THE VOYAGE TO CADIZ ad. 



1596. 

 space for the time. Of them all two faire ships only were 

 boorded and taken by our men with most part of their 

 furniture in them, the one called S. Matthy, a ship by 

 estimation of some xii. hundred tunne, and the other S. 

 Andrew, being a ship of not much lesser burthen. The 

 Gallies, seeing this suddaine great victorious overthrow, 

 made all the hast they could toward the Bridge called 

 Puente de Sua^o, and there shrowded themselves in such 

 sort as our shippes could not by any meanes possible 

 come nigh them for lacke of water. 



The Spanish ships in all were lix. & as is sayd, all 

 tall ships & very richly furnished and well appointed, 

 whereof some of them were bound for the Indies, and 

 other fraighted and furnished for Lisbon, as themselves 

 affirme : and had we not come that very time that we 

 did, (which for my part, I do not attribute so much 

 unto meere chance, as to some secret deepe insight and 

 foreknowledge of the two most worthy Lords generall, 

 who no doubt spared for no cost or labour for true 

 intelligence) we had certainely mist of them all. 



Of what great wealth and riches these ships were, 

 that I leave to other mens judgement and report, but 

 sure I am, that themselves offered two millions and a 

 halfe of ducats for the redemption of the goods and 

 riches that were in them : which offer of theirs, albeit 

 it was accepted of the Lords Generall, and should have 

 beene received, yet we were defeated of it, as hereafter 

 shall be more at large declared. 



What maner of fight this was, & with what courage 

 performed, and with what terror to the beholders con- 

 tinued, where so many thundring tearing peeces were 

 for so long a time discharged, I leave it to the Reader 

 to thinke & imagine. Yet such was the great mercy & 

 goodnes of our living God, that in all this cruell terrible 

 fight, in the end, there were not either slaine or hurt 

 by any maner of meanes (excepting one mischance that 

 happened, wherof I will by & by make mention) many 

 above the number of 100. of our men : notwithstanding 



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