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Bird’s eye view of Callao with fireship attack on Spanish galleon

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Bird’s eye view of Callao with fireship attack on Spanish galleon

Scheyndel, Gilles van

The print shows Callao and its defences. At sea, a failed attack on a Spanish galleon, which took place on 6 June 1624, is depicted: the ship Oranje provides cover fire as a fireship is sailed towards the Spanish galleon. However, the fireship hit a sand bank before reaching the galleon and was destroyed by Spanish fire without doing any damage.

The several ships of the Nassau fleet are spread out over the sea. Some of the ships are not present as smaller fleets were sent off towards the north and south around this time. One of the ships is on its side undergoing repairs near the Isla de Lima (present-day Isla San Lorenzo).

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Sources and literature

Voorbeijtel Cannenburg, De reis om de wereld van de Nassausche Vloot, 1623-1626