Pisani led the first division, which consisted of fourteen galleys. The
doge, assisted by Cavalli, commanded in the centre; and Corbaro brought
up the rear, with ten large ships. The night was beautifully bright and
calm, a light and favourable breeze was blowing, and all Venice
assembled to see the departure of the fleet.
Just after it passed through the passage of the Lido, a thick mist came
on. Pisani stamped up and down the deck impatiently.
"If this goes on, it will ruin us," he said. "Instead of arriving in
proper order at the mouth of the passages, and occupying them before
the Genoese wake up to a sense of their danger, we shall get there one
by one, they will take the alarm, and we shall have their whole fleet
to deal with. It will be simply ruin to our scheme."
Fortunately, however, the fog speedily lifted. The vessels closed up
together, and, in two hours after starting, arrived off the entrances
to the channels. Pisani anchored until daylight appeared, and nearly
five thousand men were then landed on the Brondolo's shore, easily
driving back the small detachment placed there. But the alarm was soon
given, and the Genoese poured out in such overwhelming force that the
Venetians were driven in disorder to their boats, leaving behind them
six hundred killed, drowned, or prisoners.
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