destination before the break-up of the
roads, which would probably mean death from starvation or by drowning in
the floods. But an angry discussion followed this edict, and as the
politicals were assembling in the open street for departure a young
student lost his temper and fired his revolver, killing a policeman. A
general _melee_ ensued, during which several persons were accidentally
killed and wounded, for a large crowd had been attracted by the sound of
firearms. The exiles, Fuff, Minor, and Pik, were shot dead on the spot.
A young woman, Madame Gourievitch, about to become a mother, was
bayoneted, and died in great agony. Finally, after a hard struggle, the
culprits were secured and confined in the prison, where some of them did
undoubtedly try to starve themselves in order to escape execution. The
case was tried at Petersburg, and three of the ringleaders, Zotoff,
Haussmann, and Bernstein, were duly hanged in the Yakutsk gaol. Zotoff,
who had been badly wounded during the fight, had to be carried on his
bed to the scaffold. The other exiles received long terms of
imprisonment at the political prison at Akatui, where I saw and
conversed with them in 1894.[21] The women were sent to Viluisk, but
have since been liberated.

[Footnote 21: For further details of this prison see "The New Siberia,"
by Harry de Windt. Chatto and Windus, London. 1896.]

Criminal convicts here are also well cared for, although the prison,
which contained about ninety inmates, was old and dilapidated, like
almost every other building in the place. But the wards appeared to be
fairly clean and well warmed, a comfortable infirmary adjoined the
building, and also a home maintained by private subscriptions for the
children of prisoners. Enforced idleness seemed to be the chief
complaint from which the convicts were suffering, for during the long
winter months it is naturally difficult to find them employment.

Being aware that Russian officials are seldom overpaid, the lavish style
in which they entertained us astonished me, for provisions of all kinds
must, I imagined, always be at famine prices in a town within measurable
distance of the Arctic regions. But inquiry proved that I was entirely
wrong, and that living here is as cheap, if not cheaper, than in
Irkutsk. It used not to be so when, in former days, Yakutsk was
surrounded by vast marshes, often submerged, and apparently quite
useless for the purposes of cultivation.[22] But these are