at Bizerta--one of the ports of Abd-Allah-Mahomed--with a squadron of
thirty ships, and demanded hospitality. As Curtogali disposed of thirty
ships and some six thousand fighting men it would probably have been
impossible for Abd-Allah to have refused his request in any case; but he
was far from wishing to do so, as, by a convenient interpretation of the
Koran, the pirate had to deliver up one-fifth part of all the booty which
he reft from the Christians to the ruler of the country in whose harbours
he sheltered. There was no place so convenient for the purposes of the
pirate as Bizerta: from here he could strike at Sicily, at the Balearic
Islands, at Rome, Naples, Tuscany, and Liguria, while at the same time he
held the trade slowly sailing along the North African littoral at his
mercy. Great were the depredations of Curtogali, and even Pope Leo X.
trembled on his throne, while Genoa, Venice, and Sicily seethed with
impotent fury.

In the meanwhile who so happy as Abu-Abd-Allah-Mahomed? We cannot do better
than to take the description of his position from the pages of the good
Padre Alberto Guglielmotti. The Franciscan says: "He [that is, Abd-Allah]
desired peace with all and prosperity for his own interests. Friendly to
the merchants in their commerce; friendly to the corsairs in their spoils.
Let all hold by the law: the former contentedly paying customs dues, the
latter cheerfully handing over a fifth part of their robberies, and
Abd-Allah--their common friend--would ever continue at peace with them all.
Outside his ports the merchants and the pirates might fall by the ears if
they would: that was no reason for him to trouble his head. On the
contrary, he would joyfully await them on their return either with customs
dues or tribute of the fifth as the case might be."

However well this state of affairs may have suited Abd-Allah, the Genoese
held that the situation was far from satisfactory. In consequence they sent