Before leaving the Hulk, the convicts are thoroughly clothed in. new suits, and ironed; and it is curious to observe with what nonchalance some of these fellows will turn the jingling of their chains into music whereto they dance and sing. Two rows of sleeping-berths, one above the other, extend on each side of the between-decks of the convict-ship, each berth being six feet square, and calculated to hold four convicts, every one thus possessing eighteen inches space to sleep in — and ample space, too!
The common diet of the convicts is certainly more than is requisite to keep them in health, as they have no work to do; but it is not more than is politic to allow them; because, if you stint them on the voyage, you must keep them under greater restraint, and their healths will suffer in consequence.
