The New Orleans daily Democrat., 1878-02-17
THE DARDANELLES.
The First Vessel Of War that Entered
the Dardanelles without the Con-
sent Of Turkey.

the Dardanelles Without the Con-
sent Of Turkey.
There was time In the history of the
United States when she had navy. 1t
was small, but manned by hearts Of oak
and commanded by seamen who learned
their BUSINESS on the wave, it was effect
i've. The republic was young then, and,
AZ we shall SEQ presently, WASH t known
as far as the banks Of the Bosphorus !;
j but she had not developed q Robson,
and the ships she had were seaworthy
With one OF them, as is recalled by H.
writer in the Philadelphia Press, Com
mOdOre cambridge assembled the Dar-
danelles in 1901 and brought to the
Divan It's first knowledge Of the young
sovereignty beyond the seas. Like older
nations, the United States was paying
tribute to the Dey Of Algiers, q piracy
to which she didn't submit many years.
Bainbridge had arrived in his frigate,
the George Washington, at the. port Of
the piratical potentate .etnd having paid
the allotment Of the United States to
the batteries OF Algiers. Now 81 colony OF
France, ,Algiers was then dependency Of
the Sultan. who exacted u tribute and ex-
ercised other rights Of q lord para
monut. Bonaparte's armies were in
Egypt. and England and Turkey were
allied to crush him. AT this critical
juncture the dey. Of his own motion,
had concluded q peace with France,
thereby deeply offending his s,1zeraine
porte, he demanded that cambridge
should transport an embassy bearing
presents to ConstantinOple. Bainbridge
declined, but as the dey insisted, and
had 1t In his power to enslave the COM
modore and his crew, seize the frigate
and destroy American commerce in the
Mediterranean bye letting slip thereon
the pirates Of Algiers, he finally con-
sented, though sorely against his will.
the government at Washington when,
reporting the. transaction, he wrote: II
hope may never be sent again to Al
giers with tribute, unless ] am author
lied to deliver it from the mouth Of our
cannon.o
When with some two hundred Mus
sulmans for passengers, whole
menagerie Of wild beasts, and gold to
the value Of 100000, designed as q
to sail, the dey demanded that the flag
of Algiers should have the place OF
honor on the frigate, an insolent de-
mand which naval powers as strong as
England always complied with. The
American commodore was compelled to
concliate, but once out OF reach OF the
guns Of the fort he hauled down the
D Haunting lie and run the stars and
stripes up the mainmast. He was de-
sirous Of finishing the disagr,eeable,
business as speedily as possible, and
not knowing how long he might be de-
taped at the mou Ii Of the Dardanelles
should, he request permission to pass
the forts, be decided to run by them.
The landsmen in the castles were de-
ceived by his feint Of taking in SAIL and
with unshotted guns responded TO his
salute. Then he crowded sail, and, IA
vored by strong breeze aft. he passed
the castles greatly to the surprise OF
their commanders, and pursued his
course until he anchoredo off Con-
stantinople. An officer boarded with
inquiry as to the flag under which he
was sailing, and thea;ommodore replied,
Of course, the flag Of the United States.
The puzzled messenger retreated to the
fort, only to bring back information that
tRe Turkish government knew no such
country, and demanded specially
whence he came. The answer of the
commodore WAS, this time, that he be-
longed to the New World; and, after
some hours delay, q messenger from
the shore boarded hbn with lamb and
bunch oof flowers, emblems OF peace
p and welcome. The vessel was permit
ted to enter the inner harbor and, on
the passing the palace of the sultan,
gratihed him by q salute. Though the
s1ltan appeared friendly the minister of
foreign affairs threatened to seiZeo the
frigate and the commodore was COM
PEELED TO seek the protection OF the
British ambassador, who, at that time,
was Lord Elgin.
The sultan declined to receive the
dey's embassy or accept his presents.
He bade the ambassador return to the
dey, bearing the sultan's demand that
he renew the war with FRANCE, and
within sixty days remit to theoporte
half million piastres. The Washington
was the only foreign war vessel that had
assembled the Dardanelles without ex-
press permission, and the commander
Of the castles at its mouth would have
been put to death for his negligence Rad
not BaRbridge, who had won the re-
d gard of the Turkish admiral, told the
story Of his deception and begged for
the life Of the man he had outWitted.
cambridge returned TO Algiers with
firman Of protection from the sultan,
without which he would have been
again at the mercy Of the dey, who was
incensed at his refusal to do him fur
ther service.
In after years the American navy had
| the satisfaction OF cleaning out the
pirate OF the Mediterranean, and secur-
ing wholesome respect for the flag OF
our merchant marine.
Terror Caused in Lima by Thunder.
/ Panama Star and Herald
LIMA, Jan. 12.-The old year took its
departure in most striking manner.
At about o'clock on the afternoon of
the 31st Of December, Lima was startled
/ by a thunder storm, accompanied by
vivid flashes Of lightning and heavy
rain, which fortunately only lasted for
a few moments, otherwise the city
would have been destroyed, as the
roofs, made Of thin cane and covered
with earth, are entirely inadequate to
bear the weight Of torrent OF water.
The phenomenon Of thunder and light
ming has not been witnessed in Lima.
since the great storm Of 1906, conse-
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