Three types of involuntary passengers aboard ships were often subject to the most vicious form of abuse; convicts being transported to the antipodes, French sailors captured in the war against the French in the Indian Ocean and slaves being ferried to their future home. Their abuse stretched over the whole ambit of violations such as dearth of food, lack of comforts of the most basic kind such as mattrasses to sleep on, clothes to wear and physical violence.

As a spectator to the abuse inflicted, Samuel Eusebius Hudson possessed limited powers and abilities which he could muster in order to alleviate these unfortunates’ plight.

Main picture:  Samuel Eusebius Hudson

Strictly speaking the incidents recorded here relate to occurrences recorded in Cape Town but Hudson did in fact live in Port Elizabeth for portion of his life initially as a foreman on Korsten’s farm on the Gamtoos River and later at Cradock Place as a store operator.

Relocation to Customs at Simon’s Bay
On the English take-over of the Cape Colony, the authorities appointed Samuel Hudson as a Custom’s official at Simon’s Bay. Prior to the construction of jetties and quays in Table Bay, ships often were unable to moor at Table Bay as they could be driven ashore. Instead, ships were requested to sail around the peninsular and moor at Simon’s Bay.

On the afternoon of the 25^th April 1799, Samuel rode to Simon’s Bay to take up his quarters for the winter. On Sunday 28^th April 1799, the Cornwallis andthe Triton arrived from India. Aboard one, the 700 French prisoners were in a mutinous state. Concerns were raised regarding possible escape attempts. An application was made for reinforcements from the troops at Cape Town. In case of danger, guards were doubled at the naval stores while guard boats rowed around the Bay the whole night.

Some attempts were actually made by the French prisoners in the course of the night to set themselves adrift, but these attempts were frustrated by the vigilance of the officers on board. The situation in the Cape was precarious as it was without a single ship of war except the Camel, a naval transport vessel.

Hillsborough
The convict ship, the Hillsborough, was moved around to False Bay on the 2^nd May 1799 after arriving in Table Bay with many on board dying from dysentery. Only 205 of her 300 convicts survived the voyage to New South Wales. The subsequent official investigation found that dysentery was present on board before the ship left England. Convicts were dying at the rate of at least one a day but sometimes it rose to two. The spread of dysentery must have originated from the ship never having been cleansed properly since they departed from England. An application was made to the Lieutenant Governor Dundas to move them to another ship until the Hillsborough has been thoroughly cleaned.

On Monday 6^th May 1799, the French prisoners aboard the Triton were relocated from Simon’s Bay to Cape Town in order to be incarcerated in Amsterdam Prison until they could be sent to England. On the other hand, the convicts aboard the Hillsborough were set ashore at Muizenberg for the duration of the Hillsborough’s cleansing.

On Wednesday 8^th May 1799, a French general aboard the Triton died as well as several convicts aboard the Hillsborough. On the 9^th, the general was given a military funeral in Simon’s Town. All of the residents – Dutch and English – paid their respects.

Behold a pitiable sight
On Saturday 18^th May 1799, Samuel Hudson heard that the convicts from the Hillsborough, brought ashore due to illness, were suffering not only from sickness, but also wretched living conditions, lack of food and conveniences of the most basic kind. Their accommodation was a forlorn resting place, a cold comfortless stable with windows open to a biting evening blast, round unhewn rocks serving as a mattrass and a blanket scarcely able to cover their bodies.

When Samuel was informed at 5pm that none had been fed since 12 o’clock the previous day, Hudson arranged for several loaves of bread and shared it amongst them. Hudson made enquiries concerning the captain’s treatment of the convicts during the voyage. He ascertained that the convicts had been crammed down between the decks where there was no circulation of air and no attention was paid to cleanliness. The ship had never been cleaned since departing from England whereas everyday dirt and filth should have been swept away.

Hudson questioned the convicts regarding their treatment by the Surgeon. In unanimous reply they stated that they would not have survived had he not been on the ship.

On Monday 20^th May 1799, Hudson was informed that Captain Hinkston had received a severe reprimand concerning his treatment of the convicts.

Due to the depravity of the conditions under which the prisoners lived is too vile, I have not attempted to record it. The penalty imposed on the captain – a severe reprimand – bore no correlation to the captain’s treatment of the prisoners. At the very least he should have been demoted to deckhand and sentenced to imprisonment aboard ship on the voyage to England.

Source
Pepysian Perceptions of the Cape 1798-1828, Selections from the Western Cape Diaries of Samuel Eusebius Hudson edited by Edward Hudson [2024, HiPSA, Cape Town]
Bulletin of the National Library of South Africa vol. 73, no 2 (December 2019): 179-190
The main repository of Hudson’s diaries is the Western Cape Archives and Record Service