p silence
prevailed.

A servant now entered the apartment, kneeled down at the door, laid
the palms of his hands on the ground, and bowed his head. The governor
then made his appearance, clad in a plain black robe, on the sleeves
of which was embroidered his crest, as is customary in Japan. At his
girdle hung a dagger, but his sabre was carried by a servant, who had
it rolled up in a cloth, that his hands might not touch it. After the
governor had taken his seat, the Japanese all made him a reverence,
laying the palms of their hands on the floor, and bowing so profoundly
that their foreheads touched it, in which position they remained for
several seconds. He replied to their salutation by bowing low, his
hands placed on his knees. We also saluted him, in the European
fashion, and he nodded his head to us, smiling all the while, as if to
assure us that his intentions towards us were friendly.

He now drew from his bosom a sheet of paper, and called over the names
of each one of us, according to his rank. We replied singly, by a bow,
and each time he bent his head. He then spoke to a man who was
sitting by his side, and who held the post of interpreter, and
commanded him to translate to us what he was about to say. But this
individual did not seem to have the slightest knowledge of the Russian
language, and began with the words:

"I am a man, thou art a man, another is a man, tell me what kind of a
man?"

When we, astounded at the fellow's impudence, managed to explain to
them that we did not understand in the least what he was trying to
say, and the officers, after some trouble, had made him confess that
he did not know even the commonest phrases in the Russian language,
they began to laugh, drove him away, and made use of our interpreter,
Alexis, who had hitherto remained a prisoner with us. After an
examination, during which the same questions were put to us as had
been formerly asked by them, the governor, or "Bunjo," as the Japanese
term him, told us that if we had any request to make, we might now do
so.

"We wish only for two things," we replied, "either to return to our
native land, or if that is impossible, to die."

At this unexpected declaration, the governor made a long and earnest
speech, in which he laid particular emphasis on the fact that the
Japanese were men, and had feelings like the rest of mankind, and
that, therefore, we need not doubt them, nor have any fear, for as
soon as it was proved th