They then pleaded for three hours. The reply was: "Not a minute; if your squadron appears in sight before the treaty is signed by the Dey, and the prisoners actually off, he should capture them." It was finally agreed that hostilities should cease. They then went on shore, and in three hours we perceived their boat coming oif with a white flag hoisted. The Swedish consul pledging his word not to hoist it unless the treaty was signed and the prisoners in the boat, they had returned to the shore, which was five miles distant, they came back with the treaty signed as it had been concluded, bringing also a part of the prisoners. While they were absent, a corvette with a large amount of money on board, hove in sight, which in one hour more would have been captured.
The Dey was aware of this, and the fear of losing his fleet hastened him on to sign this treaty, which he violated in less than three months afterwards. Mr. William Shaler was appointed United States Consul for the regency of Algiers, and established his residence on shore. The prisoners were all delivered up and put on board the sloop-of-war Epcrvicr, with orders to proceed to the United States. She was never heard of afterwards, and these poor fellows, with my good friend Barnwell, went to the bottom. How mysterious are the ways of Divine Providence. These unfortunate men, who had endured the rigors and cruelties of Algerine slavery, some of them for more than two years; and when they were liberated and told they were going home, they cried for joy, believing it must be a dream; but they were not to see home.
Many of them had wives and mothers, brothers and sisters; and some had families, I believe, in Massachusetts. Often did their hearts swell with gratitude to God for their deliverance from cruel bondage, and the prospect of soon embracing their loved ones. But it was not to be — the ocean was their grave. No headstones could tell their burial place, nor mound on which to place the passion flower, or shed the tear of affectionate memory. The howling blast their funeral dirge, and the briny wave their winding-sheet. Poor fellows, may you in the morning of the resurrection awake to a happy immortality, where there shall be no more prisons, no more shipwrecks. The fleet arrived at Carthagena a few days after we had obtained pratique.
The Firefly was then ordered to Gibraltar, with despatches to our Consul; also, to order a new top-sail yard for the Independence, and to be ready on her arrival there., Proceeding according to orders, we arrived there late in the evening, ran in, and anchored off the Ragged Staff, and very near the English frigate, Undaunted. She was light and high up. Our little brig looked like a boat under her stern, and while they were washing decks on board the frigate in the morning, an officer standing on the taffrail, looked down upon our deck, and by way of derision, says: " Hook our davit tackles on your little boat, and we'll hoist you out of water." An old fellow on our forecastle, who had been a Marblehead fisherman, just turned his eye up to this noble Briton, and dryly observed: " The Guerierre and Macedonian will be in to-day, sir, and you had better hook one of those on.
The officer stepped down, and was seen no more upon the taffrail. Early on the following morning, the officer of the watch sent our boat to the watering place for a few casks of water for present use. The scuttle butt was filled from these casks, and no other water was used. At about eleven o'clock, A. M., several of the men were taken with a violent pain in the bowels, and it was not long 1 before nearly all hands were down, many of them writhing in great agony. Then the officer of the deck was taken, and before twelve o'clock, nearly every soul on board the brig, myself included, were in the most excruciating agony. The doctor, who also was slightly attacked, was flying round, administering doses, and doing all in his power to relieve their suffering.
A boat's crew was mustered, and a message sent on shore, informing the captain of the affair. He came off immediately, and was much alarmed; but all were now fast recovering, and at four, P. ftL, all was right again. It was subsequently ascertained that the water pipes at the landing place were of lead, and our boat was the first there. The officers of the boat did not know that it was necessary to let the pipes run a short time before receiving the water in the casks, so we thus drank what had been standing all night in the pipes, which being impregnated with lead, caused the difficulty anion g our crew. On the next day after the disaster, 1 went on shore to get from the American Consul an order for a maintop-sail yard for the U.