American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1875-09-25
VOL. XIV.

time went to my berth and found ou
how to get into il. l felt like toy pu
away on shelf in a cupboard, for it was
my first experience of ship accommoda
ton. When you have learned to lie or
your back and not want to move all nigh
to take enough oxygen into the lungs
while on deck to last for the time you arc
below, and to be Indifferent to cOckroaches
running over you, you get on great dea
better.
On reaching the deck next morning
found that we were under sail and drop
ping down the river, which had grown
very wide.
1t was not long before we were fairly in
the channel, and the pilot got into hi
boat and left us.
There was a nice breeze but the sea was
perfectly smooth, and the ship glided
through the water with delightful glib
ness; so felt ought to be doing some
thing towards learning my duties while
was able, and confided to MacNab that
should like to hold an inspection of the
convicts, who were all gathered on the
main deck in charge of their warders and
marines, who mounted sentry over them
with loaded muskets and fixed -bayonets
found that had made an official ap
plication in the right quarter by accident
for MacNab Immediately said:
cat what time? at once?"
And when l replied in the affirmative
gave certain sharp, short orders, the re-
suit of which was that in less than ter
minutes a warder came up to me, touched
his cap, and reported:
"All ready, SIR
And following him, I found the con
victs drawn up in lines, bare-footed. My
inspection of them was mere form, for
of course they were sent on board sound
nn oil huf nd rfoiv IONS
with regard to the sanitary arrangements
between decks, where their hammocks
were slung, and these were promptly at
tended to where practicable. When 1 had
done MacNaD challenged me to a game
of chess, and fortunately we proved to be
very evenly matched. He was quite right
in relying so much upon it as a resource
how we should have got through the
weeks without it cannot imagine; we
played at least six hours daily out of the
twenty-four.
When we got into the broad swell Of
the Atlantic l had a weeks seasickness
during which MacNa had the best of me
at chess, and after was well / began to
have some trouble with the convicts.
What schemers they wereI Their one
great object was to get glass of grog OF
wine, which could only be done by my
order, and they regularly studied the com
plants for which T prescribed such medi-
cal comforts, and either simulated or man
aged to produce them artificially Green.
horn as l was, they imposed upon me
rarely at first, and just as was getting up
to their lodges we passed the Equator
and there was a good deal of real sickness
which gave them the advantage again
As time went on l became familiarized
with the rogues, and learned to look upon
them as fellow-men who had gone wrong
rather than as wild beasts. / talked tC
them freely, learned many of their histO
ries-at least their own versions of them
and took considerable interest in some. OF
the narrators. Most of them were igno-
rant, debased creatures, either born and
bred to prey on their fellow creatures, OF
recruited from the most neglected ranks oil
society; but there were one or two excep
tions-notably, a man who passed under
the name of Williams, who was gifted
with rare abilities and had the manners
and address of gentleman. His face
would nave afforded an interesting study
to a physiognomist. the upper part being
highly intellectual, the lower part betoken
ing unbounded sensuality. His crime was
forgery of bank notes. This man never
condescended to try and trick me as the
others did neither did he sulk like some
OF the better-class cOnvicts, nor protest his
innocence, which was the almost universal
custom. He was civil, somewhat sub
dued in manner and glad of my converse
ton. He had yieldeS TO the temptation
of trying to make his fortune in too great
hurry, had failed, ard was content to
pay the penalty, he said. Though q
lifer, " he by no means despaired of his
future. He was informed that with good
conduct he would soon be free man
within the limits of the colony, and had
perfect confidence in his ability to earn a
comfortable livelihood if he had that
chance And what did the country mat
ter? Life could be made as enjoyable in
one place as another. He would not GO
back to England to be cut by all his rela-
lions and former friends if he could.
Plausibly as Williams always talked /
mistrusted him. I noticed that he had
established a considerable influence over
the other convicts, and constantly sur
prised him speaking earnestly in corners
to groups of five or six of them. On my
and in spite of all affectation of indiffer.
ence i was certain on more than one occa-
sion that anxiety was felt lest l should
have caught some word in passing. And
l knew, without being able to prove it,
that secret signs were exchanged between
Williams and at least a score, whom
could have pointed out, habitually.
Another convict who evidently had
some power with his fellows was LLOYD, a
Welsh sailor, who had stabbed another in
quarrel and narrowly escaped the gal
lows.
But it was natural enough that an ex
perienced sailor should obtain the hear
ing of landsmen during a voyage of such
length, and 1 never suspected him Of
striving to influence the others with any
sinister designs, as l certainly did Will
Jams.
But soon 1 had no time for idle specu
lation and suspicion the sickness, a fever
attended by symptoms which were unfa
miliar to me, increased. Soon there were
a score of Convicts, several seamen and
one of the marines down with it.
A man died, was sewn up in his ham,
mock, and launched from the gangway
with a shot at his feet, MacNab reading
the service over him. During the cere-
mony one of those phenomena which
make sailors SO superstitious occurred
AS the body touched the water the wind
sank, and in half an hour there was a per-
feet calm. In many minds a calm at sea
is associated with all that is peaceful and
beautiful; in mine it is horrible night
mare.
For week we lay on the broad, smooth
sheet OF glass, without a speck in sight to
break the monotony. Glass? Molten
silver rather, for the heat was so fearful
that l sometimes imagined that it would
seethe. The sun seemed like mass of
white hot iron close above US, and the
pitch ooZed and boiled between the blanks.
Poor Phipps could not go on with his
sketching, for the perspiration dropping
from his forehead blotted his work, and
even McNab's ardor for chess relaxed.
But had little time to play with him
under such aggravating conditions the
fever ragged. Deaths were of daily, some