There are few difficulties that cannot be surmounted by patience,
resolution, and pluck, and great as are the obstacles that nature and
the Russian government oppose to an escape from the prisons of
Siberia, such evasions have occasionally been successfully carried
out, and that under far less advantageous circumstances than those
under which the hero of this story undertook the venture. For the
account of life in the convict establishments in Siberia I am indebted
to the very valuable books by my friend the Rev. Dr. Lansdell, who
has made himself thoroughly acquainted with Siberia, traversing the
country from end to end and visiting all the principal prisons. He
conversed not only with officials, but with many of the prisoners and
convicts, and with Russian and foreign residents in the country, and
his testimony as to the management of the prisons and the condition
of the convicts is confirmed by other independent writers personally
cognizant of the facts, and like him able to converse fluently in the
language, and writing from intimate knowledge of the subject.
G. A. HENTY.
resolution, and pluck, and great as are the obstacles that nature and
the Russian government oppose to an escape from the prisons of
Siberia, such evasions have occasionally been successfully carried
out, and that under far less advantageous circumstances than those
under which the hero of this story undertook the venture. For the
account of life in the convict establishments in Siberia I am indebted
to the very valuable books by my friend the Rev. Dr. Lansdell, who
has made himself thoroughly acquainted with Siberia, traversing the
country from end to end and visiting all the principal prisons. He
conversed not only with officials, but with many of the prisoners and
convicts, and with Russian and foreign residents in the country, and
his testimony as to the management of the prisons and the condition
of the convicts is confirmed by other independent writers personally
cognizant of the facts, and like him able to converse fluently in the
language, and writing from intimate knowledge of the subject.
G. A. HENTY.