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TherethewatersoftheAngaraagainflowedfreely。
Severalpiecesofice，detachedgraduallyfromthefloe，weresweptalonginthecurrentdowntowardsthetown。
NadiaguessedwhatMichaelwishedtoattempt。Oneoftheblockswasonlyheldonbyanarrowstrip。
“Come，“saidNadia。Andthetwocrouchedonthepieceofice，whichtheirweightdetachedfromthefloe。
Itbegantodrift。Theriverwidened，thewaywasopen。
MichaelandNadiaheardtheshots，thecriesofdistress，theyellsoftheTartars。Then，littlebylittle，thesoundsofagonyandofferociousjoygrewfaintinthedistance。
“Ourpoorcompanions！“murmuredNadia。
ForhalfanhourthecurrenthurriedalongtheblockoficewhichboreMichaelandNadia。Theyfearedeverymomentthatitwouldgivewaybeneaththem。Sweptalonginthemiddleofthecurrent，itwasunnecessarytogiveitanobliquedirectionuntiltheydrewnearthequaysofIrkutsk。Michael，histeethtightset，hisearonthestrain，didnotutteraword。Neverhadhebeensonearhisobject。
Hefeltthathewasabouttoattainit！
TowardstwointhemorningadoublerowoflightsglitteredonthedarkhorizoninwhichwereconfoundedthetwobanksoftheAngara。OntherighthandwerethelightsofIrkutsk；
ontheleft，thefiresoftheTartarcamp。
MichaelStrogoffwasnotmorethanhalfaverstfromthetown。
“Atlast！“hemurmured。
ButsuddenlyNadiautteredacry。
AtthecryMichaelstoodupontheice，whichwaswavering。
HishandwasextendeduptheAngara。Hisface，onwhichabluishlightcastapeculiarhue，becamealmostfearfultolookat，andthen，asifhiseyeshadbeenopenedtothebrightblazespreadingacrosstheriver，“Ah！“heexclaimed，“thenHeavenitselfisagainstus！“
IRKUTSK，thecapitalofEasternSiberia，isapopuloustown，containing，inordinarytimes，thirtythousandinhabitants。
OntherightsideoftheAngararisesahill，onwhicharebuiltnumerouschurches，aloftycathedral，anddwellingsdisposedinpicturesquedisorder。
Seenatadistance，fromthetopofthemountainwhichrisesatabouttwentyverstsoffalongtheSiberianhighroad，thistown，withitscupolas，itsbell-towers，itssteeplesslenderasminarets，itsdomeslikepot-belliedChinesejars，presentssomethingofanorientalaspect。Butthissimilarityvanishesasthetravelerenters。
Thetown，halfByzantine，halfChinese，becomesEuropeanassoonasheseesitsmacadamizedroads，borderedwithpavements，traversedbycanals，plantedwithgiganticbirches，itshousesofbrickandwood，someofwhichhaveseveralstories，thenumerousequipageswhichdrivealong，notonlytarantassesbutbroughamsandcoaches；lastly，itsnumerousinhabitantsfaradvancedincivilization，towhomthelatestParisfashionsarenotunknown。
BeingtherefugeforalltheSiberiansoftheprovince，Irkutskwasatthistimeveryfull。Storesofeverykindhadbeencollectedinabundance。IrkutskistheemporiumoftheinnumerablekindsofmerchandisewhichareexchangedbetweenChina，CentralAsia，andEurope。TheauthoritieshadthereforenofearwithregardtoadmittingthepeasantsofthevalleyoftheAngara，andleavingadesertbetweentheinvadersandthetown。
Irkutskistheresidenceofthegovernor-generalofEasternSiberia。Belowhimactsacivilgovernor，inwhosehandsistheadministrationoftheprovince；aheadofpolice，whohasmuchtodoinatownwhereexilesabound；and，lastly，amayor，chiefofthemerchants，andapersonofsomeimportance，fromhisimmensefortuneandtheinfluencewhichheexercisesoverthepeople。
ThegarrisonofIrkutskwasatthattimecomposedofaninfantryregimentofCossacks，consistingoftwothousandmen，andabodyofpolicewearinghelmetsandblueuniformslacedwithsilver。
Besides，ashasbeensaid，inconsequenceoftheeventswhichhadoccurred，thebrotheroftheCzarhadbeenshutupinthetownsincethebeginningoftheinvasion。
Ajourneyofpoliticalimportancehadtaken
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