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 viceroy made an agreement with the English commander that his ships should be provisioned; the fleets saluted each other, and amity was apparently established. But the Spaniards intended treachery, and at a given signal a general attack was suddenly made on the English ships. The Minion slipped her cables, hauled away on a sternfast, and thus escaped from the first assault. The Jesus was next attacked, but she also hauled out, and both the English ships got to a distance of two ships' lengths from their Spanish assailants. Then a heavy fire was opened on the Jesus from a battery on shore, and her masts and yards were so cut about that all hope was abandoned of getting her out to sea. She was left to her fate, while the Minion, hastily taking Hawkyns on board, made sail, followed by some of the survivors of the crew of the Jesus in a boat. The rest were slaughtered. The Minion and Judith put to sea, but parted company next day. The Minion was thus crowded with men, while the provisions had run short, and there was no possibility of feeding so many. After sailing about for several days in the Gulf of Mexico, she was anchored off the coast, near Tampico. The unfortunate people, pressed by hunger, demanded to be put on shore. There was no alternative. A hundred men were landed. and Hawkyns commenced the voyage home with about a hundred survivors, who died in great numbers from scurvy and famine. Some relief was obtained from English ships in Vigo Bay, and on the 25th of January, 1569, the battered Minion, with her suffering crew, was anchored in Mount's Bay.

The men who were put on shore on the coast of Mexico were made prisoners, and were at first treated with humanity, but the Inquisition was established at Mexico in 1570, and the most horrible atrocities were committed on the English captives. Only two, named David Ingram and Miles Philips, ever returned home, and their accounts of the cruelties of the Inquisition, and of the terrible sufferings of themselves and their comrades, sent a thrill of horror through the land. Both Hawkyns and Drake vowed vengeance, and they were men who kept their word.

John Hawkyns had thus received his training in the conduct of difficult and perilous adventures by sea. The rest of his life was devoted to the naval service of his country. This great sea captain acquired his rare qualifications during his long service in exploring voyages to the Canaries, to the coast of Africa, and to the West Indies.