Note 7 — Chapter XXIII · IRKUTSK.

The citizen prisoners, he said, were allowed in money 17½ kopecks a day, which they could spend as they pleased, and with which they could buy a pound of meat (10 kopecks), and 2½ lbs. of bread (7½ kopecks). They have, however, in Irkutsk, a liberal prison committee, who help in the matter of food—the cabbage in the soup, for instance, being provided by them; and my informant, though grumbling about almost everything else, allowed that the dinners given to the sick, which cost 20 kopecks, and all the arrangements about the prison hospital, were exceedingly good. There were even books provided for the patients, but this was through the kindness of the doctor. My non-official informant also alleged that the prison officials took from the pay of the workmen, giving them far less than the value of their labour, and so unrighteously enriched themselves. His tone, however, was so exceedingly bitter, that had he not allowed that there was one good thing in connection with the prison, I should have discredited all he said, especially as he dealt so much in generals, and avoided particulars. As it was, I thought perhaps he might have spoken the truth in some respects. I heard subsequently, from another exile, that the Director of the prison received only £40 a year for salary, whilst from another I heard £120 or £150; and if either of these figures are true, it is not difficult to see that a dishonest official may be strongly tempted to take advantage (as the Russians say) “of his opportunities.” These “opportunities,” however, are not confined to matters of food. I heard of a prison director at Nijni Udinsk who had orders to send 30 prisoners to Nikolaefsk, which for certain reasons is a favourite place with the convicts; whereupon this director made his choice to fall upon those whose wives could pay him 25 roubles, or 50 shillings. This looks a large amount for a prisoner to pay, but my informant had in possession 50 roubles to be transferred for this purpose.