foremaste and spieron of the galliasse one, and a berth off from them somewhat afterwarde on eache bowe a culverin, and next above over them a two culverins, all which six peeces shooteth dyrectly right forward on, as a gallie dothe. Then above them are six other peeces of smaller sorte, to shoote soundry wayes at their pleasure; also along on each syde in one tiere twelve peeces or there aboute of dyvers sortes, to saye betweene every two oares a peece; allso in the starne four peeces; to weete, in the lower portes two culverins, and above them two demy culverins, and on each quarter a peece of lesser sorte shooting in a manner right aftward on, and of muskett and caliver sufficient: which galliasses with others, taking the seas, were by forceable stormes of reboystrous winds dispersed and driven backe againe, every one seeking where he might best finde porte for his safety; in which distresse, the sayde galliasses passed as well and as safely as any others, with out the losse of any of them, althoughe some other of their company, by reporte, passed harde ynoughe. After which storme seaced, they put their fleete in order and again tooke the seas, dyrecting their course towards England as before, with the saide galiasses amonge. Which fleete being come to the narrowe seas of England, and entring the same, were by her Majesties navie wellcomed with the vallure of woorthy men and geven fight, where then appeared; as I was credibly enformed by the reporte of dyvers Englishe men, serving in oure own navie, that the saide fowre galliasses made the moste answere, and offer of fight against us that was made, wherby they shewde them selves to be shipps of warrlyke force; for they having the vauntage by their wares, might leave 3 leave and take at their pleasure, and by reason therof did often tymes issue foorthe of their squadrons, as I maye terme it; as well to reskewe their fellowes sometymes distressed, as allso to geve charge uppon some of ours, and then at their pleasure retyred in againe. But, thankes be to God, both they and all the rest of them were mett withall in an other manner then they supposed, and had such rewarde geven them for their paines taking, in cominge hether, as they will remember it as long as they live. Thus contynewing fight divers dayes along the seas till they came to Black Neshe, besyde Callis, uppon the French syde, where they ankered, supposing to have joyned with the Prince of Parma his fleete, and the rest of their confederates; but wee, with a politique devyce of fyre woorke* sent among them in the nighte, put them from their grounde tackell, and so dispersed them asounder from their close order of keeping together; at which tyme they loste as it was supposed, 200 ankers, and 200 cables at the leaste; in which dismaye, the next daye her Majesties navie with the vallure and noble minde of the Lorde Adanirall, the courage of hardy captaines, and redy good will of the maryners, soldiers, and gonners, gave them such a charge as put them all to flighte, and chased them from our coaste, to their greate losse, detryment, ruine, and spoyle; as some sounke, some dryven a shoare, some torne, some beaten, some battered, and some taken. Thus, to their shame and greate dishonor, they fled and passed northewarde from us towardes Scotland, to the oute isles of the same; aud from thence to Ireland, uppon the northe parte therof; where meeting with tempestuous stormes of contrary • Or fire-ships, first used to annoy the Spanish Armada. windes, windes, were driven uppon the rocks and drowned; saving some fewe which escaped in to the greate occean, among which also was two of the galliasses, taking their parte with the rest, where after long tossing and tombling, one of them broke and loste her roother, by which meanes shee was forced to put into the narrowe seas, where once before shee had binne, and keeping close along the coaste of Fraunce, recovered the porte of Newchavon for their safetie; and the other, after long travaile, safely recovered the coaste of Spaine. So heere it appeareth by all these reasons, that they are not only sufficient and able to brooke the seas, as well as others, but are of warrlike service; which considered, causeth me to wishe that her Majestie had a coople newe builte, althoughe nott so long, nor so greate, as the Spanishe galliasses were, as I doubte not, but the conning skill of her Majesties shipp wrightes, woulde frame them in a much more better order then they; and as I have wished, so I woulde wee had them; and the rather, for that they have dooble that another shipp hathe, for they having sayles and oares bothe, have a greate advauntadge over other, for with ther oares in tyme of calmes or calme wether, they can goe from their enemyes that chasse them, and following a chasse them selves, shalle the sooner obtayne their purpose. Allso, they maye rowe to windwarde of the enemye, wherby they shall not onely save themselves from harme in tyme of daunger, but gett the advauntadge of their enemye to anoye him; therfore to sayle and rowe bothe, with shipps of such boorden as is able to carry the cannon culverin and such lyke, in my judgement is an excellent good thinge. As for exsample, when Sir Frauncis Drake was at the baye of Cales in Spaine, wher finding dyvers shipps of the Kings of Spayne's, provyded for his warrs, he sett them on fyer; but the gallies which had oares rowed awaye from him, that he coulde neither take, nor burn any of them, and so escaped they that daunger., Thus have you heard thadvauntage by the oare, and conserning such as shoulde be apointed to rowe in the said galiasses: yf my minde might be allowed therin, then woulde I thinke that among the nomber of watermen, occuRying the ryver of Thames, might be founde an apte and meete companye for the purpose, whoe, as I have often heard, be not so fewe as XX. C. men, one with an other; to saye barge-men, tylte boate-men, wherrymen, ferry-men, skullers, fishermen and such lyke, as well eastewarde as westwarde of the saide ryver, who dayly frequenteth and occupyeth them selves in rowing with the oare, and so live by the same. Therfore, as before I have saide, from among them might well be taken 200, 400, or more, for the service of her Majes tie, as often as occasion shoulde requyre. And as for gallie, galliotta, foyste, frygatt, or brigantyne, I heere speake not of, for that our long rowing pinnasses, in my judgement, for our service and seas are more conyenyent." "Arming of warrlyke shipps," is next very minutely described, and also "the perticuler arming of a galliase;" which rendering the account of that vessel complete is transcribed to the end. "Heere by the waye it is to be remembred and considered, that betweene the arminge of a shipp and a galliasse, althoughe bothe shoulde be of one bourden, yet would ther be some difference; as for exsample, a shipp of 600 tonns, after the order prescrybed, having to to him assygned 00 men, of maryners, gonners, and soldiers: so yf I shoulde lyke wyse alowe to a galliasse of the same bourden, as many besyde them that shoulde rowe, the nomber wil be too greate for the galliasse; having twenty oares on a syde and five men at every oare, woulde demaunde 200 men more then a shipp of the saide bourden, and so wolde the nomber be 600 men, which woulde growe chargeable. I have therefore thought it good, as well for the avoyding of charges, as preserving the men in better helthe, to alowe to a galliasse of 600 tonns, but as a shipp of 45 tonns; that is to say co men; three parts of which, being 225, to be maryners, and gonners; and one fowrthe, being 75, to be soldiers; and the halfe of the whole companye, being 150, to bee shott, which being devyded after two musketts to every caliver, amounteth to 100 musketts and 50 calivers; apointing to every of the 75 soldiers his muskett, and to;, to be taken out of the whole companye of the maryners, other 75 shott; that is to saye, for the saide maryners to occupye 25 musketts and 50 culivers, and thus an ordring of the 150 shott for a galliasse of 600 tonns as declared. Then, adding to them 200 men to rowe, the whole nomber will be 500 men; which 200 rowers, althoughe not assigned to any perticuler weapon, but onely to rowe, yet I knowe that they being right English men and good fellowes, cannot be ydle yf oportunitie serve them, when other men shal be occupyed in resisting or damnefying the enemye. Therfore, I would wishe the galliasses to be well provyded of browne bills, boxe speares, partysanes, pykes, halfe pykes, and good shorte arming swoordes, that every of them maye have of |