sovereign authority immediately on their election; th installation takes place only when they receive the firm Grand Seignior recognising their election, with the sabre of state, which are usually sent as soon as ma Capidgi Bashi or state messenger. In times of prosper sends a present to the Grand Seignior once in three ye is usually transported there with their ambassador by ship of war; and such is still the credit of the Regene is always the government most favored here, which ob mission as a mark of honorable preference. This pre ways magnificent, often amounting in value to half a dollars; and it appears to be the only dependence w recognise upon the Ottoman government, whose flag ev intoxication of their fancied power, they have not always In return for these presents the Porte usually sends ther of war, with military and naval stores, &c. and gives mission to recruit in its dominions.

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Though the election of the Dey of Algiers is by th tions of the Regency vested in the Divan, it is usually of the intrigues of a predominant faction amongst the Ja and is generally a sanguinary tragedy. A Dey is mu make room for some more fortunate adventurer; his i friends and adherents perish, or are plundered and ex the public business or tranquillity is not interrupted beyo tyfour hours. These revolutions succeed each other with ity, which can hardly be credited by those who are unac with the barbarous character and manners of the Turks. of Algiers, while alive, is the most despotic and implicitl monarch on earth; but his reign is always precarious, by mere accident if he dies a natural death. Any Turk been regularly enrolled in the corps of Janissaries is e the eminent post of Dey, except the natives of Bosni Crete; no other qualifications are required, and the ca fortune has sometimes raised the most obscure and igno acters to the throne. Tradition points out the graves adventurers who were raised to the throne and perished same day; as a mark of contempt they were interred in lic highway. Neither can a person elected refuse or re honor of ruling in Algiers; he must either reign or per 16-19.

The kingdom of Algiers is divided into three province on the west, Titterie in the middle, and Constantine on Each of these provinces is governed by a Bey appointe Dey. These subordinate officers rule with the same

sway as their sovereign. They are required to collect the taxes from the people, and once in three years to appear in person at the seat of government, when they are expected to give enormous presents to all the persons high in power, to secure their own continuance in office. 'I am informed on respectable authority,' says the author, 'that each visit of the Beys of Oran and Constantine costs to those governors not less than three hundred thousand dollars. On these occasions it is necessary to bribe all the officers of the Regency, according to the different degrees of their credit and influence. No part, however, of these extraordinary contributions goes into the public treasury.' Here we have the secret of the extreme oppression, practised by these Beys on the people. The continuance of their office depends on their success in plundering those under them, and on this principle is the administration of government conducted through all its departments, from the highest to the lowest. Power is employed to sustain itself, by extorting from the weak the means of bribing the more powerful, and this in addition to the amount necessary to gratify the rapacity of the subordinate officers themselves.

The government of Algiers exhibits a very extraordinary peculiarity, as to the mode in which it is perpetuated. It is a rule seldom violated, that all the principal officers shall be taken from among the foreigners, who have been incorporated into the body of Janissaries. The desire of establishing a hereditary succession, or of keeping up a family influence, which has been so strong in other ages and countries, and which may perhaps be considered a trait deeply seated in human nature, seems never to have shown itself here. Children derive no consequence from the station their fathers have held; and the whole mass of the natives of the country, that is, nearly a million of people, have submitted for three centuries to be ruled and scourged by a handful of foreigners, consisting of Turks and renegadoes collected commonly from the most worthless population in the Levant, who, as Mr Shaler says, 'are generally the sweepings of prisons, and the refuse of society in those barbarous countries.' The number of these foreigners now embodied in Algiers is about four thousand.

• Agents are maintained by the Regency in Constantinople and Smyrna to engage recruits and charter vessels for their transportation hither. On their arrival they become ipso facto soldiers, are denominated Janissaries, and are incorporated into the different barracks of the city, to which they are supposed te during life, whatever may be their subsequent fortunes. quarters, if not called by some happy accident into the tration, they rise by seniority to the highest grade of pay. come members of the pretended Divan; where they must inept indeed, if they do not obtain some profitable emp

The pay of the Janissaries at its commencement, on th val as recruits from the Levant, hardly exceeds half a de month, but by length of service is gradually increased eight dollars, which is the maximum. Of late years, hov has been a common practice of the Deys of Algiers to a the pay of the Janissaries, in order to enhance their pop A corps thus constituted, is of course always ripe for a rev Their rations consist of about two pounds of indifferent brea and all who are unmarried are lodged in very spacious ar modious barracks; they find their own clothing, and the arms and ammunition, which latter are furnished to them government at moderate prices. A Janissary, when equip battle, has one or more pairs of large pistols in his belt, v scimitar or yatagan, a dagger in his bosom, and a long mu his shoulder; all which are as highly ornamented as his c stances will permit. When, costume included, he is not u represented by the knave of diamonds in a pack of cards 27, 28.

From this description of persons the Deys are chose all the great officers of state appointed.

Th

The military establishment is composed of natives, as Turks, and amounts to about fifteen thousand men. stationed in different parts of the country, and employed in collecting the revenue. These are distinct from the saries, and very loosely organized. The naval force cons three frigates, two corvettes, two armed brigs, five scho one polaccre, and one xebec; in all, fourteen vessels.

To illustrate the mutation of human affairs in Algiers, out of the peculiar nature of the government, Mr Shaler the following anecdote.

During the summer of my arrival here, an old Turk on me, announcing himself as a Rais, or Captain in the and informed me that he had made a voyage from this pl Constantinople, with Commodore Bainbridge, as attached Algerine legation carried there by that officer in former He expressed the most friendly regard for the Commodore, = inquire after his health and welfare appeared to be the pri object of his visit; but on taking leave, he informed me that he had no employment, and was very poor, and requested me to lend him a dollar, which I did, and assured him that whenever his necessities required it, he might apply to me with the certainty of finding such relief as I had it in my power to give him. I afterwards frequently met this old gentleman on public occasions, when he would modestly offer me a friendly pinch of snuff at a respectful distance from the official characters I was visiting. A few years after, this old man was raised to the eminent post of Has nagee, or prime minister, which he now holds, at the age of about ninety years, and is in the receipt of at least fifty thousand doslars per annum.' pp. 31, 32.

The depredations of the Algerines on the commence of the United States began early. According to their custon of being at war with all Christian nations, who did not purchase a pouk, they declared war against us immediately after be rega of our independence by the European powers in Jay, 1785 two American merchant vessels, one commanded by Captai Stevens, and the other by Captain O'Brien, were seized by the corsairs, and taken to Algiers, where the officers and me, amounting in the whole to twentyone perves, were consid to slavery. For the ten years following, our commerce was p tected against these pirates by the Portuguese, who were at was with them, and who kept a maritime force in the braits of Gibraltar, sufficient to prevent the Aigerne crisen fra pesong into the Atlantic ocean. Meantine varkos apo nuk resorted to, by the government of the Caves bus 1600 their unfortunate countrymen from savery. The unsuccessful, chiefly on account of the exomداد the pirates. It was thought not поне в сила и уму, of benevolence, to refrain from gratifying the GAS compliance to this effect would operate as anامداد ment to future aggressions. The amount required kuna u som of twentyone persons was fiftynine dموز dollars. An effort was made to negote for Men the prisoners, through the society of Mets in Paris, tuted for the purpose of redeeming Chrisienas bom d dels, but the attempt was ineffectual in years wege consumed, without coming to any tenne with A these American citizens from bondage.

Affairs assumed a new aspect in 1793, win a

Portugal and Algiers was stipulated drogen د که در

British government. This opened a passage for th into the Atlantic, and in a few months they captur American vessels, containing one hundred and nine o seamen, who were all reduced to slavery. From more earnest exertions were made to procure a peac giers, and the sympathy of the country was universally in behalf of the suffering captives. The business was to Colonel Humphreys, the minister from the United Portugal, who despatched Mr Joseph Donaldson to commissioner to negotiate a treaty of peace. A ti unprotaising to the interests of the United States for such a treaty, could hardly have occurred. The t Portugal, and peace with other powers, had left the I sairs almost without employment. M. Skjoldebrand, the Swedish Consul in Algiers, who had been consult matter, wrote to Colonel Humphreys as follows. “T declared to me, that his interest does not permit him your offers, even were you to lavish millions upon hi cause, said he, if I were to make peace with every bo should I do with my corsairs? They would take off for the want of other prizes, not being able to live u miserable allowances.' Mr Donaldson succeeded, ho forming a treaty, (September, 1795,) on terms as c to the American nation, as they were necessary in the e of the case. The United States became bound to Regency of Algiers upwards of seven hundred thousand as the price of peace and the ransom of the captives render an annual tribute, payable in military and nava the entire charges of which would amount to above thousand dollars yearly.*

Owing to the difficulty of procuring funds, the cond the treaty were not fulfilled so soon as the Dey expecte became impatient, expressed apprehensions that the d intentional, and threatened to renew the war and send cruisers. In this extremity, the American Commission Barlow and Mr Donaldson, agreed that their governmen make the Dey a present of a frigate, if he would wa months longer. This proposal was acceded to, and be three months had expired, the requisite funds were r

* By the Purveyor's Estimate returned to the Secretary of t sury in 1796, the cost of the two first years' annuities to the Regency of Algiers was $144,246.