The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-06-27
The Judicial Administration of Ma
poleOn and of Theirs.
Shipment of the Dangerous Classes"
to Secure Retreats at the AntipOdeS.
A new LIFE ON A FAR-0FF SHORE
Prison Regime and Everyday Regi-
men-What May Accrue to France
from the Exodus.
pApuA, New Caledonia, March 10, 1878.

While M. Theirs and the Committee OF Thirty are
endeavoring to lay down Common basis on
which to work out the problem OF French republic
anism on the soil OF La Belle France there Is at the
antipodes another phase of the events arising oat
OF the Franco-Germanic struggle. When Louis Ma
poleon first directed that New Cayenne should
be created in the Pacific Ocean who could have i'm
aglned that the new home he had provided for the
felony OF the Empire would. contempOraneous with
his own exile and DEATH become populated by two
thousand OF his subjects, by whom the horrors OF
1894 were to be repeated. For more than ten years
New Caledonia has annually received an increase Of
population by the arrival OF q convict ship from
Toulon or Brest. Their arrival In sydney harbor-
where they almost invariably stopped en- route for
provisions-occasioned no interest until 1865 when
that city was thrown into fever OF ex-
citement by report that number
OF convicrs had escaped from transport
then the harbor, and were supposed to be
secreted IN the suburbs. The horror OF having
their throats cut according to the most modern
school OF Partisan crime seemed to create regi-
ment Of amateur detectives by whom, and the
police fourteen out OF fifteen OF those who escaped
were again below matches. Ere another day broke
they were again at sea, and Sydney had seen
THE LAST FRENCH CONVICT SHIP.
These criminals, their co,yreres, and their new
residence would, probably, have excited very little
attention had not recent events given historic
Importance to the new home OF the Communists.
To see these people they are it became neces-
sary to secure passage An the steamship Havilah,
armed with the necessary documents, signed by
n. Simon, French Consul for New South Wales
The mail service performed by this vessel IS another
Outcrop OF the late war. England, grown wise by
the Alabama claims, was determined not to risk
hostilites with Germany by giving aid to her Gallo
Shenandoah
punity re1t several times at British ports
within few months, but the instant
that the French war steamer Marceaux arrived
second, time merely to receive the mails rom the
Peninsular and Oriental steamers, her commander
was warned that II he did not leave at once he
would be held responsible for breach Of the neu-
traity laws. This notification, backed up by the
presence Of Her Majesty's ship Challenger in Fort
Jackson, proved irresistible. The French authori-
ties at New CALEDONIA must have their home
dispatches and the easiest solution of the difficulty
was to engage q British vessel to convey them
there. This they did. and do up to the present,
leaving .he management of the contract to NJ. Hig
ginson, the principal merchant OF Noumea The
passenger rates are moderate enough-40O francs
for a return ticket, available for two months. No
land is sighted lor five days, but on the morning OF
the sixth long, low-lylng strip Is seen our port
bow, with the surf breaking heavily as far as the
eye can reach, and o verdant looking background
coming into holder relief the ship heads for the
Donibea passage, the most navigaDle channel be-
tween the reels by which this as well as almost
every island in the Pacific Is irnged. Inside is
spacious lagoon, on whose bosom are now resting
the transports Sybil;e and Var, the war steamer
.Bruat and several small trading craft.
NOUMEA, THE CAPITAL
Anchoring in front OF the capital-Noumea-
situated at the southwest end Of the island, we
see the town rising on pleasant slope extending
eastward. The streets, laid out at right angles,
are nanked on either side by unpretentious build.
1ngs. chiefly constructed by convict LABOR, and, Tor
the most part, tenanted by persons directly or In
directly connected with the government. The princi
pal building is occupied by M. De la Richerie,
governor general OF tne colony and commandant
OF the naval division stationed there, aud is large
sized house, built with greater attention to climatic
requirements than architectural beauty. Here, as in
deed at almost every corner you turn, are number
OF gendarmes, whose heaviest duty appears to be
trying to keep cool. At night they patrol the
streets and form q Gordon OF sentries round the
town. When the first convicts arrived in 1856 they
were kept actively employed constructing public
buildings forming roads, &C., but they soon be-
came too numerous for the works required by the
oficias. Even at this early period OF the islands
history reports of Its wealth of soil began to at
tract intending planters from France and Mauri-
titus, besides lew from Australia To these
CHEAP CONVICT LABOR
meant the chief desideratum in developing the nat
ural resources of the country. Any OF the new ar
rivals who were fortunate enough to have letters
OF introduction to one OF the principal officials
found no di1iculty in obtaining as much help as
they could afford to pay for, at rates varying from
11ve to six hundred francs per annum and rations.
Those who were thus hired out were selected from
the short sentenced and best conducted. BY the
regulations every convict, whether in barracks or
hired, was compelled to be indoors at shutdown,
and at ten p M. all lights had to be extinguished
under penalty Of an unceremonieus visit or semi
military character and q nne next day. Ten
O'Clock, gun nre, was rigidly attended to by the
free settlers but some OF those who had to retire
earlier found 1t SO trksome that they preferred es
Gaping into the bush and endeavoring to make q
location amongst the natives A few OF them baf-
ned their pursuers and for time adapted them
selves to the habits of their new friends. One or
two Of the more reckless having betrayed the hos
vitality OF the Kanakas caused them to rise against
the outlaws who were massacred almost to man.
After q time the natives learned that every run
away convict caught by them and delivered to the
Commandant would be rewarded by payment OF
zen francs, a regulation that has saved an infinite
amount of trouble to the authorities. Now, when
convict escapes intmation Is given by firing O
cannon, which at once sends out pack OF natives
eager as bloodhounds to run their quarry to EARTH
The earlier captures gave some trouble; they
would not walk, even though their refusal pro-
yoked an unmerciful beating. Native ingenuity
was equal to the occasion the ten francs' attrac-
tion was irresistible and dead prisoners did not
count.
NOVEL NODE OF CONVEYANCE,
then first improrised, has many times since elected
the mirth OF those who saw IL for the first time.
The prisoners hands were first secured by ropes
Of native grass similar rgature applied round
the ankles, one end OF stout cane inserted be-
tween the wrists, the other end between the
enkles, and oil is ready for start A number
nave to share the reward, and each pair OF them IN
turns have to act as bearers Once they get the
pole on thsiz shoudsrs the sligbtaat gssetaRcs n