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 Armada was organised in three squadrons. The van was under Don Alonso de Leyva, the main body under Medina Sidonia himself, and the rear under Juan Martinez de Recalde; but it would appear that, in his course up Channel, Medina Sidonia had Leyva's squadron on his left, and Recalde's squadron on his right; and that the terms van and rear applied rather to the relative ranks of the commanders of the squadrons than to the positions of the squadrons in the fleet. The Armada, there is little doubt, went at this time before the wind in the form of a huge crescent, of which the main body constituted the centre and foremost portion, and the van and rear the wings.

The English contented themselves with a long-range fire upon the Spanish port (Leyva's) squadron, and, pressing across the rear of the crescent, hotly engaged Recalde, who, continues Medina Sidonia in the report sent home by the hands of Don Baltasar de Zuñiga, —

"stood fast and abode the assault of the enemy, although he saw that he was being left unsupported, [most of] the [other] ships of his rearguard taking refuge in the main body of the Armada. The enemy assailed with heavy gunfire, but did not close, and his vessel suffered much in her rigging, her forestay being cut, and her foremast having two large shot in it. In the rear [of the squadron], supporting Recalde, were the Gran-Grin, with Don Diego Pimentel, and Don Diego Enriquez, of Peru. The commander-in-chief's flagship struck her foretopsail and let fly the sheets; and, coming to the wind, waited for the rear squadron in order to convoy it into the main body of the fleet. Seeing this, the enemy drew off, and the Duke collected his force; but was unable to do more, because the enemy always had the wind, and the enemy's ships were so fast and handy that there was nothing which could not be done with them. That day, in the evening, Don Pedro de Valdes ran foul of the ship Santa Catalina, of his division, losing his bowsprit and foresails, and withdrew into the main body of the fleet to repair damages. The Armada manœuvred until 4 P.M., to recover the wind of the enemy. At that hour, on board [the flagship] of the vice-admiral of Oquendo's division, some powder-barrels took fire, and her two decks and poop were blown up. In her was the paymaster-general of the Armada, with part of the king's treasure. The duke, seeing the vessel remaining behind, headed the flagship for her, and fired a gun as a signal that the fleet should do the same. He also ordered boats to