The diary of Henry Teonge, chaplain on board His Majesty's Ships Assistance, Bristol, and Royal Oak, anno 1675 to 1679 / Now first published from the original MS. with biographical and historical notes.

  • Teonge, Henry, 1621-1690.
Date:
1825
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The diary of Henry Teonge, chaplain on board His Majesty's Ships Assistance, Bristol, and Royal Oak, anno 1675 to 1679 / Now first published from the original MS. with biographical and historical notes. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Thence wee passe to the Boy on the Redsands, thinking to goe the nearest way over the Flatts; but, fearing wee should be calmed, wee tack about, and goe the other way. And heare wee begin our warlike accheivements; for, seeing a merchant man neare us without takeing the least notice of a man of warr, wee give him a shott, make him loare his top- gallant, (7d est, put off his hatt to us,)” and our gunner presently goes on board of him, makes him pay 6s. 6d. for his contempt; abateing him 2d. because it was the first shott. And so wee passe on to the Boy in the Gunfleete; where boath on the right and left hand wee see severall sad spectacles, the - relicks of ships cast away ; which served as beacons to us and others to dyrect them to steare 7m medio as the safest way: and wee anchor for that night there. 4 Early wee wey anchor: the wether being stormy ; and my head begins to be very giddy, but no whitt ture of a number of their merchant-vessels. In 1666 he quitted the command of the Richmond, and did not again enter into the service till the year 1672; when he was appointed to the Argier, and he appears to have been the first officer in the English navy who used the stratagem (since so frequently practised, and with much success,) of disguising his ship for the purpose of drawing the enemy within his reach. This he did while commanding the Argier, by housing his guns, shewing no colours, striking even his flag-staff, and working his ship with much apparent awkwardness. He succeeded in deceiving a Dutch privateer off Aldborough, who had done much injury to our coasting trade and eluded our swiftest-sailing cruizers, so that she ran boldly down to him as to a certain prize, and dis- covered not her mistake until it was too late to escape. It seems, however, that he soon after lost the Argier. ° See Note, p. 16.