THE DUTCH WAR 



low on account of the manner in which we had been forced to abandon 

 the sea. When Blake went south instead of west the Spaniards felt 

 that their misgivings were unnecessary, especially when they were 

 assured that he had instructions not to attack them. This was quite 

 true, but these instructions only extended until after Cromwell had 

 made his projected stroke in the West Indies, when Blake was at liberty 

 to do what he liked. He first of all put into Tunis and handed in a 

 number of demands to the Bey, but this was pure bluf? for he had no 

 means of enforcing them at the time. After he had refreshed his ships, 

 however, he felt himself capable of taking up these demands and 

 accordingly attacked the Tunisian fleet and forts. With comparatively 

 small losses Blake reduced the ships and the town, although there was 

 a good deal of extraordinary luck mixed with his skill. He then 

 tackled the Spaniards and prevented them getting reinforcements to the 

 West Indies, while he captured a number of merchant ships. When 

 he returned British prestige in the Mediterranean and South Europe 

 was fully restored. 



Further Operations Against Spain. 



In 1656 Blake had detached Captain Stayner with a number of 

 ships to watch Cadiz and in the course of this operation he contrived to 

 intercept the West Indian Fleet. Two ships — one of them a small 

 prize that the Spaniards had taken — got into Cadiz, two were sunk, two 

 burned and one captured with enough gold in her to pay for the whole 

 expedition. Meanwhile Blake went out into the west in search of the 

 main treasure fleet and finally found it in port at Santa Cruz in Tenerife. 

 The Spaniards were expecting to be attacked and had made full 

 preparations, both on shore and in their ships. Stayner led the van 

 and after a fierce fight contrived to take the galleons. This done it was 

 found impossible to get them away and they had to be destroved. while 

 their victors were only saved from the fire of the forts by a lucky change 

 of wind which carried them clear. 

 The Death of Blake. 



Blake's health had been failing for some time and he had applied 

 for permission to return, but thorough seaman as he was he did not 

 follow hard on the news of his victory as he might well have done. He 

 waited until Cromwell's permission came out to him, accompanied by 

 his portrait set in gold and diamonds as an appreciation of the victory, 

 and then sailed for home. His great desire was to die in peace on 

 shore, but that was not to be and the soul of the great seaman passed 

 as his ship was entering Plymouth Sound on the 7th of August, 1657. 

 He was born in 1599 at Bridgwater, the son of a small merchant who 

 had just been able to send him to Oxford and died leaving nothing. He 

 then went out to Morocco as agent for the Bombay Company and had 

 some experience at sea, taking out Letters of Marque for his trading 

 ships. One way and another he made quite a considerable fortune and 

 returned to England in 1640, entering Parliament in the same year. 

 He made a reputation as a soldier before he went to sea in 1649, but 



137 



