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 282 DESTRUCTION OF THE GREEK EMPIRE the Turkish fleet. Then suddenly the silence was broken and the Turks showed they were prepared. Their cannon opened fire and Coco's fusta was struck, but without being much damaged. A minute or two afterwards, however, a better aimed shot hit his vessel, going in at one side, and out at the other. Before you could have said ten paternosters she had sunk. 1 The survivors of his crew were swimming with their light armour and in the darkness for their lives. Many perished, and among them Coco himself. Meantime the guns were directed against the ships. The enemy fired from a short distance and Barbaro tells us that though they could hear the mocking laughter of .their foes, they were unable, on account of the darkness and the smoke arising from the cannon and the smouldering cotton and wool of their own ships, to render any assistance. By the time, indeed, the other vessels had come up, the Turks had all their guns in full play and the vessels had enough to do to look after their own safety. Trevisano's ship, as probably the largest of the galleys, was signalled for attack. Two shots struck and went through her. She half filled with water and had to be deserted, Trevisano and most of his men taking to the water to save their lives. Attempt Then the whole Turkish fleet of seventy or eighty fails. vessels put out to attack the other two ships. The Italians and Greeks fought valiantly, probably expecting to be sup- ported by the rest of the Christian fleet, which, however, did not arrive in time to give any aid. The fight was ' terrible et forte : ' there was, says Barbaro, ' a veritable hell ; ' missiles and blows were countless, cannonading continual. The contest raged furiously for a full hour and a half and neither of the combatants could overcome the other. Thereupon both retired. The two ships were not captured, and their crews . had once more maintained the superiority of the Christian ships over a more numerous foe in smaller vessels. 2 1 Barbaro, 31. 2 The account of this attempt to destroy the Turkish ships in the harbour is best given by Barbaro, but Phrantzes and Pusculus are in substantial agreement with him.