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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' - p71821
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For Engd - I have to mention a circumstance that hapd in their fort - when
we first came into it we began to pull up the sand bags that wee heaped one
above the other I struck something with my bayt and pulling up some more
boards & bags found a small box full of dollars about 360, which we spent
aftwds. Some of the ships went one way & some another - Our ship met with a
contrary wind so that we could get with much ado into Halifax - before we
arrived we were short of water & had no bread bur flour aboard we were for 6
weeks upon 1 pint of water & a quarter pound of flour a day - till we got in
sight of Halifax harbour - we were 10 weeks from Dolphin Id to Halifax
When we arrived there we got ashore & remained there a month till the ship got
victualled & then imbkd for Engd and took an agent who had been left there
on board our ship - one day as I was walking the dock the Agent came to the
forecle for something that was the matter for with the
sailors - I turned round not thinking he was coming having a large quid of
tobacco in my mouth I threw away the quid and as bad luck wd have it, it
fell upon his epaulette he turned round & said who was that d---d rascal &
one of the sailors told him it was me, he went & lodged a complaint to our
officer aboard & insisted on my being punished for it, & I was tied up to
the gratings & got 75 lashes
We were a month on our passage till we anchored at Spithead we had
scarcely droped before we got orders to go round to the Downs & there we
were ordered to be in readiness to go over to Ostend - when we were fitted out
in 7 days we landed at Ostend & to my joy I hd that the Battle of W'loo was over.
We were then put in boats & went up the Canals as far as Ghent being 4
days on our way - when we arrived there we were all billeted in different
houses in the town. During our stay here every man got a weeks liberty to go
about the town & no duty to do - I was quartered upon a baker who kept a shop;
every time I used to go into the house for my meals I used to take a silver spoon
&/or fork, with me which I put in a secret place till I went away –
The night before we went away I went down at midnight to the shop where
I began to search for their money, but I found it all gone - I then went up the stairs
& thought a pair of sheets & boots were the only thing I