sea.

out to sea, and in so doing were attacked by those of our ships that were to windward of them. Martin de Bretendona, in his ship, made a spirited attack on the enemy's flag-ship, and endeavoured to board; but when very near, the enemy's ship turned from him and went off towards the The following ships also attacked the enemy, endeavouring likewise to board :-The San Marcos, Marquis de Penafiel; San Luis, Don Agustin Mesia, Maestre de Campo; San Mateo, Don Diego Pimentel, M. de Campo; San Felipe, Don Francisco de Toledo, M. de Campo; Rata, Don Alonzo de Leyva; the Capitana of Oquendo, Don Diego Pacheco; San Juan de Sicilia, Don Diego Fellez Enriquez, who from the morning was close to the enemy; the Galleon of Florence, Gaspar de Sousa; the Galleon Santiago, Antonio Pereyra ; the Galleon San Juan, of Diego Florez, Don Diego Enriquez; and the Venetian Valencera, Don Alonzo Luzon, M. de Campo. The galleasses of the van division having been carried by the current too near the land, the Duke sent them orders to make every effort with sails and oars to close with the enemy; and the flag-ship also wore, to attack some of the vessels in the rear. galleys came up firing, and joined some of our ships, which were nearly intermixed with the enemy, endeavouring to board. These were :-The Galleon of Florence, Gaspar de Sousa; the Capitana of Ojeda; the Begonia, Garribay; the Valencera, Don Alonzo de Luzon; the galleon San Juan Bautista, Don Juan Maldonado, and Don Luis de Madea. Little effect, however, was produced; as the enemy, perceiving the wish of our ships to close with them, went off towards the sea; and they received the attack with much advantage on their side, on account of the lightness of their vessels. Returning afterwards with the wind and tide in their favour, they made an attack upon Juan Martinez de Recalde, who was in the rear, and who was supported by Don Alonzo de Leyva. At this moment the flag-ship was

The

in the centre of the battle, proceeding to animate the ships engaging the rear of the enemy, apart from the two fleets. Captain Maroli was sent in a felucca to order the ships near the flag to wear for the support of Juan Martinez; and on their doing so the enemy left Martinez and came united against the flag-ship, whilst she was advancing to the assistance of the ships before mentioned. The flag-ship, seeing that the enemy's flag-ship was coming foremost towards her, took in her top-sails, and prepared to receive them. The enemy's flag-ship passed, with the whole of their fleet, each ship giving her fire to our flag-ship; and the latter sustained and returned the fire in such manner that the hindmost ships kept at a somewhat greater distance than the first. Juan Martinez de Recalde, Don Alonzo de Leyva, the Marquis de Penafiel in the galleon San Marcos, and Don Diego Pacheco in the Capitana of Oquendo, came to the support of the flag-ship; but the heat of the action was over, and the enemy drew off towards the sea; their admiral endeavouring to collect his ships, which appeared to have received some damage, and to cover the vessels which were engaged with our van. The Galleon of Florence, Gaspar de Sousa, was one of the vessels most forward in the engagement of this day, which lasted more than three hours.

Wednesday, 3rd August (24th July).—Juan Martinez de Recalde resumed the command of the rear division; Don Alonzo de Leyva remaining however in the same division, and the forty-three ships of which it was composed being divided between them. At day-break the enemy were in our rear, and cannonaded the flag-ship. The galleasses, Juan Martinez de Recalde, Don Alonzo de Leyva, and the other ships of the rear division, kept up a fire from their stern-ports without quitting their posts; and the enemy went off without any further result, the galleasses having cut up the rigging of their flag-ship, and shot away her main-yard.

Thursday, 4th August (25th July); Day of St. Domingo

-The urca Santa Anna, and a galleon of Portugal, being a little astern, they were warmly attacked by the enemy. Don Alonzo de Leyva, Don Diego Fellez Enriquez, and the galleasses, went to their assistance, and brought them off, although surrounded by a number of the enemy's vessels.

Whilst this was passing in the rear division, the enemy's flag-ship, with some of their larger vessels, made an attack upon our flag-ship, which was in the van. They came closer than the former day, and fired from the heavy guns on their lower decks. The rigging of our main-mast was cut, and several soldiers killed. The galleon San Luis, Don Agustin Mesia, Maestre de Campo, came to the support of the flag-ship in front of the enemy; as also Juan Martinez de Recalde, Don Diego Enriquez in the San Juan of the squadron of Diego Florez, and the Capitana of Oquendo, which placed herself before the royal flag-ship, the current preventing her from taking a lateral position. Other ships came up also, and the enemy went off, their flag-ship remaining much damaged, and a little to leeward of the Armada. Our flag-ship made for her, with Juan Martinez de Recalde, Don Diego Fellez Enriquez in the San Juan de Sicilia, the Capitana of the Galleons of Castille, the Grangri, and most of the ships of the Armada. The enemy's fleet stood to windward, leaving their flag-ship astern, and in such danger that she was towed by eleven launches, striking her standard, and firing guns as signals for assistance. Our flag-ship, the Admiral, and the other ships, were closing with her so fast, that the rest of the enemy's fleet began to make a show of coming to her support, and we made certain of being this day able to board them, which was the only means of obtaining any decisive advantage. At this moment the wind freshened in favour of the enemy's flag-ship, which increased her distance from us, and cast off the launches that were towing her; and their fleet, which was falling to leeward of the Armada,

recovered its position to windward. The Duke perceiving that the expected engagement would not take place, and that we were then off the Isle of Wight, fired a gun as a signal to bring the ships together, and pursued his voyage, followed by the Armada in very good order; the enemy remaining far astern. This same day the Duke despatched Captain Pedro de Leon for Dunkirk, to apprize the Duke of Parma of our progress, and of what had occurred; to represent to him the great importance of his coming out as quickly as possible to join the Armada; and to request that he would send us some shot for four, six, and ten pounders, of which much had been expended in the late engagements. This day, also, the Duke gave the command of the squadron of Don Pedro de Valdes to Don Diego Enriquez, son of the Viceroy Don Martin Enriquez, in whom he observed much attention to, and much inclination for, the naval profession.

Friday, 5th August (25th July).—There was a calm in the morning; and the two fleets were in sight of each other. The Duke dispatched a felucca with the pilot Domingo Ochoa to the Duke of Parma, to request that he would send forty small vessels to the Armada, to be employed against the enemy; the heaviness of our ships, compared to the lightness of theirs, rendering it impossible in any manner to bring them to close action; and to represent to him of how much importance it was that he should be in readiness to join the Armada the day of its appearing in sight of Dunkirk. The Duke was extremely anxious on this point, feeling some apprehension that the Duke of Parma might not be at Dunkirk, as neither Don Rodrigo Fello returned, nor any other person arrived on the part of the Duke. At sunset a breeze sprang up, with which the Armada began to shape its course for Calais.

Saturday, 6th August (26th July).—The two fleets at daybreak were very near each other, and continued their courses

without firing: the Armada sailing before the wind, and the rear division keeping well closed and in good order. At ten in the morning we discovered the coast of France, in the neighbourhood of Boulogne; and at four in the afternoon we arrived off Calais. There were various opinions in regard to the expediency of anchoring there, and the majority inclined to proceeding further; but the Duke having consulted the pilots he had on board, and learning from them that if he passed on, the current would carry him out of the English Channel into the North Sea, he determined to anchor in front of Calais (about seven leagues from Dunkirk), where the Duke of Parma might join him. At five he accordingly gave the order to anchor; and he sent Captain Heredia to wait upon the Governor of Calais, Monsieur de Gordan, to inform him of the object of his coming, and to express his wish to maintain a friendly intercourse with him. In the evening the enemy were joined by thirty-six ships, including five large galleons, said to be the squadron of Juan Acles* from off Dunkirk and the whole anchored a league from the Armada. In the night Captain Heredia returned from Calais, and reported that the Governor had made a tender of his services to His Majesty, and shown a readiness to afford every proof of his disposition in that respect. The same night the Duke dispatched his secretary, Jerome de Arco, to inform the Duke of Parma of his position, and of the impossibility of his remaining long in it, without much risk to the whole Armada.

Sunday, 7th August (27th July).—Captain Don Rodrigo Fello arrived in the morning from Dunkirk. He reported that the Duke of Parma was at Bruges, where he had waited upon him; and that although the Duke had expressed much satisfaction at hearing of the arrival of the

* Qy. Sir John Hawkins, who however does not appear to have been off Dunkirk; Lord Seymour was there.