In This Dilemma, On Purpose To Discover Her Force, Burden,
And Countenance, Sir John Took His Boat And Rowed Three Miles Towards
Her, To Make Her Out Exactly; And On His Return, Having Consulted With
His Officers, It Was Resolved To Board Her In The Morning.
A heavy storm
arose in the night, which forced them to weigh anchor, yet did they bear
up amain against the weather, not to lose the carak.
In the morning,
being very near the shore, our men could perceive the carak close to the
land, and the Portuguese using their utmost endeavour to convey whatever
they could from her on shore. Seeing our men making all haste to come
upon her, the Portuguese forsook her, but first, that nothing might be
left for our men, they set her on fire, that neither the glory of
victory nor the benefit of the ship and cargo might remain to the
English. And, lest the English might find means to extinguish the fire,
and thereby to preserve a part of the cargo, being in number 400 well
armed men, they entrenched themselves on shore as near as possible to
the carak, to keep our men aloof till the fire might consume the carak
and all her contents.
Seeing this, Sir John landed with an hundred of his men, many of whom
had to swim on shore or wade more than breast high; and having easily
dispersed those who guarded the shore, he no sooner approached the
entrenchment but the Portuguese fled, leaving as much as the fire had
spared to reward the pains of our men.
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