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Show Exiles' Life In, Siberia. A letter dated "August, 1907, on tho Amir High Road," once more directs attention to the sufferings of the thousands thou-sands of oxlles banished to Siberia. At the outset tho writer explains that b formed one of a party of 120 exiles, 23 of them being Btate or political offend ers, detailed to work on the construction construc-tion of the Koleasnava (literally, wheel road), and sent thither under Cossack escort from the penal settlement at Irkutsk. After describing the Journey of tho party to Pashkovo, a Cossack settle-ment settle-ment on the Amir, he says: "One single day's rest was allowed s, but on the following day we were roused at 4 a. m. and driven to work. It was raining fast, and for a whole ver6t our way lay across submerged land. Every day for a fortnight wo bad to cross this same flooded ground, stripped to the skin and carrying our shovels on our shoulders. This was our life of torment. Up every morning morn-ing at four, working until five or six In the evening, and returning then, utterly worn out, for roll call, prayera and sleep. "Sleep! In ragged and battered tents, open to the rain and dirty and damp within. No mattresses, only sacks to He on, sometimes stuffed with grass. We are already bitterly cold here In August, and in these same tents wo must live until November. . . . Tho Bpot whore we are working is between 14 and 16 versts from the camp. We have thus to walk somo 30 versts dally, besides performing our hard task. How hard that task Is may be gathered when it is said that ten men are required eaeh day to excavate a length of some 200 feet and a depth and width of IVi arshlns (about a yard). One has to work knee deep in mire, and after about three weeks rheumatism sets in and the legs of the workers being to swell." |