Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1897-01-14
CHAPTER V.
TILE SHIPS DOCTOR.


In every ship sent out with convicts
the prisoners were under the charge OF
the doctor sent along at government ex.
pense. His authority was supreme He
!opleseu ed the government We of the
Hindu did not catch sight of our doctor
until the last moment before sailing,
and the sight of him gave US surprise.
"Why, Ralph, the authorities must
be blind or crazy to send such man
along with gang like this growied
Captain Clark after the man had intro
duced himself and walked away.
He was young man, not over two
and twenty, a medical student, or just
graduated, and we marked him down
at once for man without any spirit.
may as we'll tell you that he had Sc
cured the place through the influence Of
relatives, and that he had but a faint
idea of the burdens and responsibilities
of the position. Hc had had some little
medical practice in the charity hospi-
tails and had perhaps been told that all
he would have to do OH shipboard would
be to prescribe EPSON salts Or blue mass
ard see that the convicts swallowed the
same
"Why, Well have row before we
are fairly clear of the land" continued
the captain, who had pretty thoroughly
posted himself as to matters aboard of
convict ship while we were fitting out.
"I'm good mind to cast off, come to
anchor and demand that he be replaced
by an old hand. -
protested against such STEP argu-
ing that tho authorities knew their busl-
ness and must have confidence in the
man they had put aboard; but, to tell
you the truth, had little faith in my
own words. Supper was the first meal
to be served to the convicts. We had q
double galley on deck, with two cooks,
and the convicts were to be supplled
with government provisions. 1t was for
the doctor to see that things were prop
erly cooked, to set the hours for the
meals and to take general charge OF the
provisions while on deck. The cages, as
have told you, were built one i'll rear
of the other, beginning at the fo'castle
bulkhead The gangs of convicts were
numbered /, 2 and B, and each had its
captain or boss. Every man was sup
piled with tin plate and cup. The
first gang to come up was No. 1. A lad
der which was kept on deck when not
in use was let down through the fore-
hatch into space between the first two
cages, Two men stood there with mus
kots, and the doctor unlocked the door
and called to the men to come out in
line, headed by their captain. AS they
passed up they marched to the galley,
placed cup and plate on shelf outside
of sliding window, and the cook gave
them their food and drink. Then the
line marched around the galley and de-
scended to its cage to eat the meal,
Thus only one gang was on deck at
time.
am telling you how things went
with doctor who knew his business
and how they did 60 with US after
time, but that first meal settled all
doubts as to what sort of aman our doc
tor was. He had to call upon the cap
tain to post him, and when he learned
that he must 90 down and unlock the
iron doors it was plain to SEQ that he
had no more nerve than woman.
very much doubt if he would have put
foot OH the ladder if the second mate
hadn't shown him the way and the cap
tain given him hard rub about his
oowardice. AS told you, we had seven
regular guards. Had the doctor been
the right sort of man this force would
have been sufficient. Knowing that the
couvicts would size him up for cow
ard, tho captain ordered two OF the crew
below with the guards and armed two
more for the deck.
Things passed off all right, SO far as
having the convcts up and down again,
but such of us as were closely watching
the fellows made sure that they had tax
Ell the doctors dimensions. l looked
every one of the 60 full i'll the face, and,
though laid no claim to being physl
ognomist, decided for myself that We
r,icht as we'll have had 60 red handed