THE FEMALE CAPTIVE – PART 13 – Corsairs & Captives

This week, we continue with the narrative of Elizabeth Marsh. In last week’s post, Ms. Marsh and her companions had reached Safi, on the Atlantic coast of Morocco, where, by the Sultan’s command, they were forced to stay. Marsh was worried the Sultan might call her back to Morocco (Marrakech). To add to her unease, the local British merchant (Mr. Court) who had been their advisor and guide was called away. She had just received this news at the end of last week’s installment.

We take up the story from there.

When Mr. Court came to take his leave of us, he assured me that he had been some time with Mr. Andrews and had recommended me to his care and protection in order to prevent, if possible, by their united endeavors, my return to Morocco.

Upon this, he embraced my friend and me, sending up to Heaven a heart-felt wish for our speedy deliverance out of captivity. And then he departed from us with all expedition.

Though I was exceedingly distressed by such a cruel separation, I still relied upon Divine Providence for support in all my afflictions.

We now received an unexpected visit from Juan Arvona, the Minorquin slave, who had been dispatched from Morocco to guard some Spanish bulldogs, which the Friars residing in Safi had ordered to be sent from Cadiz as a present to his Imperial Highness. Arvona, in my hearing, told my friend, in Minorquin, that the Sultan was very anxious, on account of my health, that he had called upon Arvona in the middle of the night in order to talk with him concerning me, and that he frequently said that he would have me again in Morocco because Safi did not agree with my constitution.

Arvona added, that he much feared his Highness’s resolution to permit me to leave Barbary would not continue much longer, despite his assurance on this matter the day I left Morocco. The reason for Arvona’s apprehensions was that the Sultan, being asked if he would not fee the fair Christian before her departure, after a pause, replied, “No, for I may still wish to detain her.”

This honest slave promised to keep us informed regarding what passed at the Palace, and then he set out to return to Morocco.

Arvona was no sooner gone than I acquainted my friend with the fact that I had overheard their conversation, and that this gave me the greatest uneasiness.

My friend, though equally concerned, entreated me to be as easy as possible, assuring me that he would spare no pains to lighten my afflictions and undergo any torments rather than see me returned to the Sultan.

At this time. another post came in, but it brought no letters from my family. This greatly increased my unease, for I dreaded that my mail was being intercepted, for then my captors would discover my real name and my situation with regards to my friend.

At this juncture, Mr. Andrews introduced to me a Swedish Merchant of Safi who informed me that he could, with certainty, affirm that an English Admiral had arrived at the Garrison of Gibraltar, and that he had ordered that a Man of War should be dispatched to demand us.

This agreeable information, however, gained little credit with me, for I was becoming accustomed to this sort of deception and inured to disappointment.

A little after this, some friars, who had been for a time in Safi, for the benefit of the slaves, desired to be admitted to see me, as they were going to return to the garrison. The senior-most among them encouraged us to cheerfully submit to the Divine Will. He likewise assured me that he would see my family as soon as possible after his arrival.

I observed that one of his companions delivered a letter to my friend, whose countenance was extremely altered by the reading thereof. When the friars had departed, I desired to know the letter’s contents, as I was very certain it came from Morocco.

I found it, however, a difficult matter to persuade my friend to grant my request.

He relented, finally, and told me that the letter came from Arvona, and that it carried news that a Moor of some consequence (an enemy to the English) would shortly be sent by his Imperial Highness to Safi. It appeared from his manner of writing that Arvona was concerned for my preservation, for he entreated my friend to be particularly attentive to the most effectual means of securing my safety.

This advice, however, was unnecessary, for the most affectionate parent could not have been more tenderly careful of me than my friend had ever been on all occasions.

I endeavored to conceal my apprehensions, but Arvona’s letter was never out of my mind and produced many melancholy reflections, which almost deprived me of hope.

A few days after this, a ship arrived from Holland bringing two gentlemen who, as soon as they heard of my distress, paid a visit to me. One of them was a merchant who had formerly resided in Santa Cruz. He was going, with his companion, to Morocco, to solicit the favor and protection of the Sultan in order to reestablish a house in that city.

The Gentleman, had, it was reported, formerly traded with great success in this place, and, to the surprise of all, the prospect of adding yet more to his fortune had so strange an effect upon him that the constant difficulties a Christian was exposed to in that country were treated by him as matters of no importance of consideration.

These gentlemen informed me that they had heard that a messenger had arrived from Morocco whose aversion to the English was implacable. They advised me to keep to my chamber, since it was generally believed that this messenger had been sent by his Royal Highness to look into the conduct of my friend and me.

I was greatly obliged to them for this information, but the effect of it was to increase my fears and uncertainty, for if the true nature of the relation between my friend and me was uncovered, I would be lost.

For those who may be interested, the above excerpt comes from pages 87 – 118 of Volume 2 of the 1766 edition of Elisabeth Marsh’s The Female Captive: A Narrative of Facts Which Happened in Barbary in the Year 1756, Written by Herself.

As with previous weeks’ excerpts, I have taken some editorial license and revised (and in this extract slightly abridged) Marsh’s original text to make it more accessible for modern casual readers.