hey were to turn and "ram" the
pursuers.

The first vessels of comparative modern warfare to utilize what is now
known as the "ram" were the French galleys, they having at their prow
or stern a long _eperon_, as it was termed, projecting from the deck
above the water, and occupying the place of a bowsprit. Being far
lower in the water than the ship, this spur was, consequently, in the
exact position where it could inflict terrible damage; it struck a
vessel of any size below the water line. And to add to the injury
which a galley could do in thus advancing to meet an enemy "end on,"
there were behind this spur two huge gun forts in which were five
bronze cannons of large calibre. As they rammed, therefore, propelled
by hundreds of galley slaves, they fired also, and as the charge used
was that known as _a mitraille_--viz., a metal case filled with balls
of various sizes and pieces of iron, which exploded as it struck, the
wounds inflicted in any ship were terribly effective. Moreover, the
galley which advanced this presented but a small object for attack,
the breadth or beam being never more than forty-eight feet at the
broadest.

The order was given, the larboard side _galeriens_ backed water, the
starboard side pulled lustily, assisted and urged on by both the whips
and oaths of the _comites_ and by the alteration of the helm, and
slowly--for it was a long business to turn so lengthy a fabric as
L'Idole--the galley wore round to meet her pursuer.

She would not have done so could she have escaped by flight, but that
was impossible. Even four hundred and twenty galley slaves, Christian
and Turk, could not propel her as fast as the lightest breeze could
move the great frigate. Moreover, they were caught unawares since they
happened to be alone instead of, as was almost always the case, in
company with half a dozen other galleys. Their companions had that
morning gone in chase of a Dutch merchantman whose mainmast had
broken, so that she could only proceed slowly, and L'Idole was being
sent back to Dunkirk when observed and chased by the English
man-of-war. She had, therefore, to fight and beat the enemy or be sunk
and every man on board of her be slain--certainly every man not a
slave. For the British sailor of those days so hated the French
galleys, in which he knew well enough men of his own faith were kept
and tortured, that he spared none in authority in those vessels
whenever the chance to slay them arose. Nor,