2-321 (Text)

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I sought generally by every means to recover the men's self respect, to gain their own wills towards their reform, to visit moral offences severely, but to reduce the number of those that were purely conventional, to mitigate the penalties attached to these, and thus gradually awaken better and more enlightened feelings among both officers and men.  I built two churches  . distributed books - gave prizes for assiduity, - was unwearied myself in my counsels and exhortations wherever I went, - and went everywhere, alone and unattended, showing confidence, and winning it in return. I also gave every man a small garden, which was a boon to the industrious, but none to the idle: those whom I camped out in the bush I encouraged also to rear pigs and poultry, thereby improving their ration, and, still more, infusing into them by the possession of property that instinctive respect for it which makes it safer in a community than any direct preservatives. I thus also interested my police, who were all prisoners, in the maintenance of order, their situations, which were much coveted, being made to depend on their success. I gave the messes knives, forks, a few cooking utensils, tin pannekins, &c. I allowed the overseers, police, and other first-class men, to wear blue jackets, and other articles of dress not portions of usual convict clothing; and nothing contributed more than this to raise their spirits, revive their self-respect, and confirm their good purposes. And on one occasion I gave a glass of rum-punch to all hands to drink the Queen's health, and had two plays acted the same evening, - one of the wisest, and best-considered acts of my whole administration, and which has been the most pertinaciously censured.