The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1805-09-17
WAR WITH TRiPOLI.

The fnvert ignty of Tripo'i is an hereditary
But like all other gnfettled govern
ments, the crown is not always certain 20 re-
main on the head of the cldeft fon. The pre-
TENT Baihaw furrifhes us with an appetite illuE
tration. His father fa.igued with the cares of
fovereignty, or anxiousto etahlifh his favourite
ION upon the throne, determined like Charles
V. to ahdicate his powers, and reign them TO
his eldc't ton, the prefeht exiled ~Bafl'aw.- But
the dignity ofthe,foyereien,y was infnfficient to
prevent the di1entions of the royal family. The
younger brother, the prefrrs Bathaw, inflamed
with The love of power orthe deGre of revenge,
determined to fnppant him. = He covered his
deGgn under the mpf fpecinus prefexts; repre-
fenting his elder brother as his mott inveterate
enemy, and as incapable OF, reignins over the
shahitaats Of Trin6l. Ffis:amhitious views
were crowned with f,ccefs. He drove Sidi
Hamet from his throne and from Tripoii; re.
timing his wife and his children as hofages for
his good behaviour, But he did not himitf &C
cept of the crown before he had offered to re-
place it on the head of his father.
Since that period, the famiIy of the cxiled
Bafhaw has remained within the walls of Fri
poll. 1t contiits of his wife and three children.
His edef daughter was married la!t winter to
the eldeft fon of the rrigning Blfhaw. Hence
when the terms of the treaty have been COM
piled with, he will only recover his wife and
two of his children.
The Ex-Bafl,aw himfelf has hitherto reiided
in Egypt. Whatever magnificent pro.nfes he
may have made to gen. Eaton or the American
government, the fcanty preparations which he
formed are iufticient to prove that he was not
ponciied Of very extenfive refources. The
cpmbined army with which he and gen. Eaton
felt out on their career of conqueft, did not ex-
coed 800 men. Eaton's little band coniiifed of
about % Americans, & about 40 Greeks, tho
had been ihipwreCked on the coat of Alexan-
dria; the EX-Bafhaw's army was competed of
not more than $50 folders. The two generals
though they acted in concert, had the executive
command of their own army. They left Egypt
about the early Part of April croiicd the de-
fert of birca, III the midi of aitoniihing diff
cuties, and arrived in the latter end OF April be-
fore Derne. on the frontiers of Trpoli and on
the lea coat, in longitude az, IS, E. latitude
80, SIS, N. 1t was defended by an army of
or GOO Arabs. Not deferred, however, by
the difficulties of the undertaking, the Ex-Ba-,
fhaw and Eaton on the 9th of April attacked
the town in different quarters at the fame time,
Whit capt Hull in the Argus, capt. Dent in the
Nautilus, and Lieut.. Evans ofthe Hornet bomb
ketch, played off on the fca-iide againfl the on
!, fort, which defended the town. DerDc was
ca otured.
This victory was, however, fucceeded By
iecond action. The Baihaw Of. 1ripoli having
had intelligence of the march of the enemy,
had difpatched about 5000 Arabs to the
defence Of Derne, under an expectation that
they would arrive there before the enemy. They
DID not, however, arrive until two days after
De,ne was taken.
On the 5th of Maya battle was fought be-
tween the FORCES. of Sid Ramet and thofe of
the reiening Baihaw. For long time, the vic
tory was doubtful, but at length Hame; 8 troops
were forced to give way. The enemy purified
them INTO the town, until Gen, Eaton, very iu-
diciouily turned the; gins Of the fort
where he was ftationed, upon the Bafnaw's
troops, and compelled them to retreat in
mott di!orderly manner, and under the deftruc.
tive FIRE of the American ye1els.in the barbor.
1t was expected by Cen, Eaton. when he reach.
ed Derne, that he ,fhoud receive large rein
forcemcnt OF men and money from the navy of
the United States with thefe he intended to
march to braganza, another Tripoitan town ON
the iea-coait, after which he expected that his
army would be conveyed in the American vrf-
fels acrofs the Gulf of.Sydra: the much cele.
brated Syrtis of antiquity But thefe reinforce
rnentS were not wanting on account of the E.
vents, which afterwards occurred. That we
may lay open the fecret fpring of thief. events,
let US once more return to the Divan Of Tripo
1t was one ottbe cuitonis of the Bifha,v To
have the mott important parts Of the American
Newspapers, whctwere fent over to the captives.
regularly trdnilatea Cor his own INFECTION. A.
mong other articles of comfortable importance.
ne was particularly fsruck with that. part of the
report OF the Secretary the TIeafury, which
mentions the Duration and probable amour
OF the Mediterranean fund. A tax which was
ettlmated to produce not lefs than s5o.ooo
dolls. and was intended to continue until the
expiration of the war with Tripol, aFected him
with fnrpriie and apprehension. He faw that
the ipTit OF the American nation was vet I'm.
broken: He fay that they were determined
to carry on the gar until they could bring it TO
an honorable accommodation. What efforts
could no expect tomake in oppoftion 70 ma
ton, which would thus contribute i" millions for
defence but not cent for tiibute"! Snch werc
the reflections that paiIed through the Bslhay's
mind and iuch according toihe opinion of orr
captive c1untrymen, were the frft Inducements
that prompted him to make proportions for
peace The reader will remark that thefe pro.
petitions were made before Gen. Eaton com
Denced his daring enterprife, and before Derpe
was taken. They were made by the BaCbav
rs early AS the month of February. Bu, Mr..
Lear who 1t may be fuppof@d was CONDITIONED
WIN t'hl powcrto negotiate, did not cor i've
that the proper moment of uegociation had ar
rived lie c0nfequentiy refofedto linen TO The