however, greatly fallen off through deaths by barbarous treatment
before it reached Marseilles.

It must, however, be added, that the whole gang did not consist of
Huguenots, but only a part of it--the Huguenots being distinguished by
their red jackets. The rest consisted of murderers, thieves,
deserters, and criminals of various sorts.

The difficulty which the prisoners had in marching along the roads was
very great; the weight of chain which each member had to carry being
no less than one hundred and fifty pounds. The lodging they had at
night was of the worst description. While at Paris, the galley-slaves
were quartered in the Chateau de la Tournelle, which was under the
spiritual direction of the Jesuits. The gaol consisted of a large
cellar or dungeon, fitted with huge beams of oak fixed close to the
floor. Thick iron collars were attached by iron chains to the beams.
The collar being placed round the prisoner's neck, it was closed and
riveted upon an anvil with heavy blows of a hammer.

Twenty men in pairs were thus chained to each beam. The dungeon was so
large that five hundred men could thus be fastened up. They could not
sleep lying at full length, nor could they sleep sitting or standing
up straight; the beam to which they were chained being too high in the
one case and too low in the other. The torture which they endured,
therefore, is scarcely to be described. The prisoners were kept there
until a sufficient number could be collected to set out in a great
chain for Marseilles.

When they arrived at the first stage out of Paris, at Charenton, after
a heavy day's fatigue, their lodging was no better than before. A
stable was found in which they were chained up in such a way that they
could with difficulty sit down, and then only on a dung-heap. After
they had lain there for a few hours, the prisoners' chains were taken
off, and they were turned out into the spacious courtyard of the inn,
where they were ordered to strip off their clothes, put them down at
their feet, and march over to the other side of the courtyard.

The object of this proceeding was to search the pockets of the
prisoners, examine their clothes, and find whether they contained any
knives, files, or other tools which might be used for cutting the
chains. All money and other valuables or necessaries that the clothes
contained were at the same time taken away.

The night was cold and frosty, with a keen north wind blowing; and
after t