Page 28 - Anglo Portuguese Rivalry in The Gulf_Neat

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hard-fought battles have come down to us from the by the help of the James. The Dutch commander,
pens of participants on both sides, so that only the Albard Becker, having been tilled early on in the action,
briefest outline need be given here.1 The Dutch his ship fell off to leeward, and her place was taken by
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rt squadron was first under sail, and their Admiral Weddell in the Jamesy who carried on a murderous
\ discharged the first shot at Botelho’s flagship which duel with Botelho’s galleon, Sao Francisco Xavier at
it- Ml “ presently answered him with three for one.” Weddell very close range. When the action was at its height,
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and the English were not far behind and on their arrival Ruy Freyre d’Andrade came on the scene with three
the battle became fiercer than ever, a calm supervening galliots, and Botelho, not recognising him, ordered
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«! which enabled every shot to take effect. The action him to get out a hawser and try to tow the head of his
was fought at exceedingly close range, but there was galleon round, so that he might board the James.
.1 only one instance of boarding, this being when the This Ruy Freyre was about to do, when Botelho, being
Dutch ship Dordrecht fell foul of the Portuguese Vice- told of his identity, went into the beak-head of his ship,
AdmiraPs ship Sao Francisco, from whom she cleared and called out apologies to Ruy Freyre who was
herself after some hours and with the loss of her ensign, standing on the poop of his galliot. In this posture
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the two courtly fidalgos remained for some time,
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'The best English' accounts are those calendared in Foster’s English exchanging mutual compliments whilst exposed to the
Factories, 1624-1629, pp. 46-54 and 80-86. There is also a spirited account
I! of the action (based on Weddell’s own report) by John Taylor, the celebrated concentrated fire of the enemy, before they could be
- induced to withdraw to less perilous positions by their
■i " Water-Poet,” printed under the title of, A famous fight at Sea, where foure
English Ships under the command of Captaine lohn Weddell and foure Dutch anxious followers. The dauntless behaviour of Ruy
Ships fought three dayes in the Gulfe of Persia neere Ormus, against 8 Porta gall
. Gallions and 3 Frigotts . . . London, 1627, 40, being afterwards included in Freyre and Botelho greatly encouraged their men, who
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■ the collected edition of Taylor’s works, 1630. This narrative was responded unflinchingly to the withering fire of the
: subsequently reproduced by Lediard in his Naval History. of England,
!» (London, 1735), pp. 477-482, on which Clowes based his description of the Anglo-Dutch squadron, whose crews likewise fought
i fight in Vol. II of his History of the British Navy. Taylor’s pamphlet has so cheerfully “ that sartane Portugalls wich wee had
its counterpart on the Dutch side, in an equally rare little tract published at
fli Amsterdam in 1626 under the title of Waerachtich verhael vanae victorieuse formerly taken, being then in cheanes, tould us wee
Zeestrijdt tusschen acht Portvgysche Galleonen ende vier Hollandtsche met vier
f » fought as though it had bine a Maye game, not dreding
' Engelsche schepen omtrent Ormus ende de Persische kust voorgevallen. etc. A
( practically identical account is to be found on pp. 157-160 of the Dagn-Register nor regarding our lives in so good a cause.” In this
I gehouden in't Casteel Batavia. 1624-1629. A contemporary Spanish manner the fight continued, “ very hot, fearce and
pamphlet on the battle, entitled Relacion de la Batalla que Nuno Albarez
Botello, General de la armada de altobordo, del mar de la Indta} tuvo con las cruel,” until sheer exhaustion parted the combatants
Armadas de Olanda, y Inglaterra en el estrecho de Ormuz, was printed by
!l at sunset.
Bemadino de Guzman at Madrid in 1626, but the best account from the
Iberian side is contained in the Rellafao summaria e mat verdadeira dos The Portuguese casualties in men and material during
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successos da Armada do Capitam geral Nuno Alvarez BoteUtoy etc., written in f the first day’s action had been very severe, many of
December, 162c by an Augustiman monk who was chaplain to the Armada,
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i and first published by the present writer at Oporto in 1028 under the title their senior officers having been slain, but their morale
of Nuno Alvares Botelho e a sua Armada de alto-bordoy 1024-1625. reprinted was still unimpaired. The indefatigable Botelho
from Vol. XVI of the magazine Historia. A full list of the squadrons of all
the contending parties will be found in this essay, together with details of * visited each vessel during the night, heartening the
i their tonnage, number of guns and so forth. An annotated English . crews, supervising repairs, and appointing fresh
translation of the Rellafao Summaria is to be found on pp. 231-248 of the
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i captains and commanders in place of those killed or
English edition of Ruy Freyre’s Commentaries, op. cit.
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! i 94 95
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