his Hand. I was fairly blubbering, and would have rushed into his Arms;
but there was something Cold and Haughty in his Manner that repulsed me.
"'Tis well," he said. "I am a Knight of the most Illustrious Order of
St. John of Jerusalem, and an Italian Cavalier of Degree. You----"
"I am a Spy," I cried out half-sobbing. "What was I to do? My Malignant
Fate hath ever been against me. I am despicable in your Eyes, but not
so despicable as I am in mine own."
"There, there," he cries out, very placably. "There's no great harm
done, and there's much of a muchness between us. When you first came
across me, was I not stealing the King's Deer in Charlwood Chase,
besides being in trouble--I don't mind owning to you now--on account of
King James? 'Twixt you, Jack Dangerous, Flibustier, Saltabadil, and Spy,
and Captain Night, now called Don Ercolo et cetera, et cetera di San
Lorenzo, and a Knight of Malta, there is not much, perhaps, to choose.
The World hath its strange Ups and Downs, and we must e'en make the best
of them. Sit you down, Jack Dangerous, and we will have t'other Flask."
We had t'other Flask, and very good Wine it was; and for the rest of the
time I remained in Malta, Don Ercolo continued to be my Fast Friend,
even as he had been in my Youth. And yet 'twas mainly through his
Instrumentality that I quitted the Island; for he sent his Page to me
with a Letter, written in our own dear English Tongue, in the which he
instantly desired me, as I valued my Life and the Interests of my
Employers, to put the Broad Seas between myself and the Grand Master;
for that an Inkling of my Errand had got wind, and that the Party
unfavourable to France being then uppermost, I ran immediate risk of
being cast into a Dungeon, if not Hanged. For this Reason, said Don
Ercolo, he must forbear any further Commerce with me (not wishing to
draw Suspicion on himself, for the Knights are very jealous in Political
Affairs); but he assured me of his continued Friendship, and desired if
I stood in Need of any Funds for my Journey, to inform the Page, that he
might furnish me secretly with what Gold I needed. But I wanted nothing
in this way, having ample Credits; so making up my Valises with all
convenient Speed, the Chevalier Escarbotin bade adieu to Malta.
I took a passage in a Speronare that was bound to Candia, where I hoped
to find some Trading Vessel of heavier Burden to take me to
Constantinople. The Mediterranean Sea here very beautiful, and
delightful to see the Dolphins, Tunnies, and other Fish, that frequently
leapt out of the Water, and followed our Ship in great Numbers. Also a
Waterspout, which is a Phenomenon very well known to Seamen in the
Levant Trade, and reckoned very dangerous. It looked mighty Fierce and
Terrific; and our Sailors, to conjure it away, had recourse to the
Superstitious Devices of cutting the air with a Black-Handled Knife, and
reading the First Chapter of St. John's Gospel, accounted of great
Efficacy in dispersing these Spouts.
Woe is me! After Six Days' most pleasant Sailing, and after doubling
Cape Spada, and in very sight of Canea (which is the Port of Candia), a
strange Sail hove in Sight, gave Chase, came up to us an hour before
sundown, and without as much as, By your leave, or With your leave,
opened Fire upon us. A Couple of Swingeers from her Double-shotted Guns
were a Bellyful for our poor little Speronare, in which there were but
Ten Men and a Boy, Passengers included; and we were fain to submit. Oh,
the intolerable Shame and Disgrace! that Jack Dangerous, who had been
All Round the World with that Renowned Commander, Captain Blokes, and
had Chased, Taken, and Plundered many a good tall ship belonging to the
Spaniards,--ay, and had landed on their Main, Spoiled their Cities and
Settlements, Toasted their fine Ladies, and held their Chief Governors
to Ransom,--should be laid in the Bilboes by a Rascally African Pirate
Vessel mounting Nine Guns, and belonging to the most Heathenish,
Knavish, and Bloodthirsty Town of Algiers. My Gall works now to think of
it; but Force was against us, and the Disaster was not to be helped. I
was in such a Mad Rage as to be near Braining the Captain of the
Speronare with a Marline-Spike, and would have assuredly blown out the
Brains of the first Moor that boarded us, had not the Italian Captain
and his Mate seized each one of my arms, and by Main Force wrested my
Weapons from me. And in this (though hotly enraged with 'em at first,
and calling them all kinds of Abusive Epithets) I think they acted less
like Traitors than like Persons of Sense and Discretion; for what were
we Ten (and the Boy) against full Fifty powerful Devils, all armed to
the Teeth, and who would assuredly have cut all our Throats had we shown
the least Resistance?
So they had their Will of us, and we were all made Prisoners,
preparatory to undergoing the worse Fate of Slaves. Vain now, indeed,
were all his Eminence's Secret Precautions about the Concealment of
Missives; for these Rascal Moors made no more ado, but stripped us of
every Rag of Clothing, ripping up the Seams thereof, and examining our
very Hair, in quest of Gold and Jewels. The Boatswain, however, that was
appointed to search me, after taking from me all my Stock of Money,
which was Considerable, returned to me the famous Bit of Parchment
between the Glasses, which was to bear me Harmless against the Claws of
Holy Mother Church if she happened to turn Tiger-Cat; for these
Mahometans have a profound respect for Charms and Amulets, and very
like he took this for one, which could be no good to him, an Infidel,
but might serve a Frank at a pinch. There was another Article, too,
which he restored to me, after Examination, and of which I have hitherto
made no mention. What was this but a little Portrait of my Beloved
Protectress, which I carried with me next my Heart? Not that I had ever
ventured to be so bold as to Ask her for such a pledge, or that she had
been complaisant enough to give it me; but while I was in Paris there
had been limned by the great French Painter, Monsieur Boucher, a Picture
of one of the Opera Ballets, not Orpheus's Story, but something out of
Homer's Poetry,--_Ulysse chez Alcinous_, I think 'twas called,--and this
Picture contained very Life-like Effigies of all the Dancers that stood
in the front rank, of whom my sweet Mistress Lilias was one. From this
an Engraving in the Line Manner was made, which was put forth by the
Print-sellers just before I left Paris; and I declare I gave a Louis
d'Or, and Ten Livres, Twelve Sols, for a Copy, and cutting out the
Pictured Head of my Protectress with a sharp Penknife, had it pasted
down and framed in a Golden Locket. When the Boatswain saw this, he
Grinned, till the Turban round his tawny Head might have been taken for
a Horse-collar. He wrenched the Portrait out of its Frame, and put the
Gold among the heap of Plunder that was gathered, for after division, on
the Deck, and was then about to throw the dear Bit of Paper into the
Sea,--for these Moors think it Sinful to portray the Human Countenance
in any way,--but I besought him so Earnestly, both by Signs and
supplicatory Gestures, and even, I believe, Tears, to restore it to me,
that he desisted; and putting his Finger to his Lips, as a Hint that I
was not to reveal his Clemency to his Commander, gave me back my
precious Portrait. He would have, however, the fine Chain I wore round
my Neck; so I was fain to make an Opening between the two Sheets of
Glass that covered my Amulet, and push in the Portrait, face downwards;
and the two together I hung to a bit of slender Lanyard. But all my
brave Clothes were taken from me, and in an Hour after my Capture I was
Bare-footed, and with no other Apparel than a Ragged Shirt and a Pair of
Drawers of Canvas. To this Accoutrement was speedily added about
Twenty-one Pounds of Fetters on the Wrists and Ankles; and then I, and
the Captain, and the Mate, and the Men, and the Boy, were put into a
Boat and taken on board the Algerine, where we were flung into the Hold,
and had nothing better to eat for many days than Mouldy Biscuit and
Bilge-Water. The Cargo of the Speronare was mostly Crockery-ware and
Household Stuff, for the use of the Candiotes; and the Moors would not
be at the trouble of Removing, so they Scuttled her, and bore away to
the Norrard.
_Item._--I swallowed my Despatches; but the Moors got hold of my Letters
of Credit and my Cipher.
CHAPTER THE EIGHTH.
AFTER MANY SURPRISING VICISSITUDES, J. DANGEROUS BECOMES BESTUSCHID
BASHAW.
SO we were all taken into Algiers. 'Tis called "The Warlike" by that
proud People, the Turks; but with much more Reason, I think, should it
be named "The Thievish." Out upon the Robbers' Den! This most abominable
Place, which has, during so many Ages, braved the Resentment of the most
powerful Princes of Christendom, is said to contain above 100,000
Mahometans,--among them not above Thirty Renegadoes,--15,000 Jews, and
4000 Christian Slaves. 'Tis full of Mosques and other Heathenish places
of Worship, and is strongly Fortified, both towards the Sea and the
Land. The Ship that took us was a Brigantine; and they have nigh a
Hundred of 'em (besides Rowboats), mounting from Ten to Fifty Guns, with
which they ravage the Trade of Europe. There is little within the City
that is Curious, save the Dogs, which are very abundant, and very Fierce
and Nasty. The Street Bab-Azoun is full of Shops, and Jews dealing in
Gems and Goldsmiths' Work. The Hills and Valleys round the City are
every where beautified with Gardens and Country Seats, whither the
Wealthy Turks retire during the Heats of Summer. Some of the Wild
Bedoween Tribes up the country go Bare-headed, binding their Temples
only with a Fillet to prevent their hair growing troublesome. But the
Moors and Turks in Algiers wear on the Crowns of their Heads a small Cap
of Scarlet Woollen Cloth, that is made at Fez. The Turban is folded
round the bottom of these Caps, and by the fashion of the folds you can
tell the Soldiers from the Citizens. The Arabs wear a loose Garment
called a Hyke, which serves them as a complete Dress by Day, and a Bed
and Coverlet by Night. 'Tis observable that when the Moorish Women
appear in Public, they constantly fold themselves so close up in their
Hykes that very little of their Faces can be seen; but in the Summer
Months, when they retire to their Country Seats, they walk about with
less Caution and Reserve, and, at the approach of a Stranger, only let
fall their Veils.
What became of the Master and Crew of the Speronare I know not. They
were but Weakly Creatures; and I conjecture were sold off into private
Hands and sent up the country. Now, although I was past the Middle Age,
and indeed drifting into years, I was still of Unbowed Stature and great
Strength, and a Personable Fellow, hardened in the furnace of Danger and
Adventure. This led to my being reserved from the public Slave-Market
for the Dey of Algiers' own use. Woe is me, again! The Distinction
profited me little, for it merely amounted to my being made Stroke-oar
of the third row of the Dey's State-barge, or Galleasse. Imagine me now,
in a Tunic and Drawers of Scarlet Serge, and a White Turban round my
Head to keep me from Sun-stroke, chained by the Ankles to a bench, and
with an Iron Collar round my Neck, from which another Chain passed to a
Bar running fore and aft the whole length of the Galleasse. Between the
benches of Rowers runs a narrow Planking; and up and down this
continually patrols a great Tawny Ruffian of a Moorish Boatswain, armed
with a Whip of Rhinoceros Hide, which, with a Will, he lays on to the
Shoulders of those who do not tug hard enough at the Oar. Miserable and
fallen as was my state, I did yet manage to evade the crowning
Degradation of Stripes; for, being a Man used to the Sea, and full of
Courageous Activity, I got through my toil so as to make it impossible
for my Superiors to find fault with me; and besides, in a few words of
Lingua Franca that I picked up, I gave the Boatswain to understand that
if he ever hit me with his Rhinoceros Thong, I should take the earliest
opportunity of Strangling him. As for our Food, 'twas mainly Beans, and
in the morning a Mess of boiled Maize they call Couscoussou, with some
villanous Rank Butter, melted, poured over it. And sometimes the Carcass
of a Sheep that had died of Disease was given to us. But whatever we had
was eaten on our benches, and the Cook of the Galleasse passed up and
down the planking to serve out the Rations. We Ate on our benches, we
Slept on our benches, and some of us died on our benches. There were
Ninety-two Christian Slaves on board the Dey's Galleasse, and Twelve on
my Bench. Being Stroke-oar, I was spared the continual contemplation of
a Man's back in front of me, which other Slaves have told me makes you
so mad that you want to Bite him; but 'twas scarcely less Vexatious to
have behind, as I had, a Chattering Fellow of a Frenchman, for ever
jabbering forth his complaints, and not bearing them with the surly
Dignity of a Briton. I could almost _hear_ this fellow grimace; and he
was never tired of bemoaning his bygone happy state as a Hairdresser's
Journeyman in the Rue St. Honore at Paris. "Why did a Vain Ambition
prompt me to journey from Marseilles to Constantinople?" cried he about
Fifty times a day. "Why did I rely on the protection of my Wife's
Cousin, who gave me recommendations to his brother, Cook-in-Chief to the
Ambassador of France at the court of the Antique Byzantium (_l'antique
Byzance_)? Where is my Wife? Where is my Wife's Cousin? They are
drinking the wine of Ramponneau; they are dancing at the Barriers. Oh,
my Cocotte! where is my Cocotte?"
"Hang your Cocotte!" I used to cry out in a rage. "'Tis bad enough to be
mewed up here like a Bear in a pit, without being worried by a
counfounded Barber's Clerk!"
I had been Tugging at the Oar full Six Months, when a change came over
my lamentable Lot. The Dey of Algiers was at this time one Mahomet
Bassa, a very Bold, Fierce, Fighting Man, but of the meanest Extraction,
and one, indeed, that had been no more than a common Soldier, from which
he had sprung to be, by turns, Oda-Bashee or Lieutenant, Bullock-Bashee
or Captain, Tiah-Bashee or Colonel, and Aga or General. For among these
strange people every valiant and aspiring Soldier,--I wish 'twas so in
England,--though taken yesterday from the Plough, may be considered as
Heir-Apparent to the Throne. Nor are they ashamed of the obscurity of
their birth. This Mahomet Bassa, in a dispute he once had with the
Spanish Consul, said: "My mother sold Sheep's Trotters, and my father
Neat's Tongues; but they would have been ashamed to expose for sale on
their stalls a Tongue so worthless as thine." Mahomet Bassa was, like
most of the Turks, a man of Pleasure, and his Harem was furnished with
an extraordinary number of choice Beauties.
His Highness (as he is called), happening to single me out from the rest
of the Slaves on board of the Galleasse, and being told that I was
English--for equally in hopes of Bettering my Condition, and for the
purpose of keeping Secret my Employment with his Eminence, I had avowed
myself to be of that Nation--ordered me to be released from my Chains,
and brought before him at the Divan. Through his Interpreter, a cunning
Rogue from Corfu, who spoke most Languages indifferently well, he asked
me who I was, and how I came to be aboard the Speronare. I answered,
conveniently mixing fact with fiction, that I had been a Captain by Sea
and Land in the Service of the King of England; that I had earned a good
deal of Prize-Money; had retired from Active Duties, being now nigh upon
Fifty years of Age, and was taking my pleasure by voyaging in a part of
Europe with which I had hitherto been little acquainted. This Answer
seemed to satisfy him pretty well; although he was very curious to know
whether I had any Kindred in the Island of Malta, or any foregathering
among the Knights. Fortunately for me the Interpreter, to whom I had
given a hint of ultimate Reward, deposed that I could not speak twenty
words of Maltese (which is a kind of Bastard Italian); and he told me
that if it had been discovered that I was in any way Connected with the
Order, I should surely have been Impaled; the Dey being then in a
towering rage with the Knights, one of whose commanders had just
captured one of his finest Brigantines, and Dressed Ship, as he
humorously put it, by hanging every Man-Jack of the Crew at the
Yard-arm, and the Algerine Captain at the Mizen. The Dey then asked me
if I had any Friends who I thought would pay my Ransom, the which he
placed at the Moderate Computation of Four Thousand Gold Achmedies
(about Fifteen Hundred Pounds sterling). I answered, that I thought I
could raise about half that Sum, if I were allowed to communicate with
one Monsieur Foscue, a Banker at Marseilles, upon whom I had--or rather
my Captors had--a Letter of Credit, which they had taken from me. But by
Ill-luck this Letter of Credit could not be found. The Captain and Crew
of the Rover that took the Speronare were all well bastinadoed about it,
but no Letter was forthcoming; and I am more inclined to think that it
was thrown, in sheer Ignorance, overboard, than that it was Embezzled.
However, as 'twas not to be discovered, the Dey began to look upon me
as an Impostor; but I earnestly represented to the Interpreter that, if
I had time to write to Monsieur Foscue, all would be right. This I had
his Highness's gracious permission to do, and meanwhile was to remain a
Slave; but was not sent back to the Galleys. Being a Strong Fellow, and
professing to know something about Gardening--Lord help me! I had never
touched a Spade ten times in my Life--I was sent to work in his
Highness's Gardens at the Castle of Sitteet-ako-Leet. As for my Letter,
I penned it in as good French as I could muster, begging Monsieur Foscue
to communicate at once with his Eminence, telling him how I had been
captured, and that my Letter of Credit had been taken from me, and of
the Sorry Plight I was now in. I was given to understand that from Six
to Nine Months must pass by before I could expect an Answer; for that
Safe Conducts to Christian Packets between Algiers and Marseilles were
only granted thrice a year, and the last was but just departed.
Whereupon I resigned myself to my Captivity, hoping for Better Days.
The Head Gardener of the Dey was an old Renegado German, named Baupwitz,
who tried hard to convert me to the Mussulman Faith. But in addition to
my stanch Attachment to the Protestant Religion, I could see that the
State and Condition of the few Renegados in Algiers was very mean and
miserable, and that they were despised alike by Turks, Moors, Arabs,
Bedoweens, and Jews. And, indeed, what good had Baupwitz done himself by
turning Paynim? Thus much I put to him plainly; at which the Old Man was
angered, and for some days used me very spitefully; when the Dey, coming
to the Castle, took it into his head to have me brought back to Algiers,
and enrolled among his Musicians as a Player upon the Cymbals. I declare
that although able to troll out a Stave now and then, I could not so
much as Whistle "God save the King;" but I managed to clash my two
Saucepan-Lids or Cymbals together and to make a Noise, which is all the
Turks care for, they having no proper Ear for Music. As one of his
Highness's Musicians, I was dressed very grandly, with a monstrous
Turban all covered with Gold Spangles and Silk Tassels; but I had a
Collar of Silver riveted round my Neck, and Silver Shackles round my
Ancles, and Silver Manacles round my Wrists; and was still a Slave.
The rest of the Musicians were either Black Negroes or Cophtic
Christians, and they used me with Decent Civility; nor did the Master of
the Musicians--otherwise a most cruel Moor--go out of his way to flout,
much less smite me with his Rattan. If he had dared but to lay one
Stripe upon me, I would have sprang upon the Wretch and dashed out his
Brains with my Cymbals, even if I had been put upon the Pale for it half
an hour afterwards.
Lodged in the Guard-house at the Dey's Palace, with pretty abundant
Rations, and some few Piastres daily to buy Wine (I being a Frank) and
Tobacco, and pretty well treated by the Colologlies, or Moorish
Soldiers, I did not pass such a very bad time of it; and when off Duty,
had liberty to go about the City and Suburbs pretty much as I chose. And
I was a hundred times better off than the Moslem Slaves are at Malta.
These Algerines are an Uncouth, Savage People; and the Turkish Despotism
has quite destroyed that security and Liberty which of old gave birth
and encouragement to Learning: hence the knowledge of Medicine,
Philosophy, and the Mathematics, which once so flourished among the
Arabs, is now almost entirely lost. The Children of the Moors and Turks
are sent to School at about Six years old, where they are taught to Read
and Write for the value of about a Penny a week of our Money. Instead of
Paper or a Slate, each boy has a piece of thin square Board, slightly
daubed over with Whiting; on this he makes his Letters, which may be
wiped off or renewed at pleasure. Having made some progress in the
Koran, he is initiated into the Ceremonies and Mysteries of the
Mahometan Religion; and when he has distinguished himself in any of
these branches of Learning, he is Richly Dressed, mounted on a Horse
finely Caparisoned, and paraded, amidst the Huzzas of his
School-fellows, through the Streets; while his Friends and Relations
assemble to congratulate his Parents, and load him with Toys and
Sweetmeats. And this Observance answers to our Western Rite of
Confirmation. But after being three or four years at School, the Boys
are put 'Prentice to Trades or enrolled in the Army, where they very
speedily forget all they have learnt.
Though such bold Sailors, the Algerines are very despicable as
Navigators. Their chief Astronomer, Muley Hamet Ben Daoud, when I was
there, who superintended and regulated the Hours of Prayer by the Moon
and Stars, had not the skill to make a Sundial; and in Navigation they
cannot get beyond Pricking of a Chart, and distinguishing the Eight
principal Points of the Compass. Even Chemistry, which was once the
favourite Science of these people, is at present only applied to the
Distilling of a little Rose-water. The Physicians chiefly study the
Spanish Translation of Dioscorides (that was a Learned Leech in Olden
Times); but the Figures of the Plants and Animals are more consulted
than the Descriptions: yet are these Knaves naturally Subtle and
Ingenious; wanting nothing but Application and Patronage to cultivate
and improve their Faculties. They are for the most part Predestinarians,
and pay little regard to Physic, either leaving the Disorder to contend
with Nature, or making use of Charms and Incantations. They, however,
resort to the Hammam, or Hot Bagnio (a great Sweating-bath, and a
sovereign Remedy for most Distempers), and have a few Specifics in
general use. Thus, in Pleurisy and the Rheumatics they make several
Punctures on the part affected with a Red-hot Needle; and into simple
Gun-shot Wounds they pour Fresh Butter almost boiling hot. The Prickly
Pear roasted in Ashes is applied to Bruises, Swellings, and
Inflammations; and a dram or two of the Round Birthwort is esteemed the
best remedy in the world for the Choler. But few Compound Medicines;
only, for that dreadful scourge the Plague (from which Lord deliver all
Men not being Heathens!), they commonly use a Mixture of Myrrh, Saffron,
Aloes, and Syrup of Myrtle-berries,--which does not hinder 'em from
dying like Sheep with the Rot.