for a prison, but as the years went by and the population slowly increased, breakers of the law forced the question of the establishment of a place of penal confinement on the attention of the authorities. At first, however, the culprits were nothing worse than jolly runaway sailors, with a slight occasional sprinkling of petty offenders, mainly through drink. There appears to be no means of knowing what Dunedin's first gaol was like, but it is probable that the second was a fac-simile of the first, possibly slightly enlarged. At all events, the first prison could not have been more simple and primitive than the second. The first official reference takes the form of an intimation in the Provincial Government Gazette of February 4th, 1854, that £75 had been voted as gaoler's salary for the year, and £60 for prisoners' rations. On December 20th following, the appointment of Mr. Henry Monson to be gaoler was announced; and on the 27th of the same month the Gazette stated that the gaoler's salary was raised to £50 for the ensuing half-year, with £65 as the appropriation for prisoners' rations and contingencies. That the first prison was constructed on the assumption that all prisoners would be as docile as lambs, is evidenced by the fact that nothing of the nature of strong rooms or solitary cells had been thought of. But the need for some such accommodation apparently made itself felt, and accordingly we find His Honor the Superintendent, Captain Cargill, forwarding the following message to Parliament:—"On the urgent requisition of the sheriff and the gaoler that two cells should be added, with some little extension of the accommodation for the gaoler, so as to include a lock-up (presumably for refractories), a press for his stores and rations, and a place for the wheelbarrows and tools when not in use, and deeming the same to be reasonable and necessary, I recommend a further appropriation for this purpose not exceeding £20." This gaol was short lived, as on October 22nd, 1855, it was destroyed by fire. One interesting circumstance connected with this event deserves mention. At that time there was but one prisoner, and, prisoner though he was, he made strenuous efforts to save the building. He did not succeed, but he was saved from further confinement, the remainder of his sentence being remitted in consideration of the service he rendered. The erection of a new gaol was at once set about, but
