The seamen and soldiers of the great
armada greeted him with enthusiastic shouts of delight as he bade them
remember in whose cause it was that they fought. The last of the
Knights-errant must have made a brave show as he passed down that line four
miles in length, the sun shining on his damascened armour, and his yellow
curls streaming out from beneath his helmet.
Soon after sunrise the Turkish fleet was descried sailing towards the
Christians, in such apparently overwhelming force that several of the
Spanish commanders represented to Don John that it would be imprudent to
risk a battle. To his honour be it recorded that he replied he had come out
to fight the Turks and that the time for talk was now over. He then hoisted
all his banners, and the executive signal for the combat to begin was given
by displaying at his mainmast head the sacred banner blessed by the Pope.
As this standard floated out upon the breeze there went up a great shout in
unison from all that were under the command of Don John. The scene of the
combat was that area of the Ionian Sea which is enclosed on the east by the
coasts of Albania and Morea and on the west by the islands of Ithaca and
Cephalonia, Just to the northward, at the entrance to the Gulf of Arta,
sixteen hundred years before had been fought the battle of Actium between
Antony and Octavius; the same spot had witnessed, in 1538, the memorable
battle of Prevesa between Andrea Doria and Kheyr-ed-Din Barbarossa.
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