All day long bells sounded instead of cannons, and instead of powder the smoke of incense rose to where I perched.
Moreover, I could guess, by the merry laughter which now and then came the same way, that their Don-ships were in better heart than yesterday.
Perchance the Duke of Parma was already on his way.
As for the English, they lay quietly in their moorings, sparing powder and shot too, and, as it seemed, ready to wait on the Spaniard for the next move.
Towards nightfall, I seemed to detect a stir in their quarters; and presently some seven or eight moderate sized craft fell out of the line, and, with sails set, bore down our way.

I marvelled very much that if an attack was to be made, it should be left to ill-armed craft like these to make it, while the greater ships hung idle at a distance.

But I supposed it was but a device to take off the Spaniard's notice from something else, and waited curiously to see the result.
They came leisurely towards us, those eight ugly craft, about a cable length apart, steering towards the very centre of our line.

As they approached night fell rapidly.

But still they held on.