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spars, It is a difficult thing,' says the son of Ali Bashaw, 'to get a flagstaff put up when it once comes down; when the American flagstaff comes down it will take a great deal of grease, (meaning money) to get it up again; the Danish flagstaff is broke I hear and wants mending with a new one.' He smiled a ghastly grin, and said, ' after all, what is twenty thousand dollars a year for a Christian nation to pay that has such vast resources. Had I enough to live on I would not trouble myself with cruisers, although my subjects always wish war, because it is to their advantage. How many Raizes,' added he, have I that know the way to the Great Sea?' Admiral Morad answered about twenty. There not being I believe one capable but himself, without his accompanying them, shews that the Bashaw and his officers pay no great regard to truth.- Well,' replied his excellency, I will find them vessels-In Tripoli, consul, we are all hungry, and if we are not provided for, we soon get sick and peevish.' As the Bashaw spoke in metaphors I answered him in the same manner, by saying, that when the chief physician prescribed the medicine, I should have no objection to administer the dose, but until then I could say nothing on the subject. Take care,' answered the Bashaw, that the medicine does not come too late, and if it comes in time that it will not be strong enough.'

Extract of a Letter from Richard O'Brien to the Secretary of State, dated at

ALGIERS, JANUARY 27, 1801. "ON the 21st inst. arrived at Algiers, in 23 days from Constantinople, the United States ship the George Washington, William Bainbridge, Esq. commander. The Grand Signior has detained the Algerine ambassador sent, and presents, until that the regency of Algiers complies with all his demands, and will have full submission to his orders. "The presents and funds, which were sent by the

Washington, certainly amounted to one and an half million of dollars. A Swede with the Dey's nephew arrived at Smyrna with 500,000. This was by the orders of the captain Bashaw deposited in the treasury of the Grand Signior at Smyrna. Another Swede, with the Algerine prime minister's nephew, with at least 400,000 dollars, ran on shore at the island of Candia. This money also has fallen into the possession of the Grand Signior. Add to this that the hundred Turks who went in the Washington, and are detained at Constantinople, were chiefly the most rich and first men of this regency. These considerations will certainly induce this regency to acquiesce in the demands of the Grand Signior.

"The Dey will make a haul to repay him for his present losses, I hope we shall not be the victims; we are nearly two and an half years in arrear; no funds, we have a valuable unguarded commerce in these seas; we are threatened by all Barbary; therefore we should act with energy, make good our stipulations and annuities, have consular friends (not to be depending on mercenary Jews) and shew force in this sea."

Extracts of a Letter from Mr. O'Brien to Mr. Smith, Minister Plenipotentiary of the United States, at Lisbon, dated

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ALGIERS, FEBRUARY 7, 1801. "EVEN at this moment I shudder for fear of our valuable vessels and citizens in this sea; so much in arrears, no funds, no corsairs, and threatened by all the dogs of prey. Algiers, a pirate state, wants employment for the refractory and for their corsairs. The troubles of the Baltic will scare the Swedes and Danes into port, and we in arrears, no oil in our lamps, no anchors and cables, no corsairs in this sea: we will be the victims: such, Sir, is my present fears."

Extract of a Letter from Mr. Cathcart, to the Secretary of

State, dated

TRIPOLI IN BARBARY, MAY 16, 1801.

"THIS evening (10th May) at 6 P. M. Hadgi Mahomudela Sore, the same that went to Algiers in the Hamdullah, came to the American house, and told me not to be alarmed, for the Bashaw had sent him to inform me, that he declared war against the United States, and would take down our flagstaff on Thursday the 14th inst. that if I pleased to remain at Tripoli I should be treated with respect, but if I pleased I might go away. I sent my compliments to the Bashaw and informed him that it was my positive instructions not to remain an instant after a declaration of war took place, and that I should charter a vessel to-morrow if possible.

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Thursday 14th, at 1 P. M. Hadgi Mahamude la Sore came to inform me that the Chavux were coming to take our flagstaff down. I waited until the Seraskier arrived, and then sent said la Sore to offer him 10,000 dollars in addition to what I had already offered, which was rejected by the Bashaw, and orders given to cut away the flagstaff.

"At a quarter past 2 they effected the grand achievement, and our flagstaff was chopped down six feet from the ground, and left reclining on the terrace. Thus ends the first act of this tragedy. I hope the catastrophe may be happy."

Extract of a Letter from William Eaton Esq. Consul of the United States at Tunis, to the Secretary of State, dated

TUNIS, DECEMBER 8, 1800.

"On the 25th ult. after having despatched duplicates of my letter from the 1st to the 16th, it was intimated to me that there was an American ship in the road of Porto Farino. Instantly I sent off an express to inquire for

facts. On the 27th, I received a note from eaptain Coffin of the Anna Maria, informing me that he had been ten days in the road, without being able to communicate with the shore, by reason of the weather, which was extremely bad. On the 28th, I asked a boat of the Bey, to board her, which he said should be ready on the 30th. Accordingly on the 30th I embarked at Tunis, in an open boat, and arrived on board, ten leagues, at eight in the evening of the same day. On the morning following the 1st December, I had the honour of receiving your letter of the 30th August, covering an invoice and bills of the ship's lading. Yesterday I returned to Tunis. Such part of the cargo, as was between decks was chiefly discharged before I left the ship. The quality of the articles are acknowledged to be good, but it is objected that the plank and the oars are too short, and the government affect to be dissatisfied, that the keels, guns, and powder, are not come forward. I believe the fact to be; the government is dissatisfied that any thing is come forward. If this opinion requires evidence, I consider it sufficient to state that the United States are the only nation which have at this moment a rich unguarded commerce in the Mediterranean, and that the Barbary regencies are Pirates. I take to myself the merit of having once more at least suspended an expedition which was prepared for us. But we are yet deficient, and I am not without apprehension that this deficiency will be resorted (to) as a pretext for surprising our merchantmen; in which case they might do us incalculable mischief. These are considerations, which, it is supposed, should compel exertions to fulfil our obligations with this regency.

"The immense concessions he has received the summer past from Spain, Denmark, Sicily, Sweden, have so diminished the condition of our peace in his eye, that he says, It is a trifle for so great a commercial nation, in consideration for the advantages of a free trade in this sea. * VOL. 1. 8

To all whom it doth or may concern.

KNOW YE, by these presents, that I James Leander Cathcart, agent and consul for the United States of America, in and for the city and regency of Tripoli in Barbary, finding just cause to complain of Jusef Bashaw supreme commandant of said city and regency of Tripoli, and his ministers, towards the government and citizens of the United States of America, and conceiving it my duty to protest against said conduct: Now KNOW YE, that I do hereby protest against the said Jusef Bashaw supreme commandant of said city and regency, and against his ministers and counsellors, in behalf of the government of the United States of America, myself and fellow citizens, for the following reasons, viz.

First. BE IT KNOWN, that on the 17th of August 1799, said Jusef Bashaw, supreme commandant of the regency of Tripoli, at the instigation of Morad Raiz, admiral of the cruisers of this regency, refused to receive the printed passports issued by the consul of the United States of America in this regency in obedience to his orders from government, thereby claiming a superiority or preference to the regencies of Algiers and Tunis, be being duly informed that the said passports were accepted in the same form by the chiefs of said regencies, and in order as is my firm belief to have a pretext to send the merchant vessels belonging to the citizens of the United States into this port for examination, said admiral Morad having publickly declared that he would go to sea with the vessels. under his command, without any passport from this office, if they were not modified to his liking, and worded similar to the passports of the British; and the said Jusef Bashaw on application being made by the said consul of the United States, refusing to exert his authority, is a clear and sufficient evidence, that he was accessary to the insolent demand of said Morad, or more properly speaking that said Morad acted, if not by his orders, at least with his tacit consent, thereby forcing the said consul of the