Star.
London, England, 1825-01-04 00:00:00

.

THE HULKJI.

The Public have long been accustomed to bear of
prisoners being seat to work on board the hulks, but as,
perhaps, a very imperfect idea is generally entertained
respecting them, a little information may not be unac-
ceptable on the subject. The hulks are large vessels
without masts, which have been line-of-battle ships, or
frigates, fitted up for the reception of male convicts,
sentenced to be transported. These floating prisons are
securely moored near a dock-yard or arsenal, so that
the labour of the convicts may be applied to the public
service. It will be scarcely credited thit there are
usually about three thousand men in the country thus
employed, which the following statement, supposed to
be correct as to the average numbers, will exemplify :
At Sheerness, the Retribution, containing 600
Bellerophon 300
Chatham ... Dolphin ••• 400
Woolwich ... Judith 250
Deptford Ganymede 120
Portsmouth York 600
Leviathan ... 500
A small ship ... 120

INOmmi,

Total 2,590
At evrrr station there is a ship which is used as an
hospital for the sick ; each hulk is under the superin-
tendence of a Captain and a certain number of inferior
Officers, also a Chaplain and a Surgeon.
At the termination of the Assizes or Sessions, the
keepers of the vai ions jails throughout the kingdom are
required to transmit to the Secretary of State for the
- Home Department, a list of the convicts who have re-
ceived sentence of transportation, and an order is then
forwarded, directing to which of hulks they are to
be conveyed.. On their arrival they are immediately-
stripped and washed, clothed in coarse grey jackets and
breeches, and two irons placed on one of the legs, to
which degradation every one must submit, let his pre-
vious rank have been what it may. They are then sent
out in gangs of a certain number to work on shore,
guarded by soldiers.
A strict account is kept of the labour performed by
each gang, there being a scale by which it is calculated,
and out of each shilling earned for the Government by
the convict, he is entitled to a penny, which is carried
to his credit ;_but of this he receives only one third part
weekly, the remainder being left to accumulate until
the expiration of the term which he is doomed to serve;
thus it sometimes happens that a man who has been six
or seven years on board the hulks, on his discharge is
put in possession of ten or twelve pounds, and is also
supplied with an additional sum of money to defray his
travelling expenses home. The strictest discipline is
maintained, and extreme cleanliness enforced in the
vessels. The diet daily allowed is a pound and a quarter
of bread; a quart of thick gruel, morning and even-
ing; on four days of the week, a piece of meat weigh-
ing fourteen ounces before it is cooked; and on the
other three days, in lieu of meat, a quarter of a pound
of cheese, also an allowance of small beer; and bn cer-
tain occasions, when work peculiarly fatiguing and
laborious is required, a portion of strong beer is served
out: nowhere does good behaviour meet its reward
more than at the hullo.
A correct chronicle is kept of the conduct of each
individual, and the Captain, jointlyrwith the Chaplain,
has the privilge of recommending annually a certain
number as fit objects for a mitigation of punishment,
so that it fiequently occurs that a man sentenced to
seven years' transportation serves only three and a half
or four years; there are also other inducements to or-
derly conduct, such as having the irons lightened, and
being promoted to little appointments, which relieve
from severer labour.
Besides those who are retained to serve out their term
of transportation in this country, thousands are every
year sent to New South Wales ; four ships, containing
about eight or nine hundred, have recently taken their
departure. Amongst others who are actually trans-
ported beyond the seas, such are invariably' selected as
are known to be old offenders, and those who appear to
be incorrigible.
It should be observed, that one ship, the Bellero-
phon, at Sheerness, is appropriated exclusively to the
reception of boys not exceeding sixteen years of age,
most of whom are not expatriated, but are taught
various trades, such as shoemaking, tailors work, book-
binding, &c. The morals of these youthful delinquents,
some of whom are not more than ten years old, are very
carefully attended to ; it is, however, a lamentable fact,
that notwithstanding the severe lessons taught by the
discipline of the hulks, very many instances occur of
convicts who have been discharged again returning to
habits of dishonesty, and again incurring the penalty
of transportation : such characters are always banished
the country.
It -is well known that the controul of the whole
system referred to is in the hands of the Home Se-
cretary of State, and is certainly well conducted. The
Gentleman upon whom devolves the more immediate
superiotendance, is Mr. Capper, who discharges the re-
sponsible and active duties of his office with a zeal,
intelligence, and humanity, which could not be easily
surpassed.
The Penitentiary at Millbank was erected in order to
serve in some measure as a substitute for the hulks or
exportation ; but this gigantic establishment has hi-
therto disappointed \ the expectations of us projec-
tors, both in a moral and political point of view.—
About 18 months back, when much sickness prevailed
in the Penitentiary, an Act of Pailiament was passed
to enable bis Majesty to remove the prisoners from
thence to the hulks, and a certain number were
draughted to each ship. These are said to have exhi-
bited little symptoms of reformation, but, on the con-
trary, were generally found to be the most refi actory.
There is some difficulty in pointing out the precise
causes to which the failure of the Penitentiary system
heretofore adopted is referable ; Government, it is un-
derstood, have determined to attempt another experi-
ment,-and intend to manage the establishment on a dif-
ferent plan for the future.

Ma. Wawtrzeet, vitt Acroa.—This veteran of the
stage was released from all human doubles on the
morning of Saturday lest, at his lodgings in Wild-
court, Drury-lane. When the boy who attended him
came with his breakfast, he was leaning on hie hand,
quite dead. He was far advanced in life, and for some
years suffered the infirmities generally attendant on
such a period. In the prime of-his days he was an ex.
evilest ictor, particularly in Jewish tharacters. He was
the first Moses in The School for Sandal, and the only
original actor that remained who performed in The.
Mr. Quick, who is still alive _and in
spirits.

roallitat excepta ad