In this historic conflict he was to
show once again how, on the face of the waters, the Sea-wolves were
supreme; as it was he and his corsairs, out of the whole of the Moslem
host, who acquitted themselves with the greatest credit on that day so
fatal to the arms of the Ottoman Turk.
CHAPTER XXII
LEPANTO
How Ali Basha fought at the battle of Lepanto: his subsequent
career--Conclusion.
Lepanto, the last battle of first-class importance in which the Sea-wolves
bore a leading part, is memorable in many ways. It is one of the most
sanguinary which was ever fought, the element of personal hatred between
the combatants, to which we have alluded more than once, being singularly
in evidence on this occasion. As we have said, this campaign was brought
about at the initiative of the Venetians, and an incident which occurred
not long before the battle exacerbated the feelings with which the Turks
were regarded by the Christians to the point of madness. The city of
Famagusta, in Cyprus, had been captured by that Mustafa of whom we heard so
much at the siege of Malta. The Venetian defenders made an honourable
capitulation, but when the four principal Venetian captains were brought
before Mustafa, that general caused three of them to be beheaded on the
spot; the fourth, a noble and gallant gentleman who had been responsible
for the magnificent defence of the city entrusted to his charge, he caused
to be flayed alive in the market-square.
Pages:
352
353
354
355
356
357
358
359
360
361
362
363
364
365
366
367
368
369
370
371
372
373
374
375
376