File:Page 506 of "Through Siberia" (1883) (14762161724).jpg

Identifier: throughsiberia00lans Title: Through Siberia Year: 1883 (1880s) Authors: Lansdell, Henry, 1841-1919 Subjects: Prisons Prisoners Work camps Publisher: London : S. Low, Marston, Searle and Rivington Contributing Library: Robarts - University of Toronto Digitizing Sponsor: University of Toronto

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Text Appearing Before Image: rything that passed. I speak only truth when Isay that, if I had the misfortune to be condemned toprison for life, and had my choice between Millbank inLondon or this politicals cell at Kara, I would certainlychoose the latter. Between the guard-house and the residence of thecolonel was a collection of buildings and store-houses,called Middle Kara. Among these was the church,the priest of which was the only chaplain I could hearof for the prisoners. He practised photography inaddition to his ecclesiastical calling, and although heprobably needed every rouble he gained thereby—andI certainly ought not to revile him, since by his meansthe colonel was able to present me with some views ofthe colony—yet it would have rejoiced me to hear thathe was doing something worthy of his position for thespiritual good of the convicts. The pastoral superin-tendence, frequent services, and preaching to prisoners,as carried on in English prisons, is unheard of at Kara, THE PENAL COLONY OF KARA, 459

Text Appearing After Image: RUSSIAN VILLAGE CHURCH. and I gathered that the convicts attended church onlytwice a year,* * This may be noticed in connection with a statement of the author ofThe Russians of To-day (p. 231), who says : Once a week a pope—himself an exile—goes down into the mines to bear the consolations ofreligion, under the form of a sermon enjoining patience. I suspect 46o THROUGH SIBERIA. I may here mention that the reHglous scruples ofSiberian exiles are to some extent respected. Thus, forthe Jewish prisoners to be obliged to eat food preparedby Gentiles would be an abomination. In the prison atTiumen we were informed that 42 Jews, who had beenconfined there during the previous winter, had beenplaced together in a ward, with a separate cooking-place, in which they prepared their food canonically.So, too, a similar arrangement had been observed with71 Mohammedans; and I have just remarked that therewere many of this religion together, in the prison atMiddle Kara, who were allowed, within cer

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