The 18th instant, wᶜʰ was Satuarday last, I wrote the by one of the yachts, and as thou advised. Yᵉ next day we saw the Dutch fleet. We drew ours into a lyne of bataile, the French leading, we in the reare, all prepared to fight, haveing stav’d and heft over bord all ours, and I think all the cabins of the whole fleet. The Hollanders stood over for yᵉ Flaunders Banks and yᵉ Weelings. About 7 at night we were up wᵗʰ them in a lyne, as they lay in the same posture very orderly to recᵉ us; but, finding it would have bine darke before we could have well began with them, being about 4 or 5 miles to leewards of us, yᵉ wind at W.S.W., we thought it not convenient to ingage them. Yᵉ night following, upon there tacking of, we tackt in yᵉ reare, yᵉ whole fleet following to keep them to leewards of us, as we did yᵗ night by our twice tacking againe. Yesterday morning it proved a very thick fogge. We wᵗʰ our division anchored, standing in wᵗʰ the Banks of Flaunders of Oostend. About 10 in yᵉ morning, upon cleareing up, we wayed anchor, yᵉ Dutch fleet 3 miles to leewards of us. We stood of and mett our fleet standing in. Yᵉ Dutch stood of wᵗʰ us. This day it proved much wind, that we could not fight them; whereupon we stood in to our shore N.W., and about ½ seas over we anchored all night. This morneing we saw yᵉ fleet again. We stood of towards them, expecting they would have stood wᵗʰ us; but they stood of intending to draw us over amongst those shoulds, to fight them there. We keeping our wind, and they bearing away, as we suposed, from yᵉ wind, we lost sight of them. It blowing hard we tackt, and now come neare to Sowle Bay, where I supose we may stay a day or two to watter our fleet.