Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-12-01
CHAINED TO THE OAR.
Fearful Fate of the Unfortunate
Wretches Condemned to the
AWFUL LIFE OF A GALLEY SLAVE.
Shackled to Benches Upon Which They
Worked and Slept.
ABUSED UNTIL DEATH WAS A RELIEF
WRITTEN FOR THE DISPATCH. l

"Man's inhumanity to man" reached it'
| elimination in the case of those miserable
persons who were compelled, during the
four centuries preceding our own, to row
in the galleys of Christian France or of the
piratical Barbary States. The peaceful
Huguenots who were condemned to burn,
ave. even those Camisards or Albigeses VIII Q
were tortured to death experienced a less
cruel demise than those condemned to the
living death of the galleys, finally to suffer
from the enemy's shot, or to succumb to the
lash of the mate or to the pangs of starva-
ton.
These celebrated vessels, the steamers OF
the middle ages, were long. low, narrow
craft, constructed for speed, carrying a
quota of soldiers, and, after the introduction
Of ordnance, having also limited number
of guns. They were generally rugged, hav-
ing from one to three masts, each carrying a
long, low. lateen sail. The deck was but
two or three feet above the water, which at
times swept its entire length. Sometimes
there was another deck, with a second tier of
rowers, but never were there more rows of
oarsmen, such as propelled the Grecian and
Roman galleys The deck sloped from the
middle to the walls, in order that the incom-
ing seas might easily find egress. Small
ports were cut in the walls of these vessels.
through which protruded the long oars
which served to propel these structures with
astonishing swittness.
In the center of the ship ran an elevated
passage, proceeding from stem to stern, and
from this, on each side, the benches of the
rowers extended to the walls of the vessel.
These oars were arranged in two ways, by
fha 1o1 mt Oar 1cad
10 each bench, and this was propelled by
from one to six men. Sometimes, however,
there were two or three oars to bench, each
man pulling his own Oar. In both cases,
the benches were placed obliquely to the
keel, the angle being very acute where there
were several oars. In front OF each bench,
and foot above the deck, was a footrest,
under which the water ran when the deck
was awash. Under the usual arrangement,
the single oar was some 90 feet in length,
so balanced that half its weight was in
board. Handles were fastened to the lower,
or inner end, so that it might easily be
grasped by the rowers. These oars were
never taken in at sea, being "coek- billed"
when not IN use. The poop of the vessel
was usually high and castellated, and sort
of breastwork across the torecastle pro-
tectcd the bow guns, and served as lodge
ment for the soldiers, who also could be
distributed along the walls upon benches
placed there.
To these benches were chained the miser-
able living engines of these huge centipede-
like vessels. The crews of these galleys
were divided into three classes. Service in
the ancient galleys had been honorable, but
in the middle ages it became disgraceful.
The only volunteers among the rowers were
such criminals, vagrantsland ne'er-do-weels
oh 10 hoir hod in in
der to crafty their passions. Captives
taken in war formed the next class. Those
in the French and Italian galleys, were
either Turks, Moors or negroes. The Moors
were the best rowers, but were treacherous
and vindictive. The Turks were only use
full when taken from the crews of Turkish
vessels. The negroes were of little value.
''The greater part of them" says an old
author, Idle of melancholy and obstinacy."
A LIVING DEATH,
All these, even the volunteers, were
chained to their benches. Many of these
latter were condemned criminals, whose
times had expired, but who could only pay
the additional fines imposed upon them by
longer service at the oar. They were al
lowed to wear clothing while at work, and
were distinguished by their mustaches. The
captured slaves wore tuft of hair on the
crown of the head, otherwise bare; and the
forcuts or condemned criminals, were clean
shaven, head and face. This latter class,
which interests us the most, comprised those
sentenced to the oar for the vilest crimes, as
we'll as Protestants, often of rank and edu-
cation, and political prisoners. Condemned
to this death in life, they were chained to-
gether upon these bare benches the Yilest
criminals, next to the simple VRndois peas
ant or Camisard mountaineer, and these
chains were never removed while the galley
was at sea. That the punishment of the
galleys was estimated as equal to capital
punishment, is seen from the tact that Henry
II. of France hanged all the slaves when the
galleyS were tied up, while Richelleu sent
those condemned to be hanged to the galleys.
Denonville sent captured Indians to
France, to be used as galley rowers, but it
caused so much trouble that they were
speedily sent back to America.
These unfortunate creatures were but half
fed. The allowance was three ounces of
bread per diem, water to drink, soup made
of three ounces of beans and a quarter of an
ounce of oil, and ration of meat and wine
four times year. The ration Of soup was
given only every other day at sea, because
of the difficulty OF cooking.
On the poop stood the captain, and near
him was the mate, or comite, who was the
tyrant set over the crew. He was assisted
by two others, stationed on the gallery that
ran along the middle of the galley. These
three, armed with whips, and provided with
able slaves with blows and abuse, making
no distinction between the strong and the
weak.
Sometimes a gay striped awning was
spread over the deck, but this was the only
protection ever given against the weather.
The rowers had also the duty Of sewing the
sails, aiding in their maneuveTs, and, when
in port, of loading the vessel with supplies.
Two tall and vigorous men were selected to
pull the stroke oar. At the signal given by
the whistles, each man grasped his oar,
launched his body forward, and the blades |
descended into the water at the same In
slant. It was a matter of necessity that the |
stroke should be perfect, for in case anyone |
lost the time. it would strike those on the |
b 'rich in front, in the head or back.
Tie labor of the galley slave was so |
severe, that it passed into proverb. An |
excellent authority of the time says that no |
ordinary man could row more than an hour
at time. But it was frequently the case
That the oars were kept going without ceas-
ing for 10 or IL hours. The mates, on such
occasions, piled their whips upon the naked
bodies of the rowers, now and then thrusting
into their mouths morsel of bread soaked
in wine. Any fogging at the oar, was
followed BY increased cries and blows, until
The miserable forcut dropped from the bench,
when he was Immediately unshaekled and
brown overheard, without any pains being
taken to ascertain whether ne was really
dead.
THE SONG OF THE GALLEY.
A song current in France during the
seventeenth century portrays the suffering