RESIDENCE OF THE MISSION AT BUSHIRE. 
45 
ficant, of their tribe is sufficient cause for a declaration of war; but the 
destruction of so large a portion of their whole numbers would dispirit 
rather than so animate the remainder; and the tribe would probably 
agree never again to approach an English ship. The pirates had, in 
fact, been so disheartened by their disaster, that when, a few days after¬ 
wards, a single Arab ship (commanded indeed by an Englishman) fell 
among them, and, finding herself unable either to fight or to escape, 
bore down upon them to try a shew of resistance, they all fled. At 
length on the 26‘th Nov. the Minerva, H. C. cruizer, Captain Hopgood, 
arrived, and brought the Persian Secretary, who had been captured in 
the Sylph. The Secretary was much connected at Bushire, and his de¬ 
tention had of course excited great uneasiness among his relations, who 
had been putting up prayers in the mosques for his safety. His account 
of their fate was not uninteresting. 
At the time when the pirates were standing the same course with 
herself, the Sylph discovered the Nereide bearing down upon her. When 
the Nereide came close, she hove-to; but as the commander of the 
Sylph did not send a boat on board of her, she filled her sails and stood 
on. When the Nereide had already passed at some distance, the two 
dozes stood towards the Sylph . The Persian Secretary advised the officer 
of the ship not to permit the dozes to approach; but he would not 
listen to the suggestion, as he declared they would not touch him. The 
dozes , however, did approach so close, that the Sylph had only time to 
fire one gun, and to discharge her musquetry at them, before they were 
alongside, and poured on board her in great and overwhelming numbers. 
It is unnecessary to state all the circumstances. The Persian Secretary 
from the concealment to which he had fled, was still able to ascertain 
that, as the first act of possession, the Arabs threw water on the ship 
to purify it; that they then proceeded to the deliberate murder of the 
men, who were on deck or discoverable; that they brought them one 
by one to the gangway, and in the spirit of barbarous fanaticism cut 
their throats as sacrifices; crying out before the slaughter of each 
victim, “ Ackbar” and when the deed was done, “ Allah il Allah” 
