1809.] 
and more strongly rivetted upon them. 
Those irons consisted of two heavy clevi- 
ses which were placed round the ancles, 
at the ends of which were holes, and 
through these ran an ivon bolt, fastening 
them upon the ancles and joining one an- 
cle with the other, at about six inches 
apetl just enabling them to limp along, 
by hitching one foot before the other.— 
fFhese irons weighed about 20 or 25 
pounds weight. At-first their ancles be- 
eame so gilled by them, which continu- 
ally fretted the flesh whenever they at- 
tenrpted to exercise, that it was with dif. 
ficulty they could walk about the floor of 
the prison. At length having grown lank 
and thin by the loss of flesh, they were 
enabled to raise the irons, almost, up to 
their knees, and by means of strings tied 
to the belts and round their necks, kept 
them in that situation, by which they were 
rauch relieved in walking. 
Their keeper was an Old-Spaimer, and 
a sergeant of the guards. He was.in- 
trusted with the superintendence of all the 
prisoners incontinement. He kept a kind 
vf provision shop, near the prison, and 
was the purveyor of the prisoners, and. 
supplicd them, in behalf of the governe 
inent, with food. The prisoners were ser- 
ved twice a day, with a sort of fare, con- 
sisting of boiled plantains, rice and water,, 
and sometimes a small piece of fish—about: 
one pint of this pottage was served out to 
each, in the forepart of the day; and to- 
wards evening the same repeated. Tn 
some seasons of the year, when vegeta- 
bles and food were not so plenty, ‘they 
were scanted to alittle rice and water, or 
a boiled plantain or two, scarcely sufhet- 
eut to support nature. ‘Their allowance 
was eighteen pence per day; this was paid 
to the old sergeant, who for one shilling 
a piece. supplied them with those two 
meals a day, und the surplus six pence he 
paid them. ‘This money they either laid 
out in buyigg more food, er some kind of 
covering for their bodies, or laid it up tll 
times of sickness. After a while, they. 
were allowed the eighteen pence in money, 
instead of food, with which they were*to 
support them selves. 
In this situation they were to remain, as 
they were told, until they could. be re- 
moved to their places ofiabour. It was, 
however, understood that they would not 
be removed during the war between Eng- 
land and Spain, as the harbour was cons 
tinually blockaded by English vessels. 
Those nineteen prisoners who were sen- 
tenced to the Castle Bocca Chica, (Little 
Mouth) which is situated at the mouth of 
the harbour of Carthagena, were taken 
gut and put to yabue in the town of Car- 
of part of Gencral Miranda’s Squadron. 
Tg 
thagena; their irons were taken cffedity 
iron band put round each of their ancles, 
with a staple in it, by which two persons 
were chained tavethery with a large ox 
chain about 30 feet long, and. weighing 
fifty or eighty pounds—they were then puz 
to labour with the common criminal cons 
vict slaves of the place. Their labour con- 
sists principally in digging, fetching and: 
carrying large stones and sand, for the pur 
pose of building fortifications, &c.—this 
they do upon a hand-barrow.—Atter they 
get their load upon the hand-barrow, they 
place upon it their chains, which would 
otherwise diag upon the ground, and pro- 
ceed to carry it wherever it may be 
wanted, 
When they were let out to labour, is 
ing almost naked, the scorching sun was / 
so powerful, as to raise blisters upon the 
parts exposed to the heat—the middle of 
the day was almost msupportable, many 
would faint and fall under the load they 
were compelled to carry—this, instead of 
exciting pity, would only bring aponthem 
the lash of the negro slave-driver, who 
attended them. At first they suffered. 
much for want of hats; these they proca- 
red out of the money which was allowed 
them to live upon—the large straw hats 
were of @reat service in screeningmuch of 
their bodies fromthe sun. Atter labour- 
ing in this manner for some time, they 
became more accustomed to the climate, 
their skins were soon tanned from white 
to brown, and the heat became more en- 
durable. "They are called up in the morn- 
ing by their drivers, at day light, and. put 
to work. Atnoon and night they are pere 
mitted to eat whatever they can procure. 
with their scanty pittance—at meht they 
are locked up in a‘prison, where they rest) 
till morning. ‘They passed and re-passed 
the prison where their fellow coaniry:men 
were confined, but were not perinitted to 
have any access to them. Whenever an; 
one was sick, he was sent to the slaves 
hospital, where he remained till his health 
was recovered. In thismanner they still 
continue to wear out their wearied lives, 
Soon after their imprisonment, several 
were attacked with fevers, the flux, biack 
~ jaundice, and other disorders that prevail 
daring the sickly season. Their complaints 
were littloattended to by their keepers, na 
assistance was olfered them at first, they 
were obliged to indure their sickness, ly- 
ing upon the bard tles of the prison flodr. 
At length one of the prisoners, by the 
name of John Burk, died; this excited 
mote “attention to their complaints, and. 
shortly afterwards, they were indulsed 
with the liberty of going to the bospital 
whenever they were unwell. 
A, | The 
