• A. The Mary Rose
  • B. The Hambererough Frigatt a Merchant
  • C. The Roe Keleh
  • D. a Scotch Merchant bound for Cadiz
  • E. a [...] which came with us from Tangier bound for Sal [...]
  • F. The Half Moon an Algier Man of Ware the charging [...] had [...] Gunns and 400 men
  • G. Orange tree being the [...] [...]a [...]all 30 Gunns [...] Men
  • H. Seven Starrs 30 Gunns 300 Men
  • I. Whi [...] [...] 30 Gunns 240 Men
  • K. The Har [...] 28 Gunns 260 Men
  • L. Golden [...] the Turks Admirall he had [...] Gunns 300 Men
  • M. The [...] [...]ell [...] the Pri [...]
  • N. The P [...]
  • O. French Merchant
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A True Relation of Capt Kempthorn's Engagement, in the Mary-Rose; with seven Algier Man of War.

ANue 1669, in the beginning of December, His Excellency the Lord Ambassador Hanry Howard, having obtain'd from the Em­peror ot Barbary, Tassaleta, a Letter of Security, to his content, had resolv'd to prosecute his Journey to the Court; to which end, he order'd his Baggage, and most of his Retinue, to be Embarqu'd in the Mary Rose, which had Transported him from England; and purpos'd himself, with some few of his Gentlemen and Servants, to the number of fifteen or sixteen, to go by Land, and the Ship by Sea to Salee; resolving, as soon as we were under Sail, to begin his Journey also.

Thus accordingly we set Sail on Wednesday the eighth of the said Month, at two a clock in the morning, with the Wind at North-East, along the Shore of Barbary; and having past Arzila that Evening, aster Midnight, we overtook a great Flyboat of 300 Tuns; and finding her to be an English Vessel, fraighted with Deal, Masts, Salt, and Tobacco, coming from New-England, or those Parts, and taken by the Algier Men of War off of the Cape St. Vincent, being bound for Cadiz, we took, and made Prize of her; and having found 22 Turks aboard her, and three christians, one a Russian, and two Englishmen, we transported them aboard us, and sent other Men aboard her; and having examin'd the Principal of them, found them to belong to a Squadron of Algier Men of War, who were Cruising in those Seas: But the Prize being heavy loaders, and a bad Sailer (insomuch that we were forc'd to tow her) did much prolong our Voyage, as that we could not arrive till Saturday at Noon before Salee: Yet that flowness did us a Courtesie for that time, though a Discourtefie afterwards; for having for the most part of the Forenoon taken notice of a Barque keeping betwixt us and the Shore, and thinking her to be otherwise than she prov'd afterwards, Captain Kempthorn sent his Ketch to speak with her In the mean time we arriv'd before Salee; and having handsomly trimm'd our Ship with Pendants and other Ornaments, and cast Anchor, we Saluted the Town with 11 Guns, and receiv'd for Answer, silence . However, we made ready for Landing; and first the Steward onely, in a Pinace with another Gentle­man, rowed towards the Shore; and while that was doing, we saw at a distance, that our Ketch had overtaken the Barque, and after a l [...]ttle time of Conference let her go with discharging ot a Gun; which Barque made with full Sails towards us, to our great admiration; till coming nearer, we pereceiv'd that she bore the King of Englands Colors, and discharg'd two Guns; Then we concluded, that it was some extraordi­nary Message from his Excellency; therefore the Captain commanded to discharge a Gun, and to make a Waft for those who were roving to­wards the Shore, who seeing that, turn'd back again, and came aboard. And the Vessel, being a Brigantine belonging to Tangier, having aboard her a Gentleman of Quality, and a Captain, with 40 Soldie [...], and 6 Brass Guns, did also approach, and deliver'd his Message, which was, That we should not Land, but rather get aboard, if we could, ill those who were ashore before, with the Goods also, matters at Tangier since our departure being much alter'd; and had we not been retarded by the fore-mention'd Prize, this Message would have come too late

However, we stay'd there till Munday, and seeing there could nothing be effected, in getting those People aboard (because they were deram'd) and a Storm being at hand forcing us from the Shore, we took the Sea; and having fastned the said Brigantine at our Stern, we Cruisel that night and the day following, in a Storm, far in the Sea, all the Men [...] the Brigantine being aboard her, and suffer'd much. This evening we sa [...] two Turks Men of War afar off; and at night was a very great Storm, so that we were forc'd to take all the Men of the Brigantine aboard us, and suffer her to be cast away. Next day, the 15. the Weather continued: Toward evening we saw again a Turks Man of War, chacing a Spanish Vessl but having pereciv'd us making towards him, he fled: By and by we saw Land, it being La Rotta on the Spanish Coast; which we could not reach, the Storm blowing out of the Levant, but were forc'd to keep at Sea further off, and there to be toss'd all that night and the day after. The 7 came to us a French Canary Man, bound for Cadiz; by and by, a Scotch­man, from the same place; We saw also two Turks Men of War; there­fore those two Ships came to us for Protection. Next morning at break of day we discover'd seven Turks Mer of War; and because their Course was towards us, therefore all possible Preparation was made aboard us for the Fight, and all that might be hurtful, or hinder us, remov'd, and thrown overboard, and our aforesaid Prize forsaken, the Men taken a­board into the Mary Rose, and the Ship let drive before the Wind. The same day before noon the Turks pass'd by us; but neither Party attempt­ed any thing; yet our Preparation went on to the utmost of our power.

In the mean time, one of the Turks Ships, being a slow Sailer, and full of Men (being the Half-Moon) lagg'd about an English Mile behind the rest; so that they were forc'd to stay for her, and to send out two Boars Man'd to tow her. Our Captain seeing that, who was near betwixt them both, sent also a Boat with Men to intercept theirs, which caus'd a small Skirmish among them; but when we saw that the Turks put out another Boat strongly provided, our Captain commanded to make a Waft for our Man to come back again: After that, we saw them to stand close together, no doubt, to consult what was to be done; and we still preparing; still about three a clock they began to charge, whereupon en­sued a [...] Service, and much harm done on both sides; but the night being at hand, they retired a little way, and there stay'd till day, observ­ing our Motion; and because they should not think that we would run away in the dark, Captain Kempthorn commanded Lights to be set out, that they might see where we were; and so having taken some rest the same night, early in the morning we were alarm'd again; and having perform'd Solemn Prayers, immediately every one repair'd to his Stati­on, for they were coming: And all things being well order'd, especially that every other Gun should be fir'd at every Ship, to preserve the rest for the second; by which means, every one of the Turks Men of War re­ceiv'd a sufficient opposition. We had also, besides our ordinary Ships Crew, about 70 Land-Soldiers of Tangier, and about 4.0 of his Excel­lencies Retinue; in all about 250 Men.

Thus began the Fight with a great courage; and they coming in a Line from the Somh-East Quarter, the Half-Moon was the foremost; and ha­ving come within Pistol-shot, gave us his Small-shot, and his Broad­side, and receiv'd as much from us, and then having pass'd, bore off a little toward the Starboard, North-East; the same order kept all the rest, the Golden-Lion, or Admiral being, in the Rere, with intention to board us: After we had receiv'd these five Broad-sides, even as he was coming up, with more Sails spread than the rest, he receiv'd a Shot be­twixt Wind and Water, and another which tore his Main-Sail from end to end, and being thus disabled, stood off: His Companions seeing that, tack'd about, and compassing him round, went away fore the Wind with all speed, which put an end to the Fight, God be thanked. The seventh Ship all that while was pursuing our Prize, by which means we had one Enemy the less. Thus we follow'd our Course, having lost thac day in the time of the Fight our French Ship Companion, and the following night, the Scotchman and the Pink; which Pink having aboard a number of Jews, Armenians, and the like Companions, having during the Fight re­volted against the Master of the Vessel, endeavour'd to comply with the Turks, and having given some Signal, bore towatds them: they mistrust­ing it to be a Fire-ship, began to avoid; but our Captains providence hinder'd that Design. There were kill'd aboard us 11 Persons, 17 wound­ed, and the Ship; much dammag'd. The next day in the evening we ar­riv'd in the Bay of Cadiz, being December 30. S. V. 1669.

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