ship out of the hauen of Phernambuck in Brasile, which brought newes that
the Admirall of the Portugall Fleet that came from India, hauing missed the
Iland of S. Helena, was of necessitie constrained to put into Phernambuck,
although the king had expresly vnder a great penaltie forbidden him so to
doe, because of the wormes that there doe spoile the ships. The same shippe
wherein Bernardin Ribero was Admirall the yeere before 1589. sailed out of
Lisbon into the Indies, with 5 ships in her company, whereof but 4 got into
India, the 5 was neuer heard of, so that it was thought to be cast away:
the other foure returned safe againe into Portugall, though the Admiral was
much spoiled, because he met with two English ships that fought long with
him, and slew many of his men, but yet he escaped from them.
The 5 of the same moneth there arriued in Tercera a carauel of the Iland of
Coruo, and brought with her 50 men that had bin spoiled by the Englishmen
who had set them on shore in the Iland of Coruo, being taken out of a ship
that came from the Spanish Indies, they brought tidings that the Englishmen
had taken 4 more of the Indian ships, and a carauel with the king of
Spaines letters of aduise for the ships comming out of the Portugal Indies,
and that with those which they had taken, they were at the least 40 English
ships together, so that not one bark escaped them, but fel into their
hands, and that therefore the Portugall ships comming out of India durst
not put into the Ilands, but tooke their course vnder 40 and 42 degrees,
and from thence sailed to Lisbon, shunning likewise the cape S. Vincent,
otherwise they could not haue had a prosperous iourney of it, for that as
then the sea was ful of English ships. [Sidenote: Great hauock of
Spaniards.] Whereupon the king aduised the fleete lying in Hauana in the
Spanish Indies ready to come for Spaine, that they should stay there all
that yeere till the next yeere, because of the great danger they might fal
into by the Englishmen, which was no smal charge, and hinderance to the
fleet, for that the ships that lie there do consume themselues, and in a
manner eat vp one another, by reason of the great number of people,
together with the scarcitie of al things, so that many ships chose rather
one by one to aduenture themselues alone to get home, then to stay there:
all which fell into the Englishmen hands, whereof diuers of the men were
brought into Tercera, for that a whole day we could see nothing els, but
spoiled men set on shore, some out of one ship, some out of another, that
pitie it was to see all of them cursing the Englishmen and their owne
fortunes, with those that had bene the causes to prouoke the Englishmen to
fight, and complaining of the small remedie and order taken therein by the
king of Spaines officers.
The 19 of the same moneth there came to Tercera a Carauel of Lisbon, with
one of the kings officers, to cause the goods that were saued out of the
ship which came from Malacca (for the which we staied there) to be laden
and sent to Lisbon. And at the same time there put out of the Groine one
Don Alonso de Baçan, with 40 great ships of warre to come vnto the Ilands,
there to watch for the fleet of the Spanish and Portugall Indies, and the
goods of the Malacca ship being laden, they were to convoy them all
together into the riuer of Lisbon: but being certaine daies at sea, alwaies
hauing a contrary wind, they could not get vnto the Ilands, onely two of
them that were scattred from the fleet, arriued at Tercera, and not finding
the fleet, they presently returned to seeke them: in the meane time the
king changed his mind, and caused the fleet to stay in India, as I said
before: and therefore hee sent worde vnto Don Alonso de Bassan, that hee
should returne againe to the Groine, which he presently did (without doing
any thing, nor once approching neer the Ilands, sauing onely the two
foresayd ships, for he well knew that the Englishmen lay by the Iland of
Coruo, but he would not visit them): and so he returned to the hauen the
Groine, whereby our goods that came from Malacca were yet to ship, and
trussed vp againe, and forced to stay a more fortunate time with patience
perforce.
The 23 of October there arriued in Tercera a Carauel with aduise out of
Portugall, that of 5 ships which in the yere 1590 were laden in Lisbon for
the Indies, 4 of them were turned againe to Portin. After they had bene 4
moneths abroad, and that the Admirall, wherein the Viceroy called Mathias
d'Albukerk sailed, had onely gotten to India, as afterward newes thereof
was brought ouer-land, hauing bin at the least 11 moneths at sea and neuer
saw land, and came in great misery to Malacca. In this ship there died by
the way 280 men, according to a note by himselfe made, and sent to the
Cardinal at Lisbon, with the names and surnames of euery man, together with
a description of his voiage, and the misery they had endured, which was
onely done, because he would not lose the gouernment of India: and for that
cause he had sworne either to lose his life, or to arriue in India, as in,
deed he did afterwards, but to the great danger, losse and hinderance of
his companie, that were forced to buy it with their liues, and onely for
want of prouision, as it may wel be thought: for he knew full well that if
he had returned backe againe into Portugal as the other ships did, he
should haue bin cassiered from his Indian regiment, because the people
began already to murmure at him for his proud and lofty mind. And among
other things that shewed his pride the more, behind aboue the gallery of
his ship he caused Fortune to be painted, and his own picture with a staffe
standing by her, as it were threatning Fortune, with this posie, Quero que
vencas, that is, I wil haue thee to ouercome: which being read by the
Cardinal and other gentlemen (that to honor him brought him aboord his
ship) it was thought to be a point of exceeding folly: but it is no strange
matter among the Portugals: for they aboue all others must of force let the
foole peepe out of their sleeues, specially when they are in authority, for
that I knew the said Mathias d'Albukerk in India, being a souldier and a
captaine, where he was esteemed and accounted for one of the best of them,
and much honoured, and beloued of all men, as behauing himselfe curteously
to euery man, whereby they all desired that he might be Viceroy. But when
he once had receiued his patent with full power and authoritie from the
king to be Viceroy, he changed so much from his former behauiour, that by
reason of his pride, they all began to feare and curse him, and that before
hee departed out of Lisbon, as it is often seene in many men that are
aduanced vnto state and dignitie.
The 20 of Ianuarie 1591. there was newes brought out of Portugall into
Tercera, that the Englishmen had taken a ship that the king had sent into
the Portugall Indies, with aduise to the Viceroy for the returning againe
of the 4 ships that should haue gone to India, and because the ships were
come backe againe, that ship was stuffed and laded as full of goods as
possible it might be, hauing likewise in ready money 500 thousand duckets
in roials of 8, besides other wares. It departed from Lisbon in the moneth
of Nouember 1590. and met with the Englishmen, with whom for a time it
fought, but in the end it was taken and caried into England with men and
all, yet when they came there, the men were set at libertie, and returned
into Lisbon, where the captaine was committed prisoner; but he excused
himselfe and was released, with whom I spake my selfe, and he made this
report vnto me. At the same time also they tooke a ship that came from the
Mine laden with gold, and 2 ships laden with pepper and spices that were to
saile into Italy, the pepper onely that was in them, being worth 170
thousand duckets: all these ships were caried into England, and made good
prise.
In the moneth of Iuly 1591. there hapned an earthquake in the Iland of S.
Michael, which continued from the 26 of Iuly, to the 12 of August, in which
time no man durst stay within his house but fled into the fields, fasting
and praying with great sorow, for that many of their houses fel down, and a
towne called Villa Franca, was almost cleane razed to the ground, all the
cloisters and houses shaken to the earth, and therein some people slaine.
The land in some places rose vp, and the cliffs remooued from one place to
another, and some hils were defaced and made euen with the ground. The
earthquake was so strong, that the ships which lay in the road and on the
sea, shaked as if the world would haue turned round: there sprang also a
fountaine out of the earth, for whence for the space of 4 daies, there
flowed a most cleare water, and after that it ceased. At the same time they
heard such thunder and noise vnder the earth, as if all the deuils in hell
had bin assembled together in that place, wherewith many died for feare.
The Iland of Tercera shooke 4 times together, so that it seemed to turne
about, but there hapned no misfortune vnto it. Earthquakes are common in
those Ilands, for about 20 yeres past there hapned another earthquake,
wherein a high hill that lieth by the same towne of Villa Franca, fell
halfe downe, and couered all the towne with earth, and killed many men. The
25 of August the kings Armada comming out of Ferol arriued in Tercera being
in all 30 ships, Biskaines, Portugals and Spaniards, and 10 Dutch flieboats
that were arrested in Lisbon to serue the king, besides other small ships
and pataxos, that came to serue as messengers from place to place, and to
discouer the seas. This nauie came to stay for, and conuoy the ships that
should come from the Spanish Indies, and the flieboats were appointed in
their returne home, to take in the goods that were saued in the lost ship
that came from Malacca, and to conuoy them to Lisbon.
The 13 of September the said Armada arriued at the Iland of Coruo, where
the Englishmen with about 16 ships as then lay, staying for the Spanish
fleet, whereof some or the most part were come, and there the English were
in good hope to haue taken them. But when they perceiued the kings army to
be strong, the Admiral being the lord Thomas Howard, commanded his Fleet
not to fal vpon them, nor any of them once to separate their ships from
him, vnlesse he gaue commission so to do: notwithstanding the viceadmirall
sir Richard Greenuil being in the ship called the Reuenge, went into the
Spanish fleet, and shot among them doing them great hurt, and thinking the
rest of the company would haue folowed, which they did not, but left him
there, and sailed away: the cause why could not be knowen. Which the
Spaniards perceiuing, with 7 or 8 ships they boorded her, but she withstood
them all, fighting with them at the least 12 houres together and sunke two
of them, one being a new double Flieboat of 600 tunnes, and Admiral of the
Flieboats, the other a Biscain; but in the end by reason of the number that
came vpon her, she was taken, but to their great losse: for they had lost
in fighting and by drowning aboue 400 men, and of the English were slaine
about 100, Sir Richard Greenuil himselfe being wounded in his braine,
whereof afterwards he died. He was caried into the ship called S. Paul,
wherein was the Admirall of the fleet Don Alonso de Baçan: there his wounds
were drest by the Spanish surgeons, but Don Alonso himselfe would neither
see him nor speake with him: all the rest of the Captaines and gentlemen
went to visite him, and to comfort him in his hard fortune wondering at his
courage and stout heart, for that he shewed not any signe of faintnes nor
changing of colour; but feeling the houre of death to approch, he spake
these words in Spanish, and said: Here die I Richard Greenuil with a ioyful
and quiet mind, for that I haue ended my life as a true souldier ought to
do, that hath fought for his countrey, Queene, religion and honor, whereby
my soule most ioyfull departeth out of this body, and shal alwayes leaue
behind it an euerlasting fame of a valiant and true souldier that hath done
his dutie as he was bound to doe. When he had finished these or such other
like words, he gaue vp the Ghost, with great and stout courage, and no man
could perceiue any true signe of heauines in him.
This sir Rich. Greenuil was a great and a rich gentleman in England, and
had great yeerely reuenues of his owne inheritance, but he was a man very
vnquiet in his mind, and greatly affected to war; insomuch as of his owne
priuate motion he offred his seruice to the Queene: he had performed many
valiant acts, and was greatly feared in these Ilands, and knowen of euery
man, but of nature very seuere, so that his owne people hated him for his
fiercenesse, and spake very hardly of him: for when they first entred into
the fleet or Armada, they had their great saile in a readinesse, and might
possibly enough haue sailed away, for it was one of the best ships for
saile in England, and the master perceiuing that the other ships had left
them, and folowed not after, commanded the great saile to be cut that they
might make away: but sir Rich. Greenuil threatned both him and al the rest
that were in the ship, that if any man laid hand vpon it, he would cause
him to be hanged, and so by that occasion they were compelled to fight and
in the end were taken. He was of so hard a complexion, that as he continued
among the Spanish captains while they were at dinner or supper with him, he
would carouse 3 or 4 glasses of wine, and in a brauerie take the glasses
betweene his teeth and crash them in pieces and swalow them downe, so that
oftentimes the blood ran out of his mouth without any harme at all vnto
him: and this was told me by diuers credible persons that many times stood
and beheld him. The Englishmen that were left in the ship, as the captaine
of the souldiers, the master and others were dispersed into diuers of the
Spanish ships that had taken them, where there had almost a new fight
arisen between the Biscains and the Portugals: while each of them would
haue the honour to haue first boorded her, so that there grew a great noise
and quarel among them, one taking the chiefe ensigne, and the other the
flag, and the captaine and euery one held his owne. The ships that had
boorded her were altogether out of order, and broken, and many of their men
hurt, whereby they were compelled to come into the Island of Tercera, there
to repaire themselues: where being arriued, I and my chamberfelow, to heare
some newes, went aboord one of the ships being a great Biscain, and one of
the 12 Apostles, whose captaine was called Bartandono, that had bin General
of the Biscains in the fleet that went for England. He seeing vs called vs
up into the gallery, where with great curtesie he receiued vs, being as
then set at dinner with the English captaine that sate by him, and had on a
sute of blacke veluet, but he could not tell vs any thing, for that he
could speake no other language but English and Latine, which Bartandano
also could a litle speake. The English captaine got licence of the
gouernour that he might come on land with his weapon by his side, and was
in our lodging with the Englishman that was kept prisoner in the Iland,
being of that ship whereof the sailers got away, as I said before. The
gouernour of Tercera bade him to dinner, and shewed him great curtesie. The
master likewise with licence of Bartandono came on land and was in our
lodging, and had at the least 10 or 12 wounds, as well in his head as on
his body, whereof after that being at sea betweene Lisbon and the Ilands he
died. The captaine wrote a letter, wherein he declared all the maner of the
fight, and left it with the English marchant that lay in our lodging, to
send it to the lord Admiral of England. This English captaine comming vnto
Lisbon, was there wel receiued and not any hurt done vnto him, but with
good conuoy sent vnto Setuuel, and from thence sailed into England with all
the rest of the Englishmen that were taken prisoners.
The Spanish armie staied at the Iland of Coruo til the last of September,
to assemble the rest of the fleet together, which in the ende were to the
number of 140 sailes of ships partly comming from India, and partly of the
army, and being altogether readie to saile to Tercera in good company,
there suddenly rose so hard and cruell a storme, that those of the Ilands
did affirme, that in mans memorie there was neuer any such seen or heard
off before: for it seemed the sea would haue swalowed vp the Ilands, the
water mounting higher then the cliffs, which are so high that it amaseth a
man to behold them: but the sea reached aboue them, and liuing fishes were
throwen vpon the land. This storme continued not only a day or two with one
wind, but 7 or 8 dayes continually, the wind turning round about in al
places of the compasse, at the lest twise or thrise during that time, and
all alike, with a continuall storme and tempest most terrible to behold,
euen to vs that were on shore, much more then to such as were at sea: so
that onely on the coasts and cliffes of the Iland of Tercera, there were
aboue 12 ships cast away, and not onely vpon the one side, but round about
it in euery corner, whereby nothing els was heard but complaining, crying,
lamenting and telling, here is a ship broken in pieces against the cliffes,
and there another, and all the men drowned: so that for the space of 20
dayes after the storme, they did nothing els but fish for dead men that
continually came driuing on the shore. [Sidenote: The wracke of the
Reuenge.] Among the rest was the English ship called the Reuenge, that was
cast away vpon a cliffe neere to the Iland of Tercera, where it brake in an
hundred pieces and sunke to the ground, hauing in her 70 men Galegos,
Biscains, and others, with some of the captiue Englishmen, whereof but one
was saued that got vp vpon the cliffes aliue, and had his body and head all
wounded, and he being on shore brought vs the newes desiring to be shriuen,
and thereupon presently died. The Reuenge had in her diuers faire brasse
pieces that were all sunke in the sea, which they of the Iland were in good
hope to waigh vp againe the next Sommer after. Among these ships that were
cast away about Tercera, was likewise a Flie-boat, one of those that had
bin arrested in Portugall to serue the king, called the white Doue, the
master of her was one Cornelius Martenson of Schiedam in Holland, and there
were in her 100 souldiers, as in euery one of the rest there were. He being
ouer-ruled by the captaine that he could not be master of his owne, sayling
here and there at the mercy of God, as the storme droue him, in the end
came within the sight of the Iland of Tercera, which the Spaniards
perceiuing thought all their safety onely to consist in putting into the
road, compelling the Master and the Pilot to make towards the Iland,
although the master refused to doe it, saying, that they were most sure
there to be cast away and vtterly spoyled: but the captaine called him
drunkard and Heretique, and striking him with a staffe, commaunded him to
doe as he would haue him. The Master, seeing this and being compelled to
doe it, sayd: well then my Masters, seeing that it is the desire of you all
to bee cast away, I can but lose one life, and therewith desperately he
sayled towards the shore, and was on that side of the Iland, where there
was nothing els but hard stones and rocks, as high as mountaines, most
terrible to beholde, where some of the inhabitants stood with long ropes
and corke bound at the ende thereof, to throw them downe, vnto the men,
that they might lay holde vpon them and saue their liues: but few of them
got so neere, most of them being cast away, and smitten in pieces before
they could get to the wall. The ship sailing in this maner (as I sayd
before) towards the Iland, and approching to the shore, the master being an
olde man, and full of yeeres, called his sonne that was in the ship with
him, and hauing imbraced one another, and taken their last farewell, the
good olde father willed his sonne not to take care for him, but seeke to
saue himselfe; for (sayd he) sonne thou art yong, and mayest haue some hope
to saue thy life, but as for me it is no great matter (I am olde) what
become of me, and therewith ech of these shedding many teares, as euery
louing father and kinde childe may well consider, the ship fell vpon the
cliffes, and brake in pieces, the father on the one side, the sonne on the
other side falling into the sea, ech laying holde vpon that which came next
to hand, but to no purpose; for the sea was so high and furious, that they
were all drowned, and onely foureteene or fifteene saued themselues by
swimming, with their legs and armes halfe broken and out of ioynt, among
which was the Masters sonne, and foure other Dutch boyes: the rest of the
Spaniards and Sailers, with the Captaine and Master, were drowned. Whose
heart would not melt with teares to beholde so grieuous a sight, specially
considering with himselfe that the greatest cause thereof was the
beastliness and insolency of the Spaniards, as in this onely example may
well be seene? Whereby may be considered how the other shippes sped, as we
ourselues did in part beholde, and by the men that were saued did heare
more at large, as also some others of our countreymen that as then were in
the like danger can well witnesse.
On the other Ilands the losse was no lesse then in Tercera: for on the
Iland of Saint George there were two ships cast away: on the Iland of Pico
two ships: on the Iland of Gratiosa three ships: and besides those there
came euery where round about diuers pieces of broken ships, and other
things fleeting towards the Ilands, wherewith the sea was all couered most
pitifull to beholde. On the Iland of S. Michael there were foure ships cast
away, and betweene Tercera and S. Michael three more were sunke, which were
seene and heard to cry out; whereof not one man was saued. [Sidenote: About
100 Spanish and Portugall ships drowned.] The rest put into the sea without
masts, all torne and rent: so that of the whole fleet and armada, being 140
ships in all, there were but 32 or 33 arriued in Spaine and Portugall, yea,
and those few with so great misery, paine and labour, that not two of them
arriued there together, but this day one, and tomorrow another, next day
the third, and so one after the other to the number aforesayd. All the rest
were cast away vpon the Ilands, and ouerwhelmed in the Sea, whereby may be
considered what great losse and hindrance they receiued at that time: for
by many mens iudgments it was esteemed to be much more then was lost by
their army that came for England: and it may well be thought, and presumed,
that it was no other but a iust plague purposely sent by God vpon the
Spaniards, and that it might truely be sayd, the taking of the Reuenge was
iustly reuenged vpon them, and not by the might or force of man, but by the
power of God, as some of them openly sayd in the Ile of Tercera, that they
beleeued verily God would consume them, and that he tooke part with the
Lutherans and heretiks: saying further that so soone as they had throwen
the dead body of the Viceadmirall Sir Richard Greenfield ouerboord, they
verily thought that as he had a diuellish faith and religion, and therefore
the diuels loued him, so he presently sunke into the bottome of the sea,
and downe into hell, where he raised vp all the diuels to the reuenge of
his death: and that they brought so great stormes and torments vpon the
Spaniards, because they onely maintained the Catholike and Romish religion.
Such and the like blasphemies against God, they ceased not openly to vtter,
without being reprooued of any man therein, nor for their false opinions:
but the most part of them rather sayd and affirmed, that of trueth it must
needs be so.
As one of those Indian fleets put out of Noua Spagna, there were 35 of them
by storme and tempest cast away and drowned in the Sea, being 50 in all; so
that but 15 escaped. Of the fleet that came from Santo Domingo there were
14 cast away, comming out of the chanell of Hauana, whereof the Admirall
and Viceadmirall were two of them: and from Terra Firma in India there came
two ships laden with golde and siluer, that were taken by the Englishmen:
and before the Spanish army came to Coruo, the Englishmen at times had
taken at the least 20 ships, that came from S. Domingo, India, Brasilia,
&c. and were all sent into England.
* * * * *