The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1853-08-09

was on tho last day of the year 1852, and the
Captain and his officers being all Weichmca,
they finished the old year and ushefed in the
new, with drunkenness, singing swearing and
Safeguarding. ! slept none, and in the NOR
ming being New Years day 1853, requested
the Captain to 60 to Melbourne and carry a
letter to my friend 0. S. telling him of my di-
lemna. He undertook the commission, and
proceeded in his own gig boat. While he
was away, CID came on board to bid me good
bye, thinking all was thon arranged for my sail
ing. lie presented me with purse of one
hundred sovercigns, which he told me he was
authorized to hand mo by my Melbourne
iriends--on telling him ofmy unfortunate pre-
dicament, he wen. ashore in pursuit of the
Captain. . ....t..
Two hours afterward tho captain returned
in bis boat, accompanied by d. in another boat.
Tho captain was again half drunk, and had
never delivered my letter, nor made any fur
ther progress in the matter Mr. ID. consid-
cred it imprudent for me to remain longer on
board. whereupon demanded of the captain
to deliver up the one hundred and fifty pounds
gave up but declared tho other forty pound S
forfeted-and ID. entered his boat. But an
awkward occurrence arose-the boatman wan
ted to call to a Melbourne steamer which lay
alongside the Great Britain steamer, discharge
ing into the latter passengers and baggage
All remonstrance and entreaty was useless;
they pulled across tho harbor, and we got on
board the Melbourne steamer 1t was crow
ded with policemen. searching every crevice.
wore blue monkey jacket and sou-wester
and passed unnoticed. We were detained
two hours in this situation, when the Melbourne
steamer got under way, and we returned to
the city. We arrived at the city wharf at 8
i IL al. lkt
streets on front to the H IL. The haz.
ard of arrest which had undergone during
the last thirty six hours was great indeed, and
all present prospect of escape seemed frustra-
ted. Ga 9i
| Mr.. O'Douohue made another attempt to in
duce the Welsh captain to take him on board
as "an able seaman" but the captain finally
refused. Mr.. O'D. then went to the house of
Mr.. p, Is miles from Melbourne, where he re-
mained from the 4th until the Sth Of January.
On the 10th he took passage in a sailing pack
ct from Melbourne to Port Jackson where he
arrived on tho 2lst. He was here kindly
boarding by his friends until the sth of Febru
airy when he succeeded in procuring passage
to Tabit in the cutter Oboron for f400-''s
bridge oxtorted by two sordd Englishmen,'
and his friends, "with generous munifcence
paid tho exorbitant demand. The Oberor
reached Tahiti on the Sd of April. and Mr.. o,
Donohue, now voyaging under the assumed
name Of John Thompson, was very kindly re-
ceived by Capt. Kelley, and American consul
who procured him passage to San Francisco
in the American barque Otranto. Mr.. ODon
ohue's narrative is interspersed with numerou:
poetical quotations, and is highly characters
tic. In Justification of his violation of parole
he Says
81 was reduced by tho organized system o.
cruelty enforced against me, even in violation
of the penal statutes in force in Van Demant
Land--contrary to all tho recognized usage'
in relation 10 the worst clsss of convicted Grim
inals--and in tota. and reckless disregarded O
every vestigo of humanity, honor and good
faith We concluded, therefore, that stoo(
before God and man absolved from the nora
and honorable responsibility originally implied
and understood by the parole entered into
by myself and the other state prisoners, and
without further hesitation my escape was fixeC
| unon."