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<p n="939"> <note type="authorial" place="margin">1799<lb></lb>
be General order<lb></lb>
vol 13. 1799.</note>
</p>
<p n="940"> The following Letter was sent by me to my Mother, on the 20th of January, 1797, and after-<lb></lb>
wards appeared in the London Corresponding Society's Magazine of February, 1797.</p>
<p n="941">An Extract of a Letter written by a person confined in thus prison in Cold-Bath fields</p>
<p n="942">" IT is divided into separate yards; in each of these yards are a number of cells about six feet wide<lb></lb>
with stone floors unplaistered walls, and no windows, only a hole<obscured></obscured>
with<obscured></obscured>
<lb></lb>
door to admit the air the place on which the bed lies is formed by three planks fixed against the<lb></lb>
wall, and in damp weather is covered with wet the bed which is allowed the prisoners, is a straw<lb></lb>
mat with one blanket and a rug. Thanks to your kindness for sending me my own, or I must<lb></lb>
have died with cold; as it is, I lie very warm, except that in rainy weather weather my cell is like the<lb></lb>
street, and the rug which covers the bed is just as if it had lain out all night on the grass and<lb></lb>
had imbibed the morning dew; but this is not the whole of the inconveniences I suffer, for next<lb></lb>
to the distress of not seeing my friends, is the scanty manner in which the prisoners live.it is<lb></lb>
thus:</p>
<p n="943">"On Monday morning, a loaf that should weigh a pound in served out with a pint bowl<figure rend="mark"></figure>
of what<lb></lb>
is called broth, with four ounces of half-stewed meat. At twelve o'clock this meat is cut into small<lb></lb>
pieces, and put into as many bowls so there are prisoners, to serve about two hours before the broth<lb></lb>
is distributed, which prevents the meat from being half stewed.</p>
<p n="944">"None of the prisoners are permitted to have a knife ; if they have one on entering the pri-<lb></lb>
son, it is taken away by the Turnkeys.</p>
<p n="945">"On Tuesday, bread and water only. Redford<lb></lb>
"On Wednesday, bread, water and broth, with four ounces of meat.<lb></lb>
"Thursday, the same.<lb></lb>
"Friday, bread and water only.<lb></lb>
"Saturday bread water and with four ounces of meat<lb></lb>
"Sunday. O Lord! bread and water only, no beer being allowed not even small beer!</p>
<p n="946">"Let your imagination picture of yourself my conditiona cell without a fire-place, locked up<lb></lb>
at half past four, without a light until seven in the morning, and to arise without any thing to<lb></lb>
recruit my strength, but a little bread which I am afraid to eat, left it should not last the day<lb></lb>
then you will judge the necessity I have of summoning all the fortitude I posses to enable me to<lb></lb>
support myself from sinking into absolute despair.</p>
<p n="947">N.B. <rs type="persName" id="LMSMPS50958_n947-1">John Smith</rs>
<interp inst="LMSMPS50958_n947-1" type="given" value="John"></interp>
<interp inst="LMSMPS50958_n947-1" type="surname" value="Smith"></interp>
<interp inst="LMSMPS50958_n947-1" type="gender" value="male"></interp>
was not sentenced until 10th of February, 1797 when he entered this abode<lb></lb>
of solitude, starvation, and slavery,</p>
<p n="948">This was afterwards altered by the Committee to tin pots.</p>
<p n="949"> <note type="authorial" place="margin">It is impossible<lb></lb>
such circumstances<lb></lb>
can occur</note>
</p>
<p n="950"> <note type="authorial" place="margin">Not true<lb></lb>
<obscured></obscured>
ves were wished<lb></lb>
the presence of<lb></lb>
the prisrs. and found<lb></lb>
to be full weight</note>
</p>
<p n="951"> <note type="authorial" place="margin">Quart bowl always<lb></lb>
filled</note>
</p>
<p n="952"> <note type="authorial" place="margin">7 or 8 of will<lb></lb>
stewed Meat<lb></lb>
& Broth or before</note>
</p>
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