The Whole Of This Day Was
Spent In This New Pursuit, Before We Recovered Her, And Brought
Ourselves Again In
Company with our other prizes; by which we lost the
opportunity of that day, during which the weather served for
Boarding
the Portuguese prize, which was in great distress, making request of us
to take them on board, as they were ready to sink, as we could well
perceive by their pumping incessantly, and in our judgment she went down
that night.
On the 21st the Conception sprung a leak also, which gained upon her
notwithstanding every effort at the pumps, so that she could not be kept
long above water. So I took out of her 42 chests of cochineal and silk,
leaving her to the sea with 11 feet water in her hold, and 4700 hides.
The other prize, which we have brought into harbour, is the Nuestra
Sennora de los Remedios, Francisco Alvares captain, laden with 16 chests
of cochineal, certain fardels [or bales] of raw silk, and about 4000
hides. Upon the discharge of the goods, your honours shall be
particularly advertised of the same. In boarding our prizes, such was
the disorder of our men, that, besides rifling the persons of the
Spaniards, they broke open the chests and purloined what money was in
them; although I had given notice of my intention of going on board in
person, to have taken a just account thereof in presence of three or
four witnesses, putting the whole in safe custody, pursuant to the
articles made in this behalf. And whereas certain sums of money taken
from our men, which they had thus purloined and embezzled, together with
other parcels brought on board my ship, amounting to 2129 pesos and a
half, all of which the company demanded to have shared among them as due
pillage, I refused this demand, and read to them openly at the mast the
articles confirmed by my lord treasurer and my lord admiral, by which
they ought to be directed in these things, declaring that it was not in
my power to dispose thereof until the same were finally determined at
home. Thereupon they mutinied, and grew at length to such fury, that
they declared they would have it or else would break down the cabin.
Seeing them ready to execute this threat, I was forced to yield, lest
the great number of Spaniards we had on board might have taken the
opportunity of rising against us; which, indeed, after the brawls of our
men were appeased, they actually endeavoured to have done.
By the last advice from Castile, the general of the king of Spains
armada, lately put to sea, is ordered to join his fleet with that of the
Indies, and to remain at Tercera till the 15th of October, waiting for
six _pataches_ with seven or eight millions of the royal treasure
expected by that time: otherwise they are to wait their coming from the
Havannah till January next, or until the kings farther pleasure shall be
made known. These pataches are said to be of 300 tons burden each,
carrying 30 pieces of brass cannon, and are also reported to sail in a
superior manner to any other ships. Before their coming to Flores,
there perished of the fleet of the Indies eleven sail, among which was
the admiral, and not one roan saved. It is likewise supposed by the
Spaniards, that the storms we encountered at Flores and Tercera must
have destroyed many more of them, of which indeed we were partly
eye-witnesses. On the whole, therefore, what by the seas and our men of
war, of the 75 sail that came from the Havannah, I presume one half will
not arrive in Spain.
On the night of the 11th October, we came to anchor in Plymouth sound,
and got up next morning with our prize into Catwater, for which God be
praised: For so vehement a storm arose, that our prize was forced to cut
away her main-mast, otherwise, her ground tackle being bad, she had been
driven on shore by the violence of the storm. This was the main cause
which induced me to put in here, where I now propose to discharge the
goods without farther risk, and have certified thus much to my lord
admiral, and therewith desire to receive the directions of my lords of
the council together with yours, as my lord Thomas Howard is not yet
returned. How the rest of our consorts, which separated from us, may
have sped, or what prizes they may have taken, of which there is much
hope by reason of the scattering of the West India fleet, I am as yet
unable to say any thing. And thus, waiting your answer, and referring
for all other matters to captain Furtho, the bearer hereof, I make an
end, at Plymouth this 24th of October 1591.
Your Worships loving Friend,
ROBERT FLICKE.
SECTION XIII.
_Exploits of the English in several Expeditions and cruizing Voyages
from 1589 to 1592; extracted from John Huighen van Linschoten_[380].
PRELIMINARY REMARKS.
The entire title of this article in Hakluyts Collection is, "A large
testimony of John Huighen van Linschoten, Hollander, concerning the
worthy exploits achieved by the right honourable the Earl of Cumberland,
by Sir Martine Frobisher, Sir Richard Grenville, and diverse other
English captains, about the isles of the Azores, and upon the coasts of
Spain and Portugal, in the years 1589, 1590, 1591, &c. recorded in his
excellent discourse of voyages to the East and West Indies, cap. 96, 97,
and 99." Of this article, the Editor of Astley gives the following
account.
[Footnote 380: Hakluyt, II. 674. Astley, I. 225.]
"The author, John Huighen van Linschoten, left Goa with a fleet of
ships, viz. The Santa Maria, Nuestra Sennora de la Concepcao, the San
Christopher admiral, the San Thome which was the largest and most richly
laden, and the Santa Cruz in which Linschoten sailed.
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