_Letter Englished_.
The Coppye of a letter, which _Don Bernaldino Delgadillo de
Auellaneda_, General of the king of Spaine his Armie, sent vnto
Doctor _Peter Flores_, President of the contraction house for the
_Indies_, wherein hee maketh mention of the successe of the English
Armie, after they departed from _Pannama_, wherof was General
_Frances Drake_, and of his death.
_FRom_ Cartagena, _I gaue relation vnto you, how I departed from the
Cittie of_ Lisbone, _in the pursuite of the Englishe Armie: although
for the great hast the Gallions could not be so wel repaired as was
needfull, and with foule weather one was lost, and a Fly-boate was
burnt, and hauing sayled many daies in pursuite of the enemie, vntill
I arriued at_ Carthagena, _whereas hauing taken the aduise of_ Don
Pedro de Acunia, _Gouernour of the Cittie, and Captaine generall; for
wee had great neede of water, and to repaire our Shippes, we stayed
in that port, wheras I had intelligence by an_ Indian, _that_ Frances
Drake _dyed in_ Nombre de Dios, _for verie griefe that hee had lost
so many Barkes and men, as was afterwardes more manifestlye knowne:
And hauing giuen you a relation of all that happened hitherto: Now I
let you vnderstand, that I left this Port the second of March, and
toke our course towards the_ Hauana, _where I thought to haue founde
the English fleete, & also vsed all the diligence possible: vpon
Munday the eleauenth of the said Month, about two of the clocke in
the afternoone, at the issue of the Isle of_ Pinas, _in the entrance
of_ Guaniguanico, _I met with the English fleete, being fourteene
verie good Shippes, I drew towards them although they had the winde
of vs, & our Admirall who bore vp towardes the winde, with other
two Shippes began to draw neere them, and although we set thus
vppon them, three times with all their Shippes, yet would they not
set againe vppon vs, and those of our men which were farthest off
cryed to them amaine, being both within shot of Artillerie, Muskats
and Caliuers, whereby they receiued euident hurt by vs: They shot
off now & then at vs, and especially their Admirall, and seeing
our resolution how sharpe we were bent towards them, they with all
expedition and speede possible prepared to flie awaie, hoysing Sayles
and leauing their Oares for hast in the Sea: but I followed them,
with nine Shippes all the night following, and with fower more the
next daye, till I made them double_ Saint Antonies _point, and so I
tooke the course towards_ La Canet de Bahamet, _according to the
instructions from his Maiestie: It little auailed vs to bee seene,
with lesse number of Shippes, neither yet all the diligence we could
vse, could cause them to staye or come neere vs, nor to shoote off
one Hargabush or peece of Artillerie, for they fled away as fast as
they could, and their Shippes were wel diminished, and that the best
parte of them, the rest they repaired in the port_ Bella, _whereas
they were about fourtie daies before, and so by that meanes they were
all well repaired, and our Shippes verie foule, because the time
would not permit vs to trimme them: I haue sailed two Monethes and
a halfe in the Shippe called the_ Capitana, _sithence we departed
from_ Carthagena, _we haue not repaired their Pumps nor clensed
them: And the same daie I departed thence, my Shippes were all
foule with Barnacles, our Admirall and the rest of our Shippes haue
the like impediment, but no great hinderance vnto vs for ought I
could perceiue by our enemies: It is manifest what aduantage they
had of vs, and by no meanes was it possible for vs to take them,
vnlesse wee could haue come to deale with them with fire and sworde.
Neuerthelesse they left vs one good ship behind for our share, wel
manned, which tolde me that the_ Drake _dyed in_ Nombre de Dios, _and
that they haue made for Generall of the English fleete, the_ Colonell
Quebraran, _and also by meanes of the small time being streightly
followed by vs they had no opportunitie to take either water, woode
or flesh, and they are also in such bad case, that I know not how
they will bee able to arriue in_ England, _the number of men we haue
taken are about 140. and 15. Noble Captaines of their best sort, and
some of them rich, as well may appeare by their behauiour: I haue no
other thing to write at this time. Our Lord keepe you who best can, &
as I desire. From the_ Hauana _the 30. of March. 1596_
Don Bernaldino Delgadillo
de Auellaneda.
THE _Licenciat Don Iohn Barmudes_ of _Figueroa_ Leiuetenant of the
Assistantes of the Cittie of _Cyuill_, and the prouince thereof, who
doth supplie the Office of the Assistaunt in the absence of the
Right Honourable the _Earle_ of _Priego_. Giue license to _Roderigo
de Cabriera_ to Imprint the Relation of the death of _Fraunces
Drake_, which onely he may doe for two Monthes, and no other to
Imprint the same within the saide terme, vpon paine of ten thousand
Marauedis for his Maiesties Chamber. Giuen in _Cyuill_ the 15. of
May. 1 5 9 6.
The Licenciat Don Iohn Bermudes of
Figueroa.
_By his Assigne_ Gregorie
Gutierrez _Notarie._
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THis letter of the Generall _Don Bernaldino_ sent into _Spaine_
declaring the death of _Sir Fraunces Drake_ and their supposed
victorie; was altogether receiued for an vndoubted truth, and so
pleasing was this newes vnto the _S_paniard, that there was present
cõmandement giuen to publish the letter in Print, that all the
people of S_paine_ might be partakers of this common ioy: The which
letter Printed in _Cyuill_, bearing date the xv. of May, 1596. came
to the hands of _Henrie Sauile_ Esquire who being employed in that
seruice for the west _Indies_, and Captaine of her Maiesties good
Shippe the _Aduenture_, vnder the conduct of S_ir Fraunces Drake_,
and _Sir Iohn Hawkins_, Hath caused the said Printed letter to bee
translated into English. And that the impudencie of the Spanish
Generall may the more plainely appeare, the said _Henrie Sauile_ doth
answere particularly to euerie vntruth in the same letter contained,
as heereafter followeth.
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