Thomas Barclay, who had some diplomatic experience, was commissioned to go to the Emperor of Morocco.

When Barclay reached Gibraltar, he was taken ill, and, after being removed to Lisbon, he died.

Admiral John Paul Jones was then appointed special commissioner to arrange for the ransom of the captives.

As he had then left the Russian service and was living in Paris, it was supposed that his services would be available, but he died before the commission could reach him.

The delay caused by these events was made so much worse by the slow transmission of intelligence that two years elapsed before a fresh start was made by placing the conduct of matters in the hands of Colonel David Humphreys, then Minister to Portugal.