[Andaman and Nicobar Islands; Typescript Diary] "Living Among 'Lifers'" or the Engagement Calendar as filled by Arthr. Thos. [Hughes]

Total 28pp., 4to and sm. folio, full of typing errors, some changes and crossings out, a few words added in manuscript where omitted in the typing (one corner of text still missing, p.12), fair condition, text clear and complete. It has the form of a diary but doesn't have entries for every day. It's in two halves, 24pp. of 4to, and 4pp. of sm. folio, the latter entiled in MS. "Is life worth living? Depends on liver! no.25-28". One page of text in sm. folio is on the verso of headed notepaper, "The Officer-in-Charge, Ferrar Ganj Colony, Port Blair. Andaman and Nicobar Islands; another page (title fo second section) is on the verso of a form headed "The Salvation Army. | Teacher's Monthly Day School Return", columnised in an Indian language. Subjects and features: (1 April) In Lahore again (there for 8 years); "lowering the standard for the T.G." [to do with a Training College]; role of girls/women; words on the "gradual closure of Y.P. Work in the Territory"; helping out at Field Sessions, Batala; anecdote about food; 99 April) Commissioner asked by cable from London if writer and Jenny (wife) would go to the Andaman Islands "to relieve Sheards"; discussion of the post, problem with wife; Field Sessions; (22 April) agreement to "take charge of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands S.A. Bhantu Scheme"; what luggage to take; farewell tea; 95 May) leave Lahore; travel experiences; (16 May) Heading "The Andaman and Nicobar Islands Scheme" - number of prisoners, normal sentences, inducements to prisoners inc. wives and families,land, money, cattle; "colony of 450 murderrs and their families" in three large villages; the experiment should be succesful; weavery; carpet-making; profits; local institutions; getting used to being surrounded by murderers (inc. servants); climate; accommodation; food; nature of the heat; petitions from "colonists"; dangerous centipede bites someone; dinner at Government House; nayire of the Bhantus (like the Gipsy); their legal system; heavy rain; description of the dinner in honour of the "King Emperor's Birthday", conclduing with Bridge Party; departure of predecessor hweld up by tree across trhe road; other farewell activities; illicit liquor dealt with; drinking customs; drunken brawl (including women fighting like cats) dealt with; background of brawl described; a murder; two women absent themselves; eventual treatment; inspection by the Tahsildar, assessing back tax; firmness recommended; initiation of another reward system; Subsistence Allowance explained; meeting with Chief Commissioner; corruption of women; punishment for illegal land pruchaser; system for brides; situation with "Boys from Chatham" working for the "Forest Dept and the Swedish Match Co."; girl "spirited away"; the background, an assault, and the search; problem of mistaken identity; "Coconut and Coffee Plantations Arrangements"; Tribal Panchayats; punishment of men responsible for the earlier kidnapping; leeches; court cases (inc. liquor); list of requirements (butter, tea etc); importance of mail boats; financial aspects of a prospective marriage; need for strictness with those who breach agreements; comments on "Convict labour"; radical scheme instituted for placing labourers in villages close to their fields, opposed; (p.25) "The Police bring in two Jarwa heads for the Doctor to preserve. I wonder what it is that makes the little Pigmies hostile to other hument beings? ..."; response of convict to prospective freedom after 19 years; roses and honeysuckle; cloth manufacture; story of Blind Beggar Boy; writer on trial; rice planting; people involved in a row, inc. a professional dancer and a convict he believes to be the worst; "The S[alvation] A[rmy] is for the worst, and we must never tire trying to help the worst". Note: Another version or copy appears to be among the Ferrar Papers, Centre of South Asian Studies, Cambridge, there is "Correspondence from E. Shand and A.T. Hughes to Colonel Ferrar after Colonel Ferrar had left the Andamans, the first enclosing 'Report on the Ferrar Ganj Colony run by the Salvation Army for the Government of the U.P. India, among life-sentence convicts and their families in the Andaman Islands.' Written for the Northampton Independent, 1932."