Richland beacon., 1881-03-26


enemy were in sight, Drake was playing
a game of bowls with his comrades; but
before the evening closed sixty Of the
hest English ships we're warped out Of
Plymouth harbor to meet the foe. They
went down the English channel. 1t was
not until the next day that they. saw
the bulky Spanish ships through the
drizzly haze.
Another day elapsed, and then they
met. As the Armada, followed by the
English fleet. went fighting along the
coast of Devon and Dorset, the people
on land looked on with intense anticipa-
tion. At every little port that they
passed-at Dartmouth, Teignmouth,
Lyme, and Weymouth came out
laden with men and provisions, and lit
tie ships darted ou. to sea, most of them
merchantmen, to take part in the fray.
The Armada reached the bay between
Portland Bill and ST. Adams head,
when the wind shifted TO the northeast,
and gave the Spaniarls the weathergage.
The English made tack seaward, and
were soon after assaulted by the Span
iar,ls, who bore down upon them. Ship
after ship was engaged, but the Span
iards were never able to close with or to
board their overwhelming, everything
adversaries. And so the roar of cannon
assembled along the coast. One fight
after another, but still nothing decisive.
The Armada passed tho Isle of Wight
on its way to the roads of Calais. The
English, having received men and mu-
nitions from shore, followed it slowly.
Lord Howard, commander Of the En-
glish feet, called the commanders to
consultation. 1t was then determined
to attack the Armada. 1t was dead at
night. The sea was black, the thunder
rolled in the distance. In a moment
six blazing fire.ships were sent in among
the Armada. The Spaniards were
seized with a panic. There was yell
throughout the fleet. Every cable was
cut, and the ships began to drift. The
/ larger ships became entangled with
each other. Some were burned by the
flaming vessels. The largest and most
splendid vessel of the Armada. the
Capitana, was driven ashore, and taken
possession of by the French. When
morning dawned, part of the Spanish
fleet lay disabled, but the greater num-
Der had put to sea, and were observed
making for the Netherland ports.
The English lifted anchor andfollowed
them. They came up with the Spanish
feet off Gravellines, and Immediately
attacked them. They broke through
the vanguard, and attacked the Spanish
fagships. They riddled them through
and through, tore their sails and rigging
to shreds, and forced them back upon
the main body. Four of their ships ran
foul of each other. The English cOntin-
ned the battle for fix hours, always re-
fusing the attempts of the Spaniarls to
lay themselves alongside. Three of the
Spanish ships went down before the
fight was over, and many others were
drifting. helpless wrecks, toward the
fatal sandbanks of Holland. Sixteen OF
the best Spanish ships had already been
sacrificed, and from four to five thous-
and soldiers had been destroyed; yet not
an English ship had been lost, and not
more than hundred Englishmen had
been killed.
The wind was now blowing hard, and
driving the ships on lee shore. seeing
which, Medina Sidonia, the Captain
General of the Spanish feet. gave the
order to retreat. The In vincible Arma
da then bore away towaad the north
/ west, into the open sea. The crippled
ships went down one after another
They were scattered far and wide Some
we're wrecked on the rock -girdled coas
of Norway. In trying to reach tn
Western ocean, many of the Spanisl
ships were wrecked on the Shetland ant
Orkney islands, or on the rocks in tn
dangerous tides of the Stronsa and Pent
land firths. The shores of Scotlan
J and Ireland were found strewn wit
wrecks. Few of the Spaniards Wcr
{ left to tell the story only the masses
drifting wood found in heaps upon tn
beach told of the vessels destroyed.
Philip never repeated his enterprise
khe Armada. Samuel Smiles.
NOT INTENTIONAL.
! E;4znna.lle Vas ont AGAIN XOrryinR tt