Convicts in New Caledonia.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 130, 26 February 1887, Page 3

Convicts in New Caledonia.

The Noumea correspondent of the Sydney " Morning Herald, " writing under date of February sth, fay* 3 : tv 'lhe Ville So St Nazairo, a brig-rigerea eteatner of 1,1 So ton?, arrived here from France on the 2.~>th ultimo, bringing the fir^t batch of recidivigtes, numbering 300. They wt-i-e in charge of 18 surve'llanN and gendarmes, and accompanied by two doctors and four clerk? or storekeepers. Thero were also on board 16 temaie convict*, attended by four Si'tere of Mary. These female convicta were immediately taken by rhe DuchafFaut, one of the men-of-war on this station, to Bout lil, whore they wiil be liberated if they marry the concessioner* or convicts who h.*ve small farina, or, a? they are called, ' conee j sion«,' allotted to them. The Ville de St. Nazairo has made tather a smart passage of 67 da\f, including three daya' ptoppage at the Cape, having left the lie d'Aix on the 18rh of November. She hai averaged nine knots on the voyage, and appears to bo a goad carrying vessel, having the appearance and build or a Liverpool collier. She Feetns well adapted for the trade oi transprrting convicta between the different French colonies. In a few days she leaves here for Pondicherry, where slie will embark 150 Indian convicts, destined for the new French penitentiary settlement at Obeck. The recidivistea were confined in caa:e3 closed with iron bars, similar to those fitted up on board the ordinary Government tranpports. They were drepsod in most itistance-i in the convict garb, but unlike convicta are allowed to grow a beard or moustache, and withput exception bear the vkage of the heardened criminal. There baa been no sickness during the voyage, and with the exception of their pale countenances, due to the rather long confinement, they all appear to be in excellent health. I learn that during the voyage they behaved very well, but just after the vessel anchored he>e a disturbance seemed likely to occur. On the acting - director of the penitentiary going on board, accompanied with other

officials, the prisoners demanded in boisterous and in auything bat polite language to be put ashore in Noumea This premeditated uprising was promptly quelled by the director calling on ! board the native police armed with clubs and assegais. The police would not have desired anything better than to have been allowed to commence action at once,, but their appearance had the desired effect, as the recidivistes did not give vent to a murmur after. The following day the vessel left for the L»le of Pines, where they were landed without any further manifesation of insubordination Active preparations have been made at this island for their reception, all the convicts, numbering some 400 or 500, having been removed to Isle Nou, Noumea ; and the Wand will be reserved for these and future recidi vistes. Your readers will remember that this was the island to which the deportees were sent in 1872, and at that time some 4,000 were on ic. It lies distant about 70 miles southeast from Noumea, and on a clear day a high peak of the chain of mountains may be seen from the mainland of New Caledonia. The island is about 25 kilometres long by 12 wide, a chain of hills running through the centre. On either Bide of this range there is some very rich agricultural land which was allotted in small farms to the deportees ; but since their removal in 1879 it has not been used. The land is very suitable for maize. The southern side of the island is occupied by native villages, and the Cutholic Mission occupy a rriost picturesque spot on which they have erected a large nbapeL "