NARRATIVE OF MY CAPTIVITY IN JAPAN, DURING THE YEARS 1811, 1812 & 1813: WITH OBS

GOLOWNIN, [Vasilim.]

Beschreibung

London 1818, Colburn. FIRST EDITION. Full contemporary lea- ther, 302+348p., very good front cover old gilt stamped lib- rary name, corner bumped, minor scuffing, sound, solid copy, mostly bright, clean paper, almost no foxing,2 vols. R A R E SUBTITLE: continued: ". of the Author & his Companions, by Captain Rikord. *** WHO WAS CAPT. VASILY GOLOWNIN: Vasily Mikhailovich Golovnin, Russian [19 April [O.S. 8 April 1776], Gulyniki, Ryazan Oblast, Russia 11 July [O.S. 29 June] 1831, Saint Petersburg, Russia, was a Russian navigator, Vice Admiral, and Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Science *** An excellent and most early reliable resource for first contacts between the Japanese & Russians. * Captain Vasili Golowinin was captured and held by the Japanese for some three years, where he learned much about Japan and Japanese. Golownin was withdrawn from the British fleet by the Tsar to do a survey of the Sea of Okhotsk, the Southern Kuriles & the Japan Sea. . Despite his peaceful signals, the Japanese cannon blazed away at him, eventually he & his crew of the "Diana" were taken prisoners. . This is the famous & historic true account of what Golownin saw, where he went and what he did during his three year sojourn in Japan. . An early & most excellent primary resource. *** Golovnin was given command of the sloop Diana in 1806, and made his first voyage around the world (1807-1809), with the object of conducting a survey of the northern Pacific, and transporting supplies to Okhotsk. . The Diana set sail from Kronstadt on July 7, 1807. A severe storm in April 1808 prevented the Diana from sailing around Cape Horn, and Golovnin decided to set sail for the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa, to restock the ship's supplies. He anchored in the nearby port of Simon's Town on May 3, 1808. Golovnin, having been at sea for ten months, was unaware that Russian relations with Britain had deteriorated, and Russia had allied herself with the French. The Diana was immediately detained as an enemy vessel by a British naval squadron, pending receipt of appropriate instructions from London. . Golovnin and his crew spent more than a year detained aboard the Diana at Simon's Town awaiting a decision from British authorities. When it became increasingly clear that a decision might never come, Golovnin began to plot their escape. On May 28, 1809, perfect conditions presented themselves -a fair wind and poor visibility. The crew severed the anchor cables, and managed successfully to sail out of the bay, passing directly in front of several British warships. Once the British discovered that they had escaped, they set off in pursuit, but failed to overtake the Diana, which sailed safely at Kamchatka in 1810.[5] News of the Diana's "audacious escape" quickly spread throughout the world. Extracted from Wikipedia. *** CAPTIVITY IN JAPAN: In 1811, Golovnin described and mapped the Kuril Islands from the Strait of Hope to the eastern shores of Iturup Island (Etorofu in Japanese). . While exploring Kunashir Island (Kunashiri in Japanese), Golovnin was lured ashore, taken prisoner, charged with violating Sakoku (a Japanese policy prohibiting foreigners from entering Japan), and held captive for two years by the Japanese on the island of Hokkaido. Golovnin was said to possess a "superior education and fascination with foreign cultures." After making one failed attempt to escape his captures, Golovnin decided to utilize his time in detainment to master the Japanese language, and familiarize himself with Japanese culture and traditions. . Golovnin was released in 1813, returned to Russia, and published an account of his years in captivity.[12] His book, Captivity in Japan During the Years 1811, 1812, 1813, became an instant classic. It was hailed in Russia as an authoritative volume on Japanese culture, and helped shape an entire generation's view of Japan. Golovnin clearly respected the Japanese, portraying them "as intelligent, as patriotic, and as worthy. Bestandsnummer des Verkäufers 85049301

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Titel: NARRATIVE OF MY CAPTIVITY IN JAPAN, DURING ...