set purposely alight
and filled with explosives. When the galleons tried to move further up
the bay, British troops on shore raked them with musketry, and
prevented the attempts to put some of the treasure on land. The lofty
treasure ships, their huge citadels rising fore and aft, and gay with
carving and gilt, burned like so much tinder.

The English had no desire to destroy these golden prizes, and as soon
as the French fleet had been annihilated, every ship burned, sunk,
captured, or driven ashore, heroic efforts were made to save the
galleons still unharmed, "whereupon Don Manuel de Velasco, who was not
wanting in courage, but only in good fortune, ordered them to be set on
fire.... The enemy saw the greater part of the treasure sunk in the
sea. Many perished seeking for riches in the middle of the flames;
these, with those who fell in the battle, were 800 English and Dutch;
500 were wounded, and one English three-decker was burnt.
Nevertheless, they took thirteen French and Spanish ships, seven of
which were men-of-war, and six merchantmen, besides some others much
damaged and half-burnt. There fell 2000 Spaniards and French, few
escaped unwounded.

"The day after the bloody battle, they sent down into the water a great
many divers, but with little result, for the artillery of the city
hindered them. So setting to work to embark their people, and covering
their masts with flags and streamers, they celebrated their victory
with flutes and fifes. Thus they steered for their own ports, leaving
that country full of sadness and terror."

It was a prodigiously destructive naval engagement, the costliest in
point of material losses that history records. The victors got much
booty to take home to England and the Netherlands, and were handsomely
rewarded for their pains. Sir George Rooke carried to London the
galleon _Tauro_ which had escaped burning, and she had a mighty freight
of bullion in her hold. Of this ship the _Post Boy_ newspaper made
mention, January 19, 1703:

"There was found in the galleon unloaded last week abundance of wrought
plate, pieces of eight, and other valuable commodities, and so much
that 'tis computed the whole cargo is worth L200,000."

All records of that time and event agree, however, that the treasure
saved by the allied fleet was no more than a small part of what was
lost by the wholesale destruction of the galleons, and chiefly
interesting to the present day are the most re