The Manner of the Taking of two Spanish ships

laden with Quicksilver and the Pope's Bulls, bound for the West Indies, by Mr. Thomas White in the Amity, of London, 1592

THE 26th of July, 1592, in my returning out of Barbary in the ship called the Amity, of London, being in the height of 36 degrees or thereabouts, at four of the clock in the morning, we had sight of two ships, being distant from us about three or four leagues; by seven of the clock we fetched them up, and were within gunshot; whose boldness, having the king of Spain's arms displayed, did make us judge them rather ships of war than laden with merchandise. And, as it appeared by their own speeches, they made full account to have taken us; it being a question among them, whether it were best to carry us to S. Lucar or to Lisbon.

They having

We waved each other a main. placed themselves in warlike order, one a cable's length before another, we began the fight. In the which we continued so fast as we were able to charge and discharge, the space of five hours, being never a cable's length distant either of us from the other. In this time we received divers shot both in the hull of our ship, masts, and sails, to the number of 32 great, besides 500 musket shot, etc., which we told after the fight. And because we perceived

them to be stout, we thought good to board the Biscaine, which was ahead of the other; where, lying aboard about an hour, and plying our ordnance and small shot, in the end we stowed all his men. Now, the others in the fly-boat, thinking we had entered our men in their fellow, bare room with us, meaning to have laid us aboard, and so to have entrapped us betwixt them both; which we perceiving, fitted our ordnance so for him that we quitted ourselves of him, and he boarded his fellow. And by this means they both fell from us.

Then presently we kept our loof, hoisted our topsails, and weathered them, and came hard aboard the fly-boat with our ordnance prepared, and gave her our whole broadside, with the which we slew divers of their men, so that we might see the blood run out at the scupper holes. After that we cast about, and new-charged all our ordnance, and came upon them again, willing them to yield or else we would sink them; whereupon the one would have yielded, which was shot between wind and water; but the other called him traitor. Unto whom we made answer that, if he would not yield presently also, we would sink him first. And thereupon he, understanding our determination, presently put out a white flag and yielded, and yet refused to strike their own sails, for that they were sworn never to strike to any Englishman. We then commanded their captains and masters to come aboard us; which they did. And after examination and stowing them, we sent certain of our own men aboard them, and struck their sails, and manned their ships, finding in them both 126 persons living

and 8 dead, besides those which they themselves had cast overboard.

So it pleased God to give us the victory, being but 42 men and a boy, whereof 2 were killed and 3 wounded; for the which good success we give God the only praise.

These two rich prizes, laden with 1400 chests of quicksilver, with the arms of Castile and Leon fastened upon them, and with a great quantity of Bulls or indulgences and gilded missals or service books, with an hundred tons of excellent wines, we brought shortly after into the river of Thames up to Blackwall.

By the taking of this quicksilver the king of Spain loseth, for every quintal of the same, a quintal of silver that should have been delivered him by the masters of the mines there, which amounteth to 600,000 pounds.

And he loseth more by taking of his Bulls, to wit, two millions and seventy-two thousand for living and dead persons for the provinces of Nova Hispania, Yucatan, Guatemala, the Honduras, and the Philippinas, taxed at two reals the piece-and more for eighteen thousand Bulls taxed at four reals, amounting all to 107,700 pounds. The sum total is 707,700 livres.

There were also taken ten fardels of gilt missals and breviaries sent for the king's account.

IVRY.

Now glory to the Lord of Hosts, from whom all glories are!

And glory to our Sovereign Liege, King Henry of

Navarre!

Now let there be the merry sound of music and of

dance,

Through thy corn-fields green and sunny vines, O pleasant land of France!

And thou, Rochelle, our own Rochelle, proud city of the waters,

Again let rapture light the eyes of all thy mourning daughters.

As thou wert constant in our ills, be joyous in our

joy,

For cold and stiff and still are they who wrought thy walls annoy.

Hurrah! Hurrah! a single field hath turned the chance of war,

Hurrah! Hurrah! for Ivry, and Henry of Navarre.

Oh! how our hearts were beating, when, at the dawn

of day,

We saw the army of the League drawn out in long

array;

With all its priest-led citizens and all its rebel peers, And Appenzel's stout infantry, and Egmont's Flemish

spears.