deration
of the Divan, the terms on which they were commissioned to make peace,
together with a letter from the President to the Dey. Confounded by the
sudden and entirely unexpected appearance of this force, the Algerines
agreed, on the 30th of June, to the proposals of a treaty, almost
without discussion.

It had long been a reproach to Great Britain, the mistress of the sea,
that she had tamely suffered a barbarian power to commit such atrocious
ravages on the fleets and shores of the minor states along the
Mediterranean. At length a good cause was made for chastising them.

At Bona, a few miles to the east of Algiers, was an establishment for
carrying on a coral fishery, under the protection of the British flag,
which, at the season, was frequented by a great number of boats from the
Corsican, Neapolitan, and other Italian ports. On the 23d of May, the
feast of Ascension, as the crews of all the boats were preparing to hear
mass, a gun was fired from the castle, and at the same time appeared
about two thousand, other accounts say four thousand, infantry and
cavalry, consisting of Turks, Levanters, and Moors. A part of these
troops proceeded towards the country, whilst another band advanced
towards the river, where the fishing boats were lying at different
distances from the sea; and opening a fire upon the unfortunate
fishermen, who were partly on board and partly on land, massacred almost
the whole of them. They then seized the English flags, tore them in
pieces, and trampling them under foot, dragged them along the ground in
triumph. The men who happened to be in the country saved themselves by
flight, and declared that they saw the soldiers pillage the house of the
British vice-consul, the magazines containing the provisions, and the
coral that had been fished up. A few boats escaped, and brought the news
to Genoa, whence it was transmitted by the agent of Lloyd's in a
despatch, dated June 6th.

No sooner had the account of this atrocious slaughter reached England,
than all ranks seemed inflamed with a desire that a great and signal
punishment should be taken on this barbarian prince, who was neither
restrained by the feelings of humanity nor bound by treaties. An
expedition, therefore, was fitted out with all speed at Portsmouth, and
the command intrusted to Lord Exmouth, who, after some delays from
contrary winds, finally sailed, July 28th, with a fleet complete in all
points, consisting of his own ship, the