The “Corso” or state piracy as it was commonly known during the 17thcentury was a normal practice carried out by the Order of St John as means of revenue to replenish its treasury. It also served as a caravan to train young Knights and aspirant Serving Brothers. There were also private funded expeditions, who used to hire mercenaries and corsairs for their expeditions. Th
ey operated under a special licence issued by the Order. The bounty was usually divided and distributed to various segments of the Order. An important beneficiary of this revenue was the cloistered nuns of the Monastery of St Ursula in Valletta. The Jerosolimitan Nuns used to contribute to the success of these missions by praying for all those at sea. These caravans used to be carried out during the months of March and October. In the late sixteenth century, the western Mediterranean was infested with Barbary corsairs, mostly from Algiers, particularly between 1560 and 1570. Some even made their way to the Adriatic and Crete. Between 1580 and 1620, Algiers entered upon the second age of prosperity that was more far-reaching than the first. This was a time when corsairing was replacing fleet warfare and the southernmost islands of Christendom were besieged without mercy. On the other hand, the Levant was easily the most rewarding hunting ground for Christian privateers with well-manned galleys, brigantines, galleons, frigates and swift sailing ships, well able to batter their way through the rough seas. Corsairing activities in Malta under the Knights of St John may be classified under three headings:a) Corsairing as practised by private corsairs, Maltese or foreign often Italian, French and sometimes Spanish – who received a licence to fly the flag of the Order;b) Corsairing as organised by rich private knights, owners of vessels or galleons, including Grand Masters like Cardinal Hugh Loubenx de Verdalle (1582-1595) and Alof de Wignacourt (1601-1622);c) The Order’s galley squadron which, accompanied by other vessels of the Order, organised its yearly corsairing campaigns against Muslim shipping and towns. Many Knights of the Order gained fame and prestige with their achievements at sea and were rewarded with decorations, promotions, and titles given by the Grand Master himself. While others died in trying doing so or even worse were ended up captured and sold as slaves, or thrown into a dark and humid prison cell until their ransom is paid. Those who lived to a certain age usually narrated their stories of how singlehandedly they fought the infidel or about their suffering during the time spent rowing in the galleys. One of the most impressive captures of the 18th century was the Benghen, the Turkish Sultana. It was the pride of the Ottoman Armada, carrying 80 massive cannons. On 8th October 1700AD, the Captain-General of the Maltese squadron, the Baliff Gio. Batta Spinola sent a dispatch to his eminence the Grand Master describing the capture of the most handsome Turkish flagship which had ever plied the seas.
The Order’s squadron consisting of four Galleys, the Capitana, Santa Maria, San Luigi, and the Magistrale sailed north east from the Kerkenna Shoals and after a short distance, the look-out reported a square-rigged vessel some 25 miles away. Immediately the squadron gave chase, but because of the prevailing wind due and to the vessel’s high speed coupled with the long distance involved, the chase lasted about thirteen hours and covered fifty miles. The guns started firing and the boarding parties prepared for battle and having approached the enemy ship within musket range, the captain-general ordered the ‘prepare on board’ signal followed immediately by the ‘board’ signal. The Magistrale being the closest galley and contrary to all norms and usages of galley warfare and under heavy fire from the three decker’s guns and musketry lying at half a pistol’s distance away crashed into the Sultana sending the boarding parties on its upper deck. The Capitana suffered lots of casualties in the process due to the heavy fire sustained and it was considered a miracle that it was not blown up. The Santa Maria and San Luigi who reached the battle zone shortly after rendered all assistance to achieve victory, both of them suffering heavy casualties. The Capitana grazing against the side of the towering Sultana, boarded her poop whilst the Magistrale flanked by the San Luigi on her port attacked from the port-quarter side, while the Santa Maria attacked from the starboard side after she made a great effort rowing hard to join the fighting. The four galleys were hanging on the sides of the Turkish vessel and all pouring men on her decks as fast as they could scramble up her sides. The upper deck was soon in the hands of the boarding parties with the Turks fighting bitterly but slowly being pushed below right down to the orlop deck (this deck lied down between the lower gun deck and the hold). Some Turks locked themselves up in the powder-magazine and were threatening to blow up the ship, Chev Spinola parleyed three times with them, the first two proved futile because they did not believe him since he did not sport a long beard which in their circles commanded great respect and importance. The third time backed by the assurances of the Sultana’s captain who was being held prisoner and on their insistence to rest as guarantee Spinola’s golden pectoral cross, the Turks surrendered on the condition that they were to be set free. Chev Spinola granted their requests and Turks came out and handled him two matches. Having worked hard to save the ship from being blown away the knights faced other serious problems which threatened the safety of the vessel; first was the large amount of water which started coming in through the lower gun-ports, which they had to close and caulk before the ship would have gone down before their own eyes, and secondly the disturbances among the boarding parties who were quarrelling amongst each other over the spoils.
The Sultana had a crew of 155 Muslims, after making it sea worthy and the necessary inventory a skeleton crew sailed her back to Malta. Amongst other goods, the captured ship had 66 bronze cannons and was carrying grain, barley, beans, oil, soap, and butter. The news of the capture was greeted with great joy by all members of the Order. But it did not go down well with the Turks who demanded its immediate return and threatened to stop all diplomatic relations with the French and the Venetians, who at that time were trading and doing very good business with The Ottoman Empire.