Two Voyages to New South Wales and Van Diemen's LandReid, Thomas
History
Two Voyages to New South Wales and Van Diemen's Land
Reid, Thomas
Exiles -- Australia -- New South Wales; Exiles -- Australia -- Tasmania
I thank God, my health is sufficiently recovered to-day to enable me to
resume my duties in the prison and the hospital. Two women and seven
children are now labouring under the measles. On entering the prison
this morning, I was surrounded by those women who had behaved
irregularly on Saturday night, whom I had ordered to be released from
their confinement as soon as their violence should have subsided. They
confessed with tears the enormity of their misconduct, and besought
forgiveness, which I felt every disposition to concede; but with regard
to three of them who had been most distinguished in their display of
pugilistic prowess, I deemed it indispensably necessary to fix on them
some mark of disapprobation, and accordingly ordered them not to go on
deck any more.
23d.—The breeze still continues fair, but very light: unusual
tranquillity now reigns in the prison. I have made it an invariable
rule, that every one of the prisoners should bring up her bedding every
morning, to have it exposed to the air upon deck whenever the weather
will permit; and as the beds, &c. are all marked, this daily exercise is
conducted with the greatest regularity.
24th.—About 2 A. M. the breeze died away, and shortly afterwards sprung
up from the WNW: in consequence of this change, the weather has become
wet, cloudy, and rather boisterous, with a rough sea, which occasioned
sufficient motion to make most of the women sick: on this account, and
the wet state of the weather, I allowed their beds to remain below.
26th.—During these two days the weather has been boisterous, rainy, and
uncomfortable, with a heavy sea. The women are all affected with sea
sickness, and utterly incapable of making any exertion. Every precaution
has been used to prevent the prison from getting wet, as that would have
rendered their situation very distressing.
27th.—The same unpleasant state of weather still continues;—most of the
women are in bed, suffering severely from the sea-sickness. Ordered one
quarter of a pound of mustard to be served to each mess.
28th.—The weather is, if possible, still more severe than before, and
the wind has become contrary. At 11 A. M. I mustered together as many
women as were able to get out of bed, and read them a sermon; afterwards
made some observations on their general behaviour, and stated my
intention to allow each of them, as an indulgence, a gill of wine twice
a week, on Sunday and Thursday, with a hope that they would endeavour to
improve their conduct, and confirm sincere disposition to amendment:
should the contrary appear in any individual, I assured them that the
whole mess would be deprived of it; to which they all agreed, seeming
quite satisfied with the conditions proposed.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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