Straits of Gibraltar

In Ruy Perez de Viedma’s account of the escape from Algiers, the Straits of Gibraltar mark a perilous maritime route between captivity and the hope of reaching Spain. The passage is not described as a completed crossing: it is a destination the escapees steer toward, and a route the French corsairs intend to take after seizing their vessel.

A Route Through the Corsair Encounter

After French corsairs attack the escape vessel, their captain rejects the suggestion that the captives be killed. Instead, the corsairs agree to provide a skiff and supplies when the Spanish coast comes into sight. Their own planned course is toward La Rochelle, passing through the Straits by night or by whatever means circumstances permit. The strait thus lies within a dangerous route shared, briefly and unwillingly, by captors and escapees.

The Escapees’ Approach

The corsairs put Ruy Perez de Viedma and his companions into a boat with water and biscuit when they near the Spanish coast. The group rows toward the Straits, using the land ahead rather than a compass to guide them. By sunset they believe they are close enough to land before late night, but the moon is absent, the sky is cloudy, and they do not know their precise position; they therefore hesitate to make for shore in the dark.

Narrative Significance

The Straits function as a point of passage, not a guaranteed refuge. Reaching the Spanish coast brings the escapees the joy of recovering their liberty, yet their uncertain position and the approaching night preserve the danger of the journey. The episode’s geography gives freedom a practical, precarious shape: the captives must keep rowing and navigate carefully even after leaving the corsairs’ vessel.