delay our departure as long as possible; but the Grand-Duchesses are so eager to see their parents again that we don’t feel morally justified in opposing their wishes.
Saturday, May 18th.—Vespers. The priest and nuns have been stripped and searched by order of the commissary.
Sunday, May 19th (May 6th, O.S.).—The Czar’s birthday.... Our departure is fixed for to-morrow. The commissary refuses to allow the priest to come; he has forbidden the Grand-Duchesses to lock their doors at night.
Monday, May 20th.—At half-past eleven we left the house and went on board the Rouss. She is the boat which brought us here with the Czar and Czarina eight months ago. Baroness Buxhœveden has been granted permission to rejoin us. We left Tobolsk at five o’clock. Commissary Rodionof has shut Alexis Nicolaïevitch in his cabin with Nagorny. We protested: the child is ill and the doctor ought to have access to him at any time.
Wednesday, May 22nd.—We reached Tioumen this morning.