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fight by the arlate shipps the ''Advantage … fight by the arlate shipps the ''Advantage'' and ''Waterhound'' being in<br />
the immediat service of this Commonwealth upon the Coast of England<br />
off of beachy some 2 or 3 leagues or thereabouts from the English<br />
shoare, and was in the chase and fight sayling directly up the<br />
English Channelle Eastward, And otherwise cannot depose saving<br />
that it is notorious that in the sayd month of ffebruary and tyme of the<br />
sayd [?surprizall] and for many monthes before there was and is open<br />
warr and hostility betwixt this Commonwealth and the States of the united<br />
provinces and beleiveth the same was well knowne and taken notice<br />
of in Cadiz and [?other] the ports of Spaine and in fflanders and the<br />
ports thereof and in other ports and places beyond the seas, and to<br />
the Master and Company of the ''Golden Starr'':
To the fifth sixth seventh and eighth articles of the sayd allegation This deponent<br />
saith and deposeth that the Master and Company of the sayd shipp the<br />
''Advantage'' about seven of the clock in the morning of the sayd 23th<br />
day of ffebruary sayling to the westward with [?afterly] wind espyed<br />
att a great distance a shipp sayling with a good gale to the Eastward<br />
which afterwards proved to be the arlate shipp the ''Golden Starr'', and<br />
finding that the sayd ship did [?weather] the ''Advantage'', and desiring<br />
to know what she might be to this intent to make a discovery putt<br />
out the Holland Colours upon the ''Advantage'', and thereupon finding<br />
that the sayd shipp ''Golden Starr'' bore [?upp] toward the ''Advantage'' and<br />
being come within shott the sayd Holland colours were taken downe and<br />
the colours of this Commonwealth putt out upon the sayd shipp or frigot<br />
the ''Advantage'' being about the distance of halfe a mile from the<br />
''Golden Starr'', and the sayd Colours of this Commonwealth being so putt<br />
out a gun was immediately discharged to demaand the usuall and<br />
accustomed homage due to the shipps of this Commonwealth, but there<br />
was noe respect shewed thereto by the sayd ''Golden Starr'', but whereas<br />
she had before borne up to the Holland colours, as soon as the English colours<br />
were displayed she stood off to her former course whereupon the ''Advantage''<br />
''frigot'' made towards her and betwixt eight and nyme of the Clock of the<br />
same day came upp with her and haled her and required her to submitt<br />
her selfe to be visited as she ought to doe, and to strike to the Parliament<br />
of England and to send their boat aboard the ''Advantage'' but answer was returned that they had noe boat in the<br />
''Golden Starr'' to send as the Captaine of the ''Advantage'' desired; and young<br />
Captaine Mills Commander of the ''Advantage'' againe commanded them to strike<br />
and bring their fore sayles to the mast that they might be visited, but<br />
the Captaine and Company of the ''Golden Starr'' refused so to doe, and the<br />
sayd Captaine took his Cuttleaxe and waved it over his head and bad<br />
the sayd Mills come under his Lee thereby intimating that he would not<br />
strike but rather fight it out, which things being passed as aforesayd<br />
Captaine Mills commanded a gunn to be fired which was done accordingly butto be fired which was done accordingly but +
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