ed by cap. Tomson and cap. Newport till sir
R. Crosse viceadmirall of the fleet came vp being to leeward, at whose
arriuall sir I. Burgh demanded of him what was best to be done, who
answered, that if the carak were not boorded she would recouer the shore
and fire herselfe as the other had done. Whereupon sir I. Burgh concluded
to entangle her; and sir R. Crosse promised also to fasten himselfe to her
together at the instant; which was performed: but after a while sir Iohn
Burgh receiuing a shot with a canon perier vnder water and ready to sinke,
desired sir R. C. to fall off, that he might also cleere himselfe, and saue
his ship from sinking, which with difficulty he did: for both the Roebucke
and the Foresight were so intangled, as with much adoe could they cleere
themselues.

[Sidenote: The Madre de Dios taken.] The same euening sir R. Crosse finding
the carak then sure and drawing neere the Iland perswaded his company to
boord her againe, or els there was no hope to recouer her: who after many
excuses and feares, were by him incouraged, and so fell athwart her
foreships all alone; and so hindered her sailing that the rest had time to
come vp to his succour, and to recouer the carak yer she recouered the
land: and so toward the euening after he had fought with her alone three
houres single, my lord of Cumberlands two ships came vp, and with very
little losse entred with sir R. Crosse, who had in that time broken their
courages, and made the assault easie for the rest.

The generall hauing disarmed the Portugals, and stowed them for better
security on all sides, first had presented to his eyes the true proportion
of the vast body of this carak, which did then and may still iustly prouoke
the admiration of all men not formerly acquainted with such a sight. But
albeit this first apparance of the hugenesse thereof yeelded sights enough
to entertaine our mens eyes: yet the pitifull obiect of so many bodies
slaine and dismembred could not but draw ech mans eye to see, and heart to
lament, and hands to helpe those miserable people, whose limnes were so
torne with the violence of shot, and paine made grieuous with the multitude
of woundes. No man could almost steppe but vpon a dead carkase or a bloody
floore, but specially about the helme, where very many of them fell
suddenly from stirring to dying. For the greatnesse of the stirrage
requiring the labour of twelue or fourteene men at once, and some of our
shippes beating he