rm　what　he　calls　the　〃Ring〃；　and　that　the　members　of　this　〃Ring〃　are　bound　by　oath　to　support　each　other；　and　to　avenge　the　punishment　of　any　of　their　number。　　In　proof　of　his　assertions　he　instanced　two　cases　of　English　prisoners　who　had　refused　to　join　in　some　crime；　and　had　informed　the　Commandant　of　the　proceedings　of　the　Ring。　They　were　found　in　the　morning　strangled　in　their　hammocks。　An　inquiry　was　held；　but　not　a　man　out　of　the　ninety　in　the　ward　would　speak　a　word。　　I　dread　the　task　that　is　before　me。　　How　can　I　attempt　to　preach　piety　and　morality　to　these　men？　How　can　I　attempt　even　to　save　the　less　villainous？
  May　17th。Visited　the　wards　to…day；　and　returned　in　despair。　The　condition　of　things　is　worse　than　I　expected。　　It　is　not　to　be　written。　The　newly…arrived　English　prisonersand　some　of　their　histories　are　most　touchingare　insulted　by　the　language　and　demeanour　of　the　hardened　miscreants　who　are　the　refuse　of　Port　Arthur　and　Cockatoo　Island。　　The　vilest　crimes　are　perpetrated　as　jests。　These　are　creatures　who　openly　defy　authority；　whose　language　and　conduct　is　such　as　was　never　before　　seen　or　heard　out　of　Bedlam。　　There　are　men　who　are　known　to　have　murdered　their　companions；　and　who　boast　of　it。　With　these　the　English　farm　labourer；　the　riotous　and　ignorant　mechanic；　the　victim　of　perjury　or　mistake；　are　indiscriminately　herded。　With　them　are　mixed　Chinamen　from　Hong　Kong；　the　Aborigines　of　New　Holland；　West　Indian　blacks；　Greeks；　Caffres；　and　Malays；　soldiers　for　desertion；　idiots；　madmen；　pig…stealers；　and　pick…pockets。　　The　dreadful　place　seems　set　apart　for　all　that　is　hideous　and　vile　in　our　common　nature。　In　its　recklessness；　its　insubordination；　its　filth；　and　its　despair；　it　realizes　to　my　mind　the　popular　notion　of　Hell。
  May　21st。Entered　to…day　officially　upon　my　duties　as　Religious　Instructor　at　the　Settlement。
  An　occurrence　took　place　this　morning　which　shows　the　dangerous　condition　of　the　Ring。　　I　accompanied　Mr。　Pounce　to　the　Lumber　Yard；　and；　on　our　entry；　we　observed　a　man　in　the　crowd　round　the　cook…house　deliberately　smoking。　The　Chief　Constable　of　the　Islandmy　old　friend　Troke；　of　Port　Arthur　seeing　that　this　exhibition　attracted　Pounce's　notice；　pointed　out　the　man　to　an　assistant。　　The　assistant；　Jacob　Gimblett；　advanced　and　desired　the　prisoner　to　surrender　the　pipe。　　The　man　plunged　his　hands　into　his　pockets；　and；　with　a　gesture　of　the　most　profound　contempt；　walked　away　to　that　part　of　the　mess…shed　where　the　〃Ring〃　congregate。
  〃Take　the　scoundrel　to　gaol！〃　cried　Troke。
  No　one　moved；　but　the　man　at　the　gate　that　leads　through　the　carpenter's　shop　into　the　barracks；　called　to　us　to　come　out；　saying　that　the　prisoners　would　never　suffer　the　man　to　be　taken。　　Pounce；　however；　with　more　determination　than　I　gave　him　credit　for；　kept　his　ground；　and　insisted　that　so　flagrant　a　breach　of　discipline　should　not　be　suffered　to　pass　unnoticed。　　Thus　urged；　Mr。　Troke　pushed　through　the　crowd；　and　made　for　the　spot　whither　the　man　had　withdrawn　himself。
  The　yard　was　buzzing　like　a　disturbed　hive；　and　I　momentarily　expected　that　a　rush　would　be　made　upon　us。　　In　a　few　moments　the　prisoner　appeared；　attended　by；　rather　than　in　the　custody　of；　the　Chief　Constable　of　the　island。　He　advanced　to　the　unlucky　assistant　constable；　who　was　standing　close　to　me；　and　asked；　〃What　have　you　ordered　me　to　gaol　for？〃　　The　man　made　some　reply；　advising　him　to　go　quietly；　when　the　convict　　raised　his　fist　and　deliberately　felled　the　man　to　the　ground。　　〃You　had　better　retire；　gentlemen；〃　said　Troke。　　〃I　see　them　getting　out　their　knives。〃
  We　made　for　the　gate；　and　the　crowd　closed　in　like　a　sea　upon　the　two　constables。　　I　fully　expected　murder；　but　in　a　few　moments　Troke　and　Gimblett　appeared；　borne　along　by　a　mass　of　men；　dusty；　but　unharmed；　and　having　the　convict　between　them。　　He　sulkily　raised　a　hand　as　he　passed　me；　either　to　rectify　the　position　of　his　straw　hat；　or　to　offer　a　tardy　apology。　A　more　wanton；　unprovoked；　and　flagrant　outrage　than　that　of　which　this　man　was　guilty　I　never　witnessed。　　It　is　customary　for　〃the　old　dogs〃；　as　the　experienced　convicts　are　called；　to　use　the　most　opprobrious　language　to　their　officers；　and　to　this　a　deaf　ear　is　usually　turned；　but　I　never　before　saw　a　man　wantonly　strike　a　constable。　　I　fancy　that　the　act　was　done　out　of　bravado。　　Troke　informed　me　that　the　man's　name　is　Rufus　Dawes；　and　that　he　is　the　leader　of　the　Ring；　and　considered　the　worst　man　on　the　island；　that　to　secure　him　he　（Troke）　was　obliged　to　use　the　language　of　expostulation；　and　that；　but　for　the　presenceof　an　officer　accredited　by　his　Excellency；　he　dared　not　have　acted　as　he　had　done。
  This　is　the　same　man；　then；　whom　I　injured　at　Port　Arthur。　　Seven　years　of　〃discipline〃　don't　seem　to　have　done　him　much　good。　　His　sentence　is　〃life〃a　lifetime　in　this　place！　　Troke　says　that　he　was　the　terror　of　Port　Arthur；　and　that　they　sent　him　here　when　a　〃weeding〃　of　the　prisoners　was　made。　　He　has　been　here　four　years。　　Poor　wretch！
  May　24th。After　prayers；　I　saw　Dawes。　　He　was　confined　in　the　Old　Gaol；　and　seven　others　were　in　the　cell　with　him。　　He　came　out　at　my　request；　and　stood　leaning　against　the　door…post。　　He　was　much　changed　from　the　man　I　remember。　　Seven　years　ago　he　was　a　stalwart；　upright；　handsome　man。　He　has　become　a　beetle…browed；　sullen；　slouching　ruffian。　　His　hair　is　grey；　though　he　cannot　be　more　than　forty　years　of　age；　and　his　frame　has　lost　that　just　proportion　of　parts　which　once　made　him　almost　graceful。　His　face　has　also　grown　like　other　convict　faceshow　hideously　alike　they　all　are！and；　save　for　his　black　eyes　and　a　peculiar　trick　he　had　of　compressing　his　lips；　I　should　not　have　recognized　him。　　How　habitual　sin　and　misery　suffice　to　brutalize　〃the　human　face　divine〃！　　I　said　but　　little；　for　the　other　prisoners　were　listening；　eager；　as　it　appeared　to　me；　to　witness　my　discomfiture。　　It　is　evident　that　Rufus　Dawes　had　been　accustomed　to　meet　the　ministrations　of　my　predecessors　with　insolence。　I　spoke　to　him　for　a　few　minutes；　only　saying　how　foolish　it　was　to　rebel　against　an　authority　superior　in　strength　to　himself。　He　did　not　answer；　and　the　only　emotion　he　evinced　during　the　interview　was　when　I　reminded　him　that　we　had　met　before。　　He　shrugged　one　shoulder；　as　if　in　pain　or　anger；　and　seemed　about　to　speak；　but；　casting　his　eyes　upon　the　group　in　the　cell；　relapsed　into　silence　again。　　I　must　get　speech　with　him　alone。　　One　can　do　nothing　with　a　man　if　seven　other　devils　worse　than　himself　are　locked　up　with　him。
  I　sent　for　Hankey；　and　asked　him　about　cells。　　He　says　that　the　gaol　is　crowded　to　suffocation。　　〃Solitary　confinement〃　is　a　mere　name。　There　are　six　men；　each　sentenced　to　solitary　confinement；　in　a　cell　together。　The　cell　is　called　the　〃nunnery〃。　　It　is　small；　and　the　six　men　were　naked　to　the　waist　when　I　entered；　the　perspiration　pouring　in　streams　off　their　naked　bodies！　It　is　disgusting　to　write　of　such　things。
  June　26th。Pounce　has　departed　in　the　Lady　Franklin　for　Hobart　Town；　and　it　is　rumoured　that　we　are　to　have　a　new　Commandant。　　The　Lady　Franklin　is　commanded　by　an　old　man　named　Blunt；　a　proteg？of　Frere's；　and　a　fellow　to　whom　I　have　taken　one　of　my　inexplicable　and　unreasoning　dislikes。
  Saw　Rufus　Dawes　this　morning。　　He　continues　sullen　and　morose。　　His　papers　are　very　bad。　　He　is　perpetually　up　for　punishment。　　I　am　informed　that　he　and　a　man　named　Eastwood；　nicknamed　〃Jacky　Jacky〃；　glory　in　being　the　leaders　of　the　Ring；　and　that　they　openly　avow　themselves　weary　of　life。　Can　it　be　that　the　unmerited　flogging　which　the　poor　creature　got　at　Port　Arthur　has　aided；　with　other　sufferings；　to　bring　him　to　this　horrible　state　of　mind？　　It　is　quite　possible。　　Oh；　James　North；　remember　your　own　crime；　and　pray　Heaven　to　let　you　redeem　one　soul　at　least；　to　plead　for　your　own　at　the　Judgment　Seat。
  June　30th。I　took　a　holiday　this　afternoon；　and　walked　in　the　direction　of　Mount　Pitt。　　The　island　lay　at　my　feet　likeas　sings　Mrs。　Frere's　favourite　poet〃a　summer　isle　of　　Eden　lying　in　dark　purple　sphere　of　sea〃。　Sophocles　has　the　same　idea　in　the　Philoctetes；　but　I　can't　quote　it。　Note：　I　measured　a　pine　twenty…three　feet　in　circumference。　　I　followed　a　little　brook　that　runs　from　the　hills；　and　winds　through　thick　undergrowths　of　creeper　and　blossom；　until　it　reaches　a　lovely　valley　surrounded　by　lofty　trees；　whose　branches；　linked　together　by　the　luxurious　grape…vine；　form　an　arching　bower　of　verdure。　　Here　stands　the　ruin　of　an　old　hut；　formerly　inhabited　by　the　early　settlers；　lemons；　figs；　and　guavas　are　thick；　while　amid　the　shrub　and　cane　a　large　convolvulus　is　entwined；　and　stars　the　green　with　its　purple　and　crimson　flowers。　　I　sat　down　here；　and　had　a　smoke。　　It　seems　that　the　former　occupant　of　my　rooms　at　the　settlement　read　French；　for　in　searching　for　a　book　to　bring　with　me　I　never　walk　without　a　bookI　found　and　pocketed　a　volume　of　Balzac。　It　proved　to　be　a　portion　of　the　Vie　Prive？series；　and　I　stumbled　upon　a　story　called　La　Fausse　Maitresse。　　With　calm　belief　in　the　Paris　of　his　imaginationwhere　Marcas　was　a　politician；　Nucingen　a　banker；　Gobseck　a　money…lender；　and　Vautrin　a　candidate　for　some　such