MY Lords, Since my last to your Hi. and Mi. of the 10 of Decem­ber past, from the Bay of Cal­lary, we safely arrived the 20. following in the morning, with the greatest part of your Fleet, in the Bay of Melazzo, and by my Secretary, made known to the Marquis of Villa Franca, Viceroy of the Kingdom of Sicily, our arrival, with the offer of our service. His Excellency did me the Honour that very after­noon, to come and visit me on board my Ship, and to bid me welcome; as I the next day, gave my Self the Honour to return his Excellencies Visit. In both which Visits, nothing of importance happened. I received his Excellency with all Civility, and at his going away, gave him the respect due to a Person of his high Quality; and on the other side, his Ex­cellency received me with the civilities required, in respect to your Hi. and Mi. amidst the Salutes of the Canon of the Town, and of the Castle, and in the same manner dismist me with great courtesy.

And that we might not here spend our time in vain, I thought fit, provisionally, to appoint Capt. Nicholas Verschoor, Rear-Admiral, for this Expe­dition, and to depute Jacob Benkhout, and the [Page 4]Count of Stirum, assisted by my Secretary, to the Marquis de Villa Franca, to concert with his Excel­lency, what ought to be most speedily undertaken against the common Enemy, with your Hi. and Mi. Fleet, and withal, earnestly to press, that as many Spanish Men of War and Gallies, as was possible, might be joyned with us, that so we might be the stronger, in case; a considerable force of the Ene­mies, should happen to meet us at Sea; where­upon, with the most forcible Reasons, and by the importance, and necessity of the thing, his Excel­lency was finally perswaded, upon the 31 of the last month, to conclude; That we should, with your Hi. and Mi. Fleet, pass the Fare of Messina, to cut off from the Enemy, who cruised to and fro, be­tween the Cape De la Molina, and the Cape d [...] Arme, all succors designed to Messina, while his Ex­cellency, in the mean time, gave Order, that the Spanish Men of War lying at Palermo, under the Command of the Prince of Montesarchio, should, with all speed, be got ready; adding in the interim, under your Hi. and Mi. Flag, the Spanish man of war, named Nostra Signora del Rosario, mounted with 50 Guns, and 300 Men, Commanded by Capt. de Saye, with 9 Gallies, Commanded by Don Beltran de Gavarra, Lieutenant, and Governour-General of the Neopo­litan Gallies. The night, between the 31 past, and the 1 instant, the Vice-Admiral de Haen, with the nine Ships under his Command, who on the 8th of Nov. last, was separated from us in a Storm, happily joyned us in the Bay of Melazzo; and thereupon, the night of the said I instant, we set sail together, taking our course along the Coast, towards the Streight of Messina, with intention to pass the said Streight, and afterwards the said appointed Rendezvouz, between the Cape de la Molina, and Cape del Arme; but in the latter part of the night it was very calm, and the next day, the wind prov­ed contrary.

The Second instant in the Morning, very early, the Spaniards in our sight, Attacked a small place called Ibiso, which was Manned with French and Rebels, and after three hours dispute, took it, with the loss of ten Men, and some Wounded, and on the side of the Enemy, about sixty Killed, besides Wounded, and feventy taken Prisoners, among which was a Collonel, a Milanese by Birth, who had quitted the Spanish Ser­vice: In the mean time, the Marquis de Villa Franca, Viceroy of the Island of Sicily aforesaid, sent several Feluccas to the Fare, (where we continued Cruising till the fifth instant) with advice, that a considerable Fleet of the Enemies Ships, were Sailed from Thoulon, for the Succouring of Messina; and that they had been first seen by those of Leghorne, and afterwards from the Islands lying before the said Kingdom of Sicily, and lately from the Isle of Lipari, whereupon, (find­ing, that by reason of the said contrary Winds, we could not come to pass the said Streight,) I resolved to Tack the sixth instant in the Morning, and to stand to the Westward, to find out the Enemy; we advanced that day, close under the said Island of Lipari, but could not from our Shrowds, as yet discover the Ene­my, notwithstanding we had advice, by Barks and Felucca's from all sides, that the said Enemies Fleet was still observed from the shoar. I endeavored to inform my self, how the Enemy bore from us, and which way they steered, that so we might be the sooner with them; the first they could well enough tell me, but in the latter, they did so vary, that I was forced to send off one of my Lieutenants in a Felucca, with some of the most knowing Felucca Men, towards the Island Salinas, if possible, to discover from the Hills, (which are very high) the Enemies course; upon whose re­turn, we steered the night following Northwards to­wards them; the next morning, with the opening of the day, the Wind S. S. W. a smal Gale, we got sight of them, being Thirty Sail, counting a Polacke and [Page 6]a Satie, about three miles from us; and to oblige them to an Engagement yet that day, we, and all the Ships of your Hi. and Mi. Fleet, put up all the Sail they could possibly bear, the sooner to reach the Enemy, which we so far did, that some of the forwardest of them, were forced to furl some of their Sails, and to stay for those who were not so good Sailers, keeping in the mean time, as near the Wind as was possible, to gain an advantage upon us; about three in the afternoon, I gave the sign, to the end the head Officers, Captains, and Commanders, might, pursu­ant to their general, and particular Instructions, put themselves into their several stations, as was according­ly done, but in the mean time the night came on; so that I resolved to defer the Attack for that day, and to call the head Officers on bord my Ship, to bid them hold themselves ready against the next day, be­ing the eighth instant, to Attack the Enemy, recom­mending to them, at the same time, that for the Love of their Country, and the sooner to obtain an Hono­rable and Lasting Peace, they would take care of their Honor and Oath, which they all taking me by the hand, unanimously promised.

I sent a halfe Galley (so called) halfe way, be­tween us and the Enemy, to observe them in the night, directing the Capt. that so long as they held the same course with us, he should every Glass fire a Gun; and in case the Enemy happened to Tack, to retreat, shoot­ing all the way to us; towards the latter part of the night, the Wind increased, and blew so hard from the W. S. W. that not only he was obliged to quit his Post, but likewise the other nine Spanish Gallies, who stood towards Lipari, to cover themselves un­der the shore: In the last of the Night watch, the Enemy gave the signe to Tack, whereupon, I like­wise gave the signe to Tack; at break of day, we a­gain got sight of them, they bearing along with us, but the Wind had sharpened upon us, six Points, and [Page 7]was so bare, that the Enemy got the Luffe.

About 9 a clock, they being in good Order, and well ranked, came upon us like Soldiers, as we cou­ragiously, and likewise in good Order expected them, so that within an hour after the foremost Ships on both sides, began to fire upon each other, which last­ed about three hours so furiously, (that I never in my life was in sharper firing) when one of the Enemies Fireships, under the favour of the Smoak, and the Can­non of their Vice-Admiral, came down upon us, but we shot down his Masts, and disabled him, so that the Captain was forced himself to set fire to her, for fear of her falling into our hands; about halfe an hour after, a second of the Enemies Fire-Ships had her Masts shot down, and was burnt; the Fight lasted with the Reer-Admiral Verschoor, who had the Van, and with us, till between four and five in the afternoon, and with the Vice-Admiral de Haen, who had the Rear, and consequently, came last into the Fight, till dark night, which likewise parted them; with the setting of the Sun, a considerable Ship of War of the Ene­mies sunk in our sight, others will have it, that there is a second sunk, which neither I, nor any of my Ship saw; after the Fight, the said Nine Galleys came to us again, and continued with us all the night. The head Officers and Captains, of your Hi. and Mi. Fleet, fought bravely, and without ceasing, as the Enemy likewise did on their side; during the Fight it was ex­tream calm; we and all your Hi. and Mi. Fleet, hath suffered great damage in our Masts, Tackle, and Sails. The night past, we have been employed to put up new Staies, to stop Leaks, bring new Sails to the Yards, and to mend our Tackle, so that we, and most all of the other Ships, are in a condition to make head against the Enemy, who, (as much as we can discern from our shrowds,) lye on our Lee, but the weather is very calm, so that we shall not be able to get up with one another this day.

Captain Gillis Schey, commanding the Ship Essen came the last night on board me, and acquainted me that he had received one or more shots under water and that he could not find the Leak, by which, much water was come into his Ship, and had wet all h [...] Powder, and therefore desired that we would send [...] Carpenter on board him, to help to find it; we sen [...] the Captains Berkout, and Van Abcoude, with ou [...] chief Carpenter on board him, who heard the Leak [...] but could not find it, wherefore I desired Don Beltra [...] de Guavarra, Lieutenant General of the said Galleys to send two of his Galleys to towe the said Ship th [...] Essen to Palermo, or some other Port, as the win [...] should most favor, which he immediately granted; [...] likewise put into the hands of Captain Schey, an Act of Permission, to get the said Ship, into the first and most convenient Port, and there to repair the same with all possible diligence; and for the better executi [...] on of this Order, the Commanders Wybrandtz B [...] ­rentz Commanding a Snaw, and Jacob Statlander, i [...] the Fluyt, the Swarte Tas, are directed to keep with the said Captain Schey, to assist him in all things.

This Morning I called the Head Officers, Captains and Commanders on board me, to know what damag [...] they had sustained, and what they most wanted.

The Reer-Admiral Verschoor in the Fight yesterday, slept in the Lord in the bed of Honor. W [...] can fairly see the Prince of Montesarchio, with Nin [...] Sail from our Ship, so that by the help of God, w [...] hope to joyn his Excellency yet this day.

Wherewith, &c. in the Ship the Erendracht Sailing Westward of the Island Alicur, the Ninth of January, 1676.