CHAPTER 1
     The author sets forth towards the Western Islands, in the Service of the
     West India Company of France. They meet with an English frigate, and
     arrive at the Island of Tortuga.
     We set sail from Havre de Grace, in France, in a ship called St. John, the
     second day of May, in the year 1666. Our vessel was equipped with eight and
     twenty guns, twenty mariners, and two hundred and twenty passengers, inclu-
     ding in this number those whom the company sent as free passengers, as be-
     ing in their service. Soon after we came to an anchor under the cape of
     Barfleur, there to join seven other ships of the same West India Company,
     which were to come from Dieppe under the convoy of a man-of-war, mounted
     with seven and thirty guns and two hundred and fifty men. Of these ships
     two were bound for Senegal, five for the Caribbee Islands, and ours for the
     Island of Tortuga. In the same place there gathered unto us about twenty
     sail of other ships that were bound for Newfoundland, with some Dutch ves-
     sels that were going for Nantes, Rochelle and St. Martins; so that in all
     we made a fleet of thirty sail. Here we prepared to fight, putting oursel-
     ves into a convenient posture of defence, as having notice that four Eng-
     lish frigates, of threescore guns each, lay in wait for us at the Isle of
     Ornay. Our Admiral, the Chevalier Sourdis, having distributed what orders
     he thought convenient, we set sail from thence with a favourable gale of
     wind. Presently after, some mists arising, these totally impeded the Eng-
     lish frigates from discovering our fleet at sea. We steered our course as
     near as we could under the coast of France, for fear of the enemy. As we
     sailed along, we met a vessel of Ostend, who complained to our Admiral that
     a French privateer had robbed him that very morning. This complaint being
     heard, we endeavoured to pursue the said pirate; but our labour was in
     vain, as not being able to overtake him.