A True ACCOUNT OF A FIGHT BETWEEN Captain john Leech, Commander of the Ship Ann of London, of 14 Guns, and 19 Men, from jamaica, And a French Privateer of 24 Guns, and some Petteraroes': As it came in a Letter to his Owners from Plymouth, Dated the Second of this Instant january, 1689.  
Licenced january 8th. 1689/90.  
THE 29th. of December in the Morning at daylight having not made the Land, but reckoning ourselves very near, the Wind being at West North-West, moderate clear Wether, I sent a Man up in the top to look about, who immediately cried out, A Sail on our Starboard Quarter, and I think Land on our Lee Bow; expecting the Sail to be what she was, I called up all Hands to make a clear Ship, and sling the Yards, and get the Ship in a fight Posture, which required more time than we had then to spend to do it Authentic, being disordered by much Tempestuous Wether, and a Sea shipped the 18th. of December at Night, which broke in some of our Stern, and spoiled a great many of our small Arms, and had put us much out of Fight Posture, in which we kept always before, and withal washed away our Wads out of the Garlings, and where they were hung up, so that we had nothing to make more of left us, but our own Men with their rugs, Blankets, and what clothes came first to hand, supplied that want, and stood courageously by me all the time of Fight. He came up with us with in Gun-shot at half an hour past Seven of the Clock in the Morning, with English Colours abroad, which I perceiving, caused our Colours to be nailed fast to the Staff. When he came nigher, he struck his English Colours, and hoisted his French Ensign, ran a Head, and fired a Gun over our Quarter, Commanding us to Strike; so desiring God to be my Assistance, I fired a Gun off the Quarter-Deck in Defiance; so he came up within half-Pistol shot of us, and poured in a Volley of small shot of about an hundred Arms, with a whole Broadside of Round, and Bar, and Partridge, besides Petteraroes', with which my Second Mate was killed, and no one else Wounded, blessed be God for it. After this▪ I thought h● would have Boarded us, but he received our Broadside, and sheered off, and loaded aga●●, and came up▪ and did in the like manner as before on the Larboard-side, and running a-head, and falling a-stern, gave us the other fresh Broadside on the Starboard-side; continuing in this posture running up one side, and backing the Stern on the other side as fast as he could load and fire with small and great Shot till Twelve of the Clock, at which time our Main-Mas fell; and he received some Damage from us under Water, and was forced to bring his Ship upon the C●●ne for the space of three Glasses, in which time we got our Deck cleared, and the broken Mast and Rigging overboard, and all in readiness to receive him again. Our Men now were more Courageous than at the beginning (Glory be to God that gave the Hearts▪) After this, he came up with as much Fury as possibly he could on the Larboard-side, and fired as fast as he could, laying us a-board on the Bow, but sheered off again and entered no Men. This manner he continued on our Larboard side, loading and firing, till half an hour past Five at Night▪ at which time our Mizzen-mast came by the board, and some of our Cotton on the Poop took fire, and then he sheered near us, as though he would have come on Board us, but through God's Assistance we got both our Mizzen-mast and Rigging all clear from the Ship, and the fire in the Cotton was put out, and then he brought too, and left us. Our eight serviceable Guns that we had, did not lie still all the day any more than his. At Night the Wind vered more Southerly, and we steered with that little Sail God had left us North, in hopes to make the Land, and in the Morning it pleased God that we were fair within a League and a half of Ram-head, and Plymouth Sound opened to us; for which Mercy and Deliverance I desire to return Thanks to Almighty God.  
The Ship will take a long time fitting, for she is a perfect Wreck; the more we look about her, the more disabled we find her; we have abundance more Shot in her Hull than I expected, above three hundred. As to the Mizzen-mast, and Mainmast, with all the Rigging and Sails, they are quite gone; the Foremast is much wounded, together with the Boltsprit, and cannot be made Serviceable; the Fore-yard, and Sprit-sail-yard are in twain; the Fore-top-mast and Foretop sail only remain sound, but the Rigging and Sails much shattered; both our Boats are shot in pieces, our fine carved work Galleries and Stairs are very much defaced and torn away with shot, and one of our Great Guns split▪ so that I believe Five Hundred Pounds will not Repair and make her as good as she was.  
The Captain and his Men behaving themselves so Bravely, the Merchan'ts are making a Purse to Present him.   

LONDON:  
Printed for Sam▪ Crouch, at the Corner of Popes-Head-Alley in Cornhill. 1690.