The life and conditions the convicts of Port Arthur endured can only be described as 'Hell on Earth'. Life at Port Arthur was supported by the laboring backs of second offenders. It was a place feared by all and only the toughest survived.
Brutal and inhuman punishments were given without mercy, and the will of many were shattered after a lashing or a week with only their thoughts for company.
The months long voyage to Port Arthur was full of cramped spaces, a cacophony of whooping coughs and the anxiety of an unknown, uncertain future. The food they were rationed was bland and boring. It's nutritional value almost non-existent which resulted in many complications. Tattoos graced many convicts skin, providing them with a sense of individualism in a monotonous and agony filled …show more content…
In the early days of transportation, the conditions on ships were appalling. Many died on the journey that took four to six months. Many of the convicts on the ships were already disease ridden, they didn't manage to live through the bouts of typhoid and cholera. Those that managed it were severely weakened, by scurvy, dysentery, fever and occasionally measles.
The convicts were taken aboard shackled and chained. Thought they were released once onboard. Convicts spent most of the voyage locked below the prison deck. During the journey they were given the opportunity exercise on deck and catch a breath of fresh air.
The sleeping conditions were cramped, crowded and uncomfortable. The food was unchanging throughout and had no dietary value. In the early days of transportation discipline was brutal and the lash was regularly issued. Later in the 1840s is they misbehaved convicts would get 'boxed', this involved putting them into a small confined space. In which they could neither stand or lie down. The voyage to Port Arthur was just the beginning of a challenging and difficult future of the
Brutal and inhuman punishments were given without mercy, and the will of many were shattered after a lashing or a week with only their thoughts for company.
The months long voyage to Port Arthur was full of cramped spaces, a cacophony of whooping coughs and the anxiety of an unknown, uncertain future. The food they were rationed was bland and boring. It's nutritional value almost non-existent which resulted in many complications. Tattoos graced many convicts skin, providing them with a sense of individualism in a monotonous and agony filled …show more content…
In the early days of transportation, the conditions on ships were appalling. Many died on the journey that took four to six months. Many of the convicts on the ships were already disease ridden, they didn't manage to live through the bouts of typhoid and cholera. Those that managed it were severely weakened, by scurvy, dysentery, fever and occasionally measles.
The convicts were taken aboard shackled and chained. Thought they were released once onboard. Convicts spent most of the voyage locked below the prison deck. During the journey they were given the opportunity exercise on deck and catch a breath of fresh air.
The sleeping conditions were cramped, crowded and uncomfortable. The food was unchanging throughout and had no dietary value. In the early days of transportation discipline was brutal and the lash was regularly issued. Later in the 1840s is they misbehaved convicts would get 'boxed', this involved putting them into a small confined space. In which they could neither stand or lie down. The voyage to Port Arthur was just the beginning of a challenging and difficult future of the