Sea-Wolves of the Mediterranean: The grand period of the Moslem corsairsCurrey, E. Hamilton (Edward Hamilton)
History
Sea-Wolves of the Mediterranean: The grand period of the Moslem corsairs
Currey, E. Hamilton (Edward Hamilton)
Africa, North -- History; Pirates
Sailing through the Straits of Bonifacio, they touched Monte Cristo,
a small island where they found a slave who had formerly belonged to
Delizuff. This man was base enough to betray his own native island
of Biba into the hands of the corsairs, who sacked it thoroughly and
carried off its inhabitants; they also captured thirteen large ships
going to Sicily for wheat, and burnt them, making slaves of their
crews. In the fight with these vessels Delizuff was killed. Shortly
after this, some disagreement arising between the crews of the ships
of Barbarossa and the men in Delizuff’s fleet, the Algerian commander
seized a man out of one of Delizuff’s galleys and had him summarily
shot. The death of Delizuff naturally caused some confusion in his
command, and the high-handed proceeding of Kheyr-ed-Din caused great
resentment, not unmixed with fear, as the terror inspired by the
Barbarossas was a very real sentiment. Under their command no man knew
when or at how short notice his life might not be required of him;
but the glamour of success was ever around them, and they never, in
consequence, lacked for followers. But the taking out and shooting of
one of their comrades was too much for the pirates from the islands of
Los Gelues, from whence Delizuff was in the habit of “operating.” In
the words of Sandoval, “they were not used to such tyranny and cruel
usage.” In consequence they concerted among themselves and one dark
night sailed off, leaving Kheyr-ed-Din to continue his voyage with
his original following.
That warrior, nothing disconcerted, pursued his way to the island of
Zante, where he fell in with a Turkish “flota,” under the command
of the Bashas Zay and Himeral. To these officers of the Grand Turk
Barbarossa used most injurious language, bitterly reproaching them with
not having sought out and destroyed Andrea Doria, which he declared
they ought to and should have done. This is yet another instance of
the extraordinary character of the man. These persons were the highest
officers in the fleet of the Ottoman Empire; it was more than possible
that they would be placed under the command of Barbarossa as soon as
his new position as Admiralissimo was adjusted at Constantinople; and
yet, in spite of these facts, the corsair had taken the very first
opportunity which presented itself grossly to insult these men. It is
true, as we shall see, that his injurious words came home to roost in
the future; but arrogant, conquering, contemptuous, Barbarossa seems to
have shouldered his way through life, fearing none and feared by all.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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