Carlo Bottini was killed early in the fight, and Francis succeeded to the command.  His galley had grappled with one of the largest of the Genoese vessels, and a desperate conflict went on.  Sometimes the Venetians gained a footing on the deck of the Genoese, sometimes they were driven back, and the Genoese in turn poured on board, but no decisive advantage was gained on either side after an hour’s fighting.  The Genoese crew was numerically much stronger than that of the Pluto, and although Francis, with Matteo and his comrades, headed their men and cheered them on, they could make no impression on the ranks of the enemy.

Suddenly, the Genoese threw off the grapnels that attached the two ships, and hoisting their sails, sheered off.  Francis looked round to see the cause of this sudden manoeuvre, and perceived for the first time that the Genoese vessels were all in flight, with the Venetians pressing closely upon them.  Sails were at once hoisted, and the Pluto joined in the chase.

But the flight was a feigned one, and it was only designed to throw the Venetian rank into confusion.  After sailing for two miles, the Genoese suddenly turned, and fell upon their pursuers as they came up in straggling order.

The result was decisive.  Many of the Venetian ships were captured before the rest came up to take part in the battle.  Others were hemmed in by numerous foes.  Pisani, after fighting until he saw that all was lost, made the signal for the ships to withdraw from the conflict, and he himself, with six galleys, succeeded in fighting his way through the enemy’s fleet, and gained a refuge in the port of Parenzo.

All the rest were taken.  From seven to eight hundred Venetians perished in the fight, two thousand four hundred were taken prisoners, twelve commanders were killed, and five captured.  The Genoese losses were also severe, and Doria himself was among the slain, having been killed by a spear thrust by Donato Zeno, commander of one of the galleys, almost at the moment of victory.

The Pluto had defended herself, for a long time, against the attacks of three of the Genoese galleys, and had repeatedly endeavoured to force her way out of the throng, but the Genoese held her fast with their grapnels, and at last the greater part of her crew were driven down below, and Francis, seeing the uselessness of further resistance, ordered the little group, who were now completely pent in by the Genoese, to lower their weapons.  All were more or less severely wounded, and were bleeding from sword cuts and thrusts.

“This is an evil day for Venice,” Matteo said, as, having been deprived of their weapons, the prisoners were thrust below.  “I heard the Genoese say that only six of our galleys have escaped, all the rest have been taken.  We were the last ship to surrender, that’s a comfort anyhow.”

“Now, Matteo, before you do anything else, let me bind up your wounds.  You are bleeding in two or three places.”