Japan and the Japanese

466 JAPAN. A. D. 18111813.
for that purpose. It had three or four small brass pieces on car-
riages, and an eighteen or a twenty-four pounder, apparently cast in
Europe, mounted on cross-beams. Matsniai lies on a large, open
bay, with tour fathoms of w.iter ut low tide; and, according to the
Japanese, is about two hundred of their leagues (five hundred miles)
from Jedo, the land journey thither, after crossing the strait,
being made in twenty-three days.
A great crowd collected to see them enter the town, ropes being
stretched to keep the passage clear. Confined in a prison much
like the one at Hakodade, and close under the ramparts of the cas-
tle, they underwent many more examinations before the bugio or governor
of Matsmai. The inquisitiveness of their questioners, which
seemed to be without limit, proved a great torment to the Russians,
and sometimes put them into a passion ;
but the Japanese were always
cool and polite. They were supplied with much better food than at
Hakodade, fresh and salt fish, boiled or fried in poppy-seed oil, with
soy for sauce. They al.-o had, after the winter set in, flesh of sea-
dogs, hares and bears, and attempts were even made to cook for
them after the Russian fashion. For drink they had tea* and
warm saki. They were furnished with warm clothing, both their
own which had been sent on shore for them, and Japanese gowns,
for which a tailor was sent to measure them ; and, when the
weather grew colder, they had hearths, after the Japanese fashion,
made in the prison, at a little distance from each cage, on which
charcoal fires were kept burning. A physician visited them daily
to look after their health, and if anything serious appeared he
brought a consulting physician with him.
After a time their accommodations were much improved. In-
stead of confinement in separate cages, they had a large room cov-
ered with mats. A young man, named Teske, was now brought to
them, whom they were requested to instruct in the Russian lan-
guage. He proved a very apt scholar, made rapid progress, soon
* The tea in common use, Golownin, like other travellers in Japan, ob-
served to be of a very inferior quality. Green tea was used as a luxury on
occasions of ceremony. Sugar was rare and costly, being brought from B i-
tavia by the Dutch, and packed for retail in small baskets. Golownin saw
also a very inferior kind, which he concluded to be of domestic manufac-
ture.