Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1857-09-02
An Arabian Kuight's Tale.

Mohammed Habitat, nephew of the GEL
ebrated ex-Bashaw of Tripoli, Hamet Car
amalli, is now stopping at the National Ho-
tel, IN this city. The visit of this venera-
Bile Arab-the first, we believe, of his race,
who ever touched our shores-recalls one
of the most romantic episodes of our ma
tional history, and one in which, fifty years
ago, he himself, then a young man, took an
honorable part. We refer to the seige
and capture of Derne, 1905, by the COM
bined American and Arabian forces. 1t
will be remembered that, under Jefferson's
Administration, General Eaton and Com
modore Barron, with a small naval squad
ron, were sent to the Mediterranean, to put
down the system Of piracy previously prac-
ticed by Tripoli on the Of this
Government, and to procure the release of,
three hundred and twenty American citi-
zens who had been taken from an Ameri-
can vessel, and were held in slavery by the
ruling Bashaw, who had refused to comply
with our demands, except for a ransom Of
100000, aud the payment of an annual
tribute of 10000 for the REIMBURSEMENT
of his depredations.
On his arrival in the Mediterranean,
GenI Eaton at once proceeded to Alexan-
dria, in Egypt, aud formed a treaty in be-
half of the United States with the Bashaw's
elder brother, Hamet-or, properly speak
ing, Achmet-who had been ~unjustly de-
posed, and after his Punishment had resi-
ded in Upper Egypt. By this treaty, the
Americans agreed to cooperate, in order to
reinstate Hanet on the throne, provided
that on his restoration he would set free
the captured Americans, and refrain from
the plundering policy of his brother, the
ruling usurper. To these terms Hamet
assented, and, abandoning the lucrative
position of General, which, since his ban
ishment, he had held among the Name
lukes of Upper Egypt, he contributed his
entire force of Arab followers, camels and
horses, to the expedition for the recon
quest of Tripoli. How this military cara
van (early il March, 1909 started on
their two months journey of toll and suf-
fering, from Demanhour, on the southern
shore of Lake Maetis, across the great
Barcan desert what privations and dan
gers they endured, from hunger, thirst,
and the terrible s~irocco, or hot wind,
which, with its column of heated dust,
swept every thing which had life to the
ground how, on arrival at Derne, the
chief city of Tripoli, the summons to sur
render was answered by the Governor with
the ~laconie response, MY head or yours ?
and how, after an obstinate and bloody re-
~sistance of two days, the city surrendered,
but with a loss of fourteen of the one hun
dred American marines, who, with the two
thousand Arabs, constituted the assailing
force all these things are well known his
torical events, in which our venerable Wis
itor is probably the only surviving partici-
pant
Our readers arc also aware of the dis
creditable conclusion of this affair. Ha-
met was deprived, after all, of the fruits
of the victory, in consequence of the trea-
ty secretly made blythe panic stricken usu--
per, who, just as he was about losing his
kingdom, agreed with Tobias Lear, the
American Consul at Algiers, in considera-
ton of a ransom for his American prison.
ers, to discontinue his piracy upon Amer
lean vessels. The acceptance Of this dis
graceful treaty by Commodore Barron, who
commanded the navalforces against ripoli,
put a stop to the prosecution of hostilities
by Eaton and Hamet, and prevented the
complete conquest of Tripoli. The uufor-
tunate monarch, who had thus lost every
thing to sustain the United States, was
deprived of the fruits Of his victory By
means of the treaty, he was compelled to