"No! not yet!" The English tacked, returned, fired again, riddled the Spaniards, and shot away in the eye of the wind.

To the astonishment of the Spanish Admiral, the English ships approached him or left him just as they chose.

"The enemy pursue me," wrote the Spanish Admiral to the Prince of Parma; "they fire upon me most days from morning till nightfall, but they will not close and grapple, though I have given them every opportunity." The Capitana, a galleon of 1200 tons, dropped behind, struck her flag to Drake, and increased the store of the English fleet by some tons of gunpowder.

Another Spanish ship surrendered, and another store of powder and shot was rescued for the destruction of the Armada.

And so it happened throughout, until the Spanish fleet was driven to wreck and ruin, and the remaining ships were scattered by the tempests of the north.