ATTACK OF KHAIR-AD-DIN UPON THE VENETIAN ISLANDS.
The royal fleet leaving Cephalonia proceeded to Motone, where Khair-ad-din chose sixty vessels, with which he remained at sea, Lutfi Pasha returning with the rest to the Porte. Khair-ad-din first touched at Cerigo, whence he went to an island called Egina, which was a strong fortress. To this, having prepared his artillery, he laid siege, and after three days’ fighting, succeeded in capturing it on the fourth day, when he took four thousand eight hundred prisoners, besides considerable booty. He then went to an island called Merted,[39] which he also took, and carried off twelve hundred prisoners. He next proceeded to the island of Bara (Paros), which the infidels defended with great obstinacy for some time: but it was at length taken at the point of the sword, and yielded much plunder. On his going against Naksha (Naxia), the infidels came out and agreed to an impost. Khair-ad-Din’s men with his permission then went and plundered an island in the neighbourhood, and returned with great spoils. The victorious pasha then attacked another island, and in fourteen days took three of its castles and made eleven thousand prisoners. Having done this, he bound down these six islands to pay an annual tribute of five thousand pieces of gold. In the course of this expedition Khair-ad-din collected cloth, money, a thousand girls, and fifteen hundred boys—plunder amounting in all to the value of four hundred thousand pieces of gold: such at least was the calculation of his wealth. He then returned to Constantinople.