Her Maiesties Shippes and others , hauinge spente the most parte of this last Sommer about the Ilandes , as well for the safetie of our countreymen that way aduenturinge , as also to annoy our professed ennemies the Spanyardes , whome reportes gaue out , were in great Fleetes at Sea , this Fleete aforesaide spending their time with little profite to any of them , with consent of their Admirals dispersed themselues diuers wayes : some takinge theyr course for one Ilande , and some for another , to discry if they might : what shipping our ennemies had at Sea , amongest the which dispersed Fleet , Sir Iohn Burrowes knight , a most resolute and polliticke gentleman , thirstinge to showe hys valour at Sea : there , in hys countreies seruice to gaine fame , to the ennemies disgrace , as againste them on lande , both in the Low-countries and Fraunce , he had most nobly aduentured , to the greate commendations not onely of himselfe , but his whole posterity , and countries great good , This worthy knight being Commander of the good Ship called the Row-Bucke , and hauing in hys companye , an other fortunate and braue Shippe named the Dainety , whose owner is that woorthy knighte Sir Iohn Hawkins , the Captayne a braue Marriner , and a most forward man , called master Thomson of Harwiche , and one other Shippe of London called the Dragon , whose Captayne is maister Newporte of Limehouse a most hardy and forward man and resolute in perfourminge any thinge to his charge committed , the owner of which Ship , is maister Becket of Limehouse , late maister of the Trinytie house , these shippes aboue named , commanded by that braue kinght , being best of accounpt at that time the Queenes Shippes beinge absent and one that the rest being desirous to bee gouerned by , called to Captaine Thomson , being in the Dayntie , and him desired as God would permite them that hee would keepe him companie , offeringe him manye large profferes , Captaine Tomson accepted and promised what helpe he could do if occation serued he would be reddy with his best power and all his companie to accomplish , this concluded , they keept companie all that night , and the nexte day . These other Shippes being farre to windward of them , ( viz ) the Foresight , the Teager of my Lord of Cumberlandes , the Samson , his Lordships also , and a blacke Shippe of M. Newtons of London marchant called the Prudence , whose Captayne and Maister was Hugh Merricke of London , a man wel reputed for hys valour and skill in marine causes , and oftentimes as a man of choyce for hys vertues , hath taken charge in her Maiesties Nauy , with one smale Barke of Porchmouth , called the Phenix , which serued for a Pinnace : her Maister and owner was Edward Grant , a manne fortunate and happy . These Shippes , last named , being as I saide , and it is credibly reported to Windewarde of Sir Iohn Borowes and the Daintie , They firste discried the one Carrycke , of the burthen of nine hundred tuns or there abouts with whom , the Roe-buck and the Daintie bare all the night & gaue them chace long before the rest ( descried her ) as they supposed , who , immediatly vpon the view therof , seeing Sir Iohn and Captaine Thomson had her in chace , bare with her all the night , in hope to haue that they wished , the Daintie beeing headmost , for that shee is good of saile followed sharpest , whiche the Carricke perceyued , and fearinge to bee taken bare with the Isle Flowers , beeing not farre from the shoare , and betweene the shoare and Sir Iohn Burrowes , which do they what they might , that aduauntage could not bee gotten from them , albeit many occasions was ministred : the woorse was the good knightes fortune and the rest . Well sir , this Carricke being thus closly pursued , recouered the Iland , and letting fall foure Anchors , runne all a shoare , Sir Iohn Burrowes and the rest anchored by them , and night being vpon them , determined the next morninge to haue boorded her : But God that disposeth of all thinges , how forward soeuer man is in aduenturinge , and geueth victories , at his good pleasure . That nighte when all the Fleete had greatest hope to haue had their desire , and to haue enioyed that Carricke whome they had garded with greate pollicy . It pleased God to sende a marueilous great storme , the winde comming off the Sea , which troubled them very much , so that they were enforced by the extremity of the weather , the place well knowne to be very daungerous , to weigh Anchor , and put againe to Sea , committinge themselues to the harshenesse of the waues , and the mercy of God , yet tooke such order , that they should al keepe as close as they might and if God sente faire weather , they might not so loose her . This nighte past , and the storme by his grace , that geueth all grace , seised . The whole Fleet bare againe with Floweres and comming neere the Illand might perceiue the Spaniards , how they laboured , to saue the best they had aborde , hauing not ceased all that night from hard trauaill and carryinge a shore what they might . These enuious villaines , seeing no remidye but to fall into their handes , that would haue taken great care of her , Fyred the Caricke before any of our Fleete could lay her abord , and almost all forsooke her . In such sort increased the fire , that doe what men might , albeit great paines was therein taken , they coulde not quench the marcilesse flame vntill all her vpper worke was consumed , when with much adoe , they quenched the same , where they found of Pyliage such as contented poore men . This ouer past , they chanced to take one of the companie , who being a Spaniard , on certaine Articles , hee confessed muche matter touching that Caricke , and gaue also notice of the comminge of the other , the which was afterwarde mette withall and taken , and it is called the Mother of God . The Fleete stoared with resolute mindes , when as they heard this newes , were all frolicke : their ioyfull hartes presaged good successe to follow : and hauinge taken what they could of the first Carrick , they determined to disperse their Shippes againe , to the ende some of their fortunes , by Gods good fauour might bee to lighte vppon her , and with this resolution , they put to Sea agayne , the Row-Bucke and the Dainty , keeping still together , as neere as they might . Night comminge on , they hulled almost the whole nighte , or carried very little saile : continuing in this maner twoo nightes and two dayes , the seconde day in the morninge , the Dainetie beeinge headmost againe , as for her sayle she exceedeth many , discried the great Carricke all a hie : seeminge to them in their toppe , to be some huge thinge , as indeede she is , this sighte pleased them so well : as he that had the beste stommacke to his victualls , was so ioyfull , that they forgotte their Breakefast : hopinge before dinner , to haue an host that should make them righte merry , and hoysinge their sayles , bare with her all the day . The Row-bucke , seeinge her make suche saile , caused one to looke out , whoe likewise presently discried her , to their no little ioyes and reioysinge , and fitting their sailes likewise , liued in great hope of Gods good fauour therein , and so hoaped to bee better sharers , then with the first . The Foresight and the rest of the Fleete , beeing farre off , hadd likewise discried her , and bare with the reste . By noone or one of the clocke of that day , beeing the thirde of August , the Daintie came neere her , so that the Gunner , whose name was Thomas Bedome , beinge a proper tall man , and had very good aime at any thinge , and good lucke withall : desired the Captaine , hee might giue them a shoote , to lett them vnderstande , that they were Englishmenne , and vnder her Highnesse , Commaunder of the Seas . The Captaine hauinge greate care , and not willinge to haue any shoote shot in vaine : commaunded him to forbear till they shoulde come neerer her , whiche was not longe , when the Captaine himselfe commaunded him to doe his best , and carowsinge a kanne of Wine to his company , encouraged them to begin the fighte , and comminge vpp , haled them after the manner of the Sea , and commaunded them to strike for the Queene of England , which they no sooner refused , but the Gonner beeinge ready , gaue fire to two whole Culueringes in her chase , and racked and toare her pittifullye : Bearinge vpp wyth them , gaue them the whole side , and boorded them presently , whoe resisted most couragiously , and putt vs off againe : Thus continued the Dainetie in fighte , a pretty while , before any other could come to helpe her , in whiche tyme shee laide her aboorde three seueral times , toare her Ancient from her poope , and slewe her Captaine , and more harme had doone them , but that by chaunce a shott , bare their foremaste by the Boorde , which they were compelled to splice againe , to theyr great trouble . The nexte that came to her rescue was the valiant Sir Iohn Burrowe , who attempting with great valour to boorde her , was putt off againe , and receiued a shott which had like to haue endaungered himselfe . The third was the golden Dragon of London , whereof was Captaine Maister Newport , whoe most brauely gaue the attempte , but was likewise put off , the Carricke beeinge so huge , that those Shippes did but little good . In boording they slew many of their men , and spoyled them marueilously . The next was her Maiesties good Shippe the Foresighte , whose commaunder for that seruice was Captaine Crasse , a man well approued in marine causes , and farre hath aduentured , whoe with his Shippe layde her a boorde , and very valiauntly assayled them , and was most stoutely by the Spanyardes also repulsed : in so much , that the braue Captaine , of whose men , many were weake , and yet beeinge loth her Maiesties Shippe should bee shaken off without victory , fyred the Carricke , rather wishinge her to be burnte , then the ennemies to enioy her . But the proud and lofty-minded Spanyardes , standinge on their reso●ute pointes , retourned the fire againe , or some other , which three times was kindled : to the great comber of Captayne Crosse and his Companye , that woulde not so leaue them . This daungerous conflict betwene these Shippes endured longe time , which the Phenix of Portchmouth perceiuinge , and beeinge able to yeelde her little other comforte , by reason of the hugenesse of the Carricke , shee beinge but of threescore tuns or there abouts : albeit the Maister would gladly haue doone his beste , and was willing to boord her also : yet lefte hee her for a time standinge with their Admirall and Uice-Admirall , whiche was the Teager and Sampson , who comminge vpp wyth them , declared vnto them the hardy fighte of the Foresighte , who presently bare vpp with them all the nighte : the Sampson beeing the first , comming vp with the Carricke , gaue her the whole broadside , and shuttinge vpp into the Foresightes quarter , entered hys menne into her , Captaine Norton , that braue and woorthy gentlemanne , laide her also a boorde hauing the Teager with him , and so entered together beeing a hundred men at the least , all resolutely minded : at whose enteraunce , they yeelded so greate a crye , as the dismayed Portingalls and Spanyardes , coulde not beethincke themselues what course to take to helpe themselues , in suche a mase were they stricken , although they were Eighte hundred stronge , all well appoynted and able men , and of ours but one hundred . But standinge thus as men amased , at length yeelded themselues vanquished : and so perforce gaue possession , to them that challenged it for their owne , as wonne with their swoordes and hazarde of their liues : as the pittifull slaughter of the deade carcasses , which they found a boord witnessed , the sight whereof was able to mollifie the hardest hart in the world . To see the slaine men , here and there lie welteringe in their owne bloude , and the grieuous lamentation of the wounded , amongst which some lackinge their legges , some their armes , and other members of their bodies , whose misery , our countreymenne ( thoughe they were our hatefull ennemies ) greately bewayled : yet acknowledged it to be but the chaunce of Warres , which was and is , as it pleaseth God . They gaue God harty thankes for their owne safety : and did their best indeuour in procuringe remedye for as many as was possible , whereby they haue acquisted vnto themselues and their country , exceeding great commendations : such is the good conditions of Englishmen , in fauouringe their conquered ennemies : bee their fury neuer so greate . The conflict ended , it were a worlde of wonder to recount vnto you , the true reportes , how our men be stirred themselues , in searchinge and prying into euery corner of her , as farre as they might , as they might well doe hauing with so great danger ouercomen her . The sight of the ricches within the same contained , did so a maze the companies that were within boorde of her , and that still came from euery Shippe , beeing desirous to see what God had sent them , after so long and hoat a fight : that many of them coulde not tell what to take , suche was the stoare and the goodnesse thereof : yea , hee that hadd knowen , what thinges had bene worth , in a little roome mighte haue contriued great wealth , for it is credibly reported , that some yonkers happened to finde many Iarres of Ceuitt , which is of great woorth , and beeing of some longe time closely kepte , when they opened the same , was cause it yeelded no sauour : and they ignorant and not knowinge what it should bee , thinkinge it but trashe as it came to their handes , heaued it ouer-boord : much other thinges was so spoyled for want of knowledge , when euery man had sufficient , and that not one had cause to complayne : Sir Iohn Burrowes and other the Principals of the Fleete , callinge a Counsell , in the same determined to take some course for the goodes , valued according to the Spanyardes owne reports , to be aboue seauenteene hundreth tunnes , and in value as they thought , many thousand poundes , besides the other great treasure that was in her . Thus a view beeing taken , they gan to consulte , what were best to doe with the Prisoners , whiche were many , and findinge their greate scarcitie of victuals , and not knowing what weather they might haue , nor how it mighte please God with good winde to prosper them , it was concluded , to Shippe as manye of them as they mighte , and to sende them for Lisbona , this they fully determined , and prouision was made of a Barke of Douer , which they mett , the Fleete takinge in , her men , and such prouision as they had in her , and the rest embarked the Spanyardes and Portingalles wyth their Negroes , whereof were many , and gaue them wyth them stoare of victualles , and so gaue them leaue to departe , detayninge none but the principallest of them . It was supposed that the Uice-Roy for the Indies was amongst them : but it is not so good , for hee vppon some speciall cause , ( as it was reported ) resteth behinde vntill the next yeare : whose fortune , if it bee by the prouidence of him that disposeth of all mennes ioyes , to sende them for Englande , no doubt hee shoulde bee welcome to a great many .