torious, the Genoese will certainly have enough on their hands, with
repairing damages and securing prisoners, to think of setting off in
chase of a ship like ours."

"That is true enough," the captain agreed, for he was indeed as anxious
as Francis and Matteo to witness the struggle.

The vessels on both sides were under canvas, for it was impossible to
row in such a sea. As soon as they approached each other, both fleets
broke up, and the vessels each singling an opponent out, the combat
began. It was a singular one, and differed widely from ordinary sea
fights of the time, in which the combatants always tried to grapple
with their enemies and carry them by boarding. This was almost
impossible now, for it seemed that the vessels would be dashed in
pieces like eggshells were they to strike each other. Clouds of
missiles were poured from one to the other. The archers plied their
bows. Great machines hurled javelins and big stones, and the crash of
the blows of the latter, against the sides of the ships, sounded even
above the noise of the wind and waves, and the shouting of the
combatants. As for the cannon with which all the galleys were armed,
they were far too cumbrous and unmanageable to be worked in such
weather. Sometimes one vessel, lifted on the crest of a wave while its
opponent lay in a hollow, swept its decks with terrible effect; while a
few seconds later the advantage was on the other side.

For a long time, neither party seemed to gain any advantage. Great
numbers were killed on both sides, but victory did not incline either
way, until the mast of one of the Venetian galleys was struck by a
heavy stone and went over the side. She at once fell out of the line of
the battle, her opponent keeping close to her, pouring in volumes of
missiles, while the sea, taking her on the broad side, washed numbers
of her crew overboard. Her opponent, seeing that she was altogether
helpless, left her to be taken possession of afterwards, and made for
Pisani's galley, which was distinguished by its flag at the masthead,
and was maintaining a desperate conflict with the galley of Fieschi.

The admiral's ship was now swept with missiles from both sides, and
when his adversaries saw that his crew was greatly weakened, they
prepared to close, in spite of the state of the sea. If Pisani himself
could be captured, there would remain but seven Venetian ships to the
nine Genoese, and victory was certain.

The captain of the Bon