The daily morning journal and courier., 1905-06-03


 the limb came off in his hand; indeed, all five of his bench mates had been literally torn to pieces. Marteilhe now began to fesl something cold and wet upon his naked body, and discovered that he was wounded in three or four places. The other galleys had come up, and were assisting the disabled one to reach an offing, as well as towingthe captured frigate, but no lights were shown for fear of pointing out their position to the English men-of-war, which had come out os the river on hearing of the engagement.
 Seventeen out of eighteen of the slaves on the three benches about Marteilhe had been killed by grape from one gun of the frigate and killed and wounded encountered every part of the galley. The coursier, four feet wide. was completely covered with the dead, and among the benches dead slaves, soldiers and sailors were all piled together. After obtaining an offing they began to throw overheard the dead and place below. .Marteilhe himself narrowly escaped being thrown overheard for dead, for he had tainted again; but when the 'argousin' came to unchain him the pain revived him, and he was thrown pell-men with the other wounded on the coiled cables below.
 Here they remained for three days, until they reached Dunquerque with, out treatment and with all the filth and vermin incident to their forlorn coll- dition. No wonder that gangrene set in and that the wounded died like flies At Dunquerque the wounded slaves who remained alive were hoisted out by ropes about the body and placed in the hospital. where they were chained to the beds by the neck. Marteilhe had secret friend in the town, who recommended him to the head surgeon, who, although he usually only orders the treatment, not only dressed his wounds himself. but re- iprimanded the galley surgeon for hav- | ing neglected him. Owing to this
 care he got we'll. but he says that at least three-fourths of the wounded died. %Lz %G
 After three months in the hospital he left there sleek and fat, but with a certificate that his injuries would pre- vent him from rowing. He was chained to his old bench again however land remained there all winter. But when the galleys were fitted out, in 1706, he was lucky enough to have a change of labor. There being six slaves to each oar, the largest and strongest was strokesman, having the hadest work and being nearest the comites whip. The weakest were placed near the side. Marteilha had la ways been stroke of his oar, but now his arm was so weak that he could hardly lift it. In such cases the comite lusually flogged until the man was half dead to see if he was shatnmirlg, and Marteilhe expected nothing else. Upon going out of the harbor the cornite ] conned the galley out until she was \ clear, and then came aft along the coursler, seeing how the rowers were lclassed and using his whip freely When he came to Marteilhe's bench he called out! Dog of a Huguenot, who ordered you to row?' He replied that he was doing his best with one arm. Disgusting his kindness under rough language the comite called the argou- sin to 'unchain the incapable dog and but him in the storeroom.' If those Iwho were wounded were not re- leased, at least they should not row in his galley.
 "Por Marteilha had served < seven years at that bench, and would have been released after he was wounded
 had he not been Huguenot. The rough but good natured comite ex- oused himself for his leniency by saying that as he (Marteilhe) would be d--d for his religion in the other world, he should suffer less in this"
 After this our slave was made clerk to the captain of the galley, and was allowed to wear the convict's red coat and cap all the time; his hair was allowed to grow, and carried only an iron ring about his ankle, without the chain to which he had so long been &C., customed.
 l Tn 1712 peace was concluded with England, with the disgraceful stipula- tion that the English should occupy the town and fertilization of Dunqueraue Lill Iuey luG lUTIS dIlU fill up the port. The English accord Iingly took possession with five thous- and troops in September The French navy was so reduced that they could not fit out the galley fleet, and an agreement was entered into by which i those vessels, their crews and gangs of slaves should remain in the larbor during the winter! and that no boat, seanem or galley slaves should leave the port without permission of her majesty of England.
 "As soon as the English troops took possession they ran in crowds to gaze at the terrible galleys of which such heartrending aales were told Among them were some officers who were French refugees. and these .sympa- thized with the Huguenot slaves, sit ting on their benches to talk with them in spite of the filth and vermin and stench which they encountered. There were then twenty-two of them remain ing in the galleys, and the English sol diers became much excited by their miserable condition, and swore they should be released. The admiral and the chaplains tried to prevent them from coming on board, but it was found to be impossible, and so the plank to the quay remained open to all