THE DEMANDS Of his Gracious Majesty The KING OF GREAT BRITAIN, To the grand Signior or Emperor of Turkey, sent by the Lord General Montague, with his Lordship's proposals to the Governor of Algiers, the Answer thereunto, and the manner of the Treaty before that great and now conquered City. With a true Relation of the great and bloody fight between the English and the Turks, the dividing of his Majesty's Royal Navy into several Squadrons, by the Victorious Earl of Sandwich, and ever Renowned Sr. John Lawson, the battering down of half the City, and all the Castle Walls, the dismounting of the Turkish Cannon, the sinking and burning of 18 great ships, with above a thousand piece of Ordnance, the great slaughter made by the English fireships, the redeeming of many hundred poor Captives and Christian slaves, And a true and perfect Relation of the loss on both sides, with the number killed and taken Prisoners. London, Printed for G. Horton, 1661. A Relation of the Victory obtained by the English Fleet against the Turks at Algeir, under the Conduct of the Earl of Sandwich, as it is confirmed from France and Holland. THe Earl of Sandwich Admiral of the English Fleet having made sail to Alicant in Spain, stayed some few days there, to take in fresh waters and other necessaries, on the 7th. of August last passed, set thence forward again with the whole Fleet, which being arrived afore Algiers with a forrable wind, his Lordship sent to the Governor of the place to give him notice of his arrival, desiring that the English Consul with some Deputies might be sent on board of him, to whom his Lordship would intimate the cause of his coming thither. Those of Algiers on the 14. sent accordingly their Deputies and the English Consul on board of the Admiral, desiring to know his Lordship's intentions, who after a short rehearsal to them of the agreement and Peace formerly made betwixt the Government of England and that of Algiers, wherein it was particularly agreed that no English ships at Sea should be molested by any men of war, or vessels of Algiers, gave them likewise to understand, that of late the agreement had been in many ways by them violated, navigation disturbed, ships taken from the Subjects of England, and many an English man made slave by them; Which agreement, though so highly infringed, his Lordship nevertheless proffered to be renewed and confirmed by him upon condition, that the Government of Algiers should be obliged to repair the losses and damages the English Nation had suffered, and to restore the Ships, Merchandizes, and all English they had made slaves, and henceforth not to molest any English ship, or to search it, to take away and commodities or people out of them, or, that in default thereof his Lordship had orders to denounce a war to them. The Deputies having understood his Lordship's desire, promised to make a report thereof to the Government, and to return their answer without fail on the fifteenth. On the 13th. three other Deputies came back to the English Fleet, where a Council of war being called together, they declared that they thought themselves not at all obliged to restore to the King of England either ships, or goods, or slaves, and particularly that the agreement by the death of Cromwell was become void and null, during whose Government they had not in the least indammaged the English Nation, and should not now have offered any thing against them, if not the last Admiral of England, who had agreed with them upon more particular conditions, had voluntarily consented to the searching of English ships, whom those of Algiers could meet at Sea, and the taking out of them any goods belonging to other Nations, together with the People subject to other foreign Princes or States their pretended Enemies; Common reason therefore did sufficiently dictate, that not only such goods and persons were lawful prize, but likewise ship and all, for according to the tenets of their Alcoran they counted all those friends enemies who gave the least assistance to their enemies, so that they would maintain they had not violated the Agreement made with Cromwell, but the English themselves, who countenanced and transported their enemies over Sea to the great prejudice of those who were to pursue them. Concerning the Admiral's threats they did not greatly value them, adding, that in regard it was against the custom of the Government of Algiers, that a fleet of men of war should come into their road, and afore their City, to the slighting of the respect due to an ever victorious Turkish Emperor, it would be proper for the English Admiral to departed thence with his whole Fleet within three hours, otherwise they in the name of the Grand Signior and their Government declared him Enemy. This insolent Answer was not well relished by his Lordship, nor the Officers of the Fleet, who resolved to reduce this nest of Pirates (being grown to that height of pride by their good successes against the Christians) either by fair or forcible means to reason, and to give satisfaction to the demands of his Majesty the King of Great Britain. The Deputies thereupon returned back to the City, but his Lordship not to lose any time, gave immediately orders for attaining the Enemy, especially for the firing and ruining of 30 of their best Pirate ships. His Lordship himself undertook to batter the Castle with the Cannon of his ship, with 6 others, the rest were divided in two Squadrons, who were to ply upon the City, to frighten the People within, as in effect they did; But the wind turning Northward hindered the resolution taken, viz. to destroy all the Pirate ships, for the English against their will and orders were by the wind forced too near the shore, that they could not manage their ships as they ought, which caused them for the present to give over the enterprise, receiving no greater hurt than the disabling of two Frigates, which were sent to Spain to be there repaired. The wind continued still tempestuous that day and the following, which gave the Infidels in the City much time and opportunity to put themselves into a better posture of defence. On the sixteenth at night the wind came fair again, which no sooner perceived, but the English Admiral gave order for a second attempt, dividing the Fleet into several Squadrons, with five great fireships, and some ten or twelve rowing sloopes, full of fireworks and burning materials, to row under the force of the smoke to the Ships and Galleys of the Enemy, and if possible, to set them on fire. On the seventeenth in the morning at break of day, the English Fleet began again to pour broadsides from all the Ships upon the Castle, for the wind was so favourable, that all the Frigates each after another passing and repassing presently fired, which caused the Enemy within to fire all the Cannon of the Castle at once upon each single Ship, but if more together to fire but once or twice at them; This plying to and fro of the English Frigates, and continual firing upon the City, lasted 4. whole hours, until the Walls were battered all in pieces, and dismounted of all the Cannon which before endangered the English ships, who had 60. men killed, and five ships very much torn and disabled. The Castle being thus dismantled, the Fleet carrying the fireships in the midst, set directly upon the ships of the Infidels, on which having bravely fired of all sides with much advantage from the wind, 18. Capital Ships of the Enemy were within a few hours wholly destroyed, which was most formidable to behold, not so much for the ships sake or the Infidels that were in them, but for the lamentation and outcry of the Christian slaves who were likewise there, of whom yet 1100. were saved by the sloopes and boats that went to fish them out of the water, and more might have been saved, but as the powder within the Turkish Ships took fire, it gave such a terrible report that it was not possible to come near them; Besides there 18 Ships three of the best Galleys are likewise with men and all and sent into the Air, the rest of the Ships had timely weighed Anchor and run close ashore, where the Turks had cast up a small Retrenchment guarded with 28. pieces of Ordnance, to dispute the English their landing. This Enterprise being after nine hours work happily finished, the Fleet in the afternoon again began to fire upon the City, and continued so effectually until the eighteenth at night, that according to the report of a slave that had made his escape, more than half the Town was battered down, and the People within extremely much affrighted. The Lord Admiral intended on the 19th. at night to destroy likewise with his fireships the remainder of the Turkish Ships, or to fire them with his Cannon, being moreover resolved not to make any agreement till all the Slaves were set at liberty. The effect whereof, and other particulars, we may expect by the first conveniency. FINIS.