302

HISTORY OF MARINE ARCHITECTURE.

island of Corfu, which was maintained for many hours with equal courage, andwithout any apparent advantage. “ Nothing,” say historians, “ besides thedreadful shouts of the'combatants, the shrieks of the dying, or complaints ofthe wounded, could be heard. Nothing seen but dead and mangled bodies.Ships burning, sinking, or broken to pieces. Thus the fight continued withprodigious slaughter, both pushed on by hatred, encouraged by the hope ofvictory, and animated by the conduct and harangues of their admirals. At lastthe Venetians were defeated, if that could be called a defeat where scarce anumber of the conquerors remained sufficient to report the news of their vic-tory. Dandolo was made prisoner, and not a ship belonging to the republicbut was taken, or destroyed. Sabellicus says, that four thousand Venetianswere made prisoners ; but from the accounts of other historians, not half thatnumber remained alive on both sides. Andrea Dandolo was so much affected•with the disgrace of having yielded up that honour acquired in the last war,that in the agony of despair he dashed out his brains against the side of thecabin where he was confined ; a conduct very different from that of Doria’s,but scarcely less indicative of greatness of mind, delicacy of sentiment, andpublic spirit.”

It is reported by some cotemporary writers, that this signal defeat was occa-sioned by the misconduct of thirty gallies, whose commanders stood aloof, andwere very trivially engaged in the contest ; a behaviour which experienced thereward it merited, an ignominious and public death. Although the loss sustainedby the Venetians in the destruction and capture of their fleet was great, addedto the slaughter among their bravest seamen and commanders, many of whombelonged to the noblest houses, it was not considered as irreparable ; so thatinstead of sinking under despondency and despair, every exertion was madeto cause the equipment of an armament, in force sufficient to wipe off therecent disgrace, and repair the injury which the naval power of Venice wasconsidered as having sustained. Every inhabitant, from the highest rank downto the humblest, seemed animated with the same patriotic zeal, and equallyanxious to restore, by their best exertions, the fallen dignity of their country. Aconsiderable part of the renovated navy was judiciously stationed in the Adriatic,for the defence of that sea, and the city itself; but a fleet consisting of twenty-five sail, was ordered, under the command of Marco Brascio, into the Ionianand Aegean seas, for the purpose of protecting the Venetian colonies and settle-ments