Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1844-06-07
THE LIFE OF A PRISONER.

World Office N. York being Narrative
and Recolections of Van Dieman's Land,
during three years captivity of Stephen
S. Wright, of N. "" who was arrested by
the English Government for participating in
the Canadian rebeIlions of 1888, and trans
ported to Van Dieman's Land for life, but
who managed to effect his escape few
months since. 1t tells truly heart-rending
tale of the wrongs and abuses heaped upon
her prisoners and suffering poor, by Eng
land -
After the usual monotony of sea voyage,
we arrived on the 18th of February, 1910,
in the harbor Of Hobart Town. The first
object that greeted our sight was Mount
Wellington, which overhangs the town, and
which loomed above the waves long before
the town at its base was in sight. Our de-
scriptions were taken by an officer and his
clerks; he was superintendent of the con-
victs, AT the time the following questions
were asked :-"What is your name what
is your trader what is your age? what is
your religion what is your native place .?
where were you tried when did you leave
Canada are you married are your parents
living where do they reside what is their
native country what is their religion can
they read can they write can you write
what is your number ?" After all the ques-
lions we're answered, a minute examination
was made of our bodies and every mole,
scar and spot was recorded, and our height
and weight were taken into consideration,
so that we could be identified in the event
of an escape All this minute was partcu-
larly inserted and afterwards read over to
each, and signed with his own hand We
were then taken to Sandy Bay, near Hobart
Town, and placed in yard as if we had
been cattle All our clothes were taken
from us, and the prisoners dress put on,
which consisted of jacket, pair of pant
| aIoons, cap and a pair of shoes. The
body Of the dress was black and yellow, half
and half, and made Of miserable woolen ma
terial. 1t resembled the dress Of clown or
the plumage Of a maybe, and lasted about
one month and allowed but two suits
year, we mad three months to 90 half naked,
TO say the least. The cap was made of eath-
err and fitted close TO our well-sheared heads.
When the clothes were all worn out, and
the homely-made shoes had fallen to pieces,
we were bare-iooted, and had but a small
blanket tied about US to hide our nakedness
Exposed to biting winds and storms of sleet
and snow, the huts in which we slept were
built of slabs set up endways, very poorly
matched, and the top covering thin and
leaky, giving us the benefit of rather free
circulation of air. In fact, we were at the
mercy of the weather our floor was the
ground, and after a rain pools of water stood
for hours in the hut No fire was allowed
us either to warm or dry our clothing; our
| food was half pound of meat and one
pound of bread the meat was generally fR-
It'd and sometimes filled with vcrmln-bony
and stringy-and any weIl-fed dog would
have refused to eat it. Our bread was com
posed of oats, barley and rice, with a little
wheat, ground together; all the fine -four
siited out, and we were gwen the course !;
it was bread that even Gfahamite would
have starved upon. Such was our fare.
On the morning of the 18th we were par
AIDED in line, aud the Governor oil the Isl
and, Sir John Franklin, Che great navlga-
tori made his entire with his Suite. We
were then ordered to take off our caps,
which was obeyed. He is an old man and
is ruled by his counsellors, who ride over
the people rough-shod but it is considered
freedom to the anarchy and confusion that
prevailed during the Governorship of the
"bloody executloner," Sir George Arthur.
| He looked bon uiUant, without any strong
marks, save obesity and imbecility. The
noble and generous Captain Wood accom-
panied HIM, Let me here return our united
thanks TO Lady Colburn, who kindly sup
piled us with drafts and chess-boards to
while away the tedium of our voyage, as well
as the Captain of the good ship Buffalo,
whose nnabated kindness will never be for
gotten, and the feeling manner with which
he discharged his arduous duties. The Gov
ernor commenced set Speech i'll a slow,
nasal tone, and after proceeding for few
minutes-the amount of which was that he
had received no orders regarding US from
the Home Government-he ended by asking
the Captain what had been our conduct dur
inc the voyage. The answer, Remarkably
WE'LL" was very satisfactory to us; and the
Governor then ordered that we should be
set to work upon the roads for Government,
admonishing us at the same time to behave
ourselves, or we would fare hard and he
and his Suite departed, The Overseers
whom the Superintendent placed over US
we're men Of the worst characters being
felons and convicts, having been condemned
for the most awful crimes that shuddering
humanity records arson, theft, murder,
rape, burglary, forgery. We were harness
ed two and two, four being placed before
each cart. We were then marched to work,
distance of two miles when we had reach
ed the quarry of broken stone, we were or
dered TO fill them. The bodies of the carts
mere about six feet Iona four wide and Two