402 THE SOVEREIGNTY OF THE SEA 



while off the Start, accompanied by two other English men-of- 

 war, fell in with seven Dutch merchantmen from Genoa and 

 Leghorn, convoyed by three men - of - war, with their flags 

 displayed. Young sent a boat to their admiral to request 

 him to strike his flag "before any blood was shed in the 

 controversy," which he did. But the vice-admiral, contrary 

 to the custom in the narrow sea, came to the windward of 

 Young, and refused to strike, telling him to come on board 

 and strike the flag himself. The President then poured a 

 broadside into the Dutch ship, together with a volley of small- 

 shot, and several broadsides were exchanged before the vice- 

 admiral struck, and then the rear-admiral did the same. On 

 Young demanding the vice - admiral or his ship to carry 

 into port to make good the damage done, he was told by 

 the admiral that he himself had not interfered so long as 

 it was only a question of striking the flag, but if he attempted 

 to seize the ship he would resist him ; and the matter was 

 carried no further. " I do believe," said Young, " I gave him 

 his bellyful of it, for he sent me word he had order from 

 the State that if he struck he should lose his head." : It is 

 probable that the Dutch vessels encountered the north-east 

 gale that forced Tromp from his anchorage; at all events, 

 they were brought by their conveyers along the English 

 coast to Fairlight, 2 between Hastings and Winchelsea, where 

 they cast anchor; then the Dutch captain who had been 

 attacked, Joris van der Saen, went in search of Tromp to 

 tell him of their plight. 



On hearing his story, Tromp instantly turned about and 

 made straight for the English coast, which he had left only 

 a few hours before. In this case, at all events, his instruc- 

 tions were explicit. He had been ordered to prevent Dutch 

 vessels from being visited or searched, and to recover them 



1 Young's despatch, 14th May 1652, in The Ansioer of the Parliament, p. 20. 

 Penn's Memorials, i. 419. Tideman, 197. Gardiner, Letters and Papers relating 

 to the First Dutch War, i. 178. The French Occurrences, &c., Brit. Mus., E, 665, 

 6. It may be noted that Tromp, in his Rescript to the States-General (see note, 

 p. 398), mentioned that Huyrluyt and van der Saen had received instructions to 

 strike only to royal squadrons. 



2 In the Dutch writings the place was described as "Fairle," "Fayrleigh," 

 " Virly," "Vierly," &c. Its position is shown, as Fairlee, in the reproduction of 

 the chart from Selden in this book (Fig. 3, p. 121). 



