AustLit

"A citizen of the United States who joined the Canadian patriot cause in 1838, William Gates was captured at Prescott, convicted and transported to Van Diemen's Land on the Buffalo. On arrival, all the Canadian rebels were placed in road gangs in the Hobart area, where they suffered badly from the heavy work and harsh conditions, several of their number dying as a result... While following the broad outline of the published narratives of other Canadian revels, such as Heustis, Marsh, Snow, and Wright, and like them, providing detailed information about convict conditions and other aspects of life in Van Diemen's Land, Gates' Recollections are more expressive of the author's thought and feelings during his ordeals as a convict" (Walsh and Hooton 67).

Source

Walsh, Kay and Joy Hooton. Australian Autobiographical Narratives : An Annotated Bibliography. Canberra : Australian Scholarly Editions Centre, University College, ADFA and National Library of Australia, 1993.