A FUGITIVE SLAVE IN THE OLDEN TIME.

Otago Witness, Issue 496, 1 June 1861, Page 10

A FUGITIVE SLAVE IN THE OLDEN TIME.

Dr. Motley, in his " History of the United Netherlands," says that. the Spanish Armada was tossed about in a severe storm in the Bay of Biscay ; this Armada having on board numerous English mariners, as galley, slaves. The writer proceeds :—: —

" There were those in the Armada, however, to whom the storm waa a blessing. David Gwynn, a Welsh mariner, had sat in the Spanish hulks a wretched galley slave — as prisoner of war — for more than eleven years, hoping year after year for a chance of escape from bondage. He sat now among the rowers of the great galley, the Vasana, one of the humblest instruments by which the subjugation of bis native land to Spain, and Rome was to be effected. Very naturally among ,tbe ships which suffered most in the gale were the 4 huge unwieldy galleysr*-a squadron of 4* under Don Diego de Medrado-r-with their enormous turrets at stem and stern, and their ' low and open waists. , The chapels, pulpits, and gilded Madonas proved of little avid!" in" a" hurricane. Tne Diana, largest of the four, went dpwn with all han ds ; the Princess was labouring severely in the trough of 1 the sea, and the Vasana was likewise in imminent danger. So the master of this galley asked, the Welsh slave, wba had far more experience and seamanship than he posessed himself, if it were possible to save the vessel. Gwynn saw an opportunity for which he had been waiting eleven years. He was ready to improve it. He pointed out to the captain the hopelessness of attempting to overtake the Armada. They should go down, he said, as the Diana had already done, and as the Princess was like at auy moment to do, unless they took in every rag of sail, and did their best with their oars to gain the nearest port. But in •order that the rowers- might exert themselves to the utmost, it was necessary that the soldiers, who were a useless encumbrance on deck, should go below. Thus only could the ship be properly handled. The captain, anxious to save his ship and his life, consented. Most of the soldiers were sent beneath the hatches \ a few were ordered to sit on the benches among the slaves^ Now there had been a secret understanding for many days among these unfortunate men, nor were they wholly without weapons. They had been accustomed to make toothpicks and other trifling articles for sale out of broken sword-blades, and other refuse bits of steel. There wa^ not a man among them who had not provided himself with a secret stiletto. At first Gwynn occupied himself with arrangements for weathering the gale. So soon, however, as the ship had been made comparatively easy r he looked around him, suddenly threw down his cap, and raised his hand to the rigging. It was a preconcerted signal. The next instant he stabbed the captain to the heart, while each of the gal- ; ley slaves killed the soldier nearest him ; then rushing below, they, surprised ancT overpowered the rest of the, troops, and put them all to death. Coming again upon deck, David Gwynne descried the fourth galley of the squadron, called the Royal, commanded fey^ommodoreiMedrado in person, bearing down upon them before the wind; It was obvious that the Vasana was already an object of suspicion. * Comrades,' said Gwynn, ' God has given us liberty, and by our courage we must prove ourselves worthy of the boon/ David, nothing daunted, laid ship close alongside the Royal, with such . a shock that the timbers quivered again. Then at the head of his liberated' slaves, now thoroughly armed, he dashed on board the galley, and, after a furious conflict, in which he was assisted by the slaves of the Royal, succeeded in mastering the vessel,. and putting all the Spanish soldiers to death. This done, the combined rowers, welcoming; Gwynn as their deliverer from an abject slavery which seemed their lot for life, willingly accepted his orders. The gale had, meantime, abated, and the two galleys, well conducted by the experienced and intrepid Welshman, made their way to the coast of France, and landed at Bayonne on the 81st, dividing among them the property found on board the two galleys. Thence, by land, the fugitives, 466 in number, Frenchmen* Spaniards, Eeglishmen, Turks, Moors, made their way to Rochell. Gwynn had an interview with Henry of Navarre, and received from that chivalrous King a handsome present. Afterwards he found his way to England, and was well recommended by the Queen.".

The Aphis, Grub, &o.— Mr. B. Naughten, of Armidale,ha3 discovered an effectual destroyer of these peats to a garden. It is simply thjt application of fowl manure diluted with water. For the aphis, the leaves of the cabbages infected are stroked with the solution, which may bt applied with the hand or a brush, followed by a slight rubbing with ashes or carth $ and for the grab caterpillar, Sec, pouring into the ground at the bottom of each plant a pint of, the solution, lit either case, i£ths first application is insufficient, it must be repeated, but it is seldom, thai; more than one or two are necessary. Mr. Naughten recommends, also that in putting out cabbage plants, only half of the root should be inserted in the ground, as grubs prefer a soft substance, and do not like to climb over a, harder portion or where the leaves commence. Of several grubs which we saw thrown into the solution, some lived a minute, but others survived' only half a minute. For blight on fruit trees, Mr. Naughten has found an application of boiled Unseed oil to the bark, with a brush to be as effective as. could be desired.— ArmtdaU Express. Thb Plunder at Pekin. — It has been e»timftted that the' amount of property pillaged and. destroyed *t the Summer Palace, Pekip, exceeds £5,000,000 sterling. Erefy soldier trhowu present ia replete with loot. The Emperor's washaUnd, basin, and ewer of gold, studded with stone*, were sold for £2000 by the cantor; Lord Amherst's watch was sold by » French, apldler, for SQ^olUcs; it was worth £200. Many men bare 501b. or, 401b. of pure gofcj ia their possession, and others, hvre pearls and preoious stones 61 unknown value. 400 eunuchs were found in the palace, and it is worth noticing tha( air the ladies of the court must havo had natural-sized feet, all the slippers found in their rooms being Urge — not.a shigle orarnp-foated. shoe was seen. Among the many preoious. objeots found in the palace wer« 2- imperial batons of grsen jade, one of which, as already stftted, is to he presented to Queen Victoria, and the; other to, the Emperor Napoleon. Jeute.lwt.loggMW * fajfift rank, among preoious stones. It .wa.*}<we.fif thft 12 inserted in the hreaatp|»te qf the Jpwjsh. hjgh. priest (under the warn? o,f ligujre), and fl«« fqr many ages been an iuiporti»ot article, oftra^e between, tha eastern and western parts of Asia, either in » rpugh - state, or n\4de into tea.hu amulets, eupa, dagger* ' handles. &o. At one tinfteit was «uppo»ed to possess great medical ( virtues.^JM'orm'iiJf ;ss f. c<-,--The yoqng- women .of W*jm^!»£to'^^elH'gUi; \ id fierce f «tonventi,on assembled, r^lye^^^+hati we young ladies, qf %*e, reject jith scor»i andptQ.u,d dis)lnm,*H;Bi^H^^|^*jftSkt<'i» -■? tleman who ra^^B^K%l^^^A^^i#f^any Southern State Marshall in^^^oVere|gn >ay ; - pacity withdraw her '&lie£i^^^ - ' tuti6natoo'nfedef^^^olaiQ§|i^^^^pdlfkevide'Q^ ? ■ that s a, das^fdis gwH^^^felfvi^^^p^pl^l;^ loye, nor defend