The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-09-22
LIFE IN EXILE.
H0w the Transported Communists
Wer Treated

How the Transported Communists
Wer Treated.
The Paris Figaro interviewed several of
the returned Communists, and the fol-
lowing is the story of one of them:
"We suffered great deale In spite of
the time we spent ON the hulks we were
but poor sailors Yet the passage was
not bad one, and We were we'll treated,
only we had to eat mody biscuit. AT
night we were allowed on deck, but dur
ing the day we had to remain below. We
were never ill-treated. When we landed
at the Island of Pines we had nothing
but the bare ground to sleep on. 1t had
been raining, and the ground was soaked.
For three days and three nights we were
exposed to the rain, and you can not
imagine what rain they have in those
parts. AT last they gave us tents, and
soon after we began to build mud huts,
some of which could Accommodate three
men, many two, but most of them only
one. But quarreling soon began, and
each of us had his separate hut, making
in all five villages. We had full liberty
to do as we pleased, only we had to at
tend roll-call, which took place but once
week at first. After Rochefort's escape,
however, the roll was called every day,
then, when the new Governor came out,
every other day; some of us titled the
land, others bred pigs, those who knew a
trade worked at it. Those who had no
trade had nothing but Government ra-
tions-that is, fresh meat every other
day, potted meat on Mondays and Wed
nesdays, and bacon on Fridays. Every
day we had brown sugar, salt and oil We
had no wine given us. We had to buy
it secretly from the English ships, or
openly at the canteens, but there it was
sold at 15d the quart, and at 10d during
the last months of our stay. All the
transported men who went into the wine
business have made fortunes. There is
on board the Picard one gauger who is
bringing back more than 10000 francs
with him. Those who liked to work for
the military engineers got II sous day,
and it was not always easy. | myself
started smithy, but the iron was so
bad that had to give it up and confne
myself to making repairs. Every six
months they gave us pair of trousers,
and once year blouse. As for shoes,
we were to have had new pair every
four months, but we never had and very
often went barefooted for six months at
time. In the way of amusement we
used to gossip of an evening, play cards,
talk of France, and recall the episode of
the Commune, and one time we had a
theater, with the help of the actors that
were among us. They played only on
Sundays, at four o'clock in the afternoon,
and there were no actresses. The uniform
price was five sous a head. The news
that. the amnesty had been voted was con-
cealed from us at FIRST but we knew of it
through our chums who were employed
as servant by the authorities. 1t was Of
icially announced to us at the end of
April, and we greeted the readings of the
decree with shouts of Vive la Liberte,
Vive la France No one cried Vive la
Commune though that night many of
us drank freely. After that we gave up
working altogether, because it would
have been six months before we could
reap what we might SOW, and after all we
had to sell our crops for mere song. We
were as well treated on the voyage home
as circumstances would permit. We had
fresh meat only once every ten days, be-
cause the ship that was to bring the oxen
for our provisions was wrecked We had
cows flesh, and very bad it was. For my
part did not eat more than five pounds
of meat during the voyage. The crew
Jared the same as we did. We suffered
most however from want Of water. We
had twenty-seven barrels day at first,
but when the Captain heard our COM
plants he added three more"