Among Those Ships That Were Cast Away About Tercera, Was One Of Those
Fliboats Which Had Been Arrested In Portugal
For the kings service,
named the White Dove, the master of which was one Cornelius Martenson of
Schiedam in Holland,
Having in her 100 soldiers, as was the case in all
the rest. Being overruled by the Spanish captain, so that he could not
be master of his own ship, he was sailing about at the mercy of the
winds and waves, and came at length in sight of Tercera, whereupon the
Spaniards, thinking all their safety consisted in putting into the
roads, compelled the master and pilot to make towards the island; and
when they remonstrated, saying they would certainly be cast away and all
destroyed, the Spanish captain called him a drunkard and heretic, and
striking him with a staff, commanded him to do as he was ordered. Seeing
this, the master said, "Well then, since it is your desire to be cast
away, I can lose but one life." He then made sail for the land, which
was on that side of the island where there is nothing but rocks and
stones as high as mountains, most terrible to behold. Several of the
inhabitants stood on the cliffs with long ropes, having bundles of cork
fastened to one end, to throw down to the men, that they might lay hold
of them and save their lives. Few of them, however, got near enough for
this, as most of them were dashed to pieces before they could reach the
rocks forming the wall-like shore. At this time, when approaching the
rocks, the master, who was an old man, called his son who sailed with
him, and having embraced and taken a last farewell, the good old father
desired his son to take no note of him, but to seek and save himself.
"Son, said he, thou art young, and mayst have some hope of saving thy
life; but I am old and it is no great matter what becomes of me." Thus,
shedding many tears, as may well be conceived in such a situation, the
ship struck the rocks and went in pieces, the father and son falling
into the sea on different sides of the vessel, each laying hold on what
came first to hand, but to no purpose. The sea was so high and furious,
that all were drowned, except fourteen or fifteen who saved themselves
by swimming, with their legs and arms half broken and sore hurt. Among
these was the Dutch masters son and four other Dutch boys; all the rest
of the Spaniards and sailors, with captain and master, being drowned.
What heart so hard as not to melt at so grievous a sight, especially
considering the beastly and ignorant insolence of the Spaniards? From
this instance, it may be conceived how the other ships sped, as we
indeed partly beheld, and were informed by those few who were saved,
some of whom were our countrymen.
On the other islands the loss was no less than at Tercera, two ships
were cast away on the island of St George; two on Pico; three on
Graciosa. Besides those, there were seen everywhere round about, many
pieces of broken ships and other things, floating towards the islands,
with which the sea was everywhere covered, most pitiful to behold. Four
ships were cast away on the island of St Michael, and three more were
sunk between Tercera and St Michael, from which not one man was saved,
though they were seen and heard to cry out for aid. All the rest were
dismasted and driven out to sea, all torn and rent; so that of the whole
armada and merchant ships, 140 in all, only 32 or 33 arrived in Spain
and Portugal, and these with great pain, misery and labour, not any two
together, but this day one, to-morrow another, and next day a third. All
the rest were cast away about the Azores islands, or foundered at sea,
whereby may be judged what loss was incurred; as the loss was esteemed
greater by many, than had been sustained in the great armada that went
against England. It may very well be considered that this terrible
disaster was a just judgment of God against the Spaniards; and it may
truly be said that the taking of the Revenge was justly revenged against
them, not by the force of men, but by the power of God. Some of the
people in Tercera said openly, that they verily believed God would
consume them, and that he had taken part with the Lutherans and
heretics. They alleged farther, that so soon as they had thrown the body
of Sir Richard Grenville overboard, they verily believed, as he had a
devilish faith and religion, therefore all the devils loved him: For he
instantly sunk to the bottom of the sea, and down into hell, where he
raised up all the devils to revenge his death; and that they brought
these great storms and tempests upon the Spaniards, because they only
maintained the Catholic and true Romish religion. Such and the like
blasphemies did they utter openly and continually, without being
reproved of any one for their false opinions.
Of their fleet which sailed from New Spain, 50 in all, 35 were cast away
or foundered at sea, so that 15 only escaped. Of the San Domingo fleet,
14 were cast away coming through the channel from Havannah, the admiral
and vice-admiral being of the number. Two ships, coming from the Terra
Firma, laden with gold and silver, were taken by the English; and before
the fleet under Don Alonso de Bacan came to Corvo, at the least 20
ships, coming from San Domingo, India, Brazil, &c. had been taken at
different times by the English, all of which were sent to England.
Section XIV.
_Cruizing voyage to the Azores, in 1592, by Sir John Burrough,
Knight_[388]
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