Some Of The Turkish Prisoners, Whose
Ransom Or Exchange Is Expected, Are Allowed To Go Ashore, Under
Proper Inspection; And Those Forcats, Who Have Served The Best
Part Of The Time For Which They Were Condemned, Are Employed In
Public Works, Under A Guard Of Soldiers.
At the harbour of Nice,
they are hired by ship-masters to bring ballast, and have a small
proportion of what they earn, for their own use:
The rest belongs
to the king. They are distinguished by an iron shackle about one
of their legs. The road from Nice to Ville Franche is scarce
passable on horseback: a circumstance the more extraordinary, as
those slaves, in the space of two or three months, might even
make it fit for a carriage, and the king would not be one
farthing out of pocket, for they are quite idle the greatest
part of the year.
The gallies go to sea only in the summer. In tempestuous weather,
they could not live out of port. Indeed, they are good for
nothing but in smooth water during a calm; when, by dint of
rowing, they make good way. The king of Sardinia is so sensible
of their inutility, that he intends to let his gallies rot; and,
in lieu of them, has purchased two large frigates in England, one
of fifty, and another of thirty guns, which are now in the
harbour of Ville Franche. He has also procured an English
officer, one Mr. A - , who is second in command on board of one of
them, and has the title of captain consulteur, that is,
instructor to the first captain, the marquis de M - i, who knows
as little of seamanship as I do of Arabic.
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