THE VIEW FROM THE OTHER SHORE – Corsairs & Captives

Most of the posts in this blog relate the experiences of Europeans. To a large extent, this is because there is a lot more written material from European sources than from North African Muslim sources.

There are some North African sources available, though. This week, we’ll look at some excerpts from one.

It is a travel journal written by Abu Hassan ‘Al ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Ali Muhannad al-Tamjruti. In the late 1580s to very early 1590s, al-Tamjruti traveled from Moroccan to Istanbul—where he served as an ambassador for the Moroccan Sultan Ahmad al-Mansour—and back.

From the late sixteenth to the early nineteenth centuries, Europeans who sailed the Mediterranean faced a serious risk of being attacked and captured by Barbary corsairs. The same degree of risk held for North African Muslims sailing the Mediterranean—though in their case it was the risk of being attacked and captured by Europeans.

Here is a series of excerpts from al-Tamjruti’s travel journal that reveal how real that risk was.

On August 13, 1589, we left Tetouan by sea. As we sailed, the waves rose against us, the winds blew, and the sea became turbulent, and remained so until the end of the day. After great difficulty, we cast anchor at Tergha, about twenty-four miles from Tetouan. The captain said that we had to reduce the number of passengers lest the ship sink. So he released a group of passengers, including some of our servants. We allowed that for their own safety.

We then sailed to the port of Badis, the ship unstable, rocking left to right. So the captain rearranged the cargo until the ships steadied in the water. At night we sailed past the island of Badis, where there are Christians, may God destroy them. We continued on near Fourk (Cap de Trois Forches), a rectangular mountain protruding into the sea. It is a frightening spot because fishermen from among the Christians and Muslim mariners, who are called in their own language qarasin (corsairs), lurk there. They seize whomever they find of their weak enemies, and ships are often taken there.

To the east was Melilla, a city controlled by the Christians today, may God return it to Islam. We docked among the islands of Malwiyya, three islands near each other, where the river Moulouya flows into the sea. There, we stayed two days, delayed by a strong easterly wind that turned up the waves of the sea. The inhabitants of Tetouan told us that the Christians, may God destroy them, followed us in eight ships from Ceuta. But God defeated them and sent them back empty-handed because of this eastern wind, which enabled us to escape them, God be praised. We were told this after we had returned.

We cast anchor near Hanin, a walled city that is desolate today. Nothing remained there except its wall, its mosque, and some fig trees. We left it and passed by the city of Oran, which is controlled by Christians, may God destroy them and return it to Islam…

We left Tunis and passed Ras Adar (Cap Bôn), the mountains stretching out into the sea. It is quite frightening because Christians lurk there and capture ships, sailing out from the nearby islands of Malta and Sicily. Sailors say in the dialect of Tunis that he who passes by Ras Adar, let him prepare the ransom money at home, or something close to this…

We traveled to Monastir, very near Sousse, actually visible from it. In the past, it used to be a flourishing city, with scholars and seekers of knowledge. It has a ribat, designed for the learned, just like an educational institution. It is spacious and octagonal in shape and includes mosques for prayer, student housing, and large book depositories.

In the distant past, it used to be a residence for scholars and students and was supported by many charitable foundations from every city in Africa and al-Andalus. Food and subsidies were sent to it to cover the expenses of the students. In recent times, however, the ribat has fallen into disrepair. It is still the most fortified spot in the city, however, and whenever Christians attack from the sea, the inhabitants seek shelter inside it, where they hide their children…

We first cited the Turkish mainland on the evening of Wednesday. The captain had hoped to see land in the morning. When he did not, he became despondent and anxious. Afraid, he kept on standing and sitting, fearing that he might have miscalculated and an easterly wind would rise from the land and push the ship backward, which was certain perdition, or cast it onto the land of the enemy. He was brought lunch, but could not eat. He sent everyone he knew who had sharp eyesight up the mast to look for land, until a Turk saw it and called out from the top of the mast.

The passengers on the ship broke out in joy and hope and congratulated the one who had had the first sighting of land. The captain then said, “Bring me my food. I will eat now.” By the end of the third part of the night, we reached land and cast or anchor in the port of Modon…

The two ships in which we sailed returned from Algiers to Istanbul carrying large sums of money, the tax revenue, and gifts to the Sultan, the vizier, the captain, and others. They also carried merchants, ammunition for soldiers, and other things. Many Muslims sailed in them, including the judge of the city, with all his possessions, wives, and children, along with merchants, pilgrims, and others. After they had sailed for a night, the renegade slaves and their captains along with the Christian rowers and other Christians attacked and killed the ship captains and all who resisted from among the Muslims. Some Muslims hurled themselves into the sea, some of whom swam to safety while others drowned. The Christians sailed in the two ships to their countries, seizing the money, women, and children, and all the Muslim men who surrendered and who had neither fought nor thrown themselves overboard.

A man who was knowledgeable about the affairs of the pasha, the ruler of the city, told us that he had lost a thousand thousand mithqals. Another said that he lost 18 gold quintals, not including jewelry, clothing, merchandise, carpets, and Christian slaves. There was great lamentation in every house in Algiers because of what had happened to Muslim property and persons.

Some time later, captain Arn’ut returned, having been away corsairing off Christian coasts. He had captured eight ships and eighteen Christians from the two ships that had been taken.

The Christians reported how they had sailed back to their country on the captured ships. They explained that when they reached Christian lands, they divided the booty, each taking a thousand mithqals, after leaving 20,000 mithqals as offering to their church. They reported that they had planned on their perfidy and assault while they were on the ship with us, before reaching Algiers. The reason that they delayed their attack was that they deliberated, and one said, “The two ships are carrying people only. Wait until they return from Algiers, carrying money and ammunition.”

And so it was. The Istanbul captains are stupid and careless. Nothing like this has ever happened to the Algiers captains.

These excerpts from al-Tamjruti’s travel journal come from Europe Through Arab Eyes, 1578-1727, by Nabil Matar, pp. 149-157.

Europe Through Arab Eyes is a fascinating book—well worth reading if you’re at all interested in the view from the other shore (so to speak) of the Mediterranean.