The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1901-03-22
THE CONVICT SHIP
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In former years. before penal colonies
were abandoned, transportation meant
everything that was vile, vicious and hor-
riblc
When 80 or more convicts were ready
for Botany Bay the government would
hire a sailing vessel to transport them. |
have seen them 80 in ffues, and | have
seen 215 on board of one ship. A trans
mort ship was fitted up between decks rs
q prison, the space being divided off by
two iron gratings, and every % men were
III charge of Il captain, one of their own
number. The lot were in charge OF a
surgeon appointed by the government to
20 with the ship. In all matters affecting
thc convicts, every man on the ship was
bound to obey the surgeon. The crew
had muskets and cutasses dealt out to
them, and a certain number had to stand
guard as the various gangs were brought
on deck TO be exercised. If the surgeon
was a thorough man, he got his Con
Segment" through in good order, but if
he was not there was sure to be an out
freak of malignant type, which some
times carried off half the lot l knew one
ship to lose Al convicts out of Go, and
with them II of the crew.
The ship Silver Queen, Captain James.
q had contracted to carry out 12S Botany
Bay convicts, and this was my second
year aboard of her as an apprentice A
i day or two before we left England |
reached my fifteenth year and was a
\ pretty solid lad for my age. As rcmcm-
4 Der the lot, about so were sentenced for
4 manslaughter, the same number for rob,
berry and burglary, and the others were
4 made up of forgers, embezzers, incen-
diaries and so on. There were two in
\ the lot who had escaped from the Bay
y and finally found their way back to be
4 1eoaptured. Taken as whole, the lot
was said to be the worst one ever sent
n out and the ship carried an extra officer
4 and four extra hands. The prison part
took up one-half of the space between
4 decks. Every morning and evening, when
4 the weather would permit 20 men at a
time were allowed to come up for ten
B minutes exercise
4 Boylike, my sympathies were with the
i cOnyIcts. No matter what they had done,
q the idea that they were going off to a
a living death settled the matter with me
a The discipline of the ship was very strict,
but ! found several opportunities to
N show my good will. When on duty be-
low, | passed them tobacco. gave them
the news from above and winked at their
q disohediCnce of rules. Every convict
Y gang had its leader The leader of this
"A one was a man named Harry Small-one
4 Of the escaped Botany Bays who was be-
i ing returned. He was quiet fellow, in
Il tclligent and crafty, and when he saw
that | leaned his way he one day asked
n me for pencil and paper. | gave them
TO linn, and he wrote a note which
afterward delivered to a sailor before the
mast did all this ont Of pure sym
i paby, having not the slightest idea thai
Il there was any wrong in it.
Nothing whatever occurred on the voy-
age to the Cape of Good Hone All the
officers were agreeably disappointed in
the behavior of the convicts which was
so exemplary that not man had been
4 tioe-ed or imprisoned in the black hole
4 l heard our captain say that it was al
most rs line as making a regular voyage
out. said nothing swhatever occurred.
l meant among the convicts. II afte.-
4 ward ranspred that there was an ex lite
ment among the crew forward. The sail
or to whom had delivered the note had
4 secretly declared to his mates that the
surgeon had predicted an outbreak of
q fever after leaving the cape. The con
sequence was that seven of them de-
serted at Cape Town, and the same num-
4 Der OF new hands We're shipped. | could
4 never see where the sailor had any hand
N it, but we certainly lost by the ex-
change. We lost seven Englshmcn,
WAl.e those who filled their places We're
Portuguese and half breed Dutchmen, and
as dirty set as you ever saw aboard a
ship.
In leaving the cape we stood to the
q southeast for n hundred miles and then
iaid the course straight for Point Davey,
Z on the Southernmost end of Tasmania
Land, this course being only two points
rom due east. In this run, clear across
me Indian ocean, we should pass hun
dred miles to the south of the island of
s. ri Paul. That and Amsterdam island
are the only two within 500 miles of the
4 Course.
was on guard below for four hours
every other day. On such occasion Small
asked me for the run of the ship. | could
nearly always give it to him, as | head
u from some of the officers. We had
Deeh ont week when he asked me about
II 'he island Of st. Paul ] had az old
eH'II. on which it was put down as I'M
Mhahled. He asked how close we would
run j' 1t and that ] find out. if possible,
Waeh We were at the nearest point Had
nceA Older should not have been de
eeNed. was only n lad. and as green
one nj that. and, rs told you before,
'1,l deep sympathy for the convicts.
IL was on a Tuesday night that over
ne1iu lhe captain say to the surgeon that
Il tne wind held we would be opposite ST.
ali ny noon next day. The wind did
nod and at 10 o'clock next forenoon
Mehi on duty below and at once gave
SlaaIl the news. 1t was just m hour
q Hior wien a fight broke out among the
"l,h, and there was a row to disturb the
whole ship. The orders of the officers
were set at defiance. and as a consc-
quehce. when they did succeed in com
uahdlng obedience, it was deemed best
" 40 some ilogging to overawe the con
4 ,''S' -Four men who were supposed t.
We iingleadnrs were singled out, the entire
''' were mustered on deck, and pretty
Sooh 80. ] was dashed M TO the gratinss
IT punishment. The first blow struck
""S a signal, and every convict uttered
shout and sprang for weapon. 1t
t %u9 Il complete surprise to the officers,
n ~ II was quickly seen that there was
~iso conspiracy. Not one of the seven
new sailors would fro a shot and tho