3-043-831 - The Print Collector/Heritage Images

"Drake Taking the Spanish Galleon Capitana, one of the Armada, to Torbay, July 22, 1588", by O. W. Brierly, 1872. Engraving of a watercolour drawing. 'The following passage from Froude's "History of England" describes the incident: "A rolling sea came up from the west, and as evening fell the Capitana, of the Andalusian division, carrying the flag of Pedro de Valdez, fouled the Santa Catalina, and broke her bowsprit. The forestays parted, and the foremast fell overboard, and the ship, hampered by the wreck, dropped behind. [English Admiral Francis] Drake came up with her in the morning; she struck her flag, and he took her with him to Torbay, where he left her to the care of the Brixham fishermen. The prize proved of unexpected value. Many casks of reals were found in her, and, infinitely more important, some tons of gunpowder..." It will be seen that the artist has very faithfully realised the particulars given respecting the condition to which the prize was reduced. No doubt, also, the painter has consulted the best authorities, and accurately rendered the build and rig of the ships respectively, and the relative disproportions of the vast and unwieldy galleon and the small but handy English two-decker'. From "Illustrated London News", 1872.