On Innocents Day, 28th December, Perceiving The Drift Of Our Portuguese
Fabius Cunclator, To Protract And Avoid Fighting, That By Delays And
The Advantage Of His Frigates, He Might Hinder Us From Prosecuting Your
Business In Persia, We Determined To Attempt Closing With Him.
About one
o'clock there sprung up a favourable east wind for our purpose, on which
we immediately weighed and put every thing in order for battle.
The
London and Hart came to anchor within a cable's length and half of their
broadsides, and so endured the main brunt of this second fight; for, no
sooner were they at anchor, but it fell calm and so continued all day,
insomuch that the Roebuck and Eagle, which had steered nearer to the
shore, with the intention of coming to anchor, one on the bow of their
admiral, and the other on the bow of their vice-admiral, got astern, and
could not with all our diligence be of any service for a full half hour
after the action began. At length we got within point-blank shot of
them, and then were forced either to anchor or drive farther off with
the current, as there was not a breath of wind.
We now brought our broadsides to bear, and our whole squadron plied
their ordnance upon them so fast, that had the knowledge of our men
equalled their resolution, not one of them had escaped from us. Not
willing to endure such hot entertainment, they cut their cables about
three o'clock, and drove from us with the tide to the westwards, till
out of our reach.
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