From first to last much valuable work has been done by the prisoners, under competent overseers. In point of importance and magnitude the removal of Bell Hill ranks first, and, barring a small portion on the south side let by contract, it was reduced by the prisoners. It is difficult to give to those who never saw the hill an idea of its size and appearance, but it may be stated that from the level of Lower High street, behind the First Church and Manse, it rose to the height of 76 feet; from where the Garrison Hall stands it rose about 60 feet; from the plateau of the First Church (which stands 33 feet high), it rose 43 feet; and from Dr. Hocken's property it rose 35 feet; and (roughly) its base extended from Stuart street in the north, to the City Hall (late Lyceum) in the south, and from the telegraph posts in lower High street in the east, to the further side of Princes street in the west, and in that direction a portion of the hill still stands. The mountain may be said to have been literally cast into the sea, as the larger portion of it was used in reclaiming land from the bay. It was of volcanic formation, and much of it consisted of bluestone boulders, which were split by the prisoners and sold at 6s. and 7s. per load. Of that stone the Garrison Hall and the Princess Theatre were partly built, and it was used in the erection of many other buildings in the city. The work of removal was a long and tedious one, extending over a period of about 18 years. It was also laborious, and fraught with much risk, not only to the workmen, but also to the buildings, by reason of the proximity of the hill to the city. Nothing of a serious nature, however, occurred. It may here be appropriately mentioned that in 1877 the merchants of Princes street north paid a high compliment to the Department by giving to one of its officers—Sergeant Outram, who for fifteen years superintended the hill works—a testimonial, in recognition of the care and tact displayed in so conducting the dangerous blasting operations that no injury whatever was done to their premises.
Next to the removal of Bell Hill, the chief works accomplished by the prisoners up to the present time, comprise the formation of the road across the northern part of the bay, and which connects Anderson's Bay main road with the Lower Peninsula road; the widening and stonewalling of the Peninsula
