234 VAN diemen's land. 



such a feeling does not appear to be known, and of 

 this I witnessed some very singular proofs. Though 

 it is a curious fact, I was universally told that tlie 

 character of the convict population is one of aiTant 

 cowardice : not unfrequently some become despe- 

 rate, and quite indifferent as to life, yet a plan re- 

 (|uiring cool or continued courage is seldom put 

 into execution. The worst feature in the whole 

 case is, that although there exists what may be 

 called a legal reform, and comparatively little is 

 committed which the law can touch, yet that any 

 moral i-eform should take place appears to be quite 

 out of the question. I was assured by well-inform- 

 ed people that a man who should try to improve 

 could not, while living with other assigned servants; 

 his life would be one of intolerable misery and per- 

 secution. Nor must the contamination of the con- 

 vict-ships and prisons, both here and in England, 

 be forgotten. On the whole, as a place of punish- 

 ment, the object is scarcely gained ; as a real sys- 

 tem of reform it has failed, as perhaps would every 

 other plan ; but as a means of making men out- 

 wardly honest, of converting vagabonds, most use- 

 less in one hemisphere, into active citizens of an- 

 other, and thus giving birth to a new and splendid 

 country — a grand centre of civilization — it has 

 succeeded to a degree perhaps unparalleled in 

 history. 



30/7/,. — The Beagle sailed for Hobart Town in 

 Van Diemen's Land. On the 5th of February, 

 after a six days' passage, of which the first part 

 was fine, and the latter very cold and squally, we 

 entered the mouth of Storm Bay : the weather jus- 

 tified this awful name. The bay should rather be 

 called an estuary, for it receives at its head the 

 waters of the Derwent. Near the mouth there are 



