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The Coppye of a letter, whichDon Bernaldino Delgadillo de Auellaneda, General of the king of Spaine his Armie, sent vnto DoctorPeter Flores, President of the contraction house for theIndies, wherein hee maketh mention of the successe of the English Armie, after they departed fromPannama, wherof was GeneralFrances Drake, and of his death.
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FRomCartagena,I gaue relation vnto you, how I departedfrom the Cittie ofLisbone,in the pursuite of the Englishe Armie: although for the great hast the Gallions could not be so wel repaired as was needfull, and with foule weather one was lost, and a Fly-boate was burnt, and hauing sayled many daies in pursuite of the enemie, vntill I arriued atCarthagena,whereas hauing taken the aduise ofDon Pedro de Acunia,Gouernour of the Cittie, and Captaine generall; for wee had great neede of water, and to repaire our Shippes, we stayed in that port, wheras I had intelligence by anIndian,thatFrances Drakedyed inNombre de Dios,for verie griefe that hee had lost so many Barkes and men, as was afterwardes more manifestlyeknowne: And hauing giuen you a relation of all that happened hitherto: Now I let you vnderstand, that I left this Port the second of March, and toke our course towards theHauana,where I thought to haue founde the English fleete, & also vsed all the diligence possible: vpon Munday the eleauenth of the said Month, about two of the clocke in the afternoone, at the issue of the Isle ofPinas,in the entrance ofGuaniguanico,I met with the English fleete, being fourteene verie good Shippes, I drew towards them although they had the winde of vs, & our Admirall who bore vp towardes the winde, with other two Shippes began to draw neere them, and although we set thus vppon them, three timeswith all their Shippes, yet would they not set againe vppon vs, and those of our men which were farthest off cryed to them amaine, being both within shot of Artillerie, Muskats and Caliuers, whereby they receiued euident hurt by vs: They shot off now & then at vs, and especially their Admirall, and seeing our resolution how sharpe we were bent towards them, they with all expedition and speede possible prepared to flie awaie, hoysing Sayles and leauing their Oares for hast in the Sea: but I followed them, with nine Shippes all the night following, and with fower more the next daye, till I made them doubleSaint Antoniespoint, and so I tooke the course towardsLa Canet de Bahamet,accordingto the instructions from his Maiestie: It little auailed vs to bee seene, with lesse number of Shippes, neither yet all the diligence we could vse, could cause them to staye or come neere vs, nor to shoote off one Hargabush or peece of Artillerie, for they fled away as fast as they could, and their Shippes were wel diminished, and that the best parte of them, the rest they repaired in the portBella,whereas they were about fourtie daies before, and so by that meanes they were all well repaired, and our Shippes verie foule, because the time would not permit vs to trimme them: I haue sailed two Monethes and a halfe in the Shippe called theCapitana,sithence we departed fromCarthagena,we haue not repaired their Pumpsnor clensed them: And the same daie I departed thence, my Shippes were all foule with Barnacles, our Admirall and the rest of our Shippes haue the like impediment, but no great hinderance vnto vs for ought I could perceiue by our enemies: It is manifest what aduantage they had of vs, and by no meanes was it possible for vs to take them, vnlesse wee could haue come to deale with them with fire and sworde. Neuerthelesse they left vs one good ship behind for our share, wel manned, which tolde me that theDrakedyed inNombre de Dios,and that they haue made for Generall of the English fleete, theColonell Quebraran,and also by meanes of the small time being streightly followed by vs theyhad no opportunitie to take either water, woode or flesh, and they are also in such bad case, that I know not how they will bee able to arriue inEngland,the number of men we haue taken are about 140. and 15. Noble Captaines of their best sort, and some of them rich, as well may appeare by their behauiour: I haue no other thing to write at this time. Our Lord keepe you who best can, & as I desire. From theHauanathe 30. of March. 1596
Don Bernaldino Delgadillode Auellaneda.
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THELicenciat Don Iohn BarmudesofFigueroaLeiuetenant of the Assistantes of the Cittie ofCyuill, and the prouince thereof, who doth supplie the Office of the Assistauntin the absence of the Right Honourable theEarleofPriego. Giue license toRoderigo de Cabrierato Imprint the Relation of the death ofFraunces Drake, which onely he may doe for two Monthes, and no other to Imprint the same within the saide terme, vpon paine of ten thousand Marauedis for his Maiesties Chamber. Giuen inCyuillthe 15. of May. Â 1 Â 5 Â 9 Â 6.
The Licenciat Don Iohn Bermudes ofFigueroa.
By his AssigneGregorieGutierrezNotarie.
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THis letter of the GenerallDon Bernaldinosent intoSpainedeclaring the death ofSir Fraunces Drakeand their supposed victorie; was altogether receiued for an vndoubted truth, and sopleasing was this newes vnto theSpaniard, that there was present cõmandement giuen to publish the letter in Print, that all the people of Spainemight be partakers of this common ioy: The which letter Printed inCyuill, bearing date the xv. of May, 1596. came to the hands ofHenrie SauileEsquire who being employed in that seruice for the westIndies, and Captaine of her Maiesties good Shippe theAduenture, vnder the conduct of Sir Fraunces Drake, andSir Iohn Hawkins, Hath caused the said Printed letter to bee translated into English. And that the impudencie of the Spanish Generall may the more plainely appeare, the saidHenrie Sauiledoth answere particularly to euerie vntruth in the same letter contained, as heereafter followeth.