The Red Cloud chief., 1897-10-15
ON A RUSSIAN CONVICT SHIP.
Horrors OF the VOYAGE from Odessa ~
the Island OF SAL haIin.

wv WV" w 'NEVNttHs
The sailing of a Russian convict ship
from Odessa for the Island OF Saghalin.
IN the Japan Sea. is always an impress
sivc sight. The motley crowd, indigo
nous to all countries. Is of course pres
ent, but there are in addition many
government officials. full OF importance
IN their emblazOned uniforms. and
more numerous members of the clergy
attending to perform the ceremony OF
sprinkling the ship with holy water.
and to give the inmates n parting bless
Ing and a godspeed. Nothing Is done
In Russia without the help OF priests.
and n Russian Is bathed in holy water
from the cradle to the grave.
The religious ceremony over. 1t Ia
with a cargo of heavy hearts that the
convict sh%ip-usually built at Glasgow.
by the way-weighs anchor and de-
parts, for ever a hardened convict
would prefer serving his sentence on
his native soil to dragging out his ex-
istence In u foreign land. But, how
ever that may be. the accommodation
for the thousand or Tor convicts on
board Ia ample and the arrangements
for their well-being complete. The
foo provided Is good and wholesome.
and 1t is not al in%frequent thing for
people in the saloon-the convict ship
carries ordinary passengers as well an
state prisoncrs-to ask for convict soup
and rye bread
All the convicts are In letters. wrist
and ankle bracelets. with n connecting
chain. These and their half-shaved
heads present a most hideous appear
ancc. The daily routine on board Is un-
varying therefore. to change the mo-
notony, the prisoners have resort to all
kinds of devices to make the time pass
away as pleasantly as the circum-
stances will allow.
Most lower class Russians are born
card players, so the convicts collect all
the odd scraps OF paper they can lay
their hands on. Clubs and spades ara
roughly scrubbed on these slips with
the ink supplied for letter writing pur-
poses. while to provide hearts and dia-
monds OF the requisite color n or
more OF the company consents to have
a vein opened. This delicate operation
is performed with the aid OF the tin
spout OF n tea car. ground to a sharp
edLe on the iron deck. This imprO-
vised lancet also does duty as a razor.
serving to remove the remaining hair
from the head Of some devout follower
OF Islam. The stakes OF the card play
ers are knobs Of sugar. saved by rigOr-
Gus economy at the tea table. When
these fail, bones and odds and ends are
substituted.
On the fifteenth day at sea the letters
are removed. This Is. indeed, a day Of
rejoicing, and the most hardened Grim.
lnal gives vent to a sigh of relief at
being released from these hateful IN
blems Of bondage.
The coveted freedom Is not, however,
Of long duration. A poor. %inoffensivs
Crleman Tartar accidentally treads on
the foot Of a regular cut throat villain
to be seized Immediately by the throat
The cry Is instantly raised that the
M~ohammedans are killing the Chris.
tians. A general melee ensues, 10
which racial hatred Is given full play.
The guard Is called out. and, turnins
On the hot water hose pipes. which are
kept ready for any emergency, soon
cows the %combatants. The r~ingleader IL
placed In irons and put on dry bread
and water for fourteen days. The Tar.
tar is carried more dead than alive ia
the hospital. and the rest, guilty and
innocent alike, are kept In chains and
shackles FOR the rest OF the voyage
From the London Mail.