Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-01-06
CHAPTER ".
THE CONVICT SHIP.

on my arrival at Liverpool. The Hindu
had been thoroughly refitted for sea, but
was in the hands Of q gang of carpen-
ters and blacksmiths as she lay in her
berth.
"What's the meaning of all this?''
repeated Captain Clark as I found him
overseeing the workmen in the hold.
"Well, Ralph, to be short about it,
we've got government charter for
Botany Bay"
"Whatl The Hindu to 90 out to Aus.
tralia with oonvicts!"
Exactly. Don't fire up about it,
man, until you 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 it, I assure You, butyet we look upon
as lucky stroke, and there are a
score Of crafts in port which would be
willing to pay us premium.
"But it will give the ship bad
name," protested.
"Not in this case. hope, though we
must take our chances. You see, the
government has been in the habit Of
ohartering any old tub which could be
got hold of cheap. There's public out
cry against sending out convict ships
which are 30 unseaworthy that a top
sail breeze is bound TO do for them.
There's also a great ado about crowd
ing the men as if 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 matter is that the government is
going to try an experiment.
cat the loss of our reputation. Why,
cir, 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, I came to look upon the
charter with more favor after a tit.
The price paid us. was very high, and
we had the privilege of fitting up &C.
commodations to carry 30 passengers as
we'll. You will understand that I am
now writing of matter really belong
ing to the last generation. It 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 possible, and, second, to
make convicts thei nucleus of new COL
onies. After two or three years Of prop.
er behavior a 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 matter of history that three-fourtbs
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
y. -Gatta in those days. Aside from
tne sFeeepsi SacseA ahins~1aere were
craft fitted out to carry emlgrants,
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
er than by an emigrant craft, but only
a few were taken. and the accommoda-
tions were very good. The Hindu had
only a main hold, which had depth
of about nine feet. Our contract called
for the carrying Of go male convicta
To keep these men secure the hold OF
the ship was converted into three cages,
as it were, each cage to hold 30 men.
The entrance to them was by way OF
the matches. The cages were of iron, OF
course, and made as strong az in pris-
on. There were 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
"brig, " or dark cell, for the confinement
Of refractory prisoners. The remainder
of the hold was taken up by storage
rooms, staterooms and cabins.
In the days of which I 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 in Jail to-
day were then sent away for five or ten
wears. The ernbezzler 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 hell on earth
for all, according to every mans testi-
mony. Where a big batch was taken,
the government sent along from 8 to IL
marines and all officer to take entire
charge of the prisoners. In our case the
contract only bound the government to
furnish q doctor. We must ship hands
enough to guard the convicts and land
them safely at Botany Bay. and the
ship must provide it's own outfit of fire.
arms.
We went about these things in good
faith and with an 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
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
NAV happen to US with 60 desperate vii.