The army of the Bey, however, reassembled almost as quickly as it had dispersed ; and in July he was again able to take the field. On the 18th, the two armies approached each other ; and the advanced guards having met, the troops of Tunis began to fly in confusion. But a Greek slave having ventured to fire a cannon, the Algerines took the alarm, and retreated precipitately to their own camp. The Tu nisians having thereafter rallied, the two armies re mained all next day in sight of each other. In the evening, however, Soliman Kiaya, having gone up the mountains to reconnoitre with a small body of Cavalry, the Algerines began to dread, that an attempt was making to surround them ; upon which, the whole army broke up, and fled precipitately in every direc tion, leaving their camp, baggage, and 10,000 camels, in the hands of the victors. The latter, satiated with plunder, were not inclined to advance, otherwise they might easily have taken possession of Constan tine. We need scarcely add, that such combats were not attended with serious bloodshed ; they were sufficient, however, to deter these heroes from again taking the field, and the war was thenceforth carried.
on by petty skirmishes.
The government of Tripoli presents a still darker picture than that of Tunis. The flourishing era in the history of this state, was the reign of Hemet the Great, at the commencement of the last century. He freed Tripoli from the Turkish yoke, in a manner worthy indeed of so barbarous an administration. He invited to a feast 800 of their chiefs, each of whom, as they successively entered, were strangled. At the same time, a general massacre took place in the city. The Porte being propitiated by presents, he was left to reign in tranquillity. He reduced to complete sub jection the hitherto untractable possessors of the mountain districts of Garian and Mesulata ; and even succeeded in rendering Fezzan his tributary. He invited foreigners to settle in his dominions, and pro moted the manufactures of woollen stuffs, Morocco leather, &c. His popularity enabled him to render the crown hereditary, in his family. The late Bashaw reigned for thirty years with great moderation and mildness ; and Tripoli assumed a civilized and pacific character, very unusual in this part of the world. A most unfavourable change has taken place in his son Yusuf, the present Bashaw. He began his career murdering his elder brother, an amiable prince, in the most barbarous manner. Then surrounding himself, by negro slaves and Arabs, he gained an ascendancy over the more pacific inhabitants of the city. He thus succeeded in driving out his second brother, and seizing on the sovereign ty. He is represented as uniting in himself all the vices of that worst of characters, a Barbary despot. He has, in a great measure, ruined com
merce, by monopolizing to himself all the lucrative and important branches. His principal minister is Sidi Hamet, who shares with his master the most de cided partiality to the French, and enmity to the English. Lord Nelson, in 1798, sent a line of bat tle ship to demand that the Bashaw should for ever remove from his councils so dangerous a sub ject. A feigned compliance took place, but lasted only till the English ship was out of sight of Tripoli. This personage has since been raised to a higher si tuation, that of minister for foreign affairs, while his creature Mustapha has been appointed captain of the port. The place of first admiral is held by a person bearing the name of Murat Reis, but who is in reality a Scotsman, named Peter Lysle. Being at Tripoli in 1792, as mate of an English vessel, and accused of plundering part of the cargo, he fled to the castle, embraced Mahometanism, and received a command in the Tripoline navy. He soon distin guished himself in the capacity of a pirate, and rose by degrees to his present high situation. He is said, however, to enjoy it but little, and to sigh still for the loss of his country, and his friends.
The religion of Barbary is well known to be throughout Mahometan, professed with a degree of rigour and intolerance unknown in any other region ,of the globe. There is not, however, as in Turkey, any great body, like the Ulema, to act as the deposi tary of its doctrines and influence. This influence is here enjoyed by individuals who raise themselves, by personal merit or demerit, to the character of saints. Saints, in Morocco, almost share with the sovereign the power of tire empire. Sidi Ali and Sidi Alarbi are the two most eminent reigning saints. Their con sideration is chiefly supported by working miracles, and does not require any sacrifice of the pleasures of life. They indulge in all these without reserve, and, besides the usual number of wives, keep numerous concubines. The districts in which these saints reside pay no taxes, and are Subject to no authority, ex cept theirs.; and they are perpetually surrounded by a body of armed men, to chastise their own enemies and those of the prophet. At some distance from Tripoli, there is a fortified village possessed by a saint, called the Lion, which serves as an asylum for every species of criminals, even those who are guilty of high treason. Idiots, throughout Barbary, are generally reputed saints ; and some, in order to main tain the reputation of sanctity, find it expedient to counterfeit the total absence of reason.