LINSCHOTEN'S LARGE TESTIMONY a.d, 



1589-91. 



that the Gentlemen might make that suite to the king 

 of Spaine himselfe. This Spanish Pilot we bid to supper 

 with us, and the Englishmen likewise, where he shewed 

 us all the manner of their fight, much commending the 

 order and maner of the Englishmens fighting, as also their 

 courteous using of him : but in the end the English 

 Pilot likewise stole away in a French ship, without paying 

 any ransome as yet. 



In the moneth of Januarie 1590 there arrived one ship 

 alone in Tercera, that came from the Spanish Indies, 

 and brought newes that there was a Fleete of a hundred 

 shippes which put out from the Firme land of the 

 Spanish Indies, and by a storme were driven upon the 

 coast called Florida, where they were all cast away, she 

 having onely escaped, wherin there were great riches, 

 & many men lost, as it may well be thought : so that 

 they made their account, that of 220 ships that for cer- 

 taine were knowen to have put out of Nova Spagna, 

 S. Domingo, Havana, Capo verde, Brasilia, Guinea, &c. [II. ii. 182.] 

 in the yeere 1589. to saile for Spaine & Portugall, 

 there were not above 14 or 15 of them arrived there 

 in safetie, all the rest being either drowned, burst or 

 taken. 



In the same moneth of January there arrived in Ter- 

 cera 15 or 16 ships that came from Sivil, which were 

 most Flieboats of the Low countries, and some Britons 

 that were arrested in Spaine : these came full of souldiers, 

 and wel appointed with munition, to lade the silver that 

 lay in Tercera, and to fetch Alvares de Flores by the 

 kings commandement into Spaine. And because that 

 time of the yeere there are alwayes stormes about those 

 Hands, therefore they durst not enter into the road of 

 Tercera, for that as then it blew so great a storme that 

 some of their ships that had ankred were forced to cut 

 downe their mastes, and were in danger to be lost : and 

 among the rest a ship of Biscaie ran against the land 

 and was striken in pieces, but all the men saved them- 

 selves. The other ships were forced to keepe the sea 



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