Queen Charlotte, Algiers Bay, August 28, 1816" After I had translated this letter, his Lordship gave it to me, and ordered me to accompany Lieutenant Burgess on shore again, to deliver it and to wait for an answer as yest< rday, and at the same time gave orders to the bombs to take their position, and to be in readiness for renewing the bombardment. " My companion, Mr. Burgess, and myself got into the boat with one flag of truce, and rowed towards the city. I was not so much afraid as yesterday, in consequence of the destruction of their batteries; yet, when we got rather too near the mole they fired two or three shots at us, from a castle at the south end of their fortifications, but fortunately these shot fell a fewr yards short of our boat.
Upon this, we stopped and began to think seriously. However, after some time, we saw a boat coming out of the mole at about eleven o'clock,.nevertheless, we were in great doubt whether they were com ins; to meet us civilly, or whether thev would seize us, as was their usual practice. " When the boat had reached us, I found she had on board a person by the name of Omar Capitan, who was commander of one of the frigates that was burnt the dav before. He asked how the great Admiral was. In reply, I asked how the Dey was, and o-ave him the letter, and told him it was for the Dey, and that we should wait three hours, as yesterday, for an answer; and in case he did not come in that time we were instructed to return on board, and that the Dey would never have peace with England on any other terms.
In answer, he said: " ' How? Yesterday our letters were ready with the Dey's answer, but vou would not wait to receive them, aud your fleet took its position so suddenly that we had not time to look about us, and immediately vou beo;an firing.' " ' You must excuse me/ said I. ' What you say is not true, because yesterday we waited more than three hours for an answer, notwithstanding two were stated by your captain of the port to be sufficient, and it was not our fleet that began the fire but your batteries; and, as a proof of your implacability, you see now those shots that have been fired upon us from that castle, when we are under a flag of truce, without arms, exposing ourselves, for your peace and tranquillity.' " Then finding himself convicted, he said: ' Everything happened by God's decree, and now let us forget the past and be greater friends than ever.' " ' This must depend,' I answered, ' on the answer which your Dey gives to Lord Exmouth's letter, and if the Dey wishes to send anybody to treat with our admiral we shall receive him with pleasure.' '• He replied: ' I hope it will be so; ' and added: ' You must not mind those shots, for they were fired without the Dey's order, and he has already sent orders to all the fortifications not to fire one gun.' " I told him I was sure of that — that those shots were fired without any order — because I know your people's character, and am certain that when they saw our boat they began to say, ' There are the infidels coming; come, let us kill some of these, to revenge our dead people; ' and they thought by killing two or three people without considering the consequences, they should have a general revenge." " He then laughed and said, ' How do you know that?
' " I said, ' Because I was in your country for some time.' " In reply, he said, ' Once you knew our manners; you must not, therefore, consider this as a fault, since we are now friends.' "I replied, ' On the contrary, just because we are on the point of reconciliation, I must consider it as an extraordinary fault." " He then said, " You Europeans are very religious people, and we are not able to debate with you.' And then he went away, saying, ' I hope to be back again directly with a good answer from the Dey, and then,' he added, ' you may come near to the city, because you are too far off with your boat now; you must be afraid of nothing.' He rowed his boat towards the mole, to behold more distinctly the effect of our action.