| The State prisoners sailed
from Kingstown on the brig "Swift" and they must have wondered
if they would ever again see Ireland. It must be recorded that the
prisoners were treated in a humane fashion on board - each man had a
cabin to himself and the wearing of prison garb was not required of
them. O'Donohue kept a diary of the voyage and his entry of July
20th records that "Mr. Meagher, on this day, announced the 'O' as a
prefix to his name. Henceforth he is to be known as Thomas Francis
O'Meagher." When Meagher and his
companions arrived in van Diemen's Land it was still very much a penal
colony. It had been under British settlement for forty-five years
and for the first few years it had been no more than a large jail.
Now, however the free population outnumbered the convicts and the island
was becoming respectable. All the prisoners were offered a
"ticket of leave." This meant that, if accepted, the
prisoners would be placed on their word of honour not to escape while
they held the 'tickets' and they would be expected to notify the
authorities that they intended to escape. Another stipulation was
that they would be sent to different districts in which they must report
to the police on a regular basis. All except Smith-O'Brien and
McManus accepted the conditions. O'Meagher was assigned to
Campbell Town and he later wrote "I had no complaint to make with
regard to the fate that had been alloted to us, bleak and wearisome as
it was."
Campbell Town consisted of one main
street that had only one side to it, with a few small branches to
the right and left. It had four hotels, half a dozen private
dwellings, a jewellers, a butchers, a post office and a church
(Anglican). Life was monotonous but at least there was the post
office and O'Meagher used it to full advantage and he kept up a
continuous correspondence with his fellow prisoners. It was at
this time that he wrote the following poem.
I WOULD NOT DIE
"I would not die in this bright hour,
while Hope's sweet stream is flowing;
I would not die while youth's gay flower
in spring tide pride is glowing.
The path I trade in fiery dreams
For Manhood's flight, tomorrow
Oh, let me tread 'mid those bright gleams
Which souls from Fame will borrow.
I would not die! I would not die!
In Youth's bright hour of pleasure;
I would not leave, without a sigh,
The dreams, the hopes, I treasure!
I set young seeds in earth to-day,
While yet the sun was gushing;
And shall I pass, ere these, away,
Nor see the flowerets blushing?
Are those young seeds, when earth looks fair,
To rise with fragrance teeming,
And shall the hand that placed them there
Die cold when they are gleaming?
I would not die! I would not die!
In Youth's bright hour of pleasure;
I would not leave, without a sigh,
The dreams, the hopes, I treasure!"
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