The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques, and Discoveries of the English Nation, vol 7 | Page 4

Indies we fired in like maner.
Also we tooke a ship of 250. tunnes laden with wines for the Kings
prouision, which wee caried out to the Sea with vs, and there
discharged the said wines for our owne store, and afterward set her on
fire. Moreouer we tooke 3. Flyboats of 300. tunnes a piece laden with
biscuit, whereof one was halfe vnladen by vs in the Harborow, and
there fired, and the other two we tooke in our company to the Sea.
Likewise there were fired by vs ten other ships which were laden with

wine, raisins, figs, oiles, wheat, and such like. To conclude, the whole
number of ships and barkes (as we suppose) then burnt, suncke, and
brought away with vs, amounted to 30. at the least, being (in our
iudgement) about 10000. tunnes of shipping.
There were in sight of vs at Porto Real about 40. ships, besides those
that fled from Cadiz.
We found little ease during our aboad there, by reason of their
continuall shooting from the Gallies, the fortresses, and from the shoare:
where continually at places conuenient they planted new ordinance to
offend vs with: besides the inconuenience which wee suffered from
their ships, which, when they could defend no longer, they set on fire to
come among vs. Whereupon when the flood came wee were not a little
troubled to defend vs from their terrible fire, which neuerthelesse was a
pleasant sight for vs to beholde, because we were thereby eased of a
great labour, which lay vpon vs day and night, in discharging the
victuals, and other prouisions of the enemie. Thus by the assistance of
the almightie, and the inuincible courage and industrie of our Generall,
this strange and happy enterprize was atchieued in one day and two
nights, to the great astonishment of the King of Spaine, which bread
such a corrasiue in the heart of the Marques of Santa Cruz high
Admiral of Spaine, that he neuer enioyed good day after, but within
fewe moneths (as may iustly be supposed) died of extreame griefe and
sorrow.
Thus hauing performed this notable seruice, we came out of the Road
of Cadiz on the Friday morning the 21. of the said moneth of April,
with very small losse not worth the mentioning.
After our departure ten of the Gallies that were in the Road came out,
as it were in disdaine of vs, to make some pastime with their ordinance,
at which time the wind skanted vpon vs, whereupon we cast about
againe, and stood in with the shoare, and came to an anker within a
league of the towne: where the said Gallies, for all their former
bragging, at length suffred vs to ride quietly.
We now haue had experience of Gally-fight: wherein I can assure you,
that onely these 4. of her Maiesties ships will make no accompt of 20.
Gallies, if they may be alone, and not busied to guard others. There
were neuer Gallies that had better place and fitter opportunitie for their
aduantage to fight with ships: but they were still forced to retire, wee

riding in a narrow gut, the place yeelding no better, and driuen to
maintaine the same, vntill wee had discharged and fired the shippes,
which could not conueniently be done but vpon the flood, at which
time they might driue cleare off vs. Thus being victualed with bread
and wine at the enemies cost for diuers moneths (besides the prouisions
that we brought from home) our Generall dispatched Captaine Crosse
into England with his letters, giuing him further in charge to declare
vnto her Maiestie all the particularities of this our first enterprize.
After whose departure wee shaped our course toward Cape Sacre, and
in the way thither wee tooke at seuerall times of ships, barkes, and
Carauels well neere an hundred, laden with hoopes, gally-oares,
pipe-staues, and other prouisions of the king of Spaine, for the
furnishing of his forces intended against England, al which we burned,
hauing dealt fauourably with the men and sent them on shoare. We also
spoiled and consumed all the fisher-boats and nets thereabouts, to their
great hinderance: and (as we suppose) to the vtter ouerthrow of the rich
fishing of their Tunies for the same yere. At length we came to the
aforesaid Cape Sacre, where we went on land; and the better to enioy
the benefite of the place, and to ride in the harborow at our pleasure, we
assailed the same castle, and three other strong holds, which we tooke
some by force and some by surrender.
Thence we came before the hauen of Lisbon ankering nere vnto Cascais,
where the Marques, of Santa Cruz was with his Gallies, who seeing vs
chase his ships a shoare, and take and cary