When this fleet appeared off Algiers the Dey found his wrath, which presents had not appeased, suddenly changed to effusive friendship for the Americans, but the Bashaw of Tripoli was not so easily awed. However, it was not until August 1st that a fight occurred. On that day, while cruising off Malta, the _Enterprise_ fell in with the war polacre _Tripoli_, carrying fourteen guns and eighty men. By no means a cheap enemy at any time, she eventually proved a most treacherous one. After the battle had raged for two hours at point-blank range, the _Tripoli’s_ flag was lowered. Lieutenant Porter put off in a boat to take possession, while the crew of the _Enterprise_ in great part turned to repairing damages to their rigging. Thereat the corsairs opened a murderous fire and hoisted the red flag again. The men of the _Enterprise_ quickly returned to their guns, and after a fierce conflict the corsairs, seeing that in fair fight they were worsted, once more hauled down their flag in order to catch the Yankees somewhat off guard. The ruse succeeded again, and Porter was on his way to take possession, when the corsairs renewed battle more vigorously than ever. [Illustration: “Captain Sterrett in the _Enterprise_, Paying Tribute to _Tripoli_.” _From an old wood-cut._] “Sink the damned, treacherous creatures to the bottom!” said Sterrett. Exasperated by the treachery they had seen, the crew started in to obey the order with a will, and the corsair captain saw his fate before him. Not only did he then haul down his flag, but he brought it to the gangway, and throwing it into the sea, he bowed his head to the deck and begged for quarter. Out of eighty men the corsair had lost twenty killed and twenty-eight wounded. The _Enterprise_ did not lose a man. Congress gave Sterrett a sword and every other member of the crew a month’s pay because of “the aforesaid heroic action.” When the commander of the corsair reached Tripoli he was paraded through the streets on a donkey and bastinadoed for surrendering. [Illustration: A Schooner-of-war, Like the _Enterprise_. _From a wood-cut in the “Kedge Anchor.”_] Following--though, of course, not because of--this action a good many changes were made in the American squadron--changes such as increasing its force and putting in new commanders two or three times; but eventually it appeared that, although here was a good squadron for open-sea fighting, the Americans were not armed for battering down a city so well fortified as Tripoli, and the Bashaw refused to make a treaty. A weary blockade of the port followed. There were conflicts of small moment with gunboats that tried to steal away to sea, and even the land forces were bombarded at times. A party under Porter once landed and fired some gunboats that had been hauled out on the beach, and on this occasion the Arabs fought by throwing handfuls of sand in the faces of the Americans, hoping to blind them.