From Aboard The Van-Herring, Being a full Relation of the present State and sad Condition of that Ship.  
In a New Letter from Legorn, to a Merchant in London.  
SIR,  
SInce what I have formerly imparted to you was so well accepted, I have thought good to continue my correspondence with you, by relating several things that have fallen out on Board us since my last: I told you then, that the great Council of Officers was called, whereby the Sailors hoped to have had the Ship put into ●uch a condition, as not to have feared the attempts either of the Mahometans or the Algerines, but might have rendered the hopes of the one, and the expectations of the other frustrated; our hopes hereof were very much heightened, when at the opening of the Council, the noble Captain gave them large assurance of his ready compliance with all the means they should think convenient, to this end the Council upon serious debate, and mature deliberation, came to this Resolve, That the only way to secure the Ship, and the Christian Religion, against the attempts of the Mahometans, was by an order of the Captain and his Council of Officers, to disable the Lieutenant from succeeding to the Captain's place after the Captain's death, all other ways being insufficient and dangerous, like the false healing of a Wound, or Building on a rotten Foundation: The Captain not liking their proceeding, sent them word by an Officer, that a small Pinnace belonging to the Ship, was in danger to be taken by some set on and encouraged as its thought by the Mahometans and Algerines, especially the latter, from whom it is thought they have been furnished with Powder, Shot, and Guns, wherewith to batter this Pinnace, and therefore he would have them let the Lieutenant alone, and bend all their thoughts to the defence of this Pinnace, since it was of so great consequence to the Van-Herring, that if once lost, we can never Trade into the Straits with safety: the Council after a serious debate on this Message, resolved to draw up an Address to the Captain, wherein they assured him they would withal readiness comply with the motion of relieving the Pinnace, if there might be a satisfying assurance given them, that it would be in order to the securing the Old Ship, which they were humbly bold to tell him, they had found by woeful experience hitherto, to be altogether manned with, and managed by the Mahometans; and they appealed to the Captain himself, that he knew it was not long since one of the Arch-Traytors, now in the Hold, for endeavouring to Murder the Captain, and seize the Ship for the Lieutenant, sailed in, and commanded this Pinnace; therefore since the whole Ship was in danger to be lost, they could not hazard the whole Ship by endeavouring to relieve this Pinnace, which had been a Nest of our implacable Enemies the Mahometans: they also with all humility shown him, that all, or most of the supplies they had formerly given to maintain the Captain's Honour, and the Ships safety, were abused by ill Officers, the design wholly inverted to serve the Mahometans interest. They told him also, that since the best defence this Ship had, was to endeavour the advancing the Christian Religion abroad, they admired to find his Officers endeavouring to procure Mahometan Chapels in other Christian Ships: they desired also, that those which endeavoured to render the endeavours of this Council, as dangerous to the Captain's Interest, might be looked on by him as Enemies to him and his Government: The Council have also punished some persons, that by obstructing Petitions for the meeting of this Council, have betrayed the Liberty of the Sailors, which we hope will have this good effect, that in the Vacansy of Council, there will be no more Abhorrors found amongst us. They have also made several Addresses to the Captain, to remove from his Presence several pernicious Officers, who by their fawning words, and flattering Counsels, would draw his affection from the Loyal Sa●lers, one of them was chief Clerk to the great Cabbine, him they have got removed, but the rest remain as they were, only one advanced by the influence of the Lieutenant to the dignity of chief Boatswain, was by the Council of the lower Bench charged with Treason against the Captain, and betraying the Liberty of the Sa●lers, requiring to have him secured, but could not prevail; the Council of the lower Bench after many debates and consultations, drew up an order to disable the Lieutenant to succeed to the Captain's place after the Captain's death. Now Sir; I cannot tell you the different humours that filled the Sailors; all men were big with expectation what would become of this order, when presented to the Council of the upper Bench, all persuading themselves it would be according to their own desires; the Council of the lower Bench handed it to the Officers of the upper Bench, where the Captain sat, where after some debate, it was rejected, to the great grief of the Christian Sailors, and the Joy of the Mahometan Faction; the Officers of the Red Robe were indifferently divided, but those of the White Robe, although they pretend to be the Pillars of the Christian Religion, and have long been thought by some of the Sailors to be so; Yet now to convince the World, their own pretences were untrue, and the Sailor's good opinion of them false; they most of them came in as a dead weight, and speedily carried the Scale on the Lieutenant's side, which is a thing so strange, that it makes some of the Sailors think, that as they were the Relics of the Mahometan suppression, which remains unpurged, when the rest of their Innovations were expelled this Ship; so they have secret inclinations to return again to the Obedience of the Mufty. Yet something has been done to the discouraging the Mahomitans, and encouraging the Christian Sailors; for one of the Arch Traitors was at last brought to his Trial before the Council, and condemned to lose his Head upon the Capstorm, which was done accordingly; the Counsel notwithstanding the rejecting the Order, consulted of some other way to disable the Lieutenant, which to prevent, the Captain minded them again of the danger of the Pinnace, whereupon they resolved to draw up another Address to the Captain, wherein they gave him great thanks for the care he had taken to prevent the Mahometan design, and his gracious promise of complying with all means they should think convenient for securing the Ship; yet they much grieved to find his promise so limited, as to render it wholly useless, by refusing to grant that wherein alone our safety doth consist, there being no safety to him or the Ship, until the Lieutenant be Excluded; all the Answer the Captain returned, was, that the Council of the upper Bench, by rejecting the Order, had confirmed him in an Opinion, that it is not his Interest to desert the Lieutenant; the Counsel hereat amazed, after some Debate, entered into the Journal of their Proceed, That it is their Opinion, that there can be no security to the Captain, the Ship, or the Christian Religion, without preventing the Lieutenant from being Captain; and that notwithstanding the Captain's promises of complying with all other ways of securing us, that unless this Order be passed, they can give him no supplies, without Betraying the Captain's person, the Christian Religion, and the trust reposed in them by the Sailors; and whosoever should advise the Captain to put off this Council to any other purpose then to the making this Order, are betrayers of the Captain, the Christian Religion, and Promoters of and Pensioners to Argere, and that the thanks of this Bench be given to the Sailors in the great Cabbine, for their Loyalty to, and endeavours for the preservation of the Captain, and the Christian Religion; immediately they were put off for a few days, which the Mahometans have the impudence to say, it was done in favour to them, but the Loyal Sailors hope the contrary, and that it is only to give the Council an occasion to bring in the Order again; yet the Sailors of the great Cabbine, fearing the Mahometans, might take this opportunity to attempt something against the Cabbine, requested the Master of this Cabbine to take all imaginable care for its preservation. I had almost forgotten one thing that hath occasioned much discourse amongst us; a Loyal Officer made an ingenious Speech, containing a short and true Account of our Affairs: It was condemned by some, although others think it will prove somewhat like a late Treatise, called, The Growth of Mahometanism, which when first Published, was generally condemned as a design falsely to asperse the Captain's Favourites, but in short time we found the thing too true. I should have told you also, that while the Council of Officers were enquiring into this Plot, some came on Board us from on Board the Harp, and acquainted our Council, that Ship also was in danger to be Betrayed to the Algerines: We are informed, that the Algerines, by the help of the Mufty and his Agents, have got a Stout Ship that Rides near us, called, The Eagle, to be so Betrayed by the Captain's Officers, that it must shortly fall into their hands. As for our Lieutenant, he at present Sails in the Lion, but is expected on Board us; I suppose his absence will be more welcome to them, than his presence to us: just as I was finishing this Letter, I saw the Sails flocking about the Mainmast, whereupon I went to inquire the reason, and found them with great amazement and admiration reading an Order of the Captains for discharging this Council of Officers, and calling a New one, which are not to meet in the Old , which they have done time out of mind, but in the Academy, a small  in a more remote part of the Ship; this unexpected and prodigious News filled the Loyal Sailors with sad hearts and dejected countenances, yea, the Heavens have put on Mourning, appearing Dark and Gloomy, and the Sun not seen for three or four days together. Thus I have given you a short but impartial account of all or most of the material things that have fallen out since my last.   

LONDON, Printed Anno Dom. 1680.