If the ships were not quite
seaworthy it did not matter much. The voyage was sure to be a
success; the passengers might never reach land, but in any case they
would never return. On the vessels conveying male convicts, some
soldiers and officers were embarked to keep order and put down
mutiny. Order was kept with the lash, and mutiny was put down with
the musket. On the ships conveying women there were no soldiers, but
an extra half-crew was engaged. These men were called "Shilling-a-month"
men, because they had agreed to work for one shilling a month for the
privilege of being allowed to remain in Sydney. If the voyage lasted
twelve months they would thus have the sum of twelve shillings with
which to commence making their fortunes in the Southern Hemisphere.
But the "Shilling-a-month" man, as a matter of fact, was not worth
one cent the day after he landed, and he had to begin life once more
barefoot, like a new-born babe.
The seamen's food on board these transports was bad and scanty,
consisting of live biscuit, salt horse, Yankee pork, and Scotch
coffee. The Scotch coffee was made by steeping burnt biscuit in
boiling water to make it strong. The convicts' breakfast consisted
of oatmeal porridge, and the hungry seamen used to crowd round the
galley every morning to steal some of it. It would be impossible for
a nation ever to become virtuous and rich if its seamen and convicts
were reared in luxury and encouraged in habits of extravagance.
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