The Irish standard., 1888-08-11
PARADISE OF HORRORS.

PARADISE OF HORRORS.
The Convict Days Of the Beautiful
Island Of Tasmania
Although One of the Earth's Most Favored
Spots, Its Inha bitants Preferred Death
to Liying-Port Arthur and Its
Charming Surroundings.
The Island of Van Dieman's Land, as it
was originally called. or Tasmania, as it IS
now termed, was first discovered by the
navigator Tasman, who landed en- the pen
insula which still bears his name in the
year 1912. This peninsula is joined to the
main land by an isthmus called Eagle Hawk
Neck, and here is shown on the hard rock
the impression of q boot and a round hole
side by side, supposed to have been made
by the discoveries left foot and right
wooden leg respectively.
That no footprints appear leading from
the shore inland is accounted for by saying
that Tasman was SO overcome by the neau~
ty of the scene before him that he fell back
ward, says a correspondent of the San
Francisco Chronicle The scenery OF the
peninsula is certainly very fine. In sew
eral places arc found tessellated pavements
as regular as though constructed by Roman
builders. These are the bases of basaltlc
columns which have now disappeared under
the influence of wave and storm.
At the neck in the old days when Tas-
mania was used by the British as a convict
settlement, was placed a strong guard OF
constables, who were further assisted In
their work of keeping his Majesty's prison
ers secure by numbers of large and Zero
cious dogs, who We're kenneled at various
suitable spots, often on stages erected in
the water
When any prisoner attempts to escape by
this neck, the only way to the main land,
the dogs barked loudly and alarmed the
constables on guard, who put out in boats
manned by convicts Of known good char
acter, and cut off the prisoners retreat.
Besides the dogs on the stages erected in the
water, others were chained at the narrow
est part Of the isthmus in such way as
just to meet, thus rendering it impossible
for one to pass without being torn to pieces.
Sentries, too, were always at hand with
loaded guns.
To render escape by swimming impossi-
BILE, tho sharks, which haunted the waters,
were well-fed daily SC as to keep them to
the spot. A terrible description, chiefly
drawn IRON official reports, diaries of chap
lains notebooks and other official data, is
given of the life Of the convicts in the old
lays of Marcus Clarke's weird and horri-
BILE, but powerfully-written story: In the
Term Of His Natural Life"
Port Arthur was the central convict sta
ton on Tasnan's Peninsula, and was
,f11c
trees have been found IN the bush there OF
height Of three hundred feet, ana all the
animals that live on the island are to be
found in abundance. On the western side
of the island is another old convict station,
called Macouarie Harbor. This was a most
dreadful spot. The entrance to the harbor
was called HELPS Gate, and the penal settle
ment itself HelEUpon-Earth, and we'll do
these ill-ornenod names seem to have been
deserved.
It is related that tho fortunes and priva~
tions of convicts We're SO intolerable that
many Of them committed murder i'll order
that they might be executed, and thus re-
leased from their misery.
Unlike the neighborhood of Port Arthur,
he country around Macquarie Harbor Was
utterly devoid Of oil sustenance for men,
and bodies of desperate conyicts sometimes
banded together to escape, and when want
of food prevented their proceeding further
cast lots which Of them should be killed,
and sustained life little while longer On
the flesh of their murdered comrade.
One Pearce escaped from Macquarie Har-
Dor and got as far as Hobart Town, but
was there arrested and sent back, He and
a nan named Cox worked together in the
same gang. Cox often begged Pierce to
run away with him from the settlements,
but for O long time Pearce refused. AT
last Cox managed to procure knife, some
fsh-hooks, All axe and some burnt rag Tor
finder, and he and Pearce made their escape
together.
For some days they strayed through the
forest. end on the fifth day arrived at
Kings river. In the woods near this river
they stayed for some days in order to avoid
the pursuit of the soldiers who were search
ing for them, and durin g all this time they
were entirely without food. Pearce at last
determined TO take his comrades life and
killed Cox with blow Of the axe while he
lay asleep
The soldiers having gone off in another
direction, Pearce lived for few days IN the
hut abandoned by them upon the flesh OF his
murdered companion; but unable to bear
his own life, he returned to Inc sebtleunent
and signaled for the pilot, who took him
back TO Maceuarie Harbor, where he con-
fessed his crime to the commandant and
signi4ied his willingness to die.
In 1872 there were still few hundred
convicts left in Port Arthur, the penal SET
tlement on Tasman's Peninsula. This pen
Ursula is covered with dense scrub and
gigantic gum trees, land formerly there We're
several thousand convicts there. Com1nu-
nication was kept up all over the peninsula
BY semaphores, or posts with movable arms
Each of these was in charge Of trust
worthy convict, who had.a code Of signals.
Port Arthur and its nei ghborhood are very
pretty. and now that conv1cts are no longer
sent out there it is rapidly becoming O. Ia
vorite holiday resort and fashionable
watering place, and numbers Of honest, en-
ergetic settlers are clearing away the brush
and forming homesteads. The name OF
Port Arthur, linked with dreadful associa-
tions as it was, has wisely been changed to
that of Carnarvon, and under the new re-
CINE the once hated spot now furnishes a
home for scores of happy families. The Ola
dungeons and prison building are fast fall
ing into decay. and soon all but few traces,
interesting to antiquarians, OF the former
nsa IF the n1aca will he Obliterated.