By This Means, It Was
Taken From The Spaniards And Carried To England, Where The Owners Got It
Again When They Least Expected.
On the 19th March 1590, having laden the kings silver and received
Alvaro Flores with his company, and good
Provision of necessaries,
warlike ammunitions and soldiers, the before-mentioned 19 ships sailed
from Tercera, firmly resolved, as they set forth, to fight valiantly to
the last man, before they would yield or lose their riches. Though they
intended to make for San Lucar, the wind forced them to Lisbon, as if
willing to keep them there in safety, although Alvaro Flores would have
persisted in forcing his way to San Lucar against the wind and weather.
But, constrained by adverse wind, and importunately urged by the
mariners, who protested they would require their losses and damages from
him, he consented to put in at Lisbon, whence the silver was conveyed by
land to Seville. At this time, there lay 20 English ships off Cape St
Vincent, to watch for this fleet; so that if they had gone forwards for
Sun Lucar, which they certainly had done if the wind had been fair, they
must have fallen into the hands of the English: They may say, therefore,
that the wind lent them a fortunate voyage on this occasion. If the
English had met them, they had surely been in great danger, and possibly
few of them had escaped, on account of the fear which they were then in
of the English; as fortune, or God rather, was then wholly against them,
which was enough to make the Spaniards out of heart, and to inspire the
English with the greater boldness; for being victorious, they were stout
and valiant, and seeing all their enterprizes successful, they were
become lords and masters of the sea, and needed to care for no man, as
well appears from this short narrative.
On the 7th of August 1590, a fleet of 20 English ships appeared off
Tercera, five of them being ships belonging to the queen, of which one
Martin Frobisher was general, as we afterwards learnt. They came
purposely to watch for the fleet of the Spanish West Indies, and for the
India ships, and the ships of the other countries in the West. This put
the islanders in great fear, especially those of Fayal, where the
English sent a trumpeter to the governor, to ask certain supplies of
wine, flesh, and other provisions for their money. This request was not
only refused, but they shot the messenger and slew him, which gave the
English much displeasure, so that they sent another message desiring
them to look to themselves and keep sure guard, as they meant to come
and visit them per force. The governor sent back for answer, that he was
there in behalf of the king of Spain, and would do his best to keep them
out, as in duty bound; but nothing was done after all, though the people
of Fayal were in great fear, sending to Tercera for aid, whence they had
some barks with powder and other ammunition of war, with some Biscuit
and other necessary provisions.
The 30th of August, certain news came from Portugal, that 80 ships had
sailed from _the Groin_, (Corunna) laden with victuals, ammunition of
war, money, and soldiers, bound for Britanny in aid of the catholic
leaguers of France against the king of Navarre. At this time likewise,
two Netherland hulks, when half seas over on their way from Portugal to
Tercera, were met by four English ships belonging to the queen,
commanded by Sir John Hawkins, by whom they were stopped; but he let
them go again uninjured. According to the report of these Netherlanders,
each of these ships carried 80 pieces of ordnance. They reported
likewise, that Captain Drake (Sir Francis) lay with 40 English ships in
the channel, watching for the fleet from Corunna; and that ten other
English ships lay off Cape St Vincent, that if any ships escaped
Frobisher at the islands, they might intercept them. These tidings
greatly alarmed the islanders, lest if the English failed of catching
the Spanish fleet, and got nothing by them, they might fall upon the
islands, that they might not go home empty handed; whereupon they held
strict watch, sending home advice to the king of what intelligence they
had.
The 1st September, there came a Portuguese ship from Pernambuco in
Brazil to the island of St Michael, with news, that the admiral of the
Portuguese fleet from the East Indies, having missed St Helena, was
forced to put into Pernambuco, though expressly forbidden by the king
under a heavy penalty, because of the worms in that haven which greatly
spoil the ships. The same ship, in which was the Admiral Bernardin
Ribero, sailed the former year 1589 from Lisbon for India with five
ships in her company, four only of which got to India, the fifth being
never heard of, so that she was believed lost. The other four returned
safe into Portugal, though the admiral was much spoiled, as he met two
English ships, which fought him a long while and slew many of his men,
yet he escaped from them at last. The 5th of the same month, there
arrived at Tercera a caravel belonging to Corvo, bringing 50 men who had
been spoiled by the English, who set them ashore on the island of Corvo.
They had been taken in a ship coming from the Spanish West Indies, and
reported that the English had taken four other West India ships, and a
caravel having the king of Spains letters of advice for the Portuguese
ships coming from the East Indies; and that, including those they had
taken, the English had at least 40 ships together, so that nothing could
escape them; therefore, that the Portuguese ships coming from India
durst not put into the islands, but took their course between 40 deg. and
42 deg.
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