A CONVICT'S STORY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume III, Issue 129, 25 June 1853, Page 4

A CONVICT'S STORY.

TRANSPORTATION TO NORFOLK ISLAND.

We abridge, from the recent numbers of ' Household Words,' a striking narrative of the real nature of transportation to a Penal Settlement. If, as we surmise, it is a genuine account of the personal sufferings of Mr. W. H. Barber, the solicitor, who was sentenced to transportation for life for alleged participation in the great will forgeries, but whose entire innocence of the charge was afterwards established, we have an especial pleasure in giving publicity to the details of a case where an individual seems to have been persecuted with an unaccountable severity. The circumstances attending his fruitless efforts to memorialize the Government, the intercepted letter, and his vain endeavours to be reinstated in the position in society of which he was deprived, have been frequently made public ; but we now learn for the first time in a connected form, the details of his punishment. The writer says:—

Many years ago—eventful years with me—l stood at the bar of a Court of Justice, aud heard the terrible announcement of the Judge, that I was to be transported to a penal colony for the remainder of my life. My innocence of the crime of which twelve men had, at the end of my long trial, declared me guilty, has since been established. I have not forgotten, nor shall I ever forget, with what emotions I rose, at the end of a trial which lasted a whole week, to make my last appeal, in ' arrest of judgment.' My appeal was in vain; and when I heard my principal fellow prisoner, whom I then knew to be guilty, asserting in fewer words, though with scarcely less fervour, that he also was guiltless, I felt how little the most emphatic assertions of a prisoner could weigh with those who have had long experience in the administration of justice.

The present separate^celled prison omnibus had not come into use at that time; and, after the trial was over, myself and a batch of other prisoners were conveyed from Newgate in a long van open at the top, and guarded hy a policeman, in the place of conductor, to the prison at Mill Bank. I was chained leg to leg with a man who had been twice convicted of burglary. The operation of rivetting on the irons is a painful one, and is performed with as much rudeness and with as little feeling as it could have been done five centuries since—each stroke of the rivettrag hammer causing a sensation of pain something like tooth-drawing. AtMillbank I remained about two months. Meanwhile I heard nothing of what had passed in/he world outside the walls of my prison— what was the public opinion of my" sentence; or whether the efforts of my few friends on my behalf were likely to prove successful. One night, however, Ij learnt from a turnkey—a kind-hearted man—that one of my fellow-pri-soners (not the principal one) had confessed his guilt, and had exonerated me from all participation in it; but I heard no more. Nothing occurred to show that this circumstance exercised a favourable influence over my fate. Indeed, I knew that such confessions have ordinarily little effect. I was therefore not surprised when I heard from the officer on duty, as he looked into my cell one night, that we were to be removed early on the following morning. At about 4 o'clock we were accordingly called forth, and ordered to put on an entirely new suit of clothes, consisting of a coarse brown serge jacket, waistcoat, stockings, breeches, high-lows, and a particularly frightful skull-cap. All the articles appeared to have been selected at random without the slightest reference to the size of the wearer; the jacket would have enveloped two such bodies as mine, and the breeches scarcely came down to my knees. A few minutes were allowed for the slipping on of these garments, after which every man received a hunch of bread, and we were equipped for a voyage of 16,000 miles. We were formed in line, and hand-cuffed two and two; a heavy iron chain, in addition, being passed through a rin»of the hand-cuff, so as to fasten about a dozen of us together. The signal was then given to march ; and we proceeded, under a stron^ guard of the prison officers, with muskets loacL ed, down to the river side, in front of the prison, to embark.

At Woolwich we were put on board the convict ship; every man as he descended into the hold being numbered on the back, like one of a flock of sheep. The centre of the vessel was appropriated to the prisoners, and was divided into compartments, each accommodating eight

men, with a square table and seats of portable deal boards, arranged in tiers, —above and helow—all round. At night, these were so disposed, as to afford sleeping berths. If any one will imagine a long room filled with pauper coffins with the lids off, he will have a good idea of our dormitory. Our irons were immediately knocked off": but, on the following morning, we were one at a time summoned on deck and ironed more heavily, having a ring round the ankle, with a long heavy chain attached to another ring. This we dragged about with us, till my leg was severely excoriated; and getting in and out of my sleeping berth, and going up and down the ladder, became a difficult task. I have since learnt that it is not usual to chain prisoners on the voyage, except for misconduct; and I believe that my fellow prisoners had to attribute this accident to my being among their number.

In the river our rations consisted of biscuits, soup and cocoa, night and morning. At sea, we had salt meat with a pudding—pleasantly termed plum-pudding—but he was lucky indeed who found a plum in his slice. On alternate days we had pork and pea-soup. Each man received an iron spoon and a tin pot, but no plates, knives or forks.

Our ship was of 560 tons burden; and besides the ordinary complement of seamen, carried a military guard of 50 men. The entire management of the 220 prisoners was confided to the surgeon, whose duties were both arduous and dangerous: for it was impossible for him to avoid incurring the ill will of some of the more desperate characters. We had also a chaplain, who read prayers every day in the prison when the sea was not too rough"; and on Sundays performed divine service on deck, which we all attended.

The day fixed for our departure had (as is customary) been studiously concealed from us. One morning we were towed down the river, and about two miles out into the Channel. Order and quiet were now maintained; hut the men generally were much depressed as we lost sight of land, and began to speculate upon the suffering that awaited them. Our place of destination was generally understood (although that was kept as secret as possible) to he Norfolk island.

Once at sea, and every,hope being cut off for the present, I resolved to submit myself as cheerfully as possible to my strange fate, and to endeavour to be useful to my fellow prisoners ; trusting that my life might be spared through the dangers of a long sea voyage, and the hardships of a penal settlement, until that day of justice and reinstatement in society which I never doubted would, sooner or later, arrive. I was made librarian, chaplain's clerk, and inspector of the night-watch; so that, although my miseries were neither few nor trifling, the want of occupation was not one of the number. The books constituting the library were supplied by various charitable societies; they were selected with care, being confined to religious and scientific subjects popularly treated, excluding such as would convey information that was likely to be misapplied. Many were on natural history with plates, and these were much sought after by those who could not read—a large proportion. Our books were a blessing, and I am persuaded had a good effect upon the mind and feelings. There were about 100 volumes, great and small: and, notwithstanding they were in constant circulation, there was not one deficient at the end of the voyage.

It may be of interest to the reader to know something of the routine of management of the convicts on the voyage. The medical superintendent, as I have mentioned, is invested with absolute controul over the prisoners, and is responsible for their safety. He was assisted in our vessel by two overseers who had been noncommissioned officers in the army, and were to be overseers in Norfolk Island; one of them was, by his own account, as profligate and unprincipled a vagabond as ever I met with.

At 6 o'clock every morning, the prison door was unlocked by one of these overseers who called out " Beds up !" whereupon every man arose from his berth, rolled up his beddingconsisting of a thin mattress and one blanket, and tool.: them on deck, where they remained all day to be aired. Then the floor of the prison was scraped and swept in turns by the prisoners who did ; not fulfill any special office— isuch as schoolmaster, clerk, captain of the mess. The captains received the day's rations for their respective messes. Those who liked it got

something of a wash with salt water introduced from the forecastle with a leathern pipe. Ablutions performed under such difficulties led to many practical jokes, and not a few battles. At 8 o'clock, a pint of cocoa, was served out to each man; which, with his biscuit, made his breakfast. Immediately afterwards school was commenced, books were distributed and exchanged, the surgeon examined the sick, heard the complaints, and awarded the punishments. These consisted of confinement below deck, heavy chains, imprisonment in a kind of sentry box on deck, resembling a Chinese cage, in which the inmate can neither sit, lie down, nor stand upright. We had only one case of flogging. In the afternoon we usually had prayers read by the chaplain ; sometimes with amoral exordium, which was delivered in an impressive and earnest manner. At 5 o'clock, we had a pint of tea. Neither our tea nor cocoa bore much resemblance to the beverages which I had previously known under those names ; hut they were warm and comforting. At 6 o'clock the beds were taken down and arranged ; and at half-past 6 we were mustered, and returned, one by one, to our prison, where we were locked in—a sentinel, with loaded musket and fixed bayonet, being placed at the door. Our night was thus nearly 12 hours long. It being too dark to read, and as it was impossible to sleep much more than half the time, I was compelled for four or five hours every night, to hear little else than narratives of offences and criminal indulgences, of the most revolving character. Obscene and blasphemous songs were nightly composed and sung: and schemes for future crimes were proposed and discussed with a coolness which I shudder to call to mind. The only check on them was the sentinel at the door, who now and then thrust his bayonet Between the bars, when it was getting very late, for the men were unusually uproarious, and called out " Silence."

Our voyage occupied 124 days; and, —when it is considered that one-half of that time was passed in this loathsome place, in darkness, and with such companions—some idea may be formed of what I suffered in this comparatively small portion of my captivity, I have not dwelt upon the miseries which in addition to those inflicted on all my companions, were peculiarly my own ; but I can sincerely say that not for a dukedom would I pass such another four months.

Considering our miserable plight as to cloth-r ing, food, and every thing else, it might be supposed that the thievish propensities of the men must, perforce, have remained in abeyance. Not a day or a night, however, passed without some robbery. The worst of them seemed to take a delight in " keeping their hands in," no matter how contemptible the prize might he.

Towards the end of our voyage, and when about 300 miles from Norfolk Island, we encountered a terrific storm, The Pacific is like Othello's mind, " not easily moved ; but, being wrought, vexed in the extreme." For two or three days, it had presented an appearance little in accordance with its name, and, on this night, the storm increased to a hurricane. During the whole night the hatches were fastened down, and we could do nothing but lie and listen to the frequent breaking and long roll of the thunder, the rushing of water over the decks, and the terrific howling of the wind in the rigging. Nothing could be more helpless than our condition in the event of any disaster to the ship. A compact mass of human life, closed—fastened down ; the narrow outlet strongly barred. We were perfectly helpless. We could hear the din of the sailors running to and fro ; and, in the intervals of the thunder, the reponsive " Aye, aye, sir," to the orders of their captain. At every plunge of the vessel, all seemed to wait in breathless expectation that it was about to founder; but again and again we rose, and the lightning flashed through our tiny portholes, showed distinctly every object in the prison. It was curious to observe the effect of terror upon some of the most hardened of my companions. The most noisy was silent then. Some, who at other times were accustomed to hold in contempt a more civilised mind, asked—with a tone of civility which I had never experienced from them before—my opinion upon our situation. Men, who were perhaps in action the most daring, finding no resource in their own minds in that terrible and helpless state, appealed to me— as an oracle—as to " whether we should go to the bottom;" to which of course, I could only reply, that in comparison with the number of

safe voyages, shipwrecks were extremely rare, and that we were in the hands of a skilful captain, j Our,near approach to Norfolk was regarded with different feelings by the men. The greater part, who detested regular labour above all things, would, I think, have preferred to spend the rest of their " lagging" aboard the ship. For my own part, I had an unspeakable desire to leave it; hoping that, whatever fresh sufferings might await me, I should at least be placed in less close contiguity with the rest of the prisoners. At length, after a voyage of four calendar months, we came in sight of our place of captivity. There being no harbour, we lay off' about a mile from the coral reefs, the captain exchanging signals with the shore; shortly after which a boat came along side rowed by prisoners. We were conveyed ashore Under a guard of soldiers in each boat. It was remarkable that, after a voyage of 37,000 miles, several of my companions were, in the passage of about a mile from the ship to the shore, sea-sick. This was doubtless owing to the new motion of the boat. True to their instincts, they continued to rob one another to the last. One prisoner had a pair of Wellington hoots stolen from him in the boat, having, on his way to the shore taken them off for some purpose. They were purloined by two other prisoners who had shared the plunder between them, each being discovered with an odd boot (much too small to be of any use to him) concealed in his trousers, which, having been selected with that disregard for the dimensions of the wearer already mentioned, afforded him ample space for the concealment of any booty of the kind. Two of the guard also complained that they had been robbed of " sticks" of tobacco. As the precise time of our arrival could not of course be previously known, no preparations had been made to receive us. The commissariat issues had already been made for that day, and thus, although we landed in the morning, we got nothing to eat till the next day. We were compelled to sleep on the floor of the granary ; a bundle of blankets was thrown in to us, for which there was an immediate struggle, some getting two, others none at all. Next morning we were summoned by 5 o'clock, and taken down to bathe in a bay near the landing-place. This done, we had our breakfast—a dish of homminy, or boiled Indian corn. It was poor and insipid, but not disagreeable. As we were all considerable exhausted by a four month's voyage, a little time was necessary to make arrangements for setting us to work; we were allowed two day's rest, preparatory to entering upon our island labours. During this time, we were permitted to walk about the settlement and make ourselves acquainted with the establishments. In the course of the two days' rest I had an opportunity of inspecting the dormitories of the prisoners, and other parts of the establishment. I saw a body of men called the " chain gang." These were incorrigible offenders. Their legs were chained together, so that as they went to and fro to their work, they could step but a few inches at a time. Tneir appearance was abject in the extreme.

The sudden change from the ship ratiqn to that of the island, of which homminy was the chief feature, gave at least a third of our men, myself included, an attack of dysentery. I was thereby introduced to the medical superintendent of the Island, an able and humane man. Those who were well enough to work were all employed, either in trade, in husbandry, or as writers, according to their previous pursuits and qualifications. Access by convicts to the records of the island was expressly forbidden by a regulation of the Home Government. I, with several others, was compelled to go into the hospital, where one of our party, an athletic Sussex farming man, died of the epidemic superinduced by the homminy.

I now endeavoured to obtain ink and paper, which I did with much difficulty, in order to write a complete history and explanation of my case, in the hope of finding means of forwarding it to .England. This task, though accom-

plished with great difficulty, was the principle which, I believe, alone sustained me in that miserable place . 11l as I was, I never failed to avail myself of an opportunity for continuing my task/sometimes hurriedly concealing my manuscript under my bed-clothes, at the sound of a footstep, with an anxious fear lest some one would deprive me of my papers, or in a

moment destroy the fruit of my labour; until at length one day I saw it finished. I have not forgotton how joyfully I wrote the last sheet. That day I had the whole of the manuscript under my pillow, and slept a sweeter and a longer sleep than I had known since I left England.

The relief afforded by the change of rations, aided by proper medicines, enabled me, in about a month, to leave that scene of. misery and death. I was, however, still in a very weakly condition, and as the doctor reported me unfit for severe physical labour, and it v/as customary to allow the superintendents of different divisions of convicts the services (as writers) of such of them as had been well educated, and two or three of our party had been so employed, I rejoiced to find that several applications were now made for my services. For reasons not then known to me, these applications were refused, and I had the misfortune to be appointed "wardsman ;" this was by far the most loathsome, perilous, and unhealthy occupation on the island. Its duties were to preserve order in a dormitory of 200 criminals, many of whom as subsequent events showed, would not scruple to take the life of an individual who, like myself, was at once their drudge and their overseer. Locked in with these ruffians, from 7 in the evening until 6 o'clock on the following morning, my task was then to cleanse and purify their dormitory for their reception and accommodation the next night. The disgusting details of the labour thus selected for me, I will not go into. The doctor pointed out various labours besides that of writer, such as hutkeeper, bag-mender, &c, suited to me, and protested in vain against the invidious cruelty to which I was subjected. The men being shut in the ward about 10 or 12 hours every night, they did not, of course, sleep all the time. To amuse themselves in the darkness, they would form little groups, to listen to one of their number narrating his exploits.' Others, who had nothing exciting to tell in this way, were driven to relate little stories, often of the most childish kind. I continued at my disgusting employment of wardsman for 16 months, only interrupted by the frequent illnesses and returns to the hospital which it produced. It was not until the good chaplain, who was at my pallet-side every day, believed me to be dying, that the doctor's recommendation was partially complied with, I was removed to the Cascades —a more salubriour part of the island; though even there I was ordered to perform the very duties which had so repeatedly brought me to the brink of the grave. The change of air, however, had a beneficial effect, but, I had no sooner recovered my strength, than I was ordered back, and sent to the field labour in a heavy gang, with a doubly convicted felon for my overseer—notorious for his severity, and for the irritating and frivilous accusations he constantly made against the 24 men committed to his control; either of whom he could at any moment get flogged or imprisoned upon his unsupported testimony. Fortunately I did not incur his displeasure.

Covered with dirt, weakened from insufficient food; sometimes drenched with rain, at others standing up to my knees in slush, and under a broiling sun that made the mud steam around me, I continued at this horrible labour for three months, when a vacancy occurred in a writership, which it was found difficult to fill up, and the commandant was at length compelled to yield to a pressing application for my services. I was, therefore, at length, permitted to lay aside the hoe for the pen ; but even in this improved condition, I had the same rations, and was at the desk from 5 in the morning until 9 at night; and when my appetite for the coarse food which I had been able to eat while toiling in the open air was destroyed hy the close sedentary confinement, and my superintendent asked for me the indulgence of a little milk daily, in lieu of the salt meat which I could not eat, it was refused.

My duties now frequently took me to various parts of the island, affording me opportunities of remarking its beauties. Its entire length is about ten miles ; its breadth about seven. It is beautifully diversified by hills and valleys, and the sea is in sight from almost every part. For the free inhabitants who do not have to labour in the heat of the day, the climate is luxurious —a delicious Seabreeze playing constantly over the island. Peaches, guavas, grapes, bananas, and other fruits grow every where. In the gardens of tlie officers, pomegranates, loquots, aud other delicious fruits were in-great perfection.

In winter, peas, cabbages, and other European vegetables are produced in abundance. The coast is everywhere indented with bays and inlets. In one of these retired nooks I have sometimes enjoyed a bath which a prince might have envied. The woods were filled with parrots and other birds of magnificent plumage; but their notes were most monotonous. The birds of the Picific isles have no song. The nights in Norfolk Island are more beautiful than a European can imagine. The moon gives a light by which a newspaper may be read with ease. The air is generally clear; and during the writevship, when 1 had a hut to myself in the midst of a large garden, I have frequently at dead of night left my hammock and walked about the garden, with no other clothing than my night-dress, without experiencing the slightest ill effect.

We had but one storm during my stay there, but that was terrific. Such rain! it came down rather in sheets than in drops; and the thunder seemed to shake the very island. Snow has not been seen for many years. None of the trees are decidous, and the pasture-lands there present the appearance of a rich green velvet. Mount Pitt, a thousand feet above the level of the sea, is crowned with trees of the richest foliage and every variety of tint. Conspicuous among them rises the graceful Norfolk Island pine. The lanes in many parts of the island are lined on each side by lemon trees, meeting overhead, and hung with the golden fruit, forming a fragrant bower miles in length. The harbour of Sydney is highly picturesque ; Ceylon is magnificent in scenery; and there are parts of Van Diemen's Land of great beauty; but Norfolk Island is the loveliest spot I ever beheld. How strange, I have often thought, that such a Paradise should be the chosen abode of the refuse of criminals, doubly and trebly sifted. I had passed two years and six months on the island when news arrived, that, in consequence of representations made to the home authorities of the abominations and misgovernment in that Settlement, the establishment was broken up; and I was removed with 300 other prisoners to Van Diemen's Land. About a week after my removal to Van Diemen's Land, I received the intelligence that a conditional " pardon" had arrived, giving me liberty, though without permission to land in England.

The superintendant, who communicated to me this news, said, " You must give me your prison clothing, and proceed to Hobart Town, where you will receive the necessary document." Having no clothes of my own, or any money or friends to assist me in that part, I asked what clothes would be given to me or lent to travel in. To this he merely replied, " I have no orders about that." The principal communication with Hobart Town was by water, but as the pardon was unaccompanied by any authority for a free passage, I was unable to obtain one. By land it was about 90 miles, through an almost untrodden regiou—a gum-tree wilderness — without for the greater part any roads, except a slight kind of sheep track, at many places quite effaced by heavy rains; but I was compelled to go, and for aught that the Government provided me, under such extraordinary circumstances, I might have wandered to Hobart Town, naked and without food. My fellow-prisoners, however, had more compassion, and clubbed together such few odd articles of wearing apparel as they happened to possess ; and the superintendant and the religious instructor kindly eked out the charity of those whose fellow captive I had so long been, to enable me to set out upon my journey—a wandering mendicant round the earth—having the fixed resolve to proceed to Paris, a distance of 20,000 miles, there to renew my struggles for that justice which 1 knew must be the result of a re-examination of the facts of my case. I sometimes travelled 30 miles of that weary, though welcome journey, without seeing a human being from whom to inquire my way. Knowing, however, the position of Hobart Town, the suu served as my compass by day, and the stars hy night. My course sometimes lay along the sea-coast, but oftener deep in the woods, on emerging from which the scenery was often extremely beautiful. After crossing mountains and fording streams, and sleeping occasionally in the shade of a tree, in three days and three nights, I reached mv destination. Had a stage harlequin suddenly" made his appearance, he could scarcely have attracted more attention than I did in my motley, ill-fitting suit. I was, however, soon metamorphosed, being most kindly received by the Chaplain and the Judge

of Assize, who had known me in my captivity. After a brief stay at Hobart Town, aided by subscriptions from the Lieut.-Governor and other priucipal inhabitants, I took ship for Sydney. Here my case was fully investigated, and I received further and very liberal assistance to prosecute my journey. In fifty days I reached Canton, and in thirty more Madras. I reached Paris by the overland. route via Trieste, passing through Southern Germany, up the Danube and down the Rhine, having letters of introduction to eminent persons there. Through them I succeeded in securing the attention of her Majesty's Ambassador to my case, and, after a lapse of six months, I received :a free pardon, with a letter from the Secretary of State acknowledging my innocence.

Sales by Auction, 22nd June.—Mit. Alport.—Flour, New Zealand, 465. per cwt.; Siain Sugar,' 4|d. per lb.; West I. do., 4&d. per lb.; Pampanga do., 4d. per lb.; Chocolate, Is. 3d, per lb.; Dip Candles, 6^d. per lb.; Qt. Pickles, 12s. 6d. per doz.; 1 lb; Mustard, 12s. 6d. per doz.; Pt. Anchovies, 10s. 6d. per doz.; Ketchup, 12s. 6d. per doz. Christchurch Market, June 18th.— Wheat, 12s. to 15s. per bushel; Barley, Bs. to 10s.; Oats, Bs. to 10s.; Potatoes, £6 to £8 per ton ; Carrots, £4. to £6 do.; Swedes, £2 10s. do.; Cows, £12 to £16 ahead ; Working Bullocks, £14 to £16 do.; Steers, £10 to £12 do.; Butter, Is. 6d. to Is. Bd. per lb.; Cheese,£s to £6 per cwt.; Eggs, 2s. 6d. to 3s. a doz.; Fowls, 4s. to 6s. per couple; Ducks, 6s. to Bs. do. Melbourne Market, 20th May.—Auction Safes.—Adelaide Flour, £32 per ton ; do., per barrel. 345.; Cheese, Is. 3d. to Is. 6d. p"er lb.; Oats,'lßs. 6d. per bushel; Potatoes, £16 to £20 per ton. The London Wool Sales terminated on the 2nd March with an average advance of Id. to lid. on those of October. 255 bales New Zealand were sold, which realized for fleeces from Is. 4d. to Is. 10d.; scoured and handwashed, Is. 4d. to 15.8 d.; lambs, Is. sd. to Is. lOd.; grease, I Id. to Is.; locks and pieces, Is. Id. to Is. 21d.; slipe and skin, is. 7d. to Is. 9d.

Birth.—On the Bth instant, at Rockwood Cottage, the wife of Henry Richards, Esq., of a son.