_Merham,_ a Captain of a Man of War then in the Road, invited Captain _Smith,_ and two or three more of them aboard with him, where he spared not any thing he had to express his kindness, to bid them welcome, till it was too late to go on Shoar, so that necessity constrained them to stay aboard; a fairer Evening could not be, yet ere Midnight, such a Storm did arise, they were forced to let slip Cable, and Anchor, and put to Sea; spooning before the Wind, till they were driven to the _Canaries;_ in the Calms they accommodated themselves, hoping this strange accident might yet produce some good event; not long it was before they took a small Bark coming from _Tenerif,_ loaded with Wine; three or four more they chased, two they took, but found little in them, save a few Passengers, that told them of five _Dutch_ Men of War, about the Isles, so that they stood for _Boiadora,_ upon the _African_ Shoar, betwixt which and _Cape Noa,_ they descryed two Sail. _Merham_ intending to know what they were, hailed them; very civilly they danced their Top-sails, and desired the Man of War to come aboard them, and take what he would, for they were but two poor distressed _Biskainers._ But _Merham_ the old Fox, seeing himself in the Lions paws, sprung his louf, the other tacked after him, and came close up to his nether Quarter, gave his Broad-side, and so loufed up to Windward; the Vice-Admiral did the like, and at the next bout, the Admiral with a noise of Trumpets, and all his Ordnance, Murtherers, and Muskets, boarded him on his Broad-side, the other in like manner on his ley Quarter, that it was so dark, there was little light, but fire and smoak; long he stayed not, before he, fell off, leaving 4 or 5 of his Men sprawling over the Grating; after they had battered _Merham_ about an hour, they boarded him again as before, and threw four Kedgars or Grapnels in Iron Chains, then shearing off, they thought so to have torn down the Grating; but the Admiral's Yard was so intangled in their Shrouds, _Merham_ had time to discharge two cross barr shot amongst them, and divers Bolts of Iron made for that purpose, against his Bow, that made such a Breach, he feared they both mould have sunk for Company; so that the _Spaniard_ was as yare in slipping his chained Grapnels, as _Merham_ was in cutting the Tackling, kept fast their Yards in his Shrouds; the Vice-Admiral presently cleared himself, but spared neither his Ordnance nor Muskets to keep _Merham_ from getting away, till the Admiral had repaired his Leak; from twelve at noon, till six at night, they thus interchanged one volly for another; then the Vice-Admiral fell on Stern, staying for the Admiral that came up again to him, and all that night stood after _Merham,_ that shaped his course for _Mamora,_ but such small way they made, the next Morning they were not three Leagues off from _Cape Noa._ The two _Spanish_ Men of War, for so they were, and well appointed, taking it in scorn as it seemed, with their