North American. [volume] (Swanton, Vt.) 1839-1841, 1839-08-21

fine edifice, which is four stories high; the
front part measures $50 feet long, whilst
The wing is 100 feet long. A chapel Of
large dimensions is situated in The fifth
story and is ia the centre of the building.
The first story Of the jail, which
is nearly fifteen feet under ground, is
composed of dungeons, it is the most
unhealthy place Of the jail where air
and light are nearly excluded. In the
second and third stories are the cells OF
which | shall give a more minute descrip-
ton, because the greater number OF the
political prisoners are lodgeS in them. A
passage six feet wide, at the end OF which
is a window with iron CRATES, divides Two
rows of cells; these cells are each 8 feet
long by 5 l-e wide. The floor in these
cells and in the passage are Of oak, as also
the doors. Each cell Il encircled by a
brick wall. The cells and passage are
about - feet high in their highest eleva-
ton; these as well as The dungeons, are
all arched. When we are in those cells
we are surrounded with six different walls;
nevertheless life would be suppor,able in
them, if we could have more light and
more air than we 90. But each cell re-
ceives light only through an aperture of
about one foot square and al the distance
Of nine feet from The floor; and then more
than half the light that would penetrate
into those cells, is stopt by iron CRATES and
dirty glasses. When we were even first nut
into them, we could see so as to read about
six hours in the day, but with very great
difficulty. Above the door Of each cell al
nine feet from the floor, there is an open
ing with ron CRATES, through which the
heat penetrates into the cell from a stove
placed in the passage. The door Of the
cells are about s feet high by 2 feet wide;
they are double, and 2 l-2 inches thick,
and strengthened with large iron nails.
The hinges, bolts, iron-bars, &c. &c., OF
each door may weigh about 80 lbs. The
pillars are 7 inches square. Such are the
cells into which hundreds of men are
thrown, without a chair, bench, table or
even a little straw TO sleep on.-Oh, the
tender mercies o. the British government
how incomprehensible are they 10 a Cana.
dian!! m
It's unnecessary to say that such a
dwelling is very unhealthy, inasmuch as It
is impossible that pure air can circulate in
it. Besides that, in each ward one OF The
cells has been converted inio a priyv.
without even closing the opening above
the door, il is therefore easy to imagine
what infection such an arrangement
spreads throughout the jail. Add TO this
the fact that the walls have moi been
white-washed since we have been confined
here: thai the floors are very seldom scrub
bed, and that the prisoners are not furnish
ed will the means of keeping themselves
clean, and you will have a just idea OF the
miserable condition TO which we have been
reduced by the maternal government OF
our blessed Queen. II is then no wonder
that we have been visited with those in
sects which are the shame and tormert of
clean and decent men.
A great number of the political prisoners
were at first put into the dungeons. They
have since been taken away from there.
!, with all those Of the ward where I am.
have been shut up in our cells for three
whole weeks by the regulations of The
Jail, the felons could not be shut I'D bu,
from eight O'Clock in The evening to The
sane hour in the morning. have always
suspected that the sheriff in ordering US 10
be confined thus 10 our cells, was listening
to his W vlndictive feelings towards us,
whilst other political prisoners at the same
time were occupying cells to which they
were not confined.
Why this distinction between prisoners
Of the same offences II is a ques-
ton which Mr.. De ST. Ours will un-
doubleday haze 10 answer, one day or an,
Ii would take. too long n time IN