Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

In a very few words I convinced him that the measure was impracticable. He shewed much agitation; doubted the sincerity of our government, and suspected in them an intention of evasion; said three months of the time of forbearance had already elapsed; and, counting with his fingers, said, " November! If you will not comply with my demand, and the regalia do not appear by the first of November, I shall take steps to recover for myself suitable damages for the disappointment." I addressed his reason, for he is really a very reasonable man, stated the date of the Sophia's departure from Algiers, the rout she took, and the probable time of the voyage; and pledged myself that the regalia would be forwarded without delay. He seemed dissatisfied. A project presented. proposed taking a passage myself to America to hurry on the stores; imagining that if once off, he could not honorably use violence against us till he should at least hear from me. The stratagem succeeded. He saw not the object; closed with the plan; and I engaged to embark in five days.

July 31st. At the palace. Made arrangements for the management of our affairs, and announced Dr. Shaw as charged.-Took leave.

August 1st. Five, A. M. at the palace. After much interlocutory conversation, the Bey intimated doubts of the propriety of proceeding on the voyage; and with, much fairness, stated the objections which suggested themselves thought, on the whole, it would be better to suspend the enterprize till I should hear from America and agreed to wait patiently till the first of January. *

*

*

If the United States persist in resignation and passive obedience, they will find that "Qui se fait brebis le loup le mange." He who makes himself a sheep must expect to be devoured by the wolf.

August 5th. The Tunissians have little or no litigation, because they have no attornies among them.

They have no domestic scandal and neighborhood bickering, because they shut up their women. Their young men are muscular, athletic, hale and enterprizing, because they have no access to inebriation and venery.

Their married men are inert and domestic, being permitted a plurality of wives they are always relaxed and forever jealous and, being in the perpetual habit of smoking tobacco, they have an eternal propensity to sleep.

Considered as a nation, they are deplorably wretched, because they have no property in the soil to inspire an ambition to cultivate it. They are abject slaves to the despotism of their government : and they are humiliated by tyranny the worst of all tyrannies, the despotism of priestcraft. They live in more solemn fear of the frowns of a bigot who has been dead and rotten above a thousand years, than of the living despot whose frown would cost them their lives.

Their manners are simple, their living temperate, and their conversation generally without dissimulation. They have no midnight revels; no assaults and batteries, and very seldom assassinations. The deplorable wretchedness which always attaches itself to seduction, and which so frequently wounds the eye of sensibility in every village in the Christian world, is unknown here: because they impris on their girls.

Maxims of HAMUDA BASHAW, BEY of Tunis, worthy a Christian Prince.)

Never judge the cause of a friend : for, however just, suspicion will pronounce it partiality!

Have no intimacy with the great men of the kingdom, lest they gain an ascendency over the mind, and divert the attention from the duties of kindness and equity towards the common subject.

Suffer no fees to be received for administration of justice; lest avaricious men should devise means te make a commerce of it.

Admit no advocates, because simple statements generally lead to the clearest truths.

* * *

*

11th. Some good friend had informed the Bey that I had an elegant Grecian mirror in my house. To day he sent a request for it, pretending that he wanted it for the cabin of his pleasure boat, now about to be launched. So it is. If the Consuls have a good piece of furniture, or any other good thing which strikes with the Bey's fancy, he never hesitates to ask for it: and they have no alternative but to give it. They have suffered this to become usance also.

12th. Sent the Bey the mirror.

The following copy of a Letter from Admiral NELSON, procured by Mr. CATHCART and sent to EATON, though not connected with the present subject, is a curiosity well worth preservation and perusal.

SIR,

Vanguard, Palermo, April 28th, 1799.

WHEN I received your Highness's letter by Capt. Hardy, of the Vanguard, I was rejoiced to find that you had renounced the treaty you had imprudently entered into with some of the emissaries of General Buonaparte, that man of bioed. that despoiler of the weak, that enemy of all good Mussulmen; for like Satan he only flatters that he may the more easily destroy. And it is true that since the year 1789, all Frenchmen are exactly of the same disposition. I had sent your letter to the great King my master; I had done the same to the grand Signior; for I never believed that your highness would say a word that was not most strictly true; a lie is impossible for a true Mussulman to tell; at least, I had always believed so. What then must have been my astonishment, to have heard from his Britanic Majesty's Consul General, Mr. Lucas, that, the moment the Vanguard sailed, the French Consul and all the French were liberated ;

and also the French vessels in port allowed to fit for sea; and one, to my knowledge, had sailed for Malta. Why will your highness be thus led astray by evil counsellors, who can have no other object in view, but your ruin.

[ocr errors]

Your highness knows that although a powerful squadron of Portuguese ships has been since last August under my command; that by every means in my power, they have been prevented from cruising against the ships of your highness, or from approaching your coast.

It is now my duty to speak out, and not to be misunderstood. That Nelson, who has hitherto kept your powerful enemy from destroying you, can and will let them loose upon you, unless the following terms are, in two hours, complied with: viz. that the French Consul and Vice Consul, and every Frenchman, are delivered on-board her most faithful Majesty's ship Alphonso, to Commodore Campbell, in two hours from Mr. Lucas setting his foot on shore.

That hostages are also sent on board to remain till every Frenchman in the state of Tripoli shall be sent off, which shall not exceed four days. N. B. There shall be no reservation or trick about the French Consul at Tripoli: he shall be on board in two hours from the demand being made.

1

All French vessels, or vessels pretended to be taken from the French, shall be destroyed in two hours. These terms complied with, Commodore Campbell will, as he has done upon the passage, refrain from taking your vessels, until his arrival at Palermo. If these proper terms are not complied with, I can no longer prevent the ships of her most faithful Majesty from acting with vigor against your highness.

Your highness will, without difficulty, write me a letter, the substance of which will be dictated by Mr. Lucas you will also, as a convincing proof of your detestation of the evil councils which have been

1

given you by Hamet Rais, your Capt. of the Port, either cause him to be delivered to Commodore Campbell, that I may send him to Constantinople, or dispose of him in such a manner that he may forever be incapable of giving your highness any advice; for his heart is so black that I am informed he can give you no good.

Your highness will, 1 am confident, approve of the open and unreserved manner of this letter, and consider it as a proof of the honest, upright intentions of the great MONARCH whom I have the honor of serving; and that it comes from your highness's

Most attached

and faithful Servant,
(Signed) NELSON.

His HIGHNESS the
BASHAW of Tripoli.

TO MR. PICKERING.

Dec. 15th, 1799.

On the 6th instant I had the honor to inform you of the more favorable prospect of our affairs. I now confirm that information. The principal cause of which is the interest which the Sapitapa views in his future employment of American bottoms to carry for him to Spain, all others of neutral powers being in danger from the Algerines. This circumstance promises an issue of our negociations corresponding with the wishes of our government, provided the regalia arrive hefore a negociation for a peace be set on foot in Europe; in which case we shall have to combat the whole commercial influence of France.

The Bey's Chamberlain dined with me. After plying him plentifully with wine he ran over the commencement and progress of the American affairs. Said, after my arrival at Biserte, Famin was constantly at Bardo, importuning the Bey to refuse me an audience, stating the infidelity and ingratitude of the United States in general, and particularly as it

« ZurückWeiter »