C H A P T E R X L I I .
D O W E K N O W TH E TRU TH A B O U T
S IB E R IA N P R IS O N S ?
Different estimates of “ Through Siberia.” — Doubts of sceptical
friends.— Prisons supposed to have been prepared for my visits.—
The supposition examined.— Opinions of residents in Russia and
Siberia.— Testimony of a Swede.— Examination of statements concerning
Siberian Prisons in “ Called Back.” — Prince Krapotkine’ s
censure, and its value.— The class of facts borne witness to in
“ Through Siberia.”
T I 7'H E N I returned from my long journey across
VV Northern Asia I gave to the world “ an
unprejudiced statement of what I saw and heard in
the prisons and mines of Siberia.” One Russian
prison inspector, of high standing, volunteered the
remark that what I had said was so perfectly correct
that my book might be taken as a standard even by
Russian authorities ; but another Russian writer has
allowed himself to go so far as to say that my book—
“ in so far at least as it is concerned with gaols and
convicts— can only convey false ideas.” The worth
of this latter criticism may to some extent be gauged
by the fact that, although “ Through Siberia” has
been translated into three languages, and has been
honoured with more than 200 literary notices and
reviews, yet no such misstatement has been pointed out
as to make it necessary in any one of four subsequent
editions to alter what had been printed at first. I say
this, not boastfully, still less defiantly, but as affording
some sort of proof that I did not write at random.
But I am not so sanguine as to suppose that all are,
or are likely to be, convinced. Even among my friends
there are those who think I did not see things in their
normal condition. This suspicion was pleasantly
hinted, before my book appeared, by the late Dean
Close, who, writing to me on another subject, playfully
added, “ I suppose those letters in the Times
were yours. . . . I should very much doubt whether
those cunning Russians have not deceived you. They
knew what they were about when they gave you
apparent liberty of access to all their prisons. Do you
suppose, i f there were any horrors, they would show
them to you? No. They saw in a moment that, if
they could apparently open all Siberia to you, they
would get what they have got,— a whitewashing in
the Times ! I am not a violent Anti-Russ ; but I
don’ t believe that they would show to any Englishman
all their heavy irons in Siberia.”
Others have said, “ Do you not think that the
prisons were prepared for your inspection ?” And
this question was answered in the affirmative by the
St. James's Gazette, on the authority of “ a Russian
informant,” stating that “ official orders were sent before
me to the prisons to make things wear a favourable
aspect for my visit.” Upon seeing this I wrote to the
editor “ that if his Russian informant, or any other,
thinks that I have been duped or misinformed, I am
perfectly ready to be questioned, and shall be happy
to discuss the question in the public press, provided
only that my opponent give facts, dates, names, and