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POYAGE TO TERCERA, UNDERTAKEN BY THE COMMANDER DE CHASTE,
GENTLEMAN IN ORDINARY OF THE KING’S BED-CHAMBER, AND GO-
VERNOR FOR HIS MAFESTY OF THE TOWN AND CASTLES OF DIEPPE AND
ARQUIS.
[Tranflated from the French in Tuevenor’s Collection, Vol. LV.]
THE queen dowager being refolved to oppofe the expedition fitted out by the king
of Spain again{t the iflands of Tercera and Fayal, comprifing a great force in readinels
and properly equipped at Lifbon, and the different other ports fubject to him, for the
purpofe of reducing the faid iflands, remaining dependencies of the kingdom of Por-
tugal, and poffeffed by the faid king for five or fix years betore in his right of a {trong
and cunning neighbour: and Don Anthony, elected king of Portugal after the
death of his predeceflor Don Sebaftian, having implored the affiftance of the queen for
a long time in his diftrefled fituation, fojourning for that purpofe, and following up
his entreaties in perfon at the court of the king of France; her majefty promifed to
aid him for a valuable confideration, trufting to the affurances which he gave her of
the ifland of Tercera being able to defend itfelf, with a thoufand French againft the
army of the king of Spain, which he reprefented to confilt of five or fix thoufand men
at moft; {tating further, that there were fix or feven thoufand fighting men belonging
to Portugal on the ifland, commanded by his viceroy the count de Yorrevedros, and
five hundred French, who had {topped there the preceding year 1582, (after the bat-
tle of Mons. Strofly,) commanded by captain Baptifta, an ftalian and fergeant major,
and captain Carles of Bourdeaux. Befides, he informed her majefty that the ifland
of Tercera was eighteen great leagues in circumference, that landing was very dif-
ficult, and that there were no more than three points of accefs, which could with eafe
be fortified.
Her majefty tru(ting to the truth of what his majefty Don Anthony related, gave
the command of nine companies of foot, and of the other French who were upon the
ifland, to the commander de Chalte, conftituting him general, with order to repair to
Tercera, and defend the place. After the faid commander had thanked her majetty,
he moft humbly entreated her to reflect on the importance of the enterprize, which he
did not efteem of moment in refpect to the rifque of his own life, provided he might
be able to give fatisfaction to her majefty; this he confidered difficult to effect, the
voyage being precipitated at the inftigation of a poor and paffionate king, in defpair of
recovering his kingdom of Portugal, of which thefe iflands were all that remained, and
which he was defirous of preferving at the expence of the honour and blood of others,
himfelf without experience of war. The commander entreated permiflion of her ma-
jelty to be allowed to embark alone in a {mall veflel, and to allow a delay until he could
himfelf reconnoitre ‘Tercera, in order to make a perfect report of its ftrength, and the
force it might require for its defence. Her majefty confidered this reprefentation as
reafonable, and agreed to the requeft of the commander; neverthelefs delaying his de-
parture fo long, that fhe was informed of the embarkation of the Spaniards at Lifbon,
and there being ready to fail; which obliged the commander to proceed with all dif-
patch to Havre de Grace with his nine companies, in compliance with his orders, to
go on board, which he effected on the 17th May, 1583. On account of calms and
itorms they had been 24 days at fea, when at the diftance of forty or fifty leagues off
Tercera, he difpatched a floop belonging to his fleet, commanded by Le Sieur Cuffon,
¢o reconnoitre, and fee it the Spaniards had made themfelves matters of it; and fol-
VOL. Is 50 lowing
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