house
that evening, as many of Matteo's comrades on board the Pluto would be
present. On Francis going to the palace he found assembled, not only
the young men who would be Matteo's comrades as volunteers, but also
the captain and other officers of the ship; and to them Signor
Giustiniani personally presented Francis, while Rufino and Matteo did
all they could to ensure the heartiest welcome for him, by telling
everyone how greatly they were indebted to him, and how gallantly he
had behaved on several occasions.

Many of the young men he already knew as Matteo's friends, and by them
he was received with the greatest cordiality; but his reception by the
captain, and one or two of the other officers, was much more cool. The
captain, whose name was Carlo Bottini, was a distant connection of the
Mocenigo family, and was therefore already prejudiced against Francis.
The coolness of the other officers was due to the fact that Francis, a
foreigner and several years junior to themselves, had been placed in
command over their heads.

Chapter 15: The Battle Of Pola.

The squadron, consisting of four galleys, sailed for Cyprus; where
Pisani had just endeavoured, without success, to expel the Genoese from
Famagosta. It was towards the end of August that they effected a
junction with his fleet. Pisani received Francis with great warmth,
and, in the presence of many officers, remarked that he was glad to see
that the republic was, at last, appointing men for their merits, and
not, as heretofore, allowing family connection and influence to be the
chief passport to their favour.

For two months the fleet sailed among the islands of the Levant, and
along the shores of Greece, Istria, and Dalmatia; hoping to find the
Genoese fleet, but altogether without success. In November, when they
were on the coast of Istria, winter set in with extraordinary severity,
and the frost was intense. Pisani wrote to his government asking
permission to bring the fleet into Venice until the spring. The
seignory, however, refused his request, for they feared that, were it
known that their fleet had come into port for the winter, the Genoese
would take advantage of its absence to seize upon some of the islands
belonging to Venice, and to induce the inhabitants of the cities of
Istria and Dalmatia, always ready for revolt, to declare against her.

The first indications of the winter were more than verified. The cold
was altogether extraordinary; an