THe Earl of Sandwich Admiral of the English Fleet having made sail to Ali­cant in Spain, stayed some few dayes there, to take in fresh waters and other necessaries, on the 7th. of August last past, set thence forward again with the whole Fleet, which being arrived afore Algiers with a forrable wind, his Lordship sent to the Gover­nour of the place to give him notice of his arrival, desiring that the English Consul with some Deputies might be sent on board of him, to whom his Lord­ship would intimate the cause of his coming thither. Those of Algiers on the 14. sent accordingly their Deputies and the English Consul on board of the Admiral, desiring to know his Lordships intentions, who after a short rehearsal to them of the agreement and Peace formerly made betwixt the Government [Page 4] of England and that of Algiers, wherein it was par­ticularly agreed that no English ships at Sea should be molested by any men of war, or vessels of Algier, gave them likewise to understand, that of late the above-mentioned agreement had been in many wayes by them violated, navigation disturbed, ships taken from the Subjects of England, and many an English man made slave by them; Which agreement, though so highly infringed, his Lordship neverthe­lesse proffered to be renewed and confirmed by him upon condition, that the Government of Algiers should be obliged to repair the losses and dammages the English Nation had suffered, and to restore the Ships, Merchandizes, and all English they had made slaves, and henceforth not to molest any English ship, or to search it, to take away and commodities or people out of them, or, that in default thereof his Lordship had orders to denounce a war to them.

The Deputies having understood his Lordships desire, promised to make a report thereof to the Government, and to return their answer without fail on the fifteenth.

On the 13th. three other Deputies came back to the English Fleet, where a Council of war being cal­led together, they declared that they thought them­selves not at all obliged to restore to the King of England either ships, or goods, or slaves, and parti­cularly that the before-mentioned agreement by the death of Cromwell was become void and null, during whose Government they had not in the least indam­maged the English Nation, and should not now have offered any thing against them, if not the last Admi­ral of England, who had agreed with them upon [Page 5] more particular conditions, had voluntarily con­sented to the searching of English ships, whom those of Algiers could meet at Sea, and the taking out of them any goods belonging to other Nations, toge­ther with the People subject to other forreign Prin­ces or States their pretended Enemies; Common reason therefore did sufficiently dictate, that not onely such goods and persons were lawful prize, but likewise ship and all, for according to the tenets of their Alcoran they counted all those friends ene­mies who gave the least assistance to their enemies, so that they would maintain they had not violated the Agreement made with Cromwell, but the English them­selves, who countenanced and transported their ene­mies over Sea to the great prejudice of those who were to pursue them. Concerning the Admirals threats they did not greatly value them, adding, that in regard it was against the custom of the Go­vernment of Algiers, that a fleet of men of war should come into their road, and afore their City, to the slighting of the respect due to an ever victorious Turkish Emperour, it would be proper for the English Admiral to depart thence with his whole Fleet with­in three hours, otherwise they in the name of the Grand Seignior and their Government declared him Enemy.

This insolent Answer was not well relished by his Lordship, nor the Officers of the Fleet, who resolved to reduce this nest of Pyrates (being grown to that heighth of pride by their good successes against the Christians) either by fair or forcible means to rea­son, and to give satisfaction to the demands of his Majesty the King of Great Brittain.

[Page 6] The Deputies thereupon returned back to the City, but his Lordship not to loose any time, gave immediately orders for attaining the Enemy, espe­cially for the firing and ruining of 30 of their best Pyrate ships. His Lordship himself undertook to batter the Castle with the Cannon of his ship, with 6 others, the rest were divided in two Squadrons, who were to ply upon the City, to frighten the People within, as in effect they did; But the wind turning Northward hindred the resolution taken, viz. to destroy all the Pyrate ships, for the English against their will and orders were by the wind forced too near the shore, that they could not mannage their ships as they ought, which caused them for the pre­sent to give over the enterprize, receiving no grea­ter hurt then the disabling of two Frigots, which were sent to Spain to be there repaired. The wind continued still tempestuous that day and the follow­ing, which gave the Infidels in the City much time and opportunity to put themselves into a better po­sture of defence. On the sixteenth at night the wind came fair again, which no sooner perceived, but the English Admiral gave order for a second at­tempt, dividing the Fleet into several Squadrons, with five great fire-ships, and some ten or twelve rowing sloopes, full of fire-works and burning ma­terials, to row under the force of the smoak to the Ships and Galleys of the Enemy, and if possible, to set them on fire. On the seventeenth in the mor­ning at break of day, the English Fleet began again to pour broad-sides from all the Ships upon the Castle, for the wind was so favourable, that all the Frigots each after another passing and repassing pre­sently [Page 7] fired, which caused the Enemy within to fire all the Cannon of the Castle at once upon each single Ship, but if more together to fire but once or twice at them; This plying to and fro of the English Frigots, and continual firing upon the City, lasted 4. whole hours, until the Walls were battered all in pieces, and dismounted of all the Cannon which be­fore indangered the English ships, who had 60. men killed, and five ships very much torn and disabled. The Castle being thus dismantled, the Fleet carrying the afore-mentioned fire-ships in the midst, set di­rectly upon the ships of the Infidels, on which having bravely fired of all sides with much advantage from the wind, 18. Capital Ships of the Enemy were within a few hours wholly destroyed, which was most formidable to behold, not so much for the ships sake or the Infidels that were in them, but for the lamentation and out-cry of the Christian slaves who were likewise there, of whom yet 1100. were saved by the sloopes and boats that went to fish them out of the water, and more might have been saved, but as the powder within the Turkish Ships took fire, it gave such a terrible report that it was not possible to come near them; Besides there 18 Ships three of the best Gallyes are likewise with men and all burnt and sent into the Air, the rest of the Ships had timely weighed Anchor and run close ashore, where the Turks had cast up a small Retrenchment guarded with 28. pieces of Ordnance, to dispute the English their landing. This Enterprize being after nine hours work happily finished, the Fleet in the after­noon again began to fire upon the City, and conti­nued so effectually until the eighteenth at night, that [Page 8] according to the report of a slave that had made his escape, more then half the Town was battered down, and the People within extreamly much affrighted. The Lord Admiral intended on the 19th. at night to destroy likewise with his fire-ships the remainder of the Turkish Ships, or to fire them with his Cannon, being moreover resolved not to make any agreement till all the Slaves were set at liberty. The effect whereof, and other particulars, we may expect by the first conveniency.