torted a promise of various concessions. It was not, however, till the British had taken Gibraltar and Port Mahon, that they could exercise such a check upon the pirates as to enforce the observation of treaties; and since that period they have generally shown a greater deference to our wishes than to those of any other European power. The French, who, by mingled force and flattery, had acquired an ascendency at the Algerine court, connived at the ravages committed on the commerce of the less warlike nations; aware that the carrying-trade must necessarily be secured for the merchants of those kingdoms whose ships were in no danger of being detained or pillaged by the maritime robbers. This paltry consideration, there is no doubt, induced some of the more powerful monarchies of Europe, not only to tolerate the African corsairs, but even to supply them with arms and ammunition, to solicit their passes, and to purchase their forbearance by annual presents, which were in effect nothing different from disguised tribute. All the condescension, however, of those who disgraced themselves with the title of allies to these miscreants, was not sufficient to restrain their privateers from acts of cruelty and rapine.

In the year 1748, four cruisers from Algiers captured an English packetboat, on her voyage from Lisbon, and conveyed her into port, where she was plundered of money and effects to the amount of at least 100,000l. Incensed at this outrage, the British ministry despatched Commodore Keppel with seven ships of war to demand satisfaction, as well as to compromise certain differences which had arisen between his majesty and the dey, relative to some arrears of payment claimed by the latter. His highness frankly owned that the money seized in the prize had been divided among the captors, and could not possibly be refunded. Keppel returned to Gibraltar; and, in the sequel, an Algerine ambassador arrived at London with a present of some wild beasts for George the Second. This transaction was soon succeeded by one still more disgraceful. Mr. Latton, a commissioner sent to redeem English captives, was grossly insulted by the Governor of Tetuan, because he would not consent to pay a sum for which he was not accountable. His house was surrounded by soldiers, who dragged his secretary from his presence, and threw him into a dungeon; the Christian slaves were condemned to the same fate; the ambassador

himself was degraded from his character, deprived of his allowance, and sequestered from all communication. And yet, after these numerous indignities offered to the honour of the British nation, the balance demanded by the Turk was duly paid, and the affair quietly adjusted.*

As the naval power of Britain increased, the ravages of the Barbary corsairs became less frequent and atrocious. They no longer domineered over the high seas, nor attempted to annoy the vessels belonging to the greater nations; nor did the latter deign to purchase inmunity by the continuance of a disgraceful tribute. The Algerines more prudently selected for their prey the small kingdoms of the Sicilies and Sardinia; making descents upon their coasts; carrying off all kinds of property, and even such of the inhabitants of both sexes as might seem most suitable for the slave-market. At the Congress of Vienna, accordingly, it became a subject of deliberation what means should be adopted to put a final stop to these enormities, and to secure protection to the Italian shores, which had suffered so much from the barbarian invaders. The return of Bonaparte from Elba prevented the arrangement of measures for accomplishing this desirable object; but no sooner was the peace of Europe again restored, than the British government, in conjunction with the Dutch, resolved to give efficiency to the wishes of their allies. Lord Exmouth and Sir Thomas Maitland, invested with the command of separate squadrons, were sent to Tunis to demand the restitution of all the captives actually in bondage, and the relinquishment for ever of those piratical practices, which were so justly condemned by the European sovereigns. In this mission the gallant commanders succeeded, and were gratified not only by the liberation of the unfortunate persons who had already fallen into the hands of the rovers, but also with the assurance that nothing more than the sanction of the Porte was required in order to abolish Christian slavery in all future times.

These concessions enraged the Algerines, who instantly began to strengthen their fortifications, as if they had determined to resist the combined force of all the maritime states, and pursue their violent system on a larger scale. The soldiery, in their blind rage, had recourse to an outrage of the

*History of England, vol. xi., p. 274, edition 1812.

most execrable nature. A number of vessels, belonging to Naples and the neighbouring ports, had been in the practice of assembling at Bona to carry on the pearl-fishery, in which, upon payment of an annual tribute, they were protected by the dey. Suddenly these peaceful and industrious seamen were surrounded by a band of Moors, who commenced an indiscriminate massacre, which could not be justified on any ground or pretence, and seems to have had no object but to show their implacable hatred to the Christian name.*

This cruel insult called forth the fleets of England and Holland, and led to the memorable attack by Lord Exmouth in August, 1816. Sailing with five ships of the line and eight small vessels, he was joined at Gibraltar by Admiral Capellen with six Dutch frigates. An attempt was made to withdraw the British consul and his family from the danger and embarrassment in which they could not fail to be placed during an assault on the town; but the efforts of Captain Dashwood, who was intrusted with this important service, could accomplish nothing besides the removal of two ladies, the wife and daughter of our resident, in the disguise of naval officers.

It was not till the 26th of the month that his lordship appeared before Algiers, when he sent to the dey a flag of truce, conveying to his highness the conditions on which alone the meditated attack might be averted. He insisted on the final abolition of Christian slavery; the immediate freedom of all slaves within the territory of Algiers; the repayment of every ransom paid for the redemption of captives by the Kings of Sicily and Sardinia; the liberation of the consul and all other British subjects now in confinement; and, lastly, peace with the King of the Netherlands. Two hours were allowed to return an answer; and in the meantime, as a favourable breeze sprang up, Lord Exmouth moved forward his ships till he found himself within a mile of the batteries, where he remained prepared for action.

The period allowed for deliberation having elapsed, the admiral's ship passed through all the enemy's batteries without firing a gun, and, to the astonishment of the natives, took up a position within less than 100 yards of the mole; upon which, says M. Salamé, the interpreter, we gave them three

* Encyclopædia Brit., article Algiers, p. 510.

cheers: "The batteries as well as the walls being crowded with troops, they jumped upon the top of the parapets to look at us, for our broadside was higher than their batteries; and they were quite surprised to see a three-decker with the rest of the fleet so close to them. From what I observed of the captain of the port's manner, and of their confusion inside of the mole, I am quite sure that even they themselves did not know what they were about, nor what we meant to do; because, according to their judgment, they thought that we should be terrified by their fortifications, and not advance so rapidly and closely to the attack. In proof of this, I must observe that, at this point, their guns were not even loaded; and they began to load them after the Queen Charlotte and almost all the fleet had passed their batteries. At a few minutes before three, the Algerines, from the Eastern Battery, fired the first shot at the Impregnable, which, with the Superb and the Albion, was astern of the other ships, to prevent them from coming in. Then Lord Exmouth, having seen only the smoke of the gun, before the sound reached him, said with great alacrity, That will do; fire, my fine fellows!' and I am sure, that before his lordship had finished these words, our broadside was given with great cheering, and at the same time the other ships did the same. The first fire was so terrible, that, they say, more than 500 persons were killed or wounded by it; and I believe this, because there was a great crowd of people in every part, many of whom, after the first discharge, I saw running away, like dogs, walking upon their hands and feet." The conflict continued with unabated fury on both sides not less than five hours; at the end of which time, the Algerines beginning to lose strength or courage, the vivacity of their fire appeared evidently to diminish. At eleven o'clock, his lordship having observed the destruction of their whole navy and the strongest part of their works, made a signal to the fleet to move out of the line of the batteries; "and thus, with a favourable breeze, we cut our cables, as did the whole squadron, and made sail at about half past eleven. At this time their navy, with the storehouses within the mole, were burning very rapidly. The blaze illumined all the bay, with the town and the environs; the view of which was really most awful and beauti ful; nine frigates and a great number of gunboats, with other

vessels, being all in flames, and carried by the wind in different directions."*

Next morning the British admiral renewed the offer of peace, when the terms originally proposed were readily accepted. By virtue of this treaty, 1,211 slaves were released, in addition to about 1,800 liberated during the former expedition to the coast of Barbary. The dey, whose obstinacy occasioned this great loss of life and property, did not long survive the negotiation, in which he was compelled to surrender nearly all that the Algerines had been accustomed to value. He was taken from his throne, and precipitated from one of the windows of the palace into the courtyard, where, according to custom, he was immediately despatched.

The castigation inflicted by Lord Exmouth, severe as it was, did not long restrain the freebooters within the bounds of moderation. No effort was spared to place the city in a more formidable state of defence than ever; and they soon considered themselves again in a condition to set even the great powers at defiance. The trade of the French was first interrupted; and when their consul ventured to remonstrate on the subject, he was answered by reproaches and the most galling insults. Charles X. then declared war, and sent a number of ships against Algiers; but the fortifications on the seaside were found so strong that his admiral was obliged to confine himself to an ineffectual blockade. At length it was resolved to adopt more energetic measures; and a large fleet under Duperre, with a land-force amounting to upward of 30,000 men, under General Bourmont, sailed from Marseilles in May, 1830. On the 14th June the troops began to debark in the bay of Torre Chica, and were only partially interrupted by a few lighthorse who approached the beach, and by the fire of some batteries erected in the neighbourhood. It should seem that the Turks, confident in their numbers or the strength of their position, allowed the invaders to land, and even to carry ashore their artillery, provisions, and stores. Five days elapsed before they took the field against Bourmont, having perhaps spent the interval in assembling the various contingents from Oran, Constantina, and Titteri. On the 19th they commenced an attack on the French, with a force estimated at 50,000, chiefly horsemen, who charged

* Salamé, Expedition to Algiers, p. 37, &c.