What was to be done?  Hawkins had a hundred negroes still to sell.  But it was four hundred miles to Mexico City and back again; and a new Spanish viceroy was aboard the big Spanish fleet that was daily expected to arrive in this very port.  If a permit to sell came back from the capital in time, well and good.  If no more than time to replenish stores was allowed, good enough, despite the loss of sales.  But what if the Spanish fleet arrived?  The ‘King’s Island’ was a low little reef right in the mouth of the harbor, which it all but barred.  Moreover, no vessel could live through a northerly gale inside the harbor—­the only one on that coast—­unless securely moored to the island itself.  Consequently whoever held the island commanded the situation altogether.

There was not much time for consultation; for the very next morning ’we saw open of the haven 13 great ships, the fleet of Spain.’  It was a terrible predicament. ’Now, said I, I am in two dangers, and forced to receive the one of them....  Either I must have kept out the fleet, which, with God’s help, I was very well able to do, or else suffer them to enter with their accustomed treason....  If I had kept them out, then there had been present shipwreck of all that fleet, which amounted in value to six millions, which was in value of our money L1,800,000, which I considered I was not able to answer, fearing the Queen’s Majesty’s indignation....  Thus with myself revolving the doubts, I thought better to abide the jut of the uncertainty than of the certainty.’  So, after conditions had been agreed upon and hostages exchanged, the thirteen Spanish ships sailed in.  The little island remained in English hands; and the Spaniards were profuse in promises.

But, having secretly made their preparations, the Spaniards, who were in overwhelming numbers, suddenly set upon the English by land and sea.  Every Englishman ashore was killed, except a few who got off in a boat to the Jesus.  The Jesus and the Minion cut their headfasts, hauled clear by their sternfasts, drove back the boarding parties, and engaged the Spanish fleet at about a hundred yards.  Within an hour the Spanish flagship and another were sunk, a third vessel was burning furiously, fore and aft, while every English deck was clear of enemies.  But the Spaniards had swarmed on to the island from all sides and were firing into the English hulls at only a few feet from the cannon’s mouth.  Hawkins was cool as ever.  Calling for a tankard of beer he drank to the health of the gunners, who accounted for most of the five hundred and forty men killed on the Spanish side.  ‘Stand by your ordnance lustily,’ he cried, as he put the tankard down and a round shot sent it flying.  ‘God hath delivered me,’ he added, ’and so will He deliver you from these traitors and villains.’

The masts of the Jesus went by the board and her old, strained timbers splintered, loosened up, and were stove in under the storm of cannon balls.  Hawkins then gave the order to abandon ship after taking out what stores they could and changing her berth so that she would shield the little Minion.  But while this desperate manoeuvre was being executed down came two fire-ships.  Some of the Minion’s crew then lost their heads and made sail so quickly that Hawkins himself was nearly left behind.