LIFE IN THE GALLEYS 83 



ered the hold. The deck rises about a foot in the middle, 

 and sloi^es towards the edges to let the water run off moi-e 

 easily ; for when a galley is loaded it seems to swim under 

 the water ; and the sea continually rushes over it. To 

 prevent the sea from entering the hold, where the masts 

 are placed, a long case of boards, called the coui'sier, is 

 fixed in the middle, running from one end of the galley 

 to the other. The slaves, who are the rowers, ha\'e each 

 a board raised from the deck under which the water 

 passes, which serves them for a footstool, otherwise their 

 feet would be constantly in the water. A galley has fifty Three Hun- 

 benches for rowers, twenty-five on each side ; each bench 

 is ten feet long, one end fixed in the coursier, that runs 

 through the boat, the other in the band or side of the 

 boat ; the benches are half a foot thick, and placed at 

 four feet distance from each other, and are covered with 

 sackcloth, stuffed with flock, and a cowhide thi'own over 

 them, which, reaching to the footstool, gives them the 

 appearance of large trunks. To these the galley-slaves 

 are chained, six to a bench. The oars are fifty feet long, 

 and are poised in equilibrio upon the apostic, or piece of 

 timber for this purpose. They are constructed so that the 

 thirteen feet of the oar that go into the boat are equal in 

 weight to the thirty-seven which go into the water. It 

 would be impossible for the slaves to grasp them, and 

 handles are afiixed for rowing. 



"The master, or comite, stands always at the stern, near The Master 

 the captain, to receive his orders. There are sous-comites, 

 one in the middle and one near the prow, each with a 

 whip of cords to exercise as they see fit on the slaves. 

 The comite blows a silver whistle, which hangs from his 

 neck ; the slaves have their oars in readiness and strike 

 all at once, and keep time so exactly, that the half a 

 hundred oars seem to make but one movement. There is 

 an absolute necessity for thus rowing together, for shoidd 

 one be lifted up or fall too soon, those before would strike 

 the oar with the back part of their heads. Any mistake 



