t point, not daring to
trust the Neapolitan soldiers, who cherished a brilliant and enthusiastic
memory of Murat.

Accordingly the flotilla was directed for the Gulf of Salerno, but within
sight of the island of Capri a violent storm broke over it, and drove it
as far as Paola, a little seaport situated ten miles from Cosenza.
Consequently the vessels were anchored for the night of the 5th of
October in a little indentation of the coast not worthy of the name of a
roadstead. The king, to remove all suspicion from the coastguards and
the Sicilian scorridori, [Small vessels fitted up as ships-of-war.]
ordered that all lights should be extinguished and that the vessels
should tack about during the night; but towards one o'clock such a
violent land-wind sprang up that the expedition was driven out to sea, so
that on the 6th at dawn the king's vessel was alone.

During the morning they overhauled Captain Cicconi's felucca, and the two
ships dropped anchor at four o'clock in sight of Santo-Lucido. In the
evening the king commanded Ottoviani, a staff officer, to go ashore and
reconnoitre. Luidgi offered to accompany him. Murat accepted his
services. So Ottoviani and his guide went ashore, whilst Cicconi and his
felucca put out to sea in search of the rest of the fleet.

Towards eleven o'clock at night the lieutenant of the watch descried a
man in the waves swimming to the vessel. As soon as he was within
hearing the lieutenant hailed him. The swimmer immediately made himself
known: it was Luidgi. They put out the boat, and he came on board. Then
he told them that Ottoviani had been arrested, and he had only escaped
himself by jumping into the sea. Murat's first idea was to go to the
rescue of Ottoviani; but Luidgi made the king realise the danger and
uselessness of such an attempt; nevertheless, Joachim remained agitated
and irresolute until two o'clock in the morning.

At last he gave the order to put to sea again. During the manoeuvre
which effected this a sailor fell overboard and disappeared before they
had time to help him. Decidedly these were ill omens.

On the morning of the 7th two vessels were in sight. The king gave the
order to prepare for action, but Barbara recognised them as Cicconi's
felucca and Courrand's lugger, which had joined each other and were
keeping each other company. They hoisted the necessary signals, and the
two captains brought up their vessels alongside the admiral's.

While th