The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1873-12-16
Portland, DOrsetshire, England.

Approaching Portland the first feeling that
arose in my mind was one OF homage to the
genius OF Victor Hugo. No spot, fancy, is
discoyerable on the planet more fit to be the
weird frame of that wild picture of the aban-
doned child with which Part Ordre du Roi
opens than that which he selected on Port
land Island. How little did the people know
who il was that, coming some morning from
the Guernsey steamer, passed the seemingly
idle, the really fruitful day, gazing upon those
heavy masses of rock lashed by the sea-
white as the bitten lip of hate''-ahd upon
the bleak coast of snow! Nothing can be
happier than his comparison of that island OF
rock, around which the sea-birds scream all
the day, to birds head, unless, indeed, that
dread prison which covers its cliffs had sug-
gested to him that it was the head of some
predatory bird-an eagle! From the time
that one lands at Portland he must have the
impression of being npon some scathed and
outlawed corner of ihe world, The pebbles
rattle OF the steep shore perpetually, and the
rage of the wind is felt on the calmest day.
Hardly green tree tries even to live on the
h1ge, shapeIess rock. Surely it was dia-
bolical suggestion to plant here the largest
convict prison of Great Britain. When l ar
rived gazed with shudder upon the gray
prison walls-mere prolongations of the wild
rocks on which they were tounded-and it
seemed double punishment to cOnfine the
poor wretches at spot far away from all the
tenderness of nature, with no outlook except
upon the wastes of rock and ocean. At the
gate of the station was standing the close
prison van, awaiting its daily invoice from
the great cities. Out they came, heads shaw
en-, hands iioned, the old, the young, men and
women. How little had individualized
them, or even thought of them, while read
ing casually in the Times that John Jones or
Jane Thompson was on trial for this or that
offense! 1t was very different when Jane
and John were no longer printed paper.
Here they were, the wolsted strugglers for
existence, the victims of st. Giles and the
Seven Dials. "Hunted down at last!' was
written ON their faces but ii some of those
hunted down had touches OF the tiger and
the wolf and the serpent, tracing cruel lip
or a hard eve, more, as well remember, had
traits of passionate power or OF rugged
strength, such as higher society will not
waste upon the barrenness of Portland. They
pass, with their claws, their stunted wings,
or their fangs-sometmes softened by kindly
smiles-along the station, a procession too
commonplace for any to gaze upon or pity
but the single stranger present. One young
man, fair-haired and handsome, whose face,
though it might indicate sort of one-eyed
character, yet showed feeling and truth. look
ed despairingly around the desolatiOn and ap-
with interest upon him. He blushed red. and
his lip moved is if he would cry out; but he
did not, and was soon shut away in the hor-
rible barred wagon-a little prison on wheels
along with the most besotted OF the group.
They climbed up the tremendous height
near five hundred feet-and followed to get
the view which commands half of the British
Channel; but found the poor youths face
blending with all the scenes. Bithnic, Rob
ert, Earl OF Gloucester, and Earl Goodwin, and
doubtless others, in earlier days Landed here,
stealing all they could, and SO became heroes.
My friend in the van there kills man IN a
quarrel, and becomes criminal. He is born
| too late for popular appreciation, which
| is well; but he lives too long before don
nino the right harness for his force, which
| i, sad for him and me. The people in
| the villages were evidently either sea-
| farers, or people who were there to supply
! the wants of the prison. The sea-farers
| have bad repute; the island is terrible
| place for wrecks 1.-THE Channel Fleet. under
| Sir Hugh Christian, was wrecked there N
| 1795. and 1900 bodies dashed on the beach)
and the inhabitants are thought to be re-
| signed to such occurrences on their shores /;
| hut. after all, thrift by ship-wrecks is not
much worse than that by man-wrecks
and woman-wrecks. All the day long the
| women and children were picking about the
| shore to find something washed up from the
sea. The houses look like smaller prisons,
being puilt of the same stone, and somewhat
| in the same fashion. The prison consists ol
three long parallelograms, that look like lone
blocks cut by giants from the quarry, and be-
| tween them are spaces where the prisoners
are at work in gangs forever hewing stone.
Within are miserable cells, each seven feel
long, seven high, and four wide, which but
for the small grated window were mere
t omb. The prisoners sleep in hammocks
They dress in corduroy trowsers anc stripet
| blouse and cap. Some, however, have brown
some gray, some yellow garments, and tbos
whose time has nearly expired have .sP p
in red letters on them. Some wear heavy
chains at their work for having used violent
language, or tried to escape.
The only trees on the island seemed to pe
to be grouped around Pennsylvania Castle
where the descendants OF William fenn SUI
reside, and where they have interesting por
traits of the family Of Penn, stretching Ia