What punishment happened on the first fleet?

Answer 1

The convicts of the First Fleet were most commonly punished by being placed on reduced rations, meaning they were given less food, or certain privileges such as tobacco, tea or sugar were withdrawn.

The Cat o' nine tails was a particularly vicious type of punishment. This was a whip with nine cords of leather, each of which had a metal triangle embedded in the end. A convict was given between 10 and 50 lashes (in some case more), and within just a few lashes, the flesh would be ripped out, sometimes to the point where the bone was exposed.

Answer 2

Most common was the reduction in rations. Other punishments included being flogged with a cat o' nine tails. Some of the convicts were even hanged.