The Story of a Siberian Exile

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER II. OF MY ARREST AND IMPRISONMENT AT BRAQLAW. ABREST ? EXAMINATION ? MAJOR POLOTTTKOVSKOI ? JOTONEY TO BRAgLAW?AN ACCIDENT?THE PRISON AT BRALAW?A EUSSIAN SCENE?KIOW. ON December 31st, 1843, and just at the late dawning of the day, I felt myself shaken by the arm, and I was addressed in a loud voice...
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Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER II. OF MY ARREST AND IMPRISONMENT AT BRAQLAW. ABREST ? EXAMINATION ? MAJOR POLOTTTKOVSKOI ? JOTONEY TO BRAgLAW?AN ACCIDENT?THE PRISON AT BRALAW?A EUSSIAN SCENE?KIOW. ON December 31st, 1843, and just at the late dawning of the day, I felt myself shaken by the arm, and I was addressed in a loud voice by my assumed name. Though awake, I was in no hurry to reply; I wished to gain time to compose myself for my part. When at last I opened my eyes, I beheld in my room the Director of Police, Colonel Grunfield; a Commissary; and Major Poloutkovskoi-, of the Council of Prince Bibikov, Governor-General of Volhynia, Podolia, and the Ukraine; the Major having come from Kiow to take steps for my arrest. I expressed my surprise at so early a visit, and my astonishment was naturally redoubled at the intelligence that I must be taken, under escort, before the Governor. I did not, of course, fail to represent my rights as a British subject, or to remind them of the grave results that were likely to accrue to themselves for this inconceivable conducttowards me. After having thus gone through all the formalities necessary to keep up my character, I asked permission to go into the next room, to perform my toilet. While I was dressing, the Commissary took possession of my papers and effects, and we were soon on our way to the house of the Governor Eadistchev, with whom I had been personally acquainted for some time. This first interview was both short and indecisive. The Governor entered the room abruptly, and addressed me in Eussian. I pretended not to understand what he said, and requested that I might be interrogated in French; above all I begged that he would explain the cause of my being arrested. 'You will learn that presently;' and, at a signal given by his hand, I was then...