Page 208
An.1685
The Privateers Strength.
from Lima. Besides these Men, they had also some hundreds of Old Spain Men that came from Portobel, and met them at Lavelia, from whence they now came: and their strength of Men from Lima was 3000 Men, being all the strength they could make in that Kingdom; and for greater security they had first landed their Treasure at Lavelia.
Our Fleet consisted of 10 Sail: first Captain Da- vis 36 Guns, 156 Men, most English; Captain Swan 16 Guns, 140 Men, all English: These were the only Ships of force that we had; the rest having none but small Arms. Captain Townly had 110 men, all English. Captain Gronet 308 men, all French. Captain Harris 100 men, most English. Captain Branly 36 men; some English some French. Davis his Tender 8 men; Swans Tender 8 men; Townlys Bark 80 men; and a small Bark of thirty Tuns made a Fireship, with a Canoas crew in her. We had in all 960 men. But Captain Gronet came not to us till all was over, yet we were not dif- couraged at it, but resolved to fight them; for be- ing to Windward of the Enemy, we had it at our choice, whether we would fight or not. It was 3 a clock in the afternoon when we weighed, and being all under fail, we bore down right afore the wind on our Enemies, who kept close on a wind to come to us; but night came on without any thing, beside the exchanging of a few shot on each side. When it grew dark the Spanish Admiral put out a light, as a signal for his Fleet to come to an Anchor. We saw the light in the Admiral's top, which continued about half an hour, and then it was taken down. In a short time after we saw the light again, and being to Windward we kept under fail, supposing the light had been in the Ad- mirals top; but as it proved, this was only a stra- tagem of theirs; for this light was put out the se- cond time at one of their Barks Topmast-head, and then