Page:Royalnavyhistory01clow.djvu/544

 killed by the Spanish under a flag of truce, and she had to come home owing to being short-handed.

The disappointments of Drake's voyage did not discourage either queen or country. In 1590, Elizabeth patriotically set apart £8970 yearly out of her revenue for the repair of the navy; and ten ships, in two squadrons, under Sir John Hawkyns and Sir Martin Frobiser respectively, were commissioned to cruise off the coast of Spain to intercept the trade from the Indies. Philip heard of these preparations, and fitted out a squadron of twenty ships under Don Alonso de Bazan to cover the home-coming of his rich carracks. But, presently thinking better of the matter, he recalled Don Alonso, and sent a dispatch to the Indies, ordering the treasure ships to postpone their departure. Spain had learnt to depend for much of her prosperity upon the annual arrival of the carracks; and the delay caused much distress and many bankruptcies. But on the other hand, the English squadrons spent seven months in fruitless cruising, without taking so much as a single prize. As they returned, they made an ineffectual attempt upon Fayal, which since its capture by the Earl of Cumberland in 1589 had been re-fortified.

In the same year, 1590, a very gallant action was fought near Gibraltar between ten English merchantmen, homeward bound from the Levant, and twelve Spanish galleys. It occurred on April 24th. In the course of it, two Flamand vessels joined the English; but, seeing the great odds against them, one of them presently struck. For six hours the fight continued, and then the galleys, much disabled, withdrew, the English having lost neither ship nor man.

Cumberland fitted out a fourth expedition in 1591, consisting of H.M.S. Garland and seven armed vessels. He took some prizes; but two of them were subsequently recovered by the Spaniards, Captain William Monson being taken with them and carried prisoner to Peniche. Learning of the Spanish preparations at Corunna, the earl inquired as to them, and sent word to Lord Thomas Howard, and then, his ship being in an unsatisfactory state, returned to England.

In 1591, also, an effort, somewhat similar to that of 1590, to