This Delay Served Well For Us, For Had He Got Away In Time, Such Advices Would Have Been Sent From Malacca Into The Straits By Frigates, That All Ships Would Have Had Warning To Avoid Us:

But by detaining the ambassador, we lay within 25 leagues of Malacca, and were never descried.

[Footnote 113: Frigates, in the present day, are single-decked ships of war, of not less than 20 guns: The term seems then to have been applied to a swift-sailing vessel of small size and force; and is frequently applied to armed or even unarmed barks or grabs, small Malabar vessels employed by the Portuguese for trade and war. - E.]

While we lay in the straits of Malacca, on the 3d October, the Hector espied a sail, and calling to us, we all saw her likewise. Being towards night, the general directed us to spread out in a line, a mile and a half from each other, that she might not pass us in the night. During the night the strange sail fell in with the Hector, which first espied her. The captain immediately hailed her to surrender, firing two or three shots to bring her to; so that the rest of our ships were apprized of where she was, and all gathered about her, firing at her with their cannon, which she returned. On the coming up of the admiral, which shot off six pieces at once out of her prow, the main-yard of the chase fell down, so that she could not escape.

Enter page number Go  Previous Next
Page 212 of 815
Words from 57419 to 57677 of 221842