page_title: Azores Voyage of 1589
section_title: Faial
hierarchical_section_title: Azores Voyage of 1589 / Expedition / Faial
caption_attribution_description: English: The walls of the Fort of Santa Cruz, Angústias, Horta (Azores), Portugal Português: Muralhas do Forte de Santa Cruz, cidade da Horta, ilha do Faial, Açores, Portugal
context_page_description: The Azores Voyage of 1589, also known as Cumberland's Third Voyage, was a series of conflicts in the Azores islands between August and September 1589 by an English military joint stock expedition led by George Clifford, 3rd Earl of Cumberland, during the Anglo–Spanish War. All the islands were attacked either for provisions or the attainment of Spanish and Portuguese prizes. A number of Portuguese and Spanish ships were captured and also included a battle at Faial which resulted in the capture of the fort and the main town, which was subsequently sacked and burned. The English were able to return home unmolested with a total of thirteen prizes - the expedition was a success and with a good profit for the investors although many lives were lost to disease and storms.
  The expedition was also a scientific one in that the eminent mathematician and cartographer Edward Wright carried out navigational studies that, for the first time, explained the mathematical basis of the Mercator projection.
context_section_description: On 6 September 1589 the English fleet arrived off Horta harbour in Faial. The Forte de Santa Cruz which dominated the harbour was approached under a truce and a surrender was demanded, but the Governor of the place refused saying that their "oath and allegiance lay to King Philip of Spain". After this was done 300 English troops descended on the beach of Lagoa, launched an attack on the port then swiftly attacked the village, sacked the buildings and forced the residents to flee into the interior. For four days they plundered the possessions of the inhabitants, in addition to demanding a ransom of 2000 ducats. This eventually was paid by the authorities, mostly with the silver of the churches whose buildings were not spared by the destructive fury of the Englishmen. When they attacked the fort, the building was defended by less than fifty Spanish and Portuguese soldiers and was quickly overwhelmed after some resistance. The Governor Diego Gomez was however given a safe conduct by Cumberland personally. Fifty-eight pieces of iron ordnance were also captured and taken away and the platform on which they had stood was demolished, and the buildings within the fort were burned down.
  After gathering booty the fleet sailed to the nearby island of Graciosa whereby an attack was then made. The Portuguese villagers however immediately produced a flag of truce and some sixty tons of wine, and fresh food was brought out to the fleet, after which they then set sail from the island. By this time however a Spanish treasure feet had just entered Terceria and Cumberland not realising had missed them whilst being at Graciosa.
caption: Forte de Santa Cruz present day in which Cumberland took by assault
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