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 PREFACE. 
 
 THE following pages being extracted from 
 a journal kept during my travels in the years 
 1829 and 1830, the commencement and 
 conclusion are necessarily very abrupt. It 
 is therefore incumbent upon me to lay before 
 those who, having had the charity to buy my 
 book, may afterwards have the curiosity to 
 read it the causes which led to my making 
 an excursion to the Barbary Regencies. 
 
 Towards the end of the month of March, 1830, 
 Commodore Sir Thomas Staines, in his Ma- 
 jesty's fifty-gun frigate, the Isis, being ordered 
 
 2- '
 
 1 1 
 
 home from Malta, Admiral Sir Pulteney 
 Malcolm, then Commander-in-chief in the 
 Mediterranean, thought it advisable that he 
 should touch at Tripoli, Tunis, and Algiers, 
 for the purpose of taking to England the latest 
 intelligence from those countries. Algiers 
 was, at that moment, an object of especial 
 interest ; it had been for some time blockaded 
 by the French fleet, and was then awaiting 
 the approach of that powerful armament, which 
 France had been long collecting in the port 
 of Toulon, to avenge the real or supposed 
 insults offered by the Dey to the national 
 honour. The immense natural, as well as 
 artificial, strength of the place, already the 
 scene of more than one bloody conflict, led 
 to various speculations as to the success of 
 this enterprise.
 
 Ill 
 
 At that conjuncture, having just returned from 
 the Ionian Islands, I was in quarantine at 
 Malta, and being- desirous of returning to Eng- 
 land through Spain, I gladly availed myself of 
 a passage to Gibraltar in the Isis, which Sir T. 
 Staines was kind enough to give me. 
 
 The only excuse I have to offer for placing 
 these pages before the public is, that they relate 
 to countries not usually visited by English tra- 
 vellers ; and also, my inability to make any other 
 contribution towards furnishing the stalls of the 
 Bazaar, in aid of an Institution, the objects of 
 which I am so anxious to promote.
 
 TRAVELS IN BARBARY, 
 
 &c. Sec. &c. 
 
 Wednesday, April 7th, 1830. At nine 
 o'clock, I was informed that the Isis would not 
 sail quite so soon as I had anticipated. She 
 had shifted her moorings to the outer buoy, 
 but the wind being fair for the English 
 packet, which was momentarily expected, I was 
 not summoned on board till two o'clock. At 
 that time, however, the haze, which had been very 
 thick in the morning, cleared away, and no packet 
 appearing in sight, I embarked. 
 
 Soon after we cast off, and with a gentle 
 breeze from the N.W. made sail for Marsa,
 
 6 
 
 to go round the southern part of the island. 
 There was so little wind, that by sunset we 
 were only off the Bay of Marsa ; the haze 
 came on again, with a very heavy dew. The 
 next morning (course S. by W.) we had not*, 
 made 20 miles from the island, but we saw it no 
 more, as the haze still continued, and a light air 
 aloft, sent us on about five knots. 
 
 Friday, April 9. I never had so charming 
 a sail. Sir Thomas Staines had built me a 
 cabin, with bulkheads, under the half-deck, 1 1 
 feet by 8; having removed the gun, and fit- 
 ted it up with every comfort and contrivance 
 to make one forget the confinement of the ship, 
 which glided on through the water almost imper- 
 ceptibly. On Friday morn, the haze, which rested 
 upon the horizon, completely deceived the officer 
 of the watch and the master who reported land. 
 Sir T. Staines did not go immediately upon deck, 
 but mentioned his doubts as to the correctness of 
 the report, which were shortly afterwards con-
 
 firmed. We were, at noon, about 40 miles from 
 land ) at sunset we could see the low land. The 
 breeze, which in these latitudes always blows off 
 shore in the evening 1 , obliged us to make two or 
 three tacks ; but, in compensation, it bore upon 
 its wings such fragrant odours from the gardens v 
 about the town of Tripoli, that, although we were 
 full ten miles distant, they pervaded every part of 
 the ship. The roadstead being quite unprotected, 
 it was not thought prudent to venture too near the 
 shore. At eleven o'clock on a fine moonlight 
 night, we dropped the anchor in seventeen fa- 
 thoms, about twelve miles from the town. 
 
 Saturday Wth. Tripoli is well fortified to 
 seaward, and has a small harbour to the east- 
 ward, protected by a low reef of rocks. It 
 is capable of containing vessels of considerable 
 burthen, having nearly sufficient water for a 
 line of battle ship ; but the entrance to it is 
 narrow and difficult. Some small French, 
 Italian, and Spanish merchant vessels were lying
 
 8 
 
 inside ; and a few Tripolitan gun boats, almost 
 unfit for service, constituted the navy of His 
 Highness the Bashaw. The town presents the 
 same whitewashed appearance as that of Alex- 
 andria, and the houses are all flat roofed ; so that 
 nothing is seen from without to vary the line of 
 fortifications, excepting a few minarets, here and 
 there a date tree, the flags of the different 
 consuls, and the soi disant palace of his High- 
 ness Sidi Yousef Caramandge, who has reigned 
 now for many years Regent of the Faithful in Tri- 
 poli and Fezzan. This princely residence is no 
 otherwise distinguished from those of the sub- 
 ject than by being a story or two higher, and 
 only approachable through a dirty court yard. 
 
 At eight o'clock, a message came from Col. 
 Warrington, the English consul, to say that the 
 Pasha would shortly salute the British flag 
 with 30 guns from the forts, and would receive 
 Sir T. Staines and his officers at two. Almost 
 every nation has some peculiar national gratifi-
 
 cation. The English are fond of scribbling on 
 walls ) the French delight in a vaudeville j the 
 Spaniards have a passion for bull fights and 
 boleros ; the Germans love tobacco ; the Nea- 
 politans maccaroni : but of all pleasures acces- 
 sible to a Mussulman, that of igniting powder 
 is, beyond comparison, the greatest. The Fes- 
 tival of the Bairam; the legitimate opportunity 
 for indulging in this popular amusement, was 
 just at an end, and the appearance of an 
 English frigate was hailed with joy by the 
 Bashaw and his artillery men, as an excuse 
 for prolonging their favourite pastime. Ac- 
 cordingly, at twelve o'clock, the unusual num- 
 ber of 30 guns were discharged from the 
 forts in honour of his Britannic Majesty, and as 
 duly returned from the deck of the Isis. At 
 one, the barge was manned, an awning spread, 
 and Sir T. and Lady Staines, accompanied by 
 myself and two or three officers of the ship, were 
 conveyed towards the shore. All the Catholic
 
 10 
 
 merchant ships were dressed out in flags to com- 
 memorate the termination of Lent. The cool- 
 ing sea breeze followed us in j we passed round 
 the extremities of the batteries over the bar, and 
 landed at a rude stone jetty. The consul, his 
 son, and the vice consul, were there to receive 
 us. Uniformity of costume is not the charac- 
 teristic of our Levantine consuls. The east is 
 the region of fancy, and it is remarkably exem- 
 plified in the dresses of these distinguished in- 
 dividuals. They seem determined to represent 
 their master in every function, civil and military. 
 The hat of a field marshal, the coat of an am- 
 bassador, the epaulettes of an admiral, the 
 trowsers, boots and spurs of a hussar, present a 
 model of united service, which could only have 
 been produced by the ingenuity of an Oriental 
 imagination. Col. Warrington, the British con- 
 sul general, at Tripoli, has occupied his present 
 situation, with great credit to himself, upwards 
 of sixteen years. He was dressed in a red coat,
 
 11 
 
 with blue facings and collar, richly embroidered 
 in gold, French epaulettes, and a cocked kat pro- 
 fusely decorated with ostrich feathers, the staple 
 commodity of the country. Two or three Arabs, 
 with red caps and muskets, and whose appoint- 
 ments were about on a par with those of the Turk- 
 ish militia, presented arms at a sort of archway, 
 meant to represent the city gates, and through 
 it we proceeded to the consul's house. Some few 
 people were collected to witness our landing; 
 and there appeared to me the same mixture of 
 Blacks and Arabs, the same light costume, the 
 same ravages of Opthalmia, and the same dread 
 of cleanliness amongst these, which I had for- 
 merly observed in the Alexandrians, The 
 exteriors of the houses in these latitudes are 
 uninviting, in consequence of all the windows 
 looking into the court-yard, round which they 
 are built, and none, therefore, appearing on the 
 outside. Their interiors, however, are by no 
 means either uncomfortable or ill arranged. In
 
 12 
 
 this residence, we found plenty of sofas, chairs, 
 tables, looking glasses, etc. ; and the sun care- 
 fully excluded. Col. Warrington, who is a 
 Welshman of old family in the vicinity of 
 Wrexham, introduced us to his son and two very 
 handsome daughters. He has two sons in the 
 army, and had another daughter, the wife of the 
 unfortunate Major Laing, who died about twelve- 
 months ago. Col. Warrington, informed us 
 that we had been descried the preceding night, 
 and further added, that the fears of the Bashaw 
 had magnified us into two French line of battle 
 ships and a frigate, coming to involve Tripoli in 
 the fate of Algiers. The batteries were accord- 
 ingly manned, and the artillerymen remained all 
 night at their guns. The courtly preparations 
 were of considerable duration ; we were not sum- 
 moned till after three, and our surprise was 
 considerable at the intimation that the Bashaw 
 expected the ladies, as well as the gentlemen, 
 of our party. We were, therefore, accompanied
 
 13 
 
 by Lady Staines, and the two Miss Warringtons, 
 and proceeded through the bazaar to the pa- 
 lace. In the court-yard, or entrance above 
 mentioned, were drawn up two files of regulars, 
 between which we passed to a small flight of 
 steps, leading through a low archway to the in- 
 ner court. The ground floor is occupied by his 
 Highness's stud ; they were chiefly grey horses, 
 small and strong, but not particularly handsome ; 
 and all marked on the haunches with stars and 
 crosses, burnt in. Here were stationed more of 
 the 1st Regiment of Guards. From hence, 
 another flight of steps, (so worn away, that 
 it required much dexterity to avoid a tumble,) 
 conducted us to the first floor, upon which are the 
 Bashaw's state apartments. The galleries were 
 filled with soldiers, who presented arms as we 
 passed towards the hall of reception. So far dif- 
 fered but little from what I had seen in all other 
 Pachaliks, but now an entirely new arrangement 
 met my view. Instead of an individual sitting
 
 14 
 
 on the corner of a divan, and even more 
 simply attired than his few attendants, we be- 
 held, at the farther end of the room, the Pacha 
 glittering- with diamonds, seated on a throne 
 raised upon two or three steps; a canopy of 
 state over his head. On either side of him stood 
 his sons and ministers, in their gala dresses. At 
 the back of the Pacha, and under the canopy, a 
 gilt Parisian looking trophy of spears, flags, can- 
 non, &c. was emblazoned, and immediately above 
 it, was placed a small silver hand, to avert the evil 
 eye from the sacred person of his Highness. On 
 each side of the room the attendants were sta- 
 tioned, and near the door by which we entered, 
 stood the slaves who invariably precede the Pa- 
 cha, bearing on their turbans two silver hands 
 with ruby tips, the singularity of which is sup- 
 posed to attract the dreaded eye, which thus 
 wastes all its force upon an impassive object. 
 In the space before the throne, were ranged in 
 two rows opposite to each other, some hand-
 
 15 
 
 some French or German chairs, for the use 
 of the visitors. The Pacha's appearance, if not 
 prepossessing-, had at least the merit of novelty ; 
 the quantity of kohol with which he had stained 
 his eyelids, making it scarcely possible to distin- 
 guish his features and the large silk tassel of his 
 Bournouse, which fell over a small white turban 
 upon his forehead, gave him a singular, but not 
 very pleasing expression of countenance. His age 
 may be from sixty to seventy ; his figure is of a 
 proper Tripolitan corpulency, and of this advan- 
 tage he is so sensible, that he sat upon the very 
 edge of the throne to ensure it's not being lost 
 upon us. But, however vain his Highness may 
 be of his figure, he is still prouder of his pink 
 silk stockings metis helas ! ilfaut souffrir pour 
 etre beau. The European stocking- weavers 
 (for Tripoli has none to boast of) not being yet 
 sufficiently accustomed to the Barbary market, 
 it became a matter of no small difficulty to pro- 
 cure a pair sufficiently elastic for the royal di-
 
 16 
 
 mensions; and those his Royal Highness now 
 wore must have painfully impeded a free circu- 
 lation. However, he had contrived so to dispose 
 his ample white Greek trowsers, as to display up 
 to the calf, a very fat pair of leg's, attired in flesh 
 coloured silk. The Bournouse appears to be the 
 substitute for the caftan, (as the rest of the 
 dress was tight ;) the Bashaw wore two tunics 
 underneath it, the second of which, denominated 
 farmela, only reached low enough to allow a full 
 display of the embroidered border of the first. 
 The whole costume, tunics, trowsers, &c., was 
 confined by a broad belt, fastened by a diamond 
 buckle of very great value. I could not perceive 
 that his Highness wore any weapons. He has 
 had seven sons, of whom five remain ; they sat 
 at his right hand. Their under dresses were 
 made of beautiful flowered silk damask, and they 
 all wore the white Bournouse with the tassel 
 brought over the forehead. Their eyelids were 
 stained, but in a more moderate degree than
 
 17 
 
 those of their father. As far as one could dis- 
 cover, through kohol, antimony, and henna, the 
 Bashaw has a fair skin ; but all his sons, except- 
 ing- one, are mulattos, being born of negress 
 queens. The eldest of these brothers died in 
 Egypt ; the second conspired against his father, 
 and murdered his wife, whom he suspected 
 (they say here with some reason) of an intention 
 to divulge the plot which had accidentally come 
 to her knowledge. He accomplished his purpose 
 by drawing two pistols from his belt, firing them 
 at her, and then, seeing that she still breathed, 
 he severed her head from her body with his own 
 hands. It is said that the ultimate object of 
 this engaging character was the murder of all 
 the Christians in his dominions ; but I hear the 
 same thing attributed to every conspiracy and 
 commotion that takes place in a Mahometan 
 country. The Bashaw chastised this prince in 
 a manner so refined, that it would have done 
 credit to civilization. He inflicted no corporal
 
 18 
 
 punishment whatever upon him, but gradually 
 stripped him of his rank, servants, revenues, 
 wives, and slaves, and treated him (which was 
 of course the criterion for the demeanour of the 
 court,) with the greatest indignity, placing him 
 under a most galling surveillance, till he died of a 
 broken heart. The manner in which the Bashaw 
 himself acquired his bloody throne, so feelingly 
 told in Tully's narrative, would make it appear 
 that he was not perhaps the fittest person to cast 
 the first stone at his own offspring; yet the memory 
 of the one is execrated ; the other receives daily 
 addresses as " Our Prince whom God preserve." 
 Such is the magic of success ! ! ! The beginning 
 of this Bashaw's reign was bloody in the ex- 
 treme, but his partiality towards Europeans, and 
 consequent intercourse with them, has gradually 
 induced him to attach more importance to the 
 life of man. Still, however, occasional tragedies 
 are enacted within the Harem walls, owing to 
 die cruelty and implacable dispositions of his
 
 19 
 
 black wives. The usual refinement of fraud 
 and concealment on the one hand, engendered 
 by cruelty and oppression on the other, is mani- 
 fest in the internal administration of this country. 
 Justice is, perhaps, not more expensive here 
 than in Westminster Hall, and infinitely less 
 tedious ; but the most liberal client is secure of 
 his cause. The government's greatest source 
 of revenue is derived from the date trees, which 
 are all taxed, and no one allowed, under pain 
 of death, to tap them for the making of wine, 
 without a teskera, or special license. 
 
 To return to our audience : the attendants 
 were attired in a great variety of costumes ; 
 some wore turbans, some fez caps, others barra- 
 cans, others again bournouses, but all put on 
 fantastically. The effect, had they been grouped 
 by Vestris himself, could not have been better, 
 although differing from any thing I had ever 
 seen before, owing to the strange appearance 
 given to the royal countenances by the Bour-
 
 20 
 
 nouse tassels, and the extreme gaudiness of 
 the costumes. The Misses Warrington ap- 
 peared in black mantillas, which entirely con- 
 cealed their faces. Lady Staines wore no veil. 
 
 His Highness was very gracious, and gave us 
 sherbet and perfumes, but no pipes. Upon our 
 departure more powder was expended in honour 
 of Sir T. Staines. I afterwards went with a 
 friend of mine to look at a Turkish bath, of 
 which he had no previous notion, and was, 
 therefore, much surprised at the operation. 
 This particular building is not a good specimen 
 of the baths in general, but the operators therein 
 were artists. We all dined with our consul at 
 five o'clock a very Christian-like repast, ex- 
 cept in the instance of the champagne not being 
 produced till its conclusion. In the evening we 
 had a reunion of Dutch, Swedish, Danish, 
 Spanish, Neapolitan, and Austrian Consuls, 
 accompanied by their wives, at the house of 
 Col. Warrington. The Dutchman, Van Bogle,
 
 21 
 
 deserves first mention, on account of his being a 
 clever, intelligent, and agreeable man. The 
 Swede, Mr. Hartz's only degree of comparison 
 was the superlative, which rather limited his 
 conversation. He assured me his wife (rather 
 a pretty, fair woman, who appeared to be suf- 
 fering from the effects of the climate,) was 
 " an angel," and he seemed to think there 
 were angels of both sexes, for, upon my 
 inquiring after Field Marshal Steding, with 
 whom I had been acquainted in Russia, he 
 exclaimed, " Oh ! that angel ! ! " He ve- 
 nerated Sir T. Staines, he adored old War- 
 rington, and was so vehement in shaking 
 hands, that he actually flattened one's rings ; 
 The remaining diplomates I had no opportunity 
 of remarking upon any further than that they all 
 spoke English very tolerably. 
 
 The Swedish and Neapolitan ladies played 
 well on the piano-forte, as did a Mrs. Dickson, 
 wife to an Irish doctor of that name, who is phy-
 
 sician to His Highness. At ten o'clock we took 
 our leave, went down to the port (at no great 
 distance) and embarked. Unfortunately the sea 
 breeze had been pretty strong during the day, 
 and brought in a heavy swell over the bar ; so 
 that, by the time we arrived at the ship side, 
 poor Lady Staines was quite ill, and none of us 
 particularly comfortable. Sir T. Staines had 
 orders to take on board any extraordinary ani- 
 mals that Col. Warrington might wish to send 
 to England, and was much dismayed upon 
 finding no less than four ostriches, two ante- 
 lopes, three Fezzan sheep, three blue cranes, 
 besides several stuffed birds, waiting to be em- 
 barked. He was constrained to make immediate 
 preparations for their accommodation ; and they 
 were all brought safely on board, except one 
 ostrich, which, in its struggles up the ship's 
 side, injured itself so much, that it was thought 
 better to leave it behind. 
 Easter Sunday, April 16th. A heavy swell
 
 23 
 
 on shore. The consul and his family, (witli the 
 exception of Mrs. Warrington) the superlative 
 Swede and his " Angel," came to attend Divine 
 service on board. I never saw such objects as 
 they were ; much more dead than alive from 
 excessive sickness ; and to increase their suffer- 
 ings, the ship, being at anchor and exposed to 
 the trough of the swell, rolled unceasingly. 
 The usual farce of eau de Cologne and harts- 
 horn was acted, and with its usual efficacy. 
 Miss Warrington and the " Angel" most heroic- 
 ally sat out a curtailed service; but Miss Louisa 
 was extended upon a sofa. Lady Staines, the 
 Misses Warrington and the " Angel," were 
 summoned to pay their respects to the Bashaw's 
 wives. They went about two o'clock j were re- 
 ceived by the Bashaw, and thence proceeded 
 alone to the two upper stories of the palace, 
 which constitute the Harein. His Highness is 
 blest with four wives, one of which is white, 
 the remaining three negresses. Each of these
 
 24 
 
 ladies has one side of the house to herself. 
 Lady Staines and her companions went, in the 
 first instance, to the appartinents of Lilla Ma- 
 riuma, the white wife. She is of the Carimandge 
 family, of which the Bashaw is chief, and 
 makes good her claims to superiority over the 
 other wives, who were formerly slaves ; for in- 
 stance, when the English ladies quitted her to 
 visit the other three, she said with dignity 
 "You go to see the Bashaw's slaves." Lilla 
 Mariuma has no family. The visitors could not 
 gain admittance to Lilla Jenina, the second in 
 rank ; she being in the habit of making merry, 
 and having been more than usually convivial 
 the preceding evening, and indulged in three 
 bottles of rum, was not yet quite in a fit state for 
 the reception of company. The third, Lilla 
 Zara, is a most extraordinary personage. Though 
 she has never brought the Bashaw any children, 
 she enjoys his decided preference, and is the 
 dread of all others. She has attained the
 
 25 
 
 summit of an African lady's ambition a size 
 (according to my fair informants) perfectly 
 indescribable. She was never known to forgive 
 the slightest disrespect, or be satisfied with any 
 vengeance short of the bowstring. This amiable 
 female compels the little children of Lilla Zaida, 
 the fourth wife, (whom they visited afterwards) 
 to stand behind her chair; and although the 
 poor mother trembles for their safety, she dare 
 not complain. 
 
 Not one of the four failed upon this occasion 
 to put on all her finery, and, moreover, a pro- 
 fusion of diamonds and precious stones, which 
 had the desired effect of dazzling and aston- 
 ishing the visitors. They each wore a black 
 satin cap, fitting quite close to the head, upon 
 which were heaped, with no sort of order or 
 arrangement, as many ornaments as could pos- 
 sibly be induced to remain there. The hair 
 hung down behind in braids. An immense 
 wrapper, (of the richest embroidered silk or
 
 26 
 
 satin,) called a barracan, enveloped their per- 
 sons, which were not only unsupported by stays, 
 but nnconfined by sash or belt of any kind. In 
 their ears they wore ornaments so massive, that, 
 considering the weight of jewellery already on 
 their heads, motion seemed quite out of the 
 question. These ornaments consisted either of 
 crescents in precious stones and gold, suspended 
 with the points downwards, or, of entire circles. 
 When the ear could support no more weight, 
 other jewels were fastened to ribbons, and art- 
 fully attached to the black cap, in such a manner 
 as to give them the appearance of ear-rings. 
 They all had their eyelids, nails, and feet dyed ; 
 and on their fingers and thumbs were so many 
 rings, that they were compelled to dovetail 
 them ; one showing inwardly, the other out- 
 wardly, from the knuckles to the nail, so .that 
 not a joint of the hand could be bent. These 
 ladies appear to be kept in stricter seclusion 
 than any I have hitherto heard of. They are
 
 27 
 
 never allowed to go out, even to the Bashaw's 
 garden, situate about two miles from the town. 
 They ventured to complain of this rigorous con- 
 finement to the Misses Warrington, (who speak 
 Arabic perfectly,) saying, as they looked at the 
 Tsis, reposing independently in the offing, 
 " Could we but once find ourselves beneath 
 the shade of that flag, never more would we 
 set foot in these dominions." Oh quitting each 
 apartment, the usual ceremony of incense 
 was gone through, which consists in a 
 black slave's holding a censer at one's feet, that 
 the odoriferous smoke may pervade the whole 
 dress. The Turks are particularly fond of 
 coaxing it into their beards. At parting, the 
 Bashaw's ladies presented their visitors with 
 embroidered shoes, slippers, and a profusion of 
 otto of roses, and his Highness gave Lady 
 Staines a grey parrot. We waited their return 
 for some time, to accompany us on a ride into 
 the country, but their visits we're of such dura-
 
 28 
 
 tion, that, after examining the bazaars and 
 fortifications, we set out alone, and rode about 
 two miles, to a palm wood, of some extent, 
 which reaches down to the sea shore, and is 
 denominated the Garden. Here, amidst groves 
 of oranges, myrtles, banana, olives, lemons, &c. 
 are situated villas belonging to the Bashaw, the 
 consuls, and most of the principal inhabitants 
 of Tripoli. Each particular property is sur- 
 rounded by a wall, and many are laid out with 
 great taste. We had no sooner entered this 
 cluster of villas, than we recognised the sweet 
 scents which were wafted to us from the shore 
 on the evening of our landing. On our return 
 we fell in with the Bashaw's guards, who were 
 escorting their master back to the palace by a 
 different route from that we had chosen. They 
 were about twenty in number the two averters 
 of the evil eye keeping a little in advance of 
 the rest, who rode in two not very straight lines. 
 In the centre of the first was placed His High-
 
 29 
 
 ness. These guards were all armed with guns, 
 which they held in their left hands, the butt 
 end resting against their saddles, and which from 
 their excessive length have more the appearance 
 of lances. We dined at the consulate; and, 
 not liking the idea of encountering the swell 
 a second time, we most willingly accepted Col. 
 Warrington's invitation to sleep on shore. The 
 next morning was devoted to the examination 
 of the papers and evidence collected by Col. W. 
 relative to the mysterious affair of Major Laing's 
 murder, and the transmission of his sealed 
 papers into the hands of Baron Rousseau. They 
 are extremely voluminous, but the outline of the 
 history is as follows : On the 18th June, 1825, 
 the very day of his marriage with Miss E. War- 
 rington, Major Laing set out from Tripoli in 
 pursuance of the orders he had received from 
 Lord Bathurst, to make a journey of discovery 
 in the interior of Africa. He penetrated as far 
 as Timbuctoo, where he made some valuable
 
 30 
 
 discoveries, and got possession of many ancient 
 historical records of that country. He was 
 attacked by some Tuarics, and after bravely de- 
 fending- himself, received 24 wounds, and was 
 left for dead on the sand. I read the letters he 
 wrote subsequently with his left hand, his right 
 arm being entirely disabled. He advanced 
 further into the country where he lost almost all 
 his suite through a pestilential fever; and on 
 his return, apprehending the loss of his valuable 
 papers, he gave them into the hands of a person 
 he trusted to be conveyed to Tripoli, whilst he 
 himself made an excursion towards the east, in 
 the course of which, he was assassinated. It is 
 a singular circumstance, but a most unfortunately 
 true one, that the French authorities in these 
 countries, have never omitted an opportunity of 
 throwing obstacles in the way of such enterpriz- 
 ing Englishmen as travel with the view of 
 making scientific discoveries. There is the 
 strongest evidence in proof of the French Con-
 
 31 
 
 suFs having instigated Assuna de Gheiz, the 
 Bashaw's prime minister, to use his utmost in- 
 fluence for the purpose of getting every sort of 
 vexatious hindrance placed in the traveller's 
 path, which the minister accomplished by writ- 
 ing to the Sultan of Fez, and several Tuaric 
 Chiefs, instructions to that effect. Also, that 
 Assuna was on confidential terms with the indi- 
 vidual under whose protection the unfortunate 
 Laing travelled at the period of his murder. 
 That when the messenger arrived with the 
 packet belonging to Major Laing, he concealed 
 him, gave him money, and sent him away in the 
 night. That Rousseau and Assuna frequently 
 visited each other in disguise ; that Assuna delU 
 vered the packet into Rousseau's hands, and ob- 
 tained for so doing, an abatement of 400. 
 out of a sum of money claimed by the 
 French Government. That upon the affair 
 getting wind, Rousseau connived at the escape 
 of Assuna, who fled at night, on board an Ame-
 
 32 
 
 rican Corvette, disguised as an American officer, 
 the commander of a French vessel having de- 
 clared he would have nothing to do with such a 
 transaction. Further, that although Rousseau 
 denies the fact, he is actually publishing in 
 France a work relating to Timbuctoo, and this 
 without any apparent sources of information. 
 The American Consul who assisted in the escape 
 of Assuna, has publicly stated that he was 
 cruelly and perfidiously deceived; and all the 
 other consuls at Tripoli have signed their names, 
 and apposed their seals to a document, declaring 
 their belief in the allegations against Baron 
 Rousseau. The latter is now under arrest, in 
 France, and is shortly to stand his trial. Lord 
 Stuart, our Ambassador there, is in possession of 
 the whole evidence.* So much for this tragical 
 subject. 
 
 * The French Government, to their infinite disgrace, refused to try 
 Rousseau in any satisfactory manner, and after a sham trial before two 
 other French Consuls, he was of course acquitted.
 
 33 
 
 We were on the point of mounting our horses to 
 take a ride, when a midshipman came to inform 
 us that we must lose no time in getting on board, 
 as Sir Thomas was preparing to weigh. We were 
 therefore compelled to take a hasty leave of 
 Col. Warrington and his amiable family, and 
 get forthwith into the boat, which was waiting 
 for us on the beach. A very heavy swell was 
 rolling in, and the surf considerably over the 
 bar. The ship was already under way, standing 
 out in the larboard tack; and as we had the 
 swell against us, it was long before we were fairly 
 embarked. The swell continued two days 
 without much wind, what little there was being 
 contrary; after which the sea became quite 
 still, and we had slight breezes, principally from 
 the N. W. till Saturday afternoon, when the 
 wind veered to the east, and a breeze sprung up 
 which earned us on the following day, Sunday, 
 April 18th, at sunset, into an anchorage about 
 three miles from the Goletta. We passed near
 
 34 
 
 Linosa on Thursday, and close to Lampedusa 
 on Friday. The former is a small volcanic bar- 
 ren island, only inhabited by a few fishermen. 
 The latter has a plain surface with a bold coast. 
 It is partially cultivated by a few Maltese pea- 
 sants, and the survivors of the family of Don 
 Fernandez, a Spaniard, who brought them 
 there. This gentleman was, during the war, a 
 contractor for furnishing the English troops in 
 the Mediterranean, and he subsequently either 
 begged or purchased this island from the Sicilian 
 government. He laid out all his money in the 
 improvement of the land, which yielded no ade- 
 quate return, and thereby the unfortunate spe- 
 culator was ruined. 
 
 On Saturday, about noon, we got a good view 
 of Pantellaria, fourteen miles to the south of it. 
 This island is about thirty miles in circumfe- 
 rence, high, volcanic, and reminded me of Ischia. 
 We had beautiful weather, but little fair wind. 
 We saw not a single sail in the course of our
 
 35 
 
 voyage from Malta, until we rounded Cape 
 Bon, when we perceived three polaccas standing 
 to the north. At Tripoli they are sometimes 
 three or four months without intelligence from 
 Europe. They export a small quantity of cot- 
 ton and silk, and occasionally convey cattle to 
 Malta, but the greater number are imported 
 into that island from Bengazi, (situated on the 
 Barbary coast, to the westward of Lerida,) and 
 from Tunis. Both Tripolitans and Tunisians 
 possess great advantages for the production of 
 silk, from the rapid growth of the mul- 
 berry tree, which is a native of Barbary. But 
 they appear to be either ignorant of the benefits 
 of trade, or too lazy to avail themselves thereof. 
 The Tunisians, however, carry on much more 
 commerce than the Tripolitans, and as a resi- 
 dence for an European consul, Tunis is, on that 
 account, far preferable to the other regencies. 
 It has a direct and not unfrequent communica- 
 tion with Marseilles, where all the Tunisian oil
 
 36 
 
 (which is of a coarse quality) is purchased for 
 the manufacture of soap. After rounding Cape 
 Bon, the bay of Tunis presents an aspect far 
 more pleasing than any other part of the African 
 coast I have hitherto seen, and one could again 
 fancy one's self upon the " lovely shores of the 
 Mediterranean." The low sandy beach has 
 disappeared, and in its place hills rise upon your 
 view, which, though not covered with the richest 
 herbage, or enlivened by the presence of flocks 
 and herds, have at least a tinge of green, and as 
 you advance further into the bosom of the gulf, 
 Cape Carthage, with its woods and vineyards, 
 appear to the right, while to the left are seen the 
 romantic hills of Hammam- Lymph, with the 
 rugged and fantastically-shaped mountains of 
 Gowan rising beyond them. 
 
 The Goletta is a strong fortification, standing 
 (as its name denotes) upon the small communi- 
 cation between the bay and the lagoon. The 
 latter is a shallow lake, about five miles in
 
 37 
 
 length, and four in breadth, at the farther end of 
 which the broad white town of Tunis is situated. 
 This lagoon has two singular and not very 
 agreeable properties. It emits a most offensive 
 smell being almost stagnant, and the stains of its 
 water, (if the fluid it contains can be so called,) 
 are indelible. Were it not for this lake, the 
 nature of which is discernable even at a distance, 
 the town of Tunis as a finish to the bay, would 
 form a coup d'reil not inferior to Naples itself , 
 and the resemblance is increased by the Isle of 
 Zenchra, which occupies a situation in this bay 
 exactly similar to that of Capri in the bay of Na- 
 les; the Apennines are however wanting to com- 
 plete the parallel. Here we found the American 
 frigate Constellation,* 48, Capt. Wordsworth, 
 the Corvette Ontario, Captain Stevens, and the 
 French frigate Circe, 46, Captain Rigaudet. 
 
 * This frigate was entirely lost in the month of October, 1832, near 
 Rhodes, and every soul on board perished, but the captain and his boat's
 
 38 
 
 The commanders all came to pay their respects 
 immediately on our arrival. Sir Thos. Staines 
 sent a boat on shore to try and discover Sir 
 Thomas Reade, our Consul-General, he himself 
 being in perfect ignorance of the forms of the 
 country, and not even acquainted with the 
 landing place. They returned about twelve 
 o'clock ; after having landed at the Goletta. 
 They procured horses through the intervention of 
 Monsr. Gaspard, agent to our consul there, and 
 from thence they were conducted about four 
 miles into the country at the back of Carthage, 
 where they found Sir T. Reade's beautiful villa. 
 He sent word that the fort would salute the I sis 
 with twenty-one guns, and that he would come 
 early on board to accompany us on shore. 
 
 Sir Thos. Reade kept his word, and was with 
 us early. Our commodore and he had formerly 
 been acquainted at Messina, where he was de- 
 puty adjutant-general with Sir J. Stuart's army, 
 at the time that Sir T. Staines came there in
 
 39 
 
 the Cyane, to undergo the amputation of his 
 arm, after his glorious action with the Ceres in 
 the bay of Naples. He acknowledged having 
 received great kindness from Reade, who was 
 then in command of a division of gun-boats, 
 which he frequently sent out to fish for him, 
 and took pains to procure him the best pro- 
 visions. Their meeting was extremely cordial ; 
 and the consul-general begged we would all 
 come on shore, and reside in his house as long 
 as possible. 
 
 The salute was fired at eight o'clock, and 
 duly answered. We had anchored at so incon- 
 venient a distance from the landing place, that 
 it was thought advisable to shift our birth about 
 a mile and a half nearer in shore. There is 
 barely four fathom water within three miles of 
 Goletta ; so that we stirred up mud the whole 
 way as we went along, and finally dropped an- 
 chor in three and a half. 
 
 Sir Thos. Reade's hospitable invitation was
 
 40 
 
 accepted, and we were rowed from the ship to 
 the landing place at Goletta. This fortress 
 mounts a great number of guns, including se- 
 veral very fine brass 481bs. ; one of SOlbs. car- 
 rying stone shot, and a species of long mortar also 
 carrying stone shot of 280lbs. Of these, the eighty 
 pounder is very highly finished ; and was pre- 
 sented by the Tunisian Jews to the Bey. It is 
 ornamented with a Jew's head at the larger 
 end, and surmounted by two lions or griffins, 
 beautifully executed. This gun was cast at 
 Florence. 
 
 The battery is so ill constructed that a line of 
 battle ship might anchor within pistol shot of 
 its eastern angle, without more than half a 
 dozen guns being brought to bear upon her. 
 Upon the pier (a collection of loose stones 
 thrown into the water to protect the landing 
 place) stands a wooden post, with a lantern 
 upon the top of it, denominated the light- 
 house, but of small use ; for, being accessible by
 
 41 
 
 a rope ladder which is never removed, the 
 rogues of the place transfer the oil destined for 
 its use to their own private lamps, and leave the 
 bewildered mariners in the horrors of darkness. 
 The fort saluted Sir Thomas Staines at landing 
 with nine or ten guns. The small town of 
 Goletta contains about three thousand inhabi- 
 tants ; it is governed by Sidi Mahomed Hoggia, 
 whose son Sidi Mahmond was present at 
 coronation of Charles X. at Rhiems. He 
 is extremely proud of having dined with the 
 Duke of Northumberland, as also of a pair of 
 pistols he received from the noble duke, which 
 he never fails to display. He speaks French 
 and Italian extremely well. We were not a 
 little astonished when we landed at finding 
 three carriages waiting to convey us to Sir T. 
 Reade's abode. The Bey allows no one but 
 himself the privilege of a four-wheeled car- 
 riage ; and although this has formed a subject of 
 remonstrance in some of the consular notes, His
 
 42 
 
 Highness remains firm in the maintenance of 
 his princely prerogative. Our three vehicles 
 were a cabriolet, a sort of jaunting car, and a 
 taxed cart covered with canvass, each drawn by 
 two horses, and driven by a postillion. The 
 roads surprised us even more than the carriages, 
 for we found them remarkably good. After 
 passing by the ruins of the famous aqueduct, 
 through cornfields, most formidable hedges of 
 prickly pear, about ten feet high, vineyards, 
 olive trees, &c., we arrived at the consul's house, 
 beautifully situated on a gentle eminence, four 
 miles distance from the Goletta, and one from 
 Cape Carthage. It is a very large building, 
 belonging to the Bey, and, as a mark of the 
 highest favour, Sir T. Reade is allowed by him 
 to live there at very small cost. The thickness of 
 its walls, the fine view it commands, and its being 
 open to the sea breeze, which blows daily into 
 the gulf, combine with the beauty of the climate 
 in rendering it a most agreeable residence. We
 
 43 
 
 went out quail shooting- for an hour before 
 dinner, in the corn fields, which were almost 
 ready to receive the reapers. We killed ten 
 couple. 
 
 We dined at six o'clock, the Count Philippi, 
 the Sardinian consul, and his contessa, were 
 invited to meet us. He is a clever, agreeable 
 man, was formerly an officer in Napoleon's 
 Spanish army, and is now going- on a mission 
 to Rio Janeiro. The signora appeared to be a 
 harmless individual, but rather too old for her 
 lord. They are both of very good families, and 
 upon the whole, the best foreign specimens I 
 have yet met with in the consular line. Sir Thos. 
 Reade gave us a repast which would have done 
 credit to Christianity ; indeed his whole style of 
 living was such as to make one forget as well 
 the gastronomical hardships of the sea, as the 
 barbarous realms we were visiting. 
 
 Tuesday, April 20</i. Early in the morning 
 a caleche, drawn by four grey mules, appeared
 
 44 
 
 in the coach-yard, bringing a request from the 
 Bey that it might convey us immediately to 
 court, and placing it at Sir T. Staines' disposal 
 so long as he should remain at Tunis. 
 
 Accordingly, at eight o' clock, we set out in 
 the caleche and two cabriolets, for the Bey's 
 residence a small fortified town, situated about 
 a mile from Tunis. The grey mules were har- 
 nessed in the European manner, and driven by 
 two postillions, in pantaloons, caftans and tur- 
 bans. The caleche was much upon a par with 
 those one hires at Rome or Naples. The arms 
 consisted of a silver shield, surmounted by two 
 cross swords as a crest. This is the Bey's 
 insignia, and appears on all Tunisian flags. 
 Lady M. W. Montague, who visited Tunis on 
 her return from Constantinople, in 1718, re- 
 marks that there were no gardens around it, 
 and adds that she had been told they were all 
 destroyed by the Turks under Selim II, when 
 they took the town, and never restored since that
 
 45 
 
 time. I think it most probable, that there never 
 were any, because those who could afford luxu- 
 ries, (and in oriental countries very good taste is 
 shewn in these matters,) would certainly prefer 
 having their gardens further removed from the 
 detestable lagoon I have already described, 
 and more under the influence of the cooling 
 sea breeze. However, be that as it may, the 
 immediate environs of Tunis are now as devoid 
 of these embellishments as at the time of that 
 celebrated lady's visit. We coasted the lagoon, 
 until we approached close to the town, and 
 then turning to the right, we entered the forti- 
 fication by a drawbridge, through an archway, 
 and found ourselves in a street full of shops, 
 where much noisy trafficking was going on. 1 1 
 appears that upwards of 3000 people, all of them 
 in some degree retainers of the court, live in the en- 
 ceinte of this Seraglio. Our postillions proceeded 
 at so decorous and Turkish a pace, that we did 
 not reach the Seraglio gates, a distance of only
 
 46 
 
 nine miles from Sir T. R.'s residence, before 
 ten o'clock. The Ladies Staines and Reade 
 were conducted to the female apartments, and 
 paid their respects to the Bey's Circassian wife. 
 The Bey was prepared to receive us in the hall 
 of justice, a long sombre-room, supported by 
 two rows of pillars, with Moorish arches ; its 
 ceiling 1 was most curiously carved in the oriental 
 fashion. We proceeded up the centre aisle to 
 His Highness Sidi Russian ben Ali, who was 
 sitting cross-legged, at the farther end of the 
 hall, upon a marble seat, covered with rich silks, 
 and raised about four feet from the ground. His 
 prime minister leant against the seat on the left 
 hand, and the various dignitaries of the court, 
 were ranged on either side of the aisles. 
 
 The Bey is nearly fifty years of age, and has 
 a remarkably good countenance, but not of an 
 oriental caste. This is not to be wondered at, 
 since he comes of a Corsican renegade family, 
 who usurped this throne some generations back.
 
 47 
 
 Their name was Bellagi, but the present Bey 
 has prudently dropped it, as connected with 
 unpleasant and possibly dangerous recollections: 
 he calls himself simply, Son of Ali. His High- 
 ness bears the character of an extremely mild 
 ruler, quite incapable of inflicting" any descrip- 
 tion of severe punishment. His late prime mi- 
 nister, who was accused of wasteful extrava- 
 gance in the finance department, and who, it 
 appears, did dabble in commercial speculations, 
 became an insolvent debtor to the European 
 merchants of this place, to the amount of 
 60.000., the whole of which sum, after some 
 little urging on the part of the consuls, has been 
 made good by the present minister, at the 
 request of his prince. Confiscation of private 
 property is presumed to have been the source of 
 revenue applied to the liquidation of this debt. 
 The new premier is expected -to be a reformer 
 in office, and a strict enforcer of retrenchment 
 and economy. Lilla Enfisa, the Sultana, and
 
 48 
 
 her handmaidens were put upon a short allow- 
 ance of frankincense, jessamine, and otto of 
 roses ; the Bey himself is restricted to the not 
 spending 1 more than half his yearly revenue in 
 the purchase of diamond rings. At our audience, 
 he wore upon his fore finger a brilliant worth 
 4,000., a memorial of former extravagance, 
 which he seemed to view with peculiar compla- 
 cency. Whether meant as a condescension on 
 his Highness' s part, or a bassesse on our's, I 
 know not; but in pursuance of Sir T. Reade's 
 example, we each kissed hands upon being 
 presented ; after which, he took our's and shook 
 them very cordially. Chairs were then placed 
 for us. The Bey entered into conversation, and 
 asked me some questions respecting Constanti- 
 nople and Alexandria, as also, whether I could 
 speak Turkish, I replied, " Saban su Ulsum," 
 viz : " Good morning Sir," at which his Highness 
 was graciously pleased to smile. He was delighted 
 with our assurances that Mahommed AH had no
 
 49 
 
 intention of joining the French in an attack 
 upon the Regencies. The Bey was very simply 
 attired ; he wore one of the small neatly folded 
 white turbans, which are the fashion for Grandees 
 in this country, but no bournouse; to make 
 amends for which, his prime minister, and other 
 courtiers were completely enveloped in them. 
 The premier is quite a young man, remarkably 
 handsome, and, as frequently happens in the 
 east, was raised from slavery in the Seraglio, to 
 the chair of state. After partaking of coffee 
 and sherbet, we took leave of His Highness, and 
 were conducted to view the interior of the Palace. 
 It is built round a flagged court, with a marble 
 fountain playing in the centre, and deep colon- 
 nades on every side, as a protection from the heat. 
 The colonnades support Moorish arches, ara- 
 besquely carved and painted. In short, though 
 much less ornamented, it is evidently built upon 
 the same plan as the celebrated Alhambra. In 
 his private apartment, the Bey had some pretty
 
 50 
 
 French clocks and furniture. A dagger was 
 shewn us, upon the hilt of which was a cut 
 emerald, an inch and a half in depth, the 
 same in breadth, and almost without a 
 flaw. The windows, large plates of glass, 
 not of the very best quality, were so 
 placed as to look upon the most dreary and 
 sterile part of the country. We visited the 
 premier in his office, a wretched room about ten 
 feet by three ; he gave us coffee, after which 
 we returned to our carriages, and were shortly 
 joined by the ladies. They described Lilla 
 Enfisa as very pretty, amiable, and engaging. 
 She was attended by the Bashaw's daughters, 
 and slaves innumerable. Her hair was orna- 
 mented with fresh roses, which, after embracing 
 her visitors, she took out, and presented to them. 
 Such are the eccentric habits of the Bey that 
 he has never had more than one wife at a time, 
 and has apparently a very domestic turn ; 
 he married Lilla Fatima, his first wife, in 1814,
 
 51 
 
 and lived very happily with her till 1826, when 
 she died, leaving him seven sons and two daugh- 
 ters. He soon after purchased the present lady, 
 who was said to be a Circassian in the adver- 
 tisement, and by her he has one daughter. The 
 premier is shortly to espouse one of the elder 
 princesses, and can by the Tunisian law, take 
 no other wife while she lives. For the blessings 
 and advantages of a royal connection, vide Anas- 
 tasius in Egypt. 
 
 From the palace we proceeded to a country 
 house with a garden and kiosk, about two miles 
 farther from Tunis. This residence is much 
 neglected by the present Bey, but contains 
 some pretty apartments, with beautiful slabs of 
 African porphyry, and antique marble affixed 
 to the walls. The garden abounds with orange, 
 lemon, lime, and mulberry trees, but gives one 
 a feel of imprisonment; for the walks (all at 
 right angles) are bordered with a high trellice 
 work of wood, to prevent the ladies from ever
 
 52 
 
 deviating, and one cannot even reach an orange 
 flower, except where some stray blossom has 
 forced its way through the wood work. The 
 light, inside the kiosk, has a curious effect all 
 the little domes and odd -shaped railings are 
 carved a jour, and the interstices filled up with 
 stained glass of various colours. The Bey em- 
 ploys many Italians and Corsicans, principally 
 renegades, but few negroes. Lady Staines told 
 me also that the Harem contained scarcely any 
 negresses. Many of the Mahomedans speak 
 Italian. The court of Tunis is much more 
 civilised than that of Tripoli, and is more- 
 over the richest of the three regencies, and 
 capable, under a good administration, of yield- 
 ing a very large revenue. The Tunisian wheat 
 is much esteemed all over the world. Our tem- 
 pers were not improved during the first part of 
 our drive by a gale of wind, which blew into our 
 faces such clouds of sand and dust, as it was 
 scarcely possible to endure. We now returned,
 
 53 
 
 accompanied by whirlwinds of sand, into the 
 town of Tunis, and stopped at a large rambling 
 wretched looking building, denominated the 
 English consulate. We afterwards called upon 
 the French consul Mr. Lesseps. He was for- 
 merly consul at Aleppo, and the very person who 
 rescued the unfortunate Mr. Henry Anson and 
 Mr. Strangways from prison, and in whose house 
 the former expired of the plague. I had already 
 seen the despatch written at the time by Lesseps 
 to Sir Stratford Canning, then Ambassador 
 at Constantinople, but had heard so many 
 different and ridiculous accounts of this melan- 
 choly affair, that I was glad of an oppor- 
 tunity to hear the whole truth from the consul 
 himself. He informed me that a poor Arab 
 Christian one day placed in his hands a dirty 
 scrap of paper, upon which was written : " Two 
 English gentlemen are imprisoned in a dungeon 
 under the tower of the Pacha's residence, and, 
 if not rescued, will be executed this evening."
 
 54 
 
 On reading this, the consul instantly sent two 
 guards to keep the prison entrance, ordering 
 them, upon no account to admit any one, whilst 
 he himself hastened to the Pacha Youssouf, 
 and insisted upon the instantaneous release of 
 the two Englishmen. Youssouf demurred, al- 
 leging that they were not English, but Greek 
 spies. However, upon a most peremptory re- 
 iteration of the demand, they were given up to 
 the consul. They had no sooner arrived at his 
 house, than he perceived a purple spot upon Mr. 
 Anson's face, which so alarmed him that he sent 
 instantly for a physician, who at once coafirmed 
 his worst fears. Poor Anson became delirious 
 that night, and breathed his last two days after 
 in the arms of his friend, who could never be 
 persuaded to quit him. It appears that their 
 own inconsiderate conduct was the cause of the 
 whole misfortune. They fell in with the Sur 
 Emini, and a numerous cortege bearing the car- 
 pet, sent annually by the Grand Signer to the
 
 55 
 
 tomb of the prophet, procured an interview with 
 him, and endeavoured, by way of bravado, to in- 
 duce him to believe that they had secretly visited 
 the sacred cities, which is not permitted to a Chris- 
 tian. Most unfortunately, their insinuations 
 had the desired effect ; and the Sur Emini, a 
 violent bigot, persuaded Youssouf to have them 
 detained, and disposed of as Greek spies. 
 The travellers were accordingly seized on their 
 way to Damascus, and brought back to Aleppo, 
 through a village where the plague was raging, 
 and in which they halted for one night. There 
 is no doubt, that, but for giving timely notice of 
 their perilous situation, they would both have 
 been strangled. They arrived at the residence 
 of Lesseps in a most wretched condition, and 
 nearly famished. He added that there were two 
 species of that horrid malady the plague, from 
 the worst of which few ever escape, and poor 
 Anson's was of this latter description. I never 
 met with a more voluble old fellow than this
 
 56 
 
 Frenchman ; he told his tale with all the gesture 
 and declamation of a practised histrion. After 
 taking leave of him, we walked about the town 
 and bazaars, which afforded nothing worthy of 
 note, unless it be the house in which Caroline 
 Queen of England resided by permission of His 
 Highness, and first imbibed a taste for panta- 
 loons and oriental manners. I will also mention 
 the manufacture of the Fez cap, which seems the 
 only one of any importance here. At first, 
 loosely knit in white wool about the size of the 
 largest Venetian night cap, it becomes, by con- 
 stant carding, combing, and repeated shrinking^, 
 little bigger than a skull cap. The carding and 
 combing machinery is neither very complicated 
 nor. extensive, it being entirely performed by 
 means of the dried head of a large teasle, which 
 grows in abundance in this country. It is, as 
 every one knows, afterwards dyed a bright ver- 
 million colour, and is of universal use throughout 
 the Ottoman, Greek, and Moorish dominions,
 
 57 
 
 whether alone as a cap, or as a foundation for 
 the more imposing turban. Tunis is immensely 
 large : it is said to contain 140,000 inhabitants, 
 of whom a great many are Jews, and only about 
 2,000 Christians. But there are more Turks 
 residing here than either at Alexandria or 
 Tripoli. It can scarcely boast one good 
 building, and even the bazaars are of a poor 
 description, no better than those of Tripoli, 
 though the latter town is infinitely smaller than 
 this. Tunis was besieged in 1270 by Louis IX. 
 King of France, who died under its walls, of the 
 plague, subsequently conquered by Barbarossa, 
 under Solyman, the Magnificent, wrested from 
 the Turks by the Emperor Charles V. and 
 finally re-taken by the victorious arms of Selim 
 II. the conqueror of Egypt. Although this 
 Regency has long been independent of the 
 Forte's decaying authority, it continues an 
 annual tribute, consisting chiefly in Aloes Wood, 
 Attar of Roses, and Jessamine, which are better
 
 58 
 
 made here than in any other part of the Ottoman 
 dominions. Though the Beys might assume 
 whatever title they pleased, as no one attempts to 
 interfere with their settlement of the succession, 
 they, notwithstanding, remain content with being 
 simple Pachas of two tails, from which they only 
 derive the title of Bey. There seems, indeed, to 
 exist in the three Regencies, as well as at Alex- 
 andria, an extreme reluctance towards any 
 overt act which might be construed into a 
 renunciation of their allegiance to the Porte. 
 This may possibly proceed from a religious 
 dread of affronting the head of the church, 
 and being in return declared Fermanly, by 
 which they would be placed precisely in the 
 same situation as our anathematized monarchs, 
 during the barbarous ages.* The wind conti- 
 nued to be most violent all the way back to the 
 consulate. On arriving there we were greeted 
 
 Vide Appendix, No. 2.
 
 59 
 
 by Mustapha the perfumer, as great a character 
 as his namesake, at Constantinople. His per- 
 fumes vindicated the high reputation obtained 
 by the Tunisian attar, being not only superior 
 to those of Constantinople and the Levant, but 
 quite different ; for instead of that overpowering 
 smell which inevitably entails a head-ache, these 
 perfumes give you the fresh scent of the flowers. 
 Their price was preposterous ; for a bottle con- 
 taining about a table-spoonful and a half, 
 Mustapha demanded twelve guineas; and a 
 guinea and half for one, the contents of which 
 were scarcely visible to the naked eye. I can- 
 not imagine how he can find customers at such 
 a rate ; nevertheless we could not get him to 
 abate one farthing, and 1 bought some extract 
 of aloes, and aloes wood. This perfumer was a 
 most lively and entertaining little fellow ; he 
 cared not a straw whether we purchased his 
 goods or not ; but examined our uniforms and 
 buttons very minutely, pulled out our watches,
 
 60 
 
 and would insist upon knowing 1 who we were, 
 and all about each of us. He was accompanied 
 by a bournouse dealer. The bournouses, which 
 are made of a sort of cachmere, are here of the 
 finest texture, and of a glossy white. Count 
 Philippi, who dined with us again to-day, told 
 me that he was lately returned from an anti- 
 quarian tour in the interior of the country, and 
 that, amongst many remains still in a very 
 perfect state, he had been chiefly struck with 
 those of the amphitheatre, near Djeinm, the 
 ancient Tisdra. This ruin, according to my in- 
 formant, is larger than the Colesseum at Rome, 
 and in an equal state of preservation. Some 
 coins of the Emperor Gordian have been found 
 in the neighbourhood, with an amphitheatre 
 upon the reverse. As he was an African, and 
 therefore likely to bestow his munificence on his 
 native country, it is not improbable that they 
 may have borne the date of his reign. 
 
 Wednesday, April 2 1st. It still continued to
 
 61 
 
 blow violently from the N. W. After breakfast we 
 took our guns, and walked towards Carthage to 
 inspect the cisterns. Excepting the ruins of 
 the aqueduct, which are strewn upon the ground 
 between Tunis and Carthage, these alone are 
 worth examining. Like the aqueduct, the wa- 
 ters of which they were originally destined to re- 
 ceive, they are admirably and solidly constructed, 
 about thirty feet deep, with arches above, and 
 plaistered inside. There are seven now remain- 
 ing, each wall forming the spring of two arches ; 
 unlike the Constantinople cisterns, the arches of 
 which are supported by pillars. The town of 
 Carthage is beautifully situated upon a promon- 
 tory, now called Cape Carthage, which juts out 
 into the magnificent bay. From two sides of 
 the triangle you look towards the sea, and from 
 the base, upon the granary of Europe; not a 
 vestige remains of the Punic Carthage. The 
 violence of the wind prevented our having very 
 good sport, and we returned home at five o'clock
 
 62 
 
 with only 39 couple of quails. In the evening 
 Sir Thomas Reade received a message from the 
 Bey, expressing his extreme regret that the little 
 lioness he had promised Sir T. for the Zoological 
 Society, had contrived to escape from her cage, 
 on her way to the Goletta ; but adding, that 
 every exertion was making to recover her. We 
 began very strongly to suspect that the lioness 
 was merely imaginary, and that this was his 
 Highness's way of keeping a hasty promise ; 
 Sir T. Reade, however, stoutly defended his 
 character. 
 
 April 22nd, Thursday. The gale abated, but 
 the wind not being fair, and we extremely com- 
 fortable in the mansion of our hospitable consul, 
 it was agreed that we should not re-embark 
 that day. The weather was delightful, with 
 merely a few passing clouds to intercept the 
 sun's rays, and prevent the too great heat. 
 We again went out quail shooting, killed 
 thirty-five couples, and upon returning home,
 
 63 
 
 found to our sorrow that Sir T. Reade 
 had done the Bey but justice, for the little 
 lioness was laid out dead at his gate. She 
 had already travelled eleven miles into the 
 country to join her wild relatives, when she 
 was overtaken by her pursuers, and in an at- 
 tempt to take her alive the disaster happened ; 
 her remains were now sent to confute the in- 
 jurious doubts we had dared to raise of His 
 Highness' s integrity. 
 
 Friday, April 23. Took leave of our kind 
 host and hostess, and got under weigh about 
 twelve o'clock. The officers had all this time 
 been straggling about the country, and five or 
 six would certainly have been left behind, had 
 they not caught us up in a shore boat as we were 
 tacking to weather Cape Carthage. The navi- 
 gation round the western part of the bay of Tunis 
 is very dangerous, on account of a low flat island, 
 called Plane Island, and of the Cane Rocks, 
 which are off the port. They caused Sir T.
 
 64 
 
 Staines an anxious night, the wind having pre- 
 vented his getting a good view of them at sun- 
 set. However we stood out, and got clear of all 
 dangers by the morning. Our stock of curi- 
 osities was increased by a stuffed coata mundi and 
 galena carthaginis, which Sir T. Reade gave me 
 at parting, besides some ancient medals. No- 
 thing could exceed his kindness and hospitality. 
 Saturday, April 24. The American frigate 
 and corvette, which sailed the evening of our 
 departure, hove in sight, made the island of 
 Galita, and were becalmed during the night. 
 
 Sunday, April 25. Americans still in sight. 
 A little before sunset, when we were nearly 
 abreast of Galita ; between it and the main, the 
 Americans stood away to the N.W. on the 
 starboard tack. At midnight, the wind heading 
 us a little, obliged us to go about on the same 
 tack, and thereby to stand towards the dan- 
 gerous rocks Awash with the water called the 
 Sisters.
 
 65 
 
 April 26. Made very little way in the night, 
 the current was strong, and a heavy swell set in 
 from the N.W. On coming opposite the bight 
 of Bona, four or five miles from land, we fell 
 in with a whole fleet of little boats, fishing 
 upon the bank for coral, the quality of which is 
 famous. It must be a laborious occupation j for 
 the soundings laid down in the chart are no 
 where less than twenty-five fathoms. We 
 sounded twice near them, and found once 
 thirty, and the next time fifty-five fathoms, at 
 which depth the fishermen must dredge and 
 haul so great a quantity of line. 
 
 They remain here about three months, and 
 when the weather is bad, run into Bona. Those 
 we saw were chiefly from Leghorn, under the 
 Tuscan flag. There were formerly many Mal- 
 tese amongst these fishermen, but some were 
 murdered by the inhabitants of Bona, since 
 which they have returned no more. Lord Ex- 
 mouth went to Algiers and demanded satisfaction
 
 66 
 
 for this outrage upon British subjects, the Dey's 
 refusal of which, was the chief cause that led to 
 the bombardment of the town. 
 
 Tuesday^ April 27. Made little or no way 
 during- this night, and in the morning- found 
 ourselves in a heavy swell, almost without wind, 
 getting gradually nearer the shore. With 
 difficulty we weathered the points of the various 
 small bays along the coast until sunset, when it 
 appeared that the swell completely shook the 
 light air out of the sails, and that instead of 
 making any way, the ship was going bodily 
 to leeward. Soundings were obtained in 
 twenty-five fathoms, the anchor got ready, 
 quarter boats let down ; and in this situation 
 we remained till we drifted within two miles 
 of the shore. At this conjuncture some 
 one fortunately laid a wager that we should 
 not be obliged to let go an anchor, which was the 
 signal for a light air to fill our sails, and take us 
 out of our awkward berth. It was not, however,
 
 67 
 
 till near ten o'clock that we got a sufficient 
 offing- to make all safe. Made little way in the 
 night. The following day, April 28th, a light 
 breeze sprung up at no-on from the east, and 
 freshened gradually. At sunset, we were going 
 six knots; it continued to freshen all night, 
 and in the morning* about nine o'clock, with the 
 wind right aft, and alJ the sail on one mast, going 
 eight and a half, we made a sail to the N.W. 
 standing towards us. At first she was reported a 
 merchantman, but more experienced eyes soon 
 discovered guns, and she proved to be a small 
 French brig, the outside cruiser of the blockade. 
 She fired a gun to leeward, and hoisted her 
 colours. We hoisted ours ; she then went 
 on the starboard tack close to us, of which 
 we took no notice. She had her white streak 
 as usual on the starboard side, but the lar- 
 board, which was that exposed to our view 
 upon first making her out, was black with 
 a white line just under the nettings, to
 
 68 
 
 deceive the unwary. We could barely dis- 
 tinguish the topsails of a frigate cruising about 
 twenty miles to the N. At noon, going about 
 ten and two, we fell in with a large twenty-gun 
 round stern brig, which came close and spoke 
 us. We could scarcely hear what was said, 
 but understood it to be a request that we would 
 speak to Commodore Clairval's frigate, the 
 Sirene, which, as I before mentioned, we were 
 just within view of. We assented, and the brig 
 followed us ; but we outsailed her so much, that 
 to avoid the appearance of braving the blockade, 
 our studding sails were taken in, and she then 
 kept tolerable way with us. At two o'clock we 
 rounded the French Commodore, who hove to 
 in our course. He was acquainted with Sir 
 T. Staines ; they having met at Mahon, where 
 the I sis was refitting, and he now sent his 
 aid-de-camp on board to express his extreme re- 
 gret that he could not allow us to proceed to 
 Algiers. Sir T. Staines pleaded the orders he
 
 had received from his admiral to communicate 
 with the British consul there, which he was 
 bound to execute, and the aide-de-camp went 
 back for further instructions. In the mean time 
 another brig, and a forty-eight gun frigate had 
 come up, and taken their stations round us. 
 Upon the aide-de-camp's return I was called in 
 to act as interpreter, his knowledge of English, 
 and Sir T.'s of French, being just sufficient to 
 create a serious misunderstanding. I found the 
 latter, who, although a man of no prejudices, 
 was nevertheless taught in Nelson's school, and 
 hated a Frenchman cordially ; haranguing the 
 aide-de-camp, and endeavouring to impress 
 upon him the necessity he (Sir Thomas) was 
 under, of executing the orders he had received ; 
 the aide-de-camp bowing all the time, and 
 vainly endeavouring to get in a word- Sir 
 T. fancied he was delivering his sentiments 
 in the mildest way, and to my certain know^ 
 ledge, had no intention whatever of going
 
 70 
 
 contrary to the orders of the French com- 
 modore, but his blood rose at the notion of 
 being- interfered with by a d d French- 
 man ; and the aide-de-camp must have in- 
 ferred from his manner, (the language being 
 incomprehensible) that he would fight to the 
 last, sooner than not obey his Admiral's instruc- 
 tions. When I could obtain a hearing for the 
 French officer, he produced the orders of his 
 superior from the minister of the marine de- 
 partment, which certainly were peremptory 
 to prevent any vessel whatever from passing 
 into the port of Algiers. However, Sir T's 
 vehemence had a good effect; for, after 
 some altercation, it was agreed that the 
 Isis should proceed to Algiers, and that he 
 should send an officer on shore to communicate 
 with the consul, only giving his written promise 
 not to anchor. Accordingly, we stood in, under 
 easy sail, till we were within three miles of the 
 town, when a boat was lowered, and a lieu-
 
 '' 
 

 
 71 
 
 tenant sent on shore with dispatches. I was 
 much disappointed at not being- permitted to 
 land; but it is curious enough, that had we 
 been allowed the exercise of our own free 
 will, we could not have anchored, as the road- 
 stead of Algiers is quite exposed, and the 
 east wind was blowing in very hard. The sun 
 having just set when the Lieutenant went 
 on shore, we did not get a very distinct 
 view of Algiers. This town is situated on the 
 western side of the Bay, about seven miles from 
 Cape Caxines, and built on a declivity ; it is of 
 a triangular shape, the base being broad at the 
 water's edge, and rising to a point about half 
 way up the hill. At this point stands the Dey's 
 palace and gardens, fortified by a large battery, 
 the guns of which point directly on the town. 
 From this enceinte, the present Dey, though he 
 has now reached the twelfth year of his reign, 
 has never issued. Such is the agreeable tenure 
 upon which he holds the supreme authority. A
 
 72 
 
 mole of natural rock, in the shape of a T, juts 
 out to seaward, upon which are constructed the 
 most formidable batteries ever devised to protect 
 a seaport town, from the attacks of a maritime 
 force. Lord Exmouth never could have ap- 
 proached them in 1816, had not the Algerines 
 allowed him to anchor almost within the mole 
 head, and the ships to take up their respective 
 stations, before a shot was fired. The houses 
 are all high, and so close together, there being no 
 room for gardens, that there is nothing to soften 
 the glaring whiteness of the town, which has, in 
 consequence, been frequently compared to a 
 chalk pit. Those who have seen Scio and 
 Hydra, (especially the last), may form a good 
 notion of Algiers ; but the surrounding country 
 is so extremely beautiful, that I know not in 
 what terms to describe it. Such variety of 
 ground, such woods and dells, such lawns and 
 verdure, prettily situated villas and gardens, so 
 much cultivation in every direction, contrasting
 
 7S 
 
 forcibly with the white town, present them- 
 selves in one large amphitheatre, as you look 
 from the sea. Towards the eastern side of the 
 Bight where the small river Harratch flows into 
 the sea, the beach is low and sandy, but rises 
 again immediately, and the eye is carried on to 
 the snowy peaks of Mount Atlas, which make 
 an admirable distance to this magnificent fore- 
 ground. After the boat's departure we stood 
 out of the bay till twelve o'clock at night, when 
 the wind chopped suddenly round, and it blew 
 very hard from the west; we stood in again 
 under double reefed topsails. About five o'clock 
 we closed with the land at Cape Caxines, and 
 the wind being off shore, stood in as near it as 
 we could. We stood on by several very pretty 
 sandy coves, past the town, till the return of the 
 boat, which brought our consul on board, and 
 during whose stay we remained standing in near 
 the shore, which gave us leisure to take an 
 accurate survey of the place, and estimate its
 
 74 
 
 probable chances of resisting- the French invasion, 
 which now hangs over it. No place can be 
 better fortified to seaward, for independent of 
 the batteries constructed upon the mole, which 
 bear upon whatever approaches it, there are 
 masked batteries and gabions in every part of the 
 bay where a landing could be practicable. The 
 number of guns mounted upon all these batteries 
 amount to 3000, mostly brass, and few under 
 twenty-four pounds, several forty-eight or sixty- 
 eight, and some even larger. We saw one in 
 particular pointed through an arch, just above 
 the mole, from which, in former days, having 
 made a cartridge of the French consul, they fired 
 him off. Properly defended, the place is im- 
 pregnable in this quarter, the French have 
 therefore wisely abandoned all idea of effecting 
 their landing hereabouts, but intend making a 
 descent about seven miles west of Cape Caxines, 
 at a point defended only by a small fort, 
 and where the natural difficulties are very
 
 75 
 
 slight. Mr. St. John, our consul, informed us 
 that he had exerted all his eloquence to persuade 
 the Dey to make some concessions to the French, 
 but their threatened invasion had been so long 
 delayed that he became quite familiarised 
 with the idea, and for a length of time treated 
 their menaces with sovereign contempt. Mr. 
 St. J. added, however, that the French King's 
 last speech had rather alarmed him, and he now 
 believed they were really coming ; but, when 
 remonstrated with upon the danger he was going 
 to incur, he answered, that his plan was to offer 
 no sort of opposition to the landing of the French 
 troops, but to wait till they were all on shore, and 
 then rush upon them with 150,000 Cabyles, (a 
 wild ungovernable people who inhabit Mount 
 Atlas,) and destroy the whole army. If it is fur- 
 ther represented to him that multitudes will not 
 avail against a disciplined few, he has recourse 
 to the usual phrases of a Turk : " Baccaloom 
 we shall see Allah il Keirim God is great,
 
 76 
 
 &c. &c. &c." It is certain that the Dey will 
 bring an enormous horde of these mountaineers 
 into the field, who, if the French should happen 
 to commit any blunder, fall short of pro- 
 vision, or delay advancing, might prove very 
 formidable enemies ; but it is probable that the 
 French army will be provided with every re- 
 quisite for the service, and numbers will only 
 increase the confusion of these savages, who will 
 fly before French discipline, and the tremendous 
 fire of their artillery. Even in case of successful 
 resistance, the Cabyles may prove difficult allies 
 to dispose of afterwards, and will probably be 
 exorbitant in their demands for reward. They 
 are under no sort of controul, but divided into 
 separate clans, headed by separate chiefs, and 
 would be at war amongst themselves about a 
 sheep, a camel, a pasture, or any other trifle, 
 were they not united for the moment by a com- 
 mon cause. The Dey has not even a nominal 
 power over them, therefore, should the French
 
 77 
 
 enterprise be successful, the fair region of Algiers 
 must inevitably become a prey to fire and the 
 sword. The land defences of the place will not 
 stand the attack of one single day. The walls 
 by which the town is surrounded, are of the 
 most contemptible description, and it is approach- 
 able on every side, by means of ravines, where 
 batteries can be erected under cover ; it is also 
 commanded by eminences in all directions. The 
 only outwork is a kind of castle battery, con- 
 sisting of a square, with large round towers 
 at each angle, connected by a curtain, and a 
 round tower rising a little in the centre. This 
 defence is placed near the brow of the hill, 
 immediately above the town, but is also com- 
 manded, and has no ditch. It is called Charles 
 V. Battery, in commemoration of that monarch's 
 unsuccessful expedition against Algiers. Mr. St. 
 John is of opinion that either the Dey will make 
 concessions upon the landing of the French, or, 
 that the principal people who are fully alive to
 
 78 
 
 the impending danger, will rise against him, 
 refuse to fight, and perhaps offer his head as a 
 compensation for the injuries complained of. 
 At present, however, the Dey is inexpugnable 
 within the walls of his fortified seraglio, and 
 undisguised expression of opinion is not without 
 its dangers. Only the day before our arrival, a 
 highly respectable individual was strangled, in 
 consequence of incautiously avowing that he 
 thought the war a foolish one, and hinting at its 
 probable consequences. The grounds of com- 
 plaint stated by the French, as the cause of 
 these hostilities, do not strike me as being of 
 a very aggravated description. It seems that 
 when Barbary was overcome some two hundred 
 years ago, by the victorious arms of Selim II., a 
 small portion of territory near the coral fishery 
 at Bona, was granted to the French. It does 
 not appear that they thought proper, at that 
 time, to take possession thereof; but only lately 
 revived their claim, which the Dey would not
 
 79 
 
 allow. Upon this, they constructed a small fort, 
 which His Highness, not considering a gentle- 
 man-like proceeding, forthwith pulled it down, 
 and said he was very sorry, but, that after the best 
 consideration he could give the matter, he had 
 determined to resume the disputed territory. 
 This was a complaint of a political nature, and 
 would doubtless have been easily adjusted, but 
 for the intemperate language of Mons. Duval, 
 the French consul, who endeavoured to carry 
 things with a high hand, and conducted himself 
 in such a manner, that the Dey wrote to the 
 French government requesting his recall; not 
 receiving any answer to this letter, and Mons. 
 Duval venturing to solicit an audience, the Dey 
 expressed his surprise at this neglect, upon which, 
 the French consul replied, that his government 
 would not consent to hold any correspondence 
 with him, except through their agent. The Dey 
 incensed at this impertinence, now said, " The 
 King of England's ministers answer me when
 
 80 
 
 I write to them ! Leave my presence instantly/' 
 And suiting the action to the word, he gave the 
 consul, in motioning him to withdraw, a brush 
 with the fly-flapper he held in his hand. At this 
 incident which Duval's folly magnified into an 
 insult to " the national honor," the blood of the 
 whole French nation rose, and as a reparation, it 
 was modestly requested of the Dey, that he 
 should come off to the French flag ship, (in pre- 
 sence of all the other Mediterranean fleets), and 
 there before the admirals, make a personal apo- 
 logy to the Sieur Duval, the French flags flying 
 meanwhile upon all Algerine forts. This outra- 
 geous demand has been a barrier to all subse- 
 quent negociation, and since that time the 
 French have threatened so much, and done so 
 little, that any one, much more an unlettered 
 Turk, might fairly presume they never intended 
 coming to blows; nor do I believe they ever 
 would, had not the present administration been 
 forced to risk their places upon the success of the
 
 81 
 
 expedition. They have, it is true, held the port 
 for some time, in what they call blockade; 
 but, setting aside the difficulty of blockading 
 a dangerous coast, and a long line of lee shore, 
 the way in which it was done, made it scarce 
 deserve the name. 
 
 Besides this, the Algerines carry on 
 hardly any commerce ; they are plentifully 
 supplied with every article of of provision, and 
 for apparel, their own looms are quite sufficent. 
 The Sicilians, Swedes, Austrians, and Spaniards, 
 pay tribute to the Dey for the free passage of 
 their merchant vessels. The English, Ameri- 
 cans, French and Dutch, make him presents to 
 the amount of many thousands upon each change 
 of consul, and His Highness is reported to be 
 worth forty millions of dollars.* One fact re- 
 specting the blockade deserves mention. Dur- 
 
 * This proved to be true. The Dey brought immense treasures with 
 him to Naples, after the fall of Algiers.
 
 82 
 
 ing winter, almost all the French ships left their 
 stations and went to Mahon. Upon this the 
 Algerines sent forth three felluccas, not a hun- 
 dred tons each, who stood into the bay of Na- 
 ples, captured three French merchantmen, 
 disposed of them at Tangier, and returned safe 
 into port with their booty. The present Dey is 
 about sixty years of age ; still full of life and 
 energy. Mr. St. John told us that, up to the pre- 
 sent moment, he had ever shewn himself to be a 
 man of shrewdness and good judgment, but was 
 now obstinate in his determination of offering 
 no further concession to avert the impending 
 evil. The office of Dey is not, like the 
 regencies of Tripoli and Tunis, hereditary, or 
 deviseable ; on the contrary, a native of Al- 
 giers can never arrive at that dignity,- the aspi- 
 rant must be a native of Turkey. One is na- 
 turally led to infer from thence, that the Grand 
 Signior influences the appointment; no such 
 thing: the Dey is chosen by the Turkish sol-
 
 83 
 
 diery at Algiers ; that is, he is some chief of 
 their own, or adventurer from Constanti- 
 nople ; and when tired of him, not generally a 
 very tedious interval, they cut his head off, 
 and raise the highest bidder to his post. This 
 Dey, by cautiously residing in his fortress, 
 has hitherto eluded all attempts to displace 
 him, and enjoys the distinction of being 
 the only despot of Algiers that ever held his 
 authority twelve years. When Lieutenant 
 Rooke, the preceding evening, came within a 
 quarter of a mile of the batteries, five or six gun 
 boats rowed out to meet him, and took his boat 
 in tow : when brought within the mole, he, 
 through the medium of an Italian Jew, who 
 happened to be there, demanded permission to 
 proceed on his errand to the British consul, 
 which was refused; and, notwithstanding all 
 his eloquent and able reasoning, transferred 
 from bad Italian into Turkish patois, he found 
 himself constrained to pass the night with his
 
 84 
 
 men in his boat, moored amongst the gun boats 
 in the centre of the harbour. The captain of 
 the port was in the next boat to his, and assured 
 him that the orders against admitting any one 
 into the town after sunset, were so strict that, 
 were he to allow the Grand Signior himself to 
 pass, instant decapitation would follow. 
 
 The next morning, at day break, Rooke was 
 permitted to proceed; and, hearing that the 
 consul resided in the country, about three miles 
 distant from Algiers, he went there, and brought 
 him on board about eight o'clock. The unfor- 
 tunate consul was in a prodigious fuss. Captain 
 Bridgeman (who had been sent by the admiral 
 with the Rattlesnake, to convey him and his fa- 
 mily to some place of safety during the French 
 attack) tired of awaiting Mrs. St. John's ac- 
 couchment, went out for a cruise ; during his 
 absence, the French commodore received the 
 order for preventing all communication with the 
 town, of which he informed Captain Bridge-
 
 85 
 
 man on his return, stating that he could not 
 possibly allow him to re-enter the port* He 
 did, however, permit him to communicate this 
 unforeseen disaster to the consul ; after which, 
 Bridgeman sailed away under crowded canvass, 
 to rejoin Sir Pulteney Malcolm. He departed 
 but five days before we arrived, and the very 
 same day Mrs. St. John was brought to bed. 
 Poor Mrs. St. John is now forced to wait till 
 the admiral can send round by Toulon and pro- 
 cure a pass, which will enable a ship to come 
 and take his wife and several children to a place 
 of security. In the mean time, though the 
 French do not talk of sailing before the 15th of 
 May, they may do so any day. His situation is 
 any thing but agreeable ; and the Algerines will 
 not suffer him to embark in any boats, but those 
 belonging to English men-of-war. We sent 
 him on shore at two o'clock, under a salute of 
 nine guns ; at three, he sent the boat off again, 
 with his letters to England, and we stood out of
 
 86 
 
 the bay on the larboard tack. The American 
 consul, Mr. Lees, the Sardinian consul, and 
 Mr. St. John, intend remaining at Algiers to be 
 spectators of the conflict. We had scarcely 
 cleared the bay, when the wind fell quite light ; 
 about twelve, what little there was proved fa- 
 vourable, and by eight o'clock in the morning, 
 we had gained an offing of ten miles. Towards 
 noon, the breeze freshened gradually, and we 
 made about four knots, from thence to six and 
 seven. By sunset we were going ; all sail set, 
 studding sails low and aloft, between ten and 
 eleven. We continued going so all night, one 
 reef in the topsails ; royals in. The following 
 morning, Sunday 2d, it came on to blow 
 fresher and fresher, and it was deemed advisable 
 to take in the lower studding sails, and top-gal- 
 lant sails. While taking in the starboard lower 
 studding sail, the fore-top-mast studding sail 
 boom was carried away for the second time, 
 within four days, which excited the wrath and
 
 87 
 
 animadversion of our captain. Off Cape de 
 Gata, about three o'clock P.M., we had a disa- 
 greeable sea for an hour, which gave us an oc- 
 casional sprinkling 1 ; but, upon the whole, I 
 never saw less sea with the same strength of 
 wind. It was right aft, and the Isis went 
 easily along; we kept going 11-3 11-6, from 
 mid-day till five o'clock, when the breeze slack- 
 ened. On Monday morning, shortly after day- 
 break, the Rock of Gibraltar was discerned ; 
 we hugged the Spanish shore to avoid the cur- 
 rent, came quite close round Europa point, and, 
 at nine o'clock, were at anchor opposite the 
 Devil's Tongue battery. I was very agreeably 
 disappointed at the appearance of the place, 
 having expected to find a town situated upon 
 the summit of a high rock, and so completely 
 enclosed in fortifications as to be invisible from 
 the sea; instead of which I beheld a regular 
 well-built town, interspersed with trees, and 
 shelving quite down to the water; and the only
 
 thing I could not at first discover, was the for- 
 tification. The fact is, the batteries are close to 
 the water's edge, and being embrowned by age, 
 are not easily distinguished ; and it is only after 
 coasting a little in a boat that one discovers the 
 jealousy with which each inequality of ground 
 is taken advantage of, and that the whole line 
 bristles with cannon. Since the completion of 
 some extensive gardens made by Sir G. Don, 
 between the town and Europa point, the view 
 from the bay is extremely pretty. There are six 
 regiments, and six companies of artillery here in 
 time of peace, and in time of war, ten of each. 
 The 12th, 23d, 42d, 43d, 53d, and 94th regi- 
 ments are quartered there at present The in- 
 habitants of Gibraltar amount to upwards of 
 five thousand. It is, if ever place deserved the 
 name, a fortress formed for Freedom's hands 
 the very type of independence ; it appears to 
 have deserted Spain, but refused to join Africa. 
 Connected with the main by a low and sandy
 
 neck of land, about a mile and half in length, 
 (at the termination of which are the Spanish 
 lines) there is scarcely arise in the ground within 
 three miles of it, upon which a battery could be 
 placed and to batter what ? the hard surface 
 of a rock, which hurls back destruction through 
 a hundred mouths of fire, sheltering its defenders 
 with an impenetrable shield. The rock of 
 Gibraltar lies nearly N. and S. j a mile in 
 breadth at the north, coming 1 gradually to a 
 point at the S. and about three miles in length. 
 The north side, opposite the Spanish lines is very 
 precipitous, and in this part of the rock are cut 
 the celebrated galleries, from which guns are 
 pointed through embrasures, where it is scarcely 
 possible for the enemy either to injure the artil- 
 lerymen, or dismount the gun. On the east side, 
 from the Bay of Catalan, the rock rises perpen- 
 dicularly about a thousand feet. The south and 
 west are not approachable from seaward, owing 
 to the strength of their batteries, and even with-
 
 out this defence, the shore is so rugged, that 
 (excepting where they have been artificially 
 constructed), landing-places are very difficult to 
 find. The only point naturally vulnerable is 
 the N.W. where the outskirts of the town and 
 the rock meet on the neutral ground, and here 
 is situated the Devil's Tongue battery. An 
 officer belonging to the Health Board, came off, 
 and informed us, that being only three days from 
 Algiers, we could not get pratique under eleven 
 days quarantine. It is absurd enough that 
 Gibraltar is in pratique, and almost in constant 
 communication with Centa and Tangier, which 
 supply it with cattle ; and in fourteen days qua- 
 rantine with the remainder of the Barbary coast, 
 the days of passage inclusive. Though we much 
 regretted being deprived of a nearer view of the 
 batteries, galleries, and the monkeys, Mr. Beres- 
 ford and I, who were about to make the tour of 
 Spain together, did not enjoy the idea of passing 
 eleven days quarantine in a small vessel we
 
 91 
 
 should have been obliged to hire for that purpose, 
 (there being- no Lazaretto); so we took the 
 chance of being 1 admitted to pratique at Cadiz. 
 Sir T. Staines is such a favourite with the 
 authorities at Gibraltar, that Sir G. Don made 
 great exertions to get him put in pratique, but 
 found it impossible ; so the east wind still con- 
 tinuing, it was thought advisable to avail our- 
 selves thereof, and weigh. The Bay of Gibraltar 
 affords apparently very secure anchorage, which 
 is not really the case; for such tremendous squalls 
 (nautically, flurries) came off the rock, that mer- 
 chant ships not well found in anchors and cables, 
 are occasionally driven ashore, and lost. We 
 were surprised at not finding our American friends 
 the Constellation and Ontario, at Gibraltar, and 
 had the pleasure of discovering their topsails just 
 above the horizon, standing in towards the bay, 
 as we stood out between Tarifa and Apes Hill, at 
 three o'clock P.M. The weather had, for the 
 last two days, been damp and disagreeable, but
 
 92 
 
 changed as we were weighing anchor ; and the 
 clouds, which had before concealed the rock and 
 opposite hills, clearing away, we had a very 
 beautiful view. We passed the Austrian squa- 
 dron, consisting of one double bank frigate, two 
 corvettes, and two brigs, lying off Algesiras. 
 They are by way of blockading the port of 
 Tangier, and bombarding the Emperor of 
 Morocco, with whom Austria is at issue ; but 
 their navy is of the most contemptible descrip- 
 tion, and the campaign will therefore probably 
 end as it has begun, at Algesiras. The current 
 runs nearly four knots through the Straits, so as 
 to render it quite impossible to beat out. The 
 narrowest part is that which separates port 
 Gualmesi on the Spanish, from port Cruces on 
 the African coast ; the distance between the two, 
 eight miles. We ran through, going about five 
 knots, keeping the Barbary coast aboard ; by 
 eight o'clock, bore up to the northward and 
 westward; and shortly after, the passage, which
 
 93 
 
 sometimes detains ships for weeks, and even 
 months, was happily accomplished. Sir T. 
 Staines is so experienced a sailor, and so confi- 
 dent in his own resources, that when it suited 
 the course, he made no difficulty of going 
 near the shore. About two o'clock in the 
 morning, off Trafalgar, the hand lead hav- 
 ing been kept going for some time in seven- 
 teen fathom, a heavy swell setting us towards 
 the shore, he was informed by the officer 
 of the watch, that the water had suddenly 
 shoaled from seventeen to ten. Upon this, he 
 ordered the ship to be kept away three points ; 
 the next cast was seven. The anchor and chain 
 cable were prepared, the next was five ; she was 
 kept still farther away, and we fortunately 
 deepened. We had passed over the end of the 
 Marrajoles shoal. When I came upon deck in 
 the morning, the white towers of Cadiz were 
 rising out of the water ; we had but a light air, 
 and were rolling about in a south-westerly swell.
 
 94 
 
 At twelve o'clock, we were hailed by a pilot boat. 
 The pilot was told that we believed the ship to 
 be in quarantine, but he nevertheless begged to 
 stand in the main channels. There are five fathom 
 in the passage into Cadiz harbour, which is suffi- 
 ciently broad ; but there are very dangerous reefs 
 and shoals in the entrance to the south. We 
 did not anchor till four o'clock, the wind having 
 been contrary during our passage in. While off 
 the coast of Barbary, we had several times per- 
 ceived a few of the storm petterells, commonly 
 called Mother Carey's chickens, following the 
 ship in the very finest weather, and certainly had 
 experienced one gale of wind when on shore at 
 Tunis; though not quite the tempest of which 
 these birds are said to be the precursors. On 
 coming into the port of Cadiz, close to the reef, 
 there sat a knot of these creatures, and we had 
 scarcely let go the anchor, before the wind veered 
 round to north and west, and gradually increased 
 till it blew a violent gale, accompanied with
 
 95 
 
 squalls of rain. Had we remained but twelve 
 hours longer at Gibraltar, we should have missed 
 the wind which only just carried us through, and 
 perhaps have been prisoners for a month. We 
 found many merchant ships, a frigate, and 
 some smaller men-of-war in the harbour, not to 
 mention quantities of passage boats, gaily 
 plying between Cadiz and Santa Maria, on the 
 opposite side of the bay. Mr. Brackenbury, the 
 consul, visited us soon after our arrival, and told 
 us that the officers of the Health Board were 
 coming off, and we should, if possible, be put in 
 pratique. Accordingly, the officer, upon hearing 
 our story, desired the yellow flag might be 
 hoisted ; but said he would go and see what 
 could be done. Meanwhile, the men in the 
 provision boats communicated freely with us, 
 (coming actually on board), and afterwards with 
 the shore, and merely laughed when we repre- 
 sented the danger they incurred of being put in 
 quarantine. There is, in fact, no Lazaretto
 
 96 
 
 here, because the only vessels they really fear, 
 are those trading from the Havannah, and these 
 are not even allowed tci enter the port, but are 
 sent off to Mahon. Vessels from the Mediter- 
 ranean almost always get pratique, either at 
 Malta or Gibraltar. After the farce of two days 
 quarantine, we were allowed to land ; and 
 shortly after, the Isis sailed for England. Mr. 
 Beresford and I passed three weeks at Cadiz, 
 after which, we returned to Gibraltar, and from 
 thence made a tour on horseback, visiting 
 Ronda, Grenada, Cordova, and Seville. We 
 spent a few days at Xeres, and then set out by 
 the Diligence (the only tolerably safe conveyance 
 in Spain), for Madrid. There the news of the 
 death of George the Fourth reached us, and 
 hastened our return to England. We entered 
 France by Bayonne, and on the morrow of our 
 arrival, the cannon from the ramparts announced 
 the fall of Algiers.
 
 
 ->!? moti ^2 ; -^ 
 
 APPENDIX.-NO. j^ s 
 
 tb 
 
 AMONGST many gallant services performed 
 by Sir T. Staines, this action was the most dis- 
 tinguished, and deservedly obtained for him the 
 cross of Commander of the Bath. He was 
 cruizing in the Spring of 1807, off the coast of 
 Italy in the Cyane, thirty-two guns, in company 
 with a brig, when he discovered the Ceres, 
 French frigate, forty-eight and a corvette, at 
 anchor under the fort at Baia. Notwithstand- 
 ing the inferiority of his force, he at once deter- 
 mined upon bringing them to action ; and the 
 following day he succeeded in engaging the 
 Ceres in a running fight as she endeavoured to 
 slip him, and get into the harbour of Naples. 
 After some time, the Ceres struck ; but all the 
 Cyane's boats were shot to pieces, and her 
 rigging so destroyed, that they could not lay 
 her aboard to take possession of their adver- 
 sary. Meanwhile Murat, who had been a 
 spectator of the action from the shore, sent out 
 reinforcements of men with numerous gun- 
 boats ; so that, when within a mile and half of
 
 98 
 
 the mole batteries, the Cyane was obliged to 
 haul off as well as she could ; and the Ceres 
 was towed into harbour. The brig- never came 
 into action, and stated, as a reason, insufficiency 
 of wind, but neglected to use her sweeps. Poor 
 Sir T. Staines was dreadfully wounded in this 
 engagement; and, his surgeon being killed, he 
 was forced to apply to the assistant to amputate 
 his arm at the socket. Perceiving that the 
 young man was very nervous at being called 
 upon to perform so perilous an operation, Sir 
 T., with the utmost presence of mind, raised 
 himself from his bed, and told him in a confi- 
 dential manner, that although he much lamented 
 the surgeon's death, he yet, upon this critical 
 occasion, felt greatly relieved at not being ne- 
 cessarily under his care, having much greater 
 reliance on the skill of his assistant. Thus 
 encouraged, the young man proceeded, and 
 performed the operation with perfect success. 
 Not many years after, Sir Thomas Staines 
 received a shot in a duel, which injured his 
 only remaining arm so severely, that be could 
 not raise his hand to his mouth ; yet, not- 
 withstanding this, and the bodily suffering 
 consequent upon his wounds and hard service, 
 (from which he was scarcely ever entirely free,) 
 I found him uniformly cheerful and good 
 humoured. Shortly after his return to England
 
 with the Isis, May 1830, anurism of the heart 
 terminated his suffering existence. Lady Staines 
 re-married a year after, and survived her wed- 
 ding- but a short time. Although I fear, there- 
 fore, that there is now no relative of Sir T. 
 Staines, who might be gratified by an indivi- 
 dual expression of sincere regard and respect 
 for his memory, I cannot, nevertheless, conclude 
 this narrative without testifying my grateful 
 sense of his kindness and hospitality towards 
 me, and my deep regret that this country has to 
 deplore the premature loss of so able and distin- 
 guished a commander. 
 
 - r ?fl -gftlSKf 2o J 
 
 APPENDIX N 2. 
 
 SINCE this was written, the Pacha of Egypt 
 has been actually in open arms against the 
 Grand Signior, and has been formally excom- 
 municated by him ; but whether some Turkish 
 Luther has taught the Faithful to doubt 
 the infallibility of their Sovereign Pontiff, 
 or whether, from recent disasters, they may 
 be of opinion, que le Bon Allah est du cole des 
 gros balaiUons, certain it is, that from some
 
 100 
 
 cause or other, the spiritual thunders have had 
 very little effect upon the destinies of the 
 Egyptian Viceroy. I do not, however, believe, 
 that this state of things would ever have been 
 brought about, had not the Porte, jealous of 
 Ali Pacha's encreasing power, avoided giving 
 an answer to his request for permission to 
 chastise Abdallah, Pacha of Acre, whose pre- 
 datory and rapacious disposition so annoyed the 
 Egyptian trade, that Ali was at length obliged 
 to take the law into his own hands. Subsequent 
 events are notorious. A fleet and army sailed 
 for Palestine, under the command of Ibrahim, 
 and after an obstinate defence, Acre was taken 
 by storm. Negociations were again attempted 
 by Ali, with offers of renewed allegiance if Acre 
 were allowed to remain in his possession as a 
 guarrantee for the tranquility of his frontier, and 
 the safety of his trade. This the Porte refused 
 to listen to ; and the consequence has been, that 
 Ibrahim, scarcely inferior to any warrior of this 
 age fertile in military genius has pursued his 
 victorious career beyond the confines of Syria, 
 and made the Divan tremble within the walls 
 of Constantinople. The Grand Signior has 
 solicited the mediation of Great Britain. 
 
 DHCON, PRINTER, COURANT OFFICE, CHESTER.
 
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