eing their second attempt at escape.

Meanwhile circumstances were transpiring which gave a new turn to the
state of affairs in the pirate city.

We have elsewhere remarked on the amazing fact that the great powers of
Europe and America tolerated the system of barefaced piracy which was
carried on by the Algerines against all nations that did not pay them
"black-mail," but it must not be supposed that this disgraceful
submission was the result of fear or of indifference. The truth is,
that the great powers were so busily engaged in throttling each other
that they had no time to give proper attention to the Algerine wasps
that stung them, and the wasps themselves were so besottedly ignorant of
European affairs and of their own relative insignificance, so puffed up
indeed by their supposed greatness--a delusion which was shamefully
fostered by the action towards them of the great powers themselves--that
they wilfully proceeded to extremities which a very little knowledge of
other nations would have convinced them was the certain way to bring
about their own ruin. The immense sums raised year after year by
various European nations, and given to the pirates for the redemption of
thousands of Christian slaves, proved that they were not indifferent to
the scourge of the Mediterranean. (See Note 1.)

But in the midst of this disgraceful forbearance of the nations, there
was an occasional growl from one and another, and a fierce side-glance
at the wasps, which might have let them see that their nest was in
danger.

For instance, in 1804 Admiral Nelson menaced the town with a large
fleet, and not long afterwards the Americans absolutely declined to pay
their "black-mail," and sent a squadron to procure, or, if need were, to
compel a favourable treaty of peace with the Algerines. Other clouds
arose here and there and overhung the doomed city, but the infatuated
pirates remained blind as bats and insolent as monkeys.

Thus matters stood when the Dey Omar ascended the throne, and for some
time afterwards.

One morning the English consul was summoned to attend the divan of the
Dey, in connexion with a vessel which had lately been brought in as a
prize by one of the Algerine corsairs.

The consul had previously presented himself at Court--as did all the
other consuls--to pay his respects to the new Dey, and on a subsequent
occasion had made an effort to press a point which had always been a
matter of deep interest with hi