It was impossible to describe the effect of these revelations on the boys. It was so different from anything they had been led to expect. It brought one thing forcibly to their minds; that because these people had committed some crime, or some wrong against society, they were still human beings, and were worthy of being treated as men and women.
John related to them that various governments had tried the plan of sending convicts to some foreign lands, and placing them in situations where they might work out their own salvation; that all such efforts were successful, where real opportunities were bestowed.
"The idea is," remarked John, "that they are banished from the society in which they resided, or in which they were raised, for the purpose of helping them. The reason for inflicting punishment on criminals has been to protect society but apparently no efforts have been made to cure the criminals or to help them to better themselves."
"I heard the Professor say, at one of the trials at Wonder Island, that some scientists consider crime a disease," said George.
"Exactly; now suppose we treated people suffering from smallpox, or scarlet fever, or some other[p. 186] like disease, just like we treat criminals, it would be regarded as brutal. To lock them up, and deprive them of the pleasures of living, simply to protect society, is wrong."
"But the smallpox and scarlet fever patients are taken away so they will not give the complaints to others," observed Harry.
"And that is right. I favor that and advocate that same thing with criminals. But the patients are not deprived of the things they have been accustomed to, and they are restored, when cured. It is not so with the poor unfortunate who errs. When he does come back he is hounded and looked upon as a tainted individual, although he may, in heart, be better than his accusers."
During that day and the next, the natives and those who accompanied John associated with each other, and had many conversations. What interested them was the presence of the unfortunate paralytic who was unable to speak for himself.
The boys did not believe that he was one of the crew of the school ship Investigator. What connection, if any, did he have with the skeleton they found the day before? was another of their queries.
On the second day they were taken to the beach where the white man was found. There, as explained, he was found, with wreckage all about, during one of the raging monsoons with which the boys were so well acquainted, but aside from that there was not a vestige to show his name or where he was from.