CHAPTER IV. Sojourn at Tobolsk-Lower and Upper Town-Edifices -Interview with an exiled Colonel-Walks on the Irtish-Tobola-Public garden-Visit from the exile -Advance of spring-Breaking of ice on the IrtishArgali deer. As we had to stay several weeks at Tobolsk, it was necessary to look for lodgings. Another of our countrywomen, an old friend and neighbour of mine, who had arrived shortly before, found herself in the same situation, and we agreed to take a house, and live together. Spring now approached with rapid pace. Snow was disappearing from the streets, the fields, and all the environs. We lived in the lower part of the town, which was without any pavement; but as the streets were laid with planks and large trunks of trees, we were able on fine days to take our walks in town without much inconvenience, and thus make acquaintance with the capital of Siberia. Tobolsk lies on the right bank of the Irtish. Most of its houses are built of wood, not painted outside and only very rarely inside. They look dusty and mean, and the town has a sombre uninviting aspect. But a small number of the houses are of brick, and these chiefly belong to a more respectable class of merchants. There are eleven churches, all brick structures. Among the principal buildings, the Governor's Palace holds the first place. It is two stories high; another, and equally stately edifice, was built by Swedish prisoners, taken at the famous battle of Pultawa; a third, is the residence of the Archbishop of all Siberia. These three edifices are all situated on an eminence, and may be said to constitute, as it were, the basis of what is termed the "Higher Town." Below on a plain, or more properly a peninsula which is formed by a winding of the Irtish, lies the "Lower Town." The site being low, and not much above the level of the river, it is excessively damp. Both the towns, as well as all the environs are too level to allow of a single fine view; and the total absence of buildings remarkable for grandeur, either in their dimensions or in architectural beauty, make all the streets look alike. It is not to Tobolsk that the sight-hunters should go to gratify their curiosity. Only those who have long been resident in this place, and have become more familiar with the different localities, can point out any difference between one set of streets and another; such distinctions totally escape the eye of a casual visitor. During one of my walks, being accompanied by some friends, I paid a visit to Colonel Severin Krzyzanowski. He was a poor invalid; both his feet are never quits his chamber.* paralyzed, and he One of our com * Colonel Krzyzanowski is one of the many victims of the reign of the Emperor Nicholas. He had been a most distinguished officer in the Polish army, and fought many battles under Napoleon. He was accused, with other Poles, of complicity in the celebrated Pestel conspiracy in Russia, but the crime could not be substantiated against them, and they were all honourably acquitted by the High Court at Warsaw in 1828. Although a Pole, yet being born in the Ukraine, Colonel pany, M. Onufry Pietraszkiewicz, preceded us to apprise the Colonel of our approach, and we waited in an outer room while his nurse, a German, prepared for our reception. In about a quarter of an hour the Colonel was ready to receive us, and being ushered in, we found him sitting in a deep arm-chair à la Voltaire, propped up on both sides, his infirm debilitated body requiring those supports. His long, thin hair was snow-whitebleached, as it appeared, by premature age, brought on by much suffering, and it fell down on his shoulders, reaching nearly to his elbows. His face was excessively pale, and looked as though it were swollen; the lustre of his Krzyzanowski was claimed by the Czar as a Russian subject, and without any trial whatever transported to Siberia. For nearly twenty years it was not known where he was, or even whether he was dead or alive; and, but for our author's notice of him, his friends would not, in all likelihood, have heard anything of him to this day. Siberia is a vast prison, and though not walled up, there is no return or escape from its confines. The rest of the unfortunate man's life-his sufferings and his mournful end, as related by our author, will now become clear and intelligible to the readers. eyes was dimmed, and their old fire quenched. As he saw us enter, his lips and eyes trembled convulsively, betraying a strong inward emotion. We perceived that he tried to speak, and could not. He then by a movement of his hand made us a sign to approach his seat, to enable him to shake hands with us. were but two of us in his room Josephine and myself. There - Miss It fortunately happened that at that moment the Colonel's mind was perfectly lucid, which, alas! was not its ordinary condition; and we could see that only the excess of emotion deprived his paralyzed tongue of the power of speech. At length he recovered his self-possession, and for some time conversed with us, though not without difficulty, yet with perfect presence of mind. Hearing that our destination was Berezov, a place known to him, having himself resided there fourteen months, he recommended us, when we arrived, to take lodgings at his former landlady's, where he said we should be comfortable. He tried to reassure us with respect to Berezov and the discomforts of that place, and perhaps thinking we should be frightened, |