A PARTICULAR NARRATIVE Of the Burning in the Port of Tripoli, Four Men of War, belonging to those Corsairs, By Sir John Narbrough, Admiral of His Majesties Fleet in the Mediterranean, &c.

FRiday, the 14th of January, 1675/6. I being before Tripoli in Barbary, with His Majesties Ships under my Command, namely these, Harwich, Henrietta, Portsmouth, the Anne, Christopher and Holmes Fireships, and two Merchant Ships, Guiney and Martin, attending on me for Convoy to Scan­deroone.

I hoped to have made an honorable and lasting Peace; but the Dey, and Government of Tripoli refusing to make restitution for the Injuries done to His Majesty, and His Subjects; I seeing four of the Tripoli Ships of War of considerable force in the Port of Tripoli, preparing to go out to Cruise, I then having the Fireships with me to supply me with Fire-works, I fitted a Fire-boat accordingly out of them; Commanding that all the Boats of my Squadron, being 12 in number, should be mann'd, arm'd, and fitted with Fire-works: Also I ordered a considerable Officer to be Commander in every Boat, and my Lieutenant Cloudisley Shouell to be Commander in chief of them all, I being resolved, by God's permission, that Night to attack the Enemies Ships in their Port, gave directions requisite for such a design. About 12 of the Clock in the Night, my Boats resolvedly entred the Port, seized the Guard-Boat, boarded the Ships, fired them, and utterly destroyed them all; some Turks and Moors slain, the rest fled to save themselves. These four Ships lay under the Deys Castle walls, which was all that were in the Port, excepting a Tunis Merchant Ship, which I ordered should not be med­led with, so escaped firing. This Action was performed in less than an hours time, without sustaining the least damage on our part, more than the ex­pence of some Ammunition, Fire-works, and Fire-boat, which effectually were bestowed as designed, to the great astonishment of the Turks that en­deavored to impede our design, by plying several great and innumerable small shot at our Boats and Men, which were within Pistol-shot of the Deys own Castle and Palace. Such was the wonderful mercy of Almighty God towards us, That not one Man of ours was killed, wounded, or touched, nor a Boat any wayes disabled, but all returned in safety, bringing the Guard-boat, two Moors, and the Turkish Colours of the four Ships in tri­umph along with them to my Ship. Our Men employed in the Boats in this particular Action, were 157, they all behaving themselves as becometh Englishmen. And for a present Reward of their good Service, I caused the next day 1956 pieces of Eight to be distributed among them, as will appear by the following List.

The 26th of January, I fired about One hundred shot into the City of Tripoli amongst the Inhabitants; the first and third of February I took and destroyed five Corn-boats, on the Coast, to the Eastward of Tripoli twenty Leagues, and Landed, and Burned a Stack of Wood and Timber, which was for Building their new Ships, and some small Masts and Yards, and some Bags of Bread brought off, and two Guns spiked up, which could not be got off, it beginning to blow, and likely to be bad weather, so I was constrained to leave them, and to repair on Board, and leave the Coast. The 10th instant, the Portsmouth took a Samberkeene in her Ballast, 30 Leagues to the Eastward of Tripoli, she belonging to that Government; the Moors got all on shore, the Samberkeene she brought unto Maltha.