Iviii EXPLANATION' OF THE PLATES. 



It is that of Souchu de Remieforty Secretary to the Supreme 

 Council of Madagafcar, on leaving the Azores, the 2oth of 

 June, 1666, at that time on his return to Europe. Hijhij 

 of the Eajl-lndies. Book iii. chap. 5. 



*' From 40 degrees," fays he, "up to 45, we faw 

 ** broken mafts, fail-yards, and round-tops of fhips, which 

 " awakened an apprehcnfion that fome dreadful naval dif- 

 *' after had taken place. We were not a little afraid that thefe 

 " fragments might have run toul of one of our convoy, a 

 *' veflel of conilderable burden, called the Virgin, an old 

 *' crazy Ihip, and very leaky. It has been fince afcerr 

 *' tained, that this wreck was occafioned by the naval com- 

 " bat which took place between the French and Dutch on 

 *' one lide, and the Englifh on the other. It would have 

 ** been a happinefs to thofc concerned to have known this 

 ** fooner." 



In fatSl, the vefiel on board of which Rennefori was, and 

 to whom it was unknown that France and England were 

 at war, had the misfortune to be taken and funk by an 

 Englifh frigate, as far up the channel as Guernfey, ten 

 days after this obfervation, that is the 8th of July. 



This horrible devaftation, fcattered over the Ocean, 

 through a fpace of three degrees, or 75 leagues, was the 

 effeél of the moft obftinate and bloody combat that ever 

 took place on that element, between the Englifli and the 

 Dutch. It begun the nth of June, and lafted four days. 

 The Englifh fleet confiited of 85 fhips of war, and the . 

 Dutch fleet of go, commanded by De Ruyter. There were 

 21 thoufand men nearly on each fide, and 4,500 pieces of 

 cannon. In that engagement the Englilh loft 23 fliips, mofl 



of 



