two of the Tripolitans, a third would ransack his
pockets, and strip him of any property they might covet. Swords,
watches, jewels, and money were promptly confiscated by the captors;
and they even ripped the epaulets from the shoulders of the officers'
uniforms. No resistance was made, until one of the pilferers tried to
tear from Bainbridge an ivory miniature of his young and beautiful
wife. Wresting himself free, the captain knocked down the vandal, and
made so determined a resistance that his despoilers allowed him to
keep the picture.

When all the portable property was in the hands of the victors, the
Americans were loaded into boats, and taken ashore. It was then late
at night; but the captives were marched through the streets to the
palace of the Bashaw, and exhibited to that functionary. After
expressing great satisfaction at the capture, the Bashaw ordered the
sailors thrown into prison, while the officers remained that night as
his guests. He entertained them with an excellent supper, but the next
morning they were shown to the gloomy prison apartments that were
destined to be their home until the end of the war. Of their life
there we shall have more to say hereafter.

While this disaster had befallen the American cause before Tripoli,
Commodore Preble in the flag-ship "Constitution," accompanied by the
"Nautilus," had reached Gibraltar. There he found Commodore Rodgers,
whom he was to relieve, with the "New York" and the "John Adams."
Hardly had the commodore arrived, when the case of the captured
Morocco ship "Meshboha" was brought to his attention; and he
straightway went to Tangier to request the emperor to define his
position with regard to the United States. Though the time of
Commodore Rodgers on the Mediterranean station had expired, he
consented to accompany Preble to Tangier; and the combined squadrons
of the two commodores had so great an effect upon the emperor, that he
speedily concluded a treaty. Commodore Rodgers then sailed for the
United States, and Preble began his preparations for an active
prosecution of the war with Tripoli.

It was on the 31st of October that the "Philadelphia" fell into the
hands of the Tripolitans, but it was not until Nov. 27 that the news
of the disaster reached Commodore Preble and the other officers of the
squadron. Shortly after the receipt of the news, the commodore
proceeded with his flag-ship, accompanied by the "Enterprise," to
Tripoli, to renew the bloc