because of the actions of Chwostoff. He agreed to send a letter to other commanders to grant them access to supplies at the town of 'Oorbeetsch'. The Russians set sail, but were then intercepted by a baidara with the Kuriles on board, as well as a newcomer, Alexei Maximovitsch. Alexei joined the Russians as an interpreter though his proficiency in Russian was low. Many of the Kuriles came from Russian-controlled islands and had been punished for Chwostoff's attack on Japanese settlements. That made them feared and resented the Japanese. Moreover, the Japanese had brutally crushed an Ainu rebellion in 1789. Capture European explorers had not yet discovered Nemuro Strait between Hokkaido (Matsmai) and Kunashir, which prompted Golovnin to explore them on 4 July. As the Diana approached the harbour at Kunashir, it was fired upon by the Japanese castle. After several attempts, the Diana made contact with Japanese officers on the island. They offered the necessary supplies as well as a meeting with the island's bugyō, or governor. To clear the Russian government of responsibility from the Chwostoff raids, Golovnin, two officers, four sailors, and the Kurile Alexei landed. There, they were met by the governor of Kunashir in his castle. Negotiations seemed amicable, but the Japanese had lured Golovnin onto the island and arrested him and the other crew members. The crew was tightly bound with ropes, and the Diana, now under control of Petr Rikord, shot at the castle but was then forced to set sail to avoid capture. The captives were sailed across the straits to Hokkaido and encountered many villagers, who were curious to see the Russians, because of the almost-complete absence of foreigners in Japan. A Japanese drawing of their captivity shows the Russians' tall stature compared to the Japanese, which was also confirmed by Golovnin. The crew was led to a prison in Hakodate, the capital of Hokkaido. Captivity The crew were kept in separate cells in a well-guarded wooden prison. During the imprisonment, the Japanese began interrogating the officers with many precise questions that revealed the lack of knowledge of both cultures toward each other. On 25 August, the commander brought Golovnin his personal wares from his cabin on the Diana, much to his surprise. However the Diana had not been captured but had simply sent these items ashore. He was later brought before the governor of Hokkaido and made to discuss the