American veffels that fometimes ventured into the freights were generally fafe; for they derived their fecurity either from forged or purchased Mediterranean paffports. Notwithftanding the vigilance with which the Portuguefe guarded the freights, the Algerines fometimes ftole out into the Atlantic, and in one of these excursions, which happened while the Portuguese fleet were ordered upon fome fecret expedition, the schooner Maria, captain Stephens, belonging to Mr. Fofter of Boston, was captured by a corfair off Cape St. Vincents, on the 25th of July 1785; and five days afterwards, the fhip Dolphin, captain O'Brien, belonging to Meflrs. Irvines of Philadelphia, was taken by another about 50 leagues to the weftward of Lifbon. Thefe veffels, with their cargoes and crews, about 21 in number, were carried into Algiers, where they were made flaves. Towards the latter end of the year 1793, a truce was made between the court of Lifbon and the regency of Algiers, for the period of twelve months, and in confequence, nine fail of Algerine cuifers paffed out through the Streights of Gibraltar into the Atlantic ocean. Their cruifing ftation was between Cape St. Vincents and the weftern islands, where they continued to cruife the greatest part of the winter, contrary to their former cuftom of retiring from the ocean in November. In confequence of this truce, the courts of Lisbon and Madrid granted convoys to American veflels homeward bound, to a certain latitude where they were free from the corfairs. On the 18th of October 1793, about five leagues from Gibraltar, captain John M'Shane of the Minerva, was boarded by a xebeck of 20 guns, be longing longing to Algiers, who after coming within musket-fhot, kept a conftant firing with fmall-arms until the yards of the American veffel were manned from thofe of the cruifer. The firing then ceafed; they came down fword in hand and made the American crew prifoners; ftripped them of their clothes, and put them on board the xebeck, which carried them to Algiers, where they arrived the 30th of October. As foon as they had arrived they were taken before the dey, and after examination, were ordered to the Bagnio, where the flaves are kept locked up at night. The next day they were bound with iron chains, each about 40 pounds weight, which reached from their legs to their hips, and fent to the marine, where they were kept at hard labour from day-light till dark. On the 23d of October, captain William Penrofe, of the fhip Prefident of Philadelphia, discovered, about 9 o'clock in the morning, a fail to the windward bearing down upon him, which the fhip's company at first imagined to be a Spanish privateer. But they were foon fatally deceived; for fhe proved to be an Algerine corfair. As foon as fhe discovered the American flag fhe hoifted out her boat immediately, and 30 men armed with pistols and drawn cutlaffes furiously boarded his veffel. The first falutation the captain received was a violent ftroke with a cutlafs; after which they compelled the whole fhip's company to jump over the rail of the veffel into their boat, without fuffering any one to go below for their clothes, and other neceffary articles. The crew were then carried on board the cruifer, where they were ftripped naked, and a few old rags were given them in return, neither fufficient to conceal their nakedness, nor protect them from the cold. In this fituation they were obliged to lie on deck, where they fuffered great hardships from the inclemency of the feafon. Captain Penrofe tells us he was forced to lie on the poop, where he was almost perished by a bitter north-eaft wind; till at length an old man, more humane than the reft, furnished him with a blanket. The provifions given them to eat, were black bread and water, and fometimes a few rotten olives, which they regarded as a great dainty. In this forlorn fituation they continued eight days, and on the 30th of October they arrived at Algiers. Here they were fubjected to a new feries of mifery. They thought themfelves cruelly treated on board the cruifer; but their treatment there was pleasure when contrafted with the miseries they afterwards experienced. They were fcarcely on fhore when they were loaded with irons, and immediately put to hard labour like fo many criminals. The number of American prifoners now amounted to about 130, among whom were captains Stephens and O'Brien, whofe crews had been reduced to ten by the plague, and the feverity of their treatment for upwards of eight years. The fmall pittance they had received from the United States had been withheld about three months before; and their only fubfiftence was a little black bread and water, and sometimes nothing. In their October expedition they captured ten fail of American veffels, nine of which fafely entered the harbour of Algiers on the 30th of October where the veffels anchored, amidst the fhouts of the people*. The * The names of the American captains and their pla ces of refidence are as follows :-Captains Wallace, Vir The Algerine corfairs, greatly animated with the fuccefs of this expedition, immediately fet fail to refume their former ftation; while others were equipping in the harbour with the utmost speed. But fortunately the mifcreants only captured one American veffel, about a month afterwards, belonging to captain Joseph Ingraham; for the Americans were extremely cautious how they came within the sphere of their rapacity; and, after thefe captures, they never fell in with any American veffels, but those that were protected by convoys. After thefe events, the American prifoners were fubjected to a series of mifery which humanity blushes to record. As foon as they landed in Algiers, they were immediately ordered to the dey's palace, where they were drawn up in files, in a back court, and underwent a ftrick examination. The dey, attended by his cook, paffed and repaffed in front of them, and was extremely pleased with their appearance. He selected from their number all the boys and younger men, whom he employed in his palace at different occupations, generally of a fervile nature; fome were ordered to fweep the apartments, fome to wash clothes, and others to wait upon the dey and take care of his wardrobe. The rest of the prifoners were then difmiffed, and as they withdrew from the royal prefence, the dey faid to them, in the tone of favage triumph, "Go now you dogs and eat ftones." They were then efcorted to the Bagnio Baleck, where ginia; Newman, Bofton; Taylor, Rhode-Ifland; Furnace, New-Hampshire; Calder, Gloucefter; Burnham, NewYork; Bailey, Newbury; Mofs, ditto; M'Shane and Penrose, Philadelphia. where they were lodged in different apartments among the old flaves, and each prifoner furnished with a couple of coarse blankets for his bedding. In this difmal region of mifery and oppreffion, amidst the clanking of chains and the cries of fuffering humanity, they were left to brood over their misfortunes at leifure. The gloomy prospect that presented itself wrung the heart with the most poignant emotions of anguifh and despair. About midnight they were roufed from their meditations by the cry of Surfa, Surfa, rife up all hands. The Libero, or guardian of the Bagnio, then entered their apartments, and loaded each prifoner with chains of thirty or forty pounds weight. The next morning about day-break they were ordered to the marine, where, after their names were called over, they were employed in discharging the cargoes of their own veffels, which confifted of wheat, flour, wine, fugar, and other articles. Their general employment in the marine was the rigging and fitting out of cruisers, and whenever any foreign veffel lay in the harbour they were obliged to wear this enormous weight of chains, left they should make their efcape; but at other times they were freed from their load, except those who were turbulent, or by any particular misconduct had forfeited this privilege of the flaves. The hour of four in the afternoon is called lazar, at which time a white flag is hoisted upon the tops of all the mofques in the city, as a fignal for the inhabitants to quit their labour, and repair to public worship. At this hour the labour of the prifoners ceafed, and they were permitted to go on fhore, except when any bufinefs of importance occurred, Ꮐ and |