Captain Joseph Then Called Out, That Their Commander
Might Come On Board, To Make Satisfaction For The Wrong They Had Done To
Our Consort.
They made answer, that they had no boat; on which our
general said he would send them one, and
Immediately caused his barge to
be manned and sent to the carack, which brought back one of their
officers and two mean men, with this answer from their commander, that
he had resolved never to leave his ship, to which he might be forced,
but would not be commanded to leave her.
On receiving this message, Captain Joseph used them civilly who had
brought it, and commanded them to be shewn our ship, and how she was
prepared to vindicate our honour. This made the poor Portuguese much
afraid, and they desired Captain Joseph to write a few words to their
commander, which, added to their persuasions, might perchance induce him
to come to terms. Willing to preserve his honour, and to prevent the
effusion of blood, Captain Joseph caused a few words to be written to
the Portuguese commander, to the following effect: - "Whereas the
commander of the carack has offered violence to our ship the Globe,
while sailing peaceably beside him, he is desired to come aboard
immediately, and give satisfaction for that wrong, or else at his
peril," &c. He then sent back the Portuguese, accompanied by one of our
master's mates, carrying the writing, together with this verbal message,
"That if he refused to come, he would force him, or sink by his side."
The words of dying men are said to be prophetic, so these his words came
to pass, for he was slain not long after by a great shot from the
carack.
Notwithstanding this message, the Portuguese commander remained firmly
to his resolute answer. Wherefore, on the return of our men, Captain
Joseph himself fired the three first shots, which surely did them much
mischief; as we conjectured, by the loud outcry we heard among them
after these shots were fired. The shot now flew thick from both sides;
and our captain, chearing his men to behave gallantly, ascended the
half-deck, where he had not been above ten minutes when a great shot
from the quarter of the carack deprived him of life in the twinkling of
an eye. It hit him fair in the breast, beating his heart and other parts
out of his body, which lay round him among his blood. After he was
slain, our master continued the fight for about half an hour, when,
considering that another person was to succeed in the supreme command,
and the night approaching, he thought proper to desist, and having
fallen astern, he hung out a flag as a signal of council, to call the
captain of the vice-admiral on board, Captain Henry Pepwell, who was to
succeed, together with the other masters, that they might consult about
the prosecution of this enterprize. As the night was now come, it was
resolved not to proceed any farther for the present.
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