were.  On the approach of the Meg some shots were exchanged, and as their admiral and vice-admiral displayed their flags, we perceived that some fighting was likely to follow.  Having therefore prepared for battle, we made all haste towards them, always taking care to get to windward, and between ten and eleven o’clock A.M. we came up with them in the Victory, when they all yielded after a slight resistance.  The masters all came on board our admiral, and shewed their several passports from Hamburg, Lubeck, Bremen, Pomerania, and Calais.  They had certain bags of pepper and cinnamon, which they confessed to belong to a Jew in Lisbon, which they had charge of to deliver to his factor in their country; and finding this to be lawful prize by their own confession, the same was taken and divided among our whole company, the value being estimated at L.4500, at two shillings the pound[363].  We dismissed these ships on the 17th of July, but seven of their men, having volunteered as sailors in our fleet, were taken to reinforce our crew.  After this we held on our course for the Azores or Western islands.

[Footnote 361:  Probably that port now called Havre de Grace.—­E.]

[Footnote 362:  Alluding to the Catholic League, then in alliance with Spain, and in rebellious opposition to their lawful sovereign, for the purpose of excluding the king of Navarre, afterwards Henry IV. from the crown of France.—­E.]

[Footnote 363:  Sir William Monson, who gives a short account of this expedition in the Naval Tracts already quoted, says that spices to the value of L.7000 were taken out of these vessels.—­E.]

In the morning of the 1st August we got sight of St Michael, one of the eastermost of the Azores, towards which we made sail all that day; and, putting up a Spanish flag at our maintop that we might not be suspected for enemies, we approached at night to the chief town and road of the island, where we espied three ships and some other vessels at anchor, all of which we determined to take during the darkness of the night.  Accordingly about ten or eleven o’clock P.M. our boats were sent well manned to cut their cables and hawsers and tow them out to sea.  On coming to them, one of the largest of these ships was found to be the Falcon of London, commanded by a Scots pilot who passed her off as his own.  But our men let loose three other smaller ships, which they towed towards us, most of their men leaping overboard and swimming on shore with loud outcries, which were answered from the town, which was all in an uproar on hearing what was going forwards.  The castle discharged some shots at our boats, but being unable to see them by reason of the darkness, did us no harm.  The Scotsman too, to make the Spaniards believe him their friend, fired a few shots in the air.  Shortly after, he and some others came on board our admiral, offering their services.  The three ships brought out were laden with wine and sallad oil from Seville.  The same day our caravel chaced a Spanish caravel on shore, which carried letters by which we learnt that the caraks had departed from the island of Tercera eight days before.