nd nothing remained but the new dishes
on which they brought it to us. In the place of candles, the old oil
lamp went into service again, and the guards once more hung up before
our eyes the ropes which they had only a little while before removed.
Gradually we observed many other indications that our affairs were
again assuming a serious aspect since the commander of Kumachir, who
had originally made us prisoners by treachery, arrived in Matsmai.

Our suspicions soon became certainty, for the Bunjo ordered us to
instruct a Japanese in the Russian language, as they could not trust
the interpreter whom we had formerly employed. We refused for a long
while to undertake this tedious task, but were at last obliged to do
so, as they told us very plainly that on it depended the possibility
of our liberation. The Japanese had now an opportunity of satisfying
their curiosity, through our very docile scholar, a scribe of the
Bunjo's. They took unlimited advantage of this opportunity, to our
great disgust and vexation, whilst from them we could not get a word
as to the intention of their government towards us, nor even whether a
Russian vessel had arrived at Japan during our absence, to demand our
release. Every day our conviction grew stronger, that nothing was
further from their thoughts than to liberate us, but that they were
striving by every means in their power to conceal from us our sad
fate, and we came to the conclusion that nothing was left to us but
flight.

VI.

We were, however, diverted from these thoughts by the announcement
that we were to change our quarters as soon as the fine weather set
in. Accordingly, on the first of April, we were removed to a house
which was some distance off, and not far from the coast. Yet this was
not by any means the commencement of our final liberation, but of a
still longer imprisonment, though it was to be in a milder form and
more healthy place. At any rate, we thus interpreted the remark of the
commander-in-chief, that we must now look upon the Japanese as
brethren and countrymen. However, we had so little desire to claim any
relationship that we set to work in earnest to make preparations for a
flight. The first thing we did was to examine into the condition of
our new abode.

The house in which we now found ourselves, lay near the southern gate
of the fort, between a wall and a steep rock, at the foot of which lay
the town. It was surrounded by a large court-yard and a hig