A true account of the captivity of Thomas Phelps at Machaness in Barbary and of his strange escape in company of Edmund Baxter and others, as also of the burning two of the greatest pirat-ships belonging to that kingdom in the River of Mamora upon the thirteenth day of June 1685 / by Thomas Phelps.

A True Account of my being taken, and Sufferings during my Captivity. (Book captivity)

UPon the 27th. day of August 1684. I Thomas Phelps set fail from the Downs in a Vessel called the Success of London, about fourty Tuns, laden with Salt, bound for a place in Ireland called the Ventrey, where we arrived the 10th. day of September: I stayed there some while, and kill'd Beaf, designing for the Madera's and Mount Surrat; accordingly on the 20th. of September, I set sail for the Madera's, but my design was crost, and my Voyage stopt as followeth: Upon the 5th. of October (being then a Hundred Leagues, West off the Rock of Lisbon) we saw a sail to windward of us, which immediatly we found to give us chace; we made what sail we could from him, and night coming on, we had, for about Two hours, lost sight of him, but at the rising of the Moon, he got sight of us, and quickly came up with us, hail∣ing us whence our Ship, we answered from London, deman∣ding the like of him, who made answer from Algeir, and withal commanded us to hoist out our Boat, which we re∣fused to do, but we brac'd our head-sailes for him, imme∣diatly he sent his Boat towards us, when it was got almost by our side, we gave them Three shouts, which so surpriz'd them, that they thought it convenient to retire aboard their

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own Ship; We were not a little chear'd at their departure and made from them with all the sail we could make, for we had not one great Gun, and as for Powder, I believe one sin∣gle pound was the outmost of our store: In the mean time he was hoisting in of his Boat, I had got above two miles from him, which made me think I was clear of him, and withal that the Ship must be an Algerine, she appearing so great, that, according to the stories in England, I thought no such Ship could belong to Sallé; But I found my self within a little while, mightily mistaken, for as soon as his Boat was hoi∣sted in, he presently setch'd us up again: We had try'd his sailing all ways, but found we could not wrong him any way; so seeing him a stern, and a thing impossible to lose sight of us, I put out a light for him, notwithstanding I was possest at that time (God knows) with fear enough, but I thought, in the Dark, my seeming confidence and resolution might impose upon him, so as to fancy I was of some force; And truly afterwards he confessed to me, that he thought I had six Guns aboard and that I did intend to fight him.

He kept a stern of me all night, and in the morning he put out Turkish colours, which I answered with our English; then he came up, and saw I had no boat in sight, for my boat was stow'd down betwixt decks, he commanded me therefore to brace to my head-sailes, and then he sent his boat to demand my pass; Aboard he was an antient Moor, who formerly had been a slave in England and spoke good English, and who was set at liberty by our late Gracious King Charles the 2d. He seeing us in readiness with what arms we had, ask'd me, if I had a mind to break the Peace, he told me I needed not trouble my self to keep them out of our Vessel, for none of them could be perswaded to come aboard me.

I brought him my Custom-house-Cocketts, for I had no Pass: The Moor aforesaid carried them to the Captain, but

soon after returned, and told me that would not satisfie the Captain, unless the Master himself would come; I made an∣swer that I would not come, that I had done what I was o∣blig'd to by the Articles 'twixt England and Algiers: The boat a second time put away for their Ship, and whilst they were hoisting in their boat, I made what sail I could, and was got a mile or more from them again, entertaining better hopes than I was in the night before; But as soon as the boat was in and stow'd, the Moors made sail and came up with me again, the Captain ordering to tell me, that if I re∣fus'd to come a board him, he would come aboard me with his Ship; with that he rang'd up my Weather quarter, I im∣mediatly put a stays, which put him into some confussion, so that he was forced to put a stays also: He had then no Gun, which I could perceive, I saw his Ports, and his Wast was Man-high: As I came about I run under his stern, then bore away right before the Wind, he soon came up with me, but not one shot pas'd all this while, he demanded of me why I clapt a stays for to run a thwart his halfe; I answered that I doubted he was not of Algier, he swore in English, to me that he was, else before this he would have discover'd him∣self, and withal he told me, that if I did not come aboard, he would straight way sink me, and so he hoisted out his boat, in the mean time I boar away, but his boat coming up made me bring to again and brace a back; His boat then came a∣board, I ask'd this Moor, who spoke English, what ship of Algiers this was, he very readily without stammering told me, she was call'd the Tagerene young Canary Com∣mander, I immediatly then went into his boat; so soon as I came aboard, the Captain ask'd me why I was so hard of be∣lief, My distrust was such then that I pray'd the Captain now that he had me aboard in his power, to resolve me whether he were a Sallé-man or not, he swore to me again that he was of Algiers, and that I should not be wrong'd; He made

me sit down, and caus'd them to set Dates and Figgs before me: A little after the Captain told me that he was made acquainted by his men that they saw two Portugueses aboard my Ship, and that he would have them out, and then I should be gone about my business, I told him I had none such aboard, but he would see them two men, so two men were sent for, after that he told me there were three more and them he must have, well to be short, at last he was suspicious that I was a Portuguese also, and to convince me that I was one, I found my entertainment presently withdrawn? Thus did this faithless Barbarian serve me, until he had wheadled all my men aboard him except two, and then the valiant Moors entred my Ves∣sel with abundance of courage, heaving the two remaining English over the head of the Vessel into the boat.

Thus were we all Strip'd, the Vessel Plunder'd in a mo∣ment, which they did resolve to have sunk, because they were too farr at Sea distant from their own coast, but Imme∣diatly we saw five sail bearing down upon us, which startled the Moors, putting them into a great fright, obliging them to quit my Vessel with abundance of Beaf and three Boxes of dry goods aboard, which their fear would not give them leasure to rummage for: In some small time the five Vessels discover'd us, when they came within two Leagues of us, had they bore down afterwards with that resolution, that they threatned before, the Pirate would never have stood to look them in the face, but alass like distracted fearful game, every of the five Ships took a several course, and being now night they all escaped.

After that we cruised about thirty Leagues to the West of the Northern Cape, and so to the Burlings, but no nearer than Twenty Leagues to the shoar, and therefore I imagin there is more safety for small vessels bound that way, to keep the shore as near as is possible, for I know certainly they never attempt to come near, but endeavour as much as they can,

to avoid the shoar because our Men of War use to careen at Lisbon.

I am likewise pretty well satisfied for that small time that I was amongst them, (altho' it was too long for my profit) that no Sallé-man will fight a Ship of Ten Guns, which I found true by observation of a Country-man from Bristol, whilst I was aboard: We came up with him and hail'd him, and would have had him put out his Boat, but he refused, and withal shew'd himself ready in his own defence, upon which we were glad to leave him.

So that to satisfie all my Country-men who follow my trade I dare confidently affirm, that if I had a Ship of Ten Guns, and it should be my fortune to encounter any of these Sallé-rouges, (who all go under the notion of Algerines, who are now at peace with England) I would encourage him to send his boat, by acquainting him that our Master would come aboard and shew his pass, (which is the thing they aim at) And when the boat was come to my side, (any man of reason may judge then whether she were from Sallé or Al∣giers, but however I would commit nothing should be judg∣ed a breach of the Peace, 'twixt England and Algiers) I would heave in a Grapling and secure the men, all save two, whom I would permitt to return aboard and bring me a Chri∣stian, or else aver my Pass, if they will not do that, I am then satisfied what he is, and think my self obliged to de∣send my self from Slavery, but this I am very confident of, that he will never stay to dispute the case afterward.

About a fortnight after I was taken, we met one Samuel Crampton who came from Faro, and whom we soon took without any resistance. The week following we took a small Ketch come from Cales, laden with Sherry and Raisies and bound for Limrick, John Elliot Master.

The number of us Christians taken aboard the Three Prizes was Twenty five, besides Twelve which were aboard

the Pirate, in all Thirty seven; We who were newly taken were kept in Irons in the Hold.

After the taking of these Three Vessels the Pirate made all the sail he could for Sallé to save the spring Tide, which flows at Sallé and Mamora S S W about Thirty Leagues: To the Northward of Sallé, we met a Fleming who came from Sallé, and told our Commander that the English-men of War were at Tangier then, attending Captain Nicholason, which caused us to bear directly for Sallé and fell in directly with the Castle, where were no English-men of War, ac∣cording to the Advice.

On the Bar of Sallé there run a great Sea, which obliged us to come to an Anchor near the Bar, where we rid Six hours; then were we poor Christians all let loose from our Iron∣shackles, wherein we had been confin'd for Twenty days preceeding: the Captain sent the Boat, as near the Shore to the South of the Bar, as possibly he could, to enquire what News, there they were acquainted that they might safely come in the next high Water: whilst the Boat was gone a Shore, the Moors, we observ'd, fell all fast a sleep, the Cap∣tain also, with his Head over the Rail, upon the half-Deck seem'd deeply ingag'd: This opportunity me thought was very inviting, I made a proposal of it to my fellow Slaves, and undertook to do the Captains business my self: The Christians were forward enough to comply with the motion, and Eleven of the Twelve, (which were Slaves retain'd in the Ship before our being taken) they also were willing, if the Twelfth who was Steward in the Ship would have consented, but this sneaking varlet prov'd recreant, and for fear of him the other Eleven turn'd also Renegadoes to this Heroick and Christian resolution; I had a mind to have dispatcht this troubler of our peace out of the way first, but the fear that his fellow Slaves would have severely resented it, restrain'd my resolution; the Slaves Name was Will. Robinson, he pro∣fessed

himself a Christian in words, but in deed we found more civility from the Moors than him.

At Four in the Afternoon, we weighed Anchor, and stood in for the Bar, we struck Twice going over, but without any dam∣mage; it was upon the First day of November, after we had helped to moor our Ship, at Night we were all carried ashore, and conveyed to our Lodging, which was an old Stable, but without Litter or Straw, having nothing save the bare dirty Ground for our Bed or Pillow; the next Day we were all carryed aboard the Ship to Unrigg her, and get out her Bal∣last, which we did; about Four in the Afternoon, I was sent for ashore to come to the Governour, who passed his sentence on us Three Masters, that we should go to his House, and there remain, until we were sent for by the King; we remained at his House Ten days, where our daily employment was to Grind the Corn for the use of his Family; at length there came an Order for us, and all the rest of the Christians to be carryed to the King, whose Ordinary and then Residence was at Machaness, a place which this present Emperour has set his Fancy upon, and bestows most of his care, and employs all Christian Slaves in Building there; it is distant from Sallé about Seventy Miles, and from Fez Thirty.

In our Journy thither, I cannot forget our Captains extra∣ordinary civility, in Accommodating us sometimes with Bor∣ricoes to ride on, so that in Two days and a half we arrived thither: The First night we were not brought before our great Master, but the following our Captain presented us before him, and withal some Portuguese Plate, which was taken in Mr. Crampton's Vessel; as the Captain gave it into his Hand, the surly Tyrant with a seeming scorn and disdain heav'd it against the Wall, which was the first Action I observ'd, and did a little discover the temper of my new Patron Muley Ish∣mael Emperour of Morocco and Fez, &c. He ordered us to be sent amongst the rest of our fellow Slaves; as we went we

were entertain'd with the civilities of the place, and wel∣comed by the joyfull acclamations and complements of the Moors kicking and slapping us all along, which appeared very uncouth to me, who was but a Stranger, but that Night my fellow Captives allayed my wonder, by acquainting me, that what had past was nothing, it was only a sutable Pro∣logue to all the Tragical sufferings that Christians must en∣dure there whilst they are Slaves, which were so dreadful, that I could willingly, that very Night have ventured my Life to endeavour an escape; they Painted out to me the Tyran∣nical humour of the Emperour, both towards the Christians and Natives, in such Bloudy Colours, viz. how they had seen him Butcher many Thousands with his own hands, how that none can be secure in his presence for that the varying of a look, a small spot in the Garment, or any such inconsiderable circumstance, will raise such a caprice in the Emperours Nod∣dle, without any other provocation, as to endanger all the Heads before him, and it is very rare if the company escape with One or Two only Beheaded, or Lanced through the Body.

The Second day after my arrival thither, I saw him Lance Seven and twenty Negroes one after another, and every Day after, until New-years-day, (when he parted to Santa Cruz with his Army) I either saw or heard of his inhumane, but yet, through custom, to him Natural Barbarities, Killing and Dragging, but this latter is a piece of respect observed only to Minions and Favourites, Vice-kings and Alcaids; yea his Women are not able by all their Charms to avoid his Fury, but are more the objects of his implacable rage than any other passion: I have been several times in the West-Indies, and have seen and heard of divers Inhumanities and cruelties pra∣ctised there, I have also read in Books, and have heard Lear∣ned men discourse of the Sicilian Tyrants and Roman Em∣perours, but indeed I forget them all, they are not to be

named in comparison with this Monster of Africk, a com∣position of Gore and Dust, whom nothing can attone but humane Sacrifices, and to be in whose court it is much more eligible to be his Horse or his Mule, than to be his Privado or Wife of his bosome, from whose greatest kindness my good God ever defend me, for his mercies are cruel: Yea even Hamed Ben Haddu who was his Embassadour here in England Three years ago, altho' he was received and entertain'd here with extraordinary civilities, and carress'd every where by all the endearments of kindness and respect, and altho' by his fineness and Moorish subtilty, he stole into the Inclinations of the well-meaning and good natur'd English, so that he obtain'd the reputation of Ingenuity and candour, Yet the Dog has return'd to his Vomit, and by woful experiment, all my Country-men, who come under his power, find him a harsh and cruel Master, who manag'd his affairs here with deep dissimulation, and now improves his knowledge of Eng∣lish affairs, to the detriment and ruin of all the Kings Sub∣jects, with whom he has to do; if it be his fortune to meet or pass by any of them, his custom is (as all the English can attest) to salute them with a devilish Curse to the best of my remembrance exprest thus, Alli Haztebuck, i. e. God roast your Father: he is indeed reckoned a great Master in the art of Dissimulation and Flattery, a qualification, which seems very requisite in a Courtier of such a Barbarous Bloody Tyrant as his Master is.

But to proceed, my fellow Christians in the next place, shewed me the staff of their life there, i. e. their Bread, which was of Barley, but black, and withal it stunk, the Corn being kept Seven years under Ground before us'd, one Days allowance if sold, would yield only Nine Fluces, which a∣mount to Three Farthings; Flesh is cheap, both Mutton and Beef, but Mony is scarce, Two pounds and a half of Beef, are ordinarily sold for a Blankil, i. e. Two pence half-peny,

and Two pounds of Mutton at the same rate; good white-Bread is also plentiful, half as cheap as in England; but what is this to the Slaves who have-not a Farthing, and not a bit is allow'd us without Mony; I am confident there is many a Christian there, who hath not tasted a morsel of Flesh in Five Months time.

The Country is a pleasant Champion Country, very Fruit∣ful, well Watered, productive of all sorts of Fruit in plenty; we Christians who arrived last, were excused for Two days from Labour, only we were instructed in our deportments to our Negro-Taskmasters, who afterwards gave us severe cha∣stisment for our mistakes and lapses: our Work and Daily Labour was continually Building of Houses and Walls; the Materials and Method is very Forreign and will appear strange to my Country-men here; there are Boxes of Wood of dimensions according to pleasure, these we fill with Earth powdred and Lime, and Gravel well beat together and tempered with Water, and when full, we remove the Box according to order, and withdraw the Box Planks, and leave this matter to dry, which then will acquire an incredible hardness, and is very lasting, for we have seen Walls of some Hundred years standing as we were informed, and all that time has not been able to do them any prejudice.

The King himself (what the reason of his humour may be I never had the curiosity to ask him) will sometimes vouch∣safe to work in the Lime and Durt for an hour together, and will bolt out an encouraging word to the Slaves them, viz. as I remember, Liferus, that is, God send you to your own Countries, but I judge, he either does not speak from his Heart, or else he hopes God will not answer the Prayers of such a wicked wretch; with this sort of Labour I made a shift to pass away all the Winter, and indeed without a quible, I had no other shift or shirt, only the Charity of my fellow Slaves, who were better provided, accommoda∣ted

me with a covering from the Cold, which else would have endangered my life.

The Reader, I suppose, will not think it strange, if I was dissatisfied and very weary of my condition, and therefore I did often rummage all my thoughts, for some expedient to ease me of this accursed way, not of Living, but Starving and Dying daily: My mind did often flatter me with the greatest possibility of Liberty by running away, and so con∣fident I was, that I discovered my intentions to several Christians, especially to those of my near acquaintance, who by no means could be induc'd to hear the difficulties and dangers that attended such a resolution: In the mean time my Friends in England had taken some care for my Ran∣some, and had given order to Mr Luddington, an English Merchant in Barbary, to endeavour my relief if One hun∣dred and fifty Pounds would effect it, which Sum Mr. Lud∣dington acquainted me, he was ready to disburse, if I could cut, (that is, agree with my Patron for my Ransome) for Six hundred or Seven hundred pieces of Eight: I profered the said Sum, but it would not be accepted; upon which I lookt upon my condition as desperate, my forlorn and languish∣ing state of life without any hopes of Redemption, (which on∣ly could support our Spirts in the midst of such great affli∣ctions, and Bondage to those upon whom God and Nature seems to have imprest characters of Slavery to the rest of Mankind) appeared far worse than the terrours of a most cruel Death, I set up then my fixt and unalterable resolution to escape whatever fate attended it, leaving the event to providence; I had more than conjecture, that present Death was to be the reward of my endeavours if I were retaken, for Three Spaniards, who some Two Months before were taken, making their escape, the King caused them to be brought be∣fore him, and with his own hands prov'd their Butcher, and Executioner, which cruel proceedings did wholly dishearten

the poor Spirited Christians, and banished all such resoluti∣ons quite out of their minds: At length I opened my mind to Mr. Baxter (who about a Year and a half before, had made an unlucky attempt to run away, but being brought back he had the Bastinado in such a sort that he could not work for a Twelve Month, having Irons continually upon his Leggs) but notwithstanding, such was his love of Chri∣stian Liberty, that he freely told me, that he would adven∣ture with any fair opportunity; after I had him thus engag'd by his promise, I gave him no rest, until we had pitch'd upon a Day; we also took into our Cabal and share of our For∣tunes, Two Bristol-men, who were ready at an hours war∣ning, when we appointed.

There are at Machaness at present about Eight hundred Christians of all Nations, Two hundred and sixty whereof are English, several of which have tendred Mony for their Ransom, some Seven hundred, some Five hundred pieces of Eight, some more, some less, but the King still put them off with this, that he would clear none particularly, but that they should go all together.

January the First, The King set forward towards Santa Cruz, with an Army of about Sixty thousand men, designing to quel his Nephew, who had made a formidable Insurrection against him, in that part of his Dominions: We Christians could not Inform our selves of the certain proceedings of these Armies, neither did we much care, fight Dog, fight Bear, but this we learnt, that it will be Two or Three years before his return, and it is not to be suppos'd that any particular Christian will be releas'd until he return; besides, there is no hopes to be laid upon the most solemn word and protesta∣tion of this swarthy Infidel Muley Ismael, for, as I have been inform'd, about Four or Five years ago, by an agree∣ment with Collonel Kirk, all the English slaves were to be set at liberty at the rate of Two hundred pieces of Eight a

head, and the bargain was so far struck, that the Christians were got a Mile out of Town, But the accursed Jews, (the stench and pest of the Nations of the Earth, Malicious to all Man-kind and loathsome and abominable whereever they come, who not only have the blood of the Saviour of the World lying upon their heads, but are accountable for the blood of many Thousands of his Members which they daily shed) These wicked Enemies of Christianity, brought back these poor Christians into the house of bondage thus, they prossered the Emperour as much mony as the King of Eng∣land tendred for the Christians Ransome, if so be he would only lend them for a while, to build a City for the Jews, and then they should be restor'd to the King; The covetous Ty∣rant soon clos'd with these advantageous terms, and the Chri∣ans were turn'd over to the Jews, who imploy'd them Three years in building a City, but when finish'd, see the just Judg∣ment of God! The Jews were turn'd out, and forc'd to give place to the Moors: Another remarkable story concerning the Jews I cannot but insert upon this occasion: About Three years ago, Mr. Bowrey of Bristol was, with Twenty sail more, taken by the Sallé-men, Bowrey had a parcel of Soap in his Ship, which then did belong to the King; Ben Haddu Am∣bassadour in England desir'd to buy this Soap of the King, but a Jew out bid him, and so had the Soap, for which dea∣ling the Ambassador kept a grudge in his mind against the Jews, and was reveng'd on them, after this manner, whilst I was there. He inform'd the King that the Jews had im∣pos'd upon him and couzen'd him of Fifty thousand pieces of Eight in the matter of the Soap, upon which the King clapt up Ten of the chief Jews in Prison, until they should either pay the said Sum, or else restore the Soap, which it is to be supposed, hath been fold in Christendom Two years ago.