The opinion of Don Aluaro Baçan, Marques of Santa Cruz, and high Admirall of Spaine, touching the armie of sir Francis Drake lying at the Isles of Bayona in Galicia, writ∣ten in Lisbon the 26 of October after the account of Spaine in the yere 1585.
THat which it seemeth vnto me, that the English army may doe, if they se••ke to passe vnto the West Indies, and enter into the South sea (as Francis Drake hath done once before) with their thirty ships and galeons, and many pinnesses and shalops with oares, which they haue with them, and 5000 men o•• warre, which they of Bayona thinke to be in the fleete, is as followeth.
* 1.1They may take their course to the riuer of Ienero, which is on the coast of Brasil in 23 degrees to the South of the Equinoctial line. It is an hauen capable of many ships and very safe, where there is water, wood and flesh: and likewise Drake may haue corne of Maiz in a towne two or three leagues from the sayd hauen, which is called S. Vincente.
And because the course is by the Isles of Madera, the Canaries, and Cape verde, he may sacke those Islands, the time seruing him for that purpose.
* 1.2From Bayona to the Isle of Madera, with the Northerne winds which now wil begin to blow, when the Westerne winds be past, which presently doe blowe because that it beginneth to raine on the coast of Spaine, the fleete may run in 6 daies, and from thence to the Canaries in foure,* 1.3 and from the Canaries to the Isles of Cape Verde in eight,* 1.4 which all together make eighteene dayes: and he may stay as much time more as shall serue him to sacke the Islands in.
* 1.5He may saile from Cape Verde to the riuer of Ienero in 40 dayes, which in the whole amount vnto two moneths. So that the fleete remaining all this moneth of October on the coast of Ga∣licia, it may come to the riuer of Ienero in the end of December.
* 1.6At the entry of the bay of the riuer of Ienero there is a flat low Island where a fort may very easily be made, wherin aboue 500 men may be left: and placing his artillery therein, he may keepe the hauen, & the fort wil be able to hold out all assault, because that on the Southwest and North∣east sides are two chanels whereby the ships come into the hauen: wherein Francis Drake may re∣paire his army, and leaue there some people, and depart with so much of the rest as shal seeme good vnto him to enter into the South sea, & go on vpon his voyage to the streight of Magelan,* 1.7 which is 550 leagues from the foresaid hauen, and standeth in 52 degrees & a halfe toward the South, and may enter by the streight into the South sea all the moneth of February, & so may to goe to the citie of Lima,* 1.8 otherwise called the citie de los Reys, which standeth on the sea coast hauing two thousand inhabitants in it. But in respect that they be no warlike people nor exercised in armes, and because the place is open and without fortresse & artillery, he may take and sacke it, and make himself master on the land, & afterward taking those ships which are in that sea,* 1.9 our people can haue no succour of ships out of Spaine, but by the streight of Magelan, which is a long way about.
* 1.10It is also very credible that he will be able to take Panama.
* 1.11If he seeke not to take this course he may deuide his army into two parts, & sacke the Isle of S. Domingo, Puerto Rico, the coast of Tierra firma vnto Cartagena and Nombre de Dios.