Kn. 11379.1
SPEC, RARE
03
4
.097
v.100 no. 22


A
LETTER
FROM THE
Heer Lieutenant-Admiral
DE RUYTER
TO THE
States-General of the United-Provinces
Giving an Account of the
Late Engagement
Between him, and the
FRENCH FLEET,
On the Coaft of SICILY.
ho 12
4106
Tranflated out of Dutch, as it was
Printed at the Hague.
In the Savoy,
Printed by Tho. Newcomb, 1676.

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(3)
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A Letter from the Heer, Lieutenant-Admi
ral de Ruyter, written to the States-Ge-
neral of the United Provinces, giving
an Account of the late Engagement, be-
tween him and the French Fleet, on the
Coast of Sicily.
High and Mighty Lords,
M
Y Lords, Since my laft to your
Hi.and Mi. of the 10 of Decem-
ber paft, from the Bay of Cal-
lary, we fafely arrived the 20.
following in the morning,
with the greateft part of your
Fleet, in the Bay of Melazzo,
and by my Secretary, made known to the Marquis
of Villa Franca, Viceroy of the Kingdom of Sicily,
our arrival, with the offer of our fervice. His
Excellency did me the Honour that very after-
noon, to come and vifit me on board my Ship,
and to bid me welcome; as I the next day, gave my
Self the Honour to return his Excellencies Vifit. In
both which Vifits,nothing of importance happened.
I received his Excellency with all Civility, and at
his going away,gave him the refpect due to a Perfon
of his high Quality; and on the other fide, his Ex-
cellency received me with the civilities required,
in respect to your Hi. and Mi. amidft the Salutes
of the Canon of the Town, and of the Caftle, and
in the fame manner difmift me with great courtefy.
And that we might not here fpend our time in
vain, I thought fit, provifionally, to appoint Capt.
Nicholas Verfchoor, Rear Admiral, for this Expe-
dition, and to depute Jacob Benkbout, and the
A 2
Count

(4)
Count of Stirum, affifted by my Secretary, to the
Marquis de Villa Franca, to concert with his Excel-
lency, what ought to be moft fpeedily undertaken
againſt the common Enemy, with your Hi. and Mi.
Fleet, and withal, earneftly to prefs, that as many
Spanish Men of War and Gallies, as was poffible,
might be joyned with us, that fo we might be the
ftronger, in cafe, a confiderable force of the Ene-
mies, fhould happen to meet us at Sea; where-
upon, with the moft forcible Reaſons, and by the
importance, and neceffity of the thing, his Excel-
lency was finally perfwaded, upon the 31 of the
Jaft month, to conclude; That we ſhould, with your
Hi. and Mi. Fleet, pafs the Fare of Meffina, to cut
off from the Enemy, who cruiſed to and fro, be-
tween the Cape De la Molina, and the Cape del
Arme, all fuccors defigned to Meffina, while his Ex-
cellency, in the mean time, gave Order, that the
Spanish Men of War lying at Palerme, under the
Command of the Prince of Montefarchie,fhould, with
all fpeed,be got ready;adding, in the interim, under
your Hi.and Mi.Flag,the Spanish man of war,named
Noftra Signora del Rofario, mounted with 50 Guns,
and 300 Men, Commanded by Capt. de Saye, with
9 Gallies, Commanded by Don Beltran de Gavarra,
Lieutenant, and Governour-General of the Neopo-
litan Gallies. The night,between the 31 paft,and the
I inftant, the Vice-Admiral de Haen, with the nine
Ships under his Command, who on the 8th of Nov.
laft, was feparated from us in a Storm, happily
joyned us in the Bay of Melazzo; and thereupon,
the night of the faid I inftant, we fet fail together,
aking our courfe along the Coaft, towards the
Streight of Meffina, with intention to pass the
faid Streight, and afterwards the faid appointed
Rendezvouz, between the Cape de la Molina, and
Cape del Arme; but in the latter part of the night,
it was very calm, and the next day, the wind prov-
ed contrary.
The

(5)
The Second inftant in the Morning, very early, the
Spaniards in our fight, Attacked a fmall place called
Ibifo, which was Manned with French and Rebels,
and after three hout s difpute, took it, with the lofs of
ten Men,and fome Wounded, and on the fide of the
Enemy, about fixty Killed, befides Wounded, and
feventy taken Prifoners, among which was a Collonel,
a Milanefe by Birth, who had quitted the Spanish Ser-
vice: In the mean time, the Marquis de Villa Franca,
Viceroy of the Ifland of Sicily aforefaid, fent feveral
Feluccas to the Fare, (where we continued Cruifing
till the fifth inftant) with advice, that a confiderable
Fleet of the Enemies Ships, were Sailed from Thonlon,
for the Succouring of Meffina; and that they had been
firft feen by thofe of Leghorne, and afterwards from
the Ilands lying before the faid Kingdom of Sicily,
and lately from the Ifle of Lipari, whereupon, (find-
ing, that by realon of the faid contrary Winds, we
could not come to pals the faid Streight,) I refolved to
Tack the fixth inftant in the Morning, and to ftand to
the Weftward, to find out the Enemy; we advanced
that day, clofe under the faid Illand of Lipari, but
could not from our Shrowds, as yet difcover the Ene
my, notwithſtanding we had advice, by Barks and
Felucca's from all fides, that the faid Enemies Fleet
was ftill obferved from the fhoar. I endeavored to
inform my felf, how the Enemy bore from us, and
which way they fteered,that fo we might be the fooner
with them; the firft they could well enough tell me,
but in the latter, they did fo vary, that I was forced to
fend off one of my Lieutenants in a Felucca, with fome
of the moft knowing Felucca Men, towards the Ifland
Salinas, if poffible, to diſcover from the Hills, (which
are very high) the Enemies courfe; upon whofe re-
turn, we fteered the night following Northwards to-
wards them; the next morning, with the opening of
the day, the Wind S. S. W. a final Gale, we got fight
of them, being Thirty Sail, counting a Polacke and
B
a

(6)
a Satie,about three miles from us; and to oblige them
to an Engagement yet that day, we, and all the Ships
of your Hi. and Mi. Fleet, put up all the Sail they
could poffibly bear, the fooner to reach the Enemy,
which we fo far did, that fome of the forwardeft of
them, were forced to furl fome of their Sails, and
to ftay for those who were not fo good Sailers,
keeping in the mean time, as near the Wind as was
poffible, to gain an advantage upon us; about three
in the afternoon, I gave the fign, to the end the head
Officers, Captains, and Commanders, might, purfu-
ant to their general, and particular Inftructions, put
themſelves into their feveral ftations, as was according-
ly done, but in the mean time the night came on; fo
that I refolved to defer the Attack for that day, and
to call the head Officers on bord my Ship, to bid
them hold themſelves ready against the next day,be-
ing the eighth inftant, to Attack the Enemy, recom-
mending to them, at the fame time, that for the Love
of their Country, and the fooner to obtain an Hono-
rable and Lafting Peace, they would take care of
their Honor and Oath, which they all taking me by the
hand, unanimoufly promifed.uo motion po
I fent a halfe Galley (fo called) halfe way, be-
tween us and the Enemy,to obferve them in the night,
directing the Capt., that fo long as they held the fame
courfe with us, he ſhould every Glafs fire a Gun; and
in cafe the Enemy happened to Tack,to retreat,fhoot-
ing all the way to us; towards the latter part of the
night, the Wind increaſed, and blew fo hard from the
W. S. W. that not only he was obliged to quit his
Poft, but likewife the other nine Spanish Gallies,
who ftood towards Lipari, to cover themselves un-
der the ſhore: In the laft of the Night-watch, the
Enemy gave the figne to Tack, whereupon, I like-
wife gave the figne to Tack; at break of day, we a-
gain got fight of them, they bearing along with us,
but the Wind had fharpened upon us, fix Points, and
,
was

(7)
was fo bare, that the Enemy got the Luffe.
About 9 a clock, they being in good Order, and
well ranked, came upon us like Soldiers, as we cou
ragiouſly,, and likewife in good Order expected them,
fo that within an hour after the foremoft Ships on
both fides, began to fire upon each other, which laft-
ed about three hours fo furioufly, (that I never in my
life was in fharper firing) when one of the Enemies
Firefhips, under the favour of the Smoak, and the Can-
non of their Vice-Admiral, came down upon us, but
we ſhot down his Mafts, and difabled him, fo that the
Captain was forced himself to fet fire to her, for
fear of her falling into our hands; about halfe an
hour after,a fecond of the Enemies Fire-Ships had her
Mafts fhot down, and was burnt; the Fight lafted
with the Reer-Admiral Verfchoor, who had the Van,
and with us,till between four and five in the afternoon,
and with the Vice-Admiral de Haen, who had the Rear,
and confequently, came laft into the Fight, till dark
night, which likewife parted them with the fetting
of the Sun, a confiderable Ships of War of the Ene-
mies funk in our fight, others will have it, that there
is à fecond funk, which neither I, nor any of my
Ship faw; after the Fight, the faid Nine Galleys came
to us again, and continued with us all the night. The
head Officers and Captains of your Hli. and Mi Fleet,
fought bravely, and without ceafing, as the Enemy
likewife did on their fide; during the Fight it was exe
tream calm; we and all your Hi. and Mi. Fleetthath
fuffered great damage in our Mafts, Tackle, and Sails.
The night paft, we have been employed to put up
new Staies, to ftop Leaks,biting new Sails to the Yards,
and to mend our Tackle, fo that we,and maft allot the
other Ships, are in a condition to make head against the
Enemy, who, as much as we can difcern from our
fhrowds,)lye on our Lee,but the weather is very calm,
fo that we ſhall not be able to get up with one another
this day.
.2 1
Captain

(8)
Captain Gillis Schey, commanding the Ship Effen,
came the laft night on board me, and acquainted me,
that he had received one or more fhots under water,
and that he could not find the Leak, by which, much
water was come into his Ship, and had wet all his
Powder, and therefore defired that we would fend a
Carpenter on board him, to help to find it; we fent
the Captains Berkout, and Van Abcoude, with our
chief Carpenter on board him, who heard the Leak,
but could not find it, wherefore I defired Don Beltran
de Guavarra, Lieutenant-General of the faid Galleys,
to fend two of his Galleys to towe the faid Ship the
Effen to Palermo, or fome other Port, as the wind
fhould moft favor, which he immediately granted; I
likewife put into the hands of Captain Schey, an A&
of Permiflion, to get the faid Ship, into the firft and
moft convenient Port, and there to repair the fame,
with all poffible diligence; and for the better executi-
on of this Order, the Commanders Wybrandtz Ba-
rentz Commanding a Snaw, and Jacob Statlander, in
the Fluyt, the Swarte Tas, are directed to keep with
the faid Captain Schey, to affift him in all things.
This Morning I called the Head Officers, Captains,
and Commanders on board me, to know what damage
they had fuftained, and what they moft wanted.ano
The Reer-Admiral Verfchoor in the Fight yefter-
day, flept in the Lord in the bed of Honor. We
can fairly fee the Prince of Montefarchio, with Nine
Sail from our Ship, fo that by the help of God, we
hope to joyn his Excellency yet this day. bott
Wherewith, &c. in the Ship the Erendracht,
Sailing Weftward of the Ifland Alicur, the Ninth of
January, 1676.
olalibi ne bom of bas
gi2 do
Michiel Ad. Ruyter.
100 80
ldsed
FINIS
bwort


UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
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