Siberia and the exile system . book. In a few moments, having donned his eccle-siastical vestments, he entered the womens cage, with asmoking censer in one hand and an open book in the other,and began a moleben, or service of prayer. The women alljoined devoutly in the supplications, bowing, crossing them-selves, kneeling, and even pressing their foreheads to thedeck. The priest hurried through the service, however, ina perfunctory manner, swung the censer back and forth afew times so as to fill the compartment with fragrant smoke,and then went into the mens cage. There much less interestseeme
Siberia and the exile system . book. In a few moments, having donned his eccle-siastical vestments, he entered the womens cage, with asmoking censer in one hand and an open book in the other,and began a moleben, or service of prayer. The women alljoined devoutly in the supplications, bowing, crossing them-selves, kneeling, and even pressing their foreheads to thedeck. The priest hurried through the service, however, ina perfunctory manner, swung the censer back and forth afew times so as to fill the compartment with fragrant smoke,and then went into the mens cage. There much less interestseemed to be taken in the services. The convicts and sol-diers removed their caps, but only a few joined in the prayer,and buying and selling went on without interruption allalong the side of the barge. The deep-voiced chanting of 118 SIBERIA the priest niiiig-liiig- with the hii»h-pitehed rattle of chains, thechafteriug of pecUUers, and the shontiiig of orders to soldierson the roof of the eag-e prodneed a most strange and incon-. IN81DE THE WOMENS CAGE, CONVICT BARGE. gruous effect. Finally, the service ended, the priest took offhis vestments, wished the commanding officer of the convoya pleasant voyage, and returned to the city, while Mr. Frostand I walked back and forth on the landing-stage studyingthe faces of the prisoners. With few exceptions the latter A SIBERIAN CONVICT BARGE 11!) seemed cheerful and happy, aud in all parts of the cage wecould hear laughter, joking, and animated Frost finaDy began making sketches in his note-book ofsome of the more striking of the convict types on the otherside of the network. This soon attracted the attention ofthe prisoners, and amidst great laughter and merriment theybegan dragging forward and arranging, in what they re-garded as artistic poses, the convicts whom they thoughtmost worthy of an artists pencil. Having selected a subject,
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectsiberiarussiadescrip
