326 



FRANCE. 



iating to France in the history of l;hese diplo- 

 matic negotiations with Spain, was the full in- 

 formation on the complicity of the French au- 

 thorities with the Carlists, which the German 

 consul at B.ayonne collected and forwarded to 

 his Government. The German did not limit 

 his investigations to Bayonne, but, accom- 

 panied by competent guides, he made a tour 

 of the frontier as far as Bagneres de Luchon, 

 descending the Bidasoa afterward. He then 

 inspected the districts where the connection 

 was closest between the Carlists and the 

 French. Not content with what he heard and 

 took down in writing, the indefatigable consul 

 purchased accoutrements, arms, ammunition, 

 and cavalry -harness, from the stores along the 

 frontier, where they were kept by speculators, 

 with the knowledge of the French authorities, 

 in readiness to equip any number of Carlists 

 who might wish to invade Spain. He also saw 

 at Tarbes depots of horses for their artillery 

 and cavalry, and purchased in the French Gov- 

 ernment repositories Carlist postage-stamps, to 

 the great consternation afterward to the vend- 

 ers when they found out who the purchaser 

 was. Perhaps the most remarkable incident 

 of the consul's tour of inspection was the in- 

 terview he had with the Legitimist Marquis 

 de Nadeaillac, Prefect of the Basses-Pyrenles. 

 It was asked for and acceded to in writing, 

 and proved a bitter dose to the French func- 

 tionary. 



An important report was, in December, pre- 

 sented to the National Assembly by the Minis- 

 ter of Marine and Colonies, upon the condition 

 of the convicts in New Caledonia. The docu- 

 ments contain various topographical details re- 

 lating to the Peninsula Ducos and the Isle of 

 Pines, and gives particulars of all the convict 

 transports dispatched between the months of 

 May, 1872, and July, 1874, specifying the 

 measures of sanitary precaution taken ante- 

 cedently to embarkation and during the pas- 

 sage. It further gives a full account of the 

 establishment of the convicts in the colony 

 upon their arrival; tents and huts have al- 

 ready been prepared for them, constructed with 

 all possible speed in the time between the 

 Governor's receipt of the notification concern- 

 ing the dispatch of the convicts and their ar- 

 rival, the number being estimated at 3,000 in- 

 dividuals ; the barracks destined for the guards, 

 for the quarters of officers and troops, and depots 

 for provisions, as well as two ambulances for 

 the sick, were all ready. The convicts located 

 on the Isle of Pines were three times as nu- 

 merous as those on the Peninsula Ducos, the 

 entire body being subdivided into five groups 

 or communes. Each group was called on to 

 elect nine of their number, whose names were 

 submitted to the Governor for him to select 

 therefrom three delegate's, to represent the en- 

 tire gronp in all relations with the administra- 

 tion, being also charged with the duty of look- 

 ing after the welfare of their comrades, pre- 

 siding over the various distributions, becoming 



the medium for the transmission of complaints 

 and reclamations, and the settlement of dis- 

 putes by arbitration. The functions of these 

 delegates are by no means devoid of danger. 

 On one occasion, owing to his zeal, one of 

 them became the object of a savage attack, 

 secretly planned, from which he escaped with 

 his life only by a miracle, and for which the 

 four assassins were executed. A deposit-bank 

 was established, so that each convict might be 

 enabled to place in security whatever money 

 he possessed, and so avoid any danger which 

 might attach to carrying a large amount on 

 his person. All drafts upon the amount stand- 

 ing to a convict's credit in the bank are limited 

 to the presumed extent of his requirements. 

 The distribution of provisions to the convicts 

 takes place every morning, their rations being 

 exactly the same as those of the troops doing 

 duty in the colony, with the exception of wine, 

 which is only served out to those engaged on 

 labor-tasks. Three libraries have been estab- 

 lished : one on the Peninsula Ducos, a second 

 on the Isle of Pines, and the third at Noumea. 

 Chapels have been built, where the services 

 are conducted by three Catholic priests and 

 one Protestant minister, attached to the con- 

 vict establishment. The health of the convict 

 colony is cared for by a staff of seven medical 

 officers, two apothecaries, and several Sisters 

 of St. -Joseph de Cluny, aided by a number of 

 hospital-assistants. Under the two enactments 

 of 1872 and 1873, the privilege ef settling at the 

 place of transportation, at the expense of the 

 state, is granted to the families of the convicts, 

 and the number of applications became so great 

 that recourse had to be made to vessels of the 

 mercantile marine for the means of transport. 

 The first of such convoys consisted of 440 adults 

 and 142 children. To every one of the wives 

 of convicts a grant was made of 50 francs in 

 money, with 25 francs additional for each child, 

 traveling expenses to the port of embarkation, 

 an outfit, and a free passage. On their arrival 

 in New Caledonia the various families were 

 provided with food and shelter until they were 

 enabled to rejoin the convict head of the family. 

 According to law the convicts are entitled to 

 every liberty compatible with the measures 

 necessary to prevent escape; but the report 

 dwells especially on the difficulty of realizing 

 this provision concurrently with efficient sur- 

 veillance. The physical characteristics of the 

 locality render escape next to impossible at the 

 Isle of Pines, but it is otherwise at the Penin- 

 sula Ducos on account of the proximity of the 

 harbor of Noumea and the facilities of commu- 

 nication with the town, which is only about 

 nine or ten miles distant. Reference is made 

 to the escape of Henri Rochefort and his com- 

 panions. Out of the whole number of those 

 transported nearly two-fifths are old offenders 

 and convicts. Among the 3,324 individuals 

 transported up to January last, 1,185 had un- 

 dergone 3,194 previous convictions. The Min- 

 ister of Marine laments their condition of moral 



