SIBERIAN EXILES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 113, 5 February 1908, Page 4

SIBERIAN EXILES.

. lhere is published intho"Russ'.' a -letter dated "August.,'li)o7i oiV tbd'Aiiiir high-road," - which' niust 'onuo: moro "dircct:atfentrori ! to tna sulfei'ings of: ; tlio: thousands''of osilcs'h'aiiislied " to Sibcra.' Afct-lio 'oiitsct-,'' tho' )vntcr , 'ox-' i plains that be formed ono,of a parly or 120 exiles,- 23 of "tlicin being Stato or .-politicals . ollcnders,'detailed to work on tho construction, of the Kolessmiya (literally, wheel road;, ■ and .sent thither under. Cossack escort from ■ . tho penal settlement at Irkutsk. ■ After 'doscribing tho journey -ortho party to: Pash- < . kovo, a'Cossack settlement on tho:Amir, ho - says• - • • '"Ono single day's "rest- was ; allowed-'us, ■ but on the following day we 'werd'roiisixTat 4' a.m. and driveri'to .work. It-was raining •fast, unci for- a • wholp vcrst' ,our : way;, lay across submerged', land:'. ' Every day for » fortnight wo had to cross this samo' flooded ground, stripped to thd'\skin, arid, carrying our shovels .on our shoulders. This was, pur lite of to'rniont: Up every morning at four. • working until hvp or- six m tho evening, and returning then, ' utterly worn put-,: for rpll call,.'prayers,, and sleep, . ' "Sleep 1 in ragged and baltrred tents, open to the rain, and duty and damp within. No mattresses,' only sucks, 1 to liq on; some-. ; . times stuUed with grass.' ;AVo aro already . , bitterly cold hero in August,-- and iij .{bpso samp tents wo.must• /livo ' : -until tboVe.nd; of ■-'••• November. - . Ibo spot: wliero wo are working is between H arid.l 6 ycrpts. from,tho camp.' . AVo 'havo "thus' to: walk . ; 50ii30;.30 / vovsts daily, besides performing' p\ir; ; .b"ard task'•'•'•'How hard that , task is'may: bo gaMiered: when ' it: is ■. said -that, ton - men are required-eaoh.day-to cseavritp ia pf--Isome'2ooft. sud -a depth and . width'of .1J ovshins (about n yard), Ono'haf to; work keeafdeep in mire, arid, after' - about''throe weeks rheumatism sets in. and .tho -leg? of tho workers begin to swell. "Tho Administration pavs no hprf to this, or half.'tho prisoners would,bavo.t'o,ho scut homo.' Whether in vain or iii a; tppipeyaturo of iSS'leg. I'V we arc drivop out to work. According to the regulations' no work must ' bo done ,on Sundays, liut what nro tho reptlations to,K—,-Qur:chief,''arid, the engineer? On Sundays wo 1 work as. usualj and aro compelled to sing a hymn of thaiiKs-. : . giving in. the evening 1: Ono Sniuiay liio prisoners resolved to .do no work, but: tba 'uiitt-onds of tho ritlos soon snttlnV that. -. , . ; 'i'ho .work is hard, and the of .work "are harder, but hardi'st of ali i? t.lio ; benting. . You'. aro :.beaten pn : the Avhj to . ' ' work, at work, and oil tho way home, b'i-Jten / always.and overywlio.ro." '■'/