at it was not by the command of the Russian
Emperor, that our countrymen had committed violence in Japanese
territory, but of their own accord, we should be sent home,
abundantly supplied with all things necessary. Until that time, they
would take care that we wanted for nothing, and if we needed clothes
or any thing else, we must not be ashamed to ask for them.

The Bunjo then left us, and we returned to our cages with the hope, at
least, that through favorable circumstances we might escape from our
imprisonment.

V.

From that day our food was greatly improved, for besides the rice
broth, and salt radishes, which they had hitherto given us, we now
received very good fresh and salt fish, roasted or boiled in
poppy-oil, soups made from different kinds of savory herbs, or
sea-mussles, and when the snow began to fall, they shot sea-dogs,
bears, and rabbits, for us, and prepared under our direction,
sometimes, a Russian dish, namely, fish eaten with thin grits, and
little barley-cakes. Our food was brought to us three times a day. For
drink, we received warm and strong tea, and after any fatiguing
examination, they gave us two glasses of warm beer, which they did
also in cold weather. They also furnished us with furred coats, and
night garments, and when they found that it was not customary in
Russia to spend the night on the ground, they made us benches to sleep
upon.

This amiable behavior, on the part of the Japanese, emboldened us to
ask one of the officers, who visited us, whether it was not possible
to have a window cut in the back wall of the shed, so that we might be
able to see the sky and the tops of the trees. He did not refuse our
request, but examined the wall, asked us where we would like to have
it made, praised our choice, and went away. We, of course, believed
that our entreaty would be complied with, but we were very much
mistaken, for when, a few days afterwards, we repeated our request,
the officer replied that the Japanese were very anxious about the
state of our health, and feared lest the north wind would give us a
cold; therefore, they deemed it more prudent not to make a window.

As the autumn came on, and it grew more and more unpleasant to live in
an open building, the Japanese, at our earnest solicitation, pasted
paper over the lattice work, and made a window in the roof, which
could be opened and shut by means of ropes. Through this window we saw
the sky at times, which, in a situation