120
Of Capt. England.
their black and bloody Flags hanging over us, without the leaſt Appearance of eſcaping being cut to Pieces. But God, in his good Providence, determin’d otherwiſe; for notwithſtanding their Superiority, we engaged ’em both about three Hours, during which, the biggest received ſome Shot betwixt Wind and Water, which made her keep off a little to ſtop her Leaks. The other endeavoured all ſhe could to board us, by rowing with her Oars, being within half a Ship’s Length of us above an Hour; but by good Fortune we ſhot all her Oars to Pieces, which prevented them, and by conſequence ſaved our Lives.
About Four o’Clock, most of the Officers and Men poſted on the Quarter-Deck being killed and wounded, the largest Ship making up to us with all Diligence, being ſtill within a Cable’s Length of us, often giving us a Broadſide, and no hopes of Capt. Kirby’s coming to our Aſſiſtance, we endeavoured to run aſhoar; and tho’ we drew four Foot Water more than the Pyrate, it pleaſed God that he ſtuck faſt on a higher Ground than we happily fell in with; ſo was diſappointed a ſecond time from boarding us. Here we had a more violent Engagement than before. All my Officers, and moſt of my Men, behaved with unexpected Courage; and as we had a conſiderable Advantage by having a Broadſide to his Bow, we did him great Damage, ſo that had Capt. Kirby come in then, I believe we ſhould have taken both, for we had one of them ſure; but the other Pyrate (who was ſtill firing at us) ſeeing the Greenwich did not offer to aſſist us, he ſupplied his Conſort with three Boats full of freſh Men. About Five in the Evening the Greenwich ſtood clear away to Sea, leaving us ſtruggling hard for Life in the very Jaws of Death; which the other Pyrate, that was afloat, ſeeing, got a-warp out, and was hauling under our Stern; by which time many of my Men being killed and wounded, and no Hopes left us from being all murdered by enraged barbarous Conquerors, I order’d all that could, to get into the Long-Boat under the Cover of the Smoak of our Guns; ſo that with what ſome did in Boats, and others by ſwimming, moſt of us that were able got a-ſhoar,
