THE FLIGHT OF ANDREA.
Andrea not being able to reach Genoa from Sharshal, entered a large river in Spain, and thence demanded from Genoa three thousand men, and a supply of gunpowder and arms. These the Genoese had already forwarded in two large ships to the place where he was lying. The storm however drove them to Khair-ad-din’s place of rendezvous, and one morning one of them passed near his fleet, which, immediately the sail appeared, weighed anchor, and ten vessels proceeded to attack her; when, after a fierce combat, she was taken and brought into port. A few hours afterwards the other ship also made her appearance; but owing to the approach of evening was too late to enter the harbour, and remained out at sea. That night therefore they did not molest her; but the next morning, as she was preparing to enter the harbour, Khair-ad-din gave orders to commence an attack upon her from a distance. Senan Reis however disobeyed these orders, and going too near, had a musket-ball aimed at him, and was obliged to return into the harbour; but Khair-ad-din, keeping up a distant fire upon the ship, gradually weakened her; and the infidels on board perceiving she began to leak, threw themselves into the sea, and were immediately made prisoners. The warriors then towed the ship to the shore, where they plundered her, and then sunk the hulk. They then dressed their wounded and buried their dead; first reading over them the prayers appropriated for the funerals of martyrs. This being done, they put all the infidels in chains, and set fire to the ship which they had first taken. Khair-ad-din having obtained from those on board these vessels information respecting Andrea, returned to the Arab shores. Andrea then left the river, and passing through the Strait of Gibraltar, went and lay in the harbour of Seville; whilst Khair-ad-din on his part returned to Algiers.
Some time previous to this the Sultan Soleiman Khan had sent out Mustaffa, one of the chiaoush[27] of the Sublime Court, to obtain information respecting a peace that had been concluded with the king of France, and several other affairs. Khair-ad-din therefore wrote down all the particulars he had been able to obtain, and transmitted them by Mustaffa to the Porte. About this time also the son of Khair-ad-din, Hassan Beg, (who by his mother’s side was descended from the Prophet,) with some other reises, made two expeditions to Teiomlek, and took immense booty.