another small English Ship, with Five or Six Men aboard, which was
served as ours was. And Two or Three Days after that, they espied
another small English Vessel, with Five or Six men aboard laden with
Fish, and coming from New England. This Vessel was at their first view
of her some Leagues at Windward of them, and there being but little
Wind, and so they being out of hopes of getting up to her, they us’d
this cunning device, They hawled up their Sails, and hang’d out our
English King’s Colours, and so appearing Man of War like decoyed her
down, and sunk her also.
“Two or Three days after this, they took a fourth little English Ship
with four or five Men a-board laden with Herrings, of which they took
out most part, and then sunk the Ship.”
The pirates now returned to Algiers, and their captured Christians were
driven to the palace of the Dey, who had a right to select an eighth of
them for the public service and also to retain an eighth part of the
spoils taken from the prizes. His selection being made, the rest were
driven to the market-place and put up to auction.
Joseph Pitts was bought by one Mustapha, who treated him with excessive
barbarity.
“Within Eight and forty Hours after I was sold, I tasted of their
(Algerine) Cruelty; for I had my tender Feet tied up, and beaten
Twenty or Thirty Blows, for a beginning. And thus was I beaten for a
considerable Time, every two or three days, besides Blows now and then,
forty, fifty, sixty, at a time. My Executioner would fill his Pipe, and
then give me ten or twenty Blows, and then stop and smoak his Pipe for
a while, and then he would at me again, and when weary stop again; and
thus cruelly would he handle me till his Pipe was out. At other times
he would hang me up by Neck and Heels, and then beat me miserably.
Sometimes he would hang me up by the Armpits, beating me all over my
Body. And oftentimes Hot Brine was order’d for me to put my Feet into,
after they were sore with beating, which put me to intolerable Smart.
Sometimes I have been beaten on my Feet so long, and cruelly, that
the Blood hath run down my Feet to the Ground. I have oftentimes been
beaten by my Patroon so violently on my Breech, that it hath been black
all over, and very much swollen, and hard almost as a Board; insomuch,
that I have not been able to sit for a considerable Time.”
After two or three months, Mustapha sent him to sea in a pirate vessel,
in which he was interested, to attend on the gunner. The expedition
was not very successful, as only one ship was taken, a Portuguese,
with a crew of eighteen who were enslaved. On his return to Algiers,
after having been a couple of months at sea, he was sold to a second
“Patroon,” named Ibrahim, who had “two Brothers in Algiers and a third
in Tunis. The middle Brother had designed to make a Voyage to Tunis
to see his Brother there; and it seems I was bought in order to be
given as a Present to him. I was then cloth’d very fine, that I might
be the better accepted. The Ship being ready we put to Sea, and in
about fourteen Days time we arrived at Tunis, and went forthwith to my
Patroon’s Brother’s House. The next Day my Patroon’s Brother’s Son,
taking a Pride to have a Christian to wait upon him, made me walk
after him. As I was attending upon my new Master through the Streets,
I met with a Gentleman habited like a Christian, not knowing him to
be an Englishman, as he was. He look’d earnestly upon me, and ask’d
me whether I were not an Englishman. I answered him, Yea! How came
you hither? said he. I told him I came with my Patroon. What, are you
a slave? said he. I replied, Yes. But he was loath to enter into any
further Discourse with me in the public Street, and therefore desired
of the young Man on whom I waited, that he would please to bring me to
his House. The young Man assured him he would; for being a drinker of
Wine, and knowing the Plenty of it in the said Gentleman’s House, he
was the rather willing to go. After the Gentleman was gone from us, my
young new Master told me, that he whom we talk’d to was the English
Consul.”
The Consul kindly invited Joseph Pitts to go to his house as often
as he had an opportunity. After spending thirty days in Tunis, Pitts
learned to his dismay that the “Patroon’s Brother” did not care to have
him, and that consequently he would have to return to Algiers. The
Consul and two merchants then endeavoured to buy Pitts, but his master
demanded for him five hundred dollars; they offered three hundred,
which was all that they could afford, and as Ibrahim refused to sell at
this price, the negotiation was broken off, and he returned with his
master to Algiers.
Here he was subjected to the persecution of his master’s youngest
brother, who endeavoured to induce Joseph to become a renegade. As
persuasion availed nothing, the young man went to his elder brother
Ibrahim, and told him that he had been a profligate and debauched man
in his time, as also a murderer; and that his only chance of Paradise
lay in making atonement for his iniquities by obtaining or enforcing
the conversion of his slave.
Ibrahim was alarmed, and being a superstitious man believed this,
and began to use great cruelty towards Pitts. “He call’d two of his
Servants, and commanded them to tye up my Feet with a Rope to the Post
of the Tent; and when they had so done, he with a great Cudgel fell
to beating of me upon my bare Feet. He being a very strong Man, and
full of Passion, his Blows fell heavy indeed; and the more he beat me,
the more chafed and enraged he was; and declared, that if I would not
Turn, he would beat me to death. I roar’d out to feel the Pains of his
cruel Strokes; but the more I cry’d, the more furiously he laid on upon
me; and to stop the Noise of my Crying, he would stamp with his Feet
on my Mouth; at which I beg’d him to despatch me out of the way; but
he continued beating me. After I had endured this merciless Usage so
long, till I was ready to faint and die under it, and saw him as mad
and implacable as ever, I beg’d him to forbear and I would turn. And
breathing a while, but still hanging by the Feet, he urg’d me again
to speak the Words, yet loath I was, and held him in suspense awhile;
and at length told him that I could not speak the Words. At which he
was more enrag’d than before, and fell at me again in a most barbarous
manner. After I had received a great many Blows a second Time, I
beseech’d him again to hold his Hand, and gave him fresh hopes of my
turning Mohammetan; and after I had taken a little more Breath, I told
him as before, I could not do what he desired. And thus I held him in
suspense three or four times; but, at last, seeing his Cruelty towards
me insatiable, unless I did turn Mohammetan, through Terrour I did it,
and spake the Words, holding up the Fore-finger of my Right-hand; and
presently I was lead away to a Fire, and care was taken to heal my Feet
(for they were so beaten, that I was unable to go on them for several
Days), and so I was put to Bed.”
Algiers was bombarded thrice by the French whilst Joseph Pitts was
living there as a slave, their purpose being to obtain the surrender of
French captives who had been enslaved. “They then threw but few Bombs
into the Town, and that by night; nevertheless the Inhabitants were
so Surprized and Terrifi’d at it, being unacquainted with Bombs, that
they threw open the Gates of the City, and Men, Women, and Children
left the Town. Whereupon the French had their Country-men, that were
Slaves, for nothing. In a little while after the French came again to
Algiers, upon other Demands, and then the Dey Surrendered up all the
French Slaves, which prov’d the said Dey’s Ruine. And then they came
a third time (1682). There were nine Bomb-Vessels, each having two
Mortars, which kept fireing Day and Night insomuch that there would
be five or six Bombs flying in the air at once. At this the Algerines
were horribly Enrag’d, and to be Reveng’d, fired away from the mouth of
their Cannon about forty French slaves, and finding that would not do,
but d’Estrée (the Marshall) was rather the more enraged. They sent for
the French Consul, intending to serve him the same Sause. He pleaded
his character, and that ’twas against the Law of Nations, etc. They
answered, they were resolv’d, and all these complements would not serve
his turn. At which he desir’d a day or two’s Respite, till he should
despatch a Letter to the Admiral. Which was granted him; and a Boat
was sent out with a White Flag. But after the Admiral had perused and
considered the Consul’s Letter, he bid the Messenger return this answer
(_viz._): That his Commission was to throw 10,000 Bombs into the Town,
and he would do it to the very last, and that as for the Consul, if he
died, he could not die better than for his Prince.
“This was bad News to the Consul; and highly provoked the Algerines,
who immediately caused the Consul to be brought down and placed him
before the mouth of a Cannon, and fired him off also.”
D’Estrée’s success was by no means so great as he had anticipated and
as was expected. He was compelled by the stubborn defence of Algiers to
content himself with an exchange of prisoners for French slaves, nor
did he recover more than forty or fifty.
Meanwhile, what was the English Government doing for the protection of
its subjects, for the recovery of Englishmen who were languishing as
slaves in Algiers and Tunis? Nothing at all.
Under the Commonwealth, Blake in 1654 had severely chastised the nest
of pirates. He had compelled the Dey to restrain his piratical subjects
from further violence against the English. He had presented himself
before Tunis, where, incensed by the violence of the Dey, he had
destroyed the castles of Porto Farino and Goletta, had sent a numerous
detachment of sailors in their long-boats into the harbour, and burned
every vessel which lay there.
But now the despicable Charles II was king, and the power of England
to protect its subjects was sunk to impotence. Every three years the
English fleet appeared off Algiers to renew a treaty of peace with
the Dey, that meant nothing; the piratical expeditions continued, and
Englishmen were allowed to remain groaning in slavery, tortured into
acceptance of Mohammedanism, and not a finger was raised for their
protection and release. The Consuls were impotent. They could do
nothing. There was no firm Government behind them.
In Algiers, Pitts met with an Englishman, James Grey, of Weymouth, with
whom he became intimate. This man often appealed to Pitts for advice,
whether he should turn Mussulman or not; but Pitts would give him no
counsel one way or the other. Finally, he became a renegade, but moped,
lost all heart, and died.
Pitts tells us how that secretly he received a letter from his father,
advising him “to have a care and keep close to God, and to be sure,
never, by any methods of cruelty that could be used towards him, to
deny his blessed Saviour; and that he--his father--would rather hear
of his son’s death than of his becoming a Mahommedan.” The letter was
slipped into his hands a few days after he had become a renegade. He
dared to show this to his master, and told him frankly, “I am no Turk,
but a Christian.” The master answered, “If you say this again, I will
have a fire made, and burn you in it immediately.”
The then Dey, Baba Hasan, died in 1683, and Pitts’ master being rich
and having friends, attempted a revolt against Hasein “Mezzomorto,” his
successor, and was killed in the attempt. This led to the sale of Pitts
again, and he was bought by an old bachelor, named Eumer, a kindly old
man, with whom he was happy. “My Work with him was to look after his
House, to dress his Meat, to wash his Clothes; and, in short, to do all
those things that are look’d on as Servant-maids’ work in England.”
With the old master he made the pilgrimage to Mecca, and thence went
on to Medina, and he was the first Englishman to give a description of
these sacred towns. Moreover, his account is remarkably exact. He was a
young fellow full of observation and intelligence, and he made good use
of his eyes. At Mecca, Eumer gave Pitts his freedom, and Pitts remained
with him, not any longer as a slave, but as a servant.
By being granted his freedom this did not involve the liberty to return
to his home and his Christian religion. But he looked out anxiously
for an opportunity to do both. This came in a message arriving from
Constantinople from the Sultan to demand the assistance of Algerine
vessels, and Joseph Pitts volunteered as a seaman upon one of these
vessels, in the vain hope of its being captured by some Christian
vessel--French, for there was nothing to be expected from English ships.
At Algiers, he became acquainted with a Mr. Butler, and as Pitts was
suffering from sore eyes, Mr. Butler got an English doctor, who was
a slave, to attend to him and cure him. Mr. Butler introduced him to
the English Consul, whom he saw once, and once only, and who could do
nothing for him further than give him a letter to the English Consul at
Smyrna, at the same time imploring him to conceal the letter and not
let it get into the hands of the Turks, or it might cost him his life.
“Being got about thirty Days’ voyage towards Smyrna, where I design’d
to make my Escape, we espied seven or eight Venetian Gallies at Anchor
under the Shoar. The Turks had a great Tooth for these Gallies, but
knew not how to come to them, not being able to adventure so far as
Gallies safely may. At length they consulted, being fifteen Ships in
number, to hoist French Colours. Having done this we haul’d up our
Sails and brought to, pretending as if we were desirous of some News
from the Levant. They, at this, thinking we were French Men-of-War,
sent out two of their Gallies; upon which the Turks were ordered to
lie close, and not stir, for fear of showing their Turbants, and such
Officers, that were obliged to be moving, took off their Turbants to
avoid discovery, and put on a Hat and Cap instead thereof; but the
Slaves were all ordered to be upon Deck to colour the matter, and make
us look more like Christians. At length one of the Gallies being within
Musquet-shot, we fired upon him, and soon made him strike. The other,
seeing that, turns and rows with all his Might and Main to get ashoar,
the Algerines all the while making what sail they could after him, but
’twas in vain, for the Venetian got clear, the Wind being off Shoar
just in our Mouth. In that Galley which we took, there were near four
hundred Christians, and some few Turks that were Slaves.
“When we came to Scio, we were joyn’d with ten Sail of the Grand Turk’s
Ships, carrying seventy or eighty Brass Cannon Guns each; and now being
twenty-five in number, we had the Courage to cruize about the Islands
of the Archipelago.
“Some time after we arrived at Scio, the Turks had liberty, for one
Month’s time, to go home to visit the respective Places of their
Nativity. I went to Smyrna and hired a Chamber there. And after I knew
where the Consul’s House was I went thither. The Consul not knowing who
I was, Complemented me much, because I was handsomely Apparel’d, and
I returned the Complement to him after the Turkish manner; and then
delivered him my Letter of Recommendation. The Consul, having perused
the Letter, he bid the Interpreter to withdraw, because he should not
understand anything of the matter. After the Interpreter was gone, the
Consul ask’d me whether I was the Man mentioned in the Letter. I told
him I was. He said the Design was very dangerous, and that if it should
be known to the Turks that he was any way concerned in it, it was as
much as his Life, and his all was worth. But after he had discours’d me
further and found that I was fully resolv’d in the matter, he told me
that, Truly were it not for Mr. Butler’s Request he would not meddle in
such a dangerous Attempt; but for the friendship and Respect he bore to
him, would do me all the kindness he could; which put Life into me.
“We had no English nor Dutch Ships at Smyrna then, but daily expected
some; and he told me, I must wait till they came, and withall caution’d
me not to frequent his House. A day or two after this I was sitting in
a Barber’s Shop, where both Christians and Turks did Trim, and there
was a-triming then an English Man, whose Name was George Grunsell,
of Deptford. He knew me no otherwise than a Turk; but when I heard
him speak English, I ask’d him in English, Whether he knew any of the
Western Parts of England to be in Smyrna. He told me of one, who he
thought was an Exeter man, which, when I heard, I was glad at Heart. I
desired him to shew me his House; which he very kindly did; but when
I came to speak with Mr. Elliott, for so was his Name, I found him
to be of Cornwall, who had serv’d some part of his Apprenticeship in
Exon, with Mr. Henry Cudmore a Merchant. He was very glad to see me for
Country’s-sake. After some Discourse, I communicated to him my Design.
He was very glad to hear of it, and promised to assist me; and told me,
that I need not run the hazard of going to the Consul’s House, but that
if I had anything of Moment to impart to him, he would do it for me.
“In a Month’s time it was cry’d about the City of Smyrna, that all
Algerines should repair to their Ships, which lay then at Rhodes.
“All this while no English or Dutch Ships came to Smyrna; the Consul
and Mr. Elliott therefore consulted which was my best way to take;
to tarry in Smyrna after all the Algerines were gone, would look
suspiciously; and therefore they advised me not to tarry in Smyrna, but
either to go to Scio with the Algerines, which is part of our way back
to Rhodes, or else to go up to Constantinople; and when I was there,
to write to the said Mr. Elliott to acquaint him where I was; and to
stay there till I had directions from them to return to Smyrna, or what
else to do.
“I pursued their Advice, and went with some of the Algerines to Scio,
and there I made a stop till all the Algerines were gone from thence,
and writ to Mr. Elliott where I was. A short Time after, he writ me,
that he was very glad that I was where I was, but withal, gave a damp
to my Spirits, with this bad News, that our Smyrna Fleet were said to
be interrupted by the French; with the cold reserve of Comfort, that it
wanted Confirmation.
“Now the Devil was very busy with me, tempting me to lay aside all
thoughts of Escaping, and to return to Algiers, and continue Mussulman.
For it was suggested to me, first, That it was a very difficult, if not
a desperate Attempt, to endeavour to make my Escape; and that if I were
discovered in it, I should be put to death after the most cruel and
exemplary way. Also, in the next place, the Loss that I should sustain
thereby, in several respects, viz. The Loss of the profitable Returns
which I might make of what Money I had to Algiers; and the Loss of
receiving eight Months Pay due to me in Algiers; and the frustrating
of my Hopes and Expectation which I had from my Patroon, who made me
large Promises of leaving me considerable Substance at his Death; and I
believe he meant as he promised; for I must acknowledge he was like a
father to me.
“In the midst of all I would pray to God for his Assistance, and found
it. For I bless God, that after all my Acquaintance were gone from Scio
to Rhodes, I grew daily better and better satisfied; though my Fears
were still very great; and I was indeed afraid every-body I met did
suspect my Design. And I can truly say, that I would not go through
such a Labyrinth of Sorrows and Troubles again, might I gain a Kingdom.
“The first Letter that Mr. Elliott sent me while I was at Scio, he
directed to a Greek at Scio, who did business with the Consul at
Smyrna, to be delivered to me, naming me by my Turkish Name. I was
altogether unknown to the Greek, so that he was forced to enquire among
the Algerines for one of that Name; and indeed there were two Men of
that Name with myself; but by good hap, they were gone to Rhodes,
otherwise ’tis odds but the Letter had come to the Hands of one of
them, and then my Design had been discovered, and I should undoubtedly
have been put to Death.
“I receiv’d another Letter from Mr. Elliott, in which he informed me
that the reported bad News concerning our Ships was true, but that he
and the Consul had Conferr’d that Day what was best to be done for my
safety; and were of opinion that it would be in vain for me to wait for
any English Ships, and therefore they advised me to go off in a French
Ship, tho’ somewhat more expensive, and in order thereto, to hasten
back again to Smyrna, in the first boat that came.
“Accordingly I came to Smyrna again and lodg’d at Mr. Grunsell’s House,
and kept myself very private for the space of twenty Days, ’till the
French Ship was ready to sail.
“Now the French Ship, in which I was to make my escape, was intended
to sail the next Day, and therefore in the Evening I went on Board,
Apparel’d as an English Man, with my Beard shaven, a Campaign
Perrywigg, and a Cane in my Hand, accompanied with three or four of my
Friends in the Boat. As we were going into the Boat, there were some
Turks of Smyrna walking by, but they smelt nothing of the matter. My
good Friend Mr. Elliott had agreed with the Captain of the Ship to pay
Four Pounds for my Passage to Leghorn, but neither the Captain nor any
of the French Men knew who I was. My Friends, next Morning, brought
Wine and Victuals a board; upon which they were very merry, but, for my
part, I was very uneasy till the Ship had made Sail. I pretended myself
Ignorant of all Foreign Languages, because I would not be known to the
French, who,--if we had met with any Algerines,--I was affraid would be
so far from showing me any Favour so as to Conceal me, would readily
Discover me.
“We had a Month’s passage from Smyrna to Leghorne, and I was never at
Rest in my Mind till we came to Leghorne, where, as soon as ever I came
ashore, I prostrated myself, and kissed the earth, blessing Almighty
God for his Mercy and Goodness to me, that I once more set footing on
the European, Christian part of the World.”
Arrived at Leghorn, Joseph Pitts was put in quarantine, but for
five-and-twenty days only. Whilst in the Lazaret he met with some
Dutchmen, one of whom had been a near neighbour in Algiers. He
suggested that Pitts should join company with him and his party
travelling homewards by land. To this Joseph agreed, and they all set
off at Christmas, in frosty weather, and travelled for twenty days
through heavy snow. After a while Joseph’s leg gave way, and he could
not proceed with the others. They were constrained to leave him behind,
for fear that their money would run short.
After having travelled two hundred miles in their company, he was now
forced to travel five hundred on foot through Germany alone. One day
as he was passing through a wood he was attacked by a party of German
soldiers, who robbed him of his money. Happily, they did not strip him
and so discover that he had a good deal more than was in his pockets
sewn into a belt about his waist.
“When I came to Franckfort, the Gates of the City were just ready to be
shut, and I offering to go in, the Centinel demanded of me who I was. I
told them I was an Englishman. They bid me show my Passport, but I had
none. I having therefore no pass, they would not let me into the City.
So the Gate was shut. I sat down upon the Ground and wept, bewailing my
hard Fortune and their Unkindness, having not a bit of Bread to eat,
nor Fire to warm myself in the extreme cold Season which then was.