ships. So doing, the battle engaged all
along the line on the port tack, the English to leeward.[31] The Dutch
fire-ships were badly handled and did no harm, whereas the English
burned two of their enemies. The two fleets ran on thus, exchanging
broadsides for two hours, at the end of which time the bulk of the
English fleet had passed through the Dutch line.[32] All regularity of
order was henceforward lost. "At this moment," says the eye-witness,
"the lookout was extraordinary, for all were separated, the English as
well as we. But luck would have it that the largest of our fractions
surrounding the admiral remained to windward, and the largest fraction
of the English, also with their admiral, remained to leeward [Figs. 1
and 2, C and C']. This was the cause of our victory and their ruin.
Our admiral had with him thirty-five or forty ships of his own and of
other squadrons, for the squadrons were scattered and order much lost.
The rest of the Dutch ships had left him. The leader of the van, Van
Ness, had gone off with fourteen ships in chase of three or four
English ships, which under a press of sail had gained to windward of
the Dutch van [Fig. 1, V]. Van Tromp with the rear squadron had
fallen to leeward, and so had to keep on [to leeward of Ruyter and the
English main body, Fig. 1, R] after Van Ness, in order to rejoin the
admiral by passing round the English centre." De Ruyter and the
English main body kept up a sharp action, beating to windward all the
time. Tromp, having carried sail, overtook Van Ness, and returned
bringing the van back with him (V', R'); but owing to the constant
plying to windward of the English main body he came up to leeward of
it and could not rejoin Ruyter, who was to windward (Fig. 3, V'',
R''). Ruyter, seeing this, made signal to the ships around him, and
the main body of the Dutch kept away before the wind (Fig 3, C''),
which was then very strong. "Thus in less than no time we found
ourselves in the midst of the English; who, being attacked on both
sides, were thrown into confusion and saw their whole order destroyed,
as well by dint of the action, as by the strong wind that was then
blowing. This was the hottest of the fight [Fig. 3]. We saw the high
admiral of England separated from his fleet, followed only by one
fire-ship. With that he gained to windward, and passing through the
North Holland squadron, placed himself again at the head of fifteen or
twenty ships that rallied to him."