Before I attempted any Thing in a hostile Manner, I sent an Embassy to the Senate with the same Tenders of Peace, which I had lately offer’d the Emperor of _Mezendoria_. But while we waited for an Answer, all on a Sudden we beheld a Fleet of Ships coming full Sail upon us, in order of Battle. At Sight hereof, we rang’d our Vessels in as much order on our Side, as the Hurry would permit, and immediately gave out the Signal for Engagement. The Battle was fought with equal Bravery and Ardor on both Sides. The _Martinians_ instead of Guns, made use of a Machine, which flung Stones of an enormous Size and Weight, and which grievously gall’d our Sailors. They had also Fire-ships loaded with Pitch, Brimstone, Sulphur, and other combustible Materials. These set Fire to our best Ship, and utterly consum’d it. Victory was a long Time in Suspence, and my Forces even began to deliberate whether they had best fight, or fly. But at last, the Explosion of the great Guns chang’d the Face of Things, and so sunk the Courage of the _Martinians_, that they retir’d precipitately into their Harbour. Yet we took not one of the Enemy’s Ships, because, as they were light Sailors, they could at any Time escape from us. After this Fight, we landed our Forces, and with all Speed made directly towards the Metropolis of _Martinia_. In our March we met our own Embassadors returning from the Senate, by whom they had been receiv’d in a proud and lofty Manner, and dismiss’d with much such a Message as _Neptune_ gave to the Winds. _Maturate fugam, Regique hæc dicite vestro; Non illi imperium Pelagi; sævumq; tridentem, Nobis sorte datum: tenet ille immania saxa._ For the _Martinians_ claiming the Sovereignty of the Seas, receiv’d my Offers with all imaginable Disdain. And now they levy’d a vast Body of Forces, for besides the mercenary Troops, the whole military Power of _Martinia_ took the Field upon this Occasion. We had not march’d far before we espy’d a numerous Army, compos’d of different Nations, advancing directly against us. This Confidence and Presumption of the Enemy, notwithstanding their late Defeat at Sea, occasioned a good deal of Uneasiness on our Side. But all this was but a Meteor which suddenly appears, and as suddenly vanishes: For at the very first Discharge of our Artillery, they all turn’d their Backs, and fled. We pursued the flying Foe, and made a prodigious Slaughter of them. What the Number of the Slain were, appear’d from that of the Perriwigs, which we collected after the Action, and which upon a moderate Computation amounted to the Number of five Thousand. The Make of these Perriwigs was pretty much alter’d since my Time, and I observ’d above twenty different Fashions of them; nor is that at all strange; for so ingenious a Nation would give a thousand Improvements to any Invention whatever.