Jordan
nor others could, by shooting several times at them, make them go
in: and it seems they were commanded by some idle fellows, such
as they could of a sudden gather up at Harwich; which is a sad
consideration, that at such a time as this, where the saving the
reputation of the whole nation lay at stake, and after so long a
war, the King had not credit to gather a few able men to command
these vessels. He says, that if they had come up slower, the
enemy would (with their boats and their great sloops, which they
have to row with a great many men,) and did come and cut up
several of our fire-ships, and would certainly have taken most of
them, for they do come with a great provision of these boats on
purpose, and to save their men, which is bravely done of them,
though they did on this very occasion show great fear, as they
say, by some men leaping overboard out of a great ship (as these
were all of them of sixty and seventy guns a-piece) which one of
our fire-ships laid on board, though the fire did not take. But
yet it is brave to see what care they do take to encourage their
men to provide great stores of boats to save them, while we have
not credit to find one boat for a ship.
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