Life In A Russian Cell

The following description of the Russian colls is given in the Nincteentk Century by Prince Kropotkinc, tvho for a long time was a prisoner in one of them: '.'There is not rnuch light in llieru. The window, which is an embrasura, is nearly of the same size as the windows in other prisons. But the celJs occupy the interior inclosureof the bastion.that a, the rcduct), and the high wall of the bastion faces the windows of the cells at a distance of fifteen to twenly feet. Besides, the walls of the reduct, whick ïave to resist shells, are neavly five feet ;hick, and the light is intereepted by a louble frame with small apertures, and J an iron grating. Finall y, everybody uiovvs that the Kt. Petersburg sky is anything but bright. Dark they are: still, it was in snch a coU -töe urightest of the whoio wiiüiug - tliut I wrote my tvvo volumes on the Glacial Period, and taking advantago of brighter sunimer days, I prepared there the maps that accompany the work and made drawings. The lower story is very d:irk, even in summer. The outer wall intercepts all the light, and 1 remember thftt even during bright days writing was verv dillicult. In fact, it was possible only when the sun's rays were reflecled by the upper part of both walls. All the northern face of the red net is rery dark in both stories. The floor of the eells is covered with n, painted feit, and the walls are doublé, 30 to say; that is, they are covered also witü a feit, and at a distanco of live nches from the wall thero is a iron-wiro aet, covered with a rough linen and fello.v painted paper. This arrangement is made to prevent the prisonerf irom speaking with one another by means of taps on the wall. The silenee In theïo felt-covered cells is that of a jrave. The fortress is a grave. Yon never sear a sound, excepting that of a sentry ontinuallv creeping likc a hunter fro-n 3ne door to another, to look through Lhe 'Judas' into the cells. You ai'e aever alone, as an eye is continually kept npon you, and still you are always ilone. If you addres3 a word to tíie ivarder who brings you your dress for tvalking in the yard, if you ask him what is the weather, he never answers. The only human being with whooi I Bxchanged a few words every moruing was the Colono! who carne to write lown what I wanted to buy - tobáceo or paper. Uut he never dared to enter nto any conversation, as himself was ilways surveyed by some of the warilers. The absoluto silence is interj upted only by the bells of thej clock whieh play every quarter of an hour a Go.ijodi ponrilue, each hour tho canicie Kol slaven nath Gospod v Sionye, ind cach twelve hours a God save the har in addition to all this. The cells are heated by means of arge stoves from the corridor outside, ind the temperature in the cells is kept exceedingly high, in order to preven moisture from appearing on the walls. LY keep sueh a temperature, the sloves are shut np very soon with burning coals. so that the prisoner is usually .sphyxiated with oxide of carbon. Like all Russians, 1 was aecustomed to keep i high temyeraturc of (1 to Gl Fahenheit in my room. But I could not iupport the liigh temperature of tha brtress, and still less the asphyxiating ares; and af ter a long struggle I ob; lined the concession that tne stoves should not be shut up very hot. I wa warned that the walls would bo immediately covered with moisture; and, indeed, they soon wero dripping in the corners of the vault; even the painted paper of the front wall vas as wet as if water were continually Doured on it, But, as there was on. ïhoice between dripping walls and exïaustion by a bath-like temperature, t chose the former, not without aequirin rheumatism. I afterwards learned thut seveml of my friends who, kept in th same bastion, expressed the finn conviction that somo mephitlc gas was sent; into their cells. No provisions from without are allowed, not even fruit - nothing but tho calatchi (white bread), which compassionate merchants distri bute in the prisons at Christmas and Easter - and oldllussian custom existin' unlil now. üur friends could bring us only books. Those who had no friends were eompelled to read over and over igain ihe same fortress librarv, which. contains the odd volumes left "there by several generations sinco 182G. During the first year of my coulinement I walked half an hour or forty minutes every day; but d uring the second year, as wo were nearly sixty on the bastion, and a there is but one yard for walking, and the darkness, ander the sixtieth degreu of latitude, comes at 4 p. m. in the winter, we walked but twenty minutos every other day in the sunimer, and twentjr minutes twicea weekduriuo; tin-. winter. 1 must add also that, owing to the heavy white smoke discharged by the chimney of the mint which domtnates the yard, this walk was corupletely poisoned during the east winils. I could not support on such occasions tho eontinual cougbing of the soldiers, ex posed all the day to these gases, and asked to be brought bac'k 'o my cell.