crosly all this sorted, began to call the proceeding of this preparation
into question: insomuch that, whereas the sixt of May was first come before
sir Walter could put to sea, the very next day sir Martin Frobisher in a
pinnesse of my lord Admirals called The Disdaine, met him, and brought to
him from her Maiesty letters of reuocation, with commandement to relinquish
(for his owne part) the intended attempt, and to leaue the charge and
conduct of all things in the hands of sir Iohn Burrough and sir Martin
Frobisher, But sir Walter finding his honor so farre engaged in the
vndertaking of this voyage, as without proceeding he saw no remedy either
to salue his reputation, or to content those his friends which had put in
aduentures of great summes with him; and making construction of the Queenes
letters in such sort as if her commandement had bene propounded in
indifferent termes, either to aduance forward or to retire, at his owne
discretion; would in no case yeeld to leaue his fleet now vnder saile.
Wherefore continuing his course into the sea, he met within a day or two,
with certaine sailes lately come from Spaine: among which was a ship
appertaining to Monsieur Gourdon gouernor of Caleis, and found aboord her
one M. Neuel Dauies an Englishman, who hauing endured a long and miserable
captiuity for the space of twelue yeeres, partly in the inquisition in
Spaine, was now by good fortune escaped, and vpon returne to his countrey.
This man, among other things, reported for certaine, that there was little
hope of any good this yeere to be done in the West India; considering that
the king of Spaine had sent expresse order to all the Ports both of the
Ilands and of Terra firma, that no ship should stirre that yeere, nor any
treasure be layed aboord for Spaine. But neither this vnpleasant relation
nor ought els could stay his proceedings, vntill a tempest of strange and
vncouth violence arising vpon Thursday the 11 of May, when he was athwart
the Cape Finister, had so scattered the greater part of the fleet, and
sunke his boats and pinnesses, that as the rest were driuen and seuered,
some this way and some that, sir Walter himselfe being in the Garland of
her Maiesty was in danger to be swallowed vp of the Sea. Whereupon sir W.
Ralegh finding that the season of the yere was too farre gone to proceed
with the enterprise which he had vpon Panama, hauing bene held on the
English coast from February till May, and thereby spent thre