Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1884-06-20
AFTER SHAKEN.
EXILES n SIBERIA.

Chief Engineer Melviile's Encounter with
the Russian Victims "f Tyrsnny-Leaves
from an Unpublishcd Record of Arctic
Adventures Romsntic Experience.
Chief-Engineer Melvillc's new book.
which his nephew, Melville Phillips. is
now preparing for the press, contains
the narrative Of his Polar experience on
the voyage Of the Jeanette and after
the abandonment Of the vessel Among
the many interesting episodes is an ac-
count Of his me ting with the Nihillst
exiles at Vcrkcransk in IN Government
of Iakutsk, Eastern siberia, In the
winter Of 1881. and If their strange adj
ventures as related by themselves. Mel
Vile was delayed 10 Ncrkeransk await
ing tho arrival Of the rest Of his party
from BoluD. as the posting facilities in
Siberia only admit Of two or three per
sons travelling mt the same time. What
fol ows Is taken from his forthcoming
book:
Directly after my arrival the cspray-
mix, or COssack commandment. sent for
n ME-. Leon, one OF the poll zeal exiIcs
m his keeping. to act rs Inter- retcr be-.
tween us. Leon came and introduced
himself as the gentleman who had
written the letter for the espravnik 10
me while ] was nc the delta, and now.
while he intorprc cd for W. he managed
10 interpolatc for my benefit n part of
his history. We had capital dinner
together ~ teal duck. snipe and other
game, which kasharoflski. the cspray-
mk, kept frozen In his cellar all the wear
round. Leon told me that no had never
before eaten ~ his table. though often
nj first invited To do so, for Leon was n
very bitter Nihilist. and would not fra.
tcrnize with his keepers. kasharoifski
hat n son. whom [ named the 'malinki
soldat little sOldier), to the great de-
light Of both. Mrs. KasharofTski was n
pleasant, fair-haired, pood-lookinU
woman, seemingly quite contented TO
spend her days In this remote wilder
ness Of snow, cooking aud caring
Tor her house and spouse and little son.
She waited on us NJ table. and did not
sat down until we had done. II was the
first good meal l had eaten since leav-
ing San Francisco. We remained ut
table I'm conversation until four O'Clock
the next morning.
Leon informed me that he had
never heard of the Jcannette expedi-
ton unit We actually came to- the polar
sea To visit them. could see his ewes
brighten when | spoke of the facility
with which | could navigate the coast
OF Siberia In u vessel rs small rs our
whalcbOat. Kasharoflski wa, anxious
To learn oil about the clothing and pro-
visions necessary TO undertake JOURNEYS
such as we had been making, and
Icons face flushed with hope and low
while | opened To his glistcning ewes n
glorious vision of escape rom an odious
imprisonment
Leon continued To act as intcrprcter
during Melville stay in Verkeransk.
and told him that in putting KasharolI-
skis questions he would take tho liberty
of asking some on his own account.
leon now urgently invited me 10
visit his comrades in exile. | asked
kasb aroflski whether he had any oh
icctions. and no sa IL. oh no! do not
believe uihilist can hurt Republican,
80 he sent me TO the hut oil tie oxilcs
IN his sleigh. which returned again
for Leon and myself at dinner time.
Leon was siCndcrly built. dark and
cadaverOus-lOOking man with Jewish
features, though when I asked him he
said he was not n Hebrew. His hair
was long AMI black, reaching to his
shoulders. He had been student of
law, he told me, and was arrested in
students, street row. lie had been
brought aftcrward before three separate
tribunals, not ono OF which, however.
had been able To lind anything irregular
In his habits OF life, aud so, indeed.
bis hnal commitment papers expressly
stated While ON his way 10 Siberia
The good -naturcd Cossack officer in
command OF his guard pcrmitte him
70 look over these papers, AL learned
That he had been sent out, after three
different tribunals hal acquitted him.
on what Is known ne Government
ordcr'-a most remarkable instrument.
which closed with the following
specimen Of legal logic We can prove
nothing against this man. but he is A
student OF law, and no doubt very
dangerous man. And banished for
lie he accordingly was. Leon bad pre-
served a copy Of bis commitment papers
and exhibited them with n great deal of
merriment at the peculiar philosophy of
tho administration.
In the hut with Icon Melville found
Tour other young men. all political ex-
lies. the Oldest twenty-scvcn aud the
youngest eighteen years Of age They
were AZ pro essional men and spoke
French hucntly, some Of them German
and others little English. All were
Nihilists. though several said they had
not been 80 until after their banish-
ment: Zach ono had n mournlu story
To tell They were from different parts
~ tho empire, had known the inside of
russian prisons all the way from Arch.
angel to the Crimea, and were finally
sent TO the frontier for safe-kcepip6
lhey questioned Melville eagerly In re-
gard To the navigation OF the Siberian
coast aud had n number of chart. and
maps They had often talked and
dreamed, they said. about making their
escape hut Thousand miles OF river
ana TWO thousand miles OF coast seemed
an impossible journey with the means
at their command.
Melville continued his visits 10 the
eXiles. lin the evenings" no savs
Severai parties were given. when The
men sang. played. ate. gambled. drank
aud smoked. The women did as muc5
In separate apartments Of their own
and astonished the assembly bv tell.
ing thom that i never played cards. not
even IN my own country. Leon. who
was present. told rue that they womb
mink evil OF me. They will say TO
themselves, this is queer man who
neither CANDLES nor smokes. ha mnst
% Away thinking, aud a man Who doc
that Is dangerous But this WIS n
speech OF a poor exile. whose life was
lost because by reading aud reIiectin :
ne had learned the truths Of morals and
politics end had uuwisrly uttered the,
aloud. lie had read Mil. Golden and
Herbert Spen er and longed for English
books. for though they had an English.
together with n German and French'
dictionary In the hut they had no other
books printed In English and begged
me for the Bibla or anv othcr EnSTs~L