ON THE HIGH SEAS. 173 



of convicts, the authority of the surgeon should be more defined 

 and that to him should also be given the property in their 

 services and the safe custody of their persons." l 



Bigge thought that such a course would have been a danger- 

 ous one, for the master who was responsible for the safe naviga- 

 tion of his ship should have power to interpose whenever he 

 considered it endangered by any concessions or laxity of 

 discipline amongst the prisoners. He thought the only remedy 

 lay in the fearless exercise by the surgeon of the right to enter 

 in his journal any refusal of the master to do what the surgeon 

 considered necessary for the health and fair treatment of the 

 convicts. 2 If the master and surgeon agreed in treating them 

 badly there was no remedy. 



From 1810 to 1820 the average length of the voyage was 

 four months. No description can include all the variety of 

 good and evil conditions which existed on different ships. The 

 character of master and officers affected the convicts no less 

 than that of the surgeon -superintendent. But in general out- 

 line life on one transport differed little from that on another. 

 The convicts slept in long prisons below deck, in bunks and 

 hammocks. 3 In these prisons they worked and ate their food 

 and spent the greater part of the day. They were allowed on 

 deck in small parties, well guarded and for but a few hours at 

 a time. When they first came on board they wore double irons, 

 but these were usually struck off as soon as the voyage com- 

 menced. They were occasionally replaced as punishment for 

 insubordination or disobedience, and corporal punishment was 

 often inflicted. The surgeon was bound, however, to make an 

 entry in his journal of all punishments. The hospital which 

 was fitted up on each transport was a favourite resort, for there 

 discipline was relaxed and more liberal rations given. But the 

 surgeon had stringent instructions only to admit those who were 

 suffering from severe or contagious diseases. 



The voyage must have been intolerably tedious. The men 



1 Bigge's Report, I. 2 Ibid. 



3 The boys slept five in one berth and the men four. See Evidence, Bromley, 

 C. on T., 1819. See also Evidence of Bedwell before C. on G., 1819. He had 

 gone out as surgeon in 1812, and stated that the men slept six in a berth of 4$ feet 

 by 3 feet. 



