Star.
London, England, 1818-08-28 00:00:00

• :•.„I..A‘

ALGERDIEVAI'iITITY.

st. •
,'kok Tag LUSZCL-POLICICAINIAZETTE or JULY 21.
The brave Captain Schuman, lately returned home,
confirms aiterally the account of his captivity and li-
beration from the Algerine pirates; as likewise the
tTaylor and the seaman Muller, of the village
tendorf, tendorf, in the Lubeck territory ; as likewise the
cabin-boy, William Thee, who were taken in the
vessel commanded by Captain Schuman, and carried
to Algiers. They have arrived in our town, and give
the following detail of their adventures :—Bestdes
them, there was also the cook's mate, Russman, of
Pttetsburgh, whither he is already returned. In the
Algerine vessel, they were placed on deck near the
guns, without straw. The ship's provisions being
exhausted, from a cruise of four months near the
Canaries, they had daily, as had also the Corsairs, a
piece of black moist bread, and some oil and vinegar,
and a glass of water ; at the end of their voyage they
were reduced to bread and water. On the second
day of their captivity, the pirates took a Hamburgh
vessel, named Reysursteig, the crew of which was
put in the same place with them; the vessel was
manned by pirates, and remained constantly with
them. Except bad food and lodging they do not
complain of ill usage ; on the contrary, the chief
pilot, a renegado, encouraged' them constantly not
to be alarmed as to their becoming slaves, for the
English had opposed this. On the Ist of August,
1817, 10 A. AL they arrived in Algiers, and- were
taken out to the slave bagnios. Except themselves,
all the slaves were gone. Their daily food was four
black loaves and water, except some apples given to
them in charity from some Jews for refreshment. In
the slave bagnios, there was no other furniture than
a wooden bench; they were obliged, therefcre, to
sleep on the stone floor. On the following day, the
2d of August, the pilot, Taylor, was brought before
the Government, composed of ten members, besides
the Swedish and other Consuls General ; after an
swering many questions proposed by the Swedish
Consul-, concerning the vessel and the cargo, he said
that she was loaded with flax and flax seed, loaded,
for Correil, that the Captain was of Holstein, and
himself an Englishman. After the Swedish Consul
bad conferred with the members of the Regency, he
told Taylor, that he and his ow wEre free, and that
as soon as the vessel, which was taken and expected
every day, should arrive, they could depart. Soon
after he was brought back to the slave bagnio, but
called at two, o'clock, after dinner, by the Dragoman,
before the Swedish Consul—the Consul had given
him permission to. stay in his house, nevertheless ad-
vising him to avoid the rage of the mob, and to go
out as little as possible. Three days after he forbid
them from going out. The Consul departed next
day for his country-house, but assigned them four
Spanish Oast: es per week for their allowance, that
they should be satisfied with it, and ordered that his
servant should receive their instructions as to making
purchases for their daily food. When the Consul re-
turned to town, he told them that in eight days they
might return in a schooner which was then unloading
her cargo, they might proceed to Leghorn, and he
left it to them if they would go immediately on board
or stay in his house till the vessel was ready ; they
preferred the first—five days after they were ordered
to come to the country-house of the Swedish Consul
and commanded to stay there till the vessel taken
from them should arrive.

SOon after they heard that the Dey had heird from
the servant of the American Consul, that he (the ser-
vant) had read in the newspaper that the Captain,
Schuman, had retaken his vessel, and he was obliged
to return to the Marine in company with the Swedish
Consul, or. horseback. After the Swedish Consul
had given them again the assurance, that he would
do all in his power, in conjunction with the English
Consul. that they should not be put with the Turlcish
slaves, and that they should work separately from
them ; they were brought again to the slave bagnio,
where they remained of terwards ; they had an inspec-
tor constantly with them, who treated them with hu-
manity, and they had no irons on, like the Turkish
slaves. Their labour consisted in pumping out the
water from an old barge, which would not have been
-heavy labour, if the heat had not been so great ; be-
sides four small loaves and water, and fiom time to
time some grits, they had no other subsistence ; they
received for their covering the dress of the Turkish
slaves. The mob spit in their faces, called them
Christians, and made them signs that they would
have their throats cut. From the 17th of September
to the 18th of November they were in slavery ; du-
r:ng the time of their abode in Algiers, the pilot,
Taylor, had been eighteen days, and the seaman,
Muller, eight days, dangerously ill, without medical
aid. After their deliverance they were conducted by
the Port Captain to the Swedish Consul, and had
permission to take the few rags they had in the slave
bagnio. The Swedish Consul could not explain to
them to whom they were indebted for their deliver-
ance. Through the arrangements of the said Consul,
they departed on the 15th of December from A 4: iers,.
with a Genoese captain, who took thenru; Getioa
gratis. After they had perfermed quarantine they
went ashore. Muller and Thee received some assist-
ance from the English Consul at Genoa, who sent
them in a Danish brig, commanded by Captiin Jur-
guns, to Cadiz, from whence they came by land to
Lisbon, and then returned with a Bremen Captain,
under the Hanoverian flag, to Hamburg t. Taylor
and Scluunan were not so fortunate in Gepoa; they
had been seized by the pollee and thrown into prison,
from which they only came out by Taylor having his
watch, and Schuman some money, which he had got
at Algiers by working as a tailor. By this means
they obtained passports ; after having received them,
they left Genoa instantly, and went on foot to Leg-
born; here they received money and passports from
the Russian Consul, and paying two rix thalers
weekly for their board, they were brought back by
Captain Meinertz, of Drontheim, in Norway, to
liamburgh; they arrived there on the 2d of July;
the money agreed for their board has been paid to
Captain Meinertz, in Hamburgh.
They (the unfortunate captives) do not themselves
know to whom they owe their liberation, after being
a second time imprisoned; but no doubt they owe it
to the intercession of the diplomatic agent for the
Hanse Towns with the British Government, who hu-
manely instructed their Consul-General at Algiers
to interfere.