THE LADIES' CABINET

OF

FASHION, MUSIC, AND ROMANCE.

BARBEROUSSA AND THE SULTAN EUTEMI.

TRANSLATED FROM A RARE SPANISH CHRONICLE, ENTITLED THE HISTORY AND TOPOGRAPHY OF ALGIERS," BY THE FATHER DIEGO DE HAEDO.

Ir was on the 22d January, 1516, that the Catholic King Don Hernando died, aged sixty-two years. Then, the inhabitants of Algiers, who felt their subjection severely, being greatly oppressed, on account of a fortress that this king had constructed some years previous, on the island which nearly touches the city, and is only distant from it a few paces-and this was that the people might be the more submissive to him, and to prevent their hunting as formerly it had been their custom to do :-we say then that when the inhabitants learned the news of the king's death, in the way of certainty, they took courage, and with the full will of an Arab Cheik, named Prince Eutemi, to whom a short time before they had subjected themselves, that Prince engaged himself to deliver them. They accordingly sent to supplicate Barberoussa to deliver them from the oppression of the Christians, by annihilating them altogether; but in the first instance, to take possession before their eyes of the fortress possessed by the Spaniards on the island. Barberoussa received the embassy with much satisfaction, and not so much by reason of the promises of money that the city of Algiers, in concert with its chief, offered him, although that was considerable, but because he felt perfectly well that nothing could come more ápropos to enable him to become one day sovereign master of Barbary, an event he eagerly sought to realise, and which would result to him from the domination of Algiers, a town so important-so rich-so abundant, and so commodious for his trade of corsair. Therefore, concealing his intentions, he dismissed the envoys with large offers of service, promising that immediately and without any delay he would come with his Turks and all the people he NOVEMBER, 1846.

could assemble, to serve the town of Algiers and its Cheik: and as he said so he did; for this man, among other particular virtues that sprung from his great courage, possessed that of being very prompt and diligent in executing everything he undertook to perform.

In the first place he sent in advance by sea as many as sixteen galleys belonging partly to him, and the other corsairs, his allies, who daily came to Gigel, and met with a kind reception, favour, and even money, for Barberoussa was very generous towards all the world. In these vessels were fifteen hundred Turks, some artillery, powder, munitions, and other warlike stores. On the land side he led eight hundred men, who had remained with him--all of them good marksmen-as also three thousand moors of the mountains of Gigel, his vassals, and two thousand others that the renown of the war had attracted, thanks to the hope of certain success. It was thus Barberoussa marched towards the walls of Algiers.

The chiefs, and principal inhabitants of the city, informed of his departure, came out to receive him a good day's march before his entrance into the city, bestowing a thousand thanks upon him for the excellent good-will he evinced in succouring them, or rather in delivering them from the yoke of the Christians. They imagined that Barberoussa would return immediately after, as he came, to combat the enemies of Algiers. But he told them, that in any case he was obliged to go to Sargel, a place situate on the sea-side, containing about fifteen hundred inhabitants. Sargel is twenty eight leagues in advance of Algiers, towards the west. Barberoussa promised to return after a short delay, and then accomplish what they desired, and what he wished above all other things.

Here is the veritable cause of this new direction. At the period when Bar⚫ beroussa made himself master of Gigel and its mountains with so much ease, a corsair, native of Turkey, named Car-Hassan, who many years previously had cruised with him, being envious of the good fortune which befel everything undertaken by his companion, quitted his company, and with his vessel mounted by a great number of his Turkish friends, bad passed over to Sargel. It is useless to say how he was received by the inhabitants, who then were as they now are, Moriscoes from Grenada, Valentia, and Arragon; who, by means of their frigates and brigantines, lived by cruising, as it now occurs in our days. Being all born in Spain, and well acquainted with the coasts, they exercised notable damage, and committed great plunder in all those harbours and places. Directly, and by unanimous assent, Car-Hassan was recognised as chief, by all the corsairs inhabiting the village. He was also become governor and lord of the country, and consequently had every confidence that his possessions would prosper. No Moorish king, no cheik even lived in his vicinity.

And moreover, as the place where he lived was provided with a sea-port, that with a little labour and expense might be very extensive and secure; that nothing could be more fertile than the land in the environs, while on the moun tains grew trees, proper for the construction of ships; the distance also from Majorca, Minorca, Yvica, and other parts of Spain, being a very short passage, never exceeding twenty hours,-Car-Hassan reasonably hoped to render his situation as happy as that of his former companion, Barberoussa, both by land and by sea. But on his side, Barberoussa was exceedingly irritated at the idea of this rivalship (a thing it is well known to be common to all tyrants and ambitious men), he even went so far as to think that any one merely occupying some territory in these countries, as Seigneur, was, so to say, taking them from him, so much did his ambition covet the entire domination of these lands, and these provinces. As to the subjection of Algiers, he was so internally persuaded that it would take place whenever he wished it—that his first thought was to fall unexpectedly on Car-Hassan, and to chase him from his resting place, before he gained a firmer footing there.

Full of this intention he directed his steps immediately towards Sargel, and that in great haste, without taking even an hour's repose. He had ordered his galleys to anchor in the Port of Algiers, and to follow him immediately by sea.

When once arrived he could perceive that nothing was more easy than to enter there without resistance, because there were no more walls round it than now exist, and that he saw no persons coming forward. Moreover, he wished to show that he did not come for any harm, but only to conclude freely an affair as is practised among friends.

Conformably to this mode of acting, he made known to Car-Hassan (who appeared much astonished at his coming) that he, Barberoussa, was not satisfied to see him thus take possession of that territory, because he intended to take up his residence there. Thanks to those numerous vessels and to the corsairs that had followed him, it struck such a terror into Car-Hassan that he resolved to obey Barberoussa's wishes. Relying, therefore, upon his former friendship, which had lasted and united them during so many years, he went forthwith to welcome his arrival, and arrange a mutual understanding between them.

Making the best excuse he could, he placed himself, his Turks, his galleys, and the country even, into Barberoussa's hands, but he used him cruelly, for without delay Car-Hassan's head was cut off before him. Not only did he take possession of his house, but of his wives and slaves, and all that the dwelling contained. The Turks he incorporated under his own banner, and he made himself known as King and Lord to all the inhabitants of that village.

This done, Barberoussa left a garrison of an hundred men, and returned with

all expedition to Algiers. On arriving at the city, his presence was welcomed with great satisfaction, for the inhabitants knew nothing of the fire he was kindling in their city. And particularly the Cheik, or if you like it better, the Prince Selim Eutemi, who held the city under his domination. It was he who received and lodged Barberoussa in his own palace, not knowing how to make enough of him. The Moors and principal inhabitants acted the same way with the Turks, and it may be said in general that all, whether Turks or Arabs, were received with great joy, and perfectly well housed.

Then, wishing to show that he was only come with the desire of serving the inhabitants, and to deliver them from the yoke of the Christians, Barberoussa commenced, on the following day, to open a battery with great clamour and noise, which he had planted in face of the island, where the Spaniards kept possession. He menaced all of them with the loss of their heads, using a thousand empty threats and other proud bravadoes, as the Turks are wont to do. Nevertheless, before the battery commenced playing, and not to neglect the ordinary forms used upon such occasions, he sent a Turk to the Commandant of the fortress to say that he gave his word that if he would surrender without a blow being struck, he would permit the garrison to march out with their arms and baggage, and moreover assign them certain vessels to transport them to Spain or wherever they wished.

To this the brave Commandant returned for answer" that he excused Barbe. roussa's threats, and his offers of protection he did not require,-that the first might have some influence upon cowards but none upon him and his companions, -and that the second Barberoussa might himself be in need of, when he remembered that worse than befel him before Bougia might again occur.

This message being duly conveyed, Barberoussa opened his fire to ruin the Spanish fortress, which was only distant from the city about three hundred paces, as the ruins of it now prove. The damage done was not, however, considerable, because all the Turkish artillery was of small calibre, and like the people themselves, made more noise than mischief.

The inhabitants of Algiers seeing that during eight days no result had taken place to dislodge the Spaniards, and that Barberoussa's coming was rendered almost needless, began to repent of their bargain, for besides this, the Turks rendered their presence insupportable, exercising a thousand violences and exactions with such intolerable pride, as they always do whenever they gain a footing, that they thought the remedy worse than the complaint, and feared that matters would grow worse rather than better. This the Sultan Eutemi particularly experienced, for he could no longer support the arrogance of Barberoussa, and the little account he made of him at home, or before the public'abroad. At this period he already dreaded what in a short time was to happen. In fact,