KHAIR-AD-DIN’S RETURN TO ALGIERS.
About this time Khair-ad-din had given the fortress of Beled-al-enab in charge to a certain capudan, whom he sent thither with fifteen small vessels. On his arrival there, hearing of the attack of the infidels upon Tunis, he sunk the vessels by order of the pasha. On the fifth day after the above events Khair-ad-din went to Bajaiah, and thence to Beled-al-enab, where he gave orders that each reis should bring out his vessel, and placing several pieces of cannon at the mouth of the river, he repulsed the infidel ships that attempted to approach. Having fully equipped the vessels, he sailed for Algiers, the inhabitants of which came out to meet him. After having had an interview with his family, the pasha began to equip the nine vessels which were lying there under the command of Murad Agha, with which and eight private Algerine ones, after a stay of fifteen days, he went out to sea, having in all thirty-two vessels under his command. He first anchored at a place about thirty miles from Majorca, and early the next morning a salute of fifty-six guns was fired from the castle. The pasha, telling his people they should learn the cause of all this afterwards, then made sail, and on his way took two barges, in which were some Tunisian captives. These he set free; but put the infidels into chains, and burnt their ships. From Minorca he sailed to a castle called Milota, into the harbour of which he entered with infidel colours. The infidel fleet had put into this port on its way to Tunis, and now when Khair-ad-din approached the castle, the infidels, supposing it to be Andrea’s fleet on its return, fired a salute. Two Portuguese barges that were coming in with a fair wind, when they saw Khair-ad-din’s fleet tacked and were about to fly, but on hearing the salute returned and anchored. Several infidels then came from the castle to learn the news about Tunis; these Khair-ad-din seized and put into chains. He also sent two boats to the barges with the intimation, “Come along—Barbarossa wants you:” a mandate which the terrified infidels obeyed; and ninety prisoners found on board were liberated.
When Khair-ad-din came to these islands,[35] a report had been spread that his intention was to plunder them, and the inhabitants were in consequence greatly alarmed. The governor, in order to comfort them, sent them a prisoner dressed like the pasha, with a message that the king, having taken Barbarossa, had sent him to them that they might burn him. The captive was accordingly burnt, and this gave occasion to the salute. When however the capture of Minorca was made known, the circumstance afforded a source of ridicule to the captives.
CAPTURE OF THE CASTLE OF MINORCA[36].
Khair-ad-din having landed his men, laid siege to this castle; and when the attack had lasted four days, the governor of the island came out with six thousand infidels, when, after a furious engagement, he was routed, and his horse being hamstrung, he fell, and was killed on the spot. The infidels, seeing this, surrendered the castle. Khair-ad-din then abandoned the wealth of the place to the plunder of his warriors. Five thousand seven hundred prisoners were taken, and eight hundred were killed: and on the sixth day Khair-ad-din rased the fortress and returned to Algiers.