SIR KENELM DIGBY’S VISIT TO ALGIERS – PART 2

This week, we continue with Sir Kenelm Digby’s narrative of his time in Algiers in the late winter/early spring of 1628.

In the afternoon, after I had visited with the Pasha, I went to the Duana, where the Agha sat as chief. Next to him sat the Caya and the grand Hogi (that is secretary), paying the soldiers [the janissaries].

After due courtesies passed, they assured me not only of all justice but also favor, and caused a proclamation to be made much to my advantage and to secure us from the abuse of those barbarous people, and in every respect they made more demonstration then could be expected of their good intentions towards me.

On the 19^th day of February, the General of the ships [i.e., the head of the Taifa, the council of corsair captains] visited me.

On the 20^th day, the Caya (the Governor) of Salé (who was in Algiers) feasted me.

On the 21^st day, the General of the ships feasted me.

On the 22^nd and 23^rd days, many Captains and principal men of the town visited me.

On the 24^th day, I came again before the Duana, and the Pasha came down thither on purpose and caused me to sit by him (an honor which they did not bestow upon the French Ambassador when he was there not long before), and then they all swore solemnly that they would religiously observe the capitulations, and that private wrongs done to any of their men at sea by our men should not be righted by them upon our Consul or merchants here, but instead complaint should be made to the King of England.

They deferred further discourse till a day that should speedily be appointed to have wrongs debated on both sides.

On the 26^th day, I went aboard my ships to see if they were cleansed fully and other things done to them as I had ordered.

The 2^nd day of March, I went to the Pasha to intimate to him the wrongs that our subjects had received by theirs, and to desire rectification of all things past. In this business, I did the more willingly interest myself because of the danger that Mr. Frizell, our Consul there, had lately been in, for not six weeks before my coming, he was brought out to be burned at the stake and barely escaped, and would be again in such danger after my departure if I left not things settled. I also had hopes that I might weave into the treaty the liberty of the English captives there, of which there were about 40 or 50.

Moreover, I had private intelligence that the French were attempting to negotiate a peace with Algiers, with the intention to joining with them to overthrow the English trade in the Mediterranean, and the settling of our peace would overthrow theirs.

However, the Pasha told me that within 4 or 5 days, a military force was to be dispatched for Tunis (against which they sent an army of 15,000 men), and till then it would not be seasonable to treat with them. So I left soliciting it in public, and instead all that while I negotiated privately to prepare the persons that were of most authority.

On the 6^th day of March, I went aboard my ship to take order for the suppressing of a design that some of the men in my Vice Admiral [the second ship in Digby’s fleet] had plotted: to board a ship that was bound for Livorno on the night of her departure, when her sails were brought out to her [the sails and rudders of all European ships in the Algiers harbor were confiscated and held until the day of departure], and so to steal her away.

Upon due examination, I found that one Carleigh (who had been purser on the Vice Admiral, and who, for his dishonesty, had been lately turned out of his place) was the plotter and persuader of this scheme. I laid him in chains for future punishment, and after a public reprehension and admonition, I pardoned the rest.

The 12^th day (the army having departed for Tunis), the Duana met at my solicitation, and their 2 Muftis and Cadies (which are as their Bishops and Chief Justices) were called as assistants. To them, my propositions were as follows.

That they would confirm all that was agreed on by them in the Articles and Capitulations of the Peace made Anno 1622.

That when their subjects received loses by ours at sea, they do not seek satisfaction upon our merchants, but in a legal manner inform our King of it, and ask justice of him.

That they permit our ships to come into their port and go freely at their own will, and that they take not their sails from them.

That our ships of war may come freely hither, and bring their prizes, and pay nothing but such dues as belong to the state for what they sell by way of merchandise.

That satisfaction be made for the wrongs they have done us.

That, upon the fulfillment of all this, I might also take away with me the English captives there.

The Pasha, Muftis, Cadis, and Duana answered that these propositions seemed reasonable to them, but they appointed another day to give their final resolution therein, and for the present some of their captains that had been injured by our men at sea demanded justice against the English Consul, who had previously obliged himself to give satisfaction to one of them within 8 months, if in that time they had not satisfaction from England. Now the 8 months, and 8 more, were expired. At my entreaty, however, they gave him 10 months more respite to inform our King and council to have redress therein, and all the rest they referred to another day.

After many meetings in Duana, as well as private negotiations, they dispatched me away with full satisfaction: they swore to the observation of the capitulations, they promised to repay a great sum of money that the last Pasha had taken from Mr. Frizell, and to restore 3 prizes taken by some captains of theirs from my lord of Warwick, and they wrote in a fair manner to the King for redress of wrongs done to them. They also gave safe conducts for any English ships of war or their prizes to come in with all freedom without paying any extraordinary duties, and to victuals there.

Lastly, they gave me leave to carry away all the English captives that remained there (which were near 50), paying only the money they cost their patrons, which formerly could not be effected, for these were the best and the usefullest men they had, gunners, carpenters, and pilots.

On the 25 the day of March, 1628, I came aboard my ship, having dispatched all my business on shore, and together with the Consul, dispatched away Mr. Vernon for England with the Pasha’s and the Duana’s letters to the King, giving also to him a written account to be handed to Sir John Cooke, Secretary of State, of what had passed here.

On the 27^th day, about 3 of the clock in the afternoon, I weighed anchor and set sail with a faire westerly wind, having agreed with my Vice Admiral to visit the east side of Majorca, and so to Minorca, and to go thence from there to the Isles of Yeres to seek for a settee [a type of small ship], the want of which I felt very much.

And so ends Sir Kenelm Digby’s narrative of his time in Algiers.

It’s hard to know how accurate (or how credible) his account is. The story he tells is one of a continuing series of successes, with no setbacks, no unexpected problems or complications… only triumphs.

It all seems too good to be true.

It likely is.

But Digby did successfully get his ships refitted and his crews replenished, did negotiate with the Pasha and the Divan regarding the treaty with England, did free a sizeable number of English captives, and did get out alive with his fleet intact.

The process was likely a lot more complicated and exhausting than he let on, but Digby managed surprisingly well for somebody who had never been to Algiers before.

But then Digby had a resource he never explicitly refers to in his narrative: money. He came from a wealthy family, remember, and when he set out on this privateering expedition, he took along a large amount of cash. The secret to his success in Algiers was likely that he distributed lavish bribes to the various negotiating parties—and he liberated the English captives by paying their ransoms with his own money.

In Algiers (as in many places) money talked.

________________________

For those who may be interested…

This part of Sir Kenelm Digby’s narrative comes from Journal of a Voyage into the Mediterranean by Sir Kenelm Digby, A.D. 1628, edited by John Bruce, published in 1868, pages 16-19. I have lightly edited the original text and modernized both the spelling and vocabulary to make it more accessible.