CHAPTER XXVII

Various Adventures--My Companions--I Prepare to Escape--Change of Cell

To make the reader understand how I managed to escape from a place like
the Leads, I must explain the nature of the locality.

The Leads, used for the confinement of state prisoners, are in fact the
lofts of the ducal palace, and take their name from the large plates of
lead with which the roof is covered. One can only reach them through the
gates of the palace, the prison buildings, or by the bridge of which I
have spoken called the Bridge of Sighs. It is impossible to reach the
cells without passing through the hall where the State Inquisitors hold
their meetings, and their secretary has the sole charge of the key, which
he only gives to the gaoler for a short time in the early morning whilst
he is attending to the prisoners. This is done at day-break, because
otherwise the guards as they came and went would be in the way of those
who have to do with the Council of Ten, as the Council meets every day in
a hall called The Bussola, which the guards have to cross every time they
go to the Leads.

The prisons are under the roof on two sides of the palace; three to the
west (mine being among the number) and four to the east. On the west the
roof looks into the court of the palace, and on the east straight on to
the canal called Rio di Palazzo. On this side the cells are well lighted,
and one can stand up straight, which is not the case in the prison where
I was, which was distinguished by the name of 'Trave', on account of the