The Story of the Barbary CorsairsLane-Poole, Stanley
History
The Story of the Barbary Corsairs
Lane-Poole, Stanley
Africa, North -- History -- 1517-1882; Pirates
when the Tuscans had drawn near in full expectation of a couple of
prizes, he loosed the vessels astern, and with all four bore down upon
the enemy; both galleys were taken, and the Florentine knights and
soldiers were chained to the oars in place of the Turks who had lately
sat there.[52]
No more typical example of the later sort of pirate can be cited than
'Ali Pichinin, General of the Galleys and galleons of Algiers in the
middle of the seventeenth century. This notable slaver, without
Barbarossa's ambition or nobility, possessed much of his daring and
seamanship. In 1638, emboldened by the successes of the Sultan
Murād IV. against the Persians, 'Ali put to sea, and, picking up
some Tunisian galleys at Bizerta, set sail with a squadron of sixteen
for the east coast of Italy. He sacked the district of Nicotra in
Apulia, carrying off great spoils and many captives, not sparing even
nuns; and then scoured the Adriatic, took a ship in sight of Cattaro,
and picked up every stray vessel that could be found.
Upon this a strong Venetian squadron, under Marino Capello, sallied
forth, and compelled the Corsairs to seek shelter under the guns of
the Turkish fortress of Valona in Albania. In spite of the peace then
subsisting between Venice and the Porte, Capello attacked, and the
fortress naturally defended, the refugees. The Corsairs were obliged
to land, and then Capello, carried away by his zeal, and in
contravention of his orders, sent in his galleots and, after a sharp
struggle, towed away the whole Barbary squadron, leaving 'Ali and his
unlucky followers amazed upon the beach. For this bold stroke Capello
was severely reprimanded by the Senate, and the Porte was consoled for
the breach of treaty by a _douceur_ of five hundred thousand ducats:
but meanwhile the better part of the Algerine galley-fleet had ceased
to exist, and owners and captains were bankrupt. It was small
consolation that in the same summer an expedition to the north,
piloted by a renegade from Iceland, brought back eight hundred of his
unfortunate countrymen to exchange the cold of their native land for
the bagnios of Algiers.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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