A TRUE RELATION OF OF A WONDERFUL Sea Fight between two great and well appointed Spanish ships or Men of War. AND A small and not very well provided English Ship, who was constrained to enter into this conflict at the Island of Dominico in her passage to Virginia, as she was determined to take in fresh water there.   woodcut of ship called the Blacke hodge 
The Margaret and john, or the Black Hodge.  
London Printed for N.B. 1621.   

 woodcut of coat of arms containing a ship and a lion passant guardant   

A SEA FIGHT.  
Having taken our journey toward Virginia in the beginning of February last passed in a ship called the black Hodge, her burden 160. tun manned only with 8. Iron pieces and a poor Falcon, we soon over passed both the tedious endurances and fearful dangers of such a voyage, and came at last by the 14. of March under 13. and half Latitude, within 20 leagues of Matalina by 6. of clock in the morning, the weather somewhat thick, & the wind affording a reasonable gale, whereby we descried a ship lying at hull, as if she were careless either to go backward, or forward; which caused us to edge with her, as desirous to know what she was: but she presently set up all her sails, and taking a course of South and by West ran quickly out of sight in the space of three or four glasses: this made us keep our course for Matalina, which we attained by the nex day at night, being the 15. of March, and so wasting the Island of Dominico, we bore with Guardalupo, and there anchored to take in fresh water which we wanted.  
Then came aboard us certain Indians, and 6. Frenchmen, who had remained there some 16. months, being cast upon the land by shipwreck, and so were unprovided for a further journey: they informed us of a Spanish man of war that passed along some seven days before discharging her ordinance at the inhabitants, and putting the Island in great fear, notwithstanding some two days before there anchored another ship, whose Captain with some soldiers came a shore with wine and other provision, as if they meant to make merry and show all the signs of friendship and contentment: but she stayed but one night at anchor, and so departed without further notice; what course she meant to take, nor could the inhabitants guess, by reason their fear enforced their flight, into the mountains, lest they should be surprised: only we were advertised by certain Indians, that they determined for St. Vincents, leaving word, that when the great Fleet passed along they should inform the General, that Captain Bartholomew was gone up in prosecution of his directions.  
This was the ship we descried at Hull and so resolved she must needs be some Spanish man of war, because no Merchant, or ship of burden would lose the advantage of so fair a wind to transport her to any port of traffic and spend the time in hulling, as if she lay of purpose to discover some prize, and take the advantage of such passengers as were to go to Menis, being the common trade way both for English and Dutch, and so as it appeared afterward she stirred that course of purpose, both to deceive the Islanders, & to betray us, whom they had descried a fare off.  
From Guardalupa we departed the 18. of March hasting to Menis, and suspecting the worst, held a loof a half road to be the more free from the Spaniards, by reason we determined to repair our ship, & refresh ourselves at Menis: The ship being much beaten with a dangerous storm some 70. leagues from our own coast, the people much distempered as having been a 11. weeks imprisoned in an ill conditioned ship, and peradventure wanting many necessaries, which commonly we prepare for long voyages.  
But such was the pleasure of God, that we were prevented and disappointed in these purposes, for falling with Menis by the 20. of March, and compassing the furthest point to stand in the handsomer with the shore, we perceived two tall ships at anchor right overagainst the watering place with their top sails lose, and their boats going a shore for their men. At first we supposed them Hollanders, in respect of their building, and the Hollanders colour's borne by their Admiral in the main top, the vice Admiral having his foretop ma●● down, and no colours displayed, which increased our former opinion, adding withal that i● must needs be prize or some other ship sub●e●t to the misfortune of a fight.  
But driven by necessity of water, and willing to refresh ourselves a shore, we trimmed our ship, and came to anchor fairly by them, sending our boat in friendly manner to hale them both unprovided and unarmed, which returned with certificate, that they were Spaniards, wherein not fully satisfied by reason of our former apprehension that it was otherwise the better to be resolved, we sent out our boat again, as well to be assured what to trust unto as to gain sometime to prepare our ship, and trim her more commodiously, being pestered with goods and fardels between the decks and altogether unprovided for any fight either offensive or defensive.  
The boat approached the hindmost ship, which I call the vice-admiral, and haled her, demanding who they were, but in steed of resolving us, she commanded them to come aboard, and would answer no otherwise, whereupon the boat rowed from them, as resolving all was not well, and so made haste unto us again, yet could not prevent a volley of small shot poured very dangerously amongst them, insomuch that they had their  shot through, their oars shivered, and the sides battered with bullets: yet thankes be to God neither was a man hurt, nor any thing lost, which, as if they had had notice of the same escape, rated their rage so much the more. For by that time the boat was out of reach of their small shot, they followed it to the ship with great Ordnance, and when they perceived they were safely come aboard, they took it so ill, that they thundered against our ship with the soarer rage, and most violent volleys, which we could not answer, having no piece in our gunner room, nor indeed any other well mounted for such a Sea fight.  
By this time we understood what they were, and resolved we should not departed quietly without mischief, whereupon our Master set us on work to have brought our Ordnance into frame, and so to order our ship that we might defend ourselves if need were, but many things failing us, we practised to weigh our anchors, which was not to be done so suddenly, considering our encumbrances on ship board: we then resolved to weigh it up with the boat, had not so many shot thundered amongst us, that we wondered at our escape.  
By this time their vice Admiral heaved up her anchor to her warp, and laid herself to wind-ward, if either we should pass forward, or anchor short again, so that we perceived they meant to assault us on all hands: for she let fly a whole broad side upon us, and came furiously up to our lee quarter without damage or resistance of our parts, to which sure they were the rather induced because the Admiral having received her men from shore, her top sail lose all ready, and many things commodious to their purpose, began to weigh anchor, and made toward us amain.  
But when we were thus terrified and threatened by them, and thus encumbered and disanimated amongst ourselves, knowing withal (by reason of our ill prepared Ordnance) the disadvantage and hazard to be boarded at anchor by two good ships well prepared for spoil and ruin, we hoist up our sails, and determined to set forward, had not the vice-admiral come on our starboard side, and beat upon us so hardly, that we fell to our business, and answered their unkindness accordingly with many fair shot, which proved most effectual, especially from a demi culvering, which at last shot her between wind & water, so that she was compelled from us, and bore off to Sea, leaving her Admiral only single with us, who at last came fairly in our quarter to wind-ward, taking in her Holland flag, and advanced her Spanish colours, and so haled us.  
We quietly and quickly answered, both what we were, and whither we were bound, discovering the effect of our commission, and relating the cause of our tarrying there for water, neither purposing to annoy any subject of the king of Spain's, nor by way of affront to brave either Merchant or man of War. Then she charged us to strike our sails for the king of Spain, and veil the bonnet according to the prerogative they had in those Seas: we replied with enlarging the particulars of the league between the King our Master and their king, adding withal, that as we intended no ill, we would take no wrong, whereupon the Master left the poop, and sequestered himself from such open conference; had they not called for the Captain again, who at last presented himself, till they commanded him to come aboard with his commission, which he refused yet wished them to send their boat aboard, & then they should see it most willingly.  
But instead either of answering us further with kind words, or accepting of our reply in good part, they made two great shot at us, and poured among us such a volley of small shot, before we could get off the poop, that we thanked God they did no more harm, yet we were much amazed they did so much: not thus content they waved us mith their bright sword's, an reviled us with opprobrious terms mis-●earming us dog's, and inventing more odious names against us than we could imagine, that Christians durst urge one another withal: at last they laid us aboard, which enforced us to raise up our main sail, and to give the word to our small shot, which all this while lay close well resolved and prepared: but suddenly breaking forth we plied them in such sort that we made them give back & shrink from their former forwardness.  
The fight continued some half hour in our quarter, and according to the terror of such encounters, we were compassed as it were in fire and smoke, until they discovered the waist of our ship naked, and were encouraged with the hope of reciprocal damage, whereupon they bravely ran upon our side, and laid us aboard lufe to lufe, hastening with pikes and swords to enter, to which was added such fury, that if they had not been prevented, we should have shrunk under the rage of a barbarous slaughter: but it pleased God so to direct our Master with advice, and encourage our men with valour, that our pikes being formerly placed under our half deck, and certain shot lying close for that purpose under the portels of the ship, encountered them so bravely, that their fury was not only rebated, but their hastiness intercepted, and the whole company beaten back, especially upon the wind-ward side, where the charge was hottest, and the fight bloodiest; for there the throng was great, and men had work enough to make proof of their courages & fortunes, diverse of our men were hurt, and many fell on their side; if a man retired wounded with us, two I am sure were slain amongst them; if their pikes reached as fare as our bodies, ours were long enough to fasten in their sides; if a Partison from them gashed our arms, a Halberd from us lighted on their heads: yea, we came so near, that swords cut pikes a sunder, and targets were hewed with the blows, so that if a fight were worth the describing: it is pity that some great Commanders on both sides beheld not this, to record the action to memory, and recompense the men with sufficient reward.  
In the end they were violently repulsed by us, enforced to a retreat, until they were reinforced back again by their Commanders, who standing upon terms of honour, as being men of war, and designed for that purpose, thought it an indignity to be so afronted and countermanded, which caused a second charge, and that was answered with a second beating back, till the Captain himself grew enraged, as not brooking to be so much overmated, and constrained them to come on a fresh, which they did so effectually, that questionless it had wrought an alteration, if the God that tosseth Monarchies, and teareth the Mountains in his fury, had not taught us to toss our pikes with prosperous event, and poured out a sudden volley of small shot upon them, whereby that worthy Commander was slain at the foot of a pike and many of his soldiers dropped down on the top of the hatches.  
This we saw with our eyes, and rejoiced at with our hearts, so that we might perceive as it were good success coming on, & deliverance to break through the thicking cloud of that vengeance which was prepared against us: for presently our Master took advantage of their discomfiture (though with some commiseration for that valiant Captain so slain) that he not only plied them a fresh with great ordinance, but had more false shot under the pikes, which were bestowed to good purpose, & amazed our enemies with the suddenness.  
Amongst the rest one Lucas our Carpenter's mate must not be forgotten, who perceived a way how to annoy them, as they were thus puzzled and in a confusion, drew out a minion which he nobly set a work under the half deck, till at the last he brought it to the doxe of the half deck, and there bent it upon them but in such a manner, that when it was fired the cases full of stones and pieces of Iron fell upon them like hail, and cleared their deck in such a sort that it slew many, and in short time we saw few assailants, but only such as crept from place to place very covertly, and seemed willing to obscure themselves from the fury of our shot, which now was thicker than theirs. For although (as fare as we may commend our enemies) they had done some things worthy of admiration: yet either wanting men, or overtaken with the unlooked for valour of our company, they now began to shrink, and gave us leave to be wanton with our advantage.  
Yet were our great Ordnance only four that we could use in this fight, but it should seem they served the turn as well as four times four: for they shot her diverse times between wind and water, and so prevailed, that at last we saw many signs of their willingness to leave us, but by reason she was fast in a slach of our cable, which in haste of weighing our anchor hung lose, she could not be divided nor make that way she purposed, until one of our men cut it with an axe without direction, and was slain for his labour. But when she perceived she was lose, after she had been a board two hours and a half, good Lord what hast she made, and how quickly were we divided, both great and small shot playing on both sides, which lasted until the remoteness was above a Caliver shot, and we discovered the vice Admiral coming to her assistance, who began a fare off to ply us with great shot and put us in mind, we had another work in hand.  
Whereupon we manned our ship a new, separating the dead and hurt bodies by themselves from us, and were so encouraged, that we waved her, and in a manner made toward her to fight a fresh. For when we perceived, that the Admiral made not a shot more at us, we verily imagined, that either she was preparing herself with a new supply, or wanted men to make her serviceable, or resolved to go away from us, considering she had lost her Captain; yet loath to be secure, and imagining the vice Admiral might come and board us finding us play, till the Admiral did make herself better ready, we prepared ourselves, wondering yet that she came no nearer us than Falcon shot, wherewith she plied us still on the lee fide, until at last she received another payment from our demi culverin, which shot her through, & made her bear with the shore into smooth water, where she remained till 2. of the clock after midnight, and so we had time to reform our disorders, and make ourselves better ready for the next day's variety.  
By break of day she came up again with the Admiral with her; as if they determined indeed to devour us at once; but as it seemed it was but a Bravado, though for the time they forsook not our quarter within Musket shot: for all that night and morning they were quiet neighbours, and kept us company without any great annoyance with their top sails down, not knowing, as it should seem, what to do with us, or else suspecting their own hurts and leaks, they durst not trust themselves too far from land, nor to the fury of another encounter.  
All that night we had time and leisure to overlook our losses, and prepare for them if they assailed us again; and indeed we were better provided then before, & better accommodated in our ship, as freeing it from former encumbrances, & affording fare more scope for our Ordnance to play upon them: but God be thanked it fell out otherwise: for though we might perceive them speak together, and with many yards a cross intend to keep us company; yet did they not make much haste up, nor trouble us with many shot, till the next day the Admiral made show of an encounter, and we after prayers were ended provided to fight with them, but suddenly we perceived the vice Admiral hang a stern, cutting her main sail to come up, and stirring very ill, which astonished us the more, because we could not imagine the reason, considering she was the best sailor and now spared her Admiral a foretop sail, showing all the signs of retracting, and no desire to come too near us any more.  
At length the Admiral shaken in the wind and by apparent signs gave us notice of slacking her course, whereby we might run a head and follow the seas at our pleasure, so we perceived the vice Admiral with all her sails to make towards an Island called Sana, which the Admiral either took notice of, as knowing the danger she was in, or gave directions accordingly, considering there was no good to be done with us: for presently she tacked about and lost us, bearing toward that Island also, which we easily discovered with her whole length: but the ships were quickly out of sight, although we saw the breach of the sheare all along, and how the Admiral departed from us, which caused us to imagine, that she was forced a shore by her leaks received in the fight, and durst not adventure for fear she should have been sunk altogether, & questionless the Admiral had never gone from our sides, nor tried any fortune but our courtesy, if we could by any means have brought over our demi culverin on our fight side which was endeavoured by our Master & Gunner: but as you have heard our ship being so encumbered, it was in vain, and we little dreaming, either of Pirates or adversary in those seas, made less account to be intercepted in this manner: but such is the condition of humane life, that commonly mischiefs come unlooked for, and when they come, accompany one another with much variety, especially at Sea, where I will be bold to say, that a fight is more terrible to frailty, and yields greater occasion of astonishment, than a main battle at land, or the surprising of a town in the fury of an execution.  
This fight continued five or six hours, & was the more unwelcome, because we were so unprovided, and had no intents, nor gave any occasion to disturb them, as for the loss of men, and accidental troubles if religion had not taught us, what by God's providence is brought to pass; yet morality and daily experience might inform us of the dangers of war, and perils at Sea, by storms, tempests, shipwracks, encountering with Pirates, meeting with enemies, cross winds, long voyages, unkown shores, barbarous nations, devouring monsters, and a hundred inconveniences, of which humane policies are not capable, nor men's conjectures apprehensive.  
We lost Doctor Bohune, and seven other were slain out right: two died shortly after of their wounds, and 16. were shot through in some part or other of the body, whose wounds Gods be thanked were recured and without maim or further impeachment of health are now recovered and settled in Virginia, according to our first intended purpose and Commission: I reckon not such as are hurt with pikes and other offensive weapons, because there was no danger in their cures, and the skilful Surgeon shown his art & good speed with facility. How many they lost we cannot tell, nor what men of name were entertained amongst them, only I am sure we saw many lie slain on the deck, and more cast over board in the fight, besides the scuppers ran with blood, and the very Sea in their quarter was coloured with a Scarlet hue, and looked fearfully upon us all.  
O the ambition and turbulence of men's natures, and the ill condition of revenge, that cannot be contented with fair satisfaction, unless it be answered with death and blood: I speak not of the unjustifiable proceed of Pirates, because the devil hath any excuse foe such theft, from the necessity of life & the terror of poverty, which cannot be prevented in great and stirring spirits without course of active employment, or some endeavours or other: but of the insatiate pride of the heart, and the wicked disposition of malice, which is never satisfied, but with the death and destruction of an enemy, as was apparent in this encounter. For we could not imagine, why they should adventure thus upon us, unless to make us prize, and subject to the spoil of robbery. As for the pretence of their king's prerogative, there was not so much as a thought of afronting them in that kind, had they not insulted as it were over us in an over-daring manner, and commanded us to that which we knew was dishonourable to our nation and disgracious to ourselves: but for fear of lavishes and burstings out of frailty, I will now desist, either from complaining of them, or exscusing ourselves; & only conclude, there were some hreat faults committed amongst us all on both sides, which the God of heaven determined to punish in this manner, and that God of heaven direct us to make use of his judgements, that we not only pray to him for the diversion of his wrath from our sins, but yield him all possible praise and thanksgiving for any deliverance, or blessing whatsoever, and more particularly for this our unlooked for escape from so great a danger.  
The buhthen of their Admiral was 300. tuns, having 22. pieces of Brass, and all provision of a man of War indeed: their Vice-admiral 300. tuns, and 16. cast pieces, nor much inferior to her for trimming and correspondent equipage, and both to the outward show over-masterfull and daring for one poor Merchant and passenger, being but a 160. tuns, having 8. Iron pieces and one Falcon, overloaden with stuff and wares, encumbered with passengers, toiled with a storm, tired with a long voyage, affrighted with wants, and every way insufficient to answer any such enemy: but as it in the Scripture, it is all one to thee O God, whether there be few or many, and Gedeons' 300. shall slay many thousands of the Midianites: as for deliverances, the people of Israel shall pass through the red Sea dry foot: jonas shall be cast safe on shore out of the Whale's belly: and Paul shall escape shipwreck, saving his life with all his passengers in the Island of Malia. For to conclude with the purpose in hand, there is one thing most remarkable as an inducement to this our deliverance, that Captain Chester embraced Doctor Bohune being mortally wounded, & thus recomforted him, saying, O Doctor Bohune what a disaster is this; the noble Doctor no whit exanimated, replied; Fight it out brave man, the cause is good, and Lord receive my soul.  


Slain outright.  
Doctor Bohune.  
Thomas Demeter Gent.  
Th. Read.  
William Garret.  
Th. Vernam.  
Gabriel Peies'.  
David Bathering,  
Raph. etc.   

Died after.  
Francis Annis Gent.  
Ed. Nerobery sailor.   

Wounded yet cured.  
William Bird. Gent.  
Alexander Boventine.  
William Bannington Gent.  
Will. joice quarter Mr.  
john wake.  
john Wilson Sailor.  
George Tailor Sailor.  
William Lucas Sailor.  
john Robbins Steward.  
Philip Durwine.  
Three French men.  
Robert Lector.  
Anthony Browne Gent.    
FINIS.