The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1884-06-20

timber plastered with mud, containing
the usual outer and inne. apartments,
a kind OF weathef-por ID and a kitchen
which contained their fireplace and
cooking apparatus. In the inner apart
ment, where they lived, they kept their
books, bedding and clothes. Russian
illustrated papers were pasted on the
walls, but the ceiling was so low that
The room presented a dark and dismal
appearance, and candles were burning
there at midday. The Government al
rows each exile monthly stipend Of
twenty five rubles (paper), about $3.50
in American coin. Out of this they
must feed, clothe and house themselves,
besides procuring fire-wood and service.
This is almost absolute restitution, for
in Siberia the pud, or forty pounds Rus
sian (thirty-six pounds American), costs
five rubles. Sugar is worth q ruble a
pound. Though Venison, beef, horse
flesh and fuel are comparatively cheap,
all the other necessaries of life are ex-
trayagantly dear. Some of the exiles
had rich relatives who sent them mon
ey, but not more than three hundred
rubles could be sent at one time, and
the mail service is so irregular that
sometimes there is only one delivery in
six months, and only at odd intervals
during the winter when some Govern
ment official has occasion to 90 over the
road. No exile may send or receive any
sealed package. Everything of that ma
ture must be opened and read or exam
ined by the Cossack Commandment or
Chief of Police.
"My coming Melville writes, ''flled
them with the widest hopes, for here
tofore it had been considered as impos-
sible to effect an escape by the Arctic
Ocean as to cross living sea of fire,
and for them, doubtless, it would be, as
there was not seafaring man in their
number, nor one, | suspect, who had
ever seen the rolling ocean. Yet before
lett they told me that they intended
to make the attempt, and | ardently
hoped that it might be successful, for
here saw youth, intelligence and re-
finement banished for life to an Arctic
desert, without companionship of books
or cultivated society, surrounded by
filthy and disgusting Yakutsk, who were
to q certain extent their keepers-for
the natives are held strictly accounta-
BILE, under penalty of the dreaded knout
or of imprisonment for the escape of
an exile, since nobody could travel far
into the country without their knowl-
edge.
The exiles told Melville that all they
asked and strove for was a constitu-
tional form of government. ''They
only wanted the privilege of being i'm
prisoned and hanged, if needs were,
under Russian law and constitution,
and not driven like herd of cattle into
exile by the Chief of Police of some
small provincial town.
'Leon," Melville continues, sin his
character as interpreter, obtained for
himself and his companions the full
benefit of my recital to Kasharotfski of
the Jeannette's cruise and equipment,
our retreat, supplies, clothing and line
of march. The youngest exile had been
student at the 'Ecole Polytechnique,
and seemed to be physicist in general of
the party. He gazed fondly on my sex
tant, for with it he could find his way
across the ocean. They had watches
and compasses, but no means of deter
mining latitude or longitude So this
earnest young Nihilist began the con-
struction of sextant, and soon had
navigation tables in course of prepare
ton, using Russian almanac to find
the SUMS declination. 1t was their in
tention to build boat on the Yara
River near Verkeransk, and attempt a
Journey OF thousand miles to the
coast and then another of two thousand
miles along the coast of Siberia to the
Eastern Cape or Behring Straits.
81 learned afterward, to my regret,
that they had attempted to carry out
their bold project, but without success.
They eluded their pursuers and sue
ceeded, after many difficulties, in work
ing their way down the Yara, past a
large village near its mouth within SIGHT
of the sea. They might then have ac-
complished their escape with compare
tive ease, but the rolling waves terrified
them and washed into their boat over
laden with its freight of thirteen exiles,
and when they waded ashore it was
swamped and all their provisions
soaked. One of the fugitives was
young woman. Some of the exiles,
frightened at the situation, straightway
gave themselves up to the authorities at
Oceansk, who soon captured the re-
mainder and sent them all into q
crueler captivity than ever. Leon was
sent to Kolayma River. Others were
taken from the settlements and took up
their abode among the Yakutsk.''
Another exile whom Melville took an
interest in was Buali, who lived apart
from the others and fulfilled the duties
Che was doctor) of the post-surgeon,
who had gone blind from q cataract.
DR.. Buali had been very kind in his at
tentions to Eisenhower and Leach.
His life held more of sorrow in it than
that OF most men. He had been prac-
ticing physician in a small town of Lit
tie Russia, had neither committed any
crime nor belonged to secret society,
and he firmly believed that his only Of
tense had been marrying young wom-
an he loved in a neighboring village,
not knowing that he had rival.
The story of his capture and of his
residence in Verkeransk was translated
W nv Nlult ICbIo Ill HIS eyes, ny L6OD,
his friend and companion in misery. 1t
seems that for week he had been at
tending the little daughter of the chief of
police in his native town, who at length
so far recovered that he erased her
name from his visiting list. But one
morning he was surprised to see the
Cossack of the chief of police, who
came to tell him that his masters child
was worse. would the doctor come
at once?' Buali, not supposing the
case serious one, replied that he would
call there after breakfast.
But the Cossack insisted that he
should come at once, and so he babe
him wait until he got his overcoat.
Here again the Cossack interposed, say
ing that the chiefs house was but a
short distance away and that breakfast
would be served for him there. Buali
supposed that the child must be serious
ly i'll and fastened off at once; but the
Cossack said they must first 90 to his
masters Office. Buali was surprised,
but, not dreaming that anything was
wrong, followed the Cossack to the po-
lice Office. The chief met him in the
vestibule and told him that he was a