DIVISION INTO CLASSES, TRADES, FOOD, AND CLOTHING
We now come to deal with perhaps not a very inviting part of our
subject, viz. the division of the convicts into classes, their
supervision, artificer trades, hours of work, food, and clothing, but it
must be told in brief in order to make the narrative of this jail
complete.
They were divided into six classes, but since the year 1857, when Major
McNair took charge, sec. A of the third class, and sec. A of the fifth
class were added to the classification.
The _First Class_ consisted of trustworthy convicts allowed out
on ticket of leave.
_Second Class_ consisted of convict petty officers, male and
female, and those employed in hospitals and public offices.
_Third Class_ were convicts employed on roads and public works,
having passed through their probationary course.
_Fourth Class_ were convicts newly arrived, and those degraded
from other classes or promoted from the fifth class. They
worked in light irons.
_Fifth Class_ were convicts degraded from the higher classes,
and such as required more than ordinary vigilance to prevent
escape, or regarding whom special instructions had been
received from India. They worked in heavy irons.
_Sixth Class_ were invalids and superannuated convicts.
Youths were transferred to a special gang for "boys."
[Illustration: DUFFADAR RAM SINGH, SENIOR PETTY OFFICER OF THE JAIL.
_McNair._
_Plate XII._]
Convicts, if for life, were admitted to the first class after having
been sixteen years in transportation; if for seventeen years, after
twelve years; and if for seven years, after having been six years in
transportation. Females, for whatever period, from three to five years.
Before a ticket of leave could be granted, the convict had to provide
personal security for his good behaviour and continued presence in the
settlement; and any misdemeanour on his part involved a revoking of his
ticket of leave, and his return to confinement in the prison and
reduction to a lower class. All _First Class_ convicts, whether male or
female, had to attend muster on the first of every month, and had to
keep the Superintendent informed of their place of residence, and were
bound to sleep in it every night.
_Second Class_ convicts were employed as stated. They were allowed to
go out of the jail after working hours, but had to appear at 8 p.m. roll
call daily (except those employed at hospitals and in special duties),
and were required to sleep in prison at night. Convicts were admitted to
this class, on good behaviour, at the Superintendent's discretion, as
follows:--
If transported for 7 years, after 5 years.
" " 14 " " 7 "
" " life, " 8 "
All jail petty officers, from duffadars to orderlies, were included in
this class, and no convict was eligible for an orderly until he had been
eight years in transportation; promotion went either by seniority or
qualification, but he should have been an orderly for two years before
being promoted to a peon.
_Third Class_ convicts. Convicts were admitted to this class at the
Superintendent's discretion--
If transported for 12 years, after 12 months.
" " 14 " " 2 years.
" " life, " 3 "
This was not a chain class, and one rupee a month was allowed to each
man for the purchase of condiments, called "subsistence money." If not
belonging to the country gangs, and of approved good conduct, this class
was allowed, after working hours, to be outside the prison until 6 p.m.,
if they had already completed four years in transportation; until that
period had been discharged they were confined after work was over. This
class was allowed to use their sectarian marks as a privilege. Degraded
prisoners of this class were called "Sec. A, 3rd Class," and wore a ring
on each ankle; they were strictly confined to the jail precincts.
[Illustration: HEAD TINDAL MAISTRI OF CART MAKERS AND WHEELWRIGHTS.
Plate XIII.]
_Fourth Class._ All newly arrived convicts, except those regarding whom
special instructions had been received from India, were placed in this
class, and served their probation in it. They were worked in double
light irons, and were not allowed to leave the prison except for work;
they were not granted any money allowance, but fish, vegetables and
condiments were supplied to them with their rations. They were, however,
allowed the privilege to cook their own food.
_Fifth Class._ This was a "punishment class" for troublesome characters
from the upper classes, and every man degraded to it had to serve two
years before being again promoted to the fourth class, and an additional
six months before he could be promoted to the third class, unless the
Superintendent saw sufficiently good cause for leniency. This class
received clothing and rations like the fourth class, with vegetables,
fish, and condiments; but all were cooked for them in mess under a
convict cook. They received no money allowance, and were not allowed to
leave the prison except for work. Refractory prisoners of this class
were called "Sec. A, 5th Class"; they were put in the heaviest irons,
with wrist irons if necessary, and were confined in the refractory ward
on severe task work, as making coir from the rough husk of the
cocoa-nuts, pounding and cleaning rice, and such like hard labour.
"Flogging": If upon rare occasions this punishment had to be resorted
to, the culprit was first inspected by the medical officer to see if he
were capable to undergo the sentence: usually the number of lashes was
from one dozen up to six dozen with the cat-o'-nine-tails. If passed by
the medical officer, the punishment was inflicted in the presence of the
convicts, and by selected convict warders, the medical officer or his
apothecary being invariably present during the infliction. The triangles
were of the usual pattern, and the flogging was on the buttock.
No person was allowed to punish a convict but the Superintendent or the
Assistant Superintendent acting for him. The defaulter was brought to
the inquiry room, the case inquired into fully, and the default and
sentence duly recorded in a book kept for the purpose.
[Illustration: CONVICT OF THE SECOND CLASS AND MUNSHI.
_Plate XIV._]
_Sixth Class._ This class embraced all invalid and incapable men who
were able to perform light work, as sweepers, watchmen in country
commands, and in charge of latrines; also caretakers at Government
bungalows, and those superannuated men who were exempt from all work. No
convicts were admitted to this class until declared unfit for hard work
by the medical officer and the Annual Medical Committee. Men of
approved conduct got the indulgences of their former class. Female
convicts belonged to this class, of which there were always a few under
transportation. They were confined in a separate ward under a convict
matron, and no prison male warder was allowed therein on pain of
degradation.
The supervising staff consisted of a Superintendent--who was also the
Executive Engineer of the station--and his assistant, a chief warder and
two assistants, an overseer of artificers and of roads. The native
staff, being all petty officers raised from amongst the convicts,
consisted of three duffadars, eight first tindals, twenty-two second
tindals, ninety-four peons, and sixty-five orderlies, for the number of
convicts then under confinement.
In the year 1857 there were 2,139 convicts from different parts of
India, Burmah, and Ceylon in this jail; but upon an average, until the
prison was broken up, there were 1,900 always under control. The men
from India were Seikhs, Dogras, Pallis, or a shepherd race; Thugs and
Dacoits from different parts of the Bengal presidency, and mostly from
round about Delhi and Agra; felons from all parts of the Madras and
Bombay presidencies, and a few from Assam and Burmah, chiefly Dacoits,
and a sprinkling of Cingalese.
Upon arrival from India, each convict was checked with the warrants that
accompanied the several gangs, then photographed, bathed, and supplied
with the prison clothing, and each received a number by which, until he
entered the third class, he was always known. Each convict was then duly
inspected by the medical officer before admission to the wards. Any
property with them was scheduled and put away until they were entitled
to receive it, and the clothing in which they arrived was duly
fumigated.
The artificer body was drawn from the third and fourth classes only, and
they were subject to the same discipline as their classes in the general
prison. They were divided into four grades, according to the degree of
skill they evinced, and received a monthly allowance commencing at one
half a rupee, or 1s. a month, up to the highest sum given to the best
workmen of 10s. a month, who were called "tindal maistris," and who
were entrusted with the duty of teaching beginners. These tindal
maistris were exempted from keeping watch in the wards at night.
The several trades taught in the prison were as follows, and none of
them were dangerous to health except the cement-sifting by females on
treadles, which had to be discontinued:--
Bricklayers and plasterers.
Brick and tile makers and potters.
Blacksmiths.
Basket makers.
Coopers.
Carpenters, cement and lime burners.
Gardeners.
Painters.
Lime and charcoal burners.
Plumbers.
Quarrymen.
Sawyers, stone cutters, and blasters.
Slaters.
Shoe and sandal makers.
Tailors.
Turners and weavers.
Wheelwrights.
Woodcutters.
Boatmen.
Stone masons.
[Illustration: CONVICT OF THE FIFTH CLASS, CONVICT OF THE FIFTH CLASS,
SEC. A.
_Plate XV._]
Those few of the convicts who had acquired a trade in their native
country were not admitted to the artificer gang until they had gone
through their probationary period in irons on the public roads. The bulk
of the convicts were trained in the prison itself; and after the year
1857 native methods of working were abandoned, and the use of our
carpenter's bench introduced, and English tools employed in all trades.
They felled and stacked timber upon the island, which, after conveyance
to the yard, was sawn and wrought into all that was required for roofing
timbers, doors and window frames. They made the bricks, lime, and
cement, and all tiles necessary for roofing or for paving. They quarried
the stone at Pulo Obin for foundations, and for sea and river walls. The
blacksmiths cast and forged from the raw state all the iron work for
which there was a necessity. As a matter of fact all material and all
labour for the execution of any public work required by the Government
were executed by these convicts, from a small timber bridge upon a
country road, even to the erection of a "cathedral" and "Government
House," of which it is purposed further to give a detailed account.
This is the proper place in which we may mention that in the years
1859-60 the estimated value of this convict labour was 162,230 rupees,
while the expenses of the whole convict department amounted to 117,578
rupees. In 1860-61 the manufacture account showed a balance of 25,028
rupees in favour of the State, though profit was always deemed of
secondary importance. Material was valued at one half the market rate,
and the labour at two-thirds the value of the same labour prevailing in
the place.
The hours of work were limited to nine, including the time taken in
marching to and fro from the works; but to add to discipline we would
occasionally give them some extra hours of work, answering somewhat to
our "pipebrooms" in the Navy, or the "pipe-claying of belts" in our Army
on the line of march on active service.
[Illustration: CHETOO, AN INCORRIGIBLE CONVICT OF THE FIFTH CLASS.
_Plate XVA._]
The jail bell was rung at 5 a.m. (except Sunday), when every convict
rose, rolled up his blanket with the number visible, and placed his
"chadar" or sheet in his box, which was also numbered to correspond. He
was marched out to the prison yard with the men of his ward, and the
roll was called by the responsible officer. Time for light food was
allowed, and the convicts were then detailed to the work gangs as
arranged overnight. The work gangs left the prison punctually at 6
a.m., and returned at 11 a.m.; were marched out again at 1 p.m.,
returning at 5 p.m. At 6 p.m. a roll was again called for the 3rd, 4th,
and 5th classes, who were then locked up for the night. At 8 p.m. there
was another roll call for those who had the privilege, and then all were
seen to their wards, and all wards and gates were locked by 9 p.m., when
strict silence reigned throughout the prison; the European warder going
rounds up to 10 p.m., and occasionally, with the Superintendent and his
assistant, paying surprise night rounds. Convicts on the march out of
prison were moved five abreast, or as they called it "panch-panch,"
literally, by "fives."
On the first of every month there was a general muster of the whole of
the convicts, including the first class, when the roll was called, and
each answered to his name or number. This muster was always in the
presence of the Superintendent, who inspected each convict, and if any
one had a grievance his name was taken down, and his complaint
afterwards inquired into at the "Inquiry Room." This opportunity was
taken by the Superintendent to inspect the whole prison, wards,
latrines, drains, and bathing places.
The rations required for the jail were either obtained upon indent upon
the Government Commissariat Department, or by tender called for in the
town. Each convict's daily allowance was as follows:--
To 2nd, 3rd, Rice. Dholl Salt. Ghee, Vege- Fish. Mussalah
and 6th classes or clari- tables. or Curry
without Peas. fied Stuff.
condiments. Butter.
oz. oz. drs. drs. oz. oz. drs.
Effective men 32 5 8 8 -- -- 7¼
Invalids and 24 2 8 8 -- -- 7¼
Women
To the fourth and fifth classes, being effective, with condiments, fish
and vegetables alternating thus--
Rice. Dholl. Salt. Ghee. Vege- Fish. Mussalah
tables. or Curry
Stuff.
oz. oz. drs. drs. oz. oz. drs.
Monday 28 5 1 10 5 -- 7¼
Tuesday 28 -- -- 10 -- 5 7¼
We found that this dietary scale was sufficient to a native under labour
to repair waste tissue without giving fat. The "ghee," or clarified
butter, made the rice more nutritious, and the "dholl," or peas,
contained both albumen and starch, which would of themselves alone
support life. For the penal class there was the usual congee diet.
All convicts not being in the first class, nor employed as messengers in
hospitals or at public offices (when they received a compensation), were
clothed in the jail.
The 2nd, 3rd, and 6th } half-yearly { Nine yards of stout grey
classes } and { shirting.
} duly marked { One suit.
4th and 5th classes } { Two working suits and
a stout cap
To all annually was given one blanket of coarse wool called a "kumblie,"
and made by the convicts themselves from wool purchased in the place and
prepared by them for the purpose.
Belts and brass plates for them were supplied only to duffadars,
tindals, peons, and orderlies.
The European warders were dressed in a light blue serge loose coat with
lace round the cap, and distinctive badge to indicate the grade, and in
the case of an overseer of artificers a hammer and chisel crossed. After
the reception in 1858-59 of a large number of mutineers they were
supplied with a belt and revolver.