THE ISLE OF THE LOST.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 746, 19 February 1910, Page 14

THE ISLE OF THE LOST.

CONVICTS AT CAYENNE. There are few places of.residence upon the globo 'less to be desired than the .French convict settlement. ' of Cayenne,' and even/Siberia offers. a pleasanter prospect to • the unhappy prisoner. 'In the ordinary ' course .of events) as statistics show, all but tho exceptionally robust convicts aro going to an early death' when they set sail from Nantes or Bordeaux. • Tho voyage out-is - a pleasant change from the cells of an Assize Court, but. the- condemned criminal experiences none ; of. its delights. He is .'enclosed in an iron cage like, a -wild 'beast, and is only allowed one short'half-hour ' daily during.,.,the .three weeks., in which to breath^.fresh air." .Hoiknows th'at .a piep' is laid'/into' his cage through which, should be show any inclination to mutiny, he-would-'bß.:6uffocated by smoke. On his arrival.', ho is' conducted into a. dis-. mal building';'-, whence : he 'onlyj, if he .emerges 1 at all,' to undertake difficult and dangerous work. v

In French colonies there are 16,871 criminals, of which 15,520 have been condemned ~'to simple deportation and can otherwise, jive.freely; 5643 .'are settled in New. Caledonia,;-and -are- subjects .to.-a mild ; sort -of penal servitude, while 5700 are undergoing strict discipline in Cay-

Devil's Island. Tlse .Worst offenders are dumped to begin with on Devil's Island, whence they are afterwards:'transferred to ..the prison, ofi ICurn, situated on the very worst of , the 'Coast.; Yellow fever and diseases 'of the skin brought on bj; the'sudden change of climnto account' for .-the'- weakling without delay, :while', the-. ,:stonger. ■ -pri;. soners have- to do battle .with: poisonous snakes, blood-sucking; vampir^,; bats, ;,and. fatal.fly. bites. ;; ~ The soil is so soft as to make bunding upon "it impossible, and" there is; a grim saying that, in place of houses human remains. 'cover the grpund.'"- The'.death-rate is appalling. No official-figures'are .ever published—for, good -reason;but; it. is stated. that; during . the first six - years of this, century 109 succumbed out of every thousand, doing .-hard 'labour,; while those with lighter'.- work-106 -per: thousand, die yearly. 'f he-convict knows well'that if'he escapes death ohe/year the' odds' aredouble against his doing, so'"the. next. His only road. to liberty; lies in flight, but: if he . is.,'on;-an ,'island,sunless he could, secure a boat,, even if-ie did sue-, ceed .in , eluding; his. ' guardians, - shaTks would'frustrate all possibility of. escape long ere ; he reached : :the:,ipainland,; ; la few hundred' yards away. Escape: is 'easier • from'.!the-,'prisons;, oh the -coast,'. but '.'here , again the, 'fugitive meets - his 'fate ■asi.&ooir- as ;he; penetrates any distance inland. .One .night in .the open meajis oeTtain death in these parts, while in addition the neighbouring Dutch authorities are- $ver on the qui vive to 606 that none of, these .desperadoes, enter, their dominion. In order to "shirk their doily task, ,iie oonvicts frequently, chop off limbs or l .ptherwise disahlo'themselves.So often does ..this-, self-mutilation occur that it has been found necessary to set aside a : ' special colony" for ■ the unfortunate creatures. -Here: guards; chain - loads of stone vor other , material upon their backs, whiph the. maimed, convicts, are compelled ■ to :carry- to >..theiri.- : eoii»paiii(«»i In timfe; .the \jrcight ;' on their shoulders doubles:them 1 'up,-and,:.;the. work'.of. destruction, being, ,'as complete, as humanity can make it, death comes as the. only - relief. • • " : .- - Prisoners' Occupations. .The, compulsory. . settlers •. spend _ their leisure making -articles ' out ofwood, ■which they are allowed to exchange' for tobacco.;. Others amuse themselves by tattooing, their bodies. Thq'most popular inscriptions are"Liberty ', or Death," "Child of Misfortune," 'and "No Hope,", but one .particularKiindividualj 1 possibly: sentenced forwholesalo; "bigamy, -' has covered .himself with pictures of- his twelve brides. Cayenne has. not damped 'this criminal's. humour* • for ' under. each portrait; appear-, the.words,' .."Till 1 death' do us part. ' ' ' After several years on the settlement, during 'which exemplary conduct has been the -rule, a convict is. permitted to leave his prison and , live in a hut.'...,To all intents and purposes hb is a freeman,' seeing to his own food and generally taking care of -himself. - But, as' has been said before very few live more; than four or five years, so that this type of prisoner is not frequently met with.