assemble, and who Approves and Confirms the
Sentence. This Court-Martial is thus only a
matter of form—a Man being, it is said, tried
and condemned before he appears in front of
it—for I suppose that never in the memory
of man was a prisoner Acquitted by a Regl.
Ct. Martial. I certainly heard of a case
where the President and Members did acquit
a prisoner—but they were promptly ordered
to re-assemble, and brought to a proper sense
of their duty, for in half an hour's time they
reversed their finding, and sentenced the
prisoner to 42 days' Imprisonment. All they
could award. Having said this much, I need
not describe the proceedings—except that a
Member of the Court employed his time in
taking what I suppose must have been a
correct likeness of myself—as it seemed to
meet the approval of the Member on his
left.

My Ct. Martial was read, by the Adjutant
in front of the Regiment—it finished thus:
"The Court, having found the prisoner
guilty of the Charge preferred against him—
and taking into consideration the Absence
of former Convictions, and general Good
Character—do now Sentence the prisoner,
No. ___, Pte.*____ , to be imprisoned with
Hard Labor for a period of 42 days. I
wondered at the time, wherein the benefit
of a good Character and no previous Convictions
lay.

*Private.

The prison at this time being quite full, I did
not go there until the fourth day, when I was
marched down at 3 p.m. This being my first
appearance in such character—I determined
to watch everything that might occur during
my sojourn. The prison itself is only a
number of Huts, enclosed by a high wooden
paling, all the supports, &c., being on the
outside, the inside being as flat and bare as
the wall of a room. There is a chain of
sentries inside and out, in fact all I saw, the
narrow portal to enter by, the Abstract from
Prison Regulations (painted on a board conspicuously
over the gate way), warning all
persons from conveying Liquor, Tobacco, or
Money to prisoners—aiding or conniving at
their escape, the penalties for such offences—
the silence and gloom hanging over the place,
all taught me I was entering a prison. The
Gatekeeper now took charge of me and
marched me off to the reception ward, where
several others from different Corps were
already awaiting. We now stript, and went
into the bath.—After this, a Suit of Prison
Clothes were served out to each, consisting
of a Jacket and trousers of grey cloth, Flannel
Shirt and Drawers, Socks, Towel, Shoes, and
a Kilmarnock Cap; our own clothes were
then tied into a bundle, labelled, and placed
in store—until the day of our release.

The Laws of the prison were now read to
us by a warder, in which we were informed
that all talking, looking round, and shuffling
in the ranks, inattention while at shot or any
other drill, slovenliness in person or apparel,
would for any of the aforesaid offences—be
brought before the Governor, and punished
according to the nature and degree of the
offence, or whoever used or offered violence
to a Visitor or any Officer of the prison,
would be brought before a board of Visitors,
who could award 6 months' imprisonment in
addition to a former sentence, and Corporal
punishment not exceeding fifty lashes. We
were likewise told that all on entering the
prison, are placed in the third class—those
who have been previously convicted—if
within 6 months are not promoted from
the third class until two thirds of their term
of imprisonment is expired, if within eighteen
months until one half, but if the first
offence or a longer period, it lays to the discretion
of the Governor; the advantage of
promotion is this, that in the second class
you are at light shot, and in the first class
you only do Lt. Labour, such as drawing the
roller, wheeling stones, sand, &c.—then there
is school of an evening instead of picking
Oakum.—The first class have likewise a
meat dinner of a Sunday.

The Diet, laid down, is as follows:

What is allowed is barely sufficient to
keep body and soul together; in the
instructions to the Medical Officer (vide
Regulations) he is cautioned against being imposed
upon by prisoners.—So, if a man puts his
name in the Sick Report, the chances are
that he finds his dinner or supper stopt that
day—Starvation they fancy will cure
anything.

On being taken to our wards, a lump of
oakum was given to each; not being skilled
in unravelling this article, I was making I
suppose but a poor fist of it—which the
prisoner next to me observing, and having
done his own, took a portion of mine and
commenced picking it for me— the eye of
the warder was on him, however and in a
sharp tone ordered him to replace it, threatening
at the same time to report him to the
Governor. He looked so savage at him, that
I fancied if he had only the power, he had
all the will to strike him there and then.
Of a verity there are plenty of " Legrees " in
the Army. I managed anyway to get through
my task by the time this night—and when I
got into the way it was easy enough. You