File Clenennau letters and papers 912. - C. Humphreys, off Lahoo on board the Sovereign, to Sir Robert Owen at Porkington,

Sends this letter as a performance of his promise to give an account of what occurred. On Thursday last they engaged the French off the Isle of Wight, beginning between 11 and 12, and continued briskly until after 4, all which time their Blue Squadron, for want of more wind, could not come to engage. But the wind increasing they came in about 6 and assisted stoutly until 8, and then the night put a cessation on both sides. So they lay by until the morning expecting then to engage afresh, but they came not in sight of their enemies until 12 on Friday and could not come up to them that night. The enemy was so ill-mannered as not to stay for them. But they came to anchor off Cape de Hague, and the enemy came to anchor likewise, but nearer the race where there came so violent a tide that many of them were forced from their anchors and by that means their fleet was separated, one part sailing for Brest and the other eastwards. This obliged the English fleet likewise to separate, and the Red chased to eastward. The writer's ship Vice Admiral being of the Red, he cannot yet give an account of the Blue or their transactions. But the Red had not chased three hours when the enemy's ships were forced to divide themselves again: Sir Ralph Delavall chased three of their capital ships ashore at a place called Sherbrook [Cherbourg] and about 12 on Saturday 'we' came to anchor, leaving Mr Russell under sail chasing the rest. When they anchored at Sherbrooke the ships ashore and the forts fired briskly until 3, but the guns would not reach the enemy, 'neither durst we goe in further for fear to rune ourselves aground, our ship drawing soe much water soe that we were forced to stay for the tyde of ffloud'. But on Sunday about 3 in the morning they stood in and engaged briskly on both sides till 8. Then they disabled the great ships and fireships were ordered in which burnt all three, and before 12 they blew up. Fifty odd prisoners were taken, who said that above 1,500 men were blown up and that one of the ships was of 110 brass guns, which was Turvill's own ship. Another, they said, was of a 100 guns which was a vice-admiral, and the third a ship of 96 guns: their names were - Royal Sun, Admirable, Triumphant. As soon as these were blown up they made all sail after Mr Russell whom they found at an anchor this day in this place, having forced 7 or 8 ships more ashore, two of which are now burning, and the writer presumes they will not depart hence until the rest are either burnt or sunk. PS Hopes Owen will excuse mistakes since he knows the writer never reads over his letters.