Besides these double bars, there is a shutter immensely strong and
close, so that when shut, light is totally excluded; the iron door has a
strong bolt and lock, and outside of this there is a strong wooden door;
in the front of the windows, and about six feet from them, there is a
high wall; so that in the best of these dungeons, there is only a
reflected light.
These are all the prisons on the ground floor, and when full (which they
too often are) the wretched prisoners are forced to lie at night in two
rows, with their feet to the wall, and their heads to the middle of the
room; this position they adopt on account of the cold and damp of the
stone walls; they touch each other, and the floor is completely covered.
Nay, at times, so full is the gaol, that they are obliged to lie on the
corridors, and even on the steps.
The Saletta will hold forty prisoners, the Salla Livre more than sixty,
the Salla Fechado one hundred, and the Enchovia, near one hundred and
forty. When one prison becomes too full, they remove some of the victims
to another, or send them to the forts, or on board the ships in the
river.
The first floor is divided into two parts, officers' rooms, and the
Sallao, (saloon or large hall.) This hall will hold about 150 persons,
when full.
Pages:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25