Page:Blackwood's Magazine volume 137.djvu/410

404 of Malta were lending an unwilling impulse to the vessels which Ali Pasha was leading through the channels of the Archipelago to do battle with the fleet of the Holy League. The Turkish galleys being more exclusively rowed by foreign captives, advantage in a naval action was embittered to the Christian combatants by the knowledge that their artillery, which mowed down their turbaned foes, was also dealing agony and death amongst fettered friends and brethren, who an hour before had hailed with hope and exultation the approach of the flag of their country and their creed."

A second extract will afford some idea of what life at the oar was like: –

"The gang of galley-slaves was seated in close order on benches covered with coarse sacking rudely stuffed, over which were thrown bullocks' hides. Five or six of them occupied a bench 10 or 11 feet long. To a footboard beneath, each man was attached by a chain ending in an iron band, riveted round one of his ankles. The benches were so close together that as one row of men pushed forward their oar, the arms and oar of the row behind were projected over their bended backs. The size and weight of the oar were so great that, except at the end where it was tapered to a manageable size, it was necessary to work it by handles fixed to the side. "The slaves were overlooked by the boatswain. His place was on the gangway, close to the sternmost oars, where he was at all times within hearing of the orders of the captain. Along the gangway, at regular intervals, his mate and the driver were posted, so that the conduct of each slave was under inspection. The oars were put in motion or stopped by the sound of a silver whistle, worn by the boatswain, who, with his mates, was armed with a heavy whip of bull's sinew to stimulate the exertions of the slaves. When it was necessary to continue the labour for many hours without respite, they would administer, in addition to the lash, morsels of bread steeped in wine, which they put in the mouths of the men as they rowed. If, in spite of these precautions, a slave sank from fatigue, he was whipped until it was evident that no further work was to be obtained from him, and then thrown either into the hold, where, amongst bilge-water and filth, he had a chance of recovering his consciousness, or, if his case appeared desperate, into the sea."

From twenty to twenty-six pairs of oars impelled the ordinary war-galley, which was a vessel of two or three masts, and of 120 to 150 tons burden. Its artillery was mounted on the forecastle and poop, and along its centre ran the gangway above-mentioned. A sharp peak was fitted to the prow for ramming the enemy; but, as we shall see further on, it interfered in some instances with the effects of the guns of the forecastle, and might be dispensed with. The galley could hoist sails when convenient, and so was not wholly dependent on her oars.

The galeasse was a larger and heavier vessel than the galley, not so easily handled, and therefore of more doubtful utility in fleet actions. Larger still than the galeasse was the ship, which was moved by sails alone, and which, therefore, was a somewhat cumbrous craft to the navigators of the sixteenth century.

There were also light vessels smaller than the galley, called frigates and brigantines. We return now to the deeds of Don John and his fleet.

Messina was chosen as the rendezvous of the League's great fleet. We have not room for a catalogue of the ships, although most interesting particulars thereof are to be found in the pages from which we are gleaning. We content ourselves with saying that the fleet when assembled was the greatest