St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-12-29
Remarkably Thrilling Expert
ence Of an English Convict
Ship at Sea.
A Conspiracy Formed Among
the Prisoners and the
Vessels Crew.
The Uprising, the Fight and
Victory Of the Enraged
ConvictS,
Who Turn Pirates and Are
Captured by a Big Man.
of-War.


In these days in England, when
prisoner receives sentence to prison,
it means fair living, a moderate daily
task, letters once a month, and visits
now and then from friends. He is there
fore quite satisfied-aS satisfied as one
who loses his liberty can be.
In former years, before penal colonies
were abandoned, transportation meant
everything that was vile, vicious and
horrible. "A man would have done bet
ter to die before going aboard the ship
which was to convey him to Australia,
and great many did commit suicide.
1t meant in every sense of the word that
the man was to be used as dumb brute
of the lowest order. He was to be I'M
derfed, Overworked, kicked, cuffed,
logged and driven to some overt act for
which he could be shot down. The idea
was to strike terror to the heart of the
criminal classes, but it acted just to the
contrary. Although the courts inflicted
the Severest sentences, crime steadily
increased. l did not set out to discuss
the policy, however, but to tell you an
adventure,
When fifty or more convicts were
ready for Botony Bay the government
would hire sailing vessel to transport
them. | have seen them go in ffties.
and | have seen 215 on board of one
ship. A transport ship was fitted up
between decks as prison, the space
being divided Off by iron gratings. and
every twenty men were in charge of
captaln-one of their own number. The
lot were in charge of surgeon ap-
pointed by the government to go with
the ship. In all matters affecting the
convictS every man on ship was bound
to obey the surgeon. The crew had
NIuskets and Cutiasses
dealt out to them, and a certain num-
Der had to stand guard as the various
gangs were brought on deck to be eXer-
cised. If the surgeon was a thorough
man he got his consignment" through
in good order, but if he was not, there
was sure to be an outbreak of malig-
nant type, which sometimes carried off
half the lot. knew one ship to lose
forty-seven conyicts out CT sixty-five,
and with them eleven of the crew.
The ship Silver Queen. Capt. James.
had contracted to carry out 12S Botany
Bay convicts, and this was my second
year aboard of her as an apprentice. A
L
reached my fifteenth year. and was a
pretty solid lad for my age. AS l re-
member the lot, about fifty were SEN
fenced for manslaughter, the same
number for robbery and burglary, and
the others were made up of forgerS,
embezzlers, incendiaries. and so on.
There were two i'm the lot who had
escaped from the Bay, and finally found
their way back to be recaptured. Taken
as whole, the lot was said to be the
very worst ever sent out, and the ship
carried an extra ofhcer and four extra
hands. The prison part took up one
half the space between decks. Every
morning and evening, when the wealth
Ell would permit, twenty men at time
time were allowed to come up for ten
gangs, and every man of them had leg
chains on. There were temporary lad
ders to descend through the matches,
and at the foot of each ladder was pen
in which sentinel was stationed day
and night. Thus the convictS were al
ways under watchful eye.
Boylike,my Sympathies were with the
cOnvictS. No matter what they had
done, the idea that they were going off
to living death settled the matter with
me. The discipline of the ship was very
strict, but found several opportunities
to show my good will. When on duty
below passed them tobacco, gave them
the news from above and winked at
their disobedience of rules.
Every Convict Gang
had its leader. The leader Of this one
was man named Harry Small-one of
the escaped Botany Bays who was be-
ing returned. He was a quiet fellow
intelligent and crafty, and when he saw
that | leaned his way he one day asked
me for pencil and paper. gave them
TO him, and he wrote note which
afterward delivered to sailor before
the mast. l did this all out Of pure SYM
patty, having not the slightest idea that
that there was any wrong in it.
Nothing whatever occurred on the
voyage to the Cape of Good Hope. All
the officers were agreeably disappointed
in the behavior of the convicts, which
was so exemplary that not man had
been logged or imprisoned in the black
hole. heard our captain say that it
was almost as fine as making a regular
voyage out. | said nothing whatever
occurred. | meant among the cOnvictS.
1t afterward TRANSFERRED that there was
an excitement among the crew forward.
The sailor to whom had delivered the
note had secretly declared to his mates
that the surgeon had predicted an out
break of fever after leaving the cape.
| The consequence was tina seven of
them deserted at Cape Town. and the
| same number of new hands were
shipped. l could never see where the
sailor had any hand in it. but we GER
| tainly lost by the exchange. We lost
| seven Engllshmen, while those who
| filled their places were Portuguese and
half-breed Dutchmen, and as edirtv a
set as you ever saw aboard a ship.
In leaving the Cape we stood to til.
southeast for hundred miles, and then
laid the course straight for Point Davey
| on the SOuthernmOSt end of Tasmania
| Land, this course being only two points
| from due east. In this run, clear across
the Indian ocean, we should pass a hun
| dred miles to the south of the Island oil
| st. Paul. That and Amsterdam island
are the only two within 500 miles of the
/ course.
l was on guard below for four hour:
every other day. On each occasion
Small asked me for the run of the ship
| could nearly always give it to him, as
l heard it from some of the officers. We
had been out week when he asked
about the Island of st. Paul. / had al
old chart on which it was put down a.
uninhabited. lie asked how close WI
would run to it, and that / find out, i
| possible, when we were at the neareS
| point. Had | been older ] should no
have been deceived. [ was only lad
and green one at that-and, as toll
you before, l felt a deep sympathy TO
the convictS.
1t was on Tuesday night that 1 over
heard the captain say to the surgeon
that if the wind held we should be OPP
posite st. Paul by noon the next day
The wind did hold, and at 10 o'clocl
next forenoon l went on duty below
and at once gave Small the news. 1
was just an hour later when a figh
broke out among the men, and there wa
row to disturb the whole ship. Tn
orders of the officers were set at def
auce, and. as a consequence, when the,
did succeed in commanding obedience
it was deemed best to do some fog
ging to
OyeraNe the COnvicts.
Four men, who were supposed to b