guese had brought a
witch from Ormus, to supply them with favourable winds.

On Innocents day, 28th December, perceiving the drift of our Portuguese
_Fabius cunclator_, to protract and avoid fighting, that by delays and
the advantage of his frigates, he might hinder us from prosecuting your
business in Persia, we determined to attempt closing with him. About one
o'clock there sprung up a favourable east wind for our purpose, on which
we immediately weighed and put every thing in order for battle. The
London and Hart came to anchor within a cable's length and half of their
broadsides, and so endured the main brunt of this second fight; for, no
sooner were they at anchor, but it fell calm and so continued all day,
insomuch that the Roebuck and Eagle, which had steered nearer to the
shore, with the intention of coming to anchor, one on the bow of their
admiral, and the other on the bow of their vice-admiral, got astern, and
could not with all our diligence be of any service for a full half hour
after the action began. At length we got within point-blank shot of
them, and then were forced either to anchor or drive farther off with
the current, as there was not a breath of wind.

We now brought our broadsides to bear, and our whole squadron plied
their ordnance upon them so fast, that had the knowledge of our men
equalled their resolution, not one of them had escaped from us. Not
willing to endure such hot entertainment, they cut their cables about
three o'clock, and drove from us with the tide to the westwards, till
out of our reach. Then came their frigates, which the day before had
made a bravado along shore with drums, trumpets, flags, and streamers,
and, now employed in a fitter task, towed them away all mangled and
torn. Their admiral, in the very hottest of the fight, was under the
necesity of giving his ship a heel to stop his leaks, his main-top-mast
and the head of his main-mast having fallen overboard. The great Dutch
ship had both his top-masts and part of his boltsprit shot away, and the
smaller lost all his shrouds and top-masts. Their vice-admiral escaped
best this day, having commonly one or other of their own ships between
him and us.

We kept them company all night, in hope of being able next morning to
give them their passports; but having taken a survey of our shot, which
we found scanty, and considering the importance of the voyage we still
had to perform, we thought it best to give over the chase and