MVnday the first of March, according to our computation, wee scryed the Iland of Pinas, wher haling in for the westerne parte thereof, thinking there to haue watered, being within fower The first discouerie of the Spanish fleete. leagues of it Southerly, we sent in three of our Pinnasses to discouer the harbour, and to sounde afore vs, about one of the clocke in the afternoone; the same day we discouered a fleete of twentie sayles, and deeming them to bee the Spanish fleete, wee kept our loofe to get the winde, but their Viceadmiral with diuers other ships went about to cut off our Pinnasses, so that our Generall with some other of our Shippes, was forced to tacke about vpon the larbour tacke, and so ranne in towards the land keeping the winde, so as we recouered our Pinnasses, which forced the enemies Shippes to tacke about, and to take the aide of their fleete, and being come neere vnto them they shot at vs, wee still approched, hauing our close fights vp, our flagges, ensignes and streamers displayed, our men orderly placed in each quarter, but forbare our fight vntill our Generall began, and gaue vs warning to come in and fight, by shooting off a The incounter twixt the English and the Spanish Ships. great peece, according to his former directions, so being within Muskat shot, the Viceadmirall of the Spanish fleete came neerest vnto vs, to whom our Viceadmirall Iohn Traughton Captaine of the Elizabeth Bonaduenture gaue fight, betwixt whome there was the greatest volee of small shot changed that lightly hath bene heard at Sea, which cõtinued a long halfe hower. In which time the Spanish fleete came into fight, our Generall Sir Thomas Baskeruile being in the Garland, whereof Humphrey Reignolds was Captaine, being the next Shippe vnto the Elizabeth Bonaduenture, bare vp to the enemie, playing with her great Ordinance hotly vntill she came within Muskat shot: Ionas Bodenham Captaine of the Defiance, and Henrie Sauile Captaine of the Aduenture, came likewise into fight with thẽ: After the Garland (being within Muskat shot) played her part and made good fight for the space of an hower. The Defiance bare vp likewise and had her turne, after came the Aduenture again within Muskat shot, who hauing chaunged many a great Bullet, with them before, renewed his fight, and continued it an hower with small shot. Then came Thomas Drake Captaine of the Hope, who last of all had his turne. Thus had all the Queenes Shippes their course: The Marchants Shippes with other small vessels being without the Queenes Shippes shot when they saw opportunitie: After the enemie finding no good to be done, (being well beaten) fell The Spanish Viceadmiral can witnesse, what success they had in this fight. from vs, the Aduenture, playing vppon them with her great Ordinaunce, made three of the last shot at them: Their Viceadmiral with diuers others of their Ships, were so beaten, that they left off the fight, and were forced to lye in the winde, for that they durst not lye of either board by reason of their many and great Leakes, which they had receiued by our greate shot. The Generall with the rest of their The English Admirall carried his Creset light, notwithstanding the enemie was vppon his brode side. fleete, tacking about fell in our wake, thinking to get the winde, which in the beginning we sought to hinder. But our General seeing that in holding the winde we should shoote our selues into the Bay, gaue them the winde. All that night they kept themselues vppon our broade side, notwithstanding our Admirall carryed his Cresset light all night: hauing greate care of our smallest Shippes: This fight continued about fower howers til it was neere night, in the which fight, thanks be to God, there was slaine so fewe persons of our English fleete as I thinke the like conflict hath not beene performed with The English receiued little losse in this conflict. so little losse of men: What harme befell the Spaniards in their fleete I leaue to your iudgements. Yet our eyes can witnesse their Shippes were sore beaten and raked thorough, whereby there was such falling backe and lying by the Lee to stoppe their leakes, as some of them were driuen to haste awaye, and rather to runne on shore to saue themselues then sincke in the Sea: Besides within two howers after our fight with them, wee saw one of their great Shippes on fire which burnt into the Sea, and all the Sterne of another of their Shippes blowen vp: And in the morning a Shippe of our fleete was runne so neere the land, that to double the Cape current hee must of necessitie tacke about & fall in the wake of the enemie, which caused our Generall in the Garland and the Defiance to tacke about, which two ships forced the three Shippes of the enemies which were put forth to take our Shipp, (or else to cause her runne on grounde) to returne to their fleete to saue themselues, hoysing all their sayles for haste: This morning they were faire by vs hauing the The remainder of the Spanish fleete were but thirteene sayles. winde of vs, being but thirteene sayle of their twentie to be seene, then we stroke our toppe sayles thinking to haue fought with them again, which they perceiuing tacked about from vs, & after that neuer durst nor would come neere vs: What became of the rest of their fleet we know not, but true it was that they were in great distresse mightily beaten and torne, by hauing receiued many Bullets from vs. All this day wee had sight of them, but they shewed little will to fight or come neere vs, so we keeping our course west, and by North, about sixe of the clocke at night lost the sight of them. And this is a true discourse of our fight with the Spanish fleete. The which the Author heereof will iustifie with the aduentrue of his life, against any Spaniard seruing in that action, that shal contradict the same.
FINIS.
Henrie Sauile.
THOMAS BAS-
KERVILE KNIGHT,
His approbation to this Booke.
I Thomas Baskeruile Knight, Generall of her Maiesties late Indian armado in the late conflict had betweene the Spanish fleete and vs, hauing perused the Spanish letter written by Don Bernaldino Delgadillo de Auellaneda, General of the King of Spaines Nauie, and also hauing perused Captaine Henry Sauile his answeres vnto the six exceptions in the Generals letter with his discourse of the manner of our fight with the Spanish fleete, do say, that the said Henrie Sauile hath answered the letter, and set downe the order of the fight sincerely according to truth, for testimonie of which I haue hereunto set my hand.
And if Don Bernaldino Delgadillo de Auellaneda the General shal take any exceptions to this my approbation, or stand in the iustification of his lying letter written to Doctor Peter Flores, President of the Contraction house for the Indies, and by him for Bernaldinoes glorie lately put in Printe: I then saye that hee falsely lyed, and that I will maintaine against him with whatsoeuer Armes he shall make choyce of. And because the kingdomes wherein we abide are enemies, by reason of which there is no meanes in either of them, to maintaine that I haue written. Let him make choice of any indifferent kingdome, of equall distance from either Realme, and I will there be ready to maintaine as much as I haue written: But if by my imployments into Fraunce, I be so stayed by her Maiesties Commaundementes, that I cannot out of that Realme meete him in anye other, I cannot see why hee shoulde take anye exception to that, considering the equalitie of the place, and that the Armies of both our Princes be there resident.