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State Library of NSW
Collection Item
Thomas Scott - 'Life of a Convict named "Isaacs" a Jew in Van Diemen's Land taken down from his own dictation in the year 1821 at Elizabeth River where he then was - Servant to Govr. Sorell as his Stock Keeper' - p8
[Page 8]
Could take away with me - At 4 oclock in the morning we got the rout &
marched 7 leagues that day upon the road to Paris - when I came into my quarters at night I sold the sheets - boots & silver forks & spoons for 3
luis dors to the people I slept with - Next day we went for 5 leagues Me &
my comrades were quartered up on a poor man & woman In the town - we took
from them a pair of trousers & sheet & blanket & 6 small cheeses - which was
all we cud fd worth taking we making it a rule to rob every house as we went
along - we were 10 days in going from Ghent to Neully Camp within 3 miles of
Paris & 2 from St Dennis - the last night but one of our journey me & my
comrades were quartered at a shoemakers house - before we came away in the
morning very soon eer they were up we stole 4 hides of red morocco leather
but before we could get all the parties together we were fd out by the
shoemks wife who missed her leather, she found it upon my comrade & went &
reported it to the Captain of the party - he was tried by a drum head crt
martial & gave him 150 lashes & then made him march on –
After I had been a month at Neuilly Camp as I was one day on guard I fell in
with an Irishman belonging to the Regt. he says to me d---m my eyes if I don't
desert & says I d---m my eyes if I don't too & in the morning at 6 oclock
happening to be both on sentry together we thought it the best time to go
off - and we went in full marching order with our arms & accoutrements - we
travelled the first day all the way through the camps of the Camps of the
Allied Army without being known - at night we found ourselves within 3 miles
of the village we left in the morning - I was jarring [?] upon this & did
not like what I had done - but I thought as I had begun I might as well go
through it - I then took fresh courage & went into a wine shop & laid myself
down upon a from close by the fireplace the woman asking me in French if I
was unwell I told her I was & she took me backwards up some stone steps &
[end of manuscript]