In 1728, Japanese little boy Gonza and pilot Souza left Kagoshima Port
for Osaka on board the Japanese vessel Wakashiomaru along with 15 other
crew members. They were shipwrecked by a heavy storm during the voyage
and drifted with the currents for six months until they reached the the
Kamchatka Peninsula,
Russian troops garrisoned there killed all the crew members of the vessel
exept Gonza and Souza. They had to work like slaves. But they learned the
Russian language, never giving up the hope of returning home, although
they suffered pain and discomfort.
After years had passed, the Russian government ordered them to teach Japanese
at the Russian Academy of Sciences. Gonza compiled some Russian-Japanese
dictionaries and wrote several books for learners of each language. Meanwhile,
he became ill. Immediately before dying of the disease, he said: "Language
is an excellent tool to bridge human souls."
Russia still preserves the death masks of Gonza and Souza, and Gonza's
writings.
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