THE CONVICTS. 313 



readily distinguished from the lentical light on Winga, 

 at the entrance of the Gotha River ; as also from the light 

 on Hfillo some twenty miles north of Marstrand 

 which revolves in 6 minutes ; hut it is sometimes 

 mistaken for the Scaw Light, and is the cause, in con- 

 sequence, of the greater part of the wrecks that take 

 place on the " Paternosters." 



Some two hundred convicts, condemned to imprison- 

 ment for life, either for crimes of a dark dye, or offences 

 often repeated, are confined in this fortress ; and to the 

 casual observer like myself, their fate is anything but an 

 enviable one. " In the year 1814," says M. Holmberg, 

 who gives a very instructive and interesting account of 

 these unhappy men, " their number was 179. The crimes 

 for which they were convicted were as follows : 120 for 

 theft (stold), 8 for sacrilege (kyrkostold), 16 for robbery 

 with violence (ran), 11 for forgery (forfalskninysbrott], 

 1 for piracy (sjorofceri), 3 for arson (mordbrand), 4 for 

 murder (morel), 1 for intent to murder (tilldmnade mord), 

 12 for manslaughter (drup), 1 for child-murder (barna- 

 mord), 1 for insubordination (siibordinations-broii) , and 

 one for violence to the judge whilst in the execution of 

 his office. Eleven of the prisoners were between 21 

 and 25 years of age ; 20 between 26 and 30, 63 between 

 31 and 40, 57 between 41 and 50, 22 between 51 and 55, 

 and 3 between 61 and 70. Of these, 136 had been in 

 Carlsten between 1 and 10 years, 36 between 11 and 20, 

 and 7 had passed from 21 to 30 years of their miserable 

 life in the fortress. 



" The convicts are lodged in seven hvalf, or case- 

 mates, each divided into two compartments. These are 

 insufficiently lighted, ill-ventilated, and damp. This is 

 more particularly the case with the small holes intended 

 for the reception of such of the poor fellows that may 

 happen to be sick. In the daytime they are confined 



