They took no
prizes, for they never attempted to board. They saw three great
galleons go down, and three more drift away towards the sands of
Ostend, where they were captured either by the English garrisoned
there or by three vessels sent by Lord Willoughby from Flushing,
under the command of Francis Vere. Had the English ammunition lasted
but a few more hours the whole of the Armada would have been either
driven ashore or sunk; but when the last cartridge had been burned
the assailants drew off to take on board the stores which had,
while the fighting was going on, been brought up by some provision
ships from the Thames.
But the Spaniards were in no condition to benefit by the cessation
of the attack. In spite of the terrible disadvantages under which
they laboured, they had fought with splendid courage. The sides of
the galleons had been riddled with shot, and the splinters caused by
the rending of the massive timbers had done even greater execution
than the iron hail. Being always to leeward, and heeling over
with the wind, the ships had been struck again and again below the
waterline, and many were only kept from sinking by nailing sheets
of lead over the shot holes.
Their guns were, for the most part, dismounted or knocked to pieces.
Several had lost masts, the carnage among the crews was frightful,
and yet not a single ship hauled down her colours.
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