Those Caravels Came To View Us, And Perceiving What We Were Made After
Us; Upon Which The English Ships Left Us And Made Towards The Caravels,
Because The Caravels Thought Them Friends And Shunned Them Not, As
Supposing Them Of Our Company:
But we shot three or four times, and made
signs to them that they should make towards the island, which they
presently did.
On perceiving that, the Englishmen made out to sea: and
then the caravels sent on board us, saying that the people of the island
were all in arms, having received advice from Portugal, that Sir Francis
Drake was in readiness, and meant to come to the islands. They likewise
brought us news of the overthrow of the Spanish armada which had gone
against England, and that the English had been at the gates of Lisbon;
for which reason it win the king's commands that we should put into the
island of Tercera, and remain there under the protection of its castle,
till we received further orders, as it was then thought too dangerous
for us to continue our voyage to Lisbon. These news put all our fleet in
great fear, making us look upon each other as not knowing what to do or
say; as it was dangerous for us to put into the road, which lies open to
the sea, so that although they had the kings commands for so doing, the
India ships durst not anchor there, but only used to come thither,
standing off and on, and sending their boats a-land for such necessaries
as they wanted, without coming to anchor. But now necessity compelled us
to this measure, owing to our fears for the three small English ships,
also because of the kings orders, and because we understood that the
Earl of Cumberland was not far from these islands with sundry ships of
war. We made therefore a virtue of necessity, and entering the road of
Tercera, anchored close under the castle, in waiting for orders from the
king to pursue our voyage, it being then the 24th of July or St Jameses
day.
The 12th of August, the Earl of Cumberland, with six or seven ships of
war, sailed past the island of Tercera; and to our great good fortune
passed out of sight. We then set out in all haste, and, for our greater
security, took along with us 400 Spaniards of those who were in garrison
in the island, and made sail for Lisbon with a favourable wind, so that
in eleven days we arrived in the river Tagus with great joy and triumph.
For, had we been one day longer of getting into the river, we had all
been taken by Captain Drake, [Sir Francis Drake] who came before Cascais
with 40 ships, at the very time when we cast anchor in the Tagus under
the guard of several gallies.
While I remained in Tercera, the Earl of Cumberland came to St Marys to
take in fresh water and other victuals; but the inhabitants would not
suffer him to have it, and wounded both the earl himself and several of
his men, so that they were forced to depart without having any thing.
Likewise, while I was at Tercera, the same earl came to the island of
Graciosa, where he went to land in person with seven or eight others,
demanding certain beasts, poultry, and other victuals, with wine and
fresh water, which they willingly gave him, after which he departed
without doing any injury, for which the inhabitants were very thankful,
praising his courtesy and faithfulness to his promise.
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