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XII. 



AEMADA SHIPS ON THE KEEEY COAST. 

 By rev. WILLIAM SPOTSWOOD GREEN, C.B., M.A. 

 Plate XV. 



Read January 11. Ordered for Publication January 13. Published Fkbruary 24, 1909. 



On August 9th and 10th, m the year 1588, the remnant of the Spanish 

 Armada, numbermg about one hundred sail of all classes, passed the Orkneys 

 into the Atlantic on their way back to Spain. They met with a series of 

 cyclones ; and for nearly a month were beating about the ocean, some two 

 hundred miles west and north-west of Ireland. Many of those that 

 approached the Irish coast were driven ashore and wrecked. Some were 

 more fortunate and reached safe anchorages, whence they finally got back to 

 Spain. 



When searching documents for information regarding the wrecks of the 

 Armada, I came across Captain Duro's collection of papers in " La Armada 

 Invencible." These papers, which he was the first to publish, were found in 

 the old library of Simancas in Spain. One of them, Captain Cuellar's letter, 

 describing his stay in Ireland, has several times been translated into English, 

 and is fairly well known. Another, which has, I think, never been done into 

 English, I found most helpful. Its title, translated, is " Account of what 

 happened to Marcos de Aramburu, Controller and Paymaster of the Galleons 

 of Castille in the vice-flagship of those under his charge." His ship was 

 the San Juan Baiitista, of 750 tons, 24 guns, and 243 men. She had 

 suffered much in the engagements with the English fleet, and, like many 

 others, had lost anchor and cable off Gravelines when escaping from the 

 fire-ships. 



The narrative begins when the fleet was off Rockall, and ends with this 

 ship's arrival in Spain. The extract which I quote deals only with events 

 that happened on the Irish coast. The original contains many technical 

 phrases difficult to interpret ; for the translation I am indebted to 

 Mr. William E. Purser, whose knowledge of Old Spanish was invaluable. I 

 also derived much assistance from Dr. D. W. Freeman. 



R.I. A. PROC, VOL. XXVII., SECT. C. [40] 



