Mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado Co., Cal.) 1854-1860, 1858-12-18
French Galley Slaves.

6IeuCn Oauey olaVeS.
During :hc reign of Louis KY, in 1876, the
system OF furnishing prisoners by working
them At the galleys was pursued with most in.
human cruelty, far surprising in barbaiity the
practices Of the present day, whether in civil
lzed or savage countries, Of which we have any
knowledge. The galley slaves were usually
prisoners OF war, convictS, or professionals; but
the scver'St tasks, the greatest demivationS
and the most Insulting indgnitics were usually
imposed upon the victims Of religious pcrsccu.
tons. AS general thing their victims were
persons OF Intelligence and refined habits OF
HE, accustomed to the comforts Of civilization;
ana yet they were crowded into the galcys
with the most degraded and brutal convicts.
WHOSE ntthy habits and disgusting TcrOCitv
were far harder to be endured than even the
lncesSant toll at the oar to which they were
subjected, under the lash of their task master.
80 true Is 1t that religious ianaticism will har.
den the heart Of man towards lis dissenting
Drother, more than hatred Of vice or crime.
Why Is this? Why is it that the greatest cru.
elites winch man has ever perpctratcd towards
MS fellow man, have been nStgated by rcliy-
ious zeal! Why, except that religion has been
blended with government, and has been made
TO suOServe It's interest. The union of Church
and State has armed religion with the sword
anu inc iagot and inscribed upon the page Of
history tic bioOdcSt and most cruel pcrSecu.
ions that disgrace the annals of the world
II matters not what sect Of religion is rein
forced by temporal power, whether it bc Ma
homedan, Catholic or Protestant religious per
secution will follow, and that power is no more
safe in the hands of one sect than another
The French gallcys Of the time Of Louis
NV. were used upon the coast of the kingdom,
but particularly in the Mediterranean, to guard
the ports, and to convoy merchant vessels :;
also to tow disabled men. oi-war. They were
armed with long howitzcr guns and had
lighting crew on board, in addition to the
lavcs used to propel them. They were long,
shallow, flat vessels, With low decks, and two
nasted; but were not able to carry their broad
Hn'shaped sails, except in very moderate and
'vorable weather. Every vessel carried three
Iundrcd SiavcS-ivc to each oar gang
BOARD ran along the center Of the galley, which
was travcrscd by centurion with long rod,
with which he Scourgcd the backs of such aS
aid not Pull heartily or in time, drawing blood
at every blow. The oars were very long and
heavy, and the labor OF lifting them was great
The -a1Avss- rose upon their feet to draw the
stroke, and fell back upon the scat with hca-
W bump that Jared the whole system. 10
this irksome work they were kept, whether
sick or well, by the rod Of the Overscrr; and
down from their bodies in streams even in the
coolest weather. Of course, many of those of
delicate frame became exhausted under this
terrible labor but there was no relief for them
Out 70 die at the oar, fate that frequently
overlook the less robust slaves. To be sure
hospital was provided for the sick; but such
hospital, that death at the oar was preferable
to occupying it, This hospitaI was contract
ed, noisomc hole in one corner of the gallcy'S
hold, with scatsold on it, upon which the sick
were thrown, without bed or pallet. When
this hold was full, the sick were thrown upon
the coils of cable which lay around AS many
as eighty patients were sometimes crowded in
to this horrible cavity at once. So low was
the hold that the Scaifold came up within three
feet of the ceiling, and the priest who was call
ed to confess the dying, was obliged to accom-.
modatc himself by lying down beside them, for
there was not room to stand up. Into this in
fernal hole the only air and light was admitted
through Scuttlc two feet square; and so foul
was 1t with filth and vcrlnin, that the chaplain
had to put frock on upon entering it, to pro-
tect his clothes. \ surgeon was attached to
each galley, to attend upon the sick : but his
time and attention were usually too much en-
crossed in pcculating upon the medical stores
which the government provided, to allow Of his
bestowing much. skill upon the treatment of
the sick. even could any skill have proved CT.
tectlve in such den of pCstilcnce. Mhat won.
der was it then, that men of delicate sensibili-
ties should have preferred death at the oar to
medical treatment in such a filthy hole?
The galley slaves were uniformly clad with
red serge jenkins, and the small red cap which
the French revolution subsequently made such
an object of terror. Their daily allowance of
food was biscuit, portion Of mca:re soup
composed of hot water, rancid oil, an mu>ty
peas or beans, and n small allowance Of wine
morning and evening When not on duty.
some of them were permitted 10 90 on shore,
and under suitable guard, to labor for any little
money they could earn, whcrewith they were
allowed TO buy meat. They were chained
while on board the galley, to prevent them III
sing in mutny and the crew of the vessel,
consisting of one hundred and fifty men, o-
GERS, soldiers, Seamcn and servants, also served
to keep in check these desperate bondsmen.-
Singular as it may appear, the Turks in these
slave gangs were treated with less severity than
Protestant Christians, and were allowed great
er privileges. They were usually selected as
servants to the officers were served with bet
ter fare than the rest Of the slaves, were not
chained while working at the oar, were allowed
to trade Oh shore upon arriving at a port and
were even placed as keepers over the Christian
slaves, when the latter were permitted to labor
on land. In this superior treatment, however
we see the effects Of religious bigOtry; that
accursed spirit of religious persecution that
prompts its pOSscssorS to visit greater hard
ships upon their own countrymen mostly be-
cause the$ are Of different Christian faith,
thap they impose upon foreigners and inhdcls
S~e~S
1t is recorded that an extraordinary surgi-
cal operation was lately performed which
killed the patient. The doctor, at the last ac-
c0upGss WINS doing well.
Men arc frequently like leather real
strength. and goodness not being properly
dpawn nnk alntil fhov havo haon n short t;nn