Page:A History of the Knights of Malta, or the Order of St. John of Jerusalem.djvu/640

604 in the narrowest part of the channel, so that the Turks could not come forth without accepting the battel which was offered.

“At the beginning the Captain Bassa raised two batteries upon land on both sides the river, the one on the part of Natolia, the other on the part of Grecia, thinking thereby to oblige our ships and galeas8es to forsake their station, and o facilitate their own going forth. The courage of the Venetian resisting their shot with undaunted boldness rendered the advantage they had taken unprofitable, whereupon the Captain Bassa, who had express order to attempt going out, upon the 26th of the same month in the morning, favoured with a pleasant north wind, made all his greatest ships to advance in good order, but, whether they durst not expose themselves, or for what other reason is not known, they withdrew behind the point of Barbiera, and thither also the Captain Bassa repaired with his galleys.

“About ten of the clock it pleased God to send a small north west wind which occasioned the Venetian navy to more, and the honorable Eleazer Mocenigo (who having finished the charge of a captain of a galley would needs continue with the fleet as a volunteer, and commanded the left wing) found means to advance with the Sultana of St. Marke, wherein he was, and passing beyond the Turkish fleet, endeavoured to hinder its retreat, keeping the mouth of the channel, and fighting valiantly.

“The battel being thus begun, the captain general, Laurence Marceilo, accompanied with the general of Malta, came up, intermingling with the rest of the Venetian commanders and vessels, fell to it pel mel. After the Turks had used their utmost endeavour to avoid the fight, being hemmed in by the Venetian fleet, and having no place left to escape, they were forced to fight, with the more eagerness because they had lost all hope of making a retreat, and so commended their safety to the conflict, whereby they gave means to the Venetians the more to exalt their triumph and glory over their enemies, all the enemy being totally routed by the sword, by fire, and by water, the captain Bassa only saving himself with fourteen galleys, which hath crowned the republick with one of the greatest victories that ever was heard of in former times.

“The number of the enemies’ dead cannot be known nor din-