“Fullied for a clock and slang” (i.e., committed for trial for stealing watch and chain).
“Poor old Jim, the lob crawler, fell from Racker, and got pinched” (i.e., James and Racker having gone out to commit till robberies, the former was apprehended, and the latter escaped).
“For seven long years have I served them,
And seven long years I have to stay,
For meeting a bloke in our Alley,
And taking his ticker away.”
“The judge he seven years gave me,
Transported to Van Diemen’s Land,
Far away from my friends and relations,
And the girl with the dark velvet band.”
The last writer was at Dartmoor, and introduced Van Diemen’s Land because of the exigencies of rhyme.
The delights of food inspire much verse, and dissatisfaction with its quality or quantity a large number of remarks:—
“I had for my dinner, ochone! ochone!
One ounce of mutton and three ounce of bone!”
“Here’s luck to the pint of skilly!”
“Lord save me from starvashun!”
“One more month then out we go,
Then for feed of hot Coco;
Fried Bread and steak, Plenty of Beer,
Better luck than we get here.”
“Cheer up, boys, down with sorrow,
Beef to-day, Soup to-morrow.”
“O for a pot of beer!”