However, we were wrong, and, to give the Dutchmen their due,
they showed resolution greater than we gave them credit for, for we
were astonished indeed to hear, towards the end of July, that Van
Tromp had sailed out again with upwards of ninety ships.
"On the 29th they came in view, and we sailed out to engage them, but
they would not come to close quarters, and it was seven at night
before the _Resolution_, with some thirty other ships, came up to
them and charged through their line. By the time we had done that it
was quite dark, and we missed them altogether and sailed south,
thinking Van Tromp had gone that way; but, instead, he had sailed
north, and in the morning we found he had picked up De Ruyter's
fleet, and was ready to fight. But we had other things to think of
besides fighting that day, for the wind blew so hard that it was as
much as we could do to keep off the shore, and if the gale had
continued a good part of the ships would have left their bones there.
However, by nightfall the gale abated somewhat, and by the next
morning the sea had gone down sufficient for the main deck ports to
be opened. So the Dutch, having the weather gauge, sailed down to
engage us.
"I thought it rough work in the fight two months before, but it was
as nothing to this. To begin with, the Dutch fire-ships came down
before the wind, and it was as much as we could do to avoid them.
They did, indeed, set the _Triumph_ on fire, and most of the crew
jumped overboard; but those that remained managed to put out the
flames.
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