Remarks on the " Convict Settlement." 165 



notwithstanding their enormous political and commercial im- 

 portance, appeared to be specially adapted as a place for 

 maintaining common criminals, as also the more dangerous 

 class of political offenders, and accordingly converted these 

 settlements into penal colonies for the Indies, of which that 

 of Singapore is the most important. 



The director of this institution. Captain M'Nair, had 

 the kindness to accompany the members of the Novara 

 expedition through the extensive buildings, for the most 

 part only one storey high, but well adapted for this pm-pose, 

 and to fm'nish us with much information on the various 

 particulars and special matters of interest relating to the 

 establishment. Ever since the year 1854, the wretched, 

 confined, wooden huts thatched with straw, in which up to 

 that period the unfortunate criminals were confined, have 

 been removed, and in their stead lofty, airy, good-sized apart- 

 ments have been substituted. At the period of our visit in 

 April 1858, there were over 2000 transported for life, and 245 

 sentenced to various terms of from five to ten years, confined 

 here. All the public buildings of the island, churches, hospi- 

 tals, barracks, works in the streets, sometimes constructions 

 of a most expensive nature, were executed throughout by 

 criminals. After sixteen years' good conduct, the prisoner 

 was entitled to a ''ticket of leave," authorising him to settle 

 within the jurisdiction of the island as a free colonist, coupled 

 with the condition of presenting himself once a month before 

 the superintendent of the settlement. In case of bad conduct, 



