“That would have been suicide, but if we venture our lives to win our freedom, we could rely on the aid of God, and perhaps gain our end.”
“Had you succeeded, what would you have said in Russia, concerning the Japanese?”
“All that we have heard or seen, without adding or concealing any thing.”
“Do not you know that if you had escaped, the governor, and several other officers would have lost their lives in consequence.”
“We could well imagine that the guards would not have escaped punishment, as that is customary in Europe, but we were not aware that the Japanese laws were so cruel as to condemn innocent persons to death.”
“Is there a law in Europe which allows a prisoner to escape?”
“There is certainly no written law, but if he has not pledged his word of honor, it is allowable for him to seize on any favorable opportunity for flight.”
With this equivocal explanation, the examination ended, and the Governor now made a long speech, in which he said: If we were Japanese, and had secretly left our prison, the consequences for us would have been very 86 serious; but as we were foreigners, and not acquainted with the Japanese laws, and had, moreover, no object in view which was injurious to the Japanese, but were influenced solely by a desire to see again our native land, which is dearest to every man; therefore, his good opinion of us remained unchanged. It was true that he could not answer for the light in which the government would regard our flight, but he would still hold himself devoted to our interests, and endeavor to get permission for us to return to Russia; but until our affairs were settled, we must, according to the Japanese laws, return to prison, and be more carefully guarded than before.
After the governor had finished his speech, he left the hall, whilst we were immediately bound, and led to a prison, which, like our former ones, consisted of cages. I was put into a small one, whilst my companions were confined together in one of a large size. They stood, however, so near together, that we could converse very easily. Our food was now given to us with a very sparing hand, and the sailors continually complained of hunger. After supper, which we ate about four o’clock, our prison was shut up, and as the walls were made of boards, instead of lattice work, not a ray of light reached us after that hour. As soon as it struck six o’clock, the guards came to examine us, which they did very thoroughly, and if we were asleep woke us, to answer to our names. On the fourth of May, we were again led into the hall, at daybreak, where, as I received many hints, something very important was this time to be determined. When we had taken our places on the benches, which were prepared for us, 87 they unloosened our hands, but did not remove from our waists the rope, which we were led by. The governor now repeated the questions he had before asked us, and had the answers we gave, carefully explained. But now came the most important question, which was, whether I considered my conduct as right or wrong, and whether I thought I had acted properly towards the Japanese or not.
“The Japanese,” replied I, “forced us to the course we took, by first taking us prisoners by stratagem, and then refusing to give credence to our assertions.”