It was a week before the gale abated. Twice in that time attempts were made to leave, but on the fourth day the wind veered north-west and that, blowing directly into the mouth of the bay, made exit impossible. Every attempt was made to keep the fleet at readiness to leave at an hour’s notice. Efforts were even bent towards improving our depleted supplies. Transports which had stood by in readiness with the rest were sent back into Coruna and Ferrol to pick up more biscuits from the ovens of Neda, and supplies requisitioned from Santiago, Lugo, and the surrounding countryside. Soldiers and sailors, who were still going down in numbers with sick ness and fever, were taken ashore and six new companies em barked. The strictest discipline was maintained aboard, not an easy task amid great numbers of idle men; no day passed with out a hanging, and floggings were the commonplace. Perhaps the large number of priests helped to maintain order. I had by chance been present at the Council aboard Ark.Royal when Essex had laid down orders for prayers on the Cadiz expedition and emphasised that ours was in essence a religious undertaking; but that was a light dedication compared to the holy crusade on which this Armada was bent. This was truly a following of the fiery cross, as fervent as those to recapture Jerusalem from the infidel.
Seven days to the day the wind dropped. It dropped in midmorning, and within the hour San Pablo, dressed over all and with its swallow-tailed green pendant fluttering, weighed anchor and left the bay, one ship after another of its squadron following in line. By dusk we were all away.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
So began my journey home.
As we came out of the bay and took a nor’-easterly course the whole great Armada spread out around us. Don Martin led the first squadron flying his green pennant. Close behind him on his larboard quarter always closer than need be, as if pressing him on was Don Diego Brochero flying a yellow flag. Admiral Bertendona with a red pennant commanded the third.
At sunset all the ships of the fleet were ordered to pass before the Admiral’s galleon. As they did so the crew of each ship shouted three times and sounded their trumpets. Then the master asked the watchword for the night and the course he must steer. This done, each vessel fell behind the flagship into its appointed line, and was informed it must not pass ahead of San Pablo again until morning.
It was a wild sunset, and the sea was still rough with the remnants of the storm. I remember looking out and seeing all the galleons about us plunging and tossing to the swell of the sea: their high-coloured hulls and ornamental bows lit and flushed by the sunset, while each wave as it lifted them showed their streaming sides and white underbellies. As the light faded an iron cresses with a flaming combustible inside was lit on the high poop of San Pablo so that all might know the admiral’s ship and follow. Then on each ship the crews assembled and sang a hymn to the Virgin before a painted image of her amidships.
All lights were put out except in the cabins of the officers and gentlemen who were allowed small lamps trimmed with water covered with oil to combat the lurching of the ship; but no candles were permitted for fear of fire.
So I slept wondering if the morrow would bring a return of storm. It did not, and the dawn was kindly and clear. Sunrise brought a fanfare of trumpets, and the whole Armada again came up to salute the Adelantado, San Pablo keeping under easy sail until this was done. Then on every vessel was said a Missa Sicca or dry Mass, with no consecration. The day passed easily and without incident.
But the sealed orders had at last been opened and their message communicated to the rest of the fleet. Destination was Falmouth. If bad weather or battle should separate them, each vessel was to rendezvous in Falmouth Bay. Strict instructions were issued to the soldiers that when they landed, all people in Falmouth Haven must be used well, in all other places the inhabitants would be-put to the sword. Caldes told me San Bartolomeo alone carried 100,000 ducats in treasure, much of it for use in~England for bribery and reward.
A second night at sea, and we had made great progress. All day yesterday we had sighted no vessel. I knew this weather from boyhood; often after the storms of September, October would bring in two or three weeks of golden autumn, light westerly breezes, quiet seas, drifting golden leaves, cows lowing and the smell of wood smoke. From a Spanish point of view all the delays had been worth while.
And my father in his castle must be daily expecting this fleet. Dunned by creditors, cheated by his daughter-in-law, surrounded by a young and numerous family, a renegade and a traitor … what would others in the house do? What would Foster think as deputy keeper of the fort when this fleet began to anchor in the bay? What would Carminow the gunner do when commanded not to fire? On how many people would my father be able to rely to obey his orders? Henry Knyvett of course. And my grandmother, if still alive, would be in this. If the fleet arrived flying English flags and my father pretended to know all about them, his commands to welcome the landing parties would be obeyed out of habit until too late. No one really would have the initiative and the courage to defy him. Hannibal Vyvyan in the other castle might open fire, but he too might be deceived by some false message from Pendennis, and in any event the St Mawes fort could not alone dispute a landing.
I could speculate as to what might happen in a few days from now off the Cornish coast. I could not know and did not know what was happening at that time outside the narrow circle of the invading fleet. I did not know that failure all the way had attended the English adventure to the Azores, so that Essex, disappointed and disheartened, had turned his fleet homewards on the same day as the Adelantado set sail for England and that the two fleets were now on converging courses, though by the nature of the distance involved the English fleet was a week behind. Nor, perhaps, if I had known all this, would I have realised the difference in the conditions of the two fleets: the Spanish for all its many shortcomings fresh in manpower and seaworthiness, eager and alert and ready to fight; the English disappointed and losing discipline, full of sickness after two months at sea, unprepared for battle and only anxious to get home.
I remember my great uncle Henry saying that on one occasion a journey from Dover to Dieppe had taken him eight days.
By the morning of the third day the whole Armada undamaged and unscattered was off Blavat, in Brittany, which meant that in that time we had sailed a full 300 miles. And the weather continued fine and favourable. It had been hoped that Arumburu might have arrived ahead of us, but there was no sign of him.
But conscious that all other things were favourable and that time must be seized, the Adelantado would allow no close communication with the shore. Five pinnaces were sent off, one to summon Admiral Zubiaur with his eight galleys and his 2,000 infantry, the others to bring fresh water and such extra stores as had been gathered against our arrival.
That evening the sun set into a puckered brown scar of cloud. The wind was freshening offshore and the sun was swollen to near double its size. An easterly sky. More often than not it signified continuing fine weather. After prayers Captain Quesada sent for me. With him was Captain Diego Bonifaz, and it was he who addressed me. Now at last the cat was out of the bag.
“All orders are issued. Killigrew. San Bartolomeo supported by San Marcos and twelve lesser ships, win make the initial landing. This should occur on the morning of Thursday next at dawn, if the winds still favour us. Captain Elliot will go ahead of us and should drop anchor off your house in the night of Wednesday after the moon has set. Thus the castle will know when to expect us. Details of the landing will be governed by the state of the wind; but if it continue fair both galleons will anchor in the bay under the castle and I shall land with 600 arquebusiers and musketeers on the sand beach there. To begin, only flyboatswill enter the harbour because I gather there is another castle which may resist. That is correct?”