New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1859-06-13
A Special Convict.

A Special Convict.
Sir Henry Hayes said my informant, Can old lad,
who had been the wife Of q government official ii
New South wales) was what was called ~ s, sydne!
education who had been convicted OF offenses which
however heinous 10 legal point Of view, did not in
v0lve any particular degree OF bAseness.
Sir Henry bnilt pretty little cottage on the estate
known a. Vaucluse. There ID not loveler site in
the known world, being beautifully wooded with
eyergrcens and the land covered with every descrip
ton Of heath, which s in bloom nearly all the veal
round. TO put his crime out Of the question, Sill
Henry was man Of very great taste, and an Irish
gentleman Of the old school.
what was his crime ~ asked, in my then igno
rance Of this colonial celebrity.
i I" he carried on, BY force and violence, . young
lady with whom he passionately in love- and who
had several times refused his offers Of marriage The
penalty Of the osnse transportation for life.
am not quite that he not in the first instance
| sentenced to be hanged. My husband, in common
with many officers, was partial to Hayes, who could
be very witty and amusing, and who, whatever may
have been his habits in early life, led most
temperate and exemplary life in the colony of New
South Wales. He was surrounded by every comfort
that money could purchase, and he was always glad
to see persons Of whom he in the habit Of speak
Ing as those OF my own order The only defect in
bis manner was that his air somewhat too patron
izing. sss
That Hayes was perfectly mad on the crime that
led to his Punishment there could not be the slightest
question but upon all on other points no one could
be more RATIONAL That his statements with reference
to his case were untrue no one who read the report
Of the trial could doubt for single moment but
that Hayes himself believed his own version to be
rect, was equally certain. never saw Sir Henry but
twice, and must do him the justice to say that, on
neither occasion did he speak Of his case He was by
far too welhred to think of making the slightest alln.
sion to it. By the way he did once say in my pres.
ence, on the occasion Of his killing fly with the han.
die Of carving.fork That's how should like to
crush John Phipot Curran ! but upon my husband
remarkipg to him, My wife never heard Of that per-
son, Hayes Sir Henry made me a very low bow,
begged me thousand pardons and instantly changed
the theme.
"Why was he so inyeterate with regard to Mr..
Curran ~ Inquired. @a5s
g 1t was Mr.. Curran, my husband told me, who
prosecuted Sir Henry Hayes, was the old ladys re.
ply. told you that only saw Sir Henry twice, she
continued On the first occasion he called at our
house, in state of great nervous exctement After
being introduced to me, and speaking for while on
various subjects, he thus addressed my husband "My
dear Major for the last eleven days have suffered
the greatest agOnes OF mind, and have been praying
from early dawn to dusky night almost without in.
Permission, to my fayorte saint, St. Patrick. But be
seems to take no more notice of me, nor of my
prayers, than if we're some wretched thief in road
gang, with manaces on my Leg and stone breaking
hammer in my hand. 5fs 4
G What is the matter, that you require the aid of
Saint Patrick y said my husband. y
The matter replied Sir Henry. "You are
aware perhaps that that part of the country where
live, literally swarms with venomous serpents
there are black snakes, brown snakes, gray snakes
yellow snakes diamond snakes, carpet snakes--in
short, every species of snake in the known world.
Now, so long they confined themselves to the lawn
and the garden, did not so much mind. It was bad
enough to have them there but, with caution, could
avoid them The brutes, however, have lately taken
to invade the house. We have killed them in the
veranda, and in every ROOM including the kitchen.
Now, it was in consequence Of this that addressed
IN
might whisper to them to go into other peoples
houses, and not mine in order to crafty their curios
ity concerning the habits Of civilized man but to no
purpose. Last night, found gentleman, six feet
long, and as black as coal, coiled up on my white
counterpart; and another OF the same dimensions
underneath the bed. However, am determined that
they shall not Danish from that abode, but that
will Danish them; or, at all events, keep them at
proper dstancesay distance OF at least fifty yards
from any part Of the house. And what want you
to do my dear Major is to render me some assistance
in the NATTER
What do you propose doing ?" my husband in
quired.
You know perfectly well, my excellent friend
continued Sir Henry, q that Saint Patrick SO man.
aged matters, that no snake could ever live on or
near Irish soil. The very smell of it is more than
enough for them 1t will be matter of time and of
money but to carry out my project am most firmly
-esolvedn
I" What do you propose doing? and how can I aid
you p said the Major
import to this country about FIVE hundred tuns of
genuine Irish bog, which shall be dug rom the estate
of friend of mine 1t shall come out in large biscuit
barrels. l shall then have trench dug round my
premises, six feet wide and two feet deep and this
french the Irish earth shall fill"
g And do you really believe that Australian snakes
will be kept away by your Irish soil, Sir Henry ?"
,aid the Major.
1" responded Hayes. !" This very day have written
% my friend in Ireland, and told him to employ an
gent to carry out my wishes and have the bog earth
AIKEN down to Cork for shipment. Now, the favor I
lave to ask You is this j.: to wrte in your official
capacity, a letter to my agent, which will enclose to
,im-such letter as will lead the captains and
loctors Of the ships that touch at Cork to fill up the
complement Of convcts for these shores, to suppose
botanical purposes and further want you to allow
to be consigned to yourself or the Colonial Secre-
ary. Each ship might remove a quantity of its
tone ballast and put the casks Of bog in its stead
BY these means should get it all the quicker"
My husband endeavored to laugh Sir Henry out of
lis idea but in vain. He was firm, and said
# you won't assist me, must instruct them to
harter ship for the especial purpose, and that
would cost very serious SUN Of money"
My husband, of course, could not think of acting
the matter without previously obtaining the con-
ent of the Governor, who was 40 amused at the SUI
erstitious character of Hayes enterprise, that his
xcellency caused the required letter to be written
nd handed to him.
About year afterwards, the first nstalment of the
oil arrived forty barrels..and was conveyed
rom Sydney to Vaucuse "a distance of six miles) by
vater; and within the next year the entire quantity
lad reached its destination. The trench, in the
meantime, had been dug, and all was now ready for
circumventing," as Sir Henry expressed it, !" the
PREMISES and the yipers at one blow.''
My husband and myself and large party of ladies
nd gentlemen went down to Vaucluse in the govern
nent barges to witness the operation of filling in the
rench. The superintendent of conyicts-a country
nan of Hayes, and who believed as implicitly as
Hayes himself did in the virtue Of Irish soil with re.
ard to vipers-ent Sir Henry burrows and shoves
nd gang consisting of seventyfye men-all of them
order to complete the work as rapidly
s possible. Sir Henry, in person, superintendent and
vas alternately pathetic and jocular. Some of his
unnng commentaries on ST. Patrick and his wonder
al powers, and snatches of song that he sang in
of the saint convulsed with laughter all those
Who stood around him. The work over, one or two
# the men asked for small quantity of the sacred
arth and Sir Henry said,:
Well, take it and welcome ; but | would rather
AVE given you its weight in gold"
Strange to cay, from that time forward, Sir Henry
vas not visited by snakes. They did not vacate the
grounds in the vicinity of Vaucnse but none were
yer seen within the magic circle formed of the Irish
arth. Whether the charm is worn out / know not.
But this know, that Captain Piper, who held the
appointment of naval officer in the colony to whom
Taucluse was subsequently granted, and from whom
Mr.. Wentworth purchased it, assured me that, |
Turing the many years he lived there with his family,
venomous reptile had been killed or observed
within Hayes enclosures notwithstanding they were