Sicily they sepratcd, each proceeding to her port of dcstinaion, and all agreeing to a rendezvous off Zante for the return voyage. When they met again, having learnt that the Spaniards wcrc in search of them, they ppointcd Edward Villiamson, mastcr of the Mcrchant Royal, as their "admiral" or leader, and undertook to obey him. Off Iantelaria, they sighted eleven galleys and two "frigates" (fast sailing vessels), flying the colours of Sicily and bI:fita, places thcn iu the pay nd service of Spain. The "i'rigtes" were sent forward to order the English captMns and pursers to repair on board the Spanish admiral, Don I'cdro de Leyva. The captains and pursers, s a body, refused; but sent supercargo, Mr. :Rowct, who was vcry haughtily received, and informed that the English ships must sur- render at discretion. Rowct, in the name of all, declined, and had no sooner rettu'ncd to his ship than the Spanish admiral fircd a shot; �t o' l whereupon a general en,a,e nent began. After five hours' hot fight, the enemy's vessels, some of which appeared to have suffered badly, made off; nor were they pursued; for the English, who had lost only two men, had no wish to hazard their ships2

Reprisals were, long ere this, of course allowed by the English

government. Sir William Mirason says: "I was then (1585-86 ) a youth ,,f sixteen years of age, and so inclined to see the w,,rld abroad that, with,rot tile knowle,lge ,,f father ,,r mother, I put myself into an action by sea, where there was in culnlmy ,,f ns two snlall ships fitted tbr luen-of-war, that authorised us, by COlunlissi0n, to seize Ul,,n the subjects of the King of Slain. We departed f,'Oln tile Isle of Wight, to which place we returne,l with ,mr dear-bought prize. She was a Biscayher, of three hundred tons, well manned, sufficiently furnished, and bravely defended. s he came kom Grand Bay, in Newfoundland, which, at our first arrival up,,n tile cot of Spain we met with, and (she) refusing to yield to we suddenly boarded, and by consent of all our nlen entcrcd her. But, the waves of tile sea growing high, we were l;,rced to ungral,l,le, and t,, leave ,,up men fighting on board her from eight of tile clock in tile evening till eight in the morning. The Spaniaxls betook thcnselves to their dose-fight, and gave two atteml,ts, by. trains of powder, to blow up her decks on which we were. But we hapl,ily prevented it by fire-pikes. Thns cmtinued the fight till seven in the morning, when tile Spaniards fl.,trod they had so many nlcn killed and disabled that they were tufted to yield. When we came t.o take a view of our people, we found few left alive but could show a wound or shot through their clothes in that fight.. Ve were , woeful spectacle, as well as the Spaniards; and I dare say that in the whole time of tile war there was not .o rare a manner of fight, or so great a slaughter ,f men tm b,,th sides." It was in 1586 that George Clifford, Earl of ('umbefiand, one of llakluyt, ii. P. ii. 285. The year of Johu Davis's departure to search for a N.W. passage. ,See Ghap. X VI.

This vessel, which afterwards hdonged to Sir Geo. Carew, was re-named