Accordingly, they sailed. The frigate
was commissioned to drop dispatches at Gibraltar, and arriving off
that place she was obliged to lag some miles behind, to fulfil her
orders. After having done so, and made all sail to rejoin the convoy,
she was attacked by a Barbary rover of superior strength, was beaten,
most of the crew captured, and conveyed into port. They were taken to
the market-place, and sold as slaves. Herbert described these
extraordinary events as occurring so rapidly, that it was not till he
was established with his purchaser--a man of some property, who lived
on an estate at the edge of the Sahara desert--that he had time to
reflect on them. Hoping that some of the officers or crew had
escaped, and would take means to ransom him, he worked on from day to
day for a whole year. At last an Egyptian merchant came to visit his
master, to whose servant Herbert entrusted a letter, addressed to the
British consul at Alexandria. This letter was fortunately delivered,
and after a time, his liberty was procured.
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