for the fate of Giustiniani,
and resolved to content himself with the banner of Malta. Cutting his
prize adrift, he plied his oars and escaped, leaving the prior
grievously wounded to the care of his friends, and once more master, not
only of his ship, but of three hundred dead enemies who cumbered the
deck, a few living Algerine mariners who were to navigate the vessel,
and some Turkish soldiers, from whom he had just purchased his life.
This struggle cost the order, in killed alone, upward of thirty knights,
among whom was the Grand Bailiff of Germany, commander-in-chief of its
land forces. A few were also made prisoners, most of them desperately
wounded. For one of them, Borgianni Gianfigliazzi, his relations at
Florence, supposing him dead, performed funeral obsequies, in spite of
which he returned home from captivity, and was afterward ambassador from
the Grand Duke to Sultan Amurath. Two other knights, Mastrillo and
Caraffa, finding themselves unsupported in an enemy's brigantine, had
given themselves up, and had just bribed their captor to spare their
lives and admit them to a ransom, when a Neapolitan galley coming by
boarded the brigantine and turned their new master into their slave.

The main body of the Turkish left wing, though long of engaging the
Christian right, fought with perhaps greater fierceness than any other
part of the fleet. The battle was raging in that part of the line with
very doubtful aspect, when Don John of Austria found himself free from
the attacks of the enemies immediately around him. Thither, therefore,
he steered to the assistance of his comrades. The Turks, perceiving the
approach of a succoring squadron, and surmising the disasters which had
occurred in the centre, immediately gave way and dispersed. Sixteen of
the Algerine galleys, however, retired together, and rallying at a
little distance, adopted the tactics of their chief, by making a circuit
toward the shore of the Morea, and endeavoring to sweep round upon the
rear of the Christians. Their manoeuvres were closely watched by Don
Juan de Cardona, who placed himself in their path with eight galleys.
The encounter which took place between the two unequal squadrons was one
of the bloodiest episodes of the battle. Cardona was completely
successful, disabling some of his antagonists and putting the rest to
flight. His loss was, however, very severe. His own galley suffered more
damage than any vessel in the fleet which was not re