Part L 
Travels into the Levant. 
told me, that we fliould have the Honour to fire the firft and lail Gun ; and 
immediately we let flie three or four great (hot at them, the firft of which 
would certainly have funk the biggeft Ship,if the Bullet had been but half a foot 
higher, but it fell in the Water clofe by the Ships fide -, which feemed to put 
Courage into them, for they thereupon made loud fhouts. And the biggefc 
Ship making a great Noife and Bravado, with a Trumpet he had, having fired 
feme great (hot among our Rigging, which only grazed upon our Mafts, abouc 
ten a Clock laid us on board, and grappled with us on the Starboard fide, ly- 
ing along our Quarter, from the Stern to the middle of our Wafte. immedi- 
ately we (hut our felves into the great Cabin, and then the Guns went off Pell 
Mell on all hands ; the Patache and Bark came up aiKl fired their Broad-fides, 
endeavouring chiefly to (hoot our Malîs by the board, which would have been 
a great advantage to them. They fired alfo feveial Petreras^ charged wirh 
Mufquetfliot, which would have done great Execution, if we had been Aloft; 
but our Walls were Mufquet-proofF, and we could hear fliowers of Bulkts bat- 
ter againfl: the Ships fides. Prefently feveral of their men came on board of 
us, who ran up the Shrouds to endeavour to let fall the Yards j and we brought 
them down with fmall fhot, which we fired through holes purpofely made. 
When they found themfelves fo well plied with Mufquet fhot, and that all who 
were above Decks ( both in their own Ship,and on board of us ) were fallen,for 
we fired out of the Port- holes and Skuttles, upon all that appeared on board of 
them, and cleared the Deck fore and aft, of all that came on board of us 5 
many of them got up to the top of our Malts, thinking that the fecureft place 
they could find, and no man was more to be fecn upon the Deck, or any other 
part of the Ship, they who were aloft hiding themfelves the beft way they 
could. The Bell rung twice or thrice from the Fore-Caftle, and prefently we 
fell upon our Bellies, but they who were upon the Poop hearing the Bell, got 
immediately upon the Shrouds, fo that there was no hitting of them ; butfome 
being perceived one time upon the Poop, ( without ringing the Bell ) they fired 
a Scofa Coperta from the Fore-Caftle, which killed three or four of them. In 
the mean time, we kept firing with great and fmall ftiot, and if any of the 
Enemy attempted to get upon our Poop over the Skuttles of the Cabins, we 
eafily prickt them, or run them through with our Swords. At length, about 
three a Clock in the Afternoon, finding that the Enemies fired no more, we 
came out with our Swords and Piftols, and faw the Patache and Bark, towing 
off with their Boats, and the great Ship grappled with ours, but no body ap- 
pearing upon the Deck. Wefent fome great fhot after thofe that fled, and 
had we fired but as many more, perhaps they v/ould have ft ruck Sail and yield- 
ed themfelves. So we had the Honour to fire the firft and laft Gun. Then we 
offered Quarter to thofe who were aloft upon our Mafts j and as faft as they 
came down, we difarmed them, and clapt them down into the Hold. The 
Captain was for fending Men on board their Ship, but it feeming to me ftrange 
that they Ihould fo lofe their biggeft Ship,! told the Captain,That perhaps they 
only pretended to flie, to tempt our Men on board of that Ship, where lying in 
Ambufh, they might Blow them all up, that fo coming back again, they might 
have lefs trouble to take us. He had fome regard to my advice, and fent no 
body. For my part, I would not fufier my Man to go, though he had a great 
mind to it ; not only becaufe I was afraid he might come to fome harm, but 
alfo that it might not be faid the French had Plundered any thing. At length, 
perceiving that the Enemies Boat carried feveral out of that Ship on board 
the Vefl^els that fled, and was coming back for more. And being told by a 
Man who had leapt into the Sea, to fave himfelf by Swimming, (but was taken 
up ) that there was no danger \ though we afllired him that he fhould die for 
it if he told a Lye : Our Men boarded the Enemies Ship, and prefently took 
down the Spanilh Colours. They eafily afterwards made themfelves Matters 
of the Men that remained, whom they brought on board of us j moft part all 
Bloody, and more than half dead for fear, for they expeded no Quarter. 
Among the reft the Captain was taken, who was a young Dutch-man in the 
Spaniards Service ^ he had two Mufquet fhots in his right Side, and right Arm 
His Ship was called the Great Alexander^ and was the very fame which Papachin. 
had taken by Surprife and Treachery, from the CkvaUer de Bions^ and this 
Oo 2 Fleman 
