Cruising off the Straits of Gibraltar, a squadron of seven Algerine corsair, or Barbary, ships were causing considerable damage to both the English and Dutch Mediterranean trade from Algiers. By August 1670 the English commander Sir Thomas Allin and the Dutch admiral Willem Joseph, Baron van Ghent collaborated to prevent the corsairs reaching Algiers. The English despatched Commodore Richard Beach with a small squadron to join the Dutch. Between 14 and 24 August, Dutch ships pursued six of the corsair ships for several days until land was reached near Cape Spartel, where they were engaged in action. The corsair ships attempted to escape along the coast. On the 17 August Beach arrived with his five ships and cut off their escape to the north. During the night the corsair ships ran themselves ashore at high water and most of the crew left the ships. The following morning boats from the Dutch and English ships took possession of the three Algerine flagships. However, they remained aground and couldn’t be shifted. As all six boats began to break up in the surf, the English boats freed as many Christian slaves as they could and then set fire to the ships.