unnaturally incensed at finding
themselves cheated by means of their own passes. "As for the
Flemings," complained the Corsairs, "they are a good people enough,
never deny us anything, nor are they worse than their word, like the
French; but they certainly play foul tricks upon us, in selling their
passes to other infidels: For ever since we made peace with them, we
rarely light on either Swede, Dane, Hamburgher, &c. All have Dutch
complexions; all Dutch passes; all call each other _Hans, Hans_, and
all say _Yaw, Yaw!_"

Many of these counterfeit allies carried English seamen, and such, not
being under their own colours, were liable to be detained in slavery.
So numerous was this class of captives that, although in 1694 it was
reported that no Englishmen captured under the British flag remained
in slavery in Algiers, there was ample application soon afterwards for
Betton's beneficial bequest of over L21,000 for the purpose of
ransoming British captives.

Expedition after expedition was sent to argue, to remonstrate, to
threaten, with literally no result. Ambassador after ambassador came
and went, and made useless treaties, and still the Algerines
maintained the preposterous _right to search British vessels_ at sea,
and take from them foreigners and goods. Sir Robert Mansell first
arrived in 1620 with eighteen ships and five hundred guns, manned by
2,600 men; and accomplished nothing. As soon as they turned their
backs the pirates took forty British ships. Sir Thomas Roe made a
treaty, which turned out to be waste paper. Blake frightened the
Corsairs for the moment. The Earl of Winchelsea, in 1660, admitted the
right of search. Lord Sandwich in the following year cannonaded
Algiers without result from a safe distance. Four times Sir Thomas
Allen brought his squadron into the bay, and four times sailed he out,
having gained half his purpose, and twice his desert of insult: "These
men," cried 'Ali Aga, "talk as if they were drunk, and would force us
to restore their subjects whether they will or no! Bid them
begone."[89] The only satisfactory event to be reported after fifty
years of fruitless expeditions is Sir E. Spragg's attack on the
Algerine fleet, beached under the guns of Buj[=e]ya: like Blake, he
sent in a fireship and burnt the whole squadron. Whereupon the
Janissaries rose in consternation, murdered their Aga, and, carrying
his head to the Palace, insisted on peace with England.

It was a very temporary disp