ame　and　manhood。　　Stifling　though　the　prison；　infamous　the　companionship；　terrible　the　memory　of　past　happiness　there　was　yet　ignorance　of　the　future；　there　was　yet　hope。　But　at　Macquarie　Harbour　was　poured　out　the　very　dregs　of　this　cup　of　desolation。　　The　worst　had　come；　and　the　worst　must　for　ever　remain。　The　pit　of　torment　was　so　deep　that　one　could　not　even　see　Heaven。　There　was　no　hope　there　so　long　as　life　remained。　　Death　alone　kept　the　keys　of　that　island　prison。
  Is　it　possible　to　imagine；　even　for　a　moment；　what　an　innocent　man；　gifted　with　ambition；　endowed　with　power　to　love　and　to　respect；　must　have　suffered　during　one　week　of　such　punishment？　　We　ordinary　men；　leading　ordinary　liveswalking；　riding；　laughing；　marrying　and　giving　in　marriagecan　form　no　notion　of　such　misery　as　this。　Some　dim　ideas　we　may　have　about　the　sweetness　of　liberty　and　the　loathing　that　evil　company　inspires；　but　that　is　all。　　We　know　that　were　we　chained　and　degraded；　fed　like　dogs；　employed　as　beasts　of　burden；　driven　to　our　daily　toil　with　threats　and　blows；　and　herded　with　wretches　among　whom　all　that　savours　of　decency　and　manliness　is　held　in　an　open　scorn；　we　should　die；　perhaps；　or　go　mad。　　But　we　do　not　know；　and　can　never　know；　how　unutterably　loathsome　life　must　become　when　shared　with　such　beings　as　those　who　dragged　the　tree…trunks　to　the　banks　of　the　Gordon；　and　toiled；　blaspheming；　in　their　irons；　on　the　dismal　sandpit　of　Sarah　Island。　No　human　creature　could　describe　to　what　depth　of　personal　abasement　and　self…loathing　one　week　of　such　a　life　would　plunge　him。　Even　if　he　had　the　power　to　write；　he　dared　not。　　As　one　whom　in　a　desert；　seeking　for　a　face；　should　come　to　a　pool　of　blood；　and　seeing　his　own　reflection；　flyso　would　such　a　one　hasten　from　the　contemplation　of　his　own　degrading　agony。　　Imagine　such　torment　endured　for　six　years！
  Ignorant　that　the　sights　and　sounds　about　him　were　symptoms　of　the　final　abandonment　of　the　settlement；　and　that　the　Ladybird　was　sent　down　to　bring　away　the　prisoners；　Rufus　Dawes　decided　upon　getting　rid　of　that　burden　of　life　which　pressed　upon　him　so　heavily。　　For　six　years　he　had　hewn　wood　and　drawn　water；　for　six　years　he　had　hoped　against　hope；　for　six　years　he　had　lived　in　the　valley　of　the　shadow　of　Death。　He　dared　not　recapitulate　to　himself　what　he　had　suffered。　　Indeed；　his　senses　were　deadened　and　dulled　by　torture。　　He　cared　to　remember　only　one　thingthat　he　was　a　Prisoner　for　Life。　　In　vain　had　been　his　first　dream　of　freedom。　　He　had　done　his　best；　by　good　conduct；　to　win　release；　but　the　villainy　of　Vetch　and　Rex　had　deprived　him　of　the　fruit　of　his　labour。　　Instead　of　gaining　credit　by　his　exposure　of　the　plot　on　board　the　Malabar；　he　was　himself　deemed　guilty；　and　condemned；　despite　his　asseverations　of　innocence。　　The　knowledge　of　his　〃treachery〃for　so　it　was　deemed　among　his　associates　while　it　gained　for　him　no　credit　with　the　authorities；　procured　for　him　the　detestation　and　ill…will　of　the　monsters　among　whom　he　found　himself。　On　his　arrival　at　Hell's　Gates　he　was　a　marked　mana　Pariah　among　those　beings　who　were　Pariahs　to　all　the　world　beside。　Thrice　his　life　was　attempted；　but　he　was　not　then　quite　tired　of　living；　and　he　defended　it。　　This　defence　was　construed　by　an　overseer　into　a　brawl；　and　the　irons　from　which　he　had　been　relieved　were　replaced。　His　strengthbrute　attribute　that　alone　could　avail　himmade　him　respected　after　this；　and　he　was　left　at　peace。　　At　first　this　treatment　was　congenial　to　his　temperament；　but　by　and　by　it　became　annoying；　then　painful；　then　almost　unendurable。　　Tugging　at　his　oar；　digging　up　to　his　waist　in　slime；　or　bending　beneath　his　burden　of　pine　wood；　he　looked　greedily　for　some　excuse　to　be　addressed。　　He　would　take　double　weight　when　forming　part　of　the　human　caterpillar　along　whose　back　lay　a　pine　tree；　for　a　word　of　fellowship。　　He　would　work　double　tides　to　gain　a　kindly　sentence　from　a　comrade。　　In　his　utter　desolation　he　agonized　for　the　friendship　of　robbers　and　murderers。　Then　the　reaction　came；　and　he　hated　the　very　sound　of　their　voices。　He　never　spoke；　and　refused　to　answer　when　spoken　to。　　He　would　even　take　his　scanty　supper　alone；　did　his　chain　so　permit　him。　　He　gained　the　reputation　of　a　sullen；　dangerous；　half…crazy　ruffian。　　Captain　Barton；　the　superintendent；　took　pity　on　him；　and　made　him　his　gardener。　He　accepted　the　pity　for　a　week　or　so；　and　then　Barton；　coming　down　one　morning；　found　the　few　shrubs　pulled　up　by　the　roots；　the　flower…beds　trampled　into　barrenness；　and　his　gardener　sitting　on　the　ground　among　the　fragments　of　his　gardening　tools。　　For　this　act　of　wanton　mischief　he　was　flogged。　　At　the　triangles　his　behaviour　was　considered　curious。　　He　wept　and　prayed　to　be　released；　fell　on　his　knees　to　Barton；　and　implored　pardon。　　Barton　would　not　listen；　and　at　the　first　blow　the　prisoner　was　silent。　　From　that　time　he　became　more　sullen　than　ever；　only　at　times　he　was　observed；　when　alone；　to　fling　himself　on　the　ground　and　cry　like　a　child。　　It　was　generally　thought　that　his　brain　was　affected。
  When　Vickers　came；　Dawes　sought　an　interview；　and　begged　to　be　sent　back　to　Hobart　Town。　　This　was　refused；　of　course；　but　he　was　put　to　work　on　the　Osprey。　　After　working　there　for　some　time；　and　being　released　from　his　irons；　he　concealed　himself　on　the　slip；　and　in　the　evening　swam　across　the　harbour。　　He　was　pursued；　retaken；　and　flogged。　Then　he　ran　the　dismal　round　of　punishment。　　He　burnt　lime；　dragged　timber；　and　tugged　at　the　oar。　　The　heaviest　and　most　degrading　tasks　were　always　his。　Shunned　and　hated　by　his　companions；　feared　by　the　convict　overseers；　and　regarded　with　unfriendly　eyes　by　the　authorities；　Rufus　Dawes　was　at　the　very　bottom　of　that　abyss　of　woe　into　which　he　had　voluntarily　cast　himself。　　Goaded　to　desperation　by　his　own　thoughts；　he　had　joined　with　Gabbett　and　the　unlucky　three　in　their　desperate　attempt　to　escape；　but；　as　Vickers　stated；　he　had　been　captured　almost　instantly。　He　was　lamed　by　the　heavy　irons　he　wore；　and　though　Gabbett　with　a　strange　eagerness　for　which　after　events　accountedinsisted　that　he　could　make　good　his　flight；　the　unhappy　man　fell　in　the　first　hundred　yards　of　the　terrible　race；　and　was　seized　by　two　volunteers　before　he　could　rise　again。　　His　capture　helped　to　secure　the　brief　freedom　of　his　comrades；　for　Mr。　Troke；　content　with　one　prisoner；　checked　a　pursuit　which　the　nature　of　the　ground　rendered　dangerous；　and　triumphantly　brought　Dawes　back　to　the　settlement　as　his　peace…offering　for　the　negligence　which　had　resulted　in　the　loss　of　the　other　four。　For　this　madness　the　refractory　convict　had　been　condemned　to　the　solitude　of　the　Grummet　Rock。
  In　that　dismal　hermitage；　his　mind；　preying　on　itself；　had　become　disordered。　He　saw　visions　and　dreamt　dreams。　　He　would　lie　for　hours　motionless；　staring　at　the　sun　or　the　sea。　　He　held　converse　with　imaginary　beings。　He　enacted　the　scene　with　his　mother　over　again。　　He　harangued　the　rocks；　and　called　upon　the　stones　about　him　to　witness　his　innocence　and　his　sacrifice。　　He　was　visited　by　the　phantoms　of　his　early　friends；　and　sometimes　thought　his　present　life　a　dream。　　Whenever　he　awoke；　however；　he　was　commanded　by　a　voice　within　himself　to　leap　into　the　surges　which　washed　the　walls　of　his　prison；　and　to　dream　these　sad　dreams　no　more。
  In　the　midst　of　this　lethargy　of　body　and　brain；　the　unusual　occurrences　along　the　shore　of　the　settlement　roused　in　him　a　still　fiercer　hatred　of　life。　He　saw　in　them　something　incomprehensible　and　terrible；　and　read　in　them　threats　of　an　increase　of　misery。　　Had　he　known　that　the　Ladybird　was　preparing　for　sea；　and　that　it　had　been　already　decided　to　fetch　him　from　the　Rock　and　iron　him　with　the　rest　for　safe　passage　to　Hobart　Town；　he　might　have　paused；　but　he　knew　nothing；　save　that　the　burden　of　life　was　insupportable；　and　that　the　time　had　come　for　him　to　be　rid　of　it。
  In　the　meantime；　the　settlement　was　in　a　fever　of　excitement。　In　less　than　three　weeks　from　the　announcement　made　by　Vickers；　all　had　been　got　ready。　　The　Commandant　had　finally　arranged　with　Frere　as　to　his　course　of　action。　　He　would　himself　accompany　the　Ladybird　with　the　main　body。　　His　wife　and　daughter　were　to　remain　until　the　sailing　of　the　Osprey；　which　Mr。　Frerecharged　with　the　task　of　final　destruction　was　to　bring　up　as　soon　as　possible。　　〃I　will　leave　you　a　corporal's　guard；　and　ten　prisoners　as　a　crew；〃　Vickers　said。　　〃You　can　work　her　easily　with　that　number。〃　To　which　Frere；　smiling　at　Mrs。　Vickers　in　a　self…satisfied　way；　had　replied　that　he　could　do　with　five　prisoners　if　necessary；　for　he　knew　how　to　get　double　work　out　of　the　lazy　dogs。
  Among　the　incidents　which　took　place　during　the　breaking　up　was　one　which　it　is　necessary　to　chronicle。　　Near　Philip's　Island；　on　the　north　side　of　the　harbour；　is　situated　Coal　Head；　where　a　party　had　been　lately　at　work。　This　party；　hastily　withdrawn　by　Vickers　to　assist　in　the　business　of　devastation；　had　left　behind　it　some　tools　and　timber；　and　at　the　eleventh　hour　a　boat's　crew　was　sent　to　bring　away　the　d閎ris。　The　tools　were　duly　collected；　and　the　pine　logsworth　twenty…five　shillings　apiece　in　Hobart　Townduly　rafted　and　chained。　　The　tim