Richland beacon., 1881-03-26
THE SPANISH ARMADA.

The King of Spain placed an embargo
upon all English vessels, persons and
property in the ports of Spain. Drake
went out to sea with six armed ships.
and captured San Domingo, Carthagena
and st. Augustine. Philip III. was now
preparing the greatest armament that
the combined navies Of Spain and Port
ugal, of Naples and Sicily, of Genoa and
Venice, could watt across the seas to
crush the arch hereto of England. Rome
blessed the undertaking. Prophecies
had been heard in divers languages that
the year 1888 should be "the most fatal
and ominous unto all estates; and it
was now discovered that England was to
be the object of this great maritime en-
tcrprise. Yet England did not quail.
The whole community became of one
heart and mind.
Drake determined to deal blow at the
heart Of the Spanish project. He sailed
from London with four Queens ships
and twenty-four furnished by the mer-
chants of London. At the beginning OF
April, 1887, the English fleet entered the
harbor of Cadiz and fell upoa the Span
ish ships destined for the invasion of
England Some of them were of the
largest size then known. One was of
500 tons, another of 200, and several
others of 1000 and 500 tons. Drake de-
stroyed 10000 tons Of. shipping. with
their contents. For two nights and a
day he continued his work-scuttling,
rifling. unloading and burning the Span
ish war ships. Before he left $50 ships
we're burning and throwing bright
blaze upon the walls and forts of Cadiz.
On his return to England, Drake capt
ured and destroyed 100 more vessels, ap-
propriating a part Of the cargoes and
taking the crews prisoners. He also
captured large Spanish carrack laden
with cargo Of extraordinary value.
This he also took with him to England.
He confessed that he had done but little,
aud gave the Government warning as to
the enormous power and vast prepare
tions of Spain.
"There would" he said, "be 10000
men under weigh ere long, well
equipped and provisioned, "and England
could not he too energetic in its meas
ures of resistance.
Everything was done by Philip to
make his Armada invincible. He had
spent nearly so. .Ooo ducats on the fleet.
The Pope lent linn 1000 ducats. Be
side what he had spent, he had 1900,
OOO of ducats in reserve. The Armads
consisted of 1876 ships. They were b!
far the largest that had up to that tim'
been constructed. They contained 30,
600 Spanish infantry and sailors, ant
> 2,OoO galley slaves for the purpose o
) rowing the ships when the wind failed
Beside this large army. $4,000 troop
we're in the Spanish Netherlands, read
; TO embark, on given signal, IN aid G
the troops of the Armada. Such wa
the force which the English sailors ha
to combat.
Before the Armada sailed, the Pope
Se1tus v, Illuminated his bull. He d'
uounced Elizabeth as an illegitimate an
: usurper, and solemnly conferred he
kingdom on Philip, with the title OF IL
;, fender of the Christian faith. "
have and to hold as tributary and feu'
=. atory to Rome"
|. Everything was now prepared for Il
. subjugation Of England, and the INV
Y cible Armada set sail. The first shil
. were sighted of the Lizard on the 22d
}" July, 1883. They had long been look'
n for. The beacon.fires blazed forth fro
70 the Lizard to Falmouth, Dodman Poir
lGribbin Head and Ramc Head. VIII