Japan and the Japanese

472 JAPAN. A. D. 18111813.
Diana, appeared, from his rich yellow dress, his swords, and othef
circumstances, to be a person of distinction. Being interrogated in
Japanese, of which Rikord had picked up a little from Leonsaima,
he answered, with great frankness, that his name was Tachatay.
Kachi,* that he was the owner of ten ships, and bound from Eetoo-
roop (the nineteenth Kurile) to Hakodade, with a cargo of dried
fish, but had been obliged by contrary winds to put into the bay of
Kunashir.
Being shown the letter written by Leonsiama, he exclaimed,
" Captain Moort and five Russians are now in the city of Mats-
oaai." This information was hardly credited, and Rikord finally
resolved to convey his captive to Kamtschatka, hoping,
in the
sourse of the winter, to obtain through him some information re-
specting the fate of the Russians, and the views of the Japanese
government, especially as he seemed far superior to any of tho
Japanese with whom they had hitherto met, and, therefore, more
likely to understand the policy of those who ruled in Japan.
" I informed him," says Rikord, " that he must hold himself iu
readiness to accompany me to Russia, and explained the circum-
stances which compelled me to make such an arrangement. lie
understood me perfectly, and when I proceeded to state my belief
that Captain Golownin, Mr. Moor, and the rest of the Russian
prisoners, had been put to death, he suddenly interrupted me, ex-
Moor and five Russians are
claiming, ' That is not true. Captain
living in Matsmai, where they are well treated, and enjoy the
freedom of walking about the city, accompanied by two officers.'
When I intimated that we intended to take him with us, he replied,
with astonishing coolness,
'
'
and merely re-
Well, I am ready ;
quested that on our arrival in Russia he might continue to live
with me. This I promised he should do, and likewise that I would
carry him back to Japan in the ensuing year. He then seemed
perfectly reconciled to his unlooked-for destiny.
" The four Japanese, who still remained on board the ship, un-
* This is Rikord's orthography. In the representation of the Japanese
syllables given in the appendix it might probably be thus represented,
Tahate-Kahi.
t This was the name of one of Golownin's fellow-prisoners, who had mad I
himself quite famous among the Japanese by his skill as a draftsman.