More on Siberian-bound convicts; Rev. Baird describes their crimes

Rev. Robert Baird, temperance campaigner 

The wagons now brought up the rear of the band, and to the sound of a military drum, these poor creatures commenced their march to a place from which the majority were never to return.  We saw them leave, surrounded by his Majesty’s   [31] troops, and long after they had departed we could hear the clanking of their chains which made a proper accompaniment to their helpless march.-----I met on this ground the Rev^d Mr Baird of Paris, and he gave us some of the various crimes—among them we saw some few in other respects like their fellows excepting their chains, and these we were told were Nobles, a singular distinction made for their stile.   There were some few in this band who were convicted of murder, but the majority were sentenced for some trivial offence, a petty theft, or an attempt to rebel against some demand of their owners.  These latter were sent to what is called the nearer Siberia for colonizing, and the former to the mines.  

Convicts destined for Siberia

Turning from our view of the city & the thoughts occasioned by it, of its former history, we [28] passed a short distance to the right to a building guarded by [Sentinels?], not looking much like a prison though strongly barred with iron.  We arrived a few moments before the prisoners were brought out, and leaving our carriage, stationed ourselves before the main gate of the building in front of a number of troops formed in a square waiting for the appearance & purpose of conducting & guarding the Convicts.  In a few moments, the gate was opened and we heard the voice of the officer on duty call out a name, and out stepped one of the unfortunate beings destined to spend the remainder of his days as a prisoner in Siberia.  He was dressed as well as his fellows in the Convict’s dress of a mixed home-spun cloth, making a cloak & pants and a pair of boots.  One half of his head [29] was shaved making his appearance singular indeed, whilst the other half of his head was, au naturel.  He had an iron chain fastened to either ancle, and kept suspended, (so as not to interfere with his walking) by a belt tied around his waist.  In this manner were some eighty-odd of these beings dressed preparatory to their weary journey from Moscow.  Amongst these we now and then saw a female, some as convicts and others following their husbands to their place of Banishment.  In front of the band ranged out in order, stood an old man with a plate in his hand collecting some small favors from the few spectators and officers standing about .The gate was now opened wide and out drove some half dozen wagons with luggage and those convicts who were too [30] old or too infirm to walk this six week journey. Here and there you could see a little baby in the arms of its mother, unconscious of course of its destination & future life.  There was an old woman in one of the wagons whose countenance I think I shall never forget.  She must have been near seventy years of age as dark as a Bohemian who was sitting beside her, and as she left the gates of the prison, her face expressed more than words could ever do; before her was an old man probably her husband and she was casting her lot still with him..