Whereupon Sir John Burrough concluded to entangle her: and Sir Robert Cross promised also to fasten himself [in the Foresight] to her together at the instant. Which was performed.
But, after a while, Sir John Burrough['s ship, the Roebuck,] receiving a shot, with a cannon perier, under water, and [being] ready to sink; [he] desired Sir Robert Crosse to fall off that he might also clear himself, and save his ship from sinking: which with difficulty he did. For both the Roebuck and the Foresight were so entangled as, with much ado, could they clear themselves.
The same evening, Sir Robert Crosse (finding the Carrack then sure, and drawing near the Island) persuaded his company to board her again; or else there was no hope to recover her: who, after many excuses and fears, were by him encouraged. And so [his ship] fell athwart her foreships all alone; and so hindered her sailing, that the rest had time to come up to his succour, and to recover the Carrack ere she recovered the land.
The Madre de Dios taken.
And so, towards the evening, after he had fought with her alone three hours singly, my Lord of Cumberland's two ships [the Tiger and the Sampson] came up: and, with very little loss, [they] entered with Sir Robert Crosse; who had, in that time, broken their courage, and made the assault easy for the rest.[6]
The General [Sir John Burrough] having disarmed the Portugals; and stowed them, for better security, on all sides [i.e. in the various English ships]; first had presented to his eyes, the true proportion of the vast body of this Carrack; which did then, and may still, justly provoke the admiration [wonderment] of all men not formerly acquainted with such a sight.
But albeit this first appearance of the hugeness thereof yielded sights enough to entertain our men's eyes; yet the pitiful object of so many bodies slain and dismembered could not but draw each man's eye to see, and heart to lament, and hands to help, those miserable people; whose limbs were so torn with the violence of shot, and pain made grievous with the multitude of wounds. No man could almost step but upon a dead carcase, or a bloody floor. But especially about the helm; where very many of them fell suddenly from stirring [steering] to dying. For the greatness of the stirrage [steering] requiring the labour of twelve or fourteen men at once; and some of our ships, beating her in at the stern with their ordnance, oftentimes with one shot slew four or five labouring on either side of the helm: whose rooms being still furnished with fresh supplies, and our artillery still playing upon them with continual vollies; it could not be but that much blood should be shed in that place.
Exceeding humanity showed to the Enemy.
Whereupon our General, moved with singular commiseration of their misery, sent them his own chirurgions, denying them no possible help or relief he, or any of his Company, could afford them.