The Turkish Empire, Its Growth and DecayEversley, G. Shaw-Lefevre (George Shaw-Lefevre), Baron
History
The Turkish Empire, Its Growth and Decay
Eversley, G. Shaw-Lefevre (George Shaw-Lefevre), Baron
Turkey -- History
The contrast between the action of the defeated Turks and that of the
victors was most striking. Ouloudj, picking up forty stray galleys in
the Ægean Sea, returned to Constantinople with eighty vessels. Piale
joined him there with a few more. Sokolli and his colleagues in the
Turkish Government made the most determined efforts to restore their
fleet. Even Selim showed some spirit on this occasion. He contributed
largely from his privy purse. He gave up part of the garden of his
palace at Seraglio Point as a site for the construction of new vessels.
One hundred and sixty galleys were at once commenced, together with
eight galleasses of the largest size. By the spring of the next year
they were completed. The losses at Lepanto were made good and the
Ottoman fleet was as powerful as before the disaster. In the summer
of 1572 the allied Christian fleet was again assembled on the eastern
Mediterranean. It was still inferior in numbers of vessels to that of
the Ottomans. The two fleets came in sight of one another twice in
that season in the neighbourhood of the island of Cerigo and, later,
off Cape Matapan, but no engagement took place. It may be concluded
that Ouloudj, who was now Capitan Pasha of the Turkish navy with the
honorary name of Killidj Ali, thought it the better policy not to risk
his new fleet before the crews were thoroughly trained. He withdrew,
and the sequel showed the wisdom of his action. The allied fleet was
unable to do anything.
Later, in 1573, the Venetians found it expedient to negotiate terms
for a separate peace with the Porte. Their envoy, who appears to have
remained at Constantinople during the late war, interviewed Sokolli for
this purpose. When he alluded to the losses which the two Powers had
recently incurred, the one of the island of Cyprus, the other of its
fleet, Sokolli proudly replied:—
You have doubtless observed our courage after the accident which
happened to our fleet. There is this great difference between our
loss and yours. In capturing a kingdom we have cut off one of your
arms, while you, in destroying our fleet, have merely shorn our
beard. A limb cut off cannot be replaced, but a beard when shorn will
grow again in greater vigour than ever.
Terms of peace were concluded. Not only was the capture of Cyprus
confirmed by a formal cession of the island, but the Republic agreed
to pay to the Porte the cost incurred by its capture, estimated at
300,000 ducats. The tribute paid by Venice for the island of Zante of
500 ducats was increased to 1,500 ducats. The Republic was relieved of
the annual tribute of 8,000 ducats in respect of Cyprus. The limits of
the possessions of the two Powers in Dalmatia and Albania were restored
to what they had been before the war. The terms were humiliating to
Venice; they could not have been worse if the battle of Lepanto had
never been fought.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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