crept into
the European press, and especially into that of the national censor, the
English, as to the cruelties and inhumanities these poor people had to
endure on the voyage. The vessel, with the convicts on board, was lying
at Dui on our arrival, and our admiral was not slow to avail himself of
the means of satisfying himself, and, through him, the English press, as
to the alleged enormities. He found, I believe, that far from being
badly treated, the prisoners had every consideration allowed them
consistent with their position as state prisoners. Indeed, the convicts
on this island seem to enjoy almost perfect liberty of action, short of
being permitted to escape, for I encountered about a score of them on
shore--big, burly, well-fed fellows--smoking, playing at pitch-and-toss,
and singing, as if to be a convict was a state to be desired rather than
otherwise. Possibly, these were good characters, for I certainly saw
some in the coaling hulks with heavy chains on their wrists and legs,
and with half-shaved heads--a distinguishing mark which those I met on
shore had not.

By dint of extra pressure we managed to procure our coal next day,
though it took us till after sundown to get in 140 tons. We and the
"Charybdis" then sailed--she for Yokohama and we for Castries bay--about
sixty miles on the other side of the gulf--where we dropped anchor on
the following morning.

We felt the weather bitterly cold, as contrasted with the temperature of
our experience since leaving England, though, I suppose, at home such
would be called genial.

There is not a sign or semblance of the human species, near this spot.
All around us is forest, forest to the utmost limit of vision. Pines and
firs, firs and pines, for acres upon acres; sufficient, I should think,
to furnish all the navies of the world, present and yet unborn, with
spars. What a solemn and wintry aspect these northern forests have; what
weird murmurs and ghostly sighs haunt their virgin glades. Sometimes in
the midst of this almost black greenness, some forest monarch, bleached
and scared by the icy breath of generations of Siberian winters, stands
out with skeleton distinctness. A dreary, desolate place altogether.
There must be a town somewhere in the vicinity, though, for in the
afternoon the military commandant hove in sight. This official had on
the enormous bearskin head-dress, and dark green uniform of the Cossack
regiment. An insignificant-looking man, all mo