Life As A Convict

• Alexandria Virtue, Grade 5
• Short Story
• 2013

Life of a Convict
My name is Elizibeth Terry and I am a convict from London. In 1770 I travelled to Australia when I was 27. When all I did was stole some seeds from the baker and some milk water for my family and my dog. On the way to Australia we crashed into the GREAT BARRIER REEF BANG! All the food went everywhere. All the convicts had to clean-up the mess while we got whipped by the cat o-nine tails.
The ship was a mess I wish I was back home with my family .Our punishments were terrible. When we were caught doing the wrong we got hung or flogged. We would usually faint after 30 floggings or we would escape after some flogs but we were shot.
We were expected to work after being flogged. Our clothing and shoes were soaked with blood. I only got flogged once or twice but one of my friends was flogged more than twenty times. A few days after we had crashed there were spears shooting through the boat that day I knew I was pregnant.
I looked out of one of the holes and there were these black kids throwing spears into the water and dancing but the captain shot them. Later on that day we had to clean up the boat and pack our stuff up then the men had to go on land and clear the land. The other lady’s and I had to do all the washing and scrub the deck.
The next ship that came had my family on it they had enough money to help me so got some land to live on we built a huge house on that land and we got some animals and my husband got a job and I started a school for children.
Alex Virtue