286 THE SEA. 



at the ropes himself. By the following day thirty of the smaller vessels were out, and next 

 day the Armada was descried "with lofty turrets like castles, in front like a half -moon; 

 the wings thereof speading out about the length of seven miles, sailing very slowly though 

 with full sails; the wind," says Camden, "being as it were weary with wafting them, 

 and the ocean groaning under their weight." The Spaniards gave up the idea of attacking 

 Plymouth, and the English let them pass, that they might chase them in the rear. Next 

 day the Lord Admiral sent the Defiance pinnace forward, and opened the attack by dis- 

 charging her ordnance, and later his own ship, the Ark Royal, "thundered thick and 

 furiously" into the Spanish vice-admiral's ship, and soon after, Drake, Hawkins, and 

 Frobisher, gave the Admiral Recalde a very thorough peppering. That officer's ship was 

 rendered nearly unserviceable, and he was obliged to crowd on sail to catch up with the 

 others, who showed little disposition for fighting. After a smart action in which he had 

 injured the enemy much, and suffered little hurt himself, Effingham gave over, because 

 forty of his ships had not yet come up from Plymouth. During the night the Spaniards 

 lost one of their ships, which was set on fire, it was believed, by a Flemish gunner, whose 

 wife and self had been ill-treated by the officer of the troops on board. The fire was 

 quenched, after all her upper works had been consumed; but when the Spaniards left the 

 hulk, they abandoned fifty of their countrymen, "miserably hurt." This night was 

 remarkable for a series of disasters and contretemps. A galleon, under the command of 

 one Valdez, ran foul of another ship, broke her foremast, and was left behind. Effingham, 

 supposing that the men had been taken out, without tarrying to take possession of the 

 prize, passed on with two other vessels, that he might not lose sight of the enemy. "He 

 thought that he was following Drake's ship, which ought to have carried the lanthorn that 

 night; it proved to be a Spanish light, and in the morning he found himself in the midst 

 of the enemy's fleet; " but he managed to get away unobserved, or at all events unpursued. 

 Drake, meantime, was mistakably following in the dark and stormy night a phantom 

 enemy, in the shape of five Easterling vessels. Meantime, the English fleet not seeing 

 the expected light on Drake's ship, lay- to during the night. Drake, next morning, 

 had the good fortune to fall in with Valdez, who, after a brief parley, surrendered, and 

 the prize was sent into Plymouth. Drake and his men divided 55,000 golden ducats 

 among them, as part of the spoil on board. The hulk of the galleon was taken to 

 Weymouth, and although burned almost to the water's edge, the gunpowder in the hold 

 remained intact and had not taken fire. The next day there was considerable nianreuvring 

 and skirmishing, but with no very memorable loss on either side. A great Venetian ship and 

 some smaller ones were taken from the enemy, while on our side Captain Cook died with 

 honour in the midst of the Spanish ships, in a little vessel of his own. Both sides were 

 wary ; Effingham did not think good to grapple with them, because they had an army in 

 the fleet, while he had none ; our army awaited their landing. The Spaniards meant as 

 much as possible to avoid fighting, and hold on till they could effect a junction with the 

 Prince of Parma. Next morning there was little wind, and only the four great galleases 

 were engaged, these having the advantage on account of their oars, while the English were 

 becalmed ; the latter, however, did considerable execution with chain-shot, cutting asunder 

 their tacklings and cordage. But they were now constrained to send ashore for gunpowder, 



