# Rules for the Convict Establishment
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tremity of the landing pier and all persons coming from Victoria or other place shall land thereat, if required being conveyed therefrom to the Convict Hulk or the Floating Station by the boat attached to the Establishment. After persons have landed at the pier, if the boats bringing them are required to wait, the said boats shall withdraw to a buoy placed for this especial purpose; if not required, they shall leave without delay.
This rule is to be strictly maintained so that members of the Gaol Staff or Police detachment, including the Water Police returning from Victoria, the Medical attendant, Visiting Justices, Visitors to the Gaol Staff or Police, or privileged Visitors to Convicts, all come within the regulation.
The Gaol Staff and Police must bear in mind that the Convicts and their friends are incessantly scheming to effect secret communication with the view to escape or for other purposes, and that each success in evading the vigilance of the authorities creates additional desire to carry out concealed objects. Such secret communication or escape, inasmuch as it can only arise either from collusion, negligence, or want of due precaution, reflects discredit upon the service. Every Officer of the Hulk, from the Superintendent downwards, must therefore cheerfully and impartially submit to and carry out the regulations to render abortive the secret plans of the Convicts and their friends.
### 21. Leave of Absence
The Captain Superintendent of Police and the Superintendent of the Convict Hulk shall arrange in granting leave of absence from duty at the Convict Establishment that, unless under special circumstances, no absence shall be permitted excepting between 6 P.M. on Saturdays and daybreak on the following Monday, inasmuch as the Convicts not being at labor on Sundays, a limited relaxation may be permitted at that period; the leave of absence, including deficiencies arising from sickness or whatever cause, shall not exceed:
Two of the Gaol Staff, Two of the European Police Force, Four of the Indian do., One of the Portuguese Water Police, Two of the Chinese do.The Gaol Staff and Police must make their applications for leave of absence in accordance with this rule. The Superintendent of the Hulk shall on no occasion absent himself from the vicinity of the Convict Establishment without previously obtaining the Governor's sanction. Whenever the Superintendent is absent, the Warden and the European Sergeant in charge of Police detachment shall on no account be away from their respective duties.
### 22. Signalling to Victoria
A code of Signals has been established for communication of certain matters between the Convict Establishment and the City of Victoria; discretion when to use these Signals is vested in the Superintendent, who shall not make a Signal unless it is clearly manifest to him that assistance is required. The Sergeant in charge of the Signal post shall not make any Signal without the order of the Superintendent being conveyed to him.
### 23. Duty of Constable in Challenging Boats
Constables on watch, either on Stone Cutters' Island, on board the Convict Hulk, or in a Police boat, in challenging boats, or hailing them to keep off, will do so three times, and if no attention is paid or satisfactory reply given, will then fire over the approaching boat. If any boat persists in approaching after such distinct warning, the persons in charge shall be apprehended. It is distinctly to be understood that firing into or upon any boat can only be justified in the case of it being known that an escaped Convict is on board the said boat, and that recapture without firing is...
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tremity of the landing pier and all persons coming from- Victoria or other place shall land thereat, if required being conveyed therefrom to the Convict Hulk or the Floating Station by the boat attached to the Establishment. After persons have landed at the pier, if the boats bringing them are required to wait the said boats shall withdraw to a buoy placed for this especial purpose; if not required they shall leave without delay.
This rule is to be strictly maintained so that members of the Gaol Staff or Police detachment including the Water Police returning from Victoria, the Medical attendant, Vi- siting Justices, Visitors to the Gaol Staff or Police, or privi- leged Visitors to Convicts all come within the regulation.
The Gaol Staff and Police must bear in mind that the Convicts and their friends are incessantly scheming to effect secret communication with the view to escape or for other purposes, and that each success in evading the vigilance of the authorities creates additional desire to carry out concealed objects. Such secret communication or escape, inasmuch as it can only arise either from collusion, negligence, or want of due precaution reflects discredit upon the service. Every Officer of the Hulk from the Superintendent downwards must therefore cheer- fully and impartially submit to and carry out the regula tions to render abortive the secret plans of the Convicts and their friends.
21. Leave of absence.
The Captain Superintendent of Police and the Super- intendent of the Convict Hulk shall arrange in granting leave of absence from duty at the Convict Establishment that unless under special circumstances no absence shall be permitted excepting between 6 P.M. on Saturdays and day- break on the following Monday, inasmuch as the Convicts not being at labor on Sundays a limited relaxation may be permitted at that period; the leave of absence, including
[15]
-deficiencies arising from sickness or whatever cause, shall
not exceed
Two of the Gaol Staff,
Two of the European Police Force,
Four of the Indian
do.,
One of the Portuguese Water Police, Two of the Chinese
do.
The Gaol Staff and Police must make their applications for leave of absence in accordance with this rule. The Superintendent of the Hulk shall on no occasion absent himself from the vicinity of the Convict Establishment without previously obtaining the Governor's sanction. Whenever the Superintendent is absent the Warden and the European Sergeant in charge of Police detachment shall on no account be away from their respective duties.
22. Signalling to Victoria.
A code of Signals has been established for communication of certain matters between the Convict Establishment and the City of Victoria, discretion when to use these Signals is vested in the Superintendent who shall not make a Signal unless it is clearly manifest to him that assistance is required. The Sergeant in charge of the Signal post shall not make any Signal without the order of the Superintendent being conveyed to him.
23. Duty of Constable in challenging boats. Constables on watch, either on Stone Cutters' Island, on board the Convict Hulk, or in a Police boat, in challenging boats, or hailing them to keep off, will do so three times and if no attention is paid or satisfactory reply given will then fire over the approaching boat. If any boat persists in approaching after such distinct warning the persons in charge shall be apprehended. It is distinctly to be under- stood that firing into or upon any boat can only be justified in the case of it being known that an escaped Convict is on board the said boat, and that recapture without firing is
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