bert
had fought her three hours singly, two of the Earl of Cumberlands ships
came up, and then they and Sir Robert Crosse carried her by boarding
with very little loss, as Sir Robert by this time had broken their
courage, and made the assault easy for the rest. Having disarmed the
Portuguese, and bestowed them for better security as prisoners into the
other ships, Sir Robert had now time to contemplate the proportions of
this vast carak, which did then, and may still provoke the admiration of
all men not accustomed to such a sight. But though this first view
afforded our men sufficient admiration, yet the pitiful sight of so
many bodies slain and mangled drew tears from their eyes, and induced
them to lend aid to those miserable people, whose limbs were sore torn
by the shot, and their bodies agonized by a multitude of wounds. No man
could almost step but upon a dead carcass or a bloody floor, but
especially about the helm, where many of them had been slain while
endeavouring to steer, as it required the united strength of twelve or
fourteen men at once to move the rudder, and some of our ships beating
in at her stern with their ordnance, often slew four or five labouring
on each side of the helm at one shot, whose places were immediately
supplied by fresh hands, and as our artillery incessantly plied them
with continual vollies, much blood was necessarily spilt in that place.

Moved with compassion for their misery, our general immediately sent
them his own surgeons, withholding no possible aid or relief that he or
his company could supply. Among those whom this chance of war had
rendered most deplorable, was Don Fernando de Mendoca, grand captain and
commander of this mighty carak, descended of the house of Mendoca in
Spain, but having married in Portugal, lived there as one of that
nation. He was a gentleman well striken in years, of comely personage
and good stature, but of hard fortune. In the course of his services
against the Moors he had been twice taken prisoner, and both times
ransomed by the king. In a former return voyage from the East Indies, he
was driven upon the _Baxos_ or sands of _India_, near the coast of
Sofala, being then captain of a carak which was lost, and himself fell
into the hands of the infidels on shore, who kept him in a long and
rigorous captivity. Once more, having great respect for him, and willing
to mend his fortune, the king had given him the conduct of this huge
carak, in which he w