Folio 10: 9 August 1817; All the prisoners on deck in order to clean the prison and...

ADM 101/42/3/2

1817

Folio 10: 9 August 1817; All the prisoners on deck in order to clean the prison and also to search for beds and other stolen articles which the prisoners pilfer from each other. We have constant complaints of this kind, but as we can seldom get truth from the convicts as they will not expose or tell on each other, property can seldom be recovered. Opened a case of preserved meat for to make soup for the patients in the hospital.

Folios 10-13: James Dunlop, convict; disease or hurt, putrid sore throat attended with considerable pyrexia; taken ill, 10 August 1817; discharged 16 August 1817.

Folio 11: 13 August 1817; In this ship [Larkins] the between decks is remarkable for being high, large and airy so that the air has free circulation all over it, and the prison is cooler than on deck in the sun.

Folio 12: 14 August 1817; Served the patients in the hospital with soup from the preserved meat daily also tea or chocolate with wine. Six patients in the hospital. Several of the sores begin to [take] on a livid appearance and their legs swell. This is owing I think to the pressure of the irons on their legs, the want of exercise and the use of slat provisions. In all cases of ulcer of the least magnitude, I get the convicts irons taken off and in all other cases of sickness they are let out of irons on my representation. I give lemon juice undiluted with sugar twice a day to cases who may have the least taint of scurvy about them with the other comforts allowed the sick. Wash the sores with lemon juice also, which I am inclined to think is attended with advantage.

Folio 12: 15 August 1817; At 2pm the prisoners were mustered and a general search was made for knives and other offensive weapons and also for beds as some of the convicts steal each other beds and cut them up for various purposes. We are constantly harassed with complaints of their losing beds. The prisoners are every night in the habit of committing some theft or other and they have gone so far to break open chests and rifle their contents so that we are obliged to take every thing from them and put it down below for security. Thomas Hallard (a notorious jailbreaker) was double ironed this day for stirring up discontent among the prisoners by saying that the cocoa served in lieu of butter was not adequate although it was issued agreeably to the forms of schedule for victualling the prisoners and that he would not take it up, that he was obliged to take it, he would weigh it and report the circumstances to Governor Macquarrie as he should keep a journal of all proceedings on board. It is here to be observed that two delegates chosen by themselves from the prisoners are always present and the issue of every species of their rations to see that justice is done to them. All the patients in the hospital continue to do well.

Folios 12-25: John Whitefield, convict; disease or hurt, with scurvy, has swelled and livid gums, fetid breath, stiff and tumified joints, left ankle is greatly swelled with tension and heat but the [cutis?] is of a dark lurid colour; taken ill, 15 August 1817; on sick list until at least 16 October 1817.

Folios 13-14: Thomas Hatton; disease or hurt, ulcers; taken ill, 17 August 1817; on sick list until at least 22 August 1817.

Folio 13: 18 August 1817; Five patients in hospital doing well. About 3am delivered from the wife of Sergeant Burroughs of the 48th regiment a fine male child who together with the mother is doing well. Other hospital patients doing well.

Folios 13-17: John Padger, convict; disease or hurt, slight fever; taken ill, 18 August 1817; discharged 31 August 1817 cured.

Folios 13-17: Corn? Hanson, convict; disease or hurt, slight fever; taken ill, 18 August 1817; discharged 29 August 1817.

Folio 13: 19 August 1817; Last night in the prison some of the convicts (unknown) beat Robert Woodley, convict, about the head in a very severe manner giving him black eyes and a swelled face. This morning two persons have been pointed out by him as people who always banter and threaten him in the day time and are out in confinement by means of a chain fastened to the irons on their legs and the other end of it to a ring on the deck.

Folio 14: 20 August 1817; All the prisoners were turned upon deck to see the punishment inflicted on Robert Yates and William Beacham, convicts, who were confined yesterday for beating Woodley. Each of these men were punished with 3 dozen lashes with a cat of nine tails in the same manner as punishment inflicted in the navy. Seven patients in the hospital.

Folio 14: 21 August 1817; Seven patients in the hospital.

Folio 14: 22 August 1817; The carpenters are employed in partioning off a part of the prison abreast of the main hatch way, where there is also a large port hole in the side of the ship and a necessary, close by it. This small prison is intended for about 2 dozen of the most riotious and disorderly of the convicts who go about the prison in the night and beat and annoy and plunder from their fellow prisoners who are quiet and orderly and who work on deck and make themselves useful in the ship. These desperadoes stick up written placards in the prison threatening destruction to men who are well disposed and endeavour to make themselves useful in the ship. The convicts in the small prison are not allowed on deck as they are suspected of treasonable purposed by rising and taking the ship.

Folio 15: 23 August 1817; Seven patients in the hospital whose treatment is the same as yesterday and all appear to be doing well.

Folios 15-17: Charles Booth, convict; disease or hurt, complains of headache, loss of appetite with rigors and chills which are succeeded by pyrexia; taken ill, 24 August 1817; died 30 August 1817.

Folio 15: 24 August 1817; Let blood of William Beacham and Richard Howell, convicts, both complaining of pain in their chests with dyspnea.

Folio 15: 25 August 1817; Thermometer 820 in the shade.

Folio 15: 26 August 1817; This day we have lost the North East Trade wind which is now changed into the West South West, being very squally, attended with great showers of rain, split and tore several of the sails of the ship by the violence of the wind. Patients all doing well except Charles Booth.

Folio 15: 27 August 1817; The 23 prisoners confined in the small prison [see folio 14, 22 August 1817] have been seen with an axe at work (endeavouring to effect their liberation from their present confinement in consequence of which it was deemed necessary for the safety of lives and property to handcuff and secure them by means of chains which join four of them together. Seven patients in hospital.

Public Record(s)

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