The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1858-04-05
THE HORRORS OF THE NEAPOLITAN
DUNGEONS

DUNGEONS.
The European Times has an article in relrenca r,
Mr. Watt, one of the English prisoners in the Gao
llar affair." who has lately been liberat ted by de-
cree OF the King of Naples, from which we extract
the following:
Mr. Watt is now an inmate in the Enolish Has
pital at Naples; and though it is admitted that
owing to the eXertiOns of the acting consul Mr.
Barkelly, an English medical man resident in Ma
pies he is much improved, yet he appears to be sad
ly shattered in mind; and that in fact his nervous
system and general health are so much deranged
that he despairs of seeing him restored to his
wOnted state Of mind and BODY
Mr.. Watt describes the court at Salerno as pre-
senting strange and ghaStly spectacle The pris-
oners, about 300 in number, are nearly all youno
men, and would have been in the prime of manhood
If suffering and the dungeon had not effectuallv
done their work. They were pale and emacated
they all had sunken eyes and prominent cheek
bones-they resembled a crowd of animated corpsee
rather than living and breathing human beings
There was presented by them all a uniform ex-
preston OF countenance, as if a common suffering
had affixed on their shrinking faces and pnched
features a common impression. Some he remarked
to be without shirts; others were affected with re
pulslve-ooking skin diseases; and all were so loaded
with PedicU that he had to call for the assistance
OF Mr. Barber to obviate visitation from this form
of annoyance.
BY the interference of the CONSUL he was per-
mtted to occupy position at a short but need
| tul distance from the sad and miserable crowd
ct in spite of outward humiliation and the
oblteratlon OF external decency, Mr.. Watt thought
that he could discern here and there a face thar
betokens an intelligence above the rest, and sug-
gested to his mind that probably some of the dis
figuratons before him had descended to the pres
ent lowly plight from the gentle and educated
classes.
Mr. Watt declares that the sight he beheId in
that court will haunt him to his dying hour. Yet
strange to say, neither dependence nor despair was
marked on the countenance of these unfortunate
men. They talked and sometimes smiled Death
to them had ceased to be terror. They were sheep
arrived within the precints of the shambes. Many
of them, Mr.. Watt tells us, will not wait for the
execution of the judicial sentence; disease and death
are busy amongst them.
ABOLITION or SLAVERY IN THE DUTCH WEST INDIES
The last arrival from Jamaica brought draft OF
| the provisional law for the abolition of slavery in
the Dutch West Indies, lberating $4,000 negro
slaves in Surnam. The Kingston Journal heartily
approves of its provisions, regarding them as de-
signed to avoid the social, commercial and political
difficulties in which the British West India colon
les became involved by the general emancipation
some years ago. Indemnity is made to the slave
owners in proportion to the ages of the slaves
All children under five years to be uncondtionalIy
free. The emancipated are not to become the un-
restricted owners of their own time and labor
They are subject to certain orders. which they NAV
release themselves from by repayng to the Govern
ment the amount of their freedom money. All are
compelled to contribute to fund for education,
nursing the SICK and the relief of the poor and aged
-PhHalaphia ledger.