1816	England and the Barbary States	398

Levantine, and Moorish troops. These atrocities committed on defenceless Christians having at length roused the vengeance of Britain, an expedition, of a suitable magnitude, was prepared to act against the forts and shipping of Algiers, and the command was entrusted to a most able officer, Admiral Lord Exmouth ; who had already, a short time before, compelled the Dey of Tunis to sign a treaty for the abolition of Christian slavery, and to restore 1792 slaves to freedom.

On the 28th of July, at noon, a fleet, consisting of the following 19 men of war, also a naval transport, a sloop with ordnance stores, and a despatch-vessel weighed from Plymouth Sound with a fine northerly wind:

At 5 p.m., when the fleet was off Falmouth, Captain Paterson was ordered to hasten on to Gibraltar, to have every thing in readiness against the arrival of the expedition. On the 9th of August, at 2 p.m., Lord Exmouth anchored with his fleet in Gibraltar bay, and found lying there, in company with the Minden, which had arrived only on the preceding night at 11, the following Dutch squadron:

Immediately on being apprized of the object of the expedition, Vice-admiral. Van de Cappellen solicited and obtained

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