This prison belongs to the city of London, and its jurisdiction extends over five parishes.–On entrance, you come to the male felons' ward and yard, in which are both the tried and the untried–those in chains and those without them–boys and men, –persons for petty offences, and for the most atrocious felonies; for simple assault, for being disorderly, for small thefts, for issuing bad notes, for forgery and for robbery. They were employed in some kind of gaming, and they said they had nothing else to do. A respectable looking man, a smith, who had never been in prison before, told me that “the conversation always going on, was sufficient to corrupt any body, that he had learned things there, that he never dreamed of before.”

You next enter a yard nineteen feet square; this is the only airing place for male debtors and vagrants, female debtors, prostitutes, misdemeanants and criminals, and for their children and friends There have been as many as thirty women; we saw thirty-eight debtors, and Mr. Law, the Governor, stated, when he was examined, that there might be about twenty children.

On my first visit, the debtors were all collected together up stairs. This was their day-room, bed-room, workshop, kitchen, and chapel.