ad been present that he saw an Ostjak
shoot an arrow high into the air, and cut it in two with another arrow
as it descended, a feat that seemed to him altogether incredible, but is
confirmed by the evidence of Russian travellers.

Tomsk is situated on the river Tom, an affluent of the Obi. The town is
about the same size as Tobolsk; the climate of the district is
considered the best in Siberia; the land is fertile, and among the
mountains are many valuable mines. Although a comparatively small
province in comparison to Tobolsk on one side and Yeneseisk on the
other, it contains an area of half a million square miles, and,
excluding Russia, is bigger than any two countries of Europe together.
It contains a rural population of 725,000-130,000 natives, chiefly
Tartars and Kalmucs, and 30,000 troops.

Here Godfrey was landed, and marched to the prison. Of these there are
two, the one a permanent convict establishment, the other for the
temporary detention of prisoners passing through. Godfrey slipped a few
roubles into the hand of his guard, for his watch, money, and the other
things in his pockets had been restored to him before starting on his
journey. After two days' stop in the prison the journey was continued as
before, a soldier sitting by the driver, a police-officer taking the
place of the soldier who had before accompanied him. He began to speak
to Godfrey as soon as they started.

"We are not so strict now," he said. "You will soon be across the line
into Eastern Siberia, and you will no longer meet people through whom
you might send messages or letters. As to escape, that would be out of
the question since you left Ekaterinburg, for none can travel either by
steamer or post without a permit, or even enter an inn, and the document
must be shown at every village."

"But I suppose prisoners do escape sometimes," Godfrey said.

"There have not been a dozen escapes in the last fifty years," the
policeman said. "There are great numbers get away from their prisons or
employments every year, but the authorities do not trouble about them;
they may take to the mountains or forests, and live on game for a few
months in summer, but when winter arrives they must come in and give
themselves up."

"What happens to them then?" Godfrey asked.

"Perhaps nothing but solitary confinement for a bit, perhaps a beating
with rods, just according to the temper of the chief official at the
time. Perhaps if it is a bad case they a