ly not in the best of taste, and, to my
surprise, they were not resented by the governor's staff." This incident
will show that, in Yakutsk at any rate, the "politicals" are treated not
only with leniency but with a friendly courtesy, which on this occasion
was certainly abused. Mr. Olenin, an exile whose term of banishment was
expiring, told me that he had no fault whatever to find with Yakutsk as
a place of exile, so much so that he had resolved not to return to
Russia at the end of his sentence, but to remain here and complete an
ethnological work upon which he was engaged. I don't think that
"harshness and barbarity" are words that can be appropriately used for a
discipline that permits attendances at "private theatricals" where
politicals are so much at ease that they indulge in loud and
unfavourable criticisms in the presence of the governor's staff, and go
out as favoured guests to dinner parties given by the Chief of the
Police!

A few months ago, however, I had my last and great surprise as to
Russia, in learning--what strangely enough is not yet known to many
Russians of experience and official rank--that convict labour in mines
is entirely abandoned now, and has been for some years! It was found to
be both unprofitable and impracticable as modern ideas of mining
advanced. It was clearly a great waste of time to march gangs to the
"pit's mouth," as they call it in our own mining districts, and remove
their chains before sending them down, putting them on when they came up
again. Then no blasting is now done without dynamite; and that, clearly,
was a dangerous substance to hand over to criminals. Again, they are of
all classes, and but few could ever have worked in mines before, and not
having either technical knowledge or experience, their work would be
unprofitable. Convict labour below ground has been given up for some
time in consequence. Prisoners now, when sent out to Siberia, are only
required to work above ground, though they may go into the mines if they
choose, and have fitness for the work, and can be trusted. They are all
allowed and encouraged to hire themselves out, receiving the market
price for their work, and so being able to obtain little comforts for
themselves. As far as I have been able to consider the experiences of
reliable authorities, I feel convinced that when able to see for myself
I too shall say I would far rather serve a term of imprisonment with
hard labour amongst the convicts of