The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques, and Discoveries of the English Nation, vol 7 | Page 3

our men,
(which was a thing to be wondered at considering the inequalitie of
number) at length we gaue them ouer. [Sidenote: The 2. pinasses
returne for England.] Thus we againe set our course for England, and
so came to Plimouth within 6. houres after our prizes, which we sent

away 40. houres before vs, where wee were receiued with triumphant
ioy, not onely with great Ordinance then shot off, but with the willing
hearts of all the people of the Towne, and of the Countrey thereabout;
and we not sparing our Ordinance (with the powder wee had left) to
requite and answere them againe. And from thence wee brought our
prizes to Southampton, where sir Walter Ralegh being our owner,
rewarded vs with our shares.
Our prizes were laden with sugars, Elephants teeth, waxe, hides, rice,
brasill, and Cuser, as by the testimonie of Iohn Euesham himselfe,
Captaine Whiddon, Thomas Rainford, Beniamin Wood, William
Cooper Master, William Cornish Master, Thomas Drake Corporall,
Iohn Ladd gunner, William Warefield gunner, Richard Moone, Iohn
Drew, Richard Cooper of Harwich, William Beares of Ratcliffe, Iohn
Row of Saltash, and many others, may appeare.
* * * * *
A briefe relation of the notable seruice performed by Sir Francis Drake
vpon the Spanish Fleete prepared in the Road of Cadiz: and of his
destroying of 100. saile of barks; Passing from thence all along the
coast to Cape Sacre, where also hee tooke certaine Forts: and so to the
mouth of the Riuer of Lisbon, and thence crossing ouer to the Isle of
Sant Michael, supprized a mighty Carack called the Sant Philip
comming out of the East India, which was the first of that kinde that
euer was seene in England: Performed in the yeere 1587.
Her Maiestie being informed of a mightie preparation by Sea begunne
in Spaine for the inuasion of England, by good aduise of her graue and
prudent Counsell thought it expedient to preuent the same. Whereupon
she caused a Fleete of some 30. sailes to be rigged and furnished with
all things necessary. Ouer that Fleete she appointed Generall sir Francis
Drake (of whose manifold former good seruices she had sufficient
proofe) to whom she caused 4. ships of her Nauie royall to be deliuered,
to wit, The Bonauenture wherein himselfe went as Generall; the Lion
vnder the conduct of Master William Borough Controller of the Nauie;
the Dread-nought vnder the command of M. Thomas Venner; and the
Rainebow, captaine whereof was M. Henry Bellingham: vnto which 4
ships two of her pinasses were appointed as hand-maids. There were
also added vnto this Fleet certaine tall ships of the Citie of London, of
whose especiall good seruice the General made particular mention in

his priuate Letters directed to her Maiestie. This Fleete set saile from
the sound of Plimouth in the moneth of April towards the coast of
Spaine.
The 16. of the said moneth we mette in the latitude of 40. degrees with
two ships of Middleborough, which came from Cadiz; by which we
vnderstood that there was great store of warlike prouision at Cadiz and
thereabout ready to come for Lisbon. Vpon this information our
Generall with al speed possible, bending himselfe thither to cut off their
said forces and prouisions, vpon the 19. of April entered with his Fleet
into the Harbor of Cadiz: where at our first entring we were assailed
ouer against the Towne by sixe Gallies, which notwithstanding in short
time retired vnder their fortresse.
There were in the Road 60. ships and diuers other small vessels vnder
the fortresse: there fled about 20. French ships to Port Real, and some
small Spanish vessels that might passe the sholdes. At our first
comming in we sunke with our shot a ship of Raguza of a 1000. tunnes,
furnished with 40. pieces of brasse and very richly laden. There came
two Gallies more from S. Mary port, and two from Porto Reale, which
shot freely at vs, but altogether in vaine: for they went away with the
blowes well beaten for their paines.
Before night we had taken 30. of the said ships, and became Masters of
the Road, in despight of the Gallies, which were glad to retire them
vnder the Fort: in the number of which ships there was one new ship of
an extraordinary hugenesse in burthen aboue 1200. tunnes, belonging
to the Marquesse of Santa Cruz being at that instant high Admirall of
Spaine. Fiue of them were great ships of Biskay, whereof 4. we fired,
as they were taking in the Kings prouision of victuals for the furnishing
of his Fleet at Lisbon: the fift being a ship about 1000. tunnes in
burthen, laden with Iron spikes, nailes, yron hoopes, horse-shooes, and
other like necessaries bound for the West