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A JOURNEY THROUGH A PRISON. 277
not the slightest resemblance to keys made by a
European locksmith. Inserting one in the extreme
end of a long lock, like a bar or tube, the bolt was
drawn from the triple staple.
The heavy mass of
timber composing the small gate was shunted in its
grooves, and Mr. Rai stepped inside of a cool, clean
passage like a corridor, with an earthen floor about
one hundred feet long, twelve feet wide, and fifteen
feet high. In this wing of the prison were four
large cells, each about twenty-five feet square and
fifteen feet high. The cells, like the outside of the
prison, were formed of square bars of hard wood five
inches thick, with spaces between them three inches
iu width.
For about five feet from the floor the timber
was a solid mass, and strengthened on the outer
side by heavy transverse bars of hard wood. Inside
the floor was covered with coarse mats. In a recess
lay the bedclothes, which the prisoner was allowed
to bring with him; in another recess were ranged
his eating utensils.
The first cell was for women. There was but one
at that time, a mournful-looking young girl, incarcerated
the day before, who bowed humbly as they
looked into her cell. The prison-keeper said that
few women were ever in prison, usually two or
three only. In the next room were six men serving
out long terms of imprisonment. All bowed as Mr.
Rai' looked in, and even appeared to enjoy the sight
of a visitor extremely. These were all political prisoners.
In another cell were about forty men listening
to one of their number, evidently a literary