I had lain there, almost unconscious, for some time, when I perceived
a man at the window, who, by signs, invited me to approach him. As I
did so, he handed me through the grating, a couple of little sweet
cakes, and signified to me that I was to eat them quickly, without
letting any one see me do so, for if that was to happen it might be
all the worse for him. Although at this moment I felt a positive
aversion towards all kinds of food, yet with a great exertion, I
gulped them both down, because I did not wish either to anger or
injure him. He now left me, with a pleased countenance, promising to
provide me in future, with the same kind of food. I thanked him as
well as I was able, and wondered not a little, that a man, who to
judge from his appearance, was of the lowest rank in life, should
possess so much goodness of heart, as to resolve on comforting a
stranger, at his own peril. Pretty soon they brought me food, but as I
had not the least appetite, I sent it back untouched, as I did again
in the evening.
One object now wholly occupied my thoughts, and that was my escape
from imprisonment. With this view I examined my cage very carefully.
It was six feet long, about as broad, and some eight feet high.
Tolerably thick beams separated it from the passage, and in the wall
were a couple of windows, having on the outside, a strong wooden
grating, and within, paper curtains which could be rolled up or let
down. From one of these windows you looked out on a wall about two
feet distant, but the other commanded a beautiful view of mountains,
fields, and the sea. All the furniture which the apartment could boast
of, was a little bench, so small that one could hardly lie down on it,
and some mats spread out on the floor.
I was thoroughly convinced that with the aid of an ordinary knife, it
would be very easy to cut through the wooden grating of the window,
and that in a dark night, I could, with very little difficulty, find
my way into the court-yard and over the wall. But then, where was the
knife to come from, when they had not trusted us with even a needle?
And suppose that I was lucky enough to escape, whither could I turn my
steps? The fear too of aggravating the already hard lot of my
companions, turned aside any ideas which I might have entertained of
attempting a flight. Moreover, our guards were not by any means remiss
in their duties. During the whole night, I heard very plainly, people
walking round the walls, and striking the hours by means of a couple
of dry sticks. My attendants too came very often into the entry with a
light, in order to see what I was doing. Before night set in, they
brought me a thick cotton covering, and a night-gown, wide and wadded,
but which smelt so badly, as it was old and dirty, that I threw it
aside into one corner of my cage.
On the following morning, whilst every thing was yet still, I heard,
to my great joy, some Russian words very plainly pronounced. I sprang
up from the bench on which I was lying, and going to the window, which
looked out on the next building, heard midshipman Moor in conversation
with one of the sailors. Most fervently did I thank God for this
unexpected discovery, for I now knew that my companions not only were
under the same roof, but were not imprisoned in separate cells, and
had, therefore, opportunity for comforting each other, and making the
time appear shorter. After several days, during which the tedious and
solitary life I led had well nigh driven me to despair, there walked
into my cell a Japanese officer, whom I took to be of some rank and
importance. After lamenting that they had thus far been obliged to
confine me by myself, he agreeably surprised me by asking which of the
sailors I would like to have as a companion? I replied that they were
all equally dear to me, and that I wished to have them all with me in
turns; he immediately gave orders to have my wish attended to. I asked
him if the Japanese intended to treat us always in this manner?
"No," answered he; "in future you will all live together, and after a
while be sent home."
"Will this soon happen?" I asked.
"Not so very soon," replied he, shortly, and left without further
explanations.
Men who find themselves in a situation like ours, catch up every word,
and meditate on it closely. Had he said "soon," I would have regarded
his words as a mere attempt at consolation; but now I believed him,
and grew more contented. Hardly was this officer gone, when one of the
sailors was brought to me. The man was not a little astonished to see
what a pleasant apartment I had, and feasted his eyes on the objects
he saw from my window. My prison seemed a paradise compared to the
cells in which he and the rest had been put. These cells, it was
true, were built like mine, but far more narrow and penable, and they
stood one on the other in a kind of shed, so that there was a free
passage all round them. Instead of a door, they had an opening so low
that you had to creep through it. No friendly ray of light ever
penetrated to them, and they were surrounded by gloom and darkness.
The conversation I held with the sailor invigorated, in some degree,
the sorrow I felt, and I now ate the food that was brought to me for
the first time since our arrival at Khakodade. Our food now was worse
by far than when we were on our way to the town. They gave us by
turns, rice-broth, warm water, with grated radishes, but no herbs,
finely cut leeks, boiled beans, salted cucumbers, a soup with balls of
meal, made from beans and spoiled fish. Our drink was generally warm
water; sometimes, but seldom, they gave us poor tea, without sugar.
When we complained of this wretched fare to one of the officers of the
guard, he promised us meat, butter, and milk, but excused himself
afterwards, when we reminded him of his promise, by jocosely telling
us that the cows were still at pasture. When, in order to accomplish
our purpose in another manner, we feigned illness, he asked us, in a
sympathizing manner, what the Russians did when they were sick? and
what they ate?
"All that the physician prescribes," answered I; "most commonly
chicken broth."
Immediately he demanded of us a detailed account of how chicken broth
was prepared, and when we gave it, he wrote it down on a piece of
paper. But it seemed as if this were done merely from curiosity or
derision, for the chicken broth was never mentioned afterwards. Once
he treated us to beer, and in return wished to see us perform a
Russian dance. When I remarked to him that no one could compel us to
dance, in such a situation as ours, he said, composedly:
"That's true; a Japanese, in such a case, would neither dance nor
sing."
As I could not obtain any materials for writing, I invented, in order
to note daily occurrences, a diary of a peculiar kind. If any thing
pleasant occurred, I tied a knot in a white thread, which I pulled out
of my shirt. When any thing unpleasant happened to us, I tied a knot
in a black silken thread, from my cravat. If any thing note-worthy
took place, either pleasant or the reverse, I tied together the ends
of a green thread, which I drew from the lining of my uniform. From
time to time I reckoned over these knots, and recalled to my mind the
circumstances they were intended to denote.
On the tenth of August, word was brought to us that the commander-in-chief
of the town wished to see us, and that at noon we were to be presented to
him. Accordingly, at the appointed time, they took us singly from our
cages, bound ropes round our bodies, and led us by them, under a strong
escort, through a long and wide street, which ran through the town and
was filled with people, to a castle surrounded by an earthen wall, at the
gates of which stood a numerous guard. Having taken us into the
court-yard, they made us take our seats on benches and mats, and treated
us to good tea, sugar, and tobacco. We might have sat there about an hour,
when a voice was heard calling, "Captain Khovorin!" which was the way the
Japanese pronounced my name. Two soldiers, who stood by my side,
immediately led me through a door, which was hastily closed behind me,
into a large hall, through the paper curtains of which came a dim
light. On the walls of this apartment hung irons, with which to fetter
criminals, cords, and other instruments of punishment, which made me
conclude that I was in a chamber devoted to the torture. In the middle of
the hall, sat the commander-in-chief, on a kind of raised platform. He was
surrounded by several officers and scribes, each of whom had before
him his paper and inkstand, and at his side a dagger and huge sabre. After
the other prisoners had been led in, a most tedious and insignificantly
minute examination was commenced, concerning our names and ages, our
parents, and places of birth; also as to the Russian Empire, its power
on land and sea, the ship we arrived in, and the object of our journey.
The answers we deemed advisable to give, were, as well as the
interpreter could understand them and translate them into Japanese,
noted down with the greatest exactness.
At last the commander-in-chief asked, with particular emphasis, if the
religion of Russia had not been lately changed, as an ambassador who
had formerly been in Japan, had worn a long cue, and hair thickly
powdered, whilst we had it cut short. When we told him that in our
country, the style of wearing the hair had nothing whatever to do with
religion, the Japanese laughed in a contemptuous manner, and wondered
not a little, that we had no fixed laws on so important a subject. As
it was now nearly dark, we were led back to our cages.
Afterwards, we were several more times taken into this hall, where the
same questions were put to us, though in a different form, that they
might entrap us. They compared the answers we now gave, with those
formerly given, and on the slightest difference appearing, made the
most diffuse inquiries about it. Finally, on the twenty-seventh of
September, they took us from Khakodale to Matsmai, the capital of the
island, which is situated on the southern coast, where we were
immediately immured in a strongly fortified building, which stood on a
hill.