ɪt wʌzɐ dɪzˈæstɚ, θˈæŋks tə dɪzˈiːz ænd ʃˈɔːɹɾɪdʒᵻz ʌv fˈuːd; ɐ vˈɪzɪɾɪŋ fɹˈɛntʃ əfˈɪʃəl ɹᵻpˈoːɹɾᵻd: "ðə ɡɹˈeɪɾɪst kɹˈɪmɪnəl wʊdhɐv pɹɪfˈɜːd ðə ɡˈælɪz tʊ ɐ tˈɔːɹtʃɚ sˈɛʃən ɪn ðɪs plˈeɪɡstɹˈɪkən plˈeɪs."
It was a disaster, thanks to disease and shortages of food; a visiting French official reported: "The greatest criminal would have preferred the Galleys to a torture session in this plague-stricken place."