I must delay replying to the particular points in your letter of the 29th April, until I shall have given an account of the most unexpected and extraordinary event which I believe has ever taken place, even in the extraordinary events of Algiers, in order that I may have it ready to transmit, in case I should meet any vessel bound to the United States.

On the arrival of the Allegany, the dey and the officers of the regency expressed the most entire and complete satisfaction; and until the 20th inst. when they began to discharge the cargo, there was no appearance of any other sentiment. On that day a large quantity of spars and plank were taken on board a lighter, by the people of the marine, to be carried on shore, by order of the minister of marine, but they were not landed. At noon the minister sent to request a note of the articles, and their quantity, which were on board the ship for the regency, that he might lay it before the dey in the evening, agreeably to his orders. I accordingly sent the note, taken from the invoice, but without affixing the prices. At 6 P. M. I received a message by my drogerman, from the minister of marine, informing me that when he laid my note of the articles before the dey, he became very outrageous on finding there was only 50 small barrels of gunpowder and four cables on board; when the note sent to the United States in 1810, as furnished by the minister of marine, demanded 500 quintals of gunpowder, and twenty-seven large cables, besides a very large quantity of cordage and other articles, as may be seen by said note forwarded in my letter of August, 1810, to the honourable the secretary of state; and told the minister that he would not receive the cargo, but would send the ship away from Algiers, and that I must depart in her, as he would not have a consul in his regency, who did not cause every thing to be brought exactly as he (the dey) ordered.

Early on the morning of the 21st, I waited on the minister of the marine to inquire into this procedure, when he confirmed all that had been told me by the drogerman, and added many other expressions of anger and disgust of the dey.

I reasoned with him on the subject, stating that it had never been usual to send the whole of such large orders at one time; that we had been very punctual in our payments, and that the cargo of this vessel would probably pay all that we owed; that cargoes had always come in this manner, assorted, with a part of each article, and that I had never before found any difficulty; that powder and cables were articles of which we did not make enough for our own use in the United States, and that it was almost impracticable, at this time, to bring them from other

countries, as was well known to himself and all the world; that in the present distracted state of nations, it was possible that the United States might be forced into a war, and that it behoved our government not to be destitute of so essential an article of defence as gunpowder; but that on a future occasion we might be able to send more; with many other remarks, which he allowed to be reasonable, but said that the dey was determined; and that when he had once fixed a resolution he never departed from it. And added, that the dey insisted upon having every thing brought which he ordered, without regarding whether it amounted to more than the sum stipulated in the treaty or not; and that I must depart on Thursday the 23d instant, on board the Allegany, with all the Americans now in Algiers.

I wished to see the dey, and for that purpose desired an audience, which was denied me.

I then requested that a few more days might be allowed for my remaining, that I might prepare myself, as it was impossible to make any arrangement of my affairs in so short a time, hoping, in the mean time, to make some accommodation of this business. The answer was, that the dey would not allow an

hour more.

I wrote a circular to the christian consuls in Algiers, informing them of my ordered departure.

The spars and plank which were taken out of the vessel yesterday, were returned on board this morning. In the morning of the 22d I sent my drogerman to the palace to say that I wished to make a settlement of the cargo of the brig Paul Hamilton, which had been delayed, by a request from the palace, until the Allegany should arrive, when a settlement could be made for both vessels at the same time.

The request was granted, and the drogerman informed me that the dey wished me to bring our treaty with me, that we might see the time when it commenced, the terms, &c. in order to make a final settlement of our accounts. This I did, and while I was settling the account of the Paul Hamilton's cargo with the prime minister and secretaries, in the usual manner, the dey's drogerman came down, and said, the dey wished to see the treaty which I had brought. I gave it to him without hesitation, supposing that the dey might wish to see something in it, or that he might compare it with that which was in the palace. But when I demanded the treaty again, the dey refused to deliver it, saying, by his drogerman, that when a consul was sent away, he, the dey, should always keep his treaty, and that such had ever been the custom at Algiers.

After settling the account of the cargo of the Paul Hamilton, which amounted to 12,109 dollars, and producing a tiscary or acknowledgment of a balance due to the United States, which had been given in February, 1810, at the settlement of the cargoes of the ship Resource and brig Blanchy, for 26,065 dollars; the minister and secretaries said there was still 27,000 dollars due to the present time. This I denied, as I had the recepts of the regency for the payment of annuities for fourteen and a half years, exclusive of the amount of the cargo of the Paul Hamilton and the tiscary for 26,065 dollars; and as our treaty was concluded on the 5th of September, 1795, it would be only 17 years in the whole, from which the fourteen and a half years were to be deducted, leaving two and a half years ending the 5th of September next, amounting to 54,000 dollars, from which deducting the cargo of the Paul Hamilton, and the tiscary before mentioned, would leave but 15,826 dollars, and which I had no doubt but the cargo of the ship Allegany would fully pay, if it should be received.

The minister then observed, that they counted the year by the Mahometan calender, consisting of 354 days, so that the difference in 17 years would make it one half year more than we counted. I told him that I had always reckoned the years in the christian manner of 365 days; and that I presumed the same was done by all other consuls having accounts of a similar nature with the regency. He said it was never so done, or allowed by the regency, and immediately sent up a note to the dey, of the sum due by his account, viz. 27,000 dollars.

After a short time the dey sent down word by his drogerman, that the balance must be paid immediately in cash, and that the vessel, with myself, &c. must depart to-morrow as he had ordered. I answered that it was impossible for me to comply with the dey's order, even if I acknowledged the balance to be just, and had every disposition to pay it, as I had not the means of obtaining the money, especially as the cargo of the ship now in port was sent by my government for the express purpose of paying what might be due to the regency, and was the strongest possible evidence of our punctuality in fulfilling our engagements.

The prime minister then went up to the dey, with the drogerman, and soon returned, saying that the dey persisted in his first order, that the money should be paid immediately; or that I should be sent to the marine in chains, the vessel and cargo confiscated, and all the citizens of the United States now in Algiers be detained in slavery, and war instantly declared against the United States.

I told the minister that the matter was now brought to a decision, and that I must go the marine in chains, for it was not possible for me to obtain the money; and had no more to say on the subject, but would warn them of the evil which they were bringing on themselves, by such unjust and outrageous conduct.

The minister went to the dey a second time, when I demanded to accompany him; but was refused, and soon returned with what he said was the fixed and unalterable resolution of the dey, viz. that he would allow me till Saturday morning, the 25th instant, to pay the money and depart with the vessel and all other Americans in Algiers; but if this was not done, he should confiscate the vessel, detain in slavery all the Americans in Algiers, and declare war against the United States, as he had before determined. The minister also added, that the dey had been informed that the ship had brought a large quantity of coffee for sale, and some other articles not intended for him (meaning, I suppose, the gun barrels, &c. for the emperor of Morocco; but whence he could have got the information of the latter I know not, for I had never mentioned a syllable of it to any one in Algiers. I have since learned that it was discovered by some means or other, when the plank and spars were taken out of the vessel on Monday); and that he was, if possible, more highly incensed at this, than on any other account; saying that he considered it an insult offered, by having merchandize embarked on board a vessel which was said to have been sent for the sole purpose of bringing the annuity.

As I was determined that nothing should be wanting on my part to settle this unpleasant, and to me unaccountable business, I proposed to the prime minister, that the articles now sent by the Allegany should be received and passed to our credit, in the usual manner of settling the account of cargoes, where they had the power of fixing their own prices, and that whatever balance might appear due, after such settlement, should be paid in cash if the dey desired it; and that he might send a note of such articles as he expected for the next annuity, which I would forward to my government, with such observations on the propriety or necessity of sending the whole of them, as the dey should express. By this means, if the proposition should be accepted, time would be given to make preparations for future events, or, at any rate, our commerce in this sea might have been secured by giving timely notice, and putting our vessels on their guard. But the dey refused to listen to it, and repeated his first orders.

On leaving the palace I reflected upon the very critical and alarming situation of our affairs with the regency, which was not only brought on in the most unexpected manner, but without any reasonable or justifiable cause of complaint on the part of the dey. It appeared to me that he was determined to take a measure which I had for some time past apprehended, and which I had more than once the honour of intimating to the honourable the secretary of state, particularly in my letter of the 29th May last, viz. That, after having concluded a truce with Portugal, and seeing Sicily under the protection of the British, he must make war upon some other nation, with or without a cause, in order to employ his cruisers; and that the extended and unprotected commerce of the United States offered greater prospects of advantage from plunder and capture than he could expect from any other nation. The ultimate consequence of such conduct he would never calculate; neither would he be restrained by any sense of shame, or of the flagrant injustice of the

act.

In this state of embarrassment, and with these reflections, I was still determined to try all possible means to accommodate the present difficulties, before the ultimate period fixed by the dey should arrive; but if that could not be effected, I should prepare, if possible, to pay the balance demanded in money, to prevent the loss of the ship and cargo, the detention of all Americans in Algiers, and the immediate capture of others.

In order to raise the money I proposed to sell the cargo of the ship, as the dey would not receive it, and pay him the proceeds in cash towards the balance, but he absolutely forbid the sale of any article on board her. Thus situated I had no other means left but to endeavour to obtain the money on my bills, and while I was using every means in my power, and through every channel that could be devised, to have matters accommodated before they came to the last extremity, I was not inattentive to the necessity I might be under of procuring the money in the last moment.

As the discussions on our business had taken place either at the marine or in the palace, in presence of all those usually attending there, it was no secret; and I had the satisfaction of hearing a general sentiment of disapprobation expressed on account of the dey's conduct more strongly than I could have supposed it would have been done, when it was known in what awe and dread every one held the present dey, whose severity is almost without example.

The only quarter from which money could be obtained at any rate, was the house of Bacri, and upon application to him to