80 A NATURALIST ON THE "CHALLENGER. 5 ' 



running about everywhere amongst the bushes. Large butter- 

 flies seemed to be absent. I saw only a small blue butterfly 

 {Polyommatus). A tomtom was being beaten as a call for the 

 convicts, which reminded me of the exactly similar drumming 

 which wearies one on coffee estates in Ceylon. 



On the slope of a hill opposite the fort is a square of open 

 space, roughly pitched with stones, at the top of which is the 

 governor's house, with a row of bread-fruit trees planted in front 

 of it. A black sentry was lolling in front of the house. 



I was told that there was a garrison of about 120 men on the 

 island, and that these, with a few officials, constituted the entire 

 non-convict population. There were said to be 1,400 convicts on 

 the island. They are all let loose during the day-time, the blacks 

 being locked up at night whilst the whites are allowed to live in 

 their huts with their families, if they have any. They have to 

 answer a roll-call daily, and are flogged if they fail. 



They are all criminals, political prisoners not being confined 

 here ; many of them are murderers, capital punishment not being 

 exacted in Brazil. They have as a rule a horribly ruffianly 

 appearance, especially the blacks, and being mostly half naked 

 they appear especially savage. 



All are, however, not of this bestial type. Some few are 

 well educated, "and convicts do duty as waiters and interpreters 

 to the governor. The interpreter of the time being was a most 

 gentlemanly looking fellow and well dressed. He was well 

 informed and spoke English and French well ; he was most polite, 

 and on the governor's producing coffee and cake, took a cup with 

 the rest. 



He told us that the ordinary punishment for a convict was 

 50 lashes, but that troublesome ones got as many as 500 lashes 

 delivered with a rod cut from one of the native trees. No one 

 had ever stood to receive more than 250 cuts. After that they 

 were supported by means of rests placed under the arms until 

 the flogging was complete. Then they were taken to the 

 hospital and never seen again. He had known a man receive 

 700 lashes. Two-thirds of the convicts had been flogged during 

 the last seven months. He said he himself had had a misfortune 

 and had got 64 years' imprisonment. He had bought off 20 



