enemigo yba adelante, y que los vastimentos eran pocos por averse gastado
muchos en esta ocasion, y ser la miseria desta ysla tal que no se podian
proveer otros, y que combenia abreviar la partida de sudespacho, y ordeno
que con suma presteça se recojiese el artilleria de los puestos de tierra
y se embarcase la plata en los fragatas, y con ellas y con un navio y
un patache en que se embarco parte de la gente y artilleria de las dos
fragatas perdidas y de la capitana de tierra firme, partio de puerto rico
con buen tiempo a los 20 de Diçiembre de 1595.
INSTRUCCION que dio Franᵒ. Draque, al capitan del navio
Françes, uno de los de su armada que se le tomo en la ysla de
Guadalupe.
La instrucçion y orden que a de tener toda la armada que sale
del puerto de Plemua desde 29 de Agosto de 1595 años.
1. Primeramente es para servir a Dios y tener esta orden dos
veçes aldia y sino fuese alguna ocasion no poder mas.
2. Lo segundo aveis de tener gran cuidado de tener compania y
venir a hablar a vuestro Almirante dos veçes aldia, y quando
no pudieredes mas de una vez, lo haçed cada dia y tened gran
cuidado de la orden que vos sera dada de guardarla y tener
siempre estar en compania como el tiempo ordenare.
3. Y si fuese algun navio o patache per tempestad de tiempo o
per otra ocasion que hubiese y se apartase de la compania anos
de allar primeramente en la ysla de Bayona de Galicia y alli
estara la armada aguardando asta que el tiempo provea otra cosa
y nos allareis, y de alli sino nos allaredes, yreis a Puerto
Sancto y nos aguardareis alli tres dias, y sino fueremos alli,
tomareis el camino para la ysla de Guadalupe, una ysla pequena
de la vanda del nordeste çerca de la Dominica, en la qual
estaremos tres dias y dejaremos alguna sinal para que sepais
donde nosotros fueremos el qual sera para puerto rico; alli
estaremos diez dias.
4. Si en este camino tubieremos algun viento contrario e
tempestad de noche, aveis de amaynar todas los belas asta la
mañana, sino vieredes que una almiranta aga bela y ansi areis
vosotros lo mismo.
5. Y si el tiempo volviese de noche alguna contrariedad de
vento contrario, vuestra almiranta pondra dos lanternas, una de
vajo de otra de statura de un hombre, para que os vais regiendo
por ellas.
6. Y si todos nosotros amaynasemos de noche por alguna ocasion
de tempestad y fuese neçesario haçer vela esa noche, aveis de
ençender antes que nosotros echemos vela una sola lanterna con
lumbre en popa y otra en la gavia del trinquete.
7. No tendreis ninguna lumbre en ningun navio sino solamente
la lumbre que estubiese en la aguia, y este con gran cuydado
que no pareçia, fuera de la Almiranta y por los ocasiones que
pueden venir del fuego, no aveis de traer ninguna candela ni
lumbre entorno del navio sino fuese con lanterna, y ni mas ni
menos aveis de tener gran cuidado con el fuego de la coçina.
8. Ningun navio baral ni patache no vaya delante de la
Almirante de noche y particularmente en tiempo de fortuna de
tempestad ni se ponga de vajo de los navios grandes pasando de
una parte a otra.
9. Y si algun navio de la flota por desgraçia perdiese algun
arbol mayor o verga o alguna bomba o otro aparejo alguno de
importançia, tiraran una v dos pieças conforme a la necesitad
que tubiese para que los otros navios le socorran con brevedad,
y que ningun navio se aparte della asta que se socorra,
conforme a la necesitad que se tubiese.
10. Y si algun navio de la flota perdiese su curso y topase con
otro algun navio, la señal sera que içaran y amaynaran la vela
de gavia tres veçes y ansi ara la otra para que se conosca.
11. No aveis de consentir jugar en el navio naypos ni dados por
muchas ocasiones que suelen suçeder de pendençias.
12. Aveis de tener grandissimo cuydado de conservar los
bastimentos, conforme a vuestra discreçion asta que reçivais
otra orden de lo que aveis de hacer.
13. Lo ultimo para que agais mejor compañia, vereis una lumbre
en la popa Almiranta una o dos veçes.
FRANᵒ. DRAQUE.
FOOTNOTES
[1] For hallado, as _Avana_ (above) for Havana, _an_ (lower down) for
han, _avito_ for habito, &c.
[2] This ought, probably, to be 3000.
AN ACCOUNT OF WHAT TOOK PLACE AT SAN JUAN DE PUERTO RICO, IN THE INDIES,
WITH THE ENGLISH FLEET UNDER THE COMMAND OF FRANCIS DRAKE AND JOHN
HAWKINS, ON THE 23RD NOVEMBER 1595.
(_The Translation of the preceding document._)
General Sancho Pardo y Osorio having taken his departure from the Havana
for Spain on the 10th March of this year, in command of the Capitana of
the main-land fleet, under convoy of the armed fleet of Don Francisco de
Coloma, and having, in the course of the gale which blew in the chops of
the Channel on the 15th of the same month, in latitude 23° 30´, found
himself without a main-mast, and with tiller broken, while the ship,
leaking much, and separated from the others, was no longer in a condition
to prosecute the voyage, for the purpose of saving the lives of the
three hundred people who were on board, as well as two millions of gold
and silver belonging to His Majesty and to private individuals; with
the advice and consent of the supercargo, Martin Vomero de Caamaño, and
of the pilots and other persons of most experience on board, made for
Puerto Rico, where he arrived, by a miracle, on the 9th April, and there
he landed the bullion, and deposited it in the fortress of the town.
The aforesaid general despatched immediately first and second advices
to His Majesty, making known his arrival, in order that instructions
might be sent to him as to what he should do. And it appears that Divine
Providence (to whom many thanks are due), for its secret ends, permitted
the orders, which might have come beforehand, to arrive just at the time
to save not only the bullion, but the island itself, and perhaps all the
Indies, as will be seen further on.
A few days after the aforesaid letters were despatched, the governor of
this island, Colonel Pedro Suares, received those of His Majesty, whereby
he was informed that a great fleet was fitting out in England for the
purpose of seizing on this island in the course of the winter, as it was
thought that at that season the inhabitants would be less upon their
guard. When the general and the aforesaid supercargo learned the contents
of these despatches, they joined in consultation with the governor and
Francisco Cid, captain of the infantry of this garrison; and having taken
into consideration and discussed the precautionary measures which ought
to be adopted for the safety of the place and of His Majesty’s treasure,
in order that, if the enemy should come, it might be out of his power to
make himself master of the whole, they all agreed on reconnoitering the
positions and accessible points from which the enemy might approach, so
as to throw people ashore; and also that the general should give orders
for planting some of the guns of his ship in the positions which he
judged best, and for laying the vessel athwart the channel of the port,
so that she might be sunk on the arrival of the enemy, and thus bar the
entrance; as this was the quarter where there seemed most likelihood of
attack and most risk, and where it was necessary to keep the people well
on the watch. These arrangements being made, the general remained in
expectation of His Majesty’s order to proceed on his voyage.
On the 13th November of this year, there arrived at this port, Don Pedro
Tello de Guzman, with the five frigates of His Majesty, in order that
General Sancho Pardo should embark in them His Majesty’s bullion, and
so proceed to Spain, the post of Admiral of his fleet being filled by
the aforesaid Pedro Tello, who, after having delivered his despatches,
related to the aforesaid general, how, coming here in the course of
his voyage, they had fallen in with two English ships at the island of
Guadaloupe, which had parted company from the English fleet; and how
his Admiral, Gonzalo Mendez de Canço, had captured one of them and sunk
her, after taking the Englishmen out of her; and that he, the aforesaid
Don Pedro, going in pursuit of the other vessel, discovered nine sail of
the enemy’s fleet, and as soon as he descried them he tacked about and
continued his voyage: and that the aforesaid English prisoners had stated
that thereabouts, on the southern side of the island of Guadaloupe, the
Queen of England’s fleet was lying at anchor and preparing launches;
that it consisted of five-and-twenty ships, six of them Queen’s galleons
of eight hundred tons burden, and two more of the same size belonging
to private parties, the whole being divided into two squadrons, having
for generals, Francis Drake and John Hawkins; the former, with his
lieutenant in command on shore, Sir Thomas Baskerville, directing the
course to be taken, and the proceedings on land; and that the armament
amounted to three thousand infantry and ten thousand five hundred seamen
well supplied with guns; and that they were coming direct to Puerto
Rico, as appeared also from the instructions which were taken from the
captain of the aforesaid English ship, in which he was ordered, in case
he should part company from the fleet by any mischance, to proceed to
Puerto Rico, where they would wait for him ten days, and after that,
would leave orders for him where he was to go, without further revealing
their intentions; and that in consequence of all this, the aforesaid Don
Pedro came, fearing that the enemy might have preceded him and already
got possession of the island; and since they had not yet come, he held
it for certain that they would be down upon the port the next day; and
accordingly it lay with the general to order his departure as it might
seem expedient.
When the general, Sancho Pardo, heard the statement made by the
aforesaid Don Pedro Tello and his admiral, Gonzalo Mendez; and inasmuch
as that news reached him when he was confined to his bed by an illness
under which he had been suffering some days, he sent word to the Bishop
and to the Governor, requesting them to come to him to meet the captains
of the frigates,—Marco Antonio Becerra, head of the company of fusileers;
and Pedro de Guia, of the order of St. John; and Domingo de Ynsaurraga;
Francisco Gomez, captain of this garrison; the supercargo, Martin Vomero
de Caamaño, and Juan de la Vera, purser of the frigates. These having all
met together in his house, the general laid before them and submitted
for their consideration the account which he had of the enemy, and the
best means that offered for the security of the island and the bullion,
supposing that the enemy’s fleet was as great, and to be expected as soon
as was said; and that the frigates absolutely required to have their
rigging repaired and to take in wood and water, which, with embarking the
bullion, would cause a delay of eight days at the least; and considering
that, whether they were so occupied or not, the enemy by reason of the
information which that other ship that was seen could give him, that
these frigates were coming for the treasure, which was now known to be
here, might hope to seize it on the passage, or to make himself master of
the country and to fortify himself in it, with a view to the conquest of
all the Indies, whence would ensue to His Majesty great injury and loss
of reputation.
All were of one mind in thinking that the place ought to be strengthened
with the guns and crews of the ships, and that the Capitana de Tierra
Firme and another ship belonging to Pedro Milanes, should be sunk in the
channel of the port, to shut the entrance, and that the bullion should
not be moved from the fort until it was seen what turn affairs would
take, as it appeared to be safer there, and in a position also, whence
(if, for our sins, it should be so ordered) it might be more easily
thrown into the sea, so that the enemy should not get it; and having thus
resolved, they proceeded to carry into execution with great alacrity and
zeal, night and day, every possible measure of defence.
General Sancho Pardo, as a person of great experience, and who had seen
and examined the position and approaches of the place, assured Don Pedro
Tello and the others who came with him, that the loss of the place was
out of the question if our people were only willing to fight and do their
duty, and that it was only necessary to take good care of the port, so as
to prevent the enemy’s fleet running into it at once; and that, for that
purpose, it were as well to sink the two ships which had been agreed on,
and on top of them, the frigates with their bows towards the sea to bar
the entrance, and that with this precaution the place was quite safe and
also the treasure of His Majesty, who, herein, would be well served, and
in whose name he called on them to attend to their several duties; and
accordingly Don Pedro Tello took under his own charge the defence of the
port.
The Bishop offered to say mass the next day, and to preach a sermon to
the people, as he did in fact, exhorting them, in a Christian manner,
to the service of God and of their king; and he persevered in the
performance of this office night and day, visiting the posts where the
people were stationed, placing a priest at each of them, and animating
his hearers with much zeal.
The same day, the governor and general despatched a barque with advices
to St. Domingo, that the inhabitants of that island might set and keep
themselves on the watch; so that if the enemy were to go there, as
was heard and was written to the President, the information might be
immediately forwarded to Cartagena and Sancta Maria.
All the people of the island were immediately mustered, and some of those
belonging to the frigates were landed, being thought necessary for the
defence of the posts. The whole amounted to ten thousand three hundred
souls, of whom seven hundred were fighting men, besides the eight hundred
belonging to the frigates and the Capitana of the main-land, and the rest
of the garrison, and foreigners, including, also, fifty on horseback with
lance and buckler; the whole of whom were distributed in the following
manner:
In the curtain of the Morillo [battery], Captain Pedro de Guia,
of the order of St. John, with a hundred and fifty soldiers 150
In the curtain of the Cabron, Alonso de Vargas with a hundred
soldiers 100
At the bridge and Boqueron, Ensign Pedro Vazquez with a hundred
and fifty soldiers 150
In the frigates, three hundred men under the command of Don
Pedro Tello 300
At the mouth of the river Bayamon, Captain Otega with fifty
soldiers 50
---
750
The rest of the people occupied the Morro and the esplanade, under the
command of Captain Marco Antonio de Veçerra and the governor, who led the
cavalry; each of them to advance with his party to whatever point seemed
to require his presence, or to stand in need of succour.
ARTILLERY PLANTED.
On the Morro [rock battery], twenty-seven very good brass guns 27
On the platform of the other Morro, five pieces 5
In St. Helena, four pieces 4
In the curtain of the Friars, close to the fortress, three pieces 3
In the curtain of St. Catharine, five pieces 5
In the Tejar [tile field], nine pieces 9
At the mouth of the river, two pieces 2
On the bridge and in a ship which was placed there, six pieces 6
On the Boqueron, four pieces 4
On the Cabron curtain, two pieces 2
On the curtain of the Morillo, three pieces 3
---
70
Besides the frigates well armed, without which there were the aforesaid
seventy pieces of cannon planted with good gunners at each post, and for
chief commander of the forts of the Morro and the Morillo de Sta. Helena,
the Admiral, Gonçalo Mendez de Canço.
On the 15th of the same month intelligence arrived from the governor of
Canary, despatched to the governor of this island, to make it known that
the enemy’s fleet had passed by the former place, and having landed some
people for the purpose of watering, they had been forced to retreat with
the loss of five-and-twenty men, and had gone off towards the Indies; and
the same messenger stated, that in passing by the island of St. Martin,
he had seen the armada, of five-and-twenty sail, lying at anchor.
Immediately, on the same day, the general, Sancho Pardo, sent the same
despatch to the governor of the Havana, and wrote to him to forward the
information to New Spain to General Pedro Melendez, who was on that coast
with his fleet. These precautionary steps having been taken, and the
people being all eager to combat the enemy, the general held a council,
at which were present, Don Pedro Tello; the admiral, Gonçalo Mendez;
and the captains, Marco Antonio Veçerra, Pedro de Guia, and Domingo de
Ynsaurraga, with the supercargo Martin Vomero de Caamaño; and having
taken into consideration whether it were expedient to embark the bullion
in two of the frigates, so that if the enemy should place himself before
the port, these being lighter, might effect their escape by night, the
other three following them in the rear, in order that, if any attempt
were made upon them, they might stay behind fighting while the two
continued their voyage; it was decided by the majority of votes, that
the bullion should not be removed from the place where it was lying,
because the removal of it would tend to dispirit the people, who were
fired with the thought of defending it: seeing their expectations foiled,
they would be dispirited, and His Majesty would lose the place and his
reputation, which was to be valued much more highly than the bullion:
and what it behoved them to do, was to face the enemy, trusting in God
for the victory. When the general saw how the majority inclined, he gave
orders to Don Pedro Tello to get the frigates ready with all convenient
despatch, that the bullion might be embarked whenever it was found
expedient to do so; the enemy, it was supposed, would afford indications
of his intentions, if he had such, of watching for it outside; and he
directed that a caravel should cruise on the look out, about fifty
leagues off the land. This was done accordingly, and the bullion remained
as it was, which was the prudent course.
Wednesday the 22nd of the same month (November), at break of day, the
enemy’s fleet was descried on the horizon, with twenty-three sail and a
pinnace. The six queen’s galleons of eight hundred tons, and two ships
of the same size, and the rest, vessels of three hundred tons and of one
hundred and fifty and less, and forty launches, came sailing in close
order. Immediately every one snatched up his arms and ran to his post
with great alacrity, and well disposed for combat. There was but little
wind, and so the fleet advanced but slowly till it entered the breeze.
The pinnace came first and some boats with white signal-flags sounding
the coast. One of them having come in front of the Boqueron battery, a
gun was fired at it which made it stand off to sea, and they immediately
hoisted other coloured flags and passed out; and in the afternoon the
whole fleet came and cast anchor in front of the curtain of the Cabron,
where no one had ever seen a ship ride before, nor was it known that
there was good anchorage till after the departure of the enemy, when the
general sent to have the place sounded, and from twenty to thirty fathoms
clear water were found there. From what was learned, it appears to have
been his intention to land a force under the fire of his artillery,
imagining that he should find us unprepared, and seeing no reason to
believe that such a step would meet with resistance; wherein he was
mistaken.
The fleet having arrived in the place above-mentioned, our people fired
at it several pieces of artillery from the Morrillo and the curtain of
the Cabron, so that some of the shot took effect on them, for it was
known afterwards, that they killed John Hawkins, the general of one of
the squadrons, and two of the principal gentlemen who accompanied him,
besides other people; and that they carried away the table at which
Francis Drake was eating, the ball striking a gentleman who was with him,
and who, it is known, will not escape.
The enemy perceiving how much loss he sustained from the shore, sent the
pinnace with a pilot, a native of the islands and a mulatto by race, who
is said to be practically well acquainted with these coasts, with five
boats to the port, to reconnoitre it and to sound close to the mouth
formed by the islet, which is called Goat Island, which lies towards the
west; and when it was sounded, one of the boats returned with information
to the fleet, which immediately weighed anchor, at five o’clock in the
evening, without having fired a cannon or even a musket during all the
whole time that it was there, and ran out to sea, where it stood off and
on that night till the following day.
Thursday following, at eight o’clock in the morning, the whole fleet came
and anchored on the windward side of the small island where they had
been sounding the day before, close to the port; and this was another
new anchorage not known hitherto, and having six fathoms over shoals,
where a vessel might be easily lost in any bad weather. There the fleet
anchored, the weather being favourable, and beyond the reach of our
artillery; and the same evening two boats were sent to sound the shore
by the river Bayamon as far as the Carivelo stockade, and to examine
these shoals in order to see if it were possible to land a force in that
quarter; and in one of the boats, which was covered closely with an
awning, was Francis Drake, as was subsequently learned.
When Don Pedro Tello, who had charge of the port, saw the pains the enemy
was taking, and perceived that an attack was about to be made that very
night on the stockade of the Carivelo, by forcing it with boats, so as
to land a body of men, he sent to the general to acquaint him with what
was going on, and to ask for a reinforcement to resist such an attempt;
and the general ordered that in the evening Captain Augustin de Candecho
should proceed thither with thirty soldiers, and that at night there
should be fifty soldiers under the command of the supercargo, Martin
Vomero de Caamaño, with orders that if the enemy’s force should prove
superior, he should retreat with his men in boats to the frigates, in
which their forces were to be concentrated.
The same Thursday, 23rd, St. Clement’s day, at ten o’clock at night,
when it was quite dark, the enemy commenced an attack on the port with
twenty-five boats, each carrying fifty or sixty men well armed, with
the view of burning the frigates, as was afterwards seen, and they
all entered close up to the platform of the Rock [battery], ranging
themselves under the fire of the artillery; and from what was learned
afterwards, it appears that Francis Drake came in one of them to the
mouth of the port to place the rest. Dark as it was, the boats were
seen, and instantly the guns from the Rock and from the fort of Sta.
Helena began to play as briskly as possible. Most of the boats attacked
the Capitana, the Texeda frigate, setting fire to her at the bow, and
throwing into her a quantity of fire-pots and shells, while ours
succeeded in extinguishing the flames before they had done any damage,
the fight being carried on with cannon, musquetry, and stones.