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Despatch from Sir Francis Drake, .... 440 



This despatch, dated 27th April, 1587, gives Drake's 

 account of the burning of the Spanish ships in Cadiz 

 Harbour. It is reproduced by permission from the 

 original preserved in the Public Record Office. The 

 postscripts are in Drake's own handwriting. The 

 despatch, which is addressed 'To the righte honor- 

 able Sir Ffrauncis Walsingham, Knighte principall 

 Secretary to Her Ma tie with all haste haste poste 

 haste ' runs as follows : 



Righte honorable Theise are to geive to understande that 

 on the seconde of this moneth we departede out 

 of the sound of Plymouth we had sighte of the 

 Cape venester the v th : we were encountrede with 

 a violente storme duringe the space of five daies by 

 which meanes our fleate was putt a sonder and a 

 greate leake sprange uppon the Dreadenoughte : 

 the 16 th we mette all together at the Rocke & the 

 19 th we arrivede into the roade of Cales in Spaigne 

 where we founde sondrie greate shippes some laden 

 some halfe laden and some readie to be laden with 

 the kings provisions for Englande ; we staiede there 

 untill the 24 th in which meane tyme we sanke a 

 Biskanie of I2 C tonnes, burnte a shippe of the 

 Marquice of Santa Cruse of 15° Tonnes and 31 

 shippes more of 1000 800 600 : 400 to 200 tonnes 

 the peice carried awaie fower with us laden with 

 provision, And departede thence at our pleasure with 

 as moch honour as we coulde wishe notwithstand- 

 inge that duringe the tyme of our aboade there we 

 were bothe oftentymes foughte with all by 12 of 

 the kinges gallies (of whome we sanke two and 

 allwaies repulsed the rest) and were (withoute 

 Ceassinge) vehemently shott at from the shoare 

 but to our litle hurte, god be thanked, yeat at 

 our departure we were Curteouslie written unto 

 by one Don Pedro generall of those gallies ; I 

 assure your Ho : the like preparacion was never 



