70 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF FRANCOIS ARAGO. 
In February, 1809, the new Dey, the successor of the 
“ épileur,” a short time after having entered on his func- 
tions, claimed fromm two to three hundred thousand franes, 
—I do not remember exactly the sum,—which he pre- 
tended was due to him from the French Government. 
M. Dubois Thainville answered that he had received the 
Emperor’s orders not to pay one centime. 
The Dey was furious, and decided upon declaring war 
against us. A declaration of war at Algiers used to be 
immediately followed by putting all the persons of other 
nations into prison. This time matters were not pushed 
to this extreme limit. Our names might be figuring on 
the list of the slaves of the Regency; but in fact, so far 
as I was concerned, I remained free in the consular 
house. By means of a pecuniary guarantee, contracted 
with the Swedish Consul, M. Norderling, I was even per- 
mitted to live at his country house, situated near the 
Emperor’s fort. 
The most insignificant event was sufficient to modify 
the ideas of these barbarians. I had come into the town 
one day, and was seated at table at M. Dubois Thain- 
ville’s, when the English Consul, Mr. Blankley, arrived 
in great haste, announcing to our Consul the entrance 
into the port of a French prize. “I never will uselessly 
add,” said he, generously, “to the severities of war; I 
came to announce to you, my colleague, that I will give 
up your prisoners on a receipt which will insure me the 
deliverance of an equal number of Englishmen detained 
in France.” “T thank you,” answered M. Dubois Thain- 
ville; “but I do not the less deplore this event that it 
will retard, indefinitely, perhaps, the settlement of the ac- 
count in which I am engaged with the Dey.” 
During this conversation, armed with a telescope, I 
