ore immediately made the
signal for the line of battle, and all hands went to work in clearing
the ship for action, filling grenades, and preparing every thing for
the ensuing engagement, in which they fortunately had the advantage
of the weather-gage. Observing this, the pirates put themselves into
a fighting posture, struck their red flag, and hoisted a black one, on
which was a death's head in the centre, surmounted by a powder horn,
and two cross bones underneath. They likewise formed the line, and
commenced a smart action. The pirates fought very briskly for some
time, as believing the Dutch ships to be merchantmen; but after two
hours cannonade, perceiving the Commodore preparing to board the
vessel to which he was opposed, the pirates spread all their canvass,
and crowded away as fast as they could sail. Commodore Roggewein, on
seeing them bear away, called out, _Let the rascals go:_ In which he
strictly obeyed his instructions; as all the ships belonging to the
Dutch East and West India Companies have strict orders to pursue their
course, and never to give chase. In this action, four men were killed,
and nine wounded in the Commodore, the other two ships having seven
slain and twenty-six wounded. The carpenters also had full employment
in stopping leaks, and repairing the other damages sustained.

Continuing their voyage, they had sight of Madeira on the 15th
November, and in the neighbourhood saw a desert island which is much
frequented by the pirates, for wood and water and other refreshments.
They afterwards had sight of the Peak of Teneriffe, which is generally
esteemed the highest single mountain in the world, on which account
the geographers of Holland adopt it as the first meridian in their
maps and charts; while the French and English of late incline to
fix their first meridians at their respective capitals of Paris and
London. These differences are apt to create much confusion in the
longitudes of places, when not explained by the writers who use these
several modes of reckoning; on which account Lewis XIII. of France, by
edict in 1634, endeavoured to obviate this inconvenience, by directing
the first meridian to be placed in the island of Ferro, the most
westerly of the Canaries.[1] From these islands they directed their
course for the islands of Cape Verde, so named from Cabo Verde, or
the Green Cape, a point or mountain on the coast of Africa, called
_Arlinarium_ by Ptolemy.

[Footnote 1: The Royal