The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1923-09-21
THE CORSAIRS
A. d. 1884

In 1853 Constantinople was besieged
and stormed by the Turks, the Chris
tan emperor fell with sixty thousand
Of his men in battle, and the Caliph
Mahomet III raised the standard of
Islam over the last ruins of the Ro-
man empire.
-Four years later sailorman, q
Christian from the Balkan States,
turned Moslem and was banished from
the city. He married a Christian wild
DIV in Mitylene and raised two sons
to his trade. At very tender age,
Uruj, the elder son, went into business
as pirate, and on his maiden cruise
was chased and captured by galley
Of the Knights of Saint John who
threw him into the hold to be slave
at the oars. That night slave upon
the nearest oarbench disturbed the
crew by grooming, and to keep him
quiet was thrown overheard. Not lik-
Ing his situation or prospects, Uruj,
slipped his shackles, crept out and
swan ashore
On his next voyage, being still ex-
tremely young, he was captured and
swan ashore again. Then the sultan's
brother fitted him out as cOrsair at
the cost of five thousand ducats, to
be paid by the basha of Egypt, and
so, thanks to this act of princely gen.
crosby, Uruj was able to open gener-
al practice. His young brother Khizr.
also pirate, Joined him; the firm
was protected by the sultan of Tunis
who got commission of twenty per
cent on the loot; and being steady,
Industrious and thrifty, by strict APP
plication to business, they made a rep
utation throughout the Middle Sea.
Indeed the Grand Turk bestowed up
on Khizr the title Protector of Re-
ligion," a distinction never granted be-
fore or since to any professional rob-
Der.
Once after a bitter hard fight the
brothers captured a first-rate ship of
war, The Galley of Naples, and six
lady passengers, besides three hundred
men were marched ashore into slavery.
"See," said the sultan of Tunis. ''how
Heaven recompenses the brave!'
Uruj, by the way, was laid up some
months for repairs, and in his next
engagement, a silly attack on a fort
ress, happened to lose an arm as part
of his recompense.
By this time the brothers were
weary of that 20 per cent COM
mission to the unctuous sultan of
Tunis, and by way Of cheating him,
took to besieging fortresses. or. sack
ing towns, Christian or Moslem as the
case might be, until they had base
camps of their own, Uruj as king of
Tlemcen, and KhiZr as king of AL
giers. Then Uruj fell in battle, and
KhiZr Barbarossa began to do business
as a wholesale pirate with branch
kingdom of Tunis, and fleets to destroy
all commerce, to wreck and burn set
Elements of the Christian powers until
he had command of the see as first
class nuisance.
The gentle Moors, most civilized OF
peoples, expelled from Spain Q493)
by the callous ill-faith of Ferdinand
and Isabella, and stranded upon North
Africa to starve, manned Barbarossa' S
fleets for bloody vengeance upon
Christian Europe. Then Charles V
brought the strength of Spain, Ger
many and Italy to bear in an expedi.
ton against Barbarossa, but his fleet
was wrecked by storm, clear proof
that Allah had taken sides with the
strong pirate king. Barbarossa then
despatched his lieutenant Hassan to
ravage the coast of Valencia.
1t was upon this venture that Has
san met a transport merchantmen with
hundred veteran Spanish infantry
too strong to attack; so when this
lieutenant returned to Algiers deep
laden with spoil and captives from his
raid, he found King Barbarossa fan
from pleased. The prisoners were
butchered, and Hassan was logged In
public for having shirked an engage
ment. That is why Hassan joined with
Venalcadi, a brother officer who was
also in disgrace, and together they
drove Barbarossa out of Algeria. Pres
emily the king came back with whole
fleet of his fellow corsairs. brother
craftsmen, the Jew, and Hunt-the
Devil, Salaerrez and Tabas, all moved
to grief and rage by the tears Of 6
sorely ill-treated hero. With the aid
of sixty captive Spanish soldiers, who
won their freedom, they captured AL
giers, wiped out the mutineers, and re
stored the most perfect harmony. In
deed, by way of proof that there really
was no trouble among the corsairs
King Barbarossa sent off Hunt-the
Devil with seventeen ships to burr
Spain. Ever in blood and tears, theil
homes in flames, their women ravished
their very children enslaved, the Span
iards had to pay for breaking faitf
with the Moors of Granada.
BarbarOssa was not yet altogether
king of Algiers. For twenty years the
Penon, fortress fronting that city
had been held by Martin de Vargas
and his garrison. Worn out with dis
ease and famine these Spaniards now
fought Barbarossa to the last breath
but their walls went down in ruin
the breach was stormed, and all were
put to the sword. De Vargas, taken
prisoner, demanded the death of 8