THE EARL OF CUMBERLAND a.d. 



1589 



The 17 day the foresaid ships were dismissed, but 7 

 of their men that were willing to go along with us for 

 sailers, we tooke to helpe us, and so held on our course 

 for the Azores. 



The 1 of August being Friday in the morning, we 

 had sight of the Hand of S. Michael, being one of the 

 Eastermost of the Azores toward which we sailed all that 

 day, and at night having put foorth a Spanish flag in 

 our main-top, that so they might the lesse suspect us, 

 we approched neere to the chiefe towne and road of that 

 Hand, where we espied 3 ships riding at anker and 

 some other vessels : all which we determined to take in 

 the darke of the night, and accordingly attempted about 

 10 or 11 of the clocke, sending our boats well manned 

 to cut their cables and hausers, and let them drive into 

 the sea. Our men comming to them, found y l one of 

 those greatest ships was the Falcon of London being 

 there under a Scottish Pilot who bare the name of her as 

 his own. But 3 other smal ships that lay neere under 1 ships fir^ 

 the castle there, our men let loose and towed them away 

 unto us, most of the Spaniards that were in them leaping 

 over-boord and swimming to shore with lowd and 

 lamentable outcries, which they of the towne hearing 

 were in an uprore, and answered with the like crying. 

 The castle discharged some great shot at our boats, but 

 shooting without marke by reason of the darknesse they 

 did us no hurt. The Scots likewise discharged 3 great 

 pieces into the aire to make the Spaniards thinke they 

 were their friends and our enemies, and shortly after the 

 Scottish master, & some other with him, came aboord 

 to my lord doing their dutie, and ofrring their service, 

 &c. These 3 ships were fraught with wine and Sallet- 

 oile from Sivil. 



The same day our Caravel chased a Spanish Caravel 

 to shore at S. Michael, which caried letters thither, by 

 which we learned that the Caraks were departed from 

 Tercera 8 dayes before. 



The 7 of August we had sight of a litle ship which 



3 



ib/y tozved out 

 of harbour 



