And after them came vp the Admirall vnder our Lee
also, but he was not able to doe vs so much harme
as the small shippes, because he caried ordinance higher
then they, neither were we able to make a good shot
at any of them, because our shippe was so weake in
the side, that she laid all her ordinance in the Sea:
[Sidenote: The French forsake our men.] wherefore
we thought to lay the great ship aboord, and as soone
as the French Admirall went roome with him, be fell
a sterne and could not fetch him, and after he fell
asterne of two carauels more and could fetch none
of them, but fell to Leeward of them all: and
when he was to Leeward, he kept about to the shoreward,
and left vs, and then we put out our topsailes and
gaue them chase, and both the other Frenchmen kept
the wind, and would not come neere vs, and our owne
ship was a sterne so that she could not come to vs:
and after we had folowed them about two houres to
the seaward, they kept about againe towards the shore,
thinking to pay vs as they went along by, and to haue
the wind of the French Admirall which before ran in
towards the shore, and we kept about with them, and
kept still the wind of them thinking that our Viceadmiral
and the other would haue folowed vs as wee willed them
to do: but after that the Portugall was past
by them, and euery one had shot at vs and our Viceadmirall,
both our Viceadmirall and the two Frenchmen, and our
owne pinnasse left vs in the laps, and ran to seaward,
and we ran still along, and kept the wind of them
to succour the French Admirall, who was vnder all
of their Lees, and when they met with him, euery one
went roome with him, and gaue him the broad side,
and after they cast about againe, and durst not boord
him, because they sawe vs in the weather of them, or
els without doubt they had taken or sunke them, for
three of them which were the smallest went so fast
that it was not possible for a ship to boord them,
and caried such ordinance that if they had had the
weather of vs, they would haue troubled 3 of the best
ships that we had, and as for their Admirall and Viceadmirall
they were both notablie appointed.
When the Frenchman was cleare of them, hee laie as
neere the winde as hee could, and wee followed them
still towardes the shore, and there the Admirall ranne
to Sea after the rest, and left vs all alone:
and when the Portugals perceiued that we were alone,
and gaue them chase, they kept about with vs and we
with them, to keepe the wind of them, and we ranne
still within base shot of them, but they shot not at
vs, because we had the weather of them, and sawe that
they could do vs no hurt: and thus we folowed
one another vntil night, and in the night we lost them,
but as for all the rest of our ships, they packed
on all the sailes that they could and ranne to sea,
and as they themselues confesse, they praied for vs,
but as for helpe at their hands we could haue none.