iles
around. Flaming fragments rose and fell, and then all was profound
darkness again. Somers and his companions were never heard of. They
probably perished by the premature explosion of the mine.

Soon after this, Preble, who had done excellent service in the
Mediterranean, was relieved by the arrival of Commodore Barron, prepared
to carry on the war with Tripoli vigorously, but it was ended by treaty
early the next year.

The ruler of Tunis was yet insolent, but the appearance of an American
squadron of thirteen vessels before his capital soon so humbled him that
he sued for peace and made a treaty. A small American naval force was
kept in the Mediterranean, and for several years the Barbary powers kept
their hands off American commerce.

At the close of the war of 1812-15, the Dey of Algiers, believing the
British navy had utterly destroyed that of the United States, sent out
his corsairs to depredate on our commerce. Determined not to pay tribute
or longer endure his insolence, the United States accepted the Dey's
challenge to war, and sent Commodore Decatur with a small squadron to
humble him. Decatur sailed in May, 1815, and as soon as he entered the
Mediterranean he found the Algerine pirate fleet cruising in search of
American vessels. In June he captured the flag-ship of the Algerine
Admiral and another corsair, with six hundred men. With these he entered
the harbor of Algiers, and demanded the instant surrender of all
American captives in the hands of the Dey, payment in full for all
American property destroyed by his forces, and the relinquishment of all
claims to tribute from the United States thereafter. The terrified ruler
hastened to comply. Obeying the summons of the Commodore, he appeared on
the deck of the _Guerriere_ (the flag-ship), with his civil officers and
the captives. Having complied with all demands, the Dey left the vessel
in deep humiliation.

Decatur now sailed for Tunis, and demanded and received of its
frightened ruler $46,000, in payment for American vessels which he had
allowed the British to capture in his harbor. Then the Commodore went to
Tripoli, and summoned the Bashaw, or Governor, before him. He demanded
$25,000 of him for similar injuries. The Tripolitan treasury was empty,
and Decatur accepted, in place of cash, eight Danish and two Neapolitan
captives held by the Bashaw.

This cruise of a little American squadron in the Mediterranean Sea in
the summer of 1815, and its r