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extant is I am sorry to say a woefully incorrect one, no traces
of it are to be found. You may conceive it however to lie on
the East part of the gulph of Sidra between Bernic and Cape
Razat. Upon hearing this, and being assured that there was
no symptom on any indisposition of any kind on board
though he had been a fortnight or more at sea, we made
no scruple of complying with his invitation. From him we
got the first distinct intelligence of a Pirate that had for
some time been infesting the Levant. She was first heard
of about 3 months ago (the middle of July) in the compass of about 2 months She had taken
in all seven vessels, 2 Ragusans, 3 Venetians and 2 French,
the crews of all which ships were all massacred to a man.
She carried 16 guns and 200 men: being a Pyrate professed,
she hoisted black colours. Her crew were Dulcingnols, Turks. At last about 40 days ago she put into
Tripoli: the government of that state having received advice
concerning her <add> by circular letter, from the Grand Signior's Ministry at Constantinople
seized her in that port. the crew if I understand
right were I to be to Constantinople to take their
trial. During her cruize a Venetian ship had fought her
for 7 hours and obliged her to shier off. Our host himself
had had the bad luck to meet her, and the good fortune
to get clear. It was to the South West of the Isle of Candia: he was going from Joppa or Jaffa port in
the Barbary Holy Landto Smyrna with I do know not what lading, and
a company of upwards of 100 Hadgias passengers. Hadg Turks
who had been on their pilgrimage to Meca the tomb of
their prophet at Mecca from which meritorious circumstance
they take their denomination. His crew were no
more than twenty or thirty strong and he had but 5 three or four pounders but he had some
small arms and the Hadgias being all or most of them
armed, with their arms bright and in good condition,
all together made a respectable appearance. To put the better
countenance upon the matter they all came upon deck
together resolved to sell their lives as dear as could,
knowing the enemy they had to deal with, and having
no hopes of quarter. The stratagem if such it can be called
succeeded to well, that the Pirate whose cruelty seems
to have been tinctured with a proportionable share of cowardice
sheered off without firing a shot, or so much
as haling. It was no longer than 33 days ago that Our host left Smyrna, to which port he was now
returning. There had then been no plague for a considerable
time: this, added to the capture of the Pirate, you may imagine,
was no bad news to us. On our entrance into the Cabbin,
our host, presented us with some wine and some dates,
and presently after one of his people brought up and presented
to each of us a live sprig of sweet Basil in flower.
The wine was sweet, and to my taste excellent;
we were told it came from Zant. The Dates though smaller
were to my taste preferable to any of the few which at
different times I have at in London. Tthese came of course
from Barbary and seemed to be part of the regular stock
of the ships provisions. Upon our begging a handful to take to our
ladies, he insisted upon our carrying off a good parcel
to the amount of 3 or 4 pints. Over the Cabbin in a large
wooden cage was a bird which Captain Brine said was
a kind of partridge such as they have in the isle of
Lesbos Rhodes. Upon a cursory glance it seemed to me in
size and colour more like a Guinea-fowl. after some
pressing the Venetian Captain accepted our invitation, & came
off
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Identifier: | JB/540/208/001"JB/" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 540. |
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1785-10-11 |
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540 |
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208 |
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001 |
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Journal |
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Jeremy Bentham |
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