MANNERS AND CUSTOMS. 



497 



nese on the island of Eetoorpoo. 

 They replied that they believed 

 all we had said, and rejoiced to 

 hear that ihe Russians entertained 

 such good dispositions towards 

 them. 



When I inquired whether they 

 were satisfied with the payment 

 they had received for the articles 

 taken from the fishing village, 

 they answered that what we had 

 taken were mere trifles, and that 

 we had paid infinitely beyond 

 their value. They moreover as- 

 sured me that the governor was 

 ready to furnish us with any 

 thing their island afforded, and 

 inquired what other articles we 

 stood in need of. I requested to 

 have ten bags of rice, s^ome fresh 

 fisii and vegetables, for which I 

 offered to give as many piasters 

 as might be required. They in- 

 vited me to land in order to have 

 an interview with the governor; 

 this, however, I declined doing, 

 and promised to go on the fi)l- 

 Jowing day, when the sloop would 

 be nearer the shore. According 

 to my promise, I had brought 

 some tobacco for Koosma ; but 

 the Japanese officers did not think 

 fit to allow the Kurile to receive 

 my present. I wished to have 

 had some further conversation on 

 various subjects with the Japa- 

 nese, but Alexei who had recog- 

 nized some of his old friends m 

 ihe boat, was so fond of chatter- 

 ing with his countrymen, that he 

 neglected to interpret my ques- 

 tions. 



When we had parted from the 

 Japanese, Alexei explained to us 

 what liis countrymen had com- 

 municated to him. They declared 

 that the approach of our sloop 

 had filled the Japanese with the 

 utmost terror and consternation, 



Vol. LX, 



they were convinced- that we" 

 intended to attack them, and had 

 accordingly removed all their 

 property, with the greatest haste 

 to the forests. We had ourselves 

 observed them driving loaded 

 horses along the hills. TheKuriles 

 added that they fired on our sloop 

 merely through fear, and when 

 they observed our boat approach- 

 ing the fishing-village they felt 

 assured that we intended imme- 

 diately to plunder and set fire to 

 their habitations. When, how- 

 ever, we quitted the shore they 

 returned to inspect their houses, 

 and finding every thing in the 

 same order as they had left it, 

 and that we had left many valu- 

 able European articles behind in 

 exchange for the rice, fish and 

 wood which we had carried away, 

 the joy of the Japanese knew no 

 bounds, and all their apprehen- 

 sions ceased. I was the more 

 ready to believe that they had 

 fired upon us merely through 

 terror, since they probably 

 suspected that we had a strong 

 party concealed in the bottom of 

 the boat. The boat was indeed 

 infinitely too small for any such 

 purpose, but then they might 

 have been blinded by fear. Tliey 

 would not else have attacked a 

 handful of men, who, as it were, 

 threw themselves into their power. 

 They might have waited on the 

 shore and have made us theif 

 prisoners whenever we landed. 

 But Alexei had previously in- 

 formed me that the very sight of 

 a Russian inspired the Japanese 

 with indescribable terror. They 

 expressed great astonishment at 

 the rapidity with which the Rus- 

 sians fired their guns, and the 

 excellent order in which they 

 fought, which they had witnessed 

 2 K during 



