in which to hold such a daring criminal; but as it was one-half of the guard-house where three or four armed soldiers were on perpetual duty, escape was rendered so risky that even the murderer did not dare to try it. T h e brick building, used as a temporary Supreme Court, was occasionally turned into a prison, and once, in the early part of 1839, the mounted police being in quest of some aboriginal sheep-stealers, captured half-a-dozen black w o m e n and brought them to Melbourne, in the hope that the m e n w h o had fled to the bush would be induced to return to the outskirts of the town through anxiety for their wives and daughters, and be an easy conquest. These w o m e n were locked into this " tumble-down," where it was thought they were quite secure, and no watch was kept. T h e next morning, however, the place was found empty, as during the night the dark ladies removed some of the bricks in the end wall—got through and rejoined their companions of the wilderness. T o M r . E. T. Newton, w h o for some time was business manager for M r . John Batman, I a m indebted for the following information (obtained from a gentleman at Alberton) relative to thefirstgaol :— " M y belief as to the site of the gaol is, that it was on the rising ground, a short distance from the back of Batman's house, in a Northerly direction where ' Tulip Wright' resided; and that it was burnt down whilst I was away from Melbourne in Launceston and Hobartown, purchasing supplies for the Government contracts, which in those days Batman had the supplying of, and to the best of m y recollection it was a slab building." T h e "Tulip Wright" named was the well-known Chief-Constable to w h o m reference has been already made, and the facts of this worthy being "hutted" in immediate propinquity, and the destruction of the place byfire,led m e to believe that the writer's m e m o r y must have erred so far as to cause him to associate the gaol with thefirstwatch-house more that once indicated. About the middle of 1838, there was a regular (thefirst)gaol built on a portion of the half-acre allotment at the corner of William and Flinders Streets. This was purchased by Batman at an early land sale for ,£75, and upon it, some distance in from the streets, rearward of the n o w Sydney Hotel, was erected a small brick building, said to be a store, but more like a stable with a hay-loft overhead. T h e entrance was end-ways from Flinders Street, and access was had to the second story by means of a step-ladder. It was engaged by the Police Magistrate for a gaol, and a high ti-tree paling or stockade was put u p all round; a couple of huts added as gaoler's residence and guard-room, and then the place was pronounced to be " fit for duty." Mr. Robert Russell has supplied m e with a copy of a waif found by him buried amongst some old papers remaining since he held the office of Clerk of Works. It is a rent account furnished by Batman, and here is a transcript :— " H . M . Government. Dr. to Jno. Batman. For one Quarter's Rent of Gaol—Quarter ending September 30, 1838, at 203. per week, .£12." "Received from the Chief Police Magistrate at Melbourne the sum of £12, as per annexed account."
T w o curious and almost incredible facts are disclosed by this scrap of M.S., viz, that only four-and forty years ago, the Government of Port Phillip had to resort to hired premises for a prison, and the rent for the same was just twenty shillings a week. There were always a couple of military sentries as an outer guard with loaded guns, on the watch and ready for action at any hour of day or night; and the fear of being shot down in attempting to escape contributed m u c h more than the wooden palisading to keep the prisoners in safe custody. Though small the stable-building, it was so arranged that if not admitting of a classification of prisoners, it provided for the separation of the sexes, for the m e n were located on the ground, and the w o m e n in the upper compartment. T h e ladies occasionally so exalted, used to take it into their heads to look down upon the " lords of creation " immured under their feet, and as the ceiling or flooring boards between the upper and lower regions had either shrunk or were loosely jointed, through the interstices the female prisoners had frequent opportunities of causing annoyance to their fellows below. Once the wife of a well-to-do painter was incarcerated there for threatening the life of her husband, and she organised a m o d e of onslaught upon the prisoners, of w h o m she had so m u c h the upper hand, that the m e n rose in rebellion in the basement, bellowing and swearing that Samson-like they would pull down the whole concern, even were they to perish in the ruins. T h e gaoler rushed in to check the emeute, the guard was
