Chapter 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 high wooden fence. Another fence divided the yard into two parts, of which the one nearest the house was set apart for our own use. As there were three or four trees in this enclosure, the Japanese, when they were pointing out to us the advantages of our new residence, dubbed it a garden, but we found that if we wished to get along without wounding their vanity, we must call a pool of water that was in one corner of it, "a lake," and a heap of mud in this pool, "an island." This so-called garden was connected with the other court, by means of a little door, which was always kept shut, except when the captain of the guard visited us, or we were permitted to take a walk, which now frequently happened. A gate which was kept carefully closed during the night, led from the second court into the street. Our house was divided into two parts by a lattice work which ran through it in the direction of the fence separating the two court-yards, with one of which each division was connected. In the first of these divisions were three chambers, separated from each other by screens, which were appropriated to our use, and in the second dwelt soldiers armed with guns, javelins, swords, and daggers. In this way they could easily watch us, and their commander generally sat by the lattice and looked into our rooms. A gallery ran round our apartments, from which we could look out upon the sea, and a shore which lay opposite.

Our present habitation was in reality far better than the former one, for we could now at least enjoy the sight of the heavens, walk round the court-yard undisturbed, and inhale the fresh air and cool breeze. Our food, also, was much improved. Yet when we came to reflect on the last words of the governor, we knew not whether to rejoice or be sad. He had told us, in the plainest terms, to consider the Japanese as brethren and countrymen, without striving to cheer us, as he was wont to do, with the prospect of returning to our native land. What could this mean, but that we were now domiciliated in Japan, and must in future give up all thoughts of returning home? Yet we were now more determined than ever, either to free ourselves by force, or escape on some favorable opportunity offering. After mature deliberation, we determined on attempting flight, hoping that ere our absence was discovered we should have time to reach some mountains, in the north of the island, where we could lie concealed until an opportunity offered of seizing some kind of a vessel along the coast, in which we could make a journey from island to island, and so reach the nearest Russian port. Having thus made our plans, the first thing we determined to do was to divert the attention of the Japanese from us, by assuming a cheerful demeanor, and suffering no complaint to escape us. To our great joy, we were successful. It is true that the soldiers, who mounted guard, did not sleep at their posts during the night, but they troubled themselves less about us than formerly, and sat round the fire, smoking their pipes and playing at draughts. The officer still went the rounds every half hour, with his men, but he then sat down in a corner, and amused himself by reading. In the meantime, we sought to provide ourselves with such things as were indispensable to our flight. Every day we put aside some of the rice broth, which continued to be our usual food, and having dried it during the night, put it into bags, which we tied to our girdles, or under our arms. One day, whilst we were walking outside of the town, one of the sailors found a fire-steel. He immediately put his foot upon it, and stooping down under pretence of pulling up his stocking, slipped it into his pocket. We stole some flints from our attendants, and made tinder by burning an old shirt. "Necessity is the mother of invention," says an old proverb, which, in our case, spoke truly, for by untiring perseverance we succeeded in constructing a compass, which, though of course imperfect, answered every purpose. After many entreaties, we procured from our attendants a couple of needles, under pretence of mending our clothes. Pretending that we had lost them, we devoted them to the manufacture of our compass. Through repeated rubbings on a magnetic stone, which Chleb Nikow had found, and which we kept carefully concealed in a corner of the yard, we succeeded in rendering one of them magnetic, and then fastened it to a little sheet of copper, which we loosened from the roof of our house. We undertook, besides this, to manufacture some weapons for our defence, in case of need, and in this attempt fortune again favored us. We found, among the grass in the court-yard, a large and sharp chisel, which, most probably, the carpenters had used in the construction of the house, and forgotten. We put it carefully by, in order that we might fasten it to a pole, and use it in the moment of our flight as a spear. We found, also, a spade in the court, which we hid, that it too might serve as a weapon. Besides this, the sailors, on the night when we made the attempt, were to arm themselves with some long poles, which had been used in drying our clothes.

After we had finished our preparations, we noted carefully, whenever we took a walk, the road and footpath which led to the mountains. On the twenty-third of April, having gone farther than usual, we induced our attendants, under the plea of curiosity, to show us a temple, which lay directly in the way we must take in our flight. Whilst we were gathering, as usual, leeks and herbs for our own use, we observed accurately the whole neighborhood, and then set out on our way home. When we arrived there, we went to bed. A half an hour before midnight, two of the sailors, who had taken a couple of knives from the kitchen, which adjoined our rooms, slunk into the garden just after the guard had made the twelfth round, and hiding themselves under the steps, began digging a hole under the hedge, whilst we put a bundle of clothes into each of their beds, that it might appear as if they were still there.

After they had happily finished their task, without being discovered, we all went out, and one after the other crept through the hole. When it came to my turn, I stumbled, but got through, striking my knee, however, as I did so, against a small post, which was nearly buried in the ground. The blow was violent, but the pain soon disappeared. We now found ourselves in a very narrow footpath, between the hedge and the wall of the fort, which we followed, and after some trouble, reached the principal street of the town. We hastened along, keeping among the trees, and at the end of a half hour found ourselves at the foot of a high mountain, which we were obliged to ascend.