was the first who reduc'd them into that condition wherein they now are of being Subjects and as it were half Slaves to the Turks The news of Barberossa's death was soon carried to his younger Brother Cheredin Barberossa who Govern'd at Algiers It troubled him very much upon a double account both out of a consideration of the loss of his Brother and a fear that the victorious Marquess might come and besiege him in the City of Algiers Whereupon he was neer resolving to leave the place and to retire with twenty two Galliots towards the Levant But some Pyrats advis'd him to expect a while to see which way the victorious Christians would take their march And finding that the Marquess being return'd to Oran sent his Men aboard in order to their Transportion into Spain the Turkish Souldiers with the Pyrats chose Cheredin for their King and Captain-General of the Kingdome of Algiers And indeed he was a Person deserv'd to succeed his Brother Being possess'd of that Kingdom the first thing he did was to send a Galley with some Letters to the Grand-Seignor acquainting him with his Brother's death and desiring his protection and assistance against the Christians promising either to pay Tribute or put the Kingdom into his hands together withall he was possess'd of in Barbary The Grand Seignor hearing this news not onely return'd a favourable answer but also sent him an assistance of two thousand Turks accepting of the proffer he made him that the City of Algiers with its Territories should be put into his hands All these transactions happen'd about the beginning of the year 1519. The Reader may here see how and when the City of Algiers came into the hands of the Turks I thought it not besides my purpose to bring in this short History to undeceive those who imagin'd that Aruch Barberossa had made these acquests in Barbary as a General of the Grand Seignor's For what he did was upon his own account without any other title then that of a Pyrat by Sea and a Tyrant by Land In the year 1530. Cheredin finding himself incommodated by reason of the Fort which the Christians kept in the Island before the Port resolv'd to beat it down with Cannon-shot and afterwards to make a Port from the City to the Island which very design Aruch Barberossa had in the year 1516. For by reason of that Fort the Ships were oblig'd to secure themselves on one side of the City neer the Gate called Babazon where they lay in great danger to be cast away upon the least tempest Cheredin Barberossa began his enterprise upon the Fort with this stratagem Two young Lads Moors by his secret order went and delivered themselves to those of the Fort saying they would embrace the Christian Religion They were kindly entertain'd and the Captain who commanded the Fort named Martin de Vargas took them into the house and caus'd them to be Catechiz'd that they might receive the holy Sacrament of Baptism On Easter-day when the Governor and all his Souldiers were at Church these two Youths went up to the top of a little Tower whence they gave the signal to those of the City by a Flagg which being observ'd by a Servant-maid of the Governors she immediately went and acquainted her Master with the treachery who came presently out of the Church with all his Souldiers and fearing the enemies he put these two youths in prison and a while after caus'd them to be both hang'd up in an eminent place whence those of the City might see the spectacle Cheredin had soon notice of it and was extreamly incens'd thereat as if it had been done in derision of the Mahumetane Religion He sent a Boat to the Fort with a Renagado named Alcade Huali to tell the Governor that if he would deliver up the place he and his people should have good conditions otherwise they were to expect no mercy The Governor made answer that he was astonish'd that Cheredin Barberossa a person so highly esteem'd for his experience in military affairs did not consider that he had to do with Spaniards who value their honour above all things and laugh at the menaces of their enemies That he was further to know that he was of the House of Vargas that he glory'd not so much in the Nobility as his endeavors to imitate the Heroick vertues of his Ancestors and that therefore he would expect the utmost attempts of Cheredin Barberossa and do all he could to shew himself faithful to his God and his Prince Cheredin having receiv'd this answer took some great Guns out of a French Galion which chanc'd to lye before Algiers and some other pieces which had been cast there some months before for that purpose May 6. 1530. he rais'd a Battery which plaid fifteen days and nights without any intermission and the distance being but two hundred paces or thereabouts the Muskettiers also shot continually so that the sixteenth of May the Walls were almost broken down and a great number of the besieg'd kill'd or wounded Cheredin took one thousand three hundred Musketteers and Archers Turks in fourteen Galliots and being come to the Fort they landed without any obstacle For the Governor was wounded with fifty three of the Soldiers and the rest extreamly tyr'd out as may be easily conjectur'd having been sixteen days in continual alarmes The Captain Martin de Vargas yeelded up the place on certain conditions and after three months imprisonment he was without any reason bastinado'd to death in the presence of Cheredin Thus dy'd that valiant Captain carrying along with him to heaven the crown of Martyrdom and leaving to his Successors an example of valour and fidelity which vertues are so deeply rooted in that illustrious family that there are to this day in the Low-Countries Knights who are not onely heirs of that Noble House but also imitators of the Vertues of their Ancestors and such as are look'd upon all over the world as examples of Valour and Fidelity After the massacre of this brave Captain he employ'd the Christian Slaves to make a Moal from the City to the Fortress which was finish'd in two years Of the Scituation Strength and Government of the City of Algiers THe scituation of this famous Den of Pyrates is on the ascent of a mountain which rises by degrees from the Sea-side up into the Country representing to those who â—ail by it the several stories of a Theatre the variety of the Structures whereof a man hath as it were a full sight makes the prospect the more delightful Insomuch that there is no house but all the rest may be seen from it which way soever a man turns his eye when he is upon the Terraces wherewith they are covered They have also all of them this convenience that they have a prospect into the Sea as far as eye can see It is in a manner square and about three thousand paces in compass The Walls are of Brick built after the
The Turk gave me the Letter unseal'd and I writ a Post-script to Saldens that he should cause the five Turks to be chain'd and put into the Masmora at Ceuta which is a more inconvenient place then that of Tituan as being under an Oven which causes an insupportable heat The Fathers employ'd about the redemption of Captives whom I spoke of before return'd to Ceuta without redeeming so much as one Christian The reason was that they could not agree with the Governor of Tituan for the ordinary way of agreeing is to pay a third part in money and the other two thirds in commodities whereof there are patterns shewn The difference was that the Governor would not take the commodities at the rate set upon them by the Fathers Besides he would have oblig'd the Fathers in the first place to redeem thirty Slaves belonging to himself at the rate of two hundred Duckets a piece Which the Fathers would by no means condescend unto in regard that all those Slaves were either Portuguez or French and the Fathers said not without reason As long as there are any Spanish Slaves we cannot redeem those of other Nations insomuch as the Alms we bring were given in Spain for the redemption of Spaniards and it is but reason that they should be preferr'd before others Hence it came that the Fathers return'd without doing any thing I gave my Letter to a free Christian who went along with the Fathers to Ceuta desiring him to deliver it to Saldens himself which he did telling him he had left us the day before in the Masmora at Tituan whereat Saldens was extreamly incens'd He immediately order'd the five Turks to be brought to the Masmora at Ceuta and being at the entrance of it he said to the Captain Hibraim Arrais who was one of the five Pilla Basso that is in Lingua Franca Lay him down on the ground and let four hold his arms and leggs that he may be cudgell'd over the back and buttocks For Saldens had a cudgel ready in his hand having learnt that kind of justice when he was with us at Algiers Hibraim Arrais began to put off his cloaths weeping and giving all the fair words he could and the other four Turks shook like an Aspen leaf fearing the same Treatment All that pass'd by for this was done in the Streets made a halt to see the end of the Tragedy Among other spectators two Turkish Merchants who chanc'd to be at Ceuta about their commerce passing by the place said to Saldens What would you do with these Slaves are they not unfortunate enough to be Slaves but they must also be beaten Salden being extreamly incens'd made answer I will cudgel two or three of these ungrateful Traytors to death I have suffered them to walk freely up and down the City and yet not withstanding that kindness they have caus'd my Companions to be put into the Masmora at Tituan though they had given good security where they are at this present in misery and these Dogs walk up and down the City where they please and they have written a thousand lyes to Tituan to Trapan us out of our money by their malicious inventions contrary to all right Upon that the two Merchants spoke to the five Turks in their own language and after their discourse was ended they said to Saldens Forbear beating these Slaves and we will put in security here that your Companions shall come out of the Masmora and be brought hither with the first Cafila We will write to morrow for their delivery out of the Masmora Saldens seem'd to be satisfy'd with what was propos'd yet would fain have given them a beating But upon the intreaties of some Captain 's of the Garrison he was perswaded to go along with the two Merchants to the Governor who then was the Marquesse of Miranda and Saldens and the two Turkes alledged their reasons After he had heard both parties and brought them to an agreement he write a Letter to this effect to the Governor of Tituan Send me along with the first Cafila two Christians named John Baptist Caloën and Emanuel d' Aranda and I promise you upon the word and faith of a Christian and Knight that assoon as those Christians shall come to the gate of Ceuta I will set at liberty the five Turks named Mustapha Ingles Hibraim Arrais Alli Tagarino Rhodes Mustapha and Mustapha Oiga There liv'd at Ceuta a Jew a man of great reputation for his wealth who undertook to accommodate or rather over-reach both sides the difference between the Fathers before-mentioned and the Governor of Tituan whether he was to go the next day The Marquesse's Letter was given to him with order to deliver it to the Governor of Tituan himself which he did the next day In the evening we were let out of the Masmora with permission to walk within and without the City as we pleas'd our selves We went immediately to our Chamber in the Jews Quarter which had been kept during our absence by the Turk who had the over-sight of us What happen'd in the Masmora during the time of our being confin'd there may be seen in the VII and XIII of the ensuing Relations We walk'd up and down with the Turk who kept us in expectation of the Cafila from Ceuta having bought us each a white Cloak such as in the Language of the Country are called Albornos and a red Cap garments befitting Christians who had newly recover'd their Liberty Most of the Christian Slaves gave us Letters to be sent to their Friends and Relations The Jew who mediated between the Fathers for the Redemption of Captives and the Governour of Tituan having compos'd the difference or to say better over-reach both was to return the next day which was the 23 of March 1642. We took two hackney Horses of a Moor who was to go with the same Cafila to Ceuta And got a couple of Pullets made ready and a large bottle of Wine to refresh our selves by the way We left Tituan accompani'd by the Knight Philip de Cherf and some other Christian Slaves our friends to a place within a quarter of a league to the City where all who went along with the Cafila were to meet We took leave of such as came along with us who were much dejected that they were still to continue in that miserable state of Slavery We got that evening about two Leagues all along a Champion Country which from that place to Ceuta is neither cultivated nor inhabited but absolutely desert though the soil be fertile enough We alighted in the open fields and having unloaden the Mules three or four Turks with their Cutlasses cut down good store of Wood and made a fire For the nights in that Country as well as in Spain are very cold in March All setled themselves about the fire and eat what they brought with them We intreated some of the chiefest Turks to participate of our provisions but they would have excus'd themselves
with their Merchandize contrary to the peace made with England The Admiral came before the City August 22. 1661. sending ashore his Lieutenant with Credential Letters to make his complaints to the Bassa and the Duana but the Admiral had no other satisfaction then that he got the English Consul out of the City and batter'd some of the houses with his great shot This Bassa does many time deceive his Confederates and takes their Merchandise forcing the Masters of Ships by Cudgelling to confess that the goods belong to other Nations or if he forbeaâ— that rigor there is a stoppage set on the goods and while they pretend to verifie the fact all is sold and under some ill pretence the prize is declared good And to say truth it is very hard for the Bassa to observe peace with any Nation whatsoever if he will be belov'd by his Souldiers in as much as his proportion out of the prizes is the greatest part of his Revenue which it would not be if he exactly observ'd peace with any other Nations which would have all the Trading were there a freedom of Navigation and consequently there would be but few prizes and his Revenue arising from his proportion thereof would come to little or nothing The twelve thousand soldiers which make the ordinary Forces of the Bassa are most of them Renegadoes dissolute persons without Religion or Conscience fugitives out of Christendom and Turkey for the enormity of their crimes This place is a refuge to all such persons nay to such as have offended the Grand Seignor himself as it happen'd in the year 1640. upon my arrival at Algiers when some shew'd me Sigala Son of that famous Admiral a Renegado of Genua of the same name who had taken refuge in this City to avoid being strangled as their custome is upon this score that in the year 1636. being commanded by the Grand Seignor to convey with a Squadron of Gallies the Ships which brought home the yearly tribute of Egypt and other wealth that had joyned with them he had left his Gallies and came ashoar to spend away his time among women and in entertainments insomuch that during his absence the Maltezes had an opportunity to carry away that Ship which had the Tribute and the precious commodities in it And this it was that had forc'd Sigala to get away with his Galley to Algiers where he liv'd by what he got by Piracy till the death of Sultan Amurat soon after which he obtain'd his pardon of Sultan Hibraim his Brother and Successor The soldiers observe the Bassa's orders if they approve of them and they oblige him to change them if they like them not and so they rather command the Bassa then are commanded by him In the year 1642. a tributary King of Algiers refus'd to pay his Tribute and came with an Army into the field whereupon the Bassa Isouf being unwilling to go out against him would have been excus'd upon his indisposition But his excuse was not receiv'd there was a necessity of his going if he would preserve his life and charge only the Soldiers were so kind as to permit him to go as far as he could in a Galley but imagining the Bassa might take some occasion to leave them they accompany'd him with another Galley better furnish'd with both Rowers and Soldiers with order to force the Bassa to land at the place appointed which he quietly did There are Renegado's of all Christian Nations and in my time I found there above three thousand French Heretofore the Renegadoes could not serve for Soldiers among the Turks and Janizaries and the Turks and Janizaries could not go upon the account of Piracy But Mahomet Bassa to prevent the jealousies and quarrels happening thereby reconcil'd the Renegadoes with the Turks allowing in the year 1568. to both the priviledge of being Soldiers or Pyrates without any difference The Moors the Morisos the Algerians the Sons of Turks born at Algiers Renegado Jews are not admitted into the Soldiery but the Jews who would serve eâ—ting Swins flesh before they renounce affirm that by that means they are become Christians and then they renounce with the same solemnities as are observ'd by the Christians The pay of the Souldiery is eight Morisco Doubles a month every Double is worth twelve Patars that is somewhat better then twelve pence Sterling according to the number of the years they have been in service the pâ—y is encreas'd and they receive a Double a month more then they had before In like manner if there be a Son born to the Grand-Seignor by the Sultaness a Double if any Soldier hath kill'd his enemy in a Skirmish or hand to hand and hath brought away his head a Double if they have had any remarkable engagement against the rebellious Alarbes the Bassa promises them an augmentation of a Double in the month but all the monthly augmentations of Doubles are not to exceed the number of fourty The Batchelor-Soldiers have greater priviledges then those who are married the latter have no daily allowance of bread the former have four loaves The pay is to be exact and punctual as I said before 'T is not out of any fear of the Christians that the Bassa maintains so great a number of Souldiers but that he might be the more dreaded by those of Algiers the Alarbes and the petty Princes who pay him tribute against whom they are sent if they come not soon enough to prevent them The soldiers keep little or no guard within the City but a Watch which they call Mesuart walks round about it with twenty five persons At the Gates there are but two or three men In the Summer Algiers is in a manner distitute of a Garrison for some of the soldiers are dispers'd to Tremesen Bugy Sargel and other places under the jurisdiction of Algiers They often change the Garrisons and send that of one place to another Another part of the soldiery is sent away by Bodies of five or six hundred thirty or fourty leagues into the Country to quarter on the Alarbes and to receive the Tribute and the greatest part is employ'd at Sea in the Galleys I observ'd in the Summer 1641. that the sixty five Pyrates Ships and the four Gallies which were then at Sea every one for what could be gotten were most of them mann'd by soldiers of the Garrison The remainder who are neither employ'd at Sea nor sent to the Posts before-mentioned live at ease and divert themselves at their Country-houses two or three leagues out of the City The Citizens and the originary Inhabitants of the Country are irreconcileable enemies of the Garrison There is but one Councel called the Duana which with the Bassa resolves all matters of State and what relate to the administration of Justice This Councel meets commonly thrice a week in a Gallery of the Bassa's Palace It consists of fourty persons The Bassa sits as Taylers do cross-legg'd on a Table about two foot high
some call'd Ho ho for Tituan and it was the same which had been sent to receive them Hans Maurus notwithstanding all his experience and skill in Sea-matters was seiz'd by a Panick fear and said to his Companions Ly down on the ground they are Fisher-men of Tituan we shall be secur'd and beaten In the mean time the boat had cross'd two or three times by the place appointed and reiterated the aforesaid cry striking on a Steel the signal agreed upon between them whereto those ashore were to answer with the like noise But those in the boat seeing no body appear and considering that it was within an hour of day as also that the watch on the Coast of Tituan had perceiv'd them and given the signal to the City by a fire resolv'd to be gone The going away of the boat satisfy'd the Knight and Hans Maurus that those of Ceuta had made the appointed signal whereupon they began to strike with the Steel and to call upon them but all to no purpose and too late so that perceiving their design was discover'd they made their retreat without any noise towards Tituan getting into the City at several Gates where they understood that that night there had been an alarm in the City and that a party of horse had been commanded out into the Country by reason of a fire which had been made by the watch on the Sea-side This body of Horse consists of Citizens who to enjoy some priviledges and the title of imaginary soldiers oblige themselves upon any alarm to ride out into the Country and engage any enemy they meet with All this had pass'd yet so as that those of Tituan knew nothing of the occasion of it nor did they much enquire after it in regard the alarms are very frequent there by reason they are so near neighbours to the City of Ceuta Yet were the Undertakers still in some fear of being discover'd and could not forbear quarrelling at Hans Maurus who had occasion'd the miscarriadge of their design whereat he was so troubled and became so melancholy to think that by his mistake himself and his Companions had miss'd so fair an opportunity of recovering their liberty that he fell sick Yet did his Companions assist him all they could and concern'd themselves as much as might be in the recovery of his health but perceiving he grew every day worse and worse and that whatsoever was administred to him did little good they bethought themselves of endeavouring the welfare of his soul To that end the Knight who knew that Hans Maurus had led a morally good life and that he feared God made it his business to exhort him to renounce Lutheranism and to embrace the Roman-Catholick Religion discoursing with him concerning the difference of those perswasions as he had done several times before Hans Maurus being a person not much acquainted with Letters and the Knight no great Divine he took occasion to remonstrate to him that being born in Norway he had follow'd the Lutheran Religion without any enquiry into the Romane-Catholick that the former was a new and the other the ancient way surpassing the inventions of Luther by fifteen ages and that the latter had been follow'd by his Ancestors whom it would be impious for him to believe damn'd for that and that they were rather wiser then he that he had often said while he was in health that he would do better if he knew what were better that it now concern'd him to think seriously of his conscience and that to that end he would bring him a Priest who would tell him more and that more effectually This discourse made to him in the extremity of his sickness wrought this effect on Hans Maurus that he acknowledg'd to the Knight that it was true he had been exhorted to follow the steps of his Ancestors but that he thought there was so little difference between both Religions that he conceiv'd he might safely enough persevere in his own but since he was now in treated by his friends whom he knew to be real sincere to consider seriously of it he desir'd that a Priest might come to him to give him satisfaction in some doubts The Knight immediately sent for a Religious Dominican a Spaniard and a slave who satisfy'd the doubts of Hans Maurus and undeceiv'd him so that he became a Roman-Catholick made his Confession and communicated with great fervency to the great satisfaction of the Christian slaves who were present and the second day after his conversion he dy'd In this conversion may be seen the goodness of God who gave Maurus the grace to profess the Catholick Faith in recompence of his moral Vertues and good life by a strange accident whereby he was depriz'd of his experience and skill on Saint James's day which made him loose his corporal liberty to give him the incomparable liberty of enjoying the sight of God Eight days after Maurus's death the Knight paid his ransom and went to Ceuta and thence by the way of Gibraltar to Madrid where having receiv'd rewards from his Catholick Majesty he went thence to the Low-Countries having suffer'd greater miseries then any of us though we had been made slaves at the same time And he who shall attentively consider all our Knight did will find that humane Prudence is subject to strange oversights and miscarriages and that God onely is the disposer and director of all human actions RELATION XXXIX What happen'd between my Companion in slavery M. Caloen and his old Patroness THe condition of slaves implies in it self a necessity of their suffering of somewhat from the hands of their Patrons but on the contrary M. Caloën made his Patroness endure many inconveniences I have said elsewhere that an old Moorish Dame had bought him at fourteen hundred Patacoons to be exchang'd for her Grand-son Mustapha who was in the power of Caloën's friends The payment of that sum troubled the old woman as if it had been so many drops of blood got out of her dry'd carkass never considering that it was for the redemption of one so neerly related to her The coverous woman thought to ease her self of some part of the grief by finding out some invention to make M. Caloën to pay seven hundred Patacoons besides the exchange of her Grand-son and this busied her brains day and night One while she resolv'd to use violence but fearing her Mustapha might receive the same treatment she forbore it another she imagin'd that to represent to him how much he had cost her would be a more likely way to compass her design since that it was indeed done as much for M. Caloën's liberty as for her Mustapha's so that it was but just he should pay his proportion but the fear of being laugh'd at and making him more obstinate after she should acquaint him with her intention made her resolve rather to be silent While she was troubled with this diversity of resolutions an Edict was publish'd that all