An account of a remarkable sea-fight between an English ketch and a French privateer from aboard the Breda frigate at the spit-head, April 19, 1690. Audley, John. 1690 Approx. 5 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 2 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2007-01 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A26202 Wing A4201 ESTC R24716 08447133 ocm 08447133 41332 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A26202) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 41332) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 1245:45) An account of a remarkable sea-fight between an English ketch and a French privateer from aboard the Breda frigate at the spit-head, April 19, 1690. Audley, John. 2 p. Printed for Randal Taylor, London : 1690. Signed: John Audley. Reproduction of original in the Harvard University Library. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. 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Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Great Britain -- History, Naval -- Stuarts, 1603-1714. 2006-03 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2006-03 Apex CoVantage Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2006-05 Jonathan Blaney Sampled and proofread 2006-05 Jonathan Blaney Text and markup reviewed and edited 2006-09 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion AN ACCOUNT Of a Remarkable SEA-FIGHT , BETWEEN An English Ketch , and a French Privateer . From Aboard the Breda Fregate , at the Spit-Head . April , 19. 1690. SIR , I Send you this in return of several kind Letters which are acceptable to us remote from the News of the Town . 'T is true , it is an Account of a small loss we have receiv'd ; yet when you consider the Bravery of the Resistance and how dear bought the Victory was to the Enemy , you will find it to be a Relation fit for publick view , to shew the Gallantry of our English Courage . Captain Robert Audley Commander of the King Fisher Ketch , carrying twenty four Men , and four Guns , was sent by our Admiral from the Fleet here riding , to fetch the prest Men that lay at Plymouth . In his course , he was met by a French Privateer , of eighteen Guns and six Petterero's , off of Weymouth . The Privateer put out Dutch Colours at first , so that Captain Audley never suspected him to be a French Man , till he came up just with him , at what time the Privateer put up his French Colours ; and then Captain Audley found his mistake . However perceiving there was no way to avoid a Vessel that Sayl'd better then he did , the Captain resolv'd to defend himself as well as he could . The French man being as I said before an Excellent Sayler , put off the Ketch from the Shore to make sure of her ; and so the Fight began about four of the Clock in the Afternoon , and continu'd till almost nine : During which time the Frenchman Boarded the Ketch no less than four times , but was every time beat off with much loss , till at length of twenty four Men and the Captain , there were no more then seven Men left that were able to Maintain the Fight . When the Ketch was thus disibl'd , the Privateer Boarded the Captain a fifth time , and leaving twenty Men a Board , put off again . Now began another hot Contest between the twenty and the seven ; which continu'd till two of the seven were cut in pieces , and Captain Audley himself wounded in four places , after he had kill'd seven of the twenty with his own hand , and the rest of the twenty all but two , were kill'd by the few left in the Ketch , and then it was , and not before , that the French Privateer Boarding the Ketch the last time , and entring all his Men , the wounded Captain and his poor five Men were forc'd to yield to fresh a●●ailants and superiour number . What loss the Privateer received , we cannot understand , but considering the loss of the English , it is not to be question'd , but that he paid dear for the purchase of a little Ketch . When Captain Audley was taken , the Privateer impatient of the Mischief he had received , asked him , how he had the Impudence to fight such a Ship as his was , and in the height of his passion , was so ungenerous as to fall upon Captain Audley with his Cane , and to bestow so many hard blows upon him , as to set his VVounds a bleeding a fresh , and in other parts of his Body to beat him black and blew . A piece of insulting Tyranny , which none but a French Privateer would have been guilty of . Nevertheless we must say this for the Privateer , that when the heat of his Fury was over , he came so far to himself , that before he sent Captain Audley on shore at St. Malo's , he gave him his blew Suit back again to keep him warm in the Goal , because he had fought so bravely ; and was so kind to his own Reputation , that to excuse the loss he had receiv'd , he reported to the Honour of the English , that never Men fought better in the VVorld ; as by a Letter from St. Malo's , is attested by several Merchants upon the place , who offered six French Mates for his Ransom , but they would not be taken ; twelve Cowardly French Mates not being a true value for one Valiant English Captain . He is at this present in the Castle of St. Malo's , and the four ●en that brought the News , being since redeem'd , are now in Portsm●●th , and the Rear Admiral of the Red Squadron , is takeing all the Care he can to obtain the Liberty of the Captain Himself , with some other Friends . This Account I could not forbear to give you , for the Honour of my Brother Robert , since you know us both , Remaining your humble Servant , John Audley . IF any person desire to be further satisfy'd in the Truth of this Relation , the Printer will direct where they may see the Original Letter , not to be contradicted . LONDON , Printed for Randal Taylor near Stationers Hall. 1690