revailed before his time; that it was in harmony with the
milder views which led to his appointment, and conduced to the
development of social virtues; that the re-convictions of persons
discharged from the island were one-third less than of prisoners trained
in Van Diemen's Land. Captain Maconochie repudiated "the fearful
conclusion, that to make men examples to others, it is necessary to
destroy them, body and soul."[243]

Nothing could have been more ill-judged than the selection of Norfolk
Island for the experiment. The detention of the doubly-convicted, men
long practised in the vices of the island, was still more unfavorable to
a moral reformation. The preliminary accommodations, directed by Lord
Normanby, were not provided: even friendly officers were not secured;
and had the scheme been ever so sound in its principles, its failure was
inevitable. In retiring from office, Maconochie was permitted to
recommend for indulgence all whose expectation of release was justified
by his promises, and he left the island regretted by the prisoners. A
total change was contemplated in the discipline of the place: Norfolk
Island returned to its former character as the "lowest deep."

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 227: These views are thus stated by the Archbishop:--"Thus,
under a reformed system of secondary punishment, supposing
transportation abolished, it strikes me as desirable, with a view to the
preservation from a return to evil courses of persons released from
penitentiaries, &c., after the expiration of their punishment, that such
as may have evinced a disposition to reform, should be at their own
desire furnished with means of emigrating to various colonies, British
or foreign, in which they may mix, not with such men as their old
associates in crime, but with respectable persons unacquainted with
their past history; and may thus be enabled, as the phrase is, to turn
over a new leaf.' This, of course, implies that they should not emigrate
in a body to any one place, and as a distinct class. For juvenile
offenders the same course would, perhaps, be even still more
suitable."--_Letter addressed to the Rev. H. Bishop, on the evidence
taken before the Transportation Committee; containing his Grace's
opinion on the efficacy of the punishment of transportation._]

[Footnote 228: "I may venture to assure you, the colonists will feel
great satisfaction at the declared intention (1833) to continue
transportation.... The great adva