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Q--And that would render them less capable of standing a flogging of twenty or thirty strokes?
A--Yes. When they are asked if they are opium smokers they invariably say yes.' That is done with a view to getting opium.
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Q---How long is a Chinaman laid up after a flogging, judging by the records?
A-I have not seen the records for flogging. I have seen five men receive six strokes and one man receive eighteen strokes. All the five men are out of the hospital, and they were only in the hospital one afternoon.
Q-And the one who received eighteen strokes?
A-I think he received eighteen strokes about four days ago. He is still in the hospital, simply more as a safeguard. I do not think now that the skin is perfectly healed.
Q-He has been flogged frequently?
A--Three or four times. He is flogged every time he comes to Gaol.
Q-Taking an ordinary abrasion how long is a man laid up?
A-Three or four days; it would depend altogether on the depth of the wound. The average for six strokes would be three or four days.
Q-Has it struck you that a Chinaman prefers lying in the hospital to doing hard labour ?
A-I think they do.
Q-Is there any other punishment you would suggest instead of the flogging in lieu of the hard labour?
A-No, I have not had much experience of gaols. I have thought over the matter, but it is an extremely difficult question. The hard labour at shot and stone is very useless, but it is very difficult to say what else you could give them. They are a very troublesome lot, and if you did not give them hard labour you would simply have the whole of the Colony inside the Gaol and nobody outside.
Q--Do you think confinement in a separate cell any punishment?
A-I do not think they mind it a bit. The cells are very cool and clean and every time you go round the prisoners are sleeping.
Q-You do not think it is a punishment?
A-Not in the least. They would do it for twenty years. The only thing they do not like is being put on rice and water. They have pork as a rule and when they have been in Gaol six months they do not like rice and water. The man who received eighteen strokes got his punishment because he assaulted a warder as he could not get more food. He thought that by attacking the warder he would get more food.
Q-With the present condition of the hospital and Gaol, and the overcrowded state of the wards, and the incompetent wardmasters, you would not like to undertake any surgical operation there?
A-Oh, no.
THE CHAIRMAN-You say you have witnessed six floggings there; were the same men always the floggers?
A-Two men, yes.
Q-And did they on each occasion put the same force in their strokes?
A-I think so, yes.
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