5 66 Charles II. Naval Expeditions, &c. of the English, Book iH'

CHAP. XXXV.

Admiral Blake’s Expedition to Tunis, Tripoli apd Algiers, with sundryother Transactions of the Tears , 1655, and 1656.

r6z§.

Clarendon.

Whitlock.

Columna

Rostrata.

Kennet. Ra-

pin, "Life of

Cromwell.

D URING the Time, that theseThings were transacting in Ame-rica, Admiral Blake , who com-manded the Protector’s Fleet inthe Mediterranen, ( a ) spread the Ter-ror of the Englijh Sea-Forces over allthose Parts, (h) Sailing to the Coast ofAfrica, he repaired before 'Tunis, anddemanded Satisfaction of that Govern-rqent, for theRavages they had commit-ted on the Englijh, together with theRelease of the Englijh Captives, takenby their Corsairs, during the Civil War;But meeting with the insolent Answer ,from the Dey, that he might seek Re-dress from their Castles of Golletta andPorto Farino, which should give him aproper Answer, he called a Council ofWar, wherein it was resolved, to at-tempt the Destroying of nine MoorijhFrigats, which then lay in the Bay ofPorto Farino. This appeared to be aWork of great Difficulty. For Batterieswere raised along the Shoar, which wereplanted with a Hundred and twentyPieces of Cannon, and the Harbour was,besides, defended by a Castle, whichmounted twenty Pieces more, and seve-ral other smaller Forts, well provided,as well with small Arms as Ordnance.But all this was so far from discouragingour Englijh Heroes^ that it did but ani-mate them more to the Pursuit of theResolution taken.

The Admiral, Vice-and Rear-Ad-miral cast Anchor within Musket Shot

of the main Fort, and fired whole i6§§-Broad-sides on their Forts and Batteries,with great Fury, while the Rest of theMen of War brought on the Fire-ships.

By that Time, all their Forts and Bat-teries being rendered defenseless, theGuns all dismounted, and a good Partof their Works quite beaten down, theEnglijh sent their Long-boats, and Shal-lops, well manned, which, with the ,Fire-ships, entered the Harbour, with at Tun/great Resolution, set Fire to the nine burnt IfShips that lay there, and burnt them Blake 'down to the veryWater, with the Lossonly of five and twenty Men killed, andeight and forty hurt; Which done theycame off with great Honour.

The Fleet then set Sail for Tripoliand Algiers , and having made advan-tageous Treaties with those Govern-ments, returned before Tunis , wherethey now found the Inhabitants veryready to submit to whatever Terms theythought fit to impose upon them; Andthey not only released all the EnglijhSlaves they had, but several Dutchlikewise, (c)

Captain Stayner destroys the SpanishFlotta.

Admiral Blake, having been cruiTing, the next Year, for some Time, inConjunction with General Montague ,(who was joined with him, by his De-sire)

{a) While he was in Cadiz- Road, he receiv-ed great Civilities from the Spaniards and theDutch. The Dutch Admiral would not wear hisFlag, while Blake was in the Road. De Witte,with other Dutch Ships, struck Sail to him in theStreights.

(bj If we may believe Leti, in his Life ofhife of Cromwell, the Pope himself, upon the ApproachCromwell, of the Englijh Squadron, on the Coast of Italy,was seized with such a Pannick, that he d d notthink himself safe at Rome.

(c) The Author of the New Life of Cromuelsays, there was another Reason for Blake’s goingto the Mediterranean, which was to demand Sa-tisfaction of all Princes and States, who had mo-lested the Englijh , inTime of War and Confusionat Home. Accordingly, among other Places, he

to demand of the Great Duke of Tuscany, sixtyThousand Pounds, for Damages sustained by theEnglijh, in his Dutchy ; Prince Rupert having ta-ken and fold, as many Englifi Ships, as amount-ed to that Value, to the Great Duke’s Subjects.The Duke was willing to payPart of the Sum, anddesired Time to consult the Pope about the Rest.Blake said the Pope had nothing to do with it,and insisted upon the Payment of the whole Sum,which was accordingly paid him in Gold. Blakesent home sixteen Ships laden with the Effects hehad received from several States, for Satisfactionand Damages, and they were ordered to fail upthe Thames together, in a Sort of Triumph, toplease the People.