Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1897-01-14
7HURMONT frederick County, Maryland Thursday January "A, 1897

was IN the hands Of gang OF carpen-
ters and blacksmiths as she lay in her
BERTH
"What's the meaning Of all this?"
repeated Captain Clark as found him
overseeing the workmen in the hold.
"Well, Ralph. to be short about it,
we've got government charter for
Botany Bay"
what! The Hindu to go out to Aus
tralia with convictsp'
Exactly. Don't fire up about it,
man, until ysu learn full particulars.
Things are very dull just now in the
carrying trade, and if we hadn't made
this charter we might have been forced
to lie here for weeks. We didn't jump
at 1t, assure you, but yet we look upon
It as a lucky stroke and there are
score Of crafts in port which would be
willing to pay us a premium.
"But it will give the ship bad
name," I protested.
"Not in this case, hope, though We
must take our chances. You see, the
chartering any old tub which could be
got hold of cheap. There's a public out
cry against sending out convict ships
which are SO unseaworthy that top
sail breeze is bound to do for them.
There's also q great ado about crowd
ing the men as II they were blacks from
the African coast. Certain papers and
public men have been raising a great
row on this subject while you've been
in drydock at Dudley, and the upshot
of the mattsk4 that the government is
going to try an experiment.
"At the loss Of our reputation. Why,
cir, q craft which has ever made the
trip to Botany Bay goes to the boneyard
or into the coal trade on her return. All
shippers seem to look upon her with
distrust and disgust after that"
However, / came to look upon the
charter with more favor after a bit.
The price paid as was very high, and
we S,d the privilege Of fitting up ao-
commodations to carry 20 passengers as
well. You will understand that I am
now writing Of O matter really belong
ing to the last generation. 1t is good
many years since the penal colony at
Botany Bay was abolished and since
England ceased to send her convicts out
of the country. The idea of transporta-
ton was first, to remove bad men as
far away as posi- BILE, and, second, to
make convicts the nucleus Of new COL
onies. After two or three years Of prop
er behavior convict got ticket of
leave and could settle outside the camp
If his record continued good for two or
three years more, he was discharged and
could settle anywhere in Australia. 1t
is q matter Of history that three-fourths
of the sheep growers and good share
of the business men of the big island
today can trace their ancestry back to
the convict camp at Botany Bay.
There were no steamers running to
Australia in those days Aside from
the regular packet ships, there were
craft fitted out to carry emlSrants,
Thousand at a time, but there was
class of people which preferred to 60 by
convict ship The fare was about half
what the packets charged, and yet high
or than by an emigrant craft, but only
few were taken. and the accommoda-
tions were very good The Hindu had
only main hold, which had a depth
Of about nine feet. Our contract called
for the carrying of 60 male convlcts
To keep these men secure the hold of
the ship was converted into three cages,
as it were, each cage to hold 20 men,
The entrance to them was by way OF
the matches. The cages were OF iron, OF
course, and made rs strong as III prls-
on. There We're hunks for the prison
ers, and portfolios gave them light and
ventilation. In the rear Of the third
cage was fitted up what is known as q
"brig," or dark cell, for the confinement
of refractory prisoners. The remainder
of the hold was taken up by storage
rooms, staterooms and cabins
y. In the days Of which write con-
vict ship sometimes carried out as
many AS $50 men and women. The
law laid its hand heavily upon every
wrongdoer Offenders who would not
get more than three months i'll Jail to-
day were then sent away for five or ten
years The ombezzler and the murderer
were treated alike until they arrived at
the Bay. Then some little difference
was made in the favor of the former,
though the place was a hell on earth
for all, according to every mans testi-
mony. Where a big batch was taken,
the government sent along from to IL
marines and an officer to take entire
charge of the prisoners In our case the
contract only bound the government to
furnish doctor. We must ship hands
enough to guard the convicts and land
them safely at Botany Bay. and the
ship must provide its own outfit of fire.
arms.
We went about these things in good
faith and with all eye as to what might
happen Oh the voyage unless we were
fully prepared for trouble. There were
hundreds of men looking for an oppor-
tunity to work their passage out. We
bargained with seven very decent look
ing fellows to pay their way by acting
as guards The odd man had been a
sergeant of infantry and was to COM
mand the guard. We bought dozen
muskets and plenty Of ammunition, and
one day, when almost ready to receive
the prisoners aboard, the captain said to
me:
Ralph, there's no knowing what
may happen to us with 60 desperate vii.
lains aboard. I understand that all our
prisoners are long termers and over
half of them are going for life l am
going to arrange the main cabin so that
we can turn it into fort if necessary.
Presuming that you have never been