The Sint Paulus was an ammunition supply ship attached to the squadron of English and Dutch ships that had to escort a convoy of approximately 200 merchantmen (Smyrna fleet) to the Mediterranean in June 1693.
The English and Dutch had been at war with Louis XIV's France since 1688 (9 years' war).

The allied squadron consisted of 8 English and 5 Dutch warships, a number of fireships and supply ships under the command of Vice Admiral George Rooke and Rear Admiral Philips van der Goes.

The convoy was met at Lagos on the south coast of Portugal by the French fleet of 70 ships of the line under the command of Admiral De Tourville.

Palace de Versailles, Théodore Gudin

Battle of Lagos
Rooke could not avoid the battle. The battle began around 20:00 hours, 27 June 1693 when the Dutch rearguard was overtaken by the French vanguard. Two Dutch ships, the Zeeland (64, Philip Schrijver) and the Wapen van Medemblik (64, Jan van der Poel), clashed with the French and sacrificed themselves. They fought bravely and gave some of the allied ships enough time to escape.*

It was a great defeat; 50 British and Dutch merchantmen were sunk and 40 merchantmen captured. The rest tried to reach safe harbours or turned back to Ireland.

The ammunition ship 'Sint Paulus' was chased by two French warships. Captain Gerrit van Leeuwen beached the ship 3 miles below Cadiz and set the ship on fire. This caused the gunpowder cargo and the ship to explode. The crew managed to escape in the sloop. (The Young III 360)

• Geschiedenis van Het Nederlandsche Zeewezen, III, 360.
• Europische mercurius.
  Europische mercurius.
• Wikipedia.
  Battle of Lagos.