Year: 1875

As time went on | became familiarized


with the rogues, and learned TO look
upon them as fellow-men who had gone
wrong, rather than as wild beasts. |
talked to them freely, learned many of
their histories-at least their own YER
sions of them-and took considerable


interest in some OF the narrators. Most


Of them were ignorant, debased crea-


lures. either born and bred to prey on
their fellow-cTeatures, or recruited from


the most neglected ranks of society;


but there were one or two exceptions


notably, a man who passed under the


name of Williams, who was gifted with


rare abilities, and had the manners and


address of a gentleman. His face would


have afforded an interesting study TO a


physiognomist, the upper part being


highly intellectual, the lower part be-


tokeninr unbounded sensuality. His


crime was forgery of bank notes. This


man never condescended to try and
trick naa--as the others did; neither did


he sulk like some of the better-class con-
victs, nor protest his innocence, which


was the almost universal custom. He
was civil, somewhat subdued in man
ner, and glad of my conversation. He
had yielded to the temptation of trying
to make his fortune in too great hurry,
had failed, and was content to pay the
penalty, he said. Though a =" lifer," he
by no means despaired of his future.
He was informed that with good con-
duct he would soon be free man with
in the limits of the colony. and had per-
feet confidence in his ability to earn a
comfortable livelihood if he had that
chance. And what did the country
matter? Life could be made rs enjoya-
bic in one place as another. He would
not 90 back to England to be cut by all
his relations and former friends if he
could.


Plausibly as Williams always talked,
| misrusted him. | noticed that he had
established a considerable influence over
the other convicts, and constantly sur
prised him speaking earnestly in cor
ners to groups of five or six of them.
On my appearance these conferences
broke up, and in spite of all aifectatiOn
of Indifference | was certain on more
than one occasion that anxiety was felt
lest ! should have caught some word in
passing. And | knew, without being
able to prove it, that secret signs were
exchanged between Williams and at least
a score whom | could have pointed out,
habitually.


Another convict who evidently had
some power with his fellows was Lloyd,
a Welsh sailor who had stabbed another
in a quarrel and narrowly escaped the
gallowS.


But it was natural enough that an ex-
perienced sailor should obtain the hear
ING of landSmen during a voyage of
such length, and | never suspected him
of striving to influence the others with
any sinister designs, as | certainly did
Williams.


But soon | had no time for idle specu-
lation and suspicion; the sickness, a.
fever, attended by symptoms which
were unfamiliar to me, increased. Soon
there were a score of convicts, several
seamen, and one of the marines down
with it.


A man died, was sown up in his ham
mock, and launched from the gangway
with shot at his feet, MacNab reading
the service over him. During the cere-
monv one of those phenomena which
make sailors so SuperStitious occurred.
As the body touched the water the wind
sank, and in half an hour there was aper-
feet calm. In many minds a calm at
sea is associated with all that is peace
ful and beautiful; in mine it is 4 horri-
BILE nightmare.


For a week we lay on the broad,
smooth sheet of glass, without Speck
in sight to break the mOnOtony. Glass?
Molten silver rather, for the heat was so
fearful that | sometimes imagined that
ii would Seethe. The sun seemed like a
mass of white-hot iron close above us,
and the pitch oozed and boiled between
the planks. Poor Phipps could not 90
on with his sketching, for the perspira-
tion dropping from his forehead blOtted
his work, and even MacNab's ardor for
chess relaxed. But had little time to
play with him-under such aggravating
the fever ragged. Deaths
were of daily, sometimes of hourly Oc-
currence; we soon had to cast the bodies
overheard without ceremony.


On the fourth day the captain and
one of his mates sickened, and the shat
tered constitution of the former caused
him to sink at once. Then Phipps took
the fever, and though it was mild at
tack, he was so feeble as to be unfit for
duty.


Such of the convicts as escaped the
fever began to hold their heads erect,
and look you full in the eyes as they
passed, as though they felt that death
was bringing us all to an equality.


The sixth day was the most Oppress-
i've of all-it was literally difficult to
draw breath, and though escaped the
fever, | was knocked up for the first
time. To do my work among the dying
and the dead was a physical impossible
ity for me; | threw myself down under
the awning on the quarterback, and
lost all consciousness, probably remain
ing in a state of torpor for hours.


l was reused by the most tremendous
crash l have ever heard, and found my
self in darkness, but only for a moment;
the next, sea, sky, and ship were lit up
by a violet glare, while zigzag line of
fire, so intense that the ewes ached at it,
flashed, and left the gloom more in
tense than ever. And again came that
awful thunder, compared with which
the loudest ever heard in Europe is a
whisper That momen to fierce light
revealed to me men in the rigging, tax
ing in the sail which had been spread to
catch the slightest breeze; and a spar
hanging awkwardly v and all awry. Also
MacNab and the mate who now acted
rs captain standing near me.


ave shall never be able to manage
without help, we are so terribly under
handed" said the latter.


"Weel, then, replied MacNab, "we
will pick half dozen of the deevils, nae
more. One l ken has been a sailor,
and -"


Another flash and deafening roar,
which drowned his voice.


1"Eh, Mr.. Glover, lad, he said. when
the lull came, " are We there? Ye had
better Just 90 below. Your work is
done, and ours is beginning. There
will be breeze enow to blaw the fever
away presently, and ye viii be in the
way"


had often determined, if there was a
storm, | would remain on deck and see