Coming On
Courageously, They Shot Very Fast From Their Calivers Upon The
Centurion, Which They Boarded Somewhat Before Ten O'clock
A.M. But the
Centurion was prepared for their reception, and meant to give them as
sour a welcome as
They could; and having prepared their close quarters
with all other things in readiness, called on God for aid, and cheered
one another to fight to the last. The Centurion discharged her great
ordnance upon the gallies, but the little ships her consorts durst not
come forward to her aid, but lay aloof, while five of the gallies laid
on board the Centurion, to whom they made themselves fast with their
grappling irons, two on one side and two on the other, while the admiral
galley lay across her stern. In this guise the Centurion was sore galled
and battered, her main-mast greatly wounded, all her sails filled with
shot holes, and her mizen mast and stern rendered almost unserviceable.
During this sore and deadly fight, the trumpeter of the Centurion
continually sounded forth the animating points of war, encouraging the
men to fight gallantly against their enemies; while in the Spanish
gallies there was no warlike music, save the silver whistles, which were
blown ever and anon. In this sore fight, many a Spaniard was thrown into
the sea, while multitudes of them came crawling up the ships sides,
hanging by every rope, and endeavouring to enter in: Yet as fast as they
came to enter, so courageously were they received by the English, that
many of them were fain to tumble alive into the sea, remediless of ever
getting out alive.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 653 of 842
Words from 178214 to 178487
of 230997
