g they all worked in company, and
knew each other; when they met again, after they were discharged, they
enticed one another to do wrong again. He was convinced that no man
left Sing Sing a better man than he went in. He here felt very often
that he could become better--perhaps he might. At all events his mind
was calm, and he had no feelings of resentment for his treatment. He
had now leisure and quiet for self-examination, if he chose to avail
himself of it. At Sing Sing there was great injustice and no redress.
The infirm man was put to equal labour with the robust, and punished if
he did not perform as much. The flogging was very severe at Sing Sing.
He once ventured to express his opinion that such was the case, and (to
prove the contrary he supposed) they awarded him eighty-seven lashes for
the information.

That many of this man's observations, in the parallel drawn between the
two establishments, are correct, must be conceded; but still some of his
assertions must be taken with due reservation, as it is evident that he
had no very pleasant reminiscences of his ten years' geological studies
in Sing Sing.

No. 4--an Irishman; very acute. He had been imprisoned seven years for
burglary, and his time would expire in a month. He had been confined
also in Walnut-street prison, Philadelphia, for two years previous to
his coming here. He said that it was almost impossible for any man to
reform in that prison, although some few did. He had served many years
in the United States navy. He declared that his propensity to theft was
only strong upon him when under the influence of liquor, or tobacco,
which latter had the same effect upon him as spirits. He thought that
he was reformed now; the reason why he thought so was, that he now liked
work, and had learnt a profession in the prison, which he never had
before. He considered himself a good workman, as he could make a pair
of shoes in a day. He cannot now bear the smell of liquor or tobacco.
(This observation must have been from imagination, as he had no
opportunity in the Penitentiary of testing his dislike.) He ascribed
all his crimes to ardent spirits. He was fearful of only one thing: his
time was just out, and where was he to go? If known to have been in the
prison, he would never find work. He knew a fact which had occurred,
which would prove that he had just grounds for his fear. A tailor, who
had been confined in Walnut-street prison with him, h