With these ships, thus manned, Sir WALTER RALEGH departed towards the West country, there to store himself with such further necessaries as the state of his Voyage [_Expedition_] did needfully require. Where the westerly winds, blowing for a long time contrary to his course, bound and constrained him to keep harbour so many weeks that the fittest season for his purpose was gone; the minds of his people, much altered; his victuals, consumed: and withal Her Majesty, understanding how crossly all this sorted, began to call the procedings of this preparation into question. Insomuch that, whereas the 6th of May [1592] was first come before Sir WALTER could put to sea; the very next day, Sir MARTIN FROBISHER, in a Pinnance of my [Lord HOWARD of Effingham, the] Lord Admiral's, called the _Disdain_, met him: and brought to him, from Her Majesty, Letters of Revocation, with commandment to relinquish for his own part, the intended attempt; and to leave the charge and conduct of all things in the hands of Sir JOHN BURROUGH and Sir MARTIN FROBISHER. But Sir WALTER (finding his honour so far engaged in the undertaking of this Voyage [_Expedition_] as, without proceeding, he saw no remedy either to salve his reputation; or to content those his friends, which had put in adventures of great sums with him: and making construction of the Queen's Letters, in such sort, as if her commandment had been propounded in indifferent terms, either to advance forward, or to retire, at his own discretion) would in no case yield to leave his Fleet now under sail. Wherefore continuing his course into the sea, he met, within a day or two, with certain Sails lately come from Spain. Among which was a ship appertaining to Monsieur GOURDON, Governor of Calais: and [he] found aboard her, one Master NEVEL DAVIES, an Englishman, who (having endured a long and miserable captivity for the space of twelve years [1580-1592]; partly in the Inquisition in Spain) was now, by good fortune, escaped; and upon [his] return to his [own] country. This man, among other things, reported for certain, That there was little hope of any good this year to be done in the West India: considering that the King of Spain had sent express order to all the ports, both of the Islands and of _Terra firma_, that no ship should stir that year, nor any treasure be laid aboard for Spain. But neither this unpleasant relation, nor aught else, could stay his proceedings, until a tempest of strange and uncouth violence, arising upon Thursday the 11th of May, when he was athwart Cape Finisterre, had so scattered the greater part of the Fleet, and sunk his boats and Pinnaces: that as the rest were driven and severed, some this way, and some that; Sir WALTER himself, being in the _Garland_ of Her Majesty's [Ships], was in danger to be swallowed up of the sea.