AN
ACCOUNT
OF
Last
Thursdays
Sea
ENGAGEMENT
BETWEEN
THE
DVTCH
and
FRENCH
Fleets
NEAR
THE
Coast
of
BREST
,
WITH
THE
Total
Routing
of
the
FRENCH
FLEET
.
AN
Hambrough
Merchant
coming
into
Dover
to
take
in
fresh
Water
,
being
homeward
bound
,
brings
this
following
Account
,
as
by
the
particulars
of
a
Letter
sent
to
Esq
P
—
an
Eminent
and
Worthy
Merchant
in
London
.
This
Hambrough
Merchant
,
came
by
the
two
Fleets
when
they
were
actually
Engaged
;
the
occasion
how
this
Grand
Engagement
happened
to
fall
out
,
was
as
followeth
:
Thirty
six
Sail
of
Stout
Dutch
Ships
lying
some
Leagues
off
of
Brest
,
to
secure
the
Dutch
Smyrna
Fleet
from
the
French
Capers
,
as
well
as
to
Watch
the
Motions
of
the
late
King
James
,
who
was
at
Brest
with
sixteen
Sail
of
French
Men
of
War
(
from
thirty
to
seventy
Guns
each
,
as
Fire
Ships
,
)
with
many
small
Craft
to
carry
Land
Forces
,
Ammunition
,
and
four
Cart
Loads
of
Money
and
Plate
,
&c.
with
a
design
to
Succour
Ireland
,
for
the
Romish
Interest
.
On
Tuesday
last
,
the
Dutch
Smyrna
Fleet
past
by
the
Dutch
Men
of
War
,
under
their
Safe
guard
,
and
are
come
into
the
Channel
to
pursue
their
Course
safely
for
Holland
.
And
on
Wednesday
,
in
the
Afternoon
(
as
it
's
thought
)
or
at
least
on
Thursday
Morning
,
the
French
Fleet
put
to
Sea
from
the
Port
of
Brest
,
(
the
Wind
favouring
them
)
for
the
Coast
of
Ireland
directly
;
but
so
it
fell
out
,
that
the
Wind
tacking
about
,
by
which
the
Dutch
Fleet
(
who
lay
ready
waiting
their
motions
)
was
driven
directly
upon
them
,
and
the
French
Fleet
could
not
make
any
part
but
the
English
Coasts
;
a
most
desperate
Fight
ensued
.
And
when
this
Hambrough
Merchant
came
away
,
he
left
them
hotly
Engaged
,
and
since
(
as
it
's
generally
reported
)
the
King
this
day
received
an
Express
,
that
the
French
Fleet
are
totally
Routed
,
a
great
many
of
their
Men
of
War
sunk
,
and
others
taken
with
a
great
number
of
their
small
Craft
Men
,
that
had
their
Land
Soldiers
on
Board
;
among
which
was
the
Marshal
Luxemberg
,
and
many
others
of
their
greatest
and
best
Officers
.
And
its
general
said
about
the
Town
,
that
the
late
King
James
,
with
many
of
the
English
Nobility
,
are
made
their
Prisoners
of
War
.
You
may
expect
in
our
next
,
a
more
full
and
particular
Account
,
of
this
Great
,
Glorious
,
and
most
Happy
Engagement
;
happy
not
only
to
these
Kingdoms
of
England
,
Scotland
,
and
Ireland
,
but
happy
to
the
Confederate
Princes
,
and
States
of
Europe
,
who
are
at
present
Engaged
in
a
Common
,
and
no
less
Just
War
,
with
the
Common
Enemy
of
Christianity
and
Mankind
,
the
most
Unchristian
King.