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GOLOWNIN'S NARRATIVE.

Narrative of my Captivity in Japan, during the Years 1811, 1812, and 1813; with Observations on the country and the People. By Captain Golownin, R. N. To which is added, an Account of Voyages to the Coasts of Japan, and of negotiations with the Japanese, for the release of the Author and his Companions. By Captain Rikord. 2 Vols. 8vo. 18s. Boards. Colburn. 1818.

From the Monthly Review.

FROM the generality of descriptions of the people of Japan that we have seen, they appear to be the most heroically civilized with respect to integrity, generosity, and disdain of sordid advantage, of any people in the world. Their persecution of the Christians was deemed by them necessary to their defence against usurpation, and to preserve them from falling under the dominion of the Spaniards and Portuguese: but their greatest present danger arises from the Russians, who have long been trenching on their territory, and from whom they have no small reason to apprehend farther encroachment. With these impressions, we sat down to our task of perusing the work before us, not less inclined to be advocates for the Japanese, the absent party in this cause, than to exercise our office as reviewers of Captain Golownin's narrative; and not forgetting that it is the account of Russian intercourse with the Japanese, written by a Russian naval officer.

In 1807, Capt. Golownin sailed from Cronstadt in command of the Russian sloop of war Diana, having orders "to explore the coasts of Eastern Russia." The coasts of Eastern Russia! The novelty of this title, the reasonableness of it, and the threats which it imports, awaken in our minds no alarm respecting any events in our own time, but do excite apprehensions as to what may, in the course of a century, be the increase of a power which has been so rapid in its growth, and is so gigantic in its present appearance. Western America may by that time have become Eastern Russia; and it may be the work of united Europe to keep Western Russia within its natural boundary.

What is the natural boundary? Difference of language is the primary and most obvious distinction of different nations, and appears to us to be on all accounts the most natural and legitimate mark for ascertaining just boundaries of dominion or jurisdiction.

It is from the want of cultivating right sentiment that dishonesty so slowly loses countenance. We so far incline to the doctrine of perfectibility, that we hope and believe there will be a gradual and continual advance towards it; and we sometimes regard the present state of European civilization as little better than barbar rism, in comparison of the civilization that is attainable by mankind. Violence and dishonesty are to be considered as marks of the lowest stage of barbarism. The highest degree of perfectibility, to which we conceive that mortals can aspire, is that their political institutions shall have only two main objects, security, and equitable legislation; whence it might follow that increase of territory would be deemed no advantage by any state that was naturally powerful. This is the civilization which we trust will in the end lay the spirit of usurpation, and render power honest, and consequently not merely harmless but protective. The prospect that this amelioration will happen, however, especially in the countries now forming the Russian empire, appears to be far distant; and in the meanwhile we must provide against the mischiefs to be apprehended from rapacious and increasing power.

At the same time, we regard it as an argument against the probability of the Russian empire ever obtaining solidity of power proportioned to its size, that it is composed of many nations, speaking various languages; being in fact a collection of so many conquered people, forcibly brought and held under one subjection. Sauer, in his history of Billing's Expedition, speaking of some small rivers which fall into the Amur, says; " I am induced to be particular with regard to these rivers, because they form a secure retreat to such Yakuti and Tungoose as are dissatisfied with their situations about Yakutsk and Ud. Here they enjoy the protection of the Chinese, and I am told have built several strong places; and, as they are very numerous, they form no inconsiderable advanced guard to the Chinese frontiers. In the year 1787, there migrated to China, from the districts of Olekma, Yakutsk, and the Vilui, more than 6000 Yakuti, with all their effects; which intelligence I obtained from the assessors in the Russian service." We will no longer delay to enter on the narrative before us. In April 1811, the Diana was at Kamtschatka, and Captain Go

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lownin received orders from the Minister of the Marine, directing him to survey the Shantarian and the Southern Kurile Islands, with the coast of Tartary between Ochotzk and the latitude of 53° 38′ N.; that is to say, from Ochotzk to near the entrance of the river Amur.

Laxman's voyage and embassy to Japan are generally known: but it may be satisfactory to repeat, from Captain Golownin's narrative, the result of that officer's negociation, which was a declaration issued by the Japanese government to the following effect:

"1st. Although the Japanese laws ordain that all foreigners who may land upon any part of the coasts of Japan, the harbour of Nangasaky excepted, shall be seized and condemned to perpetual imprisonment, the penalties inflicted by the said laws shall not be enforced against the Russians in the present instance, as they were ignorant of the existence of such statutes, and have brought with them Japanese subjects whom they had saved on their own coasts; and they shall be permitted, without let or molestation, to return immediately to their native country, on this condition, however, that they never again approach any part of Japan except Nangasaky, even though Japanese subjects should be driven on the coast of Russia, otherwise the law shall be executed in its fullest force.

"2d. The Japanese government returns thanks for the conveyance of its subjects to their native country; but at the same time informs the Russians that they may either leave them, or take them back again, as they shall think fit; for, according to the Japanese laws, such persons cannot be forcibly detained, since those laws declare that men belong to that country on which their destiny may cast them, and in which their lives have been protected.

3d. With regard to negociations for commercial arrangements, the Japanese can admit of no relations of that sort any where except in the harbour of Nangasaky; for that reason they gave Laxman, for the present, merely a written certificate, on producing which a Russian vessel might enter that harbour, where would be found Japanese officers furnished with full powers to treat further with the Russians on this matter."

This declaration was given by the Japanese in 1793: but no use of it was made by Russia until the year 1803, when the Chamberlain Resanoff was sent as ambassador from the present reigning Emperor. Resanoff's bad manners and management procured a total dismission and prohibition of the Russians from Japan; and it was notified that, if any of the subjects of that empire should be driven by storms to the Russian coasts, they should

be conveyed home in Dutch and not in Russian ships. After Resanoff's return to Kamtschatka, he sailed to America, in one of the Russian American Company's ships commanded by a Lieutenant Chwostoff.

"He returned to Okotzk with the same officer, and was travelling through Siberia on his way to St. Petersburg, when he fell ill and died. Chwostoff, however, put to sea again and attacked the Japanese villages, on the Kurile Islands. Further information on this subject may be found in Vice-Admiral Schiskhoff's preface to the voyages of Chwostoff and Davydoff. Were Resanoff, and Chwostoff still living, we should probably have ample explanations respecting the proceedings of the latter; but as it is, we ought, in obedience to the old rule, to say nothing but good of the dead! I must observe, however, that I have been informed our government was dissatisfied with the conduct of this officer."

Captain Golownin adds:

"I examined a pilot who had accompanied Chwostoff, and was convinced by his declaration, that the two attacks on the Japanese were unwarrantable arbitrary acts, but that the Japanese had not the slightest ground for supposing the hostilities of two insignificant vessels authorized by the sovereign of a country the power and greatness of which must have been known to them from the descriptions of their countrymen who had lived many years in Russia."

Here we differ from the author in opinion. The Japanese had forbidden the Russians to approach their territories, and this prohibition would give to the attacks of Chwostoff the appearance of national resentment. Capt. Golownin, however, notwithstanding the opinion which he had thus formed, resolved, unless superior orders should otherwise direct him, “to hold no intercourse with the Japanese. My determination was to sail without any flag in the neighbourhood of the islands belonging to them, in order to avoid exciting either fear or doubt in the minds of this distrustful people. But Providence was pleased to ordain otherwise, and probably for the better."

On the 4th of May, the Diana sailed from the bay of Awatscha, and the latter part of the month was spent among the Northern Kurile Islands. On the 17th of June, the author came to an island named Eetoorpoo: not knowing whether it was inhabited by Russian Kurilians, by independent native Kurilians, or by Kurilians subject to the Japanese. He relates;

"I dispatched midshipman Moor, accompanied by the under-pilot Nawitzky in an armed boat of four oars, in order to make observations on the island and whatever they could discover. I soon observed a baidare sailing towards them from the shore, and not knowing what kind of reception they might meet with from the natives, I immediately ran the sloop close in the shore, and along with a midshipman, named Jakuschkin, got on board another armed boat, of four oars also, to hasten to their assistance. In the meanwhile the baidare had come up to our first boat, and having put about they both rowed towards the shore, which I likewise reached in a short time after them.

"On stepping ashore I beheld to my astonishment that Mr. Moor was engaged in conversation with some Japanese. He informed me that some of our Kuriles, belonging to the thirteenth island (Raschaua), who had been driven here by storms in the preceding summer, were still on this island; and that the Japanese having kept them prisoners for about a year, had at length resolved to liberate them and send them home. These Kuriles had been sent out by the Japanese to meet the boat, to inquire what induced us to approach their coasts, and likewise state to him that the Japanese were apprehensive of our designs, and to entreat that we would not set foot on shore. I was exceedingly astonished at hearing this, and asked Moor, with great dissatisfaction how he, after the Kuriles had stated this to him, could dare, of his own accord, and without any order from me, to go on shore with a handful of men among a people so hostile to us, and why he had not immediately turned back and communicated to me what the Kuriles had said to him. He justified himself by saying he was fearful I might have ascribed such conduct to cowardice, and have sent another officer to the island in his stead; adding, that such a disgrace would have been irretrievable and would have rendered his life a burden to him. Though this reason was far from being valid, yet I was convinced that the rash conduct of this officer arose solely from want of reflection and I did not say another word to him on the subject. Mr. Moor pointed out to me the Japanese commander, who was standing on the shore at some distance from his tent. He was surrounded by about eighteen or twenty men, in full millitary dress and armed with guns and sabres. Each of these men held the but ends of their muskets with the left hand, but without any kind of regularity: in the right hand they held two small lighted matches. I saluted the commander, after the manner of my own country, with a bow; which he returned by raising his right hand to his forehead and bending his whole body towards me. We conversed by means of two interpreters, namely, one of his soldiers, who understood the Kurile language, and one of our Kuriles who could speak a little Russian. The Japanese chief began by asking" For what reason we had come among