Under French colours she down upon us bore, Thinking we were two merchant ships which had of riches store; The third she thought a man-of-war our convoy for to be, And soon she tho’t to have taken us, if not more force than she; But whilst our English man-of-war did preparations make, And when that she came up with her, it prov’d a sad mistake. She carried five hundred seamen, four hundred marines, Most of them Irish fellows, who fought with [courage keen]; Seventy-four guns she mounted, all of the largest size, With which she thought of our ships to make a noble prize, But she was much mistaken, as plainly doth appear, For we have made a prize of her, and she’s arrived here. The _Lennox_, Captain Manning, receiv’d the first broadside, Which carried away his foremast, and his bowsprit beside; This sad unhappy accident he would no longer stay; He was so sore disabled, was forc’d to bear away; But for to shew his courage bold altho’ distressed sore, He did a thundering broadside into the Spaniard pour. The next run up the _Kent_, with Captain Durell bold, Who gave to them a good broadside, like jolly hearts of gold, Which scar’d the Spanish captain so, he was just going to strike, So certainly he had it done, but for an Irish tike, Which was his first lieutenant, who with the men combin’d; He said ‘I’ll fight the ship myself, the captain we’ll confine. ‘Now come, my loving countrymen, with courage play your parts, For if the English take us, we are sure of our deserts; ’Tis better manfully to fight, and here to die at sea, For if the English take us now, we shall all hanged be.’ With that they gave a loud huzza, unto him thus did cry, ‘You shall from hence our captain be, we’ll fight until we die.’ Like jolly hearts of gold they made their cannons roar, Into the _Kent_ without delay a full broad-side did pour; Which noble Captain Durell bold did soon return again; Full fifty of the Spanish men by that broad-side were slain. Broad-side for broad-side, nine hours we did fight, Till we at length did take them, our cause being just and right. Yard-arm and yard-arm, for hours there [we] lay; With great guns, small arms, and cutlasses we made a bloody fray; Dead men in numbers lay about, our scuppers fill’d with blood, Which made the seas [a]round us so like a purple flood. Three fingers from one hand brave Captain Durell lost; But yet he was not daunted, still he maintain’d the cause. The third it was the _Orford_, who had spectator been, But could not come to help us, nor join the bloody scene; He hove his ship up to the wind, and brought some guns to bear, When the desperate saw that, his heart sunk down with fear; He was so sore disabled, and was so flutter’d then, To which he had already lost above five hundred men.