Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1813-01-04

1 xebeck 20 200
4 sehr. 4 40
4 row galley, SO
6 gun boats, s'oop rugged, carrying
one "a FOUNDER. and ono fl inch
mortar each.
The heaviest cannon in their fri
gates arc eighteen pounders. but
these do not extend through the
whole battery, having some twelve
Founders among them; the other
guns are nine and six Founders. The
coryettes and briggs carry twelve,
nine and six Founders; none ofthem
have carrOnadcs.
"The largest frisate is about six
years old. and the best Of the squa-
iron. She is ABOUT the size of our
IS gun fr;gates. Three of the others
are very old ships. hardly sea worthy,
about the size of our 20 gun frigates.
That of So guns is new ship, launch
ed at Algiers about two months
since, and is about 500 tons burthen.
The two corvettes Of 2i guns are
Greek prizes, converted into crui-
sers about 800 tons burthen each.
The corvette of 90 guns is an old
vessel of about $50 tons. The tive
bpi~s are about $50. and the zebeck
900 tons. -Four Of the frigates, one
corvette, and the two briggs, are cop
pered.
The Algeriaes have not another
vessel of war besides those mention
ed. excepting three gun boats. of the
size Of those sent out. which are I'M
iit for service. All their small open
yun.boatss for the defence Of the
bay, are either broken up or entirely
unfit for service.
THE squadron before mentioned
is commanded by their famous CAY
tain Raiz Hammi,la, who bears the
!itle Of admiral. He is bold. active,
enterprizins commander. but entire
' unsrquainted with any regular
mode Of fighting be has not the adj
vantage OF being Turk. or even an
Aigerine by birth. and his advance
mant. which has been owing entirely
to his activity, enterprise and singu-
lar good fortune, has excited the .jea-
lousy and the hatred Of the other
commanders who are far superior to
him in point of talents; but he IS
much beloved by the sailors Gf such
they may be called WHO so out in
their cruisers. He is;'t Arab OF the
mountains. ofoae ofthe tribes of Car
bites; he came to Alsiers when a
boy to seek a livelihood. as is the Gus
tenn of those people, and gciag out in
one of the cruisers became attached
to that mode Of life. and has risen to
his present rank. He is about forty
years old.
"1he crews Of their cruisers con-
sist principally Of the lowest and
most miserable order of people in
hisiers, known by the name OF Bis
earle. and Carbiles, fron the tribes
to which they belong. They are CT
Their taken from the streets at the
moment vixen cruiser is about to
sail. or il a previous cruise las been
fortunate they so on board 'oinnta-
ri,y in great numbers. hoping to OBJ
tain piunder or prize money. As the
last cruise OF their corsairs was es-
teemed fortunate by the capture OF
a number of Greek vessels loaded
with wheat and each man shared a.
bout 30 dollars. the vessels have been
crowded with volunteers on the pre-
sent cruise. Besides these there are
few who may be called good sea-
men for Al,erines; and about 10 or
1s Turkish soldiers to every 40 men
on board the vessel.
"They know nothing Of regular
combat at sea, and ifkept from board
ing distance. they could rot with
stand one half their own force on
board another vessel. which would
be toIerabiy well managed in the u
suai mode of ea-fghting. 1t is on
boarding they depend entirely too
vereome an equal or any force that
will contend with them. These at
tempts they sometimes make with a
desperation bordering on madness.
but if fSi!ed in that they have no
other resource.
"After this account ofthe Algerine
cruisers and their crews, which, Is
faith r,i an,l correct. / am SIRE that