303 ' HISTORY OF MARINE ARCHITECTURE.

pretensions of sovereignty over the distant colonies. Certain duties were im-posed on their trade, and in order to enforce the payment, however grievous itmight prove, armed gallies were constantly stationed in particular places, wherethey were considered as necessary, for the prevention of any evasion with respectto them. The Istrians, considering these imposts not merely as oppressive, butruinous, destroyed one of the guard vessels, or gallies, employed for the purposejust stated, but not satisfied with this outrage, they also pulled down the Vene-tian flag. A force considered as sufficient for the purpose being sent againstthe revolters bv the senate, the former solicited the protection of the Duke ofAustria : the contest, however, owing to the situation of the ally, and the con-dition of the revolters, was almost entirely military. It continued till the year1 377, an( ^ t ^ len en ded, as generally has proved the case in all contests of thesame nature, in the unqualified surrender of the principals, and the submissionof their allies to such terms as their impolitic and impertinent interferenceseemed to require.

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