appeared by the blood running from her
scuppers. After this he tacked about, new charged all his ordnance, and
coming round again upon both ships, ordered them to yield or he would
sink them outright. One of them being shot between wind and water, would
have complied, but the other called him a traitor; on which Captain
White called out, that if he also did not presently yield, he would sink
him first. Intimidated by this threat, they both hung out white flags
and yielded; yet refused to strike their own sails, as they had sworn
not to strike to any Englishman.

[Footnote 391: This expression seems to mean, that he forced them to run
below.--E.]

[Footnote 392: That is, bore down upon him.--E.]

He then commanded the captains and masters to come on board the Amity,
where they were examined and placed in safe custody; after which he sent
some of his own men on board both ships to strike the sails and man
them. There were found in both, 126 persons alive, with eight dead
bodies, besides those that had been cast overboard. This victory was
obtained by 42 men and a boy, of whom two were slain and three wounded.
The two prizes were laden with 1400 chests of quicksilver, marked with
the arms of Castile and Leon, besides a vast quantity of bulls or
indulgences, and ten packs of gilded missals and breviaries, all on the
kings account. Also an hundred tons of excellent wine, intended for the
supply of the royal fleet; all of which Captain White brought shortly
afterwards to Blackwall in the river Thames.

By this capture of quicksilver, the king of Spain lost for every quintal
a quintal of silver, that should have been delivered to him by the
mine-masters in Peru, amounting in value to L.600,000. There were
likewise 2,072,000 bulls for living and dead persons, intended for the
use of New Spain, Yucatan, Guatimala, Honduras, and the Philippine
islands, taxed at two ryals each; besides 18,000 bulls at four ryals;
amounting in all to L.107,700: So that the total loss to the king of
Spain was L.707,700, not reckoning the loss and disappointment by the
mass-books and wine.

SECTION XVI.

_Narrative of the Destruction of a great East India Carak, in 1594,
written by Captain Nicholas. Downton_[393].

In the latter end of the year 1593, the right honourable the earl of
Cumberland, at his own charges and those of his friends, fitted out
three ships of equal size and rates, having each the same quantity of
provisions and th