far as the eye could see; above the water to the northwest
there rose the chalky cliffs between Whitby and Scarborough--a white,
hazy line over which a few fleecy clouds were massed together. Upon
the water, three miles out from those cliffs, a dark blot, which grew
larger and clearer moment by moment, and proved to be--when seen
through the perspective glasses of the officers on board a French
galley which was further out to sea and rapidly retreating from the
English coast--one of King William's men-of-war.

A French galley rapidly retreating from the English coast, of the
style known as La Grande Reale, and named L'Idole. On board of her six
hundred and seventy souls, comprising a first and second captain, a
lieutenant and sub-lieutenant, an ensign, also a major general, some
standard bearers, a commissary general, one or two volunteer officers,
over one hundred soldiers and seventy sailors, a number of subaltern
officers and ship boys, and--three hundred and sixty galley slaves and
sixty Turkish slaves.

A life of hell was this of the galley to all on board her when at
sea--even to those in command! Neither first nor second captain,
neither major nor commissary general, nor even volunteer
officers--often members of the oldest and most aristocratic families
of France--could ever lie down to sleep on board, for the sufficient
reason that in the confined space there was no room for bed, cot, nor
berth. Rest had to be taken by these superiors either when sitting on
ordinary chairs placed on the poop cabin, or in armchairs if such were
on board--their clothes on, their arms by their side. For not only was
there no room for anything in the shape or nature of a bed, but also
the galleys were rarely at sea except in time of open war, when at any
moment they might be engaged in action. Truly, a life of hell!

Yet, if to the superiors such miseries came and had to be endured;
such want of sleep, such constant necessity for watchfulness, such
poor, coarse food as alone the galley could find room to carry--bacon,
salt beef, salt cod, cheese, oil, and rice, with a small pot of wine
daily, being their allowance--what of those wretches who propelled her
when there was no wind, the galley slaves? What was their existence?
Let us see!

Bound to the labouring oar--itself of enormous size and weight, being
fifty feet long--seven _condamnes_ to each oar, they sat at sixty
benches, thirty on each side, four hundred and twenty men in