After this the fleet sailed towards Roumelia, and having broken up the heavy sailing vessels at Kuzil Hissar, put into the harbour of Negropont. They then took over the light sailing vessels by night to Kara-Ata, where they oiled their sides, and returned to Negropont to take in provisions. At this time Saleh Reis, who was a most valiant commander, arrived at Negropont with thirty vessels; on which occasion numerous salutes were fired.
THE GRAND BATTLE OF KHAIR-AD-DIN PASHA.
About this time information was received that the Spanish, Papal, and Venetian fleets had assembled at Corfu, and attacked Prevesa; whereupon Khair-ad-din sent twenty small privateers to that quarter, which, on reaching Zante, came in sight of forty guard ships. These latter immediately returned to their fleet and gave information that Barbarossa was in the neighbourhood. The enemy then left Prevesa; which circumstance being made known to Khair-ad-din, when he was near Motone, he took in water at Helomej, and proceeded thence to Cephalonia, where he landed his men and plundered the surrounding villages. Crossing thence to Prevesa, the castle of which had been much injured by the enemy’s cannon, he was preparing to besiege it, when he received reinforcements during the night from Santa Maura. With this assistance he entered the fortress, many of the infidels being slain in the assault: and having planted his great guns, the infidels, exhausted and terrified, left the place.[41] The pasha then ordered his troops to repair the fortress; and in the mean time sent over a few private vessels to the infidel coasts to obtain information. These on their return reported that the Spanish, Papal, Portuguese and Venetian fleets had assembled at Corfu. This intelligence was immediately forwarded to the sultan, who was then on an expedition into Boghdan (Moldavia). About the middle of the month Jemazi-al-avul the fleets of these accursed infidels arrived and anchored about two miles from Prevesa.
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.
ATTACK AND FLIGHT OF THE INFIDELS.
On the third of Jemazi-al-avul, as Andrea Doria was preparing to enter the Gulf of Lepanto, Khair-ad-din sailed to Bahshiler, and having reached that place, he sent men to the mast-heads, who descried masts in the neighbourhood of Santa Maura and the harbour of Ingir. He therefore immediately weighed anchor, and sailed, prepared for an engagement. The infidels observing them, came out to meet them; and the wind being in their favour, the Moslems were overwhelmed with fear, for galleys are not able to compete with barges under such circumstances. Khair-ad-din however wrote two verses of the Koran, and threw one on each side of his vessel; when the wind immediately fell, and the barges lay motionless. This occurrence teaches that commanders, however celebrated, ought not to trust in human means alone, but also to pay all possible regard to spiritual means for ensuring success. The unfortunate infidels, stationing themselves in regular lines, now began to discharge their artillery; which, however, wanted strength to make it efficient. A galleon first came out and opened a heavy fire, but was driven back by the fire of the fleet. Khair-ad-din succeeded in taking several of the barges by attacking them from a distance, and thus gradually weakening them. Andrea Doria and the general having now come up with their galleys, were about to commence an attack, when the brave pasha bore down upon them, and commenced a heavy fire, which obliged them to bring round their barges. The balls from the barges now fell like rain, and the two fleets were so enveloped in smoke, that they could not see each other. The enemy’s galleys several times attempted to take the Moslem vessels in the rear, that so they might take up a position between them and the other ships and barges. The latter, which, from their size resembled floating castles, were dashing against each other with great violence; nor was it possible to separate them. At length, after nine of the barges had been driven back by the strength of the Moslem vessels, the pasha (of lion-like courage) redoubled his exertions, and keeping up a brisk fire, sunk several, and clearing a way through them, passed on to the galleys, strictly prohibiting his men from plundering a single barge. The infidels were astonished, and overwhelmed with terror at the impetus of the warriors: and their small galleys being unable any longer to maintain the fight, they turned their faces to flight. The slaughter continued during the whole of the interval between the two hours of prayer, and most of the barges were either destroyed or sunk by the cannon. Andrea Doria seeing this tore his beard, and took to flight, all the smaller galleys following him. The Moslems, supposing the barges were of less value than the galleys, pursued the latter, and succeeded in capturing two of them.
In the evening the wind fell, which obliged them to remain on the scene of action; whilst the unfortunate infidels set fire to the remaining barges, which continued to burn till morning. Such wonderful battles as those fought between the forenoon and sunset of that day were never before seen at sea.
Next morning the pasha went to Santa Maura, where he gave his son charge of two captains he had taken, and despatched him to the sultan with the news of the victory. He then proceeded to Prevesa, where the begs kissed his hand and congratulated him. Sultan Soleiman Khan was at this time hunting at Ianboli, where the pashas son on his arrival was received with the greatest honors; and a divan being assembled, the proclamation of the victory was read, all present standing, and thanksgiving and praise were offered to the Divine Being. The Capudan Pasha then received orders to make an advance of one hundred thousand pieces of money to the principal officers, to send the proclamation of the victory to all parts of the country, and to order public rejoicings in all the towns.