Page:The principal navigations, voyages, traffiques and discoveries of the English nation 15.djvu/325

 shall see rise vp aboue the rest of the land 8 or 9 round homockes, and the Westermost hath three in one.

Being shot forth with the West end, and standing in for to water we espyed 20 sayle of ships, about one in the afternoone. This was a third part of the fleete which the king sent for Carthagena, the rest of the fleete being gone for the Honduras. They were in all 60 sailes sent onely to meete our fleete, being commanded wheresoeuer they heard we were, to come vpon vs with all their three forces. This fleete which we met withall came standing for Cape de los Corrientes, and had bene refreshed at Hauana.

As soon as they discried vs, they kept close vpon a tacke, thinking to get the winde of vs: but we weathered them. And when our Admirall with all the rest of our fleet were right in the winds eye of them, sir Thomas Baskeruil putting out the Queens armes, and all the rest of our fleete their brauerie, bare roome with them, and commanded the Defiance not to shoot, but to keepe close by to second him. The Viceadmirall of the Spaniards being a greater ship than any of ours, and the best sayler in all their fleete loofed by and gaue the Concord the two first great shot, which she repayed presently againe, thus the fight began. The Bonauenture bare full with her, ringing her such a peale of ordinance and small shot withall, that he left her with torne sides. The Admirall also made no spare of powder and shot. But the Defiance in the middest of the Spanish fleete thundering of her ordinance and small shot continued the fight to the end. So that the Viceadmirall with 3 or 4 of her consorts were forced to tacke about to the Eastward, leauing their admirall and the rest of the fleete, who came not so hotly into the fight as they did. The fight continued two houres and better. At sunne set all the fleete tacked about to the Eastward, we continued our course to the Westward for cape de los Corrientes, supposing we should haue met with more of their consorts. In this conflict in the Defiance we had fiue men slaine, three Englishmen, a Greeke and a Negro. That night some halfe houre after their fleete keeping vpon their weather quarter, we saw a mightie smoke rise out of one of their great ships which stayed behind: which happened by meanes of powder as we thinke, and presently after she was all on a light fire, and so was consumed and all burnt, as we might well perceiue.