On the third of Jemazi-al-avul, as Andrea Doria was preparing to enter the Gulf of Lepanto, Khair-ad-din sailed to Bahshiler, and having reached that place, he sent men to the mast-heads, who descried masts in the neighbourhood of Santa Maura and the harbour of Ingir. He therefore immediately weighed anchor, and sailed, prepared for an engagement. The infidels observing them, came out to meet them; and the wind being in their favour, the Moslems were overwhelmed with fear, for galleys are not able to compete with barges under such circumstances. Khair-ad-din however wrote two verses of the Koran, and threw one on each side of his vessel; when the wind immediately fell, and the barges lay motionless. This occurrence teaches that commanders, however celebrated, ought not to trust in human means alone, but also to pay all possible regard to spiritual means for ensuring success. The unfortunate infidels, stationing themselves in regular lines, now began to discharge their artillery; which, however, wanted strength to make it efficient. A galleon first came out and opened a heavy fire, but was driven back by the fire of the fleet. Khair-ad-din succeeded in taking several of the barges by attacking them from a distance, and thus gradually weakening them. Andrea Doria and the general having now come up with their galleys, were about to commence an attack, when the brave pasha bore down upon them, and commenced a heavy fire, which obliged them to bring round their barges. The balls from the barges now fell like rain, and the two fleets were so enveloped in smoke, that they could not see each other. The enemy’s galleys several times attempted to take the Moslem vessels in the rear, that so they might take up a position between them and the other ships and barges. The latter, which, from their size resembled floating castles, were dashing against each other with great violence; nor was it possible to separate them. At length, after nine of the barges had been driven back by the strength of the Moslem vessels, the pasha (of lion-like courage) redoubled his exertions, and keeping up a brisk fire, sunk several, and clearing a way through them, passed on to the galleys, strictly prohibiting his men from plundering a single barge. The infidels were astonished, and overwhelmed with terror at the impetus of the warriors: and their small galleys being unable any longer to maintain the fight, they turned their faces to flight. The slaughter continued during the whole of the interval between the two hours of prayer, and most of the barges were either destroyed or sunk by the cannon. Andrea Doria seeing this tore his beard, and took to flight, all the smaller galleys following him. The Moslems, supposing the barges were of less value than the galleys, pursued the latter, and succeeded in capturing two of them.