500 



ANNUAL REGISTER. 1818. 



had considerably lengthened our 

 voyage, and that, being greatly 

 in want of fresh water and wood, 

 we wished to enter some safe 

 harbour to procure a supply of 

 these articles. I added, that we 

 had accidentally touched at the 

 island of Eetoorpoo, where we 

 found a Japanese garrison, the 

 commander of which had fur- 

 nished us with a letter to Oor- 

 beetch, which I wished to have 

 sent ashore ; these were the 

 reasons which had induced us to 

 enter their harbour, and that we 

 now wished to take the nearest 

 course to Canton, for the purpose 

 of procuring some articles from 

 that place. Here he observed, 

 that on landing at Eetoorpoo we 

 had declared trade to be our 

 object, but that we now told a 

 very different story. I replied, 

 that if he had been so informed, 

 the mistake was to be ascribed 

 to the Kuriles, who spoke but 

 little Russian; and, as in the 

 Kurile language there were no 

 words signifying money or pur- 

 chase, they had been obliged to 

 translate these terms by the words 

 exchange or trade. He then 

 asked what was our Emperor's 

 name, what was my name, whe- 

 ther I knew ResanofF, who had 

 been sent as ambassador to their 

 islands, and whether there were 

 any persons in St. Petersburgh 

 who could speak the Japanese 

 language .'' To all these questions, 

 I returned suitable answers ; I 

 informed him of Resanoff's death, 

 and told him that there were 

 several persons in Russia who 

 eould translate the Japanese lan- 

 guage. He carefully noted down 

 every thing I said. He then in- 

 vited me to partake of some tea, 

 sagi and caviar, and to smoke 



tobacco. Every thing was served 

 upon separate dishes, and pre- 

 sented by different individuals, 

 who were all armed with poniards 

 and sabres; but instead of going 

 away after havinj; handed us any 

 thing we wished for, they remain- 

 ed standing near, till at lenj^th 

 we were surrounded by a for- 

 midable circle of armed men. 

 Among the various articles which 

 1 had brought ashore as presents 

 to the Governor, were several 

 bottles of French brandy: I ac- 

 cordingly asked him whether he 

 would choose to taste this liquor, 

 and ordered my sailors. to draw a 

 bottle ; at the same time taking 

 an opportunity of repeating the 

 order I had previously given 

 them, namely, to hold themselves 

 in readiness. 



To desire that the overplus of 

 the Japanese should remove, or 

 to show that I was in any way 

 alarmed by their presence, was 

 what I could not stoop to do ; 

 besides, I thought it prudent not 

 to let them suj)pose that I dis- 

 trusted them. There was also 

 no appearance of any intention 

 to resort to violence on their part, 

 notwithstanding that they might 

 have done what they pleased with 

 us, though certainly not without 

 suffering some loss. We smoked, 

 drank tea, and joked together ; 

 they were curious to know the 

 Russian names of several things, 

 and 1 in return asked the Japanese 

 names. At last 1 stood up and 

 inquired when I should receive 

 the promised provisions, what I 

 should have to pay for the same, 

 and held up a piaster, in order 

 that {he number of that coin, 

 which they required, might be 

 mentioned. To my great asto- 

 nishment I was then informed 



that 



