he American squadron in Algerian
waters, every demand of its Government was complied with, and a treaty
of peace made on terms dictated by its gallant and faithful
representative. It will be admitted that Stephen Decatur proved himself
one of the most successful diplomats as well as intrepid and skilful of
commanders.

He now proceeded to Tunis and notified the Dey that he would give him
twelve hours in which to pay $46,000 for allowing the seizure of
American prizes in his port during the late war. The Dey paid it. The
next call of the American commander was on the Bashaw of Tripoli, who,
although he blustered a good deal, was compelled to hand over $25,000
for a similar breach of the law.

Among the vessels of the American squadron were three--the _Guerriere_,
_Macedonian_, and the _Peacock_--which had been captured from Great
Britain during the late war. This fact gave peculiar point to the
reproof of the Dey's prime minister to the British consul: "You told us
that the Americans should be swept from the seas in six months by your
navy, and now they make war upon us with some of your own vessels which
they took from you."

CHAPTER XX.

Piracy in the West Indies--Its Cause--Means by Which It Was Wiped
Out--Piracy in the Mediterranean.

We hear little of pirates in these days, but for ten years or more after
the close of the War of 1812 the West Indies were infested by them. Our
Government saw that in self-defense they must be wiped out, for they
grew bolder with every month and made it unsafe for our commerce in
those waters.

Where did they come from and what gave rise to the ocean nuisances?
About the time named Spain was the mistress of most of the South
American countries. When she discovered America through Columbus, and
for a long period afterward, she was one of the greatest maritime
nations in the world. Like England at the present time, she had colonies
in all parts of the globe, and had she not been so cruel and unwise in
the treatment of her dependencies, would still have retained a great
deal of her former greatness and power; but she is one of the few
nations that never learn from experience, and a short time after our
second war with Great Britain her South American colonies began
revolting against her, and one by one they gained their independence.

Among the most powerful of the rebelling provinces were Buenos Ayres
and Venezuela; and, taking lesson from the success of our privateers,