Among those supplies caught by Francis Drake and some by Tom and other ships were barrel staves of about 1600 tons, according to Drake's estimate, sufficient to make barrels for 25,000 tons of provisions and water.
The well-known difficulties of the Armada with its supplies of food and water the following year may be attributed in large part to the destruction of the barrels' staves and hoops. And their probable replacement by unseasoned and therefore bad wood, if in fact this quantity could be all replaced.
King Phillip the II was informed of what had happened in Cadiz and sent a letter to the Duke of Medina Sidonia ordering him out of Cadiz, he was to leave Don Augustin Mexia in charge there, and too busy himself with raising infantry and cavalry to repel the supposed new attack.
The letter most vividly reflects the state of disorganization and confusion to which Drake succeeded in reducing his Spanish adversaries time after time.
When it became apparent that Drake was not going to return to Cadiz, King Phillip and Medina Sidonia began to fear that he might sail to the West Indies again and repeat his destructive raids of 1585 – 1586.
A dispatch was drawn up summarizing the events of the Cadiz raid and the following days.
The dispatch was sent to the governors of Havana, Florida, Cartagena, and Puerto Rico; to the Audiences of Santo Domingo and Panama; to the islands of Margarita and Jamaica and Alvaro Flores, General of the annual American convoys.
It may be that Drake hoped to intercept the American convoy when he left the shores of Spain on 1 June bound towards the Azores.
This he failed to do, but he did catch the great carrack Sno Felipe, bound from Goa to Lisbon, which was valued at 114,000 pounds.
Drake's share was 14,000 pounds.
The queen took 40,000 pounds.
After destroying two merchantmen, and putting to flight two Spanish men of war and the rest of the convoy's merchantmen. Tom turned to the west, he took his ship toward Lagos harbor on the southwest tip of Spain. Sailing near it he sent a boat to a place two miles to the west of the city to spy on its harbor.
The night fell and the sky became full of black clouds, the harbor was still busy, but the boat's crew including the first officer, approached silently the harbor, scouting it, they saw 15 merchantmen busy loading merchandise to take it out in the morning, beside them were 5 men of war preparing to escort the merchantmen out in the morning as a convoy.
Returning to the "Lion" the first officer reported to Tom what he had seen.
Tom decided to raid the harbor at midnight when the weather would become worse.
Telling his officers and the boatswain about his daring plan.
they were amazed at his daring.
"We will sweep and burn one of the men of war and then we will sweep 2 or 3 of the merchantmen on our way out. It will confuse them, they aren't prepared for a sudden attack, then we sail out and wait outside the harbor engaging shipping going out in pursuit.
Put the crew in alert, all the guns manned, and ready to open fire, when I'll give you the signal, we will enter the harbor and do our mission, do you understand?"
They answered "Yes" amazed at the daring boy captain.
They waited excited to midnight, tacking to change direction until midnight arrived,
The harbor quieted as the "Lion" approached the harbor's entrance in the dark.
No guard boat was near it and the "Lion" entered the harbor with some sails, they knew their way after their early scouting.
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The magic yellow stone - book 8 -Tom and Francis Drake fight the Armada - 3.
Historical FictionThe series "The magic yellow stone" tells the story of a 16 years old English named Tom, who had found a magic yellow stone on the ground where he took a sleep, while being om tour to Rome, Italy with his Parents and his sister Helen 15 years old. T...
