ence they had
some barks with powder and other ammunition of war, with some Biscuit
and other necessary provisions.

The 30th of August, certain news came from Portugal, that 80 ships had
sailed from _the Groin_, (Corunna) laden with victuals, ammunition of
war, money, and soldiers, bound for Britanny in aid of the catholic
leaguers of France against the king of Navarre. At this time likewise,
two Netherland hulks, when half seas over on their way from Portugal to
Tercera, were met by four English ships belonging to the queen,
commanded by Sir John Hawkins, by whom they were stopped; but he let
them go again uninjured. According to the report of these Netherlanders,
each of these ships carried 80 pieces of ordnance. They reported
likewise, that Captain Drake (Sir Francis) lay with 40 English ships in
the channel, watching for the fleet from Corunna; and that ten other
English ships lay off Cape St Vincent, that if any ships escaped
Frobisher at the islands, they might intercept them. These tidings
greatly alarmed the islanders, lest if the English failed of catching
the Spanish fleet, and got nothing by them, they might fall upon the
islands, that they might not go home empty handed; whereupon they held
strict watch, sending home advice to the king of what intelligence they
had.

The 1st September, there came a Portuguese ship from Pernambuco in
Brazil to the island of St Michael, with news, that the admiral of the
Portuguese fleet from the East Indies, having missed St Helena, was
forced to put into Pernambuco, though expressly forbidden by the king
under a heavy penalty, because of the worms in that haven which greatly
spoil the ships. The same ship, in which was the Admiral Bernardin
Ribero, sailed the former year 1589 from Lisbon for India with five
ships in her company, four only of which got to India, the fifth being
never heard of, so that she was believed lost. The other four returned
safe into Portugal, though the admiral was much spoiled, as he met two
English ships, which fought him a long while and slew many of his men,
yet he escaped from them at last. The 5th of the same month, there
arrived at Tercera a caravel belonging to Corvo, bringing 50 men who had
been spoiled by the English, who set them ashore on the island of Corvo.
They had been taken in a ship coming from the Spanish West Indies, and
reported that the English had taken four other West India ships, and a
caravel having the king of Spains lett