the other. And the next daie
presentlie vpon the fight and victorie against the Kings shipps, we had
found them all so amazed and confounded as they would haue thought of
nothing but of sauing themselues, and we had taken the ships, the riches in
them, and the fleet of gallies, without striking a blow; as both our
prisoners and captaines out of the gallies haue assured vs. But the first
morninge when I boare with the harbor, almost all the fleet came to an
ancker by the point Saint Sebastian a league wide of me, and gaue the
enemie leasure to send men and all necessaries aboard. When I was gon in, I
could neither get my companion to waigh his anckor, nor most of those that
were waied to goe in with me. And the next daie I had much a do to make our
ships fight at all. And when God had giuen vs victorie, my perswasions nor
protestations could make them that were sea-commaunders go or send vp to
possess the fleet of the Indies, whiles we assailed the towne, so as the
enemie had almost 48. howers to burne his owne shipps.

The second imputation that maie be laid to vs, was, that we did abandon
Cales, when we were possesst of it, whereas the holding of it would haue
ben a naile not in the foote of this great monarch but in his side, and
haue serued for a diversion of all the wars in these parts. To which I
aunswere, that some of our sea-commaunders, and especiallie my colleague,
did not onelie oppose themselues to that designe, (whose oppositions mine
instructions made an absolute barre,) but when we came to see how the
forces that should be left there might be victualed till succours came, the
victualls were for the most part hidden and embeazled, and euery ship began
at that instant to feare their wants, and to talke of goeing home; soe as I
should neither haue had one ship to staie at Cales, nor victualls for the
garrison for 2. moneths. And therefore I was forced to leaue Cales, and did
not choose to abandon it.

The third obiection we haue to aunswere is, whie we did not lie for the
carricks and Indian ships, seing we were on the coast the verie time that
is thought fittest for their intercepting and vsual of their retourne. In
which I must first cite the testimonie of all our commanders by land and
sea, that when we had in our retourne from Cales doubled the Cape St.
Vincent comonlie called the South Cape, I vrged our going to th' Islands of
Ozores, founding my selfe vpon these reasons: first, that it was more
certaine