ADVENTURES IN THE “SNOWDROP” 
79 
to do with us, and finish. This was interpreted to 
the Governor and I am afraid it was put in such a 
way as to make the Governor think I had called him 
a fool, for he flushed a rosy red and retorted in 
a very angry manner. The interpreter thereupon 
informed us the Governor said he would take us to 
Hakodate. 
I must here explain that we were sitting at the 
saloon table, which had on each side of it a long 
seat with a shifting back, which could be moved so 
that one could sit facing the table or with one’s back 
to it, and at either end was a chair. In the middle, 
on one side of the table, sat the Governor of Nemuro, 
on his left the interpreter, on his right the Governor 
of Yetorup, and next these some officials taking 
notes. I sat opposite the Governor, and next me, 
one on either side, were the two officials with whom 
we had had the struggle at the go-downs in Nemuro. 
Next to them was my young friend, at the end of the 
table sat the skipper, and behind us on both sides 
were a number of Japanese, standing. 
When the interpreter said that the Governor 
would take us to Hakodate, I told him we would not 
go willingly; hewould have to take us by force, and 
we were now going to return to our vessel. All 
three of us then got up to attempt to leave, where¬ 
upon the two officials who sat by me grabbed me by 
the shoulders, and in doing so each put one foot on 
the seat. On being handled, I am sorry to say, I 
fairly lost control of myself, and the consequence 
was both these officials went flying over the back 
of the seat amongst the people standing behind. 
We made for the door, but it was blocked by armed 
marines. At this point the interpreter appealed to 
