The Sea Raged With Such Fury As If It Would Have Swallowed Up The
Islands, The Waves Rising Higher Than The Cliffs, So That It Was Amazing
To Behold Them, And Living Fish Were Thrown Upon The Land.
The storm
lasted for seven or eight successive days, veering about to every point
of the compass at least
Twice or three times during its continuance,
with a continual tempestuous force most terrible to behold, even by us
who were on shore, much more to those who were on the sea, and exposed
to its fury. During this dreadful storm, above 12 ships were dashed to
pieces on the coasts and rocks of the island of Tercera all round about,
so that nothing was to be heard but weeping, lamenting, and wailing, now
a ship being broken in pieces in one place, then another at a different
place, and all the men drowned. For 20 days after the storm, nothing
else was done but fishing for dead men that were continually driving on
shore. Among the rest, the Revenge was cast away on a ledge of rocks
near the isle of Tercera, where she split to pieces and sunk, having in
her 70 men, Gallegos and Biscaineers and others, with some of the
captive English, one only of whom got upon the rock alive, having his
head and body all wounded. Being brought on shore, he told us the sad
tidings, and desired to be shriven, after which he presently died. The
Revenge had in her several fine brass pieces of artillery, which were
all sunk in the sea; but the islanders had great hopes of weighing them
up next summer.
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.
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