and their high mightineffes, in cafe of a marine war, or that France fhall meet with any hoftilities by fea, shall furnish fix fhips of the lin“, and three frigates; and in cafe of an attack upon the territory of France, the states general shall have the option of furnishing their, land contingent as they like, either in money or troops, at the estimate of 5,000 infantry, and 1,000 cavalry-The power which furnishes the fuccours, whether in fhips or men, shall pay and support them, wherever they may be employed, or for whatever time, by the ally, and to be entirely at his difpofal during the war, being immediately fubject to their own chief, but in all operations under the commander in chief of the requiring party; and while the auxiliaries remain in the ports or country of the requiring party, they are to be fupplied with provifions and neceffaries upon the fame terms with his own fhips and troops. The contracting parties, as foon as either of them have furnished the ftipulated fupply, are bound to keep an equal number of fhips and frigates armed, and in conftant readiness, to replace fuch as may be loft by the accidents of war or fea. If the ftipulated fuccours fhould be infufficient for the defence of the requiring party, or for the purpofe of procuring a proper peace, they shall be augmented as the neceffity may require; nay, they fhall affift each other with all their forces, if neceffary; it being, however, agreed, that the contingent of troops to be furnished by the ftates general fhall not exceed 20,000 infantry, and 4,000 cavalry, and that they are in all cafes to preferve the option, of furnishing money in the place of land forces.

In the case of a naval war, in which neither of the parties are directly concerned, they fhall mutually guarantee to each other the liberty of the feas, &c. &c.—If either party is engaged in a war, in which the other thall be obliged to take a direct part, they fhall concert together the most effectual means of annoying the enemy, and oblige him to make peace; and neither of them shall have power 10 difarm, to make or receive propofals of peace or truce, without the confent of the other; and if a negociation fhall be opened, it thall not be begun and followed by either of the parties, without the participation of the other, and they shall make each other acquainted with all that paffes in the faid negociation. They are mutually bound to keep their forces at all times.in good condition, and either party has a right to require and obtain from the other whatever fatisfaction it may think neceffary respect ing the fate of its military, and means of defence-Both parties fhall faithfully communicate to each other thofe engagements which fubfift between them and other powers of Europe, which are to remain untouched; and they promife not to cantract any future alliance or engage ment whatever, which shall be direaly or indirectly contrary to the prefent treaty.

To cement the union ftill more ftrongly, a treaty of commerce is ftipulated, by which the subjects on either fide are to be treated and confidered by the other as the most favoured nation. And, by one of the feparate articles of the prefent, it is Ripulated, that both parties fhall, as much as poffible, further their mutual profperity and advans.

tage,

tage, by rendering each other every affiftance, both in counsel and fuccour, upon all occafions, and not agree to any treaties or negociations which may be detrimental to each other, but shall give notice of any fuch negociations, c. as foon as they are propofed. As the parties were at liberty to invite fuch other powers as they thought neceffary to join in this treaty, it is evident that Holland may be confidered as virtually bound to become a party to the Bourbon family-compact, in its full extent.

Such are the unexpected revolutions which take place in the conduct and actions of states as well as of individuals. All the fyftems of policy which had been pursued for two centuries by the maritime powers in the fupport of a balance of power, all the conventions, treaties, and ties of union between them, founded upon the feemingly unfailing principles of a common intereft, common views, common reli gion, foreign danger, and common defence, were now at once done away and diffolved.

We paffed over the Spanish expedition against Algiers in the year 1784, as its infertion would then have interrupted the order of our narrative, in the recital of affairs which were of far greater general intereft and concern. The little advantage that had been produced by former expeditious was not fufficient to deter the court of Madrid from farther attempts of the fame nature; and it seemed as if the animofity was fo inveterate, that the annual attacks on the one fide were to be renewed, and the deftructive piratical war on the other perpetuated, during their mutual exift

ence.

The effect hitherto produced by thefe repeated attacks on the fide of

Spain, had indeed been very unfavourable to all the Christian states bordering upon the Mediterranean. Their ill fuccefs ferved at once to increafe, in a very extraordinary degree, the confidence, fiercenefs, and cruelty of the barbarians, and while they excited their adventure and revenge, inspired them with no fmall contempt of the courage and military prowefs of their enemies. Their land forces, now inured to war, had learned to withstand regular attacks with firmness, and to make light of the burfting of fhells, and the roar of cannon; they had likewife procured good engineers, lined their coafts with batteries, and covered them with a powerful artillery.

On the other hand, while they fpared no pains or expence in providing for fecurity at home, their hoftile exertions, both in the Ocean and the Mediterranean, went far beyond any thing that had been known fince the days of the Barbaroffas, whether with respect to enterprize, courage, or effect; and differed only from the boldest enterprizes of thofe tyrants of the fea, in their being unmixed and purely naval, and the force not being in any degree, or at leaft in any given point, fo vaft. The improvements in their marine, in the conftruction and working of their veffels, notwithftanding the aids which they derived from European artificers in building, and renegadoes in manning them, was not a little aftonithing. The Algerine corfairs were now built upon the model of the beft European frigates; and the defperate intrepidity with which, under whatever difparity of force, they fought them to the very latt extremity, with the ikill and address which they difplayed in action,

would

would not have difgraced the flag of any maritime power whatever. Indeed it feemed neceffary that their. cruelty fhould prevent the admiration excited by their courage, and that their being pirates huld prevent their actions from being confidered as heroic.

Spain, along with her own great preparation, thought it neceffary now to call in the affiftance of fuch of her friends and neighbours, as

were from fituation in circumftances fimilar to her own Portugal and Naples were not lefs interefted in quelling the rapacity of that neft of pirates than herself; and Malta embarked profeffionally in all fuch enterprizes. The Venetians, indeed, were already engaged in a war with Tunis; and had for fome time been farther involved in a very troublefome difpute with their younger fifter, the republic of Holland; which, though proceeding only from a private mercantile, or pecuniary tranfaction of no great value, had been conducted with fuch a temper on both fides, as more than once threatened the moft ferious confequences.

a

The combined armament mounted to above 130 fail, compofed of the fame orders of veflels which we have heretofore defcribed; and it was computed, that more than 16,000 feamen were employed in their equipment. The fhips of the line, for pro ecting and covering the attacks, were more numerous, and of a greater bulk and weight of metal than in the former expedition; the rates rif ing from fixty-four, to more than eighty guns. Of these, four were Spanish, two Maltefe, one Sicilian, and two Portuguefe. Three Maltefe gallies, and an equal number of Spanish, were very full of men,

their complement (the flaves we prefume included) being little fhort of 600 each. The boats for guns, mortars, and howitzers, were entirely Spanish, and amounted to 71. Th Neapolitans and Maltefe furnished a proportion of the other veffels. The condu&t of this enterprize, as of the former, was con mitted to admiral Don Antonio Barcelo.

The armament arri

July 9th, ved before Algiers ear1784 lier than in the preceding year, and the firft attack took place three days after. The Algerines were in a much more formidable fate of preparation than at any former period. They had not only adopted the Spanish method of conftructing gun-boats, to a number at leaft equal with thofe of the affailants, but feem to have improved on the model, for they are faid to have been ftronger and more effective. They did not, however, venture out to meet the combined armament, which feems to have been expected, but their hips, gallies, and boats, were drawn up with great judg ment, and in excellent order, at about half cannot thot distance, in the front of their forts and batteries, which were covered with a tremendous artillery.

The first attack was very violent, and fupported with the greateft vigour and courage for above ten hours; nor was the refiftance lefs fierce. Some boats were blown up on both fides, but more on that of the Algerines; the town was likewife fet on fire by the fhells, and continued to burn for fome hours. The damage, however, does not appear to have been very confiderable, and it was all that the town fuftained; for in feven fucceeding attacks which took place between

the

the 12th and the 21st of July, the combined forces were never able to approach near enough for the fhells to take effect, and are faid to have been in every one repulfed with lofs, and furioufly pursued by the Algerines, even under the cannon of the covering line of battle fhips. Immenfe quantities of powder were confumed, and of fhot and fhells expended on both fides, in the courfe of this frequent action; while the emulation between the different nations engaged in the combined armament, occafioned a continual display of the greateft valour. A knight of Malta, who commanded or fought in one of the gallies, declares in a letter, "that nothing could exceed the gallantry of the combined fleets, except the warlike fpirit of the "infidels." Though the enterprize neither was nor could be at., tended with the fuccefs that was wifhed or expected, yet it was generally acknowledged that the com. mander in chief, Don Antonio Barcelo, gained the highest applaufe and honour by his conduct and gallantry through its whole courfe.He even propofed, and ftrongly contended, notwithstanding the repeated failure which they had experienced, to make a final general attack, with a view of ftorming and forcing their way into the port; and to give the greater efficacy to the defign, intended to have gone himfelf on board one of the bomb

veifels; but in this he was oppofed by the uniform opinion of all the commanders, both natives and allies, who remonttrated against it, upon the greatnefs of the danger, and the little profpect there was of its producing any adequate effect.

It muft afford a grateful fatisfaction to every Englishman to find,

that even in this diftant enterprize, and in which we had no concern, the martial and naval renown of his country thould have been nobly fupported by the gallantry of an individual. Mr. Henry Vernon, nephew to the brave and once ce. lebrated admiral of that name, having ferved as a volunteer in this expedition, diftinguished himself with fuch marked enterprize, conduct, and gallantry, in all the most arduous occations which were afforded by the various attacks and retreats which took place in the fevere conflicts with this fierce ene. my, as to attract the notice and excite the admiration of all the com manders of the different nations prefent. In one of these he is faid to have faved the life of Don Barcelo, when the boat in which they both were was ftruck by a cannonfhot from one of the forts. And though he was wounded in the feventh attack, yet, in fo confpicuous a light was his valour and merit confidered, that it was intended he fhould command one of the two leading thips, which were to attempt forcing their way into the port, in the final attack proposed by Don Barcelo.

It being agreed in a council of war, that nothing farther could be attempted with any probability of fuccefs against the place, their ammunition likewife being nearly exhautted, and the weather becoming foul, it was determined to return to Spain. But before the neceffary preparations could be well made, fuch a tempeft came on in the night of the 22d of July, that the thips were obliged incontinently to put out to fea; and it was fuppofed that they left more than a hundred anchors and cables behind in taking their leave of Algiers.

CHAP.