Extract same to same, dated Tunis Bay, July 18, 1801.

"MR. O'BRIEN informed me that the Dey of Algiers had been complaining very much of the United States in not making their annual payments good, and had gone so far as to say, that he would not put up with it much longer. He was now confident he said, that the Dey would not speak so big, and had no doubt that the arrival of the President at Algiers had much more weight with the Dey, than if the Washington had arrived with stores. He did not think it a proper time to mention to the Dey, about receiving thirty thousand dollars instead of stores. O Brien took the cloth and linen on shore with him. "I arrived in Tunis bay 17th inst. and sent a letter on shore to Mr. Eaton; the 18th he came on board. The Essex and the ship Grand Turk arrived the same day. From Mr. Eaton's information, this regency has been much in the same way as Algiers, and the appearance of our ships will have the same effect on the great and mighty Bey of Tunis.”

Mr.

Extract Commodore Dale, to the Secretary of the Navy, dated Malta Harbour, August 18, 1801.

“ I ARRIVED off Tripoli the 24th ult. the 25th I received a letter from Mr. Nessen, consul for Denmark at Tripoli; he was requested by Mr. Cathcart to act for him in his absence, should there be a necessity for it. The letter was wrote at the request of the Bey, to know if my intentions in coming off Tripoli, were to make peace or war. I wrote him that my intentions in the first instance were friendly, but the act of his excellency in declaring war against the United States, had put that disposition out of my power, and that I was determined to take his vessels of every description, and his subjects wherever I could find them; but at the same time I should be glad to know his reasons for declaring war, and on what principles he expected to make peace. That on those points I wished information

as soon as possible, that I might inform the President of the United States, and ascertain his determination respecting the business. The next day the Bey sent off a Jew, to negotiate for a peace or truce. I informed him, that his excellency had not answered my letter; that I was not empowered to make a new treaty, but if the Bey would answer my letter, and send off one of his officers, and was serious in the business, I would then treat with him about a truce. The Jew went on shore. I have not heard from him since. The Bey wrote me previous to this, that he had good reasons for declaring war against the United States, but if I would come on shore, he was very certain we should be able to make a peace. He said he did not like the 1st and 12th articles in the old treaty, and did not wish to have any thing to do with the Dey of Algiers.

"I am happy to inform you that the Enterprize on the 1st inst. on her passage to this place, fell in with a polacre ship, mounting 14 guns and 80 men, a corsair belonging to Tripoli. The enclosed is a copy of Mr. Sterrett's letter to me, which will give you an account of the action and the result of it.-Mr. Sterrett is a very good officer and deserves well of his country. After being 18 days off Tripoli, and seeing nothing in that time but two small vessels, Tunisians, one bound in and the other out, and receiving information that the Bey had boats stationed along the coast, both to the eastward and westward, on the 11th inst. I determined to run along the coast to the westward, as far as the island of Pidussa; from Pidussa to this place for water. I arrived here the 16th inst.; saw nothing on my passage.

Copy of a Letter from Lieutenant Andrew Sterrett, to Commodore Dale, dated on board the United States schooner Enterprize, at sea, August 6, 1801.

SIR,

I HAVE the honour to inform you, that on the 1st Aug. I fell in with a Tripolitan ship of war, called the Tripoli,

mounting 14 guns, commanded by Rais Mahomet Sous. An action immediately commenced within pistol shot, which continued three hours, incessant firing. She then struck her colours. The carnage on board was dreadful, she having 20 men killed and 30 wounded: among the latter was the captain and first lieutenant. Her mizen mast went over the side. Agreeable to your orders, I dismantled her of every thing but an old sail and spar.—With heartfelt pleasure I add, that the officers and men throughout the vessel, behaved in the most spirited and determined manner, obeying every command with promptitude and alertness. We had not a man wounded, and sustained no material damage in our hull or rigging.

I remain your most obedient servant,

ANDREW STERRETT.

Extract-Commodore Dale, to the Secretary of the Navy, dated Gibraltar Bay, October 4, 1801.

"HAVING Completed my water on the 21st of August, I sailed again. On the 30th I brought to a Greek ship, from Constantinople and Smyrna, bound into Tripoli, loaded with beans and merchandize, and having on board one Tripolitan officer, twenty soldiers, fourteen merchants, five women, four of them black, and one white child, all Tripolitans: I took them all on board. I thought this a favourable opportunity to try to bring about, and settle an exchange of prisoners with the Bey, should his corsairs take any Americans, (I say God forbid.) I accordingly sent three of the Tripolitans on shore in a small boat, with a letter to Mr. Nissen the Danish consul, requesting him to make known the contents of it to the Bey. The next day, Mr. Nissen came off at the Bey's request, to know if I would make a truce. Mr. Nissen informed me, that he had told the Bey before he came off, that he could not say any thing to me on that subject, until he had answered my letters on that point. The Bey told him to go off and try, and if I would, he would then talk to me about the ex* VOL. 1.

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change of prisoners, and a peace. My mind was made up on that subject, knowing I had no orders to make a truce, little was said on that subject. Mr. Nissen told me that the Bey said, that he would not give one American for all the soldiers, and that only eight of the merchants were his subjects. He cared very little about any of them. At length the Bey agreed to give three Americans for twentyone soldiers, and three for the eight merchants. Circumstanced as I was, I was under the necessity to act as I did, namely, to put them all on board the Greek ship again, and permit them to go into port. I wrote to Mr. Nissen to inform the Bey, that I agreed to the exchange of three Americans for the soldiers, but I did not consider the merchants as prisoners, nor could I fix on any thing respecting them, until I knew the determination of my government, and that the present transaction was not to be a precedent in any future negotiation. This transaction took place on the 3d of September, the ship's company then very sickly, ninety-four men on the doctor's list, and a number more complaining; not knowing to what extent the sickness might go, and not having more than one month's provision on board, at eight P. M. I was under the necessity of coming to a determination to give up the blockade of Tripoli, and proceed for Gibraltar.

"Mr. Gavino informed me about a month ago, that the Tripolitan admiral had laid up his two corsairs here, and took his passage with eight of his officers, on board of an English ship bound to Malta, leaving the captain of the brig and twenty men, to take care of the two vessels, and bring the ship home, if he had an opportunity; sent the remainder of his men over to Tetuan in boats.

"I think it necessary that two frigates should remain in those seas all the winter, under the present circumstances. The Philadelphia to rendezvous at Saragossa, the south east end of the island of Sicily. I shall give captain Barron orders to shew himself off Tripoli and Tunis every now and then, to let those fellows know and see, that we are on the watch for them. The Essex to rendezvous at

Gibraltar and Algeziras, as may be most convenient, to keep a good look out, and know what is going on in this quarter."

Extract of a Letter from David Humphreys Esq. to the Secretary of State, dated Madrid, October 20, 1801.

"IN a postscript to the duplicate of the same, dated the 16th inst. I informed you, I had received a letter that day · from consul O'Brien at Algiers, in which he mentioned, that a revolt had existed for a few hours, while the Dey was at the mosque, but that it was soon quelled, and tranquillity restored.

"I am since in receipt or a second copy of that letter, which is continued to the 28th ult. wherein he advises me that the Dey had received letters from Tripoli, with the information of the blockade of that port by the American armament; stating that one Tripolitan corsair had been taken and released; that some vessels had been permitted to enter the port, and others refused; that the Bashaw had been in want of grain, and that he had offered to make a truce with the American commodore, but the latter had rejected the offer. The Bashaw therefore solicits his (the Dey's) succour, to relieve him from his embarrassments, and to clear from their detention, his two armed vessels which are blockaded at Gibraltar. Consul O'Brien had already declined complying with the Dey's desire to give passports for two hundred and fifty men, being part of the crews of those two armed vessels, to return to Tripoli.

"The same consul further reports, that the regencies of both Tripoli and Tunis solicit the Dey that he will not admit the custom of blockade, as being a novel system as applied to them alike prejudicial to all their common interests.

"This appears to me strongly to recommend the policy of persisting in the system on our part, and perhaps of augmenting our present naval force in the Mediterra

nean."