The Convict Ship Proteus

The convict ship Proteus sailed from Portsmouth on the 14^th April 1831 and arrived at Hobart Town, Tasmania (or Van Diemen’s Land as it was called then) on 3 August 1831. On board were 112 male convicts, all but 13 of them had been convicted of machine breaking or associated crimes. All the convicts survived the voyage. The Master of the Proteus was Sylvester J Brown, this was the only voyage he made as master of a convict ship. The Surgeon Superintendent was Thomas Logan, this was his second voyage on a convict ship, his first voyage having been on board the Albion in 1828. In his Journal of the voyage Thomas Logan makes the following comments about the prisoners in his charge. ‘Most of them are from the country, farm labourers, a few of them were artisans. Generally speaking they had the sturdy build of labouring men. Their awkwardness and stiffness were such that I became desirous of removing the embarrassment which their irons too evidently occasioned – not to speak of the danger of accidents to which they exposed them. They were accordingly all removed before leaving Portsmouth; nor did subsequent experience teach me that this act of consideration and beneficence had exceeded the limits of prudence.’

The Proteus was a 254-ton barque, and had been built in Java in 1815. The voyage in 1831 was the only voyage made as a convict transport.

Surgeon Superintendent’s Journal for the Proteus

(TNA – ADM/101/62/1)

GENERAL REMARKS

The Convicts per Proteus were destined for Van Diemen’s Land. The voyage lasted exactly sixteen weeks. On the 6^th April the prisoners were embarked at Portsmouth, & on the 14^th the Proteus sailed thence on her destination. With the exception of one severe gale off Cape Finisterre, the voyage, from the day of sailing, till we turned the Cape of Good Hope, was extremely favourable in regard to weather. The rest of the voyage was performed in rather story winds.

The Proteus was a teak ship of 253 tons: the number of Convicts embarked was One hundred & twelve. They were part of those ignorant & misled Englishmen termed Rioters, who had overthrown order, & violated public security. Most of them were from the country; farm labourers; a few of them were artisans. Generally speaking they had the sturdy build of labouring men. Their awkwardness and stiffness were such that I became desirous of removing the embarrassment which their Irons but too evidently occasioned ‑ not to speak of the danger of accidents to which they exposed them. They were accordingly all removed before leaving Portsmouth; nor did subsequent experience teach me that this act of consideration and beneficence had exceeded the limits of just prudence.

Having had but one gale from Portsmouth to the northern Tropic we had but a short trial of that extreme misery which reigns in a Convict ship assailed by bad weather upon leaving Port. Catarrhs, rheumatisms, diarrhoeas, phlegmons, & slight accidents constituted the chief strength of the Sick-List during the passage. No death happened on board. Two prisoners were sent to Hospital at Hobart Town, one with Phthisis, the other with Scorbutus, but as the cases together with remarks are given in this Journal, I need not touch the subject again in this place. The cases indeed, in this Journal, are but few; I should most willingly have augmented their number had it been in my power; but out of a mass of inconsiderable affections those given are the only ones which could bear the formality of figuring as cases.

The Proteus was a small ship, so small that, from Portsmouth to the Derwent we durst not, for fear of shipping water, venture to take the Scuttles out for air. Except in the finest weather the sea washed over the upper deck. It is not necessary to say what happened when it blew strong. It was necessary to batten down the main hatch, & so keep it, nearly all the time we were gaining our grand line of east longitude. By reason of this the Prison was dark, except near the fore & after hatchways. The bad weather which rendered it necessary to batten down the main hatch likewise caused great leakage into the prison. It will not be difficult to fancy how sad was the abode of the Convicts during this part of the voyage. Had the Proteus been unhealthy the circumstances mentioned would have had a conspicuous place in the catalogue of Causes: but, fortunately, medical causes are not always productive of their alleged effects. The moral as well as physical management of the Prisoners had been studied. I am persuaded that their exemption from sickness depended much on that heart-ease & mental elasticity which all men feel, when convinced by experience, that, whatever be their hardships, they have at all events been treated with justice & humanity.

If, for one fourth of the voyage, the situation of the prisoners was dismal, the remainder of it was performed in what, in order to be fair, I must call favourable circumstances, every thing considered. The prison was rather low perhaps, but otherwise sufficiently roomy. In the northern & southern temperate zones the thermometer, generally speaking thro’ out the voyage, ranged from the 50^th to the 60^th degrees Fahrenheit, mostly perhaps towards the 60^th.These alone were circumstances very favourable to health. Add to these that there were no corporal & very few minor punishments, & we shall then possess some of the most important elements requisite for the good health of the prisoners.

Thorough cleanliness is so indispensably requisite for health in ships, that the labour of effecting it has become a merely routine process. It would not need to be noticed here but for certain peculiarities in our management which are deserving perhaps of being detailed.

The first of these concerned the management of the soil-cases. Besides being taken up early every morning to be emptied & cleaned; they are afterwards secured on deck, & there remain the whole day. If there be any sick or weakly persons confined below, one is sent down for their use: at night however it is sent up to be cleaned again: & into all of them, when brought below at night, chloride of lime is put in liberal quantity. Moreover, twice a week, they are scraped inside, & freed from that offensive incrustation which sooner or later forms upon them: after which they are scalded with hot water obtained from the coppers, on beef & pudding days, which are the days selected on purpose for this purification. The second peculiarity to which I have to advert is the white washing of the Prison Deck. Nothing is more familiar in a ships hygiene than the process of white-washing: it should be done in every convict ship at least once every month. But what we consider new, & know by experience to be invaluable, is the application of white-wash to the deck under foot. Chloride of lime will not answer for this purpose. The odour of the chloride itself, in excessive quantity, is agreeable; & it dries upon the deck as soap suds do upon the face, not leaving the thick, white, brilliant coat which remains when common lime has been employed. I began by white washing at first merely that portion of the deck which is beneath the bottom boards of the lower berths. The effect was charming! The extent of sombre surface which it rendered bright & cheerful was great, & the freshness which it defused was matter of general congratulation among the convicts. I soon extended the process to the whole deck of the prison, & had the greatest reason to be pleased with the result. The splendour of the prison! When white washed “alow & aloft” was striking, & highly calculated to gratify any mind sufficiently well informed to enjoy & appreciate any improvement in the sanatory & conomy of the ship. If done on a fine day, it dries rapidly. Long before the prisoners are sent below in the Evening, the prison is dry & sweet to receive them. That under the bottom boards, being inaccessible to the feet, looks well for a long time. However, it might be renewed once a week with advantage. On the part of the deck trodden upon, the white wash is not rubbed off so soon as might be supposed. When the deck is swept next day, it has a white & cleanly look which no other process could communicate. It is not in look only, but a point of fact, that the deck is cleaner. It acts as strong soap by which the greasy scum of the deck is more effectually & advantageously scoured than by any other method. In fine weather this part of the prison might be white-washed every day, or every other day: at all events there cannot be any good reason against doing it twice a week.

The third peculiarity of our management of the prison is that of keeping it empty all day. Without this it cannot be wholesome. Without this all pains taken to purify it are but transitory & evanescent expedients – mere palliatives, instead powerful preventives of insalubrity & contagion. If part of the convicts remain below dirt & stink must have the ascendancy, throughout the voyage. This is proved every day it rains, & when from this, or any other cause, the convicts are kept below. It stands to reason; it wont bear any argument; it is manifest. In regard to the health of the convicts themselves, I deem it of paramount importance that they be kept the whole day on deck, except in bad weather. Without this they must become sickly. Allowed to be below they crawl into their berths & snore away their existence, or work mischief, & create dirt & disorder. There is something morally as well as physically salubrious in the open air. All meanness & vice naturally fear the broad day light. Convicts especially, should be kept in view of heaven as much as possible! It will naturally be asked how it fared in the Proteus, when, running down our east longitude, all the prisoners were not only, for the most part, down below; but with the superadded disadvantage of the main hatch battened down & a dark & damp prison? So soon as the main hatchway was closed up there immediately arose a strong draught of air down the fore, & up the after hatchway, which kept up such a brisk current that a candle would scarcely burn below. By this a constant renovation of the air was maintained day & night. The value of this was incalculable in regard to health. I know of nothing which could have so effectually averted the evils with which we seemed to be menaced.

It may be expected that we should have used stoves as one of our hygienic resources, but we could not. There were already three fires giving out smoke on our upper deck; quite enough in a small ship. Besides, the ship’s motion was great, & the sea washing over the deck. The labour & inconvenience of kindling the stoves would therefore have been excessive. But the leakage into the prison being constant, there remained no hope of drying it by stoves; & we already had a strong draught of air through the ‘tween decks. Moreover, there was not room, or free space enough, in the prison, for the stoves to swing; the whole of the prisoners were usually below, the prison was dark; so there were stronger grounds for fearing harm than for hoping benefit from their employment. There remained nothing but the vigorous application of the broom & swab, & these were neither spared nor neglected. Satisfied that every practicable exertion was made for their comfort, & cheered by the prospect of a speedy termination of the voyage, the spirits of the Convicts continued buoyant to the last. Scurvy did, nevertheless, begin to appear. Fortunately & consoling therefore was it, that at this period, the Proteus arrived at her destination.

Thomas Logan

Surgeon R.N.

N.B. The copy of the daily Sick-book follows the Cases given in the body of the Journal.

Copy of the daily Sick-book of the Guard

Copy of the daily Sick-book of Prisoners

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The following list gives the name, age, place & date of trial, and sentence of those on board. Further information on the men from Buckinghamshire, Essex, Hampshire and Wiltshire will be found in the appropriate county book. See Publications page for details.