The New Hampshire Gazette And Historical Chronicle

LONDON, October 25.

Extract of a letter from Toulon, dated Sept. 5.

"I now write to you from hence as a free Man, not as a Prisoner, as I did when I was six months confined here at the Beginning of the war. I felt enough then, for we were half starved, and 150 of us confined in a Cell about 30 Feet square, in the common Gaol. None but the Galley-Slaves Suffered more than we did; they indeed are wretched; they consist chiefly of Huguenots, who are sent hither for no other Reason, but because they attend the Sermons of their Clergy in the Woods; for they dare not assemble in any public Place. They often use in this Manner Gentlemen of large Fortunes who are Protestants; and all the Favour they have instead of rowing in the Gallies, or assisting at the public Works to be allowed to live in the Hospital a little Way out of Town; but they must always for Distinction, wear red Coats like Banyans, and red Caps; and when they want to go into the Town, on any Occasion, as to buy Provision, &c. they must be accompanied by a Turkish Slave, to whom they are chained by the Leg.

I yesterday saw a Gentleman, and his two Sons, Men grown, come to Market in the above Manner; but enough of this melancholy Subject.

"They are very busy here, repairing and restoring their Marine; four Seventy Gun Ships and five Frigates are, I am informed, almost ready to be launched, besides several Half-Galleys, which are, they say, to cruize against the piratical States. They make no Secret here that the Fortifications of Mahon are but in a bad Condition- and when the Peace was signed, an Order came for three of the chief Engineers of this Place to go over there and survey the Works, also to take exact Plans and Elevations of every Bastion and Hornwork in the Place, to survey the Heights in the Neighbourhood, which might probably serve, in a future Siege, as Sites for Batteries, and to sound every Part of the Harbour of Mahon, and take the bearings which serve as a Guide to the Pilots. This looks as if they did not long intend to be peaceable."