John, of Austria, 1547-1578; Spain -- History -- Philip II, 1556-1598
And he sent Barbarigo to tell Sebastian Veniero to go back at once to
his flagship; that never was he to show himself on board the "Real," and
that from that moment Barbarigo was appointed in his stead to represent
Venice on the Council, and that he should prepare everything to weigh
anchor that night, to make for Lepanto.
In the log kept on board the "Real" by D. John's confessor Fr. Miguel
Servia, after referring to these events, it says: "This same day (3rd of
October), by order of His Highness, a proclamation was made, that no
soldier should let off an arquebus under pain of death; and His Highness
went from ship to ship, giving orders as to what was to be done."
CHAPTER IX
Meanwhile the Turks had reinforced their fleet until their 290 galleys
held 120,000 men, counting soldiers and rowers. They had, like the
Christians, divided the fleet into three divisions: the centre one
commanded by the great Admiral Ali Pasha, an arrogant young man, more
brave than prudent, in all the pride of his youth and of being the
favourite of Selim II; the right wing was under the orders of the King
of Negroponto, Mahomet Scirocco, a cautious man of mature years, brave
as well as experienced; and the left wing was commanded by the Viceroy
of Algiers, Aluch Ali, surnamed "el Fartass," that is "The mean one," a
former Calabrian renegade, an old man of sixty-eight, careful, brave and
crafty, whom more than forty years of piracy had made familiar with
these seas.
At Lepanto Ali Pasha received a message from Selim II, much to his
satisfaction, ordering him to give battle, and in order to do this he
assembled his Council of War on board his galley, "La Sultana," on the
4th of October. The Council consisted of the two Generals of the Fleet,
Mahomet Scirocco and Aluch Ali, the Serasker or general of all the
troops, Perter Pasha, and several great dignitaries of the Empire, to
the number of twenty, among whom were the former King of Algiers, Hassen
Pasha, and two sons of Ali, who were still children, Ahmed Bey, who was
eighteen, and Mahomet Bey, aged thirteen, who with their tutor Alhamet
commanded a galley.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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