A LETTER From the Fleet, with a DIVRNAL Account of the Military affairs between the Engliſh and the Dutch, From Friday the 3d. of June, till Thurſday the 9th. of June.
RELATING The taking and firing many of the Dutch ſince the late fight, the blocking up Fluſhing and other harbours, the landing of men at the T•xel and in Zealand, and the oppoſition made by the Hollanders.
London, Printed by J. C.
THe ſignall victory which the Lord hath been pleaſed to give over our Enemies, I hope will raiſe up the hearts of all Gods people in England to praiſe him, not onely in words, but in deed & truth; and I wiſh that it may be recorded amongſt the chief of thoſe mercies that God hath beſtowed upon his Saints, that all poſterities to come may give him honour, and that the preſent age may not be ſo ſtupid as they have been, let them take notice of, and keep in perpetual memory thoſe which the Lord hath wrought even in our dayes; and likewiſe be aſſured that he will goe forward with his worke untill he hath perfected the ſame, notwithſtanding2 all the Treaſons, Plots, or Conſpirtions of men; God hath taught us notable Leſſons of this already, of which I ſhall onely minde you of one or two and proceed to Intelligence.
The very day that the Treaty began at Vxbridg, that ſame day we loſt a ſtrong gariſon, but the very day that we brake off Treating with the Kings party, a ſtrong Caſtle was delivered up unto us. And that very day that a Letter came to the late Parliament from the Dutch with ſome overtures of peace, one of the principall ſhips belonging to this Commonwealth was conſumed by fire.
THe third of June in the evening. The Enemy making all the ſaile he could to get homewards, the ableſt of our ſhips which ſuffered leaſt damage in the two dayes ſight; made after the Dutch fleet, and did good execution upon them for many Leagues purſute and ſome ſhips of ours that had received prejudice in their Maſts and Tackling, together with our wounded men (which were about 236) and about 1130 priſoners which we had taken of he Dutch) were ſent away for the Engliſh ſhore. Gen. Blake,3 and Gen. Monke Anchered this night between Oſt•nd and the Wellnigs.
June the forth. In the morning Inteligence was brought that Tromp was neere Flankenburgh, & it was thought he would make way towards Fluſhing which is one of the beſt Ports they have. This day we had brought into us ſeverall Dutch veſſels, and Scouts were ſent forth ſeverall wayes for making a further diſcovery of ſuch of the Dutch as had eſcaped away in the fight into any of their Ports, as likewiſe to catch up any of their Merchantmen that ſhould be ſliping into any of their Harbours, and it was reſolved by a Councell of War that our maine Fleet ſhould follow the purſuit of Tromp and ſuch as had eſcaped with him, and ſo towards Fluſhing.
June the fift. We were againe within ſight of ſome of the Enemy, but he crept away by the Sholes and Sands where we could not come at them; ſomething4 like the Highlanders in Scotland who ſave themſelves by their inacceſſable holds.
This day a view was taken of many hundred ſick & wounded ſouldiers ſouldiers of the Dutch who were taken by our fleet, and care taken for ſetting them on ſhore in their own Country, and they being in pain and miſery are likely to give their other Country men the trueſt information after their vapouring againſt Dover, which (though it ſavoured rather of impudent inſolency then of valour, yet) was printed a huge and mighty victory at the Hague.
June 6. Our Fleet came near the Texel, and the ſick and wounded ſouldiers of the Dutch before mentioned, were put into long boats and other veſſels (upon their parole) and lanced out to go on ſhore, and making forth towards the land, they (being deſcried from the Caſtle) the Dutch let fly many great guns at their own men, and upon this they received a great allarum into the Country, about which time the main body of our fleet appeared within ſight, at which the people cried out they were betrayed and undone, and in ſuch an amazement they continued.
The next day we did not onely take many of their ſhips near their own harbours, but fired others, and ſent many hundred great ſhot on ſhore amongſt them, and now judge you whether we are not even with them for their attempt upon Dover; and we are upon another deſign to find them work at home, not doubting but by the next you will hear that ſome of their ſtrong holds are in our poſſeſſion.
5This day ſome of our Scouts brought in two Dutch veſſels, and divers water ſhips and others came from the Engliſh coaſts with ſupplies of ſuch neceſſaries, as we ſtood in need of they alſo bring us news that many ſupplies are coming after which will be very ſerviceable for carrying on of the work in hand.
The greateſt part of the Dutch fleet which eſaped is is gotten into the harbour at Fluſhing, where we hope to keep them from doing further miſchief upon the ſeas againſt England.
THeſe three or four days together many ſhips which came out of the River of Thames, paſſed this way towards our fleet which is on the Coaſt of Holland, wherein went a conſiderable number of ſouldiers, and a great quantity of powder, ſhot, and Ammunition, as likewiſe a great number of Shovels, Spades, Pick-axes, and other neceſſaries for land ſervice, we hear alſo that the like ſupplies are going to them from ſeveral other parts belonging to this Commonwealth. Some wounded ſouldiers are gone up to London and others remain here under cure, the State having taken ſpecial care for ſending down able Chyrurgians into theſe parts to cure ſuch as ſtand in need of their help.
This day arrived a veſſel here which landed ſeveral perſons, which ſay that they have been with our fleet, & one of6 them reports that Gen. Blake and Gen. Monk, are before Fluſhing, and be heard at his coming away that ſome of our men were landed in a kind of a ſmal Iſland near Fluſhing in Zealand, where no horſe could get to them, and if we could keep it, it would conduce very much to the effectual blocking up of that City, and ſecuring their ſhipping in the harbour. Some of our fleet is ſent out ſeveral ways to diſcover the preparations and motion of the enemy, and we hear they are in a great diſtraction among themſelves, and Trump whom not long ſince carried a Broom in his Top-Maſt to ſweep the Seas, dares not ſo much as ſweep his door, ſcarce daring to ſhew his head. The Officers in general accuſe one another, and the common people blame not onely them but their high and mighty Hogen Mogens. I truſt the Lord will put a ſudden period to theſe wars, to the praiſe of his great Name, and the good of his ſervants that deſire to walk uprightly before him, which is the prayer of
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