our seats on the chairs which we had brought with us. When we
were seated, they served us with tea without sugar, which they carried
on lacquered wooden waiters. According to the Japanese custom, the
cups were only half full. After we had partaken of it, they supplied
us with pipes and tobacco, and the conference began. They first
inquired the name and rank of each of us, and then asked repeatedly,
and in an insidious manner, where we came from, whither we were going,
and why our countrymen had formerly ravaged their northern coasts.
When we had returned guarded answers to these questions, they wanted
to know how many men were in our vessel. As I thought it prudent to
magnify our strength, I replied "a hundred;" but Alexis could not
translate this number, and I was obliged to make a hundred marks on a
piece of paper, with a pencil, and let the Japanese count them.
Whilst they were thus employed, midshipman Moor observed that naked
sabres were being distributed among the soldiers, and immediately
advised me of the fact; but as we had been so kindly treated, I
thought little of the circumstance, especially as they were preparing
for us a feast, consisting of rice, fish served up with a green sauce,
and many other delicacies, the names of which we did not know. After
we had partaken heartily of these solids, and for a drink been given a
kind of beer called "Sagic," I declared that we could not stay any
longer, and begged them to tell us the price of the meal, which we
designed paying for. To this request of mine, they returned very
evasive answers, and when they saw that we were tired of the useless
and fruitless questioning we had undergone, and were making
preparations to depart, they suddenly threw off the mask they had
hitherto worn, and by their threatening gestures showed plainly enough
what their intentions were. Their chief, who, until the present
moment, had spoken in a friendly and pleasant manner, now raised his
voice, and pronouncing the name of the Russian who had ravaged their
coasts, made a long speech, during which he often fiercely struck his
hand on his sword, and ended by swearing that the Emperor would have
him cut in two if he suffered a single Russian, who was in his power,
to escape. As soon as Alexis, in whose anxious countenance we
discovered coming evil, had translated these words to us, we sprang to
our feet, and made for the door. The Japanese immediately set up a
loud and threatening cry, but di