The enemy, keeping the
weather gage, that we might succour the French admiral who was to
leeward of them all; and on coming up with him, all the enemies ships
bore down and gave him their broadsides, after which they put about
again, but durst not board him as we were still to wind-wind of them,
otherwise they had certainly taken or sunk him. Three of their smallest
vessels were such prime sailors that it was quite impossible for any of
our ships to have boarded them, and they carried such ordnance that they
would have sore troubled any three of our ships; if they had been able
to gain the weather-gage. Their other ships, the admiral and
vice-admiral, were both notably appointed.
[Footnote 265: Bore down upon them. - E.]
[Footnote 266: Meaning apparently that she lay too much over to
leeward. - E.]
When the French admiral was clear of them, he lay as near the wind as
possible and ran to seaward after the rest, while we followed the enemy
to leeward. Then seeing us alone and in chase, they put about, which we
did likewise to keep the wind of them, and in this situation we sailed
within _base_ shot of them, but they shot not at us, because we had the
weather gage and they could not therefore harm us.
