Page:Views in Suffolk, Norfolk, and Northamptonshire.djvu/84

 along the coast of his dominions, in which he had not erected fortifications and marine receptacles, to serve both as a station of discovery, and as a place of refuge to his vessels; hence it was as difficult to avoid the encounter of them, as to take them.

"Eight or ten grabs, vessels from 150 to 300 tons burthen, and forty or fifty gallivats, or large row-boats, crowded with men, generally composed Angria's principal fleet destined to attack ships of force or burden. The vessel no sooner came in sight of the port or bay where the fleet was lying, than they slipped their cables and put out to sea: if the wind blew, their construction enabled them to sail almost as fast as the wind; and if it was calm, the gallivats rowing towed the grabs: when within cannon-shot of the chase they generally assembled in her stern, and the grabs attacked her at a distance with her prow guns, firing first only at their masts, and taking aim when the three masts of the vessel just opened all together to their view: by which means the shot would probably strike one or other of the three. As soon as the chase was dismasted, they came nearer; and battered her on all sides until she struck; and if the defence was obstinate, they sent a number