An October sun gilded the thousand beauties of an Ionian landscape.

Athens and Corinth were behind the combatants, the mountains of Alexander's Macedon rose in the distance; the rock of Sappho and the heights of Actium, were before their eyes.

Since the day when the world had been lost and won beneath that famous promontory, no such combat as the one now approaching had been fought upon the waves.

The chivalrous young commander despatched energetic messages to his fellow chieftains, and now that it was no longer possible to elude the encounter, the martial ardor of the allies was kindled.

The Venetian High-Admiral replied with words of enthusiasm.