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The Government cf the Algerines confifts of the Dey, who 

 iiiav be compared to tlic former Dutch Statkholders, and of 

 a iiuwarif or Cotr.uion Council. The Dcv is cliofen out 

 bt the army ; rach order, cvtu the moll inferior, having an 

 equil right and title to that dignity with the highell. Ewry 

 bold and afpiring foldier, however obfcure his origin, may 

 be coufidertd as the heir apparent to the throne ; nor does 

 he wait for his acccffioQ till tickncfs or old age fliall have rc- 

 n'.ovr.d the prtfent vuler, provided that he can protcft him- 

 filf by the fame fcyiretar v.hich he plunges into the bread 

 v( his prcdtecfror. Accordingly the fucccffion at Algiers 

 has been ufually vtiy rapid ; and Dr. Shaw obfervcs, that 

 fcarctly one in ten has had the good fortune to die in his 

 b«d ; and thole who have enjoyed their power for a longer 

 period, have fecurcd it, not fo much by the attachment and 

 good will of tlie people, as by their own fagacily in perceiv- 

 ing the firft tendency of an infurre(ftion ; and by their abi- 

 lity to check it by the death of the confpiiators before they 

 have had an opportitjiity for accomplifliing their defigns. 

 This faftious and difcontented luiniour has, however, in fomc 

 degree fubfidcd, and the power of the Dey is more perma- 

 nent than it ufed to be, though he is Hill liable to be de- 

 prived of it by unforefeen r.bellion, arifing from trivial cir- 

 cumilances, and unavoidable ad'adlnation. The whole body 

 of the mihtia is concerned in the clcdtion of a new Dey, and 

 tveiy perfon, however low his rank, claims a right of voting. 

 Every eleftion is of courfe generally attended with tumult, 

 and fometimes with ferious contefts and blooddicd. When 

 the choice is determined, the perfon elefted is faluted with 

 words which fignify, " God blcfs, or profpor you ;" and 

 he if; then invciled with the kaftan, orinfignia of fovcreignty, 

 whiUl the Cadi, or Chief Judge, addrefles hira with a con- 

 gratulatoiy fpeeeh, and an exhortation to govern with equity, 

 and to maintain the liberty, and promote the welfare of his 

 fabjefts. The tloiiiL'jn, or divan, at firft confilled of about 

 800 military officers, without v.'hofe eounfel and confent the 

 Dey could not act ; and on extraordinary occafions, all the 

 officers that rcfided at Algiers, amounting to above 1 500, 

 were fummoued to aflift. But fince the Deys have become 

 more powerful and independent, the douwan is principally 

 compofed of thirty yiah-bafhaws, with the mufti and cadi, 

 upon fome emergencies ; and upon the eledlion of a new 

 Dey, the whole foldier}-, as we have obferved, are allowed to 

 give their votes. Of late the douwan is little regarded ; it 

 is, indeed, formally convened, for the purpofe of fanftioning 

 ineafurea prcvioufiy concerted betwixt the Dey and his fa- 

 vourites ; fo that, in effecl, the whole power is lodged in one 

 perfon. The next officer in dignity and power to the Dey 

 is the Jga, a general of the Janizaries, who is one of the 

 oldeft officers of the army, and enjoys his poll for two 

 months, and is fuccceded by the chiali, or next fcnior officer, 

 or cldeil yiah-ba(haw. During thefe two months, the keys 

 of the metropolis are in his cullody ; all military orders are 

 iffued in his name, and the fentence of the Dey upon any fol- 

 dier that has offended, is executed in the court of his palace. 

 When he is dilplaced, he is confidered as //nizoul, or fuperan- 

 nuated, and receives his pay, and is occafionally fummoned 

 to alTiil with his advice, but not with his vote, at the grand 

 i-ouncil. The next officer to tlie aga is the fecretary of flate, 

 who regillers all public ads; and next to him are 24 or 30 

 fhia-balTiaws, or chief colonels, from wliom are commonly 

 thofen ambaffadors to foreign courts, or rnciTengers, to incul- 

 cate the orders of the Dey through the realm. Next to thefe 

 ar^ the bolluk-badiaws, or eldeil captains ; after them the ol- 

 dah-baihaws, or lieutenants, 400 in number ; and other mili- 

 tary officers are vakelards, or purveyors of the army, peys and 

 foulaks. The officers now enumerated, compofe the dou- 



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wan. The ilrcngth of this kingdom cotifiils of its land and 

 fea f(n-ces. Its ftrong cities are few, and it has fewer gar- 

 rifons, which are weakly fortified and guarded. Dr. Shaw, 

 in 1732, computed the whole force of Algiers to be 6,500 

 military Turks and Coloulits, 2,000 of whom were cxcufed 

 from duty, 1,000 employed in reheving garrilbns, and tl:c 

 rell affigntd to their cruizing vcli'tls, or forming the three 

 flying camps which, eve.ry fummer, attend the provincial 

 viceroys. To the Turkifh ti'oops may be added about 2, coo 

 zwowah, as the Moorilh horfe and foot are called. 1'he de- 

 ficiency of their army is fupplied by recruits colltfted by 

 their crulfing veffcls once in tive or fix years, in the Levant : 

 and thefe arc commonly fliepherds, outlaws, and perfons of 

 the lowcll condition. Befides thele, the Dey, on occafions 

 of emergency, enrols the cologlics, or coloulies, who are 

 the fons of fuch feldiers as have been permitted to marrj' at 

 Algiers ; but thefe are dangerous perfons, and are not much 

 encouraged, and when they are admitted into the army, they 

 are excluded from the honour of being Dey, aga of the Ja- 

 nizaries, and other confidcrable offices and employments. 

 The officers of the Algerii*e army are the aga or general, 30 

 chia-bafiiaws or colonels, Soo bolluk-bafhas or captains, and 

 about 400 oldah-badiaws or lieutenants : and thefe feveral 

 polls are attained, not by money or interell, but by feniority. 

 The pay of the army is very fniall, the youngeft foldier re- 

 ceiving only 406 afpers every two months, and the oldeft, or 

 thofe in full pay, no more than 5,800, of which 696 make 

 a dollar. The whole army, therefore, with I'egard to its de- 

 mands upon the government, maybe reduced to about 3,500, 

 fo that a fum, leis than 200,000 dollars, or betwixt 30 and 

 40,0001. of our money, will defray its expence. Befides the 

 pay, thofe chiahandboUuk-bafiiaws, that arc unmarried', have 

 each eight loaves of bread a day, and the oda-bafhaws aad 

 private foldiers, of the fame condition, have four ; each loaf 

 being about five ounces in weight, and three afpers in value. 

 In their battles or engagements, the ipahies or cavalry, are 

 of little fervice ? their principal dcptr.dance is en the in- 

 fantry. Their fighting is always at a dillance ; fm.all parties, 

 or platoons, contiiuially advancing in full career from the 

 main body ; and after they have difcharged their fire-arms, 

 or their javelins, they as fpeedily retreat, and make way fcr 

 others : and hence it happens, that if a few perfons are kill- 

 ed, the battle is called bloody. 



The naval force of Algiers is more formidable than its 

 army. It commonly confiils of 20 fhips ; one of which be- 

 longs to the governm.ent, and is affigned to the admiral ; 

 but all the reil belong to private perfons. The Corfairs, 

 though they are not allowed any concern in the affairs of 

 flate, nor in the eleftion of the Dey, are held in great ef- 

 teem, on account of the prizes they continually bring ii;, 

 which are one main fource of the public revenue, and the 

 means of procuring them refpedl from the Chriftian powers- 

 for the fecnrity of their trade. The government claims an 

 eighth part of all the prizes, flaves, cargo and veflTel ; the 

 reft being divided amongft the proprietors and fhip's com- 

 pany. Paffengers are entitled to a (hare in their prizes. All 

 the officers of the (hips muft be either Turks or Coloulies ; 

 the Moors not being allowed to come upon th.e quarter-deck, 

 or into the gun-room, unlefs they are fent for : but' Chril'- 

 tian flaves are permitted to aft as fcamen or inferior officers, 

 and allowed a fiiare according to their abilities and beha- 

 viour. The Dey of Algiers pays no other revenue to the 

 Porte than a certain number of fine boys, or youths, and 

 fome other annual prefents. His own income is varioufiy 

 computed ; fome eftimating it at 40,000 ducats, whilil 

 otlitrs raii'e it to 400,000, and others to 600,000. Dr. Shaw 

 computes the yearly taxes of the whole kingdom at 300,000 



dollars ; 



