The third fire-ship was received with the fire of four cannon loaded
with chain shot. These brought her mast down, and she drifted by,
clear of the _Henry,_ which was brought safely into Harwich.
The fight continued the whole day, and did not terminate until ten
o'clock in the evening. The night was spent in repairing damages, and
in the morning the English recommenced the battle. It was again
obstinately contested. Admiral Van Tromp threw himself into the midst
of the British line, and suffered so heavily that he was only saved
by the arrival of Admiral de Ruyter. He, in his turn, was in a most
perilous position, and his ship disabled, when fresh reinforcements
arrived. And so the battle raged, until, in the afternoon, as if by
mutual consent, the Fleets drew off from each other, and the battle
ceased. The fighting had been extraordinarily obstinate and
determined on both sides, many ships had been sunk, several burnt,
and some captured. The sea was dotted with wreckage, masts, and
spars, fragments of boats and _debris_ of all kinds. Both fleets
presented a pitiable appearance; the hulls, but forty-eight hours ago
so trim and smooth, were splintered and jagged, port-holes were
knocked into one, bulwarks carried away, and stern galleries gone.
The sails were riddled with shot-holes, many of the ships had lost
one or more masts, while the light spars had been, in most cases,
carried away, and many of the yards had come down owing to the
destruction of the running gear.
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