, up to nearly the
close of the sixteenth century (but much more rarely afterwards) the
chiefs of the Corsairs and the governors were commonly drawn from
Christian lands. Some of them volunteered--and to the outlaws of
Europe the command of a Barbary galley was perhaps the only congenial
resort;--but most of them were captives seized as children, and torn
from their homes in some of the Corsairs' annual raids upon Corsica
and Sardinia and the Italian or Dalmatian coasts. Most of such
prisoners were condemned to menial and other labour, unless ransomed;
but the bolder and handsomer boys were often picked out by the
penetrating eye of the reis, and once chosen the young captive's
career was established.

"While the Christians with their galleys are at repose, sounding their
trumpets in the harbours, and very much at their ease regaling
themselves, passing the day and night in banqueting, cards, and dice,
the Corsairs at pleasure are traversing the east and west seas,
without the least fear or apprehension, as free and absolute
sovereigns thereof. Nay, they roam them up and down no otherwise than
do such as go in chase of hares for their diversion. They here snap up
a ship laden with gold and silver from India, and there another richly
fraught from Flanders; now they make prize of a vessel from England,
then of another from Portugal. Here they board and lead away one from
Venice, then one from Sicily, and a little further on they swoop down
upon others from Naples, Livorno, or Genoa, all of them abundantly
crammed with great and wonderful riches. And at other times carrying
with them as guides renegadoes (of which there are in Algiers vast
numbers of all Christian nations, nay, the generality of the Corsairs
are no other than renegadoes, and all of them exceedingly well
acquainted with the coasts of Christendom, and even within the land),
they very deliberately, even at noon-day, or indeed just when they
please, leap ashore, and walk on without the least dread, and advance
into the country, ten, twelve, or fifteen leagues or more; and the
poor Christians, thinking themselves secure, are surprised unawares;
many towns, villages, and farms sacked; and infinite numbers of souls,
men, women, children, and infants at the breast, dragged away into a
wretched captivity. With these miserable ruined people, loaded with
their own valuable substance, they retreat leisurely, with eyes full
of laughter and content, to their vessels. I