THE SEA FIGHT IN the Road of Gibraltar the 25. of April last, betwixt the K. of Spain's Carackts and Galleons, and the Hollandish men of War, reported by a letter written aboard the Holland's Fleet, by a commander in the same, and faithfully translated into English, depiction of ship ΒΆ London printed for john hardy, and are to be sold by Robert Jackson, at the shop under the Royal Exchange 1607. A COPY OF A LETter written out of the Hollandors' Fleet at sea, the fourth of May. 1607. Stilo Novo translated. BEing under the height of 36. degrees, or afore the river of Lisbon upon the tenth of April. our Admiral jacob Van Hemsterk and his counsel determined and fully resolved, to enter into the said river withal our ships to assail and spoil the Caracts & Gallyons lying there, but being certainly advertised that the Carackts were gone and that the Gallyons being 8. or 9 were wholly unrigged & their ordinance on shore, so as it would be two months before they could be ready, the aforesaid resolution was for that time stayed; & the rather for that divers English and French ships coming out of Saint Lucar & Cales, brought us certain news that not long before their coming forth, fifteen Spanish ships of war of Saint Lucar and Cales, had put to sea and were gone to the straits of Gibraltar, being eleven Galleons and the rest smaller merchants ships as then made men of war: Whereupon we resolved to follow and find them out, but the wind being at East, we met a Floshinger called Loy Sailemaker that came out of the straits the 22. of April and showed us that the night before he had been in company with the Spanish fleet, and that in the morning finding himself alone without company, he supposed they had taken their course for Cales for with an easterly wind they might come out of the straits. Upon the 24. of April the wind coming westerly we passed close by the bar of Saint Lucar and Bay of Cales, but could not hear that the Galleons had put in there, for we were resolved to set upon those Gallyons that lay within that Bay: But the same day having otherwise determined we sailed forwards to the straits of Gibraltar intending to find out those Galleons or Spanish Navy and to assail them. Upon the 25 of April coming before the town of Tangier upon the coast of Barbary lying in the mouth of the straits, and finding the Galleons not there, the Admiral sent for his Counsel aboard his ship, where it was resolutely determined, that if the Spanish Navy were in the Bay of Gibraltar they would set upon them, although it were in their own haven and under shot both of the town and Castle, and to end we took order in what sort to assail them, which was first our Admiral with Captain Lambert Hindrickson of Rotterdam being Rereadmirall should set upon and board the Spanish Admiral and our Vice Admiral and Captain Bras of Horn should fight with the Spanish Vice Admiral and so every one in order: At last coming to the Bay of Gibraltar and finding the Spanish army there, presently we began with Gods help to proceed in our resolution in such order as time and place required, where we found 21. ships amongst which were some Frenchmen Emdeners and other Merchant's ships, upon our approach the Spanish Admira'l weighed Anchor and went nearer the town and lay by four other Galleons but the Vice admiral lay still having a board 450. men, as the prisoners after certified us, the Admiral had 100 Caveliers out of the town that voluntarily came aboard to help him although he was well provided of men before, all this notwithstanding and although he had th'advantage of th'ordnance of the town and castles yet our Admiral and Captain Lambert of Rotterdam valiantly boarded him, and the rest of our ships aswell as they could set upon the rest of the Galleons, and also upon the Spanish Vice Admiral; And after we had fought in that most furious assault both with ordinance and forcible boarding their Ships 4 hours or thereabouts by Gods help we got the victory, all the Galleons being spoiled battered and burnt were driven on ground & amongst the rest the Admiral of 800 tonns, called S. Augustine wherein the general called Don john Alveres Davila borne in Astorga was slain, being an old experienced Soldier that had served at Sea in Don john de Austria his time, also the Vice Admiral was slain and the Colonel of the Soldiers and all the Captains of their Navy, the Galleons and the rest of the Spanish ships were presently burnt down to the water, whereof two did drive on shore but so spoiled that they were altogether unserviceable, thi'n signs, streamers and pendants of the Admiral, Vice Admiral and other Galleons we took with us and some other pillage, but by reason of the terrible fire in the Spanish Vice Admiral and other Galleons that were on fire and ran on ground we could not bring any Ships or Ordnance away, for we were in great danger of fire ourselves, & divers of us had work enough to do to quench the fire that had gotten into them, but God of his mercy preserved us. Of all the men in the Spanish army but few escaped, for the Bond of Gibraltar showed as if it had been sowed with Spaniards that leapt overboard, & those that we took confessed that they were 4000 men in the Navy. We took 50. prisoners, one whereof was the generals son called john Alueres Davila Captain of the Gallion called S Augustine. In this fight we lost our valiant General jacob Van Hemsterk, who with an honourable and brave resolution undertook this fight and with the aid of the Vice Admiral Captain Lambert of Rotterdam, and Captain Peter Williamson bravely overcame & by gods help vanquished there enemy. The 26. of April we brought our ships from before the town and castle, for with their continual shooting they did us much hurt, and being without their reach we manned out some of our boats and scent, them to the ships which lay upon the shore, which the spaniards on land perceiving went themselves to set thadmiralls'admirals ship on fire, which lay all shot and torn upon the strand, and so they did that which we meant to have done. In this fight there was at least 8000. great shot discharged and was hardily & furiously fought, being fearful and terrible to behold when the spanish galleons began to burn, especially when fire came to their powder, it showed as if new clouds and lightning had risen out of the sea and mounted into the sky by a sailor called Gouert an English man but gave himself out for one of Embden, that was taken prisoner by the Spanish general and set at liberty upon our approach to be advised and counseled by him what were best to be done: we were advertised that the Admiral would not believe we durst be so bold to board him in the King's Bay or haven, and especially under the shot of the town and Castle of Gibraltar, which contrary to their expectation we made them feel. The Spanish General had certain advice before of our coming how many ships of war we had and with provant ships and Soldiers. Amongst other things that we took we found the kings secret instructions signed with the King of Spain's own hand joel Rey whereby we perceive what unaccustomed tyranny the said King had commanded him to execute and to torment the natural borne inhabitants of the neither lands especially the Hollanders and Zelanders and all their adherents, so that other nations by this commission were not altogether exempted. The 27. of April we set sail and put out of the bay of Gibraltar, and made toward the coast of Barbary, first going to Chuta and entered so far into that bay that they shot at us both from the town and other places of the shore, there the Portugals in great numbers got upon their horses, fearing to be dealt withal as they were at Gibraltar: but because of the unfitness and bad security of the place, we sailed further to the bay of Titnan five Miles from Chuta to rig our ships for that many of them were unfurnished of Boresprits, Masts, Sails, Cordage and other things, and had been shot through and fired in boarding the Spanish Galleons: and coming before Titnan (a place under the Turks and Moors command) we were very welcome unto them; and upon the 28. of April the governor with many Turkish gentlemen came aboard our ships bidding us welcome offering us all favour and friendship he could afford us, and to aid us withal we stood in need off for our wounded men or otherwise: he and all his company and country seeming to be glad of the victory which (by God's help) we had obtained against the Spaniards. The fourth of May at Titnan six miles from Chuta upon the coast of Barbary we new rigged and prepared our ships (which were sore battered) of all necessaries, staying God's pleasure for an Easterly wind to pass the straits, and once again to seek after our enemies, dividing our Fleet into four squadrons, the Admiral being accompanied with seven other ships of war and the like in every squadron. The Admiral Mounsieur Hemsterk that was slain was a very wise and well experienced man, who with great pain, labour and industry had been twice in the could straits of Weygattes, and at the East Indies, where in his last voyage he overcame and took the great rich Carackts coming from Malacho in China, with whom of good will and affection toward him many men ventured their lives in this voyage, as amongst others joris Van Spilberg that hath been both in the East and West Indies and employed in this Fleet as Commisary, and one of the Counsel of war, general captain of the Zealand Soldiers, and diverse other captains. THE Names of the spanish Galleons that were spoiled and burnt with many others, whereof the names are not known. The Admiral S Augustine The vice-admiral nostra Seniora dela vera The rear admiral nostra Seniora madre de dios The S Anna Nostra Seniora de la Regla Nostra Seniora de conception The S Christopher Nostra Seniora de los dolores The S Michael Nostra Seniora del Rosario Nostra Seniora de lo O The S Peter Yours to command. I.U.S.