A prison taint was on everything there. The imprisoned air, the imprisoned light, the imprisoned damps, the imprisoned men, were all deteriorated by confinement. As the captive men were faded and haggard, so the iron was rusty, the stone was slimy, the wood was rotten, the air was faint, the light was dim. Like a well, like a vault, like a tomb, the prison had no knowledge of the brightness outside; and would have kept its polluted atmosphere intact, in one of the spice islands of the Indian Ocean.

Summary

This quote describes the dismal and oppressive condition of a prison, where everything - the air, light, and even the individuals confined -suffer from deterioration. The imprisoned men appear faded and worn, reflecting the decay within the prison. The environment itself is described as rusty, slimy, and rotten, with faint air and dim light. The comparison of the prison to a well, vault, or tomb highlights its lack of awareness of the outside world and its refusal to let in any brightness or fresh air. It emphasizes the polluted and isolated nature of the prison, likening it to a remote and stagnant place.