Page:The history of yachting.djvu/216

96 took to sea with him in tow of his flagship, the Royal Charles, of the Red Squadron. On July 26, 1665, as the English and Dutch ships lay becalmed off Flushing, Rupert sent the Fanfan, which could manœuvre in light airs while the fleets lay motionless—to attack Ruyter's flagship, the Seven Provinces. He directed the captain to fire into her stern, keeping out of range of her broadside-guns. This the Fanfan did, much to the annoyance of the brave Dutch admiral who had no taste for such child's play, until the breeze sprang up, when she stood back to the English fleet.

On July 17, 1667, Pepys's records show: "Home, where I was saluted with the news of Hogg's bringing a rich Canary prize to Hull; and Sir W. Batten do offer me £1000. down for my particular share, beside Sir Richard Ford's part; which do tempt me; but yet I would not take it, but will stand or fall with the company. He had two more. The Panther and Fanfan did enter into consortship, and so they have all brought in each a prize, though ours is worth as much as both theirs and more. However, it will be well worth having, God be thanked for it. This news makes us all very glad. I, at Sir W. Batten's did hear the particulars of it; and there for joy he did give the company that were there a bottle or two of his own last year's wine growing at Walthamstow, than which the whole company said they never drank better foreign wine in their lives."

The Fanfan was sold in 1682 by Prince Rupert's