A Narrative of the expedition to Algiers in the year 1816, under the command of ... Admiral Lord Viscount Exmouth. (Itinerary, and continuation of the introduction.)

Front matter

JIfayesPinx* FuHisfitd ty I.Murray , ISig . ' Abr? iSalaiwiL A NARRATIVE OF THE EXPEDITION TO ALGIERS IN THE YEAR 1816, UNDER THE COMMAND OF THE RIGHT HON. ADMIRAL LORD VISCOUNT EXMOUTH. By Mr. A. SALAME, A NATIVE OF ALEXANDRIA, IN EGYPT, Interpreter in His Britannic Majesty's Service for the Oriental Languages, who accompanied his Lordship for the subsequent Negotiations with the Dey. PUBLISHED BY PERMISSION. LONDON : JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE-STREET. 1810. London: Printed hv C. Knworlh, bell-Yard, Temple-bar. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE EDWARD, LORD VISCOUNT EXMOUTH, Baron Exmouth of Canonteign, a Baronet and LL.D., Admiral of the Blue Squhdron of His Majesty's Fleet, Knight Grand Cross of the Most Honourable Military Order of the Bath, Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Sicilian Order of Saint Ferdinand and Merit, Knight Grand Cross of the Military Order of Saint Maurice and Lazare of Sardinia, Knight of the Most Honourable and Ancient Order of the Annunciation of Savoy and Sardinia, Knight Grand Cross of the Military Order of William of the Netherlands, and Knight Grand Cross of the Royal and Distinguished Order of Charles the Third of Spain.

My Lord, As your illustrious Nation, under the auspices of His Royal Highness the Prince a DEDICATION. Regent, acting in the Name and on the Behalf of His Most Excellent Majesty KING GEORGE THE THIRD, was the first who set an example of humanity to the civilized world in the Abolition of " the Slave Trade," and the only one who eternized her exalted name by having felt most deeply interested in the Abolition of " Christian Slavery," which, for so many centuries, had been a general, and con sidered as a rightful practice, among the savage rulers of the Barbary coasts ; and, as my first employment in the honourable service of this Sublime Throne was the performance of my duty as Interpreter, on the occasion of the Expedition to Algiers, under your Lordship's command, I most humbly beg the indulgence of inscribing the following Narrative, which I have composed on the said glorious Expedition, (in which your Lordship's DEDICATION. name will ever be remembered with live liest affection,) to your Lordship, as a most sincere expression of the gratitude and respect of, My Lord, Your Lordship's most humble and most devoted Servant, ABRAHAM SALAME. London, Feb. 16th, 181Qa2 TABLE OF CONTENTS.

Introduction

. Our Family — my Father and Mother — my Education — Syrian Master and Mistress — their Customs and Manners — my first Employment, &c. 8cc. . page i ITINERARY. Journey from Rosetta, Cairo, Suez, and Toor — Monastery of St. Catharine . . . page xvii Decree of Mohammed — Remarks, and a note, page xxii Cosseir — Jedda — Red Sea — Desert Island — Camaran — Mocka — Hasseer — Jedda — Shipwreck — Yambo — Cosseir — Desert between the Red Sea and the Nile — Keha — Assiutt, &c. .... page xxxiv History of the Mamluks and Elfy Bey — Biographical Notes — ditto Sketch of Mohammed Aly, the present Pasha of Egypt — Journey from Upper Egypt to Cairo, &c. . » . . page lix General Frazer's Expedition — Inclination of the People of Egypt — why they do prefer the Mamluks, and hate the present Government . . . page lxxxi History of the Mamluks and Mohammed Aly — Journey to Fayoum . . • . page CONTENTS.

Discovery of a Mummy Pit . . . page cvi Continuation of the History of the Mamluks — their Decline, and Refuge in Nubia — their inhuman Massacre at the Citadel of Cairo — their Extirpation from Egypt — Conclusion of the introduction, &c. &c. page cxiv NARRATIVE OF THE EXPEDITION TO ALGIERS.

Part I

The Cause of the Expedition — its Sailing from Portsmouth and Plymouth — Arrival at Gibraltar — Meeting the Dutch Squadron, under Admiral Van Cappellan < — Sailing from Gibraltar — Meeting the Prometheus, Captain Dashwood, with the British Consul's Family on board — Cause of the Consul being detained by U19 Dey — Arrival at Algiers — Lord Exmouth's Despatches to the Dey — Declaration for the Abolition of Christian Slavery — Boat sent on Shore under a Flag of Truce — > Meeting with the Captain of the Port — Delivery of the Despatches — Description of the Fortifications of Algiers — No Answer given by the Dey — Return of the Boat towards the Queen Charlotte — rapid Entrance of the Fleet under the Batteries — Fire begun from the Shore — Attack took place — Description of the Horror of the Battle — Remarks on the astonishing Manner of the English Seamen during the Engagement — Destruction of the Enemy's Navy and Batteries — Victory — hauling out — Anchoring in the middle of the Bay, &c. &c. page I CONTENTS.

Part II

Lord Exmouth's second Letter to the Dey on the morning after the Battle — Boat sent on Shore again — Meeting with Captain Omar — Delivery of the Letter — Acceptance of the Terms — Captain of the Port sent by the Dey on board the Queen Charlotte — his conversation with Lord Exmouth — time fixed for our meeting with the Dey — the Consul's coining on board the next day — Captain Brisbane and me sent on shore — our Meeting with the Dey — Negotiations — Apology — Time fixed for the reception of the Christian Slaves and the Money — Reception of both — Conveying them to their respective Countries — the two Spaniards — the little Boy — Algerine Women — Conclusion of our's and the Netherlands Treaties — ditto of old Accounts between the Dey and our Government — triumphant Return of the Expedition to England, &c. page 55

Part III

Remarks on the Speediness and Success of the Expedition — Number of Killed and Wounded on board the British and Dutch Squadrons — Loss of the Algerines ■ — Extraordinary Quantities of Powder and Shot spent in the Battle — Curious Circumstance of an Algerine Magician — Damages sustained by the Algerines — Fertility and History of the Kingdom of Algiers — Barbarism and Cruelty of the Deys, &c. — Thanks to the Almighty for the full Success and Protection of the British Navy and Armies . . page l6l *„* Many other subjects are embodied in the Book; and omitted in this Table. ERRATA IN THE ITINERARY. Page xxxvi. line 17, for " from the Tares," read " from Tajef." lvii. bottom, read " Manshift, htjnrc Ehkmim." Ixiii. line 3, read" Manshije, before Ehkmim." Ixiv. note, line 11, lor " at the battle ot Mallawi," read " at the battle of Manfalutt."

Ixxi. line 15, for " towards the south," read " towards the north." Ixxvii. line 1, lor " and eat," read " and ate." xcii. line 9, tor" Kakhfva Bey returned with his answer," read " The kakhia Bey returned with this answer." ib. line 12, tor " kakhiya Bey," read " the kakhia Bey.* cxiii. note, line 1, for " Cairo," read " Constantinople." ERRATA IN THE TEXT. Page 6, line 6, for " came," read " coming." ib. line 13, for " Massadoda," read " Mussooda." 19, line 5, for " five inches diameter," read " five inches in cir* cumference.'' 32, line 8, foi" of 20 feet," read " of 20 palms." 50, line 18, for " about seventy years," read " about sixiy years." 59, line 7, for " frigates that was," read " frigates which were." ib. line 11, for " wait three hours," read " wait two or three hours." 83, line 7, for " of the Turkish," read " with the Turkish." 102, line 6, for " e 7 Ammiraglio," read " e V Ammiruglio." 115, line 15, for " at the palace," read " at the gate of the palace." 129, line 11, for " of the sketch," read " of the annexed sketch." 144, line 17, for " very well," read " very well, I believe." 146, line 9, for " my mother," read " my mother's." 183, note, line 3, for " preface," read " introduction." 209, ditto, line 4, for " the year 1517," read " 1757." 214, line 9. for " sent it the Dey," read " sent it to the Dey." ib. note, line 1, for " throughout ail the," read " throughout the."

Directiotis to the Binder for placing the Plates. 1. Portrait of the Author - - toface the Title-page. 2. Plan of Algiers .... toface - - p. 34. 3. Interview with the Dey - - toface - - p. 83. 4. Figures of Algerine Women toface - - p. 129.

INTRODUCTION.

. J. am about to enter on a very uninteresting subject, by offering to my friends a pre mature abstract of my life, together with a short explanation of the circumstances under which I became acquainted with the European languages, and which occasioned my having the honour to be employed in the service of the government of this truly exalted nation. An explanation which I thought necessary, to account for the long delay of the following unadorned narrative,* which is now humbly submitted to * As 1 am not yet rich enough in the English language, and never wish to assume more than my power, b

INTRODUCTION.

. the indulgence and generosity of the British public. Perhaps it may be thought an instance of vanity that I pretend at all to write my own life at this early period, as it is very difficult for a person to speak of himself without leading the mind to think either he is a vain man or an assumer ; but as this narrative shall contain very little of my own history, which will be as a mere curious satisfaction, being a foreigner, I should hope that the reader will not consider such representation as an object of vanity. Our family (Sdldme", of the Christian persuasion) is well known at St. John DAcra, as well as in several parts of Palestine ; this, though I never was in those it is right to explain, that all this humble volume is my own rough composition, except that part from the \(ith line in page 222, lo the 2d line in page 226, is not all together mine, being compiled from various extracts.

INTRODUCTION.

. III places myself, I have learned from public reports.* In consequence of the atrocities of Ahmed Pashaw, (who, on account of his bloody character, was known by the title of Jazzar Pashaw, or the butcher,) in the said countnr, my grandfather very narrowly escaped with his own life and those of his * It is a singular fact, and perfectly unexpected by me, that Mr. Lusignan, whom I found in this country, (the former interpreter in his Majesty's service, but now retired,) knew our family upwards of forty years since ; and that, while he was at St. John D'Acra, he had once transacted business with my grandfather to the amount of forty thousand sequins. Yet by this I do not pretend to say that our family, at present, is rich ; but, as in all the east they look to the good birth and origin of a family^ thank God, we have always enjoyed a considerable rank in society.

The word " Salame," in Arabic, signifies Salvation, Peace, Tranquillity, Safety, &c. &c. I insert this explanation of our family name, on account that, in the Italian language, there is a word " salame" which is the name of a kind of sausage. b2

INTRODUCTION.

. IV family, leaving behind him all his wealth and property, and fled to Mount Liba non. All his family was saved except the youngest of his sons, (one of my uncles,) who was detained and made a Mohamedan; and who still lives at St. John D'Acra as governor of the custom-house. My grandfather survived this calamity only eighteen months ; when my father left the family, under the care of his eldest brother, and went to Alexandria in Egypt. Being related to the collector ofthe customs of that city, he was employed as treasurer ; and, a few years after, he married my mother, (one of the collector's nieces,) who had arrived, with her parents, from Aleppo. On the 12th of November, 1788, I was born at Alexandria ; and, a short time after, my father went with his family to Rosetta, where he was established as col-

INTRODUCTION.

. V lector of duties upon all the linen and cotton manufactories of that city.* When the French came to Egypt, I was then about ten years old ; and I still remem ber that very often, on my return from school in the afternoon, I went to see them relieving guard ; I also recollect my father and mother saying, that there was a French man who had embraced the Mohamedan religion, (General Menou, Avho assumed the name ot General Abdallah Jack Menou,) and was married to the sister of the pro prietor of the bath where my mother very often went/f- * The reader must not think that the miserable manu factories of Rosetta are the least worth while to be men tioned in comparison to the amazing ones of the British ! T A short time after his marriage,* he wished to visit all * Madame Menou is of a slid-is, or noble family, (descendant of Mo hammed, who are entitled to wear green,) of the name of Nimat Allah, a well known family at Rosetta. — She is a plain-looking woman, of a dark complexion ; she knows my mother and all our family quite well.

After the death ol General Menou, she w as left ill France with a child, aud some income to live upon. 1 believe she is still somewhere in France. b3 VI

INTRODUCTION.

. At school I learnt the Psalms, the Acts of the Apostles, a few chapters of the Gospel, and some parts of the Bible, in Arabic; and the Catechism, with several other ecclesiastical tracts, with great ease, and without having had any punishment from my school-master during the time of my learning.* the respectable Christian and Mohamedan families of Ro setta ; and when he came to our house, I remember that I asked his interpreter, " Why General Abdallah did not wear the Turkish dress r" Upon his requiring of the in terpreter the explanation of what I said, he called me to him, and asked me, " Why I did not learn the French language ?" I said, " because my school-master does not understand it ; but if you will teach me," said I, " I shall like to learn it." He then laughed, and wrote out the Alphabet for me, and read it with me several times ; after which he asked my father why he did not send me to France ?

My father, in reply, said, that I was too young yet. But as the name of England was known as the greatest country in the world, especially among the easterns on account of the superiority of the British ma nufactuies, I said, " No ! I should like to go to Iukil terra ;" (this is the name for England, used by the eastern people). He then laughed and went away. * The present miserable schools in that once great

INTRODUCTION.

. VII When the French were compelled by the British forces to evacuate Egypt, and country, contain only one room, in which no more than fifteen or twenty boys can be accommodated ; (they have no schools for females at all.) They sit on the floor, with crossed legs, upon a mat only ; aud a few boys, whose parents send them cushions, are somewhat better accommodated. At one corner of the room, the school-master sits with a wooden box (instead of a desk) before him, and a ruler in his hand ; he calls one boy after the other, to give him or to hear his lesson : they read from seven or eight o'clock in the morning till noon, when every boy goes home to dinner ; between one and two o'clock, they must be at school again ; and if any boy delays in the morning or in the afternoon, or if he does not learn his lesson quickly, or commits any improper act at his home or at school, he must undergo a punishment of bastinado on his feet.

All a boy learns at school is, the Alphabet, Glory I/e to the Father, &c. the Lord's Prayer, the Angelical Salutation, the Creed, the Psalms of David, the Acts of the Apostles, a few Chapters of the Gospel, and some parts of the Bible, with several other Ecclesiastical Tracts, and the Catechism ; after which, he will be taken from school, and placed either as apprentice or in some counting-house. The school-masters, in general, are chosen out of the idlest and most ignorant people, who hardly know how to spell the language; on this account it is evident, that b4

INTRODUCTION.

. while both armies were yet there,* my father took me from school and put me apprentice in his own warehouse, where, in a short time, through my practice with the English and French officers, I became acquainted with some wrords of both lan guages, and with the names of all the goods in the house, and assisted my father as interpreter ; for he only spoke the Arabic, and all his business in the house was carried on sometimes by signs, and sometimes through the medium of a friend of his who knew the Italian language. A Mr. J. B. one of my father's friends, who was in the French service and wished to quit Egypt, had a very good collection the boys, by this rude method of education, cannot acquire but very poor knowledge of the world. * At this time Sir W. Sidney Smith, had returned from St. John D'Acra; and, I remember, that he did us the honour of visiting ours, and some other families.

INTRODUCTION.

. IX of European books, which he had left with my father to be sold. On this occasion, I requested that gentleman to choose me a useful book, upon which he gave me a grammar of three languages, — Italian, French, and English ; and, at the same time, he advised my father to send me with him to Venice.* I began to look over this grammar, and requested every officer who came to our house to read with me ; so that in about six months I made some progress, especially in the Italian language. After the French had left Egypt, my father sent me to Alexandria, where I was * As I now feel the value of time which I have, inno cently, lost during my youth, I cannot refrain from ex pressing my sorrow, by saying, that I would have been certainly very fortunate, if my father had any idea of the enlightened state of Europe, and had agreed to send me, while I was young, to somewhere on the continent ; where I might, perhaps, have acquired a little of knowledge. X

INTRODUCTION.

. under the care of my godfather, who was educated in Italy, till the English army evacuated that city in 1802. I returned to Rosetta, from which place my father took the family, and went to Cairo, where he placed me as apprentice under Mr. M. D. a Christian merchant from Syria. At this time I was about fourteen years old, and could speak the Italian language tolerably well ; and a little French, with a very few words of English. Having been used to the European education, I could not bear the new method of the rude customs of my Syrian master, of whose manners I shall relate a few cir cumstances, merely to give an idea of the brutal system of the eastern people in general ; for I hope, in time, to be able to publish a complete work, which will contain many interesting and amusing subjects. The first thing that I was

INTRODUCTION.

. XI obliged to do in the morning, between seven and eight o'clock, was to go and bid good-morning to my master and mistress by kissing their hands, and standing before them, with my hands across my breast, waiting to receive their orders. If they had not breakfasted, I was to go and call the servant, or a black female slave, to bring the breakfast and the coffee, ready-made ; and I was to fill the cups and present them to both. If my master was about to smoke, I was obliged to run to the kitchen and bring a piece of fire to light his pipe ; and, if after breakfast, they wished to wash their hands, I was to bring the basin with the jug, and to pour the water on their hands ; and afterwards to present them with the napkins. These were my duties in the morning. After this I was to go to the counting-house where I had the degree of under-clerk, but I was to attend, besides,

INTRODUCTION.

. all the visitors or customers, in treating them with coffee and lighting their pipes. At noon my master's dinner was to come from home, and I was to attend him in the same manner as at his breakfast, after wdiich he was accustomed to sleep for a couple of hours ; and at six in the evening we were to go home. Before my master's coming home, my mistress was (after having spent her day in sewing or embroidering, and smoking) to fill a bottle with about a pint of a kind of very strong spirit, called " Ardki," or aqua vita, distilled from dates or from raisins, and to envelope it with a wetted piece of linen, in order to keep it cool till he came ; likewise, she was to get ready for him, in a small plate, a few almonds, or radishes, or some cheese, to eat while drinking, in order to keep up, as they say, his appetite for supper. On his arrival at home, she was to receive

INTRODUCTION.

. XIII him at the top of the stairs, to kiss his hand, to take off his great coat, to change his turban, and to stand before him with her hands across her breast, till he should order her to sit down, or ask her to bring him some water to wash his face and feet. After this, she was to bring him his pipe, and the bottle of spirit with the plate before-mentioned, and to fill a very small cup, and to present it to him, with something from the plate ; and every time that he returned the cup empty to her, she was to receive it and kiss his hand. In short, by the time he had finished that bottle of spirit, he became quite tipsy, when he asked for his supper, which was to be brought to the same place where he was seated. He could eat but very little, and then we (I and my mistress) were obliged to carry him to his bed, when, very often, he was angry with us, and got up to beat me and

INTRODUCTION.

. my mistress, and sometimes he slept in the same place where he ate and drank. To return to my subject: I suffered in this way for three months, after which I went and declared to my father, that I could stop no longer with my Syrian master, and that I had better return to Alexandria to renew my European studies, which I had almost forgot. In a few weeks after, a revolution took place at Cairo, between the Beys or Mam luks, and the late Captain Pashaw, (Mo hammed Kosruf Pashaw, who was then go vernor of that city,) by instigation of the present governor of Egypt Mohammed Alij Pashaw, (who was then promoted, from a common soldier, to the degree of Beeng Bashlik, or chief of a thousand,) in conse quence of which my father returned with his family to Rosetta, where he placed me at the counting-house of Mr. Carlo Ros~

INTRODUCTION.

. XV seti, the late Russian and Austrian Consul General. I staid with this respectable gentleman for about a year, in the course of which I made great progress in my Euro pean studies, as well as in many other subjects of trade and diplomatic business. — At Rosetta there was a very well known and most enterprizing person, Mr. Fran cesco Petrucci, (the late Consul General of Sweden, and Vice-Consul and Agent for England,) who understanding that Mr. C. R. had left Rosetta for Cairo, and that I was at home, wished to have me with him as interpreter, whereupon I volunteered my services for one year. My stay with this wrorthy gentleman was in every way to my improvement, for he was a very clever and active man. ITINERARY, AND CONTINUATION OF THE

INTRODUCTION.

. At the latter end of the year 1 804, Mr. F. Pe trucci, having had an'oppoitunity of some official business to the East Indies, he ordered me to attend his secretary, (Mr. A. B. an Italian gentle man) who was then in Upper Egypt ; and whom I was to go to meet at Cosseir, with a vessel from Suez, belonging to Mr. Petrucci.* I received my instructions, and in the begin ning of 1805, I proceeded to Cairo, where I stopped a few days, till the usual caravan from that city to Suez got ready, at the place called Berket-Elhage, or the Field of Pilgrims. f * At this time Lord Valentia, with Mr. Salt, came from the East Indies, and were at Mr. Petrucci's — his Lordship gave us some letters of introduction to the Sheriff of Jedda, and to the Governor of Mocka, as well as to several other persons in both places. t This is an extensive plain out of Cairo, where all the pilgrims assemble.

C DESERT OF SUEZ. I went to the chief of the Bedouins, who un dertook to escort the caravan under his own protection, and hired from him a horse for my self, and a camel to carry my baggage, with two leather bags of water,* for less than £ % Between two and three in the morning, they fired a gun, as a signal for marching, when every body got up and began to load his camel, f and in a short time, all the caravan was ready, and proceeded on its journey- We travelled through a desert plain, composed of sand and small stones, with very few hills : at noon, when the heat of the sun was very severe, we halted in the middle of the desert, without any tree or place of shelter. This being my first day of such uncomfortable travelling, I had suffered very much. But my astonishment was to see all the Bedouins or Arabs, who make almost the whole of their journey on foot, immediately after the reposing of the caravan, envelope their heads and the upper part of their bodies with a very heavy kind of blanket, called Eheram, and go to sleep very comfortably on the ground, exposed to the * There was no water to be met with on our way. 1" Every two or three camels are attended by a man.

SUEZ XIX heat of that burning sun.— I was told, that they wrap themselves in this wav^, in order to prevent the heat of the sun from penetrating to their brain ; and they advised me to do the same. At four in the afternoon we continued our journey till nine o'clock, when we reposed to feed our poor animals, whose food was some beans, mixed with straw; after which they gave them a little water. At five the next morning, we travelled in the same way ; and, in short, at five in the after noon of the following day, we came to a well of very bad water, which lies about six or eight miles west of Suez. After we had refreshed ourselves as well as the animals, we proceeded on the same evening to the town of Suez, where I arrived, quite exhausted with fatigue. I took up my lodgings at a Hkan, or warehouse, where some Christian agents reside for the reception of goods.

The town of Suez is a very miserable and de serted place, built on the west side of the Gulf of the Red Sea : They have no production what ever ; their provisions are imported from Cairo, and some from the opposite coast of Mount Sinai ; even the water which they drink, they receive every morning by boats. The support of this miserable but rich town, is the carriage c TOOR XX of India goods and Mocka-coffee, with some other productions of Yeman, to Cairo ; from which place they export some European goods to those countries by the Red Sea. I embarked on board the vessel before-men tioned, the property of Mr. Petrucci, which was a British coppered transport, given by the English to the late Captain Pashaw, while he was go vernor of Cairo. On account of the immense quantity of rocks in this most dangerous sea, we hired a pilot, for one hundred dollars, to conduct the ship to Jedda.

This pilot was an old black man, from the Arabs of Mount Sinai, and had with him a person as assistant, or under-pilot. — At eight in the morning we sailed from Suez, and at ten the next day, anchored in the harbour of Toor* wdiere is a very small village. From Suez to Toor there is no great danger by sea ; and all the visitors of Mount Sinai who do not wish to go from Suez by land, come to this place by sea, and afterwards proceed on their journey, to the famous monastery of St. Catherine. This monastery is very extensive, and sur rounded by a high and very strong wall. It is inhabited by a considerable number of Greek * Here we found the Panther, of the East India Company, in which Lord Valentia came to Egypt. MONASTERY OF ST. CATHERINE. XXI monks, who are the only Christians among many thousands of rustic Arabs.