| | 1 | Author: | Tyler
Royall
1757-1826 | Add | | | Title: | The Algerine captive, or, The life and adventures of Doctor Updike Underhill  | | | | Published: | 1997 | | | | Subjects: | University of Virginia Library, Text collection | UVA-LIB-Text | University of Virginia Library, Early American Fiction, 1789-1875 | UVA-LIB-EarlyAmFict1789-1875 | | | | Description: | MINISTER OF THE UNITED STATES AT THE
COURT OF LISBON, $C. I derive my birth from one
of the first emigrants to New England,
being lineally descended from Captain
John Underhill, who came into the Massachusetts
in the year one thousand six
hundred and thirty; of whom honourable
mention is made by that elegant, accurate,
and interesting historian, the Reverend
Jeremy Belknap, in his History of New
Hampshire. Remembrin my kind love to Mr. Hilton,
I now send you some note of my
tryalls at Boston.—Oh that I may come
out of this, and al the lyke tryalls, as
goold sevene times puryfyed in the furnice. Them there very extraordinary pare
of varses, you did yourself the onner to
address to a young lada of my partecling
acquaintance calls loudly for explination.
I shall be happy to do myself
the onner of wasting a few charges of
powder with you on the morro morning
precisely at one half hour before sun rose
at the lower end of — wharff. We saluted the castle with
seven guns, which was returned with
three, and then entered within the immense
pier, which forms the port. The
prisoners, thirty in number, were conveyed
to the castle, where we were received
with great parade by the Dey's
troops or cologlies, and guarded to a
heavy strong tower of the castle. The
Portuguese prisoners, to which nation
the Algerines have the most violent antipathy,
were immediately, with every
mark of contempt, spurned into a dark
dungeon beneath the foundations of the
tower, though there were several merchants
of eminence, and one young nobleman,
in the number. The Spaniards,
whom the Dey's subjects equally detest,
and fear more, were confined with me in
a grated room, on the second story. We
received, the same evening, rations similar
to what, we understood, were issued
to the garrison. The next day, we were
all led to a cleansing house, where we
were cleared from vermin, our hair cut
short, and our beards close shaved; thence
taken to a bath, and, after being well
bathed, we were clothed in coarse linen
drawers, a strait waistcoat of the same
without sleeves, and a kind of tunic or
loose coat over the whole, which, with a
pair of leather slippers, and a blue cotton
cap, equipped us, as we were informed,
to appear in the presence of the Dey,
who was to select the tenth prisoner from
us in person. The next morning, the
dragomen or interpreters, were very busy
in impressing upon us the most profound
respect for the Dey's person and
power, and teaching us the obeisance necessary
to be made in our approaches to this
august potentate. Soon after, we were
paraded; and Captain Hamed presented
each of us with a paper, written in a base
kind of Arabic, describing, as I was informed,
our persons, names, country, and
conditions in life; so far as our captors
could collect from our several examinations.
Upon the back of each paper was
a mark or number. The same mark was
painted upon a flat oval piece of wood,
somewhat like a painter's palette, and suspended
by a small brass chain to our
necks, hanging upon our breasts. The
guards then formed a hollow square.
We were blind folded until we passed
the fortifications, and then suffered to
view the city, and the immense rabble,
which surrounded us, until we came to
the palace of the Dey. Here, after much
military parade, the gates were thrown
open, and we entered a spacious court
yard, at the upper end of which the Dey
was seated, upon an eminence, covered
with the richest carpeting fringed with
gold. A circular canopy of Persian silk
was raised over his head, from which
were suspended curtains of the richest
embroidery, drawn into festoons by silk
cords and tassels, enriched with pearls.
Over the eminence, upon the right and
left, were canopies, which almost vied in
B 2
riches with the former, under which stood
the Mufri, his numerous Hadgi's, and
his principal officers, civil and military;
and on each side about seven hundred
foot guards were drawn up in the form
of a half moon. | | | Similar Items: | Find |
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