Page:Royalnavyhistory01clow.djvu/638

 the admiral. The galleasses fired their stern guns, as also did Juan Martinez and Don Alonso de Leyva and the other ships of the squadron, without quitting station. Thus the enemy drew off without any success, the galleasses having damaged their admiral's rigging, and brought down his main-yard."

The fight off Portland was even more indecisive than the fight off Plymouth. Neither side lost a ship, neither side gained any tactical or strategical advantage. But Medina Sidonia had been betrayed into contravening his instructions by seeking an action.

"The next morning," continues 'A Relation of Proceedings,' "being the 25th of July, 1588, there was a great galleon of the Spaniards short of her company to the southwards. They of Sir John Hawkyns his squadron, being next, towed and recovered so near that the boats were beaten off with musket shot: whereupon three of the galleasses and an armado issued out of the Spanish fleet, with whom the lord admiral, in the Ark, and the Lord Thomas Howard, in the Golden Lion, fought a long time, and much damaged them, that one of them was fain to be carried away upon the careen; and another, by a shot from the Ark, lost her lantern, which came swimming by; and the third his nose. There was many good shots made by the Ark and Lion at the galleasses in the sight of both armies, which looked on and could not approach, it being calm, for the Ark and the Lion did tow to the galleasses with their long boats. At length it began to blow a little gale, and the Spanish fleet edged up to succour their galleasses, and so rescued them and the galleon, after which time the galleasses were never seen in fight any more, so bad was their entertainment in this encounter. Then the fleets, drawing near one to another, began some fight, but it continued not long, saving that the Nonpareil and the Mary Rose struck their topsails, and lay awhile by the whole fleet of Spain very bravely, during which time the Triumph, to the northward of the Spanish fleet, was so far to leeward as, doubting that some of the Spanish army might weather her, she towed off with the help of sundry boats, and so recovered the wind. The Bear and the Elizabeth Jonas, perceiving her distress, bare with her for her rescue, and put themselves, through their hardiness, into like perils, but made their parties good notwithstanding, until they had recovered the wind; and so that day's fight ended, which was a very sharp fight for the time.