divers ships of the Spanish army. In the meantime Sir Francis Drake, Sir John Hawkyns, and Sir Martin Frobiser fought with the galleon of Portugal, wherein John Martinez de Recalde, vice-admiral, was supposed to be. The fight was so well maintained for the time that the enemy was constrained to give way and to bear up room to the eastward, in which bearing up, a great galleon,[1] wherein Don Pedro de Valdes was captain, became foul of another ship, which spoiled and bare overboard his foremast and bowsprit, whereby he could not keep company with their fleet, but being with great dishonour left behind by the duke, fell into our hands."[2] There was also, at that instant, a great Biscayan,[3] of 800 tons or thereabouts, that, by firing of a barrel of gunpowder, had her decks blown up, her stern blown out, and her steerage spoiled. This ship was for this night carried amongst the fleet by the galleasses.
"This fight continued not above two hours; for the lord admiral, considering there were forty sail of his fleet as yet to come from Plymouth, thought good to stay their coming before he would hazard the rest too far, and therefore set out a flag of council, where his lordship's considerate advice was much liked of, and order delivered unto each captain how to pursue the fleet of Spain; and so, dismissing each man to go aboard his own ship, his lordship appointed Sir Francis Drake to set the watch that night.
"That night the Spanish fleet bare alongst by the Start, and the next day, in the morning,[4] they were as far to leeward as the Berry. Our own fleet, being disappointed of their light, by reason that Sir Francis Drake left the watch to pursue certain hulks which were descried very late in the evening, lingered behind, not knowing whom to follow; only his lordship, with the Bear and the Mary Rose in his company, somewhat in his stern, pursued the enemy all night within culverin shot; his own fleet being as far behind as, the next morning, the nearest might scarce be seen half-mast high, and very many out of sight, which with a good sail recovered not his lordship the next day before it was very late in the evening. This day Sir Francis Drake, with the Revenge, the Roebuck, and a small bark or two[5] in his company, took Don Pedro de Valdes, which[6] was spoiled of his mast the day before; and having taken out Don Pedro[7] and certain other gentlemen, sent away the same ship and company to Dartmouth, under the conduction of the Roebuck, and himself bare with the lord admiral, and recovered his lordship that night, being Monday.[8]
"This Monday, being the 22nd of July, 1588, the Spaniards abandoned the ship[9] that the day before was spoiled by fire, to the which his lordship sent the Lord Thomas Howard and Sir John Hawkyns, Knight, who together, in a small skiff of the Victory's, went aboard her, where they saw a very pitiful sight — the deck of the ship fallen down, the steerage broken, the stern blown out, and about fifty poor creatures- ↑ The N. S. del Rosario.
- ↑ On July 22nd. See below.
- ↑ The San Salvador, of Guipúzcoa, really of 958 tons.
- ↑ That day Howard wrote urgently for more ships, even if they were victualled only for two days.
- ↑ The Margaret and John of London, John Fisher, master, played an important part in the capture, having engaged Valdes's ship long before Drake fell in with her. S. P. Dom. ccxiii. 89.
- ↑ Valdes's ship was the N. S. del Rosario.
- ↑ Don Pedro de Valdes made the rest of the campaign in the Channel as Drake's guest.
- ↑ Howard's immediate object was not so much to decisively defeat the Spaniards as to prevent them from landing. Cott. MSS. Otho. E. ix. 185b. He was still without Lord Henry Seymour.
- ↑ The San Salvador.
