The Galley-Convicts and Buonavoglia in Malta during the rule of the Order

Abstract

Throughout its long stay in the Maltese Islands (1530-1798), the Order of St. John usually employed large numbers of convicts and buonavoglia (volunteer rowers) on the galleys, in addition to the inevitable hundreds of Moslem and Jewish slaves. For its galley-commanders it was really a matter of high policy to do so, because they expected the Christian convicts and buonavoglia to keep a constant watch on the doings and sayings of their non-Christian comrades. Care was therefore always taken to distribute them throughout the places on boats that contained Infidels - one of them, for example, being invariably posted to each oat-bench, where he worked in the company of-three or four slaves.