But, Notwithstanding All The Precautions Of Discipline, They
Swarm With Vermin, And The Vessel Smells Like An Hospital, Or
Crouded Jail.
They seem, nevertheless, quite insensible of their
misery, like so many convicts in Newgate:
They laugh and sing,
and swear, and get drunk when they can. When you enter by the
stern, you are welcomed by a band of music selected from the
slaves; and these expect a gratification. If you walk forwards,
you must take care of your pockets. You will be accosted by one
or other of the slaves, with a brush and blacking-ball for
cleaning your shoes; and if you undergo this operation, it is ten
to one but your pocket is picked. If you decline his service, and
keep aloof, you will find it almost impossible to avoid a colony
of vermin, which these fellows have a very dexterous method of
conveying to strangers. 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.
The king, it is said, intends to have two or three more frigates,
and then he will be more than a match for the Barbary corsairs,
provided care be taken to man his fleet in a proper manner: but
this will never be done, unless he invites foreigners into his
service, officers as well as seamen; for his own dominions
produce neither at present. If he is really determined to make
the most of the maritime situation of his dominions, as well as
of his alliance with Great-Britain, he ought to supply his ships
with English mariners, and put a British commander at the head of
his fleet. He ought to erect magazines and docks at Villa Franca;
or if there is not conveniency for building, he may at least have
pits and wharfs for heaving down and careening; and these ought
to be under the direction of Englishmen, who best understand all
the particulars of marine oeconomy. Without all doubt, he will
not be able to engage foreigners, without giving them liberal
appointments; and their being engaged in his service will give
umbrage to his own subjects: but, when the business is to
establish a maritime power, these considerations ought to be
sacrificed to reasons of public utility. Nothing can be more
absurd and unreasonable, than the murmurs of the Piedmontese
officers at the preferment of foreigners, who execute those
things for the advantage of their country, of which they know
themselves incapable. When Mr. P - n was first promoted in the
service of his Sardinian majesty, he met with great opposition,
and numberless mortifications, from the jealousy of the
Piedmontese officers, and was obliged to hazard his life in many
rencounters with them, before they would be quiet. Being a man of
uncommon spirit, he never suffered the least insult or affront to
pass unchastised. He had repeated opportunities of signalizing
his valour against the Turks; and by dint of extraordinary merit,
and long services not only attained the chief command of the
gallies, with the rank of lieutenant-general, but also acquired a
very considerable share of the king's favour, and was appointed
commandant of Nice. His Sardinian majesty found his account more
ways than one, in thus promoting Mr. P - n. He made the
acquisition of an excellent officer, of tried courage and
fidelity, by whose advice he conducted his marine affairs. This
gentleman was perfectly well esteemed at the court of London. In
the war of 1744, he lived in the utmost harmony with the British
admirals who commanded our fleet in the Mediterranean. In
consequence of this good understanding, a thousand occasional
services were performed by the English ships, for the benefit of
his master, which otherwise could not have been done, without a
formal application to our ministry; in which case, the
opportunities would have been lost. I know our admirals had
general orders and instructions, to cooperate in all things with
his Sardinian majesty; but I know, also, by experience, how
little these general instructions avail, when the admiral is not
cordially interested in the service. Were the king of Sardinia at
present engaged with England in a new war against France, and a
British squadron stationed upon this coast, as formerly, he would
find a great difference in this particular. He should therefore
carefully avoid having at Nice a Savoyard commandant, utterly
ignorant of sea affairs; unacquainted with the true interest of
his master; proud, and arbitrary; reserved to strangers, from a
prejudice of national jealousy; and particularly averse to the
English.
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