Accordingly the flotilla was directed for the Gulf of Salerno, but within sight of the island of Capri a violent storm broke over it, and drove it as far as Paola, a little seaport situated ten miles from Cosenza.  Consequently the vessels were anchored for the night of the 5th of October in a little indentation of the coast not worthy of the name of a roadstead.  The king, to remove all suspicion from the coastguards and the Sicilian scorridori, [Small vessels fitted up as ships-of-war.] ordered that all lights should be extinguished and that the vessels should tack about during the night; but towards one o’clock such a violent land-wind sprang up that the expedition was driven out to sea, so that on the 6th at dawn the king’s vessel was alone.

During the morning they overhauled Captain Cicconi’s felucca, and the two ships dropped anchor at four o’clock in sight of Santo-Lucido.  In the evening the king commanded Ottoviani, a staff officer, to go ashore and reconnoitre.  Luidgi offered to accompany him.  Murat accepted his services.  So Ottoviani and his guide went ashore, whilst Cicconi and his felucca put out to sea in search of the rest of the fleet.

Towards eleven o’clock at night the lieutenant of the watch descried a man in the waves swimming to the vessel.  As soon as he was within hearing the lieutenant hailed him.  The swimmer immediately made himself known:  it was Luidgi.  They put out the boat, and he came on board.  Then he told them that Ottoviani had been arrested, and he had only escaped himself by jumping into the sea.  Murat’s first idea was to go to the rescue of Ottoviani; but Luidgi made the king realise the danger and uselessness of such an attempt; nevertheless, Joachim remained agitated and irresolute until two o’clock in the morning.

At last he gave the order to put to sea again.  During the manoeuvre which effected this a sailor fell overboard and disappeared before they had time to help him.  Decidedly these were ill omens.

On the morning of the 7th two vessels were in sight.  The king gave the order to prepare for action, but Barbara recognised them as Cicconi’s felucca and Courrand’s lugger, which had joined each other and were keeping each other company.  They hoisted the necessary signals, and the two captains brought up their vessels alongside the admiral’s.

While they were deliberating as to what route to follow, a boat came up to Murat’s vessel.  Captain Pernice was on board with a lieutenant.  They came to ask the king’s permission to board his ship, not wishing to remain on Courrand’s, for in their opinion he was a traitor.

Murat sent to fetch him, and in spite of his protestations he was made to descend into a boat with fifty men, and the boat was moored to the vessel.  The order was carried out at once, and the little squadron advanced, coasting along the shores of Calabria without losing sight of them; but at ten o’clock in the evening, just as they came abreast of the Gulf of Santa-Eufemia, Captain Courrand cut the rope which moored his boat to the vessel, and rowed away from the fleet.