ble and backed out.

"That man Dawes is very insolent," said the insulted chaplain to
Burgess. "He was brutal to me to-day--quite brutal."

"Was he?" said Burgess. "Had too long a spell, I expect. I'll send him
back to work to-morrow."

"It would be well," said Meekin, "if he had some employment."

CHAPTER XX. "A NATURAL PENITENTIARY."

"The "employment" at Port Arthur consisted chiefly of agriculture,
ship-building, and tanning. Dawes, who was in the chain-gang, was put to
chain-gang labour; that is to say, bringing down logs from the forest,
or "lumbering" timber on the wharf. This work was not light. An
ingenious calculator had discovered that the pressure of the log upon
the shoulder was wont to average 125 lbs. Members of the chain-gang were
dressed in yellow, and--by way of encouraging the others--had the word
"Felon" stamped upon conspicuous parts of their raiment.

This was the sort of life Rufus Dawes led. In the summer-time he rose
at half-past five in the morning, and worked until six in the evening,
getting three-quarters of an hour for breakfast, and one hour for
dinner. Once a week he had a clean shirt, and once a fortnight clean
socks. If he felt sick, he was permitted to "report his case to the
medical officer". If he wanted to write a letter he could ask permission
of the Commandant, and send the letter, open, through that Almighty
Officer, who could stop it if he thought necessary. If he felt himself
aggrieved by any order, he was "to obey it instantly, but might complain
afterwards, if he thought fit, to the Commandant. In making any
complaint against an officer or constable it was strictly ordered that
a prisoner "must be most respectful in his manner and language, when
speaking of or to such officer or constable". He was held responsible
only for the safety of his chains, and for the rest was at the mercy of
his gaoler. These gaolers--owning right of search, entry into cells at
all hours, and other droits of seigneury--were responsible only to the
Commandant, who was responsible only to the Governor, that is to say,
to nobody but God and his own conscience. The jurisdiction of the
Commandant included the whole of Tasman's Peninsula, with the islands
and waters within three miles thereof; and save the making of certain
returns to head-quarters, his power was unlimited.

A word as to the position and appearance of this place of punishment.
Tasman's Peninsula is, as we have said before