Hassan, elated by his success, which he could scarcely fail to ascribe to the immediate interpositon of heaven, undertook an expedition against Muley Hammid, king of Tremecen, who was compelled to purchase peace, by paying him a large sum of money, and becoming his tributary. Soon after this, the bashaw was seized with a fever, of which lie died in the 66th year of his age. He was succeeded by Haji, who, though much respect ed by the Algerines, was immediately compelled to re sign his dignity to Hassan, the son of Hayradin Barba rossa. Hassan engaged in various enterprises against Tremecen, which he at length reduced and plundered. After this lie enjoyed an interval of peace, which lie employed in erecting several public edifices, and in performing other useful actions; thus rendering his government popular, and his removal regretted. Salha Rais, his successor, was the first Arab that ever was raised to the government of Algiers. During the reign of this bashaw, who was steady in his resolution, and successful in all his enterprises, the Spaniards were driven out of Bujeyah, and from that time have never been able materially to injure the Algerines. Imme diately after the death of Salha Rais, a Corsican relic gado, named Hassan Corso, was elected by the soldiery in his room, till they should receive further eiders from the Porte. Corso accepted, with reluctance, of the dig nity, which he did not long enjoy ; for, in four months after his election, intelligence was brought to Algiers, that the sultan had appointed a new bashaw, one Te kelli, a principal Turk in his court, who was now ap proaching the city with eight galleys. The Algerines resolved to oppose him, but he was at last admitted through the treachery of the Levantine soldiers ; and though Corso was the first to welcome him, and peace ably surrendered his dignity, the infamous ty rant con demned hint to be thrown over a wall, in Nvhich iron hooks were fixed, on which he hung for three days in exquisite torture.
The cruelty of Tekelh's reign, was such as might he expected from the odious deed with which it com menced. One of his first victims was Alisardo, gover nor of Bujeyah, who being supposed to possess immense riches, was seized by the bashaw, and after being tor tured by burning and scarifying, to force from him a dis covery of his wealth, was ordered to be impaled alive. Such atrocities could not be long endured; the monster incurred general detestation, and was assassinated even under the dome of a saint, by Yusef Calain es, governor of Tremecen, who had been the favourite renegado of Hassan Corso. The Algerines received Yusef with universal acclamation, and immediately elected him ba shaw ; but six days after he died of a plague, deeply re gretted by his new subjects, who buried him in the same grave with the unfortunate Hassan Corso.
Hassan, the son of Hayradin, who had formerly been superseded in the vice-royalty by Salha Rais, had now the good fortune to be restored to that dignity. He had no sooner arrived, than lie engaged in an enterprise against Tremecen, in which he was defeated with great loss. Next year the Spaniards undertook an expedition against 1\lostagan, in which they were defeated with prodigious slaughter ; their commander, the count d'Al candela, slain, and 12,000 men taken prisoners. Hassan returned to Algiers, exulting in his victory, and laden with spoils; and soon after marched against Abdalazis, prince of the Beni Abbas, a race of mountaineers, who had discontinued their usual tribute to the Algerine government. The death of Abdalazis, who was shot by a musket ball, soon terminated this war, and obliged the mountaineers to submit to the usual exactions. Has san had married a daughter of the king of Cum whose subjects lie permitted to purchase ammunition at Al giers; a traffic which gave so much to the hill zaries, that they seized on Hassan with some of his officers, and sent them in irons to Constantinople. They
vindicated themselves to the full satisfaction of the Porte; but a new bashaw, named Achmet, was appoint ed, a man of insatiable avarice, who purchased his new dignity with the money which lie had amassed while head gardener to the sultan. Ile died in four months after his appointment, and Algiers was governed other four months by his lieutenant; after which, Ilassan was once more reinstated in the vice-royalty, and was re ceived by the Algerines with such joy, that even the women appeared on the terraces and balconies to give him welcome.
Immediately after his restoration, Hassan collected a powerful fleet and army, for the purpose of besieging Marsa-al-Quibber; after reducing which, he intended to invest the city of kVarran, or Oran. This place was commanded by Don Masten de Cordova, brother of the late count d'Alcandela, who had been taken prisoner in the same battle in which the count fell, but had pur chased his liberty by an immense ransom. lie made a most gallant (Hence against the Turks, who attacked the city t\ id) the utmost fury both by sea and land. Save al breaches were made in the walls, on which the Turkish standards were repeatedly planted, but as often dislodged. The place, however must have surrenth red at last, had not the approach of Doria, who was advan cing with a powerful succour of Italian troops, obliged Hassan to raise the siege. Doria, disappointed on his arrival by the departure of the Algerine galleys, bore away for Pennon de Velez, where he was shamefully repulsed by a handful of Turks who garrisoned the place. Hassan was again recalled in 1567, and three years after died at Constantinople, in the 50th year of his age.
Mahamed, the son of Santa Rais, was next appointed by the sultan to the government of the Algerines, whose affections he conciliated by his zeal to promote their in terests. By incorporating the Janizaries with the Le vantine Turks, he put an end to their dissensions, and added so much to the strength ol the Algerine army, that they soon after w ere enabled to assert their inde pendency on the grand signior. To render Algiers im pregnable, he increased and strengthened its fortifica tions. While Maharned was thus advancing the inte rests of Algiers, an adventurous Spaniard, named John Gascon, formed a scheme for burning the whole navy by night, while the pirates lay defenceless, and in their first sleep. His scheme was approved of by Philip II., who furnished him with proper vessels and fireworks fur its execution. He sailed for Algiers in the begin ning of October, when most of the ships were moored in the harbour; and having observed their manner of riding, he advanced unperceived to the mole-gate, and dispersed his men with their combustibles. These, however, were so ill mixed, that all their art could not make them take fire; the bustle and confusion, which this circumstance occasioned, alarmed the guard on the adjacent bastion, and the whole garrison was instantly in commotion. Gaston perceiving his danger, sailed away with the utmost haste; but he was quickly over taken, and brought prisoner to Mahamed, who caused a high gibbet to be erected on the spot where the Spa niards had lance from which Gascon vas suspended on a hook by the feet. lie had not hung long, when Alahamed, ine;:ed by the intercession of his corsairs, ordered him W be taken down ; but the Moors, offended by this lenity, hinted that it was boasted in Spain, that the Al,gerincs thirst not touch a hair of Gascon's bead, on which the unhappy Spaniard was hoisted by a pulley above the execution wall, and thrown down upon the chinhun or hook, which caused his instant death.