Japan and the Japanese

408 JAPAN. A. D. 18111813.
an interpreter of the Dutch language, who had come from Jecta,
and by a learned man from the same capital, who was indeed no
other than DoefPs astronomer, Globius, but known to the Russians
as Addati-Sonnai, both of whom desired to learn the Russian language.
The interpreter,
a young man of twenty-seven, and already
acquainted with the rules of European grammar, made rapid progress,
and soon applied himself to translate a treatise on vaccina-
tion, which one of the returned Japanese had brought from Russia.
The astronomer busied himself in translating a Russian school
treatise on arithmetic, carried to Japan by one of the Japanese
conveyed home by Laxrnan in 1792. It was evident that he had
considerable mathematical learning. The Japanese astronomers
had made decided progress since the time of Thunberg. Globius
understood the Copernican system, was acquainted with the orbit and
satellites of Uranus; knew the nature and doctrine of signs and
tangents, and was familiar with the difference between the old and
new styles. He assured Gotownin that the Japanese could calculate
eclipses with much exactness, and he studied with great attention
a treatise on physics, which, with other books, had been sent on
shore in Golownin's chest.
Nor were the Japanese without knowledge of the revolutions going
on in Europe. The Russians were told the news of the taking of
Moscow, brought to Nagasaki by the two vessels from Batavia ; but
with patriotism equal to that shown by Doeff, in relation to the
annexation of Holland to France, they
Japanese gave them a minute description of these two vessels, and
also of the elephant which they brought, his length, height, thick-
refused to believe it. The
ness, food, &c. A native of Sumatra, the keeper of the elephant,
was described with equal minuteness.
Teske, whom G-olownin had taught Russian, was found to be quite
a free-thinker, both in politics and religion ; but, in general, the
Japanese seemed very superstitious, of which, presently, we shall
see some instances.
The soldiers Golownin observed to be of two classes, those of the
local administration, and others whom he calls imperial soldiers,
and who appear, by his description, to be precisely the same
with those whom Kampfer describes under the name of Dosiu, or
Dosen, as attached to the service of the governor of Nagasaki, and