Page:Siberia and the Exile System Vol 2.djvu/307

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THE SILVER MINES OF NÉRCHINSK
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he seemed to be honest and trustworthy, and talked to me with great frankness and good-humor.

"I am afraid," he said, as we drove through the village street, "that you will find our prison the worst you have

1. THE VALLEY AND MINING SETTLEMENT OF ALGACHÍ.
2. THE PRISON AT ALGACHÍ.
3. THE PRISON CORRIDOR.

ever seen. It is very old and in bad condition, but I can't do much to improve it. We are too far away from Peter" [St. Petersburg.]

I replied reassuringly that I did not think it could be worse than the common-criminal prison at Ust Kará, and said that I had had experience enough to understand some