New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1861-01-28
An Episode IN the History OF the Great
Armada.

In the immediate neighborhood of Calais. the
flagship of the squadron of galeasses, commanded
by Don Hugo de Moncada, was discovered using
her foresa and oars, and endeayorng to enter
the harbor She had been damaged by collision
with the St. John of Sicily and other ships, during
the nights panic, and had her rndder quite
torn away. She was the largest and most
splendid vessel in the Armada-the show ship of
the fleet, the very glory and stay of the Spanish
navy ~ and during the previous two days she had
been visited and admired by great numbers Of
| Frenchmen from the shore. Lord Admiral How
ard bore down upon her at once, but as she was
| already in shallow water, ard was rowing steadily
| towards the town, he saw that tile Ark could not
follow with safety: So he sent his long boat to
cut her out, manned with fifty or sixty volunteers,
most Of them " as valiant in courage as gentle in
BIRTH" as partaker in the adventure declared.
| The Margaret and Joan, of London, also follow
ing in pursuit herself aground, but the master
| dispatched his pinnace, with a body Of maska-
teers, to aid in the capture of the galeaase. That
huge vessel failed to enter the harbor, and stuck
| fast upon the bar. There was much dismay ON
board, but Don Hugo prepared fasolutey to defend
| himself. The quays of Calais and the line of the
French shore were lined with thousands Of eager
spectators, as the two boats-rowing steadily to-
wardsa galeasse which carried forty brass pieces of
artillery and was manned with 800 soldiers and 450
saves-seemed rushing upon their destruction. OF
these daring Epglishmen, patFicians and pebians
together, in two open pinnaGfs, there were not
more than one hundred in number. all told. They
soon laid themselves close to the Gapitana, far be-
low her lofty sides, and called on Don Hugo to sur
render. The answer was q smile OF GeriSl0n from
the naughty Spanard, as he looked down upon
them from what seemed an inaccessible heighksa
Then one Wilton, eoxswain of the Delight OF Win
ters squadron clambefed mp TO the enemyis deck
and fell dead the same Instant
Then the Fnglish volunteers opened a vciley
uporlsced III their ships said an sales en-
-son, of the Nargaret and Joan. Z. whit Tom
pnnaces and far ander them, had nothing 10
and cover us.n Moreover, the numbers Werssaven
hundred and fifty to one hundred. Bat sheaSBarS
iards still quite disconnected by the events of the
preceding night, seemed under spell. Other
wise it would have been an easy matter for the
great galeasse to annihate such puny antagonists
in very short space of time. The English pelted
the Spaniards quite cheerfnlly, however with ar
quebus shot, whenever they showed Themselves
| above the buwarks, picked off considerable num-
ber and sustained rather severe loss themselves,
Lieutenant Preston, of the Ark Royal, among
Others being seriously wounded. We had a
pretty skirmish for half an hourN said T6msGn.
At last Don Hugo de Moncada, furious at the in
efficiency of his meu and leading them forward in
person fell back on his deck with a bnlet through
both eyes The panic was instantaneous, for mean
time several other English boats-some with eight
ten or twelve men on board--Weres seen pulling
towards the gaeasse, while the dismayed soiaiefs
at once leaped overheard on the land side and
s attempted to escape by swimming and wadiag to
n the shore. Some of them succeeded but the
a greater Ramber were drowned. The few who're
mained.-not more than twenty in'ail--hoistetstE
handkerchiefS upon two rapiers asa signal OF truce
= The iGnglish accepting it as a. signal Of defeaf
scrambled with great difficulty upt the lofty sides
V of the Capitana and for an hO1r and halt oeeu.
0 pied themselves most agreeably in pnndeEsng she
$ ship.