Page:The principal navigations, voyages, traffiques and discoveries of the English nation 16.djvu/216

 shotte from thence, but yet our harme was none at all for ought they could doe.

At our comming in, wee found in the road eight ships and one carauel, of the which one was a hulke or double flie boat of the burden of two hundred and fifty tunnes, hauing in her 24 pieces of good Ordinance: shee with the rest of the ships, together with the towne, gaue vs shot, and shot, but not one touched so much as any of our sayles. And least wee should seeme in the meane time to be idle, we repayed for euery shot of theirs, two three sometimes at the ships and the towne together.

The next day at night wee thought to haue halled in with the ships, and to haue fetched out some of them: but the wind blew then off the shore, so that wee could not possible doe it. And againe the next day at night we concluded to goe with our owne two boates, and two other boats of the countrey which we had taken before, which went with carauel-sailes, into the roade, and accordingly performed the same, notwithstanding the shot of the enemie.

The Moone did shine, and gaue very good light, and in we went with our carauels and boates, and the shot came about our eares as thicke as haile: but the Portugals and the rest perceiuing vs no whit at all to shrinke or be dismayed, forsooke their ships, and began to prouide to saue themselues, some with their boats, some by swimming, and so wee entred the ships with a great showte, and found few to resist vs: but yet the shore not being a cables length from vs, they did so plie both their great and small ordinance at vs, that it much annoyed vs: But yet for all that we made light of their shot, and our men of the barke Clifford entred the Admirall and Vice-admirall, and our Admirals men entred two other ships of the like burden, and presently euery one cut the cables in the hause, and so by the helpe of God in despite of them all, wee brought away foure of them. The least whereof was of the burthen of 130 tunnes.

In this broile the hulke shotte at vs many times, but did not hurt at all: but at the last comming by the hulke towing our new prizes, we halled them and demanded whence they were, they answered vs of Flushing, and then we commanded him to wey ankor, and to come after vs: And not daring to refuse it, he did so, and brought with him a carauel with fortie or fiftie buts of wine in her, and another small barke which had little or nothing in her: and rode by vs