File:An authentic narrative of the loss of the American brig Commerce - wrecked on the western cost of Africa, in the month of August, 1815. (1817) (14778590832).jpg

Identifier: authenticnarrati00rile (find matches)
Title: An authentic narrative of the loss of the American brig Commerce : wrecked on the western cost of Africa, in the month of August, 1815.
Year: 1817 (1810s)
Authors: Riley, James, 1777-1840 Bleecker, Anthony, 1770-1827
Subjects: Commerce (Brig) Slavery
Publisher: New-York : Printed and published for the author, by T. & W. Mercein, no. 93 Gold-street
Contributing Library: Lincoln Financial Foundation Collection
Digitizing Sponsor: The Institute of Museum and Library Services through an Indiana State Library LSTA Grant

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and awakened theslothful inhabitants, who flew to the walls in orderto make a defence; but it was too late; the enemywere thundering against them; all was confusionwithin; those who attacked the gate were repulsedwith great slaughter by those who mounted theplatform over it, but the walls were already shat-tered to pieces, and the assailants entered thebreaches over heaps of their dead and dying ene-mies. It was now daylight, and an indiscriminateslaughter of the inhabitants ensued; all was bloodand carnage ; every male was put to death, excepttwo, who escaped over the wall to carry tidings ofthe fate of the town to their friends and neighbours.All the women and children shared the same fate,except two hundred virgins, who were spared for theuse of the conquerors. They next plundered theslain of their clothing and ornaments; gathered upall the spoil, and drove off the oxen, sheep, camels,and asses, and departed, leaving the city beforemid-day a heap of ruins, covered with the mangled
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SUFFERINGS l.\ AFRICA. 233 carcasses of its once liighlj ravomed iuliabitants:thej were in such haste as to leave the batteringmachines standing, and made oft by way of theplain southward. The inhabitants of the neighbour-ine^ towns soon collected, and pursuing them withgreat vigour, came up with tliem on the side of themountain the next morning, while the invaders send-ing forward their spoil, took a station in a steepnarrow pass, and prepared for battle^ It was a verylono- and bloody fight, but Sulmins men rolled downgreat stones from the precipices upon their pursuers,who were at last forced to retreat, leaving abouthalf their number dead and wounded on the ground.Sidi Mohammed was one of the pursuers, and noAVshowed me a verv larg-e scar from a wound he thenreceived on his breast by a musket ball. Sidi Ishem,a very powerful prince, had in the mean time heardthe news, and assembled a very large army, andpursued tlie enemy by another way; but they hadfled to the desart, and could no

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