The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 07: England's Naval Exploits Against SpainHakluyt, Richard
History
The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 07: England's Naval Exploits Against Spain
Hakluyt, Richard
Discoveries in geography -- English; Voyages and travels
During which time there was a sore and deadly fight on both sides, in which
the Trumpet of the Centurion sounded foorth the deadly points of warre, and
encouraged them to fight manfully against their aduersaries: on the
contrary part, there was no warlike Musicke in the Spanish Gallies, but
onely their whistles of siluer, which they sounded foorth to their owne
contentment: in which fight many a Spaniard was turned into the Sea, and
they in multitudes came crauling and hung vpon the side of the shippe,
intending to haue entred into the same, but such was the courage of the
Englishmen, that so fast as the Spaniards did come to enter, they gaue them
such entertainment, that some of them were glad to tumble aliue into the
Sea, being remedilesse for euer to get vp aliue. In the Centurion there
were in all, of men and boyes, fourtie and eight, who together fought most
valiantly, and so galled the enemie, that many a braue and lustie Spaniard
lost his life in that place.
The Centurion was fired seuerall times, with wilde fire and other
prouision, which the Spaniards, threw in for that purpose: yet, God be
thanked, by the great and diligent foresight of the Master it did no harme
at all.
In euery of the Gallies there were about 200. souldiers: who together with
the shot, spoiled, rent, and battered the Centurion very sore, shot through
her maine Maste, and slew 4. of the men in the said shippe, the one of them
being the Masters mate.
Ten other persons were hurt, by meanes of splinters which the Spaniards
shotte: yea, in the ende when their prouision was almost spent, they were
constrained to shoote at them hammers, and the chaines from their slaues,
and yet God bee thanked, they receiued no more domage: but by spoyling and
ouer-wearying of the Spaniards, the Englishmen constrained them to
vngrapple themselues, and get them going: and sure if there had bene any
other fresh shippe or succour to haue relieued and assisted the Centurion,
they had slaine, suncke, or taken all those Gallies and their Souldiers.
The Dolphin lay a loofe off and durst not come neere, while the other two
small shippes fledde away, so that one of the Gallies went from the
Centurion and set vpon the Dolphin, which shippe immediatly was set on fire
with their owne powder, whereby both men and shippe perished: but whether
it was with their good wills or no, that was not knowen vnto the Centurion,
but sure, if it had come forward, and bene an aide vnto the Centurion, it
is to bee supposed that it had not perished.
Fiue houres and a halfe this fight continued, in which time both were glad
to depart onely to breath themselues, but when the Spaniards were gone,
they neuer durst returne to fight, yet the next day sixe other Gallies came
and looked at them, but durst not at any hand meddle with them.
Thus God deliuered them from the handes of their enemies, and gaue them the
victorie: For which they heartily praised him, and not long after safely
arriued in London.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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