haven. But the Admiral was sunke with much leaking, neere to the Idy Stone, a rocke that lieth over against Plimouth sound, and the men were saved.

This ship also certified us that Captaine Prestons ship had taken a prize loden with silver. My Lord entred presently into this ship, & went to Falmouth, and we held on our course for Plimouth. At night we came neere to the Ram-head (the next Cape Westwards from Plimouth sound) but we were afraid to double it in the night, misdoubting the scantnesse of the winde. So we stood off to Sea halfe the night, and towards morning had the winde more large, and made too little spare thereof, that partly for this cause, and partly through mistaking of the land, wee were driven so much to leewards, that we could not double that Cape: Therefore we returned backe againe, and came into Falmouth haven, where wee strucke on ground in 17. foote water but it was a low ebbe, and ready againe to flowe, and the ground soft, so as no hurt was done. Here with gladnesse wee set foote againe upon the English ground (long desired) and refreshed our selves with keeping part of Christmas upon our native soile.

The valiant fight performed by 10. Merchants ships of London, against 12. Spanish gallies in the Straights of Gibraltar, the 24. of April 1590.

It is not long since sundry valiant ships appertaining to the Marchants of London, were fraighted & rigged forth, some for Venice, some for Constantinople, & some to sundry other places of trafique, among whom these ensuing met within the Straights of Gibraltar, as they were taking their course homewards, having before escaped all other danger. The first whereof was the Salomon apperteining to M. Alderman Barnam of London, and M. Bond, and M. Twyd of Harwich; which went foorth the first day of February last. The second was the Margaret and John belonging to M. Wats of London: The thirde was the Minion: The fourth was the Ascension. The fifth was the Centurion of Master Cordal: The sixt the Violet the seventh the Samuel: the eight the Crescent the ninth the Elizabeth: and the 10. was the Richard belonging to M. Duffield. All these ships being of notable and approved service, comming neere to the mouth of the Straights hard by the coast of Barbary,

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descried twelve tall Gallies bravely furnished and strongly provided with men and munition, ready to seaze upon these English ships: which being perceived by the Captaines and Masters thereof, wee made speedy preparation for the defence of our selves, still waiting all the night long for the approching of the enemie. In the morning early being the Tuesday in Easter weeke, and the 24 of April 1590. according to our usual customes, we said Service and made our prayers unto Almightie God, beseeching him to save us from the hands of such tyrants as the Spaniards, whom we justly imagined to be, and whom we knew and had found to be our most mortall

enemies upon the Sea. And having finished our prayers, and set our selves in a readinesse, we perceived them to come towards us, and that they were indeede the Spanish Gallies that lay under the conduct of Andre Doria, who is Vice-roy for the King of Spaine in the Straights of Gibraltar, and a notable knowne enemie to all Englishmen. So when they came somewhat neerer unto us, they waved us a maine for the King of Spaine, and wee waved them a maine for the Queene of England, at which time it pleased Almightie God greatly to incourage us all in such sort, as that the neerer they came the lesse we feared their great multitudes and huge number of men, which were planted in those Gallies to the number of two or three hundred men in ech Gallie. And it was thus concluded among us, that the foure first and tallest ships should be placed hindmost, and the weaker & smallest ships formost, and so it was performed, every man being ready to take part of such successe as it should please God to send.

At the first encounter the Gallies came upon us very fiercely, yet God so strengthened us, that if they had bene ten times more, we had not feared them at all. Whereupon the Salomon being a hot shippe, and having sundry cast pieces in her, gave the first shotte in such a sowre sort, as that it shared away so many men as sate on the one side of a Gallie, and pierced her through in such maner, as that she was ready to sinke, which made them to assault us the more fiercely. Whereupon the rest of our shippes, especially the foure chiefest, namely, the Margaret and John, the Minion, and the Ascension followed, and gave a hot charge upon them, and they at us, where began a hot and fierce battaile

with great valiancie the one against the other, and so continued for the space of sixe houres. About the beginning of this our fight there came two Flemings to our Fleet, who seeing the force of the Gallies to be so great, the one of them presently yeelded, strooke his sailes, and was taken by the Gallies, whereas if they would have offered themselves to have fought in our behalfe and their owne defence, they needed not to have bene taken so cowardly as they were to their cost. The other Fleming being also ready to performe the like piece of service began to vaile his sailes, and intended to have yeelded immediatly. But the Trumpetter in that shippe plucked foorth his faulchion and stepped to the Pilote at the helme, and vowed that if he did not speedily put off to the English Fleete, and so take part with them, he would presently kill him which the Pilote for feare of death did, and so by that meanes they were defended from present death, and from the tyrannie of those Spaniards, which doubtlesse they should have found at their handes.

Thus we continued in fight sixe houres and somewhat more, wherein God gave us the upper hand, and we escaped the hands of so many enemies, who were constrained to flie into harbour and shroude themselves from us, and with speed to seeke for their owne safetie. This was the handie worke of God, who defended us all from danger in such sort, as that there was not one man of us slaine. And in all this fierce assault made upon us by the Spanish power, wee sustained no hurt or damage at all more then this, that the shrouds and backestay of the Salomon, who gave the first and last shot, and galled the enemie shrewdly all the time of the battell, were cleane striken off.

The battel being ceased, we were constrained for want of wind to stay and waft up and downe, and then went backe againe to Tition in Barbary, which is sixe leagues off from Gibraltar, and when we came thither we found the people wonderous favourable to us, who being but Moores and heathen people shewed us where to have fresh water and al other necessaries for us. And there we had such good intertainment, as if we had bene in any place of England.

The governour was one that favoured us greatly, whom wee in of his great friendship presented with giftes

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and such commodities as we had in our custodie, which he wonderfully wel accepted of: and here we stayed foure dayes.

After the battell was ceased, which was on Easter Tuesday, we stayed for want of winde before Gibraltar, untill the next morning, where wee were becalmed, and therefore looked every houre when they would have sent foorth some fresh supply against us, but they were farre unable to doe it, for all their Gallies were so sore battered, that they durst not come foorth of the harbour, by reason of our hot resistance which they so lately before had received. Yet were they greatly urged thereunto by the Governour of the said Towne of Gibraltar.

At our being at Tition in Barbary, there we heard report of the hurt that wee had done to the Gallies, for at our comming from them wee could not well discerne any thing at all by reason of the smoake which the powder had made: there we heard that we had almost spoiled those twelve Gallies by shooting them cleane through, that two of them were ready to sinke, and that wee had slaine of their men such great abundance, as that they were not able to furnish forth any more Gallies at all for that yeere.

Thus after we came from Tition, we assayed to depart the Straight three severall times, but could not passe, yet, God be thanked, the fourth time wee came safely away, and so sailed with a pleasant winde until wee came upon the coast of England, which was in the beginning of the moneth of July 1590.

The valiant fight performed in the Straight of Gibraltar, by the Centurion of London, against five Spanish Gallies, in the moneth of April 1591.

IN the moneth of November 1590, there were sundry shippes appertaining to severall Marchants of London, which were rigged and fraught foorth with marchandize, for sundry places within the Straight of Gibraltar: who, together having winde and weather, which ofttime fell out very uncertaine, arrived safely in short space, at such places as they desired. Among whom was the Centurion of London, a very tall shippe of burden, yet but weakely manned, as appeareth by this discourse following.

This aforesaid shippe called The Centurion safely

arrived at Marseils, where after they had delivered their goods, they stayed about the space of five weekes, and better, and then tooke in lading, intending to returne to England.

Now when the Centurion was ready to come away from Marseils, there were sundry other shippes of smaller burden which entreated the Master thereof, (whose name is Robert Bradshaw, dwelling at Lime-house) to stay a day or two for them, untill they were in a readinesse to depart with them, thereby perswading them, that it would be farre better for them to stay and goe together in respect of their assistance, then to depart of themselves without company, and so happily for want of aide fall into the hands of their enemies in the Spanish Gallies. Upon which reasonable perswasion, notwithstanding that this shippe was of such sufficiencie as they might hazard her in the danger of the Sea, yet they stayed for those litle shippes, according to their request, who together did put to Sea from Marseils, and vowed in generall not to flie one from another, if they should happen to meete with any Spanish Gallies.

These small shippes, accompanied with the Centurion, sayling along the coast of Spaine, were upon Easter day in the Straight of Gibraltar suddenly becalmed, where immediatly they saw sundry Gallies make towards them, in very valiant and couragious sort: the chiefe Leaders and souldiers in those Gallies bravely apparelled in silke coates, with their silver whistles about their neckes, and great plumes of feathers in their hattes, who with their Calivers shot at the Centurion so fast as they might: so that by 10. of the clocke and somewhat before, they had boorded the Centurion, who before their comming had prepared for them, and intended to give them so soure a welcome as they might. And thereupon having prepared their close fights, and all things in a readinesse, they called upon God, on whom onely they trusted: and having made their prayers, and cheered up one another to fight so long as life endured, they beganne to discharge their great Ordinance upon the Gallies, but the little shippes durst not come forward, but lay aloofe, while five Gallies had boorded them, yea and with their grapling irons made their Gallies fast to the said shippe called the Centurion.

The Gallies were grapled to the Centurion in this maner,