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the island was surrounded by an expanse of water that was ringed by impenetrable wilderness . If an escapee should brave a seaward voyage they did so through the gates of hell , a passage so treacherous that many convicts died before even reaching the island prison .
To make the sentence worse , a small , nearby isle , Grummet Island , was used as a form of solitary confinement where prisoners were left to fend for themselves with little food and water as well as exposed to the elements , an experience that the prisoners of Sarah Island all knew too well for when they first started settlement every tree was felled exposing the land to the gales of the Roaring Forties .
Whippings were offered frequently , as many as 9,000 in the first year , life was so brutal that some prisoners committed murder to ensure they themselves were executed , and yet a level of society began to form and with it came industry .
Discovered to be a prime ship building timber , Huon Pine was abundant in the area and quickly formed the existence of Sarah Island . Ship builder David Hoy volunteered to life on the island and
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