The Pirate City | Page 7

Nest were much too
simple in their grandeur thus to beat about the bush. They went straight
to the point. Without any pretext at all they declared war with a nation
when they had a mind to plunder it, and straightway set about making
prizes of the merchantmen of that nation; at the same time keeping
carefully clear of its cruisers. If there had been a tangible grievance,
diplomacy might have set it right--but there never was any grievance,
either real or imaginary. If there had been a worthy fleet that would
come out and face a foe, courage and power might have settled the
question--but there was no such fleet. The nest possessed only a few
small frigates and a considerable number of boats, large and small,
which crept along the northern shores of Africa, and pounced upon
unwary traders, or made bold dashes at small villages on the southern
shores of Europe and in the isles of the Mediterranean. Trade was
horribly hampered by them, though they had no ostensible trade of their
own; their influence on southern Europe being comparable only to that
of a wasps' nest under one's window, with this difference, that even
wasps, as a rule, mind their own business, whereas the Algerine pirates
minded the business of everybody else, and called that their own
special vocation!
Like other powers, they took prisoners, but instead of exchanging these
in times of war and freeing them on return of peace, they made
galley-slaves of them all, and held them to ransom. At all times there
were hundreds of Christian slaves held in bondage. Even in this present
century, so late as 1816, the Algerine Turks held in captivity thousands
of Christian slaves of all grades and classes, from all parts of Europe,
and these were in many cases treated with a degree of cruelty which is
perhaps equalled, but not surpassed, by the deeds recorded of negro
slavery; and so hopeless were people as to the power or intention of
governments to mend this state of things, that societies were formed in
some of the chief countries in the world, including England, France,
and America, for the express purpose of ransoming Christian slaves
from those dreaded shores of Barbary.
Having said this, the reader will doubtless be prepared to hear that the

civilised world, howling with indignation, assailed, burned, and
exterminated this pirates' nest. Not at all. The thing was tolerated; more
than that, it was recognised! Consuls were actually sent to the nest to
represent Great Britain, France, Spain, Portugal, Holland, Sweden,
Denmark, America; disgraceful treaties were entered into; and annual
tribute was paid by each of these, in the form of a costly "present" to
the Dey, for the purpose of securing immunity to their trading vessels!
Whatever nation kept a consul at this nest and paid "black-mail" passed
scot free. The nation that failed in these respects was ruthlessly and
systematically plundered--and this at the time when Lord Nelson was
scouring the ocean with mighty armaments; when our songs lauded the
wooden walls of old England to the skies; and when Great Britain
claimed to herself the proud title of "Mistress of the Sea"! If you doubt
this, reader, let us assure you that all history asserts it, that recorded
facts confirm it, and that our proper attitude in regard to it is to stand
amazed, and admit that there are some things in this curious world
which "no fellow can understand."
Without apologising for this digression, we return to the thread of our
tale.
Finding, then, as we have said, that the British merchantman was not a
legitimate foe, the corsair proceeded to look out for a more worthy
object of attack--namely, a vessel of some hapless petty state, which,
being too venturesome, or too poor to pay black-mail, was at war,
perforce, with the Algerines. Fortune, however, ceased for a short time
to be propitious. No suitable vessel was to be found, therefore Sidi
Hassan resolved to exercise the rights of the unusually free and
independent power of which he was a worthy representative in a
somewhat strange fashion.
Bearing down on the coast, he sailed along it for some time, with the
intention of making a bold dash at some small fishing village. His mate
rather objected to this, knowing well that such attempts were too apt to
be attended with considerable loss of life; but Sidi Hassan was not a
man to be easily turned from his purpose. The sight of a brig in the
offing, however, induced him to run out again to sea. He was soon

within hail, and, finding that the vessel was a Sicilian trader, boarded
her at once.
No opposition was offered, the brig being totally without arms and her
crew small. She, like the