THE TAKING OF THE MADRE DE BIOS' ad. 



1592. 



in adventures of great summes with him ; and making 

 construction of the Queenes letters in such sort as if 

 her commandement had bene propounded in indifferent 

 termes, either to advance forward or to retire, at his owne 

 discretion ; would in no case yeeld to leave his fleet 

 now under saile. ' Wherefore continuing his course into 

 the sea, he met within a day or two, with certaine sailes 

 lately come from Spaine : among which was a ship ap- 

 pertaining to Monsieur Gourdon governor of Caleis, and 

 found aboord her one M. Nevel Davies an Englishman, 

 who having indured a long and miserable captivity for 

 the space of twelve yeeres, partly in the inquisition in 

 Spaine, was now by good fortune escaped, and upon 

 returne to his countrey. This man, among other things, 

 reported for certaine, that there was little hope of any 

 good this yeere to be done in the West India ; consider- 

 ing that the king of Spaine had sent expresse order to 

 all the ports both of the Hands and of Terra firma, that 

 no ship should stirre that yeere, nor any treasure be layed 

 aboord for Spaine. But neither this unpleasant relation 

 nor ought els could stay his proceedings, untill a 

 tempest of strange and uncouth violence arising upon 

 Thursday the 1 1 of May, when he was athwart the Cape 

 Finister, had so scattered the greater part of the fleet, 

 and sunke his boats and pinnesses, that as the rest were 

 driven and severed, some this way and some that, sir 

 Walter himselfe being in the Garland of her Majesty was 

 in danger to be swallowed up of the Sea. Whereupon 

 sir W. Ralegh finding that the season of the yere was 

 too farre gone to proceed with the enterprise which he 

 had upon Panama, having bene held on the English coast 

 from February till May, and thereby spent three moneths 

 victuals ; and considering withall, that to lie upon the 

 Spanish coast or at the Ilands to attend the returne of 

 the East or West Indian fleets was rather a worke of 

 patience then ought els: he gave directions to sir John 

 Burgh and sir M. Frobisher to divide the fleet in two 

 parts ; sir M. with the Garland, cap. George Giffbrd, 



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