At This Time, There Lay 20 English Ships Off Cape St
Vincent, To Watch For This Fleet; So That If They Had Gone Forwards For
Sun Lucar, Which They Certainly Had Done If The Wind Had Been Fair, They
Must Have Fallen Into The Hands Of The English:
They may say, therefore,
that the wind lent them a fortunate voyage on this occasion.
If the
English had met them, they had surely been in great danger, and possibly
few of them had escaped, on account of the fear which they were then in
of the English; as fortune, or God rather, was then wholly against them,
which was enough to make the Spaniards out of heart, and to inspire the
English with the greater boldness; for being victorious, they were stout
and valiant, and seeing all their enterprizes successful, they were
become lords and masters of the sea, and needed to care for no man, as
well appears from this short narrative.
On the 7th of August 1590, a fleet of 20 English ships appeared off
Tercera, five of them being ships belonging to the queen, of which one
Martin Frobisher was general, as we afterwards learnt. They came
purposely to watch for the fleet of the Spanish West Indies, and for the
India ships, and the ships of the other countries in the West. This put
the islanders in great fear, especially those of Fayal, where the
English sent a trumpeter to the governor, to ask certain supplies of
wine, flesh, and other provisions for their money. This request was not
only refused, but they shot the messenger and slew him, which gave the
English much displeasure, so that they sent another message desiring
them to look to themselves and keep sure guard, as they meant to come
and visit them per force. The governor sent back for answer, that he was
there in behalf of the king of Spain, and would do his best to keep them
out, as in duty bound; but nothing was done after all, though the people
of Fayal were in great fear, sending to Tercera for aid, whence they had
some barks with powder and other ammunition of war, with some Biscuit
and other necessary provisions.
The 30th of August, certain news came from Portugal, that 80 ships had
sailed from _the Groin_, (Corunna) laden with victuals, ammunition of
war, money, and soldiers, bound for Britanny in aid of the catholic
leaguers of France against the king of Navarre. At this time likewise,
two Netherland hulks, when half seas over on their way from Portugal to
Tercera, were met by four English ships belonging to the queen,
commanded by Sir John Hawkins, by whom they were stopped; but he let
them go again uninjured. According to the report of these Netherlanders,
each of these ships carried 80 pieces of ordnance. They reported
likewise, that Captain Drake (Sir Francis) lay with 40 English ships in
the channel, watching for the fleet from Corunna; and that ten other
English ships lay off Cape St Vincent, that if any ships escaped
Frobisher at the islands, they might intercept them.
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