AD THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



1572-87. 



of 42 degrees they had such a storme, that Diego Flores 

 was faine to beate it up and downe about 22 dayes ; in 

 which storme was sunke one of his best ships, and in 

 her three hundred men and twenty women that went to 

 inhabite the streights, and most part of the munition that 

 should have bene left in the streights were all cast away. 

 In the ende the storme grew so intollerable, that the 

 ships not being able to endure it any longer were con- 

 strained to put backe againe unto an Island called Santa 

 Catelina : and there he found a barke wherein were cer- 

 taine friers going for the river of Plate, which friers told 

 him of two great English ships and a pinnesse that had 

 taken them, but tooke nothing from them, nor did them 

 any harme, but onely asked them for the king of Spaines 

 ships. Now Diego Flores supposing that these English 

 ships would go to the streights, was himselfe determined 

 to go to the streights also, though it was in the moneth 

 of February ; and choosing tenne shippes of the fifteene 

 that were left, he sent three of the residue that were 

 old and shaken with the storme (wherein he put all the 

 women and sicke men that were in the fleete) backe 

 againe to the river of Jenero ; leaving the other two 

 shippes, which were not able to brooke the sea, at the 

 foresayd Island ; and so himselfe with the sayd ten ships 

 returned againe for the streights. 

 Two English Now the three ships wherein the sicke men and the 

 ships under me ^Q^ien were embarked, came to the port of Sant Vincent : 

 Fenton/ndM where finding the two foresayd English ships, and urging 

 Luke Ward, them to avoide the harbour, the English entred combat 

 with them : and by reason that these three ships were 

 weakened with former tempests, and were manned with 

 the refuse of all the Spanish fleete, the Englishmen 

 easily put them to the worst, and sunke one of them, 

 and might also have sunke another, if they had bene so 

 minded; but they desired not the destruction of any 

 man : and doubtlesse it is the greatest valour that any 

 man can shew, that when hee may doe hurte, he will not. 

 Hereupon the Englishmen departed from this porte unto 



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