Working means surviving. They worked for three hours before they were allowed to leave.

Hirokichi Kimura went to the bow cabin and rested with Takahashi, Kato, and Sugimoto. Takahashi searched around for his tobacco pouch, but most of his personal belongings were scattered and tattered, soaked even when intact. He couldn't help but curse.

"Stop scolding, I'm glad you're still breathing." Sugimoto said tiredly.

Kimura felt cold to the bone, and he was exhausted. I poured into the hammock and wanted to take a nap, but my eyes were barely closed, and the order to work came again. This time, his task is to take the helm. Togo was there too, and he proudly guarded the steering wheel from beginning to end. He ordered the men to do this, do that, do whatever would make the stern of the ship move towards the wind.

Takahashi and Kato took over most of the work. Holding the steering wheel requires a lot of strength, and although Kimura is trying, his strength has long been exhausted.

He was shivering with cold, and it was miserable. After leaving the steering wheel, he went back to work at the pump. Then he returned from the pump to the bow cabin and then back to the helm. Repeat and repeat, maybe three rounds in total, he forgot the number of times.

Finally, seventeen hours after the first summons, the storm finally subsided. Exhausted and trembling, Kimura was finally able to return to the hammock and sleep with his eyes closed. As he was about to fall asleep, he suddenly remembered the death of First Officer Sato and the handkerchief with the "Cross Pill" badge on it. The memory of the deceased reminded him that he was still alive. This comfort stretched his body and mind, and within seconds he fell into a deep sleep.

In his sleep, Kimura dreamed that he had finally become a glorious Imperial Japanese naval officer, fighting on a strange cruiser called "Matsushima", only to have this extremely poorly protected warship hit by a huge ironclad ship of the Qianguo country, causing ammunition to explode and ignite a fire......

Kimura shouted. Woke up.

The storm did not come again, and all the people on the "Phoenix Maru" breathed a sigh of relief, but everyone still did not dare to slack off in the slightest.

A few days later, the "Phoenix Maru" returned to Tokyo Bay.

As soon as he entered the port, Kimura Hirokichi on the deck saw the foreign warships lining the harbor, and his mood became inexplicably heavy.

Not far away. A large Russian cruiser swaggered past the front of the "Phoenix Maru", and when he saw this steel monster and then looked at the "Phoenix Maru" that had been devastated by the storm and was like a child, Kimura Hirokichi's heart felt a burst of shame.

And in this ship named "Dmitry? On the cruiser Donskoy, the Russians were in a very happy mood.

Two Russian officers leaned on the bridge, talking about the fact that neither of them had ever arrived, and that this time fate had sent them to the country by chance. Tomorrow is about to land, and this hope makes them happy, so they make countless plans.

"Me." Navy Captain Vajim said, "As soon as I get there, I'll get married." ”

"Oh!" Boris, who is also a captain in the Navy, replied lightly, he is the kind of person who does not look strange.

"Yes, find a little woman with yellow skin, black hair, and cat-like eyes. Naturally, pick the beautiful ones. The stature is no taller than a doll. You can occupy a room in our house. All of this will be done in a shady paper house (in Japan, most of the houses are wooden houses, and the wall panels are made of paper) in the midst of the greenery of the garden. I'm going to make it bloom all around it. We live among the flowers. Every morning someone fills our residence with bouquets, some of the same bouquets you've never seen before......"

At this time, Boris seems to have taken an interest in Vajim's plans to start a family. He even listened with the same interest as Wajim about his plans to make a wish at the local monastery, or to marry the queen of the island and live with her in a jewel-built house in the heart of a charming lake......

But this blueprint of life described by Kwakim to Boris. It was really entrenched in Wajim's mind. Due to boredom, God! Because of his loneliness, Gradually, Wajim became obsessed with this marriage. Mainly, he wanted to be on land. In a shady corner, live among trees and flowers. It was so tempting to have just lived for half a month on the deserted islands of the Pacific Ocean, where they had suffered so much—those hot and terrible islands with no greenery, no trees, no streams, and only the smell of death.

"Dmitry? After all, the Donskoy is a new ship that has just been completed this year, and after it is completed, it will be sent to serve in the East, because the sailors have not had time to run in with this brand-new warship, and the long way from Europe to Japan, after reaching the Pacific Ocean, "Dmitry? The Donskoy's machine broke down and drifted to a desert island for repairs, and it took half a month to regain its navigational capability.

They had sailed far from that "oven in the Pacific" after sailing far away from that latitude. The constellations in the sky changed rapidly, the Southern Cross and some other southern stars disappeared, and the constellation Ursa Major had risen to the Middle Heavens, almost as high as it was in the sky over Russia. In the evening, the air was cooler, and they were finally able to rest well, and their bodies and minds were rejuvenated. The air reminded them of the summer days they had spent on the Baltic coast.

And yet, now they are far, far away from those familiar shores, frighteningly far away! ……

In his diary, Wajim wrote about their first encounter with Japan:

"As soon as dawn broke, we saw Japan."

"At exactly the expected hour, it appeared, although it was still far away, and a black spot was clearly revealed on the vast and boundless sea for so many days."

"The first thing we saw was a series of rose-colored hills (these are the archipelago jutting out of the sea at sunrise). Soon I saw a thick layer of objects hanging behind them along the horizon, like a curtain hanging down the water: this is the real Japan. ”

"Gradually, in the midst of the large clouds of chaos, the black outlines of the distant mountains were clearly revealed."

"'Dmitry? The Donskoy' was blowing in the wind, and a cool breeze blew more and more violently, as if the country was trying to blow us away from it with all its might. The sea, the cables, and the boats, all shook and rattled. ”

"It was nearly three o'clock in the afternoon, and all these distant objects were near. Close enough to stretch their majestic cliffs and groves all the way above our heads. ”

"'Dmitry? The Donskoy' now sails into a long, narrow, gloomy inlet, lined with high mountains, in a strange symmetry, like a trellis set within, which is spectacular but not very natural. One might say. Japan has opened a bewildering rift before us so that we can penetrate into its guts. ”

"At the end of this long and strange bay, it must be Tokyo, the capital of Japan, which has not yet appeared. It's lovely green everywhere. The strong wind on the surface of the sea suddenly stopped, and was replaced by tranquility. The air became hot and full of floral scents. The canyon resounded with the deafening chirping of cicadas, and the other side echoed each other. All the mountains rustled with a myriad of sounds, and the whole area made a crisp sound like crystal glass that was constantly trembling. Along the way, we passed by groups of galleons, propelled by imperceptible breezes. Glide forward slowly, barely audible on the slightly rippling water. Their white sails hang from a girder parallel to the water's surface, hanging loosely, forming many folds like a curtain. The intricately shaped stern, like the stern of our medieval galleon, rises high like a ship's tower, between the walls of the lush mountains. The sails are lined as white as snow. ”

"What an unexpected ......Garden of Eden in Japan, a country full of greenery and shade."

"The outside world. The vast sea must still be daytime; And here, in the canyon between the cliffs, already gives the impression of evening. Beneath the very bright peaks, all the places in the foothills that were more lush by the water were already hidden in the twilight darkness. Passing sailboats. It looked so white against the dark color of the green leaves, and it was driven deftly by some yellow-skinned dwarfs without a sound. They poked their heads out, their long hair parted in the middle like a woman, and combed to their temples. The further you go in this green waterway. The aroma is more and more refreshing, and the monotonous cicada chirps are getting louder and louder, like a crescendo played by an orchestra. Above, in the bright sky carved by the mountains, soared a falcon-like bird, which in the deep voice of a human being, let out 'Boom! Throat! Throat! 'The chirp. The mournful cry is elongated by the echo, which is extremely discordant in this situation. ”

"All of this luxuriant and fresh nature is unique to Japan. This uniqueness exists in those indescribable peaks and strange rocks, or in some things that are too beautiful to seem real. There are some trees arranged in clumps, and their layout is so delicate that they resemble handicrafts on lacquered trays. Beside the gently sloping circular hills covered with tender meadows, strange cliffs rise from the ground, like man-made landscapes, all of which are close together. ”

“…… If you look closely, you can see a number of mysterious small ancient temples, usually built on cliffs overlooking the abyss, half-hidden in the volley of miscellaneous trees. From the very beginning, they give us the impression of a certain remoteness for those of us who visit for the first time, and make us feel that the gods, the dryads, and the ancient gods who are in charge of the fields are strange and incomprehensible in this place......"

"When Tokyo appeared, our eyes were disappointed. Nestled at the foot of a steep green hill, it's a completely unassuming city. Ahead, ships flying flags were moored in a haphazard manner, and the cruise ship was emitting black smoke as elsewhere. There are some factories on the docks, all of which are common things that have been seen everywhere, and there is no shortage of anything. ”

"If the earth is the same, and we can't even try to travel for fun, then the time of the boredom of living on land is coming."

"Nearly six o'clock we dropped anchor in the middle of a pile of ships moored there, and at the same time we were immediately 'violated.'"

"The intruders on our ships were the very merchandising, kind-hearted, and comical Japanese, who were all over the boat, and they were pouring in like a rising tide: men and women lined up in a long line, and came on to our ships in a constant stream, neither shouting nor arguing, but bowing to us silently and smilingly. In the face of this attitude, no one is embarrassed to get angry. As a result, due to the reflex effect, we ourselves smile and return the salute frequently. All of them carried small baskets and small boxes on their backs, and with the most dexterous skill they created containers of different shapes, packed with goods of one kind or another, and filled them to the brim, and held them tightly and tightly. They pulled out all sorts of unexpected and incredible things: screens, shoes, soap, lanterns, cufflinks, small jewelry. about the cicadas singing all day long in a small cage, the guinea pig that pushes the cardboard windmill to spin constantly; There are all kinds of pictures of women; There is also a hot soup or meat chowder served in a bowl, ready to be served to the crew at any time; There is also porcelain, a large number of porcelain vases, teapots, teacups, small jars, small plates...... In the blink of an eye, all of them were unboxed, unpacked, and displayed on the floor with astonishing agility. It is also arranged quite artistically. The vendors crouched behind their knick-knuckles like monkeys, their hands touching their instep. They are always smiling and always bowing deeply. Our deck was piled up with these colorful things, and suddenly it became a large grocery store. The sailors, in high spirits and with great merit, stepped up and down in the midst of the piles of goods, flirted with the women traders, bought what they saw, and threw out the silver coins with white flowers without care. ”

"But. God, these people are so ugly! It's tacky and weird! Thinking about my plans to get married, I became preoccupied. Disillusioned......"

"Until tomorrow morning, Boris and I are on duty. Once the initial hustle and bustle of the ship after anchoring (having to lower the dinghy out to sea, pushing the ladder and tie rod out) had passed, we had nothing to do but look around. We thought to ourselves: Where is this? In the United States? In the British colony of Australia? Or in Nova Drenthe, Netherlands?? ……”

"There's a consulate, there's a customs, there's a factory, and there's a British brig moored in the dockyard. Above there was a European concession with many villas, and on the pier were American dinghies used by sailors. But over there. Yes, over there, behind the generalized things and a little farther away, in the depths of that great green canyon, there were thousands of blackened huts, interspersed with a somewhat strange-looking house. Some of the taller roofs, painted dark red, protrude from them sparsely; It is likely that the real, old, Japanese Tokyo still exists...... In this kind of area, there may be a little woman with cat-like eyes behind a certain paper screen...... Chances are, in less than two or three days (time is precious) I'll marry her!! …… Hi. Anyway, it doesn't matter, I can't remember what she looks like anymore, this little woman, the women who sell the guinea pigs have ruined her image, and now I'm really worried that she looks like them......"

"As night fell, the deck of the ship was empty as if by magic. In the blink of an eye, the dwarf men and women closed the boxes, folded the screen with the chute and the fan with the spring, bowed to us one by one, and left. ”

"As the night deepened and the blued darkness became a mixture, the Japan we came to was slowly and slowly transformed into a magical land full of charm. The mountains were now completely black, cut in half by the foothills submerged in water, and the still waters that carried us reflected in the mountains, creating the illusion that we were hanging upside down on a terrible cliff, and the stars were also reflected in the water, as if a little phosphorus fire was sown in the abyss of imagination. ”

Then, the lights of Tokyo were lit up, and the whole city was lit up, even in the most remote suburbs and villages. The inferior bars, which are set up in the trees in the mountains and are not even visible during the day, also cast a glow like fireflies. As soon as the lights appeared, they quickly lit up everywhere. From all sides of the bay, from the hill to the bottom, countless lights glitter in the darkness, giving the impression that a huge city is dizzying and staircase-like like an amphitheater all around us. At our feet, in the still water, there is another city, equally brightly lit, but all the way to the abyss. The night is mild and pure, and it is pleasant. The air was filled with the scent of flowers wafting from the mountains. The sound of string music coming from the tea table or from the obscene place at night is also very beautiful to listen to from afar. And the cicada chirping, which is always in the ears in Japan (it has even become the background of all the sound here, and after a few days, we will not pay attention to it anymore), and we listen, and the loud and uninterrupted singing is like a waterfall flowing from a spring, which always seems a little monotonous......"

"The next day, it was pouring rain, and it was the kind of unstoppable, merciless, dark, dripping rain and dense raindrops that blocked our view from one end of the boat. It can be said that the clouds from all over the world have made an appointment to pour down on this big green leaky pot, and they have all gathered in Tokyo Bay. ”

"The rain kept falling, endlessly. It was almost dark, the rain was so heavy, through the scattered water curtain, you could still vaguely see the foothills, as for the top of the mountain, it had been hidden in the huge pile of dark clouds at the top. We saw clouds that seemed to be about to break away from the gloomy firmament, like large pieces of gray cloth hanging over the trees. Eventually, these clouds will turn into rain and pour down. And the wind, and we heard the deep wind roaring in the valley. The entire surface of the bay, beaten by the raindrops, crackled, stirred up circles of whirlpools everywhere, groaning and sighing in the violent turmoil, running back and forth. ”

"The weather was terrible for a first-time lander...... In a strange country, under such a pouring rain, how can you find a wife? (To be continued.) )

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