Whilst the greatest effort has been made to ensure the quality of this text, due to the historical nature of this content, in some rare cases there may be minor issues with legibility. Piracy Spain, took revenge upon the Christians by preying on their shipping. I have long seen good reasons for doubting the universal accuracy of this statement. The Moriscoes of Spain were for the most part an inland people with little sea-borne commerce, and few ships of any sort, while their Christian compatriots were in possession of a large and powerful fleet. It is therefore difficult to understand how a race unaccustomed to maritime war fare became so speedily, merely by the stimulus of hatred, the most skilful corsairs of the years succeeding their arrival on the opposite shores of Africa. Those who fled to what is now Algeria and Tunis might, no doubt, have taken more aptly to their new trade. For the Turks were there already, and besides having at their disposal a plentiful supply of Greek and Italian apostates, all expert in seafaring wickedness, these Moslems had long been accustomed to traverse the Mediterranean either as common carriers, or for the more congenial purpose of obeying the mandate of the prophet touching the spoiling of the Infidel.