AN AMERICAN IN ALGIERS – PART 2 – Corsairs & Captives

This week, we continue with the captivity narrative of Joh Foss, a crewmember aboard an American merchant ship who, in October, 1793, was captured by Barbary corsairs from Algiers.

Last week’s excerpt ended with John Foss and his companions being captured at sea. We pick up the story from there—with their arrival in Algiers.

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We passed the rock of Gibraltar on Monday, the 28th [of October], and nothing of any consequence happened on our passage to Algiers. We encountered several vessels, but none proved to be enemies of the Algerine pirates.

Having a very fresh breeze from the westward, we arrived at Algiers on Friday, the first of November.

After they had brought their vessel to anchor in the road, they hoisted out their boats and ordered us to embark, and to lay ourselves down in the bottom of the boat. Having obeyed their commands, we were rowed on shore and landed amidst the shouts and huzzas of thousands of malicious barbarians.

We were conducted to the Dey’s palace by a guard, and as we passed through the streets, our ears were stunned with shouts, clapping of hands, and other acclamations of joy from the inhabitants; thanking God for their great success and victories over so many Christian dogs and unbelievers—the appellation they generally give to all Christians.

On our arrival at the gates of the Palace, we were received by another guard and conducted before the Dey who, after taking a view of us, told us he had sent several messages to our government, entreating them to negotiate with him for a peace, but had never received any satisfactory answer from them. So he was determined never to make a peace with the United States, in his reign, as they had so often neglected his requests and treated him with disdain. He added, “And now I have got you, you Christian dogs, you shall eat stones!”

He then picked out four boys to wait upon him in the palace and ordered the rest of us to be conducted to the prison Bilic. When we arrived there, we found several other Americans, who had landed a little before us. They informed us that the corsairs had captured ten sail of American vessels, and their captains and crews were chiefly in the same prison.

After we had been contemplating our hapless fate for a considerable time, a French priest came up to us and enquired if any among us understood the French language. He was answered in the affirmative. After conversing sometime with the person who spoke French, he left us, and told us he should return in a few minutes.

About half an hour afterwards, he returned, and two Moors with him, who brought two baskets full of white bread. He gave each man a loaf, weighing nearly a pound, which was a very delicious meal for us, for we had eaten nothing during the day, and it was it now about 4 o’clock in the afternoon. He likewise informed us that it was a custom among those sons of rapine and plunder not to allow the slaves any kind of food on the first day of their landing, except one small loaf of bread at night—which we then later received. He said that if he was able, his charity would extend further. We thanked our kind benefactor, and he took his leave of us.

We then walked from one part of the Bagnio to another, not knowing in what part we might be allowed to remain. We wandered in this manner, bemoaning our deplorable situation, untill about 5 o’clock, when we saw (according to the best our judgment) about 600 men enter the Bagnio, all appearing to be in a more miserable condition than ourselves, with wretched habits, dejected countenance, and chains on their legs, every part of them bespeaking unutterable distress.

I enquired of the prison-keeper who those people were, and of what crimes they had been guilty that they were loaded with such heavy chains. I was answered that they were Christian slaves, captured in the same manner as myself, while seeking an honest livelihood. A few minutes afterwards, we heard a man shouting out in a most terrible manner, and our not understanding his language made it sound all the more terrible. We were immediately informed by a man who understood the English language that all us Americans must appear in the third gallery.

We made all haste we possibly could, and as we entered the gallery, we passed one at a time through a narrow door, on one side of which stood a task-master, and on the other side a Christian slave. The former had a large stick in his hand, and the latter a book, in which was written the names of all the Christian captives in that prison. The Christian slave asked each man his name, and then wrote it in the book. As we passed, the Turk gave each man a small bundle. On examining it, we found it contained a blanket; a capot (which is a sort of jacket with a hood); a waistcoat, made something like a frock, to draw over the head, it not being open at the belly; a shirt, with neither collar or wristbands, a pair of trousers, made somewhat like a woman’s petticoat, but with this difference, the bottom was sewed up, with two holes to put the legs through; and a pair of slippers.

There was neither button nor buttonhole on the whole suit. Such a suit excepting the blanket, of which they never get but one, is given to each captive once a year. The day they receive this suit is on the Friday following Christmas.

Soon after we received the above mentioned bundle, we were again called into the third gallery, where we passed in the same manner as before. Having our names called separately by the clerk, we passed the task-master, and each man received a small loaf of very black, sour bread weighing about three ounces and a half, which we ate—although it was not nearly so delicious as the bread we had received from the French Priest.

Having finished our supper, we lay down upon the stone floor, and went to sleep, making ourselves as comfortable as we could, having neither bed nor bedding except the blanket before mentioned. Being very much fatigued, we slept tolerably well until about 3 o’clock, when we were alarmed by a terrible shouting, as before, and were all ordered to go down into the lower part of the prison.

When we arrived there, they put a chain on each man’s leg, reaching up to the shoulder, and weighing about 25 or 30 pounds.

Such was our first night’s lodging in this doleful mansion of horror and despair.

This done, it now being day-break—Saturday the 2nd of November—we were all driven out of the Bagnio, and from thence to the port, where I experienced the hardest day’s work I ever underwent before. The dreadful clanking of the chains was the most terrible noise I ever heard. And never during my whole captivity did I feel such horrors of mind, as on this dreadful morning.

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For the next installment of John Foss’s narrative, see the next post here in this blog.

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For those who may be interested…

The above excerpt from John Foss’s narrative comes from A journal, of the captivity and sufferings of John Foss; several years a prisoner at Algiers: together with some account of the treatment of Christian slaves when sick—and observations on the Manners and Customs of the Algerines, second edition, originally published in 1798, pp. 16-21.

As usual, I have lightly edited and abridged the original text to make it more accessible for modern readers.