ndeavoured to excuse himself, but his
subjects had undoubtedly bought the illegal prizes, and at last, to
avoid the threatened consequences of refusal, he sent the money demanded
on board, twenty thousand pistoles, "which," as the admiral observed,
"was probably the first cash which had ever been transferred from the
Papal coffers to the treasury of England."

This was not the only satisfactory task performed by our admiral. He
wrote to the Grand Duke, urging him in forcible terms to permit the
English and other Protestants settled in his domains liberty to keep the
Bible in their houses, and to follow their own form of worship, a
privilege which had hitherto been denied them.

While we lay off Leghorn two Algerine cruisers came in with a flag of
truce, bringing a number of English captives liberated by the Dey in
order to appease the wrath of the English.

"It is well," said our admiral, as he received the liberated persons;
"but let the Dey understand while an Englishman remains in bonds I shall
not be content."

Lancelot and I eagerly questioned the freed captives, in the hopes of
possibly gaining information about our friends; but they replied that
the distance between the two States was so great that they were aware
only of the fact that many English were held captive in Tunis. The
admiral had from the first promised that he would pay that pirate city a
visit, and use every means to discover and liberate our friends. We now
hoped that he would without delay carry out his intention. But another
disappointment occurred. Just as we were about to sail, the plague
brought from the Levant broke out on board, and the admiral himself was
stricken down by the fell disease. Others suffered, and for many weeks,
until the admiral recovered, we were unable to sail.

Although with the cold of winter the disease disappeared, a storm kept
us still longer at anchor; but at length the wind proving favourable we
sailed for Tunis, and ere long came in sight of its two powerful castles
of Goletta and Porto Ferino. Bringing up beyond reach of their guns,
the admiral despatched a messenger to the Dey, demanding the release of
all prisoners and the restoration of the numerous prizes lately
captured, or their value if destroyed.

The Dey in return sent an envoy on board the _Saint George_, who, though
he professed to wish for peace, declared that his master would not give
up the prizes.

While negotiations were going on, we