hundred yards from the _Henrietta_, fell foul of each other, and
while the crews were engaged in trying to separate them an English
fire-ship sailed boldly up and laid herself alongside. A moment later
the flames shot up high, and the boat with the crew of the fire-ship
rowed to the _Henrietta_. The flames instantly spread to the Dutch
men-of-war, and the sailors were seen jumping over in great numbers.
Prince Rupert ordered the boats to be lowered, but only one was found
to be uninjured. This was manned and pushed off at once, and, with
others from British vessels near, rescued a good many of the Dutch
sailors.

Still the fight was raging all round; but a short time afterwards
three other of the finest ships in the Dutch Fleet ran into each
other. Another of the English fire-ships hovering near observed the
opportunity, and was laid alongside, with the same success as her
consort, the three men-of-war being all destroyed.

This took place at some distance from the _Henrietta_, but the
English vessels near them succeeded in saving, in their boats, a
portion of the crews. The Dutch ship _Orange_, of seventy-five guns,
was disabled after a sharp fight with the _Mary_, and was likewise
burnt. Two Dutch vice-admirals were killed, and a panic spread
through the Dutch Fleet. About eight o'clock in the evening between
thirty and forty of their ships made off in a body, and the rest
speedily followed. During the fight and the chase eighteen Dutch
ships were taken, though some of these afterwards escaped, as the
vessels to which they had struck joined the rest in the chase.
Fourteen were sunk, besides those burnt and blown up. Only one
English ship, the _Charity_, had struck, having, at the beginning of
the fight been attacked by three Dutch vessels, and lost the greater