The adventures of Martin Cash: comprising a faithful account of his exploits, while a bushranger under arms in Tasmania, in company with Kavanagh and Jones, in the year 1843

Description

The waters that hemmed in Port Arthur were said to be infested with sharks, and the only way to reach the mainland was to travel along a narrow peninsula guarded by soldiers, traps, and half-starved dogs. One prisoner named Martin Cash famously escaped by swimming across the bay to his freedom. He later wrote about the escape in his 1870 autobiography, The Adventures of Martin Cash, which became a best seller in Australia.Another prisoner wasn’t so lucky. George “Billy” Hunt attempted to escape by disguising himself as a kangaroo using a kangaroo pelt. Unfortunately for Billy, the guards were kept on meager rations, and they shot at the apparent animal in order to supplement their diet. Billy survived the gunfire, throwing off the pelt and giving himself up. He received 150 lashes for the attempt.