Commissioned by the German Empire, the German criminologist Robert Heindl (1883-1958) traveled to the penal colonies of the South Seas. He documented his impressive observations, leaving behind a vivid work that is said to have influenced Franz Kafka. It provides realistic insights into life in penal camps. Heindl not only addresses individual fates and methods of punishment but also points out organizational problems and examines the lives of the locals who are forced to live among foreign criminals. This is a carefully edited reprint of the 1913 edition.