Requesens was sent
to Genoa with twenty-four galleys to embark a detachment of an army corps
then stationed in Piedmont. Each galley embarked one hundred and fifty
soldiers; they then got under way and reached the island of Hyeres, where
they anchored, the weather being too bad to proceed. At the end of their
eighth day in port a number of vessels were seen flying to the eastward
before the wind; it was a squadron of Genoese.
Requesens, who was no seaman, was furious. Here were the Genoese at sea,
and he wasting his time in harbour; if they could keep the sea why could
not he, he demanded? He instantly ordered the anchors to be weighed. The
commander of the Tuscan galleys, of which there were ten in the fleet,
immediately went on board the galley in which Requesens was embarked and
represented that the wind was foul and that should they leave their
anchorage they could make no headway once they got clear of the land. But
Requesens was obstinate: "if others can go on their way it is shameful that
I should not proceed on mine," he protested. Alfonso d'Aragona argued with
him in vain, representing that his master, the Duke of Tuscany, would hold
the Grand Commander responsible for damage to his galleys. It was all in
vain, as the Grand Commander was too arrogant and stupid to listen to
advice from anybody. The fleet put to sea and struggled out a mile from the
land; when they got thus far Requesens discovered his mistake and regretted
that he had not taken the advice of the mariners; but it was now too late,
they had drifted to leeward of their anchorage and could not get back
again.
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