expeditions might be renewed upon a larger scale than
ever, so as to make up for lost opportunities. On August 14, 1897, the
Italian three-masted schooner _Fiducia_ was off the coast of Morocco, in
the Mediterranean, homeward bound from Pensacola to Marseilles. Here she
got becalmed, and while in that condition two boats approached her from
the shore. At first the crew of the _Fiducia_ thought they were native
fishing boats. When, however, the latter got within a hundred yards or
so of the helpless vessel, the suspicions of the crew were aroused. The
captain warned the Moors not to approach any nearer; a volley of bullets
was returned by way of reply, followed by a regular fusillade as the
boats advanced. There were only three revolvers on board the schooner,
and with these the crew prepared to defend themselves. Soon, however,
their supply of ammunition became exhausted, and the pirates boarded the
schooner without further opposition. The vessel was at once ransacked,
even the clothes of the crew being taken. The ship's own boat was
lowered, and into this the marauders put their booty, and took it
ashore, also carrying the captain and one of the crew with them. About
an hour later another boat, containing about twenty pirates, came off
and fired on the ship. The crew, seeing that they could offer no
effective resistance, hid themselves away in the hold. The other pirates
had left very little for the new arrivals to take, and this seemed to
annoy them so much that they gave vent to their ill-feelings in several
ways, not the least wanton being the pollution of the ship's fresh
water. They also smashed the vessel's compass, and tore up the charts.
For the next two days the crew existed on a few biscuits, which the
pirates had left behind. The following day the British steamship
_Oanfa_, of London, hove in sight. The crew of the schooner hoisted a
shirt as a signal, which was fortunately seen, and a boat sent off in
response thereto. Assistance was promptly rendered, and the _Fiducia_
put in a position to resume her voyage. This was done until spoken by
the Italian cruiser _Ercole_, which assisted the schooner to her
destination.

In October, 1896, the French barque _Prosper Corue_ was lying becalmed
off Alhucemas, a place fortified by the Spaniards to keep the pirates in
check, when several boats full of armed Moors seized the vessel and made
the crew prisoners. They then completely pillaged the ship, removing
almost eve