Part 136

‘to start,’ of a conveyance, a train, etc., is generally rendered by +ab´fahren+.

= at, +an+.

for years, +jahrelang+.

Use the pl. for this and the two following nouns.

+auf+. Read S. 128, N. 11.

the — convoy = the exhausted travellers.

black = gloomy.

+Viehstand+, m.

+abgemagert.+

+siech.+

Supply ‘souls’.

This term may be used in its unaltered form, but is perhaps better rendered by ‘+Polizeipräsident+’, m.

+Unterbeamte+, m.

+Friedensrichter.+

Nom. +der kaiserliche Forstbeamte+.

+einem Haufen russischer Verbrecher in Ketten.+

= number.

= examined; who — district = with absolute (+unumschränkt+) power (+Vollmacht+, f.) over the whole district.

+begehren+; to answer = the answer, +die Beantwortung+, followed by the Gen., but without art.

= your.

Say ‘of your parents’.

Say ‘and the answers to (+auf+, with Acc.) these questions are all entered (+ein´tragen+) in the books’.

Section 167.

RUSSIAN POLITICAL PRISONERS IN BANISHMENT.

III.

A solemn promise is then exacted of him that he will not give lessons of any kind, or try to teach anyone; that every letter (S. 48, N. 6) he writes will go through the Ispravnik’s hands, and that he will follow no occupation except shoemaking, carpentering, or field labour. He is then told he (App. § 28) is free, but at the same time is solemnly warned that should he attempt to pass the limits of the town, he would be shot down like a dog rather than be allowed to escape; and, should he be taken alive, would be sent off to Eastern Siberia without further formality than that of the Ispravnik’s personal order.

The poor fellow takes up his little bundle, and, fully realising that he has now bidden farewell to the culture and material comfort of his past life, he walks out into the cheerless street. A group of exiles, all pale and emaciated, are (S. 107, N. 13) there to (S. 19, N. 7) greet him, take him to some of their miserable lodgings, and feverishly demand news from home. The new comer gazes on them as one in a dream; some are melancholy, and almost mad, others nervously irritable, and the remainder have evidently tried to find solace in drink. They live (S. 116, N. 17) in communities of twos and threes, have food, a scanty provision of clothes, money, and books in common, and consider it their sacred duty to help each other in every emergency, without distinction of (S. 3, N. 2, and S. 10, N. 9) sex, rank, or age. The noble by birth get sixteen shillings a month from Government for their maintenance, and commoners only ten, although many of them are married, and sent into exile with young families.

Say ‘Hereupon one demands (+verlangen+) of him the solemn promise’.