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of Tunis to become receptacles for French privateers; the innumerable difficulties continually thrown in the way of the few British merchants who come here with a view to transact business, or in the hope of settling themselves;* the permission given to the French consul to condemn English prizes to an immense amount in the Regency; and above all, his unpardonable effrontery. in continuing at war with Portugal, Sicily, and Sardinia; three powers which have made common cause with us against the continental tyrant, who, in the event of his schemes being realized, would most certainly invade this country. To these flagrant derelictions of moral and political duty in the Bey of Tunis might be added many others of a minor description,, although equally calculated to prove a total disregard not only of his best interests, but of the law of nations. These violations have been frequently represented to his Highness, in the hope that he would adopt a more equitable ad many line of policy towards his only rea friends, the Eng'lish in that hope, however, the public are completely disappointed; and, after having acted with impunity for so long a period, it need not surprize

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* Mr. Consul Oglander will, doubtless, bear ample testimony to the truth of these assertions, as also every other subject of his Majesty who has ever passed ten days in this capital; particularly two merchants of Malta, Messrs. Bell and Wolf, who, owing to the Bey's injustice, have sustained great losses. Their more active enemies. have, however, been the Zapatapa and Mariano.

the Bey, that a person deeply interested for the general interests of society, and who has given him unequivocal proofs of good-will, in the hope of a change in his conduct towards Great Britain, should have made this exposure, as the only means of exciting that degree of attention which the importance of the subject deserves:-nor have I any doubt, but that when the state of European politics admits of our attending more closely to the concerns of Barbary, the result will be as favourable to the interests of those powers as to ourselves; for at present they have entirely mistaken the paths which lead either to glory or opulence, by persisting in a system which must insure the detestation of Europe, and finally rouze our deepest indignation.

I regret that it has not been possible to procure a copy of the treaty between France and his Highness it was revised in 1802, at which time several secret articles, injurious to the British interest, are said to have been added. All that could be collected on that and some other subjects connected with French trade and influence here, is contained in the following extract of a letter written by a person long resident in the Regency, and which may be implicitly relied upon.

"The treaty between France and Tunis, revised in 1802 by Mr. Duvois, stipulates, that all vessels bearing the French flag are to be received in the ports of his Highness the Bey; their wants of every kind to be supplied, either of warlike stores

or provisions, without being subject to pay any duties whatever for the same. Another article declares, that prizes of any nation, captured by French vessels of war or privateers, may be condemned by the consul of that nation, and then sold in the Regency.

"The same treaty contains another article, authorizing to all the subjects of France resident in the Bey's dominions, the wines and spirit requisite for their particular wants; a privilege never granted to any other nation: in fact, it is not without very great difficulty that the British consul is enabled to import a sufficiency of these articles for the use of his own establishment. Of the many vessels brought in here during the present war, his Highness is known to have bought five. Those captured by privateers alone, within the last three years, have exceeded one hundred; the proportion of their proceeds remitted to France, indes pendent of what was sold at Tunis, is computed at one million of Spanish dollars. There have been for about four years past, on an average, fifteen French privateers stationed on the coast of Tunis; in 1810 thirty-two armed vessels sailed from Ge poa; they made a great number of valuable captures, nearly the whole of which were condemned and sold in this Regency. Many of them were at different times supplied with warlike stores, not excepting powder, cannon, and shot: the whole of them rendezvoused either here or at Bizerta; and several flagrant breaches of neutrality were

committed by many of them. Amongst the rest, one is of too barefaced a nature to be omitted in this place, as it tends to illustrate an uncommon degree of iniquity on both sides. A brig under English colours, the master and crew of which were chiefly foreigners, sailed from Malta for London without convoy, having a valuable cargo on board, which was, as usual, insured considerably beyond its original cost; the master, however, for reasons only known to himself, put in here, where there was an enemy's privateer lying: he soon became acquainted with her captain, and an agreement was made that the privateer should go out a few hours before the brig, which was to follow, and suffer herself to be taken: this actually took place off Cape Farina, and she was immediately after sold at Tunis. Although this is a notorious fact here, yet the injured parties at Malta have never been enabled to procure the necessary documents, owing to the desire of those about the Bey to keep the matter secret.

"Among the articles of commerce exported from this to France, a great many cargoes of Sicilian sulphur have been sent. This commodity, so necessary to a nation at war, although sold very cheap in Sicily, has always yielded an immense profit at Genoa and Marseilles.

"Whenever any French prisoners are sent here from Malta, for the purpose of going to France, there are cartels hired by their consul to convey them; these never sail without large quantities of

plate, jewels, and money, the property of Frenclı subjects settled here, or produce of English prizes condemned by the consul..

"The government of France has long established a regular system of espionage in the Regency; there are at the capital, and scattered about in various towns, inferior agents, under the management of, and paid by the French consul here: their object is to make themselves minutely acquainted with every thing relative to politics or commerce that is going on in the Regency: this is communicated to the principal, who transmits it to the minister for foreign affairs at Paris. The transactions of the respective consulates are by these means well known to the French government. With respect to the British consul's house, in particular, there are people employed in it who report every thing that occurs to the French consul. There is a constant intercourse between Tunis and Tabarca, where a very intelligent and active agent is employed, as well to give information as superintend the coral fishery there; he is also employed to poison the minds of the inhabitants against the British.

"At Bizerta there are usually four or five privateers at anchor; these have always some of their people stationed on the heights near the town, in order to look out for any vessels passing by at sea; when discovered, a signal is made, and the privateers go in pursuit of them. Several prizes have been made in this way: the same practice has