Difference between revisions of "Seasickness"

Revision as of 07:55, 25 February 2016

Background

Unsurprisingly, many of the convicts became seasick as soon as the ship sailed. There are mentions of this on some of the early ships, but it is not until later years that we find accounts that describe how deeply unpleasant the prison was for several days. Since the crew were fully engaged in taking the ship to sea, there was no prospect of the prison being cleaned immediately, one of the unfortunate but unavoidable features of a convict voyage.

Baring (1819)

Laurence Halloran, a gentleman convict on the Baring (1819) complained to the Home Secretary and a member of parliament about his treatment on board the ship prior to sailing. The allegations were investigated and disproven, but the MP, Henry Grey Bennett, went on board the ship and later described his shock at the seasickness among the convicts:

"Never would he forget the loathsome scene which the vessel exhibited! A scene most disgraceful to a country and government calling themselves civilized and christians! It appeared that the ship had a short time before, got on a bank in a gale of wind, and had been nearly lost. The agitation of the storm had occasioned violent seasickness among the unhappy men on board, and those who were at the bottom, were almost suffocated by the results of that sickness. Good God! was it possible to contemplate such physical torture without horror?. . . He had complained to the captain of the offensive and obnoxious state of the lower part of the vessel in which such a number of po;or wretches were confined, and the captain informed him, that as soon as he got to sea, he would have the means of cleansing that part of the ship from the filth which covered it." (House of Commons Hansard, 1st Series, Vol.39, 25 January 1819, Cols.89, 118)

Canton (1839)

Linus Miller, a gentleman convict on the Canton (1839) explained how unpleasant it was in the prison with so many throwing up:

"No sooner were the sails unfurled than sea-sickness commenced, and in a short time became general. There were only half a dozen persons in the prison who escaped the malady. ‘Accounts were cast up,’ without ceremony, not only on the floor but in the berths; and our apartment was rendered truly horrible. An entire week passed before it could be properly cleansed. . .

I did not recover from sea-sickness until the voyage was more than half completed, and, as I was unable during the time to take much sustenance, I was reduced exceedingly low. The surgeon afterwards informed me that he had at the time, but slight hopes of my living to complete the voyage." (‘Notes of an Exile’, pp.245, 246-7)

Mangles (1839)

And John Ward, a convict on the Mangles (1839):

"The weather was more favourable, and toward evening we got a fair breeze, and got safe off.

By this time a great many of us began to be sea sick, which was truly a miserable condition, 296 was the number of prisoners on board, huddled and crammed together as thick as we could lay, not to mention the stench and all other difficulties which attend such numbers at sea. I, as I said before, got a comparatively pleasant berth which prevented, I believe, me being sick, tho’ I had much to contend with, for I was immediately between the Two house of ‘call’ – which great inconveynence [inconvenience], and very much dirt. However two or three days soon passed away, and the greater part of us was, I may say better of the sickness. . ." (Journal, pp.117-118)