* * * * *

At the rising of the council a motion was made to have some of the
best sailers of our fleet chosen out and assigned to lie off from the
main body of the fleet, some to sea and some to shoreward, the better
to discover, chase, and take some ships or boats of the enemy's; which
might give us intelligence touching the Plate Fleet, whether it were
come home or no, or when it would be expected and in what place, and
touching such other matters whereof we might make our best advantage.
But nothing herein was now resolved, it being conceived, as it seemed,
that we might soon enough and more opportunely consider of this
proposition and settle an order therein when we came nearer to the
enemy's coasts; so the council was dissolved.

FOOTNOTES:

[1] _A Relation Touching the Fleet and Army of the King's most excellent
majesty King Charles, set forth in the first year of his highness's
reign, and touching the order, proceedings, and actions of the same
fleet and army_, by Sir John Glanville, the younger, serjeant-at-law,
and secretary to the council of war. [Printed for the Camden Society,
1883, N.S. vol. xxxii.]

[2] Elsewhere in the MS. spelt 'Boteler.' Probably Nathaniel Boteler,
author of the _Dialogues about Sea Services_.

[3] MS. 'carthouses.'

[4] MS. 'pridie'=Boteler's 'predy.' 'To make the ship predy,' he says,
is to clear for action. 'And likewise to make the hold predy is to