|
Spanish Treasure Galleon 1709
The
(1. Galleon
Name) Nuestra Senora de Begona the grandest of the
Spanish Treasure Galleons was on it's maiden voyage. Newly built in the Philippines,
it had two decks,
weighed 900 tons and could blast twelve-pound iron cannon balls from forty
brass guns. It's captain
(2. Galleon
Captain Name) Don Fernando de Angulo had a skilled master
gunner and an experienced crew of 450 men, many of whom were English or
Irish freebooters, with personal stashes of plunder to defend.
The attacking privateers were in three run down and leaky ships with mutinous
crews. They were the Duke, Dutchess and the Marquess. The
privateers could not win this battle they were outclassed in every
respect. Five hundred six-pound cannon balls did little damage to the Begona,
but the wreckage she did was cause for the privateers to pause and
confer aboard the Duke which had taken a direct hit to her powder
room. Following is a piece of the Admiralty report:
'We found (3.
Pirate Captain) Capt. Rogers wounded in ye foot by a Splinter with severall of
his Men blown up with the powder and his Main mast Shot through and found
them
all desirous not to engage the Enemy any farther and we not being able to
Engage her by our Selves so left off the chase. We having 27 Men killed
and wounded and our Foremast shot through the heart in four places our
Mainmast shot through in 2 places, our Mizen mast shot through in 2
places, the whole of our foretopmast shot away with our foretrestle trees
and our Main yard Shot through &c.' |
