Don Quixote

Don Antonio takes his guests on board the admiral's galley. Sancho, never having been on a ship before, is both impressed and frightened. One of the rowers, so instructed, hoists Sancho, tosses him to the man behind him, and the poor squire is tossed the whole length of the ship by the slaves. Don Quixote, however, receives the sort of welcome accorded to persons of quality. The courtesies are interrupted, however, for the captain gives chase to an Algerian brigantine, urging the galley slaves to row as fast as possible. As they are alongside the Moorish vessel, however, two drunken Turkish sailors fire into the Spanish ship, killing two soldiers. The General resolves to hang each prisoner when they are all brought to land. Everyone present, even the Viceroy, is amazed when the handsome young captain of the vessel confesses himself to be a "poor Christian woman," a Catholic-educated native of Spain who was forced to flee to Barbary with her family. The girl, Anna Felix, continues with her story, telling them that her lover, Don Gaspar Gregorio, emigrated to Algiers with them. The Dey of Algiers, she says, was very interested in her for her wealth as well as her beauty. When he heard that a handsome youth was captured as well, his thoughts turned to the newcomer, and realizing that Turks prefer youths to maidens, Anna Felix arranged a strategem. She arranged that Don Gaspar appear before the Dey as a woman, and the king decided to reserve this lovely newcomer as a gift to the Grand Seignior. Meanwhile, the Dey had given Anna Felix instructions to return home to fetch the buried jewels and gold from her house, and thus she and the insolent Turks were found on board the brigantine. Suddenly a pilgrim with the Viceroy's company throws himself at the girl's feet. "Anna Felix, my dear unfortunate daughter! Behold thy father Ricote, that returned to seek thee." The Viceroy is so moved at the tender reunion between father and daughter that he revokes his death sentence even from the guilty Turks. Don Antonio Morena offers hospitality to Anna Felix and Ricote, who in his turn has a friendly reunion with his neighbor Sancho Panza.