Morning journal and courier., 1893-03-15
The Algerine Pirates.


 It WAS the renegade Simon Danss who taught the Algerians the use of decked vessels ia which they could venture far out upon the ocean. But in the Mediter- rsnean the galley was still preferred This was narrow vessel, lying very low In the water. with scsIcely any rigging, with none of the castle like, imposing, but awkward structures In which Christian mariners delighted The gnns, smmuni- ton and provisions were only what were absolutely necessary; one or two csnnons, some shot end powder. biscuits enough for fifty days, few iars of olive oil or of vim egar, and come barrels of water, which served as ballast. Only one cabia in the stern, to which the reis could retire. Two hundred rowers and about one hundred soldiers took their places on the plank seats. If the wind were favorable out at sea full sail was set, but when land or sn- other vessel came in sight the sails were instantly furled, and the skill of the row CTS came into play. Nothing was to be heard on board but the bri,f orders of the reis and the keeping time with the baton of the overseer of the galley slaves, with the musical rhythm of one hundred pairs of oars striking the water at regular inter
 vals. The galley seemed to fly. Before 6 vessel of war 1t would fly at full speed; for not battle but pillage was the sim of the captain. Merchant vessels were uhat he sought; Spanish gslleons, Italian tar tans, Provencal barks. When the threat ened vessel perceived the enemy 1t was generally too late to escape. If 1t tried to ice volley of artillery would bring 1t to a stand, and the well-known cry, "Mens, Perros!" (Yisld, dogsil would soon ring out. Bold, indeed, was he who dared re- sist. In most cases sailors and passengers, psralyzed by terror, did not even attempt to defend themselves. A few moments were given by the oaptors to overhaul the prize, rapidly to estimate the value of the cargo, transship the prisoners, and the galley turned its prow toward Algiers. A few salvos of artillery announced its re- turn; from the mAsts, dressed with siiken streamers, waved the green pennants, strewn with crescents and stars. The can mons of the forts and batteries replied; the good news quickly spread through the town, and the ssilors' quarter was quickly filled with s rejoicing crowd The rob. bers returning from their raid were hailed as conqusrors.
 Piracy was, in fact, the fundamental in- etitution of AlgieTs; 1t was the one indus try, the one trade, the daily bread of the town. The state's very existence depend ed on the share 1t deducted from the prof its of piracy. Private spectators invest ed their money in priyateering vessels, bought and sold the captured cargoes, and trsficked with special esgsrness in human flesh. The chief center of commercial &C., tivity was at the BAdistsan, now the Place Mshon, where slsyss were put up for sale Tlpoa 1rHaE.l In Ena liner r-ssh rHkfsa hands, gentlemen, well-to-do citizens, or priests, fetched 6 good price, ss they would | probably be ransomed for large sums. As for common people, who were good for nothing but working slsves, their price vs- ried according to their appearance, strength and age. Once bought, the fate of the csptives was not so very hard if they could bear patiently the sorrows of exile and servitUde. They did not really suffer much until they were embarked as now CTS. Chained 10 their seat., half naked and half starved. ever in terror of the stick or the swerd, the most robust pined away. But this rough experience was only gone through once or twice a year. On land many of the slaves were only en- ployed in light domestic work, and spent much of their time lettering about in the streets. Even in the bsg"es, or convict prisons, which were halt barracks, half pisces or connoemsnt, where me pashas and chief captains kept their prisoners. they sometimes found merry companions, who infected others with their gsiety, or large hearted men, who forgot their own sorrows in an endesvor to lighten the com mon misery. The religions Redemption ists, the TrinitsTians founded by St. John of Maths, the Fathers of Mercy, the Lszs- rites founded by St. Vincent de Paul, brought salvation to some, and to all 0 certain amount of the consolation of hope. The golden sge of piracy wss the latter part Of the sixteenth century and the be- ginning of the seventeenth, when the pow CT of the Spanish navy was broken, and that of France was still of no account. In thirty years the Aleerians took twenty thousand merchant vessels and captured g | million slaves, valued at at least five hun. dred pounds each. After this. however, d mes became harded and grand strokes of luck rarer. In the eighteenth century the decsdencs began, and in 1880, when the French at last entered Algiers as conquer | ors, the wet-dccks were nearly empty, the convict prisons deserted, and they found
 but four hundred csptives to set free.