Japan and the Japanese

A JAPANESE MERCHANT.
derstcrd not a word of Russian, and were, besides, so afflicted with
the scurvy,* that they would, in all
probability, have perished had
they wintered in Kamtschatka. I therefore thought
to set them at
liberty, and, having furnished them with every neces-
it advisable
sary, I ordered them to be put on shore, hoping that they would,
in gratitude, give a good account of the Russians to their countrymen.!
In their stead, I determined to take four seamen from the
Japanese vessel, who might be useful in attending on Tachatay-
Kachi, to whom I left the choice of the individuals. He earnestly
entreated that none of the seamen might be taken, observing that
they were extremely stupid, and that he feared they would die of
grief, owing to the dread they entertained of the Russians. The
earnestness of his solicitations led me in some measure to doubt
that our comrades were really living
in Matsmai, and I repeated,
in a decided manner, my determination to take four of the seamen.
He then begged that I would accompany him to his ship. When
he went on board, he assembled the whole of his crew in the cabin,
and, having seated himself on a long cushion, which was placed on
a fine mat, requested that I would take my place beside him. The
sailors all knelt down [seated themselves on their heels?] before us,
and he delivered a long speech, in which he stated that it would bo
necessary for some of them to accompany us to Russia.
" Here a very affecting scene was exhibited. A number of the
seamen approached him, with their heads bent downwards, and,
with great eagerness, whispered something to him ; their counte-
nances were all bathed in tears ; even Tachatay-Kachi, who had
hitherto evinced calmness and resolution, seemed now to be deeply
distressed, and began to weep. I for some time hesitated to carry
* Golownin mentions the scurvy as a prevailing disease among the Japan-
ese, perhaps occasioned by their thin diet.
t These released Japanese were sent to Matsmai, and, after remaining
about a week, were forwarded to Jedo. The shipwrecked men did not give,
so Golownin was informed, a very favorable account of their entertainment
in Kamtsehatka. Leonsaima praised Irkutsk, but represented eastern Sibe-
ria and Okhotsk as a miserable country, where scarce anybody was to be seen
except beggars and government officers. He thought very mennly of th
Russians, a few individuals excepted. From their military spirit, even the
boys in the street playing soldier, he thought they must meditate conquest
probablj that ?f Japan.
40*