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amongst other booty a 10-pounder bronze cannon captured by Taikosama from the Coreans. The officers in charge of the junks reported to their Government that they had been wrecked in a storm. At Rüshin the Russians sent ashore the prisoners taken at Kushunkotan and Itorup. To one of them was entrusted a message to the Japanese Authorities which was taken down in Japanese and ran as follows:—
To the Governor of Matsumaye.
The distance between Russia and Japan being but small, our Emperor sent his officers across the sea to request that trade between the two countries might be permitted. If due inquiry had been made and a treaty of commerce concluded, all would have been well, but although our officers went repeatedly to Nagasaki they were sent away without an answer. Then things took an unpleasant turn, and our Emperor commanded us to give you a specimen of his power in return for your refusing to listen to his first request. If you persist in refusing his offers we will take all your northern territory from you and if possible get an answer out of you in that way. The “Red men” can always come to Saghalin and Itorup and chase you about.
If you comply with our wishes, we shall always be good friends with you; if not, we will come again with more ships, and behave in the same way as we have done before this year.
This paper was delivered to the principal Japanese official at Soya who composed a defiant reply which however he had no opportunity of forwarding. He also concocted a scheme for inviting the Russians ashore and massacreing them, but this plot was disconcerted by a storm which compelled the Russian ships to put to sea.
At this point the series of papers from which the above account is taken comes to a close. It is to be regretted that they do not contain an account of Golownin’s capture which took place a few years later.
