The Sun.
London, England, 1821-06-12 00:00:00

AMERIC A.

NEW YO4K, MAY 3.—The Express, at Stonington, left at
New South Iceland, February 20th, ship Esther, Low, of
Boston, 7000 skins ; ship O'Cam, Winship,'of Boston; 7000 ;
ship Huron, Davis, New Haven, 5000; the brig Catherine,
Ilenfield, Stonington, 9000: brig.Enaeline, Holmes, do. 9000;
brig Jane Maria, Johnson, New York, 8000; brig Aurora,
Macy, dd. 1000; brig Charity, Barnard; do. 3000; brig Eme-
rald,'Boston, none; brig Nancy, Upton, Salem; none; schooner
Henry Bruno, New York, 3000; schooner Huntress, Burdick,
Nantucket, 8000; schooner Harmony, do. 3000.
The Russian frigate Wostock, Captain Hellenhousen, and a
sloop of war, were at New South Iceland in February last, on
a survey.
Captain Henfield, of the Catharine; writes from New Shet-
land, Feb. We have been much mistaken about sealing
in this country, as there is but little ground that the 'seals come
upon ; and a greater number ofvessals after them than we sup-
posed there would be. The country is a wild, cold, disagree-
able mass of snow and ice : and its shores are extremely dan-
gerous. In entering this harbour, the ship Clothier struck on
a reef of rocks and was totally lost. The following persons
belonging to the Catharine were drowne4 by the upsetting of
the boat at Falkland Islands :—Henry Perry, Thomas Pome-
roy, Nahum Haynes, and Cory Manchester."
A letter from ..Mr. DANIEL W. CLARK, 'mate of the brig
Hersilia, of Stonington, to the Editor of the New Haven Jour-
nal, dated at Port Williams, New South Shetland Islands, Feb.
18, furnishes the following information : • '
" We arrived at these Islands on the 31st of October, after a
pleasant passage of 35 days. •
" We are now loaded 'with fur skins, having taken upwards
of 1.8,000 of superior quality ; being anxious to obtain a
Second voyage before I return to the' United States, we have
agreed to send our voyage home by the schooner Express and
brig Frederick;-Pendleton, both of Stonington, then to proceed.
around Cape Horn into the Pacific Ocean, in search of a se-
cond cargo, which I doubt not will be obtained soon. As fbr
getting another cargo in these islands, it is utterly impossible,
tor there is scarcely a seal left alive. The country is full of
vessels from most quarters of the globe, and I am certain that
one half of theni,will not obtain half a voyage. Our being the
first vessel in the country, and getting possession of the best
ground, is the reason why we succeeded in a valuable cargo:
" There are now lying in this port 12 sail of American ves-
sels ; among the number is the ship Huron, Davis of New Ha-
ven, who has made out rather indifferently. Where they are
next bound, I am not able to. ascertain ; but they, as well as
ourselves, must push off soon, on account of the severity of the
approaching season. There is scarcely a day passes without
snow, hail, or rain, although Midsummer with us ; and ice
makes every night. In truth, it is a climate I am glad to leave.
We have already had accounts of nine sail of .Snglish vessels
being lost in these islands; and one American ship called the
Clothier, from Stonington, Con. How many others are lost
that We have n&accotints of,. God only knows. _ _

•
The brig Aurora, of New York, has lately arrived here;
I understand she has been looking Tor these islands nearly two
months.

" Perhaps the American dealers in fur skins have an idea
that this country will be overstocked with skins, anti that they
will be bought for little or nothing; but I can assure them they
will be mistaken; for I am certain at least six sail of American
vessels will be obliged to seek for a cargo in some other parts.
" This harbour lies in about 62 deg. 30 S. la, and 0 deg. 5
W. long. We have been.as far south as 66 degrees, and found
land. Ilow'rriuch further the land extends I know not :it is
entirely.covered (except the low land and beaches where the
seals come up) with snow and ice, at this season of the year,
which is the middle of summer.

" DANIEL W. CLARKE.
" On board brig Hersilia, South Seas."

ON PRISONS.—(No.
Ma. EDITOR—As it is the object of the humane
to reduce capital punishment, so it ought to be
their study to reform the unfortunate inmates of
our jails, it appears to be the received opiaion
that well proportioned or graduated labour is the
only means to obtain that great end; but even this
will be deficient unless attended by good ex-
ample with inflexible regularity, so that the
tractable may be trained, and the obstinate ob-
liged to follow that course which will ultimately
reward the public beneficence.
When we contemplate the great outline of
prison discipline, and the description of persons
generally entrusted with the superintendance of
jails, we are naturally led into reflections of the
most painful description, to see the hardened and
depraved associating with the o—ve-nile offender,
the felon, the misdemeanor, the sane and insane,
the male and female confined together the whole
day, and in some instances even during the night,
all bum] in idleness, or what is worse, corrupting
each other, surely it becomes every, one who
can from experience point to the road of Reform,
to do so without fear, or the expectation of giving
offence. With this view I have addressed you, and
in such language, that every jailor who can read
will understand.

That prison-buildings, generally speaking, are
extremely deficient will be allowed, but this is
no reason why every old Gaol is to be supplant-
ed by a new one ; on the contrary, a vast number
of them are susceptible of alteration at compara-
tive small expense, and the Public should be
very cautious in disbursing money on new erec-
tions. The purport of my letters are to slew the
necessity of improvement, and that that which
will be advantageous to the community is consis-
tent with morality and economy.
The remarks I formerly introduced on classi-
fication and inspection will, I apprehend, be free
from objection, and the hints on Prison Police,
although not sufficient to form a code, may, in
part, assist some establishments which are defec-
tive in that particular ; but the great lever of
reform is LABOUR, not excessive hard indiscrimi-
nate work, but proportionate to the class to which
the prisoner may belong; and hence the necessity
of legislative authority to employ all prisoners in
the common wards of a Gaol, or House of Correc-
tion, so as to gratify the industrious and thwart
the indolent, is a concession which the country
requires, if prisons are to be the houses for re-
flection and amendment. It cannot be too often
repeated that idleness is the root of evil, that it
ranges at large in our gaols, that it engenders
every degree of vice and depravity, and that it
it only affords the hardened and abandoned
the opportunity of corrupting those who per-
arc ;nrarterntpd 'Fur their first offence,
and under judicious treatment might be reclaim-
ed. We all know that few are so iyold In whiten-
ness as to commence their career with capital
felony ; yet how many at a tender age forfeit
their life by following the counsel of the
experienced_ thief ; but graduated labour will
remove all this and much more, as even the prac-
tised delinquent will avoid a gaol, if he be obliged
to work when there ; the more I reflect on the
state of our prisons the more I am convinced
that the gentry of the country only require infor-
mation how to improve their discipline;. and in
coinciding with the recent publication of a gen-
tleman whose opinion must be of great weight *
I believe that until inspectors or agents of instruc-
tion are appointed by the authority of Govern-
ment, the much desired alteration cannot take
place ; their suggestions may be of infinite service ;
the great point is the selection of such individuals
as would do their duty with sincerity, courtesy,
and well tempered zeal.
The next and last subject with which I shall
trouble you, is the effect of appointing improper
persons to the superintendance of Goals; there
was a time when the office of gaoler was consi-
dered as an heir-loom to certain families, or pro-
perty, or as a snug retreat for the faithful super-
annuated servant; thanks to the enlightened coun-
try gentlemen, this era is past ; 'however, it is
succeeded by another evil which in many cases
is worse ; no sooner is a vacancy known, than a
host of Police or Sheriff's-officers are clamorous
candidates, and in some instances succeed.; now,
if our prisons are to be considered as merely.
places of security, either they or any strong
man may be competent to the task, but I ques-
tion whether they would be more serviceable
than a keeper of wild beasts. If we look to
their origin, it is in general extremely, low ;
if for their education, it can seldom be found ; if
for their habits, they are assimilated to their line
of life ; beiog honest themselves, they cannot do
their duty without at times associating with their
game; and often he is the finest fellow who can
sing the best flash song, or relate the most
daring exploit ; these persons are useful in
their sphere ; they ought to be well paid for
their temerity and • devotion, but to appoint
them to the superintendance of prisons is
on ' prison reform which
but to create a clog
will ultimately lessen the little amendment we
have acquired, and consequently impede every
advance towards amelioration; what I have said
on this subject is from a conviction of its import-
ance. I assure you it would grieve me exceed-
ingly to hurt the feelings of this serviceable body
of Men, so long as they retain their proper place,
but,as the seaman says," every man to his'station."
Permit me, Sir, to express the sincere and
heartfelt wish that these letters may not be con-
strued into offence. lf, from what I have written/
a hint at improvement in prison discipline occurs,

* Mr. liorord.

*.* The Series of Letters which are now concluded -relate
'to a very important subject; they are so well.written, and
contain, such valuable information, that we feel gratified in be-
ing the chosen medium of communication to the Public, and
we think the Author will confer an increased. obligation on the
Public, by collecting and printing them in -the form of a
Pamphlet.