TRAVELS IN BARBARY. 
lier ; but Romane Sonnings, a Frenchman, was to 
have the chief management of the trade. They 
arrived there, discharged their cargo, and took 
in a lading of oil. Their first ground of dissa- 
tisfaction arose from the king, as the basha is 
here called, demanding custom for the oil, after 
having promised to deliver it custom free. Such, 
j however, was the treachery of infidels, that, " al- 
" beit he was a king, he caused the said Sonnings 
M to pay the custom to the uttermost penie." But 
this was only the dawn of their affliction. There 
was an Italian, named Patrone Norado, who re- 
mained in pledge to a Turk for a certain sum of 
money. This person made an arrangement with the 
French factor, that, as soon as the vessel had left the 
harbour, he should come on board and make his 
escape ; which was accordingly effected. The Turk, 
to whom Norado was pledged, having preferred 
his complaint, the king sent out a boat, desiring 
Sonnings to come on shore, without specifying the 
cause. Sonnings refused, upon which the Turks 
immediately began to fire. As they were unable 
to make any impression on the English vessel, the 
king went to the Banio, or slave prison, and pro- 
claimed, that any slave who could point a success- 
ful fire against the vessel, should receive his liber- 
ty and a hundred crowns. A Spaniard undertook 
the task, and, with three shots, reduced the ship to 
such a condition, that she had no alternative, but to 
