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This account appeared in Chambers Edinburgh Journal, of the 19th December, 1835.
pp. 375-376.
“COMFORTS OF AN IRON-GANG.
“We have occasionally observed accounts in the newspapers of criminals, on being sentenced to transportation, glorying in the prospects of leading a pleasing, rambling life in New South Wales, and behaving so as to make their late associates in vice actually envy their good fortune. Those, however, who bouy themselves up with such notions, and who have perhaps committed crimes in order to enjoy the blessings of transportation, labour under a lamentable mistake, which they will soon enough learn to their cost. The following extract of a letter, written by a convict transported from London, a few years since, will be useful in showing all would-be convicts how the matter stands.
“As a prisoner myself (says the writer) I may justly be charged with partiality, but you must judge for yourself from a statement of facts. The discipline of this colony has become dreadfully severe; every year has increased its severity since I have been here. When I arrived, the ration was one peck [equal to 2 gallons in volume] of wheat, seven pounds of beef, two ounces of tea, one pound of sugar, and two ounces of tobacco; now the ration is five pounds of second flour, seven pounds of barley -meal or maize-meal, and seven pounds of beef, or four pounds and a half of pork. This is the last government order; any thing else is considered an indulgence given for good conduct. Disobedience or insolence is fifty lashes - first offence, not less than twenty-five; second offence, seventy-five or a hundred lashes; a third offence, twelve months in an iron-gang. Absconding, or taking the bush, as we term it, is fifty lashes, first offence; second time, twelve months to an iron-gang, and increased each offence.
“Nothing is more dreaded by the men, than iron-gangs, as, when their sentence is expired, they have all the time spent in irons to serve again, as every sentence is now in addition to the original sentence. If a man is nearly due for his ticket of leave, and is flogged, he is put back for a certain time, unless for theft, and the he forfeits every indulgence. If an iron-gang-man has served any number of years in the country, he must begin again; he is the same as a new hand; he has to wait the whole term of years before he receives any indulgence. Now, to judge properly of the punishment I have mentioned, you may ask - What is the punishment adopted in iron-gangs ? It is this. The delinquents are employed in forming new roads, by cutting through mountains, blasting rocks, cutting the trees up by the roots, felling and burning off. They are attended by a military guard, night and day, to prevent escape, wear irons on both legs, and at night are locked up in small wooden houses, containing about a dozen sleeping places; escape is impossible; otherwise they live in huts surrounded by high palings, called stockades; they are never allowed after labour to to come without the stockade, under the penalty of being shot; so complete is the confinement, that not half-a-dozen have escaped within the last two or three years; they labour from one hour after sunrise until eleven o’clock, then two hours to dinner, and work until night - no supper. The triangles are constantly at hand to tie up nay man neglecting work or insolent. Ration, five pounds of second flour, seven pounds of maize or barley meal, made into bread, seven pounds of beef, seven ounces of sugar per week; all cooked per diem [per day] by men appointed from gangs not in irons. Iron-gangmen not allowed to be hut-keepers, cooks, or other occupations, as such is considered an indulgence; nothing but hard labour. Picture to yourself this hot climate, the labour, and the ration, and judge for yourself if there is laxity of discipline. The discipline of penal settlements is, I believe, the same nearly as iron-gangs.
“It is to places such as I have described, that the judges now sentence men from the English bar. Poor wretches ! did they know their fate, be assured, respected sir, it had been well for them that they had never been born. I verily believe, that no system ever adopted has become more perfect, as a real punishment to the guilty, or that enforces stricter discipline, as the only means of gaining any indulgence from this government. If a man, a convict, wishes to do well, he may do so by leaving off all his bad habits, and truly and faithfully serving his master; but if he is neglectful, insolent, or pilfers, he is certain of being flogged, sent to an iron-gang or penal settlement, or shot or hung. Not one day of liberty will he enjoy; he will have all his sentences, in addition to his original sentence, to serve again, and he will be half starved to death; but the man who is assigned to a master, if he chooses, may do very well, because by industry he will be encouraged, and have plenty to eat, and kindly used. Our Police system is now so perfect, that no man can escape the punishment of the law for any length of time. As regards observations I have seen of men making money in the colony whilst prisoners, I can only say for myself, that I have not had ten shillings in my possession since I have been in the colony, of my own earnings; and that I have never had two pairs of shoes at one time, and scarcely an extra shirt to wear; but this I know, that a few pounds I brought with me have been spent in common necessaries that I required.”
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