The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — 1838-06-01 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

JACK TARS IN A FRENCH GAOL.  When the depot was first established, distinction of rank or character was unknown ; all were confined together in the grand souter ain. Then, indeed, it deserved the name of the Place of Tears," for, by what I heard of it was a pandemonium. lithe sailors, and those confined with them, had been tameable animals, and would have studied their own welfare, they might have been comfortable; but they were indomitable, being. a terror to their guards, who dreaded coming in contact with them. 11 their liberty had depended upon overpowering the seventeen gendarmes and one hundred veterans, (which composed the garrison,) they would soon have liberated themselves. I shall here relate one of their teats, as it was generally reported, in order to elucidate their character. Amonithe prisoners, there was an Englishman detained, suspected of being a spy, bearing a colonel's commission in the Russian service. He was a great favourite with the sailors; and, having cotmnitted some offence was being conducted to the eachut when they liberated hint. The whole garrison was turned out; which the men observing, tan below arming themselves, some with billets of wood, and others will' pieces of the guard-bed, which they tore up for the purpose, came op again and bade defiance to their guard, He that assumed the leadership said to.the others, "Let us not be the attacking party; let us wait till we see. blood drawn from any of us; and then we will fall upon them, and murder the whole." The commandant and the general, seeing their attitude so imposing and their determination so visible, gave up the point; and the men. returned to theirusual obedience, which at the best was little more than a state of mutiny. The standing order was, that all light should be put out at eight o'clock ; but ashen there was any new arrival, any rejoicing-night, or any snique (a cheap spirit distilled frorri potatoes) stilling, the order became a dead letter. When it was first issued, the gendarmes would venture down to put them out ; but often as they eutered the smiler On away flew hats and shoes at their lantern, and, When that iris demolished, anything that could be laid hold of flew after them, which cased a hasty retreat. They met with no other reception if ever they went down to suppress their rows. They were horrified at a regular. stand-up fight; and -Were anxious to separate the combatants, fearing they might kill each other. At length the gendarmes had such a dread of going among them, that they had to be accompanied by the veterans; and the commandant, finding the inutility of interfering, told his men to 'leave them to themselves ; and, if they chose to kill each other, they were at liberty to do so: for his pat t, be would listen to no more complaints, nor give the injured redress; and that, henceforward, they must govern themselves. They took him at his word; and, when thefts were committed, or any crime that was thought worthy of public ioquiry, a court-martial was held, and the accused brought before the, accuser; when, if foetid guilty, he was sentenced to so many stripes, which were immediately inflicted, with such severity as would bare surprised those who set their faces against corporeal punishment under any 'circumstance. Here were seamen flogging their fellow seamen; and for what reason ? . Because they could devise no other punishment equally effective to keep each other's vices in some sort of check. After the punishment bad been administered, the cat was given into the custody calla brigadier of the foil.— Elliwa!* Prison Scenes.