CO885(3-4) — Page 73

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111 CO. 885

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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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formed by the head nurse at half salary. The cook and nurse were permitted to resign, and their places have been filled up by others.

Visits. I visit the establishment only at intervals of one or two months. The Medical Officer visits every day except Sundays. The Chaplain performs Divine Service every other Sunday, and the Mission Catechist every other Sunday; this arrangement was made without my knowledge. Religious instruction is also given to the patients once during the week.

The quarters occupied by the officers of the establishment and the lepers have not improved since my last report; on the contrary, they are still in a wretched, damp çon- dition. I have at different times patched them up; much more would have been done for the general comfort of all concerned had there been a probability of the establishment remaining at Kaow Island.

The work of cleaning the land about the huts and drains was performed by convicts who, during which, often got possession of tobacco from the patients in spite of the warder's vigilance.

A reference to the Medical Officer's report will show the admissions, discharges, deaths, and the number remaining on the strength on 31st December, 1874.

Medical Officer's Report.

The medical history of the prison will be found in the Tables appended to this report. The number of subordinate officers shown upon the medical book is in excess of the previous year; no deaths occurred among them. The average number of days cach officer has been absent from duty through sickness is 94. This may be explained by the fact that one warder was three months on the sick list during the year. Of the warders, 1.regret to say, some were in very indifferent health, which I believe was caused from exposure to alternate sun and rain while engaged upon the works without proper protection and insufficient clothing to enable them to change on going off duty.

I was obliged to recommend the superannuation of one principal warder, who was quite unequal to the discharge of his duty, and frequently on the sick list suffering from general debility.

The medical statistics for the year will, I think, on inspection, be found satisfactory, The great increase in the number of prisoners in hospital, which culminated in July, as will be seen by the labour return marked “C," was so noteworthy as to call for special remark, may be accounted for in part by the fact that the liberal diet allowed to patients in hospital was only an inducement for the idler and malingerer to seek the good living and other medical comforts in the hospital in preference to hard work in the quarries. The introduction of a lower scale of diet sanctioned in September has been the means of reducing the number in hospital from about 35 to 12, and I would observe that malingering has been reduced to a minimum.

The sanitary state of the prison has been improved by the alteration of the cell ventilators and the reduction of the wooden hoods over them so as to admit more air and light, and the cultivation of para grass and plantains in the space behind the prison, within the fence, where rank grass once grew.

The elevated position of the prison buildings render the drainage complete, and as the whole of the soil from the closets to the cells is conveyed from the prison by means of the dry earth system, nothing remains to be passed through the sewers but surface water. All the sewage of the prison and houses on the Settlement is effectually mixed with dry earth and pounded charcoal, all of which is utilized in the cultivation of provisions, &c.

The additional expense and the evil of admitting sailors, wood cutters, and the inhabitants of the district, into the prison hospital for treatment still continues, and so crowded was the hospital in July that the convicts had to sleep in the same ward with native Indians and other patients, the mixing up of prisoners with free men in the prison hospital is most objectionable; the removal of this evil is, however, in contemplation by the erection of a small ward apart from the prison hospital for the admission and treatment of the classes above alluded to.

The officers are treated when sick in their own quarters, as there is no accommoda- tion for them in the hospital, and no dietary provided for them; in two or three instances officers have been admitted to hospital for treatment which, necessitated the mixing with Indians and others. This, I submit, is most objectionable, and should be avoided as much as possible, and will be entirely obviated when the new ward for the district people shall have been completed.

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Concluding Remarks,

The system of "Police Guard," to which I had the honour to call attention in my last report, was discontinued on the 1st December, by the appointment of an additional force of principal warder (one) and nine assistant warders, who perform all the duties of the detachment of police; and the change so far has been successful; it operates advan- tageously in several ways, and, more especially, it enables me to select from the assistant warders men suitable to fill the vacancies in the ranks of the warders, by which, in time, I hope to secure a better class of officers for the more efficient discipline of the prison and safe custody of the prisoners.

The improvement and the cleanliness of the officers' quarters have received due increased accommodation, however, is much needed, as several of the assistant attention; warders who joined on the 1st of December have large families. Eight new cottages are about to be erected, and which, when completed, will be found ample for the present requirements.

The present dietary, which was authorised in the latter part of the year for the patients in hospital, and the reduced scale for "light labour" men, malingerers, &c., was found to work advantageously, although but a short time in operation, and will, in the words of the medical officer, "be found to answer this prison admirably."

With regard to the clothing, I do not think it advisable for the prisoner to wear "Oznaburg" shirts, which is a cold and heavy material, and dangerous when the wearer is likely to perspire or get wet from exposure to heavy rains. I have therefore thought it desirable that the cotton shirts should be discontinued and flannel shirts again taken into wear, reserving one cotton shirt, which shall be kept one in cach cell for sleeping in, so as to avoid the risk of sleeping in a wet shirt. I think the introduction of a serge or woollen material in place of fannel would be less expensive, wear longer, and better" adapted for the climate.

I must beg to point out that having, during the past year, inspected the neighbouring locality, I have found granite in large quantities, all within easy distince of the prison, and, in order to carry on quarry work on a more extensive scale, it would be indispensable for the introduction of a small steam tug, and six or eight punts. Much advantage might result from the adoption of this suggestion, because convict labour could be made avail- able for loading and unloading the punts, and thus do away with the possibility of convicts being brought in contact with the boatmen who, at present, of necessity accompany cach boat coming to the Settlement for stone. Moreover, the supply of convict labour is materially more clastic; it can be diminished or increased at a minute's notice, as emergencies arise, in a manner impossible where free labourers are employed. Another advantage I beg to point out would be a more regular and reliable communication between Georgetown and the Settlement, and rice versa, the want of which has been long felt. I need hardly say that, if introduced, the expense of removing stone from the Settlement for public works would be considerably abated, and I'would most respectfully press this matter for the consideration of the Government.

Another important advantage is to be found in the neighbourhood of the Settlement in which convicts can be employed in works of public utility, and of good service to the Colony.

The creeks in the rivers abound in greenheart, and other hard woods, so much of which is constantly being used in the Engineer's Department. I would respectfully recommend the introduction of a portable iron frame (which could be transported from place to place as necessity required it), and so constructed as to accommodate fourteen or sixteen prisoners in separation, and employ all those prisoners who have passed the penal part of their punishment and attained the first or second class, in wood cutting, squaring timber, and cutting shingles for the Public Works Department. This system for years has been carried out in Western Australia where gangs of prisoners are employed at road-making and other public works, and are located in "bush huts," a considerable distance from the prison. I have no hesitation in recommending the employment of convicts at such labour, providing their location be in separation during sleeping hours.

Accommodation and Lighting,

The prison may be stated to afford accommodation for 197 prisoners in separate cells, and about twenty-five in the hospital ward in association; the cells are not lighted by night, but lights are suspended in the halls, and the ward and water-closet in the hospital each has a light burning during the right; the back yard of the prison is lighted at night; the cost of lighting the prison may be estimated to have been about 200 dollars for the year.

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