. At night, after they had supt, went on bord ther yachts.
12. This Thursday the wind at Eᵗ to S.Eᵗ. The King came out Sheerenes about noone and dyned on bord us. This evening his Majᵗʸ and Duke of Yorke tooke there leave of us and went in ther yachts to London.
13. This Fryday the wind blew hard at E.N.Eᵗ. This day we were falcely allarum’d by the Holmes frigᵗᵗ comeing up from the Gunflet wᵗʰ topgalant sails flying and fired gunns, uppon a certaine, or rather uncertaine, intelligence that 19 or 20 saile of Dutch men of warr were seene wᵗʰout the Gallaper. All this day it hath blowne very hard, wᵗʰ some raine.