Page:Royalnavyhistory01clow.djvu/542

 way. As for the fleet, it coasted southwards as far as Cascais, at the mouth of the Tagus.

The army arrived before Lisbon on May 25th, and seized the suburb of Santa Caterina; but the inhabitants betrayed no enthusiasm for Dom Antonio, guns and ammunition for a siege were wanting, and there was a great amount of sickness. A council of war decided upon a retreat, and, after lying unmolested for two days, the force marched to Cascais, which in the meantime had been taken by the fleet.

LISBON.

(From a chart published by Joyce Gold, 1818.)

This expedition did no good to the cause of Dom Antonio, and was in many ways a failure; yet it greatly injured Spain. On its way south, it had captured many vessels, including fifteen bound for Lisbon with men and provisions destined for the preparation of a new Armada; and at Cascais it took sixty sail, belonging to the Hanse Towns, laden with provisions and stores for the same object.

The army was re-embarked, and the fleet weighed to return home. No sooner was it at sea than it was set upon by about twenty Spanish galleys, which, however, were easily driven off. On the way north, Vigo was attacked and burnt; but nothing further occurred until England was reached. Camden and others aver that a hundred and fifty cannon, and a large booty rewarded the adventurers, but this is doubtful; and there is evidence that the expedition cost a great number of lives, the amount of sickness in the fleet being most terrible. The captured ships belonging to the Hanse Towns would have been released, after the confiscation of the goods found in them, had not the queen been piqued by the action of an assembly which was convened at Lübeck to consider the matter, and which talked somewhat wildly about measures of revenge. Her majesty, upon this, made prize of all but two,