burnt with powder in most miserable sort. The stink in the ship was so unsavoury and the sight within board so ugly, that the Lord Thomas Howard and Sir John Hawkyns shortly departed and came unto the Lord High Admiral to inform his lordship in what case she was found: whereupon his lordship took present order that a small bark named the Bark Flemyng,[1] wherein was Captain Thomas Flemyng, should conduct her to some port in England which he could best recover, which was performed, and the said ship brought into Weymouth the next day."
The Spanish accounts of what happened after the two fleets had for the first time sighted one another, throw but little further light upon the events of the 21st and 22nd.
On the night of July 20th, the Armada lay to,[2] while Medina Sidonia sent Don Juan Gil, who knew English, to reconnoitre the land, and to ascertain how things went there.[3] At about the same time, an English craft from seaward approached the Armada to reconnoitre it,[4] and was chased off in the direction of the land by Captain Ojeda, who, however, had to retire before he could come up with the Englishman. Towards 1 A.M. on the same night, Don Juan Gil returned, bringing with him four English fishermen whom he had seized in their boat. They were taken on board the flagship, but communicated nothing of importance. At 2 A.M.[5] the moon appeared, and by its light the Spaniards perceived that the English were working to windward of them.
At daybreak on the 21st the wind blew from W.N.W.,[6] and the Armada was a little to the westward of Plymouth. To the westward of them the Spaniards saw the English, to the number of about sixty sail,[7] besides eleven more, including three large ones, which were under the land. These last had not then the advantage of the wind, and bore about N.E. from the Armada; but they presently gained the wind and[8] joined the main body of the English fleet. While this manœuvre was being performed, the manœuvring division exchanged shots with the nearest Spanish vessel.
Perceiving the English fleet to be united to windward, the Spaniards prepared for action, and Medina Sidonia hoisted the royal standard at the fore, the pre-arranged signal for battle. The
- ↑ The Golden Hind, here named after her owner.
- ↑ Duro, doc. 185; S. P. Dom. ccxv. 36.
- ↑ Duro, doc. 165, 168, 185.
- ↑ Ib., docs. 168, 185.
- ↑ P. C. Calderon's account.
- ↑ Duro, doc. 165, p. 230. Calderon says W.
- ↑ Ib., docs. 168-170; and Calderon. Some of the documents given by Duro say 80.
- ↑ Ib., docs. 185, p. 165. They seem to have worked round to seaward of the Spaniards, as shown in Adams's chart.
