MANNERS AND CUSTOMS. 



493 



eluded that the Japanese 'on the 

 Island of Eetooroop had not yet 

 made known to those here our 

 favourable intentions ; and as the 

 fortress and the bay were still 

 enveloped in darkness, we again 

 cast anchor. When ihe weather 

 cleared up, we stood in towards 

 the fortress, from which there 

 was now no more firing ; though 

 the boat, which was a-head of us, 

 and in which some of our crew 

 were taking soundings, was within 

 range of the guns. The works 

 were hung round with white and 

 black, or dark blue striped cloth, 

 80 that we could perceive neither 

 walls nor palisades. Sentinels 

 were posted in various places, 

 and above them embrasures were 

 painted, but in so rough a style 

 that even at a considerable dis- 

 tance we could perceive the 

 deception. Within the fortress 

 we could only descry a few build- 

 ings which stood upon an accli- 

 vity and overtopt the wall. 

 Among these buildings the go- 

 vernor's house was distinguished 

 by numerous flags and weather- 

 cocks being fixed upon the roof; 

 we likewise saw flags waving on 

 other houses in the town, but not 

 in sucTi number. For this cir- 

 cumstance Alexei could not ac- 

 count, though he told us that the 

 town was always so ornamented 

 whenever a foreign vessel or any 

 personage of distinction entered 

 the harbour. We cast anchor at 

 a distance of about two wersts 

 from the garrison, and the pilot's 

 assistant, named Srednoy, four 

 sailors, the Kurile and myself, 

 got on board a boat and rowed 

 towards the shore. We had 

 already come within fifty fathoms 

 of the shore, when the Japanese 



unexpectedly began to fire their 

 cannon upon us from difterent 

 points. We immediately put 

 about, and, as will readily be 

 supposed, began to row off as 

 quickly as possible. The first 

 guns which were fired had nearly 

 proved fatal to us, for the shot 

 passed close to the boat; but 

 afterwards they fired less fre- 

 quently, and appeared to point 

 their guns very badly. 



On hearing the report of the 

 first firing, Captain Lieutenant 

 Kikord, the senior commanding- 

 officer under me, immediately 

 dispatched all the armed boats to 

 our assistance ; fortunately, how- 

 ever, we had no occasion for 

 them, as not a single ball touched 

 us. Even when we were out of 

 the reach of their shot, the 

 Japanese did not cease firing, and 

 we still heard the reports of their 

 cannon after we had got on 

 board the sloop. I was not a 

 httle indignant at this aggression. 

 It appeared to me that none ex- 

 cept the rudest barbarians would 

 have been guilty of firing from 

 the fortress upon a little boat, 

 containing only seven men, when 

 they could not bui be aware that 

 a single ball might have sent us all 

 to the bottom. I at first thought 

 I should be justified in taking 

 vengeance on them, and had 

 already ordered a cannon to be 

 pointed at the castle, to convince 

 the Japanese how powerfully our 

 sloop was armed; but I soon re- 

 flected that the moment for ven- 

 geance would not be lost, and 

 that without the consent of my 

 government I should not be justi- 

 fied in resorting to hostile pro- 

 ceedings ; I therefore altered my 

 intention, and stood off from the 



garrison 



