I sent away my pinnace well manned, with orders to dog the chase all
night, making signals with false fires that she might not escape us; but
before our boat could get up to them, the Marquis made sail again
towards the chase, and went to it again briskly for more than four
glasses. At this time we saw the Duchess steer ahead to windward, clear
of the enemy, as I supposed to stop her leaks or repair her rigging.
Meanwhile the Marquis kept the enemy in play, till the Duchess again
bore down, when each fired a broadside or two, and left off because it
grew dark. They then bore south of us in the Duke, which was right to
windward, distant about two leagues; and about midnight our boat came to
us, having made false fires, which we answered. Our people had been on
board both the Duchess and Marquis, the former of which had her foremast
much disabled, the ring of an anchor shot away, one man killed and
several wounded, having also received several shots in her upper works
and one in her powder-room, but all stopt. The Duchess had engaged the
enemy by herself the night before, which was what we took to be false
fires, being too distant to hear the guns. At that time they could
perceive the enemy to be in great disorder, her guns not being all
mounted, and neither her nettings nor close quarters in order; so that,
if it had been my good fortune in the Duke to have gone with the
Duchess, we all believed we might then have carried this great ship by
boarding; or, if the Duchess had taken most of the men out of the
Marquis, which did not sail well enough to come up to her assistance in
time, she alone might have taken her by boarding at once, before the
Spaniards had experienced our strength, and become afterwards so well
provided as encouraged them to be driving, giving us every opportunity
to board them if we pleased.

Captain Cooke sent me word that he had nearly fired away all his powder
and shot, but had escaped well in masts, rigging, and men; wherefore I
sent him three barrels of powder and a proportion of shot; and I also
sent Lieutenant Fry to consult with our consorts how we might best
engage the enemy next morning. All this day and the ensuing night the
chase made signals to us in the Duke, thinking us her consort, which we
had already taken; and after dark she edged down towards us, otherwise I
should not have been up with her next day, having very little wind and
that against us. In the morning of the 28th, as soon