COUNTESS DE BOURK. 87 
The dread of the armies induced her to listen to the represen- 
tation, that without incurring so many dangers and so great 
an expense, the shortest way would be to embark at Cette, 
from whence she might reach Barcelona in twenty-four hours. 
This plan she adopted the more readily, as she had before 
made several voyages. Having procured another passport 
she repaired to Cette, where she found several French ves- 
sels ; but as none of them were bound to Spain, she was 
obliged to take her passage in a Genoese tartan that was 
ready to sail for Barcelona. 
Madame de Bourk embarked with her son, aged eight 
years, her daughter, nine years and ten months ; the Abbe de 
Bourk, four female servants, a steward, and a footman. These, 
with two other persons, composed the whole of her suite. 
She likewise had on board part of her effects and much va- 
luable property ; among the rest a rich service of silver plate, 
a portrait of the king of Spain set in gold and enriched 
with diamonds, &c. the whole forming seventeen bales or 
The tartan set sail on the 22d of October, 1719. On the 
25th, at day-break, an Algerine corsair, commanded by a 
Dutch renegade, appeared about two leagues to windward of 
the tartan, which was then in sight of the coast of Palamos. 
The captain despatched his long boat, with twenty armed 
Turks, to take possession of her. As they approached thev 
fired seven or eight musket shots without wounding any per- 
son, because the whole of the crew had either fallen flat on 
the deck or concealed themselves. The Turks boarded the 
tartan sword in hand, and wounded one of Madame deBourk's 
servants in two places. They then proceeded to the cabin, 
where that lady was, placed four centinels over it, and stood 
with the tartan toward the corsair. On the way the Turks 
ransacked every part of the vessel. They found some hams, 
which they threw overboard, but greedily devoured the pas- 
ties, and drank immoderately of the wine and brandy. 
When they came along side the corsair they removed all 
the Genoese into her, and immediately put them in irons. 
The captain then went on board the tartan to Madame de 
Bourk's cabin, inquired who she was, of what nation, whence 
she came, and whither she was bound. She replied that she 
was a French woman, that she was come from France, and 
going to Spain. He desired to see her passport, which she 
showed him, without suffering it to go out of her hands, fear- 
ing the barbarian might destroy it; but upon the assurance 
