party in Australia in favor of the transportation system, on account of
the money the government expended here in consequence. This was
particularly the case in Van Dieman's Land, which is now called
Tasmania. That island received a great number of convicts, and the
government expended a very large amount of money for their support and
for the construction of prison establishments. Many of the public works
of Tasmania were built by the convicts. For example, they built an
excellent road one hundred and twenty miles long, running across the
island from Hobart to Launceston. It is said to be the finest wagon and
carriage road in all the country, but is now comparatively little used,
having been superseded by a railway.

"The ruins of a very extensive prison are still to be seen at Port
Arthur, about thirteen miles from Hobart; it stands on a peninsula
which is connected with the mainland by a very narrow neck. Across this
neck of land there were chained a lot of savage dogs, so near each other
that nobody could pass without being within reach of at least one of the
dogs. The water all around the peninsula abounded in sharks, so that if
a man attempted to swim across the bay he was liable to become the prey
of one, or perhaps a dozen, of these sea wolves. And yet a good many
men, first and last, managed to escape from Port Arthur and get into the
bush.

"Generally the runaways were caught before being at large many days, and
when brought back many of them were condemned to death. At one time the
keeper who had charge of the prisons at Hobart complained to the
authorities of the inadequate facilities for putting men to death by
hanging. He said it was impossible to hang conveniently more than
thirteen men at once, and as the hangman had been very busy of late, he
thought that the facilities ought to be increased so that the work could
be performed with greater expedition."

Dr. Whitney reminded his young friends that it was time for them to
start if they wished to employ the forenoon advantageously; accordingly,
a carriage was called and the party went out for a drive. They proceeded
in the direction of the lake, a pretty sheet of water in the northern
part of Adelaide--about two miles long and in some places half a mile
wide. The lake is an artificial one, and is formed by throwing a dam
across the river Torrens and restraining the waters which come down in
times of flood. For the greater part of the year the river is