THE NUMBER OF THE INFIDELS’ SHIPS.
Andrea Doria had fifty-two galleys; the Venetian general, seventy; the Popes admiral, thirty; and the lieutenant of the Grand-Master of Rhodes, ten. The Spaniards and Portuguese had eighty barges, and the Venetians ten krakas, each of which contained two thousand arms of different sorts, and was equal to fifty galleys. Andrea Doria’s own ship was a huge galleon, with arms and ammunition beyond computation. Besides these there were a few barges from different places; the whole amounting to one hundred and sixty-two galleys, one hundred and forty barges, and three hundred other ships, which, with the small privateers, formed a fleet of upwards of six hundred sail.
The Moslem fleet consisted of only one hundred and twenty-two light galleys. Khair-ad-din having held a consultation, and encouraged his troops, began to make preparations for an engagement. He then lowered the masts, giving strict injunctions to his officers to keep a constant eye upon his movements. The private vessels he ordered to take a position by themselves out of the line, and when they came in contact with the enemy’s ships to fire their bow-guns. The begs, seeing the number of the infidel ships, recommended the landing of the men and artillery. Khair-ad-din however did not consider this advisable; but having afterwards ascertained that the plan of the enemy was to enter the bay of Prevesa by night, he landed his men and stationed his artillery on the shore. The infidels shortly afterwards landed, when he commenced a fire upon them, whilst Mourad Agha, of the line of privateers, Tourghoudjé, Kouzloujé Mohammed, Sadek Reis, and several others, attacked them in the rear, and filled them with terror. Two days after several of the enemy’s light vessels came up to the strait of Prevesa, where the arrogant wretches opened a fire upon the Moslem vessels. The brave and experienced pasha, unable to bear this insolence any longer, beat his drum and cymbals, hoisted his flags, and sailed out of the bay, with the intention of there meeting the fleet of the despicable infidels. Casting anchor about six miles from land, he waited until the rest of the Moslem vessels should join him; and when they were all assembled, and had taken their proper positions, gave a signal, at which each of the hundred and twenty-two ships fired three guns, and coming forward to the attack, the brave Moslems filled the air with their shouts. This struck dismay into the hearts of the infidels, who, as evening approached, weighed anchor and fled towards Corfu. The pasha then returned to his former position. That night, whilst praying for direction, he saw in a dream great numbers of fishes issuing out of the harbour; and rising up at midnight, he sailed in that direction.