Travels Through North America, During the Years 1825 and 1826. v. 1-2. Bernhard

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ the gentlemen had withdrawn, I visited the New England Museum, a very pompous description of which had fallen into my hands. This museum is a private establishment, and consists of a mixture of wax figures, musical clocks, stuffed animals, portraits, French caricatures, butterflies, &c. Two articles alone interested me, namely, two living rattlesnakes, and three Egyptian mummies. The snakes, caught near Lake Erie, were lying in a box covered with glass, and received no nourishment but water. They are ugly creatures, of a dark gray colour, with large sharp scales and yellow bellies. Large thick heads, prominent black eyes, and forked tongues. One of them, which was engaged in casting its skin, was for the time blind; it had four rattles, and was receiving a fifth. The attendant irritated it, but we did not hear it rattle. Spirit of hartshorn is said to be very effectual against their bite. The mummies were brought last year in an American vessel from Egypt. One was in the same condition in which it had been when in the coffin, except that the cloth had been taken from the face. The two others were more or less uncovered; their coffins were well preserved. I was astonished to see the fresh colours of the figures painted on them. One of the mummies had two coffins, whence it is inferred that she was a person of high rank. I saw also a Chinese painting, representing all the tortures and modes of death common in China; a shocking and disgusting sight. Finally, I observed a good model of the old bastile of Paris, made of a stone from this building.

      The mayor, Mr. Quincy, had the politeness to show us the state prison. This is situated in Charlestown, is of granite, and was built about twenty years ago at the expense of the state of Massachusetts. It consists of a centre building, containing the dwelling and offices of the superintendant, as well as the watchroom, and of two wings, where the prisoners are lodged. Behind the building is a large yard where the prisoners work. It is enclosed by a high wall, with palisades, which is guarded day and night by several sentinels. The prisoners are chiefly employed in cutting and polishing blocks of granite, which are used in Boston and its vicinity. The punishment of every prisoner who is sufficiently robust, commences with this hard labour, which, however, is changed if his conduct merits it, or if he exhibits abilities for some other employment. As stone-cutter, a daily task is assigned to him, which, if not finished, or badly done, is followed by solitary confinement. If he performs more than his task, he is paid for the surplus. Of this sum he can dispose as he pleases when discharged. Newly-arrived prisoners, and those who have conducted themselves badly, are dressed in green and blue, when, however, they conduct themselves properly again, they are freed from this distinguishing habit. Other prisoners work at various trades; supplying at the same time their mutual wants, as shoes, &c. An engraver who was imprisoned for counterfeiting Nova Scotia bank notes, worked in a separate room, and engraved very neat maps. Four prisoners sleep in one cell, which are all tolerably well ventilated, and every prisoner has his own hammock. Black bread and soup constitute the food of the prisoners, who receive besides for breakfast and supper, a portion of syrup and flour, forming a kind of pudding. Besides the usual service on Sunday, they have prayers daily.

      A report of the state of the prison from September 30, 1823, to September 30, 1824, which was published by the warden, Mr. Thomas Harris, contains the following results: —

      The whole number of prisoners from 1805 to September 30, 1824, was one thousand eight hundred and sixteen; of these there were thirteen hundred and three dismissed, after the period of their punishment had expired; two hundred and ninety-eight were pardoned; fifteen escaped; one hundred and two died; two hundred and ninety-eight remained; of the thirteen hundred and three who were dismissed, two hundred and thirteen were a second time in prison for new crimes, and among these two hundred and thirteen there were twenty-four who had been pardoned.

      On the 30th of September, 1823, there were three hundred and eight prisoners; of these eighty were dismissed, ten pardoned, six died, and, consequently, two hundred and twelve remained. To these eighty-six had been added, so that the number of prisoners amounted, September 30th, 1824, to two hundred and ninety-eight, as was mentioned above. Among these there were only three females.

      Of these two hundred and ninety-eight, there were fifty-four black or coloured people, and fifty-nine white foreigners, viz. thirteen Englishmen, seventeen Irishmen, eight Scotchmen, four from Nova Scotia, two Canadians, one from the Cape of Good Hope, three West Indians, four Frenchmen, two Swedes, two Italians, one from Green Cape, one Portuguese, one German.

      Two hundred and twenty-two were sentenced for stealing, twenty-six for passing counterfeit money, sixteen for burglary, seven for attempted rape, six for attempting to murder, five for being incendiaries, eleven for forgery, and five, among whom were the three females, for robbery.

      The prisoners are employed in different occupations; one hundred and twenty-one were stone-cutters, twenty-seven for removing the stone, thirty joiners, eleven brush makers, eight weavers, six shoemakers, ten tailors, &c. There were eleven in the hospital, four in solitary confinement, and three invalids.

      The expenses of the prison amounted to forty-one thousand six hundred and ninety-five dollars for the maintenance of the prisoners, clothes, beds, medicine, and materials employed in the labours of the prisoners; and fifteen thousand nine hundred and twenty-six dollars for the officers, &c. Total of expenses, fifty-seven thousand six hundred and twenty-two dollars.

      The income derived from the labours of the prisoners amounted to fifty-eight thousand eight hundred and thirty-four dollars, and thus the prison was not only of no expense to the state, but produced a profit of twelve hundred and twelve dollars!

      After leaving this remarkable building, the mayor accompanied us to Cambridge. A company of volunteers from Boston, the Washington Rangers, were training. The company were already departing when we arrived, but had the politeness to halt and repeat their exercise again. They exhibited much skill. They are somewhat fantastically dressed in green, and armed with long rifles. I became acquainted with the officers, who were all young men of the best families. I also spoke with several Cambridge students, some of whom were dressed in a uniform, belonging to a volunteer company, consisting of students alone.

      We then went to Bunker’s Hill, near Charlestown. The space is small, but of great importance in American history. Connected with the main land by a bridge, this field of battle lies on a small island and has two hills, the higher and most northern of which is called Bunker’s Hill; the southern, Breed’s Hill, commands Charlestown and the Boston Roads. In the year 1775, the Americans occupied this hill, and with their artillery, which was placed in a redoubt hastily thrown up, harassed the English garrison in Boston, and the fleet. On the morning of the 17th of June, the English made a sally, left Boston, landed on a point east of the redoubt, where the Americans had left too weak a defence, formed their columns, whilst the artillery in Boston set Charlestown on fire, and attacked the redoubt. This was so well defended, that the English were twice obliged to retreat with very great loss. In one of these unsuccessful attacks, the English Major Pitcairn, who shortly before had commanded the English advance guard at the affair of Lexington, was shot by an American sharp shooter, who still lives, at the moment when he shouted to his soldiers not to be “afraid of these d – d rebels, which were nothing but a crowd of grasshoppers.”

      But the English received reinforcements, and renewed the attack. The Americans, on the contrary, had expended their ammunition, and the shot sent to them from Cambridge, the headquarters of General Lee, were too large for the calibre of their pieces. They could obtain no assistance, as an English man of war kept up a fierce fire upon the bridge, the only means of communication with the main land. They determined, therefore, to evacuate the redoubt, and they effected it, though with great loss. At this time an English officer shot Dr. Warren, one of the most distinguished American patriots, who shortly before had been appointed general, by congress. The English did not pursue the Americans farther than Bunker’s Hill, but returned during the night to Boston. The remains of the redoubt are still seen, and on the 17th of June last, the corner stone of a monument was laid, which is to be an obelisk two hundred and ten feet high. One hundred and thirty veterans were present at this ceremony, the last of the seventeen hundred Americans who had participated in this affair.

      Finally, СКАЧАТЬ