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 NARRATIVE 
 
 OF 
 
 THE EXPEDITION OF AN AMERICAN SQUADRON 
 
 TO 
 
 THE CHINA SEAS AND JAPAN,^^ 
 
 PEKFOKMED IN THE YEAES 1852, 1853, and 1854, 
 
 UNDER THE COMMAND OF 
 
 / 
 
 COMMODORE M. C. PERRY, UNITED STATES NAVY, 
 
 / 
 
 BY ORDER OF THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES. 
 
 COMPaED FROM THE ORIGINAL NOTES AND JOURNALS OP COMMODORE PERRY AND HIS OFFICERS, AT HIS REQrEST, AND 
 
 UNDER HIS SUPERVISION, 
 
 By FRANCIS L. HAWKS, D. D. L. L. D. 
 
 WITH NUMEROUS ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 PUBLISHED BY ORDER OF THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES. 
 
 '4-0-!^-.^ ^t-+ 
 
 WASHINGTON: 
 
 A. O. P. NICHOLSON, PRINTER 
 1856. 

 
 
 PREFATORY NOTE. 
 
 Pkompted in a great degree Ly feelings of personal friendship for Commodore Perry, the 
 compiler of the following pages yielded to his earnest request, enforced as it was hy that 
 of other fi-iends, and consented to undertake the task of preparing this Narrative of the 
 United States' Expedition to Japan. 
 
 And here it is proper to mention, that among the expressed motives which induced the 
 Commander of the Expedition to desire the execution of the work hy other hands than his 
 own, none seemed more prominent than this consideration : that, as the facts here emhodied 
 were to he gathered not merely from the jiages of his own journal, hut from those also of 
 several of his officers, as well as from their official reports to him, he thought it hotter to 
 confide the compilation to a disinterested third jiarty, who might weave the various mate- 
 rials into a connected narrative of all the important events, uninfluenced hy that partiality 
 for his own words or acts, from which, owing to the infirmities of human nature, the most 
 honest and hest of men arc not always entirely exempt. 
 
 As the sole ohject on the part of the Commander was to afford to his government and 
 countrymen the most ample account he could of what had heen done hy himself, hia 
 officers, and men — as in this respect he had nothing to conceal, as lie wished to present 
 truly all of interest that had been observed either by himself or others, and to do justice 
 to the deserving officers who had so effectually sustained him in his plans for carrying out 
 a new, delicate, and arduous work — he deemed it best to place in the liands of the compiler, 
 without reserve, cdl the materials in his possession, whether from his own pen, or furnished 
 hy the labor of others, and to request nothing more than that the prejiaration of the 
 work might be conducted in a spirit conformable to the ends and wishes just expressed. 
 
 The materials were abundant and varied. Beside the manuscript journal of the Commo- 
 dore, in three large folios, and his official correspondence ; the journals of his secretary and 
 other officers, the diaries of the fleet captain and flag-lieutenants, the official reports of 
 gentlemen detailed for special duties, and the public documents connected with the Expe-
 
 IV PREFATORY NOTE. 
 
 dition, were all placed in the liaads of tlie ■writer. Of these, the Commodore's journal and 
 official correspondence form much the larger part.* 
 
 The vrork to be performed was that of a compiler merely. With no responsibility as to 
 the facts related, tlie writer believed his appropriate duty to be simply to weave into a 
 connected narrative all of interest or importance that could be gathered from these various 
 materials, and to present, in chronological order, the incidents of the Expedition. Eminently 
 suggestive, as were many portions of the story, the compiler felt that it was his business 
 to deal with the fads only, and spare the reader the infliction of his reflections ou them. 
 
 The book, therefore, is but little encumbered with the writer's observations or conjectures 
 on the incidents related. Where a momentary digression from the story does occur, the 
 remarks it embodies are generally those of the Commodore himself In many instances, the 
 language of the Narrative is a verbatim copy from his journal. Wherever it was possible 
 thus to use his manuscript, it was done, as being the course most likely to avoid error. 
 Every word of the work was read to the Commodore in manuscript, and received his 
 correction before it went into the printer's hands ; every proof sheet also was read by him 
 before it was sent back to the press. In order to expedite the preparation and publication 
 of the work as much as possible, and place it, at an early period, in the hands of Con- 
 gress, as the labor was that of compilation only, the present writer, with the approbation 
 of Commodore Perry, availed himself of the kindness of a competent literary gentleman,! 
 who assisted him in the work of comparing the various journals, documents, &c., arranging 
 chronologically the incidents gathered from all sources, and presenting them in a connected 
 form. Some portions of the story were also, in the first instance, sketched by this 
 gentleman, and after undergoing the revision of the present writer, were incorporated by 
 him into the Narrative, and then submitted to the Commodore for his corrections and 
 suggestions. Some of the descriptions of scenery were thus prepared, as well as portions 
 of the Narrative relating to the two vistis to Japan. By means of this valuable aid, the 
 whole story was written out in loss than a twelvemonth from the time its jmblication 
 was ordered by Congress, a result -frhich would otherwise have been unattainable. The 
 
 *The Commodore, unwilling to appropriate what may belong to others, desires here to acknowledge the use of the journals 
 of the captain of the fleet, Commander Adams, of tlie flag-lieutenants, Mr. Contee and Mr. Bent, those of Purser Harris, 
 Mr. Perry, (Commodore's secretary,) Mr. Bayard Taylor and Chaplain Jones ; the reports of Captains Abbot, Buchanan, 
 and Adams, Commandants Boyle, Kelly, and Glasson, Chaplain Jones, Mr. Williams, Chinese interpreter, and Doctors 
 Green and Fahs ; the services of Mr. Portman, Dutch interpreter, and of the artists, Mr. W. Heine and Mr. E. Brown, jr. 
 In the hydrographical department he would specially acknowledge the accurate and laborious work of Lieutenants W. 
 L. Maury and S. Bent. Nor would he pass by without notice minor contributions from any under his command ; to all 
 ho would render due credit and thanks. 
 
 1 Robert Tomes, Esq., M.D.
 
 PREFATORY NOTE. V 
 
 compiler makes this statement, not only to acknowledge the kindness of a friend, but 
 also to guard himself against the suspicion of being willing to appropriate, without 
 recognition, the labors of another. 
 
 As to the Narrative itself, the highest ambition of the writer was to tell the story, if 
 he could, in such manner as would not only present a true picture, but also keep alive 
 the interest of the reader ; his wish was to make a book that might furnish information 
 without being wearisome. If in this he has succeeded, he has attained all to which he 
 aspired. If he has not, he has only to say that he will feel more of regret than surprise. 
 
 In some instances he may be thought to be needlessly minute, and especially in describing 
 the pageantry of receptions, entertainments, &c. In this matter he felt obliged to consult 
 something beside his own taste merely ; he was looking to the natural curiosity of his 
 countrymen to know every particular of the story, and therefore preferred to tell too much 
 rather than too little. Beside, the pageantry was often an important part of the history 
 of the negotiation itself, with a people so ceremonious as the Japanese. 
 
 Nor did the compiler hesitate to use freely the materials placed before him in the shape 
 of journals, &c., even though the substance of some portions of them is already in the hands 
 of the public. They were originally prepared for just such use as is here made of them ; 
 the report was designed to tell the incidents of the whole story fi-om beginning to end ; and 
 the compiler was directed simply to use the materials that had been furnished him. It 
 was not for him to omit facts because others had already related them. 
 
 In but one respect did he venture to exercise any discretion. His duty required that he 
 should tell aU that occurred from the moment the Mississippi left the Capes of the Chesa- 
 peake. As, however, the chief interest of the Expedition was to be found in events that 
 occurred in China, Lew Chew, the Bonin Islands, and Japan, he endeavored to make as 
 brief as duty would permit the incidents of the earlier part of the outward voyage, sensible 
 that but little new remained to be said in passing over a track so often traversed and so 
 well known by intelligent Europeans and Americans. Still he believes he has omitted 
 nothing, which his materials furnished, that is likely to interest the general reader. 
 
 Distance from the press has occasioned some typographical errors, which the intelligent 
 reader will readily correct for himself ; there are probably other errors ; for these the other 
 duties of the compiler and the circumstances of his position will, he hopes, be accepted as 
 an apology.* 
 
 * This Tolume will bo followed by three others, as soon as the labors of the government press can produce them. 
 They are prepared. Appendix, vol. 1, will contain the Natural History and Illustrations, witli various reports ; vol. 2 will 
 embrace the Astronomical Observations; and vol. .1 the Hydrography of the Expedition.
 
 VI AUTHENTICATION OP THE NARRATIVE, 
 
 The Narrative here presented of tlie Japan Expedition has been prepared under my 
 supervision and at my request, from materials furnished by me, and is authentic. I 
 present it as my official report, and am alone responsible for the statement of facts it 
 contains. 
 
 M. C. PERRY, Laic Commamlcr-in-cldef 
 of the United Slates Expedition to the China Seas and Japan. 
 New York, January 1, 1856.
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 Page. 
 
 Ijjtbodcction 3 71 
 
 CHAPTKR I. 
 
 Probabilities of a successful mission from the United States to Japan. — Such a mission proposed to the Govern- 
 ment by Commodore Perry. — Expedition resolved on. — Vessels selected for the sijuadron. — Vexatious delay 
 in their equipment. — Commodore Perry sent in the Mississippi to the Gulf of St. Lawrence. — Applications 
 of scientific men to join the expedition refused. — Causes of such refusal. — Dr. Von Siebold. — Visit of the 
 President and Secretary of the Na\'y to Annapolis to take leave of the expedifiion. — Failure of the machinery 
 of the steamship Princeton on the passage down Chesapeake Bay. — Substitution of steamer Powhatan in 
 place of the Princeton. — Final departure of Commodore Perry on the mission with the Mississippi alone. - 75 — SO 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 Voyage from the capes of the Chesapeake to Madeira. — View of the island. — Fimchal. — Hospitality of the in- 
 habifcints. — Salubrity of the climate. — Exports of the island. — Novel mode of conveyance. — Departure from 
 Madeira and arrival at the Canaries. — Early failure of northeast trades. — Extraordinary swell from the 
 northwest. — General order as to private journals and coramimications to public ijrints. — General order as 
 to scientific investigations by officers. — The "Harmattan," consideration of hypotheses as to its origin. — 
 Southeast trades. — Ship steered for St. Helena. — Observations on the currents. — Chaplain's observations on 
 the zodiacal lights. — Arrival at St. Helena. — Description of the island. — Jamestown. — Longwood. — Tomb 
 of Napoleon. — The calculating hospitality of the inhabitants of the island. — Adventure of Lieutenant 
 
 . — Fortifications of the island. — ^Their sufficiency against sailing vessels. — Probable insufliciency 
 
 against an ajiproach from the west by steam. — Departure from St. Helena 81 — 96 
 
 CHAPTER m. 
 
 Passage to the cape. — Fuel for steamers. — Table rock and Cape Town. — Description of Cape Town. — Climate. — 
 Annoyance from dust. — Violence of winds and difficulty of holding to anchorage. — Supplies at the cape. — 
 C'affre war and its effects. — Mode of transporting produce on laud. — Vineyards of Constantia. — Effects of 
 emancipation of slaves on agricultural labor. — Mode of cultivating the vine. — Population of Cape Colony. — 
 Bushmen. — The Caffres. — Physical characteristics. — Fingoes. — Military organization of Caffres. — Condition 
 of tlie emancipated slaves. — Departure from Table Bay. — Passage to, and arrival at, Mauritius. — Harbor of 
 Port Louis. — Dangers of the harbor. — SkUl of port officers in mooring vessels 97 — lOG 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 Mauritius, its discovery. — Geological formation and physical aspect. — Production of sugar. — Effect on agricul- 
 ture of the abolition of slaverj-. — Coolies. — Population of the island. — State of feeling between English 
 and French residents. — Hospitable treatment of the expedition. — Description of Port Louis. — Grand Port. — - 
 Paul and Virginia. — Facts on which St. Pierre founded his story. — ^Tombs of Paul and Virginia. — Built by 
 an eccentric Frenchman. — Cyclones. — Their probable causes. — Ijitercst felt in them at Mauritius. — Depart- 
 ure of the Mississippi from Port Louis. — Her course thence to Point de Galle, island of Ceylon. — Reasons 
 for taking it. — Point de Galle, description of.— Great rendezvous of steamers. — Difficulty of procuring fuel 
 there. — American consul. — Tlioughts on consular system. — Early knowledge of Ceylon. — Its several Euro- 
 pean po8.scssors. — Climate. — .Siilubrity. — Causes of its diminislied prosperity. — Productions. — Value of cocoa- 
 nut palm. — Pearl fi.shery. — Immense numbui-s of elei>hants. — Great slaugliter of them. — Boa constrictor. — 
 Population of Ceylon. — Physique of Cingalese, Malabars, and Maliomedans in the island. — Roligious con- 
 dition. — Buddhism. — Pilgrimage to the temples.— Intercourse witli a Siamese naval officer at Ceylon. — 
 Commodore's letter to the second king of Siam. — Departure from Ceylon. — Passage through the Straits of 
 Malacca. — Ai'rival at Singapore - - - 107—121
 
 VIU CONTENTS. 
 
 CH.VITER V. 
 
 Page , 
 
 Singapore. — Its great coimnerce. — Population. — Rapiil iuoreasc. — Hospitality of a wealthy Chinese merchant. — 
 Importance of Singapore to England. — Coal depot at Singapore. — Physical aspect of the country. — Agricul- 
 tnral products. — Animals. — Ferocity of the tiger. — Water Imft'alo. — Passage from Singapore to Hong Kong. — 
 Currents, rocks, tides. — Chinese fishing boats. — Arrival at Hong Kong. — Finding there sloops-of-\var Sara- 
 toga and Plymouth and store-ship Supply. — Susquehanna gone to Shanghai. — Disappointment of the Com- 
 modore. — Condition and prosperity of Hong Kong. — Eim to Macao, thence to Whampoa on Canton river. — 
 Navigation of the river. — First impressions made hy the city. — Disappointed expectations. — Hospitality-of 
 American consul at Canton. — The hongs or factories. — Streets in Canton. — Proper name of the city. — Bocca 
 Tigris. — Chinese forts. — Pirates on the river. — Attempt to rob one of the officers. — Canton market place. — 
 Trade of Canton with Europe and America - 125 — 138 
 
 CHAPTER \l. 
 
 Hospitable treatment at Macao. — Usages of the foreign merchants toward visitors. — Depressed coBdition of 
 Macao. — Description of the place.- — Tauka boats, and girls who manage them. — Cave of Camoens. — De- 
 parture of Mississippi from Macao. — Saratoga left to bring Mr. Williams, the interpreter. — Difficulties of 
 navigation from Hong Kong to the mouth of Yang-tse-keang. — Entrance of the river dangerous. — Susque- 
 hanna, Plymouth, and Supply all aground. — Mississippi saved by the power of her engines only. — Descrip- 
 tion of Shanghai. — Its immense trade. — Cultivation of the country. — Population of the city. — Visit of the 
 Commodore to the governor of the city. — Chinese rebellion. — Its effects. — Plymouth left at Shanghai to 
 protect American interests. — Departure for Great Lew Chew. — Arrival of the squadron at the capital, Na- 
 pha, the Saratoga having joined at the entrance to the harbor 139 — 150 
 
 CHAPTER Vn. 
 
 Number and position of islands of Lew Chew. — Their supposed political relations to Japan and China. — Descrip- 
 tion of the island of Great Lew Chew, as seen on the first approach to it. — Visit of officials to the Susque- 
 hanna. — Visit of Dr. Bettelhcim. — Refusal of presents, and consequent mortification of the LewChewans. — • 
 Exploration of the island resolved on by the Commodore. — Daguerreotj-ping on shore. — Coral insect and its 
 formations. — Second visit of the authorities of Lew Chew. — Regent of the island received by the Commo- 
 dore. — Friendly nature of the interview. — Surprise of the Lew Chewans at sight of the steam-engine. — 
 Commodore announces to them his intention of returning the visit at the palace of Shui.^ — Their evident 
 embarrassment thereat. — Leave to go on shore. — Description of Napha and its vicinity, by one of the offi- 
 cers.- — Exploring party sets out, placed under the command of the chaplain, Mr. Jones. — Mr. Bayard Taylor 
 attached to it, with orders to take notes and furnish a detailed report of the journey. — Negotiations with 
 the Lew Chew authorities to obtain a house on shore. — Their manifest opposition. — Commodore persists 
 and succeeds. — Officers, when on shore, continually watched by spies. — Captain Basil Hall's account of the 
 Lew Chewans somewhat exaggerated. — Impressions made on the officers as to the character of the natives. — 
 Hydrographic surveys. — Boat cxerci.se of the crews, and drillmg on land of the marines 151 — 161 
 
 CILVPTER VIII. 
 Beport of an inland exploration of Great Lew Clicw, by a party from the squa<lron, nn<kr the command of 
 
 Commodore Perry ] 62 186 
 
 CHAPl'ER LX. 
 Efforts of authorities of Lew Chew to prevent a visit to tlie palace. — All unsuccessful. — Landing for the visit. — 
 Procession. — Appearance of the country. — Reception, at the palace. — Embarrassment of the regent. — Enter- 
 tainment at the regent's house. ^Saki. — New dishes. — Commodore invites authorities to a dinner on board 
 the Susquehanna. — General impressions produced by the visit. — Espionage still kept up. — Daily exercise of 
 Bailors and marines. — Settlement of accounts with Lew Chew authorities. — Mississippi and Supply remain 
 at Lew Chew. — Susquehanna and Saratoga leave for the Bonin islands. — Death of an opium smoker on the 
 passagc.^Inhimianity of Chinese. — Sunday on board.— Arrival at Port Lloyd 187—196 
 
 CIIAITER X. 
 Situation of Bonin islands. — First discovery of them. — Europeans have no claim as the discoverers. — Mixed 
 character of present settlers. — External appearance of Peel island. — Geological fonnation. — Harbor of Port 
 Lloyd. — Productions of the island, animal and vegetable. — Resort of whalers. — Condition of present in- 
 habitants. — Commodore causes the island to be explored. — Reports of exploring parties. — Kanakas. — Ex- 
 amination of Stapleton island, and report thereon. — Survey of harbor of Port Lloyd: — L'lnd purchased for 
 a coal depot.— Departure from Bonin islands on the return to Lew Chew.— Disappointment island. — Its 
 true position. — Borodinos. — Arrival at Naplia ] 97—214
 
 CONTENTS. IX 
 
 Tagn. 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 (;Uangcs at Kapha. — New regent. — Banquet on board of the Susquehanna. — Excessive dignity of the new re- 
 gent. — %St;iteIiness of Lew Chewans thawed out by the dinner. — Guests sent home. — Bamboo village. — In- 
 terior of Lew Chew houses. — Men indolent. — Gossipping at Lew Chew. — Lew Chew loom. — Different classes 
 of the people. — Their fear of spies. — Slavery of peasants. — Causes of degradation. — E.\cellence of agricul- 
 tural cultivation. — Origin of population of Lew Chew. — Former kingdoms on the island. — Relation of Lew 
 Chew to China and Japan, respectivelj-. — Education in Lew Chew. — Religion of the inhabitants. — Christian 
 mission in Lew Chew. — Distinctions of dress. — People sell themselves as slaves. — Clanship. — Coin in Lew 
 Chew. — Sugar making. — Natural products of the island - 215 — 227 
 
 CHAPTEK XU. 
 
 Departure from Napha for Japan. — Couree of the ships. — Oho-Sima. — Island seen by Commander GImn, probably 
 Oho-Sima. — Cleopatra islands. — Currents. — Fourth of July on hoard. — Approach to Cape Idzu. — Squadron, 
 led by the Susquehanna, enters the bay of Yedo. — Rock island. — Hazy atmosphere of Japan. — Surprise of 
 the Japanese at sight of the steamers moving against wind and tide. — Bay of Sagami. — Appearance of the 
 coast and country inland. — Fusi-Jama. — Ships made ready for action. — Fleet of Japanese boats put off from 
 the shore. — Left behind by squadron. — Bay of Uniga. — Opposite coast of Awa. — Japanese forts. — Squadron 
 comes to anchor in the bay of Uraga. — Soundings on approaching the anchorage. — Japanese guard-boats 
 put off. — No one pennittcd to come on board the ships. — Appearance of guard-boats and crews. — Skill of 
 the Japanese in managing their boats. — Guard-boat comes alongside of the Mississippi, and Japanese 
 functionary demands to come on board. — Not permitted. — Notice in the French language, ordering the 
 ships away, held up to be read. — Interpreters directed to inform the Japanese that the Commodore would 
 confer with no one but the highest official in Uraga. — Japanese replied that they had the vice governor on 
 board. — ^This officer and his interpreter allowed to come on board the Susquehanna. — Not permitted to see 
 the Commodore. — Conference with Lieutenant Contee, who explains that the Americans have come on a 
 friendly mission, and that the Commodore bears a letter from the President of the United States to the 
 Emperor. — Desires the appointment of an officer of suitable rank to receive it from the Commodore. — 
 Commodore refuses to go to Naga.saki. — Informs the .Japanese officials that if the guard-boats are not 
 immediately removed he wUl disperse them by force. — The boats are withdrawn. — Vice governor returns to 
 the shore, promising further communication on the morrow. — Policy resolved on by the Commodore. — 
 Meteorological phenomenon. — Visit on the next day from the governor of Uraga. — Conference between him 
 and Commanders Buchanan and Adams. — Second refusal of the Commodore to go to Nagasaki. — Deter- 
 mination expressed to deliver the letter there, and, if necessary, in the city of Yedo itself. — Governor 
 proposes to refer the matter to Tedo. — Commodore assents and allows three days for an answer. — Survey. 
 by the squadron's boats of the bay of Uraga, and ultimately of the bay of Yedo 228 — 242 
 
 CHAPTER Xin. 
 
 Ileply from the court at Yedo. — Efforts of the Japanese to get the squadron out of the bay of Yedo. — Commo- 
 dore's firm refusal to leave Uraga. — Agreement of the Emperor to receive, through a commissioner, the 
 President's letter. — High breeding of the Japanese gentlemen; not ill-informed. — Survey of the bay of 
 Yedo. — Fogs of Japan. — Second visit from the governor of Uraga. — He brings a letter from the Emperor, 
 authorizing a prince of the empire to receive, in his name, the President's letter. — Arrangements made for 
 the Commodore's reception on shore to deliver the letter. — Minute attention of the Japanese to etiquette 
 and ceremonials. — Preparations in the squadron for the visit on shore at the reception. — Ships brought near 
 the land, so as to command the place of meeting. — Landing and reception, and delivery of the letter and 
 other documents. — Princes of Idsu and Iwama. — Contents of President's letter.— Commodore's letter of 
 credence, and his letters to the Emperor. — Receipt given by the Japanese for the papers. — ^Retum to the 
 ships 213—261 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 Ck>iicessions of the Japanese. — Relaxation of their restrictive laws. — Satisfaction of both Japanese and Americans 
 at the result of the visit on shore and delivery of the President's letter. — Visit of Keyama Yezaimen to the 
 ships. — Impudence of the interpreter Saboroskc. — The squadron goes further up the bay towards the 
 capital. — Policy of this movement. — Alarm of the Japanese gradually quieted. — Beautiful scenery up the 
 bay. — Survey of the bay continued. — Conviviality on board. — Surveying boats enter a small river. — Cordial 
 greeting of the inhabitants. — Crowd dispersed by a Japanese official. — Commodore transfers his pennant 
 from the Susquehanna to the Mississippi. —The last-named vessel goes up in sight of the shipping place of 
 Yedo. — Sinagawa. — Yedo about ten miles distant from the point where the ships turned about. — Good 
 depth of water in Yedo bay, probably almost up to the city. — The bay pretty thoroughly explored and 
 6 J
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 Page. 
 
 sounded by tlie surveying parties. — Interchimfre of presents with tlie Japanese officers. — Avowed sorrow of 
 Japanese otticials on bidding farewell to the Americans. — Commodore's reasons for not waiting for a reply 
 to the President's letter. — Leaves Yedo hay declaring his intention to return in the ensuing spring. — The 
 Saratoga sent to Shanghai to look after American interestsi. — The Plymouth ordered to Lew Chew. — 
 Oho-Sima. — Ships encounter a storm. — General results of the fir.st visit of the squadron to the hay of Yedo. 2G2 — 2T3 
 
 CHAPTER XV 
 
 Amakirima islands. — State of feeling in -Lew Chew. — Commodore's measures for permanent arraDgcmcnts with 
 the authorities. — Coal depot. — Protest against espionage. — Tra<Ie in open market. — Letter to the regent. — 
 Interview with the regent — Eritertainments of the Commo<lofe. — During dinner the regent's answer is 
 brought. — Unsatisfactory to the Commodore, — Letter handcci back to the regent, and the Commodore 
 prepares to leave the house. — Informs the regent that be mui^t have a satisfactory answer on the next day, 
 otherwise he will laml and take ix).sscssion of the palace at Shui and retain it until matters are adjusted. — 
 Probable effects of hunting up the old sedan chair on shore — Commodore's propositions all accepted. — 
 Coal 'depot built. — Visit to the castle of Tima-Gusko. — Purchases in the bazaar. — Departure from Napha for 
 China. — Plymouth left behind with orders to visit Bonin islands and make further surveys. — Captain Kelly's 
 report of the visit and surveys. — Form of government and constitution of the settlers on Peel island. — 
 General effect of this last visit to hew Chew. — Arrival of the Vandalia ; of the Powhatan. — Overhaiiling 
 of the vessels of the snuadrou at Hong Kong 274 — 286 
 
 CHAPTEK XVI. 
 
 Alarm of Americans in China. — Request fo Cominoilore that he would send a ship to Canton. — Supply sent. — ■ 
 The rest of the squadron at Cum-siug-moon. — Hospital established and house taken at Macao. — Sickness 
 in the squadron. — Work kept up in all departments, notwithstanding. — Healthiness of Canton. — Gluttony 
 of the Chinese. — Chii>ese servants. — Chinese English, or "{Mgeon." — Male dressmakers, chamber servants, 
 etc. — Chinese female feet. — Chinese guilds. — Beggai-s. — Charitable institutions. — Thieves. — Boatmen. — 
 Laboring classes.— »Domestic servants. — Polygamy and its moral results. — Decadence of Macao. — Humbled 
 condition of the Portuguese. — Harbor of Macoa. — Commodore establishes his depot for the squadron at 
 Hong Kong. — Pleasant society of Macao. — Powhatan stationed at Whampoa to relieve the Susquehanna. — 
 Supply still at Canton. — Chinese peaceable towards foreigners. — Steamer "Queen" chartered to protect 
 American interests in China while the squadron should go to Yedo. — Suspicious movements of Russians and 
 French induce the Coinmodore to hasten his return to Japan. — Le.xington arrives. — The squadron ordered 
 to rendezvous at Napha, Lew Chew. — Orders received, jast a-s the squadron leaves China, to detach a 
 steamer for the use of Mr. McLvne, American Commissioner to Cliina. — EiobaiTassment of the Commodore 
 in consequence. — His mode of proceeding to accomplish both the objects of the government. — Coiiespoud- 
 ence with Sir George Bonham touching the Bonin islands. — Courtesy of the English Admiral Pellew. — 
 Squadron assembles at Naplia 2S7— 308 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 Increased cordiality and friendly intercourse on the part of the Lew Chewans. — Second visit of the Commodore 
 to the palace at Shui. — Entertainment by the regent. — No metallic coin of Lew Chew to be obtained. — 
 Rev. Mr. Jones' second exploration in search of coal. — Finds it at Shah hay. — The mineral not valued by 
 the natives. — Additional geological observations in Lew Chew. — Remarkable salubrity of the island. — 
 Tenure of lands. — Agriculture. — Ric-e, potatoes, sugar, cotton, wheat, barley, millet, sugo, bejine, peas, 
 tobacco, edible roots, fruits, trees, (lowers, etc. — Sugar mills. — Grain mills and granaries. — Population. — 
 Ethnology. — Costume. — Politeness of inanner. — General mtelligeuce. — Architecture. — Uude attempts in 
 painting and sculpture. — Amusements. — Government. — Religion. — Funeral rites. — Japanese spies in Lew 
 Chew. — Departure for the bay of Yedo 309 — 520 
 
 CHAPTER XVin. 
 
 Letter from Dutch Governor General of IiwTiii arjooimcing the death of the Japanese Emperor. — Commodore's 
 reply. — Enumeration of the several objects in view. --Prospects of their attainment by the mission. — Officers 
 and men left in Lew Chew. — Arrival of the Saratogti. — -Run to Yedo Imy. — Oho-Sima. —Cleopatra Wes. — 
 Mijako-Sima. — All belong to I^cw Chew group. — Entrance of gulf or outer bay of Yedo. — Japanese charts 
 of little valne : made for mere coasting. — Wintry aspect of Japan. — Macedonian aground. — Hjuilcd off by 
 the Mississippi. — Friendly offers of the Japanese to assist the Macedonian. — Squadron proceeds np the bay 
 ftud anchors at the "American anchorage."— Japanese officials come alongside. — Received by Captaii» 
 Adams on the Powhiitan, jiursuant to the Comnwdore's orders. — Tlicy attempt to prevail on the Commo- 
 dore to rcuirn to Ilraga, stating tliat the high Japanese' functi<jnarics were there awaiting his arrival, hy 
 appointment of the Emperor. — Commodore declirves on accounit of safety of the ships. — Visit on the next
 
 CONTEXTS, Xi 
 
 day from the officials, who reiterate their reiiuest. with an assurance that the commissioners were ordered 
 to receive the Commodore at UraE;a witli distinguislied consideration. — Commodore again declines. — 
 Japanese ask that an officer may be sent to Uraga to confer with the commissioners as to a place of meeting. — 
 Commodore consents that Captain Adams may hold such a conference, but that the commissionet's must 
 come there to hold it. — Japanese become alarmed as to the friendly feelings of the _Anieric<ms. — ^Their fears 
 allayed. — Survey of the bay resumed without interruption by the Japanese. — Our boats forbidden by the 
 Commodore to land. — Japanese persist for several days in desiring the Commodore to go to Uraga with the 
 ships. — Commodore invariably refuses. — At length the Japanese are informed that the Commodore will 
 allow Captain Adams to meet a commissioner on shore ne.ar the ships, or that he will proceed up the bay 
 to Yedo. — Note from the commissioners to the Commodore. — His reply. — Captain Adams sent down to 
 Uraga to communicate to the commissioners the Commodore's reasons for detaining to take the ships to 
 Craga. — Some of the Japanese accompany him in the Vandalia. — Interview of Captain Adams with the 
 commissioners at Ui-aga. — Visit to Captain Adams from Yezaiman on board the Vandalia. — Assures Captain 
 Adams of the friendly disposition of the Emperor. — Vandalia returns, and perceives ahead the squadron 
 standing up the bay toward Yedo. — The Japanese no longer urge going to Uraga, but suddenly propose 
 Yoku-Hama, where the ships then were, about eight miles from Yedo. — Commodore immediately assents. — 
 Buildings constructed at Yoku-Hama. — A Japanese .seaman in the squadron sends a letter to his family 
 ashore, by Yezaiman. — Yezaiman desires an interview with him. — The interview. — Ceremonials settled as 
 to the conferences on shore for negotiation 321 — 312 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 Ships anchored in Yoku-Hama bay so as to command the shore. — Kanagawa "treaty house." — Imperial barge. — 
 Landing of the Commodore. — Description of the Jap.mese commissioners. — Interpreters. — Servility to 
 superiors. — Negotiations commenced. — Commodore submits a copy of the treaty of the United States \rith 
 China for consideration. — Death of one of our men. — Commodore proposes to buy a burial ground for 
 Americans. — Commissioners propose to send the body of the deceased to Nagasaki for interment. — Commo- 
 dore refuses, and proposes to bury the dead on Webster's island. — Commissioners consent to the interment 
 at Yoku-Hama. — ^The burial by Chaplain Jones. — Interest of the Japanese in the ceremony. — They after- 
 wards perform their own rites over the covered grave. — The Japanese build an enclosure around the spot. — ■ 
 Japanese artists attempt the portraits of our officers. — Answer to the President's letter. — Informal confer- 
 ence between Captain Adams and Yeuoske. — Landing and delivery of the presents. — Japanese workmen 
 assist the Americans in preparing for their exhibition. — Negotiations continued. — Surprise and delight of 
 the Japanese at the telegraph and railroad. — Curiosity of the Japanese in examining mechanism. — -Passion 
 for buttons. — Note-taking of everything strange to them — Love of pictures. — Drawings. — Common people 
 disposed to social intercourse with the Americans. ^Excitement on Chaplain Bittinger's attempt to reach 
 Yedo by land. — Written reply of commissioners, declining to make a treaty like that of the United States 
 with China. — Further negotiations. — Accuracy of the Japanese in noting all the discussions. — Ports of 
 Simoda and Hakodadi agreed to, but with great difficulty on the part of the Japanese 343 — 366 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 Cordiality between Japanese and Americans. — Presents from the .lapanese. — Coins. — Singular custom of includ- 
 ing rice, charcoal, and dogs, in a royal Japanese present. — .Japanese wrestlers. — Their immense size and 
 strength. — Exhibition in the ring. — Contrast in the exhibition of the telegraph and locomotive. — Parade 
 of the marines. — Yeuoske visits the flag-ship, and seeks to draw the Commodore out. — Failure. — Entertain- 
 ment of the Chinese commissioners on board the flag-ship. — Great cordiality.- Peformance on ship-board of 
 "Ethiopian minstrels," to the great amusement of the Japanese. — Negotiations continued. — Japanese 
 object to the immediate opening of the ports. — Finally concede the point to a certain extent. — Absolute 
 and persistent refusal to allow Americans permanently to abide in Japan. — Reluctant consent, after much 
 discussion, to allow one consul to reside at Simoda. — Treaty finally agreed on and signed. — Presents by 
 Commodore to the commissioners, that to the chief being the American flag. — Entertaiinnent of the Com- 
 modore and his officers by the commissioners. — Peculiarities of the mi.ssion to.Iapan. — Obstacles to making 
 any treaty at all. — Disposition of the Japanese shoNvn in the conferences. — Particular refus:il to make a 
 treaty allo^viug American families or females to live in Japan. — Analysis of the treaty. — Commodore care- 
 ful to secure for the United States all privileges that might thereafter be granted by treaty to other 
 nations.— Case of the American schooner Foote 367 — 392 
 
 CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 Departure of Commander Adanu for the United States, with the treaty. — Visits of the Commodore and officers 
 on shore. — Imperturbable composure of Yenoske when charged with falsehood. — Call upon the Maj'or of 
 Yoku-Hama.. — The ladies of his household. — Disgusting fashion of dyeing their teeth. — Use of rouge. — En-
 
 XU CONTENTS, 
 
 Togo. 
 
 fortainracnt of the Commodore. — -The Mayor's baby. — 'ITie common people very comfortable. — Field labors 
 shared by the women. — Straw great-coat for rainy weather. — -Paper umbrellas. — People not indisposed to 
 intercourse with foreigners. — Respectful treatment of the female sex. — Japanese un-oriental in this re- 
 spect. — Polygamy not practised. — Japanese women naturally good-looking. ^-Some strikingly handsome. — 
 Girls have great vivacity, yet dignified and modest. — Social habits. — Visits. — ^Tea parties. — Squadron, after* 
 notice to the Japanese authorities, proceeds up the bay with some of the officials on board. — Powhatan and 
 Mississippi go within sight of the capital. — Its immense size. — Sea front protected by high palisades. — 
 Change of Japanese policy on the second visit to Tedo. — All show of military resistance studiously avoided. — 
 Tlie Commodore assures the Japanese officials that he will not anchor the steamers near, the city, and, after 
 a glance, at their request, returns. — Great joy of the officials thereat. — -Preparations for departure. — Mace- 
 donian ordered to Peel island. — Southampton, Supply, Vandalia, and Lexington sent to Simoda. — Webster 
 island. — Departure of the Commodore for Simoda. — Harbor examined. — Tlie town and adjacent country. — 
 Shops and dwellings. — Public baths. — Food. — Mode of cultivation. — Buddhist temples. — Grave-yards and 
 tombs. — Statues of Buddha. — Offerings of flowers on the graves. — Epitaphs or inscriptions. — -Charms for 
 keeping away fom the dead malignant demons. — A temple appropriated for the occupancy of our officers. — 
 A Sintoo temple. — Mariner's temple. — S;ilubrity of Simoda. — Made an imperial city since the treaty 393—1 II 
 
 CHAPTER XXn. 
 
 Survey and description of the harbor of Simoda. — Discipline in the squadron. — Intercourse with the authorities 
 of Simoda. — Kura-kawa-kahei, the prefect. — His disposition to produce trouble. — Treatment of the Ameri- 
 can officers. — Remonstrances of the Commodore. — Equivocation of the prefect. — He is frightened into pro- 
 priety. — Eftbrts of two Japanese gentlemen clandestinely to leave their country in the squadron. — Commo- 
 dore's conduct. — Buddhist temples at Simoda. — Prefect .again shows his petty hostility. — His prevarications 
 and falsehoods. — Funeral of an American on shore. — Insult offered to American officers on shore. — Pre- 
 fect's further falsehoods. — Compelled to apologize, and informed that his insolence would not be borne in 
 future. — Friendly intercourse with the people. — Departure for Hakodadi. — Volcano of Oho-Sima. — ^Tho 
 Kuro-siwo, or Japanese "gulf stream." — Straits of Sangar. — Fogs. — Harbor of Hakodadi. — Directions for 
 entering 415 — 432 
 
 CHAPTER XXni. 
 
 Visit from the authorities at Hakodadi. — Their ignorance that a treaty had been made. — Visit to authorities 
 and explanation of affairs to the Japanese. — Answer of the officials at Hakodadi. — Their friendliness and 
 courtesy. — Visits and rambles of the Americans on .shore. — Houses allotted for their temporary accommo- 
 dation. — Description of Hakodadi. — Resemblance to Gibi-altar. — Cleanliness of streets. — Pavements and 
 Bewers. — Division into districts under Ottonas. — Pack-horses used; no wheel-carriages. — Town very thriv- 
 ing. — Buildings described. — Preparations against fires in the city. — Skill of carpenters and house-joiners. — 
 Shops, their construction and goods. -^Carvings in wood. — Furniture. — Chairs and tables. — Fashion in eat- 
 ing. — Tea, how prep.ared ; fire for boiling the kettle. — ^Kitchens, stables, and gardens. — Fire-proof ware- 
 houses. — Traffic at the shops. — .Buddhist temples. — ^Grave-yards. — Praying by machinery. — Inscriptions on 
 tombs.— Sintoo temples. — Shrines by the way-side. — Gateways on the roads. — Prospects for Christianity in 
 Jap.an. — Weak military defences of Hakokadi. — Surrounding country. — Look-out for ships approaching. — 
 Japanese telescope. — Geology of the country. — Mineral spring. — Natural cave. — Culinary vegetables. — 
 Commerce and fisheries. — Japanese junks. — Ship-yards. — Few birds. — Fish abund.mt. — Wild quadrupeds. — 
 Fox considered as the devil. — Horses much used. — Kagos. — Climate of Hakodadi. — Population and physical 
 characteristics of the people. — iVinos or hairy kuriles. — Mechanical skill of the .lapanese. — Carpentry and 
 masonry. — Coopers. — Iron ore workers. — Blacksmiths, their bellows. — Copper much u.sed in junk building. 
 — Spinning and weaving. — Dyed cottons. — Silk fabrics. — Lacquered ware. — Printing, drawing, and paint- 
 ing. — Sculpture. — Architecture. — General intelligence. — Information, derived through the Dutch at Na- 
 gasaki, from European publications. — Japanese game of chess. — Cards. — Loto. — Ball and jackstraws among 
 the children _ 433—468 
 
 CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 Interview between the Commodore and the representative of the prince of Matsmai. — Southampton sent to ex- 
 plore Volcano bay, including Endermo harbor. — Report of the survey. — Poverty of the region around the 
 bay. — Eruption of a volcano at midnight. — Ainos. — Boundaries of Americans at Hakodadi left to be settled 
 with the imperial commissioners. — Good understanding between the Americans and people of Hakodadi. — 
 Japanese delighted with the exhibition of the "Ethiopian minstrels" on board ship. — -Squadron theatricals. 
 — Interest of Japanese in the machinery and fire-arms of the ships. — Answer of Hakodadi authorities to 
 Commodore's inquiries as to European or American vessels wrecked in .Japan during the last ten years.^ 
 Answer of the imperial commissioners to similar inquiries. — Macedonian sails for Simoda. — Vandalia des-
 
 CONTENTS. XUl 
 
 Pngc. 
 pntchod for China l\v tlie wostoin ptissago. — Japanese ofiScers desire a conference witli the Commodore. — 
 
 Fh\g-Iieutenant sent ashore to briiis; tliem on board. — Disrespectful conduct of the officers. — Flag-lieuten- 
 ant returns without them. — Japanese officers finally come off in their own boat. — Not allowed to see the 
 Commodore until ther apologize for their behavior. — Apology accepted. — Conference results in nothing 
 but a further illustration of Japanese finesse. — Burials of Americans at Hakodadi. — Respect shown for the 
 ceremonies by the Japanese. — Buddhist priest performs his funeral ceremonies after the Americans retire. — 
 Services in a Buddhist temple. — Japanese erect a fence around the American graves. — Sailor's epitaph com- 
 posed by his shipmates. — Block of granite presented by the Japanese at Hakodadi for the Washington 
 monument. — Volcano of Oho-Sima. — Arrival at Simoda. — Meetiug with the comrais-sioners. — Boundaries at 
 Hakodadi settled. — Appointment of pilots and harbor-master agreed on. — Value of Japanese and Ameri- 
 can money respectively fixed. — Additional regulations between the commissioners and Commodore agreed 
 to and signed. — Coal supplied at Simoda. — Its comparative quality and value. — Cost of various articles 
 furnished to the ships. — Another block of stone for the Washington monument presented by the imperial 
 commissioners at Simoda. — Japanese present of dogs to the President. — Sam Patch has an interview with 
 the officials of his country. — Refuses to go on shore or leave the ship. — Praiseworthy conduct of a marine 
 towards Siim. — "Dan Ketch." — Japanese punishment of crucifixion. — Practice of the "Hari-kari" or "Hap- 
 py-despatch." — Departure from Sunoda. — Macedonian and supply sent to Formosa and Philippines. — Red- 
 field rocks. — Party sent on shore for observation of Oho-Sima. — Arrival at Lew Chew. — Southampton or- 
 dered to Hong Kong. — Powhatan and Mississippi come to anchor at Xapha 467 — 190 
 
 CHAPTER XXV. 
 
 Preparations for final departure from the Japanese waters. — Macedonian and Supply ordered to Formosa. — In- 
 structions to Captain Abbot, of the Macedonian, to touch at the Philippines on his way from Formosa to 
 China. — Mississippi, Powhatan, and Southampton proceed to Lew Chew. — State of affairs in Lew Chew.^ 
 Supposed murder of an American by Lew Chewans. — Trial of Lew Chewans for murder by their own au- 
 thorities on the Commodore's demand. — Description of a Lew Chew court of justice. — Accused made to 
 plead by punches in the ribs. — Accused convicted and brought to the Commodore for punishment. — He 
 hands them over to their ovra authorities. — They are banished. — New Tear's customs. — Coal removed from 
 the depot to the ships. — Compact or treaty made with Lew Chew. — Present from the Lew Chewans to the 
 Commodore. — A stone for the Washington monranent. — Effort of a Japanese to come oft' in the squadron 
 to the United States. — Parting entertainment to Lew Chew authorities. — Departure of the squadron for 
 China. — Macedonian's visit to Formosa. — Unavailing search for Americans supposed to have been wrecked 
 on the island. — Explorations by Chaplain Jones for coal. — Found in abundance and of good quality. — 
 Survey of the harbor of Kelung. — Lying and cunning of the Formosans. — Run to Manilla. — Very stormy 
 passage. — Marine volcanoes in the neighborhood of Formosa. — Inquiries at Manilla into the murder of 
 certain Americans. — Satisfactory conduct of the Spanish authorities in the matter. — Delivery by Captain 
 Abbot to the Governor of six Sillibaboos that had been picked up at sea by Lieutenant Commanding Boyle, 
 of the Southampton, floating in an open boat. — Remarkable distance that they had drifted. — Physical appear- 
 ance of the Sillibaboos. — Voyage of Macedonian to Hong Kong. — Captain Kelly's handling of the Chinese 
 pirates and imperial troops; forces them to make repjiration. — Chastisement of the Chinese by the joint 
 action of the officers and men of the Plymouth and of those of her Britannic Majesty's ships Encounter 
 and Grecian. — ^The Commodore, by leave fiom the Navy Department, turns over the command to Captain 
 Abbot, and returns home by the overland route. — On the arrival gf the Mississippi in New York, on the 
 23d of April, the Commodore repairs on board, and formally hauling down his flag, terminates the expedi- 
 tion 491—508 
 
 SUPPLEMENTARY CHAPTER. 
 
 Commander Adams arrives in the United States with the treaty. — Submitted by the President and ratified by 
 the Senate. — Commander Adams sent back with authority to exchange ratifications. — Arrives at Simoda 
 after an absence of little more than nine months. — Altered aspect of the place from the effects of an earth- 
 quake. — Japanese account of the calamity. — Loss of Russian ship-of-war Diana. -Russians make a treaty 
 exactly like ours, with a substitution merely of Nagasaki for Napha as one of the three ports, — French 
 ship brings in two shipwrecked Japanese. — Authorities refuse to receive them except from under our flag, 
 having no treaty with France. — Men taken on board the Powhatan, and then received by their country- 
 men. — Energy of Japanese in rebuilding Simoda. — Freedom of intercouree with the people. — No more 
 espionage. — Brisk traffic at the shops. — Delivery to Captain Adams of some religious tracts left at Simoda 
 by Mr. Bittinger. — Japanese had learned to manage the locomotive, but not the telegraph. — Moryama 
 Yenoske promoted. -Message from the commissioners to Commodore Perry. — Ratifications exchanged 509 — 512
 
 LIST OF ILLUSTEATIOjXS. 
 
 LITHOGRAPHS. 
 
 Tngn. 
 
 "Mississippi" passing Point Atristow Heixe & Bnoirs 81 
 
 Loo Rock and Pontinlia, Miidcira HErxE & Brown 82 
 
 Fiiuclial, Madeira, from the Curral Heixe & Bnowx 84 
 
 Jamestomi, St. Helena Heixe & Browx 90 
 
 Valley of the Tomb, near Longwood Heixe & Bnowx 02 
 
 Lonjrwood, from the gate Heixe & Browx _ 94 
 
 Cape Tomi and Table mountain - -Heine & Buowx 98 
 
 Mauiitius, from the "Ponce" - Heine & Brown 105 
 
 Hindoo ablntions, Mauritius Heine & Browx 112 
 
 Light-house, Point de Galle, Ceylon - --Heine & Brown - , 114 
 
 Buddhist temple, Ceylon - Heine & Brown 120 
 
 Rajah of .Tahore, Singapore — from life Brown 129 
 
 River Jurong, Singapore. Heine & Browx - - 130 
 
 A'iew of Hong Kong from East Point Heixe & Browx - 133 
 
 Chinese temple, Hong Kong Heixe & Browx - 134 
 
 Whampoa Pagoda and anchorage - Heine & Brown 135 
 
 Fish market. Canton _ Heixe 138 
 
 Chinese temple, Macao _.. - Heixe - 144 
 
 Chief magistrate, Xapha — from a daguerreotype Browx -- - 155 
 
 Street in Xapha, Lew Chew Heine - 156 
 
 Napha, from Bamboo village - Heixe 164 
 
 Ancient castle, Nagagusko, Lew Chew Heine & Brown 170 
 
 Tillage near Napha, Lew Chew Heixe & Brown 173 
 
 Ancient castle, Nagagusko, Lew Chew- Heixe & Brown 174 
 
 Lew Cliew exploring party - Heine & Brown 176 
 
 Tsh.indicoosah, Lew Chew Heine & Brown - 182 
 
 Bridge and causeway, Machinatoo, Lew Chew- Heixe & Brown 184 
 
 Commodore Perry's visit to Shui, Lew Chew - Heine 189 
 
 Reception at the castle, Shui, Lew Chew Heine 190 
 
 Dinner at the Regent's, Lew Chew Heine - 191 
 
 Court interpreter, Shin, Lew Chew — from a daguerreotype -Brown - 192 
 
 Temple at Tumai, Lew Chew Heixe & Brown 194 
 
 Kanaka village, Bonin Islands Heixe & Browx 204 
 
 Regent of Lew Chew — from a daguerreotype Browx 215 
 
 Afternoon gossip, Lew Chew — from a daguerreotype -.Brown 219 
 
 Ix!w Chew costumes, middle class — from a daguerreotype Brown 226 
 
 View of fraga, Yedo bay Heine 233 
 
 First landing at Gorahama Heine 256 
 
 Deliver}' of the President's letter Heixe 261 
 
 Toriga.saki, Yedo bay Heixe 268 
 
 Inner harbor and ruins, Timagusko Heixe & Brown 281 
 
 China girl, sycee head-dress — from a daguerreotype Brown 296 
 
 Macao, from Penha Hill Heine - 298 
 
 Jesuit convent, Macao Heine 300 
 
 Napha, from the sea Heine 309 
 
 Market-place in Napha Hei.ni; 317 
 
 Bay of Wodowara Heine & Waike 325 
 
 Commodore meeting commissioners at Yokuhama -Pcters 346 
 
 Yenoske and Takojuro, interpreters Brown 348 
 
 View from Webster island Heine 353 
 
 Temple at Yokohama. Heine 355
 
 XVI ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 Page. 
 
 Delivery of presents Peters 357 
 
 Japanese soldiers, Yokuhaina - Helne 359 
 
 Wrestlers at Yokuhama - Peters . 37 1 
 
 Dinner on board the Powhatan - ..Heixe 375 
 
 Simoda, from Vandalia Bluff Heine 401 
 
 Bridge of cut-stone, &c. , Simoda Helne 403 
 
 Japanese woman, Simoda -- Brown 404 
 
 Mother and child, Simoda — daguerreotype Brown 405 
 
 Temple of Hat-chi-man-ya-chu-ro - .Heine 406 
 
 Devotions in great temple, Simoda - - Heine 407 
 
 Buddhist priest, Simoda, in costume Brown 40S 
 
 Buddhist priest, Simoda — likeness Brown 409 
 
 Bell-house, Simoda — daguerreotype - Brown 410 
 
 JIarincr's temple, Simoda - Heine 411 
 
 Japanese rice-mill, Simoda Keliogg 414 
 
 Kura-Kawa-Kakei, prefect of Simoda — daguerreotype Brown 417 
 
 Japanese women — daguerreotype -. Brown 418 
 
 Simoda, from the American grave yard Heine — 425 
 
 Japanese funeral, Simoda Heine 426 
 
 Hakodadi, from Snow Peak - Heine ., 430 
 
 Prefect of Hakodadi — daguerreotype -Brown 433 
 
 Chief temple, Hakodadi Heine 442 
 
 Street in Hakodadi - - Heine 443 
 
 Entrance to a temple, Hakodadi - Brown 445 
 
 Hakodadi, from Telegraph Hill - - Heine 447 
 
 Japanese junk, section - Kellogg 448 
 
 Japanese junk, cross-section .- Kellogg - 449 
 
 Japanese boat - Kellogg „ 450 
 
 Japanese junk, view complete - - Mepfert 451 
 
 Fire company's house and engine Heine 459 
 
 Fac simile, Japanese painting - - - - - 462 
 
 Japanese painting — crossing the Oho-e-ga-wa -. 462 
 
 Deputy of Prince of Matsmai — daguerreotj'pe - Brown — 468 
 
 Conference-room, Hakodadi - Heixe 470 
 
 Governor of Simoda — daguerreotype Brown 477 
 
 Tatsnoske, second interpreter — daguerreotype Brown 485 
 
 Farewell visit at Simoda - Heine 486 
 
 Japanese fac simile, crucifixion - - -- - 487 
 
 TVOOD-CUTS. 
 
 View of Funchal, Madeira Heine & Brown 82 
 
 Funchal Cathedral, Madeira - Helne & Brown 83 
 
 Ox sledge, Madeira - Heine 84 
 
 Old house, Ixmgwood, St. Helena. - Heine & Brown 93 
 
 Travellers in South Africa _ Heine 100 
 
 Kaffir chief and Fingo woman C. Town, artist 102 
 
 Kaffir chief " Seyolo" and wife — from life E. Brown 102 
 
 Port Louis, Mauritius Heine & Brown 108 
 
 Costumes of Mauritius Heine 110 
 
 Public square, Port 1/Ouis Heine Ill 
 
 Pointdc galle, Ceylon Heine 115 
 
 Buddhist temple near Point de galle, Ceylon Heine 121 
 
 Mississippi saluted by an English frigate, straits of Malacca E. Brown . 123 
 
 Malay Proa E. Brown 126 
 
 Mosque in Singapore - Portman - 127 
 
 Malay tombs near Singapore Heine 131 
 
 Barber hoy, Hong Kong Heine 134 
 
 View of Old China street, Canton Heine 137 
 
 Tanka boat, Macao E. Brown 141 
 
 Tankaboat girl E. Brown 141 
 
 Chinese woman and child E. Brown 141
 
 ILLUSTRATIONS. XVll 
 
 Page. 
 
 Camocn's cave, Macao, (front) - .Heine 142 
 
 Do. do. (rear)- - Hei.ne - 143 
 
 American consulate and Port of Shanghai - Heine -- 145 
 
 Lew Cliew pea.sant — dajruerreotypc K. Rrown 157 
 
 Low Chew merchant — daguerreotype - E. Brown _.-•. 161 
 
 Night camp of exploring party, Iicw Chew .Heine 166 
 
 Banner Rock, Lew Chew .Heine 168 
 
 Tombs in Lew Chew Heine 169 
 
 Ground plan of Ni^agusko, Lew Chew Heine 170 
 
 N!^^agusko interior Heine 171 
 
 Ruins of Nagagusko north Heixe 172 
 
 Rice-houses in the valley of On-na, Lew Chew. .B.4.y.\rd Tatloh 178 
 
 Kimg-Kwa of On-na Heine & Brown 180 
 
 Caveat Port Uoyd, Bonin Heine 201 
 
 Valley near Southeast bay. Peel island.. Batakd Tatiok 207 
 
 Southeast bay, Peel Lsland Heine 208 
 
 Stapleton island Heine 210 
 
 Dinner to the Regent of Lew Chew on board U. S. S. Susquehanna Heine 216 
 
 Sugar mill, Lew Chew Heine 227 
 
 China girl showing liead-dress — daguerreotype _ Brown 291 
 
 Chinese beggar, Macao — daguerreotype Brown ■ 293 
 
 Chinese fruit-seller — daguerreotype .Brown 295 
 
 Dress of Chinese lady of rank — daguerreotype Brown 296 
 
 Chinese barber, Macao — daguerreotype Brown 297 
 
 Protestant grave yard, Macao Heine 300 
 
 Salt flats, Napha Heine 317 
 
 Americans landing at Uraga Heine : 334 
 
 Imperial barge, Tokuhama.. Heine 345 
 
 Buddhist priest, full dress Brown 354 
 
 Namoura, third interpreter Brown 374 
 
 Farm yard, Tokuhama _ Heine 384 
 
 Japanese women — daguerreotype Bkown 397 
 
 Mia at Yokuhama Heine 400 
 
 Simoda, from the creek Heine 400 
 
 Landing place, Simoda Heine 402 
 
 Street and entrance to great temple, Simoda Heine 403 
 
 Grave yard of chief temple, Simoda Helve 407 
 
 Valley above Simoda .Hedje 412 
 
 Japanese women Simoda Brown 418 
 
 Hakodadi, from the bay Heine 431 
 
 Kitchen at Hakodadi Heine 441 
 
 Fishing at Hakodadi Heine 451 
 
 Japanese Kago .Brown 452 
 
 Sub-prefect, Hakodadi .Brown 453 
 
 Water boats and junks, Hakodadi Heine 454 
 
 Japanese cooper Brown 455 
 
 Blacksmiths' shop Heine 456 
 
 Ship yard Heine 457 
 
 Spinning and weaving Heine 458 
 
 Fac similes of horses, Japanese drawing 459, 460, 461 
 
 Japanese women Brown 474 
 
 Boat with Sillibaboos Brown 602 
 
 Chinese rice-hulling machine Heine 507 
 
 Cotton whipping. Hong Kong Heine - 508 
 
 Temple of Ben-Ting, Simoda Heine 510 
 
 [AU the initial letters and tail-pieces of the several chapters are from the pencil of Mr. Heinb.] 
 C J
 
 ERRATA 
 
 Page 261, 4th paragraph : "while" for "with." 
 308, 1st line : "HongKong" for "Canton." 
 
 325, 2d paragraph, 4th line : " infer that these " for " infer that this." 
 357, (List of presents :) "ship's breakers" for "beakers." 
 
 415, 1st paragraph, 9th line : omit "lower" or "gulf of," and read " of the bay of Tedo." 
 4C1, 1st line : illustration referred to not published.
 
 LETTER 
 
 OF 
 
 THE SECRETARY OF THE NAVY, 
 
 TRAN'SHITTING 
 
 THE REPORT OF C0M3I0D0RE M. C. PERRY, 
 
 (COMMAKDIXG THE EXPEDITION SENT TO TREAT WITH THE EMPEROR OF JAPAN,) 
 
 Of the Result of tJie said Expedition; together icith a Description of the Country, its Commerce 
 and Arts, and the Manners and Customs of the People. 
 
 Februart 14, 1855. — Resolved, That 10,000 extra copies of the report, together with the maps, charts, and drawing, be 
 printed and bound in the style of Lieutenant Gilhs's report, for the use of the members of the present House of Repre- 
 sentatives, and 500 additional copies for the use of Commodore M. C. Ferry. 
 
 Navy Departmext, August 28, 1855. 
 Sir : In compliance with the resolutions of the Senate, passed on the 22d January, 1855, and 
 of the House of Eepresentatives of the United States, of the 14th February, 1855, I have 
 the honor to deliver, herewith, a cojjy of the report of Commodore M. C. Perry, on the subject 
 of the late Expedition to Japan, with the maps, charts, and drawings accompanying, to be 
 printed by direction of the two Houses of Congress, together with the letters of Commodore 
 Perry, complying with the resolutions alluded to above, and which letters have been prepared 
 by him for publication at the commencement of the report of the Expedition to Japan. 
 
 I am, sir, very respectfully, 
 
 Your obedient servant, 
 J. W. Forney, Esq., J. C. DOBBIN. 
 
 Clerk of the House of Representatives. 
 
 New York, Augiust 27, 1855. 
 Sir : In compliance with a resolution of the United States House of Eepresentatives, bearing 
 date the 14th February, 1855, calling upon the Secretary of the Navy " to communicate to this 
 (that) House a copy of the report of Commodore M. C. Perry on the subject of the late Expe- 
 dition to Japan," I have now the honor of transmitting the manuscript of said report, together 
 with drawings, maps, charts, &c., illustrative of the same. 
 
 With great respect, I am, sir, 
 
 Your most obedient servant, 
 Hon. J. C. Dobbin, M. C. PERRY. 
 
 Secretary of the Navy, Washington, D. C.
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 lEWED in any of its aspects, the Empire of Japan has long 
 presented to the thoughtful mind an object of uncommon 
 interest. And this interest has been greatly increased by 
 the mystery with which, for the last two centuries, an 
 exclusive policy has sought to surround the institutions of 
 this remarkable country. The curiosity of Christendom 
 has been on the alert ; and the several votaries of various 
 pursuits have naturally longed to add more to the little 
 that is known of this self-isolated Kingdom. 
 
 The political inquirer, for instance, has wished to study 
 in detail the form of government, the administration of 
 |a- laws, and the domestic institutions, under which a nation 
 systematically prohibiting intercourse with the rest of the 
 world has attained to a state of civilization, refinement, and intelligence, the mere glimpses of 
 which so strongly invite further investigation. 
 
 The student of physical geography, aware how much national characteristics are formed or 
 modified by peculiarities of physical structure in every country, would fain know more of the 
 lands and the seas, the mountains and the rivers, the forests and the fields, which fall within 
 the limits of this almost terra incognita. 
 
 The naturalist asks, what is its geology, what are its flora and fauna ? 
 
 The navigator seeks to find out its rocks and shoals, its winds and currents, its coasts and 
 harbors. 
 
 The man of commerce asks to be told of its products and its trade, its skill in manufac- 
 tures, the commodities it needs, and the returns it can supply. 
 
 The ethnologist is curious to pry into the physical appearance of its inhabitants ; to di"- 
 if possible, from its language the fossil remains of long buried history ; and in the afliliation 
 of its people to supply, perchance, a gap in the story of man's early wanderings over the 
 globe. 
 
 The scholar asks to be introduced to its literature that he may contcnii)latc in historians 
 poets, and dramatists, (for Japan has them all,) a picture of the national mind. 
 
 The Christian desires to know the varied phases of their superstition and idolatry ; and 
 longs for the dawn of that day when a purer faith and more enlightened worship shall bring 
 them within the circle of C-hristendom.
 
 4 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 Amid sucli a diversity of pursuits as we have enumerated, a common interest unites all in 
 a common sympathy ; and hence, the divine and the jAilosopher, the navigator and the natu- 
 ralist, the man of business and the man of letters, have alike joined in a desire for the thorough 
 exploration of a field at once so extensive and so inviting. 
 
 With so much to allure, it is not at all wonderful that the attempt to explore should have 
 been repeatedly made. Scarce a maritime nation in the civilized world has been wanting in 
 efi"ort. The Portuguese, Spaniards, Dutch, English, French, and Kussians have, each in turn, 
 sought to establish commercial relations with Japan. The Portuguese and English have both 
 so far succeeded, that, but for themselves, they might permanently have retained their posi- 
 tions. The first were expelled ; the latter voluntarily abandoned the field. The Dutch alone, 
 of all Christian nations, were allowed to remain for purposes of traffic, and they purchased the 
 privilege at the price of national humiliation and personal imprisonment, for which all the 
 profits of gainful barter ofier but an inadequate compensation. 
 
 Limited^ however, as have been their sources of information, it is to the Dutch chiefly that 
 the world, until within a very recent period, has been indebted for the knowledge it has had of 
 the Japanese. Nor is that knowledge quite as circumscribed as has sometimes been supposed. 
 Kffimpfer, Thimberg, Titsiugh, Doefl", Fischer^ Meylan, Siebold, and others, have certainly 
 told us something about Japan. But they could not tell us all it is desirable to know. All 
 were connected with the factory at Dezima, and were watched, of course, with suspicious jeal- 
 ousy. Their only opportunities for seeing anything beyond the town of Nagasaki were afi'orded 
 at their periodical visits to the court ; and Kajmpfer, the first in the list, has so fully related 
 all that an European could learn from this source, that very little has been added to our stock 
 of knowledge by his successors, with th ■ single exception of Siebold. He has collected new 
 facts and materials, and the result of his observations and researches has been given to the 
 world in his " Nippox, Arcliiv sur Beschreibung von Japan," (Nippon, an Archive toward the 
 Description of Japan.) While, therefore, it is not quite correct to say that the civilized world 
 knows nothing of Japan, it may truly be asserted that what is known is very much less than 
 what is unknown. 
 
 Notwithstanding, however, the national efibrts at exploration to which we have alluded, it 
 was reserved for our own, the youngest of the nations, to break down at last the barriers with 
 which this singular people had surrounded themselves ; and to be the first, in modern times, 
 to establish with them a treaty of friendship and trade wliich (already copied as far as was 
 possible by other governments) is to form, as we hope, the initiatory step in the introduc- 
 tion of Japan into the circle of commercial nations. 
 
 May we not be permitted here to add that it seems not altogether inappropriate that the 
 United States should be the instrument of breaking down these barriers, and of opening Jajjan 
 to tlie rest of the world. 
 
 When, in 1295, Marco Polo returned to Venice from his long sojourn in Asia, he spake to Euro- 
 peans, among other marvels which shocked their credulity, but which have since been fully verified, 
 of the existence of a large island ofi' the coast of Cathay, (China,) which he called Zipangu. Tiiat 
 island is tlic modern Nippon of the Japanese Kingdom. He told, also, the story of the indomit- 
 able courage of the people of Zipangu, and related how they had successfully resisted the armies 
 of the i)owerful Kublai Khan, the contjuerors, at that day, of all Asia, and the terror of Europe. 
 He laid before them the uia^.o which he had made and brought home, with an insci'iption written
 
 INTRODUCTION. O 
 
 upon the sTiore-line of the Yellow sea : " There is a great island to tJie east." Years rolled on ; 
 Marco Polo's written story and maps had found their way to Genoa, and prohahly had been 
 forgotten. At length, in the sixteenth century, they fell into the hands of a man who did not 
 cast them idly by ; that man was Christdjiher Columbus, whose strong mind was then travelling 
 to the overruling conviction of his lite tliat there must be, to the westward of Europe, great 
 bodies of land at that time utterly unknown. It was Marco Polo's map, and his statements 
 concerning Zipangu particularly, which confirmed his conjectures ; and when he sailed, it was 
 Zijiaugu, or, as the Italian manuscript of Mai'co Polo had it, Cipango, on which he hoped and 
 expected to find the termination of his voyage. Accordingly, (as we know,) when he landed 
 on Cuba he believed that he had reached the goal of his long cherished hopes. He knew not 
 that a continent barred his way between Europe and Zipangu ; nor that, still ftirther westward, 
 beyond that continent a mighty ocean rolled its waters^ which must be traversed before Zipangu 
 could be reached. 
 
 But though not destined himself to find and open Japan to Christendom, it has so happened, 
 in the order of Providence, that on the continent which he discovered, and which barred his 
 way to the land he sought, has grown up a nation which has performed a part of his contem- 
 plated work, and fulfilled a portion, at least, of the plan which lured him westward ; a nation 
 which, if it did not discover Zipangu, has, we trust, been the instrument of bringing it into full 
 and free communication with the rest of the world ; a nation which has, as it were, taken the 
 end of the thread which, on the shores of America, broke in the hands of Columbus, and fastening 
 it again to the ball of destiny, has rolled it onward until, as it has unwound itself, it has led 
 the native and civilized inhabitants of the land di.scovered by the great Genoese to plant their 
 feet on the far distant region of his search, and thus fulfil his wish to bring Zipangu within 
 the influence of Eiu-opean civilization. 
 
 It is the story of the American entrance into Japan that we propose to relate ; and it is 
 hoped it will aid in the better understanding of the narrative, as well as show what additions, if 
 any, have been made to our previous knowledge, briefly to present, in a rapid sketch, the out- 
 lines of such information as the world possessed before the American expedition left our shores. 
 On this work we now enter. 
 
 SECTION I. 
 
 NAME, EXTENT, AND GEOGRAPHY. 
 
 There can be no doubt that Japan was unknown to the Greeks and Romans, and that it 
 wa.s first brought to the knowledge of the Euro])ean world by the celebrated traveller, Jfarco 
 Polo. His family was Venetian, and devoted to commercial pursuits. In the year 1275, at 
 the age of eighteen, he accompanied his father and uncle into Asia on mercantile business ; and 
 there, mastering the languages of Tartary, on the return of liis relatives to Europe, he remained, 
 and entered into the service of Kublai Khan, the then reigning monarch. In this situation he 
 continued for seventeen years. Possessed of a good mind, he was a cluse oliserver of what he 
 saw around him, and i-endered the most important services, both military and diplomatic, to the
 
 6 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 monarch, with whom he became not merely a favorite, but in some degree a necessity. At 
 length, in 1295, after an absence of some twenty years, he returned to Venice, and was the first 
 European traveller who made known the existence of Japan to the inhabitants of the west. He 
 had not visited it in person, (as he is careful to state,) but he had traversed the greater part of 
 China, and had there heard what he related concerning Japan. We may remark, in passing, 
 that his statements of what he had seen and heard so far surpassed the experience and knowledge 
 of his countrymen that he shared the iate of some modern travellers, and was not believed. 
 Nothing, however, is more sure than that modern research has impressed with the character of 
 truth all that he related on his personal observation, and much of that which he gathered from 
 the statements of others. He^ as we have already said, called Japan Zipangu ; it was the name 
 which he had heard in China. The Japanese themselves call their country Dai Nippon, which 
 means " Great Nippon." As to the origin of the latter word, it is a compound of two others ; nitsu, 
 " the sun," and pon or fon, " origin ;" these, accordmg to the Japanese rule of combination, 
 become Nippon or Nifon, signifying "origin of the sun;" in other words, the East. In the 
 Chinese language, Nippon, by the usual change of pronunciation, becomes Jih-pun, to which 
 -S'oMe is added, meaning "country" or "Kingdom." The whole Chinese word, J/A-joMJi-ioKC, 
 therefore, is, in English, " Kingdom of the origin of the sun," or " Eastern Kingdom." The 
 reader will readily perceive how, on the lips of an European, the name would become Zi-pan-gu. 
 We thus have the derivation, Nippon, Jih-pun, Japan. 
 
 As to the extent of the Kingdom : it consists of a great number of islands, said to be 3,850, 
 Ij'ing off the eastern coast of Asia, and spread over that part of the ocean which extends from 
 the 129th to the 14Gth degree of east longitude from Greenwich, and is between the 31st and 
 46th degrees of north latitude. The chain to which they belong may be traced on the map from 
 the Loo-Choo islands to the southern extremity of Kamtschatka, and from this latter peninsula, 
 through the Kurile islands, to the promontory of Alaska, on our own continent. They are in 
 the line of that immense circle of volcanic development which surrounels the shores of the Pacific 
 from Tierra del Fuego around to the Moluccas. 
 
 The Kingdom is divided into Japan proper and the dependent islands. The first named 
 division consists of the three large islands, Kiu-siu, Sitkokf, and Nippon, and the whole Empire 
 contains about 100,000 square miles. Of many of the islands we know nothing. Their coasts 
 are so difficult of access, and shallow seas and channels, with sunken rocks and dangerous whirl- 
 pools, added to winds as variable as they are violent, have interposed most serious obstacles to 
 nautical exploration, so that we have yet much to learn of the navigation of the waters around 
 the islands of Japan. 
 
 Those of which we have as yet most information are Kiu-siu, Nippon, and Yesso, or Jesso. 
 On the first of these is the town of Nagasaki, and this is the port to which the Dutch have been 
 most rigorously confined, in all their commercial transactions, for two hundred years. Indeed, 
 they have not been permitted to live within the town itself, but have been literally imj)risoned 
 on a ve.'y small island in the harbor, called Dezima, where they have been most closely watched, 
 and many rigid restrictions have been imjiosed on their intercourse with the people. Under 
 certain circumstances, they have been at times permitted to go into the town, but not to remain 
 for any 1 )ng period, nor have they ever been allowed to explore the island. Their oi)portuni- 
 ties, therefore, excejjt in the case of Siebold, have been very limited for ae(juiring, from personal 
 observation, a knowledge of anything on the island of Kiu-siu beyond what they could see from 
 their prison.
 
 INTRODUCTION. 7 
 
 As to Nippon, on which is Teddo, the capital of the Kingdom, they have had the oppor- 
 tunity of seeing more. This has resulted from the fact that periodical visits, with presents, 
 have been made to the Emperor at the capital by the chief Dutch commissioner at the factory on 
 Dezima ; and on these visits he has been accompanied by his physician and a small number of 
 his subordinate officers. It is, therefore, to the chief commissioners and their medical attendants 
 that we have been indebted for all we have been told since the establishment of commercial rela- 
 tions with the Dutch. Titsingh, Doeff, Fischer, Meylan, were all chiefs of the factory, while 
 Ktempfer, Thunberg, and Siebold have all been the physicians. These visits were formerly 
 annual, latterly they have been less frequent, and a more jealous surveillance has been exercised 
 over the European travellers. Still they have evaded restrictions as far as was possible, have seen 
 all they could, and told all they saw. But they were, of necessity, obliged to gather much of 
 what they relate from the information of the Japanese ; how far it is to be considered as in all 
 respects accurate neither they nor we are able to say. Yet the Dutch residents undoubtedly 
 knew for themselves more about the island of Nippon than they did concerning Kiu-siu, in one 
 of the harbors of which was their prison. 
 
 As to Yesso, or Jesso, it is confessedly very imperfectly known. One of its ports is Matsmai, 
 and here Captain Golownin, of the Kussian navy, was kept as a prisoner for two years. In an 
 eifort which he made to escape he wandered over a part of the island ; but as he was not seeking 
 on this excursion materials for description, nor studying at his leisure the habits of the people, 
 his statements are, as might be expected, altogether unsatisfactory, and yet we have none better 
 from an European eye-witness. Krempfer, Thunberg, and Siebold are our most valuable sources 
 of information since the days of the Dutch commerce. 
 
 At an earlier period, and before Japanese jealousy of foreign influence had prompted them 
 to adopt their system of exclusion, the opportunity was far more favorable for the acquisition of 
 information by the per.sonal observation of strangers. The Portuguese missionaries and some 
 early English navigators, therefore, afford us on some points a knowledge such as no European 
 during the last two hundred years could possibly have procured. 
 
 Of the physical aspect of theee principal islands former writers give different accounts. 
 Thunberg represents them as composed of a succession of mountains, hills, and valleys, while 
 Ksempfer says that he travelled over several plains of considerable extent. The countrv is un- 
 doubtedly very hilly, and in general the hills come down near to the seashore, leavino- but 
 narrow strips of land between the water and their bases ; it is, however, not improbable that level 
 plains of some extent may be found in the interior. The hills, however, are not sterile ■ and 
 covered, as most of them seem to be, with the fruits of cultivation up to their summits, bear 
 witness alike to the numbers and industry of the population. Mountains, however are to be 
 found as well as hills, nor is it surprising that some of them should be volcanic. 
 
 ^Westward of the bay of Yeddo rises to the height of some twelve thousand feet the Fudsi 
 Jamma, with its summit whitened by perpetual snow ; it was once an active volcano. The 
 northern part of Nippon also is known to be traversed by a chain of mountains, from which rise 
 several isolated peaks, the craters, in sonde instances, of extinct volcanoes, while others, still 
 burning, are to be seen on the islands scattered in the gulfs of Corea and Yeddo. 
 
 In such a country the rivers cannot probably be long ; while the rapidity of their currents 
 indicates that their sources must be considerably elevated. It is said that over some of them no 
 bridges can be built, as none would resist the force of the stream fed by the waters of the
 
 8 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 mountain torrents. Some of the rivers, however, are navigable by small boats for several miles 
 from the sea into the interior. The Japanese, from the nature and position of their cotuitry, 
 ought to be a maritime people ; they can have but few natural lacilitics for inland trade. Their 
 ingenuity and industry have, however, been taxed to open modes of communication with the 
 interior ; roads and bridges have been constructed, and in some instances canals have been made 
 to unite their rivers and lakes. 
 
 Of the climate of Japan it is not possible to speak with much certainty. In the southern 
 part of the Kingdom it is said to be not unlike that of England. Some winters are remarkably 
 mild, without any frost or snow, though generally such is not the case ; when however these 
 occur, they last but for a few days. The heat in summer is said to average 98° of Fahrenheit 
 at Nagasaki. This, which would otherwise be excessive, is much moderated by the breeze 
 which, in the day time, blows from the south, and at night from the east. There is what the 
 Japanese call satkasi, or the rainy season, in June and July ; by this, however, it is only meant 
 that the rains are then most abundant ; for, in point of fact, they are frequent all the year round, 
 and the weather appears to be variable. No part of the ocean is subject to heavier gales than 
 the sea aroimd Jajian, and the hurricanes are terrific ; fogs also are, as might be expected, very 
 prevalent, thunder storms are common, and earthquakes have more than once destroyed a great 
 part of the most populous towns. Kaempfer remarked, also, that water-spouts were of very 
 frequent occurrence in the seas around Japan. Yet, notwithstanding all these things, the 
 country cannot, we think, be deemed insalubrious ; for the Japanese are in general a healthful 
 people, and the country is very thickly inhabited. 
 
 SECTION IT. 
 
 ORIGIN OF THE JAPANESE PEOPLE. 
 
 An opinion has been expressed by several writers that Japan was colonized by the Cliinese. 
 Such an opinion, founded on very superficial observation, was advanced long before comparative 
 philology had been resorted to by the learned, as one of the safest and best tests of trutli in 
 tracing the relationship of nations. But since the application of this test, no one, competent to 
 speak instructively on the subject, has ventured to deduce the Japanese from a Chinese origin. 
 The structure of the languages of the two people is essentially different. It is true that certain 
 Chinese words, the names of objects, introduced by the Chinese, may be heard from the lips of a 
 Japanese, modified however in the pronunciation ; it is also true that the Chinese dialect of the 
 Mandarins forms a species of universal language among the learned, a sort of latin in the 
 extreme east that is understood by the highly educated, not only in China, bvit in Corea, at 
 Tonquin, and other parts, and also in Japan ; but so little is the afl^nity between the jiriniitive 
 language of Japan and that of China, that the common peojjle of the two countries, neighbors 
 as they are, cannot understand each other without the aid of an interpreter. 
 
 Probably those Europeans who too hastily adopted in former times the conclusion of a 
 Cliinese origin for the Japanese, may, in their ignorance of the languages, liave been misled by 
 observing among the Japanese the occasional use of the idiographic cyplier of the Chinese in
 
 INTRODUCTION. 9 
 
 some of the Japanese n'nVjwgrs. It was introduced into Japan A. D. 290, but the Japanese have 
 an alpliabet, or rather a syllaharium of their own, constnicted on a ])rinciple entirely difturent 
 from the Chinese idiograjdi. Each of tliese Cliincse characters is in Japan jiroiionnced in two 
 distinct manners. The one, as among the Chinese, with a sliglit variatimi in the Japanese 
 pronunciation. This idiom is calh'd A'<*//(;, which means simply '^ a Chinese sound or toord ;" 
 the other mode of pronouncing is Japanese, and is called Yunii, which signifies ^'interpretation;" 
 the meaning of the Koye icord. An exam2)le will illustrate. The words (according to Japanese 
 pronunciation) tin, chi, nin, all Chinese, are Koye, and mean respectively heaven, earth, man : 
 the words ame, tsoutsi, fito, are the Tomi (pure Japanese) of those Koye words, and have, in the 
 proper language of Japan, the same meaning as the three Chinese words above named. 
 
 Hence, among the Jajjanese, there are three dialects ; the first is pure Tomi, without any 
 admixture of the Koye. This is the primitive language of the country, and is at this day used 
 in poetry and works of light literature. The second is inire Koye, and is employed by the 
 bonzes in their religious books. 
 
 The third is a mixture of the two, and constitutes the common language of the Empire. 
 
 But the construction of sentences in the Chinese and Japanese, as to the collocation of words, 
 is entirely different, as is also the pronunciation by a Chinaman and a native of Japan. Tliat 
 of the last is neat, articulate, distinct, and rarely is there heard a syllable composed of more than 
 two or three letters of our alphabet ; while the speech of the former is little better than a con- 
 fused sing-song monotone, impleasant to the ear, in which constantly occurs a disagreeable 
 crowding together of consonants. If an analysis of the soimds of our letters be made, a Chi- 
 nese pronounces our aspirate H very plainly, while a Japanese never sounds it, but invariably 
 substitutes for it F ; while, on the other hand, our R and D, which are sounded by a Japanese 
 with a distinctness equal to our own, always become L in the mouth of a Chinese. But without 
 dwelling longer on this point, it is sufficient to say that an examination of grammatical struc- 
 ture conclusively settles, on the testimony of language, that the original inhabitants of Japan 
 were not Chinese. 
 
 But the question still remains to be answered, "whence came the primitive occupants of 
 Japan ?" On this subject a diversity of opinion is to be found. Ka?mpfer brings them from the 
 plains of Shinar, at the dispersion. He supposes them to have passed from Mesopotamia to the 
 shores of the Caspian, thence through the valleys of the Yenisi, Silinga, and parallel rivers to 
 the lake of Argueen ; then following the river of that name, which arises from the lake, he 
 thinks they reached the Amoor, following the valley of which they would find themselves in 
 the then uninhabited ])euinsula of Corea, on the eastern shore of Asia. The passage thence to 
 Japan, especially in tlie summer season, would not be difficult. He supposes that this migration 
 occupied a long time ; that they stoi^jied when they found a pleasant region, and tlien resumed 
 their march when they were pressed on their rear, or annoyed by other nomadic tribes. It was 
 easy for them to make a home wherever they could find water and pasture for their flocks and 
 herds. From the purity of the primitive language of Japan, (the intermixture of Chinese 
 words is within the historic period and easily accounted for,) he supposes that the original stock 
 could not, in its migration, have remained very long in any one inhabited place, or mingled 
 much with any people then existing, of wliose language we at this day have any knowledge ; 
 otherwise words from such language would have been found incorporated in the jtrimitive 
 Japanese tongue. 
 2 J
 
 ]0 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 This, if not satisfactory, is at least ingenious. Modern etlinologists, however, turn to 
 language as the best evidence of origin. Dr. Pickering, of the United States exploring expe- 
 dition, seems disposed, from an observation of some Japanese whom he encountered at the 
 Hawaiian islands, to assign to them a Malay origin. Others, judging from language, consider 
 them of the Mongol stock. Very close affinities cannot probably be found between the Japanese 
 and any other Asiatic language ; but in its grammatical structure the Yomi of Japan is by 
 some thought to be most analogous to the languages of the Tartar family. Siebold found, as 
 he supposed, analogies between it and the idioms of the Coreans, and the Kurilians, who occupy 
 the islands of Jesso and Tarakai or Karafto. He has described the coast of Tartary opposite to 
 this last island,- (called improperly by Europeans Sakhalian,) and thinks he finds a resemblance 
 in customs ; but Klaproth has shown that the language of the Tartary coast (Sandan) is a 
 Tungusian dialect, and says that the language of Japan bears no decided marks of affinity either 
 with it or with any other of the idioms named by Siebold. It is clearly not Tungusian. Kla- 
 proth's vocabularies of some of the idioms of Asia, particularly of the Mongolian, the Finnish, 
 and some Indian dialects, show a very considerable number of simple and original words which 
 belong also to the Japanese. In the present state of our information, the more commonly 
 received opinion seems to be that the Japanese are of the Tartar family. But they certainly do 
 not all have the Tartar complexion or physiognomy. The common people, pccording to Thun- 
 berg, ai'e of a yellowish color all over, sometimes bordering on brown and sometimes on white. 
 The laboring classes, who in summer expose the upper parts of their bodies, are always brown. 
 Their eyes are not round, but oblong, small and sunk deep in the head. In color they are 
 generally dark brown or rather black, and the eyelids form in the great angle of the eye a deep 
 furrow, which gives them the appearance of being sharp or keen sighted. Their heads are 
 large and their necks short, their hair black, thick, and from their use of oil, glossy. Their 
 noses, although not flat, are yet rather thick and short. 
 
 The inhabitants of the coast of Kiu-siu, according to Siebold, differ in physical aspect, as 
 well as in other respects, from those in the interior of the island. Their hair is most frequently 
 black, in some cases crisped, the facial angle is strongly marked, the lips puffed, the nose 
 small, slightly af|uiline and dej^ressed at the root. In the interior the people, mostly agricul- 
 turists, are a larger race, with broad and flattened countenances, prominent cheek bones, large 
 space between the inner angles of the eyes, broad and very flat noses, with large mouths and a 
 reddish brown skin. 
 
 But beside these, Thunberg also tells us that the descendants of the eldest aud noblest 
 families, of the princes and lords of the Empire, are somewhat majestic in their shape and 
 countenance, being more like Europeans, and that ladies of distinction, who seldom go out into 
 the open air without being covered, are perfectly white. Siebold also, speaking of the inhab- 
 itants of Kiu-siu, informs us that "the women who protect themselves from the influences of 
 the atmosphere have generally a fine and white skin, and the cheeks of the young girls display 
 a blooming carnation." 
 
 These facts, as Dr. Latham has said, do not necessarily involve tlie assumption of a double 
 source of population, while, at the same time, such a. second source is not an ethnological 
 improbability. The darker race, he intimates, may have come from Formosa.
 
 INTRODUCTION. 11 
 
 SECTION III. 
 
 GOVERNMENT. 
 
 Japan presents the singular feature of liaving two Emperors at the same time, the one 
 secular, tlie other ecclesiastical ; but it is a mistake to suppose that this duplicate sovereignty 
 was established from the beginning, as one of the original elements of her civil polity ; it has 
 resulted from historical events that occurred long after Japan had a system of government. 
 The Japanese, like many other people, claim for their nation an immense antiquity ; but tlio 
 authentic history of the Kingdom commences with Zin-mu-ten-woo, (whose name signities "the 
 divine conqueror,") about the year 6(50 B. C. Klaproth thinks he was a Chinese warrior and 
 invader ; be this however as it may, he conquered Nippon, and built a temple palace, dedicated 
 to the sun-goddess, and properly called a dairi ; his own appropriate title was Mikado, though 
 the two terms are frequently confounded by European writers. He was tlio founder of tlie 
 sovereignty of the Mikados, and from him, even to this day, the Mihados descend. 
 
 He was sole sovereign, both secular and spiritual, and claimed to rule by divine right. His 
 successors, asserting the same right, added to it that of inheritance also, and their government 
 was a despotism. By degrees these monarchs ceased to lead their own armies, and entrusted 
 the military command to sons and kinsmen, though the supreme power still was theirs. This 
 power, however, appears gradually to have been weakened by a custom which prevailed, of 
 abdication by the Mikados, at so early an age, that the sovereignty descended u}3on their sons 
 while they were yet children, the abdicating monarch frequently governing for the young king. 
 The cause of these abdications was the desire to escape from the grievous burden of monotonous 
 ceremonies, and complete isolation from intercourse without, wluch made tlie occupant of the 
 throne little better than a royal prisoner. 
 
 At length it happened that the reigning Mikado, who had married the daughter of a 
 powerful prince, abdicated in favor of his son, a child three years old, while the regency passed 
 into the hands of the grandfather of the infant monarch. The regent placed the abdicated 
 monarch in confinement, and tliis produced a civil war. Yoritomo, one of the most distinguislied 
 characters in Japanese history, esiJoused the cause of the imprisoned king, and after a war of 
 several years was triumphant, when lie released the captive and made him regent. But liis 
 regency conferred a nominal authority only ; the real power resided in the hands of Yoritomo, 
 who was created Sio i dai Ziogoon, or " generalissimo fighting against the barbarians." Uj)on 
 the death of the cx-Mikado, Yoritomo, as lieutenant of tlie sovereign, virtually ruled lor twenty 
 years ; and when he died, his title and authority devolved upon his son. This was the com- 
 mencement of the power of the Ziogoons, or temporal sovereigns. 
 
 Time contributed to strengthen it under the successive reigns of infant Mikados, imtil it 
 became recognized as hereditary. But, though a very important, and indeed dangerous power, 
 was thus vested in the Ziogoons, yet the Mikado was looked on as possessing the royal authority, 
 and to him it belonged to appoint the Ziogoon, who was, in Irutb, vice regent, but did not openly 
 aspire to coequal rights of sovereignty. 
 
 This condition of things remained until the latter half of the sixteenth century. The 
 Emperor (Mikado) was an autocrat who had a sovereign deput\', (Ziogoon,) the efficient and 
 active ruler. During this long period, however, the power of the Ziogoons was silently and
 
 12 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 imperceptibly increasing ; until, at last, that happened which it requires but little sagacity to 
 perceive could not but be, in the end, tlic unavoidable result. Men invested with power are 
 more ajjt to eucoui-age its growth than to keep it stationary or diminish it ; more especially wlien 
 those whose interest it is to clieck tlieir ambition are known to be imbecile. 
 
 It was about the middle of the sixteenth century that two brothers, descendants from Yori- 
 tomo, became rivals for the office of Ziogoon. The princes of the Empire took part with the one or 
 the other, domestic strife raged, and the end of the contest was the death of both the rival lirothers. 
 The mightiest prince of that day was the prince of Owari, who, on the death of the brothers, 
 immediately set up for himself as Ziogoon. One of the most sagacious as well as bravest of his 
 adherents was an obscure man named Hide-yosi or Fide-yosi. His station was so lowly that, 
 even in his own times, his parentage was matter of doubt ; but his zeal and talents commended 
 him to tlie notice of his master, and he became the trusted friend and confidential adviser of the 
 prince of Owari, who, by his aid, succeeded in being a}ipoiuted Ziogoon. Men's minds liadbeen 
 wrought to such excitement by the civil sti-ife, that when the ])rince triumphed over his oppo- 
 nents, the reigning Milcado did not dare to breast j)opidar opinion, and therefore conferred on 
 him the office. The new Ziogoon, of course, rewarded his faithful ally, and conferred on Fide- 
 yosi a high military appointment. Presently, the prince of Owari was murdered by one who 
 usurped his office ; he, in his turn, shared a like fate ; and now the hour had come for Fide-yosi. 
 When all was in confusion, he seized upon the office for himself; and so well known were his 
 talents and power, that the frightened Milcado, at once, without hesitation, approved and con- 
 firmed him in the office, and he took the name of Tayko-sama, (the Lord Tayko.) With his 
 title thus legitimated, in the confidence of his abilities, he trusted to himself for the rest, and 
 has left behind him a name among the most celebrated in the history of Japan. 
 
 He was a statesman and a soldier, and displayed on the throne all the energy and ability 
 which had contributed to place him there. He put an end at once to the civil commotions, by 
 giving to the opposing princes of the Empire work to do in the invasion and conquest of Corea. 
 He was about marching to subdue China, when death arrested him, in the year 1598, at the age 
 of sixty-three. The Japanese, to this day, consider him as one of the ablest men their country has 
 produced. During his reign he made large progress in tlie work of reducing tlie sovereignty of 
 the Milcado almost to a shadow ; and inthralling him by more and more burdensome ceremonials, 
 and a most rigorous seclusion, all rmder the seemingly loyal pretext of profound deference and 
 respect for liis heaven-born authority, he quietly lell him to " wield a l)arreu sceptre." 
 
 Tayko-sama left an only scni, six years ohl. To secure him in the succession, his father, on 
 his deatli bed, caused him to marry the granddaugliter of one of his own most particular friends 
 and counsellors, lyeyas, prince of Micava, from wliom he obtained a most soUmuu j]romise tliat 
 when the boy should have attained his fifteenth year he would have liim recognized as Ziogoon. 
 
 lyeyas ])roved unfaithful, became Ziogoon himself, and liis descendants to tliis day hold the 
 office, while a veil of mystery covers up the fate of the wronged son of Tayko. As to the Mikado, 
 lyeyas pursued the policy of his predecessor, and depriving him even of the little power which 
 Tayko had left to him in temporals, he reduced the once absolute autocrasy Avhicli he represented 
 to a mere ecclesiastical Mqircmai-y, and brought biiii down to tin' ultci' lirliilessness ami ilojicMd- 
 ence which at this day mark his condition. And tliis is, in brief, the Jiistory of events by whicii 
 Japan has come to present that singular and unique i'eature in government of one empire simul- 
 taneously under tiuo sovereigns.
 
 INTRODUCTION. 13 
 
 The residence of the Mil-ado is at Miako ; that of the Ziogoon is at Yedclo ; each is sur- 
 romuled with imperial s]iloiidor ; the one is monarch (hjtire, the otlier is Emperor dc/acfo. But 
 however absolute may have been the iisurped aiithoritj' of the Ziogoon in the beginnin<;, it has 
 been subsequently very much modified ; and certain it is that at this day the rule of the Ziogoon 
 is b)' no means arbitrary. He cannot do just what he pleases. The laws of the Empire reach 
 him as much as they do the meanest subject. These laws are unalterable, and are exceedingly 
 minute in detail, controlling almost every action of life. The Emperors, both spiritual and 
 secular, are just as much enthralled by them as the humblest man in the Kingdom. In times of 
 usurpation or political trouble they may, in some few instances, have been set at naught, but 
 these are exceptional cases. 
 
 There are two prominent features in the Japanese .system of government: the one elemental, 
 the other practical ; and the two serving as the bases of almost everything else in their iiolity. 
 The first is feudalism, or something very similar to it ; and the second, exhibited in the practical 
 administration of the government, is a system of checks and balances, founded on an all-pervad- 
 ing secret espionage, ramifying throiigh all classes of society, from the highest to the lowest. 
 
 To exjilain this we must briefly advert to the several grades of society. We have already 
 spoken of the two Emperors. The 3Iikado is supreme in rank and nominally recognized as such ; 
 but he has not a particle of political power ; is not allowed to have troops, and is literally, from 
 birth to death, shut up at Miako, in his little principality of Kioto, with the revenues of which, 
 and the rich presents sent him by the Ziogoon, he must be content. Even in his own principality 
 he is governed for, as an indejjendent 2^i"ince, by some grandee of his court, so that never lived 
 there sovereign with less of sovereign attributes allowed him. But for the tenacity with which the 
 Ja])anese cling to their ancient usages and laws, the 3Iikados would, doubtless, have long since 
 ceased to form a part of the cumbrous and complicated machinery of government. Formerly it 
 belonged to them to name or appoint the Ziogoon; they may, indeed, still nominally have this 
 power ; but it is without any real value, as the office of Ziogoon has for a long time been heredi- 
 tary. 
 
 But politically insignificant as the Mikado is, he is venerated with a respect little, if at all, 
 inferior to that rendered to the gods themselves. Living in mysterious, though, for the most 
 part, indolent seclusion, he is venerated because he is inaccessible ; and is, in truth, a prisoner 
 who umst find, if he find at all, solace for his confinement in the golden chains and ornamental 
 prison-house of his captivity. No wonder that the abdication of a Mikado is common in Japanese 
 history. As to the Ziogoon, he commands the revenues of the country, has at his disposal an 
 army, and is anything but a prisoner. Once in seven years he makes a visit, surrounded witli 
 royal pomp, to the court of his brother sovereign, whom he takes care to keeji, at all times, 
 under the surveillance of unsuspected secret spies. He sends, too, in the intervals between his 
 visits, embassies with rich presents to the shadow king of the holy court, anil receives in turn 
 what he probably deems a valueless bundle of blessings and prayers. 
 
 Tlie hereditary classes in society are said to be eight in number ; and, except under very 
 peculiar circumstances, no one can leave, through life, the class in which he was born without a 
 forfeiture of respectability. 
 
 C'liifs I. These are tlie hereditary vassal princes of tlie Empire. 
 
 Class II. These are hereditary nobility, bulow the rank of princes. They iiold their lands as 
 fiefs, subject to knight service or the rendition of military service to some cue of the hereditary
 
 14 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 princes. If they belong to one of the imperial cities, their military service is due directly to 
 the Ziocfoon himself. Tlie number of armed vassals required of them is regulated by the extent 
 of their respective domains. These hereditary nobles have generally sub-vassals on their lands, 
 who are bound to furnish their several quotas of fighting men. Out of this class, governors of 
 provinces, generals, and officers of State are selected. 
 
 Class III. This includes all the priests of the Kingdom — seemingly, those of the ancient 
 religion of Japan, Sinfoo, as well as of Buddhism. 
 
 Class IV. This is composed of the vassal soldiers, furnished by the nobility of Class II. 
 
 These four classes are the higher orders of Japanese society, and enjoy certain privileges of 
 dress. They carry two swords, and wear a species of loose petticoat trowsers, which none of 
 lower rank dare to put on. 
 
 Class V. These constitute the higher portion of the middle classes, such as medical men, 
 government clerks, and other professional mea and employes. 
 
 Cla^s VI. Merchants and shopkeepers, who rank low in Japan, no matter what may be 
 their wealth. Any one of the classes above this would be disgraced forever should he engage 
 in any trade or traffic. The richest men in the Empire belong to this class ; and yet they are 
 not permitted to expend their money in a luxurious or ostentatious style of living. Sumptuary 
 laws impose restraints which they dare not violate. They are not allowed to wear even the 
 single sword, unless they j^urchase the j^rivilege, by becoming the menial followers of some great 
 lord, at the price of a considerable sum of money. 
 
 Class VII. This is composed of retail dealers, little shoiikeepers, jjedlars, mechanics, and 
 artisans of all descriptions, save one, to be mentioned presently. Painters and other artists 
 belong to this class. 
 
 Class VIII. This consists of sailors, fishermen, peasants, and agricultural and day laborers 
 of all kinds. The peasants seem to be a species of serfs, attached to the soil, like the ancient 
 villein of feudal times, and belong to the land-owner. Sometimes the land is hired, and worked 
 "on shares," the agriculturist paying the proprietor a certain proportion of the crops. 
 
 The exception alluded to among mechanics, in Class VII, is one which is supposed to have 
 originated in one of the superstitions of the Sintno religion, which tabooed all wlio liad defiled 
 tliemselves by coming in contact with a dead body. Wliether this be the origin of the excep- 
 tion, we know not ; but the tact is well establislied, that the tanners, cumers, leather dressers, 
 and, in short, every one in any way connected with the making or vending of leather is placed 
 under ban or interdict. Those of this proscribed class cannot dwell in the towns or villages 
 that are occupied by the other classes ; they are not even numbered in tlie census of the popula- 
 tion. They dare not enter an inn, tea-house, or any public place of entertainment. If they 
 are travelling, and want food or drink, tlicy must wait outside of the wall of tlie house, and 
 there be served in their own bowl or platter ; for no Japanese, not of their own cla.ss, would 
 ever touch or use the vessel out of which they had taken food. Out of this class come the 
 irablic executioners and gaolers throughout tlie Empire. In sliort, they are shunned like the 
 leper of old. 
 
 Before we proceed to speak of the singular system by which these various classes are governed, 
 it is ])ro])or to ]ireniise tliat originally the Kingdom was sub-divided into sixty-six or sixty-eight 
 principalities. Tliese bad been ])reviously independent kingdoms, and were continued, as prin- 
 cipalities, under the rule of their resijoctive princes, subject, however, to a forfeiture of the
 
 INTRODUCTION. 15 
 
 rights of the governing family, in case of rebellion or treason. This penalty of forfeiture was 
 incurred by many of the reigning princes, and advantage was taken of the circumstance, as 
 often as it occurred, to split the forteited princijjalities into fragments ; so that, instead of the 
 original nnmher, there are now no less than six hundred and four distinct administrations, in- 
 cluding therein principalities, lordships, imperial provinces, and iiiii>erial towns, of whidi last 
 the Zioijoon himself is the ruling head. 
 
 1. There is under the Emperor, (Ziojoon,) a grand council of state, consisting of thirteen, 
 which governs in the Emperor's name. Of these thirteen, five councillors are taken from the 
 first class we have named, the hereditary princes and vassals of the Empire ; the remainino- 
 eight are taken from the second class, the old nohility, below the rank of princes. There seems 
 to be among these a head councillor of state^ whose powers and functions are not unlike those of 
 a grand vizier in Turkey. He is called " Governor of the Empire," and all the other council- 
 lors are subordinate to him. He decides upon all affairs of moment ; has the universal appoint- 
 ing power ; receives returns from all the authorities of the Empire ; may, on appeal, sanction 
 or reverse every sentence of death passed ; and, in short, acts for the lay Emperor in all these 
 and some other exercises of sovereignty. To this grand council, too, belongs the very imj)ortant 
 power of dethroning the Ziogoon. Important resolutions of the council are always laid before 
 the Emperor, who generally assents without delay or investigation. Should he, however, dis- 
 sent, a mode of proceeding is pursued, which we will describe presently. It is doubtful whether 
 all these high offices are not hereditary ; and under these are — 
 
 2. Inferior state functionaries, in regular and interminable gradation, consisting of lords, 
 guardians of the temples, commissioners of foreign affairs, governors, ministers of police, 
 superintendents of agriculture, &c. Ko relative of the spiritual sovereign, however, is ever put 
 into any of these offices. 
 
 3. The vassal princes still govern the principalities or such fragments of them as may be 
 left to them, with an outward show of their former sovereignty ; but it is show only. The 
 princes themselves can do nothing without the consent of the Ziogoon and council. And here 
 we find in full development that system of espionage of which we have spoken. The prince 
 himself, beside being surrounded with a multitude of private spies, unknown to him, who 
 watch his domestic as well as public business and doingS;, has also two official spies api^ointed 
 by the chief of the grand council, and these, in truth, conduct the administration of the prin- 
 cipality. These are known as secretaries, and both are never permitted to reside in the pro- 
 vince at the same time. They alternate yearly. The families of both secretaries reside con- 
 stantly in Yeddo. The secretary who is in the principality therefore leaves his family behind 
 him in the capital as a hostage for his fidelity. When his year expires he may rejoin them, 
 and his colleague then, bidding adieu to his household for a year, takes his place. Each sec- 
 retary, therefore, is a check upon the doings of the other ; it is the interest of each to report 
 any misfeasance in the official conduct of the other ; in short, they are spies on each other. But 
 the jealous suspicion of the government is not satisfied with even these i)recautions. Tiio 
 family of the prince himself is made to reside at Yeddo, and he must spend each alternate year 
 there near the Ziogoon. 
 
 And this feature of making officials serve in pairs, as spies upon each other, we may hero 
 remark, once for all^ pervades the entire polity of Japan. Every body is watclied. No man 
 knows who are the secret spies around him, even though he may be, and is, acquainted with
 
 16 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 those thiit are official. The Emperors themselves are not exempt ; vizier, grand councillors, 
 vassal princes, provincial secretaries, all are nnder the eye of an everlasting unknown police. 
 Tiie wretched system is even extended to the humblest of the citizens. Every city or town is 
 divided into collections of five families, aud every member of such a division is personally 
 responsible for the conduct of the otliers ; everything, therefore, which occurs in one of these 
 families, out of the usual course, is instantly reported to the authorities by the other iour to 
 save themselves from censure. It has well been said that tlie government of Japan is a 
 "government of spies." 
 
 We have said that the Emperors are not exempt. The Ziogoon has his minions about the 
 3Iikado, and the grand council have theirs about the Ziogoon. And the cowardice engendered 
 by such ceaseless distrust necessarily leads to cruelty in penalties. Take as an illustration the 
 case of a measure submitted by the grand council to the Ziogoon; to which, contrary to his 
 usual custom, he does not at once assent without examination. Sujjpose he should disapprove, 
 the measure is referred immediately to the arbitration of the three princes of the blood who 
 are the nearest kinsmen of the Ziogoon, and their decision is final. If they do not agree in 
 opinion with the monarch, he must instantly relinciuish the throne to his son or to some other 
 heir. He is not allowed even the poor privilege of revising or retracting an opinion. Should 
 the three princes concur in the Ziogoon's opinion, then the member of the council who proposed 
 the obnoxious measure thus rejected must die; and those who voted with him are often required 
 to die also. Sometimes the whole council, with the " Governor of the Empire" at their head, 
 have in this way been obliged to atone for a mere mistake in national policy by putting them- 
 selves to death. 
 
 4. As to the government of lordships, which are only smaller principalities, the rule is the 
 same ; a duality of governors, an alternation in the discharge of official duties, and a separation 
 every other year from all domestic enjoyment. 
 
 5. In the imperial provinces and imperial cities the Ziogoon, or rather the vizier and grand 
 councilfor him, select two governors from the nobility, and surround them with the usual a])pa- 
 ratus of secretaries and under secretaries, police officers, spies, and all other officials. 
 
 As to the spies themselves, they are of every rank in life below that of the hereditary princes. 
 The highest nobility dare not shrink from the occupation, and even stoop to disguise themselves, 
 the more effectually to perform the degrading office. The fact is, if directed to act as spies, tliey 
 must either do it or adopt as the alternative, death ! Doubtless many of those who perform tiiis 
 dishonorable work would gladly, were it possible, escape from the degradation ; while tliere are 
 some, ambitious of succeeding to those whom they denounce, to whom the occujiation is congenial 
 enough. 
 
 A story is told by the writers on Japan which illustrates this. Complaints were sent to the 
 grand council of the governor of the town of Matsmai ; the council resorted to its usual jdan of 
 employing a spy. In a little while the offending governor was removed. To the amazement of 
 the people, they recognized in his successor a man whom they had known as a journeyman 
 tobacco-cutter in the tov/n, who, a short time liefiire the displacement of tlie old goverudi-, had 
 suddenly disappeared from his master's shoj). The journeyman was a disguised nobleman, who 
 had acted the jjart of a spy by order of the court. 
 
 A very singular custom of self-punishment, even unto deatli, jirevails among ail tlie officials of 
 Japan. When one has offended, or even when in his department there has been any violation
 
 INTRODUCTION. 17 
 
 of law, although beyond his power of prevention, so sure is he of the punishment of death that 
 he anticipates it by ripping up bis own body, disembowelling himself, rather than to be delivered 
 over to the executioner. In fact, he is encouraged to do so, inasmuch as by his self-destruction 
 he saves his property from forfeiture and his family from death with him. With many of the 
 high officials it is a point of honor thus to kill themselves on any failure in their departments ; 
 it is construed into an acknowledgment that they deserve to be put to death by the Emperor, and 
 their sons are often promoted to high positions, as a sort of reward for the father's ingenuous 
 acknowledgment of guilt. 
 
 It is easy to see, from what has been said, why the laws and customs of Japan are so obsti- 
 nately unalterable. Every man is afraid of proposing an innovation, however wise or necessary, 
 because the penalty is so fearful should it not be approved. He who in the grand council offers 
 a measure which is disapproved by the tribunal of final resort pays for his act with his life. A 
 governor, or lord, or prince, knows that if he attempt any alteration, no matter how salutary, he 
 will be instantly denounced by his colleague, or secretary, a spy upon his conduct, as a violator 
 of the established usages of the Empire, and the certain consequence is death. So, too, with the 
 common people ; broken up into their little sections of five families, they dare not depart in the 
 slightest degree from what is prescribed, for they are quite sure that the authorities will be 
 informed of it, and the penalty inevitably follows. There cannot, under such a system, be 
 anything like judicious legislation, founded on inquiry, and adapted to the ever varying circum- 
 stances of life. All must proceed exactly as it has done for centuries ; progress is rendered 
 impossible, and hence, in some degree, the difficulty, so long experienced in all Christendom, of 
 bringing the Japanese into communication with other nations. As a remedy for an existing 
 evil, they saw fit, centuries ago, to interdict entirely all such commimication ; and though the 
 fact admits of proof that many of their wisest men would gladly have seen the interdict removed 
 or modified, as being no longer necessary in their altered circumstances, yet no man dared to 
 propose any alteration. 
 
 "We may venture to hope that, even in the partial communication with strangers allowed to 
 the Japanese by the late treaty with our country, the first step has been taken in breaking down 
 their long prevalent system of unalterable laws and unchangeable customs. But among a people 
 80 sensitive and suspicious considerable time must elapse before much progress is made in a better 
 direction. And in the first exercise of our rights under the treaty, it is to be hoped the greatest 
 care will be taken by our countrymen to avoid everything which can alarm the sleepless Japanese 
 jealousy of strangers ; if there be not, there is danger lest in their apprehensions, or jjerchance 
 in mere caprice, they may seek to undo all that they have thus far done. It is obvious that a 
 great deal depends now on the fairness, good sense, and good temper of our consular representa- 
 tives. One rash man may overturn all that has been accomplished. 
 
 The system of espionage to which we have alluded explains also what all the writers on 
 Japan, and all the officers of our late expedition, represent as a prominent characteristic. Wd" 
 allude to the systematic falsehood and duplicity exhibited, and often without shame, by the high 
 Japanese officials and public functionaries in their negotiations and intercourse with strangers. 
 We do not mean to say that these bad traits belong to tlie people, generally. On the contrary, 
 almost every writer describes them as naturally frank in manner, communicative and open in 
 speech on ordinary topics, and possessed of a very high sense of honor. They are a people of 
 very ingenious and lively minds, possessed of shrewdness, of great personal bravery, as their 
 3 J
 
 18 INTKODUCTION. 
 
 history shows, and far superior (at least in ouh opinion) to any other civilized eastern nation; 
 But the officials are placed in a false position by the wretclied system of spies, and dare not act 
 openly and frankly. As government functionaries they lie and practice artifice to save themselves 
 from condemnation by the higher powers ; it is their vocation ; as private gentlemen, they are 
 frank, truthful, and hospitable. MacFarlane, who speaks of this official deception, says he Has 
 observed precisely the same thing among the Turks. Nearly every Turk, unconnected with 
 government, may be described as being in his private intercourse a frank, truth-loving, honorable 
 man ; while nearly every one holding a government office may be considered as exactly the 
 reverse. These facts present a seeming anomaly, and yet we are not sure that something very 
 like it, and differing in degree only, may not be found nearer to homo than Japan. 
 
 The severity of the Japanese laws is excessive. The code is probably the bloodiest in the 
 world. Death is the prescribed punishment for most offences. The Japanese seem to proceed 
 on the principle that he who will violate one law will violate any other, and that the wilful 
 violator is unworthy to live ; he cannot be trusted in society. Their laws are very short and 
 intelligible, and are duly made public in more modes than one, so that no man can truly plead 
 ignorance ; and the proceedings under them are as simple as the laws themselves. There are 
 no professional lawyers in the kingdom ; every man is deemed competent to be his own pleader. 
 If a party is aggrieved, he immediately appeals to the magistrate, before whom the other party is 
 soon made to appear. The case is stated by the complainant in his own way, and the accused is 
 heard in reply. The magistrate examines the witnesses, and it is said that this officer generally 
 displays great acuteness in detecting falsehood. He passes sentence, and it is carried into 
 execution instanter ; and so ends an ordinary lawsuit. If the matter in controversy be of great 
 importance, the magistrate may refer it to the Emperor in council ; but if he sees fit to decide it 
 himself there is no appeal. Sometimes, in trifling cases, he orders the parties to go and settle 
 the matter privately with the aid of friends, and it is well understood that it rrnist be thus settled, 
 or unpleasant consequences will result. Sometimes, when both plaintiff and defendant are in 
 fault, he awards censure to both, as they may deserve it, and sends them about their business. 
 We have said their code is bloody in principle, and very often it is sanguinary in practice. Still 
 the relentings of humanity have forced the administrators of justice to some modification of the 
 theory which prescribes indiscriminate severity. 
 
 The magistrate may sentence to death, but he is not obliged to do so, except in cases of murder. 
 He may, therefore, exercise a large discretion. He may imprison in a raya or cage. In this 
 case, the prisoner is allowed a fair iiroportion of wholesome food, and provision is made for 
 cleanliness and ventilation. But there is another prison, commonly a dungeon in the governor's 
 house, known by the significant name of gokuya, hell. Into this more are thrust than it will 
 conveniently hold; the door is never opened except to admit or release a prisoner; the food is 
 passed within through a hole in the wall, and there is neither light or ventilation excejjt through 
 a small grated hole or window at the top. Books, pipes, and every species of recreation are 
 prohibited ; no beds are allowed, and the prisoner is subjected to what he considers the deep 
 degradation of being made to wear a rope of straw art)und liis waist instead of the usual silk or 
 linen girdle. The diet is limited and very poor ; but if a rich man is confined, he may buy 
 better food, on condition that he will share it equally with all his fellow prisoners. The Japanese 
 doctrine is that, if a man of wealth or influence is a criminal, he has no right to fare any better 
 than the poorest man in the Kingdom who commits a crime, therefore all shall be treated alike.
 
 INTRODUCTION. 19 
 
 We have already alluded to the well known, yet remarkable feature of Jiipanesc polity, which 
 has for so long a time induced the government rigorouslj' to interdict all communication between 
 its subjects and foreigners, with the single exception of the Dutch and Chinese. Tliis exclusive 
 system did not always prevail. We shall have occasion, presently, to give the history of its 
 origin, and to place before the reader a statement of the means whereby the Dutch succeeded in 
 the establishment of their commercial ftxctory at Dezima, in the port of Nagas.iki. It is only 
 necessarj' now to remark that, prior to the visit of the United States' expedition, no otlier port 
 but Nagasaki was open to a European shiji, and, except at that spot, no Japanese was permitted 
 to buy from or sell to a western stranger. The Chinese had some few privileges of trade, but 
 these were hedged around with jealous restrictions that hampered their commercial relations and 
 intercourse quite as much as those of the Euroi^eans. With this general, and neces.sarily brief 
 view of the leading features of the Japanese government and policy, we pass on to another topic. 
 
 SECTION IV. 
 
 RELIGION. 
 
 Such are the contradictions among the several writers on Japan upon the subject of the religion 
 of the country that it is not easy to discover what is the precise truth. Nor is this discrepancy 
 much to be wondered at, for, since the extirpation of Christianity from the Kingdom, there is, 
 probably, no topic on which a Christian would find it more difficult to obtain from a Japanese 
 accurate information than on the subject of religion. There are, however, certain j^articulars in 
 which all agree, and which are doubtless correct. 
 
 The original national religion of Japan is called Sin-syu, (from sin, the gods, and syu, faith,) 
 and its followers are called Sinfoos. Such, at least, is the statement made by some writers ; but 
 Siebold says the proper Japanese name is Kami-no-mifsi, which means " the way of the Kami," 
 or gods ; this the Chinese have translated into Shin-tao ; and the Japanese have modified the 
 Chinese into Sintoo. 
 
 It is said that the only object oiioorsMp among the Sintoos is the sun-goddess, Ten-sio-dai-zin, 
 who is deemed the patron divinity of Japan. But there are thousands of inferior deities, called 
 Kami, of whom the greater number are canonized or deified men. It is through these and the 
 Mikado, as mediators, that prayers are made to the sun-goddess, who is too great and holy to 
 allow of an independent approach to her in jirayer. The Mikado is supposed to be her lineal 
 descendant. But with all these divinities the Sintoos are not idolaters. They have no idols in 
 their temples ; there are images indeed of their Kami, but, as it is alleged, not for purposes of 
 worship. This statement, however, js very questionable. The only decorations of the old temples 
 were a mirror, the emblem of purity of soul, and many strips of white paper formed into what 
 is called a rjohei, also an emblem of purity. Siebold thinks the image of the Kami, introduced 
 into the temples, is a foreign innovation, and never existed before tlic introduction of Biiddliism. 
 The numerous Kami he considers as analogous to the saints of the Romanist. MacFarlanc 
 looks on the Sintoo worship at this day as thoroughly jiermeated with Buddhism. Meylan
 
 20 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 would make the original religion of Japan a pure theism. It is not easy to say what it was or 
 is. As to the Sintoo creed, its leading features, according to Siebold, are some vague notion 
 of the immortality of the soul, of a future state of existence, of rewards and punishments, a 
 paradise and a hell. Its five great duties are : 1st. Preservation of pure fire as an emhlem of 
 purity and instrument of purification. 2d. Purity of soul, heart, and body to be cherished, 
 the first by obeying the dictates of reason and the laws, the last by abstaining from whatever 
 defiles. 3d. Observance of festival days, which are numerous. 4th. Pilgrimages, which at 
 certain times in the year are imposing and costly ; and 5th. The worship of the Kami, both in 
 the temples and in private habitations. Impurity may be contracted in various ways : By 
 associating with the impure, by hearing obscene or wicked language, by eating certain meats, 
 and by coming in contact with blood, or with a dead body. For all these there are the prescribed 
 modes of purification. 
 
 The festivals all begin with a visit to the temple. There the votary performs his ablutions at 
 a reservoir provided for the purpose ; he then kneels in the verandah, opposite to a grated 
 window, through which he gazes at the mirror, and then offers up his prayers, with his sacrifice 
 of rice, fruit, tea, or the like. This done, he drops his coin in the money-box, and retires. 
 This is the usual form of Kami worship at the temiiles. The moneys contributed are applied 
 to the support of the Kaminusi, as they are called. These are the priests of the temple, and 
 their name or title means, literally, the landlords of the gods. These priests live in houses 
 within the grounds of their respective temples, and are hospitable to strangers. Siebold says 
 that they marry, and that their wives are priestesses, who have prescribed religious duties ; 
 though we have been told by an intelligent Japanese, in reply to our inquiries, that the Sintoo 
 priests do not marry. 
 
 Pilgrimage, however, is the great religious duty of the Sintooites. There are two-and-twcnty 
 shrines in the Kingdom commanding such homage ; but the great and most sacred one is that 
 of the sun-goddess, Ten-sio-dai-sin, at Isye. To make at least one pilgrimage to this shrine is 
 incumbent upon everybody of the Sintoo faith. The very pious go annually. Even the 
 Buddhists (with the exception of the Bonzes or priests) perform this pilgrimage. Tlie Ziogoon 
 is permitted to perform this religious duty vicariously, and annually sends an embassy of 
 pilgrims to Isye. 
 
 The Kaminusi are the regular clergy of the Sintoo religion in Japan ; but the European 
 writers on the subject mention two institutions or religious orders, if they may be so called, 
 composed entirely of the blind, and constituting a quasi clergy. The Japanese tell romantic 
 stories about their origin. One of the fraternities they say was founded many centuries ago by 
 Senmimar, a prince of the Empire, and the younger son of the then reigning Mikado. The 
 prince was one of the handsomest men in the Kingdom, and loved a princess whose beauty was 
 a match for his own. She died, and such was his grief, that he wept himself blind. He then 
 founded tliis order. The otlier association had a different, but not less remarkable origin. In 
 the times of Yoritomo, of whom we have spoken in the last section, there was a general named 
 Kakekigo, who commanded a part of the troops of Prince Fcki. In battle with Yoritomo, 
 Prince Fcki was slain, and Kakekigo was taken prisoner. So great was the romiwn of tlie 
 prisoner, throughout Japan, that Yoritomo strove most earnestly to gain liis friendship ; ho 
 loaded him with kindnesses and finally offered him his liberty. Kakekigo replied : " I can love 
 none but my shiiu ma.ster. 1 owe you gratitude ; but you cau.scd Prince Feki's dcatli. and inver
 
 INTRODUCTION. 21 
 
 can I look upon you without wishing to kill you. My heat way to avoid such ingratitude, and to 
 reconcile my conflicting duties, is never to see you more; and thus do I insure it." With tlieso 
 ■words, he tore out his eyes, and presented tliem to Yoritomo on a salver. The prince, struck 
 with admiration, released him, when Kakekigo withdrew into retirement and founded this 
 second order of the hlind, which is called, after Prince Fcki, the Fekisado. 
 
 There are two sects among the Sin-syu : the Yaitz and the liwhoo-Sinfoo. The first are the 
 rigidly orthodox, who will allow of no innovation. They are few in number, and consist mostly 
 of the Kaininusi or priests. The other sect, which comprises the great body of the Sintoos, is 
 eclectic, and has introduced a great deal of Buddhism into the system. 
 
 Buddhism is the most widely diffused of all false creeds. Its followers amount to three hundred 
 and twenty millions, wljile those of Mohammed flill short of this number by fifty millions. The 
 founder of this religion was a man call^ Saki/a-SinJia, (Syaka in Japan.) who, by his virtues 
 and austerity, attained to divine honors, a'nd after death was deified under the name of Buddha, 
 or "the Sage." It is impossible to say when he was born. The earliest period named is 2,420 
 years before the Christian era ; the latest is but 543 years prior to that event. Neither can it 
 be said with certainty when Buddhism was introduced into Japan. Klaproth and Siebold, both 
 of whom profess to follow Japanese writers, differ as to dates. The probability is that it was 
 brought in from India or Corea near the close of the sixth century of our era. 
 
 The leading features of this system of religion are the metempsychosis, whence arises the 
 dogma that prohibits the taking of animal life ; the worship of a countless host of idols ; that 
 the grand Lama, or high-priest King, never dies ; that their priests constitute a distinct order in 
 the State, and that they are bound to celibacy. The chief commandments of Buddhism are five 
 in number, and constitute a code which is called the GoJca'i, or five laws. They are these : not 
 to kill, not to steal, to live chastely, not to lie, and to abstain from strong drink. The Sil-a'i, 
 or ten counsels, contain the division and application of these laws to particular cases. Buddhism 
 made its way in Japan by degrees, although the government tolerated it from the beginning. 
 Indeed, no feature is more striking among the institutions of the Empire than its enlarged spirit 
 of religious toleration. It was extended to Christianity on its first promulgation by the Portu- 
 guese ; and was not withdrawn until the Japanese supposed that intolerance and treason lurked 
 under the new religion. Christianity was driven from Japan on political, not on religious 
 grounds. Such is the liberality of the government on the subject of religion that, at this 
 moment, may be found in Japan no less than thirty-four sects, all quite distinct from Buddliism, 
 (which is the faith of a majority of the Kingdom,) perfectly unmolested. Tlie truth is, that the 
 Japanese government exhibits now, as it always has done, a very remarkable indifference to 
 mere doctrinal points, so long as they interfere not with the public tranquility. When the 
 priests of the Japanese sects joined, centuries ago, in a petition to the Emperor that he would 
 banish the Jesuits and the Eomish monks, annoyed by their importunities, he asked them how 
 many different religions there were then in Japan? Tliey answered "tliirty-five." "Well," 
 said the Emperor, "when thirty-five religions can be tolerated we can easily bear with tliirty- 
 six ; leave the strangers in peace." 
 
 The Buddhism of Japan, at this day, has probably much of the old Sintoo mixed u]) Avitli it ; 
 but there is reason to think that no creed in the Kingdom has a very strong hold on the popular 
 mind. Christianity, however, is viewed with suspicion by all, and at present is not, in any 
 degree, tolerated.
 
 22 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 The idolatry of tlio common peoi^le, who are Buddhists, is exceedingly gross, while among the 
 learned the religion assumes the character of a high mystic creed, not wanting in some features 
 that are pure enough. 
 
 There is a third sect, called hy some writers religious, though Kaempfor more properly speaks 
 of it as a school of philosophers. It is known by the name of Siutoo, which means "the way 
 of philosophers." It inculcates no particular faith, and can accommodate itself to any, whether 
 true or false. In some of its features it borders closely on Pantheism. It is supjjosed, and we 
 presume correctly, to be an importation from China, compounded of most of the moral precei)ts of 
 Confucius, and some high, mystic Buddhist notions. It has no religious rites or ceremonies of 
 its own. There are five great points which characterize it. They call them Bsin, Gi, Be, Tsi, 
 Sin. Dsiii teaches them to live virtuously ; Gi to do right and act justly with everybody ; Be 
 to be civil and polite ; Tsi sets forth the rules for a good and prudent government ; and Sin 
 treats of a free conscience and upright heart. Nearly all the early European writers say that 
 by far the larger number of the learned men of Japan belong to this school, which is remarkable 
 for its scorn of the Buddhist idolatry. When Christianity Avas driven from Japan, the Siufooisfs 
 were suspected of a tendency toward that faith, and thenceforth every Japanese was rcr[uired 
 to have in his house an idol of some kind. 
 
 Meylan, the Dutch official at Dezima, speaks of a fourth religion, which co-existed with 
 these three prior to the introduction of Christianity. His story is, that about A. D. 50, a Brah- 
 minical sect was introduced into Japan, wliich taught as doctrines the redemption of the world 
 by the son of a virgin, who died to expiate human sin, thus insuring to man a joyful resur- 
 rection. It also taught a trinity of immaterial persona constituting one eternal, omnipotent 
 God, the maker of all things, who was to be adored as the source of all good. 
 
 Some have hence in 'mated what certainly is not impossible, that Christianity may have thus 
 early reached Japan thro -gh India. But there is jirobably some mistake in this statement of 
 the doctrines held. No wri'er but Meylan has mentioned the story, and both the Buddhist and 
 Brahminical systems afford materials which an over zealous and uninformed spirit of Christianity 
 may easily convert into seemingly Christian doctrines. Thus, the old Spanish ecclesiastics who 
 first came to America were quite convinced that the gospel liad been brought to our continent 
 by St. Thomas, long before their arrival. 
 
 SECTION V. 
 
 GENERAL VIEW OF THE PAST RELATIONS OF THE EMPIRE WITH THE WESTERN CIVILIZED NATIONS. 
 
 THE PORTUGUESE. 
 
 Ferdinand Mendez Pinto has been immortalized by Cervantes, but unfortunately for his 
 reputation it is, to use the phrase of Shakspcare, as a "measureless liar." Like Marco Polo, 
 when he told strange things that had befallen him in his wanderings, the men of his generation 
 refused to believe liini. But like Polo, he related a great deal that has since been found to bo 
 true ; and we are inclined to think that, when telling what he professed to have seen himself,
 
 INTRODUCTION. 23 
 
 he interspersed liis narrative with as few lies as some of his more accredited successors of modern 
 times. 
 
 Pinto was a good representative of the Portuguese discoverer of tlie sixteenth century. In 
 his day Portugal was a power. In less than two centuries she had traversed the Atlantic, 
 conquered Madeira, the Cape de Verds, the coast of Guinea and Congo ; had planted herself on 
 the shores of India, and obtained a foothokl in China. She had founded in her wealthy 
 metropolis of Goa what has been called '"the Kome of India." She possessed ilacao, and was 
 among the first of European maritime powers in the east. Albuquerque had laid for her the 
 foundations of a magnificent oriental empire, which it needed a man like Albuquerque to 
 consolidate and retain. The man was wanting, and the empire never grew to maturity. But 
 this her prosperous day produced for her many a hardy sailor, half hero, half adventurer ; now 
 exhibiting a touch of chivalry and now a touch of traffic ; a soldier on land to-day and a corsair 
 of the seas to-morrow; exceedingly devout or surpassingly profane, according to circumstances; 
 hut always ready to encounter fatigue, privation or peril, to promote the gain of himself and 
 the grandeur of his country, which on most occasions he felicitously contrived to reconcile and 
 blend into one common end. Of this class Pinto was a type. 
 
 He visited Japan, and has told us the story of his adventures ; and the better authorities of 
 this day believe that he was an eye-witness and actor in such scenes as he relates of personal 
 incidents. 
 
 There is, however, some room for discussion on the subject of dates ; for if we may credit the 
 Japanese annals, it would seem that about the same time there must have been two visits of 
 Europeans to Japan ; but if there were, both were made by natives of Portugal, so that to them 
 unquestionably belongs the honor of having first landed on the Japanese soil, and of having 
 brought that country into communication with Europe. The discovery, indeed, was acci- 
 dental in both cases, if two there were, but that does not alter the fact that it was made by the 
 Portuguese. 
 
 We incline to think, however, that there was but one visit. The annals of Japan record the 
 arrival of the first Europeans, and substantially they agree with Pinto's stor3\ So remarkable 
 was the event, and so strange the appearance of the new comers, that the Japanese preserved 
 portraits of them. The date assigned in the annals would correspond with our October, in the year 
 1543. Pinto makes the date of his arrival in 1545. Still the details given by Pinto, and confirmed 
 by the annals, force us to believe that both are telling the story of the same event. Whether it 
 were in the one year or the other of those named above, the story is, that a Portuguese ship or 
 Chinese corsair, (we know not which,) on board of which was Pinto, after great stress of weather, 
 was driven to the shores of Japan, and anchored at last in the harbor of Bungo, on the island 
 of Kiu-siu. The Japanese at that time, though vigilant, yet manifested no reluctance to admit 
 the strangers and hold communication with them. They extended courtesy and kindness to 
 tliem, and no obstacle was interposed to a free trade with the inhabitants. The names of those 
 who first landed are said by various writers, from Maffeius up to Thunberg, to have been 
 Antonio Mota, Francisco Zeimoto, and Antonio Peixoto. Fraissinet, however, tliinks that the 
 names have been disfij^urcd or altered, and that the individuals meant were Fernan Mendez Pinto, 
 Diego Zeimoto, and Christuval Borallo. The Japanese annals speak of two under the names of 
 Moura Siouksia and Krista Mota, and Fraissinet suggests that Siouksia may be the Japanese 
 pronunciation of Zeimoto, and Krista their nearest approach to Christoval. The natives and
 
 24 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 strangers -were eo well pleased with each other that, by an arrangement with the viceroy or 
 prince of Bungo, (the rulers of the principalities were then probably more independent of the 
 Emperor than they are now,) a Portuguese ship was to be sent annually to the island of Kiu-siu 
 laden with woollen cloths, furs, manufactured silks, taffetas, and other commodities needed by 
 the Japanese. This ship was to be dispatched probably from Macao, or, it may be, from Goa. 
 The rettirns were to be made in gold, silver, and copper, of the last of which there is undoubted 
 abundance in Japan, and probably no small quantity of the first. 
 
 But with this introduction of commercial relations,, the Portuguese soon introduced also priests 
 of the religion they professed. In 1549, seven years only after the discovery, Hansiro, a young 
 Japanese of some rank, had found it necessary to fly from his country, on account of a homicide, 
 and had gone to the Portuguese settlement of Goa, on the Malabar coast. Here he encountered 
 ecclesiastics of the church of Kome, by whom he was converted to the Christian faith and baptized. 
 He was enterprising and shrewd, and soon convinced tlie Portuguese merchants of Goa that 
 they might establish a profitable trade with Japan, and assured the Jesuits that they also might 
 find a rich harvest of souls in the Empire. 
 
 The Portuguese hastened to act on both his suggestions ; a ship was loaded with goods and 
 presents and sent to establish a permanent trade with Japan ; while, for the accomplishment of the 
 second object, some of the Jesuit priests were ready enough to embark. Among them was that 
 remarkable man, Francis Xavier, who possessed in an eminent degree many of the most 
 important qualifications of the Christian missionary. To talents of a very high order he added a 
 zeal and enthusiasm rarely equalled, and a courage never surpassed. The thought of the perils 
 attending the mission, so far from disheartening him, served only to strengthen his resolve to 
 undertake it. On board the ship returned the young Japane.se convert who had suggested the 
 undertaking. On arriving at the province of Bungo all were received with open arms, and not 
 the slightest opposition was made to the introduction of either trade or religion. No system of 
 exclusion then existed, and such was the spirit of toleration that the government made no 
 objection to the preaching of Christianity. Indeed the Portuguese were freely permitted to go 
 where they pleased in the Emjjire, and to travel, by land or sea, from one end of it to the other. 
 The people bought the goods of the merchants and listened to the teachings of the missionaries. 
 The labors of the last were very successful, for it is but justice to Xavier and the first missionaries 
 to say that they were most exemplary men — humble, virtuous, disinterested, and very benevolent. 
 Possessed of some medical skill, they used it kindly and gratuitously among the sick, and 
 were deservedly viewed by the people as friendly and superior men, whose lives were devoted to 
 doing good. They meddled with no public affairs ; unmolested by the government, they troubled 
 not themselves about its administration ; and imitating the example of the devoted Xavier, they 
 modestly and unceasingly pursued the appropriate duties of their holy calling only. In fact, 
 they loved the Japanese. With one voice the early missionaries speak in terms of strong 
 affection when they describe the docile and good disposition of the Japanese. Xavier says : "I 
 know not when to cease in speaking of the Japanese. They are truly the delight of my heart." 
 
 This eminent man went from Japan to China in 1551, and in 1552 died at Shan Shan, on the 
 Canton river, not far from Macao. He left behind him, however, among his beloved islanders, 
 some very able and excellent men, and churches were built and converts made by thousands. 
 
 Nor were the commercial relations of the new comers less prosiierous. Tlicy could readily 
 obtain the commodities they wished for the Japanese market from their establishments at Macao
 
 INTRODUCTION. 25 
 
 and Goa. The prnfits they made on their European merchandise were commonly one himdred 
 per cent. ; so that, as K;empfer has said, if their commercial prosperity had continued l)ut 
 twenty years longer, JIacao would have heen so enriched tVom Jajjan tliat it would liave surpassed 
 all that was accvimulated in Jerusalem during the reign of Solomon. As one of the old writers 
 expresses it, the Portuguese obtained " the golden marrow" of Ja])an. In fact they had but to 
 proceed prudently and they would ere long have been the dominant race in Ja])an. Many of 
 them liad married the daughters of the wealthiest Christian Japanese, and no other nation of 
 Europe could have driven them from their strong position. 
 
 It was about the year 1566 that the Portuguese first called the attention of the reigning priucc 
 of Onnira to the superiority of the harbor of Nagasaki over the ports they were accustomed to 
 frequent ; and it was at their suggestion tliat a settlement was formed there. Bungo, Firando , 
 (Firato,) and Nagasaki were the principal places of commercial business. 
 
 But all this prosperity was destined to have an end, and we are sorry to say it was occasioned 
 by the ecclesiastics themselves. Had the work begun by Xavier and his companions been left 
 in the bands of men like themselves, we very much doubt whetlier the severe Japanese laws 
 prohibiting Christianity in the Empire would ever have existed. But these prudent, inoilensive, 
 and laborious men were soon outnumbered by swarms of Dominican, Augustinian, and Fran- 
 ciscan friars from Goa and Macao, who were attracted by the flattering accounts of the remarkable 
 success of the Jesuits. They had not labored in making the harvest, tliey were ready enough 
 to go and reap it. The Franciscans and Dominicans quarrelled with each other, and all the 
 orders quarrelled with the Jesuits. In vain did the latter implore them to profit by their 
 experience, to be discreet and suppress their strife, to respect the laws and usages of the country . 
 In vain did they represent that their conduct would prove fatal, not merely to their own lioi)es 
 and purposes, but even to the progress, possibly to the continuance in Japan of Christianity 
 itself. All was of no avail. To the Japanese convert was presented the strange spectacle of 
 one ecclesiastic quarrelling with another, of one body of priests intriguing with heathens 
 to defeat another ; while even the poor native Christian labored to reconcile the feuds and 
 rivalries of these consecrated belligerents. 
 
 The quarrels of these Roman monastic orders may, therefore, be accounted as one cause of the 
 expulsion of Christianity from Japan. 
 
 But this was not all. The pride, avarice, and extortions of tlie Portuguese laity had become 
 excessive about the close of the sixteenth century, and disgusted the Japanese. Very many of 
 the clergy, forgetful of the spirit of their office, instead of rebuking these sins, rather gave their 
 countenance to their wealthy countrymen, and often sustained their acts without inquiring into 
 their propriety. Indeed, their own juide quite equalled that of the laity ; and even the native 
 Christians are said to have been botk shocked and disgusted when they saw that tlieir sjjiritual 
 instructors were quite as diligent in the efibrt to acquire their property as in tlie endeavcn- to 
 save their souls. The Japanese traditions, to this day, represent the downfall of Cliristianity 
 in the Empire as having been, in part at least, produced by the avarice, sensuality, an<l jiride of 
 the ecclesiastics. They treated witli open contempt the institutiiuis and iiistonis nftlic country, 
 and insulted the highest officials of the government by studied indignities. A circumstance is 
 related as having occurred in lo'Jfi, whicii is said to liave been tiie innnediate cause of the great 
 persecution. A Portuguese bishop was met on the high road by one of the highest officers of 
 the State on his way to court. Each was in his sedan. The u.sage of the country re(iuired that, 
 4 J
 
 26 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 in such case, the conTcyance of the bishop should be stopped, and that he should alight and pav 
 his respects to the nobleman. Instead of conforming to this established act of conrtosy, the 
 bishop took not the least notice of the Japanese dignitary, but, turning his head away from him, 
 ordered his bearers to carry him on. The insult, evidently intended, was so gross that the 
 grandee took mortal offence, and confounding the Portuguese generally with their liaughty 
 clergy, he conceived toward all an implacable resentment. He forthwith presented his grievance 
 to the Emperor, and touched his sense of dignity and national pride by a strong picture of the 
 vanity and insolence of the Portuguese. Taiko, of whom we have already spoken, was at that 
 time Emperor, and he was the last man to permit the laws and customs of his Empire to be 
 treated with contempt by a set of presumptuous foreigners, who had neither good feeling nor 
 good sense enough to repay the kindness they had received with the decency of common civility. 
 With the Emperor's kind sentiments thus alienated the end was certain ; it involved a question 
 of time only ; and such was the infatuation of these inflated ecclesiastics that this stupid act of 
 episcopal insolence was perpetrated at a time when the Portuguese, by their pride and avarice, 
 had already lost the best part of the favor they had once possessed. 
 
 At length a Portuguese ship, on its way from the East to Lisbon, was captured by the Dutch, 
 and among other matters found on board were certain treasonable letters, written by Moro, a 
 native Japanese, to the King of Portugal. Moro was a zealous Eomanist, a warm friend of the 
 Jesuits, and one of the chief agents and friends of the Portuguese in Japan. From these letters 
 it appeared that the Japanese Christians, in conjunction with the Portuguese, were plotting the 
 overthrow of the throne ; and all they wanted was a supply of ships and soldiers from Portugal. 
 It may be difficult to ascertain, with certainty, all the details of the conspiracy ; but of the 
 consp iracy itself there can be no doubt. 
 
 The Dutch, who were the sworn foes of the Portuguese, lust no time in communicating the 
 intercepted letters to the authorities of Japan, and the result was that in 1637 an imperial 
 proclamation decreed that " the whole race of the Portuguese, with their mothers, nurses, and 
 whatever belongs to them, shall be banished forever." The same proclamation forbade, under 
 penalty of death to those concerned, any Japanese ship, or native of Japan, to depart from the 
 country. It directed that any Japanese returning home from a foreign country should be put 
 to death ; that any person presuming to bring a letter from abroad should die ; that no 
 nobleman or soldier should purchase anything from a foreigner ; that any person propagating 
 Christian doctrines, or even bearing the title of Christian, should suffer; and a reward was 
 offered lor the discovery of every priest, as well as of every native Christian. Under these 
 severe edicts some of the Portuguese were at once frightened out of the country. Others, 
 however, lingered, cooped up in their factory at Dezima, hoping that the tempest Avould 
 presently pass over, and that they might resume their traffic. But the Emperor was firmly 
 resolved to root them out forever, and forbade them ever to import even the goods of their own 
 country ; and so ended the trade of the Portuguese witli Japan, and the toleration of tlie 
 Christian religion in the Empire. 
 
 The writers of the church of Eome assert that it was owing to the malice and misrepresenta- 
 tions of the heretical Dutch that the missionaries and early Japanese converts were exposed to 
 the persecutions, which afterward resulted in the expulsion of Christianity. An examination 
 of dates, however, will show that this statement is entirely erroneous. The Portuguese, clerical 
 and lay, must blame themselves only for their final expulsion. Doubtless, the Dutch, as we shall
 
 INTRODUCTION. 27 
 
 see presently, were ready enough to give increased impetus, whenever they could, to the tide 
 of calamity which ultimately overwhelmed their rivals, hut that tide had conamenced its flow, in 
 the form of persecution of Christianity, fully three years before a Dutchman set foot in Japan. 
 It began, as we have said, in the quarrels of the monastic orders themselves. 
 
 It would be wrong to leave this brief sketch of the Portuguese relations with Japan without 
 bearing witness to the noble constancy of the thousands of native Christians who were put to death 
 lor their religion. The history of Christianity's persecutions contains no more touching chapter 
 than that which records the cruel torments and heroic Christian courage of men, women, and 
 even children, as they bore testimony to the sincerity of their Christian convictions. 
 
 THE DUTCH. 
 
 It is to an Englishman that the Hollanders are indebted for an introduction to Japan, and 
 for the establishment of their earliest commercial relations. After the grant by the Pope of aU 
 the western and about half the eastern hemisphere to the Spaniards and Portuguese, these 
 people, who were then not without naval strength, were unwilling to allow any share of trade 
 to the other powers of Europe ; and, whenever they could, they seized their unarmed vessels as 
 contraband, if they found them within the imaginary limits of their Papal grant, confiscated 
 their cargoes, and treated their crews as sea-thieves and smugglers. 
 
 The Dutch and English, who had no respect for the Pope's geography, and as little faith in 
 his religion, denied his title to the ownership of the whole earth, and profanely likened him 
 to Satan when he offered to our Lord whole kingdoms, in which he had not title in fee to a 
 single square foot. But as Spain and Portugal were, in the assertion of their title, as much 
 in the habit of relying on powder and ball as on men's conscientious submission to the decrees 
 of the holy father, the Dutch and English rarely sent out their ships, and especially to the 
 "south seas," without taking care to arm them ; and commonly they dispatched them in squad- 
 rons. Thus, cruising in company, they went wherever they thought they could find a profit- 
 able trade ; and deemed it a religious duty (which they scrupulously performed) to seize and 
 plunder, whenever they could, any Spanish or Portuguese ship, and to make a descent on 
 their coasts, and bui-n their colonial towns and villages. Whoever would read the story of their 
 wild, exciting, and often romantic adventures, may find them in Esquemeling's or Burnet's 
 histories of the buccaneers. The hati-ed between Spain and Portugal on the one side, and the 
 Dutch and English on the other, was intense. Differing in religion, the first named had no 
 gentler epithets to aj^jjly to their enemies than "vile Lutherans," "schismatics," "accursed 
 heretics ; " while the latter repaid them, by api^lying the equally mild terms of "lying Papists," 
 "foul idolators," " wor.shippers of wood and rotten bones." This state of embittered feeling 
 prevailed all through the reigns of Elizabeth, James I., and Charles I. of England, and ceased 
 only in the time of William III., when the peace of Ryswick allowed, on the part of Spain and 
 Portugal, a little freedom of commerce to other nations, who, by the way, were becoming more 
 powerful than the Sj^aniards and Portuguese on the Pacific and the eastern waters. 
 
 It was during this jicriod of national animosity, in the latter part of the reign of Elizabeth, 
 that the Dutch made their way to Japan. A fleet of five sail of Dutch ships, under the com- 
 mand of Jaques Mahu, left the Texel on the 24th of June, 1598. It was sent out by the Indian 
 ( lompany of Holland ; and on board of the admiral's shij) was William Adams, as pilot. Adams
 
 28 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 has told his own story with captivating simplicity ; and it has been preserved in the pages oi 
 that worthy compiler, honest old Purchas. He tells ns as follows: "Your worshijis will 
 understand that I am a Kentish man, horn in a town called Gillingham, two English miles from 
 Kochester, and one mile from Chatham, where the queen's ships do lie." After stating that he 
 was regularly apprenticed and bred a seaman, he thus proceeds : "I have served in the place of 
 master and pilot in her Majesty's ships, and about eleven or twelve years served the worshipful 
 comi)any of the Barbary merchants, until the Indian traffic from Holland began ; in which 
 Indian traffic I was desirous to make a little experience of tlie small knowledge which God 
 has given me. So, in the year of our Lord God 1598, 1 liired myself for chief pilot of a fleet of 
 five sail of Hollanders," &c. 
 
 But the " little experience" of our English pilot proved both long and sad. Sickness broke 
 out in the ships, the admiral and a great many of the men died ; after divers calamities they 
 reached the Straits of Magellan in April, 1599 ; they were forced, not by any fault of Adams 
 but by the folly of the commander, to winter in the Straits, remaining in them nearly six 
 months, until provisions were exhausted and some of the men actually died of hunger. At 
 length, after getting into the Pacific, storms disjier.sed the fleet ; some were lost, some captured ; 
 the savages on the islands where they landed in search of food and water, in more than one 
 instance, lay in ambush and murdered the men ; and finally, after great suffering, it was 
 resolved, on Adams' advice, to make for Jaium. Of the five ships that had left Holland 
 together there remained but the one of wliicli Adams Avas pilot. But he kept a stout heart, 
 and at last, on the 11th of April, IGOO, he saw the higli lands of Japan in tlie province of 
 Bungo, and on the 12th came to anchor, when there were actually but five men of the whole 
 ship's company able to go about and do duty. They were hospitably received, soldiers were 
 placed on board to prevent a robbery of their good^ a house was provided for the sick, and 
 their bodily wants were all supplied by the prince of Bungo, who sent word to the Emperor of 
 their arrival. 
 
 The Portuguese, it will be remembered, were already established in Japan, and one of their 
 commercial dejjots was at Nagasaki. Five or six days after the arrival of the Dutch, there 
 came from that place a Portuguese Jesuit, with some of his countrymen and some Japanese 
 Christians. The former of these immediately denounced the Hollanders as pirates, denying 
 that they had come for any purposes of trade, as they alleged, though their ship had a full 
 cargo of merchandize on board. This created a prejixdice against them in the minds of the 
 Japanese, and the poor Hollanders lived in daily expectation of being put to death. This was 
 precisely what the Portuguese would have been glad to see, influenced by the double motive of 
 hatred of heretics and the wish to monopolize trade. But the case having been submitted to 
 the Emperor, who was then at Osaca, he ordered that Adams and one of the Dutch sailors 
 should be sent to him. He was sent accordingly, and furnishes a long and interesting account 
 of his interview with the monarch, (conducted through the medium of a Portuguese interpreter,) 
 in the course of which Adams had an opportunity of showing the Emperor samples of the 
 merchandize he had brought with him, and of begging that he and his companions might have 
 liberty to trade, as the I'ortuguese had. An answer was returned in Japanese, but Adams did 
 not understand it, and he was carried to prison, but his comforts seem to have been duly 
 regarded. He remained in prison forty-one days, during all which time, as he subsequently 
 discovered, the Jesuits and Portuguese residents spared no efforts to induce the Emperor tn put
 
 INTRODUCTION. 29 
 
 all the Dutcli ship's company to death as pirates. At last the Emperor answered their appli- 
 cation with equal justice and good sense, by telling them tliat, as yet, the Dutch had done no 
 hurt to him or any of his people, and that therefore he had no just cause to take their lives ; nor 
 could he find anj' sufficient reason for such severity as they desired in the fact that wars existed 
 between Portugal and Holland, with which he bad nothing to do. 
 
 At length he summoned Adams before him again, and asked of hmi a great many questions. 
 Finally, he encjuired of him whether he would like to go to his ship again to see bis com])anions? 
 Upon bis answering affirmatively be bade him go, and this was the first intimation Adams bad 
 that the ship had been brought by the Emperor's order to Osaca, and that his companions were 
 alive. Everything was now taken out of the vessel, which was ordered to a spot nearer to Jeddo, 
 whither the Emperor bad gone. The whole ship's com])any were liberally provided for at the 
 expense of the government. Presently, they petitioned that they might be permitted to take 
 their vessel and depart, but the Emperor would not consent. Finally, at the expiration of two 
 years, during which time they had been at liberty and mingled freely with the Japanese, they 
 were informed that they could not have their ship any more, and that they must make up their 
 minds to live, for the rest of their days, happily and peacefully in Japan. Hereuj)on the 
 Dutchmen dispersed themselves, going where they jdeased, and living comfortably enough upon 
 the daily allowance made them by the Emperor. Adams, however, remained about the court, 
 and, by his ingenuity and good qualities, soon made friends, and gradually rose in the esteem of 
 the Emperor until he attained to a high position of honor in the country. He taught his 
 majesty some of the principles of mathematics, and built for him two vessels. These things 
 gave to him such commanding influence, that even the Jesuits and Portuguese, who, for the 
 reasons already mentioned, were gradually losing favor, were glad to secui-e his friendly inter- 
 position with the Emperor for their benefit. 
 
 At length, in 1609, two armed Dutch ships came to Japan. Their object was to intercept 
 and make prize of the large Portuguese carrack which made the yearly voyage from Macao to 
 Japan with merchandize for the established trade. They were, however, a few days too late for 
 her capture, and so they put in at Firaudo, and the commanders went thence to the court of the 
 Emperor. Here William Adams, hting the chief neyotiator for them, they were kindly received, 
 and obtained the Emperor's free pass, and permission for their nation to send annually a ship or 
 two for purposes of trade ; and this was the beginning of the Dutch commerce with Japan. 
 
 Adams, as we have said, rose to high distinction. He thus describes his situation: "Now 
 for my service which I have done and daily do, being employed in the Emperor's service, he 
 bath given me a living like unto a lordship in England, with eighty or ninety busbiuidmen, 
 who are as my .servants and slaves. The i)recedent was never done before. Thus, God hath 
 provided for me after my great misery ; to his name be the praise forever. Amen." 
 
 But, with all this external ])r()s])erity, poor Adams had a beartsorc that could not be healed 
 in Japan. He bad left a young wife and two children in England, whom he tenderly loved. 
 Some of the most affecting passages he has written are those in which he alludes to bis family, 
 and expresses the dreadful apjjrehension that he should never see them again. There are such 
 honest, natural outpourings of a true and faithful heart in these passages, that it is impossible 
 to read them without the dee])est sympathy. The Emperor was not willing ho shotild go at all. 
 HjuI he been willing, Adams could not have gone in the Portuguese ships, which were, at first, 
 the only vessels that came annually for trade ; but when lie had successfully negotiated for tlie
 
 30 INTKODUCTION. 
 
 Dutch, liis hopes of once more seeing his family hegan to revive. He thought that in some of 
 their vessels God might at last provide a way for his return to England. But, though thus 
 saddened at heart, he never lost his self-possession and prudence. He thought that, should he 
 never he able to go himself, he might at least let his beloved family know where he was, and 
 assure them of his unabated affection. From the Dutch ship which came in 1611, he for the 
 first time learned that his countrymen, the English, were carrying on considerable trade in the 
 East Indies, and had made a humble beginning, in the way of factories, on tlie Malabar coast. 
 He, of com'se, knew not who of his countrymen might be there, or elsewhere in the east, but 
 whoever or wherever they might be, they were English, and through them he might tell the 
 sad story of his thirteen long years of separation from home and wife and children. He accord- 
 ingly wrote two long letters, the one addressed to his wife, the other endorsed as follows T " To 
 my unknown friends and countrymen, desiring this letter, by your good means or the news or 
 copy of this letter, may come to the hands of one or many of my acquaintance in Limehouse or 
 elsewhere, or in Kent, in Gillingham by Eochester." The last sentence in this is in these 
 words : 
 
 "Thus, in short, I am constrained to write, hoping that by one means or other, in process 
 of time, I shall hear of my wife and children ; and so with i)atience I wait the good will and 
 pleasure of. God Almighty, desiring all those to whom this my letter shall come to use the 
 means to acquaint my good friends with it, that so my wife and children may hear of me ; by 
 which means there may be hope that I may hear of my wife and children before my death ; the 
 which the Lord grant to his glory and my comfort. Amen. 
 
 "Done in Japan, the two and twentieth of October, 1611, by your unworthy friend and 
 
 servant to command in what I can, 
 
 "WILLIAM ADAMS." 
 
 In both these letters Adams related the 2)rincipal occurrences that had befallen him since he 
 left the Texel, and from these we have drawn the facts previously related. The letters did 
 reach England, but whether they found his wife and children living, or whether he ever heard 
 from them we cannot tell. As to himself, he might have sadly appropriated the words of the poet : 
 
 " Nor wife nor children more shall he behold, 
 Nor friends nor sacred home." 
 
 He died at Firando, in Japan, in 1619 or 1620, after having resided there from the year 1000; 
 and we have dwelt the longer on his personal history, not merely on account of its melancholy 
 interest, but because when we come to speak of the doings of his own countrymen in Japan, 
 these letters will be necessary to elucidate our narrative. 
 
 Leaving now these letters, we proceed with the history of the Dutch commerce. The first 
 factory of the Hollanders was at Firando, and was on an humble scale. That of the Portuguese 
 was at Nagasaki, on the island Dezima, which is now occujiied by the Dutch. The rivalry 
 between the two establishments was, of course, very great, and each sought to injure the other 
 as much as possible with the Japanese authorities. At length, before the close of 1639, the 
 Portuguese were totally exi)elled the country ; and then occurred an act on tlie i)art of the Dutch 
 in Japan too clearly ])roved to admit of denial, and too wicked and infamous to allow of 
 palliation. It was no better than cold blooded murder, promj)ted by no higlier motive than the 
 base h)ve of commercial gain. The facts were these : Tliongh no Portuguese Christian remained 
 in Japan, yet tlie native Christifins witc nut all extirpated. The.se jioor nt iitures, deprived of
 
 INTRODUCTION. 31 
 
 their European teachers, persevered in their faith, though threatened with imprisonment, 
 torture, and death. Oppression presently drove them into open rebellion, and they took refu"-e 
 and made a stand against the imperial forces in Simabara. The Japanese authorities called on 
 the Dutch to assist them in making war against these Cliristians, and the Butch did it. Kocke- 
 hecker was then director of the Dutch trade and nation in Japan. The native Christians had 
 endeavored to fortify themselves in an old town, which the troops of the Emperor could not take. 
 A Dutch ship was lying at Firando, and on hoard of this Kockebecker repaired to Simabara, and 
 battered the old tqwn with the ship's guns as well as from a battery he had erected on shore. After 
 a fortnight of this work the Japanese were satisfied to discharge the Dutch director ; for though the 
 Christians had not surrendered, yet they had lost so many of their number and the place was so 
 weakened that it was obvious it coidd not hold out much longer. Requiring, therefore, of the 
 Dutch director that he should land six more guns for the iise of the Emperor, they dismissed 
 him. The ]>lace was finally taken, after a very large number of the besieged had perished by 
 famine, and a total massacre of men, women and children followed; not one was spared. 
 
 We have spoken of this act as perpetrated by the Dutch m Japan, for we cannot deem it fair 
 to involve every Hollander in an indiscriminate censure. There were other Dutch .shijis at 
 Firando beside that which was employed in the bombardment ; but the commanders of these, 
 either suspecting, or having intimation that the Japanese would demand aid at their hands, quietly 
 left their anchorage, and went to sea before the demand was made, and thus cscajied particijiation 
 in this atrocious wickedness. To us it seems that the infamy must rest chiefly on the Dutch 
 director, and that M. Kockebecker deliberately preferred this most foul murder of the innocent to 
 the loss or interruption of the Dutch trade. Be this as it may, the/aci is distinctly admitted by 
 all the Dutch writers on Japan from the middle of the seventeenth century up to Fischer's work, 
 published in 1833. It is true, one says, that the Dutch were compelled to do it ; another states, 
 that the Dutch onlj' supplied cannon, powder, and ball, taught the Japanese artillery practice, and 
 sent ammunition, arms, and troops in their ships to the scene of action ; but old Kfempfer, who, 
 though in the Dutch service as a physician, was by birth a German, affirms positively that the 
 Dutch were active as belligerents. Fraissinet (a recent French writer) endeavors to give a 
 difi"erent coloring to the fact, but, as we think, in vain. He represents the case as one of 
 political rebellion, in which the native Christians took sides with the rebels ; and is pleased to 
 consider the Dutch as allies merely of the Emperor, carrying on a lawful war as allies ; and he 
 says that the archives of the Dutch fectory at Dezima, as well as the relations of natives of 
 respectability, acquit the Hollanders of all blame. Wliat the archives of the Dezima factory 
 may rww state, we have not the means of knowing, and we are not furnished by the French 
 apologist with their language ; but it is certainly very remarkable, if they do contain exculpatory 
 evidence, that the Dutch writers, all of whom were officials at Dezima, and many of whom lived 
 much nearer to the time of the transaction than an author of this day, should have overlooked 
 this evidence ; particularly when some of them seek to palliate the act itself Surely tlie Dezima 
 records were open to Fischer, the last Dutch writer on the subject, (1833 ;) why, then, instead 
 of producing them, does he admit the fact, and urge in extenuation comjndsion of the Dutcli by 
 the Japanese"? As to the relations of respectable natives, we can only sa}' we have never seen, 
 in any work on Japan, such relations as M. Fraissinet has named. But tliere is one fact which, 
 as it seems to us, conclusively negatives the supposition that it was a mere political insurrection 
 which the Dutch assisted in suppressing. Over the vast common grave in which tliese unhappy
 
 32 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 Cliristians were 'hnriecl at Simabara was set up, by imi)prial order, the following impious 
 inscription : "So long as the sun shall warm the earth, let no Christian he so bold as to come to 
 Japan ; and let all know that the King of Spain himself, or the Christian's God, or the great 
 God of all, if he violate this command, shall pay for it with his head." 
 
 And now, as to what respectable natives really did say about this sad transaction, let us hear 
 one who was on the spot, honest old Ka^mpfer. He was the physician in the Dutch service, and 
 thus writes : "By this submissive readiness to assist the Emperor in the execution of his designs, 
 •witla. regard, to the firicd destruction of ChristianitT/ in Ms dominions, it is true_, indeed, that we 
 stood our ground so far as to maintain ourselves in the country, and to be permitted to carry on 
 our trade, although the court had then some thoughts of a total exclusion of all foreigners 
 whatsoever. But many generous and noble i)ersons at court, and in the country, judged 
 unfavorably of our conduct. It seemed to them inconsistent with reason that the Dutch should 
 ever be expected to be faithful to a foreign monarch, and one, too, whom they looked upon as a 
 heathen, while they showed so much forwardness to assist him in the destruction of a people 
 with whom they agreed in the most essential parts of their faith, (as the Japanese had been 
 well informed by the Portuguese monks,) and to sacrifice to their own worldly interest those 
 who followed Christ in the very same way, and hoped to enter the Kingdom of Heaven through 
 the same gate. These are expressions lohich I often heard from the natives lohen the conversation 
 happened to turn upon this mournful subject. In short, by our humble complaisance and connivance, 
 we were so far from bringing this proud and jealous nation to any greater confidence, or more 
 intimate friendship, that, on the contrary, their jealousy and mistrust seemed to increase from 
 that time. They both hated and despised us for what we had done." Tliis, then, is the 
 testimony as to the opinion of the natives who knew something of the occurrences; and it is a 
 sad reflection, that, in the work of excluding Christianity from Japan, Romanists and Protestants 
 alike bore their part. Neither can, with justice, reproach the other. If the'worldliness and pride 
 of the Portuguese Christian prompted him to conspiracy, and drove him and his companions 
 from the Empire, the avarice and cruelty of the Dutch professed believer finished the work, and 
 extirpated the last remnant of the faith in the destruction of the native followers of Christ. 
 True Christianity indignantly disowns both. 
 
 In 1041, the Dutch were ordered to remove their factory from Firando, where they were 
 comfortable and unrestrained, and to confine them.selves to the now forsaken station of the 
 Portuguese at Dezima, a miserable little island in the port of Nagasaki, "more like a prison 
 than a factory," says Ka^mpfer. Here they were placed under a surveillance the most rigid, 
 and subjected to many a humiliating degradation. "So great" (says our honest old German) "was 
 the covetousness of the Dutch, and so strong the alluring power of the Japanese gold, that rather 
 than (juit the prospect of a trade, (indeed, most advantageous,) they willingly underwent an 
 almost perj)etual imprisonment, for such, in fact, is our residence at Dezima, and chose to suffer 
 many hardships in a foreign and heathen country ; to be remiss in performing divine service on 
 Sundays and solemn festivals ; to leave off praying and singing of psalms ; entirely to avoid the sign 
 of the cross, the calling upon the name of Christ in the i)resence of the natives, and all the 
 outer signs of Christianity ; and, lastly, patiently and submissively to bear the abusive and 
 injurious behavior of these proud infidels towards us, than which nothing can be oftered more 
 shockin"- to a noble and generous mind." And to sucli liuniiliatiou have tln'y sulmiitted even 
 to this day. Dezima is shaped like a fan ; and the island is, for the most part, ol' artificial
 
 INTRODUCTION. 33 
 
 construction. Its greatest length is about 600 feet, and its greatest breadth about 240. A 
 small stone bridge connects it with the town of Nagasaki ; at the end of this bridge there is 
 always stationed a strong Japanese guard, and no one passes either to or from the island without 
 license. The whole island is surrounded with a high fence, on the top of which are placed iron 
 spikes. Two water gates, on the north side of the island, are^opened to let in the Dutch ships 
 when they arrive, and are at all times kept shut save at the ingress and egress of these vessels. 
 The Dutch are not permitted to build a house of stone on the island, and their miserable 
 habitations are of fir wood and bamboo. The island has on it, at all times, Japanese spies, in 
 the situations of interpreters, clerks, servants, &c., whom the Dutch are obliged to pay ; and is 
 beside subject at any moment to the intrusion of the police of Nagasaki. In short, a more 
 annoying and thorough system of imprisonment and espionage was never devised. 
 
 When a ship arrives, the first act is to take out of her all her guns and ammunition. She is 
 then searched in every part, and an exact list is made of the goods and everything else she has 
 on board. The crew are then permitted to land on Dezima, where they are kept, as long as the 
 ship remains, imder the inspection of guards. Every Japanese official, whose business is with 
 the Dutch at the factory, is bound twice or thrice in a year to take a solemn oath of renunciation 
 and hatred of the Christian religion, and is made to trample under his feet crosses and crucifixes. 
 It is not true, however, as has been stated, that the Dutch also are required to perform this act ; 
 but they dare not say openly that they are Christians. A story is told of one who, in the time 
 of the great persecution at Nagasaki, being asked by the Japanese police "if he were a 
 Christian," replied : "No! I am a Dutchman." With such an exhibition of Christianity, who 
 wonders that the Japanese despise it. 
 
 . Formerly the chief of the factory, with the physician and some other officials at Dezima, 
 visited the Emperor at Jeddo annually, and made to him costly presents. The visit is now 
 quadrennial. On these occasions the Europeans had an opportunity of seeing and knowing 
 something of Japan ; and almost all they have published to the world has been gathered in 
 these periodical journeys to the capital. The story, however, is so uniform that we are 
 constrained to believe there is a well defined class of objects and subjects with which alone the 
 strangers are permitted to come into communication. 
 
 Kcempfer says that in his time (1690-'92) the Dutch were allowed, while the ships were away, 
 once or twice in the year, to walk into the country in the neighborhood of Nagasaki ; but they 
 were always objects of suspicion and surrounded by spies. At present, (as we learn from 
 Siebold,) if a member of the factory wishes such recreation, he must petition the governor of 
 Nagasaki twenty-four hours beforehand ; leave is granted, but the Dutchman is accompanied by 
 a swarm of interpreters, policemen, (banyoos, as they are called,) and other official spies to the 
 number of some twenty-five or thirty persons. Each of tliese, too, may invite as many of his 
 acquaintance as he pleases, and the unfortunate Dutchman must entertain them all. Tliis heavy 
 expense is doubtless designed by the Japanese to prevent the members of the factory from leaving 
 Dezima. Nothing is more obvious than that the Japanese, as a people, have but little respect 
 for the Dutch. Thus, when one of the factory goes out on leave, the boys follow him in a crowd, 
 hooting and shouting, Holanda! Holanda! or, as they pronounce it, Horanda! Horanda! The 
 gentleman, in pursuit of pleasure and the picturesque, is not allowed to enter any private 
 residence during his ramble, and he must be back at Dezima by sunset. If a Dutchman, at any 
 time, wishes to visit a private acquaintance, or is invited by an inhabitant of Nagasaki to 
 5 J
 
 34 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 partake of his hospitality, lie must present a petition to the governor, and obtain special 
 l)ermi8sion to go ; wliile on the visit, he is surrounded by spies as usiiiil. And to all this 
 humiliation, the Dutch have submitted, for more than two hundred years, for the purpose of 
 securing the monopoly of the Japanese trade ! 
 
 THE ENGLISH. 
 
 We must now remind the reader of the letters written by William Adams, one of which was 
 addressed to any of his countrymen in the east into whose hands Providence might cause it to 
 fall. Adams was, in truth, the founder of the English as he liad been of the Dutch trade. The 
 letters he wrote reached Batavia, and were thence sent to London, where they were submitted to 
 a corporation then known as the " Worshipful Fellowship of the Merchants of London, trading 
 into the East Indies," but in later times by the far more celebrated name of the " Honorabla 
 East India Company." No time was lost by the corporation in dispatching a ship for Japan, 
 and Purchas has preserved for us the history of the voyage. The vessel was called the Clove, 
 and was commanded by Captain John Saris, who had already made several voyages to the east. 
 Taking on board such a cargo as was deemed suitable, and furnished with a letter from King 
 James I. to the Prince of Firando, and one also, with presents, to the Emperor, Saris left Eng- 
 land on the I8th of April, 1611, and stopping and trading at various places on the way, reached 
 Firando on the 11th of June, 1613, when the English met with a most friendly reception from 
 the natives. 
 
 Saris found on his arrival that Adams was at Jeddo, nearly 900 miles distant, and imme- 
 diately put himself in communication with him, desiring him to rejiair at once to Firando. 
 Until he came he carried on his conferences with the Japanese, by means of a native of the 
 country whom he had picked up at Bantam, and who spoke the Malay language, which Saris 
 understood. Saris delivered the King's letter to the Prince of Firando, Foyne Sama, who 
 received it with pride, but would not open it until Adams (whom they called Ange) should arrive 
 to interpret it. The Prince also sent intelligence to the Emperor of the arrival of the Clove. 
 
 On the 29th of July Adams arrived, and Saris conferred with him on the subject of trade ; 
 and let us hope he had also something to tell him of his wife and children. Early in August 
 Saris left Firando for Jeddo, having in his company Adams and ten other Englishmen. The 
 purpose of the visit was to offer to the Emperor the presents of the English King, and to nego- 
 tiate a treaty. The Prince of Firando furnislied the party with one of his own galleys of fifty 
 oars. Saris gives us the particulars of his journey, which are not without interest, especially as it 
 respects the manners and customs of the people, which (as there were then no restrictions on the 
 intercourse with foreigners, and as he had Adams for a companion) he had ample ojiijortunity 
 of seeing under the most favorable circumstances. At length he had an interview with the 
 Emperor, by whom he was graciously received, and from whom, after some little negotiation 
 between Saris and the Emperor's secretary, he obtained privileges of trade, as follows : 
 
 " 1 . We give free license to the subjects of the King of Great Britain, viz: Sir Thomas Smith, 
 governor, and the company of the East Indian merchants and adventurers, forever safely to 
 come into any of our ports of our Emi)ire of Japan, with their ships and merchandise, without 
 any hindrance to them or their goods ; and to abide, buy, sell, and barter, according to their 
 own manner with all nations ; to tarry here as long as they think good, and to depart at their 
 pleasure.
 
 INTRODUCTION. oO 
 
 "2. We srant unto them freedom of custom for all such merchandises as either now thev 
 have brought, or hereafter shall bring into our Kingdoms, or shall from hence transport to any 
 foreign part ; and do authorize those sliips that hereafter shall arrive and come from England 
 to proceed to present sale of their commodities, without further coming or sending up to our 
 court. 
 
 " 3. If any of their ships shall happen to be in danger of shipwreck, we will our subjects not 
 only to assist them, but that such ])art of ship and goods as shall bo saved be returned to their 
 captain or cape merchant, or their assigns. And that they shall or may build one house or more 
 for themselves in any part of our Empire where they shall think fittest, and at their departure 
 to make sale thereof at their pleasure. 
 
 " 4. If any of the English merchants or others shall depart this life within our dominions, the 
 goods of the deceased shall remain at the dispose of the cape merchant ; and that all offences 
 committed by them shall be punished by the said cape merchant, according to his discretion ; 
 and our laws to take no hold of their persons or goods. 
 
 "5. We will that ye our subjects trading with them for any of their commodities pay them 
 for the same, according to agreement, without delay, or return of their wares again unto them. 
 " 6. For such commodities as they have now brought, or shall hereafter bring, fitting for our 
 service and proper use, we will that no arrest be made thereof ; but that the price be made with 
 the cape merchant, according as they may sell to others, and present payment upon the 
 delivery of the goods. 
 
 " 7. If in discovery of other countries for trade, and return of their ships they shall need 
 men or victuals, we will that ye our subjects furni.sh them for their money as their need shall 
 require. 
 
 "8. And that, without other passport, they shall and may set out upon the discovery of 
 Jesso or any other part in or about our Empire." 
 
 These certainly were privileges of the most liberal kind, and conclusively show that the 
 original policy of Japan was not at all one of exclusion ; and that Europeans may thank 
 themselves for the introduction of that rigorous system which has so long .shut her ports 
 against the commerce of nearly all the civilized world. Tlie Japanese, when they discovered 
 that foreigners were conspiring to take their country from them, did not choose to permit it ; 
 and, as the shortest mode of preventing it, sent out such foreigners as were in the country, and 
 forbade any more to come in. Now, whatever doubts may be entertained as to the wisdom or 
 expediency of such a remedy, no sane man will question the right, or find fault with the desire, 
 of the Japanese to keep Japan for themselves. If, unfortunately, some of the conspirators were 
 European ecclesia.stics, they justly paid the penalty of expulsion from the kingdom for making 
 their religion a part of their politics. The blunder was their own, not that of the Japanese. 
 
 The Emperor also sent by Captain Saris the following letter to the King of England : 
 "To the Kinrj of Great Britain: . 
 
 " Your Majesty's kind letter sent me by your servant. Captain John Saris, (who is the first 
 that I have known to arrive .in any part of my dominions,) I heartily embrace, being not a 
 little glad to understand of your great wisdom and power, as having three plentiful and 
 mighty kingdoms under your powerful command. I acknowledge your Majesty's great bounty 
 in sending me so undeserved a present of many rare things, such as my land affordeth not, 
 neither have I ever before seen, which I receive not as from a stranger, but as from your
 
 36 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 Majesty, whom I esteem as myself. Desiring the continuance of friendship with your highness — 
 and that it may stand with your good liking to send your subjects to any part or port of my 
 dominions, where they shall be most heartily welcome, applauding much their worthiness in 
 the admirable knowledge of navigation, having with much facility discovered a country so 
 remote, being no whit amazed with the distance of so mighty a gulf, nor greatness of such 
 infinite clouds and storms, from prosecuting honorable enterprises of discoveries and merchan- 
 dizing — wherein they shall find me to further them according to their desires. I return imto 
 your Majesty a small token of my love, (by your said subject,) desiring you to accept thereof, as 
 from him that much rejoiceth in your friendship. And whereas your Majesty's subjects have 
 desired certain privileges for trade, and settling of a factory in my dominions, I have not only 
 granted what they demanded, but have confirmed the same unto them under my broad seal for 
 better establishing thereof. 
 
 " From my castle in Surunga, this fourth day of tlie ninth montli, in the eighteenth year of 
 
 our Dairi, according to our computation. Besting your Majesty's friend. The highest 
 
 commander in this Kingdom of Japan. 
 
 "MINNA, MCMTTONO. Yd, ye, yeas." 
 
 [lyeyas.] 
 
 Three years after this, in 1616, a slight modification was made in the grant of privileges, 
 without, however, injuriously affecting the commercial interests of England. The ships were 
 directed, upon arriving on the coast, to repair to Firando, and carry on all their trade 
 at their factory there. They might, however, in case of opposing winds or bad weather, 
 enter and stay in any harbor of the Kingdom without paying anchorage duties, and though 
 they could not sell, they might freely buy any necessaries their ships required. When Saris 
 returned to England, he left in charge of the factory he had established at Firando Mr. Eichard 
 Cockes, who had under his direction eight Englishmen, three Japanese interpreters, and two 
 native servants. Among the Englishmen was Adams, whom the company were very glad to 
 employ at a liberal salary. The Protestant factories — Dutch and English — were thus neighbors 
 at Firando, while the Portuguese were at Dezima, in the harbor of Nagasaki, and bore them no 
 good will. 
 
 The English, however, soon gained the friendship and confidence of the natives, and Cockes 
 paid more than one visit to the Emperor at Jeddo. He remained in the country many years, 
 and, as it would appear from his letters, (printed in Purchas,) had ultimately trouble witli his 
 Dutch neighbors, who .seem to us, at least, to have systematically acted, from the first hour of 
 obtaining foothold in Japan, upon the policy of driving away all European traders but them- 
 selves. It is a policy from which (notwithstanding their profes.sions) we think they have never 
 swerved. 
 
 The English company, it is probable, made an injudicious selection of merchandise for 
 shipment to Japan ; at any rate, from tliis or some other cause, certain it is that the business 
 did not prove remunerative; and, discouraged by tliis and some other circumstances, the company, 
 in 1623, after an expenditure of £40,000, voluntarily closed their factory at Firando, and 
 withdrew from the country. But they left witli an unstained reputation, and departed with the 
 esteem of the higher classes and the regrets of tlie more lauuble. It is useless to indulge in 
 conjecture as to what might have been the present condition of Japan liad tliey remained. 
 Possibly, long ere this, she might have had commercial relations established with the rest of the
 
 INTRODUCTION. 37 
 
 world. The departure of the English took place before the bloody persecution of the Christians 
 reached its heiiiht. They left native Christians in Japan ; we are not prepared to believe they 
 would ever have deliberately assisted in their extermination. It was, perhaps, fortunate for 
 them that they were out of the Kingdom before the bombardment of Simabara. 
 
 Thirteen years after the abandonment of their factory, the English were disposed to make 
 a new attempt. Acccordingly, four vessels were dispatched, but they were ungraciously received 
 at Nagasaki, the only port then open to foreigners, and occupied by the Dutch, and tliey returned 
 without accomplishing their object. The Dutch were now becoming all-powerful in the east ; 
 established on the ruins of the Portuguese dominion at Amboyna and Timor, fortified in Batavia, 
 masters of the Moluccas, Ceylon, the coasts of Malabar and Coromandel, they were not likely to 
 admit a rival among them, and to them the English, without doubt justly, attributed the failure 
 of this attempt to re-establish themselves in Japan. 
 
 But they deemed it best, for a time, to keep still ; dark days were coming upon England ; 
 the country had to pass through the civil wars that marked the reign of the first Charles. It 
 was no time to undertake bold commercial enterprises. The East India Company consequently 
 did but little more for many years than keep up an intercourse with Bantam. They wanted 
 a time of peace and a firmly settled government before they made further efforts. 
 
 At length, in 1673, the company renewed its efibrts to re-enter Japan. It had received a fresh 
 and much enlarged grant of powers from the King, and was in fact made little less than a 
 sovereign power in the east. The .ship that was now sent was called the "Return." A journal, 
 as yet unpublished, was kept of the voyage ; and Fraissinet says it is now in the possession of 
 the Southwell family at London. He has had access to it, and furnishes us with many interesting 
 extracts ; observing very justly that it strikingly illustrates three particulars — the remarkable 
 circumspection of the Japanese, their extreme opposition to the introduction of any strangers 
 among them, and, above all, their unappeasable hatred of the Portuguese. 
 
 Charles II, it will be remembered, had married a princess of Braganza, and was therefore 
 allied to the royal family of Portugal ; and the Dutch were by no means backward in commu- 
 nicating this fact to the Japanese. Accordingly, on the appearance of the English ship in the 
 Japanese waters, she was, from this cause alone, viewed with unusual suspicion. We give 
 from the journal alluded to above, or rather from the French version of it, some of the 
 conversations between the English and the Japanese officials. 
 
 "Are you English?" 
 
 "Yes. We have come here with the permission of our sovereign, the King of England, to 
 carry on trade for the East India Company, and re-establish the commerce which our countrymen 
 commenced with you and left fifty years ago. We have letters from our King, and from tlie 
 company, to his Majesty the Emperor of Japan;" and with this was handed to the Japanese 
 commissioner a copy of the privileges of trade already set before the reader. This was written 
 in the Japanese character. 
 
 The governor next charged the interpreter to ask "if England was at peace with Portugal 
 and Spain ; if our King had been long married to the daughter of the King of Portugal ; 
 whether there were any children of the marriage; what was our religion, and wliat sort of 
 merchandize we had?" 
 
 We answered that just now we are at peace with all the world ; that our King liad been 
 married eleven years ; that the Queen had no children ; that we were Christians as the Dutcli 
 were, but not papists. As to our merchandize, the cargo of the ship was a general one. 
 
 ?5ii7
 
 38 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 At the next interview, the governor said, "it is fifty years since the English were here; we 
 should like to know the reason of your long absence." The civil wars of England, two wars 
 with Holland, and the expense and dangeV of so long a voyage were assigned as reasons and 
 seemed to he satisfactory. The questioning then proceeded : 
 
 "Have j'ou none among you who have been in this country before ?" 
 
 "Not one." 
 
 " How, then, were you able to find your way here?" 
 
 "By means of marine charts which guided us." 
 
 "What is the religion of the Portuguese? is it not called Roman Catholic? have they not the 
 image of a woman whom they call Santa Maria, and of a man named Santo Christof do not 
 they wor.ship these images? and how many other saints have they?" 
 
 "We cannot answer the last question, not knowing enough of the Roman religion to do so." 
 
 " What is your own worship ? Have you also images like the Portuguese?" 
 
 "No. We are of the reformed religion, which is like that of the Dutch. We offer our 
 prayers to none but to Almighty God, the creator of heaven and earth, who fills all things with 
 his presence. We never make any image or figure to represent him." 
 
 "Can you tell me who is that Santo Ohristo, and who is that Santa Maria f" 
 
 "We call the first the son of God, and the last the Virgin Mary; but we never offer prayers 
 to the Virgin." 
 
 "How do the Dutch worship God?" 
 
 "I have told you, as we do." 
 
 "What do they call him?" 
 
 "They call him God." 
 
 "And the Christ?" 
 
 "They call him Chkist?" 
 
 "What name do you Dutch and English give to the religion of the Portuguese?" 
 
 "We give the name of the 'Roman Catholic religion.'" 
 
 "And what to those who profess it?" 
 
 "We call them papists^ Romans, Roman Catholics." 
 
 "What do the Portuguese call you?" 
 
 '' Hereyes in their language, in ours heretics." 
 
 Just at this moment the British flag was hoisted, when instantly the question was put : 
 
 "Why do you hoist your flag to-day, and why have you not done it every day since you 
 came in?" 
 
 "To-day is our Sabbath, and it is our custom always to hoist our flag on the return of the 
 seventh day." 
 
 "At what times in the day do you pray?" 
 
 "Every morning and evening." 
 
 "And the Dutch, do they the same?" 
 
 "Certainly." 
 
 But the St. George's cross in the flag troubled the Japanese, and they made it the subject of 
 many inquiries, desiring to know why it was there. 
 
 "We do not carry the cross in our colors from superstition, nor does it have any religious 
 meaning there. It is nothing more than our distinctive sign. Beside, our flag and crofls and 
 those of the Portuguese are very different."
 
 INTRODUCTION. 39 
 
 "Have you ever been under the dominion of Portugal or Spain ?" 
 
 "Never. Our sovereign is King of three great States. He is a prince much more powerful 
 than the King of Portugal." 
 
 "Is it not then from either of tliese nations that you have received your cross?" 
 
 "We have had it from time immemorial ; for six centuries at least." 
 
 Notwithstanding all these explanations, however, the Japanese officers, not by command, but 
 privately and as friends, advised the English not to hoist the flag with the cross, as a ^reat 
 many of the people mistook it for the Portuguese standard. At length the answer came from 
 the Emperor, to whom had been referred the English application for a renewal of trade. 
 
 "We have received letters from the Emperor. Your request, as well as the reasons by which 
 you enforced it, have been duly considered. But you cannot be allowed to trade here, because 
 your King has married the daughter of the King of Portugal. That is the only reason why 
 your request is refused. The Emperor orders that you depart and come back no more. Such is 
 his will, and we cannot change it in any particular. You will therefore make sail with the first 
 favorable wind, and at the latest within twenty days." 
 
 "It is impossible for us to leave before the trade winds change." 
 
 "In that case, how much time do you wish us to grant you?" 
 
 "Forty-five days ; for in that time I suppose we shall have a change." 
 
 The English asked permission at least to sell their cargo before going. 
 
 "The Emperor forbids it ; we dare not disobey. It is your unfortunate alliance with Portugal 
 which stands in your way." 
 
 And thus ended this attempt to revive the English trade. It may be that other causes beside 
 the Portuguese marriage operated ; and of these the Dutch, it cannot be doubted, would gladly 
 avail themselves ; but if there were no other, then it is quite certain that the Hollanders, by 
 communicating this unpropitious fact to the Japanese, were the sole cause of the exclusion of the 
 English. And such was the opinion of all on board the "Return." 
 
 More than a century elapsed, after this unsuccessful experiment, before the English made 
 another attempt ; but in 1Y91, the "Argonaut," which was employed in the fur trade, on the 
 northwestern coast of America, made an efi'ort to barter with the Japanese. On the arrival of 
 the vessel, however, she was immediately surrounded, according to the usual custom, by lines 
 of boats, and no communication was allowed between the ship and the shore. All that was 
 obtained was wood and water, and with these the "Argonaut" took her departure. 
 
 In 1803 the "Frederick," an English merchantman, was sent from Calcutta with a cargo to 
 Japan, but was refused admittance to the harbor, and was ordered to depart witliin twenty-four 
 hours. This unceremonious treatment of the English was, undoubtedly, owing to the Dutch. 
 England had made great conquests in India, and securely established her power in the east ; 
 some of these conquests, too, were made at the expense of the Dutch. Under Olive and Warren 
 Hastings all the fond anticipations the Hollanders had formed of a foothold in India had been 
 dissipated. They could not accomplish their wishes, but they could use the very triumphs of 
 their rivals as an instrument in defeating the English efibrts to increase their trade. Tliis was 
 to be efiFected by awakening the jealousy and alarming the apprehensions of the Japanese. 
 These last were uncommonly well informeil of the progress of events in India, from the time 
 of Olive downward. Where could tliey have learned them but from tlic Dutch? The Hol- 
 landers told the story with such coloring as suited them ; whitewasliing their own disgraces and
 
 40 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 defeats, and covering with blackness the acts of their successful rivals. Tliey thus taught the 
 Japanese to form an idea of the English character and ambition perfectly fatal to the establish- 
 ment of friendly relations. And, unfortunately, in many instances, (one of which, in Japan, 
 we shall detail directly,) the English were furnishing them, from time to time, with abundant 
 material. We do not mean to apologize for England's misdoings in the east ; but we do mean 
 to impute to the Dutch the seeming pursuit, from the very beginning, of a uniform system of 
 policy, which, whether it be so or not, appears, at least, to have sought the exclusion of 
 Portuguese, English, Americans, and every other commercial nation in Christendom, from any 
 participation in the trade with Japan, of which, at the price of a servility utterly imworthy 
 of the noble deeds of Holland's past history, she had procured the monopoly. 
 
 The next English visit we have to record is that of an armed ship-of-war, in 1808. In 
 October of that year an European vessel, with Dutch colors, appeared off Nagasaki. It was the 
 time when the usual Dutch trader was expected, and M. Doeff was then director of the factory 
 at Dezima. Supposing it to be the expected annual trader from Batavia, two of the employes 
 of the factory, one of whom was a book-keeper, named Grozeman, put off to the ship ; according 
 to Doeff's account, the native interpreters, who never went on board, reported on their return 
 that the ship's boat put off on the approach of the boat containing the two Dutch clerks, as if 
 to meet them ; and that the crew of the ship's boat had weapons concealed on their persons. 
 The Japanese boat, with the interpreters, was astern of that from the factory. As the boats 
 approached that of the Dutchmen was boarded fi-om the other and the two employes were forcibly 
 carried, as prisoners, on board the ship. Be this as it may, certain it is that Gozeman and his 
 companion did not return, and that they were detained on board of the strange vessel. The 
 Japanese could not conceal their astonishment, nor understand bow Hollanders, in that part of 
 the Kingdom where they were permitted to be, and lawfully employed, too, could be thus treated 
 by men sailing under the Dutch flag. Doeff, however, instantly suspected that the vessel was 
 English, and he knew that war then existed between his own country and England. 
 
 The governor of Nagasaki, enraged beyond measure, had driven the Japanese interpreters 
 from his presence, and bade them not dare appear before him again without Gozeman and his 
 companion; and instantly set about making preparations for repelling a warlike attack. But, 
 to his horror, he discovered that, at a strong point on the harbor, where there should have been 
 a garrison of a thousand men, nearly all were absent without leave ; the commander was away, 
 and not more than sixty or seventy soldiers could be mustered. Though it was not the 
 governor's duty to command this point in person, yet to him belonged its oversight ; and from 
 the moment he discovered its condition he considered himself as a dead man. 
 
 At eleven o'clock that night, Doeff received a note in the hand-writing of one of the detained 
 Dutchmen, in these words : " The ship has come from Bengal. The captain's name is Pellew ; 
 he wants water and provisions." The vessel was H. M. S. Phaeton, belonging to the squadron 
 of Admiral Drury, cruising in the eastern seas. As we have said, England was at war with 
 Holland, which at that time was a mere dependency of France. The admiral had ordered 
 Captain Fleetwood Pellew to crui.se off the Japanese islands, for the purpose of intercepting the 
 Dutch traders to Nagasaki. Captain Pellew, after cruising for a month, supposed that the 
 Dutch vessels might have reached tlic harbor of Nagasaki, and put in to that port in the hope 
 of finding them there. 
 
 Doeff did not dare to send off water and provisions without the concurrence of the Japanese
 
 INTRODUCTION. 41 
 
 governor ; and when the latter asked his advice about acceding to the request, he declined 
 givin'T it, and said he could give no support to aiw' request made hy one whom ho nf(\v know to 
 be the enemy of his country. 
 
 In the midst of the embarrassment and confusion of the poor governor, his first secretary 
 made his appearance to submit a proposition, strikingly characteristic of some of the traits of 
 Japanese character: "This,"' said he, "is my plan. The foreign sliip has entrapped the Dutchmen 
 by treachery ; therefore, all means are lawful to punish the tr'^aclujry. I will contrive, then, 
 to go on board alone under the guise of friendly professions. I will demand of the captain the 
 two Dutchmen ; if he will not surrender them, I will strike him dead, and then immediately 
 kill myself with a dagger which I will conceal in my bosom. I know that assassination is 
 repugnant to our national character ; but the English commander, who has thus dishonorably 
 invaded our country to attack those whose flag he has usurped for his protection, is worthy of 
 no better fate. In short, to punish him, I am quite willing to sacrifice my life." 
 
 M. Doeff, however, represented to him that the consequence of this plan would certainly be 
 his own death, and probably that of the two Dutchmen on board the ship ; and the governor 
 concurring in this view, the secretary abaudoued his desperate scheme. 
 
 The plan next considered, was to detain the ship on one pretext or another, until the forces 
 of the neighboring princes could be collected for an attack. In the course of the day, how- 
 ever, Gozeman was sent on shore with a note, as follows : -'I have ordered my own boat to set 
 G-ozeman on shore to procure me water and provisions. If he does not return before evening, 
 I will enter the harbor early to-morrow morning, and burn the Japanese and Chinese vessels 
 that may be there." 
 
 Gozeman's story was, that when he was taken on board, he demanded to see the commander, 
 whereupon he was carried before a youth, seemingly some eighteen or nineteen years old, who, 
 taking him into the cabin, a.sked him whether there were any Dutch ships in Japan, threat- 
 ening him with the severest punishment if he should deceive him. Gozeman told him truly, 
 that the Dutch ships had not arrived that year. The commander, however, pretended to know 
 better ; accused the Dutchman of having spoken untruly, and said he would enter the harbor, and 
 see for himself, and, in case he found any, Gozeman might consider himself a dead man. 
 Accordingly, he did enter in his boat, and made examination, and on his return, told Gozeman 
 it was fortunate for him that his statement had been found true. He then sent him on shore 
 with the note given above, instructing him to return, whether he obtained the supplies or 
 not, and informing him that if he did not come back, his companion, who was kept on board, 
 should be hanged. 
 
 The governor was transported with rage when he heard this story, but was finally induced 
 by what Doeff said to him to send off water and provisions by Gozeman. Soon after the two 
 Dutchmen were sent on shore in safety. And now the Japanese governor employed himself in 
 taking measures to detain the ship (as was his duty) until the pleasure of the government 
 could be known. But how to do this was a question not very easy of solution. Doefif was 
 again consulted, when he did not conceal the difiiculty, not to say the impossibility, of the 
 capture by the Japanese of a British frigate, in a perfect state of warlike equipment. One plan 
 was suggested by the prince of Omura, who promised to take the lead in its execution, and the 
 Japanese by no means lacked the courage necessary to attempt it. They are a brave race. 
 The plan was to man three hundred boats loaded with reeds and straw and other combustibles, 
 6 J
 
 42 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 to surround the frigate and burn lier. Tlie calculation was that if the English destroyed two 
 hundred of the boats, enough would still be left to effect the object. Tlie rowers were to save 
 themselves by swimming. 
 
 But Doefl' advised another course. He recommended to the governor to amuse the com- 
 mander of the ship by promises of water the next day, so as to detain him as long as possible, 
 and to improve the time by causing a number of native boats to go with stones and throw them 
 into the narrow channel by which alone the ship could pass out to the open sea. This he hoped 
 could be done, without discovery by the English, in the course of the nc.\.t day and night ; and 
 the work was ordered ; but before anything was accomplished, a favorable wind sprung up, and 
 the Ph;eton stood out to sea. 
 
 MacFarlaue thinks that, anywhere but in Japan, the whole affair, having terminated blood- 
 lessly, would have been laughed at as a clever ruse de guerre ; but it was no matter for mirth to 
 the unfortunate Japanese officials. The law of the Kingdom had been broken, and the 
 consequence was inevitable. In half an hour after the shij) made sail, the governor of Nagasaki 
 was dead by his own hand ; he had followed the custom of the country and disembowelled 
 himself The officers of the neglected garrison did the same thing ; the interpreters were 
 ordered to Jeddo, and never were seen again in Nagasaki; nor could the Dutch ever learn their 
 fate; and this "laughable" ruse cost no less than thirteen Japanese lives. The governor of 
 the province (Fizen) was the officer who had supreme command of the troops that belonged to 
 the garrison ; and was, at the time of the Phajton's arrival, residing, compulsorily, in the 
 distant capital, (Jeddo,) yet was he punished by an imprisonment of one hundred days for the 
 delinquency of his subordinate officers. The visit of the British frigate therefore brought in 
 its train very sad consequences, creating very strong prejudices against the English, and to 
 this hour it is remembered in Japan with embittered feelings. 
 
 Five years had elapsed after the visit of the English frigate before another attempt was 
 made. During that period the wars of Europe had cut off the Dutch at Dezima, not only 
 from communication with Holland and her colonies, but with all the rest of the world. They 
 were in profound ignorance of all that had passed in this interval outside of Japan. 
 
 In July, 1813, they heard with joy that two European ships under the Dutch flag were off 
 the port. They showed also the private Dutch signal, so that M. Doeff had no doubt they 
 were the long expected vessels that had come from Batavia for the annual trade. Letters also 
 were sent on shore to the factory, from which he learned that M. Waardeuar, formerly 
 president of the factory, and under whose patronage and friendship M. Doeff had commenced 
 his career as an employ^ at Dezima, was on board one of the ships in the capacity of commissary 
 of the government, with his secretary and physician ; and that on board the other was M. 
 Cassa^, accompanied by three assistants, and charged to replace M. Doeff. 
 
 Immediately the storekeeper, Blomhoff, with another of the Dezima officials, (they had but 
 three left in the whole factory,) put off to meet the ships ; and, on their return, Blomhoff told 
 Doeff that M. Waardeuar was indeed on board, and that the Dutch captain, Voorman, wlio 
 had often been to Dezima before, commanded; "but," added he, "everything aboard wore a 
 strange aspect ; and the commissary, instead of confiding to me, as usual, the papers from the 
 government, said he would deliver them to you in person." Presently the vessels came into 
 harbor ; and as all the crew sjjoke English, the Japanese, who liad been accustomed to hear 
 that language since 1795, concluded that tlio vessels were American, and that they had been
 
 INTRODUCTION. 43 
 
 hired at Batavia by tlie Dutch, who they knew had sometimes fiought to carry on their 
 commerce, without risk of cajiture, under the flag of the United States. To ascertain the 
 trutli, M. Doeft" himself went on board, when M. Waardenar met him with evident embarrass- 
 ment, and handed him a letter. The Dutch director saw that there was something not j-et 
 intelligible to him, and prudently declined opening the letter until he should reach the factory, 
 whither he soon returned accompanied by "Waardenar and his secretary. 
 
 "When they reached Dezima, Doeif opened the letter in the presence of Blomhoff and of 
 "Waardenar and his secretary. It was signed " Eaffles, Lieutenant Governor of Java and its 
 Dependencies," and announced that M. "Waardenar was appointed commissary in Japan, with 
 supreme power over the factory. The poor director was utterly bewildered. In his long isola- 
 tion great events, and among them the utter absorption of his own nation into that of France, 
 and the subjugation of all the Dutch colonies, had occurred; and he asked in amazement, ""Who 
 is Eaffles?" Then was opened to him the last five years of European history, and he learned 
 that Holland no longer had an independent national existence, and that Java belonged to Eng- 
 land; that Sir Stamford Eaffles, who ruled there, had appointed "Waardenar and Dr. Ainslie, an 
 Englishman, as commissioners in Japan, and required of him a surrender of everything into 
 their hands. It was an ingenious but most hazardous attempt on the part of Eaffles to transfer 
 the trade which the Dutch had so long monopolized to the hands of the English. 
 
 Doeff instantly refused compliance, on the ground that Japan was no dependency of Java, and 
 could not be aflected by any capitulation the Dutch might have made on the surrender of that 
 island ; and further, that if Java was now an English island, then the order to him came from 
 an authority to which he, as a Dutchman, acknowledging no allegiance to England, certainly 
 owed no obedience. Doeff, who was exceedingly shrewd, saw also in an instant that the ships 
 and crews were completely at his mercy. He had bii± to tell the Japanese the facts he had 
 just learned, and, exasperated as they were by the affair of the Phc-eton, the destruction of the 
 ships and their crews would inevitably follow. He saw his advantage, and shaped his course 
 accordingly. Fraissinet (who in his work on Japan is very much of an apologist for the Dutch 
 in all cases) represents this conduct on the part of M. Doeff as an example of exalted humanity 
 and patriotism ; while MacFarlane intimates that, such was the hatred of Doeff to the English, 
 he would probably have denounced the ships to the Japanese but for the fact that M. Waardenar 
 was his countryman, his friend, and early benefactor. "We cannot undertake to arbitrate between 
 these conflicting views, our business is to record the fact that, in the exercise either of loyalty, 
 or friendship, or humanity, as the case may be, he contrived to preserve, in all its purity, the 
 high reputation of the Dutch for taking care of their commercial interests in Jajian, at any 
 expense, particularly when such expense cordd be made to fall upon others. 
 
 The Dutch factory had for five years been without its annual supplies from Batavia, and had 
 consequently been obliged to contract a large debt to the Japanese for their support during this 
 long period. M. Doeff, after working upon the fears of "Waardenar and Ainslie by a threat of 
 exposure to the Japanese, induced them to enter into an arrangement with him, and to hind 
 themselves in writing to the fulfilment of the contract, which was in substance this : In the first 
 place, the ships were to be passed off as being American, employed by the Dutch, for the sake 
 of obtaining the protection of the neutral flag of the United States. Secondly, the presence of M. 
 Waardenar, well known to the Japanese as a Dutchman, and formerly President of Dezima, was 
 to give countenance to this view. Thirdly, M. Doeff demanded as the price of holding his
 
 44 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 tongue, that is, as the price of saving the lives of Waardenar and the English, that the cargoes 
 of the two ships should be delivered to him, as Dutch factor, in the usual manner ; that he 
 should dispose of them, and out of the proceeds pay first all that Holland owed the Japanese for 
 the supplies of the last five years. The surplus was to be applied to the purchase of copper, to 
 load the ships as far as possible, though the copper was to be estimated at more than the usual 
 price to the English ])urchasers. Finally, it was provided that when the ships reached Batavia 
 and sold the copper, twenty-five thousand rix dollars were to be placed to the personal credit of 
 M. Doelf. On these terms the Dutch director connived* at the imposition of a deception upon 
 the Japanese, and successfully managed to secure the silence of such of the interpreters as he 
 could not help trusting with the secret. The ships were loaded and dispatched as soon as 
 possible, and they certainly encountered no small risk while they remained at Dezima ; for the 
 son of that governor of Nagasaki who killed himself about the affair of the Phfeton was now a 
 man of office and influence at Jeddo, and would undoubtedly have availed himself of the oppor- 
 tunity, had he known it existed, to avenge his father's death. 
 
 Sir Stamford Raflies is generally supposed by his best friends to have made a mistake in 
 sending these shi2:)s. If Doefif had surrendered the factory, the probability is that as soon as 
 the Japanese discovered it to be tran.sferred, and that, too, without consulting them, they would 
 have destroyed Dezima, and put all the English there to death. 
 
 In 1814, however, Raffles sent Cassa back in one of the ships, (Waardenar was probably too 
 wise to put his neck into the halter again,) when the same stratagem was resorted to, the same 
 commercial profit was secured by the wily Dutchman, and Cassa failed entirely in superseding 
 M. Doefi" as director of Dezima. The latter was more than a match for him in the game of 
 cunning and trickery by which each sought to countermine the stratagems of the other. Doeff 
 kept Dezima ; and for a time the flag of Holland floated nowhere else in the world but on that 
 distant spot, where it was unfurled by sufferance only. At last, after the restoration of the house 
 of Orange, and the return of Java to the Dutch, the old trade was resumed, and Doeff was 
 succeeded by a new director. 
 
 In 1818, another attempt was made in a little vessel of sixty-five tons, that was commanded 
 by Captain Gordon, of the British navy. She entered the bay of Jeddo, and was immediately 
 surrounded with the usual line of boats. Her rudder was unshipped, and all her arms and 
 ammunition were taken ashore. The interpreters, one of whom spoke Dutch, and one Russian, 
 and both some English, inquired if the Dutch and English were now friends, and if the vessel 
 belonged to the East India Company? They were quite civil, but utterly refused all presents 
 and trade. The last English visit, prior to the time of the United States expedition under 
 Commodore Perry, was in May, 1849. This was made by H. M. S. "Mariner," under Com- 
 mander Matheson. She went to Oragawa, about twenty-five miles from Jeddo, but nothing of 
 importance resulted from the visit. 
 
 THE RUSSIANS. 
 
 The efforts of Russia to obtain foothold in Japan commenced in the latter part of the last 
 century. Her possessions in Asia, her seizure and occupation of some of tlie Kurile 
 islands which belonged to Japan, and her small portion of territory in America, in the colony 
 at Sitka, have placed her on every side of the Japanese Empire but the south. She has pursued 
 her policy noiselessly ; possibly meaning at the proper time to make her communications as com-
 
 INTRODUCTION. 45 
 
 plete as circumstances will allow between her Asiatic and American possessions. With Corea, 
 Japan, and the Aleutian islands, stretching over to the promontory of Alaska on our northwest 
 coast, and with a strong point at Sitka, she might be in a situation to show the world that her plans 
 of extension were by no means confined to the limits of the Eastern hemisphere. With harbors on 
 the coasts of Eastern Asia and Western America, opening on a sea which must be the seat of an 
 immense and lucrative commerce, she might aim to be a great maritime power, and to rule 
 mistress of the Pacific. If she possessed Japan, she would have an abundance of harbors, 
 unriv'alled in the world for excellency,* and with her resources would control the commerce of 
 the Pacific. It is not, therefore, the interest of any part of the commercial world that Eussia 
 should ever own Japan ; but Eussia has, doubtless, long seen the importance to her of its acqui- 
 sition. If she aims at being a commercial nation, the possession of Japan would make her 
 eminently so. 
 
 Some seventy or eighty years ago, a Japanese vessel was wrecked on one of the Aleutian 
 islands belonging to Eussia. The crew was rescued, and was carried to the Eussian port of 
 Okotsk, orlrkutzk. But, instead of being sent hoem at once, they were detained in Eussia ten years. 
 The object undoubtedly was, that the Japanese and Eussians might learn each others' languages. 
 It seemed to be a small matter, but it had a specific end. At last, the discovery was made that 
 it would bs humane to attempt, at least, the return of these poor shipwrecked Japanese to their 
 country. Eussia, probably, was ignorant that they would be refused admission. Had they 
 been sent ten years before, the consequences would have been the same ; but Eussia did not know 
 this ; and beside, her later eflbrt deprives her ot any apology for her tardy humanity. 
 
 The Empress Catharine, however, directed the governor of Siberia to send them back, and to 
 endeavor, through their instrumentality, to establish such mutual relations as might tend to the 
 benefit of both nations. He was ordered to dispatch an envoy, in his own name, with credentials 
 and suitable presents ; and was expressly forbidden to permit any Englishman or Dutchman to 
 be employed in the work. A Eussian lieutenant, named Laxman, was the agent employed, and 
 in the autumn of 1792, he sailed from Okotsk, in a transport ship called the " Catharine." He 
 soon made a harbor on the northern coast of the island of Jesso, and there wintered ; in the 
 succeeding summer he went round to the southern coast of the same island and entered the 
 harbor of Hakodadi. The Japanese were polite, but refused to take back their countrymen, 
 informing Laxman tliat it was against their laws. They also told him that he had subjected 
 himself and his crew, as being foreigners, to perpetual imprisonment for landing anywliere in 
 the Kingdom except at the appointed port of Kaga.saki ; yet, in consideration of the Eussian 
 ignorance of this law, and of their kindness to the shipwrecked Japanese, they would not enforce 
 the law, provided Lieutenant Laxman would promise for himself and his countrymen to return 
 immediately to his own country, and never again come to any part of Japan but Nagasaki. 
 
 Laxman left without landing the Japanese, and the Empress Catharine made no further 
 attempt during her reign. In 1804, her grandson, the Emperor Alexander, renewed the eftbrt. 
 A government ship, commanded by Krusenstern, was sent to Nagasaki, having on board 
 Resanoff, sent as special ambassador to Japan. He had hardly arrived, however, before he 
 furnished abundant evidence of his unfitness for the delicate mission witli which he was intrusted. 
 He commenced his intercourse with the Japanese officials by a dispute on a ridiculous point of 
 etiquette, viz : whether he should make a bow to the Emperor's representatives. Next ho 
 positively refiised to surrender the arms of the ship, according to the usual custom, though it
 
 46 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 was perfectly useless to retain them, as he had given up all the ammunition to the Japanese. 
 He then very foolishly contrived to convince the inmates of the Dutch factory at Deziraa, to whom 
 he brought letters, that he suspected them of secretly intriguing to defeat his purposes with the 
 Japanese ; while, in point of fact, the sagacious Dutchman, DoeflP, who had charge of Dezima, 
 was exercising all his ingenuity to pursue such a nicely balanced system of non-committal, tliat, 
 let the mission terminate as it would, he might be able to exclaim, "thou canst not say, /did 
 it," and to turn events to the advantage of himself and his countrymen. But, at last, the 
 ship was brought into safe anchorage, within the harbor'; and after a great deal of negotiation 
 and delay, consent was given that the Russian ambassador might live on land until an answer 
 to his message was received from the Emperor at Jeddo. An old fish warehouse was cleaned 
 out and prepared for his reception, and surroimded with a high fence of bamboos. At last, 
 when he was summoned to go to Nagasaki to hear the Emperor's answer to his application, 
 curtains were hung before the houses on each side of the street through which he passed, and 
 the inhabitants were all ordered to keep out of sight, so that he saw nothing of the place. 
 Indeed, as we read the account of Resanoff's mission, it is hard to resist the belief, that the 
 Japanese took pleasure in mortifying the ambassador, and in overwhelming him, at the 
 same time, with an affectation of great personal j^oliteness. They kept him waiting, too, 
 until 1805 for his answer ; when it came, it was peremptory enough. " Order from the Emperor 
 of Japan to the Russian ambassador." "Formerly, our Empire had communication with 
 several nations ; but experience caused us to adopt, as safe, the opposite principle. It is not 
 permitted to the Japanese to trade abroad ; nor to foreigners to enter oiir country." * * * 
 "As to Russia, we have never had any relations with her. Ten years ago, you sent certain 
 shipwrecked Japanese to Matsmai, and you then made us propositions of alliance and commerce. 
 At this time j^ou have come back to Nagasaki, to renew these propositions. This proves that 
 Russia has a strong inclination for Jajian. It is long since we discontinued all relations with 
 foreigners generally. Although we desire to live in peace with all neighboring States, the 
 difference between them and us, in manners and character, forbids entirely treaties of alliance. 
 Your voyages and your labors are, therefore, useless." * * * " All communications 
 between you and us are impossible, and it is my imperial pleasure that, henceforth, you no more 
 bring your ships into our waters." 
 
 Resanoff departed, the Japanese paying all the expenses of the embassy while it was in Japan. 
 It is easy to understand how the indignant Russian envoy immediately resolved to be revenged 
 for the treatment he had received. He gave 'way to his angry feelings, and proceeding to 
 Kamtschatka, directed two Russian naval ofhcers, Chwostoff and Davidoff, who happened to be 
 there in the temporary command of two armed merchantmen that traded between Asia and the 
 northwest coast of America, to make a hostile landing upon the most northern Japanese islands, 
 or their dependencies. He, himself, started for St. Petersburg, and died on the way. 
 
 Tlie Russian officers did make a descent ujion one of the southern Kurile islands that belonged 
 to Japan. Tliat Empire had once owned the whole Kurile archipelago ; but Russia had contrived, 
 by some means, to possess herself of the northern islands ; and it was doubtful to the Dutch 
 whether this appropriation of territory was even known at Jeddo. It is said not to be unlikely 
 that the prince of these islands, (thus taken by Russia,) and his spy secretaries, deemed it 
 expedient to conceal from the Emperor this loss of a territory, of but little value, rather than 
 make known ;in event whicli would be deemed disgraceful to Japan, and subject them to
 
 INTRODUCTION. 47 
 
 puuislimeut. If this bo so, they had, of course, to buy up the spies of government. Tlie 
 islands were of but little value except from 2>osltion. It was precisely on account of their position 
 that Russia desired them. On the southern Kuriles, however, their officers landed, and wreaked 
 their vengeance on tlie unoifending inhabitants, by plundering their villages, killiu'^ some of 
 the people, and carrying off others in their vessels. This was in 1807. 
 
 The news of these events filled the Japanese court with surprise and indignation ; and they 
 sought, through the medium of the Dutch, to find out whether they liad been authorized by 
 the Emperor of Russia. Some time after, in May, 1811, Captain Golownin, of the Russian 
 navy, was sent in the sloop-of-war "Diana," ostensibly to make a survey of the Kurile group, 
 though it was suspected (not proved) that he had ulterior objects, and was instructed once more 
 to attempt the establishment of commercial relations. When he came to the island Eeterpoo 
 (which Siebold calls letorop) he landed, supposing he would find Kuriles only ; but he was met 
 by a Japanese officer and soldiers, who asked him if the Russians meant to treat them as Chwostoff 
 and Davidoff had treated another island some few years before ? Golownin, on this, thought it 
 best to get away as soon as he could. He then went to an island called Kunaschier, and 
 here the Diana was fired upon. Golownin, however, strove to show them that his purposes 
 were friendly, and was finally, by the cunning of the Japanese, tempted to land with only a 
 midshipman, pilot, four Russian seamen, and a Kurile interpreter. All were made prisoners, 
 and passed through various adventures, which Golownin has recorded. They were kept prisoners 
 for a long time, avowedly in retaliation for the injuries that had been committed to gratify the 
 angry feelings of Resanoff ; nor would the Japanese release them until they were satisfied that 
 these injuries had not been ordered by the Russian Emperor. When Golownin left he was 
 furnished with a document warning the Russians no more to attempt the impossibility of 
 establishing trade with Japan. It is but just to the Japanese to aeld that Golownin, notwith- 
 standing all his sufierings, unavoidable in a state of imprisonment, gives to the people of Japan 
 a high character for generosity and benevolence. 
 
 Thus ended the efforts of Russia, until within a very recent period, of which we shall speak 
 presently. 
 
 THE rXITED STATES OF AMERICA. 
 
 The attempts of our own country are all recent, and need not detain us long. In the year 
 1831 a Japanese junk was blown oft' the coast, and, after drifting about for some time in the 
 Pacific, at length went ashore on the western coast of America, near the mouth of the Columbia 
 river. Kindness was shown to the shipwrecked Japanese, and finally they were carried to 
 Macao, where they received the protection and care of the American and English residents. It 
 was determined, after a time, to return the poor creatures to their home. Either their benevolent 
 friends were ignorant of the Japanese law which prohibited the return of natives to Japan, or, 
 if they knew it, they supposed that, at any rate, those who went to Japan on such an errand of 
 mercy would not be molested for entering one of the harbors of the Empire. Accordingly the 
 "Morrison," an American merchantman, was fitted out by the American bouse of King for the 
 voyage to Japan ; and the more eft'ectually to manifest her purely pacific purposes, all her guns 
 and armanent were taken out. In 1837 she made the voyage, notes of which have been published 
 by Mr. C. W. King, an American merchant of great respectability, who sailed in the "Morrison." 
 The ship reached the bay of Jeddo, and the Japanese very soon found out that slie was entirely
 
 48 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 unarmed and defenceless. Tlie official visitors soon sliowed their contempt after making this 
 discover}', and early the next day the vessel was fired at with shotted guns. She immediately 
 weighed anchor and ran to Kagosima, the principal town of the island of Kiu-siu, where she 
 again came to anchor. After a while preparations were made here, also, to fire upon the vessel, 
 and before she could remove^ a battery opened upon her. The ship then returned to Macao with 
 the Japanese on board. 
 
 In 1846 an expedition was sent from the government of the United States to Japan ; its business 
 was, if possible, to open negotiations with the Empire. The ships consisted of the "Columbus," 
 of ninety guns, and the corvette "Vincennes." Commodore Biddle commanded the expedition. 
 In July the vessels reached the bay of Jeddo, and were, as usual, immediately surrounded by 
 the lines of guard boats. On this occasion they numbered about four hundred. Some of the- 
 Japanese went on board the " Vincennes," and one of them placed a stick with some sort of a 
 symbol carved on it at the head of the vessel and another of similar kind at the stern. The 
 act was not perfectly understood by the Americans, but they construed it to mean taking 
 possession of the ship, and ordered the sticks to be taken away. The Japanese complied 
 immediately without making any objection. The ships remained ten days, but no one belonging 
 to them landed, nor was anything accomplished. The answer of the Emperor to the application 
 for license to trade was very short : " No trade can be allowed with any foreign nation except 
 Holland." 
 
 In February of the year 1849 the United States ship Preble, under Commander Glynn, formed 
 part of the American squadron in the China seas, when information was received, by way of 
 Batavia, of the detention and imprisonment, in Japan, of sixteen American seamen, who had 
 been shipwrecked on the coast of some of the Japanese islands. The Preble was immediately 
 dispatched to demand their release. As the ship neared the coast of Japan, signal guns were 
 fired from the prominent headlands to give warning of the approach of a strange vessel ; and 
 when she entered the harbor of Nagasaki, she was met by a number of large boats which ordered 
 her ofi", and indeed attempted to oppose further ingress. But the ship steadily standing on with 
 a firm breeze soon broke their ranks, and came to anchor in a desirable position. 
 
 Fleets of boats, crowded with soldiers, shortly afterward began to arrive, and from that time 
 until the Preble's departure, they poured in, in one constant stream, day and night. The troops 
 they brought were encamped on the elevated shores surrounding the anchorage of the Preble. 
 From these heights also were unmasked, at intervals, batteries of heavy artillery, numbering in 
 all sixty guns, which were trained upon the Preble's decks. 
 
 Commander Glynn forthwith commenced negotiations for the release of the American seamen, 
 who had been imprisoned for nearly seventeen months, and been treated with great cruelty and 
 inhumanity. When they were first confined, they were made to trample on the crucifix, and 
 were told that it was the " devil of Japan," and that if they refused to trample on it their 
 lives should be taken When Commander Glynn first demanded the release of the prisoners, 
 the Japanese officials treated the demand with a well affected, haughty indifi'erence ; finding, 
 however, that this would not answer, they resorted to evasive diplomacy ; when the captain of 
 the Preble, with the rough bluntness of a sailor, peremptorily told them, in most unmistakeable 
 language, that they must immediately give up the men, or means would be found to compel 
 them to do so, as the government to which they belonged had both the power and the will to 
 protect its citizens. This very soon changed their tone, and deprecating any angry feeling, a
 
 INTRODUCTION 
 
 49 
 
 promise was immediately made that the men should he sent on board in two days from that time. 
 This promise having been fultilled to the letter, the Prehle returned to join the squadron on tlie 
 coast of China. The next eifort made hy the government of the United States was that of 
 which the story is told in the subsequent pages of this work. 
 
 We have thus laid before the reader the chief features of the principal attempts made by 
 civilized nations to open commerce with Japan ; and, in the following tabular view, these may 
 be seen at a glance, and thus, by showing what efforts were simultaneous, we may facilitate, 
 perhaps, the understanding of the subject as a whole. 
 
 TEAR. 
 
 PORTCGUESE. 
 
 DUTCH. 
 
 EKGI.ISH. 
 
 • 
 
 RtrssiA». 
 
 UNITED STATES. 
 
 1543- '45 
 
 First landing 
 
 
 
 
 
 1550 
 
 Christianity intro- 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 1597 
 
 Persecution of Chris- 
 
 . . 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 1600 
 
 
 
 
 
 1609 
 
 
 
 
 
 1613 
 
 
 
 Saris reaches Firando 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 1 
 
 1623 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 1636 
 
 
 
 Futile attempt to 
 
 
 
 
 Expelled from Japan. 
 
 Assist in persecuting 
 native Christians. . 
 
 
 1639 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 1641 
 
 Sent to Dezima . • • • ■ 
 
 
 
 1673 
 
 
 
 Attempt again to re- 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 1791 
 
 "Argonaxit's"{alile 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 1792 
 
 
 
 
 1803 
 
 
 
 " Frederick's " at- 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 1804 
 
 "'"^ 
 
 
 1807 
 
 
 
 
 
 1808 
 
 
 
 "Phaetons" visit un- 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 1811 
 
 
 Captivity of Captain 
 
 
 
 
 Defeat Raffles' at- 
 
 Sir S. Raffles' at- 
 
 
 1813 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 1814 
 
 Defeat Raffles' at- 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 1818 
 
 '""'' 
 
 
 
 ]«37 1 
 
 
 
 
 " Morrison's " visit . 
 
 1-46 ■ . ' .. 
 
 
 
 Com. Biddle's visit.. 
 
 1849 
 
 "Mariner's " visit . . 
 
 
 Glynn, in the Preble. 
 
 1852 1 
 
 
 
 
 Com. Perry's visit .. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 7j
 
 50 INTRODUCTION 
 
 SECTION VI. 
 
 PROGRESS IN INDUSTRIAL ARTS, AND EXTENT OF CIVILIZATION IN JAPAN. 
 
 The Japanese are an exceedingly industrious and ingenious people, and in certain manufac- 
 tures are surpassed by no nation. 
 
 Metals. — They work well in iron, copjier, gold, and silver, and, indeed, in all the metals they 
 have. Of iron, it is supposed the supply aiibrded by their country is not large ; still they have 
 extracted the metal from such ores as they possess, and wrought it into shape. Copper is very 
 abundant, and they understand perfectly well the mode of treating the ore, and preparing the 
 metal for market or for manufactures. Gold also exists, and probably to an extent as yet un- 
 developed ; the deposits are likely, we think, to jirove large on further and scientific exploration. 
 At any rate, there does not seem now to be any scarcity of it for the purposes to which they 
 apply it. They have silver mines which they work. They know, too, how to make some com- 
 binations of metals which produce a beautiful effect. Thunberg tells us that they work with 
 great skill in what they call soivas. This is a mixture of gold and copper, which they color 
 with tousche, or ink, making it a fine blue or black, by an art unknown among Europeans. 
 They make steel, and temj^er their sword blades admirably. Clocks and watches are also made 
 by them, but in these they are not entitled to the merit of invention ; they have coijied from 
 European models. The same may be said of their astronomical instruments ; they make very 
 well the metallic portion of telescopes, &c., and buy mirror glasses from the Dutch, which they 
 grind into suitable lenses. They also manufacture excellent metallic mirrors ; and Golownin 
 says, he saw carpenters' and cabinet-makers' tools, particularly saws, made in Japan, quite 
 equal to any English tools of a similar kind. They are exceedingly quick in observing any 
 improvement brought in among them by foreigners, soon make themselves masters of it, and 
 copy it with great .skill and exactness. They are very expert in carving metal, and can cast 
 metal statues. Their copper coinage is well stamped, for they are good die-sinkers ; and several 
 of their operations in metal are carried on in very large and well-ordered manufactories. 
 
 Wood. — No people work better than they can in wood and bamboo, and they possess one art 
 in which they excell the world. This is in lacquering wood work. Other nations have 
 attempted for years, but without success, to equal them in this department. In this operation 
 they select the finest wood of fir or cedar to be covered with varnish. Tliey get the gum from 
 which they prepare the varnish from the rlius vernix — a tree that is abundant in many parts of 
 their country. On puncturing the tree the gum oozes out, of a light color, and of the con- 
 sistence of cream, but on expo.sure to the air grows tliieker and blacker. It is so transj)arent, 
 that when laid unmixed on wood, the grain and every mark on the wood may be seen through 
 it. They obviate this, however, where it is desirable, by placing beneath the varnish a dark 
 ground, one element in the composition of which is the fine sludge caught in the trough under 
 a grindstone. They also iise for the purpose minutely pulverized charcoal, and sometimes leaf 
 gold grotmd very fine. Tliey then ornament the varnish with figures and finwers of guld and 
 silver. They make, and tluis varnish, screens, desks, caskets, cabinets, and other articles.
 
 INTRODUCTION. 51 
 
 exceedingly beautiful, and of whicli specimens may from time to time be seen in Europe and in 
 this country. It is, said, however, tliat the best samples never are sent out of the Kingdom. 
 
 Glass. — They know how to make this article, and can manufacture it now for any purpose, 
 both colored and uncolored. Formerly they did not know how to make the flat pane for window 
 glass ; and probably what they make is an inferior article, as they still purchase thick mirror 
 glass from the Dutch to grind into lenses. 
 
 Forcelain. — This they make, and some say in greater perfection than the Cliinese can. At 
 any rate, specimens we have seen of Japanese porcelain are very delicate and beautiful ; though 
 some writers tell us, that, owing to the exhaustion of the best clay, they cannot now manufac- 
 ture such as they once could. 
 
 Paper. — Of tliis they make an abundance, as well for writing and printing, as for tapestry, 
 handkerchiefs, packing cloths for goods, &c. It is of different qualities, and some of it is as 
 soft and flexible as our cotton cloth. Indeed, that used for handkerchiefs might be mistaken for 
 cloth, so far as toughness and flexibility are concerned. The material of which it is made is 
 the bark of the mulberry, (morns papyri/era,) and the process is described as follows : In 
 December, after the tree has shed its leaves, they cut off the branches about three feet in length, 
 and tie them up in bundles. They are then boiled in a ley of ashes in a covered kettle till the 
 bark is so shrunk that half an inch of the wood may be seen projecting at either end of the 
 branch. When they have become cool, the bark is stripped off" and soaked in water three or 
 four hours until it becomes soft, when the fine black skin is scraped off with a knife. The 
 coarse bark is then separated from the fine ; the new branches make the finest paper. The 
 bark is then boiled again in fresh ley, continually stirred with a stick, and fresh water from 
 time to time is added. It is then put in a sieve and taken to a brook, and here the bark is 
 incessantly stirred until it becomes a fine pulp. It is then thrown into water and separates in 
 the form of meal. This is put into a small vessel with a decoction of rice and a species of 
 Hibiscus, and stirred until it has attained a tolerable consistence. It is then poured into a larger 
 vessel, from whence it is taken and put in the form of sheets on mats or layers of grass straw ; 
 these sheets are laid one upon another with straw between, and pressed to force the water out. 
 After this they are sj^read upon boards in the sun, dried, cut, and gathered into bundles for sale. 
 This paper will better endure folding, and last longer than ours. 
 
 Woven fabrics. — They make silk, the best of which is superior to that of China. The best 
 silks are woven by criminals of high rank, who are confined upon a small, rock}', unproductive 
 island, deprived of their property, and made to support themselves by their labor. The 
 exportation of these silks, it is said, is prohibited. 
 
 They have but small skill in producing cotton fabrics, though such are made. For many 
 ptirposes to which we apply cloth of cotton, they use the coarse spongy paper to which we have 
 alluded. They require woollen cloths, for the winters are cold ; but, we believe, they make 
 none. Indeed, they have no sheep or goats, and therefore lack materials from which to make 
 woollen cloths. 
 
 Leather. — They convert the skins of certain animals into this article ; but, as we have stated 
 on a previous page, all those who have anything to do with the making or vemling of leather 
 are outcasts from all the rest of the population and universally proscribed. Tiiey never apply 
 the article, as we do, to making shoes, or other coverings for the feet. They hardly ever wear 
 shoes or slippers that arc not made of plaited straw. Thuuberg says the shoes are always the
 
 62 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 shabbiest part of tlie dress of the Japanese. As they are of straw, they consequently hast but a 
 little time. But they are made in immense niunbers, cost but a trifle, and may be bought in 
 every town and village in the Empire. The pedestrian, therefore, throws away the old pair by 
 the road side, and buys new ones as he goes along ; while the more provident man takes two or 
 three pairs with him on starting. Immense numbers of these discarded shoes may be found on 
 the sides of all the roads. In wet weather they wear under the shoe a wooden clog, which is 
 attached to the foot by ties of plaited straw. Dignitaries sometimes wear slippers made of fine 
 rattan slips neatly plaited. 
 
 Agriculture. — Japan is very mountainous, as we have already stated ; Init with the cxcejjtion 
 of that ])ortion of the ground covered by the roads, and by the woods left to supply timber and 
 charcoal, nearly every foot of ground, to the very tops of the mountains, is cidtivated. Of 
 animals to assist in culture they have the horse, ox, and a large species of buftalo, which they 
 train to draw carts and carry heavy goods on the back. They plough with both the ox and cow. 
 Of milk and butter they make no use. AVhen they cannot use cattle to plough, as on the steep 
 sides of hills, men are substituted ; and sometimes the plough is laid aside and all the labor in 
 preparing the earth is done by hand. Generally, their soil is rather poor ; but by means of the 
 immense labor they bestow upon it, by irrigation, and, especially, by the use of manures, which 
 they understand well, they make very large crops. 
 
 Their chief grain is rice, of which they are said to produce the best in all Asia. They also 
 make barley and wheat. The first is used for feeding the cattle ; the other is not much valued, 
 and is chiefly used for cakes and soy. This last is made by fermenting, under ground, wheat 
 with a peculiar kind of bean and salt. 
 
 Next to rice, in importance, is the tea plant. This was not cultivated in Japan before the 
 beginning of the ninth century, when it was introduced from China. Immense quantities of it 
 are now produced, for its use is universal. Beside the plantations devoted to it, the hedges 
 on the farms are all of the tea plant. Siebold says the finer kinds require great care and skill 
 in the cultivation. The plantations are situated, as far as they conveniently can be, from all 
 other crops and from human habitations, lest the delicacy of the tea should be impaired by 
 smoke or any other impurity. They manure the plants with dried anchovies, and with the 
 juice pressed out of mustard seed. The harvesting is a process of great nicety. Dr. Siebold 
 thinks that the green and black tea are from the same plant, and difier only in the mode of 
 preparation ; though others have said the plants themselves difier. Neither, however, is ever 
 dried on copper, but both are dried in an iron pan. 
 
 Beans of various kinds are produced, and some other vegetables. Several edible roots are 
 carefully cultivated. They grow the mulberry tree in large quantities for the sake of the silk 
 worm, and also for making paper. In Loo-Choo they make a coarse sugar from the cane ; in 
 Nippon thoy manufsicture it from the sap of a tree. Our farmers deem it a part of their business 
 to rear such animals as we use for food ; but the Japanese farmer is most frequently a Buddhist 
 and cares nothing for animal food. The Dutch, a great while ago, introduced some sheep and 
 goats, and some few may, possibly, still be found in the Kingdom. If attended to they would 
 thrive very well ; but the religion of the natives forbids them to eat the flesh, and they do not 
 know how to manufacture the wool and hair ; hence the animals are little valued. Tliey have, 
 also, a few hogs, which were originally brought from China. Some of the country peojile near 
 the coast keep them, but not to eat. They sell them to the Chinese junks which are allowed to
 
 INTRODUCTION. 53 
 
 come over to trade. The Cliiueso sailor lias a passion for pork. The hog thrives well and 
 becomes very fat in Jajjan. 
 
 Uortlculture. — In this department the Japanese are very skillful . They possess the art, In a 
 wonderful degree, either of dwarfing, or of unnaturally enlarging all natural productions. As 
 an evidence of the first, may be seen, in the miniature gardens of the towns, perfectly mature 
 trees, of various kinds, not more than three feet high, and with heads about three feet in 
 diameter. These dwarfed trees are often placed in flower pots. Fischer says that he saw in a 
 box four inches long, one and a half wide, and six in height, a bamboo, a fir, and a plum tree, 
 all thriving, and the latter in full blossom. As proofs of the last, Meylan tells us that he saw 
 plum trees covered with blossoms, each of which was four times the size of the cabbage rose ; it 
 produced no fruit, however. He also saw radishes weighing from fifty to sixty pounds ; and 
 those of fifteen pounds were not at all uncommon. The fir trees are represented as being forced 
 to an enormous size ; we are told that the branches, at the height of seven or eight feet from the 
 ground, are led out, sometimes over ponds, and supported upon props, so that they give a shade 
 around the tree three hundred feet in diameter. The cedar, also, is a tree which reaches a great 
 size. 
 
 Navigation. — Formerly the Japanese made voyages, in vessels of their own construction, to 
 Corea, China, Java, Formosa, and other places at some distance from their own islands ; but 
 when the Portuguese were expelled a decree was made that the natives should not leave the 
 country ; hence navigation declined. Still, short coasting voyages are made within the bound- 
 aries of the Kingdom ; and fishing-smacks go to sea, but not very far from the coast. This 
 coasting trade, however, is large ; and the Japanese use fish for food so extensively that the 
 number is immense of these trading boats and fishing smacks. The Japanese have the compass ; 
 not divided, however, into as many points as ours. The construction of their vessels, as to 
 model, is very clumsy ; and, as they have seen and examined many European ships, it may 
 seem strange that a people so skilfu^and ingenious should not, ere this, have improved in naval 
 architecture. The fault is not theirs ; the fact is that they have, in more tlian one instance, 
 built very good vessels after European models ; but the law has interposed, for a special reason, 
 and retarded improvement among a people whose insular position would have made them sailors, 
 and whose quick perceptions would have made them good ones if left to themselves. Their 
 craft are, by law, made with the stern open, so that they cannot weather an open and heavy sea. 
 The smaller ones never, if they can help it, go out of sight of land, and upon any threatening 
 appearance of rough weather they instantly run in to make a harbor. The object of this law of 
 construction is to keep the natives at home. 
 
 Internal trade by land and tcater. — This is large, resulting from the variety of produce afforded 
 by the variety of climate, and from the immense population. In many places, town joins on to 
 town, and village to village, for miles, so that the road looks like a continued street. Ka?mpfer 
 thus speaks of the population: "The country is indeed populous beyond expression, and one 
 would scarcely think it possilde that, being no greater than it is, it .should, iievertlieless, 
 maintain and support such a vast number of inhabitants. Tlie highways are almost one con- 
 tinued line of villages and boroughs. You scarce come out of one, but you enter another ; and 
 you may travLd many miles, as it were, in one street, without knowing it to be composed of 
 many villages, save by the dift'uring names that were formerly given them, and wiiicli tliey after 
 retained, though joined to one another. It halli many towns, the chief whereof may, of a
 
 54 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 certainty, vie with the most considerahle in the world for largeness, magnificence, and nnmher 
 of inhabitants." Ksempfer says of Jeddo, that he was one whole day, riding at a moderate 
 pace, "from Sinagawa, where the suhurh begins, along the main street, wliich goes across, 
 a little irregularly indeed, to the end of the city." 
 
 As to the variety of climate and produce, the southern part of the Kingdom, reaching down as 
 low as the twenty-fourth degree of north latitude, produces the sugar cane and the tropical fruits ; 
 while the northern, extending as high up as fifty degrees, yields the products of the temperate 
 zones. The mineral wealth of the country is very great, the manufactures numerous, and, 
 under such circumstances, the internal trade among so many people is necessarily active. Of 
 the facilities for carrying it on, we remark that goods are conveyed by laud on pack-horses and 
 pack-oxen, and that the roads are excellent, and kept in admirable order. In the rugged and 
 mountainous parts of the country where the road must pass, they make it zigzag on the side of 
 the mountain, and, where necessary, cut steps in the rocks. Indeed, the roads must be kept in 
 order, otherwise they could not accomplish what they do by their postal arrangements. As 
 among the ancient Mexicans and Peruvians, the post is pedestrian, and very expeditious. Every 
 carrier is accompanied by a partner to take his place in case of accident. The men run at their 
 utmost speed, and as they approach the end of their stage, find the relay waiting, to whom, as 
 soon as they are near enough, they toss the package of letters, when the new runners set off 
 before the coming ones have stopped. Nothing must be interposed to delay them a moment on 
 the road. The highest prince of the Empire, with all his train, must make way for the post- 
 men, if he meet them on the road. Where necessary and practicable on their roads, the 
 Japanese make good bridges, often of stone ; but they do not seem to have arrived at the art of 
 tunnel-making. Some principles of civil engineering they understand and apjily, but of 
 military engineering they know nothing. But beside their roads, they use their rivers and 
 inland lakes for internal trade wherever it is possible ; and in those parts of the Kingdom 
 nearest the sea, probably the greater jiart of the inland track is carried on by the rivers, which, 
 though short, are navigable for some miles into the interior. On the roads, in all parts of the 
 Empire, stables, inns, tea-shops, and other resting places occur at intervals, and the distances 
 are regularly marked. 
 
 Scientific hnmdedcje and Us applications. — We have just said that the Japanese possess some 
 knowledge of the principles of civil engineering. They know something of matliematics, 
 mechanics, and trigonometry. Thus, they have constructed very good maps of their country ; 
 they have measured the height of some of their mountains by the barometer ; they have made some 
 very good canals ; they have constructed water-mills, and lathes moved by water power. They 
 make clocks, and herein, by the way, they have shown remarkable ingenuity and skill. Meylan 
 gives the following account of a clock which they made, and exhibited to the Dutch, while he 
 was an inmate of Dezima. " The clock," says he, " is contained in a frame three feet high by 
 five feet long, and presents a fair landscape at noon-tide. Plum and cherry trees in full blussora, 
 with other plants, adorn the foreground. The back-ground consists of a hill, from wliich falls 
 a cascade, skilfully imitated in glass, that forms a softly flowing river, first winding round 
 rocks pliiced here and there, then running across the middle of the Landscape till lost in a wood of 
 fir trees. A golden sun hangs aloft in the sky, and, turning upon a pivot, indicates the striking 
 of the hours. On the frame below, the twelve hours of day and night are marked, where a 
 slowly creeping tortoise serves as a hand. A bird, perched upon the branch of a plum tree, by
 
 INTRODUCTION. 55 
 
 its song and the clapping of its wings, announces the moment when the hour expires ; and as the 
 song ceases, a bell is heard to strike the hour — during which operation, a mouse comes out of a 
 grotto and runs over the hill. * * * * Every separate part was nicely executed ; but the 
 bird was too large for the tree, and the sun for the sky, while the mouse scaled the mountain 
 in a moment of time." Whatever may have been the defects of taste, the ingenuity and skill 
 in this piece of mechanism are very apparent. 
 
 Fischer also tells us a story of the ingenuity of a Japanese fisherman, of which, perhaps, the 
 specimen may now be found among ourselves. The Japanese, like many other people of lively 
 temperaments, have a passion for things that are strange and odd, and rather prefer sometimes 
 to be gulled. This fisherman, availing himself of this passion, contrived to uuite the upper 
 half of a monkey to the lower half of a fish, so neatly as to defy ordinary inspection. He then 
 announced that he had caught a strange animal alive in his net, but that the creature had soon 
 died when taken out of the water, and invited his countrymen to come, and, for a consideration 
 to see the curiosity. After he had put money in his purse to some considerable extent by this 
 bold reliance on human credulity, he improved on the original story, and said that duriu"- the 
 few moments of its life the strange creature had spoken to him, (whether in the lan"-uao-e of 
 Japan or in that of the Fee-jee islands, he did not say,) and had predicted a certain number of 
 years of great fertility, to be followed or accompanied by a most fatal epidemic ; and that 
 against this last the only remedy would be the possession of a liJcejie-ss of the marine nondescript, 
 half himian half fish. Pictures of the mermaid were forthwith in demand, and the sale was 
 immense. Presently, as the aflair had well nigh had its run in Japan, this mermaid, or one 
 made like it, was sold to the Dutch factory at Dezima, and was sent off in the next ship to 
 Batavia. Here one of our speculating brethren of the ' ' universal Yankee nation' ' contrived to 
 get it, and forthwith repaired to Europe, where he very successfully played the part of proprietor 
 and showman of a veritable mermaid, during the years 1822-'23, thus settling a disputed question 
 in natural history and filling his pockets at the same time. We are inclined to think that this 
 is the identical mermaid which graces the collection at the New York Museum ; if it be not, 
 then our Japan fisherman furnished the parent, (so ingeniously made as to elude detection,) 
 from which was born the Fee-jee prodigy. 
 
 But another more remarkable and far more creditable instance of the ingenuity and talent of 
 a Japanese fisherman is related in the Dutch annals of Dezima. It occurred during the 
 })residency of M. Doeif. The Dutch at Batavia, during the war, feared the English cruisers too 
 much to send one of their own ships on the annual voyage to Japan. They therefore more than 
 once hired American vessels. One of these having taken in at Dezima the usual cargo of cojjper 
 and camphor, as she set sail in the night, struck upon a rock in the harbor, filled and sunk. 
 The crew reached the shore in boats, and the authorities of Nagasaki, the Dutch factory, and the 
 American captain, were all alike concerned to devise means of raising the vessel. Jap.anese 
 divers were .sent down to fetch up the copper, but the camphor had dissolved, and the eftluvia 
 thus disengaged cost two of the divers their lives. The idea of unloading her was then aban- 
 doned. Efforts were then made to raise her as she was, but without success. A simple 
 fisherman named Kiyemon, who now perhaps for the first time in his life saw an European built 
 ship, for he did not live in Nagasaki, ])romiscd to raise the shiji, ])riivided his mere expi'iiscs in 
 doing it were i)aid; if he did not succeed he asked nothing. He was laughed at by tlie people 
 for his presumption, but, as the case was hopeless, those interested permitted him to make the
 
 5G INTRODUCTION. 
 
 attempt. At low tide he fastened on either side of the vessel fifteen or seventeen boats, such as 
 those by which the Dutch shii)s are towed in, and connected them all together firmly by props 
 and stays. He then waited for a spring tide, when he came in a Japanese coasting vessel, 
 which he attached firmly to the stern of tlie sunken ship, and at the moment when the tide was 
 highest, he set every sail of every boat. The sunken vessel was lifted, disengaged herself from 
 the rock, and was towed by the fisherman to the strand, where she could be unloaded and 
 repaired. Fraissinet says he was handsomely rewarded for this. The reader will be amused to 
 learn that his reward consisted in being allowed to wear two sabres, (which is the badge of 
 elevated rank,) and to bear as his coat of arms a Dutch hat and ttuo Dutch tobacco pipes. We 
 have never read in any narrative of the circumstance that lie received any money with which to 
 support his rank. The Dutchmen and the American captain should have furnished that. If 
 the circumstances had been changed, and either Hollander or Yankee had raised the vessel for 
 the Japanese, it would have been very soon intimated to the natives that two swords with a 
 picture of a Dutch hat and two tobacco pipes afibrded very inadequate compensation for such 
 a valuable service. We think it would scarcely have satisfied the Japanese mermaid maker, 
 had he been the fortunate fisherman instead of the modest Kiyemon. 
 
 Medicine. — All the writers on Japan agree in the statement that on the visit of the Dutch 
 president to Jeddo, his European jihysician, who accompanies him, is always visited by the 
 native physicians, and closely questioned on points purely professional. Their object is to gain 
 information. But they already know something. They have not, however, availed themselves 
 at all of post mortem examinations, either to investigate disease or to study anatomy. We 
 cannot suppose they are without opportunities of thus acquiring knowledge, for we read that 
 after a criminal is executed it is not uncommon for his body to be hacked in pieces by the young 
 nobility, that they may try the temper and edge of their sword blades. But superstition is in 
 the way. To come into contact with death is deemed jjollution. Without such examinations, it 
 is obvious that the knowledge of the physician and surgeon must be but innierfect at best. 
 
 There are, however, in Japan, original medical works constantly appearing, and translations 
 are also made of all such as they can obtain in the Dutch language, which they best understand. 
 The European medical gentlemen, who have come in contact with their professional brethren of 
 Japan, report favorably of them ; and Dr. Siebold speaks with high prai.se of the zeal with 
 which the native physicians thronged around him, from all parts of the Empire, seeking to 
 enlarge the stores of their knowledge. He bears testimony also to their intelligence, as evinced by 
 the questions they asked. Acupuncture and moxa burning are both used in Japan and are native 
 inventions. They have an original treatise on the first, and the proper cases for its use. Tlieir 
 drugs are mostly animal and vegetable ; they are too little acquainted with chemistry to venture upon 
 mineral remedies. They study medical botany, however, with great attention, and tlieir remedies 
 are said to be generally efficacious. Some of their medicinal preparations are very remarkable, 
 producing most singular eifocts. Of 'these there is one spoken of by Titsingh, who saw its 
 application and its consequences ; and from some of the officers of our own expedition we have 
 heard of this preparation, of which, we believe, they have brought home specimens. Titsingh thus 
 writes : "Instead of enclosing the bodies of the dead in coffins of a length and breadth proportionate 
 to the stature and bulk of the deceased, they place the body in a tub, three feet high, two feet and 
 a half in diameter at tlie top, and two feet at bottom. It is difficult to conceive how the body of 
 a grown person can be compressed into so small a space, when the limbs, rendered rigid by
 
 INTROPUCTION. 07 
 
 death, cannot be bent in any way. The Japanese to whom I made this observation told me 
 that they })roduced the result by means of a jiarticnlar jjowder called Dosia, which tliey introduce 
 into the cars, nostrils, and mouth of the deceased, after which, the limbs, all at once, acquire 
 astonishing flexibility. As they promised to perform the experiment in my presence, I could 
 not do otherwise than suspend my judgment, lest I should condemn, as an absurd fiction, a fact 
 which, indeed, surpasses our conceptions, bvit may yet be susceptible of a plausible explanation, 
 especially by galvanism, the recently discovered effects of which also appeared at first to exceed 
 the bounds of credulity. The experiment accordingly took place in the month of October, 1783, 
 when the cold was pretty severe. A young Dutchman having died in our factory at Dezima, I 
 directed the physician to cause the body to be wa.shed and left all night exposed to the air, on a 
 table placed near an open window, in order that it might become completely stiff. Next 
 morning, several Japanese, some of the officers of our factory, and myself, went to examine the 
 corpse, which was as hard as a piece of wood. One of the interpreters, named Zenby, drew from 
 his bosom a santock, or pocket-book, and took out of it an oblong paper, filled with a coarse 
 powder resembling sand. This was the famous Dosia powder. He put a pinch into the ears, 
 another pinch into the nostrils, and a thirdinto the mouth ; and presently, whether from the 
 effect of this drug, or of some trick which I could not detect, the arms, which had before been 
 crossed over the breast, droiDped of themselves^ and in less than twenty minutes by the watch, 
 the body recovered all its flexibility. 
 
 "I attributed this phenomenon to the action of some subtle poison, but was assured that the 
 Dosia powder, so far from being jioisonous, was a most excellent medicine in child-bearing, for 
 diseases of the eyes, and for other maladies. An infusion of this powder, taken even in perfect 
 health, is said to have virtues which cause it to be in great request among the Japanese of all 
 classes. It cheers the spirits and refreshes the body. It is carefully tied up in a white cloth 
 and dried, after being used, as it will serve a great number of times before losing its virtues. 
 
 " The same infusion is given to people of quality when at the point of death ; if it does not 
 prolong life, it prevents rigidity of the limbs ; and the body is not exposed to the rude handling 
 of professional persons, a circumstance of some consequence in a country where respect for the 
 dead is carried to excess. I had the curiosity to procure some of this powder, for which I was 
 obTiged to send to Kidjo, or the nine provinces, to the temples of the Sintoos, which enjoy the 
 exclusive sale of it, because they practice the doctrine of Kobou-Daysi, its inventor. The 
 quantity obtained in consequence of my first application was very small, and even this was a 
 special favor of the priests, who otherwise never part with more than a single pinch at a time." 
 
 Titsingh, however, obtained a considerable quantity afterward, which he carried home with 
 him in 1784. It has the appearance of sand, and when it is fully perfected for use is as white 
 as snow. It is obtained on the mountain of Kongosen or Kinbensen in the province of Yamatto, 
 where there are many mines of gold and silver. The jirocess by which it is prepared is the 
 secret of the priests. Their knowledge is doubtless the result of accidental experience ; for 
 their acquaintance with cliemistry is so slight that we may safely conclude they do not under- 
 stand the rationale of its preparation. 
 
 Astronomy. — In this science they have made very considerable proficiency. They understand 
 
 the u.se of European instruments, and have caused many of them to be very successfully imitated 
 
 by native workmen. Meylan says he saw good telescopes, chronometers, tliermometers, and 
 
 barometers, made by Japanese mechanics. They calculate eclipses accurately, and yearly 
 
 8 J
 
 58 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 almanacs arc jircparcil in the Jeddo and Dairi colleges. Lalande's treatises and other astro- 
 nomical \\H)rks have been translated from Unteli into Japanese, and are studied with great 
 ardor. They have in their division of time a cycle of sixty years, calculated out of their zodiac, 
 which, like ours, has twelve signs, ditfering from ours in their names only. But this is not the 
 place to consider minutely their astronomical system. We cannot leave it, liowever, witliout 
 the remark that, on a comparison of it with that of the Muiscas, an ancient, semi-civilized, and 
 now extinct race, that once inhabited the ])lains of Bogota, in New Granada, the resemblances 
 were so striking that they produced on our mind a conviction that the astronomical systems of 
 the two people were substantially the same. 
 
 SECTION VII. 
 
 LITERATUllE AND THE FINE ARTS. 
 
 Paper was made by the Japanese as early as the beginning of the seventh century, and 
 printing from blocks, after the Chinese fashion, was introduced in the year 120fi of our era. 
 The city of the 3Iikado appears to be the great metropolis of literature in Japan. A great 
 many books are there made, and a great many reside there whose occupation is that of letters. 
 Seminaries of learning of different grades have existed in the country ever since Europeans 
 knew anything about it. Xavier says that in his day there were for;r "academies" in or near 
 Miako, each having between thr-ee and four thousand pupils ; and he adds tliat much larger 
 numbers were taught at an institution near the city of Bandone, and that such seminaries were 
 universal throughout the Empire. Beside the colleges or higher institutions at the city of 
 Miako, we know of similar ones at Jeddo, and of one at Nagasaki. How many there may be in 
 the Kingdom we cannot say ; but education, such as it is, is by no means neglected in Japan. 
 There would seem to be something like a common school system, for Meylan states that children 
 ofhoth sexes and of all ranks are invariably sent to rudimentary schools ; whether stipported 
 by the State or not he does not say. Here the pujnls are all taught to read and write, and are 
 initiated into some knowledge of the history of their own country. Thus mucli tlie meanest 
 peasant child is expected to k'arn. There are immense numbers of cheaj), easy liooks continually 
 issuing from tlie Japanese press, which are designed for the instruction of children or jioor people ; 
 80 it will be seen they liave their " cheap literature." Books innumerable of a higher order 
 are provided for the rich, and all, of both kinds, are profusely illustrated with wood-cuts, 
 , engraved on the same block with the type. Some of these books, whicli we liave examined, 
 show also that an art but recently introduced in Europe and America is very old in Japan, viz : 
 that of printing in olors. So that in our modern inventions of stereoty])ing and printing in 
 colors, and in our manufacture of cheap literature for the people generally, Japan has antici- 
 pated us by centuries. Their books consist of works of science, history, biograpliy, geograi)hy, 
 travels, moral philosophy, natural history, poetry, the drama, and encyclopiudias. Reading is 
 a favorite occui)ation witli botli sexes ; and it is said to be connnou in Japan to see, when the 
 weather permits, a group of ladies and gentlemen seated by a cool running stream, or in a 
 shady grove, each witli a book.
 
 INTRODUCTION. 59 
 
 Of the merits of the Japanese hooks it is impossible for us to speak with much confidence. 
 Very few Europeans or Americans know anything of the language ; it is not the easiest of acqui- 
 sition ; and yet, all we have of the Japanese hooks is in translation. We doubt if any western 
 scholar has ever yet mastered it thoroughly, for opportunity has been wanting ; and very sure 
 we are that Klaproth accuses Titsingh of ignorance, and Siebold and Hoffman similarly accuse 
 Klaproth, while a Japanese at our side informs us that all are mistaken. Now, without a 
 thorough understanding of the language, no translation can convey a correct idea of the 
 sentiments expressed, much less of the spirit embodied in the original. An ex cathedi-a critical 
 opinion on the Japanese literature is, therefore, premature. Let us hope that, ere long, both 
 Europeans and Americans will master the language completely ; and then let them speak. 
 
 3Ius!c. — The Japanese music, of which, by the way, the natives are passionately fond, has 
 nothing in it to recommend it to the ears of Europeans or Americans. The principal instrument 
 is the samsic or guitar, and every young female of the upjier classes is taught to play uiion it. 
 It is the invariable accompaniment of ladies when they go to parties ; and on these occasions the 
 female guests sing and play by turns. They have, besides, various other instruments, but little 
 can be said in commendation of their music. 
 
 Arts of design, paintings, prints, &e. — In this department they have made some progress, 
 and in certain branches have attained to no small skill. Of anatomy, as we have already said, 
 they know nothing, and consequently are no sculptors ; neither are they portrait painters. 
 They are ignorant of perspective, and, therefore, cannot paint a landscape ; but in the rejire- 
 sentation of a single object, their accuracy of detail and truthful adherence to nature cannot be 
 surpassed. Their deficiency is in composition. Nothing is more beautiful than their delineations 
 of a flower, or a fruit, and especially of birds. The drawing is accurate and tlie coloring perfect. 
 They make, too, colors which European artists pronounce to be unrivalled ; and some of which 
 excel any we can produce. The Japanese are very fond of painting, and are eager collectors of 
 pictures. They sketch boldly with charcoal or ink ; and of an isnlated object the drawing, as 
 we have said, is apt to be good. They do not paint in oil at all ; all their specimens are in 
 water colors, the management of which they certainly understand very well. 
 
 They have prints in great abundance ; all, however, are made from wood cuts, and very often 
 are printed in colors. Engraving on copper has but recently been introduced among them, and 
 as it has been adopted with great eagerness, it will probably be prosecuted with success. 
 
 We have already said that they make castings in metal of vases and images, and the sides of 
 their bells are adorned with bas-reliefs. 
 
 They cannot be said to understand architecture as an art, though they cut stone and lay it 
 skilfully enough ; nor have they any skill in the work of the lapidary. The country produces 
 precious stones, but they do not know how to cut or polish them. Hence there is very little 
 jewelry worn by either sex. But they have a substitute for jewels, such as we cannot make. 
 Tins is called sijakfdo, in which various metals are so blended and combined tiiat they produce 
 an effect resembling, very much, fine enamel. This is used, instead of precious stones, ibr 
 girdle clasps, sword hilts, boxes, and other ornamental work.
 
 60 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 SECTION VIII. 
 
 NATURAL PRODUCTIONS. 
 
 Mineral wealth. — Ktempfer, whom we believe to be as accurate as auy writer ou Jafian, remarks 
 that, "the greatest riches of the Japanese soil, aad those in which this Empire exceeds most 
 known countries, consist in all sorts of minerals and metals, particularly ia gold, silver, and 
 copper." The gold is found in many parts of the Empire. Sometimes it is obtained from its 
 own ore, sometimes from the washings of the earth or sand, and sometimes it is mixed with the 
 copper. The quantity in the country is undoubtedly great. An old Spanish writer of the 
 seventeenth century tells us that, in his day, the palace of the Emperor at Jeddo, as well as 
 many houses of the nobility, were literally covered with plates of gold. In the beginning 
 of the Dutch trade, the annual export was £840,000 sterling ; and in the course of sixty years 
 the amount sent out of the Kingdom, through the Dutch alone, was from twcnty-iive to fifty 
 millions sterling. 
 
 Silver mines are quite as numerous as those of gold. In one year, the Portuguese, while they 
 had the trade, exported in silver, £587,500 sterling. 
 
 Copper abounds through the whole Jai)anese group, and some of it is said to be not surpassed 
 by any in the world. The natives refine it and cast it into cylinders about a foot long and an 
 inch thick. The coarser kinds they cast into round lumps or cakes. 
 
 QuicJcsilver is said to be abundant, but this, so far as we know, has never been an article of 
 export. 
 
 Lead, also, is found to be plentiful, but, like quicksilver, it has not been sent out of the 
 Kingdom. 
 
 Tin has also been discovered in small quantities, and of a quality so fine and white that it 
 almost equals silver ; but of the extent of this mineral little is known, as the Japanese do not 
 attach much value to it, and therefore have not sought for it. 
 
 Ij-on is found in three of the provinces, and probably exists in others. The Japanese know 
 how to reduce the ore, and the metal they obtain is of superior quality, of whicli they make 
 steel unsurpassed in excellency. 
 
 Coal. — "They have no want of coals in Japan," says Ka^mpfer, "they being dug uj) in great 
 quantities in the province of Sikusen and in most of the northern provinces." Dr. Siebold also 
 speaks of coal as being in common use throughout the country ; and on visiting one of the mines 
 he saw enough to convince him that it was skillfully worked. For domestic purposes tliey 
 convert the coal into coke. Viewed in the light of commercial intercourse between the two 
 hemispheres, this coal is worth more than all the metallic deposits we have enumerated. 
 
 Native sulphur. — In a region so volcanic, this is, as might be expected, an abundant mineral. 
 In some places it lies in broad deep beds, and juay be dug U]) and removed witli as niucli ease as 
 sand. A considerable revenue is derived by the government fimn siiliilmr. 
 
 P7-eciou.<i. stones. — No diamonds have been found, but agates, earnelians, and jaspers are met with, 
 some of them of great beauty. But tlie wealth of tlie kingdom in precious stones is imperfectly 
 known, as the Japanese are not lapidaries.
 
 INTRODUCTION. 61 
 
 Pearls. — These are fislicil up on nearly all jiarts of the cwast, and are frequently laro'e and 
 beautiful. The Chinese taught the natives their value, hy olfering- them verv high prices for 
 the tinest qualities. 
 
 Mother of pearl, corals, ambergris and najjtha are also to be enumerated amono- the articles 
 of exjjort. 
 
 Forest and fruit trees. — The most common forest trees are the fir and tlie cyjiress ; and so 
 sensible are the Japanese of the necessity of preserving their timber trees, that neither of those 
 above named can be cut but by jjermission of the local magistrate ; and the law requires that for 
 every full grown tree that is felled a young one must be planted. The cedar grows to an 
 immense size ; sometimes more than eighteen feet in circumference. An English ship at Nao-asaki 
 witliin a recent period, wanted some small spars ; they were furnished ; all were cedar, about 
 ninety-six feet long. This tree wovdd, no doubt, prove a very valuable article of export. 
 
 There are two varieties of oak, both good and both diiferent from the oaks of Europe. The 
 acorns of one kind are boiled and eaten for food, and are said to be both palatable and nutritious. 
 
 The mulberry grows wild in great abundance ; but it is so useful that the people tranisplant 
 and cultivate it. Of the varnish tree we have already sjjoken. 
 
 The camphor tree is valuable and lives to a great age. Siebold visited one which Charlevoix 
 had described as having been seen by him one hundred and thirty-five years before. It was 
 healthy and covered with foliage, with a circumference of fifty feet. The country people make 
 the camphor by a decoction of the root and .stems cut into small pieces. 
 
 The chestnut and walnut are both found, and the former yields excellent fruit. There is also 
 the pepper tree, or a tree which bears a species of pepper. 
 
 Of fruit trees, there are the orange, the lemon, the fig, the plum, the cherry, and the apricot. 
 The plum and cherry, however, are not cultivated as much for their fruit as for their flowers. 
 The vine is very little cultivated : and of the tea plant we have already spoken. 
 
 Having thus endeavored to furnish the reader with a condensed view of the leadino" features 
 that characterize the past progress and present condition of Japan, we would at once proceed to 
 the narrative of the expedition ; but there is a duty which we owe to our country and which 
 we will now endeavor to perform. 
 
 Of certain events which have trans})ired since the successful expedition imder Commodore 
 Perry, or occurred during its progress, it is due to the claims of truth that something should be 
 said. It had been more gratifying to us to be silent on the topics to which we are about to 
 allude ; but official publications by other nations, as well as by some individuals, have been put 
 forth, the obvious purpose of which is to deprive our country and her officers of whatever merit 
 may attach to the fact that the United States were the first, by peaceful negotiations, to cause an 
 alteration in the policy of excluding foreigners hitherto pursued by Japan. 
 
 On the 24th of November, 1852, Commodore Perry left our shores on his mission to Japan. 
 That such a mission had been resolved on by our government was announced to the world some 
 twelve months before the time of its leaving, and had formed tlie subject of comment in more than 
 one country of Europe. The general opinion abroad was that the mission would, like the many 
 others that had been attempted by various powers, prove fruitless. Dr. Von Siebold, in par- 
 ticular, whose long residence in Japan was supposed to give great importance to his opinions, 
 thus wrote to a friend concerning it : " My mind accompanies the cxj)cdition. That it will be 
 successful by peaceful means I doubt very much. If /could only inspire Commodore Perry, he
 
 62 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 M^ould triimiph," &e. The progress of the expedition was, of course, watched hy foreign powers 
 with great interest. 
 
 Commodore Perry cast anchor in the bay of Jeddo, the commercial capital of Jajjan, on the 
 8th of July, 1853. On the 22d of August, 1853, a Kussian squadron, under the command of 
 Admiral Pontiatine, anchored in tlie hay of Nagasaki. We know not precisely of what vessels 
 this expedition was composed ; hut we believe that, beside the frigate Pallas and the steamer 
 Vosfoch, the Aurora, of 48 guns, and the corvette Navarino, of 22, were sent, the one to the 
 Pacific, and tlie other ostensibly to Kamtschatka, while it is quite certain that not long after a 
 Russian squadron of several vessels-of-war was at Copenhagen, the officers of which said that 
 they were destined to remain five years in the waters of the Japanese archipelago. An imusually 
 large Eussian naval force was therefore collected in the Pacific, and in the vicinity of Japan, to 
 be there on the expected visit of Commodore Perry. There were not wanting those who sus- 
 pected that Russia was silently pursuing her own system of policy. If Commodore Perry unfor- 
 tunately should fail in his peaceful attempts, and be brought into forcible collision with the 
 Japanese, Russia was on the spot, not to mediate, but to tender to Japan her aid as an ally in 
 the conflict, and if successful, to avail herself of the moment of confidence quietly to get a foot- 
 hold in some part of the Kingdom, with the intention, at the proper time, of absorbing all. 
 There is no power in the other hemisphere to which the possession of Japan, or the control of its 
 affairs, is as important as it is to Russia. She is on one side of the islands, the United States 
 on the other. The Pacific ocean is destined to be the theatre of immense commercial under- 
 takings. Russia is, in a great degree, .shut out b}' local jjosition from easy access to the Atlantic ; 
 but with such harbors on the Pacific as Japan would give her, she might hope to become the 
 controlling maritime power of the world. Our friendly relations and influence with the Japanese, 
 therefore, might interfere materially with the ulterior plans of Russia. Hence she was first 
 in the field to watch all our movements. Thus, we say, some interpreted her conduct. We do 
 not mean to say that they interpreted it correctly, or that such was the policy Russia had resolved 
 on. But i\\efact is, as we have stated, that simultaneously with our expedition she did largely 
 increase her naval armament in the waters of Japan. Commodore Perry was at some loss to 
 understand precisely the policy of Russia. In a letter of November 12th, 1853, the Russian 
 admiral made a distinct proposition of joining his forces to, and entering into full co-operation 
 with, the American squadron. This may have been promj^ted by an expectation of our success 
 and a doubt of liis own. At any rate, the Commodore civilly, but decidedly, declined the 
 proposal, and, in a letter to the Secretary of the Navy, assigned most satisfactory reasons 
 for so doing. He stated that it was "inconsistent with our policy of abstaining from all 
 alliances with foreign powers ; and for the reason, also, that his co-operation cannot advance 
 the interest of the United States, however it might benefit the objects of tlie Russian Emperor, 
 of the nature of whose designs I (says the Commodore) am utterly ignorant." But whatever 
 were her secret purposes to promote her own, or throw obstacles in the way of our success, 
 if slie had any, one thing is certain, for that success we are not indebted in the sli(/htest degree 
 to Russia, hy any direct act of hers to that end. Indirectly, however, she may ha\'e fiuthered 
 the object. We are in possession of very recent information from Japan tending to show that 
 the ini]ierial government seems to be distrustful of the purposes of Russia. The movements 
 of that nation on tlie Amour river have been viewed with so much appreliension that the Emperor 
 some time ago disijatched a special agent to discover, if possible, their ulterior purposes. The
 
 INTRODUCTION. 03 
 
 Japanese have resolved tlmt tlioy will raise an offieieut army, and equip a navy, not composed 
 of junks, but of vessels built after the European model. The restrictions on sliip-building have 
 been removed, and already, since our treaty was sioned, one vessel fur commercial purposes has 
 been built and rigged like ours. The Jai)aucse have lieard, too, of the war in which Eussia is 
 at present engaged. The information produced intense excitement, and it was resolved by the 
 imperial council that treaties similar to that made with the United States should be made with 
 all nations seeking tliem. This opens Japan to the trade of the tvorld. They knew, too, that 
 the British Admiral iStirling was seeking the Eussian vessels in the neighborhood of Japan, and 
 they were hence the more willing to make treaties with all, as the means of securing Japan from 
 aggression by any, and of enabling her to preserve, as she wishes, a strict neutrality. 
 
 The visit of Eussia, however, led to no treaty. The squadron left Nagasaki on the 23d of 
 Kovember, 18.53, and returned to it early in 1854. It left again, after several fruitless interviews 
 with the Japanese authorities, on the 5th of February, and was absent until the 20th of April, 
 when it reappeared at Nagasaki, but remained until the 26th only, when it took its final departure. 
 
 But other foreign powers have contributed as little to the success of our negotiations as Eussia 
 has. On the Tth of September, 185-1, Admiral Stirling, in command of the Engli.sh squadron, 
 arrived at Nagasaki, one purpose of his visit being to make a treaty, in which he succeeded. 
 But the English never jiretended that they facilitated our negotiations ; they may possibly have 
 indirectly derived some benefit from our success ; but we will not undertake to assert that they 
 did. We think that they are more indebted to the Japanese apprehension of Eussia's designs, 
 and to the fact of the war in wliich she is now engaged, than to anything else. We may, 
 indeed, by having induced the first departure from the long established rule to exclude all 
 foreigners but the Dutch and Chinese, have made it more easy to commence negotiation, but our 
 aid goes not beyond this accidental assistance. Of the precise terms of the English treaty it is 
 not here necessary to speak. One of the officers of Admiral Stirling thus speaks of it in a public 
 communication through the English new'spapers : " The treaty now made with Japan contains 
 nothing about commerce, yet it opens the way and prepares for future negotiation on this 
 important point." "It is highly probable that what has been done by Sir James Stirling 
 at Nagasaki may exceed in durability and value the work done at Yeddo by tlie Americans, 
 although that cost a special mission, and was heralded to the world with a very loud flourish of 
 trumpets indeed."' 
 
 To this pert outbreak of transparent envy, we have only to say we earnestly hope that when a 
 treaty is made which does say something ''about commerce," it may prove botli durable and 
 valuable to England ; and to add that we .should be sorry to think such flijipant impertinence as 
 is here exhibited is a common characteristic of British naval officers. From the brave we look 
 for "high thoughts seated in a heart of courtesy."* 
 
 But the Dutch have claimed, and that by an official document, that the}', in effect, did most 
 of our work for us. It is strange that a nation of which all Christendom has, for more than two 
 hundred years, supposed that it has sought uniformly to secure to itself a mono])oly in the trade 
 of Japan, should venture, when their monopoly is destroyed, to stand forth and say, in 
 substance, that they always lamented its existence and labored for its demolition. Has Christ- 
 endom been so long deceived? We fear the world will ask embarrassing questions. It will 
 say: "Did not the Dutch do what they could to drive out the Portuguese? Did not they assist 
 
 •Since tlie above was wriUen, intelligence has been received of a commercial treaty between England and Japan.
 
 64 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 in the 1)oml)arilmcnt at Simabara, and contribute to tlie cxtirjiation of tlie native f'liristians. who 
 were supposed to sympathize witli the Portuguese? Did tliey not manifest hostility toward 
 their Protestant neighbors of the English factory at Firando, established by Saris and conducted 
 by Codecs, until the Englisli left? When, in the reign of Charles II, the English sought to 
 renew the trade with Japan, was it not the Dutch who hastened to inform the imperial 
 government that the wife of Charles was the daugliter of the King of Portugal, thus arraying 
 the deep-seated and ancient Japanese hatred of the Portuguese against the English? Wlien 
 the 'Phfeton,' under Pellew, visited Nagasaki, in 1808, was it not M. Doeff, the Dutch chief 
 at Dezima, who devised and counselled the plan whereby the English were to have been 
 murdered to a man? When Java was in possession of the English, and Holland, for a time, 
 had been blotted from the list of nations, was it not the same M. Doetf, who, to the craft of the 
 trader added the cunning of the diplomatist, and, by treachery to the Japanese in the bribery of 
 their officials, contrived, at one and the same time, to pay the debts of Dezima and enrich 
 himself personally, out of the two expeditions sent by Sir Stamford Eaffles?" 
 
 And notv, when the United States have, without seeing a Dutchman, or using a Dutch 
 document, successfully negotiated a treaty, Holland stands forth, and by a formal official report 
 from her minister of colonies, declares that she will now "perform the agreeable task of showing 
 the persevering and disinterested efforts which the Dutch government has made" to cause Japan 
 to open her ports to the commerce of the United States. A brief notice of this extraordinary 
 document is called for by a regard to the truth of history. 
 
 The statement of the Dutch "minister of colonies," when condensed, is substantially this: 
 That in the year 1844, about the time of Commodore Biddle's visit to Japan, the then King of 
 Holland, William II, wrote a letter to the Emperor of Japan, in which attention was called to 
 the introduction of steam in navigation, the consequent increased development of commerce in 
 the Japanese seas, and the danger likely to result to Japan from her rigid system of excluding 
 foreigners from the Kingdom. It recommended friendly and commercial relations as the surest 
 means of avoiding collisions ; and finally, from a grateful sense of the long continued favor 
 shown to the Dutch by the Japanese, it tendered to the latter tlie " disinterested counsel to 
 relax the laws against foreigners," and offered to send an envoy to give fuller ex])lanations to 
 Japan of what she should do, provided the Emperor desired it. This letter, the Dutch 
 document states, contains the principles which have formed the basis of all Holland's subsequent 
 action, so far as other powers are concerned. 
 
 In 184.5, the Emperor caused an answer to be sent to the letter, in which it was politely, but 
 very decidedly, announced that Japan had no wish to alter her ancient laws with respect to 
 foreigners. 
 
 With this tlie Dutcli remained content ; and, so far from pressing the subject in any way, in 
 1846 they became the medium of announcing to the civilized world an edict of Japan forbidding 
 foreigners to make charts and drawings of the Japanese waters and coasts, and forbidding ship- 
 wrecked Japanese sailors to return to their country in any ships but those of the Netherlands and 
 China. 
 
 Presently, when, in 18.")2, it became certain that an exi)edition was to be sent from the United 
 States, under Commodore Perry, the Dutch forthwith sent out orders to their governor general 
 in the Indies to address the governor of Nagasaki, requesting that he would a])point a confi- 
 dential agent to enter into negotiations with the Dutch chief at Dezima, "about the means that
 
 INTRODUCTION. 05 
 
 the latter sliould indicate in order to preserve Japan agmnst the dangers thai threatened her." 
 And at the end of the governor general's letter was an intimation to the Nagasaki autliorities 
 that the Duteh might he forced to abandon Japan entirely if hostile collisions with other nations 
 should be the result of perseverance in her system of exclusion. This, it is claimed, was a 
 renewal of the efibrt to open Japan on the principles set forth in the letter of William II. in 
 1844. From 1844 to 1852 the Dutch made no effort at all, on the ground, as the document 
 alleges, that it was expedient to wait a more favorable opportunity. 
 
 In 1852, the Dezima chief was furnished, by the governor general, with instructions to urge 
 upon the Japanese government a change in its policy of exclusion, not particularly with reference 
 to the Americans, but in favor of aU nations who hitherto had lived in peace with Japan. At the 
 same tiruje powers to negotiate with Japan were sent to the Dezima chief, and the draft of a 
 treaty was furnished him by his government. He was also ordered to conform to the instruc- 
 tions of the governor general and the draft of the treaty, if he should be consulted "in the 
 Japanese American affairs." The draft of the treaty was substantially this : 
 
 Article I. The relations now existing between Jajjan and the Netherlands to be confirmed. 
 
 Article II. The port of Nagasaki to be opened to other nations beside the Dutch for the 
 following purposes, viz : to procure provisions and navy stores ; to repair vessels ; and to take 
 care of sick seamen. 
 
 Article III. Other nations beside the Dutch may "even be admitted to trade :" provided they 
 conclude a treaty ivifh Japan on the bases expressed in the next article. 
 
 Article IV. (a) Trade to be limited to the port of Nagasaki. 
 
 (b) Every nation admitted to trade to have its own consul. 
 
 (c) Japanese government to indicate to foreign merchants a quarter in Nagasaki for their 
 residence. 
 
 (d) Trade to be carried on with the privileged Japanese merchants of the five imperial cities, 
 Teddo, Miako, Ohosaka, Sahai, and Nagasaki, and placed under the care of the governor of 
 Nagasaki. 
 
 (e) Agents of the Japanese princes allowed to buy foreign wares, and to pay for them with 
 the products of their principalities. 
 
 (/) Japanese government to make regulations as to the manner of carrying on traffic ; such 
 regulations to be enforced by the police of Nagasaki. 
 
 (g) Japanese government to issue notes, payable at the imperial treasury, to facilitate trade 
 with foreigners. 
 
 (/() Foreign traders allowed to pay out and receive the Japanese copper coin, in the matter of 
 daily household expenses. 
 
 (i) Right reserved to the Japanese government of imposing a moderate tariff of duties on 
 foreign importations. 
 
 (j) All differences arising in trade to be settled by the consul of the foreign trader and the 
 governor of Nagasaki, or his proxy. 
 
 (k) Crimes committed by a foreigner to be tried and punished by the nation to which the 
 criminal belongs. 
 
 {f) The Japanese government to indicate two places where the foreign nations, admitted to 
 trade, may establish depots for coal. One shall be in the bay of "Good Hope," in Jesso, in 
 the northern part of the Empire ; and the other in the southern part, on one of the islands 
 of the Linechop archipelago. 
 9 J
 
 66 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 Article V. The sUpuIations above mentioned shall he submitted to every foreign power that 
 desires to make a treaty uith Jajmn, and shall form the bases of such treaty. 
 
 Article VI. In case treaties are made witli foreign powers on the foregoing bases, the Dutch 
 shall have all the privileges granted to the most favored nation. 
 
 This draft was accompanied by a document from his Majesty the King of the Netherlands, 
 entitled "Exjilanatory note to the draft of tlie treaty to be concluded between his Majesty the 
 King of the Netherlands and his Majesty the Emperor of Japan." 
 
 This commences with the declaration that " his Majesty appreciates the difficulties which 
 exist in the Japanese institutions, in satisfying the demands of foreign powers for entering into 
 commercial negotiations with that Empire, and foresees the dangers to which Japan is inevitably 
 exposed, if the government of that Empire does not listen to reasonable demands of tliat kind." 
 It then iH'oceeds to state that "his Majesty, by the communications of his subjects, who have 
 long navigated to Japan, and are well acquainted with the aftairs of that Empire, esteems 
 himself, indeed, better able than any other prince to make propositions to the sovereign of that 
 Empire, in order to mitigate the severe laws, against foreigners." "Therefore, the King has 
 taken the resolution to cause to be drawn up and presented a treaty between their Majesties the 
 King of the Netherlands and the Emperor of Japan, in which, in respecting the laws and the ancient 
 customs of the Empire of Japan, is indicated the way, by means of which, for the future, may 
 be maintained, not only friendly commercial relations with the subjects of his Majesty the King 
 of the Netherlands, but also with those maritime nations who desire commerce with Japan, or 
 who, having peaceful purposes, are thrown by accident on the coasts of the Emjiire." "For 
 the elucidation of a treaty drawn up in that spirit, his Majesty causes the following lines to be 
 written. ' ' Then follows a separate comment on each of the articles of the treaty, and particu- 
 larly on each of the bases enumerated under Art. IV, recommending and enforcing them all. 
 
 These documents were all prepared and i^laced in the hands of the Dutch officials as soon as 
 possible after the government of the Netherlands became certain that an expedition would sail 
 from the United States, and some months before Commodore Perry left our shores. 
 
 In anticipation of the contemj^lated enterprize, the government of the United States, in July, 
 1852, (at which time the Dutch draft of a treaty had been sent out on its way to Dezima,) 
 applied respectfully to the government of the Netherlands, announcing officially that the 
 American squadron would be sent, that its visit was meant to be friendly, and Ibat its object 
 was, if possible, to obtain from Japan some mitigation of her system of exclusion ; it asked, 
 also, that instructions might be given to the Dezima chief to afford, if it should be desired by us, 
 his official co-operation in furthering the accomj)lishment of our object. This request was 
 answered by a promise that such instructions should be given ; and, by request, copies were 
 furnished to the United States of the letter of William U, of 1844, and of the Emperor's answer 
 to it of 1845 ; but of tlie draft of a Dutch treaty tlien on its way to Japan, or of any 
 accompanying instructions to the Dutch officials in the east, the United States, of course, 
 heard and knew nothing. 
 
 Thus affairs stood when our squadron sailed on the 24tli of November, 1852. Long before it 
 arrived in the Japanese waters, the Dutch chief at Dezima had been endeavoring to carry out 
 his instructions, and negotiate ivith the Japanese the treaty of ichich the draft had been sent to him. 
 But the autlKjrities of Japan persisted in their refusal to appoint a person of consideration as 
 their confidential agent to negotiate any treaty at all. In this state of affairs, the Dezima chief, 
 " rightly resolving not to sacrifice the business to a mere matter of form," as the Dutch document
 
 INTRODUCTION. 67 
 
 expresses it, at once addressed the governor of Nagasaki, ami attempted to open a negotiation 
 with him. He laid before him the several items in the draft of the treaty with which he had 
 been furnished, accompanying them with explanations, and set forth what he deemed the prin- 
 ciples which were for the Japanese interest, and which should predominate in the negofiafions 
 which he thought might result from the anticipated propositions of the United States ; for botli he 
 and the Japanese knew that our squadron was on its way. He concluded his letter as follows : 
 " His Majesty, the King of the Netlierlands, expects tliat the peace of the Japanese Empire can 
 be preserved, if the government of Japan will answer the propositions of the United States in 
 the manner indicated;" that is, on the bases set forth in the Dutch draft of a treaty. But 
 the Japanese treated this attempt as they had all the previous ones from tlie Dezima chief; and 
 its only effect was to quicken their native shrewdness, and jirompt to more ninuerous demands 
 for explanation, and more thorough investigations into the subject. 
 
 At length, in June, 18.53, the American squadron, purposely avoiding Nagasaki, made its 
 appearance in the bay of Jeddo, and thus was in Japan before the Dutch were able to anticipate 
 the American commissioner in making a treaty. The American squadron never was at Nagasaki, 
 and our representative never had the least commuuication with the Dutch chief at Dezima. 
 
 The Russian squadron soon after entered the port of Nagasaki, and the result of that visit 
 has already been stated. Eussia made no treaty with Ji^pan. 
 
 Commodore Perry signed the treaty with Japan on the last day of March, 1854; and the 
 Dutch government dispatched their war steamer Soemhing from Batavia for Japan on the 25th 
 of July, 1854. This was deemed a measure of expediency, as the sight of the American and 
 Russian steamers had excited the liveliest interest in the Japanese. The Soemhing, during her 
 stay, was visited by men of the highest rank, and, in lact, was made a school of instruction for 
 a large number of Japanese. Finally, the English squadron, imder Admiral Stirling, came in 
 on the 7th of Sei^tember, 1854, and deepened the impression which had been made in Japan by 
 the spectacle of so many armed ships of different nations. 
 
 The document before us concludes by claiming great merit for the Dutch, in having opened 
 Japan to the world. It thus speaks : " The Netherlands have understood their mission when, in 
 consequence of the course of events, they placed themselves at the head to operate, in the interest 
 of all, a mitigation of the system of exclusion that existed relative to foreign nations in Japan. 
 The letter of his Majesty, the late William II, is thereof an irrefragable proof." " The United ' 
 States of North America have obtained, by treaty, the opening to their flag of two ports in the 
 Japanese Empire ; and one other power seems to have succeeded in a similar manner. In the 
 face of such results, we cannot deny or undervalue the impression and effect produced by the 
 presence of powerful fleets, or the influence exerted by the simultaneous and serious attempts of 
 different nations. But we wish to see acknowledged the part that the Netherlands had in it by 
 their advice and persuasion. Indeed, these fleets realized the predictions of your Majesty's royal 
 father, and served to procure a more ready acceptance of his disinterested advice. The draft 
 of a treaty of 1852 — the letter of the chief at Dezima of the 2d of November, 1852 — the com- 
 munication of the governor of Nagasaki of the 9th of November, 1853 — finally, the comparing 
 of the said draft of a treaty with the convention concluded by the United States — all this 
 presents the undeniable fact, that the measures taken, in consequence of your Majesty's orders, 
 have powerfully contrilnited to the results obtained by other nations." 
 
 "In fact, tlie Netherlands have always desired an opening of Japanese ports, in the general 
 interest, and in favor of commerce. Attached disinterestedly to that policy, the Netherlands
 
 68 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 have souglit no privileges for themselves in Japan ; but they have, in equity, desired and obtained 
 treatment similar to that of others, when to these favors were granted." 
 
 These are the facts as set forth hy the Dutch, and this the extent of their claims; nor would 
 we in the slightest degree detract from what may he justly their due. We confess, however, that, 
 to us, the importance as well as effects of Dutch co-operation in our treaty seem to be somewhat 
 exaggerated. It sometimes happens that men and nations cannot work to the production of 
 their own particular ends without thereby contributing, whether they wish it or not, to the 
 accomplishment of similar ends sought by others. The success, however, of others, which they 
 never sought, and which is but an accident resulting from their efforts to another end, can scarcely 
 be claimed as a ground of merit, or demand very loud acknowledgments from those who may 
 have been thus casually benefitted. The basis of a claim, quantum meruit, is some benefit 
 pnrpo.sely done by one to another, or some loss purposely sustained for his advantage. We 
 readily concede that the Dezima chief, with the draft of the Dutch treaty in his possession, 
 strove faithfully and judiciously, as became him, to induce the Japanese authorities to accede 
 to the terms of that treaty and sign it, before our ambassador could reach Japan. Of this we 
 have no right to complain. We concede also that his proceedings brought to the knowledge of 
 the Japanese what the nature of a commercial treaty was, and furnished them also with some 
 valuable hints as to some of its provisions, which afforded them topics of reflection and investigation, 
 and prepared them for the consideration of our treaty when it should be proposed ; but it will 
 scarcely be pretended that the Dutch action was prompted by the direct design of aiding the 
 United States; and still less, that it induced the Japanese government to depart from its long 
 established policy of exclusion. The Dutch were themselves endeavoring to negotiate a treaty; 
 and such a departure must be pre-supposed before it was expedient to pre-sent the terms of a 
 treaty at all. 
 
 But further, as to this point of departing from their settled policy, it is on the record, that the 
 letter of the King of Hollani! himself on this very subject, written in 1844, was answered by the 
 Japanese government in 1845, with a most explicit declaration that they tcould not abandon 
 their ancient policy and usage. At this time then (1845) the Dutch seem to have accomplished 
 nothing ; and it is not on the record that they ever renewed their effort from this time forward 
 until 1852, when they knew the American expedition luould certainly be sent; and the mode of 
 renewal was to offer to Japan a treaty which they had prepared to suit themselves, and which was 
 for their own benefit. For it will be remembered that by that treaty no foreign nation was t® 
 be allowed by treaty to trade with Japan, but on certain bases, laid down in the 4th article of 
 the Dutch draft. Now suppose Japan had signed the treaty proposed to her by Holland, 
 what would have necessarily resulted? The following consequences, viz: 
 
 1. Tliat tlie Dutch should alone dictate what kind of treaties all other foreign nations might 
 make with Japan. 
 
 2. That Japan, an independent power, should preclude herself from the right of making any 
 treaty but such as Holland should approve. 
 
 3. That as Holland was to be placed on the footing of the most favored nations in any treaty 
 Japan might nake, the Dutch, in addition to the privileges they already possessed in Japan, 
 and in addition to any others they might obtain hy future negotiation, should have also every 
 privilege of every kind that any nation might cnance to get by treaty. 
 
 Had tlie Dezima chief succeeded in negotiating his treaty before Commodore Perry's arrival, 
 would it have benefitted the United States?
 
 INTRODUCTION. 69 
 
 But this is not all. We are constrained, from public documents of the Dutch themselves, to 
 believe tliat they never cordially furthered our efl'orts to effect a treaty which should open Japan. 
 In a letter from the Dutch governor general of the Indies, written from Java on the 22d 
 September, 1852, addressed to Commodore Perry, (then on his way to Japan,) the commodore 
 is informed that a dispatch for the Dezima cliief is enclosed, which the commodore may 
 transmit to him, in case he wishes his co-operation. Now, at this very time, the governor general 
 well knew that the Dezima chief had the draft of a treaty, and instructions to have it ratified 
 if possible ; and every effort was being made to have it thus ratified before, Commodore Perry 
 could arrive. Had it been thus ratified, we have seen above what sort of co-operation the Dezima 
 chief would have rendered ; it would have been to allow Japan to negotiate just such a treaty 
 as Holland had seen fit to make for her and for us. But further still — the last clause of the 
 governor general's letter to Commodore Perry is suggestive of a fact pregnant with evidence as 
 to the cordiality with which Holland seconded our efforts. "I beg to remark, in view of the 
 object at present contemplated by both our governments, that in case the Netherlands chief of 
 the factory at Dezima should have succeeded in opening negotiations with the government of 
 Japan, it is not unlikely that any proof of co-operation between America and Holland would 
 prejudice these negotiations, as yvu are aware that the American expedition to Japan has not ahvays 
 been represented to be of a wholly friendly and peaceful character." Of course, these latter words, 
 to have any meaning, must imply that the Japanese had doubts of the friendly nature of our 
 visit. Noio, icho told the Japanese that it teas unfriendly? The Dutch were the only Europeans 
 with whom they had any intercourse, or from whom they could hear anything about it. And 
 from the Dutch they did hear it ; for, in anticipation of the American movements, instructions 
 were sent by the Netherlands to their governor general in Batavia to write to Japan and invite 
 negotiation about the means that should be adopted "'to preserve Jajian from the dangers that 
 threatened her." The Dutch, therefore, told the Japanese to look for danger from our visit. 
 
 Commodore Perry never invoked the aid of the Dutch, from the beginning to the end of his 
 mission, but purposely avoided them ; and the treaty which he made is essentially different 
 from that which the Dutch had provided. The draft from the Hague made Nagasaki the only 
 port open to foreign ships for obtaining supplies, repairing vessels, and recruiting the sick ; and 
 provided that foreigners might "even be admitted to trade," after they had made a treaty on 
 the Dutch basis. 
 
 The two ports of Simoda and Hakodadi, with a considerable space around each, are, by the 
 American treaty, thrown open for trade ; and in case of distress, or when driven by stress of 
 weather, all the ports in Japan are open to ships of the United States ; and as, when Holland 
 shall succeed in making a commercial treaty with Japan, we cannot but hope and believe she 
 will be admitted to like favors with ourselves, we have been inclined to think that the Dutch 
 are far more indebted to us for releasing them from their imprisonment of two centuries and a 
 half at Dezima, than we are for any aid they have rendered us, directly or indirectly, in 
 negotiating our treaty with Japan. That Holland should seek to advance her own interest is 
 both natural and proper ; when other nations succeed in promoting theirs, it is scarcely graceful 
 or dignified to deny to them the modicum of merit which may attach to their success. 
 
 It only remains to say a word about the singular statements of Dr. Yon Siebold. Tliis individual 
 was the physician employed by the Dutch at Dezima, and has pnblislied, more largely than all 
 his predecessors combined, the result of his observations during his residence. Of the value of 
 his publications we have already spoken. During his continuance in the Empire, however, a
 
 70 ^ ^"^ ^ INTRODUCTION. 
 
 circumstance is said to have occurred involving a very melancholy catastrophe, in which Von 
 Siebold was an unwilling actor. The story is thus related by a modern writer on Japan. 
 Siebold had been with Colonel Van Sturler, the Dezima chief, to Jeddo ; the Japanese astronomer, 
 Takahasi Lakusaimon, had, in violation of the law, furnished him with a copy of a recently 
 made map of Japan. The draughtsman who made the copy having become, from some cause, 
 offended with the astronomer, denoimced him to the authorities. An investigation followed, 
 Siebold's correspondence with Takahasi was demanded, and the topographical and geograpliical 
 information contained therein, added to the fact that Siebold was not by birth a Hollander, led 
 to the suspicion that the physician of Dezima was a Bussian spy. This caused the investigation 
 to become more rigorous still, and severe measures were threatened. All who were known to 
 be fi-iends and correspondents of Siebold, with a single exception, were thrown into prison. The 
 excepted individual was made a witness for the government. He broke his oath in the cause of 
 friendship, and privately informed Siebold of what was designed against him. This warning 
 enabled him to place his most valuable documents in security, and to prepare copies for the use 
 of the government commissioners, before his papers were seized and his person arrested at 
 Dezima. Siebold was repeatedly examined by the governor of Nagasaki, and steadily refused 
 to name any of his Japanese accomplices ; and requested to be permitted to pass the residue of 
 his life in a Japanese prison, as a hostage, for the innocence of his friends, and as a penalty for 
 the consequences of his transgressions. The investigation lasted nearly a year. Siebold was 
 banished from Japan; and Takahasi and the draughtsman who accused him both committed 
 suicide. Whether this story be true or not, in every particular, it was, at least, circulated on the 
 continent of Europe, and in this form it had reached the United States before our expedition sailed. 
 
 After Commodore Perry had been designated as commander, Siebold applied for employ- 
 ment as a member of the expedition, and so anxious was he to go, that he caused great and 
 unusual influence to be exerted for the accomplishment of his wishes. Commodore Perry, 
 for several reasons, and particularly from a desire not to compromit himself, or hazard the 
 success of his mission by taking back to Japan a man generally believed to have been banished, 
 resisted all influences, even the highest, and persisted in his positive refusal to have Siebold in 
 any vessel of the squadron. 
 
 At lengthy our treaty was made, and the fact was announced to the world. Within a few 
 months, and since such announcement, has appeared a pamphlet, by Siebold, published at Bonn, 
 and bearing the following title : "Authentic account of the efforts of the Netherlands and of Russia 
 toward the opening of Japan to the navigation and commerce of all nations." We regret its 
 publication for the author's sake. It subserves no scientific end, nor does it add a single fact 
 concerning Japan to what the author has already communicated in his previous valuable 
 writings. It is evidently the product of mortified and irritated vanity, and has two objects in 
 view which are perfectly obvious. The one is to glorify the author, the other to disparage 
 the United States and its Japan expedition. Appreciating, as we sincerely do, the voluminous 
 ■writings of Dr. Von Siebold concerning Japan, we regret exceedingly the egotism, vanity, and 
 self-importance exhibited in the pursuit of the one object ; while we are not disposed to overlook, 
 without rebuke, the misrepresentations and impertinence displayed in the accomplishment of the 
 other. The text and spirit of the whole work may be found at the commencement, on the tliird 
 page of the book, in the following statement : " We have now to thank the Mitssians, and not the 
 Americans, for the opening of Japan." When we remember that, up to a very late period, <Ae 
 Jtussians had effected no treaty at all with Japan, the reader may possibly incline to the belief,
 
 INTRODUCTION. 71 
 
 that the shrewd Japanese -were not far from the truth, when they suspected Von Siebold to be a 
 Bussian spy, and banished him. 
 
 Of his intimate connexion with Eussia there can be no doubt ; the pamphlet itself shows it ; 
 and though in the revelations it makes, its purpose is to glorify the author and show his great 
 political importance, yet his boasts of services rendered to Eussia, his published extracts from the 
 flattering letter of a Eussian official of high rank, his acknowledgment of a summons and visit 
 to St. Petersburgh, and his declaration that Japan knows Eussia to be the most powerful nation 
 in the world, are all facts indicative of the author's close and interested relation to the great 
 northern power. Indeed, it has been said by some, that by his advice the Russian squadron 
 was sent to checkmate us in our attempt to open Japan. If this be so, then, his extreme desire 
 to go in our squadron may have been produced by his entire conviction, nay, assured knowledge, 
 that his presence alone would have proved fatal to the success of oiir mission. 
 
 Of the inordinate conceit and self-imjjortance of Von Siebold there is, unfortunately, abundant 
 evidence. Thus, he informs us, that he it was who induced King William II, in 1844, to write 
 to the Emperor of Japan : and states that the original of the King's letter was deposited with 
 him and is still in his possession. He dwells, at length, upon the vast amount of valuable 
 information he had acquired in Japan, upon the admirable opportunities he enjoyed for that 
 purpose, and more than insinuating that all the rest of the world, compared with him, is in 
 almost entire ignorance, he contrives to make the pamphlet an advertisement of his really 
 valuable works, of which he retains, we believe, the sale in his own hands ; at least we know 
 that it was not to be obtained in the book stores of Europe, and that the copy procured for the 
 Astor library was purchased by the accomplished superintendent from Von Siebold himself. 
 
 So, too, the services he has rendered to Eussia lose nothing of their value and importance in 
 his representations : and we are furnished with an extract of a letter from a distinguished 
 Eussian statesman, addressed to our author, the publication of which by Von Siebold proves that 
 the noble correspondent of whom he boasts could not have enumerated modesty among the 
 personal qualities for which he commends the learned physician. 
 
 We are also told of his intimacy with some of the Japanese nobility, though he dared not 
 show his face in Japan, nor was he at liberty even to address to them a letter. 
 
 A letter from M. Von Siebold, adcb'cssed to one of the gentlemen of the expedition, whom he 
 ostentatiously calls in his pamphlet, " my correspondent on board of the Mississippi," is now 
 lying before us. A single extract will illustrate the weakness of which we have spoken : 
 
 "I see with much pleasure that Commodore Perry knows how to appreciate my profound 
 knowledge and long experience of Japanese affairs. I was very sorry not to have been called 
 upon to trace a programme for the Arherican expedition to Japan. I would have produced a 
 plan to open the Japanese Empire to the world, under the watchwords ' humanity and patience.' 
 I do not transgress the bounds of modesty when I say that /, only, am able to trace such a plan. 
 The Netherland government knows my views, and has undertaken to support the peaceful 
 intentions of the President of the United States toward the Japanese government." 
 
 " Probably all overtures will be declined, or they will try to delay, as long as possible, giving 
 a final answer. The Japanese government understands perfectly the art of protracting diplo- 
 matic negotiations, to exhaust patience ; of spinning out endlessly the thread of objections against 
 overtures for a commercial treaty. They will recall constantly the unalterable nature of their 
 laws ; will urge the danger of breaches of etiquette or courtesy, the want of articles for exporta- 
 tion, the great influx of foreigners. It will also be pretended that the Sioguu is not allowed to
 
 72 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 enter into negotiations with foreign nations (other tluui the Hollanders) without the co-operation 
 of the Mikado ; and it is easy to understand that the Slikado will decide for or against a treaty 
 according to the will of the Council of State. All these are only pretexts, and the sole reason 
 why the Japanese object to more intimate relations with foreigners is the fear that Christianity 
 may he introduced into the country, and so the Siogun dynasty, which consolidated itself by the 
 extermination of Christianity, may he put in jeopardy. The fanatic Gutzlaff and Father For- 
 cade, (now in Heaven, I hope,) the narrow-minded missionaries, have, hy their conduct of late, 
 contributed to excite afresh the fears of the Japanese government, who saw in these two mission- 
 aries the whole of Christendom marching against Japan. 
 
 " It shows a want of caution, in that the letter of the honorable President states that the mes- 
 sengers whom he has sent to the Emperor of Japan are not missionaries. Why insert this 
 assurance, calculated to excite distrust ? It is a matter of course that an ambassador is not a 
 missionary ; and what guarantee can be given to the Jajmnese government that there prevails 
 no intention to propagate Christianity in Japan ? No maritime power but Holland enjoys her 
 confidence. Holland only can make a movement to open Japan to the commerce of the world. 
 Holland has not listened to my advice, and will repent it." 
 
 " Please to pray Commodore Perry not to allow liis patience to be exhausted, to receive quietly 
 the objections of the Japanese government ; but then lie must declare decidedlj' that America 
 will not trouble herself about the present religion and politics of Japan. America leaves these 
 untouched, but insists on a commercial treaty to be effected by peaceiul negotiation. Probably 
 the proposals will not be listened to ; but beg Commodore Perry not to make hostile demonstra- 
 tions against the good, faithful, innocent people of Japan, but to intimate to the Japanese gov- 
 ernment that it is in his power to destroy their cities, ships, and men, but that to do so would give 
 him pain ; that he will therefore give them a year to consider his proposals, because he would not 
 by force of arms seek to obtain conditions which might as well be secured by friendly measures." 
 
 " Then, if notice is given to me in proper time, I would still be willing to submit a plan by 
 whicli the United States government may attain its purposes." 
 
 With reference to this letter, in the pamphlet before us M. Von Siebold states that by means 
 of his " correspondent on board the Mississippi" he did not fail "to advise Commodore Perry to 
 follow a peaceful plan, which counsel seems to have borne good fruit." 
 
 It is very remarkable how strikingly facts in the history of our negotiation have contradicted 
 the confident predictions of this gentleman, who professed such "profound knowledge and long 
 experience of Japanese affairs." 
 
 The Dutch, he states, were the only jieople who could establish a commercial treaty with Japan, 
 and they had undertaken to sustain our effort. The facts are, that they were not able to make 
 a treaty for themselves until long after ours was consummated ; that their support of our efforts 
 consisted, as we have shown, in the attempt to make a treaty for themselves before our arrival, 
 committing the Japanese to agree to no treaty with any foreign power but such as they 
 prescribed ; and that from the arrival to the departure of our ships in no mode, either directly 
 or indirectly, did tliey have any communication with the Dutch, nor was the aid of the latter 
 either invoked or employed in the slightest degree in the negotiation of our treaty. 
 
 M. Von Siebold predicted that our overtures would be declined, or that a final answer would 
 be delayed as long as possible. The /nc/s are, that our overtures were not declined, and that, 
 under tlie circumstances of the death of the Emperor and other events, tlie delay was not unrea- 
 sonably long. The squadron returned to Yeddo bay on the 13th of February, and all the
 
 INTRODUCTION. 73 
 
 terms of the treaty were substantially agreed on by the 23d of March, and it was formally signed 
 on the 31st of that month. So that about six weeks elaj)sed from the commencement of the 
 negotiation to its close in a treaty. 
 
 il. Von Siebold predicted that various pretexts would be resorted to by the Japanese to pro- 
 tract the negotiation. Singularly enough, the fact is, that of the six anticipated objections 
 specified by Von Siebold not one was urged in the negotiation as insurmountable, and five were 
 not mentioned at all. The onlj' one named was the unalterable nature of the Japanese laws. 
 
 And as to the complacency with which M. Von Siebold congratulates himself on the "good 
 fruit ' ' resulting from his counsel, we have only to remark that we are very sorry his good advice 
 did not arrive in time to afibrd the Commodore any aid, inasmuch as his course had been fully 
 decided on and in part followed without the slightest reference to it. In fact, Commodore Perry 
 never saw M. Von Siehokl's letter at all. 
 
 Of the disposition to disparage the United States and its expedition to Japan, the jjroofs are 
 quite as unequivocal as those we have given above of self-conceit and arrogance. Our country 
 is more than once brought into disadvantageous comparison with Russia ; is accused of being 
 influenced by the most selfish motives ; of seeking her own advantage without the slightest 
 regard to those of Japan or of the rest of the civilized world ; and in this respect her conduct is 
 contrasted with that of Holland, which is affirmed to Jiave been always prompted by a most 
 liberal desire to open Japan to the commerce of the world. Russia, also, is said to be bene- 
 volently pursuing the same end, and also to be seeking the free exercise of Christian worship for 
 all Russian subjects in Japan. With Russia's zeal for the protection of Cliristians in Japan we 
 have nothing to do ; we may remark, however, it is a little curious that Russia should not be 
 warned to avoid the subject of Christianity in Japan, while Commodore Perry is so decidedly 
 advised, by M. Von Siebold, carefully to proclaim that he is no Christian missionary ; and is 
 informed that the dread of the introduction of Christianity is the only real obstacle to his success. 
 
 The chief magistrate of our country is also rebuked for a want of the usual diplomatic form, 
 and of the dignified tone, so necessary to be used toward the sovereign of a country so much 
 accustomed to etiquette. 
 
 Piqued at Commodore Perry's success in the bay of Yedo, when M. Von Siebold had predicted 
 that he would be obliged to go to Nagasaki, and that his proposals would not be listened to 
 anywhere else, if, indeed, they would be listened to at all, he sneeringly attributes his success 
 to what he imputes as a, fault, viz : that Commodore Perry informed the Japanese that the mere 
 request to go to Nagasaki would, if repeated, be construed into an insult to the United States. 
 And, finally, though we have succeeded, it is to be of but little value to us, inasmuch as Russia 
 and the Netherlands can better supply Japan's wants than we can, and their political and com- 
 mercial regulations are such as the Siogoon can sympathize with, while ours are not. 
 
 Of the selfishness of our motives we readily admit that we sought commercial intercourse with 
 Japan, because we supposed it would be advantageous. Such, we suppose, is the motive of all 
 intelligent nations in establishing friendly relations with others. We can only smile at the 
 simplicity of those who expect to deceive the world by professions of pure, disinterested friend- 
 ship from one nation toward another, irrespective of all considerations of national benefit. We 
 think that every nation which has sought intercourse with Japan has supposed that such inter- 
 course would prove advantageous to the seeker ; nor are we aware that there is anything very 
 criminal or selfish in the desire that advantage may result from tlie communicatiou. But it is 
 quite possible to believe that benefit to both nations may result from the intercourse we would 
 10 J
 
 74 INTRODUCTION, 
 
 establish, and such benefit may be honestly desired, even while we seek otir own interest. This 
 is not selfishness. But turther, we beg distinctly to state the fact that Commodore Perry did 
 express to the Japanese commissioners the desire that other nations might have the benefits of 
 our treaty, or of one similar to it, and received for reply that there were many commercial 
 nations on the globe ; and that if they wished to have a treaty they should do as we had done, 
 visit Japan and seek to make one. 
 
 That our late President (Mr. Fillmore) should have been wanting in the courtly proprieties of 
 diplomatic etiquette, and prove himself ignorant of the dignified language in which it became him 
 to address a sovereign, is certainly very lamentable. But we are comforted by the reflection that 
 his Japanese majesty was not offended by the manly, yet respectful, frankness of our republican 
 chief ; that the Emperor seems perfectly to have understood what he said, (which is something 
 unusual in diplomacy ;) and that, through his commissioners, he responded in a very friendly 
 and cordial manner to the propositions made by our President. At all events, ive made a treaty 
 ivitli Japan satisfactory to ioth governments. Our rude ignorance of propriety was thus kindly 
 overlooked ; and we, therefore, hope that M. Von Siebold, the self-constituted court chamberlain 
 of Japan, will henceforth generously forbear to speak of the shortcomings of such a semi-civilized 
 people and government as ours. It may indicate our barbarism, but we would rather be clowns 
 than calumniators. 
 
 We plead guilty, too, to the charge that Commodore Perry went to the bay of Yedo and 
 refused to go to Nagasaki ; and that he added to this enormity the very plain declaration that 
 "the Americans will never submit to the restrictions which have been imposed upon the Dutch 
 and Chinese, and any further allusion to such restraints will be considered ofiensive ;" to which 
 we will add that the Japanese commissioners put in writing, as one of the points agreed upon 
 between them and Commodore Perry, that "the citizens of the United States will not submit to 
 degradations like those imposed upon the Dutch and Chinese." And Commodore Perry's coun- 
 trymen expected him to say precisely what he did say, and are quite satisfied with the result. 
 
 It only remains to be added that, until since the return of our expedition, neither the Dutch 
 nor Russians were able to effect a treaty. England and the United States alone succeeded ; and 
 England readily admits that, in point of time, ours was the Jl7-st. This is all we have ever 
 said ; and we conclude with the wish that all the powers of Europe, seeking commercial treaties 
 with Japan, may succeed as well as England and ourselves, and that most interesting Empire 
 thus be opened to, and enriched by, free communication with the civilized world.
 
 CHAPTEK I. 
 
 PROBABILITIES OP A SfCCESSFGL MISSION FROM THE UNITED STATES TO JAPAN. SUCH A MISSION PROPOSED TO THE GOVERN- 
 MENT BY COMMODORE PERRY. EXPEDITION RESOLVED ON. VESSELS SELECTED FOR THE SQUADRON. VEXATI0C5 DELAY 
 
 IN THEIR EQtJIPMENT. COMMODORE PERRY SENT IX THE MISSISSIPPI TO THE GULF OP ST. LAWRENCE. APPLICATIONS OF 
 
 SCIENTIFIC MEN TO JOIN THE EXPEDITION REFDSED.^-CADSES OF SUCH REFUSAL. DR. TON SIEBOLD. — TISIT OF THE 
 
 PRESIDENT AND SECRETARY OF THE NATY TO ANNAPOLIS TO TAKE LEAVE OF THE EXPEDITION. FAILURE OF THE 
 
 MACHINERY OF THE STEAMSHIP PRINCETON ON THE PASSAGE DOWN CHESAPEAKE BAY. SUBSTITUTION OF STEAMER POW- 
 HATAN IN PLACE OF THE PRINCETON. — FINAL DEPARTURE OF COMMODORE PERRY ON THE MISSION WITH THE MISSISSIPPI 
 ALONE. 
 
 HE treaty which closed the war of the United States with 
 Mexico transferred to the former the territory of California. 
 Its position on the Pacific could not but suggest the thought 
 of an extended field for commercial enterprise ; and with our 
 territory spreading from ocean to ocean, and placed midway 
 between Europe and Asia, it seemed that we might with 
 propriety apply to ourselves the name by which China had 
 loved to designate herself, and deem that we were, in truth, 
 "the Middle Kingdom." If the shortest route between 
 , Eastern Asia and Western Europe be (in this age of steam) 
 across our continent, then was it obvious enough that our 
 continent must, in some degree at least, become a highway 
 for the world. And when, soon after our acquisition of 
 California, it was discovered that the harvest there was gold, nothing was more natural than 
 that such discovery should give additional interest to the obvious reflections suggested by our 
 geographical position. 
 
 Direct trade from our western coast with Asia became, therefore, a familiar thought ; the 
 agency of steam was, of course, involved, and fuel for its production was indispensable. Hence 
 arose inquiries for that great mineral agent of civilization, coal. Where was it to be obtained 
 on the long route from California to Asia? Another inquiry presented itself: With what far- 
 distant eastern nations should we trade? China was in some measure opened to us ; but 
 there was, beside, a terra incognita in Japan which, while it stimulated curiosity, held out 
 also temptations which invited commercial enterprise. True, we knew not much about its
 
 76 EXPEDITIONTOJAPAN. 
 
 internal regulations ; we knew that it had, for centuries, isolated itself, as it were, from the 
 world, and persisted in a system of excluding foreigners from intercourse ; that hut one European 
 nation was allowed to approach for purposes of trade, and that repeated efforts made by others 
 for a similar privilege had uniformly failed of success. But we knew, too, that it possessed 
 valuable productions, and ought to be brought into communication with the rest of the world. 
 By some, indeed, the proposition was boldly avowed that Japan had no right thus to cut herself 
 off from the community of nations; and that what she would not yield to national comity should 
 be wrested from her by force. 
 
 It was, perhaps, but natural that the minds of our naval officers should be drawn strongly to 
 a consideration of the subject of intercourse with Japan. Not simply to the desirableness or 
 probable advantages of such intercourse, for on those points all men's minds readily reached the 
 same conclusion ; but on the means by which the wished for end might be best attained. And 
 this part of the subject required some study and calm reflection, aided by such experience and 
 knowledge of men of all latitudes as a naval officer would be apt to acquire in many years 
 of active service on shipboard. 
 
 Commodore Perry, in common with other members of his profession and with the rest of his 
 countrymen, had his thoughts directed to the subject, with especial reference to the probabilities of 
 accomplishing the end in view. He knew that there must be causes for a state of things 
 80 singular as was presented in the complete voluntary isolation of a whole people ; and his first 
 object was, therefore, to obtain a correct history of the past career of Japan. For this purpose 
 he mastered all that he could derive from books, and found that the exclusive system of Japan 
 was not the result of any national idiosyncracy, but was caused by peculiar circumstances, long 
 since passed, and was_, in fact, in direct opposition to what liistory proved to be the natural 
 temperament and disposition of the Japanese people. He also found, in a careful examination of 
 the repeated efibrts of other nations to break down the barrier that shut them out, what he 
 supposed to be the secret of their failures. Peculiar circumstances in the then political condition 
 of the power seeking admission ; the rivalry of different nations striving to thwart each other ; 
 the indiscretion, not to say arrogance, of some of those entrusted with the mission, who sought 
 to bully a brave people into acquiescence with their wishes ; a misconception of the true char- 
 acter of the Japanese, who readily distinguish between obsequious servility and a manly spirit 
 of conciliation, founded on the principle of doing what is kind and just, but submitting, not for 
 an instant, to what is insulting or wrong ; all these seemed to him to be elements of failure 
 clearly to be traced, in a greater or less degree, in the efforts that had been made. Beside, a 
 disadvantage under which the European nations labored was that Japan had known something 
 concerning all of them for many years, and, indeed, had been more or less brouglit into contact 
 with them. Thus Portugal had given early and unpardonable offence in encouraging domestic 
 treason ; England (who once had foothold) had abandoned it ; one of her kings had married a 
 Portuguese princess ; one of her officers (Pellew) had committed what they deemed an insolent 
 outrage in her waters ; Russia had taken possession of some of her islands, had excited sus- 
 picions of ulterior designs by fortifying on another "annexed" territory, at the mouth of the 
 Amour, and, as the Japanese Emperor said, "had an inclination for Japan ;" while Holland had 
 so quietly submitted to degradation, imprisonment and insult for two hundred years, that the 
 Japanese unquestionably formed their opinion of European foreigners, in some measure, from 
 the Dutch.
 
 MISSION TO JAPAN PROPOSED BY COMMODORE PERRY. 77 
 
 The United States occupied a different position from all the above named powers, for they 
 had not been brought into such contact with Japan as awakened unpleasant associations. The 
 only effort we had made toward opening friendly relations, (and it scarcely deserves the name,) 
 was in sending two ships under Commodore Biddle, which remained at anchor some eio-ht or 
 ten days, accomplished nothing, and quietly left when the Japanese desired it. 
 
 Commodore Perry, after careful examination, believed that, under all the circumstances, there 
 was a favorable opportunity for our country to establish commercial relations with Japan, and 
 avowed his belief to several of his brother officers, as well as to some of the dignitaries of the 
 government, and eminent citizens, long before the subject was publicly discussed, and the 
 expedition resolved on. There were doubtless others (and among them probably some of high 
 station in the government) whose minds had been led to a similar conclusion, and who, like 
 Commodore Perry, anticipated popular opinion on the subject of an expedition. Indeed, 
 instructions had been sent out to Commodore Aulick, then on the East India station, directing 
 him to proceed to Japan ; and the State Department, tlien under the charge of Mr. Webster, 
 had sought information concerning Japan from the officer who commanded the Preble on her 
 visit. Commander Glynn, who very strong-ly felt and urged the importance of establishing, 
 if possible, a friendly communication between that Kingdom and our own country. We believe, 
 however, we do no wrong to any one, when we sa}' that the thought of making an immediate 
 effort was urged by Commodore Perry; and, at all events, on the recal of Commodore Aulick, 
 he formally proposed to the government of the United States the expedition, which was finally 
 sent. The proposition was favorably received, and it was determined that a sqiiadron should be 
 dispatched, under his command, on the peaceful mission of endeavoring to open a friendly 
 commercial intercourse with the Japanese.* 
 
 The expedition having been resolved on, the following vessels were selected to compose the 
 squadron, viz : The Mississippi steamer, which had been the flag ship of Commodore Perry in 
 the Gulf during the Mexican war, and was deservedly his favorite vessel ; the Princeton and 
 Alleghany steamers ; the Vermont, 74 ; and the sloops-of-war Vandalia and Macedonian. The 
 steamship Susquehanna, and sloops-of-war Saratoga and Plymouth were already on the East 
 India station, and were to form part of the squadron. The armed storeships Supply, Lexington, 
 and Southampton, were also attached to the expedition. The liveliest interest in the under- 
 taking was manifested by the President, (Mr. Fillmore,) b}' Mr. Webster, and his successors in 
 the State Department, (Messrs. Conrad and Everett,) by the Secretary of the Navy, (Mr. 
 Kennedy,) and indeed by all the members of the Cabinet. The most liberal equipment was 
 authorized, and the commander of the expedition was invested with extraordinary powers, 
 diplomatic as well as naval, because much was necessarily confided to his prudence and discretion. 
 The instructions from the department designated the East India and China seas and Japan as 
 the field of service ; but the great objects of the expedition were to procure friendly admission 
 to Japan for purposes of trade, and to establish, at proper points, permanent depots of coal for 
 our steamers crossing the Pacific. 
 
 Orders were given to fit the squadron for sea with as little delay as jjossible; yet such was 
 the mismanagement in the equipment of the vessels, that more than once the public were led to 
 
 * The subject of establishing commercial relations with the East occupied the minds of so many of our countrymen, that it 
 is, of course, impossible to say, with certainty, with whom its discussion originated. It is, however, due to one gentleman, 
 (Aaron H. Palmer, csc|., of New York,) to say that he was. at least, among the earliest to call attention to its importance.
 
 78 EXPEDITIONTOJAPAN. 
 
 suppose that the enterprise had been abandoned simply from the delay in its departure. More 
 than nine months had passed beyond the time when the chief of the Bureau of Construction 
 and Equipment had promised that the Princeton should be ready, before that vessel was reported 
 as completed; and when thus reported, she was found, on trial, to be iitterly inefficient for the 
 intended service, owing to the imperfection of her boilers. Some new, and in this country 
 untried, plan had been adopted in their construction or arrangement, and the experiment cost 
 the expedition the loss of a year. The Princeton never formed part of the squadron, as the 
 Powhatan was substituted for her. 
 
 Amid these vexatious delays, however, the Commodore was not idle. While he was waiting 
 for the completion of the Princeton, the misunderstanding arose concerning the fisheries in the 
 Gulf of St. Lawrence, and it became necessary to dispatch an armed vessel to that region. The 
 Mississippi was ready for sea, and Commodore Perry was ordered to repair in her to the fishing 
 grounds, and assist in amicably adjusting the respective rights of the English and American 
 fishermen. Having performed this duty satisfactorily to the government, he returned to New 
 York, earnestly hoping that he should find removed all obstacles to his speedy dej^arture on his 
 mission to the East. » 
 
 As soon as it was publicly announced that the United States had resolved on sending an 
 expedition to Japan, applications came from all quarters of the civilized world for permission to 
 take part in the service. Literary and scientific men, European as well as native, and travellers 
 by profession, eagerly sought to accompany the expedition; and extraordinary influences, in 
 some instances, were brought to bear upon our government inducing it to second some of the 
 applications thus made; but Commodore Perry resolutely persisted in an unqualified refusal to 
 all such requests. 
 
 And here it may be well to explain the grounds of such refusal. The duties confided to the 
 commander were of a peculiar nature, and required the most prudent and delicate management 
 on his part. He had his own views of what he had to accomplish and of the best mode of 
 doing it ; and an essential element to success was the possession of absolute authority for the 
 time being. It was indispensable that the most exact order and discipline should be main- 
 tained. To efiect this, strict military control would be necessary; but civilians could not be 
 expected to submit patiently to the restraints of naval discipline, to the confinement on ship 
 board, and to the sanitary regulations necessary to preserve health in crowded ships. 
 
 But, further, after the accommodation of the proper officers of the vessels there would be but 
 little room left for that of scientific men, who were accustomed to the comforts and conveniem es 
 of life on shore, with abundant space for their books and instruments ; and beside, they would 
 severely feel the disappointment of not being able to go and come at their pleasure, when 
 curiosity and their scientific researches might make it desirable, to say nothing of the embar- 
 rassments they might cause to the commander when they did land, by collisions with the 
 jicdjilc, arising from inadvertence or experience. 
 
 l>ut paramount as a ground of refusal was the fact that the object of the expedition was not 
 scientific, but naval and diplomatic ; to attempt both would probably be to succeed in neither. 
 If one, the last named, were prosecuted to a favorable result, the door would then be opened for 
 success in the other. At any rate, the commander thought it would be best to do one thing at 
 a time, and that the one thing confided to him for performance, must take precedence of every 
 thing else.
 
 PR. VON SIEBOLD'S REJECTION. 79 
 
 Another matter, of no little delicacy in its adjustment, was likely to arise from the presence 
 of scientific gentlemen not suhject to the strict discipline of the navy. The Commodore's 
 instructions required of him to prohibit those under his command from making any communi- 
 cations to the newspapers and other public prints touching the movements of the squadron or 
 the discijiline and internal regulations of the vessels composing it ; and even private letters to 
 friends were to avoid these topics. All journals and private notes kept by members of the 
 expedition were to be considered as belonging to the government until permission should be 
 given from the Navy Department to publish them. The object of these regulations was to 
 withhold information from other powers which, if communicated, might jeopard the success of 
 our mission. It was known that other nations, particularly Eussia, had ordered ships to Japan 
 as soon as it was known that the United States had sent there a squadron. Now, the cor- 
 respondence of scientific gentleman with their friends and families was a delicate siibject to be 
 discussed between them and the commander. The latter would neither demand to see their 
 letters nor prescribe the topics on which they might- write. It was, therefore, best to avoid 
 embarrassment by preventing the possibility of its occurrence. 
 
 Some professional feeling also influenced the determination of the Commodore. He supposed 
 that it was desirable to cherish a taste for scientific observation and study among the officers of 
 the navy, many of whom are already not without reputation in science. If an opportunity 
 were afforded them, and facilities furnished for observation, it would make them students of 
 science ; and though they might not always, in their early eflbrts, be able to account 
 philosophically for what they saw, yet they could record facts which others might explain ; and, 
 as they would never forget the facts or the explanations, they would thus be adding to their 
 stores of scientific knowledge. Many of the officers of our army ar,e scientific men ; there is 
 no reason why our naval officers should not be so also. 
 
 These were the general causes which led the Commodore to the determination we have 
 mentioned, without reference to persons. It is proper, however, to add, that, with respect to 
 one individual, who manifested extraordinary desire to be of the expedition, and who has 
 published untruths concerning it since its return, (Dr. Von Siebold,) Commodore Perry refused 
 on personal grounds. From information received from abroad, he suspected him of being a 
 Russian spy, and he knew that he had been banished from Japan, where, by a violation of 
 law, he had forfeited his life. 
 
 On the Commodore's return from the Gulf of St. Lawrence, he found that the vessels under 
 his command were by no means ready for sea ; and, leaving New York, he proceeded in the 
 Mississippi to Annapolis. He was not long in making the discovery that, unless he sailed 
 alone and trusted to the chances of being joined at uncertain periods by the vessels assigned to 
 his command, and then under equipment, he might be detained in the United States several 
 months longer. He therefore, with the approbation of the Navy Department, determined to 
 proceed on his voyage in the Mississippi without further delay ; with the understanding that he 
 should be followed, as soon as possible, by the other vessels of the squadron. 
 
 Before leaving Annapolis, President Fillmore, with the Secretary of the Navy and many 
 other persons of distinction, both ladies and gentlemen, visited the ship and bade farewell to 
 the Commodore and his officers. As the Mississippi and Princeton steamed down the 
 Chesapeake bay, the discovery was made of the entire unfitness of the last named vessel to make 
 the contemplated voyage. Her machinery failed, and it wa.s on the arrival at Norfolk that
 
 80 
 
 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 the Powhatan (which had then just arrived from the West Indies) "was substituted for the 
 Princeton. 
 
 The Commodore, tired of delays, was not disposed to wait any longer for a consort, and, 
 accordingly, on the 24th of November, 1852, the Mississippi cdone took her departure from 
 Norfolk, on the mission to Japan, with the intention of touching on the outward passage, 
 for supplies of coal and refreshments, at Madeira, the Cape of Good Hope, Mauritius, and 
 Singapore.
 
 VOTAGB FROM THE CHESAPEAKE TO MADEIRA. 
 
 81 
 
 m >♦■ ■ 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 TOTACE FROM THE CAPES OF THE CHESAPEAKE TO MADEIRA. — VIEW OF THE ISLAND. — FUNCHAL. — HOSPITALITY OF THE INHAB- 
 ITANTS. SALUBRITY OF THE CLIMATE. EXPORTS OF THE ISLAND. NOVEL MODE OF CONVETANXE. DEPARTURE FROM 
 
 MADEIRA AND ARRIVAL AT THE CANARIES. EARLY FAILURE OF NORTHEAST TRADES EXTRAORDINARY SWELL FROM THE 
 
 NORTHWEST. GENERAL ORDER AS TO PRIVATE JOURNALS AND COMMUNICATIONS TO PUBLIC PRINTS. GENERAL ORDER AS 
 
 TO SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATIONS BY OFFICERS. THE "hARMATTAN," CONSIDERATION OF HYPOTHESES AS TO ITS ORIGIN. 
 
 SOUTHEAST TRADES. SHIP STEERED FOR ST. HELENA. OBSERVATIONS ON THE CURRENTS. CHAPLAIn's OBSERVATIONS ON 
 
 THE ZODIACAL LIGHTS. ARRIVAL AT ST. HELENA. DESCRIPTION OF THE ISLAND.— JAMESTOWN. LONGWOOD. TOMB OF 
 
 NAPOLEON. THE CALCULATING HOSPITALITY OF THE INHABITANTS OF THE ISLAND. ADVENTURE OF LIEUTENANT . 
 
 FORTIFICATIONS OF THE ISLAND. THEIR SUFFICIENCY AGAINST SAILING VESSELS. PROBABLE INSUFFICIENCY AGAINST AM 
 
 APPROACH FROM THE WEST BY STEAM. DEPARTURE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 N leaving the capes of the Chesapeake, the wind for ten 
 days was strong from the southward ; it then changed 
 to N.N.E., making a heavy " wallowing" sea; and then, 
 hauling to the westward, hlew with such violence as to render 
 the ship uncomfortable. She, however, sustained the high 
 opinion the Commodore entertained of her good qualities, 
 behaving (as she always had done) most admirably, and 
 averaging more than seven knots during the whole passage. 
 Though unusually deep in the water, but eight of her twelve 
 furnaces were put in requisition, and her daily consumption 
 of Cumberland coal was about twenty-six tons. 
 
 After crossing the Gulf stream a southwestern current 
 per liuur was experienced ; and this continued until the ship was within a 
 thousand miles of Madeira, when it ceased entirely. No other current was observed during the 
 remainder of the passage to the island. 
 
 The land was made on the evening of December 11th, seventeen days after leaving Norfolk. 
 On making the northern extremity of the island, "Point Atristow," the wind was blowing a 
 gale from the W.S.W., which occasioned a heavy "rolling" sea. The ship was, therefore, 
 run along the northern end of the island with the view of finding smoother water, the more 
 conveniently to bend the cables. 
 
 In coa.sting the i.sland, several very pretty villages were obseivi'd occupying sheltered nooks, 
 usually at the bottom of some ravine, and near an indentation of tiie coast, which offered 
 11 J 
 
 of about 
 
 knoi
 
 82 
 
 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 indifferent anchorage to the small vessels employed in transporting the produce of the island to 
 the shipping port, "Fiinchal." 
 
 What added to the beauty of the scenery and roused the admiration and enthusiasm of the 
 artists of the cxi)edition was, that, as the rainy season had just passed, the torrents could he 
 seen from the ship rushing down the sides of the mountains and forming in their descent many 
 beautiful cascades. 
 
 - "~ -_jf<A/> ltd. 
 
 View of Kunchal, Mutieira. 
 
 Knowing that the wind, for the last few days, nuist have thrown into the bay of Funchal a 
 heavy swell, rendering anchorage there unsafe, it was determined to run under the lee of the 
 " Deserters," and there wait a favorable moment for anchoring in the roads. But on rounding 
 the southeastern point of the island it was found that the wind had considerably abated, and 
 had hauled to the northward of west, making it safe to proceed immediately to the anchorage ; 
 and accordingly, just at dark, on the 12tli, the ship came to anchor in thirty-three fathoms, 
 the castle back of the town just open with the Loo rock. 
 
 The vice consul of the United States, Mr. Beyman, with several coal agents were soon along- 
 side, and arrangements were promptly made to send on board all the coal and water that might 
 be required, so that the vessel would be ready to sail on the next Wednesday night. Accord- 
 ingly, at daylight the next morning, (Monday, the 13th,) lighters containing coal and water 
 were seen coming off, and by Wednesday, at four o'clock, p. m., between four and five hundred 
 tons of coal, and ten thousand gallons of water, with many other articles, had been received on 
 board. It may here be remarked, tliat the coal agents were very desirous that the vessel should 
 be anchored much nearer the town, in about ten fathoms, and in a position where she would bo
 
 HOSPITALITY OF THE INHABITANTS. 
 
 83 
 
 sheltered from the -westerly winds by the Loo rock ; but iipon an observation of the locality, 
 the Commodore was satisfied that in blowing weather it would be difficult even for a steamer to 
 get safely out from such an anchorage, and he therefore positively forbade the removal of the 
 vessel to the spot indicated. The anchorage anywhere in Funchal bay is unsafe in the winter 
 season, and vessels lying in the road, when expecting a gale from S.E. around to W.S.W. 
 generally put to sea, and remain out until the return of fine weather. In fact, Funchal, which 
 lies on the south side of the island, has only an open roadstead, with a very rocky and uneven 
 anchorage. The whole island is a mass of basalt. From November to February gales prevail 
 from the southeast and southwest, rendering the roadstead very dangerous. 
 
 adelra. 
 
 Funchal still retains its character for hospitality, and by no one was this virtue more 
 gracefully exercised towards the members of the expedition than by Mr. J. H. March, who for more 
 than thirty years has filled the office of consul of the United States, and in the enjoyment of
 
 84 
 
 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 his large fortune takes delight in making welcome to his houses, hoth in town and country, 
 such of his countrymen as are deserving of his attentions. 
 
 The town consists of a Avide street along the sea shore, containing several good buildino's. 
 From this, numerous small streets extend hack at right angles, for a considerable distance up the 
 slope of the hill. Tlie population amounts to some twenty thousand. The commerce of the 
 island is considerable, and most of it is with England. Its exports have been said to amount 
 to the value of £500,000 per annum. Wine is the principal commodity. When the island 
 was first settled by the Portuguese, sugar was cultivated to a considerable extent, but this was 
 discontinued after the West Indies were brought under culture, and wine became the staple. 
 
 The salubrity of the climate has made Funchal a resort for invalids and hence it is not 
 difficult to find in it agreeable and refined society. The greater number of those who visit the 
 island are English, and the known love of Englishmen for exercise in the open air has led to 
 the introduction of some novel modes of afibrding to invalids the benefit of locomotion. 
 
 r - -^ --'""■ "- -^ ._ As the streets of the city are paved in 
 
 ~!7Ss^i£^--^.- '-_ ^ such manner as to forbid the use of wheel 
 
 carriages, sedan chairs and hammocks 
 were, until very recently, used not only 
 for invalids, but by all persons making 
 ■|? visits. The inconvenience of these ve- 
 f\ hides has led to a substitute, which con- 
 sists of nothing more than the ordinary 
 sledge used for transporting casks of wine 
 as*,,s5^ and other heavy articles through the 
 streets, surmounted by a gaily decorated 
 carriage body, and drawn by a yoke of 
 oxen. This is now the fashionable conveyance, and in such an one did the Commodore, with 
 his flag captain and aid, make all his official visits. There are stands in the streets, as for our 
 cabs and carriages, where these vehicles may be found with the oxen yoked, and all things 
 prepared for immediate transportation. 
 
 It must not, however, be supposed that there are no other modes of conveyance ; horseback 
 riding may be seen, and the fair equestrian makes her ap])earance without an attendant cavalier 
 or groom, but with a footman, who keeps pace with the easy gait of the horse, and protects him 
 from the annoyance of flies and other insects. Asses are common, and are probably the best 
 beasts of burden on such roads as the island possesses. 
 
 Wliile the ship was at Madeira, the Commodore, who had reflected much and anxiously on 
 the important mission with which he had been entrusted, thought it best to bring distinctly 
 before the department the views he entertained of the steps he ought to undertake, more 
 particularly as so much was necessarily confided to his discretion. He accordingly addressed to 
 the Secretary of the Navy an official communication, which is here presented, not only as 
 afibrding a record of his matured opinions on the important work before him, but also as 
 furnishing the reader with the means of ascertaining, as he i)rocec(ls in the narrative, how far 
 the Commodore's anticipations were fulfilled, and Imw nearly he was enabled to folluw out his 
 original intentions.
 
 VIEWS OF COMMODORE PERRY ON THE MISSION. 85 
 
 Commodore Fei-ry to the Secretary of the Navy. 
 
 United States Steam Frigate Mississippi, 
 
 Madeira, December 14, 1852. 
 
 Sir: Since leaving the United States I have had leisure to reflect more fully upon the 
 jjrohable result of my visit to Jajian, and though there is still some doubt in my mind as to the 
 chances of immediate success in bringing that strange government to any practicable negotia- 
 tion, yet I feel confident that in the end the great object in view will be effected. 
 
 As a preliminary step, and one of easy accomplishment, one or more ports of refuge and 
 supply to our whaling and other ships must at once be secured ; and should the Japanese 
 government object to the granting of such ports upon the main land, and if they cannot be 
 occupied without resort to force and bloodshed^ then it will be desirable in the beginning, and 
 indeed, necessary, that the squadron should establish places of rendezvous at one or two of the 
 islands south of Japan, having a good harbor, and possessing facilities for obtaining water and 
 supplies, and seek by kindness and gentle treatment to conciliate the inhabitants so as to bring 
 about their friendly intercourse. 
 
 The islands called the Lew Chew group are said to be dependencies of Japan, as conquered 
 by that power centuries ago, but their actual sovereignty is disputed by the government of 
 China. 
 
 These islands come within the jurisdiction of the prince of Satsuma, the most powerful of the 
 princes of the Empire, and the same who caused the unarmed American ship Morrison, on a visit 
 of mercy, to be decoyed into one of his ports and then fired upon from the batteries hastily 
 erected. He exercises his rights more from the influence of the fear of the simple islanders than 
 from any power to coerce their obedience ; disarmed, as they long have been, from motives of 
 policy, they have no means, even if they had the inclination, to rebel against the grinding 
 oppression of their rulers. 
 
 Kow, it strikes me, that the occupation of the principal jjorts of those islands for the accom- 
 modation of our ships of war, and for the safe resort of merchant vessels of whatever nation, 
 would be a measure not only justified by the strictest rules of moral law, but what is also to be 
 considered, by the laws of stern necessity; and the argument may be further strengthened by the 
 certain consequences of the amelioration of the condition of the natives, although the vices 
 attendant upon civilization may be entailed upon them. ' 
 
 In my former commands upon the coast of Africa and in the Gulf of Mexico, where it fell to 
 my lot to subjugate many towns and communities, I found no difliculty in conciliating the good 
 will and confidence of the conquered people, by administering the unrestricted power I held 
 rather to their comfort and protection than to their annoyance ; and when the naval forces left, 
 they carried with them the gratitude and good wishes of their former enemies ; and so I believe 
 that the people of the islands spoken of, if treated with strict justice and gentle kindness, will 
 render confidence for confidence, and after a while the Japanese will learn to consider us their 
 friends. 
 
 In establishing those ports of refuge it will be desirable to provide the means of supply to the 
 vessels that may resort to them, and hence the necessity of encouraging the natives in the 
 cultivation of fruits, vegetables, &c. ; and to carry out, in part, this object, garden seeds have 
 been provided ; but to pursue the purpose still furtiicr, I have thought that if a few of the more 
 simple agricultural implements of our own country were sent to me fur use, and for presents,
 
 86 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 they would contribute most essentially to the end in view ; such, for instance, as the common 
 cultivator, the plough and harrow, spades, hoes of various kinds, the threshing and winnowing 
 machines, and especially those inventions for separating the cotton from its seed, and rice from 
 its husks. 
 
 And with reference, also, to the subject of my letter to Mr. Folsome, charge at the Hague, a 
 copy of which has been enclosed to the Department of State, it would be good policy to 
 counteract the discreditable machinations of the Dutch, by circulating printed publications 
 representing the true condition of the various governments of the world, and especially to set 
 forth the extraordinary prosperity of the United States under their genial laws. 
 
 To effect this object, I am already provided with works for presentation, descriptive of the 
 civil and political condition of the United States, such as the census tables, post-office and 
 railroad reports, reports of the Indian and Land offices, military and naval registers, also with 
 the magnificent publications of the State of New York, &c. 
 
 And I have thought that a small printing press, with type and materials, would go far to 
 facilitate our plans, by giving us the means of putting forth information calculated to disabuse 
 the Japanese of the misrepresentations of the Dutch. 
 
 The government of Japan keeps in employment linguists in all modern languages ; and such 
 is their curiosity, that these publications, if admitted at all, will soon be translated. 
 
 Having thus, at least in anticipation, established harbors of resort, and organized certain 
 rules of equity to govern our intercourse with the natives in the payment for labor, supplies, 
 &c., and having depots of provisions and coal near at hand, we shall be able to act with 
 more effect in bringing about some friendly understanding with the imperial government. 
 At all events, steamers, or whatever vessels that may be passing to and from California and 
 China, will find safe harbors in their way, and it may reasonably be expected that in the course 
 of time the intercourse thus brought about will lead to a better understanding of our pacific 
 intentions. ' 
 
 It may be said that my anticipations are too sanguine. Perhaps they are, but I feel a 
 strong confidence of success. Indeed, success may be commanded by our government, and it 
 should be, under whatever circumstances, accomplished. The honor of the nation calls for it, 
 and the interest of commerce demands it. When we look at the possessions in the east of our 
 great maritime rival, England, and of the constant and rapid increase of their fortified ports, 
 we should be admonished of the necessity of prompt measures on our part. 
 
 By reference to the map of the world, it will be seen tbat Great Britain is already in posses- 
 sion of the most important points in the East India and China seas, and especially with reference 
 to the China seas. 
 
 With Singapore commanding the southwestern, while Hong Kong covers the northeastern 
 entrance, and with the island of Labuan on the eastern coast of Borneo, an intermediate point, 
 she will have the power of shutting up at will and controlling the enormous trade of those 
 seas, amounting, it is said, in value to 300,000 tons of shipping, carrying cargoes certainly not 
 under £15,000,000 sterling.* 
 
 Fortunately the Japanese and many other islands of the Pacific are still left untouched by 
 this " annexing" government ; and, as some of them lay in the route of a commerce which is 
 destined to become of great importance to the United States, no time should be lost in adopting 
 
 ' See Governor Crawford's opinion, in " The Expedition to Borneo by Her Majesty's .Ship Dido," chapter 24, published by 
 Harper Brothers, New York, 1846.
 
 A R R I V A L A T T II E A X A R I E 3 . 87 
 
 active measures to secure a sufficient number of ports of refuge. And hence I shall look with 
 much anxiety for tlic arrival of the Powhatan and the other vessels to be sent to me. 
 
 I liave thus exhibited, in this crude and informal communication, my views upon a subject 
 which is exciting extraordinary attention throughout the world, and I trust the department 
 will approve the course I propose to pursue. 
 
 With great respect, I am, sir, your most obedient servant, 
 
 M. C. PERRY, 
 
 Commanding East India Squadron. 
 Hon. John P. Kexxedt, 
 
 Secretary of the Navy, Washington. 
 
 The answer to this communication did not, of course, reach the Commodore for many months • 
 but as it preserves the continuity of the transaction, as well as shows the spirit of the govern- 
 ment, and its confidence in the Commodore, it is inserted in the note below.* 
 
 On the evening of Wednesday, December 15, the Mississippi weighed anchor and proceeded 
 to sea, under steam, shaping her course to pass to the westward of Palma, one of the Canaries. 
 This island was made at daylight on the morning of the ITth, and after reachino- the lee of 
 Hierro or Ferro, the southwesternmost of the group, the immersed floats or paddle boards on 
 each side of the vessel were removed, the fires were extinguished and the ship left entirely 
 dependent upon her sails. 
 
 This change was made from an expectation that the ship would soon be under the impulse ot 
 the northeast trade winds. At the time the floats were removed there was a moderate breeze 
 from E.S.E., which it was supposed would gradually settle into the northeast trades ; but, much 
 to the surprise of the officers of the ship, it liauled more to the southward, and eventually 
 came from the S.S.W. Such was the obscurity of the weather at the Canaries that Teneriffe 
 was not seen at all, and but an indistinct view was obtained of Gomera. This was the more 
 
 * .Mr. Ererelt to Commodore Perry. 
 
 Department of State, Washington, February 15, 1853. 
 
 Sir : Your dispatch of the 14th of December has been referred by the Secretary of the Navy to this department, and by me 
 submitted to the President. 
 
 The President concurs with you in the opinion that it is highly desirable, probably necessary for the safety of the expedition 
 under your command, that you should secure one or more ports of refuge of easy access. If you find that these cannot be 
 obtained in the Japanese islands without resort to force, it will be necessary that you should seek them elsewhere. The 
 President agrees with you in thinking that you are most likely to succeed in this object in the Lew Chew island.s. Thcv are 
 from their position, well adapted to the purpose ; and the friendly and peaceful character of the natives encourages the hope 
 that your visit will be welcomed by them. 
 
 In establishing yourself at one or two convenient points in those islands, with the consent of the natives, vou will yourself 
 pursue the most friendly and conciliatory course, and enjoin the same conduct on all under your command. Take no supplies 
 from them except by fair purchase, for a satisfaclory consideration. Forbid, and at all hazards prevent plunder and acts of 
 violence on the part of your men toward these simple and unwarlike people, for such they are described to bo. Let them from 
 the first see that your coming among them is a benefit, and not an evil to them. .Make no use of force, except in tlic last resort 
 for defence, if attacked, and self-( reservation. 
 
 The President approves the idea suggested by you of encouraging the natives to turn their attention to agriculture, and has 
 given orderK to have the implements of husbandry mentioned by you sent out by the Vermont. He has also directed a small 
 printing press, with type and materials for printing of all kinds, to be sent out by the Vermont. 
 
 The President is gratified to perceive that you ar? impressed with the importance of the enterprise confided to your direction, 
 the success of which will mainly depend upon your prudence and address. It will attract a large shar : of the attention of the 
 civilized world : and the President feels great confidence that the measures adopted by you will reflect credit on your own 
 wisdom and discretion, and do honor to your country. 
 
 I am, sir, respectfully, your obedient servant, 
 
 EDWARD EVERETT 
 Commodore M. C. Pkrrt, 
 
 Commanding the United States naval forces in the Chi , 4
 
 88 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 remarkable, because, as Baron Humboldt has remarked, altbough tbe peak of Teneriffe is 
 seldom seen at a great distance in the warm, dry months of July and August, yet in January 
 and February, when the sky is slightly clouded, and immediately before or after a heavy rain, it 
 is seen at very cxtraordinar}' distances. Tliis arises irom the fact that when a certain quantity 
 of water is uniformly diffused through the atmosphere its transparency is thereby greatly 
 increased. 
 
 There was a circumstance which the Commodore had observed ever since the ship left 
 Norfolk, a month before, and which surprised him not a little. He found an extraordinary 
 swell coming from the northwest, and which never intermitted for a moment until the ship was 
 fairly within the trades ; and even then its influence could be felt in the disturbance of the 
 usually regular sea produced by the periodical winds, and by the production of a disagreeable 
 cross movement of the waves. It was difficult to account for this swell so long continued ; it 
 was quite certain the ship had experienced no violence of wind sufficient to produce it in the 
 region which she had traversed, and since the 18th the winds had been quite moderate. The 
 conjecture of the Commodore was that there must have been in the higher latitudes a succession 
 of northwesterly gales, which had prevailed long enough to set in motion an ocean wave which 
 was never subdued until it came in contact with the steady, though more quiet, tropical swell. 
 
 This swell, too, possibly had an effect in throwing further south than usual the northern 
 boundary of the trades. From the time of removing the floats up to the 20th the wind 
 continued from the southward and westward ; it then hauled to the northward and westward, 
 and finally into the northeast ; and it was not until about this period, about 8 p. m. of the 
 20th, in latitude 25° 44' north, longitude 20° 23' west, that the ship could be considered fairly 
 to have entered the trades. This is a point unusually far south for the northern boundary of 
 these winds at this season ; for it is not to be forgotten that the northern and southern boundaries 
 of the zone of the trade winds are variable. The southeast has its northern boundary furthest 
 to the north during our summer ; the northeast is then weakest. In our winter this state of 
 things is exactly reversed. In our autumn the zone of the trades reaches its greatest northern 
 declination ; and in our spring it is at its utmost southern limit. 
 
 On the 22d of December, the Commodore issued a general order, promulgating the directions 
 of the Secretary of the Navy forbidding communications to the public prints at home touching 
 the movements of the squadron, and prohibiting also such infomation through the mediimi of 
 private letters to friends. The Secretary also required that private notes and journals kept by 
 any members of the expedition should be considered as belonging to the government until their 
 publication should be expressly permitted by the Navy Department. 
 
 A second general order, issued the next day, was as follows : 
 
 " Entertaining the opinion that the talents and acquirements of the officers of the squadron, 
 if properh directed and brought into action, will be found equal to a plain and practical 
 examination and elucidation of the various objects i)ertaining to the arts and sciences that may 
 come under their observation during the present cruise, and being aware of the limited 
 accommodations of the vessels under my command, I have invariably objected to the em^jloy- 
 ment of persons drawn from civil life to conduct those departments more immediately connected 
 with science. 
 
 "Therefore I have to request and direct, that each officer of the respective .ships will eni])loy 
 such portions of his time as can be spared from his regular duties and proper hours of relaxation, 
 in contributing to the general mass of information whicli it is desirable to collect; and in order
 
 THE "HARM ATT AN." 89 
 
 to simplify and metliodise these researches, a paper is subjoined particularising the various 
 departments in reference to which information is more especially wanted ; so that each officer 
 may select one or more of those departments most congenial to liis tastes and inclinations. 
 
 "All captains and commanders are required to render every facility consistent witli tlie proper 
 duties of their respective vessels to those officers who may manifest a zealous co-operation in the 
 pursuits herein specified; and it is to be plainly understood that I do not officially require the 
 officers to perform any involuntary duty. I shall exact that only which may come within the 
 legitimate sphere of my authority, leaving to the officers themselves to engage, as far as tliey 
 may see fit only, in those investigations which, in an official point of view, may be considered 
 as on their parts gratuitous. 
 
 "It will always give me the greatest pleasure to bring to notice the labors of each and every 
 individual who may contribute to the general work." * 
 
 During the 21st, 22d, and 23d of December, the wind continued from the northward and 
 eastward ; about noon of the 23d it inclined to the southward of east, hauling around at night, 
 however, more to the north; and on the 24th, when the ship was abreast of Brava and Fogo, 
 it stood at E.N.E. 
 
 The haze, however, was such that nothing more than a glimpse could be obtained of Fogo ; 
 and the winds are thus particularly referred to above because of their possible connexion, at 
 this time, with the haze. They are physical facts, and therefore ought to be recorded. This 
 haze is common to these latitudes, and is by many supposed to be caused by what is called the 
 "Harmattan." This is the name given to a wind which, passing over Africa, takes up in its 
 sweep, as is supposed, an impalpable dust, and carries it far away to the westward. The 
 Commodore himself had remarked the haze or dust, on former cruises, more than five hundred 
 miles west of the Cape de Verd islands. When commanding a squadron, in 1844, on the 
 western coast of Africa, he had carefully noted several facts connected with this wind, certainly 
 the most remarkable on that coast. A thousand incredible stories are told of its singular effects. 
 It is said, for instance, that its dry and subtle properties will check or cure various diseases, 
 heal up the most inveterate ulcers, destroy cabinet work, break window glass, and stop the 
 motion of timepieces. But apart from these strange stories, it must still be said that the effects 
 of this wind are extraordinary. In some respects it resembles the Sirocco, and also the 
 Levanter of the Grecian archipelago. 
 
 It commences about the middle of December, and continues until the latter end of March. 
 Like the Sirocco, it has been supposed to take its rise in the deserts of Africa ; but, unlike the 
 Sirocco, instead of producing a burning and oppressive temperature, it is a chilling wind. Its 
 direction is always from the land, and it sometimes increases to a strong breeze; it does not, 
 however, blow steadily during its season, but frequently intermits, when land or sea breezes 
 take its place. 
 
 At the Cape de Verds and the Gambia, the "Harmattan" appears to form a junction with 
 the northeast trades prevailing there at a certain season, and to blow witli little interruption 
 from January until April. 
 
 •The subjects suggested by the Commodurc, in liis order, embraced hydrography, meteoroli'gy, naval architecture in its 
 adaptation to war and commerce, military afTairs, geology, geography, terrchtrial iiiagmtism, pliilulogy and ethiiol'igy, artistic 
 matters, costumes, &c,, religions, diseases and sanitary laws, agriculture, statistics ot' supplies, botany, entomology, 
 ornithology, zoology, conchology, iciithiology, and the magnetic telegrap.'i ; and wc trust the appendices to this narrative will 
 show that the commander did not misjudge either as to the attainments or zeal of his otHcers. 
 
 12 J
 
 90 EXPEDITIONTOJAPAN. 
 
 Tlic hypothesis of some is, that in passing over the deserts and lands of Africa the 
 "Harmattan" takes up an immense quantity of sand and dust, sufficient to form a floating 
 mass, producing: an atmospliere so hazy as frequently to obscure the sim, and prevent a sight of 
 the land at the distance of five miles only. There is no doubt of the wind, the dust, and the 
 hazy atmosphere, and possibly the latter may be occasioned entirely by the dust. At the season 
 of the ' ' Harmattan ' ' this peculiar atmosphere may always be seen at- the Cape de Verd islands, 
 four hundred miles from the continent, and is constantly falling in quantities sufficient to cover 
 the sails, rigging, and deck of a ship. It is also said to have been met with seven hundred 
 miles further westward. 
 
 Recent investigations, however, certainly create some doubt as to the source whence the 
 dust is derived. It was natural enough, as it was found on the coast of Africa, to refer its origin 
 to the nearest known desert land ; but the microscope, in the hands of Ehrenberg, would seem 
 to intimate the possibility of a more distant origin. This dust, from the Cape de Verds, is 
 found, upon examination, to consist of infusoria and organisms, the habitat of which is not 
 Africa, but South America, and in the southeast trade wind region of that country. It is, 
 therefore, possible that the southeast trades maj' have brought the dust, great as is the distance, 
 from South America. But if such be the fact, it must be confessed that there are agencies in 
 the philosophy of the winds, producing atmospheric phenomena, which are not yet sufficiently 
 understood by us to justify positive assertion. A greater accumulation of facts is wanted. 
 That stated by Ehrenberg is very important, and quite sufficient to create doubt of the correct- 
 ness of the ordinary hypothesis. 
 
 Until the 30th of December the northeast trades continued, the ship having then reached 
 6° 8' north latitude, and 16° 34' west longitude, when, in a squall from the eastward, the wind 
 changed to the southward, and so continued, though somewhat variable, until January 2, 1853, 
 in latitude 1° 44' north, and longitude 11° 3'7' west, when the southeast trade was met, bringing 
 with it a swell, which retarded tlie ship's progress considerably. Before this, however, on the 
 29th of December, as the northeast trades had become light and unsteady, with occasional 
 calms, the floats were replaced on the wheels, and the ship was put under steam, using the two 
 after boilers only. With light winds and a smooth sea, these proved sufficient to make a 
 progress of seven knots an hoTir ; but when the southeast trades fairly set in, accompanied as 
 they were by a head sea, the speed was diminished to four and a half or five knots. The use 
 of two additional boilers, however, soon brought the ship up to seven, at a daily consumption 
 of twenty-six tons of coal. 
 
 It had been the purpose of the Commodore, on leaving Madeira, to make the entire run to the 
 Cape of Good Hope without stopping ; as it was sujiposed that with a proper use of the sails, 
 and the supply of coal on board, this might readily be done; but the northeast trades having 
 ceased at a point much further north than usual at this season, and the southeast winds having 
 also set in at a correspondingly early period, he ordered the ship so to be steered as that she 
 might touch at St. Helena, should it be deemed desirable so to do, as a measure of prudence, to 
 procure an additional supply of coal. 
 
 In the observations made upon the currents since leaving Norfolk, the Commodore was of 
 opinion that such as he encountered were caused merely by the winds acting on the surface of 
 the ocean; and as a general rule, though not perhaps universally true, it may be remarked 
 that the current will be found setting in the direction of the prevailing winds; at least
 
 A K U I V A L A T ST. n E I, K N A . 91 
 
 such lias been the opinion foriued from the long observation and experience at sea of the 
 Commodore. There may be, however, and probably are, currents other than those partial ones 
 created on the surface by the winds. These are caused by a difference in the s]iecitic gravity of 
 the sea water at dilferent places and depths. Tliis difference disturbs the eciuilibriura, and the 
 effort of the water to regain it must cause a current. 
 
 There is, consequently, on and under the surface a system of currents and counter currents 
 constantly operating in a greater or less degree. They are far from being yet perfectly known 
 and understood, but the principle on which they must exist is the law of hydrostatics, that when 
 two fluids on the same level differ in specific gravity, the one will not balance the other, both 
 must move ; that motion is a current. 
 
 Various interesting experiments have been made on the subject of submarine currents, counter 
 to those on the surface, and their existence would seem to be conclusively proved ; their direction, 
 however, cannot always be ascertained. Practical seamen have also endeavored to find out the 
 depth of surface currents ; this depth is not always the same, but there is, if not impossibility, 
 yet great difficulty, at times, in ascertaining the depth with accuracy. 
 
 On Monday, January 3, 1853, the ship crossed the equator in longitude 11° 01' west, and 
 from that time up to the 7th had a moderately freeh breeze directly ahead. The effect of this 
 wind, instead of affording refreshment by the motion of the vessel meeting it, (her course was 
 due south,) was to render the officers' apartments, especially the cabin, and, indeed, all the after 
 part of the shiji, particularly uncomfortable, as the wind brought much of the heat and smoke 
 directly aft. The tcind, however, does not always retard the progress of the vessel, though it 
 may be directly ahead ; for it must be remembered that, in a steamer, motion is not so much 
 retarded by adverse winds as by the head sea which the wind produces. Indeed, a steamer will 
 sometimes go faster against a moderately fi-esh breeze, provided she be on a smooth sea, for the 
 wind drawing from forward increases the draught of the furnaces. 
 
 After crossing the equator a current of about one and a half mile per hour was observed, 
 setting in the direction of the wind, north 30° west. 
 
 The chaplain, the Rev. Mr. Jones, employed himself with great care and assiduity, while 
 passing through the equatorial latitudes, in observing and noting the zodiacal lights. They 
 were very brilliant, and so remarkable that they proved an object of great interest to all on 
 board. He preserved with great care the result of all his observations, in the hope of their 
 future usefulness to the cause of science. 
 
 On the 10th of January, at noon, the ship arrived at Jamestown, island of St. Helena. 
 
 Here, as a measure rather of prudence than necessity, she took on board an additional supply 
 of coal. Water and fresh provisions for the crew were also procured. 
 
 St. Helena was discovered in 1502 by the Portuguese. It was afterwards taken possession of 
 by the Dutch, who, in 1651, abandoned it for the Cape of Good Hope. The English East India 
 Company then took possession of it, and it became a stojjping place for their ships between 
 England and India. The Dutch took it from the company in 1772, but it again fell into their 
 hands in the following year. From that time up to 1833 it remained in the com]iany's 
 posstssion, when it was transferred to the cniwn. The base of the island is basalt, and lava 
 and scoria are scattered about its surface. It is evidently volcanic, and seen from a distance it 
 aj)])ears like a pile of barren rocks rising from the ocean in the form of a ]>yraniid. 
 
 On a nearer ajiproach the island is seen to be encomi)assed by rugged and almost |>crpcii-
 
 92 EXPEDITIONTOJAPAN. 
 
 diciilar cliffs from six to twelve hundred feet high. These are broken in several places by 
 chasms which open to the sea shore, and form narrow valleys winding up to the table land 
 above. In the centre of the island is an elevation known as Diana's jieak, 2,693 feet above the 
 sea level. A calcareous ridge runs across the island from east to west, and divides it into two 
 unequal parts, the larger and better of which is on the north side, containing, among other 
 spots of interest, Jamestown, Longwood, the Briars and Plantation house, the governor's 
 summer's residence. The whole circumference of the island is about twenty-eight miles. At 
 the termination of James' valley on the sea stands Jamestown, the only town and jaort of the 
 island, with a population of about twenty-five hundred. It is built on both sides of a well 
 paved street which runs nearly a mile up the valley. A strong water battery commands the 
 bay. Ascending James' valley, the traveller arrives on the plain or table land of Longwood, 
 ■which consists of fifteen hundred acres of good land, elevated about 2,000 feet above the sea, and 
 slopes gently toward the southeast. Though the island looks so barren from the sea, yet the 
 interior is covered with a rich verdure, and is watered Ly numerous springs which irrigate a 
 very fertile soil. The fruits and flowers of Europe and Asia are successfully cultivated, while 
 horned cattle, sheep, and goats thrive on the rich pastures. Barley, oats, Indian corn, 
 potatoes, and most of the common vegetables are easily produced. Fresh beef, mutton and 
 poultry may at all times be procured, and fish are abundant. 
 
 The climate is one of the most salubrious under the tropics. At Plantation house the 
 thermometer ranges from 61° to '73° within doors, and sometimes, between June and Septem- 
 ber, (the winter season,) falls to 52° in the open air. At Longwood the thermometer is 
 generally a little lower, and at Jamestown a little higher, than it is at Plantation house. The 
 summer rains fall in January or February, and the winter rains in July or August. 
 
 The East India Company, while in possession of the island, constructed excellent roads, 
 which are kept in admirable order by the present government ; they are inclined planes, 
 adapted as well for wheel carriages and artillery as for horses and foot passengers ; and as one 
 rides through the country the appearance of the cultivated fields, kept constantly green by the 
 rains which fall in light showers from the clouds, driven over the island by the southeast 
 trades, forms a striking and agreeable contrast to the barren Clio's which shelter the valleys. 
 During the winter months, indeed, the rains are commonly very copious, and sometimes fall in 
 such torrents as seriously to injure the cultivated grounds, and make ibr a time the roads 
 impassable. 
 
 It will thus be seen that, so far as physical comfort is involved, St. Helena is not the worst of 
 prisons ; and if it provoked indignant remonstrance from the illustrious captive who laid his 
 bones there, his comiilaints were promjjted not so nmch by the aspects of nature around, which 
 never insulted hira, as by the petty indignities off'ered him by little minds, and the irksomeness 
 of restraint to a chafed spirit, wliich, in its isolation, i'elt deeply the contrast between its now 
 enforced solitude and its former mingling and ruling in the crowd of men, wielding as if by 
 magic the destinies of Europe. To him a iiemisjjhere for his theatre and nations for his play- 
 things had become in some sort a necessity. His own spirit forged his heaviest chains on St. 
 Helena. 
 
 But it was the memory of that captive that gave to the ofliccrs of the ship the chief interest 
 of the island, and every one ace )rdingly made it his first object to visit Longwood and the spot 
 where the ashes of Najjoleon lif d once rested.
 
 LONG WOOD. TOMB OF NAPOLEON. 
 
 93 
 
 In viewing the miserable building where, for more than five years, this extraordinary man 
 resided, and where he breathed liis last, it is difficult to suppress a deep feeling of the 
 instability of earthly glory. The palaces of France and the farm house of Longwood, Xapoleon 
 in his splendor and Xapoleon on his death bed, are suggestive of reflections which will tempt the 
 thoughtful silently to moralize. But, humble as was this residence of the dethroned Emperor, 
 it had been the abode of fallen greatness, and that should have protected it from desecration. 
 Longwood has been permitted to fall into decay, and the apartments which the Emperor once 
 occupied are now but a common stable. The property has been rented by the crown to a 
 farmer of the island, and he seems to have been permitted to make what use he pleased of the 
 tenements upon it. 
 
 OU ir :-. 1. .-^"uil, St. Helena. 
 
 Without here questioning the necessity, a- a measure of state policy, for confining the great 
 and ambitious disturber of the peace of Eurojic in a place whence escape was impossible ; 
 admitting the force of all the arguments by which the act at the time was justified to the 
 world, yet one cannot look on Longwood without feeling that there was more of annoyance and 
 insult in executing the purposes of the English government than was necessary, or than the 
 government proliably intended. At this day there are many Englishmen who think that 
 England was singularly unfortunate in the choice of her jailors. 
 
 A view of the grounds forcibly suggests tliis thougiit. Surrounded as the prescribed limits 
 were by successive lines of sentinels, with a regiment encamped within musket shot ot the 
 dwelling, with every avenue to it closely guarded by pickets of soldiers, and with the clifls 
 which bound the ground toward the sea perfectly inaccessible, it is impossible not to see at a
 
 y4 E X r E D I T I o n t o j a pan. 
 
 glance, that there was not the remotest chance of escape. Miglit there not then have heen 
 some rehixatiou of minute and indelicate personal supervision, at least in tlie day time, when 
 the island was surrounded by British cruisers, and the numerous forts fully garrisoned ? Was 
 it necessary for security to make the captive feel incessantly that he was watched ? 
 
 The British ministry had enjoined the safe custody of the prisoner ; unfortunately they left 
 it to the jailors to settle all the details of the mode of keeping him. 
 
 The tomb in whtch Napoleon was placed has lost some of its interest from the removal of his 
 body to France. He died on the 1st of May, 1821. On the 4th of October, 1840, liis remains 
 were embarked on the French frigate Belle Poule, which had been sent, under the command of 
 the Prince de Joinville, for the purpose of transporting them to France. 
 
 The inhabitants of St. Helena seem to be industrious, but the general opinion of the officers 
 of the ship, founded on their experience, was, that in their rambles over the world, they had 
 never met with more polite and unscrupulous extortioners. It is said to be the practice of 
 householders to entertain unsuspecting strangers with great seeming kindness, and then to 
 mulct them most unmercifully for the supposed hospitality. This may be slander, but an 
 incident occurred while the ship Avas at Jamestown, which leaves no doubt that proffered 
 favors are sometimes done with the expectation of receiving for them — a "consideration." One 
 of the lieutenants of the ship was the victim of excessive civility. Contemplating a visit to 
 Lougwood, he had engaged a horse at the livery stable, which, on landing, he found saddled 
 and waiting for him according to appointment. He was about mounting, when a citizen of 
 Jamestown, whom he had casually met the day before, stepped up and told him that he had a 
 horse, much superior to that he was about to mount, which was altogether at his service, and 
 that he would send tor it. Consequently the hired liorse was dismissed, with a compensation 
 to the disappointed attendant, and that of the polite friend was acce})ted, unfortunately, 
 however, proving to be inferior to the one dismissed. However, he was used for a few hours, 
 and returned with a douceur to tlie servant who received him. 
 
 The same evening the owner of the horse visited the ship, when the lieutenant was profuse 
 of civility and thanks, and after entertaining him, pressed upon him the acceptance of some 
 little presents, quite equal in value to the hire of the horse. These gifts were received in such 
 manner as induced the ofiicer to think there was still something more wanting, when he said, 
 "Will you allow me to pay for the use of your horse?" and was answered: "Well, I am glad 
 you were pleased with the animal, and you need only pay me the usual charge of three dollars." 
 It was immediately handed to him, when he coolly offered his services at any future time, and 
 said, with a peculiarly knowing look : "If, when you again visit the island, you will place yourself 
 under my guidance, I will jiut you through all charges at half price." Then politely wishing 
 a good voyage to all on board, he passed into the boat, with the neck of a wine bottle protruding 
 from one pocket, and a liberal supply of Havanas filling the other, the oflerings of his grateful 
 friend, the lieutenant. 
 
 At the time of Bonaparte's residence, the island was strongly fortified and fully garrisoned, 
 and indeed was deemed impregnable. But this was before the introduction of armed steamers 
 into the navies of the world. T!ie island is strongly fortified on tlic north side, while the south, 
 exposed to tlie whole strength of tliu trade winds, is on that account almost inaccessible. But 
 tlie batteries were constructed to prevent the approach of sailing vessels, and this they might 
 ])r()l)ably accomplish, as they are on the high cliffs commanding the only ways by wliich sailing 
 voHSi'is can ajiiMiiach
 
 ST. HELENA. — I N S I" F F 1 E N C Y F I T S P E K E N C E S. 95 
 
 Sailing vessels approaching the Jamestown anchorage arc obliged, by reason of the lee currents, 
 to ]»ass to the easfn-ard of the island, and haul close around Sugar-loaf point; and as soon as 
 they luff under the lee of this they become partially becalmed, and are at once exposed to the 
 guns of a very heavy battery, called "Prince Rupert's Line;" and from thence all the way to 
 the anchorage is a succession of forts, well provided witl^ lieavy artillery. On tlie icestward 
 the fortifications are less strong, because, as the current is constantly setting in that direction, 
 it is exceedingly difficult, and at times impossible, for a sailing vessel to beat up to the town ; 
 hence there are but two small batteries on that side, which it would not be difficult to silence. 
 But it is easy to see how, with the aid of steam, a moderate land and naval force might now 
 attack the island with strong probabilities of success. But the approach should be from the 
 ■west. Just under the lee of "West Point," the western extremity of the island, the water i.s 
 always smooth, and by the aid of steam, the forces might all be concentrated there. 
 
 A close line of battle ahead might be formed, securing the armed sailing vessels as closely as 
 possible to the steamers, the armed ships in tow, and the troop ships lashed to the port quarters 
 of the steamers. The land troops might be formed into two divisions, and supplied with light 
 artillery, for forcing the gates of the town, and for covering the advance of the attacking columns 
 up the steep roads which lead into the country and to the rear of the batteries on the cliffs. The 
 boats should be lowered and secured to the port sides of the troop ships, ready for receiving and 
 landing the soldiers, the two divisions of which should be destined for different points. 
 
 These arrangements having been made, and the ships cleared for action, with springs from 
 both quarters, so as to spring to starboard or port, as might be necessary, the whole flotilla 
 might be moved close to West Point, and thence trace the shore along at the distance of about 
 a quarter of a mile, avoiding the shoal called "Long Ledge" on the charts, and keeping as 
 close as possible under "Ladder Hill," on which there is a heavy battery, until it opened the 
 town and anchored with springs in line of battle, and extending along the whole front of the 
 road. On giving the starboard broadside, the ships might be sprung to port or starboard, as 
 winds or currents made necessary, remembering, however, that vessels do not always swing to 
 the wind in this road. 
 
 Meantime one division of the troops might keep to the eastward, and land at the quay, and 
 thence marching along the causeway, force the gates with their artillery ; while the other, 
 avoiding the line of fire of the ships, might pass to the westward of it, and tracing the shore 
 under "Ladder Hill," laud at the west flank of the water battery which covers the town front. 
 The town once gained, the troops might at once secure the summits of the roads leading into the 
 country, as guns temporarily mounted on the adjoining hills would effectually command the 
 town and harbor. 
 
 The only real obstacle to a force thus approaching from the west, by steam, would be the strong 
 water battery, commanding the whole extent of the little bay which forms the harbor. This, 
 of course, would have to be silenced before there would be any chance of cajituring the place; 
 but, then, it must be remembered that the fire of the whole attacking force could be concentrated 
 on this spot, if it approached from the west by steam. In such an approach, it could keep close 
 to the shore, which is bold ; and such is the elevated position of the principal forts, that their 
 guns could not be sufficiently depressed to bear upon steamers coming from the westward. 
 
 These remarks were made by the Commodore, simply as illustrating the great changes 
 wrought by the introduction of steam into naval warfare. lu the absence of a resisting naval
 
 96 
 
 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 force, the capture of the island, in the mode above indicated, would certainly not he very 
 difficult. When the island was fortified, engineering skill accomplished all that was required 
 in the existing condition of things. To a force a])proaching by sailing vessels, it probably 
 ■would now prove impregnable, for wind and tide were valuable auxiliaries, which were taken 
 into account in planning the works ; but a new motive power makes its appearance, which is 
 quite regardless of these natural auxiliaries, and new systems of defence are at once made 
 necessary. This is but one of the changes wrought by this mighty agent, which seems destined 
 to do so much in revolutionizing the condition of the world. 
 
 On Tuesday, January 11th, at 6 p. m., the Mississippi weighed anchor and took her departure 
 from Jamestown.
 
 PASSAGE TO THE CAPE. FUEL FOR STEAMERS. 
 
 97 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 PASSAGE TO THE CAPE. FCEL FOR STEAMERS. TABLE ROCK AND CAPE TOWN. DESCRIPTION OF CAPE TOWN. CLIMATE. 
 
 ANNOYANCE FROM DCST. VIOLENCE OF WINDS AND DIFFICDLTT OF HOLDING TO ANCHORAGE. SUPPLIES AT THE CAPE. 
 
 CAFFRE WAR AND ITS EFFECTS. MODE OF TRANSPORTING PRODUCE ON LAND. VINEYARDS OF CONSTANTIA. EFFECTS OF 
 
 EMANCIPATION OF SLAVES ON AGRICULTURAL LABOR. MODE OF CULTIVATING THE VINE. POPULATION OF CAPE COLONY. 
 
 BUSHMEN. THE CAFFRES. PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS. — FINGOES. MILITARY ORGANIZATION OF CAFFRES. CONDITION 
 
 OF THE EMANCIPATED SLAVES. DEPARTURE FROM TABLE BAY. PASSAGE TO, AND ARRIVAL AT, MAURITIUS. HARBOR OF 
 
 PORT LOUIS. DANGERS OF THE HARBOR. SKILL OF PORT OFFICERS IN MOORING VESSELS. 
 
 FTER leaving St. Helena the ship was put on her course for 
 the Cape of Good Hope. Prudential considerations alone 
 induced the Commodore to touch at St. Helena. His 
 opinion was that the hest and most expeditious route for 
 a steamer, going from Madeira to the Cape, (provided she 
 can carry a sufficiency of coal,) is to he found by steering 
 from the Cape de Verd islands direct toward Cape Palmas 
 on the coast of Africa, and thence tracing the shore down 
 to Table Bay. 
 
 On leaving Jamestown the ship encountered the trade, 
 deviating very little from the southeast, and blowing alter- 
 nately moderate and fresh. It was observable, however, 
 that it was always stronger at night than in the day time, and brought with it a short head 
 sea, which greatly retarded the progress of the vessel. It would have been easy to increase 
 the steam power ; but experience had shown that about twenty-six tons of coal per diem 
 enabled the ship to accomplish the greatest distance with the most economical expenditure ; 
 and considering the extreme difficulty of procuring fuel in that region, its enormous cost, and 
 the labor and delay incident to its shipment, the Commodore deemed it most expedient rather 
 to protract the passage than allow extravagance in the use of an article so essential to the 
 movements of the vessel. A current of one and a quarter knots was foimd setting in the 
 direction of the wind, and this, as a retarding cause, was to be added to the force of the trade. 
 As to the possibility of obtaining a supply of fuel in this part of the world, it may be 
 remarked that at St. Paul de Loango the English maintain a depot of coal for the accommo- 
 dation of the African steam cruisers, and this would be a convenient point to which to send 
 a coal vessel from the United States. Within a few years a depot of coal has been established 
 13 J
 
 98 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 by an English company at Port Grand, Island of St. Vincent, of the Cape de Verde group, 
 and it is said that a reasonable supply can always be obtained there by transient steamers. 
 
 Steamers from the United States might proceed direct to St. Vincent's, provided tliere be 
 certainty of obtaining coal at that place, and thence proceed to the Cape by Cape Palmas, via 
 Loango ; but it is much better that cargoes of coal should be sent ahead of steamers leaving 
 the United States, as the only security for a certain supply. 
 
 As to the route from England, that which is prescribed for her mail steamers bound round 
 the Cape of Good Hope, is to touch at St. Vincent, and thence proceed to the Cape, via 
 Ascension Island, replenishing their coal at all their stopping places. In pursuing this route, 
 (which they are compelled to do to leave a mail at Ascension for the African squadron,) they 
 are obliged to contend with the entire range of the southeast trades, which are directly ahead^ 
 blowing most of the time quite strongly, and always producing a lee current of from one to 
 one and a quarter knots. By taking the route along the African coast a steamer has the 
 advantage of the sea and land breezes, and the favorable current usually setting to the south. 
 
 On the 24th of January, at nine in the morning, the ship made the land in the vicinity of 
 Saldanha bay, and at two p. m. Table Mountain was in sight. After passing outside of Dassen 
 Island, and through the channel between the main land and Kobben's Island, at half past 
 eight p. m. the ship came to anchor in Table Bay in seven fathoms, and the following day 
 moved further in toward the town. 
 
 This port is easy of access either by night or clay, if the two lights can be distinctly seen, 
 so that the distance from Green Point can be accurately estimated. This is important, as by 
 bordering upon that point too closely there is danger of a ledge of rocks near the Cape shore, 
 and by keeping too far to the northward, the Vfhale Kock, at the southern end of Robben'a 
 Island, may bring a vessel up. Particular instructions for entering Table Bay at night will be 
 foiind in the Appendix. 
 
 The Cape of Good Hope was first discovered by Bartholomew Diaz, a Portuguese, in 1493. 
 During an exploration of the Atlantic coast of Africa, this navigator was driven out to sea by 
 a storm, and the first land he made, after the subsidence of the gale, was Algoa Bay ; he 
 having thus doubled the Cape without his knowledge. Diaz gave the name of Cabo 
 Tormentoso (the Cape of Storms) to the Cape, which was afterwards changed to that of Good 
 Hope by the king of Portugal, as he rightly thought the discovery auspicious of a favorable 
 result to the great prospect entertained by the Portuguese navigators of reaching India. In 
 1497, Vasco de Gama, another Portuguese navigator, doubled the Cape on his voyage to the 
 Indian seas. 
 
 The Cape of Good Hope forms the southern extremity of a narrow peninsula about thirty 
 miles in length, with the Atlantic ocean on the west, False Bay on the east, and Table Bay on 
 the north. Cape Town is situated on Table Bay, and was originally founded by the Dutch in 
 1650, but fell into the hands of the English in 1795 ; and, it having been restored to its original 
 possessors after the peace of Amiens, was finally retaken by the Britisli in 1806, in whose 
 possession it now remains. 
 
 The town is well built witli substantial houses of stone and brick, and wide, regular streets. 
 The general aspect of the place, with its well constructed public buildings and private resi- 
 dences, and its park, in the neighborhood of the government house, shaded by oaks of magnifi- 
 cent growth, is exceedingly agreeable.
 
 CAPE OF GOOD HOPE. 99 
 
 The heat, however, in consequence of the position of the town, which is faced by the noonday 
 sun and walled in behind by naked mountains, is excessive. This, added to the dust, caused 
 those who went on shore to keep much within doors, so that Cape Town was found by the 
 oflScers of the expedition but a dull and stupid place. The streets are unpaved, and, conse- 
 quently, when the southeast gales, which prevail in midsummer, blow, the dust is raised in 
 clouds and deposited in drifts of sand along the sidewalks several inches in depth, which keeps 
 the street sweepers in constant occupation, who may be seen continually at work collecting the 
 dirt in heaps, to be carried away by the dirt carts. So general is the experience of this 
 nuisance from the dust that the male, as well as the female inhabitants, of all classes, are in the 
 practice of wearing veils attached to their hats. The northeastern winds, which prove in 
 raising the dust of such discomfort to the residents of Cape Town, prevail during midsummer, 
 and their approach is always indicated by the appearance of a dense white cloud, which settles 
 upon the summit of Table Mountain, therefore called the Table Cloth, and remains there until 
 the gale subsides. These winds blow with great violence, sweeping along the land east of Table 
 Mountain. If it were not for the perfect smoothness of the water in Table Bay, vessels would 
 not be able to hold to their anchors during these southeasterly gales, of which two were exi^erienccd 
 in the course of seven days, while the Mississippi was lying at Cape Town. Such is the severity 
 of these winds that all business in the harbor is suspended during their height. 
 
 The town seemed to be in a highly prosperous condition, business of every kind was flourish- 
 ing, and there was a general appearance of affluence among the government officials, and the 
 high rents, among other indications, show the prosperous condition of trade. Handsome 
 equipages are constantly seen in the streets, and the prosperity is so universal that even the 
 lowest classes are hardly known to suffer from want. The Cape of Good Hope is of great 
 commercial importance to Great Britain as a convenient rendezvous for her cruisers stationed in 
 the neighborhood, and as a stopping place for vessels bound to and from the Indian Ocean. 
 Excellent water, fresh provisions, fruit and other necessaries can be obtained in any quantity 
 and at reasonable prices. Wood is scarce, but almost every description of article usually needed 
 by vessels may be procured from the numerous well stocked stores and warehouses at Cape 
 Town. Live stock can be readily obtained, bullocks at £6 per head and sheep at 15 shillings. 
 The Mississippi was supplied with twelve of the former and eighteen of the latter at these prices. 
 
 Since the abolition of slavery in the British colonies the agricultural interests of the Cape 
 have suffered, and although the commerce of some few of the colonial ports contiiiues thriving, 
 as, for example, that of Cape Town, the interior of the country has declined in prosperity, there 
 being at present but few examples of prosperous farming, in consequence of a want of laborers. 
 The agricultural condition of the country has also suffered from the effects of the war carried 
 on between the Briti.sh colonists and the Caffres, which, although it has enriched the merchants 
 and tradesmen by the large expenditure of public money, has impoverished the farmers by 
 depriving them of the necessary laborers, and by unsettling the tranquillity of the country. 
 The consequence has been that many of the farms have been allowed to run to waste, and though 
 the soil is cai)able of producing Indian corn, wheat, barley, oats, and several other descriptions 
 of grain, such has been the unfavorable influence of the cause alluded to that the home 
 consumption of tliese products is not fully provided for. Tlicre are, however, some articles 
 produced for exportation, among whicli may be enumerated wine, hides,- tallow and wnol. The 
 farming is chiefly of a grazing character, and vast herds of cattle, sheep, horses and mules are
 
 100 
 
 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 raised. At Cape Town horses can be obtained at a price varying from thirty to one hundred 
 and fifty doUars, and mules from thirty to seventy-five dollars. The cattle, which are indi- 
 genous to the country, somewhat resemble the buflalo in appearance, and the sheep are of the 
 broad tailed species, which are highly esteemed for the excellence of their meat. The large 
 teams of oxen passing to and from the city are characteristic objects at Cape Town. These teams 
 are composed often of seven, eight, or even nine yoke, and are guided by two teamsters, one .seated in 
 front of a wagon, not unlike the wagons generally in use in Pennsylvania, where he urges the 
 animals along by his voice and a long lash, while the other precedes the team, holding a halter 
 fastened to the horns of the two leaders, with which he guides them. The arrangement of the 
 team for an excursion of greater length is somewhat different, as then horsemen accompany it. 
 The wagon, however, is the same. The ox of the Cape is a serviceable animal, which has a 
 good deal of the general aspect of the buffalo, with long horns, a compact body and tapering 
 rump. 
 
 ■itu\tlUl; Hi tUUlll AlliCii. 
 
 The Commodore, accompanied hj some of his officers, took occasion to visit one of the cele- 
 brated vineyards of Constantia, having provided himself with a barouche drawn by four 
 beautiful stallions, driven four-in-hand by a negro boy, who evinced much skill in handling the 
 reins. The drive was through a picturesque country, with pretty villas scattered about, and 
 approached by beautiful avenues formed of the oak and the fir, which trees are raised from the 
 seed, and lerally cultivated in the colony, not only for ornamental purposes, but for fuel. 
 Subst' edges were also observed, formed of the young oak, of only three year's growth
 
 HOTTENTOT S C A F F R E S E I N G O E S . 101 
 
 from the acorn. Tlie vineyard visited was of limited extent and the culture of a character that 
 somewhat disappointed the expectations of the visitors. 
 
 The proprietor accounted for the inferior condition of his vineyard on the score of hoin<' 
 unahle to provide himself with the necessary supply of laborers, and remarked that lie should 
 be obliged to abandon the cultivation of the grape altogether had he not supplied himself with 
 an American cultivator, which he had recently imported from the United States, and which 
 simple plough, as he stated, drawn by a single horse, actually accomplished the labor of fifty 
 men, according to the usual mode of working and cultivating the vine with a hoe. The grape 
 is cultivated at Constantia, as in Sicily, by trimming the vine close to the ground, and not 
 permitting it to grow higher than a gooseberry bush. The richness of the wine is dependent 
 upon the condition of the grape when it goes to the press. Although the grape begins to ripen 
 in the early part of February, it is not gathered until the middle of March, when the fruit has 
 assumed almost the appearance of the dried raisin, in which condition it is pressed. The prices 
 of these Constantia wines vary from two to six dollars a gallon, according to their quality. 
 
 The census of 1848 gives 200,546 as the population of Cape Colony. Of these 76,827 whites 
 and 101,176 colored inhabitants make up the whole number of the inhabitants of the various 
 parts of the colony, with the exception of Cape Town, which contains a pojiulation of 22,543. 
 There are but few of the aboriginal Hottentots of pure race to be found, as their blood has been 
 intermingled with that of the Dutch, the Negro, or the Malay. The first European discoverer 
 of the southern promontory of Africa found it tolerably well peopled, and the natives, in some 
 respects, in better condition than many of the more northern tribes. They were in jjossession 
 of herds of cattle and sheep, and led a pastoral life. They were a comparatively happy people, 
 divided into tribes under a patriarchal government, and wandered about with their flocks and 
 herds, taking with them their moveable huts, constructed of boughs and poles, which were 
 conveyed from pasture to pasture on the backs of oxen. Their tribes, however, have been 
 mostly exterminated by the cruelty of the Europeans, although a wretched remnant have 
 survived and live as miserable outcasts in the fastnesses of the desert and the forest, and are 
 known as Bushmen. They are still savage in character, and disgusting in their persons and 
 habits, having received but little benefit from the civilization of their white conquerors, who 
 have always pursued them with a cruel wantonness, "though we, as Americans," remarks 
 Commodore Perry, "have no right to rail at other nations for the wrong they have inflicted 
 upon the aborigines of countries seized upon by them, for though hardly equal to the English 
 in the disgusting hypocrisy with which they excuse their acts, we are not far behind them in 
 the frauds and cruelties committed upon our native tribes." 
 
 The warlike Caffres still retain their characteristic wildness, and pursue their predatory life. 
 They are in many respects inferior to the ordinary African, and have some of the peculiarities 
 of the Egyptian races. They are of greater height and strength than the inferior negro; their 
 color is browner, and though their hair is black and woolly they have fuller beards. Their 
 noses are more prominent, but they have the thick negro lip, and with the jiromiuent cheek bone 
 of the Hottentots they possess the high European forehead. Tiie Fiugoes, though traced in 
 origin to some scattered tribes of the Cafl'res, differ from them in some degree, and although 
 spirited and brave in battle, are of a less savage nature, and have the cluiracter of being a 
 comparatively good natured people. The Fingoes are pastoral like the Caffres, but more given
 
 102 
 
 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 to the culture of the Land, in which the men engage as well as the women, although this kind 
 of labor is confined among the Caffres to the females alone. On the return of the Commodore 
 
 /mm" ' 
 
 Caffre Chief. 
 
 from Constantia, he stopped to pay a visit to a captive chief and his wife, whom the fortune of 
 war had thrown into the hands of the Europeans. The chief was confined in a sort of country 
 jail, at no great distance from the town. The keeper of the prison very civilly allowed free 
 communication with the prince, a remarkably fine looking negro, about twenty-five years cf age, 
 who had been accompanied to imprisonment by his favorite wife and confidential lieutenant, 
 who also had a similar companion to cheer his captivity. These women were counterparts of the 
 men in good looks. Subsequently, Mr. Brown, one of the artists of the expedition, visited the 
 prison and secured excellent likenesses of the prince and his wife. 
 
 .^^ 
 
 Afrlrsn Chlof, dornlo. 
 
 Wife of Soyolo.
 
 CAFFRE WAR. 103 
 
 The war carried on by the English with the Hottentots and Caffres, which has continued so 
 long, costing an immense amount of Mood and treasure, is still prolonged by the obstinacy of 
 the blacks. The whole frontier has been already devastated, and although there is some hoiie 
 of bringing about a peace, no one believes that any treaty that may be made will be respected 
 longer by the negroes than may suit their convenience. In the last battle, at the date of the 
 visit of the Mississippi, in which the English force, headed by General Cathcart himself, was 
 victorious, it is said that the Caifre chief brought into action six thoiisand foot and two thousand 
 horse. These numbers are probably exaggerated, but it is well known that the blacks have 
 acquired a tolerable organization, and that they are well supplied with arms and ammunition. 
 They have hitherto had an abundance of provision, obtained from their own herds or from 
 those stolen from the whites, but report says that, owing to the carelessness and waste always 
 attendant upon the military movements of savages, the supply of food is running short with 
 them. The English declare that the Caffres have been instructed in the art of war by numerous 
 deserters from the British army and by a French missionary settled among them, who passed 
 his early life in the army. Allusion has already been made to the disastrous effects of the war 
 upon the agricultural and other resources of the country. 
 
 The principal white inhabitants of Cape Town are the government officials, army officers, and 
 merchants and tradesmen. The laboring class is composed of the mixed races, the Malays, 
 Coolies, and the negroes. The emancipated negroes and their descendants are very much in 
 character and condition like the free blacks in the United States, though by no means as intelli- 
 gent and good looking. They are perfectly independent of all restraint, so long as they do not 
 violate the laws. They work when it suits them, and at their own prices, and break off from 
 their labor if spoken to in a manner which they deem offensive. Their ordinary charge for 
 labor is $1 25 for a day of ten hours. 
 
 The Mississippi having taken on board from the ship Faneuil Hall a supply of coal, and 
 a good supply of bullocks and sheep, and having filled the water tanks, left Table Bay at 
 eleven o'clock, a. m., on the 3d February. On getting fairly out of the harbor, the wind was 
 found to be blowing strong from the westward, with a heavy swell setting in from that quarter. 
 In seven hours after leaving Table Bay the steamer was off the pitch of the Cape, whence, 
 having Cape Hanglip full in sight, her course was directed southeast, in order to reach the 
 parallel of thirty-seven degrees of latitude, to avoid the southeast gales which prevail near the 
 Cape, and cause a strong current to the northward and westward, and to meet the variables 
 which are found south of the border of the southeast trades. 
 
 For the first three days after leaving the Cape the wind blew from the northwest to the south- 
 west until the steamer reached the latitude of 36° 16' S., and the longitude of 23° 40' E., when 
 it changed to the northward and eastward, rather northwardly, and so remained to the latitude 
 of 35° 06', and longitude 44° 03'. At this latter point the wind gradually hauled to the south- 
 ward, allowing the course of the ship to be inclined more to the northward, until the southeast 
 trades were met. The Commodore, however, fearing that the wind might back again to the 
 eastward, was careful not to make too much northing, lest he might fall to the leeward of Mau- 
 ritius, thus losing the benefit of a fair wind, which not only increases the rate of going of a 
 steamer, as of a sailing vessel, but also saves the fuel of the former. From the 11th to tlie 14th 
 of February, inclusive, the wind continued from the southward and eastward, and at the latter 
 date the ship reached latitude 29° 34', and longitude 55° 22, from which period to her arrival
 
 104 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 at Port Louis on the 18th the wind hung to the northward and eastward, the trades having 
 entirely failed. The weather throughout the jjassage was fine, the harometer varying from 
 ly^ 80' to 29° 95', the thermometer from 74° to 84°, the currents setting witli tlie wind, and 
 running at about three-quarters of a knot per hour. 
 
 There is no reason to doubt the correctness of the opinion of Horsburgh, to the effect that 
 the best route for a sailing ship bound from the Cape of Good Hope to Mauritius is that in 
 which nearly the whole, if not all, the easting is made between the parallels of 3.5° and 38° of 
 latitude, and the southeast trades are struck between the latitude of 27° and the longitude of 
 55° or 57°. This course brings vessels well to the windward, and enables them to fetch the 
 island of Mauritius without difficulty, provided the trade winds do not haul nortli of E. by N. 
 In the passage of the Mississippi the wind actually hauled as far as N.N.E., an occurrence not 
 usual at the season, when northerly and northwesterly winds frequently prevail from Madagascar 
 toward and beyond the island of Bourbon, (or, as it is now termed, Keunion,) and Mauritius. 
 
 The question has been agitated as to whether it is advisable for steamers to make this curve 
 in their route to Mauritius, or to steam directly from the Cape to the island, passing close round 
 Cape Aghilus. The Commodore is decidedly of the opinion that, unless the steamer be one of 
 first-rate speed, it would be unwise to take the direct route, in which she would have to contend 
 against a strong trade wind and its consequent current. The difierence between the two routes 
 is about 240 miles, which would hardly seem to compensate for the loss occasioned by head 
 winds and currents, leaving out of consideration the advantage of the cooler and more agree- 
 able weather of the southern passage. The mail, and indeed all the European steamers, have 
 usually taken the latter route ; and the Susquehanna, which attempted the direct course, 
 although a faster steamer than the Mississippi, had a passage of seventeen days, while the 
 Mississippi, of inferior powers and speed, made the run by the other course in fifteen days. 
 
 The Mississippi, in doubling the Cape of Good Hope in midsummer, escaped any very heavy 
 blow, although hardly a week passes without a gale from some quarter. Horsburgh remarks, 
 in regard to the weather, that " in the storms off the Cape Bank and to the eastward, the sea 
 is turbulent, and then generally accompanied with a black overcast sky ; when they are about 
 to commence, and during their continuance, numbers of albatross, petrels, and other oceanic 
 birds, are seen flying about, although in moderate weather few are perceived, for at this time 
 they rest on the surface of the sea to fish, which they cannot do in a storm." 
 
 Nothinf^ was observed of a remarkable character in a meteorological point of view. The 
 temperature of the air and water gave similar indications to those in corresponding northern 
 latitudes. The barometer gave due notice of all the various changes of weather, and proved of 
 great utility. There is a peculiarity in the action of this instrument in the neighborhood of the 
 Cape, and in that part of the route across the Indian Ocean as far as the Equator, of which 
 Horsburgh thus remarks : "In the vicinity of the Cape Bank, and in most parts of the 
 southern hemisphere, the mercury rises with northerly and falls with southerly winds ; these 
 latter proceeding from a warmer atmosphere are much rarefied, consequently the mercury falls 
 in the barometer, whereas northerly winds coming from the frozen regions near the pole are 
 more dense, and cause the mercury to rise. This ought to be kept in remembrance, for, when 
 the wind is from southeast," continues Horsburgh, " I have several times observed tlic mercury 
 to fall considerably before it changed to the north, and expected a gale, but the fall resulted 
 only from the warmer air coming in contact with and repelling the former."
 
 ROUTE FROM THE CAPE TO MAURITIUS. 105 
 
 In the course of the passage the Mississippi spoke her Britannic Majesty's steamer Styx, 
 thirteen days from Simon's Bay, bonnd to ]\Ianritius. She was under sail, her engine havin" 
 been disconnected, and the wheels, with all tlieir buckets, allowed to revolve by the movement 
 of the vessel through the water. She made tolerable way, but drifted much to leeward. The 
 Engli.sh war steamers frequently, by a simple arrangement, disconnect their engines for the 
 purpose of saving fuel. This process of connecting and disconnecting is accomplished in a few 
 minutes. . In American naval steamers it is almost impossible to disconnect the engines, and 
 the only practicable mode of using the sails exclusively is by the removal of tlie immersed floats- 
 This requires moderate weather for its accomplishment, and the time necessary for doing it is 
 about two hours, and double that time is required for the readjustment of the floats or buckets. 
 
 It must be acknowledged with mortification that our navy is in many respects very backward 
 in availing itself of some of those improvements in steam vessels which have been already 
 adopted by other nations, and even by private enterprise. Since the construction of the 
 Mississippi and the Missouri, the two first ocean war steamers introduced into our naval service, 
 and for a time esteemed the finest in the world, there has been less progress in the building of 
 such vessels than our position as a nation would seem to demand. Most of the maritime 
 power§ of Europe and many companies, and even private individuals, have put afloat such vessels 
 as it must be acknowledged but few of our steamers could fairly compete with in excellence oi 
 construction and equipnaent. The San Jacinto, Saranac, Fulton, and the Princeton, may be 
 pointed to in illustration of these remarks. 
 
 At half-past nine o'clock, on the morning of the 18th of February, the Mauritius was first 
 seen from the deck, bearing N.N.E., and at noon the Mississippi was nearly abreast of Cape 
 Bravant, having passed in sight of Grand Port, the scene of the memorable action in August, 
 1810, between an English squadron, under the command of Captains Pyne and Willoughby, 
 and a French force, under Commodore Duperie. In this engagement the English were worsted, 
 having lost nearly all their vessels. The battle was fought within the coral shoals which form 
 the harbor of Grand Port, the batteries on the shore taking part in the action, which was 
 prolonged several days. 
 
 Early in the evening, the pilot having boarded the Mississippi near the mouth of the harbor, 
 anchored and secured the steamer for the night at the outer, which are termed the Admiral's 
 moorings. Next morning the pilot returned to the ship, bringing with him several launches, 
 manned by natives of Malabar^ who, with the assistance of the crew of the Mississippi, 
 completed her moorings, which was a process requiring much time and labor. All vessels 
 entering the harbor of Port Louis are secured by frigates' chains attached to mooring 
 anchors, and brought on board, one at each bow and one at each quarter. This operation 
 is entirely under the direction of the pilots, who with their launches, warps, and numerous 
 hands, are constantly occupied in mooring and unmooring the various vessels as they enter or 
 leave the harbor. Vessels are moored head and stern, with their bows to the southeast, the 
 direction from which the hurricanes usually come. As these generally blow directly out of the 
 harbor, they are accompanied with very little sea ; but such is often the violence of the wind, 
 that the strong moorings give way, and the most destructive results ensue, the vessels being 
 dashed against each other, and the shores strewn with wrecks. It is rarely that these gales 
 blow into the harbor, but when they do, a tremendous sea is thrown into the little port, and 
 the strongest moored and best found vessels can hardly escape disaster. 
 14 J
 
 106 
 
 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 Every possible prccautiou has been taken by tlic government to provide against the destructive 
 effects of these furious storms, and the authorities are vigorously seconded in their efforts by 
 the intelligence and indefatigable attention of Lieutenant Edward Kelly, of the royal navy, 
 the harbor master, who is ever on the alert to meet the wants of vessels, giving warning of the 
 appearance of an approaching gale, and suggesting such measures as may the better guard 
 them against accident. Such was the favorable impression made upon the Commodore by the 
 perfect state of the port regulations, that he Avas induced to address a note to Lieutenant Kelly, 
 expressing his satisfaction, and thanking him for the facilities wliich had been rendered to the 
 Mississippi. 
 
 Our Light-house Board might gather from the example of these excellent regulations some 
 useful hints; but it is feared that tliat Tiranch of administration, like too many others, is so 
 much exposed to ignorant legislation, that any disposition 'it may have toward reform and 
 progress would be hindered by imwise interference. 
 
 Cipc of Good UulJC.
 
 MAURITIUS, ITS DISCOVERY. 
 
 107 
 
 CHAPTER IV 
 
 MlrRITICS, ITS DISCOVERT. GEOLOGICAL FORMATIOM AXD PHYSICAL ASPECT. PRODUCTION OF SUGAR. EFFECT OV AGRICULTURE 
 
 OF THE ABOLITION- OF SLAVERY COOLIES. POPCLATIO.V OF THE ISLAND. STATE OF FEELING BETWEEN ENGLISH AND 
 
 FRENCH RESIDENTS. HOSPITABLE TREATMENT OF THE EXPEDITION. DESCRIPTION OF PORT LOUIS. GRAND PORT PAUL 
 
 AND VIRGINIA. FACTS ON WHICH ST. PIERRE FOUNDED HIS STORY. TO.MBS OF PAUL AND VIRGINIA. BUILT BY AN ECCENTRIC 
 
 FJIENCHMAN. CYCLONES. THEIR PROBABLE CAUSES. LNTEREST FELT IN THEM AT MAURITIUS. DEPARTURE OF THE 
 
 MISSISSIPPI FROM PORT LOUIS. HER COURSE THENCE TO POINT DE GALLE, ISLAND OF CEYLON. REASONS FOR TAKING IT. 
 
 POINT DE GALLE, DESCRIPTION OF. GREAT RENDEZVOUS OF STEAMERS. DIFFICULTY OF PROCURING FUEL THERE. AMERICAN 
 
 CONSUL. THOUGHTS ON CONSULAR SYSTEM. — EARLY KNOWLEDGE OF CEYLON. ITS SEVERAL EUROPEAN POSSESSORS. 
 
 CLIMATE. SALUBRITY. CAUSES OF ITS DIMINISHED PROSPERITY. PRODUCTIONS. VALUE OF COCOA-NUT PALM. PEARL 
 
 FISHERY. IM.MENSE NUMBERS OF ELEPHANTS. GREAT SLAUGHTER OF THEM. BOA CONSTRICTOR. POPULATION OF CEYLON. 
 
 PHTSiaCE OF CINGALESE, MALABARS, AND MAHOMMEDANS IN THE ISLAND. RELIGIOUS CONDITION. BUDDHISM. PILGRIMAGE 
 
 TO THE TEMPLES. INTERCOURSE WITH A SIAMESE NAVAL OFFICER AT CEYLON. COMMODORe's LETTER TO THE SECOND KINO 
 
 OF SIAM. DEPARTURE FRO.M CEYLON. PASSAGE THROUGH THE STRAITS OF MALACCA. ARRIVAL AT SI.VGAPORE. 
 
 ACARENHAs, a Por- 
 tuguese comman- 
 der, discovered 
 Mauritius, with 
 its neighboring 
 island of Bourbon, 
 in 1505, and the 
 ■whole group was 
 then named the 
 - 1^ Mascarenhas islands. The Portuguese took formal possession of 
 Mauritius in 1545, but appear to have formed no settlement. In 1598, 
 the Dutch surveyed it and gave to it its present name, in honor of Maurice, the Stadtholder 
 of the Netherlands. They, however, did not settle the island until after they had formed an 
 establishment at the Cape in 1G40 ; and then they fixed themselves on the shore at Port Grand. 
 In 1708, from causes not now known, they abandoned the island, and from this time up to 
 1715 its only inhabitants were a few negroes, who had been brought there by the Dutch as 
 slaves, and who^ having escaped from their masters, concealed themselves in the mountain 
 forests. In the year last named (1715) the French took possession and formed a settlement 
 at Port St. Louis, giving to the island the new name of the "Isle of France." They kept 
 undisturbed possession until 1810, wlien it was taken fium them by the British ; and since the 
 peace of 1814, these last have retained it.
 
 108 
 
 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 The island is, without doubt, volcanic in its structure, and is suiTounded by a coral reef, 
 which generally runs parallel to the shores, at a short tlistance from them, and is mostly left 
 dry at low water. There are, however, in this reef eleven breaks or openings, through most of 
 which vessels of considerable burden may pass. The interior of the island consists of a great 
 number of lofty hills, mostly isolated, though in one or two instances they form small chains. 
 The Brabant mountains and the Bamboo ridge are the greatest elevations, and these are about 
 three thousand feet above the sea level. 
 
 Port Louis, Mauritius, 
 
 The soil is generally shallow and not very productive. This is owing to its dryness. The mean 
 annual heat is about 76° of Fahrenheit. It is true they have rains, and in June, July, and 
 August showers are frequent, but of very short duration. The average fall of rain throughout 
 the year would appear, froni observation, to be about thirty-eight inches. The rainy season 
 lasts fi-om November to March or April, and then the water descends in torrents, accompanied 
 with heavy gusts of wind, and not unfrequently with thunder and lightning. This region 
 is subject also to hurricanes quite as violent as any encountered in the "West Indies ; 
 there is, however, no regularity in these, though five years rarely elapse without their 
 appearance. The island is traversed by nmnerous water courses, which diverge in all directions 
 from the centre ; these, however, are filled with water in the rainy season only, and then they 
 form numerous cascades and cataracts. In the dry season the water rapidly evaporates. 
 
 The island was once well wooded, and a considerable part of the native forest still remains. 
 The cocoa-nut palm, and sago, are common, as are also tamarind trees, mangroves, and bamboos.
 
 POPULATION OF MAURITIUS. 109 
 
 Yams, cassava, Indian corn, plantains, bananas, and melons are all cultivated as articles of 
 food, as well as some of our vegetables, as spinach, asparagus, artichokes, cabbage, and peas. 
 Wheat and rice are also produced, but in small quantities. Of fruits there are mangoes, 
 shaddocks, and pine apples ; but oranges, grapes, peaches, and apples are inferior. The 
 French introduced the spice trees of the Indian islands ; none, however, succeeded but the clove. 
 The chief article of cultivation, since the British obtained possession, is sugar ; not more, 
 however, than three-eighths of the island is cultivated at all. Tlie sugar cane is planted in the 
 usual manner, though the fields j'l'^sent one peculiarity. The surface of the ground, in its 
 original state, was covered with loose rocks and stones. These have been formed into parallel 
 ridges about three or four feet apart, and between these the cane is planted. The cultivators 
 are of opinion that these ridges, instead of being injurious to the cane, are ratlier advantageous ; 
 they retard the growth of weeds, shade and protect the young cane from violent winds, and 
 retain moisture which reaches the roots of the cane. 
 
 Before the introduction of guano as a fertilizer the product was from 2,000 to 2,500 French 
 pounds of sugar to the arpent or French acre ; but the increase since the application of the 
 guano has been so extraordinary as to be scarcely credible. In ordinary seasons the product has 
 been from six to seven thousand pounds, and, under peculiarly favorable circumstances, it has 
 even reached eight thousand pounds to the acre. Official returns show a gradual increase in 
 the amount of sugar exported from the year 1812 up to the present time. Thus, in that year, 
 it was but 969,260 French pounds; in 1851 it amounted to 137,373,519 pounds, and the 
 estimated crop of this year (1852) is 140,000,000 pounds. The land would produce cotton and 
 tobacco, but the entire thoughts of the agriculturists of the island are directed to sugar. The 
 proportion of guano used is about one-fourth of a pound to a cane, and the French arpent or 
 acre is estimated to contain about two thousand plants. 
 
 The general abolition of slavery by the English government caused here, as it did in the other 
 English slaveholding colonies, much agricultural distress ; but after a time the introduction of 
 laborers, chiefly from the Malabar coast, under certain prescribed regulations, enabled the 
 planters not only to dispense with the services of the freed negroes, but to obtain labor on 
 cheaper terms than before. The free blacks here, as elsewhere, seemed to think emancipation 
 meant an exemption from all labor; they were consequently indisposed generally to work at all, 
 even for fair wages, and capriciously left their labor just when they pleased. The imported 
 laborers, known under the name of coolies, perform nearly all the agricultural work of the 
 island, as well as load and unload all the ships. On tlie sugar estates large communities of them 
 are to be found. Comfortable houses are provided for them and their families, and exclusive of 
 house rent and provisions, which are furnished to them, they receive from two to three dollars a 
 month as wages. This is cheaper to the planter than slave labor was. The municipal laws 
 for the protection and government of the coolies are judicious and sufficently minute, yet these 
 people pay but little regard to any bargain they may make with their employers ; they go and 
 corae very much as they please, and are tolerated in the exercise of a much larger liberty than 
 is accorded to laboring men in either England or the United States. Notwithstanding all these 
 disadvantages, however, the planter makes large profits from their labor. 
 
 The population of the whole island is about 180,000. Of these nearly 100,000 are negroes 
 from Madagascar and the eastern coast of Africa, wlio were once slaves. Beside tliese, are 
 Malays, fishermen from Malabar, Lascars and Chinese. Some of these latter have been
 
 110 
 
 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 imported for agricultural labor. The white population is uiue or ten thousand. Of these the 
 larger part are Creoles of French origin, ami speak the French language. They also form the 
 wealthier portion of the white population. The English in Mauritius having, for the most 
 part, a connexion, direct or indirect, with tlie colonial government, are somewhat exclusive in 
 
 Costumes, Mauritius. 
 
 their social relations. The French are not less tenacious^ and hence, though there are no open 
 dissensions between them, yet to the impartial stranger, who mingles freely with both, it is 
 quite apparent that there is little real harmony between them, and a feeling of nationality 
 exists which would probably induce the majority to hail with pleasure a return to the dominion 
 of France. As in most countries which, like Mauritius, liave involuntarily changed their 
 nationality, the females indulge, in a greater degree than the other se.x, the prejudices of 
 country ; perliaps because they mix less witli the new comers. 
 
 Both classes of the population, however, English and French, were exceedingly kind and 
 hospitable to the members of tlie expedition. On arriving in an armed United States vessel at 
 any of the English colonial settlements, great hospitality is usually extended to our officers, 
 and visits of ceremony, with a constant interchange of dinner parties and other courtesies, 
 commonly leave to the commander but little opportunity for quiet observation of tiiat wliich 
 may characterize the people generally. In fact, he is for a time unavoidably subjected to the 
 bondage of official restraint, and is sometimes made a prisoner even by the friendly tyranny of 
 kindness and hospitality.
 
 n E s c R I r T n t x of tort t, n t' i s . 
 
 in 
 
 During the brief stay of the ship at Mauritius the English officials and merchants exhibited 
 the most profuse hosjjitality toward the Commodore and his officers, while the French popula- 
 tion were no whit beliind them in the unostentatious display of their kindness. These last 
 evinced the most friendly feelings and no small share of intelligence, and while both classes 
 •were equally hospitable, the only difference was that the Englishman was, perhaps, a little the 
 more stately, and the Frenchman a little the less ceremonious. Nothing could be kinder than 
 the treatment of both. 
 
 Port Louis, the capital of the island, is situated near its nortliwcstern extremity, on a small bay, 
 which is but a narrow inlet of the sea, somewhat more than a mile long, and about five hundred 
 yards broad. At the extreme southwestern corner the town is built. The streets are straight, 
 but not paved. Tlie principal street runs parallel to the shore of the bay. The houses are cliiefly 
 of wood, and of but a single story. The population is^ perhaps, from twenty-five to thirty 
 thousand, of which from four to five thousand are white. The residue are for the most part 
 blacks. Grand Port, on the southeastern side of the island, is sufficiently capacious, and is 
 more convenient for shipping the sugar, of which large quantities are grown in the neighbor- 
 hood : but apart from the intricacies of its entrance, it is open to the southeast, fi-om which 
 quarter the hurricanes blow most furiously. 
 
 Public Square, Port Louia. 
 
 It is not to be supposed that among those who read at all there are many who are unacquainted 
 with the beautiful story of Paul and \ irginia, by Bernardin St. Pierre. The accomplished 
 author was an officer of the garrison of Mauritius in 1744, and at that time a melancholy catas-
 
 ] 12 E X r E D I T I O X T J A P A N . 
 
 trophe which happened on one of the coral reefs surrounding the island furnished a basis of facts 
 on which he reared his interesting fiction. 
 
 One is rather reluctant to destroy the illusion produced by the romantic narrative of St. 
 Pierre ; but, in sober truth, he was indebted to his imagination for the picture of the storm, and 
 the brave and generous Paul is but a myth. The facts are these : On the night of the 18th of 
 August, 1744, the French ship St. G6van was wrecked on one of the reefs on the northeastern 
 coast of the island. On board the ship were two young ladies, by name Mallet and Caillon, 
 (who were returning as passengers from France, whither they had been sent for education,) 
 both of whom were lost. The depositions taken at tlie time by the French officials, and from 
 which these facts are gathered, state that Mademoiselle Caillon was last seen upon the top-gallant 
 forecastle of the wrecked vessel, with a gentleman, Monsieur Longchamps de Montendre, who 
 was at the time endeavoring to persuade her to trust herself to his efforts to save her. To 
 enable him, however, to accomplish the object, it was necessary for her to disencumber herself 
 of some portion of her clothing, and this, from a sense of modesty, she declined doing, and so 
 perished with Monsieur Montendre and the larger part of the crew of the ill-fated vessel. It 
 was conjectured that Monsieur Montendre was the lover of Mademoiselle Caillon, as, after 
 lowering himself down the ship's side to throw himself into the sea, he returned and earnestly 
 endeavored to prevail on the young lady to leave the vessel with him, and on her refusal would 
 not again leave her. 
 
 Mademoiselle Mallet was on the quarter deck with Monsieur de Peramont, who never left her 
 for a moment. On these facts as a basis St. Pierre framed his story. The celebrity given to it 
 has always awakened the interest of strangers visiting the island, who have naturally desired 
 to look upon scenes consecrated by the pen of genius, and associated in their minds with 
 incidents which, if not literally true, have at least deeply touched their sensibilities. The 
 officers of the ship were, therefore, glad to land, and among other objects visited, strange to say, 
 they were conducted to what the islanders are pleased to call the graves of Paul and Virginia. 
 The history of these resting places of the imaginary dead is this : An eccentric French gentleman 
 having a country residence about eight miles from St. Louis, and possibly near the supposed 
 graves of some of the lost, erected in his garden two monuments to the memory of the unfortu- 
 nate fictitious Paul and Virginia, (Mademoiselle Caillon and Monsieur Montendre.) The object 
 was simply to add the stimulus of curiosity to the other attractions of his residence, and thus 
 draw around him a more numerous circle, to whom he might extend that hospitality for which 
 he, in common with the French of his day, was famous, and thus enjoy the pleasures of society. 
 This benevolent and eccentric being has been long dead, but the tombs are still standing, 
 though in a state of dilapidation, and still attract strangers. Alas! no ho.spitable greeting now 
 awaits the visitor. His money is demanded at the garden gate, all sentiment evaporates, and 
 he walks in to see the show. This custom of demanding payment from visitors to places of 
 public interest is almost peculiar to the English, and its existence is to many of the people of 
 England themselves a source of mortification and annoyance. There are certain places in which 
 payment is perfectly proper, but there are others in which, though regularly exacted, it should 
 not be asked. The sight of Longwood and a glance at Napoleon's tomb were both paid for by 
 the gentlemen of the expedition at St. Helena ; but the custom alluded to is one which may be 
 found throughout the extent of her Majesty's dominions. 
 
 So much was said at Mauritius of the hurricanes, or cyclones, common to this part of the
 
 THECYCLONES. 113 
 
 Indian ocean, that the Commodore scarcely entertained a hope of escaping from Ihis region 
 without encountering one. Tliese hurricanes, at the season of their occurrence, (from December 
 to Ajiril,) form the great topic of interest and discussion to the Mauritians. In fact, thov talk 
 of little else at that period. Meteorological instruments of every kind are kept in use and under 
 the most watchful observation. Nor is this great solicitude without reason, for these cyclones, 
 when they do come, are but too apt to bring ruin and desolation to the merchant and planter. 
 
 The immediate cause of these atmospherical phenomena has been supposed to be a disturbance 
 of the equilibrium in the air that takes place at the change of the monsoons. This jieriod 
 of strife lasts about a month, and then the hurricanes rage with terrific violence. Redfield and 
 Reed, and others, have explained the laws by which they suppose them to be governed ; and 
 their hyiiothesis is perfectly well known and understood by the Mauritians. The islands of 
 Mauritius, Bourbon, and Roderique, lie directly in their ordinary track, and if either of them 
 happens to fall within the vortex of one of these hurricanes, the consequences to life and 
 property are terrible indeed. 
 
 The natural interest felt in the subject, as well as its great practical importance, have given 
 rise to many discussions as to the best means to be adopted, should a vessel uufortunately find 
 herself within their sweeping influence or in their proximity ; and though these discussions ma}^, 
 and doubtless will, result in a better understanding of the laws which govern these winds, yet 
 it must be confessed that some of them have rather a tendency to confuse the simple minded 
 and practical seaman, who, if caught in one of these storms, should undertake then to find 
 rules for his guidance. He can spare no time from the handling of his vessel, and however 
 plain abstract principles may be to him who is at leisure quietly to master them on shore, the 
 cabin of a ship in a storm is a poor school of philosophy. This, however, only shows the 
 necessity there is thcat the seaman who would understand his profession should study and master 
 all that science has brought to light, when he can do so on shore, and before he is caught in a 
 storm which demands its immediate application. However, the instructions given by the earlier 
 writers on these hurricanes are now more generally understood than they were, by the well 
 informed seaman, particularly since they have been further explained and simplified by the 
 more recent puVdication of Piddington. 
 
 Of those residing at Mauritius who have earnestly studied and discussed the laws which 
 govern these storms, may be mentioned Dr. Thom, whose writings are well known, Lieutenant 
 Fryers, of the royal engineers, and Mr. Sedgewick, who has published a little work, which he 
 calls "The True Principle," and which has been reviewed by Dr. Thom; and, lastly, a creolc 
 gentleman attached to the observatory at Mauritius, Mr. Bosquett. 
 
 This last named gentleman, who has translated into French Piddington's Horn book, with 
 annotations of his own, claims to be able, by careful and constant meteorological observations, 
 to foretell the existence of hurricanes in the Indian ocean, and to describe the course they 
 will take. The day before the Mississippi left Mauritius, he informed the Commodore that a 
 cyclone was then blowing in a direction E. by N. from the island, and that it would pass to the 
 southward and eastward. 
 
 By reference to the chart in Piddington's Horn book it will be seen that these cyclones 
 
 never extend to the northward of 10° or 12° south latitude, in the meridian of Mauritius. 
 
 Therefore, vessels leaving the island in the hurricane sca.son, for any part of India, should steer 
 
 to the northward, pa.ssing well to the westward of the Cargados, a most dangerous group, thus 
 
 15 J
 
 114 EXPEDITION TO JAP AM. 
 
 keeping a clear sea open to the westward that there may he nothing in the way should it he 
 desirable to run to the northward and westward, which wcukl be the true course to take in case 
 of encountering the southwestern or northwestern quadrants of a cyclone, (which, in the 
 hurricane season, a vessel from Mauritius is in dangccr of.) and this course she should keep until 
 she is sufficiently far north to be beyond its influence. Steamers, of course, have superior means 
 of avoiding these storms, as they have the power of steering the most judicious course to escape 
 from their greatest fury. 
 
 Following the advice of several experienced seamen, when the Mississippi left, she took the 
 circuitous route (the distance from Mauritius to Ceylon being thereby made 150 miles greater) 
 and pa ssed to the westward of the Cargados and between the island Galega and Laya de Mahla 
 Bank ; thence, doubling the northern extremity of that bank the ship was steered to the 
 eastward for Pona Moluque, the southernmost of the Maldives ; after passing this the course 
 was direct for Point de Galle in Ceylon. 
 
 Before leaving the United States, Messrs. Howland & Aspinwall, of New York, at the 
 suggestion of the Commodore, had dispatched two shi])S laden with coal, one to the Cape of 
 Good Hope, and the other to Mauritius. The prudence of this precaution was proved by the 
 result ; but for these two cargoes the Mississippi, as well as the other steamers of the squadron 
 which were to follow her — the Powhatan and Alleghany — would have had the greatest 
 difficulty in procuring fuel. In the case of both cargoes, they arrived at their respective places 
 of destination a few days before the Mississippi, so that both at the Cape and Mauritius the 
 ship was enabled at once to take in fresh fuel, and leave a supply for the steamers that were to 
 come after.* 
 
 Having taken on board about five hundred tons of this coal, with such other supplies as were 
 needed, the Mississippi left St. Louis on the morning of the 28th of February, intending to 
 touch for a further supply of fuel either at Point de Galle or Singapore, if it should appear pos- 
 sible to reach the latter named place with the coal taken on board at Mauritius. The course 
 was that already indicated above, and on the evening of the 10th of March the light was made 
 on Point de Galle, island of Ceylon, after a passage of thirteen days. 
 
 The port of Point de Galle is the general rendezvous of the English India mail steamers^ not 
 only of those which ply to and from the Red sea, hut of those which double the Cape of Good 
 Hope, bound to India or the China seas. Large quantities of coal and patent fuel are brought 
 from England and deposited there ; and though the quantity would seem to be enormous, yet 
 80 great is the consumption of the numerous steamers, of which there are about ten each month 
 touching at the port, that there is sometimes an apprehension felt of the supply of fiiol falling 
 short. The Oriental Steam Navigation Company have consequently given positive orders not 
 to supply a single ton to any foreign vessel-of-war, and consequently the Mississippi could 
 obtain only a limited supply from the Bengal government. 
 
 The town of Galle is situated upon a peninsula, the inner curve of which forms the harbor. 
 Thick walls of considerable height enclose the town within a space of about fifteen acres. The 
 
 • " To tlic zealous and energetic services of Messrs. Howland & Aspinwall, in llie rnilbfiil fulfilment of their engagements 
 with the Navy Department, I am greatly indebted ; had it not been for their prompt and effectual agency, I should have found 
 myself seriously embarrassed in controlling the movements of the steamers of my command. The ample provision thus placed 
 at my disposal not only relieved me from care upon the score of fuel, without which side-wheel steamers are worse than useless, 
 but enabled mc to exercise a most gratifying courtesy in furnishing to several foreign war steamers supplies of this essential 
 article, which could not be obtained at the time from any other source." — Extract from the Commodort's Journal.
 
 POINT DE GALLE. 
 
 115 
 
 inhabitanta are thus shut up within a close fortress, from which the sea breezes are almost 
 entirely excluded, and must suffer very much from the heat, which cannot be otherwise thau 
 excessive, in a latitude almost under the equator. The heat, however, is not so intense as on 
 the neighboring coast of India. During the stay of the Mississippi the highest range of the 
 thermometer (Fahrenheit) was 85°, and the lowest was 82°. The ordinary range at Point de 
 Galle, however, is set down at from '70° to 87°. 
 
 PolDt de Galle, CeyloD. 
 
 Fresh supplies of food of almost every description can be readily obtained at this port ; bul- 
 locks, pigs, fruit, and vegetables, abound. The fish are abundant and good. "Wood is plentiful 
 and tolerably good. Water can be obtained in reasonable quantities, but it is bad. 
 
 The population of the town is composed of English officials and merchants, and a motley 
 collection of tradesmen and laborers of all varieties of color, from negro black to dingy brown. 
 
 The Commodore and his officers were not a little mortified, as well as somewhat embarrassed, 
 by finding, on their arrival at Point de Galle, the United States commercial agent, a native of 
 Scotland, confined to his premises under an execution for debt. Various accounts of the circum- 
 stances connected with this unfortunate jjosition of affairs were communicated to the Commo- 
 dore, but he studiously avoided any interference with the matter. It was no part of his business 
 or duty to interpose; and humiliating as was this state of things, he could not but feel that the 
 fault was in the former consular system of the United States. Our country had no right to 
 expect our consuls and commercial agents, many of whom were unfitted in every respect for 
 their stations, either to represent or sustain the commercial interests of the nation so long as the
 
 116 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 system then existing was followed. The fees at many of the places where our consular agents 
 were accredited, it was notorious would scarce suffice to clothe them, and, accordingly, to eke out 
 a scanty living, they were often obliged to resort to some sort of business, often not of the most 
 dio-nificd character. Of course, there were always honorable exceptions to this unfavorable state 
 of things. Many of onr consuls have been and are men of high position, who have not failed 
 to exercise a strong influence upon the local governments within which they may have resided. 
 But for this they have been less indebted to the consular office than to their deservedly high, 
 commercial standing; at the same time it may be true, that possessing such high personal 
 characters as they do, in their cases, the consular office, worthily bestowed, may add somewhat 
 to their influence. The recent action of Congress has shown the sense entertained by that body 
 of the correctness of these views and of the need of reform ; and it is hoped the measures 
 adopted will guarantee for the future a dignified representative of our commercial interests 
 wherever we have a consul. 
 
 Ceylon has been long known to Europe. The first accounts were received from two of the 
 commanders of the fleet dispatched by Alexander the Great from the Indus to the Persian 
 Gulf. A descrijjtion of the island may be found recorded bj' ancient authors ; both Pliny and 
 Ptoloraeus have left ■accounts of its character and condition. It is supposed tliat the Persians 
 had formed a Christian establishment on the coast before the sixth century ; and in the 
 tliirteentli the celebrated traveller, Marco Polo, visited Ceylon, of which he has left a glowing 
 description, having been so much struck with its beauty and richness that in his enthusiasm 
 he lias termed it the finest island in the world. Sir John Mandeville, the English traveller, 
 also visited it some fifty years later. 
 
 The Portuguese, however, were the first among the Europeans to establish intimate relations 
 with Ceylon. When they found their way to India, by the Cape of Good Hope, they were 
 welcomed by the king, whose dominions at the time were a prey to intestine war. The 
 Europeans taking advantage of the civil dissensions which prevailed, and offering themselves 
 as mediators, succeeded in establishing a foothold in the country, which they took care to 
 maintain. In 1520, the Portuguese strongly fortified themselves at Colombo, and held a 
 controlling influence over the natives, until they were dispersed by the latter, aided by the 
 Dutch, who, in their turn, changed their relation of friends to that of masters of the jn'ople. 
 The war with the Portuguese lasted more than twenty years, and they were not finally 
 expelled the island until I60G. The various fortified positions at Batticolo, Point de Galle, 
 Negombo, and Colombo fell into the hands of the Dutch, who thus controlled the maritime 
 provinces. 
 
 During the European wars at the end of the eighteenth century, the French got possession 
 of Trinconialee, but they were ejected by tlie British, who in their turn were forced to yield 
 it up to the former possessors, and it finally was restored to the Dutch, who continued to hold 
 it, together with the sea coast, until they were wrested from them, in 1796, by the British, 
 who were formally acknowledged as the possessors by the treaty of Amicus. Eiiglisli liistory 
 records that the whole island, by tiie invitation of the natives, was taken possession of, in 
 1815, by the British crown, under the sovereignty of wiiich Ceylon still remains. It is 
 difficult fo say who, of the successive masters of the |i(ior Cingalese, have been the most iiucl 
 an<l oppressive, and, in fact, it is feared (liat 1}ut liltle can be said in palliali>in of the fiaud 
 and perfidy of either of them.
 
 ISLAND OF CEVLON. 117 
 
 In olden time, before its occupation by the Europeans, Ceylon was one of tlie richest and 
 most productive of the kingdoms of the east. The natives, at a very early period, showed 
 great skill in tlie development of the resources of the island, and increased the fertility of the 
 soil by ingenious modes of artificial irrigation ; and numerous vestiges of imposing works, 
 constructed for this purpose, remain to tliis day. 
 
 The climate of Ceylon is very much influenced by the monsoons. Tlie northeast prevails 
 from November to February, and the southwest from April to September ; but there are certain 
 local causes which influence these winds and modify their temperature. There is a great 
 diflerence between the climate of the northern and southern portions of the island, and a 
 curious eff'ect results therefrom ; for not seldom on one side of a mountain the rain is falling 
 abundantly, while on the other it is so dry that the herbage is parched and withered ; and 
 thus while the inhabitants of the former are doing their utmost to protect their lands from the 
 flood, those of the latter are striving to obviate the consequences of the drought by availing 
 themselves of the scant reservoirs of water which may have been left from previous rains. 
 
 The island is comparatively healthy, as is indicated by the rate of mortality, which, being 
 less than three per cent., shows a remarkable salubrity for an eastern country. As the 
 clearing of the jungles and the draining of the marshes proceed, a still higher degree of 
 health may be reasonably expected. 
 
 Ceylon did not appear as flourishing a colony as the Mauritius, thougli it possesses superior 
 geographical advantages. Lying, as it does, as a sort of outpost to the principal possessions 
 of the English in the east, and ofi'ering, in its port of Galle, a point for the distribution of 
 intelligence throughout India and China, it is much resorted to. 
 
 With all its natural advantages, however, the island at present is far less flourishing than 
 might have been expected. The exports are limited in comparison with the acknowledged 
 fertility of the island, to the productive power of which there would hardly seem to be any 
 limit. Labor may be obtained, too, for twelve cents a day, and yet the agricultural interests 
 are not as promising as, under such favorable circumstances, they should be. The natives, too, 
 are said not to be wanting in industry, but their needs are so few, living, as they do, upon 
 fish, rice, and cocoa-nuts, that they are never forced by necessity to labor hard for their 
 subsistence. 
 
 Of the productions of the island the cocoa-nut is probably the most valuable to the natives. 
 Everywhere in Ceylon, as far as the eye can reach, extensive plantations of tliis tree are to be seen, 
 and the numerous roads throughout the island are bordered witli it. The weary and heated 
 traveller finds not only protection from the sun in its shade, but refreshment from the milk of 
 the fruit, which is both agreeable to the taste and wholesome. The cocoa-nut jjalm has a great 
 variety of uses. The green fruit, with its delicate albuminous meat and its refresliiug milk, is a 
 favorite article of food. When ripe, the kernel of the nut is dried, forming what the natives 
 term copjieral, and an oil of great value is expressed from it, while the residuum forms an 
 excellent oil-cake for the fattening of animals. Even the husk of the nut is useful ; its fibres are 
 wrought into the coir rope, of which large quantities are annually exported, and tlie shells are 
 manufactured into various domestic utensils. From the sap of the tree a drink is obtained 
 which is called "toddy," and made into arrack liy (listillatidii. Tlie leaves afford a good 
 material for the thatching of tlie native huts, and are moreover given as food to tiie elephants. 
 Tlie I'aiinyra palm, wbieli also ahoiiinls in the islaml, sliarrs willi (lie cocoa-nut tree in iiiaiiy 
 ot its advantages.
 
 118 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 The other staples of Ceylon are cinnamon, coffee, sugar, rice, arica nut, precious stones, 
 plumbago, (probably the best in the world,) and other vegetable and mineral productions. 
 The pearl fisheries, for which the island was once famous, have very much diminished in their 
 yield. The natives account for the diminution by declaring that the pearl-oyster has the power 
 of locomotion, and has shifted its former quarters to some new ground not yet discovered. The 
 scarcity is probably owing to the fact that the pearls have been disturbed before they have 
 reached their full development, which is said to require a period of seven years. At one time 
 the fishery was a source of handsome revenue to the government ; in 1797 the sum of £140,000 
 was derived from it. Since that period the proceeds have gradually fallen off, until at 
 present they amount to almost nothing. Diving for the pearl-oyster is a favorite occupation 
 araon<y the natives of Ceylon, as a skilful diver can earn ten times the wages of a farm laborer, 
 and the employment is not, as has been stated, unfavorable to health, but, on the contrary, 
 conducive to strtrgth and vigor of body. 
 
 Ceylon abounds in a rich vegetation and many trees of a vigorous growth, among which, in 
 addition to the cocoa-nut and Palmyra palm, there is the kettal tree, from the sap of which is 
 produced a coarse sugar, and from its fruit, when dried and reduced to powder, a substitute for 
 rice flour. The talipot, with its immense foliage, is one of the wonders of the island ; a single 
 leaf of this tree is sufficient to cover beneath its shade several persons, and it supplies, when 
 softened by boiling, a substitute for paper, upon which the natives are in the habit of writing, 
 and find in it a most durable material. The cinnamon, with its beautiful white blossom and its 
 red tipped leaves, and other odoriferous trees, are among the native products of Ceylon ; but the 
 stories of the fragrance of the aroma exhaled from these trees and the plants, and which 
 voyagers have described as sensible at a distance from the land, are gross exaggerations. No 
 fragrance was observed equal to that of the magnolia or of the delightful perfume of the 
 newlv-mown grass of our own country, or in any degree approaching the delicious odor of the 
 heliotrope and geranium hedges of Madeira. The cultivated flowers that were seen at Ceylon 
 and at Mauritius were, in fact, remarkable for their want of fragrance. Kich woods of various 
 kinds, as the rose, the ebony, the satin, and lime, grow in abundance on the island, and are 
 used for many purposes of utility and ornament. 
 
 Within the forests and in the jungles of Ceylon are found a great variety of wild animals — 
 the elephant, the hyena, tiger-cat, the bear, the deer, and tlie monkey, are among the most 
 abundant. The number of elephants is incredibly great, and, issuing in troops from their lairs, 
 they come crushing down the cultivated fields and plantations and devouring the crops, with 
 great loss to the proprietors. They are foTind in all the unciiltivated parts of the island, but 
 their favorite haunts are near to the farms, to which they jirove so destructive that the colonial 
 government pays a reward of 7s. 6d. (about $1 85) for every tail of the animal which is brought 
 to the authorities. Mr. Talbot, the government agent at Galle, stated, surprising as it may 
 seem, that he had paid during the preceding year two hundred pounds sterling for tails, wliich 
 would give six hundred as the number of elephants destroyed. 
 
 An army officer, as was stated to the Commodore, actually klHod, during his residence on 
 the island, no less than six hundred of these gigantic animals. Within a few months of the 
 arrival of the Mississippi, two officers of the garrison, one of whom (Lieutenant Lennox) 
 became personally known to the Commodore, destroyed no less than forty elephants in the 
 course of a sporting visit of six weeks to the jungle. They are ordinarily shot with a rifle ;
 
 PEOPLE OP CETLOK. 119 
 
 the sportsman approaches his game in front, or perhaps, as the sailors would say, on the 
 quarter, that he may aim at either of the only two vital parts upon which a rifle ball will have 
 any effect, one being directly in the forehead, through which the brain is penetrated, and the 
 other behind the ear. If the hunter chance to come up to his elephant in the rear, he raises a 
 shout or makes a noise, by which the huge animal is attracted, and, throwing forward its ears, 
 exposes the vital spot, at which his ruthless enemy aims the deadly ball and brings down his 
 huge victim. The elephants of Ceylon are not so large as those of other parts of India, and 
 but a small proportion of them have tusks. 
 
 Of serpents, there are but twenty species, four only of which are venomous^ the cobra and 
 tic prolango being the most deadly. The latter is said to be endowed with great cunning, and 
 to lie in wait for the purpose of attacking the passing traveller. The stories which are told of 
 the anaconda, boa constrictor or python, seizing upon cattle and horses, and even horsemen, 
 must be received as fabulous. There is, however, a species of boa peculiar to the island, which 
 is capable of swallowing a deer whole, and after they have indulged in venison to that degree, 
 and become surfeited with so substantial a meal, they fall readily a prey to the captor. This 
 is believed to be the extent of the powers of deglutition of the Ceylon boas ; those enormous 
 serpents, which are said to swallow an entire ox, horns and all, being tmknown in that region. 
 It may not be amiss to refer here to a remedy for venomous bites, for which popular opinion in 
 the east claims considerable efficacy, this is a paste made by moistening the powder of ipeca- 
 chuana with water, and applying it to the external injury. Some wonderful effects have been 
 reported from the use of this simple means in various cases^ of not only bites from venomous 
 serpents, but of stings by the scorpion and various poisonous fish. 
 
 The population of Ceylon is estimated at about 1,442,062, of whom 8,275 are whites, 
 1,413,486 colored persons, and 20,431 aliens and resident strangers. The inhabitants are 
 composed of the natives, termed Cingalese, of a small proportion of Europeans, principally 
 government officials, military officers and merchants with their families, and of negroes, Malays, 
 and Chinese. The Cingalese were less ugly in appearance than was expected, many of the men, 
 in fact, (as for the women few were seen, and none of tlie better class,) have expressive and even 
 handsome faces, and their forms are not without symmetry. They seem to be amiable in dispo- 
 sition and are remarkable for their efi'eminate habits. So similar is the costume of the two 
 sexes that it is difficult often for the casual observer to distinguish the man from the woman. 
 The males allow their hair to grow to a great length, which they foster with much care, and 
 fasten to the tops of their heads with large tortoise shell combs, such as our ladies at home 
 might not be ashamed to wear. 
 
 The common dress of the better class of the Cingalese is a jacket, worn next to the skin, and 
 from the waist downward a colored petticoat, wrapped in graceful folds round the limbs and 
 falling to the feet. The head, well protected as it is with the superabundant hair, is generally 
 bare of any artificial covering. Some of the common people, however, wrap a cloth turban-wise 
 around their brows, which they shift to their body when mingling with the crowds, and thus 
 eke out their scanty drapery, which ordinarily consists only of a petticoat. Some of the abori- 
 gines, who live in a rude condition within the fastnesses of the great forests, confine themselves 
 in dress to the simple wardrobe of nature. 
 
 In addition to the Cingalese, who are doubtless descendants of the aborigines of the island, 
 there are the Malabars, whom tradition traces to the neighboring shores of India, and whose
 
 120 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 religion and social characteristics would seem to connect them with that country. Tliey are 
 Hindoos and preserve their religion and system of caste, together with the costumes of their 
 original country, as well as their language, somewhat modified, however, by their relation with 
 the Cingalese. The neighboring islands and continents su})ply a population of Mahommedans 
 or Moors to Ceylon, and they abound in several parts of the country, where, in the various 
 orders into which their law of caste divides them, tliey carry on a prosperous business as 
 weavers, fi.shermen, merchants, and bakers. They are among the most enterprising and 
 thriving of the population, and their well known skill and industry have secured them much of 
 the commercial wealth and influence of the island. 
 
 The native language of the aborigines is peculiar to themselves, but their writings arc in 
 Sanscrit or Pali. A provincial dialect of Portuguese is, however, generally spoken by those 
 natives who have passed their lives in the European portions of the island. 
 
 The Christian religion was introduced at a very early period into Ceylon. It has been 
 supposed that the apostle Saint Thomas preached there ; however this may be, there is but 
 little doubt that the Nestorians accompanied the Persian merchants, many years ago, to the 
 island and made converts there and established Christianity. On the arrival, however, of the 
 Portuffuese navisrators there were no remnants of those churches which are said to have existed 
 in Ce3don in the sixth century. The zealous Francis Xavier, the Eoman Catholic missionary, 
 however, was the first, by his earnest preaching and jiroselyting energies, to establish the 
 Christian religion permanently on the island, and most of that faith are, accordingly, 
 Komanists. The Church of England is, of course, sustained in accordance with the religious 
 ojunions of the British authorities ; and the various other Protestant churches have their 
 members among the European residents. There are missionaries of various sects engaged in 
 eflbrts to evangelize the native heathen, but with what success did not appear. Among these 
 there are no less than eleven Americans ; and the difierent churches are represented in the 
 proportion of thirty-four Romanist missionaries, twenty Wesleyan, fourteen of the English 
 church, and thirteen Baptists. The predominant religion among the Cingalese is the Buddhist, 
 which was at one time maintained by the British government, a heathen inheritance derived 
 from the succession to the native kings. The tooth of Buddha, the relic so highly revered by 
 his followers, was taken under the especial protection of English orthodoxy, and the ecclesiastical 
 patronage of the Buddhist establishment was exercised by England, in accordance with the not 
 very scrupulous views of political expediency. The guardianship of the tooth of Buddlia, and 
 the dispensation of Buddhist church patronage, have been, of late years, properly delegated by 
 a Christian nation to a heathen priesthood. 
 
 There are numerous Buddhist temples in Ceylon, some of which present an impressive aspect ; 
 and there is one of great antiquity and so much venerated as to attract votaries from various 
 parts of India. On the arrival of the Mississippi there was a Siamese sloop-of-war in the harbor, 
 which had brought a number of Buddhist priests on a pilgrimage to this temple. 
 
 An interesting incident occurred in connexion with the presence of the Siamese man-of-war. 
 For many reasons the Commodore was desirous of sliowing some marked attention to the 
 commander of this vessel, who, on acquaintance, was found to be a young man of much intelli- 
 gence and possessing some knowledge of the English language. The Commodore, therefore, 
 dispatched his aid, Lieutenant Contee, to ofier to him liis services and to invite him on board 
 the Mississippi. The Siamese commander seemed pleased with the compliment and came on
 
 INTKRVIEW WITH A SIAMESE OFFICER. 
 
 121 
 
 board the Mississippi the following day, where he was received with due honors. He was 
 accompanied by two of the Buddhist priests who had come from Siam in his vessel on a 
 pilgrimage to the famous temple. It was learned, on inquiry, that Prince Phar- Pen-Clow- 
 Chow- Yon-Hon, who was so civil to Mr. Roberts and the officers of the Peacock on the occasion 
 
 Uuddliist Temple, near Point de Guile, CcyloQ. 
 
 of their visit to Siara, in 1836, was the second in rank in his kingdom, or second king, as it is 
 termed. The Commodore, therefore, being desirous of renewing the good understanding which 
 formerly subsisted between him and our officers, which, however^ had been somewhat disturbed 
 by the visit of Mr. Ballastier, sent him a beautiful pistol, of Colt's patent, and addressed to him 
 the following letter : 
 
 United St.\tes Ship Mississippi. 
 Point de GaUe, Island of Ceylon, March 14, 1853. 
 
 Most Ex.\lted Prince: I have been most happy to meet at this port a vessel-of-war belong- 
 ing to the kingdom of Siam, one of beautiful form and construction, and commanded by an 
 officer of skill and merit. 
 
 In remembrance of the kindness you extended to the late Mr. Roberts and the officers of the 
 United States ship Peacock, in 1836, I beg your acceptance of a curious pistol which has been 
 entrusted to my charge, to be presented to some high functionary who has sufficient acquaintance 
 with the arts to understand its mechanism and use. 
 16 J
 
 122 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. ^ 
 
 The renown -which your Highness has acquired in America, for your attainments in every 
 branch of science, induces me to place at your disposal this trifling gift of Mr. Colt. 
 
 I hope that you will send one of your ships of Siam to America, where I can promise the 
 othocrs a friendly and honorable welcome. 
 
 It will at all times, give nu> tlie greatest pleasure to render to all vessels under the Siamese 
 flag whatever aid or assistance it may be in my power to command. 
 
 With profound respect I have the honor to be your most obedient servant, 
 
 M. C. PERRY, Commander-in-chief 
 of all the U. S. naval farces in the East India, China, and Japan seas. 
 
 To his Royal Highness Piiar-Pen-Clow-Chow-Yon-Hon. 
 
 The Commodore was induced thus to take the initiative in endeavoring to open communica- 
 tions with Siam, in the ho])e that he might possibly be able to revive the treaty between that 
 kingdom and the United States, made on our part by Mr. Roberts. This had virtually become 
 a dead letter and altogether inoperative, as had, indeed, also tliat made by England with the 
 same people. Sir Jolin Davis and Sir James Brooke, on behalf of England, and Mr. Ballastier, 
 on the part of the United States, had made subsequent efforts and been politely repulsed ; but 
 tl)e Commodore hoped that jiossibly another attempt might result more successfully ; and as he 
 had been entrusted by the government with several blank letters of credence, he was prepared 
 to act on the authority of one of them should he find a favorable opening. Both the kings of 
 Siam, and many of their officers, understand the English language, and one object of the 
 Commodore was to induce the monarch to send one of his ships to the United States (they are 
 all vessels, at once, both of war and commerce) to examine into our institutions, resources, &c., 
 and thus lead to friendly commercial relations. 
 
 The Commodore subsequently received a courteous answer to his letter, and from that and 
 private information which he had taken pains to get of his probable reception, he would have 
 gone to Siam had not uncontrollable circumstances prevented. 
 
 The Commodore also presented to Mun-Clow-Sar-Coun, captain of the Siamese sloop-of-war, 
 a service sword and a copy of "Bowditch's Navigator." 
 
 The Mississippi left Galle on the morning of the 15th of March, and after getting clear of 
 the harbor, shaped her course for Great Nicobar Island, the southernmost of the group of that 
 name, with the intention of passing between it and Paloway, a small island or rock lying off 
 the northern extremity of Sumatra. On the 20th, Great Nicobar was made, and the proposed 
 course having been taken, the steamer entered the straits of Malacca, steering for the Malay 
 shore, on which side the weather is represented as being more settled and the sky less obscured. 
 
 Fortunately, the weather was favorable during the passage through the straits, and it was 
 found necessary to anchor once only during the night, at the entrance between the North and 
 South Sands, within sight of the Aroa islands. The navigation of the straits did not appear to 
 the Commodore as dangerous as an examination of tlie chart had led him to expect ; yet it is 
 somewhat intricate and certainly not free from danger. 
 
 A vessel has, however, the advantage of being always able to anchor, though, in some parts 
 of the channel, necessarily in rather deep water. The two most dangerous passages are those 
 termed the East and West Channel ; and the narrow one between Formosa bank and the 
 Pyramids lying opposite, and the nortliern end of the middle bank. A liglit vessel recently 
 anchored on "Two-and-a-half fathom bank" renders the former passage more safe ; while the
 
 PASSAGE THROUGH THE S T U A I T S OF MALACCA. 
 
 123 
 
 latter is made more secure by tlie high huid of Ciqio Formosa, the hearings of and distance frcnu 
 which will, in clear weather, indicate the mid-channel. 
 
 Pilots may he procured for vessels, when bound toward the Cliina seas, at Penang, and at 
 Singapore when their course is in an opposite direction. The Mississijipi took no ])il()t, as time 
 could not be spared for communicating with Penang; ami, in i'act, witli gnod oluirts and a 
 careful look out, together with proj)er precautions in anchoring when necessary, a ]iiliit is of 
 little further service than to identify the names of headlands and islands, and to explain the 
 tides and currents. Indeed, by trusting too much to the pilots, who are mostly irresponsible 
 natives, ships may fall into dangers which the experience and prudence of their captains, if left 
 to their own judgments, would avoid. In passing through the straits, the Mississippi met 
 H. B. M. ship Cleopatra, towed by a small war steamer, bound in an opposite direction. The 
 senior English ship, on coming near, honored the broad pendant of the Commodore with a 
 salute ; which compliment was jiromptly resjionded to by an equal number of guns. 
 
 
 '^^^^J^' 
 
 Mi^sioMppi sululed by an Eii^'.>.-.. ; . 
 
 It is a fact W(^fthy of remark, that the usual vertical rise and fiiU of the tides in the Straits of 
 Malacca is from twelve to fourteen teet, while in other parts of the world, in the same latitude, 
 there is scarcely any variation. The tides at Singapore corresijond, in this respect, with those 
 in the Straits. 
 
 On entering from tlie Straits of Malacca into what is called the Straits of Singain)re, the 
 islands became numerous and the [lassagcs conscfiuently various and intricate; hut (he directions
 
 124 
 
 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 given by Horsburgh are so full and explicit, tbat by a strict observance of them, together with 
 proper vigilance and judgment, the lead being kept in constant use and the anchor always in 
 readiness, there is no very great danger of touching. 
 
 With a judicious regard to these precautions, the Mississippi made her way securely through 
 all the intricacies of the course, and finally, on the 25th of March, came to anchor in the port 
 of Singapore.
 
 SINGAPORE. — ITS GREAT COMMERCE. 
 
 125 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 SINGIPORE. ITS GREAT COMMERCE. POPUL.ATIOK. R.\PID IN'CREASE. HOSPITALITY OF A WEALTHY CHINESE .MERCHAXT. 
 
 IMPORTANCE OF SINGAPORE TO ENGLAND. COAL DEPOT AT SINGAPORE. PHYSICAL ASPECT OF THE COINTRT.— 
 
 AGRICCLTCRAL PRODUCTS. ANIMALS. FEROCITY OF THE TIGER WATER BXTFFALO. PASSAGE FROM SINGAPORE TO HONG 
 
 KONG. CURRENTS, ROCKS, TIDES. CHINESE FISHING BOATS. ARRIVAL AT HONG KONG. FINDING THERE SLOOPS-OF-IV AR 
 
 SARATOGA AN"D PLTMOITH AND STORE SHIP SUPPLY. SUSQUEHANNA GONE TO SHANGHAE. DISAPPOINTMENT OF THE 
 
 COMMODORE. CONDITION AND PROSPERITY OF HONG KONG, »r.V TO MACAO, THENCE TO WHAMPOA O.V CANTON RIVER. 
 
 KATIGATION OF THE RIVER. FIRST IMPRESSIONS MADE BY THE CITY. DISAPPOINTED EXPECTATIONS. HOSPITALITY OF 
 
 AMERICAN CONSUL AT CANTON. THE HONGS OR FACTORIES. STREETS IN CANTON. PROPER NAME OF THE CITY. BOCCA 
 
 TIGRIS. CHINESE FORTS. PIRATES ON THE RIVER. ATTE.MPT TO ROB ONE OF THE OFFICERS. CANTON MARKET PLACE. 
 
 TRADE OF CANTON WITH EUROPE AND AMERICA. 
 
 HE port of Singapore is a great resort for ships of all 
 nations. Vessels from China, Siam, Malaya, Sumatra, 
 and the various commercial countries of Europe and 
 America, are to he seen anchored together at the same 
 time. The products of these different parts of the world 
 are all to he found in Singapore, hrought thither for 
 reciprocal exchange. The policy which has made Singa- 
 pore a free port has heen fully justified hy the prosperous 
 result. Its commerce, heing entirely unshackled, flour- 
 ishes even heyond the most sanguine anticipations of 
 those enlightened and enterprising men who hut a few years ago established Singapore as a 
 free port. 
 
 Notwithstanding the restricted productions of the place, which could do no more than supply 
 business for the scant trade of a few vessels, Singapore has been, by the liberal policy pursued, 
 elevated to the imposing position of a great commercial mart. Its trade embraces China, 
 India and the archipelagos of the oriental seas, Australia, Europe, and America. Nearly the 
 whole world of commerce seeks, in a greater or less degree, its ever crowded harbor. 
 
 The commerce with China is very considerable, and is carried on by means of Chinese 
 vessels. The junks come down from the China seas with the northeast monsoon, and remain 
 in port, retailing their cargoes of teas, silks, and other products, until tlie southwest monsoon 
 is fairly set in, when they return to prepare for another voyage, and thus keep up a succession 
 of periodical trading visits. They bring large numbers of enterprising Chinese emigrants, 
 together with abundant supplies of dollars, teas, silks, chinaware, tobacco, cassia, nankeens.
 
 126 
 
 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 gold thread, and the thousand " nicknackeries" of cunning invention for which Chinese 
 ingenuity is famous. They take back the pernicious opium, edible birds' nests, and various 
 articles of European manufacture. 
 
 The town of Singapore is built upon an island, separated from the Malay peninsula l)ya 
 narrow and scarcely navigable strait. The ancient capitol of the Malayan kingdom, or, as it 
 was sometimes called, the kingdom of Malacca, formerly stood upon the site of the present 
 town. This old city was built in the twelfth century, and conquered by a chief from Java, who 
 transferred the royal residence to Malacca. From that period its population and wealth 
 gradually declined, so that in 1819, when the English took possession, there were but few 
 vestiges of the former city, which indeed had become but a haunt for pirates, where, as well as 
 in the neighboring islands and passages, they found a secure retreat from the vessels of the 
 English and the Dutch sent in pursuit of tliem. The natives still offer for sale models of the 
 various descriptions of the Malay war, pirate, and sailing proas ; and most of them present 
 exceedingly beautiful specimens of graceful form. So much was the Commodore struck with 
 the beauty of the model of the sailing proa that he purposed sending one home to the New 
 York yacht club. 
 
 Malay I'lua. 
 
 The town bears all the appearance of being in a most prosperous condition ; its port, as we 
 have said, is always crowded with shipping, and its traders are thriving and wealthy. Marine 
 storehouses are seen throughout the place, but chiefly along the front of the harbor and upon 
 the quay. The principal mei-ohants occupy commodious and tasteful resiliences, built fronting
 
 SINGAPORE. 
 
 127 
 
 the bay. There is a striking contrast in the dwellings of those who have settled in tliis 
 thriving place, between the elegant and convenient town and country houses of the colonial 
 officials and merchants and the ill ventilated and filthy domiciles of the Chinese, or the frail 
 tenements of the Malays. The latter ordinarily select some marshy ground in the suburbs, 
 near a road or pathway, and rear upon piles their wooden houses, the only entrance to which 
 is by means of temporary bridges, often constructed of a single plank. 
 
 The prosperity of Singapore, so apparent even to tlie casual observer, is mainly to be attrib- 
 uted to the sagacious and energetic Sir Stamford Eatfles, who pursued with untiring zeal, 
 in spite of the opposition of many in higher authority, his determined purpose of carrying out 
 his favorite projects of policy in the administration of the colony. 
 
 The population at the period of the Mississijjpi's visit was estimated at eighty thousand, a 
 number which shows a very rapid increase since it fell into the possession of the Britisli, at 
 which time there were scarce two hundred on the whole island of Singapore. The inliabitaiits 
 are made up of Jews, Chinese, Arabs, Malays, and natives of the neighboring countries. The 
 Europeans count the least, and the Chinese the largest number ; of these last it was stated that 
 there are no less than sixty thousand, who are the artisans, fishermen, laborers, and small 
 dealers of the place ; an industrious class, to wliich the colony is indebted for much of its trading 
 activitv. 
 
 Mosque in Sinpapore, 
 
 These various people who inhabit Singapore retain their national lialiit.s and customs, and 
 their peculiar modes of worsbiji. Tlie Chinese lets grow his tail, sTnokes liis opium, and offers 
 incense to Jos ; the Arab sports his turban, invokes the name of the ]irop1iet, and prostrates 
 himself witliin the raosijue, while the European shaves his beard, drinks London porter, and
 
 128 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 takes his seat in tbe churcli pew. Most of the different nations have their places of worship ; 
 there are Chinese temples and Mahommedan mosques, as well as Christian churches. A curious 
 confusion of religions seems to have resulted from the intermingling of sects, as may he inferred 
 from what was seen by the Commodore on a visit to a Chinese temple. In one of the recesses 
 of the place the devil was represented in human form, hut of exceedingly hideous physiognomy, 
 while in front of him was placed an image of the virgin and child. Tliis was certainly a 
 very strange assortment of company, and naturally set the Commodore to conjecturing as to 
 what could possibly have brought together such very opposite characters ; whether the intention 
 was to represent the mother and child as at the mercy of the devil, or the reverse, was not very 
 clear, although, from the decidedly uncomfortable expression of his satanic majesty's face, it 
 might be inferred that he was less at his ease than any of the company, and quite out of his 
 element. It was, however, concluded that the bringing of Christian personages into a Chinese 
 temple was in some way connected with the early introduction of the Komish religion by the 
 Portuguese missionaries. 
 
 The stay of the Mississippi at Singapore was so short that there was but little opportunity to see 
 much of the European society. Visits and salutes were exchanged with the acting governor and 
 with the commander of the military forces ; these, together with some official business transacted 
 with the United States consul, were the extent of the Commodore's intercourse with the 
 European residents. With, however, a Chinese merchant, who seemed to be imbued with the 
 true spirit of hospitality, many of the officers of the ship formed an agreeable acquaintance^ and 
 were hospitably, entertained at his house. This gentleman's name is Whampoa, a man of 
 courteous bearing and great intelligence, and who had made considerable progress in the English 
 language, which he spoke with some fluency. His country residence was the most beautiful on 
 the island. The house was large, commodious, and tastefully furnished, and its rooms were 
 filled with objects of curiosity and vertu. Surrounding the dwelling were extensive pleasure 
 grounds and plantations, on which the various productions of the island, the useful as well as 
 ornamental, were cultivated to great perfection. There were collections of animals and rare 
 birds, among which were the cassowary and crowned pigeon from New Guinea, and a singular 
 breed of perfectly white pea-fowl. The residence of the hospitable Whampoa, where the 
 Commodore dined and spent the night, was surrounded by all that could ^leliglit the eye, or add 
 to the enjoyment of life. Among other luxurious appanages of the establishment, there was a 
 beautiful white Arabian horse, kept by Whampoa for his own especial use under the saddle, 
 and the Commodore was very much struck by its symmetry of form, purity of color, and 
 excellence of temper, for it was as docile as a lamb. 
 
 In a military and geographical point of view, Singapore is of vast importance to England. 
 By means of it, and with an effective naval force, this entrance to the China seas may be 
 commanded. Its position is vastly advantageous in a commercial point of view, from which it 
 has become an entrepot for the neighboring kingdoms of Stimatra, Borneo, Siam, Cambodia, 
 and Cochin China. 
 
 To Sir Stamford Raffles, wlio proved himself a master spirit in every enterprise he undertook, 
 the British government and the East India Company are indebted for this valuable acquisition, 
 and there was, it must be confessed, some show of equity in his mode of proceeding. Ratfles 
 actually purchased from the Rajali of Jahore and Singapore the right of sovereignty over the 
 island and its dependencies for a stipulated sum and an annual pension^ and it is believed that
 
 Singapore; 129 
 
 the payments have been regularly made. This is an exarajile which has been very rare among 
 the European governments, Avho have generally seized violently upon the finest countries 
 without scruple, and subjected the inhabitants to political, if not to social, servitude. The Rajah 
 had reason to pride himself ujion his bargain with Raffles^ when he reflected how much better 
 he had been treated tlian his royal ancestors, who had been driven I'rom their homes and 
 despoiled of their pos.sessions by the former European invaders. 
 
 The present Rajah, with his numerous wives and children, occupy a native village about a 
 mile from the Euglisli town. The Commodore did not see him, but his sou, a fine intelligent 
 youth, came on board the ship to pay his respects. His father probably "thought his dignity 
 called for the first visit from the Commodore, which, however, was prevented by reason of 
 engagements. 
 
 As a stopping place and depot for coal Singapore, is of great importance to the English mail- 
 steamers. The wealthy and enterprising Oriental Steam Navigation Company have erected at 
 New Harbor, about two and a half miles from the town, a magnificent depot, comprising 
 wharves, coal-sheds, storehouses, workshops, and other buildings, such as would do credit to any 
 English colonial establishment ; and this is no slight praise. Singapore is in the course of the 
 regular mail route between India, China, Australia, and Europe. There is a constant postal 
 commimication, by means of the English and one or more Dutch steamers, with Hong Kong, 
 Penang, Batavia, Shanghai, Calcutta, Madras, Bengal, Bombay, Ceylon, the Mauritius, Cape 
 of Good Hope, and, by the Red Sea, with Europe and America. 
 
 Supplies of most kinds required by vessels can be obtained at fair prices in the port of Singa- 
 pore. The water is good, and is supplied from tanks, under the supervision of an official of the 
 place, the master attendant. There was not a pound of coal, however, to be purchased at 
 Singapore, and there was reason to fear that the Mississippi would be deprived of her necessary 
 supplies. It was not practicable to make any arrangement with the Labuan Company, for the 
 whole produce of the mines under their control was exhausted by the Oriental and Pacific Com- 
 pany, with which a contract existed for a supply of one thousand tons per month. Fortunately 
 for the Mississippi, however, the stock of the last named company at Hong Kong was falling 
 short, and, as it was difficult to procure vessels to transport an additional supply, the agent of 
 the company at Singapore agreed to lend the Commodore two hundred and thirty tons, provided 
 it would be returned at Hong Kong. By this arrangement both parties were accommodated, 
 the Mississippi obtaining her necessary supply at Singapore, and the company securing what 
 they wanted at their principal Chinese depot, without the expense of its conveyance. 
 
 The chief articles of export from Singapore are tin, nutmegs, sugar, drugs, tortoise shell, and 
 some minor commodities, the product of the neighboring countries. Tlie Briti.sh settlement of 
 Singapore embraces not only the island of that name, but a number of smaller ones scattered about 
 in the neighboring seas. The main island, Singapore, is about twenty-five miles long, and fifteen 
 in breadth, containing an estimated area of two hundred and seventy-five square miles. Inland, 
 the surface of the country is diversified with low hills and sliallow valleys, while the sea shore 
 is low and overgrown with mangroves, and occasionally broken by the entrances of salt 
 creeks, which, penetrating sometimes to the extent of six or seven miles, overflow their banks, 
 and convert the neigliboring soil into marsh. The artists of the expedition have supplied a 
 view of the river Durong, wiiich will give an idea of the characteristic scenery. 
 
 When the English first obtained possession of Singapore the island was covered with a forest, 
 17 J
 
 130 EXPEDITION TO JAP AX. 
 
 and entirely without cultivation. Now, in the neighborhood of the town, and extending more 
 or less into the interior, there are considerable plantations, which have been chiefly cultivated 
 by the industrious immigrants from China. Eicc, coffee, sugar, and other agricultural produc- 
 tions of the wanner latitudes are obtained, but the supply is not sufficient for the consumption 
 of the island. The tropical fruits grow readily, among which the mangusteen reaches great 
 perfection, although its taste did not equal the anticipations formed from the boasted delicious- 
 ness of its flavor. The fruit, however, was not in full season during the ship's stay, and it 
 may possibly not have reached the height of its excellence. The nutmeg is cultivated with 
 considerable success, as well as the cocoa-nut, orange, and other tropical fruits. 
 
 Various European animals have been introduced into the island. The horse in use is a 
 stumpy, fiery little creature, wonderfully strong for its size. It is generally harnessed to a light 
 carriage which is in common use on the island, and may be hired in the streets of the town at 
 a moderate price for the day. The driver seldom takes his seat upon tlie box, but runs at the 
 head of his horse, and keeps up a speed in company with the animal of six and sometimes even 
 seven or eight miles an hour. This plan suggests a good hint for the prevention of cruelty to 
 animals, as it has the eflect of securing a humane consideration for the beast, which is not likely 
 to be over driven, when for every step it takes its driver takes two, and is thus forcibly reminded 
 of a fellow feeling which cannot fail to make him "wondrous kind." 
 
 The native animals are generally the same as those of the adjacent peninsula, from 
 which many of them migrate. The tigers especially entertain a great partiality for Singa- 
 pore, and resort there in great numbers by swimming across the strait which separates the 
 main land from the isliuid. These are the genuine animals, which have no hesitation in 
 pouncing upon a passing traveller, or snatching up and making a meal of any unfortunate 
 Chinaman or native who may happen to be in the jungle, busy in cutting wood, clearing land 
 for the rice plantations, or otherwise occupied. It was stated on the best authority that not a 
 day passes witho\it the destruction of one human being at least by these ferocious beasts. The 
 Commodore was at first somewhat disposed to be incredulous of this statement, but as the acting 
 governor and commander of the forces both confirmed.it, he could no longer hesitate to accept 
 it as truth. He was told by them that so much of an every day occurrence was this fatality, 
 that many of the cases were not reported, in order to avoid the trouble and expense of a 
 coroner's inquest, which the laws require. "Death by tiger," however, is a verdict that 
 might be rendered daily were the legal formalities complied with. 
 
 It is said, and probably with truth, that the tiger, after he has once tasted of human flesh, 
 becomes so fond of it that he prefers its flavor to that of his ordinary venison or wild boar, and 
 will make every effort to obtain a supply of his favorite food. It is this intense longing for 
 himian flesh which makes the tiger so very dangerous to the inhabitants of Singapore, especially 
 to the poor Malay or Chinese who may be obliged to expose himself in the jungle and the 
 forest. It was said, too, that the animal showed decided preference for a Chinaman. 
 
 Nor do these stories of the tiger seem very wonderful, when the fact is well established that 
 those savages who are addicted to cannibalism become passionately fond of their horribly 
 unnatural food. There is a tribe of Malays, called Battas, who, like their fellow Malay tigers, 
 are said by Sir Stamford Raffles to eat one another, and to prefer such food to any other. Nor 
 are they to be classed entirely among barbarians, for these Battas can read and write, and have 
 codes of laws of great antiquity ; and yet, according to the authority just named, not less than 
 from sixty to a hundred Battas are eaten annually, even during a time of peace.
 
 SINGAPORE. 
 
 131 
 
 In addition to the tigers there are deer and wihl boars found upon tlie ishvnd^ and several 
 varieties of smaller animals, the monkey, the wild hog or peccary, the porcVipine and the sloth. 
 Birds abound, and among them arc some of great beauty. Perjients are not very numerous, but 
 among them is the venomous cobra. A singular animal, called the water buffalo, was more 
 particularly observed at Singapore. It approaches in size to the ox of our country, and like it 
 is used as an animal for dranght, being harnessed to the shafts of a cart and guided by a driver, 
 who holds a rope which is fastened to a ring or thong passed through the cartilage which 
 divides the nostrils of the animal. The skin of this beast is rough and not unlike that of 
 the rhinoceros, and though the water buffalo has somewhat the general appearance of the ox, 
 its head is altogether different. Notwithstanding the seeming thickness and toughness of its 
 hide, it suffers gi'eatly from the flies, and to avoid them keeps, except duriilg feeding time, in 
 the water ; keuco, probably, its name. 
 
 Inquiries were made about two remarkable inhabitants of the waters about Malacca and 
 Sumatra, described by Eaffles : the sailing fish, called by the natives ikan layer, and the duyong, 
 mentioned by Valentin, and so long talked of as the mermaid ; but the Commodore was told by 
 the inhabitants of Singapore that these fish had become very scarce, if not entirely extinct. 
 
 Malay Tumbs, Near Singapore. 
 
 Shells collected upon tlie adjacent coasts and along tlie Straits of IMalacca are brought in large 
 quantities to Singapore for sale, and some excellent specimens were obtained. 
 
 The various people who inhabit Sumatra, the Malayan peninsula, and the numerous islands in 
 the adjacent seas, are all of the Malay family. This race is widely distributed, not only over
 
 132 E X P E D I T 1 O N T J A P A N . 
 
 the Indian archipelago, hut througliout the South Sea islands, as it is generally conceded that 
 the natives of the latter are of the same origin as the former. Analogous phj^sical character- 
 istics, customs and languages would seem to prove this relationship. 
 
 The Mississippi having taken on board the necessary supplies of fuel, left Singapore on the 
 29th of March. The ship proceeded through the middle channel, passing near a light-house 
 erected on the rock called "Pedra Branca." This course was taken with the view of running 
 up on the Cochin China and Hainan shores. It is not necessary to say much in regard to the 
 navigation of the China sea, since so much has already been published on the subject. It may, 
 however, be stated in general terms, that nearly the whole expanse of sea from Borneo and 
 Palawan across to Cochin China is rendered dangerous by numerous coral reefs, banks and 
 islands. Many of these banks and reefs are below the surface of the sea, and although the 
 hydrograpical surveys may have truthfully stated their depths when they were taken, and 
 reported a sufficiency of water for vessels to pass, it must not be forgotten that guch is the 
 rapidity with which those little architects, the coral zoojihites, build up these foundations of 
 future islands, that the work of a few years may materially change the character and depth 
 of the soundings. With such obstructions the China sea cannot be navigated without danger, 
 and especially in stormy weather. Notwithstanding, thousands of vessels go annually through 
 its various passages in safety, while a disaster occurs now and then only. 
 
 The surface currents are influenced by the prevailing winds, but the tides, as in other parts 
 of the world, are governed by some mysterious laws which the wisdom of man has not yet 
 entirely fathomed. The vertical rise and fall of the tide upon the coast of Cochin China varies 
 from six to fourteen feet, and the periods and duration of the ebb and flood are by no means 
 regular. In latitude 12°, on the same shore, there is but one tide in the course of twenty-four 
 hours. It has been said that the tides in the tropics rise and fall very little. Although it is 
 granted that in high latitudes the perpendicular flow and ebb is generally greater than in low, 
 still there are many examples of considerable tides in the latter. At the head of the Gulf of 
 Cambay, in latitude 22°, Horsburgh states that the perpendicular depth of the rise and fall of 
 the tides is from thirty to thirty-six feet at the full and change of the moon. So also, according 
 to the same authority, in Surat road, it is from twenty to twenty-one feet, and from fifteen to 
 seventeen in Bombay harbor. Again, in the Gulf of Martaban, which is far within the tropics, 
 the rise and fall of the tide, at the full and change of the moon is twentj^-three and twenty-four 
 feet, and oif Rangoon bar about twenty or twenty-one feet. In Gaspar straits, within 2i° of 
 the equator, there is occasionally, from local causes, a rise and fall of sixteen or seventeen feet 
 on the spring tide, but this is rare in places so near the equator. These instances, all from 
 Horsburgh, sliow that very considerable tides occur within the tropics. 
 
 The observation of the Commodore in regard to the single tide in twenty-four hours, on the 
 shore of Cochin China, is paralleled by analogous instances, also reported by Horsburgh, who 
 remarks : " Although in most places the tide ebbs and flows twice in every twenty-four hours, 
 this is not universally the case within the trojiics ; for among several of the eastern islands the 
 tide flows only once in twenty-four hours." In many jtlaces, far beyond the tropics, the tide 
 likewise flows only once in twenty-four hours, particularly on the southern coast of Van 
 Dieman's land ; but at Port Dalrymple, on the north coast, the tide flows twice in twenty-four 
 hours. The zodiacal lights glowed in brilliant radiations almost every morning and evening 
 during the time the Mississippi was in the equatorial latitudes ; and the chaplain, (Mr. Jones,)
 
 NAVIGATION OF THE CUINA SEA. 133 
 
 who made this matter a subject of especial notice and study, liad a good opportunity of 
 continuing his observations upon the phenomena of this remarkable appearance. 
 
 On the morning of the 6th of April, as the ship was proceeding on her course, vast numbers 
 of fishing boats were descried as far as the eye could reach. Xo less than two hundred and 
 sixty-nine of these little craft were counted, at one time, from the poop. They were sailing in 
 couples, about ninety fathoms apart, before the wind, with a net extended between each two. 
 They were curiously rigged, having square sails set upon two or tliree masts, which had, at a 
 distance, somewhat the appearance of courses and topsails, which they hoisted and lowered as 
 they desired to graduate the rate of sailing, in order to keep way with their consorts. These 
 vessels were engaged in taking a small fish similar to the sardine of the Mediterranean, and the 
 same mode of netting them is pursued in both localities. 
 
 The appearance of these craft was a sure indication of the proximity of land, and accordingly, 
 at half past ten in the morning, it was sighted. The ship continuing her course toward the 
 roadstead of Macao, was anchored at dark under the Ladrones. On the following morning she 
 proceeded to Macao roads, and after a communication with the shore, Hie course was continued 
 on to Hong Kong, where she finally came to anchor about sunset of the same day. 
 
 Here were found the sloops-of-war Plymouth and Saratoga, and the store-ship Supply ; the 
 two former of which, as the Mississippi let go her anchor, fired the usual salute, which was duly 
 retiirned from the guns of the Mississippi ; the Susquehanna, however, was nowhere to be seen. 
 This vessel had been designated by the government as the flag-ship of the Commodore, who, 
 much to his surprise and disappointment, found that she had sailed a fortnight previously for 
 Shanghai, having on board the United States commissioner to China, the Honorable Mr. 
 Marshall, as well as Dr. Parker, the secretary of legation, and Mr. Forbes, the United States 
 consul at Canton, all of whom the Commodore desired particularly to see, before sailing for 
 Japan. No other course was left to him therefore, but to dispatch the Plymouth to the same 
 port, with instructions to Commander Buchanan of the Susquehanna to await there the 
 Commodore's arrival in the Mississippi, which he m'eant should follow the Susquehanna as soon 
 as she could be prepared for the northern cruise ; and fortunately Shanghai was at no great 
 distance out of the route to Japan. 
 
 On the following day the customaiy interchange of salutes was made with the forts and tlie 
 foreign vessels of war in port, and this was succeeded by an exchange of pei'sonal courtesies 
 among the ofiicers of the various nations represented. With Cumniodore Eoquemausel, of the 
 French navy, particularly, who had his pennant on board the frigate Capricieuse, the Commo- 
 dore enjoyed a very agreeable intercourse, both official and personal. The English admiral, 
 Sir F. Pellew, was absent. It is unnecessary to note, on every occasion, the courtesies tliat 
 American officers invariably receive from the British authorities abroad, civil, naval, and 
 military. "In no instance," remarks the Commodore, "during a long service in foreign 
 countries, have I exijerienced any want of h(is])itable attentiou; and, in fact, the governments 
 of all nations, with the cxcei)tion of that of the United States, furnish the means for puhlic 
 entertiiinments by ample allowance of ' table money,' and it thus becomes a duty, as it is 
 doubtless the pleasure, of these officials to expend it hospitably." 
 
 The stay of the Mississippi was but short at Hong Kong; long enough, however, to make 
 apparent every sign of commercial prosperity, although the i)lace is not very attractive to 
 visitors. Then; is no picturesque beauty in the appearance of the town, albeit some travellers
 
 134 
 
 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 have described it in glowing colors. It is a picture of busy activity ; the shore is lined 
 with Chinese boats, the harbor is crowded with the shipping of all nations, and the toiling 
 Chinese are kept at work in the roads, or in other labors required by this progressive i^lace. 
 "When tlie English took possession of the island of Hong Kong, in 1841, there was but a bleak 
 and barren hill-side where there now stands the city of Victoria. The jiopulation of the place 
 now amounts to no less than 14,671, and while its commercial warehouses, its docks and piers, 
 and its fleet of traders, give evidence of its material prosperity, its social, intellectual, and 
 
 llarber Boy, Hong Kong. 
 
 religious progress are proved l)y its club-houses, reading-rooms, schools, and churches. 
 Heathenism has also its visible signs. The Cliinese have three temples, and the Mahommedans 
 a mos(jue at Hong Kong. 
 
 The island rises at the north in a range of mountains, the base of wliicli terminates near the 
 8ea, leaving a narrow edge, along which the town of Victoria extends for two or three miles.
 
 HONG KONG. 135 
 
 Tliere is a large trade in opium between India and Hong Kong, it being imported into the 
 latter place, and thence smuggled into China along the coast. 
 
 There is no very extensive agricultural culture at Hong Kong, as the land for the most part 
 is rocky, and of little fertility. On the southern part of the island, however, the soil is some- 
 what more favorable tlian tliat on the northern, and it contains a single valley which is 
 tolerably productive. There is an abundance of excellent water. The climate is hot, and as 
 the alternations of rain and heat keep up an active decomposition in the marshy districts of 
 the island, they render it quite unwholesome. The southern side of Hong Kong is the more 
 healthful, as it is refreshed and purified by the southwestern monsoon, but being destitute of 
 good harbors, the English were obliged to fix their settlement on the north. 
 
 The laboring class and the small traders are chiefly Chinese, who are ever on the alert for 
 gain. Their bazaars invite the passing stranger on every street, and the itinerant artizans go 
 busily tramping in their daily routine. There are many striking figures among them, with 
 their peculiar costumes and novel implements of labor. Our artist caught a vivid impression 
 of the Hong Kong barber boy. 
 
 On leaving Hong Kong the Mississippi went to Macao, and thence to "Whampoa, on the 
 Canton river, where she anchored. In this river there are certain bars, and it is necessary not 
 only to take a pilot, but to employ small Chinese boats, which are stationed at the sides of the 
 crooked channel, and on the bars alluded to, as guides. As the boats receive a dollar each for 
 this service, they are called "dollar boats." Wliampoa, which is the anchorage for all large 
 vessels whose business is with Canton, is on the river, about twelve miles from that city. The 
 pagoda here is a marked object, and however it may be venerated by the Chinese, on religious 
 grounds, is no less regarded for its usefulness as a land mark by foreign vessels, for they steer 
 and anchor by its bearings. 
 
 The passage to Canton is made in boats, and is by no means very agreeable. The 
 Commodore was sadly disappointed in the appearance of the stream, which he describes as 
 muddy and shallow, with scarcely a hut upon its banks until the city is nearly reached ; and 
 then swarms of floating habitations are seen moored to the banks, five or six tiers deep, and 
 occupied by a wretched half clad people. Throi;gh these two lines of receptacles of poverty and 
 filth which thus border the stream you pass to the mercantile factory, the residence of most of 
 the foreign merchants, and the spot where the stranger lands. Hence he is conducted to the 
 houses of those to whom he bears letters of introduction, where he is hospitably received and 
 takes up his lodging, as there are no comfortable places of public entertainment in this quarter. 
 
 The first impression made by Canton was one of decided disappointment. Perhaps too much 
 had been anticipated, but, from the glowing descriptions the Commodore had read of the place, 
 he had imagined that it would be more striking to a stranger than in his case it proved to be. 
 He expected to behold myriads of boats, decked with gay banners, and moving with cheerful 
 activity in all directions. His iiincy had sketched a pleasing picture of beautiful floating 
 domiciles, moored under the banks of the river, and inhabited by a hundred thousand people in 
 variegated costume ; he recalled to memory the stories of the lofty pagodas lifting roof above 
 roof, the delightful residences expanding their spacious quarters from terrace to terrace, and 
 the snug cottages with the pictures(jue bridges and the comfortable Cliinaman under the shade 
 of a willow, with nothing to do but fish, of all which we have been accustomed to read, and 
 pictures of which served to amuse us in our childhood.
 
 13G EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 But the sketches of imaginative hoyhood were, in this as in so many other instances, dispelled 
 hy the sober realities of maturer years. There was nothing of all this beautiful picture of 
 crowded and happy life. There were, indeed, boats and people, pagodas and cottages, bridges 
 and trees ; but there were also filth and noise, poverty and misery, lying and roguery, and, in 
 short, anything but a picture of quiet content and Arcadian simplicity. 
 
 On the visit of the Commodore to Canton, he, together with several of his officers, was accom- 
 modated at the hou.se of Mr. Forbes, the consul of the United States and head of the firm of 
 Russell & Co. Mr. Forbes was absent at the time, but the hospitalities of his establishment were 
 most freely dispensed by one of his partners, Mr. Spooner. So well known was this establishment, 
 and so highly appreciated were its proprietors by the Chinese, that all that was necessary in 
 making a jmrchase in the city was simply to direct the shopkeeper to send the article to the 
 house of Mr. Forbes, and there never was any hesitation in assenting at once. The same may 
 be said indeed of all the American houses, with respect both to hospitality and the confidence 
 of the Chinese. 
 
 The comparatively small space occupied by the foreigners on the river side is, notwithstanding 
 its limited extent, quite a pleasant spot. The whole quarter contains but about four acres. 
 The foreign merchants occupy the large buildings in the rear as places of business and abode, 
 while the front, which includes a half of the whole area, is beautifully laid out as a garden, 
 with an English church in the centre, and the flags of different nations floating from tall poles 
 planted in various spots. The grounds are arranged with walks and ornamented with shrubbery 
 and flowering i)lants, presenting a delightful resort in the freshness of the morning or the cool 
 of the evening. The stranger is struck with the peculiar aspect of the place, when on one side, 
 in proximity to low, dingy, Chinese houses, buildings of European structure rise to the height 
 of three or four stories, while on the other, the river is densely populous with the inhabited 
 boats. The foreigners term their residences and places of business factories, but the natives 
 designate them as Hongs, which is the usual Chinese word for a commercial establishment or ■ 
 warehouse. 
 
 Although there are but few of the larger or public buildings in the foreign quarter, which is 
 but a suburb of the city, there are all the ordinary varieties of streets, houses, and bazaars. 
 Foreigners generally confine their visits to that part adjacent to the garden before mentioned, 
 through which Old and New China streets run. 
 
 The only hotel in the place frequented by Europeans and Americans is near the latter street, 
 and is quite inferior. It is (as has been intimated) the hospitable practice of the foreign 
 merchants to invite strangers to their princely establishments, where a generous profusion and 
 a warm welcome are extended to the visitor. In addition to Old and New China streets, there 
 is, hard by, a narrow, filthy alley, not inappropriately called Hog lane, and filled witli the 
 most abandoned portion of the people^ who minister to the vicious appetites of the foreign 
 sailors, supplying them with wretched grog and other dangerous stimulants. 
 
 Tliere are no drives or walks leading directly into the country from the foreign quarter ; the 
 residents are, therefore, limited to the river, where, in the evening, they exercise themselves in 
 rowing their swift little boats. On the opposite side of the river, however, on the island of 
 Honan, there is a walk extending a mile or more to a Buddhist temple ; but there is little that 
 is attractive in the surrounding country, and nothing peculiar about the temple, which is 
 similar to the other joss houses. On a visit which was made to this spot by one of the officers
 
 CANTON. 
 
 137 
 
 of the expedition, a drove of sacred pigs were seen in their sacred styes, and they seemed to 
 flourish exceedingly, for they were so fat that they could not stand. It was something of a 
 curiosity (though somewhat saddening in the reflections it occasioned) to behold this sanctified 
 pork, and the reverence with which it was worshipped. 
 
 Canton is the capital of the province of Kuan-tong, from which the name given to the city by 
 Europeans has been corrupted. It is falsely applied, for it is the name of the province only, as we 
 have just said ; that of the city is Kuang-chow-foo. The city is built on two rivers, the Choo-Keang, 
 or Pearl, and the Pi-Keang, which is a branch of the former. The mouth of the Choo-Keang, 
 
 View of Old China Street, Canton. 
 
 Pearl, or Canton river, is called the Bocca Tigris. It derives this name from the supposed 
 
 resemblance of the hill tops, on Great Tiger Island, to the outline of a tiger's head. 
 
 Although the resemblance is not at first very striking, it becomes quite obvious after 
 
 examination. Tlie river is guarded at its mouth, and at several points on its banks, by 
 
 C^linese forts, which, with their white- washed walls and general pacific aspect, do not appear 
 
 very formidable. The view, however, is pleasing, particularly at the Bocca Tigris, where 
 
 the forts could be seen stretching their long white walls from the base to the summits of the 
 
 hills. On one side is seen the "Dragon's Cave," and on the other the "Girl's Shoe," and 
 
 various other fortifications with fanciful names ; and though some of them are admirably 
 
 situated, they are all of a structure which prove them to be more remarkable for show than 
 
 for solid utility. 
 
 The river swarms with pirates, the fishermen occasionally becoming tiieir allii>s, and they 
 
 18 J
 
 138 
 
 EXPEPITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 carry on their dcprcfliitions unchecked in the very teeth of the forts. When the pirates fail 
 of falling in with strangers whom they dare venture to roh, they fall out with each other, and 
 murder and plunder tlieir friends with as little compunction as if they were strangers. In the 
 passage of the Mississippi from Macao to Whampoa, the anchorage on the Canton river, one 
 of the two Chinese hoats in tow was swamped by bad steering, whereupon the other, in fear 
 of a similar catastrophe, cast off and attempted to proceed up the river. The owner, who 
 happened to be on board the steamer, expressed his fears that she would be overhauled by 
 pirates before her arrival at Whampoa ; nor were his fears groundless ; slie was boarded and 
 robbed a few hours only after she had lost sight of the Mississippi. While the steamer was at 
 Hong Kong several piracies were committed almost under tlie guns of the vessels-of-war. As 
 for tiie land pirates, they are to the full as expert at picking and stealing as the most 
 accomplished thieves and pickpockets of New York or London. One of the lieutenants of the 
 Mississippi, at early twilight one evening, just as he was stepping into a hired boat to return 
 to the ship, was seized amid a crowd of people, and an attempt was made to pull his watch 
 from his fob ; fortunately his Pickwickian rotundity of form saved the watch, but the chain 
 was carried off in triumph. 
 
 From the mouth of the river to Canton the distance is about thirty-two miles, but the 
 large vessels do not proceed further than the anchorage at Whampoa, ten miles below the 
 foreign quarter of the city, with which communication is kept iip by boats. The country 
 adjacent to Canton is intersected with rivers and creeks, in which fish abound, and a plentiful 
 market is daily open in the city. 
 
 The alluvial ground south of the city is highly cultivated with rice fields and gardens. The 
 higher ground to the north and east is wooded with firs and other trees. A wall encloses a 
 portion of the city, which is subdivided by another wall running from east to west. North of 
 the latter is that part called the inner or old city, which is inhabited chiefly by the dominant 
 Tartar families, while to the south we find the new or outer city, where the inhabitants are 
 mostly composed of the descendants of the original Chinese population. The streets are narrow^ 
 tortuous, and winding, like a corkscrew, but thronged by an immense population, and so very 
 contracted that there is often barely room for two sedan chairs, the only vehicles allowed, to 
 pass each other. 
 
 The great importance of Canton results from its being the emporium of the great trade of 
 Europe and America with China ; the annual amount of whieli was, some years ago, estimated 
 at eighty millions of dollars, the i)rincipal part of which is under tlie control of the merchants 
 of England and the United States. 
 
 CuBtoin-liuubt;, Muuth of Canluu Kivt-r.
 
 UOSPITABLE TREATMENT AT MACAO, 
 
 139 
 
 CHAPTER VI 
 
 HOSPITABLE TREATMENT AT MACAO. USAGES OF THE FOREIG>J MF.RCIIAXTS TOWARD VISITORS. DEPRESSED CONDITION OF 
 
 MACAO. DESCRIPTION' OF THE PLACE. TANKA BOATS, AND GIRLS WHO MANAGE THEM. CAVE OF CAMOEXS. DEPARTURE 
 
 OF -MISSISSIPPI FROM MACAO. SARATOGA LEFT TO BRI.NG MR. WILLIAMS, THE INTERPRETER DIFFICULTIES OF NAVIGATION 
 
 FROM HONG KONG TO THE MOUTH OF TANG-TSE-KEANG. ENTRANCE OF THE RIVER DANGEROUS. SUSQUEHANNA, PLYMOUTH, 
 
 AND SUPPLY ALL AGROUND. MISSISSIPPI SAVED BY THE POWER OF HER ENGINES ONLY. DESCRIPTION OF SHANGHAI. 
 
 ITS IM.MEN«e TRADE. CULTIVATION OF THE COUNTRY. POPULATION OF THE CITY VISIT OF THE COMMODORE TO THE 
 
 GOVERNOR OF THE CITY. CHINESE REBELLION. ITS EFFECTS. PLYMOUTH LEFT AT SHANGHAI TO PROTECT AMERICAN 
 
 INTERESTS. DEPARTURE FOR GREAT LEW CHEW. ARRIVAL OF THE SQUADRON AT THE CAPITAL, NAPHA, THE SARATOGA 
 
 HAVING JOINED AT THE ENTRANCE TO THE HARBOR. 
 
 N leaving Canton, Mr. Spooner, of the house of Russell 
 ^ & Co., offered the Commodore the use of the magnificent 
 residence at Macao helonging to that firm ; accordingly 
 he, together with three of his officers, took up his quar- 
 ters in their sumptuous dwelling. The Commodore and 
 liis company, thinking that they were to be their own 
 providers, their caterer, one of the officers of the squadron, 
 was very particular in ordering the head servant in charge 
 of the establishment to procure this and that, and no 
 sooner was a wish expressed than it was promptly at- 
 tended to. Great, then, was the surprise, on the comple- 
 tion of the visit, to find that not a penny would be received 
 beyond the ordinary gratuity by that prince of major-domos. He said that his employers 
 were always happy to have their house occupied by their friends, and he expressed a hope 
 that the Commodore and his companions would not think of going elsewhere on their next visit 
 to Macao. 
 
 When a guest is once received into one of these hospitable mansions he finds himself quite at 
 home, in the enjoyment of the most agreeable society ; for it is a custom of the merchants of* 
 the East to extend to strangers of respectability a hospitality that is quite unreserved. Such, 
 indeed, is the freedom of the guest that he has only to order whatever he may require and his 
 demand is complied with at once. The master does not trouble himself about the matter, but
 
 140 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 he is, for the most part of the time, away about his business ; and the whole concern of the 
 household devolves ujion the major-domo, whose duty it is to satisfy every want. There is a 
 very convenient official of these establishments, termed a comprador, whose vocation it is to pay 
 all the bills accruing from the purchases and incidental expenses of the guests, who, however, 
 of course, refund what has been paid. 
 
 While enjoying the luxury of these oriental establishments, one, in fiict, might fimcy himself 
 in a well-organized French hotel, as he has only to express a wish to have it gratified, were it 
 not that he has nothing to pay in the former beyond the usual gratuities to servants, while in 
 the latter lie is mulcted roundly for every convenience. 
 
 There is not much at present to interest the visitor at Macao, as it is but a ghost of its former 
 self. There is almost a complete absence of trade or commerce. The harbor is deserted, and 
 the sumptuous dwellings and storehouses of the old merchants are comparatively empty, while 
 the Portuguese who inhabit the place are but rarely seen, and seem listless and unoccupied. 
 An occasional Parsee, in high crowned cap and snowy robe, a venerable merchant, and here 
 and there a Jesuit priest, with his flock of youthful disciples, may be seen, but they are only as 
 the decaying monuments of the past. 
 
 At one time, however, the town of Macao was one of the most flourishing marts of the East. 
 When the Portuguese obtained possession, in the latter part of the sixteenth century, they soon 
 established it as the centre of a wide commerce with China and other oriental countries. Its 
 origin is attributed to a few Portuguese merchants belonging to Lampa^ao, who were allowed 
 to resort there and establish some temporary huts for shelter and the drying of damaged goods. 
 Hue, the Chinese traveller, gives a different account; he states that the Portuguese were allowed 
 to settle by the Emperor, in return for the signal service of capturing a famous pirate who had 
 long ravaged the coasts. From an humble beginning, the settlement gradually arose to an 
 imposing position as a commercial place, for which it was greatly indebted to the monopoly it 
 enjoyed of eastern commerce. It has, however, declined, and is now a place of very inconsiderable 
 importance and trade. The town is situated upon a peninsula at the southward of the island 
 of Macao. 
 
 It is sufficiently picturesque in appearance, built as it is upon the acclivities of the 
 rising ground about the harbor, with its gay looking white houses, which overhang the terraces 
 that bound the shore and look out upon the sea. The houses of the old merchants, though 
 they now bear some appearance of neglect, yet attest, by the spaciousness of the apartments, 
 and the luxuriousness of their appointments, the former opulence of the Portuguese traders. 
 The pleasant walks about the circuit of the neighboring hills and the Praya invite the visitor 
 to strengthen himself in cheerful exercise. The dull look of the place is somewhat relieved 
 in the summer time, wlien the foreign residents of Canton and Hong Kong resort there to 
 bathe in the waters of Bishop's Bay, and to recreate in the enjoyment of the healthful sea air 
 of the place. 
 
 The harbor is not suitable for large vessels, which anclior in Macao roads, several miles from 
 the town. It is, however, though destitute of every appearance of commercial activity, always 
 enlivened by the fleet of Tanka boats which pass, conveying passengers to and fro, between the 
 land and the Canton and Hong Kong steamers. The Chinese damsels, in gay costume, as 
 they scull their ligiit craft upon the smooth and gently swelling surface of the bay, present a 
 lively aspect, and as they are looked upon in the distance, from the verandahs above the Praya,
 
 TANKA BOAT, ETC., MACAO. 
 
 141 
 
 whicli command a view of the bay^ have a fairy-like appearance^ which a nearer approach 
 serves^ however, to change into a more substantial and coarse reality. 
 
 Tauka Uoat Uirl- 
 
 Cbln«i« Woman and Cliilt), Macao.
 
 142 
 
 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 The Cave of Camoens, where the Portuguese poet is supposed to have written a portioa 
 of his Lusiad, is a place of universal interest and resort at Macao. It is picturesquely situated 
 upon the summit of a small hill, on the margin of the inner harbor. Large granite rocks are 
 here gathered in a confused cluster, which form a natural cave, from the entrance of which 
 
 '# 
 
 Camoeos* Cave, Biacao. 
 
 there is a wide prospect of the surrounding country. The banians, the pagoda, and other 
 oriental trees unite their foliage and form a grove in which the rocky cave is embowered. 
 Surrounding it are grounds cultivated with trees, crco])ing vines, and flowering shrubs, charm- 
 ingly arranged liy tlie borders of winding paths, and U2)on tlie sides of the hills. Artirieial 
 terraces, ingeniously disposed, invite the visitor to the enjoyment of the view or to rest beneath 
 the sliade. 
 
 Above the cave rises a rotun(!a, from which there is an ent-lianting prospect, and a marble 
 monument, with a bronze bust and an inscription, here record the features, the genius, and 
 virtue of Camoens, the poet.
 
 CAMOENS' CAVE. 
 
 143 
 
 Camoens' visit to Macao vras during his banishment from Portugal^ in consequence of his 
 pertinacious courtship of a lady of rank, wliose parents did not aflfect an alliance with the poet, 
 who, although of a respectable family, was poor^ and looked upon as an uncertain adventurer. 
 In 1551, he proceeded to Goa, in India, where he again involved himself in trouble by writing 
 
 3' C.ivu, .Mjcuo — Kcal- View. 
 
 his "Absurdities of India," and was banished to the Moluccas, and in the course of his exile 
 he resorted frequently to Macao, which was a favorite residence of the poet. The cave was his 
 chosen spot of retirement, where, in its ''sweet retired solitude," he meditated his great work, 
 the Lusiad. Camoens returned to Portugal, but only to live in misery and die in an hospital. 
 The interior of the island of Macao, wliich is exclusively cultivated by tlie Chinese, yields a 
 variety of vegetable productions, with wliicli tlie town is supjdied. The whole population is 
 about 20,000. and of thesel3,000 belnim- tutlic ])(iiiiisuiaand tnwn. wln-reof nunc tlian oue-lialf 
 tbe inhabituuts are Chinese, and in llie iiitci inr ot (lit.' i>l;iMd tliis imv inniiinsc tlu' whole. The
 
 144 EXPEDITION rO JAPAN. 
 
 government of the town is in the hands of the Portuguese. The Portuguese have a college, 
 churches and various educational, benevolent, and ecclesiastical institutious in the town, where 
 the Chinese also have their peculiar estahlishruents and a temple. 
 
 On the evening of April 28tli, the Mississippi was again under weigh, leaving the Saratoga 
 at Macao to aAvait the arrival of Dr. S. W. Williams, of Canton, who had been appointed 
 interpreter to the expedition. The course was now directed for Shangliai. 
 
 The navigation of the coast of China, from Hong Kong to the mouth of the Yang-tse-Keang, 
 is^ at most seasons, difficult and perplexing. The frequent fogs and irregular tides and currents 
 make it very annoying to those who are strangers to the navigation, when close in with the 
 coast. Fortunately, however, vessels are always, when near the land, on anchoring ground, 
 and although they are sometimes obliged to bring to, in situations exposed to winds from the 
 sea, it is better to resort to the anchor than to drift blindly among groups of islands and reefs. 
 If the weather he moderately clear, vessels may run from island to island, and thus navigate 
 the coast with perfect safety and convenience, hut the fogs which prevail at certain seasons 
 scarcely allow of this advantage. During the passages of the Susquehanna and Mississippi from 
 Hong Kong to Shanghai neither had a meridian observation of the sun. 
 
 The entrance to the Yang-tse-Keang, which leads to the commercial city of Shanghai, is 
 obstructed on either side by shoals, which make it dangerous for vessels not having pilots. On 
 the north side is a shoal called the North Sand, extending some six leagues westward from the 
 main land, and on the south side is a parallel shoal, called the South Sand, projecting nearly 
 as far from the shore on that side. The outer extremities of these shoals are beyond sight of 
 the main land. The channel between the two shoals may be estimated at about two miles in 
 width, and there are no light-houses, boats, beacons, or buoys to indicate to strangers the 
 entrance. A small islet called GutzlafF island is the only indication, for the bearings of which, 
 and other directions for entering the channel, the nautical reader is referred to the Appendix. 
 
 The rise and fall in the Yang-tse-Keang averages about ten feet, and vessels are obliged to 
 find their way hap-hazard into the channel, or perchance run upon one of the sister sands. 
 Numbers of vessels resorting to Shanghai are lost, and still nothing has been done to remedy 
 the evil. The Commodore was convinced, on visiting this river with the Mississipjji, that until 
 proper landmarks and beacons are established to indicate the entrance, it must be an unfit resort 
 for any but the smaller vessels of a squadron, and consequently, an unfit place for a naval 
 depot. The Susquehanna, tlic Plymouth, and the Supply, all grounded on going in, and the 
 last remained thumping on the North Sand twenty-two hours, and was only saved from total 
 loss by a providential change of wind. The Mississippi was carried, in the confnsion of her 
 pilot, out of the channel, but by good fortune did not stop, though she ran into nineteen feet 
 water, one foot less than her draft, on the South Sand, but the power of the engines jiroved her 
 salvation. Tlie weaUhy foreign merchants established at Shangliai, who are gatliering a 
 plentiful harvest from the increasing trade of the place, should contribute some of their tliousands 
 toward rendering the navigation less dangerous. It is but justice to say that a willingness has 
 been expressed by some of the.se gentlemen to subscribe liberally tnwaid tlie accomplishment of 
 the desired object, and, in fact, a boat had been ordered to be built in the United States, for the 
 purjjose of towing vessels up and down the river. 
 
 Shanghai is built U])on the left bank of the river Wampon, a braiuh of the Yang-tse-Kiang. 
 Near the mouth of the Wamjion is the village Woosung, the station where the foreign merchants
 
 Y ANG-TSE-KE ANG — SH ANGH A I. 
 
 145 
 
 formerly established their receiving ships, and the trading vessels their anchorage. Nothing 
 can he less picturesque than the scenery of the banks of the Wampon in the approach to 
 Shanghai. Monotonous flats of alluvial grounds stretch their wide expanse on either side of 
 the tortuous river. The fertile fields, rich with an abundant harvest of rice and grain, are 
 encouraging prospects to the eye of the agriculturist, but the poetical observer is sadly disap- 
 pointed in a view which presents a dead level of landscape, without a mountain, a hill-side, or 
 even a tree to relieve the monotony. 
 
 In front of the city of Shanghai quays have been built out, and along them extend the store- 
 houses and sumptuous residences of the foreign merchants, which have been constructed since 
 the termination of the opium war with Great Britain. Here are to be found wide and well 
 graded streets, beautiful gardens, and all the comforts and conveniences that are to be found in 
 any part of the world. Two Gothic churches, one belonging to the English, and the other to 
 the American Protestant Episcopal mission, show an encouraging success of missionary effort, 
 and excite the hopes of the Christian, for the progress of his faith. 
 
 American Consulate, and Port or Shanghai. 
 
 The Commodore was a guest, while at Shanghai, ot the American firm of Eussell <Sr Co., in 
 whose splendid establishment, as at Macao, every want was satisfied. So complete are the 
 conveniences of these residences, and so perfect every appointment, that the stranger finds 
 himself suirounded with all the necessaries and luxuries of his own home. A trifling incident 
 will illustrate the effectiveness with which the most insignificant demands of the guest are 
 complied with. The Commodore was asked if he liked soda water, to whicli polite request he 
 19 J
 
 146 E X r K D I T I N T O J A r A N . 
 
 responded that tlic only niineval wator lie cared fur was that from the Congress spring in 
 8aratoc;a ; the next niorning the servant entered his room with a bottle of it. During the stay of 
 the ships at Shanghai there was a constant succession of dinners and halls, and the officers 
 were entertained everywhere with the most generous hospitality. 
 
 The native city is a great contrast to that i)art of the suburbs inhabited by the foreign 
 residents, although the portion of the latter occni)ied by the natives is miserable enoiigh. 
 Shanghai, proper, is enclosed within a wall, and has the appearance of most of the Chinese 
 cities. Tlie place is quite large, and very populous. Its streets are narrow, like mo.st of 
 those of the native cities, not being much mure tliau eight or ten feet in width, anil are 
 intersected by dirty alleys, which lead to the rear of the small and contracted dwellings of the 
 Chinese, who live in the midst of foul air and all kinds of filth. The (ilthiness of Shanghai 
 gives no favorable idea of the domestic habits of the people ; a slight glance at the men and 
 women usually met in the streets was quite convincing enough of their want of reverence for 
 what the proverb says is " next to godliness." During the stay of the Commodore at Shanghai, 
 the shops had been emptied of their contents and carried into places of safety, in expectation of 
 an attack upon the city by the rebels, consequently, the bazaars had a dull look, and but few 
 of the native fabrics could be seen. 
 
 The domestic trade of the city has been immense for a long time, being carried on in all 
 directions with the vast interior of China. A multitudinous population swarms in that part of the 
 country which stretches back of Shanghai, and the commercial intercourse with the large cities 
 of Nankin and others, with their millions of inhabitants, and incessant trading activity, was 
 constant, until interrupted by the Chinese rebellion. The trade of Shanghai has been stated to 
 be as large as that of any part of the world, not excepting even London. 
 
 The immediate neighborhood of Shanghai is highly cultivated, and fertile fields stretch in all 
 directions as far as the eye can reach, rich with their harvests of cotton, rice, wheat, bailey, 
 beans and potatoes. The markets of the town are well supplied, and at moderate prices, with 
 beef, mutton, poultry, game, fish and vegetables of all varieties. Among the different kinds of 
 game, the pheasant^ woodcock, and snipe abound, and of the fi.sh, the shad is common during its 
 season, of good size and flavor ; some, indeed, larger than are .seen in the United States, though in 
 taste inferior to those caught in our rivers. Fruit is scarce, and of inferior quality, as the 
 Chinese pay but little attention to its cultivation ; some cherries, however, were tasted, wlu<-]i 
 proved to be tolerably good, and it was said that the peaches were also good. All the varieties 
 of Chinese manufactured articles can ordinarily be obtained at Shanghai, and especially a silk 
 of famous fabric, woven at Su-Chau, a neiglil)oring city. But the intestine disturbances 
 prevailing deprived the Commodore of any but a hearsay knowledge of many of these articles, 
 which, however, are said to be obtained, in pacific times, more easily at Shanghai than at Canton. 
 
 The foreign commerce has greatly increased since the termination of the war with Great 
 Britain, and the general belief is entertained tliat Shanghai, with its .superior advantages, will 
 monopolize most of the foreign trade with China. 
 
 The population of the place was estimated at two hundred and eighty thousand, and the 
 Cliinese who composed it seemed to be of a better class than those at Canton and Hong Kong. 
 Like all their countrymen, they are indefatigable in labor and untiring in trading activity, for 
 which they have, undoubtedly, a natural instinct. 
 
 The Commodore, while at Shanghai, made an interesting return visit to the Taou-tai or
 
 VISIT OF THE C M M D R K TO THE T A O U-T A I, S II A N G H A I. 147 
 
 governor and commander of tlic city, who first called upon him at the American consulate, and 
 atlerward visited the shii). The Taou-tai has a lucrative, hut by no means easy ofHcc. 
 Amonoj his other duties, he has to watch, especially, the interests and conduct of the foreign 
 residents, and what with the caprices of strangers, the sometimes inordinate claims of their 
 representatives, and the arbitrary requirements of his imperial mastei', lie must have hard work 
 to keep up a fair balance between his duties to his government on the one hand and the 
 foreigners on the other. This high official has also to sustain the responsibility of a secure 
 transport of the taxes of the province, and to fulfil the by no means sinecure duty of protecting 
 the commerce of Shanghai against the pirates who swarm the coasts. His highness makes his 
 official visits with a pomp and circumstance suitable to his dignified station. The ringing 
 sounds of gongs herald his approach, and he comes seated grandly in his chair of state attended 
 by his suite of subordinate mandarins. The office, in common with the general practice of 
 China, is bestowed ordinarily upon him who has earned one of the topmost of the nine colored 
 buttons, which, worn above the official cap, serve, by their vari-colored grades, to distinguish the 
 mandarins. As literary eminence is the passport to office, the Taou-tai is ordinarily well up in 
 Chinese literature, and can quote whole passages of Confucius or Mencius with the utmost 
 volubility. 
 
 In the Commodore's visit to the Taou-tai he was accomjianied by twenty of his officers and 
 the American consul, who were all, with due regard to the importance of the occasion, dressed up 
 in full uniform. The party, thus adorned, and duly seated in sedan chairs, were conveyed from 
 the consular residence to the government house, situated in the centre of the city, within the 
 walls. On arrival at the entrance, the Commodore and his suite were saluted with the usual 
 salvo of three guns (the extent, with the Chinese, of honorable ammunition on such occasions) 
 and the music of a band. The Taou-tai was at the threshold to meet his visitors, and as the 
 Commodore alighted from his sedan chair his highness escorted him into the hall of audience, 
 while the rest of the company followed in respectful sequence. The Commodore was placed, in 
 accordance with Chinese ceremony, at the side of the Taou-tai, on a platform raised a little 
 above the floor. 
 
 On entering and dejiarting from the government house, the party passed through an open 
 apartment, adorned with a bold re2)reseutation of a gigantic Chinese deity on the wall, and 
 furnished with large wooden chairs, stuifed with red cloth cushions, which were ranged along 
 the sides. A table standing in the apartment, and holding the vessel containing the pieces of 
 bamboo which are thrown by the hand of the Chinese judge to the executioner, to indicate the 
 number of strokes to be appdied to the convicted criminal, show^ed the ordinary purposes of the 
 chamber, which was that of a hall of justice. 
 
 Refreshments, consisting of teas, liquors, (including champagne,) cake, and so forth, were 
 handed round to the visitors in succession ; and, after a stay of an hour, the commodore and 
 his party returned in the same manner as they came. Entering again their sedan chairs, and 
 traversing the narrow streets of Shanghai in long procession, and jostling every one who 
 obstructed the way, they finally reached the American consulate. 
 
 While Commodore Perry was at Shanghai, the revolution, which is still in progress, had 
 made great headway. Although new develojunents have taken jdace since, which have altered 
 very much the position of affiiirs, it may not be amiss to give the results of the Commodore's 
 ob-servations of a civil commotion, which naturally excited his deepest interest. He writes on
 
 148 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 the spot, at the date of May, 1853: "The political condition of China at the present time is 
 very unsettled; the whole empire seems to be in a state of agitation arguing some mighty 
 revolution ; one-half of the country is in occupation of an insurgent force, which claims to 
 represent the old Chinese, who were dispossessed a long time since by the present ruling 
 dynasty. At the head of the rebel force is a very sagacious man, who, from disappointment, or 
 some imaginary wrong, growing out of his examination for literary honors, (so highly prized 
 by the Chinese,) became disgusted, and at once showed his disaffection, and finally raised the 
 flag of open rebellion. At first he had only a few followers, but in the course of time 
 multitudes flocked to his standard; and now, after over-running a great many provinces, he is 
 quietly in possession of the great city of Nanking. 
 
 "This man denounces the prevailing religion, and has caused to be destroyed numerous 
 Buddhist temples. He j^rofesses a iaith somewhat similar to that of the Mormons in America, 
 and gives forth that he has constant communion with God, and has been acknowledged as his 
 Son. His ignorant and lawless followers profess to believe in his pretended revelations, and 
 with them he has acquired great power by his religious devices. He pretends to fraternize 
 with Christians, and argues that all Christian nations, by reason of similar faith, should aid 
 him in driving out of the empire the present usurping family, and putting upon the celestial 
 throne a true son of heaven, a believer of the decalogue, and a scion of the old Chinese 
 monarchs. He does not pretend to any claims himself to the imperial diadem ; but it may be 
 well imagined, from his professed dogmas of religion^ that when the time comes he will turn out 
 to be the proposed great Celestial on Earth." 
 
 In the state of agitation produced by these civil disturbances it was natural that the foreign 
 merchants who had large interests at stake should be anxious about the security of their prop- 
 erty ; accordingly, the American commercial houses established at Shanghai addressed a letter 
 to the Hon. Humphrey Marshall, minister of the United States to China, in which they stated 
 that the amount of their property, at a fair valuation, then at risk in the port of Shanghai, was 
 $1,200,000, and that they considered it fairly entitled to protection, which the rumored with- 
 drawal of the naval force would seem to deprive them of. Commodore Perry, regarding the 
 interests of American citizens in China, and at the same time not forgetting the great purpose 
 of his expedition, resolved to leave the Plymouth to protect his countrymen and their property, 
 but not otherwise to interfere with his own mission or the affairs of China. The request of the 
 American commissioner to have a vessel of war to convey him to the mouth of the Peiho, in 
 order to secure a recognition on the part of the Chinese government of his official presence, was 
 not complied with by the Commodore, who declined not only on the score of policy, but from 
 the necessity of concentrating all the naval force he could on the expedition to Japan. 
 
 The Mississippi had arrived at Shanghai on the 4th of May, and the interval between that 
 date and the 17th of the same month, was chiefly employed in transferring the Commodore to the 
 Susquehanna, which then became his flag-ship, and in taking in the usual supplies of coal and 
 provisions for the voyage. No less than five ions of Chinese "cash,"* to be dispensed in the 
 Lew-Chew islands, was rather an unusual addition to the ship's stores. 
 
 On Monday morning. May 16, 1853, the Mississippi moved down the river and was followed 
 the next day by the Commodore in the Susquehanna, while the Plymouth was left behind, for 
 
 * The " casli" is but a small sum. about the twelve-hundrelh part of a dollar
 
 DEPARTURE FROM CHINA FOR LEW CHEW. 149 
 
 a short time, to await the course of events in the rebel camp, her commander having orders to 
 follow as soon as he could do so consistently with the safety of American interests at Shanghai. 
 
 The day of departure was unusually clear, and the cultivated bants of the river, with their 
 orchards and fields of grain, never appeared more beautifully green. Witli the fine day, which 
 gave a bright, cheerful aspect to every object, the inspiriting music of the band, which struck up 
 a succession of lively airs, the crowds of spectators on the shore, and the natural enthusiasm of all 
 on the prospect of carrying out the enterprise which was the great object of the expedition, the 
 departure from Shanghai was in a high degree animating. 
 
 The Mississippi had preceded, as we have seen, the Susquehanna, to which the Commodore 
 had now transferred his flag, and joined the Supply, which, after having grounded on the 
 North Sand, succeeded fortunately in getting ofi" without damage. The sqiiadron, which now 
 prepared to sail for Lew Chew, was composed of the Susquehanna, the Mississippi, the Supply, 
 and the Caprice, which was discovered standing in, as the other ships were standing out, 
 and was ordered to follow. The Plymouth was, as has just been stated, left at Shanghai, as a 
 guard of American property and interests, and the Saratoga remained at Macao, to await the 
 arrival of Dr. Williams, the interpreter. These vessels were expected to follow, and join the 
 rendezvous at Lew Chew. 
 
 The Susquehanna, on reaching the mouth of the Tang-tse-Kiang, came to anchor and 
 remained there for three days. The Mississippi and Supply took up their positions on either 
 side. The junk belonging to Eussell & Co., the American merchants, which had been hired 
 to carry a cargo of coal to the mouth of the river to be put on board the Mississippi, was, while 
 under the charge of its own commander and ofiicers, lost on the North Sand. From the 
 anchorage of the Mississippi, Gutzlafl"s island could be seen some six miles distant, and 
 beyond it stretched the long uneven outline of Kuggles' islands. The weather was alternately 
 clear and rainy, and when the sun did not shine the scene was particularly gloomy and 
 oppressive to the spirits. The muddy waters of the Tang-tse-Kiang, looking more muddy still 
 in the yellow light of a foggy atmosphere, and the dull constraint of a tedious anchorage, 
 presented a sad prospect to the eye, and a wearisome sensation to the feelings, which made all 
 anxious for departure. 
 
 The naturalists had an opportunity of gratifying their tastes in observing a flock of small 
 birds from the land, which hovered in and about the ship. Mr. Heine, the artist, succeeded in 
 obtaining several specimens, which had somewhat the appearance of the starling. He also 
 caught a graceful dove, of a light brownish color. A beautiful king-fisher was brought on 
 board, which had been caught by some of the sailors of the Mississippi. Its plumage was 
 exceedingly rich and charmingly variegated ; its long bill was of a bright red ; its wings were 
 black ; its body was of a rich blue color, and its flossy neck was of a whitish cream tint. 
 
 The Susquehanna got under way at one o'clock on the 23d of May, followed by the 
 Mississippi with the Supply in tow, all bound for Napha, the principal port of the Great Lew 
 Chew island. In the course of the evening, about six o'clock, the low range of islands known 
 as the Saddles, and inhabited by a sparse population of fishermen, was passed, the ships 
 directing their course to the north of them, where there is an open channel free from shoals. 
 The night was clear, with a full moon, and the weather was mild and agreeable. The 
 Susquehanna moved on at a moderate rate, keeping about a mile in advance of the Mississippi, 
 while the Caprice, gently fanned by the southwestern monsoon, managed to keep also in sight, 
 though further in the distance, until she was lost in the darkness of the niglit.
 
 150 
 
 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 It was fomul that the Mississippi, with the aid of topsails, although she had the Supply in 
 tow, rapidly gained upon the Susquehanna ; accordingly a foretopsail was set upon the latter, 
 the good cflect of which was soon shown, by her leaving her competitor so far astern that it was 
 necessary to wait until the Mississippi could come up again. The Susquehanna's engines were 
 only worked at half speed with the consumption, to which she was restricted, of one ton of coal 
 per hour, but notwithstanding, with the aid of the regular breeze of the monsoon, she succeeded 
 in making seven and a half knots an hour. As the course was southerly, the weather became 
 every moment warmer, and the sea was as smooth as a lake. During the passage the crew were 
 regularly called to quarters and exercised in all the usual manoeuvres necessary for preparation 
 for action, and on the morning of the 25th of May, after quarters, general orders 11 and 12 were 
 read ; the former related to the discipline to be observed on board ship during the visit to the 
 Lew Chew Islands, and the latter enjoined the necessity of keeping up the most friendly relations 
 with the Japanese inhabitants wherever found, and also stated that the expedition was ordered 
 to use all possible friendly means, and not to resort to force but from the sternest necessity. In 
 the evening the signal of land in sight was made by the Mississippi, and subsequently was 
 reported by tlie man at the fore-topmast head of the Susquehanna. During the night the steamers 
 were kept at slow speed, standing off and on ; the Supply had been previously cast off from the 
 Mississippi, and left to make her own way under sail. At half-jjast seven o'clock in the morning 
 of May 2Gth the land was again made at a distance of nearly twenty miles, and as the steamers 
 moved on, it was distinctly descried as a long island elevated gradually from the sea to a cliff at 
 its northern extremity, and with a steep headland at the south. Beyond the island, which waa 
 passed, and its green foliage distinctly seen, was other land to which the Susquehanna was now 
 headed, followed closely by the Mississippi, while the Supply was quite out of sight. Napha 
 was reached in the evening, and entered in company with the Saratoga, from Macao, which ship 
 the steamers had fallen in with off the harbor. It is due to Lieutenant Bent, an officer on 
 board the Mississippi, to acknowledge that the Commodore availed himself of that gentleman's 
 former experiences in a visit in the Preble to pilot the ships as they entered Napha.
 
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 ISLANDS OF LEW CHEW. 
 
 151 
 
 CHATTEU VII. 
 
 MTMBER AND POSITION OF ISLANTJS OP LEW CHEW. — THEIR SUPPOSED POLITICAL RELATIONS TO JAPAN AND CHINA. — DESCRIP- 
 TION OP THE ISLAND OP GREAT LEW CHEW, AS SEEN ON THE FIRST APPROACH TO IT. VISIT OF OFFICIALS TO THE 
 
 SCSQDEHANNA. VISIT OF DR. BETTELHEIM. REFUSAL OF PRESENTS, AND CONSEQUENT MORTIFICATION OF THE LEW 
 
 CHEWANS. EXPLORATION OF THE ISLAND RESOLVED ON BT THE COMMODORE. DAGUERREOTTPING ON SHORE. CORAL 
 
 INSECT AND ITS FORMATIONS. SECOND VISIT OP THE AUTHORITIES OF LEW CHEW. REGENT OF THE ISLAND RECEIVED 
 
 BT THE COMMODORE. FRIENDLY NATURE OF THE INTERVIEW. SURPRISE OF THE LEW CHEWANS AT SIGHT OF THE 
 
 STEAM ENGINE. COMMODORE ANNOUNCES TO THEM HIS INTENTION OF RETURNING THE VISIT AT THE PALACE OF 
 
 SIITI. THEIR EVIDENT EMBARRASSMENT THEREAT. LEAVE TO GO ON SHORE. DESCRIPTION OF NAPHA AND ITS 
 
 VICINITY, BT ONE OF THE OFFICERS. EXPLORING PARTY SETS OCT, PLACED UNDER THE COMMAND OF THE CHAPLAIN, 
 
 MR. JONES. MR. BAYARD TAYLOR ATTACHED TO IT, WITH ORDERS TO TAKE NOTES AND FURNISH A DETAILED REPORT OF 
 
 THE JOURNEY. NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE LEW CHEW AUTHORITIES TO OBTAIN A HOUSE O.V SHORE. THEIR MANIFEST 
 
 OPPOSITION. COMMODORE PERSISTS AND SUCCEEDS. OFFICERS, WHEN ON SHORE, CONTINUALLY WATCHED BY SPIES. 
 
 CAPTAIN BASIL HALL's ACCOUNT OF THE LEW CHEWANS SOMEWHAT EXAGGERATED. IMPRESSIONS MADE ON THE 
 
 OFFICERS AS TO THE CHARACTER OF THE NATIVES. HVDROGRAPBIC SURVEYS. BOAT EXERCISE OF THE CREWS, AND 
 
 DRILLING ON LAND OF THE MARINES. 
 
 ^=^ N Thursday, the 26th of May, the squadron found 
 
 itself quietly anchored in the harbor of Napha, the 
 jj^^;^ principal port of the Great Lew Chew island, and 
 the first point where the expedition touched on 
 Japanese territory, if Lew Chew (or, as the natives 
 call it, Doo Choo) be indeed a dependency of 
 Japan. The group of islands known as the Lieou 
 Kieou, or Lew Chew, is said to be in number 
 thirty-six, at considerable distances from each 
 other, and lying between the islands of Kioosioo 
 and Formosa; they are between 24° 10' and 28° 
 40' north latitude and 127° and 129° east longi- 
 tude from Greenwich. 
 
 It is a question yet discussed to what power Lew Chew belongs. By some it is said to 
 be a dependency of the Prince of Satzuma, of Japan ; others supjiose it to belong to Cliina. 
 The probabilities, however, are all on the side of tlic dependence, more or less absolute, of Lew 
 Chew on Jajian, and probably, also^ of some inialified subordination to China, as they undoubt- 
 edly send tribute to that country. Language, customs, laws, dress, virtues, vices, and com- 
 mercial intercourse, all are corroborative of such an opinimi. I'.ut ul' (liis more will be said 
 hereafter.
 
 152 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 The Great Lew Cliew was seen from the ships, as they approached, at the distance of more 
 than twent_v miles, and, when near enough to render objects distinguishable, presented a very 
 inviting appearance. It is thus graphically described by the pen of one of the officers of the 
 expedition: * 
 
 "The shores of the island were green and beautiful from the water, diversified with groves 
 and fields of the freshest verdure. The rain had brightened the colors of the landscape, which 
 recalled to my mind the richest English scenery. The swelling hills, which rose Immediately 
 from the water's edge, increased in height towards the centre of the island, and were 
 picturesquely broken by abrupt rocks and crags, which, rising here and there^ gave evidence of 
 volcanic action. Woods, apparently of cedar or pine, ran along the crests of the hills, while 
 their slopes were covered with gardens and fields of grain. To the northward, the hills were 
 higher, and the coast jutted out in two projecting headlands, showing that there were deep bays 
 or indentations between." "By three o'clock we were so near that the town of Napha was 
 distinctly visible, at the bottom of the bay. The cape, called Abbey Point, projected in front of 
 it, covered with foliage, and the extremity crowned with an isolated group of crags, whose 
 mossy turrets and buttresses evidently suggested the name of the point. The hills were dotted in 
 various places with white specks, which I at first took to be dwellings, but which were tombs of 
 limestone rock."t 
 
 As the ships entered, the British ensign was seen suddenly to rise on a flag-staff, placed near 
 a house, which was perched on a curious overhanging point of rock, north of the town ; this 
 house was the residence of the missionary, Mr. Bettelheim, a convert from Judaism, who 
 married in England, and had, for some five or six years, been resident on the island, under the 
 auspices of an association of pious English gentlemen, officers of the British navy, very much, 
 however, against the inclinations of the Lew Chewans. On passing Abbey Point, the mouth of 
 the inner harbor became visible, and within it was a number of large Japanese junks, riding at 
 
 * The well known traveller, Bayard Taylor, who joined the Susquehanna in China. The circumstances under which this 
 gentleman joined the expedition are tlius detailed by the Commodore ; 
 
 "On my arrival at Shangfhai I found there Mr. Bayard T.-iylor, who had a letter of introduction to me from an esteemed 
 friend in New York. He had been a long time, as I understood, exceedingly anxious to join the squadron, that he might visit 
 Japan, which he could reach in no other way. 
 
 "On presenting the letter referred to, he at once made a request to accompany me, but to this application I strongly objected, 
 intimating to him the determination I had m.-ide at the commencement of the cruise to admit no civilians, and explaining how 
 the few who were in the squadron had, by signing the shipping articles, subjected themselves to all the restraints and penalties 
 of naval law; that there were no suitable accommodations for him, and that, should he join the expedition, ho would bo 
 obliged to suffer, with the other civilians, many discomforts and privations, and would moreover be restricted, under a general 
 order of the Navy Department, from communicating any information to the public prints, or privately to his friends; that all 
 the notes or general observations made by him during the cruise would belong to the government, and therefore must be 
 deposited with me. Notwithstanding this, however, with a full knowledge of all the difficulties and inconveniences which 
 would attend his joining the squadron, he still urged his application. 
 
 " Being thus importuned, and withal very favorably imj)rcssed with his gentlemanlike and unassuming manners, I at last 
 reluctantly consented, and lie joined the mess of Messrs. Heine and Brown, on board the Susquehanna. During the short time 
 he remained in the squadron he gained the respect and esteem of all, and, by his liabits of observation, aided bv liis ready pen, 
 became quite useful in preparing notes descriptive of various incidents tiiat transpired during our first brief visit to Japan and 
 the islands. It was the only service he could render, and it was afforded cheerfully. These notes have been used in the 
 preparation of my report, and due credit has, i trust, been given to him. 
 
 "Some of the incidents illustrative of the events mentioned in my official communicntions were, vilh jhj/ consent, written out 
 by Mr. Taylor, and sent home by him for publication in the United States. These he has used in his late work. His original 
 journals were honorably deposited in my hands. His rfpor/s, like those of every other individual detailed for the performance 
 of aspecial duty, were, of course, delivered to me, and became part of the official records of the expedition." 
 
 t Extracted from the manuscript journal of Mr. Taylor, whicli, with those of other officers, pursuant to the orders of the 
 Hon. Secretary, was placed in the hands of the Commodore.
 
 EXPLORATION OF LKW CHEW RESOLVED ON, 153 
 
 anchor. Two persons were seen watching the movements of tlic squadron from the foot of the 
 flagstaff; and, through a telescope, numbers could be seen leaving the town under white 
 umbrellas. 
 
 Tlie ships had not been at anchor two hours, before, notwitlistanding the rain, a boat came off 
 with two officials. On reaching the deck, they made many profound salutations, and presented 
 a folded red card of Japanese paper, about a yard long. The principal personage wore a loose 
 salmon-colored robe of very fine grass cloth, while the dress of the other was of similar fashion, 
 but of a blue color. On their heads were oblong caps of bright yellow; they had blue sashes 
 tied around their waists, and white sandals upon their feet. Their beards were long and black, 
 though thin, and their ages were, seemingly, some thirty-five or forty years. They had the 
 Japanese cast of countenance, and in comi3lexion were a dusky olive. Who they were, or what 
 the purpose of their visit, was not immediately known, as there happened to be no interpreter, at 
 the time of their visit, on board the Susquehanna, to which ship they came ; but one of the 
 Commodore's Chinese servants was summoned, who understood the characters on their card 
 sufficiently to explain that the visit was merely a chin-cMn, or complimentary salutation on 
 arrival. The Commodore, however, acting on his previously determined plan, declined seeing 
 them, or receiving any other than one of the principal dignitaries of the island; and they 
 accordingly returned to the shore. They had, no doubt, been sent to make observations, and, 
 -without committal, to ascertain what they could of the strangers, that the policy and treatment 
 of the authorities of the island might be shaped according to circumstances. 
 
 Scarcely had they gone before Dr. Bettelheim came on board in a native boat ; and such were 
 the relations in which he stood to the islanders that he hailed the arrival of the squadron with 
 delight, and manifested no little excitement of manner. He was conducted to the Commodore's 
 cabin, where he remained for two or three hours ; and in the course of the interview it appeared 
 that he had never heard even of the intended American expedition ; that a year and a half had 
 elapsed since any foreign vessel had been at Napha, and that he was almost beside himself with 
 joy. Grog and biscuit were given to his boatmen, and in their exhilaration, when they started 
 for the shore, they contrived to carry the missionary some three miles up the coast. 
 
 The next day, the 27th, the shores looked, if possible, more brilliantly green and beautiful 
 than ever, and all on board were struck with the loveliness of their appearance. About seven 
 o'clock, four boats came off, bringing presents for the ship ; in one of these were the two visitors 
 of the day before, who brought another card, seemingly a list of the presents. He of the sal- 
 mon-colored robe had given his name, on his first visit, as Whang-cha-cMng ; probably the Lew 
 Chew pronunciation of Whang-ta-zhin, or "his excellency. Whang." The presents brought 
 consisted of a bullock, several pigs, a white goat, some fowls, vegetables, and eggs. These were 
 peremptorily refused, nor were those who brought them permitted to come on board. After 
 waiting a short time, they returned to the town, with an evident expression of anxiety and 
 uneasiness on their countenances. At this time it was observed in the squadron that several of 
 the junks put out from the inner harbor and sailed to the northward, as it was conjectured, for 
 Japan. Some of them passed quite near to the ships, to gratify their curiosity by a closer 
 inspection of such large vessels. The junks were somewhat like those of the Chinese, and, like 
 them, had two great eyes inserted in the bows, as if to see the way. Undoubtedly, the presence 
 of the squadron had created great alarm among the junks; for no force, luilf as large, had ever 
 20 J
 
 154 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 been Bccn at Napha licfore, and probably some of the junks had been dispatched to Japan with 
 the news of the sqtiadron's a])pcarance at Lew Chew. 
 
 A boat was sent olf for Dr. Bettellicini, and ho, with the Rev. :\rr. Jones, chaplain of tlie 
 Mississippi, and Mr. Wells Williams, the interpreter, breakfasted with the Commodore. An 
 exploration of the island was resolved on by the chief. It was to consist of three parties, two 
 by sea, and one into the interior. The former were to survey, respectively, the eastern and 
 western coasts ; the latter to make a thorough examination of the interior, and to collect speci- 
 mens of its animals, minerals, and vegetables. The Commodore also resolved to procure a house 
 on shore, and gave notice to Mr. Brown, the artist in charge of the daguerreotype apparatus, 
 that he must prepare his materials, occupy the building, and commence the practice of his art. 
 
 On the 2Tth, the Commodore gave permission to the masters' mates to take the gig and pull 
 about in the harbor, with a prohibition, however, of landing or communicating witli the natives. 
 Mr. Bayard Taylor was of the party, and we prefer to give our narrative in his own words, per- 
 fectly satisfied that we shall thus most gratify the reader.* 
 
 "The crew were Chinamen, wholly ignorant of the use of oars, and our trip would have been 
 of little avail, had not the sea been perfectly calm. With a little trouble we succeeded in making 
 them keep stroke, and made for the coral reef which separates the northern from the oar-chan- 
 nel. The tide was nearly oiit, and the water was very shoal on all the approaches to the reef. 
 We found, however, a narrow channel, winding between the groves of mimic foliage, and landed 
 on the spongy rock, which rose about a foot above the water. Here the little pools which seamed 
 the surface were alive with crabs, snails^ star-fish, sea-prickles, and numbers of small fish of the 
 intensest blue color. We found several handsome shells clinging to the coral, but all our efforts 
 to secure one of the fish failed. The tide was ebbing so fast that we were obliged to return for 
 fear of groimding the boat. We hung for some time over the coral banks, enraptured with the 
 beautiful forms and colors exhibited by this wonderful vegetation of the sea. The coral grew in 
 rounded banks, with clear, deep spaces of water between, resembling, in miniature, ranges of 
 hills covered with autumnal forests. The loveliest tints of blue, violet, pale green, yellow, and 
 white gleamed through the waves, and all the varied forms of vegetable life were grouped 
 together, along the edges of cliffs and precipices, hanging over the chasms worn by currents 
 below. Through those paths, and between the stems of the coral groves, the blue fish shot 
 hither and thither, like arrows of the purest lapis-lazuli ; and others of a dazzling emerald color, 
 with tails and fins tipped with gold, eluded our chase like the green bird in the Arabian story. 
 Far down below, in the dusky depth of the waters, we saw, now and then, some large brown 
 fish, hovering stealthily about the entrances to the coral groves, as if lying in wait for their 
 bright little inhabitants. The water was so clear that the eye was deceived as to its depth, and 
 we seemed, now to rest on tlie branching tops of some climbing forest, now to hang suspended 
 as in mid-air, between the crests of two opposing ones. Of .all the wonders of the sea which 
 have furnished food for poetry and fable this was assuredly the most beautiful." 
 
 "We succeeded in obtaining a number of fine specimens of coral. The tips of the branches 
 were soft and glutinous, and the odor exhaling from them was exceedingly ofi'ensive." 
 
 •It is due to Mr. Taylor here to state that we draw the principal part of the story of the first visit to Lew Chew from his 
 journal, and arc glad often to adopt his language, as we can frame none better. Commodore Perry lias desired that we should 
 do 80. His own journal is less full in some particulars of this part of llie voyage, because he relied on Air. Taylor's, ^which he 
 knew would be accurate and careful,) to amplify toprcs on which he made but brief notes. The Commodore has particularly 
 dirrrtnd this slaloment to be made that, justice may be done to Mr. Taylor for the Kcrvicrs he rendered.
 
 VISIT OF THE LKW CHKW DIGNITARIES ON BOARD. 155 
 
 On the 30th, it was rumoiod on hoard tliat some of the principal authorities on shore intended 
 on that day to visit tlie Susqnehannah. Mr. Williams, the interpreter, came on board and 
 took up permanently his quarters in the ship, and a boat was dispatched for Dr. Bettclhcim, 
 to he present on the occasion. 
 
 On the preceding day, Lieutenant Contee and Mr. Williams went on shore to pay a visit to 
 the then supposed governor of Napha, since asertained to be the mayor. They were received 
 in a very polite and friendly manner ; though the mayor expressed his deep sense of mortifica- 
 tion that his presents had been refused. Lieutenant Contee explained that it was the uniform 
 practice of our government not to accept such presents for her ships, and that (in consequence 
 of our custom) the offering of them not unfrequently subjected the commander and officers to 
 mortification, as their refusal seemed like an ungrateful return for offered courtesy ; and that in 
 this case no disrespect was intended. 
 
 About one o'clock, a very ordinary native barge, containing the Lew Ciiew dignitaries, came 
 alongside. The marines were in uniform, and every preparation had been made on board to 
 show them respect and produce impressive effect. One of the inferior officers came first up the 
 gangway with the card of his superior, which Mr. Williams, the interpreter, received and read; 
 the officer then returned, and the regent of the kingdom of Lew Chew, a venerable old man, in 
 a few minutes appeared, supported by two of his officers. Captains Buchanan and Adams 
 received him at the gangway, and were saluted by the regent after the fashion of his country. 
 His hands were joined upon his breast, while his body and knees were bent very profoundly, and 
 his head was slightly turned away from tlie person he addressed. The prince, it was said, was 
 a lad of eleven years okl, and was represented to be ill. The old gentleman acted as regent for 
 him. Six or eight other ofiicers and some dozen subordinates followed the regent to the deck. 
 A salute of three guns was then fired, which so startled some of the Lew Chew officers that they 
 dropped upon their knees. 
 
 One of the most striking features in the visitors was their general imperturbable gravity. It 
 was indeed plain that they had intense curiosity, not unmingled with considerable alarm ; but 
 they were careful to preserve the most dignified demeanor. They were conducted to the 
 captain's cabin, and thence shown over the ship. They observed every thing with great gravity; 
 but when they reached the ponderous engine, their assumed indifference was fairly overcome, 
 and it was evident that they were conscious of having encountered in it something very flir 
 beyond their comprehension. They were much quicker of perception, however, than the Chinese, 
 as well as more agreeable in features, and much more neat and tidy in apparel. 
 
 Up to this time they had not seen the Commodore. He had remained secluded in solitary 
 dignity, in his own cabin. It was not meet that he should be made too common to the eyes of 
 the vulgar. All this, of course, was mere matter of policy for the time being, as the Commodore 
 was no very unusual sight to the officers anl men of the squadron. The visitors were, however, 
 informed that they were now to he conducted into his presence, and were accordingly taken to 
 his cabin. Just as the regent reached the head of the steps the band struck up a lively air ; 
 but the dignified old man passed on without even casting an eye on the musicians. To him it 
 was doubtless a solemn occasion. The Commodore received and entertained his guests most 
 hand.somely, and during the interview of an liour and a half between himself and the regent, 
 assurances of amity and good will were exchanged between the parties. On the retirement of 
 the regent he was escorted with great respect to the ship's side, and on his departure received 
 honors similar to those that had been tendered on his arrival.
 
 156 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 Among other matters that occurred at the meeting between the regent and the Commodore, 
 the latter informed his guest that he shouUl do himself the honor to return his visit, at the palace, 
 in the city of Siieudi or Shui, on the following Monday week, (June Gth.) This informa- 
 tion caused some consultation and discussion between the regent and his counsellors ; but the 
 Commodore put an end to it by stating that he had fully made a determination to go to the 
 palace on that day, and should surely execute it. He further added that he should expect such a 
 reception as became his rank and position as commander of the squadron and diplomatic repre- 
 sentative of the United States in those regions ; and with a distinct understanding, if not acqui- 
 escence, on the part of the regent, to this effect, he took his departure. 
 
 One result of the visit was very agreeable to the oflicers, for permission was immediately 
 given them to go on shore, accompanied with a request that they would in no case intrude tliem- 
 selves where their presence might seem to be disagreeable to the natives. They very soon 
 availed themselves of the privilege, and a party (of which Mr. Taylor was one) landed at the 
 foot of the rock upon which Dr. Bettelheim had erected his flagstaff. They found the shore to 
 be coral rock covered with a dense and luxurious vegetation ; and about the distance of twenty 
 yards from flood tide mark, the gardens of the natives commenced, divided from each other by 
 coral walls and bristling hedges of yucca and cactus. Mr. Taylor thus describes this his first 
 landing on Lew Chew : "Several groups of Lew Chewans watched our landing, but slowly 
 retired as we approached them. The more respectable, distinguished by the silver pins in 
 their hair, made to us profound salutations. The lower classes wore a single garment of brown 
 cotton or grass-cloth, and the children were entirely naked. Even in the humblest dwellings 
 there was an air of great neatness and order. Most of them were enclosed within high cdral 
 walls, in the midst of a small plot of garden land, some of which contained thriving patches of 
 tobacco, maize, and sweet potatoes. 
 
 " Threading the winding lanes of the suburb for a short distance, we came into the broad paved 
 road which leads from Napha to Sheudi. It is an admirable thoroughfare, almost equal to the 
 macadamized roads of England. The walls on either hand of coral rock are jointed together 
 with great precision. No mortar is used in their construction, but the stones are so well fitted, 
 (very much in the manner of the cj'clopean walls of Italy,) that the whole appears, at a little 
 distance, to be one mass. We here came upon parties from the Mississippi and Saratoga. The 
 natives collected in crowds to see us pass, falling back as wo approached, and closing behind us. 
 They were under the authority of several persons, who had evidently received a special appoint- 
 ment to watch us. Among them were many fine, venerable figures — old men with flowing 
 beards and aspects of great dignity and serenity ; but no sooner were any of these addressed tlian 
 they retreated with great haste. The houses were all closed, and not a female was to be seen. 
 The roofs were of red tiles, of excellent manufacture, and this, with the dark-green foliage of 
 the trees which studded the city, the walls topped with cactus, and the occasional appearance 
 of a palm or banana, reminded me of the towns in Sicily. 
 
 "As we entered the thickly inhabited portion of Napha, the road passed over the foot of a low 
 hill, by regularly graded steps, and then descended to the inner harbor, where the Japanese 
 junks lay at anchor. From this harbor a creek, or estuary, almost dry at low water, extends 
 eastward into the island. The market-place is in this portion of the town. It was deserted, 
 like the streets, except by the inhabitants of two or three large tents, which were closed, except 
 a uarruw aperture. On our asking (by signs) for water, the people went to these tents and
 
 APPEARANCE OF KAPHA. 
 
 157 
 
 procured some in a. square wooden ladle, exactly similar to those used by the Turcomans, in Asia 
 Minor. I did not go down to look at the Japanese junks, but, with some others, followed the 
 course of the creek. Two of the police officers — as we took them to he — stuck to us, and when- 
 ever we paused motioned to us to take the road which would have led us back to the beach. 
 
 L«w Chew Peasant. 
 
 F(ir tills very reason I was desirous of proceeding further. All of the town which we had seen 
 was completely closed, the shops shut, and the stalls of vendors of small wares, in the streets, 
 deserted with such haste, in some instances, tliat the articles remained exposed. We walked for 
 about half a mile up the creek, and finally reached another road which appeared to be one of the 
 principal thoroughfares. Tlie appearance of the interior of the island was exceedingly beautiful. 
 The land rose in bold hills, crowned with groves, of a variet)' of pine which was new to me, 
 resembling the cedar of Lebanon in its j)hysiognomy. The sides of the liills were covered with 
 fields of brilliant green, spotted, liere and there, by the wliitc-washed sepulclires of former gene-
 
 158 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN, 
 
 rations. In the vegetation there was a mixture of the growths of tropical and temperate 
 climates, and in no part of the world have I seen a greater richness or variety. A stone hridgc, 
 of rough hut suhstantial workmanship, crosses the creek near its head. I noticed several of the 
 natives riding over it into the country, on the Lew Chew ponies — shaggy, little animals, pro- 
 hahly descended from the Chinese stock. 
 
 "We strolled into a temple, from the walls of which several persons, probably females^ had 
 been watching us. Tliey disappeared with great rapidity as we entered the door. The court- 
 yard of the temple was shaded with fine trees, but we discovered nothing of interest except two 
 long, narrow boats, of the kind called 'centipede' at Hong Kong, designed for public festivals. 
 While we sat down upon them to rest, quite a crowd of natives gathered about us, and soon 
 became familiar, though respectful in their demeanour. They were very neatly dressed in grass- 
 cloth robes of a blue or salmon color, and (perhaps by contrast with the filthy Chinese) seemed 
 to me the cleanest persons I had ever seen. The street vendors had not had time to get out of 
 our way, and they sat beside their piles of coarse cheese-cakes. There were some women among 
 them, but they were all old and hideously ugly. The costume of the female does not difi'er from 
 that of the males, but they are distinguished by having a single instead of a double hair-pin." 
 
 On the 30th of May, the party ordered to explore the interior of the island, and its eastern 
 coast, set out for the performance of that duty. It consisted of twelve persons — four ofiicers, 
 four of the crew, and four Chinese coolies. From the Susquehanna were sent Mr. Taylor and 
 Mr. Heine; and from the Mississippi the Kev. Mr. Jones, chaplain, and Dr. Lynah, assistant 
 surgeon. The command of the expedition was given to Mr. Jones, who was directed particularly 
 to observe the geology of the island; as, if it contained coal, it was a most iinpartant character- 
 istic. Mr. Taylor was ordered to take notes, and write out a detailed account of the journey. 
 It was supposed the duty would occupy five or six days, and accordingly the expedition was 
 furnished with provisions for that period, and with a tent. The men were armed with cutlasses 
 and carbines, and ten rounds of ball cartridges each. It was not, however, supjwsed that 
 there would be need of a resort to force on any occasion ; still, it was deemed prudent to let 
 the natives sec tlie power of the jmrty to defend itself; and beside, guns and amumtion were 
 required for the purpose of procuring birds and animals. 
 
 On this day, also, the Commodore sent two of the officers of the squadron ashore, with the 
 interpreter, to make arrangements with the authorities for procuring a house. On landing, they 
 proceeded to a building which seemed to be what we should call, in the United States, a "town 
 hall." It was the place, in the village of Tumai, where common strangers were received, and 
 contained some thirty mats on the floor for sleeping; waiters were also in attendance with tea 
 and pipes. The purposes to which the building is apjdied seemed, however, to be various. The 
 literati meet there to converse and interchange opinions ; and any one of them may spend the 
 night there upon any unoccupied mat. Our ofiicers, on reaching this building, sent for one of 
 tlie )>rincipal men, who, after an hour's delay, made his a])pearance, and was most profound in 
 his obeisance. Tea and pipes (the never failing preliminary) having been disjjosed of, the gen- 
 tlemen made known their business to the Japanese official. He promptly declared that it would 
 be utterly impossible for the Ameriqans to occupy a house on shore. But, as Captain Hall, of 
 the British navy, had, after much delay, at last obtained a house on shore, and our officers knew 
 it, they reminded tlie Lew Chewans of the fact, and simply told him that they must have a house. 
 He was very ingcuioua in arguments to show that the difficulties in the way were insurmountable.
 
 N A P n A OFFICIAL H E V T C E S. 159 
 
 He ^ras then asked if some two or three of the Americans "might not sleep in the house for that 
 night, and replied that no American must sleep in a house on shore. Upon being pressed 
 further ho socmcd to liccomc soraewliat iinpatient, and, rising from his scat, he crossed over to where 
 the officers sat, and dispensing with tlic aid of tlic interpreter, (throngli wlioni all communications 
 had thus far been made,) to the surprise of our gentlemen, said : "Gentlemen, Doo Choo man very- 
 small, American man not very small. I have read of America in books of Washington — very 
 good man, very good. Doo Choo good friend American. Doo Choo man give America all 
 provision he wants. American no can have house on shore." These were nearly his exact 
 words ; and the officers concluded that he had probably learned from Dr. Bettelheim what he 
 knew of the English langxiage. 
 
 Wlien they insisted that two or three of their company should stay in tlie house, at least for 
 the night, he begged permission to go and confer with the mayor of Napha. He was gone for 
 some time, and probably went three miles beyond Napha, to the palace of Shui^ to confer with 
 the regent. "Well," (said one of the officers, on his return,) "we can sleep here to night?" — • 
 with a polite bow and marked emphasis, he replied "you cannot." But our officers had been 
 ordered to procure a house, and resolved to obey ; so th(jj' left one of their number with the inter- 
 preter to sleep there, unless they should be sent for by the Commodore, while they returned to 
 the flag-shii) to report what they had done. The officer and interpreter occuj^ied two of the mats 
 that night, and the islanders slept on the rest. There was no forcible taking possession of a 
 building, as some have represented. Two men slept in the town-house for one night, surrounded 
 by the natives, and this was all that was exacted or taken. The next day the Commodore 
 sent a sick officer, with his servant, to the place, and those who slept there on the previous 
 night came on board. * 
 
 • "We have before us an original note from the regent of Lew Chew, addressed to the Commodore, with a translation of the 
 same, made by Mr. Williams. We insert the latter as affording a specimen of the Lew Chew epistolary style, premising that 
 to represent themselves as very poor and obscure, and indeed unworthy almost of notice, was the uniform practice of the officials 
 of the island, in all their communications with our officers. It seems to be part of their settled policy ; for we find the same 
 humble and depreciatory representations of themselves pervading their letters to the British officers, on the visit of the Bishop 
 of Victoria. The communication below relates to the two subjects of the Commodore's visit to the palace at Shui, and granting 
 a house for the use of the squadron on shore ; both of which events they strove hard, by various artifices, to prevent. 
 
 A prepared petition. Shang Ta-mu, regent of Lew Chew, &c., &c., hereby urgently petitions upon important matters. On 
 the 21st day of the present montli (tliis, of course, is a translation of their mode of expressing time into ours) I received your 
 excellency's verbal orders that on the 30lh day of the present month, at 10 o'clock, you had concluded to come to the capital to 
 return your respects. Also, on the 26th instant, Ching Changlieh, the mayor of Napha, received your excellency's comnnmi- 
 cation saying, that on the .30th instant, at 10 o'clock, it was decided to go up to Shui, the capital, to return the visit of the 
 regent at the palace, and wished this to be distinctly stated in the proper way. 
 
 Now, it is plain to all that the capital and towns of this little country are quite different from the provincial capitals of China ; 
 here there is only a palace for the king, and no halls, official residences, markets, or shops ; and, up to this time, no envoy from 
 a foreign country has ever entered into the palace. In February, of last year, an English general came here, bearing a public 
 letter, and was strenuous to enter the palace, there to deliver it; the higli officers repeatedly requested that it might be given 
 them elsewhere, but he refiised, and forced himself mto the palace. At that time, from tlic joung prince and queen dowager down 
 to the lowest officers and people, all were alarmed and fearful, liardly keeping soul and body tojether ; and tlie queen dowager 
 has been dangerously sick even to this day, the physicians giving her broths and medicines for her alarming ailments which are 
 not yet removed. All the officers in tlie country are really troubled and grieved on this account; and having heard that tho 
 ruler of your country is endued with great kindness and vast compassion, and highly prizes humanity and benevolence, they 
 urgently beg of your excellency, that respectfully embodying the humanity and benevolence of your sovereign, and his great 
 love for men, you will take the case of the queen dowager, and her severe indisposition, into your favorable consideration, and 
 cease from going into the palace to return thanks. If you deem it necessary to make this compliment, please go to the residence 
 of the prince, there to make your respects in person. Respecting the matter of renting a house for residing, it has been stated 
 by the mayor of Napha that, on the 24lli instant, he had clearly shown forth tlio circumstances ; and, on the 26th, had received 
 your excellency's reply, in which it was remarked — "that, whenever the officers and men from the ships were on shore, rambling 
 about, they had no place of resort, and that, as I hero were no inns in tho country, if they were overtaken by rain or li.ad weather,
 
 160 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 There was evident opposition on tlie part of the authorities, at first, to visits on shore from 
 the ships. This was expected, for the narratives of all who had visited the island had prepared 
 the squadron for this. Notwithstanding, however, our officers did go on shore and wander over 
 the town of Kapha and its suhurhs, objects of no little interest and curiosity to the natives, 
 who followed them in crowds, and were very polite, bowing low to them as they passed. But, 
 despite all this courtesy, our officers were quite sensible that the eyes of spies were upon them 
 continually, and that every movement was watched. The women and children were taught by 
 these officials to run away, as if aflVighted, on the approach of the Americans, and, in short, a 
 polite suspicion characterized the intercourse on the part of the Lew Chewans. The sick officer, 
 however, on shore at Tumai, seemed to be on the best possible terms with the natives, and they 
 certainly were kind. The inhabitants appear to be naturally not unamiable, but the experience of 
 our officers does not altogether sustain the glowing accounts of the simplicity, friendliness and 
 contentment of the people. Either Captain Basil Hall was mistaken, or the national traits have 
 changed since the time of his visit. He represents them as without arms, ignorant even of money, 
 docile, tractable and honest, scrupulously obedient to their rulers and their laws, and, in fact, 
 as loving one another too well wilfully to harm or wrong each other. Many of the officers of 
 the squadron went to the island, expecting to find these beautiful traits of character ; but gra- 
 dually and painfully undeceived in many particulars, they were constrained to acknowledge that 
 human nature in Lew Chew was very much the same as it is elsewhere. 
 
 The system of government, of which secret espionage forms a distinguishing feature, must 
 beget in the inferior classes cunning and falsehood, and these our officers certainly found. The 
 Lew Chewans pretend ignorance of offensive weapons, and of such no open display is made by 
 the people, but Dr. Bettelheim says that he has seen fire-arms in their possession, though they 
 seek to conceal them from strangers ; and they are doubtless, by nature, a pacific people. As 
 to money, they know the value of gold and silver very well, and they traffic for the Chinese 
 "cash," of which from twelve to fourteen hundred are equivalent to the Sjjanish dollar. They 
 are an eminently shrewd people, and proved themselves to be somewhat "smart" in the matter 
 of exchange, when the disbursing officers of the squadron came to settle with them the value of 
 the "cash." They showed no reluctance to take our eagles and half-eagles, though Captain 
 Hall says they would not, in his day, touch the British gold coins. They have, on the whole, 
 many excellent natural traits, and their worst vices are probably the result, in a great measure, 
 of the wretched system of government under which they live. 
 
 or were detained so that they were unable to return on board before night, there was no place to rest at, unless they abruptly 
 entered the houses of the people; tl.ai., as the men on board ship were ignorant of the Lew Chewan language, if they wanted 
 only a cup of water they could not get it ; for these reasons, one or two houses were required, and if they were wanted for other 
 purposes, these were all of a peaceable and friendly nature, but it was indispcnsible to have one. The mayor (of Napha) having 
 intimated that the building already occupied by the sailors was a kung-kican, or public hall, if the olliccrs would designate 
 another building, they would remove to it according to their wishes." I find that the building now occupied is a public house, 
 for the deliberations of officers and police, and meetings on public business ; but having sought out a place which can be used, 
 I find that the .S/iriisr-Atcn-s:', or Holy Manifesting monastery, for preserving the anchorage of ships, can bo obtained for a 
 residence; and I beg that orders for removal to this place, as a tempor.iry residence, may be given. Then will the prince and 
 authorities, one and all, be greatly obliged by this great kindness. An important petition. 
 Ilicn fung, 3d year, 4th moon, 27th day, (June 3d, IS.'JS.) 
 
 This building might readily have been granted on the first application. It was, we believe, the same used by the English, on 
 Captain Iliill's visit. As to the young prince, the reader will bo surprised to learn that there were the strongest reasons in the 
 minds of many for suspecting him to bo an imaginary personage. No one believed a syllable of the story about the queen 
 dowager's illness; indeed, there was no evidence to the Americans that there was a queen dowager.
 
 LEW CHEW ME urn ANT. 
 
 161 
 
 The officers of the squadron were, during the period of the visit, most usefully and diligently 
 employed in making hydrographic smvcys, and the results are all embodied in the charts which 
 form part of the records of the expediticni. Boat exercise in tlio barhor formed also jtart of the 
 
 ^-^.^^b^^ j:^- 
 
 Lt-w CJiew Mercli;iiil. 
 
 occupation of the several crews ; while the marines were on shore, drilling under the charge of their 
 officers. These things indicated that the Commodore was determined to have every department 
 in tlie highest state of discipline, that he might be prejiared for any event. 
 
 On Saturday, the 4tli of June, the part}' that had been sent to explore the interior of the 
 island returned in safety, and the result of their labors will be found in the following chapter. 
 
 21 r 
 
 r»r. Ttwlt*>lh*>ini*a r«»!«in.
 
 102 
 
 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 CHAPTER Vlir. 
 
 RKI'ORT OF AN INLAND EXPLORATION OF GREAT LEW CIIF.W, BT A PARTY FROM THE SQUADRON, UNDER THE COMMAND OF 
 
 COMMODORE PERRY. 
 
 wmmm 
 
 ONDAY, the HOtli of May, says 
 the re^jort, was the day fixed 
 upon by Commodore Perry 
 for our departure. We were 
 ordered to cross the island to 
 the eastern shore, folh)w the 
 line of coast nortliward, and 
 return through the interior, 
 pushing our course as far as 
 practicable, under our instructions to return within six days. All the 
 stores having been procured, and packed in convenient parcels, 
 together with portfolios and drawing materials, implements for pre- 
 paring birds, &c., we landed about 10 o'clock, and proceeded to the house of the missionary, 
 Dr. Bettelhcim, which had been chosen as the rendezvous. The authorities had not been 
 previously informed of our intention ; and, as it was evident that we should not be allowed to 
 advance liir without an escort, or espionage of some kind. Dr. Bcttelheini sent to request that a 
 proper officer should accompany us as guide. After waiting about an hour, and no person 
 appearing, we decided to set out, believing that our giiide would be forthcoming before we left 
 the city. In fact, we had no sooner reached the main street, communicating with the road to 
 Sheudi, than a portly personage, with a long white beard, and two younger officers, with black 
 beards and swarthy complexions, joined us. A crowd of curious natives had also collected, and 
 followed us until we left the city. 
 
 "Each of the men carried a haversack, in addition to his arms, leaving about 120 pounds 
 weight of baggage to be divided among the four coolies. The men, Terry and Mitchell, 
 marched in advance, the former carrying the flag, while the other men, Smitli and Davis, 
 remamed in the rear of the baggage; this order was preserved during the whole expedition. 
 We had not proceeded half a mile before our coolies showed signs of breaking down under. their 
 loads, and, even though we might force them to keep up for some time longer, it was evident 
 that we could not make much progress without furtlier help; Mr. Jones, therefore, requested
 
 E X r L K A T I N OF I. K W C H K W . 163 
 
 tlic iiortly old officer, who seemed to have spceial charge over us, to supply us with four more 
 coolies, promising that they should bo i)aid on our return. After waiting half an hour at the 
 northern end of the city, four spare young natives came up witii hamhoo poles, and relieved the 
 Chinamen of half their load. We now took the high road to Sheudi, passing the salt creek 
 which comes up from the village of Tam6, hy a hridge of one arch; the crowd turned hack at 
 this point, leaving us about a dozen followers, ^^•ho seemed to be attendants or subordinates of 
 the principal officers. 
 
 Ecyund the bridge we passed over a meadow, studded with singular broken rocks, of 
 secondary limestone, covered witli clumjis of pine trees. The road then passed around the base 
 of a hill, the front of which was occupied by a temple of massive stone masonry, It was shaded 
 with large trees, resembling in foliage the Indian fig or sycamore. Paths, over which the 
 hedges of bamboo formed complete arches, ran up the sides of the hill. On our right were 
 meadows of bearded rice, a variety which Dr. Lynah declared to be unknown in the southern 
 States. The country now became o])cn and undulating, and covered with the richest vegeta- 
 tion ; not only was all the low land planted with rice, but the hills were in many places 
 terraced nearly to the top, and the water carefully conducted from field to field by artificial 
 channels. The streams were lined with thick hedges of banana, and the knolls which dotted 
 the landscape were crowned with groves of the Lew Chew pine, a beautiful tree, strongly 
 resembling the cedar of Lebanon in its flat horizontal layei-* of foliage; it is probably a new 
 species. There was something in the forms of the landscape which reminded me of the richest 
 English scenery, mixed with the superb vegetation of the tropics. The views on each side 
 increased in beauty as we approached Sheudi, the capital city of the island, which is scattered 
 along the southwest slope of a group of hills. The houses are half buried in foliage, and stretch 
 over an extent of a mile, the citadel, or residence of the viceroy, occupying an elevated central 
 position. 
 
 The day was dark and cloudy, threatening rain, and fresh wind blew in our fixces as we 
 
 climbed the heights. Near the summit we passed through a high wooden gate, upon which 
 
 were inscribed two Chinese chai'acters, signifying "the central hill," or "place of authority,") 
 
 and entered the main street of the city, which is broad, handsomely paved, and lined with high 
 
 walls, behind which, and the foliage of their gardens, the principal dwellings are mostly 
 
 concealed. As we reached the gate, the flag was unrolled, and fastened upon the end of a 
 
 mu.sket. A fine grove of old trees, witli crooked trunks, gnarled boughs, and thick, dark-green 
 
 foliage, attracted my attention on entering. We had not proceeded fifty ])aces before the officers 
 
 attending us beckoned to us to enter a doorway on the right side of the street. We made a 
 
 halt, and, leaving men and coolies outside, went in. It proved to be a Cung-qud, or resting 
 
 place for travellers, or rather for officers of government, since in Lew Chew there are no other 
 
 travellers. The Cung-qud corresponds very nearly to the Turkish khan, except that, being used 
 
 only by persons of some consideration, it is far more neat and elegant in every respect. The 
 
 house into which we were ushered resembled a ])rivate dwelling of the better class. The 
 
 ])rincipal apartment was carpeted with very fine soft mats, and surrounded on three sides by an 
 
 open verandah. Adjoining the building were kitchens and ()>it-hou8es for servants, and in front 
 
 a small yard ]danted with sago palms and a tree resembling the Inocarpus. We were politely 
 
 received by a gentleman in a gray robe, who performed the ko-tow towards us in the mofit 
 
 approved style. Seats were brought, and tea, prejjared alter the Cliinese fashion, served in
 
 164 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 small cups. The attendant was directed, by signs, to wait first upon Mr. Jones, who was 
 tlicnccfortli recognized as the head of the party. The former served us on his knees, hoth when 
 he oflered and when he took away the cups. "We remained but a few minutes, and took our 
 leave, evidently to the surprise and perplexity of our conductors, who did not as yet comprehend 
 our object. 
 
 On leaving Napha, we had noticed an expression of doubt and anxiety upon the faces of the 
 natives, and this rather increased as we ])roceeded. No remonstrance whatever was made to us, 
 but our movements were suspicioush' scrutinized. AVhen, therefore, we left the Cung-qua, and, 
 instead of returning, took our course directly onward through the city, the faces of our convoy 
 became clouded, and an expression of alarm commimicated itself to those of the natives whose 
 curiosity had attracted them around us. We soon reached the gate of the citadel, at the foot ot 
 the massive walls, which, rising through groves of trees, dominate over the city. The gate was 
 closed, but had it been open, we should not have presumed to enter. The northern and eastern 
 slope of the hill is covered with splendid old trees, divided by winding, shaded avenues, on the 
 sides of which many natives were sitting, with fans in their hands. The sun, which shone out 
 hot and clear for an instant, chequered this rich, park-like scenery with strong contrasts of light 
 and shadow, and down through the depths of the trees illuminated the face of a pool of water, so 
 completely covered with the floating leaves of a species of lily as to appear like a patch of green 
 sward. We passed around the IJase of the citadel to its eastern side, and, after some delibera- 
 tion, took a paved road which led through the suburb.s of the city in an E.S.E. direction. 
 Wherever we turned we could see scouts running in advance, and driving the inhabitants away 
 from our path, so that a silence and desertion, like that which follows pestilence, took place 
 wherever we moved. All with whom we accidentally came in contact saluted us politely, but 
 with a settled air of melanclioly, which I ascribed to the surveillance exercised over them by an 
 unnatural government, rather than any ill-will towards us. 
 
 The northern side of Sheudi is a wilderness of rich vegetation. Tlie appearance of a flourish- 
 ing cocoa-palm, now and then, showed that the climate is entirely tropical. The eastern suburb 
 of the capital is composed principally of bamboo huts, thatched with rice straw. The inhabi- 
 tants were all hidden away out of sight, and blinds of split bamboo let down before the doors. 
 We took a road which led along the hills towards the southeast, and after issuing from the 
 capital, gained a ridge whence we could see a long line of the western coast, with the squadron 
 riding at anchor in the harbor of Napha. From this point the interest of the journey properly 
 commenced, as we were entering upon ground which no one before us had ever explored. The 
 limit of the excursions made by others was Sheudi, and very few succeeded in entering that capi- 
 tal. We were, therefore, greatly enlivened by the prospect before us, and pursued our way with 
 more alacrity than comported with the comfort of our disheartened conductors. 
 
 About a mile from Sheudi, the road turned more to the east, and after passing through a 
 dense wood, came out upon a hill, whence we caught a glimpse of the sea on the eastern side. 
 A temple, apparently erected during the past year, (for it was destitute of either altar or god,) 
 stood in the shade of a clump of pines, and as it was now one o'clock we halted for refreshment. 
 Some of the natives brought water, while the men picked up suliieieut dead wood to boil our 
 kettle, and in the course of time we were regaled with tea and ship's biscuit. We oflered the 
 former to the ofiicers, but they did not appear to relish it. The Lew Chew coolies, however, ate 
 heartily of the biscuit, which they had better earned than our vagabond Chinese. They gave
 
 EXPLORATION OF LEW CHEW. 165 
 
 the name of the place as Pifio. Mr. Heine took a sketch of it, and astonished the natives, some 
 forty or fifty of whom had collected to look at us, hy firing at a mark with his rifle. Immediately 
 after leaving Pino, whence we started at 3 p. m., the paved road ceased, and the way hecame 
 deep and miry. The soil was a lead-colored, stiff clay, the disintegration of shale rock, which 
 here appeared for the first time. We had not proceeded more than half a mile hefore we reached 
 the dividing ridge or crest of the island, and a magnificent panorama opened helow us to the 
 eastward. The sea-line of the Pacific formed the horizon, and a spacious sheet of water hetween 
 two headlands which made out from the island led us to suppose that we were looking upon 
 Barrow's Bay. Between us and the sea lay an amphitheatre of hills, cultivated to their very 
 tops and clothed with the greenest verdure. Tlieir sides were carefully terraced, and every 
 advantage taken of the inclination of the soil, so as to collect the rains for irrigation. The 
 cultivation was quite as patient and thorough as that of China. The picturesque formation of 
 the hills gave a great variety of outline to the landscape, which embraced a compass of perhaps 
 twenty miles. Towards the west we overlooked all the country we had passed, as far as a 
 headland in the northwest, which I took to he Cape Broughton. Mr. Heine took a sketch of the 
 view, looking eastward, while I attempted to take the western side. 
 
 Resuming our march, we descended the ridge, which was about 600 feet above the sea-level. 
 The clayey path leading down was very wet and slippery, and the coolies fell and rolled over 
 several times with the baggage. Passing through gaps between the lower hills, we reached a 
 semi-circular plain, nearly two miles in breadth, extending around the head of the bav. On 
 either side was a village of thatched huts, buried in trees. The scouts had already been before 
 us, and the natives lay concealed in their habitations. The former supposed that we would take 
 a road leading to a large village at the head of the bay, but as we turned abruptly to the 
 northward, we soon saw them running across the fields to regain the road ahead of us. There 
 were a number of villages at the base of the hills, on our left, but so thickly studded with trees 
 that they were almost concealed from view. I collected a number of plants, one of tliem a 
 species of althaea, with a splendid scarlet blossom. The road which we took led throuo-h the rice 
 fields and was very deep and muddy. Wliile stopping to rest on a bridge over one of the irrio-atinf 
 streams, our old conductor came up with his two assistants, and intimated to us by signs that 
 it was time we should return to the ships. The sun would soon set, they said, and we should 
 have no place to sleep. We replied, (also by signs,) that instead of returning we were goin"- 
 northward, and would not reach the ships again for five or six days. They appeared greatly 
 surprised at this and a little troubled, since it was part of their duty not to lose sight of 
 us. The old fellow, who, in his haste to keep up, had slipped down in the muddy road 
 and soiled the hinder part of his robe, laughed heartily at the accident, and finally became 
 resigned to the prospect of the long tramp before him. They then pointed to the west, saying 
 that there was a Cung-qua in that direction, where we could spend the night. Our course, 
 however, was nearly northeast, and about half past five, having reached a hill overlooking the 
 bay, on the summit of which was an open space surrounded with young pines, we determined to 
 encamp there. The people objected to our cutting down the trees, and we made tent poles by 
 fastening together the bamboo staves used by the coolies. There was a village on tlie .slope of 
 the hill below us, and after some delay, caused by the difficulty of interpreting our wants to tlie 
 native officials, we obtained four fowls, forty eggs, and two bundles of firewood. One of our 
 Chinamen, "A-shing," professed to speak the Lew Chew language, but we soon found him as
 
 IGG 
 
 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 miserably deficient iu tliis as he was in all other useful qualities. His comrade, however, who 
 spoke no English, could write Chinese, and the message having been thus communicated and 
 written, was tinally read hy the old Pe-chiug. The latter refused to accept either cash or didlars, 
 saying that they were of no use to the people whatever, hut that everything we needed would he 
 furnished us. The Chinese suggested — probably on their own account — that we should j)ay the 
 peojile in ship's biscuit, but we had scarcely enough for our own wants. It was at length 
 decided that we should take what we required and settle for its value with the Pe-ching on our 
 return. 
 
 The people were tardy in bringing our firewood, and we were obliged to eat our 8Uj)por by the 
 light of our camp fire. I succeeded in getting a sketch of the bay, while daylight remained. It. 
 is deep and spacious, and protected by reefs across the mouth, but, judging from the appearance 
 of the water, too shallow to be made available for naval purposes. A large village lies at its 
 head, and several fishing junks were at anchor before it. At night tlic plain sparkled witii 
 lights, some of them moving to and fro — probably lanterns carried by persons passing from one 
 village to another. The officers determined to remain with us at all hazards, and at their 
 
 Kxpluit-r.-i. — 1-' 1^ \ hi iv. — .Nijjhl Camp. 
 
 command the people brought up bamboo poles and matting, out of which they erected a tempo- 
 rary structure beside our tent. They were perfectly good-humored iii'tlicir dcmeaiKir, and 
 subiTiittcd with great patience to what they could not avoid. Before going to sleep we arranged 
 four watclies of two hours each, from 9 p. m. until 5 a. m., and the subordinate native policemen 
 kindled a fire and kept a counter-watch. We were all somewhat fatigued with our first march
 
 E X P L O n A T T O N OF LEW CHEW. 1 G7 
 
 of ten miles, but the mosquitoes were so terril)ly annoying that few of us slept more than half an 
 hour during the whole night. 
 
 We rose at dawn, and found the natives already stirring. The morning gave promise of fair 
 weather. The Pe-ching and his associates came up and saluted us gravely as soon as we arose. 
 It required about two hours to cook and eat breakfast, strike the tent, and pack the baggage for 
 carrying. When we were all ready we found eight native coolies on hand, those whom we took 
 from Napha having returned the evening previous. Leaving Camp Perry (as we named the 
 spot) we took a path leading up a steep hill to the north. Winding around its brow, we 
 descended into a valley, surrounded by abrupt, scarped hills. A stream flowing at the bottom 
 of a deep gully, overhung with large banana trees, made its way out of this broad cul-de-sac 
 towards the sea. We crossed the valley on the ridges of swampy grass, between the flooded 
 rice-fields, and climbed a long and toilsome ridge, bj^wet, slipjiery jiaths, leading up through 
 copses of young pine. We had now gained the spinal ridge of the island, and turned north- 
 westward, over alternate hills and meadows, along its summit. The wood was principally pine, 
 but I observed several new varieties of shrubs, not in flower. Now and then we passed the liuts 
 of the natives, generally in clusters of two and three, T)ut even in this secluded region notice of 
 our coming had reached them, and the inhabitants were hidden. I looked into some, and found 
 the interiors to consist of a single room, smoke-blackened, and furnished with the rudest utensils. 
 Two of them had a grating of bamboo, raised, like a floor, about six inches above the ground, 
 and the thick mats which serve the Lew Chewans as beds were spread upon this. 
 
 Mr. Jones left the camp before us, and we had not yet found him. Coming to a deep, wooded 
 gorge, with a stream flowing westward, we discovered that our true course lay further to the 
 east, and retraced our steps through the pine woods, and over upland rice-meadows to an open, 
 grassy height, whence we saw Mr. Jones, surrounded by a group of natives, about half a mile 
 -to the south of us. In a short time we again reached the summit ridge, overlooking the bay, 
 and enjoyed the view of a superb landscai^e. The dividing ridge of the island, as we had already 
 noticed, is nearest the eastern shore, to which the descent is much more abrupt than on the 
 western. The cultivation on this side is also more thorough, and the crops more luxuriant. 
 The knees of the mountains below us were feathered with beautiful groves of the Lew Chew pine, 
 intermingled with terraced fields of grain and vegetables, while the jflain below, through its 
 whole sweep of fifteen miles, was brown with its harvest of rice. We counted a dozen villages, 
 some of them of considerable size, dotting its expanse. To the northward extended a long head- 
 land, far beyond what we had supposed to be the extremity of the bay, and projecting from the 
 island in a southeasterly direction. It was now plain that we had not yet reached Barrow's 
 Bay, of which this headland formed the southern boundary. While halting to rest our coolies, 
 in the shade of a clump of pines, Mr. Heine shot a raven, with a beak mucli broader than the 
 Euro])ean species. Tliere was a very large tonib, of a shape nearly circular, on the northern 
 side of the ridge. About two miles further, the road swerving a little to the west, we came upou 
 a singular rock, rising high out of a forest of pines. Tiie summit, which was very sharp and 
 jagged, was seventy or eighty feet above the crest of the ridge, and being composed of secondary 
 limestone, honeycombed by the weather, it was an exceedingly striking and picturesque object. 
 While Mr. Heine stopped to sketch it, and Mr. Jones to examine its geology, I climbed to the 
 summit, which was so shari) as to inake it a most uneasy seat. Finding that it was the highest 
 ])eak in that part of the island, conunanding a view which embraced a considerable reach of both
 
 168 
 
 EXPEDITION TO J AT AN. 
 
 sliores, I ordered the flag to be brought, and unfurled it from the top of the rock, while tlie men 
 fired a salute from the base and hailed it with three hearty cheers. We bestowed upon it the 
 name of "Banner Rock." The natives looked on, iinable how to understand our proceedings, 
 
 Banner Uock. 
 
 but not in the least troubled by them. A little to the north of where we were the island 
 narrowed suddenly, between the head of the eastern bay and a deep bight, which makes in on 
 the western side, between Cape Broughton and the headland bounding Port Melville on the 
 west. I judged its breadth, at this point, to be about four miles, in a straight lino. To the 
 southwest I could see the position of Sheudi, eight or ten miles distant. Tlie landscape was 
 rich and varied, all the hills being coated with groves of pine. We found on the rock tlie 
 "Wax plant" of our greenhouses, in full bloom, the splendid scarlet Alflum, and a variety of 
 the 3falva, with a large yellow Idossom. 
 
 Continuing our march along the summit ridge, we came gradually upon a wilder and more 
 broken region. Huge fragments of the same dark limestone rock overhung our patli, or hiy 
 tumbled along the slopes below us, as if luirled tliere by some violent natural convulsion. As 
 the hill curved eastward, we saw on its southern side a series of immense square masses, 
 separated by deep fissures, reacliing down the side nearly to its base. Tliey were ajijiarcntly 
 fifty feet higli, ami at least a liundred feet .square, and tlieir tops were covered witli a thick 
 growth of trees and shrubbery. In the absence of any traces of volcanic action, it is difficult to 
 conceive how these detached masses were distributed with such regularity, and carried to sucli a 
 distance from their original place. The eastern frr)nt of the crags under wliicli we passed was
 
 EXPLORATION OF LEW CHEW 
 
 169 
 
 studded with tombs, some of them built against tlie rock and whitewashed, like the tombs of 
 the present inhabitants, but others excavated within it, and evidently of great age. Looking 
 
 Tombs in Lew Chew. 
 
 down upon the bay it was easy to see that the greater part of it was shallow, and in some places 
 the little fishing junks could not approach within half a mile of the shore. The rice-fields were 
 brought square down to the water's edge, which was banked up to prevent the tide from over- 
 flowing them, and I noticed many triangular stone dykes, stretching some distance into the 
 water, and no doubt intended as weirs for fish. 
 
 In less than an hour after leaving Banner Rock we were surprised by tlie discovery of an 
 ancient fortress, occupying a commanding position upon the summit of one of the spurs of the 
 central ridge. Its outline was irregular, but with a general direction frcun northeast to south- 
 west; and while some parts of it were in perfect preservation, other portions were overgrown 
 with vines and shrubbery, and hardly to be distinguished from the natural rock upon which it 
 was based. Passing through an arched gateway, the road led to a terrace, overgrown with trees, 
 upon which stood a structure of masonry resembling a cenotaph. A flight of stone steps con- 
 ducted us to another gateway, after passing which, and a spacious ve.stibule, we entered the 
 interior of the fortress. The space was occupied by a luxuriant grove of trees, and at the further 
 end was a private dwelling of respectable appearance. Our Pe-cliing was already there, and 
 the master (whom our Chinese coolies designated the "Japanese Consul") respectfully invited 
 us to enter. The day was oppressively hot, and we found two or three cups of Lew Chew tea an 
 agreeable refreshment. Returning to the terrace, at the base of the outer wall, we halted in the 
 22 J
 
 IVO 
 
 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 shade to allow the men their mid-day rest and meal. A flight of steep steps, cut in the rock, 
 led downward on the northern side to a grotto under the foundation of the castle, at the bottom 
 of which was a pool of cold, sweet water. The place was completely overhung by dense foliage, 
 and inaccessible to the beams of the sun. 
 
 While our meal was preparing, Mr. Jones traced out a rough plan of the fortress, and the 
 men took measurements. The following are its dimensions, ascertained with tolerable accuracy : 
 
 Ground-Plan of Nagagusko. 
 
 Length -------------- 235 paces. 
 
 Breadth -------------- 70 " 
 
 Thickness of walls at bottom - - - - - - - - - -6 to 12" 
 
 Thickness of walls at top --_.-..--- 12 feet. 
 
 Greatest height of outer wall, measuring along the slope - - - - - 66 " 
 
 Height of wall, from inside - - - - - - - - - - 12" 
 
 Angle of outer wall .-.-.------ 60
 
 EXPLORATION OF LEW CHEW. 
 
 171 
 
 The material was limestone, and the masonry of admirable construction. The stones, some 
 of which were cubes of four feet square, were so carefully hewn and jointed that the absence of 
 any mortar or cement did not seem to impair the durability of the work. There were two 
 remarkable points about the work. The arches were double, the lower course being formed of 
 
 Nagagusko — Interior. 
 
 two stones hewn into almost a parabolic curve, and meeting in the centre, over which was the 
 regular Egyptian arch, with its key-stone, as represented in the annexed outline. No. 1. 
 
 The other peculiarity was, that in place of bastions, 
 there were square projections of masonry, presenting a 
 concave front, (No. 2,) which would catch and concen- 
 trate the force of a cannon ball, rather than ward it 
 off. But this fortress must have been erected many 
 centuries before the use of fire-arms of any kind could 
 have been known to the Lew Chewans. Our Chinese 
 pretended to give the name of the place as Ching-King, 
 which are Chinese words, signifying the chief or capital 
 citadel. 
 
 feo^ 
 
 Jfiz
 
 } 
 
 172 
 
 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN*. 
 
 We resumed our march at half past one o'clock. The old Pe-ching, "Chang- Yuen," who 
 bad become a little fatigued by this time, took a ka-goo, or Lew Chew chair, and followed in 
 our rear, leaving the particular charge of us to his subordinates. The scouts were sent ahead, 
 as usual, for our path descended again to the populous plain at the base of the hills. We 
 already perceived indications of a fixed system in the espionage to wliich we were subjected. 
 
 Ruins of Nagjigusko — North. 
 
 Chang-Yuen and his two secondary officers were deputed to accompany us during the whole 
 journey, while their dozen or more attendants and helpers were changed as we passed from one 
 district of the i.sland into another. Nothing could exceed the vigilance with which they watched 
 us. We might separate into as many divisions as there were men, and yet each of us would still 
 retain his native convoy. We could neither tire them down, nor run away from them. When, 
 by chance, we suddenly changed our course, we still found them before us. And though this 
 was the result of a jealous and exclusive system, yet they managed to give it the appearance of 
 being done through respect for us. 
 
 I was curious to obtain some information regarding the domestic life of the natives, and 
 frequently entered their huts unawares, in the hope of finding them at their avocations within. 
 In most cases I found the huts deserted, but in some others caught the merest glimpses of Lew Chew 
 life, in its more humble aspects. Near the castle, while our convoy was passing around a village, 
 I slipped into one of the alleys and entered a bamboo enclosure, within which were five neat 
 dwellings. The mats were let down before the doors, but the people were all hidden behind 
 screens and in lofts under the thatch, for on looking in I found no one but a child and an old
 
 EXPLORATIONOFLEWCHEW. 17 
 
 man, who immediately knelt down and knocked his forehead on the floor before me. In another 
 hut, in a village on the plain, I found an old woman and a girl of about twelve years of age, 
 both of whom fell on their knees, and held up their hands with an expression which was at once 
 imploring and reverential. A few words of friendly greeting, though in English, encouraged 
 them, and I should no doubt have been able to inspect the interior of the hut, had not one of 
 the spies come up at that moment and driven them away. 
 
 In the rich rice plains to which we descended we found sugar-cane for the first time, sorghum, 
 or millet, and three varieties of tlie grain known in the United States as " broom-coi-n." The 
 road struck out into the swampy rice fields, and we made for a green headland covered with 
 pines. A village, almost completely buried in bowers and arcades of bamboo, lay at its foot. 
 As we were about entering, we came upon two curious stones planted in the earth. The largest 
 was about four feet high, and from its peculiar form struck me at once as a lingam, or emblem 
 of the Phallic worship. The same idea occurred to Mr. Heine, who made a sketch of it. It was 
 a very hard, dark-colored stone, resembling porphyry, and the only thing we could learn from 
 the natives respecting it was, that they called it " ishee." There is no trace of this feature of 
 the Hindoo religion existing either in Japan, China, or Lew Chew. The discovery of this 
 stone, if it should prove to be a Phallic emblem, is therefore exceedingly curious. In the course 
 of the afternoon we found two more, one of which was prostrate and broken. In conjunction 
 with these remains, the face of the hill behind, for a distance of two miles, is almost entirely 
 covered with excavated tombs, resembling the simpler forms of the rock tombs of Egypt and 
 Syria. Our native conductors, when interrogated respecting them, called them " the houses of 
 the devil's men," and seemed amused at our taking notice of them. This fact, in a country 
 where ancestral tombs are considered sacred, as among the Chinese, seems to point to the 
 existence of another race on the island, in ancient times — a race who may have received the 
 worship of the Lingam from Java, or other islands where memorials of it exist. 
 
 After an unavailing attemjit to shoot a couple of herons in a rice field, we kept a course nearly 
 due north, passing through several beautiful villages. The houses were surrounded with 
 banana trees, and the alleys completely overarched with bamboo. In one of the houses I found 
 a woman weaving grass-cloth, in a loom of primitive construction. She ceased from work as I 
 approached the door, but commenced again, in obedience to my gestures. The shuttle was a 
 little longer than the breadth of the stufl", and thrown by hand. At the foot of the hill Dr. 
 Lynah found a piece of lignite, which resembles coal, but is unfortunately no indication of its 
 presence. We had a long and toilsome ascent up a barren hill which brought us again upon a 
 cultivated upland. There were three or four catde grazing here, the first we had noticed since 
 leaving Napha. We saw a horse now and then, but this animal aj)peared to be scarce. The 
 dividing ridge between the bays was about three miles in advance, and though the afternoon 
 was nigh spent, and the whole party was considerably fatigued, we determined to get sight of 
 Barrow's Bay before encamping. At last we reached a large village on the western slope of the 
 ridge. It was surrounded with plantations of banana, and a tall pine grove towered over it. 
 Through a deep road gate, cut in the crest of the hill, a fine picture of Barrow's Bay and the 
 mountains beyond presented itself to our view. The southern shore of the bay was about three 
 miles distant, and a singular range of rocks, rising in detached square masses like the walls and 
 towers of a ruined city, intervened. The landscape was more richly wooded than those on the 
 southern bay, and the outlines of the hills were rounder and more gently undulating. We
 
 174 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 seemed to have reached a region of a diiferent geological character. We were about to pitch 
 our tent at this place, when the native officers gave us to understand that there was a Cung-qiid 
 a short distance further, and urged us so strongly to go on that we shouldered our muskets and 
 haversacks and started again. But we had a rough tramp of nearly three miles further, and 
 finally came, with bruised feet and aching shoulders, upon the last descent to Barrow's Bay. 
 Picturesque crags studded the hillside, and a large village, completely covered with thickets of 
 banana and bamboo, lay before us. Over it towered a tall crag, rent through the centre and 
 surmounted with a square rock, like a ruined tower. We threaded the village by shaded alleys, 
 and at the further end, on a spot commanding a fine view of the bay, found a handsome Cung-qud, 
 in an enclosure planted with trees. A dignitary of some kind welcomed us, and we were at 
 once served with small cups of excellent tea. The soft, thick mats, the shelter and comfort of 
 the building, were well worth the fatigue of our forced march. Fresh water in earthen jars, 
 with a square wooden ladle floating on the top, stood ready for us, and there was a kitchen in 
 the rear where our men could cook conveniently. The Pe-ching came in after sunset and greeted 
 us with much cordiality. Eggs and fowls were immediately furnished, and, as at our former 
 camp, all payment was refused. The utmost curiosity appeared to prevail in the village 
 respecting us, and, as it grew dark, the circle of heads peering over the wall enclosing the 
 Cung-qua increased rapidly, till there could not have been less than two or three hundred. Fires 
 were kindled all around us, and the ruddy glow thrown up by them and by the torches carried 
 back and forth flickered brilliantly over the dusky foliage of the trees. 
 
 A watch was set as before, and the mosquitoes being less annoying we all enjoyed a tolerable 
 rest. The Chinamen were, or feigned to be, completely spent, and for the greater part of the 
 day the baggage had been carried by Lew Chew coolies. The patience, good humor, and 
 endurance of the latter, quite put to shame the worthless and deceitful creatures whom we had 
 been indiscreet enough to bring with us. The natives kept their counter-watch, and on rising 
 before sunrise the next morning, we found that fifty or sixty of them had passed the night at 
 their camp fires. The object of the officers in having a watch kept seemed to be both to prevent 
 any of us from stealing a march upon them during the night, and to hinder any of the natives 
 from annoying us. 
 
 Mr. Jones made application for a boat to carry us across the bay, but there was none to be 
 had. The name of the village to which the Cung-qua belonged was "Missikya." We set our 
 little file in motion and proceeded, by a pleasant path, over level land, a mile or two inland. 
 The cultivation was thorough, but confined mostly to beans and sweet potatoes. The villages 
 were so hidden away behind their alleys of tall, arched bamboo that the police scouts had little 
 need to precede us. A native guide ran ahead ; but as he constantly took the left-hand road, 
 leading into the middle of the island, evidently with a view of conducting us back to Sheudi, we 
 finally lialted at the foot of an isolated hill, covered with wood, and held a consultation. The 
 wild mountain-range north of Barrow's Bay now appeared on our right, and it was plain that 
 our course was leading us away from the head of the bay, which we desired to reach. We, 
 therefore, turned, in spite of the protestations of the guide and the native officers, and passed 
 around the eastern brow of the hill, whereon we found two grottoes of soft limestone rock. The 
 scenery here was a charming mixture of pine forest and cultivated field ; and both in its features 
 and its prevailing hue of dark-green resembled the landscapes of soutliern Germany. 
 
 In the bottom of the valley was a stream lined with bristling ranks of the pandanus, or false
 
 EXPLORATION OF LEW CHEW. 175 
 
 pine apple. We were obliged to pull off our Loots and wade. We here found a shrub with 
 small white blossoms and bright-green milky leaves ; another with yellow berries of a powerful 
 aromatic taste ; and a liliaceous plant, with a racine of flowers resembling those of the snap- 
 dragon, but white in hue, with a fringed lip of the richest orange. At one of the villages on 
 the plain I noticed the plum and the orange, and a new variety of the banyan, with very small 
 glossy leaves. Beyond the stream we struck into fragrant pine woods, and finally into a dense 
 forest, where the path was still wet and slippery from the rains, and the branches, meeting 
 overhead, made a perpetual shade. There were few flowers, and still fewer birds, in this 
 wilderness. In fact, the scarcity of birds all over the island, considering that they are not 
 destroyed by the natives, is rather singular. The day was very clear and hot, and the trees, 
 while they shaded us, quite shut off the sea breeze. The foliage was almost tropical, consisting 
 of dense glossy-leaved shrubs and luxuriant ferns, overtopped by woods of pine. Smaller paths 
 branched off here and there to the distant huts of the woodmen. After ascending for more than 
 two miles, we crossed a ridge and the path became gradually more open, exposing a view to the 
 west, over high hills, covered entirely with copsewood and patches of pine forest. The country 
 resembled the wild lands of America. There were swamps in the hollows, and we began to 
 look out for the wild boars which are said to exist in this part of the island. Catching another 
 view to the eastward, we found ourselves near the head of Barrow's Bay, and after a half hour's 
 halt, to rest the coolies, set out again. Our official escort came up during the halt, much 
 fatigued, but as cordial and good humored as ever. Indeed, considering that all their trouble and 
 fatigue were caused by ourselves, we had every reason to admire the unshaken patience with 
 which they submitted to our apparently wayward course. 
 
 Crossing another hill, we passed down broad, well-trodden paths, shaded by magnificent 
 arches of foliage, through a neat village. The houses were larger than usual, and there was an 
 aspect of greater wealth. Among the trees was one fifteen feet high, covered with cream-colored 
 blossoms, which exhaled the fragrance of nutmeg. An avenue of pines led ,down from this 
 lovely spot to a narrow plain at the head of Barrow's Bay. The rice growing in these parts 
 was very scanty and not yet in head. A large village, buried in trees, extended for half a mile 
 inland from the sea shore. We took a path leading down to the beach ; but Mr. Jones, who 
 was in advance, entered the village, where he was very courteously received and twice presented 
 with tea and pipes. The exhibition of his watch^ and a pocket microscope, excited the 
 unbounded wonder of the natives. The village was named "Isitza." 
 
 We forded a salt creek and pitched our noonday camp on a piny knoll, at the foot of the hills. 
 As Mr. Jones had not arrived, we fastened our flag to the top of a tree and fired signals. I 
 took a bath in the sea, with the men, while our kettle was boiling. The water was excessively 
 saline, and the fine white particles of salt covered my face like dust as it became dry. At thi.s 
 point Mr. Jones found a stratum of gneiss, for the first time, at the water's edge. Our native 
 friends drank three cups of our tea and asked for some biscuits, which they seemed to relish. 
 Before starting again we had a talk with them about the route. We wished to reach a point on 
 the coast north of Barrow's Bay, marked as "Kaneja" on our copy of the Japanese chart of 
 Lew Chew. The officers did not seem to recognize any such place, though they spoke of 
 "Kannah," where there was a Cung-qua, 30 li, or ten miles distant, and we decided to reach 
 it, if possible. 
 
 We left at half-past one, taking one of the natives as a guide. Tlie path fulluwud llio line ot
 
 176 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 the bay, and vre walked, for two hours, in deep sand and crushed shells, around curve and head- 
 laud. It was very toilsome work, especially as the glare of the sand struck directly in our 
 faces. The beach was narrow and bordered with thick hedges of the pandanus, the fruit of 
 which resembles that of the pine apple. The mountains on our left were wild and uncultivated. 
 There were occasional paths striking up their sides ; but, although the compass told us that the 
 shore-path led us out of our true course, the guide refused to take any of them. At the end of 
 two hours we reached a large village, where the guide, who had followed us from "Isitza," 
 levied a substitute and turned back. A two-masted junk, of thirty or forty tons burden, lay at 
 anchor in a cove near this place. We were now approaching the northern extremity of Barrow's 
 Bay, and had a full view of the long headland south of it, and the four islands which lie, like a 
 breakwater, across its mouth. The bay appeared to be extremely shallow, except near the 
 entrance ; and I doubt whether it would be of much value, as a harbor, for shipping of large size. 
 The path, finally, turned off to the north, up a steep hill, which brought us upon a rolling 
 upland, covered with abundance of wood. The mountains we had passed exhibited an outline 
 similar to the Catskills, and there was nothing in the scenery to remind us of the vicinity of the 
 tropics. We presently entered a fine, broad avenue of pines, at the extremity of which appeared 
 a handsome house, with a tiled roof. Our native conductors passed on into some bamboo arches, 
 which denoted a village beyond ; but I slipped suddenly into the open entrance and found a 
 spacious house in the midst of a garden, with a small Buddhist temple beside it. Quick as my 
 motions had been, the mats were already let down before all the doors, and nobody was to be 
 seen. Before the house was a plant about ten feet high^ with large scarlet panicles of flowers. 
 I had barely time to break oif a cluster when one of our officers came hurrying up and urged 
 me, by signs and words, to leave, saying that the Bunyo, or Governor, as he designated Mr. 
 Jones, had gone on. I, therefore, followed him through the village to a Cung-qua, which was 
 larger and finer than any we had yet seen. It was like an elegant private residence; having a 
 garden, enclosed by a square, clipped hedge of jessamine, and a separate establishment for 
 servants and attendants. There were rows of chrysanthemums (a flower much esteemed by the 
 Japanese) and two peach trees in the garden, besides a stout camellia, clipped into a fanciful 
 shape. We installed ourselves in the chief apartment, on the soft matting, while the Pe-ching 
 and his train took the other building. The only supplies we could procure were raw salt fish and 
 sweet potatoes, with some roots of a native onion, pickled in salt. Neither fowls nor eggs could 
 be found. The natives gave the name of the village as "Ching," which, being a Chinese word, 
 is evidently incorrect ; but we could get no other. The jiajier screens between the rooms were 
 removed on our arrival, tea was brought in, and the natives busied themselves to make us com- 
 fortable; but the same unrelaxing espionage, as at "Missikya," was kept up through the whole 
 night. Again camp-fires were kindled and guards posted around us, while crowds of curious 
 natives peeped from behind the bushes and walls to gratify their desire of seeing us. Mr. 
 Heine, who had the first watch, went out to the camp fire, showed the people his watcli, and 
 other curiosities, and soon had a large crowd of villagers gathered about him ; but one of the 
 officers making his appearance, a single word of command scattered them in all directions, and 
 they did not return again. In the evening I off'ered a handful of cash to one of the boys who 
 had accompanied us from Napha. He refused it very earnestly, as tbere were two other boys 
 standing near ; but, watching an opportunity, when he was alone, I oftered it again, when he 
 immediately accepted it, with gestures expressive of his thanks.
 
 EXPLORATION OF LEW CHEW. 177 
 
 The Pe-cliing, who had fallen in the rear, came up after dark, and immediately sought us, to 
 make his salutations. We found that he and his associates had been keeping a journal of our 
 proceedings, and had already filled a roll of paj^er several yards in lengtli with their remarks. 
 We had but few mo.squitoes, and slept so well that I had some difhculty in rising for the 
 mid-watch. After much search, two tough old hens were found for our breakfast, which we 
 ate under the scrutiny of an hundred eyes, continually peering at us over walls, or popping out 
 from behind bushes. Whenever we noticed any of them the heads disappeared, but they 
 returned again as soon as our gaze was removed. 
 
 We were now commencing our fourth day, and it was time to think of turning back shortly. 
 After some consultation, it was determined to follow the coast for a short distance further, then 
 strike across the island in the direction of Port Melville, and reach in the evening a point on 
 the western shore corresponding to the latitude of our present camp. On starting, the native 
 officers were very urgent in requesting us to take a road leading westward. We kept, however, 
 a course nearly due north, and soon reached a hill, whence there was an excellent view of the 
 country on all sides. The northern headland of Barrow's Bay lay behind us. The general 
 direction of the coast in advance was N.E., stretching away to a distant promontory. A spinal 
 ridge of mountains, covered with a wilderness of forests, ran parallel with the coast, leaving a 
 narrow strip of cultivated land next the sea. A column of smoke ascended from one of the 
 northern peaks, which we judged (and rightly, as it afterwards proved) to be a fire in the 
 woods. 
 
 Mr. Jones decided to make for a gorge between two peaks, about six miles distant, and 
 rather to the east of north. We crossed a deep valley, with a salt creek at its bottom, and, 
 after following the coast for some time, took a road which, after ascending a long barren ridge, 
 plunged into the woods. The further we advanced, the more dense became the wilderness. 
 The only persons we met were woodmen, whom we saw occasionally felling trees with their 
 rude axes. The path was narrow, wet, and slippery, and for two or three miles a continual 
 ascent. At length we reached a conical peak covered with trees. The ascent was very difficult, 
 and I halted with the coolies at the base, while Mr. Jones, Dr. Lynah, and Mr. Heine, went up 
 to obtain a view. By climbing the trees and cutting away some of the limbs, they opened 
 space for a grand central panorama of the island, which Mr. Heine set about sketching from the 
 tree-top. The path, which by this time had dwindled almost out of sight, passed directly over 
 the summit. We found the ascent like a staircase, and were obliged to use hands and feet to 
 reach the top. The Lew Chew coolies who carried our baggage made their way up with great 
 difficulty. As we were all suffering from thirst, I started in advance, with the seaman Mitchell, 
 the Chinamen, and the coolies. The path, which was now a faint woodman's trail, did not 
 appear to have been travelled for months. It was shut in by a species of small bamboo, so 
 dense as almost to exclude light, and a large, red, hairy spider had woven innumerable webs 
 across it. Now ascending, now descending, we pushed ourselves or crept through the almost 
 impervious copse wood, for nearly two miles, till the path became more open, and a ])artial 
 look-out to the westward showed us the China sea. On the side of the nearest peak to the 
 northward, we distinctly saw the woods on fire and a bare space of about ten acres studded with 
 charred trunks. The descent was very slippery, but becoming more and more open, I at length 
 recognized our position. We were approaching the head of the deep bight south of Port 
 Melville, and separated from it by an arm of the island, which stretches out to the northwest, 
 23 J
 
 178 
 
 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 at right angles to tlic main hodj. The curious peaked island called the "Sugar Loaf," off the 
 point of this promontory, was in view before us. The western slope of the island at this point 
 is covered almost entirely with forests, the cultivation being confined to the bottoms of valleys 
 and ravines opening upon the sea. 
 
 The path led across the top of a narroM' ledge about a yard wide, with chasms more than a 
 hundred feet deep on each side, and then dropped to the bottom of the glen, where we found a 
 stream of deliciously cool and sweet water. We all drank to excess, and then climbed a little 
 ridge beyond, where the air blew fresh, and sat down to await the rest of the party. Mr. 
 Jones found granite of fine quality in the ravine, and we afterwards met with another broad 
 stratum in a rocky gateway further below. Our only path made for a village on the shore, 
 whither we repaired for our mid-day halt. The houses were lined with luxuriant bananas, in 
 blossom, and the lanes between them hedged with the glossy inocarpiis, forming walls of foliage 
 twenty feet in height, outside of which were neat wicker fences of split bamboo. Near the 
 village were three structures raised ui^on timber frames, and covered with thatched roofs 
 
 Valley and Uice Houses. 
 
 They appeared to be storehouses, elevated in this manner to preserve the grain from the 
 moisture of the earth. Beneath them were wooden platforms, offering us shade and convenience 
 for our halt. The people brought us sweet potatoes, a small pan of salt fish, and a pumpkin, 
 which was all they could supply. Even these were refused us until the arrival of the Pe-ching^ 
 to wlid.se authority all the others deferred. Tlie rapidity of our inarch had left him in the rear,
 
 EXPLORATION OF LEW CHEW. 1V9 
 
 but he came up after an hour, and set himself to work with great good humor to supply our 
 wants. In order to shield themselves from the heat of the sun, some of his attendants had tied 
 banana leaves around their heads, and they all complained of fatigue. 
 
 We left Ny-komma, as the village was called, about half past two. At this, the most 
 northern point we reached, we could not have been more than eight or nine miles distant from 
 Port Melville. The intervening land was low, and another day would have enabled us to 
 reach the head of that harbor. The native officials explained to us by signs, and by tracing 
 lines on the sand, that the road to Sheudi lay along the beach, and that there was a Cung-qua 
 about 20 U distant. We tramped along sandy beaches and over stony headlands, following the 
 general course of the shore, and never diverging far from it. The bay, or bight, marked with 
 numerous abrupt indentations, presented some fine bold outlines of shore. Off the many 
 inferior promontories lay rocky islets, covered with rich vegetation. The wooded mountains on 
 our left were the same which we had skirted the day previous on the northern side of Barrow's 
 Bay. The lower slopes on this side were partially cultivated, but the principal thoroughfare of 
 the island, which we were following, kept near the sea, and often ran for half a mile through 
 deep sand and shells. The scenery was extremely picturesque, reminding me of the coast of 
 Sicily. Inside of the Sugar Loaf we espied two small boats, with lug-sails of white canvass, 
 which the men declared were our ship's boats; but this has since proved to be a mistake. 
 
 Notwithstanding the sultry heat of the afternoon, the Lew Chew coolies kept pace with us, 
 under their heavy loads, while our lazy and complaining Chinamen lagged behind. These 
 coolies were mostly boys, from twelve to sixteen years of age. I noticed as a curious fact that, 
 in spite of the heavy loads they carried, and the rough by-ways we frequently obliged them to 
 take, they never perspired in the least, nor partook of a drop of water, even in the greatest 
 heat. They were models of cheerfulness, alacrity, and endurance, always in readiness, and 
 never, by look or word, evincing the least dissatisfaction. Our official conductors drank but 
 two or three times of water during the whole journey. Tea appears to be the universal 
 beverage of refreshment. It was always brought to us whenever we halted, and frequently 
 offered to Mr. Jones, as the head of the party, in passing through villages. Once, at an 
 humble fisherman's village, when we asked for mizt, which signifies cold water, they brought 
 us a pot of hot water, which they call yu, and were much surprised when we refused to drink it. 
 
 After a march of ten miles along the picturesque shore, we reached one of the loveliest spots 
 on the island. It was a village perched on a bold promontory, overgrown with the pine, banyan 
 and sago palm, at the mouth of a charming valley which opened up between the hills to the 
 base of the lofty peak behind Barrow's Bay. A stream of sweet water threaded the valley, which 
 was covered with the freshest verdure, and overhung with beautiful groves of pine. It was a 
 picture of pastoral loveliness, such as is rarely found in any country. Nothing struck me more 
 during the journey than the great variety of scenery which the island encloses in its narrow 
 compass. We passed through, at least, four different districts, which bore but the slightest 
 resemblance to each other, either in features or character. We had both the groves of the 
 tropics and the wild woods of the north ; the valleys of Germany and the warm shores of the 
 Mediterranean. 
 
 The village was large, thriving, and as neatly laid out and hedged in as an English garden. 
 The scrupulous neatness and regularity of the Lew Chew villages was doubly refreshing to one 
 familiar with the squalor and filth of China. The sight of the Cung-qua, which occupied the
 
 180 
 
 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 place of honor at tlie top of tlio promontory, completed our raptures. Its roof of red tilea 
 glittered in the sun; a row of feathery sago palms threw their hrilliant leaves over the wall of 
 the enclosure ; the whitest and softest of mats covered the tioor ; the garden blazed with a 
 profusion of scarlet flowers; and stone basins, seated on pedestals, contained fresh water for our 
 use. Its aspect of comfort and repose was a balm to travellers as weary as ourselves, and I 
 directed Terry at once to hoist the stars and stripes upon the roof. I hastened back to make a 
 sketch of the beautiful valley before sunset, while Mr. Heine occupied himself with a view of the 
 Cung-qua. A venerable old man, with a snowy beard reaching nearly to his knees, approached 
 the bank where I sat, but upon noticing me, made a profound yet dignified reverence and retired. 
 Tlie village was named Un-fia. We had not yet reached the region of fowls, but the people 
 sent us two small fresh fish, with a 2>urapkin and some cucumbers. Our own stores were quite 
 low, both sugar and pork having been exhausted, so that wo had nothing left but tea, coifee and 
 ship biscuit. 
 
 Kutig-Kwa near On-na, Lew Cliew. 
 
 The natives kindled a fire inside the grounds of tlie f'ung-(|na, and half a dozen of them sat 
 around it all night. The morning was dull, and a cap of mist on the mountain threatened rain. 
 A l;atli in the sea before sunrise refreshed us for the day's march. For our breakfast, there were 
 sent two long, eel-like fish, resembling the gar, a few young egg-plants, two gourds and a 
 basket of sweet potatoes. So much time was occupied in cooking and consuming these delicacies, 
 that we did not get under way before 8 o'clock. Another consultation was held with our 
 attt-ndants, who declared that Hheudi was DO // distant, and that it would re(juirc tliree days for
 
 EXPLORATION OF I. KW CHEW. 181 
 
 US to reach Napha; this did not correspond with our own ideas of our position, and we deter- 
 mined to attempt reaching Napha the next evening, as we had been ordered. 
 
 We passed through the village of Un-na, and over the headland to a deep hay. The tide was 
 running out, and instead of wading through the sand around its entire curve, we made a straight 
 line for the opposite shore, tramping through water two or three inches deep over beds of 
 decomposing coral. We had proceeded along the shore for an hour and a half, when A-shing, 
 one of the Chinese coolies, fell sick in consequence, as it aftei-wards appeared, of drinking 
 sackee, and eating green peaches. His load was given to the Lew Chew coolies, and he obtained 
 a temporary relief by punching his throat, in three places, so violently as to produce an extra- 
 vasation of blood. Counter irritation is the usual Chinese remedy for all ailments, and it is 
 frequently very efficacious. We were near a fishing village, and Mr. Jones endeavored to obtain 
 a canoe, in which to send both our Chinamen back to the ves.sel. The Pe-ching begged him to 
 give up the idea, since one of the native officers would be obliged to accompany them, and they 
 all feared to trust themselves in the frail craft. They brought a kagoo, or rude sedan, in which 
 they offered to have the man conveyed to Napha, but he was better by this time and declared 
 himself able to proceed on foot. The officers expressed the greatest satisfaction when they found 
 that none of them would be required to return in the canoe. 
 
 In the meantime the rest of us had pushed forward with the baggage. The morning was 
 very hot, the glare from the white beach-sand struck in our faces^ and we began to tire of an 
 endless tramp around cove after cove, and headland after headland. We were now^ as we 
 calculated, opposite the head of Barrow's Bay, and 8heudi was almost in a due southerly direc- 
 tion ; yet the road still clung to the coast, as if intent on carrying us to the extreme point of 
 Cape Broughton, thus greatly lengthening our journey, besides which, our orders were to return 
 through the centre of the island. In answer to all our inquiries, the native officers and guides 
 pointed along the shore, and were extremely anxious to prevent our taking any inland paths. 
 This excited our suspicion, and we imagined their object to be to prevent our seeing the interior. 
 Finally, coming to a well-trodden path, which struck off up the hills, we shut our ears to all 
 remonstrance and took it. In a short time it brought us to a handsome village, shaded not 
 only with bamboo, but with splendid banyan trees. Beyond it there was a deep ravine, with a 
 faintly marked foot-path leading to some water at the bottom. Again the natives entreated us 
 to take a path which plainly led to the shore. They pointed to the gorge, crying "mizi," 
 intimating that the path went no further than the water. Nevertheless, seeing traces of a path 
 on the opposite side, we descended, followed by the unwilling officers and coolies. The pool of 
 water which supplied the village was shaded by the largest jjines I saw on the island. They 
 were VO or 80 feet in height, whereas the average is not more than 40 feet. 
 
 Our suspicions did injustice to the natives, for we soon found that they had our convenience 
 in view. Our path struck into a side-branch of the ravine, which, though not more than twenty 
 feet wide, was a rice-swamp at the bottom. The sides were nearly perpendicular walls of earth 
 and loose rocks, so that we were obliged to plunge up to the knees in mud. One of the men, 
 Smith, sank so deep that it required the strength of three natives to extricate him. When, at 
 last we reached the top of the hill, we found it covered with waste thickets, and no path to be 
 seen except one on an opposite height, which we reached with some trouble. The path, an old 
 and unu.'»ed one, led us back to the beach, which it now seemed impossible to leave. The coolies, 
 who had had a hard tug to get through tlie rice-swjinip, took the wliole matter very good 
 humoredly, ami th(f offioors laughed, as I thought, witli ii sort nf inalicious pleasure at our dis-
 
 182 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 comfiture. The walk over fhe white sand was doubly fatiguing after this, and on the arrival of 
 Mr. Jones we determined again to make for the interior, especially as we had reached the head 
 of the last cove, whence the coast appeared to run almost due westwardly to Cape Broughton. 
 
 Mr. Jones and Dr. Lynah, with the men Davis and Smith, took a foot-path leading southward 
 into the mountains, and after proceeding a little further along the coast I followed them with 
 the seaman Mitchell. Mr. Heine, with Terry and the Lew Chew coolies, still kept the shore. 
 We (Mitchell and I) reached with great difficulty the path taken hy the first party. It ascended 
 steeply through pine forests, alternating with dense copsewood, for about two miles, till we 
 gained the summit of the ridge. The whole expanse of Barrow's Bay came full into view to the 
 eastward, while to the south we looked beyond the promontory we had been doubling so tediously, 
 and saw the same deep cove we had beheld three days before from the top of Banner Eock. But 
 all the interior of the island was still a wilderness, and for ten miles in advance stretched an 
 unbroken forest. Our path did not appear to have been much travelled— other small paths 
 branched from it, but the party in advance had broken off boughs and left them as guides for us. 
 I was much spent with the heat and the exertion of climbing so rapidly, and after drinking out 
 of a muddy hole filled with leaves, felt an attack of mingled heat and cold, with an oppression 
 of the heart, which took away all my strength. We saw the other party on the top of a high 
 peak ahead of us. The path crossed a ledge as narrow as a wall, with deep gulfs on each side, 
 and then ascended a rocky ladder, the steepness of which took away what little strength I had 
 remaining — I was obliged to lie down for some time before I could proceed further. A rain- 
 cloud coming up rapidly over Barrow's Bay admonished us to leave our lofty look-out. The path 
 kept on southward through miles of wilderness, but the natives who had accompanied us pointed 
 to another^ which led back almost the way we came, and which they said would bring us to a 
 Cung-qua. As there were no signs of the baggage, we were thus under the necessity of retracing 
 our steps almost to the shore. On our way we passed through a singular gorge, which was 
 closed up, in its narrowest part, by fragments hurled from above by some convulsion of nature. 
 The stream flowing at the bottom disappeared for about fifty yards, when it again issued to the 
 light through a cavernous opening. 
 
 A rain now came on, which continued for two or three hours, and made the road slippery and 
 toilsome. We passed through a village, romantically situated in a wooded glen, and over 
 uplands, covered with groves of pine^ the path gradually swerving to the south, till it finally 
 struck directly across the promontory. A great part of the way was a waste of wild thickets, 
 with mar.shy hollows between the hills. We saw, several times, the tracks of wild boar, which 
 the natives assured us were abundant ; but we were not so fortunate as to get a sight of one. 
 There were no traces of our baggage until we found the Pe-ching, and two other natives, 
 crouching under a bush to keep out of the rain and smoking their pipes. Finally, about half- 
 past two, we heard the report of fire-arms, and soon after reached the Cung-qua of "Chanda- 
 Jcosa," where M. Heine and the coolies had already been waiting some time for us. We were 
 uncertain whether the building was a bona fide Cung-qua or the residence of a hunyo, or officer, 
 for it was occupied, when Mr. Heine arrived, by a personage of some kind with his attendants, 
 but immediately given up for our use. There was a crowd of at least a hundred natives collected 
 within the enclosure and looking on, with great astonishment, while Mr. Heine fired at a mark. 
 What seemed most to interest them, next to the accuracy of his aim, was the fact of the piece 
 exploding without the application of fire, (nothing but Japanese matchlocks ever being seen on 
 the island,) and its being loaded at the breech. They appeared familiar with the nature of
 
 EXPLORATION OF LEW CHEW. 183 
 
 gunpowder, and the use of our cutlasses ; but during our journey we never saw a single weapon 
 of any kind. There is said to be a small garrison of Japanese soldiers, both at Napha and 
 Sheudi ; but, if so, they were carefully kept out of the way. 
 
 The Pe-ching, who soon afterwards came up, informed us that we had come 30 It, and that 
 Sheudi was still 60 li distant, and we could not reach it on the following day. Learning, 
 however, that there was another Cung-qua 20 li further, we decided to rest an hour or two, and 
 push on to it the same evening. The people brought two fowls, with abundance of eggs and 
 cucumbers, and, hungry and tired as we were, we made a most palatable meal. 
 
 We left again at half-past four. The road was broad, well beaten, and shaded by a double 
 road of pine trees. It ran in a southeastern direction, parallel with the coast, and about two 
 miles inland. The country continued open, slightly undulating, and pleasantly diversified ^vith 
 groves of pine for four miles, when we came suddenly upon a deep glen, traversed by much the 
 largest stream we had seen upon the island. The road crossed by a massive stone bridge, of 
 three arches, remarkable for the size and rude strength of the piers, each of which had, on the 
 inner side, in order to protect it from floods, a triangular abutment, projecting ten or twelve 
 feet. The sides of the glen were nearly perpendicular, and covered wnth wild and luxuriant 
 vegetation. Towards the sea, under a range of broken limestone crags that hung high over the 
 stream, were several ancient excavated tombs. A spring of excellent water gushed out from the 
 foot of one of these crags. Mr. Heine took a sketch of the place, which was remarkable for its 
 seclusion and picturesque beauty. The natives called the stream the "J^H-iJa." 
 
 On reaching a height overlooking the sea, we were agreeably surprised with the sight of the 
 squadron, lying off the furthest point to the southwest, and between fifteen and twenty miles 
 distant, in a straight line. This encouraged us to believe that we could reach Napha at the 
 time appointed, and we pushed on rapidly and cheerily, for it was now growing dark, and no 
 appearance of the Cung-qua. The road approached the shore, and became a raised causeway, 
 passing through rich rice swamps. The natives whom we met in the dusk of the evening took 
 to flight on seeing us. At last, at half-past seven, weary and spent with a tramp of twenty- 
 seven miles, the native herald who ran before us turned into a gateway, over which towered a 
 magnificent banyan tree. We followed, and discharged our pieces in a general feu-de-joie, on 
 seeing a Cung-qua with the lamps lighted, attendants waiting with their trays of tea-cups, and 
 a polite old gentleman standing in the verandah to receive us. The Lew Chew mats were never 
 so soft, nor the cups of unsugared native tea so refreshing, as on that evening. Eggs, cucum- 
 bers, rice, and fowls were immediately forthcoming, and our men concocted a soup which, to our 
 minds, could not have been improved. The old Pe-ching made his appearance at a late hour, 
 nearly as fatigued as ourselves, but overflowing with cordiality and good humor. A company 
 of native guards kindled a fire under the banyan tree, and prepared to spend the night there. 
 Our men were so fatigued that, in anticipation of another hard journey on the morrow, we dis- 
 pensed with the usual watch. It was the less important, as we had found the native guard 
 exceedingly vigilant in keeping away all stragglers from our vicinity. The light of the ruddy 
 camp-fire, playing over the spreading boughs of the banyan-tree, brought into strong relief the 
 groups of swarthy faces clustered around it, and presented a picture so fantastic and peculiar 
 that I sat looking at it long after I ought to have been asleep. 
 
 The sound of rain upon the tiles of our Cung-qua awoke us frequently during the night, and 
 when we arose at daybreak the sky was overcast, the roads flooded, and a steady dismal storm 
 had set in. Tlie Pe-ching and his associates wished us to stay at "Pi-ko," as the Cung-qua
 
 • EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 was called, until the next day, slapping their legs to indicate how tired they were^ and making 
 signs of slipping up and falling down in the mud. But we were inexorable, and they sent for 
 a new set of coolies to carry our baggage. We had another discussion about the distance, which 
 ended in their declaring that Sheudi was 65 li and Napha 30 U distant. This was absurd, and 
 probably ought to be attributed to the ignorance of the Chinese, through whom we communicated 
 with them. The coolies prepared themselves for the rain by putting on shaggy jackets of grass, 
 resembling the sheep-skin garments of the Roman herdsmen. Our men had their pea-jackets, 
 and we were partially protected by ponchos of gutta-percha and oilcloth. We were delaj'ed in 
 getting breakfast, and did not break up our camp until half-past nine, when we set out, every- 
 body stiff and sore from the previous day's travel. The rain was still falling, though not so 
 heavily as at first, and the road was an alternation of water and stiff mud, through which we 
 trudged with difficulty, and at the risk of leaving our boots behind us. After rounding the 
 head of the bight, we struck off over the hills to the southwest, and in an hour and a half came 
 upon another deep glen, in the bottom of which were two massive bridges over a stream so 
 broad and deep that it was doubtless a frith of the sea. We stopped an hour to rest and enable 
 Mr. Heine to take a sketch of the place. I noticed that the heavy triangular abutments to the 
 piers were here placed on the side next the sea. The natives gave the glen, or river, the name 
 of " Machinatoo." 
 
 The rain had ceased by this time, except an occasional sprinkle, and the road improved. 
 After another hour the roads branched, that on the left striking ofFup the hills to Sheudi. We 
 kept on over the hills towards Napha, the scenery gradually assuming a familiar appearance, 
 till finally, from a height covered with pine trees, we looked down upon the harbor and the 
 American squadron. After fording a broad salt creek, and crossing another ridge, we descended 
 to the village of Tum6, opposite Najiha. We reached our starting point, the house of Dr. 
 Bettelheim, at 2 p. m., and there took leave of our worthy Pe-ching and his two assistants, 
 after having appointed a time to meet them again, and endeavor to return some compensation 
 for the provision furnished during the journey. 
 
 The distance we travelled during the six days was 108 miles, as nearly as we could calculate. 
 Our trip embraced a little more than half the island, leaving the extremity south of Napha, 
 (which is of limited extent,) and that part north of the head of Port Melville, and lying on both 
 sides of that harbor, for future exj^loration."* 
 
 On the return of the party Mr. Jones submitted the following report to the Commodore 
 of his observations : 
 
 "Before describing the ancient royal castle of Chun-Ching, which we discovered in our recent 
 exploration of Lew Chew, it may be well to say a few words about the geology of the island, as 
 the two are connected with each other. 
 
 Going northward from Napha we find the general surface-rock to be argillaceous, either 
 compact or shaly, which is intersected, at frequent intervals, by dykes or ridges of secondary 
 limestone, of a very remarkable character. When we get as higli up as Barrow's Bay the 
 argillaceous rock ceases, and is succeeded by talcose slate, in which, however, the same limestone 
 dykes occur. At the most northern point reached by us, that is, at the village of Nacumma, on 
 the west side of the island, say forty-two miles north of Napha, we reached granite, rising there 
 
 •This report is from the pen of Mr. Bayard Taylor, who, it will be remembered, was directed by Commodore Perry to keep 
 
 a Journal of tlic incidents of the exploration, and make the report.
 
 GEOLOGY OFLEW CHEW. 185 
 
 Into a hill of some elevation, but so soft as easily to be cut by a hatchet. This granite is of a 
 grey color, sometimes almost white ; and its mica, which is black, lies scattered about in the 
 mass in beautiful six-sided crystals, giving it often a handsome appearance. 
 
 The talcose slate has a strike of S. 10° W., and a dip to the W. of 60°. It is mixed with 
 quartz and other foreign ingredients of a hard character, and comes to the surface in sharp, 
 jagged edges ; very severe upon the feet. 
 
 The argillaceous rock gives some marked features to the island. The rounded hills south of 
 Barrow's Bay are all of this. Being soft, it yields readily to i'oreign agencies, and is often 
 broken into bare faces, with perpendicular sides ; and thus, at the head of their valleys, some- 
 times presents us with beautiful cascades. It also forms the chief ingredient in the soil of the 
 island — in wet weather a very adhesive clay. 
 
 But the limestone dykes are the distinguishing feature of, at least, this portion of Lew Chew. 
 They cross the island in ranges of N. 50° E. and N. 60° E., rising up into peaks and castellated 
 forms, often so much like ruins of ancient buildings as to make a near examination necessary in 
 order to undeceive ourselves. The rock is highly granular, but still has in it, not unfrequent 
 remains of marine animals. Sometimes it is sufficiently compact ; but, though always hard, it 
 is generally so vesicular as, when weather-stained, to have exactly the appearance of lava, for 
 which, indeed, it is often mistaken. Its vesicular character opens it to the action of foreign 
 agencies, and, in consequence, along the sea and bay shores it is often undermined by the waves, 
 or, if harder pebbles find their way there, is by their friction worked into kettle-shaped holes, 
 with ragged, knife-shaped edges between. Where the roads in Lew Chew are paved it is with 
 this vesicular rock ; and the pavement can be exceeded, in discomfort to the traveller, only by 
 the sticky mud, from which it is intended to be a protection. 
 
 On the second day of our journey (Tuesday) we were, towards noon, travelling on the summit 
 of one of these limestone ridges, with precipitous sides descending on either hand. I was ahead 
 of the party and saw before me, by and by, a something, which I took, at first, to be the natural 
 rock crossing my road ; till, presently, I saw what looked like a window, or some such opening, 
 at its top. A nearer approach showed it, to my great surprise, to be this old deserted castle of 
 Chun-Ching. 
 
 The builders had taken advantage of a spot where the two perpendicular faces of the ridges 
 approached each other sufficiently near ; and here, on the edges of the natural rock, had erected 
 their walls, giving to the sides of their castle a great additional height ; one end, also, was in 
 part protected by a similar bold face of the rock. The road by which I came was conducted along 
 outside of the main castle, though it was still carried through the fortifications, which it entered 
 and left through gateways in very thick walls. The walls themselves were in the style so com- 
 mon in Lew Chew, called in architecture the Cyclopean style, though the stones employed here 
 are much smaller than their architypes in the old Cyclopean walls of Greece. The builders of 
 Chun-Ching contrived also to give their walls that inward curve which seems to have been the 
 fashion in Lew Chew castellated buildings, and which we see also in the royal castle in Sheudi. 
 
 Since our return I have learnt, through Dr. Bcttelheim, that Chun-Ching was once a royal 
 residence. There were, in early times, seven kingdoms in Lew Chew, each with its royal castle 
 or capitol, and Chun-Ching was one of them. The number was afterwards reduced to three, 
 then to one, as it at present remains. 
 
 What I have marked as places for burning incense (a, a, &c.) are little oven-like buildings, 
 which are common, also, to their temples and kung-kwas, and which Dr. B. tells me are for 
 24 J
 
 186 
 
 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 burning paper. The Lew Chewans have a regard, somewhat like that of Mohomedans, for any 
 paper with a sacred name upon it ; and lest such may be trodden under foot, and so desecrated, 
 they burn them in the little edifices alluded to. 
 
 Before dismissing the geology of Lew Chew, I ought to say that, just south of Nacumma, we 
 crossed, along the shore, numerous patches of recently formed rocks. The rolled pebbles of the 
 shore, together with fragments of coral, and anything else that may happen to come in, are 
 agglutinized by carbonate of lime, (probably the washings of coral reefs,) and are formed into a 
 firm compact rock. This rock is only about a foot thick, and lies in table-like fragments upon 
 the sands, where it was formed. I saw a similar recently made rock, of fine sandstone, on the 
 beach, just west of Point de Galle, in Ceylon. 
 
 The Lew Chew Islands.
 
 P' nope 
 
 ^3^orth 
 
 Fp Island, 
 £r500(|fc,o<» or Sai'iirl.,.' 
 
 3tnRl* ■: ^Vf 
 
 BsjTOw Sb 
 
 ^'S 
 
 4,^;tad«T 
 
 
 ,->; 
 
 ^^ 
 
 ^"if^siA - darlo. 
 
 .- ^.•' 
 
 f?--ii 
 
 yatlheirs Bav 
 
 *"■'« ■'•• ' ■^rz"- 
 
 r*. " ^"xApju 
 
 i£u<t«k5^- 
 
 I S 1, A N I) 
 
 ,/ 
 
 CKKAT LKW ( IIF:W 
 
 
 (■tU«tof UrreaotA
 
 LEW CHKW STEATAGEMS. 
 
 187 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 EFFORTS OF ArTHOBITIES OF LEW CHEW TO PRETEXT A VISIT TO THE PALACE. ALL rVsrCCESSFCL. LAXDING FOR THE VISIT. 
 
 PROCESSION. APPEARANCE OF THE COU-VTRT. — RECEPTION AT THE PALACE. EMBARRASSMENT OF THE RECENT. ENTER- 
 TAINMENT AT THE regent's HOUSE. SAKI. NEW DISHES. COMMODORE INVITES AUTHORITIES TO A DINNER ON BOARD THE 
 
 SrsacEHANNA.— GENERAL IMPRESSIONS PRODUCED BT THE VISIT. ESPIONAGE STILL KEPT UP. DAILT EXERCISE OF SAILORS 
 
 AND MARINES. SETTLEMENT OF ACCOUNTS WITH LEW CHEW AUTHORITIES. MISSISSIPPI AND SUPPLY REMAIN AT LEW CHEW. 
 
 SUSQUEHANNA AND SARATOGA LEAVE FOR THE BONIN ISLANDS.— DEATH OF AN OPIUM SMOKER ON THE PASSAGE. INHUMANITY 
 
 OF CHINESE. SUNDAY ON BOARD. ARRIVAL AT PORT LLOYD. 
 
 HE determination of the Commodore to return the visit of 
 the regent, at the palace, and nowhere else, had been seem- 
 g. ingly acquiesced in by the Lew Chew dignitary ; hut, in 
 '-"" truth, he had hut yielded to a necessity. The Commodore 
 liad power to carry out his determination, and the regent 
 ,^ deemed it most prudent to concur, with the semblance of 
 "^ I)oliteness, in that which he could not prevent. 
 ..^ This, however, did not induce that functionary and his 
 subordinate officers to spare their efforts in the attempt to 
 escape the much dreaded visit to the palace. Accordingly, 
 they resorted to divers devices and stratagems, too clumsy, however, to be deemed either inge- 
 nious or cunning. In the first place, they begged that the Commodore would return the visit 
 at Kapha instead of Shui ; then the effort was made to entrap the commanier into a meeting 
 ■with the regent, which would have been considered a return of the latter's visit. In pursuance 
 of this scheme, the mayor of Napha made a great feast, some days before that named by the 
 Commodore for his visit, and invited him to be present, with the intention of having the regent 
 attend and preside. The invitation was politely declined, on the ground that the storeship, 
 Caprice, was about to be dispatched on the appointed day to Shanghai, and the Commodore 
 would necessarily be occupied. When the Lew Chewans found that the Commodore did not 
 attend, they were determined that he should not, at any rate, lose the feast that had been pre- 
 pared for him, and accordingly sent off to the ship numerous dishes of the intended banquet. 
 These, as a matter of courtesy, were allowed to come on board, and very soon the quarter-deck 
 exhibited various preparations of poultry, fish, vegetables, and fruits. The Commodore, how- 
 ever, from considerations of policy, thought it best to be invisible. 
 
 The next device was to appeal to the humanity of the Commodore, and the request was pre- 
 ferred that he would make his visit to the palace of the prince instead of at the roynl residence.
 
 188 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 The reason assigned was, that the queen dowager was sick, and had been for a year, in conse- 
 quence of the shock received on the visit of a British naval officer, who persisted in entering 
 the royal residency to present a letter from Lord Palmerston to the Lew Chew government; 
 and it was intimated that a repetition of such desecration of the palace would add to the malady 
 of the queen, if, indeed, it did not produce a fatal termination. 
 
 The Commodore, who did not believe one word of the queen dowager's illness, and who was 
 quite convinced also that all this manoeuvring and trickery were designed merely to satisfy the 
 spies kept about the Lew Chewans by the Japanese government, replied to this affecting appeal, 
 that it was his duty to go where an officer of the Queen of England had been before him to have 
 an audience ; and that, if the queen dowager did not see fit to remove to the palace of her son 
 during his intended visit, he thought that the pageantry, music, &c., attending it (purely 
 peaceful) miglit divert her mind, and tend rather to amuse her ; while, if she wished, his learned 
 physicians, who would accompany him, would be most happy to exercise their skill for her bene- 
 fit, and assist in restoring her to health. 
 
 At last, all devices having utterly failed to move the Commodore from his purpose, the day 
 came which he had designated for his visit to the regent. It was matter of policy to make a 
 show of it, and hence some extra pains were taken to offer an imposing spectacle. The day 
 opened cloudily with a brisk wind stirring, and did not at first seem to promise a propitious 
 season ; but after a morning shower the sky came out bright and blue, and until evening the 
 aspect of nature was as fresh and beautiful as could have been desired. 
 
 The hour of departure had been fixed at 9 o'clock. Presently the signal was made from the 
 flag-ship, and all the'boats of the other ships pushed off at the same time, and as they pulled to 
 the land presented a very lively appearance. The point selected for landing was the little village 
 of Tumai, about two miles from the palace of Shui. After all the other boats had gone^ the 
 Commodore set out in his barge, and on his arrival the marines were founds under arms, and in 
 line, under a grove of trees by the road-side, near the landing. Groups of officers in uniform 
 were gathered in little knots under the shade of the trees ; the boats' crews rested on their oars, 
 looking with interest on the proceedings, while the natives to the number of hundreds (many of 
 them of the better class) stood aroimd, evidently not a little moved and excited by the scene 
 before them. 
 
 The Commodore, with the captain of the fleet and Commanders Buchanan, Lee, and Walker, 
 then passed down the line of the marines and artillerymen, when the procession was immediately 
 formed. First came two field-pieces, under the command of Lieutenant Bent, each having above 
 it the American ensign, and immediately preceded by the master of the Susquehanna, (Mr. 
 Bennett,) with Mr. Williams and Dr. Bettelheim, the interpreters. Next followed the band of 
 the Mississippi with a company of marines, under command of Major Zeilin. The Commodore 
 followed then in a sedan chair, which had been manufactured for the nonce, by the carpenter on 
 board the ship. It was emphatically a dignified vehicle, as became tlie occasion, large and 
 stately, deeply indebted to paint and putty, not quite as polished as a tinnout from Newark or 
 Longacre, but, on the whole, decidedly a feature in the procession, though its hangings of red 
 and blue were not of the finest. At all events, it was the most iin]wsing sedan the Lew Chewans 
 ever saw. It was borne by eiglit Cliinese coolies, four relieving each other alternately. Ofl each 
 side of it marched a marine as body guard, while a handsome boy had been selected as a page, 
 who, with a Chinese steward, were the immediate personal attendants.
 
 APPEARANCE OF THE COUNTRY. 189 
 
 Captain Adams, Liciiterant Contee, and Mr. Perrv, followed the sedan. Next appeared six 
 coolies bearing the presents designed for the prince and queen dowager, and guarded by a file 
 of marines. Then came the officers of the expedition, headed by Captains Buchanan, Lee, and 
 Sinclair, followed by their servants. Next were the band of the Susquehanna, and a company 
 of marines closed the procession, which in numbers amounted to some two hundred or more. 
 
 The whole procession was well arranged and picturesque in effect ; while the beauty of the 
 day, the verdure of the hills and fields, and the cheerful music of the bands gave life and spirit 
 to the occasion. The natives clustered thickly on the sides of the road to gaze on the glittering 
 novelty, while crowds of them hung in the rear of the cortege. They did not manifest the 
 smallest apprehension, notwithstanding the presence of the marines under arms, and evidently 
 were pleasantly excited by the spectacle before them. ^Yhen the procession passed through any 
 narrow lane the natives nearest to them knelt, the rank behind stooped down, and the rear 
 remained erect, that all might have an opportunity of seeing. Very soon the procession emerged 
 from the village, and came out upon the open undulating country south of Sheudi. The picture 
 here was perfect. The fields of upland rice were gracefully bending like waves before the wind; 
 the groves and hill sides were dark with the deep-green foliage, so suggestive of cool shady 
 retreats, while, in the distance, the roof-tops of Sheudi, glittering in the sun, revealed, here 
 and there, a spot of dazzling brightness amid the thick leafy covering of the trees in which the 
 city was embosomed. Under clumps of the Lew Chew pine the pleased natives were gathered 
 in groups, while others might be seen running along the ridges that divided the rice fields, that 
 they might head the procession, and thus gain another view ; while over all the music from the 
 bands floated far around, and added to the pleasurable excitement of the march. As the pro- 
 cession ascended the hill of Sliui the officers and men, who had been so long confined to the 
 monotony of ship-board life, gazed around with delight, perfectly charmed with the rich culti- 
 vated landscape that stretched away to the southward and westward. 
 
 The officer designated to receive the Commodore at the landing, and conduct him to the capital, 
 ■was the Pe-ching who had been, in the previous week, with the exploring party into the interior. 
 When the procession arrived at the gate of Shui, it was met by a crowd of native dignitaries, 
 with their attendants, all in their best robes of grass cloth, and with the red and yellow hatchee- 
 matchees, or peculiar Lew Chew cap, on their heads. The old regent and his three venerable 
 coadjutors here appeared, and after salutations, turned and accompanied the procession into the 
 city. It passed on without halting, through the central arch, and marched up the principal 
 street. A large train of attendants was in the retinue of the regent and chiefs ; some carried 
 umbrellas, others bore chow-cJioiv, or refreshment boxes, cases for cups, and other articles. 
 There was an inscription in Chinese characters over the central arch, which was translated by 
 Mr. Williams to signify "The place of authority;" under this arch the common people were 
 not allowed to pass. 
 
 The main street showed, on either side, high walls, with occasional alleys branching from it 
 on both sides. The native officers kept the streets clear of spectators, except at one spot, where 
 an alley branched oiF to the left. Here was a dense crowd, and here also was exhibited the final 
 device to prevent the Commodore from going to the ]>alace. Tlie regent's own residence was not 
 far from the entrance of the street thus crowded, and here that dignitary requested, through the 
 interpreter, that the procession should at once go to his house and partake of the refreshment* 
 he had provided. Mr. AVilliams, who saw at once the object of the request, paid no attention
 
 190 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 to it, Imt marched straight on to the paLice gate. It was obvious that the regent had anticipated 
 that his stratagem wouUl prove successful, for the gate of the pahice was closed. A messenger, 
 however, was dispatched, at full speed, to cause it to he opened, and make preparations for the 
 Commodore's reception. On arriving at the entrance, the artillery and marines were drawn up 
 in line, and the Commodore and his suite walked past them into the castle or palace; the troops 
 presented arms, the ensigns were lowered, and the band played "Hail Columbia." 
 
 On entering the first gateway, a second wall and portal were seen above, (for the edifice stood 
 on a cliflf or elevation of rock, which formed, indeed, part ot its foundation,) and, this second 
 gateway formed the entrance to the outer court of the palace, which crowned the height. This 
 court was surrounded by houses, which seemed to be designed for servants and others belonging 
 to the royal household. On the eastern side, however, was another gateway, resembling the 
 Chinese portals of honor. This consisted of hco arches, and the Commodore was conducted, as 
 a mark of honor and respect due to his rank, through that on the right hand, into what 
 appeared to be the central court of the palace. It was about eighty feet square, with very plain 
 wooden buildings, of one story only, on its sides, and was paved with gravel and large tiles, 
 arranged in alternate lozenges. The hall of reception was on the north side. All the other 
 buildings, on the other sides, were protected by screens from the view of those in the court. 
 
 The Commodore was conducted into the hall of audience, and placed in a chair at the head 
 of the room, on the right hand side; the officers followed, and were ranged in chairs on a single 
 line, next to the Commodore, according to rank. These chairs were of some dark wood, 
 lacquered, and were like our camp stools. There was also a double line of members of the 
 Commodore's retinue across the bottom of the room. On the left side of the apartment sat the 
 regent, with his three principal councillors, and a double rank of attendants stood behind them. 
 The interpreters stood at the head of the room, near the Commodore, but between him and the 
 regent All having been thus accommodated, time was afforded for looking around. On the 
 wall was a large red tablet, inscribed with Chinese characters, which signify, in English, "The 
 elevated inclosure of fragrant festivities;" an inscription, by the way, which seems more appro- 
 priate to a place of feasting than to a hall of diplomacy or state receptions, where there is 
 ordinarily little fragrance and less festivity. 
 
 The queen dowager, who had been so pathetically represented as being sick, did not, of 
 course, make her appearance; nor did the boy prince, for whom the regent governed. After 
 mutual salutations, tables were brought, and cup.s of very weak tea were presented to the 
 guests. Smoking boxes were also distributed aroimd the room, and twists of very tough ginger- 
 bread were placed on the table. In short, it was obvious that the visit at the palace was 
 unexpected; it had been supposed, probably, that the stratagem of the regent to prevent it, by 
 taking the Commodore to his own house, would succeed ; and, consequently, no preparations 
 had been made for the reception of the company at the palace. Presently the Commodore invited 
 the regent and his three colleagues to visit him on board the Susquehanna. He stated that he 
 intended leaving Napha in a day or two, but that, after ten days, he should return again, and 
 would receive them at any time they might choose to appoint, either before his departure or after 
 his return. They replied that they would leave the time of the visit to be named by the 
 Commodore, and he stated that he would prefer it should be made after his return. To this they 
 assented with seeming satisfaction. The next step in the ceremonies consisted in the regent's 
 taking several large red cards, similar to those used on state occasions in China, when he
 
 ENTERTAINMENT AT THE KEGENt's HOUSE. 191 
 
 and his three companions rose, advanced a few steps, and bowed profoundly. The Commodore 
 and all the officers rose and bowed in return, but without precisely understanding what the 
 homage of the Lew Chewans particularly meant ; they were determined, however, not to be 
 outdone in the outward symbols of civility. 
 
 The Commodore then tendered to the regent such articles as he might need or desired to 
 possess, provided he had them on board any of the ships, adding that it would give him pleasure 
 to supply them. Hereupon, the four dignitaries rose again, advanced, and bowed as before. 
 The interview was becoming rather uninteresting, and it was quite plain that the magnates of 
 Lew Chew were, from some cause or other, not quite at their ease. 
 
 After about an hour the regent rose and proposed that the Commodore should visit him now, 
 at his own house. This was alike intelligible and agreeable, and the procession was formed and 
 marched to the street where it had been invited fo enter on its way to the palace. The house of 
 the regent was spacious, consisting of a central hall, with wings open to the court-yard, from 
 which it was separated by a narrow verandah only. The floor was covered with fine matting. 
 It was at once apparent that most hospitable preparations had here been made for the entertain- 
 ment of the American visitors. Four tables were set in the central apartment, and three in 
 each of the wings, and these were covered with a most bountiful collation. Immediately on 
 entering the guests were desired to seat themselves, the Commodore, with Captains Buchanan 
 and Adams, occupying the highest table on the right hand, and the regent and his associates 
 the one opposite on the left. A pair of chop-sticks was placed at each corner of every table ; in 
 the centre was an earthen pot filled with saJcee, (the intoxicating drink made by the Lew 
 Chewans,) surrounded with four acorn cups, four large, coarse China cups, with clumsy spoons 
 of the same material, and four teacups. On each table were dishes to the number of some 
 twenty, of various sizes and shapes, and the exact basis of some of which no American knoweth 
 to this day; possibly it was pig. Of the dishes, however, which were familiar to western appre- 
 hension there were sliced boiled eggs, which had been dyed crimson, fish made into rolls and 
 boiled in fat, pieces of cold baked fish, slices of hog's liver, sugar candy, cucumbers, mustard, 
 salted raddish tops, and fragments of lean pork, fried. Cups of tea were first handed round ; 
 these were followed by very small cups of sakee, which had the taste of French liqueur. Small 
 bamboo sticks, sharpened at one end, and which some of the guests mistook for toothpicks, were 
 furnished, to be used as forks in taking balls of meat and dough from the soup, which made the 
 first course. Soup constituted also the next seven courses of the twelve, whereof the repast 
 consisted. The other four were gingerbread, salad made of bean sprouts and young onion tops, 
 a basket of what appeared to be some dark red fruit, but proved to be artificial balls composed 
 of a thin dough rind covering a sugary pulp, and a delicious mixture compounded of beaten eggs 
 and a slender white root with an aromatic taste. 
 
 Novel as was this bill of fare, the gentlemen of the expedition endeavored, with true courtesy, 
 to do honor to the repast, and at the end of the twelfth course respectfully took leave, though they 
 were assured there were twelve more to come. The number of the courses indicated the desire 
 to do our countrymen a double share of honor, inasmuch as twelve is the prescribed number for 
 a royal entertainment. The Lew Chewans, far removed as they are from the conventionalities 
 of western civilization, seemed, notwithstanding, to understand very well the habit of drinking 
 toasts and giving sentiments, and, indeed, were ready enough to drink on private account, 
 without any stately formality, as the sakee circulated freely during the eight courses of soup.
 
 192 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 When the Commodore supposed the solids were about to appear, he rose and proposed as a toast 
 the health of the queen mother and the young viceroy, adding, "Prosperity to the Lew 
 Chewans, and may they and the Americans always he friends." This, having been translated 
 to the regent, appeared greatly to gratify him, and was drunk standing, with Lew Chew honors, 
 which consist of draining the small cup of sakee, holding a teaspoon full, at one gulp, and 
 turning the vessel bottom upward. The Commodore afterward proposed the health of the regent 
 and his associates, which the latter returned by proposing the health of the Commodore and the 
 officers of the squadron. By this time the embarrassment and anxious looks of the Japanese 
 officials had entirely vanished ; from what cause they had proceeded our officers could not learn, 
 but most probably from the consciousness that they were under espionage, and that all they said 
 or did would be reported to those above them. The entertainment, however, proceeded and 
 terminated with the best possible feeling on both sides. 
 
 The interpreter of the regent was a young native, named Ichirazichi, who had been educated 
 at Pekin, where he remained three years. He could speak a little English, but the Chinese was 
 the language of communication. This youth had some knowledge both of the United States 
 history and geography. He was not unacquainted with the character and conduct of Wash- 
 ington, and called him "a very great mandarin." Where is it that the honored name of the 
 Father of our country, this man for all time, this man, whose peerless purity is the proud 
 heritage of a common humanity the world over, has not reached? It is heard in tlie Arab tent, 
 and in the Chinese village, under the shades of Lew Chew, and in the cities of Japan, in 
 southern Asia, and on the shores of the Arctic ; all western Christendom knows it, all honors it. 
 
 At length the feast was over, and the American guests took their departure, tlie procession 
 forming in the same order as before. The subordinate Japanese officials escorted it to the gate, 
 and the old Pe-ching again took his station in advance. On starting down the hill, four little 
 ponies, which had gone up without finding riders, were now led by the grooms to the rear of 
 the procession, and some of the younger officers determined to try their mettle in a ride down. 
 They were very small animals, of bay color, but exceedingly spirited ; and, kicking and 
 plunging with untiring vivacity, and somewhat of temper, treated, at first, with sublime 
 contempt all eiforts to reduce them to a gravity befitting the occasion, and indignantly resisted 
 every attempt to induce them, with the rational sobriety of discreet brutes, to take their places 
 in the rear, and march understandingly, as became them. Like ill-bred ponies, as they were, 
 they kicked up their heels, and endeavored to do much as they pleased. This, however, merely 
 afforded more fun to the officers than if the wiry little creatures had behaved themselves 
 discreetly as part of the American procession. 
 
 The descent of tlie hill was rather warm, as it was not far from noon, and the sun shone full 
 in the faces of the procession ; but, on reaching the wooded slopes, it was met by the grateful 
 sea-breeze, and the boats were seen quietly resting on the waters of the bay, while their crews 
 were scattered in groups under the trees, watching the coming on of the procession, and waiting 
 to know whether due honor had been shown to the United States in the person of their "Old 
 Commodore." Each boat had the American colors flying, and Jack was made happy by the 
 assurance that all possible respect had been paid to his flag. By half-past two, the whole 
 procession was again on board the ships, without any accident or untoward incident having 
 occurred to mar either the pleasure or success of the trip ; and thus ended the grand official 
 visit to the palace. It was a judicious determination on tlie part of the Commodore to make it;
 
 GENERAL 1 M 1' K E S S I X S PRODUCED BY THE VISIT. 193 
 
 and, having announced such determination to the Lew Chewans, it was es))ecially wise to carry 
 it through to the letter. The moral influence produced by such a steadfast adherence to his 
 avowed purposes very soon exhibited itself. It was part of the Commodore's deliberately formed 
 plan, in all his intercourse with these orientals, to consider carefully before he announced his 
 resolution to do any act ; but, having announced it, he soon taught them to know that he would 
 do precisely what he had said he would. To this single circumstance much of his success is to 
 be attributed. He never deceived them by any falsehood, nor ever gave them reason to suppose 
 that his purposes could be altered by their lies and stratagems. They, of course, saw at once 
 that he was resolute, and that it was dangerous to triile with him. His whole diplomatic 
 policy was simply to stick to the truth in everything — to mean just what he said, and do just 
 what he promised. Of course, it triumphed over a system which admitted of no truth, but for 
 purposes of deception. 
 
 Several little circumstances connected with the excursion attracted the notice of the Commo- 
 dore, and, as illustrative of manners and customs, deserve a passing notice. The first was the 
 exceeding cleanliness of the Lew Chewans, and their striking contrast to the Chinese in this 
 particular. The Commodore, speaking of Shui, says: "Never have I seen a city or town 
 exhibiting a greater degree of cleanliness ; not a particle of dirt, or even dust, could be seen, so 
 different is it from the filthiness of all Chinese cities." 
 
 The road over which the procession passed was remarkably well constructed. It was elabor- 
 ately paved with coral rock, very neatly fitted together, and the upper surface rendered smooth, 
 either by artificial means or the constant attrition of travel. 
 
 The peasantry who hung upon the edges of the procession seemed to be of the lowest orders 
 seen in Lew Chew, and exhibited a squalid and rather miserable appearance ; many of them Avere 
 naked, with the exception of a small piece of cloth about the loins ; and among the thousands 
 of these people attracted by the novelty of the spectacle, singular as it may appear, not a woman 
 was to be seen. The great population of the island may, therefore, fairly be inferred from the 
 large multitudes assembled, composed of but one half of the common people. These men who 
 were seen probably compose the laboring class, receiving for their daily toil scanty food and 
 harsh treatment. The idlers are the priests, and the hordes of spies and policemen who throng 
 the highways, and who are watching everything by day and night. 
 
 On the whole, the Commodore was pleased with the suavity and politeness of the higher 
 classes, and with the seeming cordiality of the hospitality which had been shown him ; if the 
 Lew Chewans were not sincere they were, at least, very good actors. As to the culinary skill 
 that had been employed in preparing the regent's feast, there were certainly dishes of the compo- 
 sition of which the guests were ignorant, but still they were, in general, savory and very good ; 
 much more so than those presented by Chinese cookery. Whenever a fresh course was brought 
 in at the regent's feast, the host and his brother dignitaries rose and emptied their small cups of 
 sakee to the health of the guests ; and the regent always gave a signal to the Commodore when 
 to commence on a new course. 
 
 At the reception in the palace, though the queen did not appear, yet the Commodore was 
 quite satisfied that the story he had been told about her desperate illness, by the regent, was all 
 fiction ; and, in fact, if she were not, as some suspected, a myth, he thought it not improbable 
 that she and her attendant ladies were behind the screen looking through some crevice at the 
 western strangers, possibly not a little amused at the novel show. At any rate, he was so 
 25 J
 
 194 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 certain that she would survive his visit that he caused to he sent to the palace a present for her 
 of a handsome mirror, and a quantity of French perfumery ; and left there also the gifts which 
 he designed for the prince, the regent, the mayor of Napha, and other dignitaries. 
 
 The expected ahsence from the island, to which the Commodore had alluded on his visit to 
 the palace, was to he occasioned by an intended examination of the Bonin Islands, a group lying 
 to the eastward, in the neighborhood of 1-11° of longitude, and presenting some points of 
 interest for investigation. Before our departure for these islands, however, the story of which 
 will be told in its place, we must finish the narrative of events on this the first visit to Lew 
 Chew. The old Pe-ching, who received the Commodore on his landing to go to Shui, was, as 
 we have already mentioned, the same that with such exemjjlary patience and good nature 
 accompanied (as chief spy, doubtless) the exploring party in their tedious excursion of a week 
 over the island. Mr. Jones, the chaplain, accompanied by Mr. Taylor and Mr. Heine, having 
 procured presents for the old man by the Commodore's order, and added thereto some pieces of 
 Canton silk handkerchiefs of their own, went on shore and met the Pe-ching at Dr. Bettelheim's, 
 when matters were satisfactorily adjusted. But on this visit, as on all previous ones, the 
 system of incessant watching was kept up. Five individuals, in gray dresses, followed the 
 American gentlemen, and sent forward a scout to warn the people to keep out of the way, and 
 they accordingly fled in all directions on the approach of the strangers. There seemed to be 
 special apprehension of their women being seen ; but in the few instances when accidentally 
 they became visible, they were found to be strikingly unhandsome. 
 
 During the period of stay at Lew Chew all military and naval drills and exercises were 
 regularly performed daily, and the harbor of Kapha was made lively, on two days, by a general 
 boat inspection. Seventeen boats, fully manned and equipped, and five of them carrying twelve 
 and twenty-four pounders, drew up off the Susquehanna, and were reviewed by the fleet ofiicers. 
 It was a fine spectacle, and was gazed on with lively interest by the Lew Chewans. They had 
 never seen any thing of the kind before within their quiet harbor. 
 
 The pursers were sent on shore, before the squadron's dei)arture, to settle accounts with the 
 treasurers of the island, and pay for such supplies as had been furnished. By the Commodore's 
 order Lieutenant Contee and Mr. Williams, the interpreter, accompanied them, carrying a 
 numljer of presents, chiefly American cotton goods. According to their past usage the Lew 
 Cliewaus demurred to receiving any compensation for supplies; but they were given to under- 
 stand that this could not possibly be allowed ; and that American ships of war always paid the 
 people of all nations from whom they received supplies. After some persuasion they induced 
 the native treasurers to take compensation for all that had been furnished to the ships, and also 
 to receive tlie presents. The Commodore thought it was a point gained of some importance, 
 that they had thus, for the first time, as it is believed, broke through their ancient custom of 
 not receiving pay for provisions furnished to vessels. Henceforth visitors and their hosts will 
 stand on terms of equality, and no superiority can be claimed, nor any exclusive policy practised 
 on the ground of favors done to strangers. 
 
 Tlie daguerreotypists, Messrs. Brown and Draper, were settled on shore in a house outside of 
 the village of Tumai, and some of the embellishments of this volume are illustrative of the 
 results of their very useful labors. Mr. Scott, of the Saratoga, (an invalid.) occupied another 
 house, and enjoyed an agreeable intercourse with the natives, finding no difficulty in procuring 
 from them abundant supplies. A tide-staff was planted, and Midshipman Boardman, with two
 
 DEATU OF AN OPIUM SMOKER. 195 
 
 men, were encamped under a tent near it to make regular observations. The rise and fall of 
 tlie tide during the stay of the vessels had averaged about six feet. 
 
 All arrangements having been finally made for a temporary absence, on the morning of the 
 9th of June the Susquehanna got under vray for the Bonin Islands, having the Saratoga in tow. 
 
 The Mississippi and Supply were left at Napha, and the Commodore enjoined on Commander 
 Lee, the senior officer, to cultivate the most friendly relations with the islanders, exer- 
 cising all possible forbearance and kindness in his intercourse with the authorities and people, 
 and to be careful to permit none but the most orderly persons to go on shore, lest some untoward 
 event should mar the harmony then happily subsisting. 
 
 Passing through the southern channel the Susquehanna rounded Abbey Point, and took a 
 southern course around the extremity of the island. This end of the island, though hilly and 
 picturesque, did not appear to be either so fertile or so well cultivated as the ea.stern and 
 western shores. In the course of the afternoon Lew Chew sank beneath the horizon, and the 
 ship held on her course, east by north, at the rate of eight knots an hour. At first she had a 
 light wind from the southwest, which soon died away; but presently she came within the influ- 
 ence of the monsoon, which filled her sails; the drawing sails of both ships were set, and though 
 the steamer had the Saratoga in tow, and used but three of her boilers, she made nine and a 
 half knots. 
 
 The southwest monsoon still continuing, good progress was made, notwithstanding a strong 
 current from the eastward ; and nothing occurred to interrupt the uniformity of sea life on 
 board, save an event which interrupts the current of life itself alike on ship and shore. There 
 was a death on board the Susquehanna. "When Mr. Williams came from China to join the 
 squadron, at Lew Chew, as interpreter, he brought with him an old Chinaman who had been 
 his teacher, and who, it was supposed, might be useful in future operations ; but it was very 
 soon apparent that the old man's race was nearly run. He was a victim to the habit of opium 
 smoking, which he was attempting to abandon. The consequences of this effort, and the effects 
 of sea sickness on board the Saratoga, prostrated him so completely that no medicines had any 
 effect, and he sank into a state of nervelessness and emaciation painful to look upon. For a 
 week before his death his condition had been most pitiable : every joint in his skeleton frame 
 seemed to be in perpetual motion ; his face was a ghastly yellow ; his cheeks sunken on the 
 bones; the eyes ■wild and glassy; and his mind in a state of semi-madness. Death, when it 
 came, was a relief to the poor old man, as well as to those who saw him die. On the day after 
 his decease the ship presented that striking picture, a funeral at sea. The Commodore and 
 other officers stood around, with a large part of the crew, while the chaplain committed his 
 body to the deep until the day come when "the earth and the sea shall give up their dead." 
 
 A more frightful example of the terrible effects of the use of opium it would be difficult to 
 find. It exceeded in horror all the loathsome and repidsive results of the use of intoxicating 
 drinks. Delirium iremens is horrible enough, but the last scene of this old opium smoker was 
 more horrible still. There was something revolting also in the conduct of the Chinese on board 
 the ship. They manifested not the least sympathy with their dying countryman. For a day 
 or two before he died, not one of them, with the exception of one of the Commodore's servants, 
 would go near him; and on the last night of his life, when two of the deck coolies had been 
 ordered by the captain to remain in the room, and were obliged to obey, they squatted down in 
 the corner most remote from him, and never once approached him. Some of the quartermasters 
 gave him what he needed, and were with him when he died.
 
 196 EXPEDITIOXTOJAPAN. 
 
 During the run to the Bonin Islands, the crews were occasionally heat to quarters by way 
 of exercise, and on one occasion after dark. Night signals were made to the Saratoga hy means 
 of lanterns and blue lights, and to those who were not "old salts" enough to have seen such 
 sights before, the eflect was alike novel and exciting. The blue lights illuminating the broad 
 sails, at their full tension under the influence of the monsoon, the men at their several stations, 
 all brought out in the glare of an artificial light, which, though bright as daylight, yet was of 
 unearthly aspect, gave to the scene somewhat of a startling effect, and forcibly impressed the 
 imagination with the peculiar features of a night engagement. The next morning after this 
 exhibition (Sunday) was fresh and cool, and it was pleasant, as the vessels held on their pros- 
 perous way over a smooth sea, to see the crews all newly washed, clean, and dressed in their 
 suits of snowy duck with broad blue collars, while everything about the vessel wore a trim, 
 holiday air, and those not on duty were waiting for five bells to gather around the chaplain's 
 temporary pulpit — the capstan — and join in the services of the day, so peculiarly appropriate 
 from men "who go down to the sea in ships, and whose path is in the great waters." The 
 favoring circumstances all continuing, on the 14th of June, at 10 a. m., the ships found them- 
 selves ofl" the entrance of Port Lloyd, on Peel Island, one of the Bonins. The Saratoga had 
 been previously cast off, and was now ordered to go ahead. Two vessels, apparently whalers, 
 hove in sight, one on either quarter. The one to the northward showed American colors, and 
 began to beat down toward the Susquehanna, anxious probably to know the meaning of 
 such a strange event as the appearance of one of her country's large armed steamers in that 
 remote spot. The three islands called Peel, Buckland, and Stapleton, constitute the principal 
 part of that group, and lie close together. They are high, bold, and rocky, and, though not 
 so beautiful and green as Lew Chew, are yet exceedingly picturesque. Pilots put off from the 
 island to both ships, and soon both were safely anchored in the harbor of Port Lloyd. 
 
 Buiuboo Village.
 
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 SITUATION OF THE BONIN ISLANDS. 
 
 197 
 
 CHxVPTEE X. 
 
 SlTrATION- OF box™ ISLAXDS. FIRST DISCOVERT OF THEM. EUROPEAXS HAVE XO CLAIM AS THE DISCOVERERS. MIXED 
 
 CHARACTER OF PRESENT SETTLERS. EXTERNAL APPEARANCE OF PEEL ISLAND. GEOLOGICAL FORMATION. HARBOR OF 
 
 PORT LLOYD. PRODUCTIONS OF THE ISLAND, ANIMAL AND VEGETABLE. RESORT OF WHALERS. CONDITION OF PRESENT 
 
 INHABITANTS. COMMODORE CAUSES THE ISLAND TO BE EXPLORED. REPORTS OF EXPLORING PARTIES. KANAKAS. 
 
 EXAMINATION OF STAPLETON ISLAND, AND REPORT THEREON. SURVEY OF HARBOR OF PORT LLOYD. LAND PURCHASED FOR 
 
 A COAL DEPOT. DEPARTURE FROM BONIN ISLANDS ON THE RETURN TO LEW CHEW. DISAPPOINTMENT ISLANT). ITS TRUE 
 
 POSITION. BORODINOS. ARRIVAL AT NAPHA. 
 
 HE Bonin Islands, lying in tlie Japanese sea, extend in a 
 direction nearly north and south, between the latitudes of 
 26° 30' and 2*J° 45' north, the centre line of the group being 
 in longitude about 142° 15' east. The islands were visited 
 • by Captain Beechey in 1827, and, with the proverbial modesty 
 ; and justice of English surveyors, named by him, as if they 
 had been then first observed. The northern cluster he called 
 'Parry's Group; the middle cluster, consisting of three larger 
 ■islands, respectively Peel, Buckland, and Stapleton; and the 
 southern cluster was named by him Bailey's, utterly regardless 
 of the fact thus stated by himself : "The southern cluster is 
 ; that on which a whale ship, commanded by a Mr. Coffin, 
 anchored in 1823, who was first to communicate its position to 
 this country, and who bestowed his name upon the port. As the cluster was, however, left 
 without any distinguishing appellation, I named it after Francis Bailey, esq., late President of 
 the Astronomical Society." * To the principal port of Peel Island he gave the name of Port 
 Lloyd. 
 
 This was a pretty liberal distribution of honors by an accidental visitor in 1827, to a group 
 of islands that had been known, and of which we have authentic accounts as early as the 
 seventeenth century. According to Ksempfer, these islands were known to the Japanese at a 
 period as far back as 1675, and were described by them under the name of Buna Sima, signifying 
 an island without people. According to the account of this traveller, whose words we quote, 
 the Japanese accidentally, about the year 1675, discovered a very large island, one of their 
 
 Finrflaj*» Oirprlory f^f thw Pacific Ocean.
 
 198 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 barques having been forced, in a storm, from the island Fatscyo, from which place they computed 
 it to be three hundred Japanese miles distant, toward the east. They met with no inhabitants, 
 but found it to be a very pleasant and fruitful country, well supplied with fresh water, and 
 ftirnished with plenty of plants and trees, particularly the arrack tree, which, however, might 
 give room to the conjecture that the island lay rather to the south of Japan than to the east, as 
 these trees grow only in hot countries. The Japanese marked it as an uninhabited place, but 
 they found uj^on its shores an incredible quantity of fish and crabs, "some of which were from 
 four to six feet long." The description of Ksempfer, as well as that of an original Japanese 
 •writer, given in the note below, was found by Commodore Perry to correspond exactly with the 
 present appearance of the island. The arrack, or areca tree, alluded to in the extract, is found 
 uijon Peel Island.* 
 
 * Extract from Klaprofh's translation of San Kokp Tsoir Ran To Sits. 
 
 " The original name of these islands is O-gasa-wara-sima, but they are commonly called Mon-nin-sima, (in Chinese, Wu-jin- 
 ton,) or the islands without people, and this is the name which I have adopted in my work. That of O-gasa-wara-sima, or the 
 O-gasa-wara islands, was given to them after the navigator who first visited them, and who prepared a map of tliem. In the 
 same manner has the southern part of the New World been called Magalania, (Magellan,) who first discovered it some two 
 hundred years since. 
 
 " The Bonin islands are found 270 ri to the southeasterly of the province of Idsu. From Simoda, in that principality, it is 13 
 ri to the island of Myake; from thence to Sin-sima or New island, seven ri; from Sin-sima to Mikoura, five ri; from thence to 
 Fatsicio or Fatibo, (Fatsisio,) 41 ri; and, lastly, from this to the most northern of the uninhabited islands, it is reckoned to be 
 180 ri; and to the most southerly 200 ri. 
 
 " This archipelago lies in the 27th degree of north latitude. The climate is warm, and makes the valleys Ij'ing between the 
 high mountains, watered by rivulets, to be very fertile, so that they produce beans, wheat, millet, grain of all kinds, and sugar 
 cane. The tree called Nankin, faze or tallow tree (Stillingia sebifera) grows there, and likewise the wax tree. The fishery is 
 good, and might be made very productive. 
 
 " Many plants and trees grow in these islands, but there are very few quadrupeds. There are trees so large that a man can- 
 not embrace them with his arms, and which arc frequently tliirty Chinese fathoms in height, (or 240 feet.) Their wood is hard 
 and beautiful. There are also some very high trees resembling the siou-ro-tsoung-liu, or chamarops excelsa, cocoa nuts, areca 
 palms, that tree whose nuts are called pe-eouan-tsy in Chinese, the katsirau, the red sandal wood, the tou-mou, the camphor, 
 tub figs of the mountains, a high tree whose leaves resemble those of the ground ivy, the cinnamon tree, mulberry, and some 
 others. 
 
 " Among the plants the smilax China, (or China root,) called san-ke-rei, the to-ke, a medicinal herb called assa-ghion-keva, 
 and others are to be reckoned. 
 
 " Among birds there are diflerent species of parokeets, cormorants, partridges, and some resembling white sea-mews, but 
 more than three feet long. All these birds have so little wildness that they can be taken with the hand. 
 
 " The chief productions of the mineral kingdom in this archipelago are alum, green vitriol, stones of different colors, petri- 
 factions, &c. 
 
 "Whales are found in the sea, also huge crawfish, enormous shells, and echini, which are called 'gall of the sea.' The 
 ocean here is unusually rich in various products. 
 
 " In the third year of the reign Ghen-Fo, (1675,) Simaye Saghemon, Biso Saghemon, and Sima)'e Dairo Sagliemon, three 
 inhabitants of Nagasaki, took a sea voyage to the principality of Idsu. They were embarked in a large junk, built by a skillful 
 Chinese carpenter. These three men were well acquainted with astronomy and geography, and accompanied by Fatobe, the 
 chief ship-carpenter of the port of Yedo, who dwelt in the lane of nets, 'i'hc vessel was managed by thirty sailors. Having 
 obtained a passjjort from the imperial marine, they left the harbor of Simoda, the 5th day of the 4th moon, and steered for the 
 island of Fatsio. From thence they sailed towards the southeast and discovered a group of eighty islands. They drew up a. 
 map and an exact account of them, in which are some curious details respecting the situation, climate, and productions of this 
 archipelago. They returned the 20th day of the 6tli moon, in the same year, to Simoda, where Simaye published an account of 
 his voyage. 
 
 " It is singular that this writer makes no mention of the swit\ current, kuro-se-gaw, which is experienced between the islands 
 of Mikura and Fatsio. Its breadth exceeds twenty matze, (about half a ri,) and it flows with great swiftness from east to west, (a) 
 about one hundred ri. This omission would be inexplicable if this current was not much less rapid in summer and autumn than 
 it is in winter and spring. Simaye, in his passage to the Honin islands, passed it in the first part of the intorculary month, 
 whicli succeeds the fourth moon ; on his return, the latter part of the sixth moon, he should have foinid the currents less rapid, 
 and thus his attention was not called to this dangerous passage." 
 
 " The largest of the eighty islands is fifteen ri in circuit, and thus is a little less than Iki island in size. Another is ten ri in 
 circumference, and about the size of Amakusa island. Besides these two there are eight others which are from two to six and 
 
 ("> The writer In describing the dh-ection nf the riirrent Id mifitiiken.
 
 FIRST DISCOVERY OF BONIN ISLANDS. 199 
 
 The green turtles which abound in the island were probably mistaken for crabs, which may 
 account for the gigantic size attributed by Kfempfer to these animals. Other accounts give a 
 much earlier date for the discovery by the Japanese than that' of 1675, stated by the authority 
 just quoted. At any rate, the English have not a particle of claim to priority of discovery. 
 In illustration of the discovery of the Bonins by the accidental visit of a Jajianese junk, it may 
 be stilted that the Commodore was informed by Mr. Savory, an American resident, that a 
 Japanese vessel of about forty tons burden came into Port Lloyd thirteen years before, having 
 been driven by stress of weather from the coast of Japan. After remaining during the winter 
 she sailed on her return home in the spring, and, as she had brought with her nothing but a 
 small supply of dried fish, was provided gratuitously by the settlers with provisions. On 
 another occasion, some eight years subsequently, a French ship, cruizing off Stapleton island, 
 discovered a fire ashore, and on sending a boat to the spot found the wreck of a Japanese junk and 
 five of its crew, the only survivors, in a most helpless plight. They were then taken on board 
 and carried to Port Lloyd^ and thence subsequently removed by the humane Frenchmen with 
 the intention of lauding them on one of the Japanese islands. In confirmation of this statement 
 we have the fact that a party of oflicers from the Susquehanna, on a visit to Stapleton Island, 
 accidentally saw the wreck of this same vessel. The remains of the junk were found in a little 
 bay where they landed, the wreck being still partially kept together by large nails of cojiper 
 and portions of sheets of this metal. From these materials and other indications, it was inferred 
 that it was a Japanese junk, and as the edges of the planks were but little rubbed or decayed, 
 it was concluded that the wreck could not be very old. 
 
 Captain Coffin, whose nationality is not mentioned, but who, from his name, was probably an 
 American, and if so, doubtless from Nantucket, visited and gave his name to that part of the group 
 so singularly appropriated and modestly christened by Beechey as the Bailey Islands. They are 
 spoken of by the inhabitants as the southern islands, and were always regarded by them as 
 belonging to the Benin group. They are about twenty miles to the south of Port Lloyd. It was 
 not until 1827 that Captain Beechey, commanding the English surve3'ing vessel, the Blossom, 
 visited the islands, and taking formal possession in the name of the British king, gave English 
 titles to them. The inhabitants practically disown the paternity of the English sovereign, and do 
 not recognize the names given in his self-assumed sponsorship by the English captain. For 
 example, the very dignified appellations of Bucklaud and Stapleton, with which Beechey has 
 honored two islands of the northern group, are quite ignored by the inhabitants, who sjjeak of these 
 
 seven ri around. These ten islands have flat plateaux which could be made habitable, and where grain would grow very well. 
 The climate is warm and favorable to cultivation, as one might infer from their geographical position. They atford various valu- 
 able productions. The remaining seventy islets are only mere steep rocks, and produce nothing." 
 
 " A colony of condemned criminals h.as been sent to these islands, there to labor ; they have tilled the earth and planted .some 
 patches. They are collected in villages, and have brought together the same things found in other provinces of the empire. 
 One can visit these islands, and bring back its products in the same year. In this way a trade would easily spring up, and the 
 lienetit to be drawn from it would be considerable. This must be plain to all." 
 
 " In the reign Au-Yei (from 1771 to 17H0) I was sent on a commission into the province of Fisen, where I became acquainted 
 with a Dutchman named .\arend Wcric Veil, who showed mc a geography, in which mention was made of .fonie islands lying 
 200 ri to the southeast of Japan, called Woest eiland by the author. The word ff'otsi means desert, and ciland (or yeirand, as 
 the original reads) island. He remarks, that these islands are not inhabited, but that many sorts of herbs and trees arc found 
 there. The Japanese might establish a colony on one of these islands on which grain and other productions would thrive. In 
 spile of the length of the voyage thither, the establishment would be useful to them for these purposes. The Dutch company 
 would derive very little advantage from the possession of these islands, they being too small and too remote for their use." 
 
 " I have thought proper to repeat these words, which deserve to be borne in mind, and with them 1 bring to a conclusion all 
 that I have to say respecting the Bonin Islands."
 
 200 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 places respectively as Goat and Hog islands. When the English visited and took possession of the 
 Bonins, the date of the visit and tlie act of appropriation were dulj- engraved upon a copper 
 plate which was nailed to a tree, but the plate and the tree are no longer there, and the only- 
 evidence of British possession is the occasional hoisting of the English flag on one of the 
 neighboring hills, a duty that was originally delegated to a wandering Englishman who chanced 
 to be on the spot. It is now considered merely a signal to be hoisted on the arrival of a vessel. 
 Iso government is recognized by the inhabitants, who declare that they have no need of any 
 foreign control, as they can take good care of themselves. 
 
 In the year following the visit of Captain Beechey, a Captain Lutke of the Russian navy 
 arrived and went through very much the same ceremony of taking possession and of otherwise 
 appropriating as his English predecessor. 
 
 It is quite clear that the Japanese were the first discoverers of these islands. They probably 
 settled and then subsequently abandoned them. It is possible that the early Spanish, Portuguese, 
 and Dutch navigators may have been acquainted with the Bonins, and in later years they have 
 been visited occasionally by the Americans, English, and Russians. The fact of a Spanish visit 
 would seem to be proved by the name of Arzobispo or Archbishop, by which the islands are 
 sometimes distinguished. One of the inhabitants reported that he recollected, on his arrival on 
 the spot, that there was a board on a tree which recorded the first Russian visit. Neither of the 
 European nations have as yet made any attempt at colonization. 
 
 In 1830, several Americans and Europeans came to the Bonins from the Sandwich Islands, 
 accompanied by various natives — men and women — of that country. 
 
 The leaders of this adventure were five men, two originally from the United States — 
 Nathaniel Savory and Aldin B. Chapin, of Massachusetts — one from England of the name of 
 Richard Mildtchamp, one Charles Johnson, of Denmark, and the fifth a Genoese known as 
 Mattheo Mazara. The only one of these remaining on the island during the visit of 
 Commodore Perry was Nathaniel Savory, an American. Mildtchamp still survives, but has 
 taken up his residence at Guam, one of the Ladrone islands. The Genoese, Mazara, is dead, 
 and Savory has married his widow, a pretty and young native of Guam, by whom he has 
 ofi'spring. Savory occupies himself with the culture of a little farm, which is tolerably 
 productive. He also carries on a trade in sweet potatoes of his own raising and in a rum of 
 his own distillation from sugar cane, with the whaling ships which frequent the place ; and he 
 had prosecuted his business with such success as to accumulate, at one time, several thousands 
 of dollars. These he deposited in the ground, when, some three or four years since, a schooner 
 arrived under the American flag, bringing a few wortliless scoundrels, who ingratiated 
 themselves, under the pretence of great friendship, with the old man, who was thus induced 
 to make them the confidants of his success, and of its proof which he had stored away. These 
 villains, after living for several months on terms of great intimacy and confidence with Savory, 
 left the island, having first robbed their benefactor of all liis money, despoiled his household 
 of a couple of young women, whom they took away with them, carried ofi' his journal, and 
 wantonly injured his property. Fortunately for justice, the guilty party were afterwards 
 arrested at Honolulu, but the captive Avoraen expressed themselves quite contented with their 
 lot, and declared that they had no desire to return. As for the money, it was not learned 
 whether that was ever recovered or not. 
 
 Tlie islands of Benin are high, bold^ and rocky, and are evidently of volcanic formation.
 
 GEOLOGICAL FORMATION' 
 
 201 
 
 They are green with verdure an I a full pcrowtli of tropical vegetation, Avhich crowds up the 
 acclivities of the hills, from the very borders of the shore, which is, here and there, edged with 
 coral reefs. The headlands and detached rocks have been thrown by former convulsions of 
 nature into various grotesque forms, which assume to the eye the shape of castle and tower, 
 and strange animals, of monstrous size and hideous form. Numerous canal-like passages were 
 observed opening in the sides of the rocky cliffs, which had almost the appearance of being 
 hewn out with the chisel, but which were evidently formed in the course of volcanic changes, 
 when the rock flowed in liquid lava, and found issue in these channels, which the torrents that 
 come down the sides of the mountains in the rainy season toward the sea have worn smooth by 
 constant attrition. Some of these dykes, or canal-like passages, less affected by time and the 
 washing of the water, still retain their irregular formation, which has so much the appearance 
 of steps that the observer, as he looks upon them, might fancy they had been cut by the hand 
 of man in the solid rock, for the purpose of climbing the mountain. On the Southern Head, as 
 it is called, within the harbor of Port Lloyd, there is a very curious natural cave or tunnel, 
 which passes through the basaltic rock, from the Southern Head to the beach on the other side. 
 The entrance has a width of about fifteen feet, and a height of thirty, but the roof within soon 
 rises to forty or fifty feet, where it has so much the appearance of artificial structure, that it 
 may be likened to a builder's arch, in which even the keystone is observable. There is sufficient 
 
 Natural Tuiilld, Purt LIuyJ, U-i:ii.i L^UllJ:^ 
 
 water for a boat to pass from one end to the other. There are several otiier caves or tunnels, 
 one of which is at least fifty yards in length, and ])asses through a headland buumling tlie 
 harbor. Tin's is con.stantl}' traverKcl by the canoes of the inhabitants. 
 •2C. J
 
 202 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 The geological formation of the island is trappean, with its various configurations and 
 mineralogical peculiarities; columnar hasalt appears, and hornblende and chalcedony are tlmnd. 
 There are all the indications of past volcanic action, and the oldest resident of Peel Island stated 
 that two or three tremblings of the earth, giving evidence of a liability to earthquake, are 
 experienced annually even now. 
 
 The harbor of Tort Lloyd (as Beechey named it) is on the western side, and nearly in the 
 centre of Peel Island. It is easy of ingress and egress, and may be considered as safe and 
 commodious, though of deep anchorage. Vessels usually anchor in from eighteen to twenty- 
 two lathoms. The port is laid down on Beechey's chart as in latitude 21° 5' 35" north, and 
 142° 11' 30" east longitude. This position, however, is believed to be erroneous, for, according 
 to two sets of observations, made by the master of the Susquehanna, the longitude was found 
 to be 142° 16' 30" east; five miles more to the eastward than Beechey makes it. The safest 
 anchorage is to be found as high up the harbor as a ship can conveniently go, having regard to 
 depth and room for swinging and veering cable. Beechey's directions for entering the port are 
 suflScientlv correct, and these, together with the Commodore's own observations, will be found 
 in the Appendix. 
 
 Wood and water can be procured in abundance, though the former must be cut by the crew, 
 and taken on board the ship green. The water is obtained from running streams, and is of 
 good quality. Timber for building purposes is rather scarce, and would soon be exhausted if 
 any increase of poiralation were to render the erection of many houses necessary. The best 
 kinds of wood are the jamana and wild mulberry, the former of which is very like the red wood 
 of Brazil and Mexico, and is very enduring. 
 
 The harbor of Port Lloyd and the neighboring waters abound with excellent fish, which may 
 be taken by the hook or net, although the places for hauling the seine are few, owing to the 
 coral which in many parts lines the shores. The best place for this purpose is upon the beach 
 which borders "Ten Fathom Hole," a deep portion of the bay which is close to the coral reef 
 that extends out from the shore. The varieties offish are not numerous; among those taken in 
 the seine belonging to the Susquehanna there were but five observed: the mullet, which 
 seemed to be the most abundant, two varieties of perch, the gar, and the common ray. Sharks 
 are very numerous, and, when quite small, frequent the shallow places among the coral rocks, 
 and are there pursued by the dogs, seized upon and dragged on shore. 
 
 There is an abundance of excellent green turtle, of which the ships obtained large supplies ; 
 there are also plenty of cray fish. The varieties of the testacea are numerous, but none 
 that was observed of any rarity, and none edible except the charaa gigas, which, however, is 
 very tough and indigestible. The family of the Crustacea is very extensive, of which the land 
 crab forms the chief part, and which exists in every variety of size, form, and color; one of the 
 most abounding is that which is commonly known as the "pirate." This animal can be seen 
 in every direction near the shore, travelling about with its odd-looking domicil upon its back, 
 which it seems to have got possession of rather by chance than from choice. The "pirate" has 
 no home of its own, but appropriates, whence its name, that which belongs to others. It has a 
 decided preference for the shells of the buccina, murex, and bulla, which have the comfortable 
 proportions of an inch and a half or so in length ; but if such desirable quarters should, by any 
 mischance, happen to be scarce, the "pirate" readily turns into the next most suitable dwelling 
 of some neighbor at hand. It is necessary that the animal should have some snug corner
 
 ANIMAL AND VEGETABLE PRODUCTIONS. 203 
 
 wherein, if not to lay its head, at anj rate to put its tail, for the latter is soft and requires 
 constant protection. Thus, when the "pirate" moves ahout, his head and claws are always 
 protruded, hut his rear is covered with his borrowed shell. It is still an unsettled question 
 whether this animal appropriates the domicils of others by first rudely ejecting their living 
 occupants, or more considerately waits until a natural death or some fatality vacates the 
 quarters, and then takes possession. The "pirate" is a voracious creature, and seizes with 
 great avidity upon anything eatable that comes in its way. 
 
 The scarcity of birds, both of sea and land species, struck every one as singular. There were 
 not more than four or five varieties of the latter, the largest of which were the crow and the 
 pigeon, the others being of small size. There were but few gulls or other sea-birds ; on 
 approaching the islands, some petrel were observed, of unusually large size and of singularly 
 brilliant plumage. 
 
 Among the quadrupeds there were found sheep, deer, hogs, and goats, with an infinite 
 number of cats and dogs. The cats and dogs, having lost some of their quiet domestic virtues, 
 had strayed into the jungle, and were dignified by the inhabitants with the title of wild 
 animals, and were accordingly hunted with dogs. On Stapleton Island, the goats, which were 
 placed there by some of the early settlers, have increased prodigiously, as have also these 
 animals, together with the hogs, put upon the other islands. Commodore Perry left on shore 
 on the north side of Peel Island, with a view to their increase, two bulls and two cows, and on 
 North Island five Shanghai broad-tailed sheep, of which two were rams, and six goats. 
 
 Peel Island is the only one of the Bonin group inhabited, and it contained on the visit of the 
 Commodore only thirty-one inhabitants, all told : of these, three or four were native Americans, 
 about the same number Englishmen, one a Portuguese, and the remainder Sandwich islanders 
 and children born on the island. The settlers have cultivated patches of land of some extent, 
 and raise a considerable quantity of sweet potatoes, Indian corn, jjumpkins, onions, taro, and 
 several kinds of fruit, the most abundant of which are water-melons, bananas, and pine-apples. 
 These productions, together with the few pigs and poultry that are raised, find a ready sale to 
 the whale ships constantly touching at the port for water and other supplies. Durino' the few 
 days the Susquehanna was at anchor in the harbor, three whalers, two American and one 
 English, communicated by means of their boats with the settlement and carried away a good 
 stock of supplies. These are obtained ordinarily in exchange for other articles from on board 
 the ships, of which ardent spirits is to some of the settlers the most acceptable. Were it not for 
 the scarcity of labor a much greater extent of land would be cultivated. At present there cannot 
 be more than a hundred and fifty acres throughout the whole island imder cultivation, and this 
 is in detached spots, generally at the seaward termination of the ravines through which the 
 mountain streams flow and thus supply an abundance of fresh water, or upon plateaux of land 
 near the harbor. The soil is of excellent quality and resembles very much that of Madeira and 
 the Canary islands, which are in the same parallel of latitude. It is admirably adapted for the 
 cultivation of the vine, and for the raising of wheat, tobacco, sugar-cane, and many other 
 valuable plants. In fact, the settlers already produce enough sugar and tobacco for their own 
 consumption. 
 
 The few people who live on Peel Island seem happy and contented. Those of European origin 
 have succeeded in surrounding themselves with some of the comforts and appliances of 
 civilization. In one of the cottages there was observed several compartments, and what with
 
 204 EXPEDITION TO JAPAxV. 
 
 hangings from the walls of Chinese matting, a chair or two, a table, a plentiful distribution of 
 bUie paint, and some gaudily C(dorod lithographs, there seemed not only on the part of the 
 proprietor a desire for comfort, but even a taste for luxury. 
 
 The Sandwich islanders, or Kanakas, as tliey are now familiarly known to sailors and traders, 
 live very much as they do in their native islands, and have grouped together their palm thatched 
 huts which have very much the a]>pearance of one of their native villages. The inhabitants, 
 living a (|uiet and easy life in a climate which is genial and wholesome, and upon a land whose 
 fertility supplies them, in return for but little labor, with all tlicy want to eat and drink, do not 
 care to change their condition. The Americans and Europeans have taken to themselves wives 
 from among the good natured and substantial Kanaka women. 
 
 Commodore Perry being desirous of obtaining as full information as possible of Peel Island 
 durinc his short visit, determined to send imrties of exploration into the interior. He accordingly 
 detailed certain officers and men for the purpose, who were divided into two companies, one of 
 wliich was headed by Mr. Bayard Taylor, and the other by Dr. Fahs, assistant surgeon. 
 
 These gentlemen, having been duly armed and equipped, started early on the morning of the 
 15th of June, with tlie view of devoting the day to the proposed exploration. The party headed 
 by Mr. Taylor, whose steps we shall first follow in the narrative, and whose report as submitted 
 to the Commodore we shall freely use, was composed of eight : Mr. Bayard Taylor, Mr. Heine, 
 the artist, IMr. Boardman, midshipman, Mr. Lawrence, assistant engineer, Mr. Hampton, pur.ser's 
 steward, Smith, a marine, Dennis Terry, seaman, and a Chinese coolie. As Peel Island is only 
 six miles in length, it was thought that one day was quite sufficient time for two parties properly 
 distributed to explore so small a space. The northern part of the island, which is that which 
 stretches immediately around the harbor, was tKe field of operation appropriated to the doctor's 
 party, while the southern half fell to the duty of the explorers whose steps we are now about to 
 follow. 
 
 At early sunrise the party left the Susquehanna and were rowed ashore to the watering place 
 at the head of the bay. On reaching this point the rations and ammunition were distributed 
 to each, so that all might, as far as possible, be equally burdened. A Kanaka, who was met 
 at the landing, was urged to accompany the party as a guide, but he was not disjiosed to 
 comply, although he pointed out a small footpath, which he stated led over the hills to a Kanaka 
 settlement about three miles distant. This direction was at once followed, which led them by 
 a steep and slippery path through a wilderness of tropical growth. Palm trees, among which 
 was the sago palm, that produces the sago of commerce, abounded ; parasitic plants hung in 
 festoons from branch to branch, and by their close net work, interwoven with the trees, hindered 
 the progress at every step, while the dew which dripped in the early morning from the thick 
 foliage of the overgrown thicket wetted each one to the skin. The soil was observed to be that 
 which is common about Port Lloyd and other parts of the island, and seemed composed of the 
 detritus of trap rock and the decomposed refuse of the plants and trees. Kock of trap formation 
 protruded frequently in rough crags from the steep sides of the hills, and in the crevices grew 
 n beautiful variety of the hibiscus, with its large flowers of a dull orange, whose petals were 
 tipped with yellow of a lighter shade. A shower of white blossoms, which had fallen from a 
 large tree of thirty feet in height, strewed here and there the ground. 
 
 The course was up the ridge of the hill, and as it continued to the summit the vegetation 
 became more and more profuse, until the expanding tops of the palm, the crowding together of
 
 EXPLORATION OF T E E I. ISLAND. 205 
 
 the trunks of the trees, and the dense net work of the hanging vines, so shrouded the sun that 
 the path was covered with a deep shade, through the darkness of which the eye could hardly 
 penetrate to a greater distance, in any direction, than twenty or thirty feet. It was difficult at 
 times to trace the path. When the jiarty had reached the water-courses of the streams wliieh 
 flowed down the other side of the ridge they were ascending, multitudes of the land crabs 
 pattered away in every direction, frightened out of their coverts by the approaching footsteps. 
 
 The ridge at its summit widened into an undulating surface of a mile and a half or so in 
 breadth, and was furrowed with deep gullies. The declivity on the other side of the ridge, 
 below which opened a deep ravine, was so steep that the men were obliged to let themselves 
 down by swinging from tree to tree. This ravine between the steep mountains, which, with 
 the exception of the bared rock here and there, were profusely covered with vegetation, 
 presented a wild aspect, with a stream of water flowing over a rocky bed through thickets of 
 undergrowth and masses of tropical vegetation spreading over the rocky cliffs and down the 
 hills on all sides. 
 
 The party now crossed the stream, and coming upon a field of the taro plant, which was of 
 remarkably luxuriant growth, struck directly through it and reached the forest beyond. 
 Finding it impossible, however, to make their way in that direction, they turned back through 
 the taro and regained the stream. The path was now recovered, which was found to lead 
 through a valley which bore signs of habitation. Cultivated patches of ground showed 
 themselves here and there with flourishing crops of sweet potatoes, taro, tobacco, sugar-cane, 
 pumpkin, and the sida or Indian gooseberry, which seemed to grow with wonderful luxuriance. 
 In the centre of the valley two palm thatched huts were observed, but the party, upon coming 
 up to them and entering, found they were uninhabited, although there were signs of their 
 having been occupied that morning. Guns were then fired to attract the attention of any 
 inhabitants who might be within hearing, and a good result was soon apparent by the 
 answering signal of a shout, which was immediately followed by the appearance of a South Sea 
 islander, with a face tattooed of a light blue and clothed in coarse cotton shirt and trowsers. 
 He introduced himself under the dignified title of "Judge," and professed to be a native of 
 Nukahwa in the Marquesas islands. This Marquesite seemed to be in very flourishing 
 condition. He had a hut to live in, a plantation to cultivate, and made a fair show of live 
 stock with his dogs and four pigs. The "Judge" was very affable, and in a very friendly 
 manner gave freely all the information at his command. He pointed out to his visitors how 
 the valley turned round the spur of the mountain and opened westward to the sea. The 
 stream was here only a creek in appearance, but was of sufficient depth to float canoes, in one 
 of which the " Judge " had just arrived from a turtle hunt, and had brought with him a fine 
 animal, which he busied himself with cutting up in the wishful company of his four dogs, who 
 were licking their chops with a hopeful anticipation of their share of the feast. 
 
 The " Judge " was requested to guide the party to the southern end of the island, which he 
 stated to be about three or four miles distant, without, however, any pathway to it. His 
 companion, however, who knew the way, was sent for, and a copper colored Otaheitan, who 
 hardly spoke English, soon presented himself He acknowledged that he was acquainted with 
 the route, and familiar with the wild boar haunts, but refused to go with the party unless 
 joined by the "Judge," who, after some hesitation, consented, with the understanding that he
 
 20G EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 should be allowed to stow away his turtle flesh before starting. This, of course, was readily- 
 conceded. 
 
 The valley in which the explorers found themselves was estimated to be about a mile in 
 length, and its widest part was a quarter of a mile in breadth. The main branch of the valley 
 was not that which had been entered, but took an easterly direction, through which a stream 
 flowed ; the southern part seemed to be impassable, from being walled up with rocks heaped one 
 above the other. From the "Judge's" hut the sea was said to be about half a mile distant. 
 The soil of the valley is of a rich loam, and, judging by the flourishing appearance of the vege- 
 tables and crops grown by the settlers, exceedingly fertile. The tobacco was particularly 
 vio-orous in growth, being five feet in height. The water of the stream is sweet and pure, and 
 the supply constant. Some lemons, which the "Judge" had stored away in his hat, he said 
 came from the north of the valley. 
 
 The party, now under the guidance of the "Judge" and his companion, took an E.S.E. 
 course, following through the ravine the stream. The bed of the stream was in various places 
 crowded with large boulders of trap rock, heaped confusedly one upon another. The vegetation 
 presented the usual tropical profusion of trees, parasite plants, and under growth. From the 
 denseness of the woods and the greasy, slippery nature of the soil, the progress of every step was 
 toilsome and painful. Two of the party in the rear, while those in advance awaited upon a cliff 
 their coming up, started a wild boar, and fired at him a passing shot, but without effect. The 
 dogs which belonged to the settlers were not of much use, for they kept clinging to the heels of 
 their masters, instead of ranging the forest and beating up the game from its cover. 
 
 On leaving the water-course the explorers climbed the southern side of the ravine, which they 
 could only do by clinging to the roots or to the tough vines which hung from the trees. In the 
 deep shadow and turnings of the wood, through which there was no path, the members of the 
 party became scattered, and the leaders were again obliged to await at the summit of the ridge 
 the coming of those who lagged behind. Among the various palms, which grow abundantly, 
 some specimens of the palma lalina were observed at this spot, with immensely broad leaves and 
 stems nearly eight feet in length, the jagged edges of which wounded the travellers' hands as 
 they struggled through the forest. The pandanus was also seen, with its shoots, sometimes 
 twenty or thirty in number, sticking down and outwards from the lower part of its straight 
 trunk, and rooting themselves in the ground, until they formed a pyramidal base, from which 
 the tree rose in a slender column, covered with a graceful capital of foliage. 
 
 While some of the party were resting upon the ridge, waiting for their companions who had 
 fallen behind, a great barking of dogs rose from a neighboring ravine, at which two of the party 
 started off at once. Several shots from the company were soon heard, and Mr. Taylor, the 
 leader, followed, making for the direction of the sound, and, after plunging through an almost 
 impenetrable thicket, in the course of which he came upon the lair of a wild boar, arrived at the 
 bed of a brook, where the hunters were groui)ed about a young boar. He was not over a year 
 old, and, with his long snout and the dirty, dark grey color of his bristling hide, looked some- 
 what like the Chinese hog. Mr. Hampton, one of the party who had been left behind upon the 
 ridge, was now sent for; but the "Judge," who had gone in search of him, soon returned, 
 stating that he was sick, and unable to come up. Mr. Hampton, however, in a short' time 
 gathered strength enough to follow, and succeeded in reaching the party, although evidently 
 much overcome with fatigue. As the Otaheitan guide, however, said that it was only two miles
 
 EXPLORATION OF PEEL ISLAND. 
 
 207 
 
 to the southern end of the island, Mr. Hampton resolved to continue with his companions, 
 instead of returning, as had been proposed, with the "Judge" to the valley. The explorers 
 having taken with them the liver and the kidneys of the wild boar, hung up his carcase 
 upon a tree to remain until their return, and then continued their course. 
 
 In about a half hour afterward the ridge which divides the island was crossed and the top of the 
 slope of the southern side reached. From this point the sea was seen and a view obtained of 
 Bailly's Island, rising from the surface in the distance, a little west of south. It was now found 
 necessary to alter the course of the route, for the guide had taken the party too far to the right 
 and led them to the brink of a steep precipice which it was impracticable to descend. There was 
 some difficulty now in retracing their steps, for they had got so near to the precipice that they 
 were forced to creep along with great caution, clinging to the strong grass and shrubs which 
 grew upon the brink. By this mode of procedure, for the extent of two hundred yards or so, 
 they succeeded in reaching a place where the precipice terminated ; but where the descent was 
 still so steep that it was found necessary for each man, as he descended, to place himself upon 
 his back and thus slide down the declivity, taking care to check his speed by occasionally 
 clenching the earth or some projecting bush. Finally, the ravine below was reached, but there 
 was considerable disappointment on finding that the worst was not yet over ; for, instead of 
 
 Valley near Suutli East Bay, Peel I^land, Bonin Group. 
 
 coming upon a water-course, as was expected, which might lead gently to the sea side, it was 
 discovered that there was a succession of rocky steps, varying from ten to fifty feet, down wliich 
 it was necessary to clamber. At last the beach was reached ; and as those in advance looked
 
 208 
 
 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 up to their remaining companions, some standing upon the edge of the cliffs, and others letting 
 themselves down their precipitous sides, the undertaking just accomplished seemed a marvellous 
 feat of lahor, difHculty, and danger. 
 
 The party now found themselves in what the guide called the South East Bay, which was 
 said to he frequently visited hy the whalers ; some of whom had left evidence of their visits in 
 the stump of a tree, which showed marks of having heen smoothly cut with a large axe. Tiiere 
 was also a neglected bed of tomatoes, overgrown with weeds, seen stretched along the hanks of 
 the stream, which had certainly been planted there by the hand of man. On the gathering of 
 all the company, who were almost worn out, and suffered much from the excessive heat, a fire 
 was lighted, and tlie boar's liver and kidneys being duly cooked, a very excellent extemporaneous 
 feast, with the addition of the pork and other rations brought with them, was prepared and 
 voraciously discussed. The party being refreshed hy their banquet and the rest they had 
 enjoyed, and it being as late as two o'clock, determined to return. When the guides announced 
 that it was necessary to go back the way they came, the resumption of the labors, and the expo- 
 sure to the dangers which had just been undergone, seemed quite appalling. There was, 
 however, no alternative, and the party was forced to retrace their steps, but succeeded, finally, 
 with a renewed experience of their former troubles, and after excessive fatigue, in reaching the 
 valley whence they had set out with the "Judge" and his Otaheitan companion. 
 
 S.iulli Ka-t ll;iv, I'.. 1 l-l.niil. 
 
 It was six o'clock in the evening wlicn tliev ariived at the "Judge's" (]uarters, so tbey 
 spared themselves but little time i'nv repose, but soon continued their journeying. One of the 
 party was so wearied with fatigue as to be obliged tn iiroccecl to the Kimaka scltlcnicn!. ut llie
 
 EXPLORATION OF PEEL ISLAND. 209 
 
 south end of Port Lloyd, by the way of the sea, in a canoe, piloted by the Otaheltan. The rest 
 went by land, attempting to return by the same route as that they had come. The path was 
 not easily found, however, and the explorers suifered another hard experience in the forest and 
 over the rough crags, where they were nearly lost among the entangled undergrowth and much 
 battered by the irregularity of the ground. Another member of the party gave out, but was 
 brought along by main force, and having been deposited in a safe place on the summit of the 
 ridge, under the care of one of the men, the rest pushed on ; and liaving reached the Kanaka 
 settlement, at the south end of Port Lloyd, took their station on a clitf which overlooked the bay, 
 and whence the great hull of the Susquehanna could be barely discovered in the surrounding 
 darkness. Firing a volley with their guns, as a signal, they were soon answered by the arrival 
 of the ship's cutter, and having sent back for the tired member of the party, they all pulled 
 olf for the steamer, where they arrived at ten o'clock at night, sorely bruised and fatigued by the 
 hard day's work. The other party, under the command of the assistant surgeon, returned about 
 the same time, and the result of the observations, as reported by Dr. Fahs, is now recorded. 
 
 The volcanic origin of the island was clearly manifest from the existence of ancient craters. Trap 
 rock, intermingled with amygdaloid and green stone, formed the basis of the island, as it did the 
 loftiest peaks of the hills ; basaltic dykes were observed to pass through beds of sand, scoria, and 
 cinders, and strata of old lava were traced along the seacoast and in other parts where deep 
 sections of rock were exposed. A sulphur spring, characterized by the usual strong odor and 
 taste of sulphuretted hydrogen gas, was discovered issuing from one of the ravines, and iron 
 pyrites abounded in many places. The vegetation, too, was not such as is generally found in 
 volcanic countries of the same latitude as the Bonin Islands. It would appear that Port Lloyd 
 was at one time the crater of an active volcano, from which the surrounding hills had been 
 thrown up, while the present entrance to the harbor was formed by a deep fissure in the side of 
 the cone, through which a torrent of lava had poured into the sea, lea^^ng, after its subsidence, 
 a space into which the waters subsequently were emptied, bringing with them their usual 
 deposits, which, together with the coral formation, now forms the bottom and sides of the harbor. 
 
 The surface of the island is varied. Plains extend from the basis of the hills toward the sea- 
 shore, and arc composed of a dark vegetable mould, sometimes five or six feet deep, intermixed 
 with the shells of marine animals and the detritus of trap rock, and spread upon a founda- 
 tion of coral. These plains are highly fertile, and those now cultivated produce a rich harvest 
 of sweet potatoes of immense size, Indian corn, sugar-cane of wonderfully vigorous growth and 
 excellent quality, yams, taro, melons, and the ordinary products of a kitcben garden. The 
 Irish potato lias been triud, but not sufficiently long to form an estimate of its probable success. 
 The plaius on the bay only have been cultivated as yet, but there is everj' reason to believe that the 
 others are' equally fertile, and might be made to yield sufficiently to support a large population. 
 
 The hilLs rise in some i)laces by a gentle slope froiji the plains, and in others abruptly by 
 steep ascents, which give tliem the ajqicarance of terraces rising one above the other. At the 
 head of the bay two prominent peaks rise, which are known by tlie Tiame of the Pa]is, one of 
 which reaches the elevation of a thousand feet, ami llie other eleven Inimhed. They are chMily 
 seen on entering the harbor, and are im))ortant guides to the navigator. The springs in the 
 northern half of the island, which was tlie liehl of survey now reviewed, are few, two only of 
 which run ciuistantly with a sujqdy of i)ure drinking water. In the valleys there are several 
 others, but they arc so brackisli or so frequently dry that they cannot be relied upon as sources 
 27 J
 
 210 
 
 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 of supply. Througli tlio ravinos wliicli intersect tlie valleys streams pour down into the sea 
 during the rainy season, but their beils, crowded here and there witli large boulders of trap 
 rock, are hardly moist during the dry weather. 
 
 Tlie fli)ra of the ishind is tropical, and was observed to be as beautiful as can be found in any 
 similar latitude. In (he valleys and along the sea beach a tree of large size, called by the 
 people living on the island the Crumeno, was seen in abundance. It bad a thick antl slmrt 
 trunk, witb a gray bark, a very dense foliage, with large oval leaves of smootb surface and 
 bright green color, arrayed in clusters around the branches, from the ends of wbicb gi'cw tufts 
 of beautiful white flowers. 
 
 Dense forests of palm ci'ovrded up tlie hill-sides and into the I'avines, and were of sucb close 
 growth that their lull development was bindered and other vegetation prevented. The fan- 
 ]ialm was the most abimdant of the six species observed. Among tlie various trees was noticed 
 a variety of the beech of considerable size, a large tree growing in abundance on the mountains, 
 whiub somewhat resembled tbe dog-wood, and an immense mulbeny witii an occasional girth 
 of thirteen or fourteen feet. Of smaller trees and plants, there were tlie laurel, the juniper, tbe 
 box-wood tree, fern^ banana, orange, pine-a])}dc, and whortleberry. Lichens, mosses, and 
 
 StillllcUMl 
 
 various jiarasitic plants were abundant. Tliere were but few kinds ot grasses, and most of tliem 
 unfit for i)asturage. Tlie jungle weed, in the uncultivated tracts, is so dense that it crowds out 
 almost evei'ything else of its kind.
 
 E X A M I N A T 1 X OV S T A P L E T O X I S IwV X D . 211 
 
 The animals on the island were niostlj- imported but iiail become wild in tliuir habits from 
 St raving in the woods. Pigeons, finches, crows, and sand])i]icrs. wore fonnd among the native 
 birds, and the tortoise, the ignana, and a small lizard were the i»rinci]wil imligenous animals 
 seen. 
 
 In addition to the two surveys of Peel Island, tlie intei'esting results of whicli have Itecn just 
 recorded, the Commodore dispatched an otKeer to re]iort on the general as]KH;t and character 
 of the island of Stapleton, from whose statement some valuable facts are derived. Stajdeton 
 Island, like the rest of the Bonin grouji, is of V(dcanic origin, and has a varied surface of i)lain, 
 liill. and valley, with large tracts of Ibrtile land. A small hay was iiiund on the western side 
 with apparently deep water, and surrounded by rocks and mountains varying from 800 to 1,500 
 feet in height, which jn-otect it from the S.E. typhoons. 
 
 A small }U'omontory and coral reef were <d)served to divide this bay, and on tlie land burder- 
 ing the northern section was a spring of cool , well-tasting water, coming out of a rock and giving 
 a su]>ply of nearly three gallons per minute. The indigenous productions of Stapleton were tiie 
 same as those on the other islands, but the goats which had been introduced there had increased 
 marvellously, to the extent, it was snjiposed, of several thousands, and had become very wild in 
 the course of their undisturbed wanderings through the secluded ravines and over the savage 
 rocks of the island. 
 
 The Commodore, having been long satisfied of the importance of these islands to commerce, 
 was induced to visit tliem, chiefly by a desire of examining them himself and recommending 
 Peel Island as a stopping ]dace for tlie line of steamers which, sooucr or Inter, must be estab- 
 lished between California and Cliina. To tliis end he caused the island to lie explored, the 
 harbor to be surveyed, and a few animals to be placed upon two of the groups of islands, as the 
 commencement ot a provision ior future wants. Uarden seeds of every descri])tion were also 
 distributed among the present settlers^ and hopes were held out to them by the Commodore of a 
 future supply of implements of husbandry and a greater number of animals. A suitable sp'it 
 too was selected f(?r the erection of offices, wharves, coal-sheds, and other buildings neeessarv for 
 a depot for steamers. A title was obtained to a piece of land which is aduiirably adapted to the 
 desired j)urpose. It is situated on the nortiiern side of the bay, near its head, with a front on 
 the water of 1,000 yartls and a good <lepth near the shore lor the length of 500 yards, it might, 
 by the building of a pier extending out fifty feet, be conveniently approached by the largest 
 vessel afloat. 
 
 In a letter addressed to the Navy De]iartment Commodore Perry has given at length his 
 views of the conveniences of Peel Island for the establishment of a depot lor steamers. In this 
 communication he says: 
 
 "As my instructions direct me to seek out ;ind establish ports of refuge and refreshment for 
 vessels traversing these distant seas, I have, from the commencement of the cruise, kept con- 
 stantly in view the port in which we are now at anchor,* and the principal harbor of the Bonin 
 Islands, as well for general convenience of resort as to f\irnish connecting links, or suitable 
 stopping places, for a line of niiil steamers, wbicli I trust may soon be established between 
 some one of our Pacific ports and China, an event so nnich to lie ilcsired. and, if accomi)lished, 
 one that will be distinguished, even in tlie history of these lemarkable times, as of the highest 
 importance to the commerce of the United (states and of the world. 
 
 ' Tlic Cuiiiiiioiloic is wriliiig lium Xuiilia, in Luiv C!;ch'.
 
 212 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 "The mails from the United States and Europe, by the way of Egypt, the Red sea, and 
 Indian ocean, arrive regularly at Hong Kong, almost to a day, twice a week in each month. 
 From Hdug Kong to Shanghai, five days may be allowed for the passage. To this point tlie 
 British government would doubtless extend its mail if it wore taken up by us and continued on 
 to California. 
 
 "Its transportati(m, by steam, from Shanghai to San Francisco, via the Bonin and Sandwich 
 Islands, would occupy thirty days, allowing three days for stopi)ing for coal, etc. Thus, the 
 distance fi'om San Francisco to Honolulu, in the Sandwich Islands, is roughly estimated at 
 2,093 miles ; from Honolulu to Peel Island, 3,301 miles; and from Peel Island to the mouth of 
 the Yang-tzse-Keang, or Shanghai river, 1,081 miles; in all, 6,4T5 miles; and allowing 240 
 miles per day, the time at sea would be twenty-seven, and the time in port three days ; from 
 San Francisco to New York twenty-two days would be required, making from Shanghai to 
 New York fifty-two days. 
 
 "The usual time occupied in transporting the mail from England to Hong Kong, via 
 Marseilles, (the shortest route,) is from forty-five to forty-eight days; add to that two days' 
 detention at Hong Kong, and five more to Shanghai, would make the time required to reach 
 the latter place from fifty-two to fifty-five days. 
 
 "Shanghai might be considered the terminus of the English and the commencement of the 
 American mail; and thus an original letter could be sent Avest by way of Europe, and its 
 dnjilicate east by way of California, the first arriving at Liverpool about the time its duplicate 
 reaches New York. 
 
 "But apart from the advantages, and, I may add, the glory of perfecting a scheme so mag- 
 nificent, this line of steamers would contribute largely to the benefit of commerce. Already 
 many thousands of Chinamen are annually embarking for California, paying for their passages 
 each $50, and finding themselves in everything, excepting water and fuel for cooking their food. 
 
 "These provident people are the most patient and enduring laborers, and must, by their 
 orderly habits, add greatly to the agricultural interests of California. 
 
 "But Shanghai is now becoming the great commercial mart of China ; already does it outrival 
 Canton in its trade with the United States, and when it shall be considered that the fine teas and 
 silks, and other rare and valuable commodities of that part of China, can be conveyed by means 
 of steam to California in five, and to New York in eight weeks, it is impossible to estimate 
 in anticipation the advantages that may grow out of an intercourse so rapid and so certain."* 
 
 ■ The importance of the Bonin Islands to the advancement of commercial interests in the east is so great that the sulycct has 
 more or less occupied the mind of the Commodore since his return ; and this importance is best shown by tlio following 
 document which has been placed in the hands of the compiler by Commodore Perry since this chapter was written : 
 
 Aotcs wUh respect to the Bo7iin Islands, 
 
 My visit to the Bonin Islands forcibly impressed mo with the idea of their importance as a point of rendezvous for vessels 
 navigating thai part of the Pacific ocean in which they lie, and especially as otVering a port of refuge and supply for wlialing 
 ships rescirting to those regions, as well as a depot for coal for a line of steamers which, ore long, must unqueslionably bo 
 established between California and China, vfti .lajjan. 
 
 Whales of several varieties abound in those parts of the ocean lying between the Bonins and the coast of Asia, and are in 
 greater numbers in the neighborhood of Japan. Until the esliiblisliinent of a treaty with that singular empire the masters of 
 whaling vessels were cautious not to apjiroaeh near to its shores, under a well-foundtHl apprehension of liilliug into the hands of 
 the Japanese, and sulfering, as a consequence, imprisonment and cruel treatment. These fears should no longer exist, as the 
 stipulations of the treaty make provision and olfer guaranties not only for kind treatment to those .Americans wlio may approach 
 the coast, or bo thrown by accident upon its hitherto inhospitable shores, but allow all American vessels under press of weather 
 to enter any of its ports for temporary refitment ; and tlic ports of Uakodadi and Simoda are open tor all purposes of repair or 
 supplies.
 
 ADVANTAGES OP PORT LLOYD. 213 
 
 After a stay of four days at the Bonin Islands, the Susquehanna weighed anchor, and taking 
 the Saratoga in tow sailed on the morning of Saturday the 18th of June, on the return 
 voyage to Lew Chew. After clearing the harbor of Port Lloyd, the course was steered toward 
 Disappointment Island. On the passage from Lew Chew to the Bonin Islands the Commodore 
 had desired to sight and determine the i^osition of this island, but, althoiigh it had been made 
 by the Susquehanna which stood directly for it on the day previous to her arrival at Port Lloyd, 
 there was no opportunity, in consequence of the approaching darkness, to make any observation 
 but an approximation by means of computation. The Commodore, therefore, on his return 
 voyage, was particularly desirous of seeing the island of Disappointment and determining 
 with precision its position, about which so much has been said and written. Accordingly, as 
 the island was made directly ahead a short period after noon, and passed at a distance of only 
 three or four miles, its exact position was accurately determined by data derived from the 
 noon-day observation. 
 
 It is a low island, with two detached rocks extending a cable or two in length from its extreme 
 point, and lies in latitude 27° 15' north, and in longitude 140° 56' 30" east from Greenwich. 
 
 It is presumed that Disappointment and Kosario are one and the same island. In addition 
 to the nautical observation of the officers of the ship, the artist made a drawing of the 
 appearance of the island, which will be found in the Aj^pendix. 
 
 As, therefore, the obstacles to a free navigation of the Japan seas no longer present themselves, our whaling ships may cruise 
 in safety and without interruption as near to the shores as may be convenient, or in the seas lying more to the eastward. But 
 to render tliis part of the ocean in all respects convenient to our whaling ships something more is wanted, and that is a port 
 of resort, which shall be in all respects free for them to enter and depart without the restraints of exclusive laws and national 
 prejudices; for though, as before remarked, the ports of Hakodadi and Simoda, in Japan, to which we may add Napha, in 
 great Lew Chew, are by treaty open to American vessels, a long time may elapse before the people of those ports will probably 
 divest themselves of the jealousies which they have hitherto entertained against strangers, and it is well known that the crews 
 of whaling vessels visiting the ports of the Pacific are not remarkable for their orderly behavior or conciliatory deportment, 
 hence my argument in favor of an establishment at the Bonin Islands is strengthened. My plan is to establish a colony at Port 
 Lloyd, Peei Island, the principal of the Bonin group, leaving the question of sovereignty to be discussed hereafter. I have 
 already in the narrative described these islands, and shall now proceed to set forth my plan for building up a thrifty settlement 
 which shall extend over the entire group of islands. 
 
 First, then, a company of merchants, in connexion with a few artisans, should form a joint stock company for the purpose of 
 establishing a colony on Peel Island. The experiment need not involve any very great outlay. Two vessels, each of three or 
 four hundred tons, suitably equipped for whaling, should be employed first in transporting to the island materials for the 
 construction of a storehouse and a few small dwellings, and the necessary supplies for furnishing a store with chandlery, naval 
 stores, groceries, and all such articles as are usually needed by whaling and other ships. After landing the passengers and 
 cargo, these vessels might proceed to cruise in the neighborhood and in the Japan seas in pursuit of whales — returning occa-. 
 sionally to the settlement for refreshment, &c. ; when these two vessels shall have jointly secured enough of oil to load one of 
 them, that one should be sent home to be again refitted and freighted with additional colonists and fresh supplies for the store- 
 house and for the settlers ; and so the two vessels might alternate in their voyages to the United States. Thus in a short 
 time a colony could be built up, and the result-s prove profitable to all parties concerned. Whaling vessels, American, English, 
 and Prench, would resort in greater numbers to the port for refreshment and supplies, becoming customers in the purchase of 
 needful articles for their vessels, and giving employment to the artisans and farmers of the colony. If money should be wanted 
 by the whalemen visiting the port, to make payment for labor or supplies, oil at just prices would betaken in lieu thereof. There 
 should be sent out by the company none but youiig married people, quarters for whom could be obtained in the houses of tho 
 present settlers till dwellings could be erected for their exclusive occupation. Thus the settlement would, in all probability, form 
 the nucleus of a religious and happy community, and here a missionary station might be formed without obstacle, from whence 
 mi.'isionaries at a proper season might be sent to Japan, Formosa, and other benighted countries in that quarter of the globe. 
 At the present time whaling vessels cruising in the seas lying between the Sandwich Islands and Japan are frequently obliged 
 to resort cither to those islands or to Hong Kong for refitment and supplies, a distance from some of their whaling grounds of 
 several thousands of miles ; in such a voyage, and in the unavoidable dela)' in port, much time is occupied ; and apart from the 
 enormous charges made at those ports, which make it necessary to draw heavily upon the owners at home, the crews become 
 sickly and demoralized by their indulgence in dissipation. Now, a depot established at Peel Island would bo central, and would 
 probably be wanting, for a length of years, at least, in the means for improper indulgence, for whicli tho ports before mentioned 
 are notorious. The right of sovereignty undoubtedly belongs to Japan, as the earliest known occupant of tlio islands; beyond 
 this claim the present settlers have unqDcstionably priority of right of jurisdiction.
 
 214 
 
 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 From Disappointment Island the course of the ship was steereil directly for the Borodinos as 
 laid down in the ordinary charts. They were made on the 22d of June directly ahead, and 
 ■were found to be two in numher, situated five miles apart, and lying in a N.N.E. and S.S.W. 
 direction. They appeared to he of coral formation hut of great antiquity, as trees of con- 
 siderahle size crowned the uplands, the most elevated part of which may have been forty feet 
 ahove the level of the sea. The navigation in the immediate neighborhood seemed free of 
 danger, but no indentations were seen in the surrounding shore which might afford safe 
 anchoring places. No signs of people were discovered, and it is presumed that the islands are 
 uninhabited. The position of the extremity at the south of the southern island was estimated 
 to be in latitude 25° 47', and in longitude 131° 19' east. 
 
 As during the return voyage moderate breezes from S.S.W. to S.W. jucvailed with warm 
 weather, and as, in fact, the wind ever since the first departure from Napha had continued 
 from the southward and westward, it may be inferred that the southwest monsoon extends as 
 far north as the parallels of latitude in which the course of the ships laid. The Susquehanna 
 and Saratoga reached, in the evening of June 23d, their anchorage in the bay of Napha, 
 where they found the Mississippi, the Plymouth, and the Supply. 
 
 Port LloyJ and Buuiu IsUndb.
 
 HANGES AT NAPHA, NEW REGENT. 
 
 215 
 
 CTIAPTETl XT. 
 
 CHWGES AT NAPHA, VEW REGEVT. BASQt'ET ON BOARD OF THE SUSQIEHAVNA. EXCESSIVE DIONITT OF THE NEW RECENT. 
 
 STATELINE5S OF LEW CIIEWAN5 THAWED OCT BT THE DINN'EH. GUESTS SKNT HOME. BAMBOO VILLAGE. INTERIOR OF LEW 
 
 CHEW HOUSES. .MEN INDOLENT. C053IPPING AT LEW CHEW. — LEW CHEW LOOM. DIFFERENT CLASSES OF THE PEOPLE. 
 
 THEIR FEAR OF SPIES.- SLAVERY OF PEASANTS. CAUSES OF DEGRADATION. EXCELLENCE OF AGRICULTURAL CULTIVATION. 
 
 ORIGIN OF POPULATIO.V OF LEW CHEW. FORMER KINGDOMS ON THE ISLAND. RELATION OF LEW CHEW TO CHINA AND JAPAN, 
 
 RESPECTIVELY. EDUCATION IN LEW CHEW. RELIGION OF THE I.NHABITANTS. CHRISTIAN MISSION IN LEW CHEW. DISTINC- 
 TIONS OF DRESS. PEOPLE SELL THE.MSELVES AS SLAVES. CLANSHIP. COIN IN LEW CHEW SUGAR MAKING. NATURAL 
 
 PRODUCTS OF THE ISLAND. 
 
 HEN tlie squadron returned to Napha, on the 23d of June, it was 
 ^^ found tliat a new regent had been installed. The old occupant, 
 who had so pertinaciously striven to prevent the Commodore's 
 visit to Shui, and who had also so bountifully entertained our 
 countrymen at his own habitation, had, it was said, been deposed. 
 It was difficult to ascertain with certainty the causes of this 
 degradation, but it was not to be doubted that, if true, it was in 
 some mode connected with the presence of our ships at Napha, 
 and probably resulted from the admission of the Commodore and 
 liis suite into the royal residence at Shui. It was not a pleasant 
 reflection to tlie officers that they should have been, however 
 innocently, the cause of the poor old man's degradation ; and it seemed hard to understand why 
 their visit should have led to more serious consequences than those produced by that of the 
 officers of H. B. I\I. ship Sphynx to the same place. At first, it was rumored that the obi 
 regent had been obliged to i)erfDrni tlie Jwm-kirl. or disenilinwcUitig operation; but tlie jiainfiil 
 feelings produced by this intelligence were happily relieved by the sight of tlie old man in liis 
 house at Shui, by two of the officers of the Susquehanna. Dr. Bettelheini (who did not seem 
 to feel any jiity for the degraded dignitary) stated that he would probably be banished, with his 
 family, to one of the smaller islands. 
 
 The Commodore, who was (juite satisfied with the conciliatory measures that had been pursued 
 during his absence, now renewed his invitation to the regent and treasurer to dine on board the 
 Susquehanna, on Tuesday, the 2Sth of Jnne, offering to send boats for tiiem. This invitation 
 was accepted ; and the Commodnre had reason to doubt tlie whole story of the old regent's 
 degradation, from the fact that tlie new regent, S/tfui'j Hmnj Hlun, a nicinhcr ot' tlic family of 
 his j)redecessor, and a much younger man, did not hesitate to accejit an invitation to tlic dinner,
 
 216 
 
 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 but went even further in his courtesies and attentions than the old regent had ever done. As 
 far as he could ascertain the facts, the Commodore believed that the old man had voluntarily- 
 resigned in favor of the young one. 
 
 On the appointed day of the feast, three of the ship's boats were sent off to the creek at 
 Tumai to bring on board the invited guests. On their arrival, and after the usual presentation 
 of crimson cards, they came on board in robes of the finest and cleanest grass-cloth, and with 
 hatdiee matchees of showy color on their heads. Captain Buchanan received them at the gang- 
 way, and conducted them through the various parts of the ship. The day was oppressively 
 warm, and the visitors found it so sultry between decks, and especially in the engine room, tliat 
 they were glad once more to stand upon the upper deck. The marines were under arms, and 
 the band played to give honor to their reception. When dinner was announced they were 
 ushered into the Commodore's cabin, and immediately sat down to the table. The entertainment 
 was, of course, entirely in accordance with European and American customs. The Commodore 
 took the centre of the table, with the regent on his right hand and the chief treasurer on his 
 left, while the mayor of Napha and one of the other treasurers were seated near the ends of tlie 
 table, where they were taken in charge by the commanders of the different vessels of the squadron . 
 Mr. Williams and Dr. Bettelheim were present as guests and interpreters ; while at a smaller 
 
 table were Messr.s. (). H. Perry, I\)rtman, Taylor, and Heine. None ot tlie regent's suite were 
 allowed to sit at tiible with him, but remained in attendance. His interpreter, Ichirazichi, the 
 snnin wliom we have already presented to our readers, .stood behind him.
 
 BANQUET ON BOARD OF THE SUSQUEHANNA. 21Y 
 
 The new regent was a small man, apparently about forty-five years old, of more swarthy 
 complexion than any of his suite, and with a slight cast in his left eye. He was remarkably 
 grave and taciturn, seemed to be perpetually awake to the novelty of his position, having at 
 times a restless and uneasy expression of countenance, and never spoke except when he was 
 particularly addressed. It was verj' evident that he was less at his ease than any person present. 
 This, perhaps, arose from his newly acquired rank, to which he had not yet become accustomed, 
 and possibly some embarrasment may have been caused by the apprehension that he should be 
 wanting in some of the proprieties of etiquette at an American dinner table. Perhaps, too, he 
 was not without his fears that, surrounded as he knew himself to be by spies, his visit might 
 bring in its train some unpleasant political consequences. His dress consisted of a dark purple 
 or violet-colored robe and a cap of crimson. The treasurers, both old men with wrinkled faces 
 and scanty grey beards, wore similar caps, while their robes were yellow. The mayor was 
 attired in a robe of pearl-white grass cloth, and had on his head a crimson cap. The hair of all 
 was i)ut up with massive gold pins, and their girdles were of rich Chinese silk. These various 
 dresses were presumed to be official, and in their diversity of color indicative of diiference of 
 rank. The inferior attendants who stood behind these dignitaries were dressed in blue and 
 yellow with scarlet caps. 
 
 Knives and forks were placed, in our usual fashion, for each guest. The first seemed to be 
 very much in the way of the Lew Chewans ; with the last they did better, and showed some 
 dexterity in making them answer the purpose of chop sticks. This, however, was a matter of 
 but little moment, as, be the implements used what they may, hungry men will contrive in some 
 mode to convey food to their mouths, and the Lew Chewans, like sensible men, manifested no inten- 
 tion of avoiding awkwardness at such a heavy price as the loss of a good dinner ; and the dinner 
 was very good. Turtle soup, goose, kid curry, and various other delicacies formed part of the feast 
 which was spread with bountiful profusion. To the soup the mayor and treasurer did ample 
 justice, and in their appreciation of its excellence were not imworthy rivals of a London Alder- 
 man. The cabin was sultry, and as the feast proceeded the guests grew warmer, (for they were 
 very much in earnest,) until finally they asked permission to remove their caps, and this having 
 been done, the attendant of each, standing behind, vigorously fanned the uncovered head of his 
 master. Punch followed the soup and furnished them with a new gustatory enjoyment. They 
 had given the Commodore some of their saki, and he was now resolved to give them a taste of 
 the saki made in all other parts of the world. So there were French and German wines, Scotch 
 and American whiskey, madeira and sherry, and the gin of Holland, winding up with the sweet, 
 smooth, strong maraschino, which decidedly, in their estimation, bore away the palm. They 
 smacked their lips and shut their eyes at each sip of the limpid delicacy, and, in short, showed 
 but a very sorrj- appreciation of the virtue of temperance. And while they were thus almost 
 equalling Christendom in genteel dissipation, Mr. Heine, at the small table, was making a sketch 
 of the group, and Mr. Portman was taking a portrait of the regent. 
 
 After feeding heartily on the substantials, they asked leave to smoke their pipes ; it was of 
 course accorded, and the chief treasurer, after a few whiffs, presented his, with the embroidered 
 tobacco pouch attached, to the Commodore. Tlie mayor and other treasurers followed his 
 example by handing theirs to Captains Buchanan and Adams. There seemed to be no end to 
 the capacity of stomach in some of these officials. Preserved oysters and other articles of food 
 sealed up in America, excited an admiration as boundless as their aj>petites. Part of the dessert 
 28.1
 
 218 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 consisted of melons and bananas brought from the Bonin Islands. These took them comi>letely 
 captive and they begged that they might carry some home to their wives. They vrere, of cour.se, 
 told to do so, and forthwitli the loose folds of each one's robe above his girdle was converted 
 into a pocket and loaded with what it would hold. 
 
 When things had reached this stage, there was but too much reason to fear that "the tide of 
 wine and wassail was fiist gaining on the dry land of sober judgment." All reserve was now 
 fully thawed out. The quiet re])ose of a calm contentment sat enthroned on the shining face of 
 the jolly old mayor of Napha. The wrinkled visages of the two withered old treasurers flushed 
 and expan.led into rubicund fullness. The regent alone preserved Ms silent, anxious demeanor, 
 and all he drank was neutralized in its effects by his excessive dignity. He appeared cordial and 
 friendly but once, and tliat was when the Commodore offered him an assortment of American 
 garden seed and vegetables. These he promised to plant and carefully cultivate. The Commo- 
 dore had previously landed, as a present, cattle and buffaloes; these he also promised should be 
 carefully looked to and their oflspring jireserved. 
 
 The band had been playing on the deck while the guests were feasting, and when the 
 weightier part of the festival was over the Commodore ordered down some of the more expert 
 performers, to play solos on the flageolet, hautboy, clarionet, and cornet-a-piston. The regent 
 listened attentively, but the mayor and treasurers were too busy in stowing away the epular 
 fragments to be moved by any "concord of sweet sounds." Coffee was offered them, under the 
 name of "American tea." They did not relish it, and resorted once more to their pipes. The 
 attendants had not been forgotten. They had enjoyed an abundance of meat and drink in the 
 steward's pantry, and relished it quite as much as their masters. But all earthly enjoyment 
 must have an end, and the feast at last was over. The guests were put on shore at Tumai, 
 leaving the ship under a salute of three guns ; and so ended the dinner given to the regent on 
 on board the Susquehanna. 
 
 The retm'n to Lew Chew afforded to some of the ofiicers an opportunity of making further 
 examinations as to the external aspect of the island, and of catching further glimpses of the 
 habits and pursuits of the inhabitants. One of the gentlemen attached to the Saratoga thus 
 describes the result of one of his explorations : 
 
 ' ' Rambled over the hill this afternoon to a most remarkable village. Approaching toward 
 the spot, it appeared to be a thick swamp of green brushwood. Not a house nor anything of 
 the kind was to be seen. It looked like one of those long, low, marshy thickets, in which I 
 hunted for blackbirds' eggs, in my boyhood. But on reaching it, after crossing a wide, clear 
 field of grass, we passed into and through one of the sweetest little villages I ever entered, 
 completely embowered with thickly matted tops of the tall and swaying bamboo, artistically 
 laid off in squares, with level streets of red sandy soil, overarched with the branches of tlie 
 bamboo, that f(jrmed hedges on either side, through which, at regular distances, were openings 
 into the gardens surrounding the dwellings of the inhabitants, highly cultivated with a variety 
 of vegetables. I had neither read of nor seen a town like this." 
 
 In the course of his ramble, the officer from whose journal this extract is made entered 
 several of the dwellings, for the purpo.sc of gratifying liis ctu-iosity concerning the domestic 
 arrangements. He found the floors invariably covered with thick mats, of regular width and 
 length, laid side by side, as a carjjet. These he found constituted the sleeping place at night, 
 and to preserve them from dirt, the inhabitants always step on tliem witli the feet bare, or
 
 GOSSIPPING AT 1. KW CIIKW. 219 
 
 covered -with stockings only; wlicn tlioy enter from witliout, they slip off" their loose straw 
 sandals at the door. In every instance where he entered, our informant found that the men were 
 the drones of the hive, and the women the workers. From three to half a dozen of the former 
 were invariahly to he seen, seated upon their crossed ankles, in a circle, with a cup of live coals, 
 a little box of fine cut tobacco, and a spittoon, in the centre. Thus seated, in dreamy indolence, 
 they would draw forth their little pipes from their belts, unsheath them, take a mere pinch of 
 the tobacco from the box, and place it in the little metallic bowl of the pipe, which was not 
 more than half the size of a young girl's thimble, light it, and after two or three long whiffs, 
 they would retain the smoke for a minute or more, and then, with a strong impulse, send it 
 through the nostrils, as the opium smoker does. This ended the enjoyment for that occasion. 
 The pipes were then returned to their sheaths, when a little tea-pot, holding less than half a 
 pint, with half a dozen cups, each of about the capacity of three teaspoons, was brought by a 
 servant, and a general sipping took the place of smoking. The tea disposed of, the pipes were 
 again resorted to, and thus did they alternate between tobacco and tea. Before rising to 
 separate, the salci was introduced and circulated, sometimes beyond the limits of prudence and 
 discretion. These were the occupations of the "lords of creation;" the poor women, mean- 
 while, might be seen, half naked, delving with the hoe or the spade, in the adjacent gardens, 
 under a scorching sun. Sometimes this idle gossipping over tea and the pipe is carried on in 
 the open air, under the shade of some spreading tree. 
 
 "When the poor females are not thus employed in the cultivation of the earth, there is still 
 found work enough for them of some other kind, for their destiny is labor. In every house may 
 be seen the loom for weaving grass cloth, and it is quite a curiosity in its way. It is small, not 
 more than two feet high, and generally is placed in the corner of the room. The shuttle is two 
 or three feet long, so that before it leaves one hand of the weaver it may be grasped by the 
 other. It is but a rude implement, and yet the fine, glossy fabric wrought by its agency is 
 exceedingly beautiful. 
 
 What has here been said must be understood as aj^plying to the men who are not of the very 
 lowest class. According to the best observations the Commodore could make, he classified the 
 inhabitants into four grades : these were, first, the high officers of state ; secondly, the priesthood 
 and literary men ; thirdly, the under officers and spies; and lastly the laboring class, (including 
 particularly the fishermen,) by the toil of which last all the rest live ; for it was never seen that 
 any of the classes above named, except the last, ever appeared to have any thing to do, save the 
 spies, and they might be met at every step. These infest every corner and every threshold. If 
 the officers walked the streets, these fellows might be seen preceding or following them, directing 
 all doors to be closed, and the women to keep out of sight. The people, indeed, whenever they 
 were sure of not being seen by some of these vermin, manifested no indisposition to communica- 
 tion and intercourse, and gladly received from the strangers little gratuities and presents, which 
 were taken with a trembling hand and instantly concealed, while their eyes glanced rapidly and 
 furtively from side to side to see that tliey were unobserved. The Commodore was deeply 
 moved, as indeed were all the gentlemen of the expedition, by the tyranny exercised toward the 
 mass of the people. " God pity these poor creatures ! " says the former in his journal : '.'Ihave 
 seen much of the world, have observed savage life in many of its conditions ; but never, unless I 
 may except the miserable peons in Mexico, have I looked upon such an amount of apparent 
 wretchedness as these squalid slaves would seem to suffer." "The poor, naked creatures, who
 
 220 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 toil from morning till night, know not tlic relaxation of a Sabbath, nor the rest of an occasional 
 holiday, generally granted by even the most cruel taskmasters. The wages of a field laborer is 
 from three to eight cents per diem ; the mechanic may receive ten. Out of this, he has to 
 provide food, clothing, and shelter for a family, with which most of the common people are 
 burdened, and it is surprising to see how soon the boys, for we see but little of the girls, are 
 made to labor. In looking into a blacksmith's shop at Napha, I observed a father and two sons 
 making nails ; the elder son, probably ten years old, was using the hammer, while the younger, 
 not more than five, was blowing the bellows, or rather moving the piston of a sort of air pump, 
 which required some amount of physical exertion. When we entered the shop, neither of the 
 three took the slightest notice of us, but went on with their labor ; even the little boy scarcely 
 lifted his eyes ; and this seeming indifference, it may be remarked, was the case with laborers 
 and all others whom we met, when they supposed that the eye of a spy was upon them." 
 "Whatever progress we may make in conciliating the higher classes, and we have made 
 considerable, the lower orders of the people dare not, even by a look, evince the slightest emotion ; 
 their stolid and impassive features express nothing but toil and care, and area sufficient index of 
 their abject condition." " I can conceive of no greater act of humanity than it would be to 
 rescue, if possible, these miserable beings from the oppression of their tyrannical rulers." 
 "These poor creatures are the people who have been represented by Captain Basil Hall as so 
 innocent and so happy !" Well disposed, peaceful, and naturally amiable, ourgentlemen generally 
 believed them to be ; but they were ignorant, and had been long obliged to resort to the weapons of 
 the weak ; they were, therefore, cunning and insincere. Under proper treatment, something might 
 be made of them, but at present, they want the essential element of self-respect. Another 
 obstacle in the way of their improvement is the impossibility of their ever procuring a vested 
 right of ownership in the land. As far as the Commodore could gather information on the 
 subject, it would appear that the soil is held by the government, and its agents are employed to 
 collect and consume its produce. According to the best accounts that could be obtained, the 
 actual cultivator receives not more than two-tenths of the produce. Of the remainder, six- 
 tenths go to the lord of the soil, or ruler, and two-tenths for the expense of supervision of the 
 land, costs of collection^ &c. The peasant has thus no stimulus to exertion. Wretched, 
 however, as this system is, and degraded as is the condition of the operative, it is astonishing to 
 see the large returns from agricultural labor. Nowhere do the people better understand the art 
 of producing the largest crops of which the land cultivated is capable ; no matter what may be 
 the character and condition of the soil, or the relative position of the field cultivated. The same 
 is said to be true of all the cultivated portions of the neighboring groups of islands. Every 
 advantage is taken of circumstances, and irrigation is both understood and practised with skill 
 and success. With such a soil and climate as Lew Chew possesses, if all parts of it that might 
 be cultivated were made fields of agricultural labor, it would support a very large population. 
 
 One of the subjects to which the attention of the Commodore was drawn, was the origin of 
 the population of Lew Chew. Want of sufficient material has not enabled ethnology as yet 
 conclusively to settle this question ; and, of course, the gentlemen of tlie expedition who attended 
 to this particular had to find their way as best they might. Many speculations have been 
 hazarded on the subject, founded on the very limited observations of the few Europeans who 
 have visited the islands. Of Captain Hall we have already spoken. " The description of 
 Captain Basil Hall," says the Commodore, "is a mere romance ; the jiroduction of the inventive
 
 ORIGIN OF POPULATION OF LEW CHEW. 221 
 
 brain of a writer not very scrupulous of historical truth ; and the account of Doctor McLeod, of 
 the Alceste, is not much nearer to accuracy. Captains Beechey and Belcher, surveying officers 
 of the British navy, have visited Great Lew Chew since those just named, and their statements 
 may be considered as much more worthy of confidence ; but, after all, such are the difficulties in 
 the way, that they had not much, if any, better means of acquiring a knowledge of the history, 
 laws, and civil institutions of this singular people^ than had those who preceded them. 
 Difficulties have also beset us in our investigations, and all the facts we may learn are but 
 contributions on a subject yet open to, and demanding more thorough investigation. We throw 
 what we can gather into the common heap." 
 
 As far as the Lew Chewans themselves bear testimony to their origin, they claim, like the 
 Chinese, to have their descent from a divine source. According to Chow-Hwang, a Chinese 
 writer, who was sent to Lew Chew in 1757, as an envoy from China, and who on his return 
 published an account of the island, " the islanders declare that the original progenitors of the 
 Lew Chewans were two, a man and a woman. They had five children ; the oldest was a son, 
 named T^en-Sun, (Offspring of Heaven,) who was the first master or ruler of the nation; the 
 second son acted the part of his minister, and the third constituted the people. The older 
 daughter, for the protection of the country, took the place of the God of Heaven, and the 
 younger personified the God of the Sea. T66n-Sun and his descendants having maintained the 
 government for 17,802 years, were at length succeeded by Shunteen, a branch of the then ruling 
 family of Japan. This occurred about A. D. 1200, when the Ming dynasty arose in China. 
 Three kings ruled in Lew Chew ; one was styled ' King of the Central Hills ;' the second ' King 
 of the Southern Hills ;' and the third ' King of the Northern Hills.' All were tributary, and 
 reigned by permission of 'the Son of Heaven.' At length the first became master of the 
 whole country, which has ever since remained under one king, always acknowledging himself a 
 tributary of the Chinese empire."* 
 
 Klaproth, professing to follow Chinese and Japanese annals, gives an account agreeing pretty 
 well with the foregoing by Chow-Hwang, and says further, that the race of kings reigning in 
 Lew Chew is related to the imperial family of Japan ; that both China and Japan claim the 
 sovereignty, and that the Lew Chewans pay tribute to both. 
 
 As to the three kings of the "central," "northern," and "southern" hills, respectively, 
 there is something in the discoveries of our exploring parties that may seem to give countenance 
 to the truth of that portion of the story. It will be remembered by the reader that the explorers 
 reported the discovery of the ruins of a castle or palace at Nagagusko ; the ruins of another 
 were afterwards found, of which an account will be given on a future page, and these were no 
 doubt the residences of the northern and southern kings, while the third at Shui, perfect, and 
 still used as the royal residence, was the palace of the " King of the Central Hills." The tradi- 
 tions of Lew Chew even to this day (as our officers found) preserve the memory of the former 
 existence of distinct sovereignties on the island. 
 
 Chow-Hwang claims, as we have seen, sovereignty over the island at this day for the Chinese 
 Emperor ; and one of the points which appeared difficult to determine was the precise relation 
 which Lew Chew bore to China and Japan respectively. That a tribute was sent in Chinese 
 junks to China annually from Lew Chew seemed to be an established fact, yet the officials of 
 
 'Chinese Repository for July, 1837, vol. VI.
 
 222 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 Lew Chew did not appear to be Chinese, and the common language of the country is not that 
 of the celestial empire, though Chinese is understood and spoken by some of the Lew Chewans 
 •who arc educated. As to any rights Japan may have, all we can say is, that the Japanese 
 commissioners informed Commodore Perry at a subsequent period, when he met them in con- 
 ference on the proposed points of a treaty, "that Lew Chew was a distant dependency, over which 
 the crown [of Japan] had limited control. ' ' It is also certain that most of the trade to Lew Chew 
 is carried on by Japanese junks. The testimony of the Lew Chewans themselves is contained in 
 the following extract of a letter addressed to Commodore Terry by the officials of Napha : "Since 
 the days of the Ming dynasty it has been our great pride to be ranked as one of the outer depen- 
 dencies of China, and she has for ages given our king his investiture, and we have returned 
 whatever we could prepare for tribute ; nothing of great importance to our nation has tranf- 
 pired but it has been made known to the Emperor. Whenever the time came for us to send up 
 the tribute, we there [in China] purchased silk and pongee to make suitable official robes and 
 caps for ourselves, and selected medicines and other things for the use of the state ; and if they 
 were not enough for our own use, then through the island of Tuchara we have intercourse 
 with a friendly and near nation, and exchange for our productions, as black sugar, saki, grass- 
 cloth, and other articles, things which we send to China as tribute." The friendly and near 
 nation alluded to is Japan. 
 
 Dr. Bettelheim, who lived some years in Lew Chew, believed, for several good reasons, that 
 "the country, though independent to a certain extent, (its ruler being permitted, for a good 
 contribution to Pekin, to assume the high-sounding title of king,) yet is, to all ends and pur- 
 poses, an integral part of Japan." His reasons were briefly these : 
 
 1. "There is a Japanese garrison quartered in Napha." It must not, however, be under- 
 stood that they show themselves openly, for the Lew Chewans pretend that they are an unwar- 
 like people, without military arms or accoutrements ; but Dr. Bettelheim accidentally came 
 upon a part of the garrison employed in cleaning their arms. 
 
 2. The trade of Lew Chew is entirely with Japan. If the island were a Chijiese dependency 
 this would not be so. Japan sends annually thirty or forty junks to Lew Chew, of about four 
 hundred and fifty tons each ; only one Lew Chewan junk goes annually to China, and every 
 alternate year one more, said to carry tribute, but not a single Chinese junk is ever allowed to 
 enter Napha. 
 
 3. The Japanese are to be found in numbers in Lew Chew, and stroll about as uninterruptedly 
 as the natives ; they intermarry with the Lew Chewans, cultivate lands, build houses in Napha, 
 and, in short, seem to be perfectly at home. But a Chinaman is as much hunted and spied 
 after, and pelted, and insulted as any other foreigner. This is strikingly confirmed by the 
 journal of one of our officers, who remarks, from facts that he was witness to : " They [the Lew 
 Chewans] are evidently quite as much opposed to intercourse with China as with all other nations, 
 notwithstanding the similarity, if not tlie identity, of their religion, literature, and many of their 
 manners and customs. Indeed, they are de facto and de jure a part of Japan, and their motto 
 is, 'uncompromising non-intercourse with all the world.' " 
 
 4. In all Dr. Bettelheim's intercourse with the Lew Chew authorities there were always 
 present, at least, two individuals, who, it was obvious, had the management of the meeting and 
 controlled the Lew Chew officials. These he conjectured to be Japanese inspectors. 
 
 5. The language, dress, customs, virtues, and vices of Lew Chew correspond to those of Japan,
 
 KDUCATIONINLEWCUEW. 223 
 
 thus establishing a, prima facie relationship. Of these the language is to the ethnologist the 
 most satisfactory proof, and of the reseai'ches of some of our gentlemen, on this point, -we shall 
 speak more particularly in its appropriate place, on a future page. 
 
 The English Bishop of Victoria, who, in the discharge of his official duties, visited Lew Chew 
 in 1850, thus speaks on this subject: "On the whole, it seems far the most probable oiiinion 
 that Lew Chew was peojjled by a colony from Japan, to which people their physiognomy, 
 language, and customs have a close affinity ; and that to China they owe the far more important 
 debt of their partial civilization and literature. The government of the country appears to 
 consist in a grievous oligarchy of literati immediately dependent upon Japan. They stand in 
 great fear of the latter country, and look to it, and not to China, for protection in time of need. 
 They have an historical tradition that a few hundred years ago, during the Ming dynasty, a 
 war broke out between China and Japan, during which the former, wanting to detach Lew 
 Chew from the latter, raised it to the dignity of a separate kingdom. In token of vassalage, 
 every new king receives a formal investiture from a Chinese officer, specially deputed and sent 
 for that purpose from Foo Chow ; to which city, also, a biennial tribute-junk is sent from Lew 
 Chew. At the Tartar invasion of China, and the commencement of the present foreign dynasty, 
 above two hundred j'ears ago, about thirty-six Chinese families, unwilling to conform to the 
 Tartar changes of costume and rule, emigrated to Lew Chew, the descendants of whom have 
 become, generally, the schoolmasters of the country, and amalgamated with the people." The 
 Commodore, from such observation as he could make, thought that the Lew Chewans were a 
 mixture, made up possibly of Japanese, (who preponderated,) Chinese, Formosans, and, perhaps, 
 Malays ; and that the island, commencing its population at a very early period, from some 
 accident, such as shipwreck, had, from time to time, added to its inhabitants from the adjacent 
 regions, until the whole was fused into the present stock. In personal appearance the Lew 
 Chewans did not seem to him to be unequivocally either Chinese or Japanese in aspect. They 
 are not a handsome people, nor yet can they be called decidedly ugly. Their complexion is 
 rather Chinese, and they have black eyes and hair ; the latter of which, by the way, they do 
 not dress after the Chinese fashion ; for, instead, of long plaited tails hanging down behind, it 
 is gathered, with great care and neatness, into a knot on the top of the head, and there fastened 
 with a pin of silver or other metal — the nature of the metal used indicating the rank of the 
 wearer. 
 
 As to education, the opportunity afforded of acquiring information was necessarily limited, 
 and the best account the Commodore could obtain on that subject was from Dr. Bettelheim, who 
 had been for some years resident on the island. "In Shui," says he, "I have seen a building 
 with an inscription, perhaps well rendered, ' University,' on the door. In Napha is a school 
 for proficients in Confucian lore. But in general, learning — as far as it goes, i. e. a mere 
 knowledge of Chinese characters and of some of their classical books — is diffused bj' the elder 
 instructing the younger ; a kind of Lancasterian system, carried on in the whole country, in 
 almost every house. Still, there are schools beside, and ^likewise the Kung-Kwas, government 
 houses in Napha, as well as Tumai, serve as schools. In the Kung-Kwas, however, no teacher 
 is appointed ; but in the out-buildings usually added to every Confucian temple, I found often 
 children assembled under the superintendance of a master, who seems to have the benefit of free 
 residence and the adjoining grounds for salary." "Aping China in everything, Lew Chew has 
 also its three yearly examinations, which, for the time being, make quite a stir in the learned
 
 224 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 world, but hold out no prospect for liigh station, as in China. At most, the fortunate candidate 
 gets, beside a good fill of honor, a rice pension or a schoolmastershiiJ. The Samuns are also 
 delegated, bj turns, to teach in the country schools. By all these means the knowledge of the 
 Chinese character is pretty widely diffused among the people, the women, only, being entirely 
 without any literary culture." 
 
 As to what is taught, all the books, as well as learning, in Lew Chew come from China, 
 whither, yearly, some of the native youths of the higher class are sent for education. The 
 Chinese character is in general use in Lew Chew ; but the inhabitants have also (says Dr. 
 Bettelhcim) a running hand of their own, which, he thinks, is the real ancient Chinese hiero- 
 glyphic, "awfully crippled." In some manuscripts which he saw in this writing, every Lew 
 Chew character had opposite to it the modern legible Chinese sign ; and many Lew Chewans do 
 not understand the character at all. They are, however, very proud of it, and say it is a 
 "language" of their own ; though^ as far as could be ascertained, the signs used do not at all 
 express the sounds of the sjioken Lew Chew language, which is, undoubtedly, a dialect of 
 Japanese. Neither is this writing, as has been said, identical with the Japanese hirakana. 
 Most of the books seen in Lew Chew were in the ordinary Chinese character. The Japanese 
 character, however, is understood ; for writings were seen, made by Lew Chewans, in the 
 KataJcana. With such apparatus for learning it may well be supposed that the attainments of 
 the masses^ except in those matters which are communicated orally, must be limited. The Lew 
 Chewans have no literature of their own, nor has any author, so far as we know, ever appeared 
 among them. The Confucian classics # ^ina are the text books, and these, says the Bishop 
 of Victoria, "consist more in an apparently mechanical repetition of sounds than m any mental 
 recreation from the sentiments contained in those literary monuments of a venerable antiquity." 
 
 The reader will probably be somewhat interested to know something of the religious opinions 
 of these distant islanders, and of the circumstances under which Dr. Bettelheim became a 
 resident among them. As to the first, it may be said, in general terms, that the religion of the 
 natives seems to be a mixture of Confucianism and Buddhism. But it is best to let them on 
 this head speak for themselves. When the Bishop of Victoria was at the island, in 1850, the 
 captain of H. B. M. steamer, the Keynard, received two communications from the native 
 authorities, written in Chinese, in the latter of which they thus speak: "Now, as to the 
 religion of the Lord of Heaven," [this is the phrase by which they designate Christianity,] "we 
 have, from ancient times, attended to the doctrines of Confucius, and found therein principles 
 wherewith to cultivate personal morality, and to regulate our fjimilies, each according to our 
 circumstances and condition in life. We endeavor, also, to carry out the government of the 
 country according to the rules and maxims which have been handed down to us by the sages, 
 and are calculated to secure lasting peace and tranquility. Besides, our gentry, as well as the 
 common people, are without natural capacity; and, although they have attended exclusively to 
 Confucianism, they have as yet been unable to arrive at perfection in it. If they should now, 
 also, have to study, in addition, the religion of the Lord of Heaven, such an attempt would 
 surpass our ability, and the heart does not incline to it." 
 
 On the comjjound of Confucianism and Buddhism many superstitions have been grafted. 
 Filial reverence here, as in China, is the chief of virtues, and, theoretically, at least, underlies as 
 a basis the system of government, which is professedly patriarchal. This, as the Bishop of 
 Victoria has well remarked, is the great source of slavery, and opens a M'ide door for the
 
 CHRISTIAN MISSION IX LEW C U E W . 225 
 
 grossest tyranny on the part of the so-called paternal rulers. How far these poor and oppressed 
 beings are in a condition to be impressed by the truths of Christianity it would be difficult to 
 say; but, from the early experience of Dr. Bottelheim, there is reason to think that the common 
 people, if left to themselves, would be willing listeners to the Christian teacher ; and the 
 benevolence of gospel principles would probably contrast so strongly and advantageously with 
 the cruelty and oppression under which they groan, that we cannot but believe there are few 
 spots of paganism where, under God's blessing, efforts to-Christianize would probably be more 
 successful than in Lew Chew, were the i)eople left to freedom of thought and action. 
 
 As to the establishment of Dr. Bettelheim as a missionary in the island, its history, as we 
 gather from the Bishop of Victoria, is briefly this: Xot many years ago, certain pious officers 
 of the British navy, (among whom was prominent Lieutenant Clifford, who, we believe, visited 
 the island with Captain Basil Hall,) formed an association among themselves, under the name 
 of the "Lew Chew Xaval Mission," for the purpose of sending Christian missionaries to the 
 Island. The missionary whom they first sent was Dr. Bettelheim, a converted Jew, and by 
 birth a Hungarian, not, however, in holy orders, but a christian layman. He had become a 
 British subject by naturalization, and the husband of an Englishwoman. He possessed many 
 qualifications for his work. He was a physician, a good linguist, with great energy of mind and 
 activity of body, and most indefatigable perseverance. He possessed, also, a boldness of nature, 
 which caused him fearlessly to assert his rights as a British subject, and, perhaps, not always with 
 discretion. Two missionaries of the Eoman church were, at first, in Lew Chew with him, one of 
 whom was made titular bishop of Samos and vicar general of Japan ; but these, in utter despair of 
 success, abandoned their mission, and left the island, while Dr. Bettelheim still abode at his post, 
 and never relaxed his labors. Commodore Perry found him at Napha, as we have already related, 
 and he had been there since May, 1846. The opposition to Dr. Bettelheim's labors did not 
 come from the common people. At first his communications with them were freely allowed, 
 and they seemed well disposed to be taught. But the authorities soon took the alarm, and, as 
 there is reason to think, on political grounds merely. They were afraid of their Japanese 
 masters, who, as they well knew, would tolerate no show of Christianity in the kingdom, and 
 would look upon its introduction into Lew Chew as the first step toward breaking down the 
 exclusive system of Jajian. At first, therefore, the authorities at Xapha used mild persuasion 
 with Dr. Bettelheim to prevail upon him to leave the island ; then followed less equivocal 
 marks of opposition — the people were forbidden to go near him or to remain with him if he 
 came among them ; and, finally, a system of insult, annoyance, ceaseless espionage, and 
 intimidation, was adopted, in the hope of driving him away. But all these means were in vain. 
 The missionary stayed in Lew Chew, and at the time of the Commodore's arrival, he and the 
 inhabitants were living in a condition of undisguised hostility toward each other. It was soon 
 but too apparent that the presence of the missionary, however meritorious he might be, seemed 
 to promise but little for the extension of Christianity in the island at that period. 
 
 A renewed opportunity of observation on this second visit enabled the gentlemen of the 
 expedition to catch some additional features of social life, as well as to obtain further insight 
 into manners and customs. There is a gradation in the rank of officers analogous to that 
 existing in China, and here, as there, manifested by some peculiarity of dress. The great 
 distinctive mark, however, between the higher classes and the general population consists in 
 the hair-pin. The crown of the head, to the extent of two or three inches, is shaved, and into 
 the vacant space the residue of the hair is all drawn, and plaited somewhat into the form of a 
 29 J
 
 226 
 
 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 circular comb. A free use is made of oil and lamp-black in arranging it. Two large hair-pins 
 are then pa.'jscd through the mass, to keep it in place, and the front end of the lower pin is 
 linishcd with a liead in the form of a star. The different metals of which the pins are made 
 indicate the rank of the wearer. They ar-e of gold, silver, brass, lead, and pewter. The lower 
 class generally wear brass, though the very poorest use sometimes the metals last named. 
 The literati or dignitaries use gold and silver. The pin, therefore, tells the rank at once. 
 The lowest order of the people consists of the public slaves, (oo-bang,) who have no civil rights 
 nor personal freedom, and must obey the slightest beck of the literati. Their condition is one 
 of utter degradation. The intermediate class next above these is composed of the peasants 
 or field laborers, (Ha-koo-shoo.) These farm the country, paying to the government one-half 
 of the products in lieu of taxes, and paying also an exorbitant rent. We have already stated 
 that two-tenths is all the laborer gets of the results of his toil. By this toil the literary class, 
 which never works at all, is supported. The highest grade in the lower class is made up of 
 the messengers, spies, menial oflScers, &c., in the service of government, and includes also the 
 small traders and mechanics. This caste is known by the name of We-dae-o-gancj . When 
 doing duty for the government these receive no wages, nothing but their food, and the distant 
 hope of promotion to the honor of substituting for the brass pin one of silver. The rich some- 
 
 Voiiibi iu LuM Ctii.w. 
 
 times purdiase from a poor man his services for life, (a system of slavery,) but more generally 
 for a terra of years. The price of a common slave of this kind is from two to ten dollars. 
 
 Great respect is shown for the dead, and tombs elaborate and costly attest this feeling. They 
 arc constructed of stone, and oft^n forn^ a oonspicuous feature in the landsoApe. Indeed, upon
 
 CL AX SHIP. COIN IN LEW CUEW. 227 
 
 the first approach of the squadron, their size, color, and position on the hill-sides caused them, 
 at a distance, to be mistaken for dwellings. 
 
 A sort of clansliip seems to obtain in each district, and the people of one village seldom 
 marry with the inhabitants of another. The agriculturists, and indeed the common people 
 generally, appear to know but few physical wants. They have sweet potatoes in abundance, 
 and these, with a miserable hut to sleep in, seem to bound their very limited desires. Many of 
 the poor are fishermen, but the larger number is composed of mechanics, employed chiefly in 
 turning wooden implements and covering them with lacquer. The women commonly perform 
 this latter branch, except as to the painting; this is done b}- men. The shops are few, and the 
 articles sold are chiefly paper, rice, tea, sweetmeats, and clothing. The Lew Chewans always 
 insisted that they had no current coin, and that their trade was always in a barter of specific 
 objects. This may be in the main correct, as they appear to have but little metallic currency, 
 and the Commodore endeavored in vain to procure from the authorities some of their coin in 
 exchange for ours. They solemnly assured him they had no national currency; and, though 
 they are very much in the habit, from motives of supposed policy, of exaggerating their poverty^ 
 this statement is probably true. They know, however, very well the value of the Chinese coin, 
 and received it from our pursers in the settlement of accounts. 
 
 The vegetable and animal productions of Lew Chew are abundant enough. The sugar-cane 
 thrives, and they have a rude mode of making sugar. 
 
 They export of this, as well as of saki, an intoxicating liquor distilled from rice, and very 
 strong; they make also tobacco in considerable quantities, and smoking is a universal habit. 
 Some cotton is also grown, and indigo is raised in the island. They also make silt by evapora- 
 tion ; and, were the island in other hands, its agricultural productions would support a large 
 population, and furnish a surplus for exportation. Fowls, ducks, geese, pigs, goats, and a 
 small species of black ox, are all very abundant. There is a small but active and tough breed 
 of horses, and the wild boar is found in the forests. The general impression left on the minds 
 of the gentlemen of the expedition was, that Lew Chew was a beautiful island, abundantly sup- 
 plied, and needed but a good government to form, so far as bodily comfort is concerned, as 
 pleasant a residence as could be desired. 
 
 Tombs io Lcn- Chew.
 
 228 
 
 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN'. 
 
 C HATTER XII 
 
 DEPARTURE FROM NAPHA FOR JIPAX. CODRSE OF THE SHIPS. OHO-SIMA. ISI.AVD SEES' BT COMMANDER GLTNV, PROBABLT 
 
 OHO-SIMA. CLEOPATRA ISLANDS. CURRENTS. FOURTH OF JOLT OW BOARD APPROACH TO CAPE IDZC. SQUADRON, LED 
 
 BT THE SUSQUEHANNA, ENTERS THE BAY OF TEDO. ROCK ISLAND. HAZT ATMOSPHERE OF JAPAN SURPRISE OF THE 
 
 JAP.ANESE AT SIGHT OF THE STEAMERS MOVING AGAINST WIND AND TIDE. BAT OF SAGAMI. — APPEARANCE OF THE COAST 
 
 AND COUNTRY INLAND. FUSI-JAMA. SHIPS MADE READY FOR ACTION. FLEET OF JAPANESE BOATS PUT OFF FROM THE 
 
 SHORE. LEKT BEHIND BT SQUADRON. BAY OF URAG\. OPPOSITE COAST OF AWA. JAPANESE FORTS. SQUADRON COMES TO 
 
 ANCHOR l.V THE BAY OF URAGA. SOUNDINGS ON APPROACHING THE ANCHORAGE. JAPANESE GUARD-BOATS PUT OFF. NO ONE 
 
 PERMITTED TO COME ON B"ARD THE SHIPS. APPEARANCE OF GUARD BOATS AND CREWS. SKILL OF THE JAPANESE IN 
 
 MANAGI.NG THEIR BOATS. — .GU^RO-BOAT COMES ALONGSIDE OF THE MISSISSIPPI, AND JAPANESE FUNCTION.ART DEMANDS TO 
 
 COME ON BOARD. NOT PERMITTED. — NOTICE IN THE FRENCH LANGUAGE, ORDERING THE SHIPS AWAY, HELD UP TO BE 
 
 READ. INTERPRETERS DIRECTED TO INFORM THE JAPANESE THAT THE COMMODORE WOULD CONFER WITH NO ONE BUT 
 
 THE HIGHEST OFFICIAL IN URAGA. JAPANESE REPLIED THAT THEY HAD THE VICE GOVERNOR ON BOARD. THIS OFFICER 
 
 AND HIS INTERPRETER ALLOWED TO COME ON BOARD THE SUSQUEII.AN.NA. NOT PERMITTED TO SEE THE COMMODORE. 
 
 CONFERENCE WITH LIEUTENANT CONTEE, WHO EXPLAINS THAT THE AMERICANS HAVE COME ON A FRIENDLY MISSION AND 
 
 THAT THE COMMODORE BEARS A LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES TO THE EMPEROR. DESIRES THE 
 
 APPOINTMENT OF AN OFFICER OF SUITABLE RANK TO RECEIVE IT FROM THE COMMODORE. COMMODORE REFUSES TO GO 
 
 TO NAGASAKI. INFORMS THE JAPANESE OFFICIALS THAT IF THE GUARD-BOATS ARE NOT IMMEDIATELY REMOVED HE WILL 
 
 DISPERSE THEM BY FORCE. — THE BOATS ARE WITHDRAWN. VICE GOVERNOR RETURNS TO THE SHORE, PRO.MISING FURTHER 
 
 COMMUNICATION ON THE MORROW. POLICY RESOLVED ON BT THE COMMODORE. METEOROLOGICAL PHENO.MENON. VISIT 
 
 ON THE NEXT DAY FROM THE GOVERNOR OF DRAGA. CONFERENCE BETWEEN HIM AND COMMANDERS BUCHANA.N AND 
 
 ADAMS. SECOND REFUSAL OF THE COMMODORE TO GO TO NAGASAKI. DETERMINATION EXPRESSED TO DELIVER THE LETTER 
 
 THERE, AND, IF NECESSARY, IN THE CITY OF YEDO ITSELF. GOVERNOR PROPOSES TO REFER THE MATTER TO YEDO. 
 
 COMMODORE ASSENTS AND ALLOWS THREE DATS FOR AN ANSWER. SURVEY BY THE SQUADROn's BOATS OF THE BAY OF 
 
 URAGA, AND ULTIMATELY OF THE BAY OF YEDO. 
 
 AULY on tlie niorniiig of the 2(1 of July, 1853, 
 5 a'^ter nianj' unforeseen delays, the Commodore 
 departed from Xapha with four vessels only, the 
 two steamers, the Susquehanna, his flag-ship, 
 and the Mississippi, the Saratoga, and the 
 Plymouth sloops-of-war. The Supply was left 
 behind, and the Caprice dispatched to Shanghai. 
 Tills was hut a poor show of sliips, in comparison 
 with tlie more imposing squadron of twelve 
 vessels which had been 8o repeatedly promised. 
 But as none of these additional vessels had 
 arrived, and as no calculation could he made as to 
 when they might be looked for, the Commodore resolved to sail with the inferior force, which he
 
 COURSE OK THE SHIPS. OHO-SIMA. 229 
 
 trusted would so far answer his necessities as not to interfere seriously with the great object of 
 the expedition, now fairly set out for Japan. The advantages of steam were fullj' appreciated in 
 the opportunity it gave of making a uniformly steady and direct course of ascertained speed — 
 advantages in which the sailing vessels were made to participate ; for the Saratoga was taken 
 in tow by the Susquehanna, as the Plymouth was by the Mississippi. The Commodore's ship 
 led the van out of Kapha and awaited, some five miles away, between the group of islands 
 situated off the harbor and the southwestern extremity of the island, the coming up of her 
 consort, as did the Mississippi for hers. Hawsers then being passed from the steamers to the 
 two sloops-of-war, they were respectively taken in tow, the squadron fairly started and began 
 the voyage to Yedo. 
 
 All seemed very well satisfied to get away from Lew Chew. The picturesque interests of the 
 island were, for the time being, thoroughly exhausted, and the dull realities of life began to 
 - weigh rather heavily upon the visitors. Beside, the great object of the expedition was still before 
 them, and anticipation naturally begat impatience. The weather, too, had become sultry and 
 excessively oppressive, for the heat had reached the high degree of 88° Fahrenheit in the coolest 
 part of the Susquehanna while she lay at anchor in the harbor. The people of Lew Chew, 
 moreover, had not apparently been very much won over by the blandishments of their courteous 
 visitors. The supplies with which they at first furnished the squadron had been gradually 
 falling ofi", and their consent to receive payment for them seemed to be the principal change in 
 their policy effected by the long sojourn of six weeks. Still some progress had been made. 
 Their system of espionage had become less public and intrusive, although some suspected that 
 it was as alert as ever though more concealed. 
 
 On getting clear of the harbor and stretching beyond the shelter of the southeastern extremity 
 of the island, a strong wind was encountered from the east, and as the steamers were deep, it 
 was thought advisable to stand off on the port tack in order to get well clear of the land, for the 
 vessels in tow were dragging them to leeward notwithstanding the power of the engines. In 
 the course of the day, as there was every prospect of weathering the eastern part of the island, 
 the ships were put on the other tack, and their course directed for Japan. 
 
 The track taken by the squadron east of the chain of islands which stretch from Formosa to 
 Lew Chew, and thence to Japan, (very properly called by Blunt the "Southern," " Middle," 
 and "Northern" groups,) has been very rarely traversed by the sliips of modern nations ; while 
 the islands on tbe eastern side of the chain are unknown to our present navigators. 
 
 The French admiral, Cecille, in 1846, employed one or more of his squadron in the exploration 
 of the islands about Lew Chew, and along the western side of the northern group ; but according 
 to the best authorities, to which Von Siebold, among others, adds his testimony, the eastern 
 side of the latter islands has never been visited by any modern navigator. The principal island 
 of the northern group is called by the Japanese Oho-sima, and by the Chinese Tatao ; these 
 words meaning in their respective languages, " great island." It is about the size, including 
 one or two adjoining islands in the estimate, of Great Lew Chew, and is probably governed by 
 similar laws. It has one chief city and several towns, and the country is supposed to be highly 
 cultivated. Von Siebold states that the island contains several good harbors, and it is 
 undoubtedly, in every respect, of sufficient interest to claim an investigation. The Commodore 
 resolved, at some subsequent period, to send some vessel of the squadron to make a proper 
 survey.
 
 230 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 The Susquehanna and the accompanying ships were probably the first either of European or 
 American vessels that ever passed along the entire extent of the northern group. Yon Siebold 
 asserts that Broughton saw the northeast point, and that Captain Guerin, of the French corvette 
 Sabine, traced the western shore in 1848. It was probably Oho-sima, the principal island of the 
 group, that was seen by Commander Glynn in 18-48, and which he supposed to be a new 
 discovery. The islets which he siieiks of having seen, bearing N.N.W., were the Cleopatra 
 islands, examined two years before by one of the vessels of Admiral Cecille's squadron. 
 
 Von Siebold's charts, appended to his great work on Japan, and compiled by him, show these 
 islands pretty accurately laid down, and it was found that the observations made on board the 
 Susquehanna gave such bearings of the principal headlands of Oho-sima as correspond tolerably 
 well with the position as given by Von Siebold. A current is said to be continually setting 
 from these islands to the northward and eastward; or, as the islanders say, it alvvaj's goes to 
 Japan and never comes back. This was, however, fouud to be of no great strength during the 
 passage of the Susquehanna, although it must be acknowledged to be a matter of difficulty to 
 estimate in a steamer the rapidity and direction of currents, as they are generally over-logged, 
 or in other words, surpassed in speed by the rate of going of the vessel. There is, moreover, 
 another difficulty in consequence of the backward movement given to the water by the evolution 
 of the paddle-wheels of a steamship. 
 
 The third day of the voyage, being the fourth day of July, 1853, brought with it a lively remem- 
 brance of home, as it was the seventy-seventh anniversary of our national holiday. The day 
 opened fresh and pleasant, and the men were prepared to get up some amateur theatricals, and 
 otherwise to celebrate the occasion ; but the weather becoming unfavorable, and other circum- 
 stances interfering, it was deemed advisable, much to the disappointment of the sailors, to 
 dispense with the show by which they had intended to give exhibition to their patriotism. The 
 occasion, however, was duly honored by the firing of a salute of seventeen guns from each vessel 
 of the squadron, and by the serving of an additional ration of grog to Jack, while the officers 
 brought to bear also the resources of their various messes, to give due enjoyment and impres- 
 siveness to the day. All on board were allowed to feel that it was a holiday, in a respite from 
 the usual muster at general quarters and exercises at the great guns and small arms, which had 
 been kept up during the passage with great strictness and regularity, in order that the squadron 
 might be prepared for any event on its arrival at Japan. 
 
 The weather, although generally warm, varied, and thus, while some days were excessively 
 hot and oppressive, others were tolerably cool and jileasant. The winds occasionally blew with 
 considerable freshness, and mostly from the east, but frequently there was hardly a breath of air 
 to be felt, and, consequently, with a temperature which reached 88° in the coolest place on deck, 
 all on board suffered greatly from the intense heat. And, indeed, the still heat and clear 
 atmosphere which were experienced, even on a close approach to the shores of Japan, did not 
 seem to confirm what has been said, and what was expected, of the cool and foggy climate of 
 that country. 
 
 At sunset on Thursday, the 7th of July, the squadron was, according to observation, about 
 forty miles from Cape Negatsuo, or Idsu, as it is otherwise called. In consequence of this 
 proximity, the heads of the ships were put off shore from midnight until four o'clock next 
 morning, when, not only the cape was seen from the masthead, but several of the islands to 
 the eastward, called by Von Siebold Goeibroken Eilander, (the Broken islands,) as well as the
 
 APPROACH TO GAPE IDZU. 231 
 
 larger two of the group, bearing the Japanese names of Tosi-sima and Likine-sima. The 
 morning was fine, though the atmosphere was so hazy that there was but an indistinct view of 
 the outline of the precipitous coast. Through the mist, however, the bold promontory of Idsu 
 could be seen rising loftily out of the sea, and stretching back to tlie interior of Nippon in a 
 crowd of mountainous elevations. Tlie Susquelianna's course, as the leading ship, was laid 
 directly for the entrance to the bay of Yedo, and as she passed the precipitous land of Cape Idsu 
 she came up with a low^ barren, and apparently uninhabited islet of about three-fourths of a 
 mile in length, known as Rock island. There is a passage between this and the promontory 
 wliich bounds the main land, and, although broken with several rocky islets, it is navigable. 
 The United States ship-of-the-line Columbus took that course, although the other, on the outer 
 side of Rock island, the one pursued by the Morrison, was preferred, and was accordingly taken 
 by the Commodore, who passed within a mile and a half of the island. As the squadron sailed 
 up the coast some eight or ten junks hove in sight, and two or three of them were observed soon 
 to change their course and to turn back toward the shore, as if to announce the arrival of 
 strangers. 
 
 The morning seemed to confirm the reputed character of the Japanese climate, for the 
 atmosphere was so thick and liazy that the extent of view was unfortunately very much 
 restricted^ and it was not possible to get a distinct outline of the shore until the squadron 
 came to anchor off" the city of Uraga. The steamer, in spite of a wind, moved on with 
 all sails furled, at the rate of eight or nine knots, much to the astonishment of the crews of the 
 Japanese fishing junks gathered along the shore or scattered over the surface of the mouth of 
 the bay, who stood up in their boats, and were evidently expressing the liveliest surprise at the 
 siglit of the first steamer ever belield in Japanese waters. 
 
 As the day advanced the sun came out with a brighter lustre, glistening upon the broad sails 
 of the junks within view, and dispelling the mist, through the openings of which the lofty 
 summits and steep lava-scarred sides of the promontory of Idzu and its moimtain chains, now 
 left rapidly behind, could occasionally be discovered. Crossing the mouth of the bay of Sagami, 
 with Vries' island, or Oo-sima, as it is called, on the starboard, the ships moved in toward 
 Cape Sagami. The Great Fusi, now, as the fog occasionally lifted, rose to view behind the 
 head of the bay of Sagami, and its cone-like summit was disclosed, rising to an enormous height, 
 far inland, and covered with a white cap, but whether of snow or of fleecy clouds it was 
 impossible to distinguish. The boats showed themselves more cautiously as the vessels entered 
 the bay ; but one was overtaken by the steamers, and those on board seemed in a terrible state 
 of excitement, letting drop its broad sails, and taking to their oars, which they used with all 
 tlieir might, as they were evidently anxious to give a wide berth to the squadron. 
 
 As the ships neared the bay, signals were made from the Commodore, and instantly the decks 
 were cleared for action, the guns placed in position and shotted, the ammunition arranged, the 
 small arms ''made ready, sentinels and men at their posts, and, in short, all the preparations 
 made, usual before meeting an enemy. About noon Cape Sagami was reached, when the 
 squadron came too, for about ten minutes, and a signal was made for all captains to go on 
 board the flag-ship and receive their orders from the Commodore. This done, the vessels now 
 continued their course and soon came uj) witli tlie peninsula of Sagami, at the south end of 
 which a town was observed. When the squadron liad approached within two miles of the land 
 a fleet of large boats, amounting to more than a dozen, pushed off in the direction of the ships^
 
 232 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 with the seeming iatention of visiting them. Tliey were, however, not waited for, and were 
 soon left behind, much puzzled, doubtless, by the rapid progress of the steamers against the 
 wind. The boats appeared to be fully manned, but did not seem to be armed, although each 
 of them bore a large banner with certain characters inscribed on it, which led to the conjecture 
 that they were government vessels of some kind. The coasting vessels increased in numbers 
 within the bay, and were sometimes so near that their construction and rig could be plainly 
 made out. Their hulls rose forward in a high beaked prow, and aft, in a lofty poop, while a 
 single mast, secured by fore and back stays, rose from the centre of the vessel and was rigged 
 with a large square sail made of canvas ; there were three other smaller sails, two at the bow 
 and one at the stern. 
 
 On passing Cape Sagami, at the entrance of the bay, the shores were observed to rise in 
 precipitous cliffs, which connected landward with imdulating hills. Deep ravines, green with 
 rich verdure, divided the steep slopes and opened into small expanses of alluvial land, washed 
 by the waters of the bay into the form of inlets, about the borders of which were grouped various 
 Japanese villages. The uplands were beautifully varied with cultivated fields and tufted woods, 
 while far behind rose the mountains, height upon height, in the inland distance. The entrance 
 to the bay seemed well fortified, and the hills and projecting headlands of Sagami were 
 formidable with forts, the guns of which, however, were silent, notwithstanding the threatening 
 entrance of the strange ships. The distant shores of the province of Awa, on the east, rising 
 opposite to Sagami in a lofty peak, and stretching beyond in picturesque summits, was still 
 more mountainous and bore fewer marks of cultivation and a less formidable ajjpearance, being 
 apparently destitute of fortifications. As the squadron passed through the straits into the inner 
 bay of Uraga the numerous fishing boats hurried out of the way, and their crews, when they 
 fancied themselves at a sufficiently safe distance, rested upon their oars and gazed with an 
 anxious look at the strangers. 
 
 At about five o'clock in the afternoon the squadron came to anchor off the city of Uraga, on 
 the western side of the bay of Yedo, the sloops-of-war (the wind being favorable) having been 
 cast loose a little while previous, and the four vessels took up their positions, as had been 
 directed, opposite the shore. Just before letting go the anchors the weather cleared up, and 
 the lofty cone of Fusi was more distinctly visible, showing high above the accompanying range 
 of mountains which extend inland. It was estimated to be eight or ten thousand feet in height, 
 and its position W. ^ N. from Uraga, at a distance of fifty or sixty miles. As the ships proceeded 
 to their anchorage the lead was kept going every moment, and as a constant depth of twenty- 
 five fathoms was found the vessels kept on their headway, rounding, at moderate speed, the 
 elevation or cliff, within which is situated the bight of Uraga. They continued sounding and 
 moving on slowly and cautiously until the squadron had nearly reached within a mile and a 
 half of the promontory guarding the inner entrance of the bay of Yedo, at a distance of a mile 
 further than any foreign vessel had ever advanced, when two guns were fired from a neigh- 
 boring fort, and a ball of smoke in the air showed that a rocket had been discharged. The 
 order was at ouce given to let go the anchor ; but as the depth of twenty-five fathoms was still 
 found, the steamers first closed in a little more with the shore and then anchored. 
 
 Previous to anchoring, a number of Japanese guard-boats had been observed coming off from 
 the land in pursuit, but the Commodore had given express orders, both by word and signal, 
 forbidding the admission of any one on board either of the ships 1 ut liis own; and even as to
 
 ANCHORAGE IN THE BAY OF URAGA. 233 
 
 the flag-ship, he had commanded that not more than three persons, at one time, and those having 
 business, should be allowed to come on boarfl. It had heretofore been the practice of ships-of-war 
 to admit these people indiscriminately to their decks. When the Columbus was in the bay of 
 Yedo, there were many hundred Japanese on board of her at one time, who partook of the 
 hospitalities of the officers without hesitation, and made themselves ([uite at home ; but when 
 they were spoken to about going on shore, answered by signs that it was impossible. The 
 Commodore had, therefore, pre-determined to exercise an equal degree of exclusiveness with 
 themselves, and to permit the Japanese functionaries to communicate only and directly with 
 the Susquehanna. Several of the commanders in the Japanese boats signified by signs some 
 dissatisfaction at not being permitted to come on board the ships; but the Commodore's orders 
 were strictly obeyed. 
 
 On dropping the anchor, another gun was heard from one of the forts on shore, and when the 
 squadron had assumed its line of anchorage, commanding with its guns the entire ranges of 
 batteries and two considerable towns, a large number of the guard-boats came from all 
 directions, evidently prepared to take their stations around the ships, as the Japanese crews 
 had a supply of provisions, water, clothing, sleeping mats, and other requisites for a 
 long stay. The Commodore, however, had fully determined beforehand that they should not 
 thus surround the ships. They made several attempts to get alongside and on board of the 
 Saratoga ; their tow-lines, with which they made fast to any part of the ship, were unceremo- 
 niously cast off. They attempted to climb up by the chains, but the crew was ordered to prevent 
 them, and the sight of pikes, cutlasses, and pistols, checked them, and when they found that 
 our officers and men were very much in earnest, they desisted from their attempts to board. 
 
 These guard-boats struck every one with admiration of the beauty of their mo<lels, which, by 
 the way, resembled in a remarkable degree that of the yacht America. Tliey were constructed 
 of unpainted wood, witli very sharp bows, a broad beam, a slightly tapering stern, and a clean 
 run. They were propelled with great swiftness through, or rather over, the water, for they 
 seemed to skim upon its surface rather than to divide it. The crews, numbering in some of the 
 larger boats thirty or more, were tall and muscular men, whose tawny frames were naked 
 with the exception of a cloth about their waists. Toward night, however, the men clothed 
 themselves with loose gowns, some of red and others of blue, with hanging sleeves, upon which 
 were white stripes meeting in an angle at the shoulders. On their backs were emblazoned 
 coats of arms, or some insignia, in black and other cohu-s. Most of them were bareheaded and 
 showed the hair to have been shaved on the crown, while that on the sides had been allowed 
 to grow long and was worn plastered with some species of ointment and fastened up into a knot 
 on the bald spot upon the top of the head. A few, however, wore caps of bamboo, in shape like 
 a shallow basin inverted, and reminding one of Mambrino's helmet. In some of the boats the 
 men bore tall poles, surmounted by a cruciform ornament, which seemed to indicate some 
 military office. The men in authority, wore light lacquered hats, with a coat of arms in 
 front, probably signifying their official rank and position. The rowers stood to their oars, 
 which worked on pivots upon the sides of the boat near the stern, and they handled them 
 with such skill and efTect tliat they api>roachcd the slii})S very rapidly, shouting loudly as 
 they came. At the stern of each boat was a small flag, with three horizontal stripes in it, a 
 white one on either side, and a black one in the middle, wliilc in many of the boats there was, 
 beside, an additional flag, with symbols upon it. One or two persuns, armed each with two 
 swords at their sides, stood in the boats, and vcrc evidently men of rank and authority. 
 30 J
 
 284 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 One of the boats came alongside of the flag-ship, and it was observed that a person on board 
 had a scroll of paper in his hand, wliich the officer of the Susquehanna refused to receive, but 
 ■which was held up to be read alongside of the Mississippi, when it was found to be a document 
 in the French language, which conveyed an order to the effect that the ships should go away, 
 and not anchor at their peril. The chief functionary, as his boat reached the side of the 
 Susquehanna, made signs for the gangway ladder to be let down. This was refused, but Mr. 
 "Williams, the Chinese interpreter, and Mr. Portman, the Dutch, were directed to state to him 
 that the Commodore would not receive any one but a functionary of the highest rank, and that 
 he might return on shore. As there seemed to be some difficulty in making progress in the 
 Japanese language, one on board the boat alongside said, in very good English, "I can speak 
 Dutch." Mr. Portman then commenced a conversation with him in that language, as his 
 English seemed to have been exhausted in the first sentence. He appeared to be perfectly 
 familiar with the Dutch," however, and commenced a very brisk volley of questions, many of 
 which were not responded to. He asked if the ships came from America, and seemed to have 
 expected them. He was very pertinacious in urging to be allowed to come on board, but was 
 constantly refused permission, and was told that the commander of the squadron was of the 
 highest rank, in the service to which he belonged, in the United States, and could confer 
 only with the highest in rank at Uraga. He then stated that the vice-governor of Uraga 
 was in the boat, and pointed to one of those in authority at his side, who, he said, held 
 the highest position in the city, and was the proper person to be received. He was now 
 asked why the governor himself did not come off, to which he replied that he was prevented 
 by the laws from going on board ships in the roads ; and proposed that the Commodore 
 should appoint an officer of corresponding rank with the vice-governor to confer with him, 
 as he was desirous of communicating to the government the object of the squadron's visit. 
 The Commodore, after some intentional delay, consented to this request, and appointed his 
 aid, Lieutenant Contee, to receive him. The gangway-ladder was accordingly lowered, and 
 the vice-governor, Nagazima Saboroske, accompanied by his interprerer, Hori TatsnosTce, who 
 spoke Dutch, came on board, and was received in the captain's cabin, where a conference was 
 held, in fact, with the Commodore, who, however, studiously kept himself secluded in his own 
 cabin, and communicated with the Japanese through his aid only. 
 
 It was directed that the dignitary should be informed that the Commodore, who had been 
 sent by liis country on a friendly mission to Japan, had brought a letter from the President of 
 the United States, addressed to the Emperor, and that he wished a suitable officer might 
 be sent on board his ship to receive a copy of the same, in order that a day might 
 be appointed for the Commodore formally to deliver the original. To this he replied that 
 Nagasaki was the only place, according to the laAvs of Japan, for negotiating foreign business, 
 and it would be necessary for the squadron to go there. In answer to this he was told that the 
 Commodore liad come purposely to Uraga because it was near to Yedo, and that he should not 
 go to N^agasaJci ; that he expected the letter to be duly and properly received where he then 
 was ; that his intentions were perfectly friendly, but that he would allow of no indignity ; and 
 would not permit the guard-boats which were collecting around the -ships to remain where they 
 were^ and if they Avere not immediately removed, the Commodore declared tliat he would 
 disperse them by force. When this was interpreted to him, the functionary suddenly left his 
 eeat, went to the gangway, and gave an order which caused most gf the boats to return to the 
 shore; but a few of them still remaining in clusters, an armed boat was seo|t from the ship to
 
 DISPERSION OF THE JAPANESE GUARD-BOATS. 235 
 
 •warn them away by gestui-es, and at the same time to show their arms ; this had the desired 
 eflect, as all of them disappeared, and nothing more was seen of them near the ships during the 
 stay of the squadron. This, as says the Commodore, was the first important point gained. 
 The vice-governor shortly afterward took his leave, saying, as he departed, that he had no 
 authority to promise any thing respecting the rece^Jtion of the President's letter, but in the 
 morning an officer of higher rank would come from the city, who might probably furnish some 
 further information. 
 
 The policy of the Commodore, it will be seen, was to assume a resolute attitude toward the 
 Japanese government. He had determined, before reaching the coast, to carry out strictly this 
 coiirse in all his official relations, as he believed it the best to ensure a successful issue to the 
 delicate mission with which he had been charged. He was resolved to adopt a course entirely 
 contrary to that of all others who had hitherto visited Japan on a similar errand — to demand 
 as a right, and not to solicit as a favor, those acts of courtesy which are due from one civilized 
 nation to another ; to allow of none of those jietty annoyances which had been unsjiaringly 
 visited upon those who had preceded him, and to disregard the acts as well as the threats of the 
 authorities, if they in the least conflicted with his own sense of what was due to the dignity of 
 the American flag. 
 
 The question of landing by force was left to be decided by the development of succeeding 
 events ; it was, of course, the very last measure to be resorted to, and the last that was desired ; 
 but in order to be prepared for the worst, the Commodore caused the ships constantly to be kept 
 in jierfect readiness, and the crews to be drilled as thoroughly as they are in time of active war. 
 He was prepared, also, to meet the Japanese on their own groiind, and exhibit toward them a 
 little of their own exclusive policy ; if they stood on their dignity and assumed superiority, that 
 was a game at which he could play as well as they. It was well to let them know that other 
 people had dignity also, which they knew how to protect, and that they did not acknowledge 
 the Japanese to be their superiors. Hence he forbade the admission of a single Japanese on 
 board any of the ships, excej^t those officers who might have business with him ; and the visits 
 even of such were to be confined to the flag-ship, to which they were admitted only on the 
 declaration of their rank and business. The Commodore, also, was well aware that the more 
 exclusive he should make himself, and the more unyielding he might be in adhering to his 
 declared intentions, the more respect these people of forms and ceremonies would be disposed to 
 award him ; therefore it was that he deliberately resolved to confer personally with no one but 
 a functionary of the highest rank in the empire. He would have been ashamed, in the indul- 
 gence of a contemptible pride founded on mere official rank, to assume a superiority, and affect 
 a dignity, too lofty to stoop to the level of men below him in station. As a man, he did not 
 deem himself too elevated to hold communication with any of his brethren in the common 
 heritage of humanity; but in Japan, as the representative of his country, and the accredited 
 guardian of the honor of that flag which floated over him, he felt that it was well to teach the 
 Japanese, in the mode most intelligible to them, by stately and dignified reserve, joined to 
 perfect equity in all he asked or did, to respect the country from which he came, and to suspend 
 for a time their accustomed arrogance and incivility toward strangers. The Japanese so well 
 understood him that they learned the lesson at once. It was this feeling, and this only, which 
 prompted him to refuse to see the vice-governor of Uraga, and to refer him to his aid for 
 conference. He saw him often enough afterward, when matters had been arranged between the 
 governments, on terms of friendship and etiuality. And we have been thus particular, not for
 
 236 EXPEDITION ro JAPAN. 
 
 the information of our countrymen, who know Commodore Perry, but for strangers wlio may 
 read our story and, without this word of explanation, misapprehend the character of the man. 
 No man is more easily approached by his fellow-men, or assumes less on account of the honorable 
 position he tills in the service of his country. 
 
 The best proof that he judged wisely in determining on his course is in the results. The 
 squadron was left free of all annoyance or interference on the part of the authorities during the 
 whole period of its stay ; an event unprecedented in the intercourse of Japan with foreign shiiJS 
 for more than two centuries. We have said tliei'e was no annoyance to the ships, but the 
 Japanese were as yet too suspicious of foreigners not to resort to their favorite system of 
 espionage : and, therefore, though the guard-vessels were withdrawn, as we have seen, there 
 might still be observed floating here and there a boat in the distance, seemingly with the object 
 of quietly watching the movements of the strangers ; but they never came near the squadron, 
 and were not by any act of the authorities forced upon the recognition of them, by the Americans, 
 as guard-boats. That a watchful eye was kept upon the sqiuxdron was probable. Three or four 
 rockets were shot up from the opposite land during the afternoon, which were supposed to be 
 signals of some purpose or other. When night came on, the presence of the ships in their waters 
 was evidently keeping iip a very lively apprehension on the part of the Japanese on shore. 
 Beacon fires were lighted upon every hill-top, and along the shores on either side as far as the 
 eye could reach, and during the whole night the watchers on deck could hear the tolling of a 
 great bell which was at first supposed to be that of a temple, but was probably an alarum or 
 signal of some kind. The bay was otherwise as quiet as an inland lake, and nothing occurred 
 to disturb the tranquillity of the night. When, however, the nine o'clock gun of the flag-ship, a 
 sixty-four-pounder, was fired, the report reverberated loudly through the hills on the western side 
 of the bay, and apparently created something of a commotion on shore, for here and there the 
 fires were observed to be immediately extinguished. There seemed, however, no reason to 
 expect any interference, although every precaution had been taken ; the ships had quite a warlike 
 aspect, with sentinels stationed fore and aft and upon the gangways at the sides, with a pile of 
 round shot and four stands of grape at each gun, muskets stacked on the quarter-deck, and boats 
 provided with carbines, pistols, cutlasses and other necessaries for service. 
 
 An interesting meteorological phenomenon was observed in the course of the night by 
 Lieutenant Duer, in command of the watch, who describes it as a remarkable meteor seen from 
 midniglit until four o'clock in the morning. It made its a2)i)earance in tlie soutliward and 
 westward and illuminated the whole atmosphere. The sjiars, sails, and hulls of the ships 
 reflected its glare as distinctly as though a blue light were burning from each vessel at the 
 same time. From the southward and westward, and about fifteen degrees above the horizon, it 
 pursued a northeastwardly course in a direct line for a long distance, when it fell gradually 
 toward the sea and disappeared. Its form was that of a large blue sphere with a red, wedge- 
 shaped tail, which it could easily be observed was formed of ignited particles which resembled 
 the sparks of a rocket as they appear upon its exjilosion. " The ancients" remarks the 
 Commodore " would have construed this remarkable appearance of the heavens as a favorable 
 omen for any enterprize they had luidertakcn," and adds " it may be so construed by us, as we 
 pray God that our present attcnijit tn bring a singular and isolated people into the family 
 of civilized nations may succeed without resort to bloodshed." 
 
 As the suii rose next morning, gradually lifting the mist whicli had been spread during the 
 night upon the surface of the bay, and still curtained, here and there, the land with its fleecy
 
 VISIT OF THE GOVERNOR OF URAGA. 237 
 
 festoons, a beautiful view was disclosed. A bold shore, occasionally broken by steep escarpments 
 of bare gra)' rock, extended along the western or Saganii side of the bay, with an undulating 
 surface brightly green with verdure, tufts of undergrowtli, and scattered groups of trees. Further 
 inland the earth rose in a range of gently swelling hills, the sides of which were covered witli 
 vegetation. Two miles below the anchorage, the shore was less abrupt, and seemed more 
 cultivated. From Uraga to the entrance of the inner bay of Yedo, marked by a promontory a 
 mile and a half distant, iuuumerable towns and villages were grouped along the shores on eitlier 
 side. Uraga embraces two of tlicse towns, separated from each other by a cliff ; through the 
 larger one of which a river passes and empties into the harbor, where floated a great number 
 of small boats and several junks. As most of the vessels bound up the bay were seen 
 to stop in their course at Uraga, that place was supposed to be an entrejiot where certain 
 custom dues had to be paid. Forts could be seen on the lieadlands here and there 
 commanding the harbor, and as they were examined through the glass, some of them 
 were found to be in an unfinished state, and in progress of construction or alteration. Some 
 Avere mounted with cannon, though apparently of no great calibre, while others were without a 
 gun. A length of screens had been stretched for a distance of several rods upon posts in front 
 of the breastworks, as well as inside the forts behind the embrasures, and along parts of the 
 shore. In the distance these screens seemed to be composed of cloth, and were marked with 
 white and black stripes. Their purpose was not very obvious, although it was surmised that 
 they were got up with the intention of making a false show of concealed force. The Jajiauese 
 probably had not calculated upon the exactness of view afforded by a Dolland's telescope or a 
 French opera glass. Companies of soldiers, in glaring scarlet uniforms, were seen to pass from 
 garrison to garrison, some bearing flags with various insignia, and others large lanterns upon 
 tall poles. The shore was lined with a formidable show of the same sort of government boats 
 as had surrounded the ships on their arrival. They seemed to be picketed off from the town by 
 two red flags which had been planted on the shore between them and the houses on the laud. 
 
 The first approach to the Suscjuehanna from the shore was that of a boat at early sunrise next 
 morning, (July 9th,) apparently containing a corps of artists, who came close to the ship's side, 
 but making no attempt to come on board, busied themselves in taking sketches of the strange 
 vessels. The important visit of the day, however, came off at seven o'clock, when two large 
 boats rowed alongside, one of which contained a half dozen officials, whose presence was 
 indicated by the three-strijicd flag at the stern. The interpreter who spoke Dutch was with 
 them, and announced that the personage of highest authority in the city was present, and 
 desired to come on board. The arrival of Keyamon Yezaimen, (for such was his name,) who 
 presented himself as the governor and greatest functionary of Uraga, thus plainly contradicting 
 the declaration of the vice-governor of the day before, was then duly announced to the Commo- 
 dore, who ordered that his highness should be received by Commanders Buchanan and Adams 
 and Lieutenant Contee, the Commodore himself still refusing, in accordance with liis pidicy, to 
 receive any one but a counsellor of the Empire. The governor was attired, in character with his 
 high position, as a noble of the third rank. He wore a rich silk robe of an embroidered pattern 
 resembling the feathers of a peacock, with borders of gold and silver. He was duly received by 
 the officers we have named, and immediately commenced with them a conference, which, how- 
 ever, was in reality with the Commodore, though he still preserved his seclusion. Tlie governor, 
 after a long discussion, in which he more than once declared that the Japanese laws made it 
 impossible that the President's letter should be received at Uraga, and that, even if it were, tbo
 
 238 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 answer -would be sent to Nagasaki, added also that the squadron must proceed thither. In 
 answer to this he was most distinctly told that the Commodore would never consent to such an 
 arrangement, and would persist in delivering the letter where he was ; and, moreover, that if 
 the Japanese government did not see fit to appoint a suitable person to receive the documents 
 in his possession addressed to the Emperor that he, the Commodore, whose duty it was to 
 deliver them, would go on shore with a sufficient force and deliver them in person, be the 
 consequences what they might. 
 
 In answer to this, the governor said that he would return to the city and send a communi- 
 cation to Yedo, asking for further instructions, and he added that it would take four days to 
 obtain a reply. One hour's steaming woidd have taken the ships in sight of Yedo, and so the 
 governor was informed that the Commodore would wait three days only, (until Tuesday, the 
 12th,) when a definite answer would be expected. 
 
 A boat had been sent at daylight from each ship of the squadron to survey the bay and 
 harbor of Uraga. The governor, on observing these boats, inquired what they were doing, and 
 when he was told that they were surveying the harbor, he said it was against the Japanese 
 laws to allow of such examinations; to which he received for reply, that the American laws 
 command them, and that Americans were as much bound to obey the American as he was the 
 Japanese laws. " This," remarks the Commodore, " was a second and most important point 
 gained." During all the questions and answers the interpreter had out his tablets, and was 
 busy taking notes, and if all the importunate inquiries of the governor had been resj^onded to, 
 his reporter would have enjoyed no sinecure. 
 
 At the interview, tlie original letter of the President, together with the Commodore's letter 
 of credence, encased in the magnificent boxes which had been prepared in Washington, were 
 shown to his excellency, who was evidently greatly impressed with their exquisite workmanship 
 and costliness ; and he made an ofier for the first time of water and refreshments, but was told 
 that the squadron was in no need of anything. The governor was made to understand perfectly 
 that there would be no necessity for any further discussion until the time appointed for the 
 delivery of the answer from the Japanese government should arrive ; and he left the ship fully 
 impressed with this imderstanding. 
 
 During the conference, the governor and his interpreter were requested to use the same 
 designation in speaking of the President of the United States as that by which they 
 distinguished the Emperor. They complied with this request, although, previous to it, they 
 had used different terms for the two dignitaries. In a country like Japan, so governed by 
 ceremonials of all kinds, it was necessary to guard with the strictest etiquette even the forms 
 of speech ; and it was found that by a diligent attention to the minutest and apparently most 
 insignificant details of word and action, the desired impression was made upon Japanese 
 diplomacy ; which, as a smooth surface requires one equally smooth to touch it at every point, 
 can only be fully reached and met by the nicest adjustment of the most polished formality. 
 
 The surveying boats, which seemed to give so much uneasiness to the governor, had been well 
 manned and armed, and Lieutenant Bent, of the Mississipjii, who was in command, was 
 instructed not to go beyond the range of the ships' guns, while a good look-out was kejit upon 
 the surveying party, in order that assistance might be sent to them should they be attacked. 
 In addition to the usual boat ensigns at the stern, white flags, indicative of tlieir peaceful 
 intentions, were borne on the bows. They spread themselves out toward the opposite shore as 
 they pulled away, sounding at every boat's length, and had reached about two miles further ny
 
 SURVEY OF THE BAY OF URAGA. 239 
 
 the bay than the anchorage of the squadron, when they were recalled by a signal gun. On 
 their return they were sent out again, with orders to keep nearer to the western shore. In the 
 afternoon all the boats returned, coming alongside at about three o'clock p. m. 
 
 The hydrographic reports were of the most favorable character, as deep water was found as 
 far up as four miles toward the head of the bay, which was the extent of the first survey. The 
 soundings varied from twenty-nine to forty-three fathoms, and at the height of the ebb tide a 
 current was observed running at the rate of two or three knots. The examination of the harbor 
 of Uraga, which was carried to within a few feet of the shore, gave tive fathoms at about a cable's 
 length distance, while within that space from the land several reefs were found to extend out. 
 As the boats approached the shores there was a good view of the fortifications, which did not 
 seem to be of a very formidable character. Their construction did not exhibit much strength 
 or art. Their position and armament were such as to expose them to an easy assault ; their 
 parapets were in earthwork, while many of the buildings, the barracks and magazines, appeared 
 to be of wood. They mounted but few guns, and those of small calibre, while their embrasures 
 were so wide that the cannon were greatly exposed. 
 
 On the first approach of the survey boats the soldiers showed themselves in considerable force, 
 and were observed to be fully armed. They presented quite a bristling front with their spears 
 and match-locks, while their lacquered caps and shields flashed brightly in the sun. They did 
 not seem disposed, however, to make any very decided stand, for they retreated within the walls 
 of the fortification as soon as the boats made in closer with the land. One of the ofiicers in 
 command of a ship's boat approached to within a hundred yards of the shore, and observing 
 three persons, seemingly of authority, standing out upon an embankment, levelled his glass at 
 them, whereat they disappeared on the instant, evidently much discomposed at being sighted 
 ■with an instrument which they (though not unfemiliar with the telescope) might have supposed 
 to be a weapon unknown to them, and capable of projecting something more deadly than the 
 glance of an eye. The Japanese soldiers in the boats along shore beckoned to our officer to 
 keep ofi", while he, in response, made a sign to show the direction in which he was going. The 
 Japanese then put off and approached so rapidly that it appeared as if their intention was to 
 intercept the ship's boat, and the officer in command accordingly gave orders to his men to rest 
 upon their oars and adjust the caps to their carbines. There was, however, no attempt directly 
 to interfere with this or any other of the ship's cutters, although they were followed by numbers 
 of Japanese boats, which, however, on seeing our men well armed, did not venture to molest 
 them. The artist who accompanied the surveying party had an excellent opportunity, which 
 was well improved, of making sketches of the land, the forts, and various other objects on shore. 
 
 Everything Seemed ijropitious, as the action of the Commodore had so far been crowned with" 
 success. He had gained his purpose in clearing the squadron of the presence of the guard- 
 boats ; he had compelled the visit of the first in authority at Uraga ; he had surveyed the 
 harbor ; he had refused to go to Nagasaki, and kept his position in the bay of Yedo ; and this 
 last he determined to retain until he had some definite answer as to the reception of the 
 President's letter by a person of proper rank and authority. 
 
 The weather added its smiles to the occasion, for nothing could be more propitious. The 
 heat, which was not excessive, for the thermometer hardly ranged above 78°, was tempered 
 by cool sea breezes, and the atmosphere was so clear that every object appeared with great 
 distinctness, and there was a picturesque view disclosed to the eye on all sides. The peaked 
 summit of Fusi rose, with great distinctness, above the high land on the western coast, and ten
 
 240 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 miles ahead the bold cliff, which guards both sides of the entrance to the inner harbor leading 
 to Yedo, were readily discernible. Nearer, the houses of Uraga could be so plainly seen that 
 their peculiar forms and construction could be made out, and thov were perceived to be built of 
 wood, with roofs of various forms — pointed, s(iuare, aud pyramidal. Most of the buildings 
 were of the natural color of the wood, somewhat discolored, however, by time, while some few 
 were painted white. The Japanese boats and junks, to the number of several hundreds, 
 extending from the headland, off which the Susquehanna was anchored, to the harbor, were so 
 distinctly visible as to be readily counted. Nearer still, the eye could minutely distinguish the 
 parts of the unfinished forts that were in the process of construction on the heights opposite to 
 the ship. 
 
 The next day was Sunday, (July 10th,) and, as usual, divine service was held on board 
 the ships and, in accordance with proper reverence for the day, no communication was held 
 with the Jiipanese authorities. During the day, however, a boat came off with a striped 
 flag, which indicated the high rank of the three or four Japanese sitting beneath its awning 
 and languidly using their fans. They were evidently persons of distinction, and had the 
 same intelligent exj^ression and the remarkably courtly manners which were uniformly 
 observed in all those of the better class. On coming alongside they, through their interpreter 
 whom they had brought, requested permission to come on board. They were asked if they 
 had any business with the Commodore, and answering that they had none, but merely wished 
 to have a talk, were politely informed that, by his orders, they could not be received. 
 Through the day, preparations were observed to be still proceeding on the land ; the soldiers 
 moved busily, with their glistening shields and long spears, about the batteries in sight, 
 and some seemed to be engaged in removing the sham forts of striped canvas, and in training 
 more guns upon the squadron. The reverberations of the report of a cannon, fired off 
 apparently some distance up the bay, echoed through the hills, and were distinctly heard 
 on board the shij^s. At night, the beacon-fires, though fewer in mimber than on the previous 
 evening, again blazed, while the deep-toned bell tolled as usual until morning. Everything, 
 however, remained on boai-d the ships tranquil and without interruption, as befitted tho 
 Christian day of rest. 
 
 On the next morning early (Monday) the surveying boats were dispatched liigher up the 
 bay, and Commander Lee, of the steamer Mississippi^ was directed to get his ship under way to 
 protect them, if necessary. The governor of Uraga, on seeing the Mississippi going higher 
 up, came on board, although he had been told that there would be no necessity for further 
 communication or discussion imtil the reply from Yedo was received. 
 
 The Commodore had sent the Mississippi and tlie boats on the service, in part for efiect, 
 being satisfied that the very circumstance of approaching nearer to Yedo with a powerful 
 ship would alarm the authorities, and induce them to give a more favorable answer to his 
 demands. It happened as was expected. The governor pretended that his visit to the ship 
 was simply for the purpose of bringing the information that it was very probable the letters 
 (meaning, as was then supposed, the translations of the originals) would be received on the 
 following day, and forwarded to Yedo. His evident object in coming on board^ however, was 
 to ascertain for what purpose the Mississippi and the surveying boats had ascended the bay, 
 and he accordingly put the question. 
 
 Tlie Commodore, anticipating the inquiry, directed that the governor should be informed 
 that, unless the business which liad brouglit the squadron to the bay of Yedo was arranged
 
 SURVET OP THE BAY OF YEDO. 241 
 
 during the present visit, he, the Commodore, would be obliged to return in the ensuint' 
 spring with a larger force ; and, as the anchorage in front of Uraga was not convenient or 
 safe, he was desirous of seeking a more ftivorahle situation nearer to Yedo, which would 
 facilitate his communication with that city. 
 
 The surveying party, as on the jirevious occasion, was composed of boats from each ship 
 of the squadron, under the command of Lieutenant Bent. They were sent out with general 
 directions from the Commodore to go a§ far up the bay toward Yedo as possible, without 
 getting out of signal distance from the squadron, and to avoid giving any occasion of conflict 
 with the people of the country. Their departure was watched with considerable anxiety by 
 those on board the Susquehanna. Thirty fathoms of her cable had been taken in, and the 
 remainder was all ready to sliji, while steam was got up, to be in readiness for any 
 emergency. The movements on shore were quite lively : in the distance, on the eastern 
 shore, large numbers of soldiers — as many apparently as a thousand — were seen to march 
 down from the higher ground to the beach, and there embark in boats, which put off 
 immediately in the direction of the surveying party. And, during the whole time, the 
 various batteries were busy with the movements of the troops, who seemed to be either 
 preparing for hostilities, or attempting to make a formidable show of force. 
 
 The boats proceeded from ten to twelve miles further toward Yedo than the anchorage of 
 the squadron. In proceeding up the bay, numbers of government vessels appeared, waving 
 off the intruders, and some thirty-five put off in a direction fronting the course of the 
 surveying boats, as if intending to intercept them. Lieutenant Bent, who was in advance, 
 ordered his men to rest on their oars, and to affix their bayonets to their muskets, but this 
 proceeding did not seem to have the effect he had hoped for, of stopping the Japanese boats. 
 They still came on. The lieutenant, anxious to avoid a rupture, then changed his course 
 somewhat, to prevent an immediate collision, and dispatched a boat for the Mississippi, 
 Avhich was about two miles astern. The desired effect was soon produced by the approach 
 of the steamer, and there was no apparent disposition shown afterward to interfere with the 
 party, which continued the exploration. Deep soundings were found the whole distance, 
 ■with a soft bottom of mud. A channel seemed to exist at the furthest point reached ; in 
 the centre the lead gave a depth of twenty fathoms, while on the sides it struck upon banks 
 of mud at not more than five fathoms It was inferred that there were deep soundings still 
 fiirther, and that the squadron might readily push on with safety to within a few miles of 
 Yedo itself. At the extreme distance of the boats' passage there was a smaller bay, cut out, 
 as it were, from the larger, which, it was supposed, would probably afford an excellent 
 anchorage. On either side the shores were abrupt, and extended back into lofty hills, and 
 from the position of the boats at this point a town was observed on the right side of the 
 bay of Yedo. The Mississippi had disappeared for some time from the view of those on 
 board the other .ships ; but, just as the signal gun was about to be fired for her recall, she 
 shot round the promontory, some two or three miles up the bay, which had concealed her 
 from sight, came steaming down, with the boats in tow, and was soon quietly settled at her 
 old anchorage, passing on her way between the Susquehanna and the Uraga shore, and 
 attracting the attention of numbers of soldiers on the latter, who came out to see her pass. 
 
 The bay was covered all day, as usual, with the Japanese junks, sailing up or down, 
 apparently carrying on a brisk commerce, and not at all disturbed by the presence of the 
 squadron. Some of the fi.shing smacks and other boats would, indeed, at times approach 
 31 J
 
 242 
 
 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 pretty near to the ships, but obviously merely to gratify curiosity, as their crews would 
 stand up and gaze intently, hut gave no sign cither of alarm or hostility. The trading 
 vessels were observed to stop at a town on the opposite side in coming down, and at 
 Uraga in going up, in accordance, probably, as has already been intimated, with some 
 regulation of the customs. Everything passed tramiuilly, and the next day, which was to 
 bring some reply or other to the Commodore's demands, was looked forward to with deep 
 solicitude and interest by every man on board the ships. 
 
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 REPLY FROM THE COURT AT YEDO. 
 
 243 
 
 CHAPTER XIII, 
 
 REPLY FROM THE COURT AT YEDO. EFFORTS OF THE JAPANESE TO GET THE SQnADRON OUT OF THE BAY OF YEDO .—COMMODORE S 
 
 FIRM REFUSAL TO LEAVE URAGA. AGREEMENT OF THE EMPEROR TO RECEIVE, THROUGH A COMMISSIONER, THE PRESIDENT'S 
 
 LETTER. HIGH BREEDING OF THE JAPANESE GENTLEMEN; NOT ILL INFORMED. SURVEY OF THE BAY OF YEDO. FOGS OF 
 
 JAPAN. SECOND VISIT FROM THE GOVERNOR OF URAGA. HE BRINGS A LETTER FROM THE EMPEROR, AUTHORIZING A PRINCE 
 
 OF THE EMPIRE TO RECEIVE, IN HIS NAME, THE PRESIDENT'S LETTER. ARRANGEMENTS MADE FOR THE COMMODORe's RECEP- 
 TION ON SHORE TO DELIVER THE LETTER. MINUTE ATTENTION OF THE JAPANESE TO ETIQUETTE AND CEREMONIALS. 
 
 PREPARATIONS IN THE SQUADRON FOR THE TISIT ON SHORE AT THE RECEPTION. SHIPS BROUGHT NEAR THE LAND, SO AS TO 
 
 COMMAND THE PLACE OF MEETING. LANDING AND RECEPTION, AND DELIVERY OF THE LETTER AND OTHER DOCUMENTS. 
 
 PRINCES OF IDSU AND IWAMA. CONTENTS OF PRESIDENT'S LETTER. COMMODORe's LETTER OF CREDENCE, AND HIS LETTERS 
 
 TO THE EMPEROR. RECEIPT GIVEN BY THE JAPANESE FOR THE PAPERS. RETURN TO THE SHIPS. 
 
 HE day appointed for the reception of a reply from 
 Yedo (Tuesday, July 12) had now arrived. Accordingly, 
 at about half past nine o'clock in the morning, three 
 boats were seen to approach the steamer Susquehanna 
 from the shores of Uraga. These were different from 
 \ the usual government craft, and seemed, unlike the 
 -7 "thcrs, to be built after an European model; the rowers 
 ^ silt to their oars, and moved them as our boatmen do, 
 ;^>- though somewhat awkwardly, instead of standing and 
 sculling at the sides, in accordance with the usual 
 Jaiianese practice. The construction of the boats was 
 evidently very strong, and their models fair. Their 
 masts, sails, and rigging were of the ordinary Japanese 
 fashion. The crews were numerous, there being thirty in the largest boat, and thirteen in each 
 of the others, and their great swarthy frames were clothed in the usual uniform of loose blue 
 dresses slashed with white stripes. 
 
 The boat in advance was distinguished, in addition to the government mark of a horizontal 
 black stripe across her broad sail, by the black and white flag, which indicated the presence of 
 some officers of distinction, and such in fact were now on board of her. As she apjiroached 
 nearer to the ship, the governor, Kayama Yezaiman, in his rich silken robes, was recognised, 
 seated on mats spread in the centre of tlie deck of the vessel, and surrounded by his interpreters 
 and suite.
 
 244 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 The advance boat now came alongside, leaving the other two floating at some distance from 
 the Snsquehanna. His highness, Kayama Yezaiman, with his two interpreters, Hori Tatsnoske, 
 the princiiial, and Fatcisko Tokushumo, his second, were admitted at once on board, and having 
 been received with dne formality, were ushered into the presence of Captains Buchanan and 
 Adams, who were prepared to communicate with them. 
 
 The Commodore had, previously to the arrival of the governor, written the following letter to 
 the Emperor : 
 
 "United States Steam Fkigate Susquehaxxa, 
 
 Uraga, Juhj 12, 1853. 
 "The Commander-in-chief of the United States naval forces in these seas, being invested with 
 full powers to negotiate treaties, is desirous of conferring with one of the highest officers of the 
 Empire of Japan, in view of making arrangements for the presentation of the original of his 
 letter of credence, as also the original of a letter with which he is charged, addressed to his 
 Imperial Majesty by the President of the United States. 
 
 "It is hoped that an early day will be appointed for the proposed interview. 
 "To his Imperial Majesty the Emperor of Japan." 
 
 The governor's first statement was to the effect that there had been a misapprehension as to 
 the delivery of the translations of the papers before the originals had been received. Although 
 the Commodore was certain that there had been no such misunderstanding, nevertheless he, on 
 the second interview in the course of the afternoon, consented, after much discussion, to deliver 
 the translations and originals, as also a letter from himself to the Emperor, at the same time, 
 provided the latter should appoint a suitable officer to receive them directly from the hands of 
 the Commodore, who repeated that he would consent to present them to no other than a Japanese 
 dignitary of the highest rank. The governor then said that a building would be erected on 
 shore for the reception of the Commodore and his suite, and that a high official personage, 
 specially appointed by the Emperor, would be in attendance to receive the letters. He, however, 
 added that no answer would be given in the bay of Yedo, but that it would be transmitted to 
 Nagasaki, through the Dutch or Chinese superintendents. This being reported to the Commo- 
 dore, he wrote the following memorandum and directed it to be translated into Dutch, and fully 
 explained to the governer. 
 
 "The Commander-in-chief will not go to Nagasaki, and will receive no communication 
 through the Dutch or Chinese. 
 
 ' ' He has a letter from the President of the United States to deliver to the Emperor of Japan , 
 or to his secretary of foreign affairs, and he will deliver the original to none other: — if this 
 friendly letter of the President to the Emperor is not received and duly replied to, he will 
 consider his country insulted, and will not hold himself accountable for the consequences. 
 
 " He expects a reply of some sort in a few days, and he will receive such reply nowhere but 
 in this neighborhood." [Bay of Uraga.] 
 
 "When this was communicated to the governor, he took his departure, probably to consult 
 some higher authority, as doubtless there was more than one high officer of the court at Uraga, 
 secretly directing the negotiations. The interview had lasted three hours, and it was fully one 
 o'clock before the governor left the ship. All passed in the most quiet way without any 
 interruption to the usual courtesies of friendly negotiation. The shore showed every indication
 
 CONVERSATION WITH THE GOVERNOR OF URAGA 245 
 
 of tranquillity, and no movement was observed on the part of the fortresses, or the many 
 government hoats along the shore. 
 
 The governor, in accordance -with his promise on leaving in the morning, returned in the 
 afternoon accompanied, as usual, by his interpreters and suite. He came off, however, in one of 
 the ordinary Japanese boats, and not, as earlier in the day, in the vessel built after the European 
 model. Captains Buchanan and Adams were in readiness to receive the party, and resumed 
 the renewed conference with the same form and ceremony as before ; the Commodore still 
 preserving his seclusion and communicating with the Japanese only through others. The 
 conversation is here given verbatim as reported. 
 
 CONVEESATION. 
 
 Present Captains Buchanan and Adams, Lieutenant Contee, Flag Lieutenant, and Yezaiman, 
 governor of Uraga, and interpreters. 
 
 Yezaiman. As it will take a great deal of time to send up the copies of the letters first, and 
 the originals afterward, I propose that the originals and the copies be delivered together, when 
 the high officer comes. The governor and the high officer will do their best to entertain the 
 Admiral and give him a suitable reception. 
 
 Cajit. Buchanan. That is not the object of the Commodore : he wishes these communications 
 to go because there is among them a letter to the Emperor from himself, which he desires to 
 send to Yedo with the copies. The reply to the President's letter is not of so much consequence 
 just now. We want a reply to the Commodore's letter which is in the package. 
 
 Tezaiman. If you send the original letter we will reply to it as soon as possible. We are 
 here for the purpose of receiving the letter from the President to the Emperor, but now you 
 speak of a letter from the Admiral to the Emperor. 
 
 Capt. B. The letter from the Admiral is in the package containing the copies of the 
 President's letter. It states that he has in his possession the original letter of the President, 
 and is empowered by the President to deliver it in person to the Emperor, or to a high officer of 
 equal rank with himself, ajjpointed by the Emperor. 
 
 Yezaiman. We are very sorry that you separate the two ; it would be better to send the 
 originals at once with the copies. 
 
 Capt. B. That is impossible. The letter of the Admiral states that he has the original letter 
 of the President, and is empowered to deliver it^ either in person or to an officer of his own 
 rank ; when the Emperor is aware of the fact that the Admiral lias the letter, then he will 
 appoint an officer of the same rank to receive the original, and the Admiral will return at some 
 future day to receive the answer. 
 
 Yezaiman. Can you not contrive to manage it in such a way that the original letter may be 
 sent with the copies ? 
 
 Capt. B. It cannot be done. 
 
 Yezaiman. When the ships first came it was not mentioned that the copies must be sent first, 
 and not the original letters ; and now you mention it. 
 
 Capt. B. During the first visit you made here, you were shown the original letters, and 
 also the copies, and the same statement was then made by us as now. — {After a pause Captain 
 B. resumed.) — Will the high officer who will come here be accredited by the Emperor to receive 
 the letters from the Admiral?
 
 246 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 Yezaiman. He has the authorization of the Emperor. 
 
 Capf. B. "Will he have any proof to show that he is thus authorized? 
 
 Yezaiman. Yes, he can prove it. 
 
 Capt. B. One of the letters is from the President, informing the Emperor of Japan that 
 Commodore Perry is sent as a high officer appointed by himself, and Commodore Perry will 
 expect similar credentials on the part of the officer appointed to speak with him. 
 
 Yezaiman. He will receive tlie letter, but cannot enter into any negotiations. 
 
 Capt. B. What is the rank and official title of the officer who is appointed? — (While (he 
 interpreter is writing the title of the officer in question, in Chinese characters, Captains Buchanan 
 and Adams retire to consult with the Commodore.) 
 
 Lieutenant Contee. When will the high officers be ready to receive the letter? 
 
 Interpreter. To-morrow or the day after. 
 
 Lieut. C. Where is the house? 
 
 Interpreter. On the shore. 
 
 Lieut. C. Can you point it out from here? 
 
 Inietpreter. It cannot be seen. 
 
 Lieut. C, {repeating his last question.) Can you point it out from here? 
 
 Interpreter. It is on the other side of the hills — you can see it from another position. 
 
 Lieut. C. What was the name of the officer who came on board on the day of our arrival? 
 
 Inlerpreter. Nagazhima Saberoske. 
 
 {Captains Buchanan and Adams now returned.) 
 
 Captain Buchanan. Captain Adams and I have just had a conversation with the Admiral.* 
 He says that, since you appear to have wholly misunderstood the matter about the letter, if you 
 can show proof that an officer of the proper rank is ai^pointed to receive them, he will waive the 
 matter in dispute, and deliver the original at the same time with the copies. But he requires 
 strict evidence that the officer who shall meet him shall be of the necessary rank, and that he 
 has been specially appointed for the purpose by the Emperor. 
 
 Yezaiman. Nagasaki is the proper place to receive letters from foreign nations, and because 
 Uraga is not an ajipropriate place, the officer will not be allowed to converse, but only to 
 receive the letters. 
 
 Capt. B. He is only desired to receive the letters. Will he come on board, or will the letters 
 be delivered on shore? 
 
 Yezaiman. He will not come on board, but will receive them on shore. 
 
 Capt. B. Before the letters are delivered, the credentials of the officer must be translated 
 into Dutch, signed with the proper signatures, and sent on board the Admiral. 
 
 Yezaiman. He will be accredited to receive the letter, but cannot speak. 
 
 Caj^t. B. He will not be desired to speak, but he must have a paper signed by the Emperor, 
 stating that he is empowered to receive the letters. 
 
 Yezaiman. He will have a document properly signed. 
 
 [Captain Buchanan now directed Mr. Portman to write in Dutch the declaration lie had made, 
 and to give it to the interpreter. The following is the English version: "There has been a 
 
 * "It is proper to remark that tlie title of Admiral was necessarily used at these interviews, to designate your rank, as wo 
 found Vezaimaii's iiilerprutfrs were familiar with it, and were entirely unacquainted with that of Commodore." — Extract from 
 Coj)(aiii .li/anu' official report to Commodore Pcrrij.
 
 CONVERSATION WITH THE GOVERNOR OP URAGA. 247 
 
 great deal of misumlerstanding about receiving the original letter and tlie translated copies, 
 wlietlier to be received together or separately. The Admiral now is willing to meet with a high 
 officer of Yedo, holding rank in Japan corresponding to the rank of Admiral in the United 
 States. This officer shall be accredited, viz: possess a writing properly signed by the Emperor, 
 authorizing him to receive the said letters. Of this writing or letter of credence shall be made 
 a copy, translated into Dutch, and the same copy be transmitted to the Admiral before the 
 interview takes place. 
 
 " At this interview there shall be no discussions whatever ; no more than an exchange of 
 civilities and compliments. 
 
 " The Admiral does not insist upon receiving an answer to the original letter of the President 
 immediately, but will come back for that purpose after some months."] 
 
 Tezaiman. The high officer will not be allowed to speak on the matter; only to make and 
 return compliments. 
 
 Capt. B. That is all that is necessary. 
 
 Yezaiman. The high officer will be here the day after to-morrow, to receive the letter on 
 shore. 
 
 Capt. B. At what hour? 
 
 Yezaiman. At eight o'clock in the morning. As soon as we see the flag hoisted we will come 
 on board the ship. 
 
 Cajit. B. Will the high officer bring the copy of the letter empowering him to act, properly 
 certified ? 
 
 Yezaiman. He will bring it. 
 
 Interpreter. The governor is very grateful for his kind reception on board. 
 
 Capt. B. "VVe are very happy to see him. Where is the place of reception? 
 
 Interpreter. I can point out the place, but the house cannot be seen. 
 
 Yezaiman. Will the Admiral await the Emperor's answer to the President's letter ? 
 
 Capt. B. No; the Admiral will not now wait for it. 
 
 Yezaiman. When will he come for a reply? 
 
 Capt. B. He will return in a few months to receive the Emperor's reply. 
 
 Yezaiman. I would desire a statement in writing to that eifect. [There being no satisfactory 
 answer to this, Yezaiman continued.] The high officer who receives the letter of the President 
 will give a receipt for it, as an assurance that it has been received. 
 
 Copt. B. Can you not appoint a place nearer the ship? The distance is very great for the 
 men to pull in a boat. The Admiral will be satisfied to meet the high officer in a tent, or in 
 one of the forts nearer the ships. The interview will not be long. 
 
 Inte)pi-eter. The house is not far off ; it is less than a Japanese mile. 
 
 Capt. B. Can you not arrange to have it nearer the ships? 
 
 Interpreter. The governor says he will endeavor to arrange it. 
 
 Capt. B. Can you let us know to-morrow morning ? 
 
 Interpreter. Yes. 
 
 The conference here ended. 
 
 Kayama Yezaiman and his companions seemed to be in the highest good humor, and readily 
 availed themselves of the profi'ered courtesies of the officers of tlie Susquehanna, which were 
 accepted and responded to in a manner indicating the most polished good breeding. In
 
 248 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 receiving the hospitalities of their hosts, it may be remarked that they partook freely, and 
 seemed to relish particularly the wliiskey and brandy which formed part of the entertainment. 
 The governor especially appeared to appreciate the foreign liquors, particularly when mixed 
 with sugar, and smacked his lips with great gusto, as he drained his glass to its last sweetened 
 dregs. His interpreters, in the growing freedom of convivial enjoyment, made merry over his 
 highness' bacchanalian proclivity, and laugliingly expressing their alarm lest Tezaiman should 
 take a drop too much, remarked, "his face is already growing red." 
 
 Though always preserving a certain gentlemanly aplomb and that self-cultivated manner 
 which bespeaks high breeding, these Japanese dignitaries were disposed to be quite social, and 
 shared freely and gaily in conversation. Nor did their knowledge and general information fall 
 short of their elegance of manners and amiability of disposition. They were not only well-bred, 
 but not ill-educated, as they were proficients in the Dutch, Chinese, and Japanese languages, 
 and not unacquainted with the general principles of science and of the facts of the geography of 
 the world. When a terrestrial globe was placed before them, and their attention was called to 
 the delineation on it of the United States^ they immediately placed their fingers on Washington 
 and New York, as if perfectly familiar with the fact that one was the capital, and the other the 
 commercial metropolis of our country. They also, with equal promptitude, pointed out England, 
 France, Denmark, and other kingdoms of Europe. Their inquiries in reference to the United 
 States showed them not to be entirely ignorant of the facts connected with the material progress 
 of our country ; thus, when they asked if roads were not cut through our mountains, they were 
 referring (as was supposed) to tunnels on our railroads. And this supposition was confirmed 
 on the interpreter's asking, as they examined the ship's engine, whether it was not a similar 
 machine, although smaller, which was used for travelling on the American roads. They also 
 inquired whether the canal across the isthmus was yet finished, alluding probably to the 
 Panama railroad which was then in progress of construction. They knew, at any rate, that 
 labor was being performed to connect the two oceans, and called it by the name of something 
 they had seen, a canal. 
 
 After refreshments and conversation in the cabin, Yezaiman and his interpreters were invited 
 to inspect the ship, an offer which they accepted with great politeness, and as they came upon 
 deck, notwithstanding there were crowds of officers and men around who could scarce repress 
 the manifestation of their curiosity, the Japanese never for a moment lost their self-possession, 
 but showed the utmost composure and quiet dignity of manner. They evinced an intelligent 
 interest in all the various arrangements of the vessel, observed the big gun and rightly styled it 
 a "Paixhan," exhibited none of that surprise which would naturally be expected from those 
 who were beholding for the first time the wonderful art and mechanism of a perfected steamship. 
 The engine evidently was an object of great interest to them, but the interpreters showed that 
 they were not entirely unacquainted with its principles. Much of this cool but not unobservant 
 composure may have been affected, in accordance with a studied jiolicy, but yet, there can be no 
 doubt that however backward the Japanese themselves may be in practical science, the best 
 educated among them are tolerably well informed of its progress among more civilized or rather 
 cultivated nations. 
 
 On leaving the cabin, the Japanese dignitaries had loft tlieir swords behind, two of which are 
 always worn by those of certain rank in the empire. This gave an opportunity for inspection, 
 on the part of the curious, of these badges of authority, which seemed to be, in accordance with
 
 niGU B REED IN G OF THE JAPANESE GEXTLEMEN. 249 
 
 their purpose, more suited for show tlian service. Tiie blades, however, were apparently of 
 good steel and temper, and highly polished, although their shape as well as that of their hilts, 
 without a guard, was awkwardly constructed for use. The mountings were of pure gold, and 
 the scabbards of shark's skin, remarkably well manufactured. The visit of the governor was 
 prolonged into the evening, and it was seven o'clock before he took his departure, when he and 
 his interpreters left the shij) with their usual graceful courtesies, bowing at every step, and 
 smiling in an amiable yet dignified manner. They were evidently favorably impressed with 
 their reception and all they had seen. The studied politeness which marked their intercourse 
 with our officers was evidently not assumed for the occasion, for it is so habitual with them 
 that in their ordinary relations with each other they preserve the same stately courtesy ; and it 
 was observed, that no sooner had Yezairaan and his interpreters entered their boat alongside the 
 Susquehanna, that they commenced saluting each other as formally as if they had met for the 
 first time and were passing through the ceremonials of a personal introduction. While these 
 scenes were in transaction on board, the boats of the squadron sent out by the Commodore were 
 kept busy all day sounding and observing as on previous occasions. 
 
 The next day was Wednesday, (July loth,) and the visit of the governor was naturally 
 expected at an early hour, in fulfilment of his promise. There was, however, no indication 
 through the morning of his coming, and every thing remained in a state of tranquil expectation. 
 There seemed to be some little movement on the part of the authorities, as far as could be 
 gathered from an observation of the neighboring land. From the opposite shores numerous 
 vessels, loaded with soldiers, crossed to the Uraga side, and a large junk with the usual 
 government flag and insignia put into the harbor. Tlie brisk trade of the bay was carried on 
 as usual, and Japanese boats, both large and small, were moving up and down in constant 
 circulation. The various towns and villages grouped about the bay were thus interchanging 
 their elements of life and, stimulated into commercial activity by the throb from tlie busy heart 
 of the great city, poured into Yedo their overflowing abundance. There were no less than sixty- 
 seven junks counted as passing up the bay during the single day. 
 
 The weather continued warm, with the thermometer indicating as high a point as 87°, but 
 the heat was tempered by an agreeable sea breeze. The view of the shores was much obscured 
 at times by the haze which is said to be so prevalent on the Japanese coast ; but in the 
 experience of the squadron the weather hitherto had been remarkably clear, and this day was 
 the foggiest that had been seen since the ships arrived in the bay. Nothing could be seen of 
 the great land-mark — the lofty peak of Fusi — which, by the way, was generally more plainly 
 visible toward the evening than during the day, and was often observed beautifully distinct at 
 sunset, when its summits would glow with a rich halo of crimson light. 
 
 The expected visit of the governor occurred at last, at about four o'clock in the afternoon. 
 His highness Kayama Yezaiman, accompanied, as usual, by his first and second interpreters, 
 presented him.self, with a thousand apologies for not having come earlier, as the high officer 
 from Yedo had but just arrived. The apologies having been made, the governor exhibited the 
 original order of the Emperor, addressed to the functionary who had been appointed to receive 
 the Commodore. The Emperor's letter was short, and was certified by a large seal attached to 
 it. This imperial epistle, which was wrapped in velvet, and enclosed in a box made of 
 sandal-wood, was treated by the governor with such reverence that he would allow no one to 
 touch it. A copy of it in Dutch, and a certificate verifying the authenticity of the document, 
 32 J
 
 250 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 and of the Emporor's seal aMacliecl thereto, given under the hand of Kay.ima Yczaiman, the 
 governor, were also presented. The translations were as follows : 
 
 Translation of letter of credence given by the Emperor of Japan to his highness, Toda, Prince 
 
 of Idzu. 
 
 "I send you to Uraga to receive the letter of the President of the United States to me, 
 which letter has recently been brought to Uraga by the Admiral, upon receiving which you 
 will proceed to Yedo, and take the same to mo. 
 
 [Here is the Emperor's seal.] 
 
 "Sixth .month in 1853." 
 
 Translation of certificate of Kayama Yezaiman, governor of Uraga, verifying the authenticity 
 
 of the Emperor's letter and seal. 
 
 " You can rest assured that the high officer who has been accredited by the Emperor of 
 Japan himself, and wlio consequently comes here to Uraga from Yedo for the purpose of 
 receiving the original and translated letters, is of very high rank, equal to that of the Loi'd 
 Admiral. I do assure that. 
 
 "KAYAMA YEZAIMAN." 
 
 The governor, in the course of the conference, took care to state that the person appointed 
 by the Emperor had uo authority to enter into discussions with the Commodore, but was merely 
 empowered to receive the papers and convey them to his sovereign. He also stated that he had 
 made inquiry as to the practicability of changing the place of meeting, and said that, as a 
 suitable building had already been erected, it would be inconvenient to change. The 
 Commodore was prej^ared for this reply, and as he could not know whether any treachery 
 was intended or not, he had determined to provide, as far as he could, against every contingency, 
 and had therefore ordered the surveying party to examine the little bay at the head of which 
 the building had been erected for his reception. The officer sent upon this service promptly 
 performed the duty, and reported that the ships could be brought within gun-shot of the place, 
 where great numbers of the i^eople had been observed employed in the completion of the 
 building, in transporting furniture, and in otherwise preparing for the occasion. 
 
 The governor offered to accomjiany a boat to the place appointed for the reception, but this 
 was declined, and he was informed that, as it did not befit the dignity of the Commodore to 
 l)rocecd a long distance in a small boat, the squadron would be removed to a position nearer the 
 building designed for the reception. It was then agreed that the Commodore and his party 
 should leave the shijis between eight and nine o'clock the next day, (Thursday,) although the 
 Japanese seemed particularly anxious that the interview should take place at an earlier hour, 
 assigning as a reason that the heat of the day might thus be avoided. 
 
 The question was now asked as to how many officers would accompany the Commodore on 
 the occasion, to which they received the answer tliat he woild be followed by a large retinue, 
 since it was the custom of the United States that when an officer of high rank bears a 
 communication from the President to the sovereign of another country, for him to go with 
 such an attendance as will be respectful to the power to which he is sent. Accordingly, the 
 governor was informed that all the officers who could be spared from the squadron would 
 accompany the Commodore, as the greater munber would imply the greater compliment.
 
 PREPARATIONS IN TKE SQUADRON FOR THE RECEPTION. 251 
 
 In the course of the conference, the Japanese dignitaries showed their great regard for 
 ceremony by adverting to various minute points of ctif|uette in reference to the approaching 
 reception. They announced that all the Japanese officers would be clotlicd in full official 
 costume, and not in the dresses worn on ordinary occasions. They seemed to be considerably 
 troubled because they would not be able to seat their visitors, on tiie morrow, in the same kind 
 of arm chair as that then occupied by themselves in the cabin, and ai)ologi7,ed for not having 
 any such. They were no less anxious on the score of the wines and brandies, and begged that 
 they might be excused for not offering the same as they had been regaled with, since the 
 country did not possess them. They were told to dismiss their solicitude on these points; that, 
 as the practice of hospitality, and manners and customs, necessarily differed in different 
 countries, it was not reasonable to expect to find American habits prevailing in Japan ; and 
 that the Commodore would be satisfied to be seated in the same manner as the dignitary 
 appointed to meet liim, while the other American officers would content themselves with such 
 seats as were provided for their equals in rank among the Japanese. 
 
 They then made some inquiries in regard to the minute details of the approaching ceremony, 
 as to whether the Commodore would present the President's letter directly from his own hand 
 into that of the Japanese commissioner, whose name and title, by the way, were now 
 announced as Toda-Idzu-no-Kami, First Counsellor of the Empire. 
 
 It was asked whether the Commodore would immediately return to his ship after delivering 
 the letter, and also when he would come back to Japan to receive an answer. The Chinese 
 interpreter^ Mr. AVilliams, showed them a map or plan of Yedo, which they said must have 
 been drawn some seventy years ago, as the capital had changed much since the plan was made, 
 having greatly increased in size, and much improved. They, however, recognized on the plan 
 various conspicuous places, and pointed them out very readily, as if politely willing to gratify 
 the natural curiosity of their company. 
 
 The whole conference had lasted about two hours and a half, and when the Japanese 
 functionaries rose to depart it was already evening. They left the ship with the usual polite 
 courtesies, bowing, as usual, at every step; and the chief interpreter, Hori Tatznoske, who had 
 evidently a great aptitude for the actxuisition of foreign langviages, mustered English enough to 
 say very distinctly as he departed, "Want to go home." 
 
 The Commodore, in preparation for the coming event of the next morning, summoned his 
 captains, from the several vessels of the squadron, on board the flag-ship. Orders were then 
 given that the vessels should be removed, early in the morning, to an anchorage in line, 
 covering the whole bay, in front of tlie place of reception,* as the Commodore was resolved to be 
 prepared against any possible treachery or duplicity on the part of the people with whom he 
 had to deal, and as tlie object of the Japanese in the selection of tliis place of meeting was not 
 very apparent to his mind. It was also ordered that all the officers who could possibly leave 
 the ships should appear in full uniform, and accompany the Commotlore to the reception, in 
 order that he might present as imposing a retinue as practicable. Tiie surveying boats had 
 been kept busy during the day, completing their observations, and were alloTyed to proceed with 
 their work without any molestation from the native authorities. 
 
 The Japanese seemed no less busy in active preparation for the morning's ceremony than the 
 
 • Marked on the chart as " Reception Bay."
 
 252 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 Americans. Various government vessels sailed down the bay, and a large fleet of small boats 
 arrived on the Uraga shore from the opposite coast, evidently preparatory to the approaching 
 occasion. A constant sound of hammers, intermingled with the noisy voices of Japanese 
 laborers, arising as was sujiposed from the quarter where the building was in progress, disturbed 
 the qiiict of the night and was prolonged into the iiidrning watches. .Vll was busy preparation 
 for tlie coining day. 
 
 Thursday, (July 14) opened with a sun that was somewhat obscured at early dawn, but which 
 soon came out brightly and dispelled the fogs and clouds which overhung the land and seemed 
 to give an inauspicious aspect to the occasion. As the atmosphere cleared and the shores were 
 disclosed to view, the steady labors of the Japanese during the night were revealed in the showy 
 effect on the Uraga shore. Ornamental screens of cloth had been so arranged as to give a more 
 distinct prominence, as well as the appearance of greater size to the bastions and forts; and two 
 tents had been spread among the trees. The screens were stretched tightly in the usual way 
 upon posts of wood, and each interval between the posts was thus distinctly marked, and had, in 
 the distance, the appearance of panelling. Upon these seeming panels were emblazoned the 
 imjierial arms, alternating with the device of a scarlet flower bearing large heart-shaped leaves. 
 Flags and streamers, upon which were various designs rejjresented in gay colors, hung from the 
 several angles of the screens, wliile behind them thronged crowds of soldiers, arrayed in a 
 costume which had not been before observed, and which was supposed to belong to high occasions 
 only. The main portion of the dress was a species of frock of a dark color, with short skirts, 
 the waists of which were gathered in witli a sash, and whiclx was without sleeves, the arms of 
 the wearers being bare. 
 
 All on board the ships were alert from the earliest hour, making the necessary preparations. 
 Steam was got up and the anchors were weighed that the ships might be moved to a position 
 where their guns would command the place of reception. The sailing vessels, however, because 
 of a calm, were unable to get into position. The oflicers, seamen, and marines who were to 
 accompany the Commodore were selected, and as large a number of them mustered as could 
 possibly be spared from the whole squadron. All, of course, were eager to bear a part in the 
 ceremonies of the day, but all could not possibly go, as a suflicient number must be left to do 
 ships' duty. Many of the officers and men were selected by lot, and when the full comjilement, 
 which amounted to nearly three hundred, was filled up, each one busied himself in getting his 
 person ready for the occasion. The officers, as had been ordered, were in full official dress, wliile 
 the sailors and marines were in their naval and military uniforms of blue and white. 
 
 Before eight bells in the morning watch had struck, the Susquehanna and Mississijipi moved 
 slowly down the l>ay. Simultaneously with this movement of our ships, six Japanese boats 
 were observed to .sail in the same direction, but more within the land. The government striped 
 flag distinguished two of them, showing the presence of some high officials, while the others 
 carried red banners, and were supposed to have on board a retinue or guard of soldiers. On 
 doubling the head-land which .separated the fonuer anchorage from the bay below, the prepara- 
 tions of the Japanese on the shore came suddenly into view. The land bordering the head of 
 the bay was gay with a long stretch of painted screens of cloth, upon which was emblazoned the 
 arms of the Emperor. Nine tall standards stood in the centre of an immense number of banners 
 of divers lively colors, which were arranged on either side, imtil the whole formed a crescent of 
 variously tinted flags, which fluttered brightly in the rays of the morning sun. From the tall
 
 SHIPS BROUGHT NEAR THE LAND. 253 
 
 standards were suspended broad pennons of rich scarlet which swept the ground w ith their 
 flowing length. On tlie heach in front of this display were ranged regiments of soldiers, who 
 stood in fixed order, evidently arrayed to give an appearance of martial force, that the Ameri- 
 cans might be duly impressed with the military power of the Japanese. 
 
 As the beholder faced the bay, he saw on the left of the village of Gori-Haraa a straggling 
 group of peaked-roofed houses, built between the beach and the base of the high ground which 
 ran in green acclivities behind, and ascended from height to height to the distant mountains. 
 A luxuriant valley or gorge, walled in with richly wooded hills, opened at the head of the bay, 
 and breaking the uniformity of the curve of the shore gave a beautiful variety to the landscape. 
 On the right some hundred Japanese boats, or more, were arranged in parallel lines along the 
 margin of the shore, with a red flag flying at the stern of each. The whole eflect, though not 
 startling, was novel and cheerful, and every thing combined to give a pleasing aspect to the 
 picture. The day was bright, with a clear sunlight which seemed to give fresh vitality alike to 
 the verdant hill-sides, and the gay banners, and the glittering soldiery. Back from the beach, 
 opposite the centre of the curved .shore of the bay, the building, just constructed for the recep- 
 tion, rose in three pyramidal shaped roofs, high above the surrounding houses. It was covered 
 in front by striped cloth, which was extended in screens to either side. It had a new, fresh 
 look, indicative of its recent erection, and witli its peaked summits was not unlike, in the 
 distance, a group of very large ricks of grain. 
 
 Two boats approached as the steamers neared tlie opening of the bay, and when the anchors 
 were dropped they came alongside the Susquehanna. Kayama Yezaiman, with his two 
 interpreters, came on board, followed immediately by Nagazima Saboroske and an officer in 
 attendance, who had come in the second boat. The}' were duly received at the gangway and 
 conducted to seats on the quarter deck. All were dressed in full official costume, somewhat 
 different from their ordinary garments. Their gowns, though of the usual shape, were much 
 more elaboratelj' adorned. The material was of very rich silk brocade of gay colors, turned up 
 with yellow velvet, and the whole dress was highly embroidered with gold lace in various 
 figures, among which was conspicuously displayed on the back, sleeves, and breast the arms of 
 the wearer. Saboroske, the sub-governor of Uraga, wore a pair of very broad but very short 
 trowsers, which, when his legs (which was not often the case) stood still and together, looked very 
 much like a slit petticoat, while below, his nether limbs were partly naked and partly covered 
 by black woollen socks. Saboroske, in spite of his elaborate toilette and his finery, all bedizened 
 with gold thread, glossy silk, and gay colors, did not produce a very impressive effect ; but by 
 his comical appearance provoked mirth rather than admiration. He had, in fact, very much 
 the appearance of an unusually brilliant knave of trumps. * 
 
 A signal was now hoisted from the Susquehanna as a summons for the boats from the other 
 ships, and in the course of half an hour they had all pulled alongside with their various officers, 
 sailors, and marines, detailed for the day's ceremonies. Tiie launches and cutters numbered no 
 less than fifteen, and presented quite an imposing array; and with all on board them, in proper 
 uniform, a picturesque effect was not wanting. Captain Buchanan, having taken his place in 
 his barge, led the way, flanked on either side by the two Japanese boats containing the 
 governor and vice-governor of Uraga with their respective suites ; and these dignitaries acted as 
 masters of ceremony and pointed out the course to the American flotilla. The rest of tlio ships' 
 boats followed after in order, with the cutters containing the two bands of the steamers, who 
 enlivened the occasion witli tlieir cheerful music.
 
 254 EXPEDITIONTOJAPAN. 
 
 The boats skimmed briskly over the smooth waters ; for such was the skill and consequent 
 rapidity of the Japanese scullers that our sturdy oarsmen were put to their mettle to keep up 
 with their guides. When the boats had reached halfway to the shore the thirteen guns of the 
 Susquehanna began to boom away and re-echo among the hills. This announced the departure 
 of the Commodore who, stepping into his barge, was rowed oif to the land. 
 
 The guides in the Japanese boats pointed to the landing place toward the centre of the curved 
 shore, where a temporary wharf had been built out from the beach by means of bags of sand 
 and straw. The advance boat soon touched the spot, and Captain Buchanan, who commanded 
 the party, sprang ashore, being the first of the Americans who landed in the Kingdom of 
 Japan. He was immediately followed by Major Zeilin, of the marines. The rest of the boats 
 now pulled in and disembarked their respective loads. The marines (one hundred) marched 
 up the wharf and formed into line on either side, facing the sea ; then came the hundred 
 sailors, who were also ranged in rank and file as they advanced, while the two bands brought 
 up the rear. The whole number of Americans, including sailors, marines, musicians, and 
 oflScers, amounted to nearly three hundred ; no very formidable array, but still quite enough 
 for a peaceful occasion, and composed of very vigorous, able-bodied men, who contrasted 
 strongly with the smaller and more effeminate looking Japanese. These latter had mustered 
 in great force, the amount of which the governor of Uraga stated to be five thousand ; but, 
 seemingly, they far outnumbered that. Their line extended around the Avhole circuit of the 
 beach, from the further extremity of the village to the abrupt acclivity of the hill which 
 bounded the bay on the northern side ; while an immense number of the soldiers thronged in, 
 behind and under cover of the cloth screens which stretched along the rear. The loose order of 
 this Japanese array did not betoken any very great degree of discijDline. The soldiers were 
 tolerably well armed and equipped. Their iiniform was very much like the ordinary Japanese 
 dress. Their arms were swords, spears, and match-locks. Those in front were all infantry, 
 archers and lancers ; but large bodies of cavalry were seen behind, somewhat in the distance, 
 as if held in reserve. The horses of these seemed of a fine breed, hardy, of good bottom, and 
 brisk in action ; and these troopers, with their rich caparisons, presented at least a showy 
 cavalcade. Along the base of the rising ground which ascended behind the village, and 
 entirely in the rear of the soldiers, was a large number of the inhabitants, among whom there 
 was quite an assemblage of women, who gazed with intense curiosity, through the openings in 
 the line of the military, upon the stranger visitors from another hemisphere. 
 
 On the arrival of the Commodore, his suite of officers formed a double line along the landing 
 place, and as he passed up between, they fell into order behind him. The procession was then 
 formed and took up its march toward the house of reception, the route to which was pointed out 
 by Kayama Yezaiman and his interpreter, who preceded the party. The marines led the way, 
 and the sailors following, the Commodore was duly escorted up the beach. Tlie United States 
 flag and the broad pennant were borne by two athletic seamen, who had been selected from the 
 crews of the squadron on account of their stalwart proportions. Two boys, dressed for the 
 ceremony, preceded the Commodore, bearing in an envelope of scarlet cloth the boxes which 
 contained his credentials and the President's letter. These documents, of folio size, were 
 beautifully written on vellum, and not folded, but bound in blue silk velvet. Each seal, 
 attached by cords of interwoven gold and silk -with jjcndant gold tassels, was encased in a 
 circular box six inches in diameter and three in depth, wrought of pure gold. Each of the
 
 MEETING WITH T II K JAPANESE COMMISSIONERS. 255 
 
 documents together with its seal, was phxcecl in a box of rosewood about a foot long, with lock, 
 hinges, and mountings, all of gold. On cither side of the Commodore marched a tall, 
 ■well-formed negro, who, armed to the teeth, acted as his personal guard. These blacks, selected 
 for the occasion, were two of the best looking fellows of their color that the squadron could 
 furnish. All this, of course, was but for effect. 
 
 The procession was obliged to make a somewhat circular movement to reach the entrance of 
 the house of reception. This gave a good opportunity for the display of the escort. The 
 building, which was but a short distance from the landing, was soon reached. In front of the 
 entrance were two small brass cannon whicb were old and apparently of European manufacture; 
 on either side were grouped a rather straggling company of Japanese guards, whose costume 
 was ditferent from that of the other soldiers. Those on the right were dressed in tunics, 
 gathered in at the waist with broad sashes, and in full trowsers of a grey color, the capacious 
 width of which was drawn in at the knees, while their heads were bound with a white cloth in 
 the form of a turban. They were armed with muskets upon which bayonets and flint-locks were 
 observed. The guards on the left were dressed in a rather dingy, brown-colored imiform turned 
 up with yellow, and carried old-fasliioned match-locks. 
 
 The Commodore having been escorted to the door of the house of reception, entered with his 
 suite. The building showed marks of hasty erection, and the timbers and boards of pine wood 
 were numbered, as if they had been fashioned previously and brought to the spot all ready to be 
 put together. The first portion of the structure entered was a kind of tent, principally 
 constructed of painted canvas, upon which in various places the imperial arms were painted. 
 Its area enclosed a space of nearly forty feet square. Beyond this entrance hall was an inner 
 apartment to which a carpeted path led. The floor of the outer room was generally covered with 
 white cloth, but through its centre passed a slip of red-colored carpet, which showed the direction 
 to the interior chamber. This latter was entirely carpeted with red cloth, and was the state 
 apartment of the building where the reception was to take place. Its floor was somewhat raised, 
 like a dais, above the general level, and was handsomely adorned for the occasion. Violet- 
 colored hangings of silk and fine cotton, with the imperial coat of arms embroidered in w^hite, 
 hung from the walls which enclosed the inner room, on three sides, while the front was left open 
 to the antechamber or outer room. 
 
 As the Commodore and his suite ascended to the reception room, the two dignitaries who were 
 seated on the left arose and bowed, and the Commodore and suite were conducted to the arm 
 chairs which had been provided for them on the right. The interpreters announced the names 
 and titles of the high Japanese iiinctionaries as Toda-Icku-no-kam! , Toda, prince of Idzu, and 
 Ido-Iivami-no-kami, Ido, prince of Iwanii. Tliey were both men of advanced years, the former 
 apparently about fifty, and the latter some ten or fifteen years older. Prince Toda was the 
 better looking man of the two, and the intellectual exjjression of his large forehead and amiable 
 look of his regular features contrasted very favorably with the more wrinkled and contracted, 
 and less intelligent face of his associate, the prince of Iwami. They were both very richly 
 dressed, their garments being of heavy silk brocade interwoven with elaborately wrought figures 
 in gold and .silver. 
 
 From the beginning, tlie two princes had assumed an air of statuesque formality which they 
 preserved during the whole interview, as they never spoke a word, and rose from tlieir seats only 
 at the entrance and exit of the Commodore, when they made a grave and formal bow. Yezaiman
 
 256 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 and his interpreters acted as masters of ceremony during the occasion. On entering, they took 
 their positions at the upper end of the room, kneeling down beside a large lacquered box of 
 scarlet color, supported by feet, gilt or of brass. 
 
 For some time after the Commodore and his suite had taken their seats there was a pause of 
 some minutes, not a word being uttered on either side. Tatznoske, the principal interpreter, 
 was the first to break silence, which he did by asking Mr. Portman, the Dutch interpreter, 
 whether the letters were ready for delivery, and stating that the prince Toda was prepared to 
 receive them ; and that the scarlet box at the upper end of the room was prepared as the 
 receptacle for them. The Commodore, upon this being communicated to him, beckoned to the 
 boys who stood in the lower hall to advance, when they immediately obeyed his summons and 
 came forward, bearing the handsome boxes which contained the President's letter and other 
 documents. The two stalwart negroes followed immediately in rear of the boys, and marching 
 up to the scarlet receptacle, received the boxes from the hands of the bearers, opened them, took 
 out the letters and, displaying the writing and seals, laid them upon the lid of the Japanese 
 box — all in perfect silence. The President's letter, the Commodore's letter of credence, and 
 two communications from the Commodore to the Emperor, are here given. A third letter from 
 him has already been presented on a previous page. All these, however, accompanied the letter 
 from the President and were delivered at the same time with it. 
 
 MILLARD FILLMORE, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, TO HIS IMPERIAL MAJESTY, THE 
 
 EMPEROR OF JAPAN. 
 
 Great and good Friend : I send you this public letter by Commodore Matthew C. Perry, an 
 officer of the highest rank in the navy of the United States, and commander of the squadron 
 now visiting your imperial majesty's dominions. 
 
 I have directed Commodore Perry to assure your imperial majesty that I entertain the kindest 
 feelings toward your majesty's person and government, and that I have no other object in 
 sending him to Japan but to propose to your imperial majesty that the United States and Japan 
 should live in friendship and have commercial intercourse with each other. 
 
 The Constitution and laws of the United States forbid all interference with the religious or 
 political concerns of other nations. I have jjarticularly charged Commodore Perry to abstain 
 from every act which could possibly disturb the tranquility of your imperial majesty's 
 dominions. 
 
 The United States of America reach from ocean to ocean, and our Territory of Oregon and 
 State of California lie directly opposite to tlie dominions of your imperial majesty. Our 
 steamships can go from California to Japan in eighteen days. 
 
 Our great State of California produces about sixty millions of dollars in gold every year, 
 besides silver, quicksilver, ]ireeious stones, and many other valuable articles. Japan is also a 
 rich and fertile country, and produces many very valuable articles. Your imperial nuijesty's 
 subjects are skilled in many of the arts. I am desirous that our two countries should trade with 
 each other, for the benefit both of Japan and the United States. 
 
 We know that the ancient laws of your imperial majesty's government do not allow of foreign 
 trade, except with the Cliinesc and the Dutch ; but as the state of tlie world changes and new 
 governments are formed, it seems to be wise, from time to time, to nuike new laws. There was 
 a time when the ancient laws of your imperial majesty's government were first made.
 
 president's letter to the emperor. 2oT 
 
 About the same time America, whicli is sometimes called the New World, was first discovered 
 and settled by the Europeans. For a long time there were but a few people, and they were poor. 
 They have now become quite numerous ; their commerce is very extensive ; and they think that 
 if your imperial majesty were so far to change the ancient laws as to allow a free trade between 
 the two countries it would be extremely beneficial to both. 
 
 If your imperial majesty is not satisfied that it would be safe altogether to abrogate the 
 ancient laws which forbid foreign trade, they might be suspended for five or ten years, so as to 
 try the experiment. If it does not prove as beneficial as was hoped, the ancient laws can be 
 restored. The United States often limit their treaties with foreign States to a few years, and 
 then renew them or not, as they please. 
 
 I have directed Commodore Perry to mention another thing to your imperial majesty. Many 
 of our ships pass every year from California to China ; and great numbers of our people pursue 
 the whale fishery near the shores of Japan. It sometimes happens, in stormy weather, that one 
 of our ships is wrecked on your imperial majesty's shores. In all such cases we ask, and expect, 
 that our unfortunate people should be treated with kindness, and that their property should be 
 protected, till we can send a vessel and bring them away. We are very much in earnest in 
 th.is. 
 
 Commodore Perry is also directed by me to represent to your imperial majesty that we 
 understand there is a great abundance of coal and provisions in the Empire of Japan. Our 
 steamships, in crossing the great ocean, burn a great deal of coal, and it is- not convenient to 
 bring it all the way from America. We wish that our steamships and other vessels should be 
 allowed to stop in Japan and supply themselves with coal, provisions, and water. They will 
 pay for them in money, or anything else your imperial majesty's subjects may prefer ; and we 
 request your imperial majesty to appoint a convenient port, in the southern part of the Empire, 
 where our vessels may stop for this purpose. We are very desirous of this. 
 
 These are the only objects for which I have sent Commodore Perry, with a powerful squadron, 
 to pay a visit to your imperial majesty's renowned city of Yedo: friendship, commerce, a supply 
 of coal and provisions, and protection for our shipwrecked people. 
 
 We have directed Commodore Perry to beg your imperial majesty's acceptance of a few 
 presents. They are of no great value in themselves ; but some of them may serve as specimens 
 of the articles manufactured in the United States, and they are intended as tokens of our sincere 
 and respectful friendship. 
 
 May the Almighty have your imperial majesty in His great and holy keeping ! 
 
 In witness whereof, I have caused the great seal of the United States to be hereunto affixed, 
 and have subscribed the same with my name, at the city of Washington, in America, the seat 
 of my government, on the thirteenth day of the month of November, in the year one thousand 
 eight hundred and fifty-two. 
 [Seal attached.] Your good friend, 
 
 MILLARD FILLMORE. 
 
 By the President : 
 
 EDWARD EVERETT, 
 
 Secretary of State. 
 33 J
 
 258 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 Commodore Perry to the Emperor. 
 
 UxiTED States Steam Frigate SrsQUEHAXNA, 
 
 Off the coast of Japan, July 7, 1853. 
 
 The iindersicneil, commander-in-chief of all the naval forces of the United States of America 
 stationed in the East India, China and Japan seas, has been sent by his government to this 
 country, on a friendly mission, with ample powers to negotiate with the government of Japan, 
 touching certain matters which have been fully set forth in the letter of the President of the 
 United States, copies of which, together with copies of the letter of credence of the undersigned, 
 in the English, Dutch, and Chinese languages, are herewith transmitted. 
 
 The original of the President's letter, and of the letter of credence, prepared in a manner 
 suited to the exalted station of your imperial majesty, will he presented by the undersigned in 
 person, when it may please your majesty to appoint a day for his reception. 
 
 The undersigned has been commanded to state that the President entertains the most friendly 
 feelings toward Japan, but has been surprised and grieved to learn that when any of the people 
 of the United States go, of their own accord, or are thrown by the perils of the sea, within the 
 dominions of your imperial majesty, they are treated as if they were your worst enemies. 
 
 The undersigned refers to the cases of the American ships Morrison, Lagoda, and Lawrence. 
 
 With the Americans, as indeed with all Christian people, it is considered a sacred duty to 
 receive with kindness, and to succor and protect all, of whatever nation, who may be cast upon 
 their shores, and such has been the course of the Americans with respect to all Japanese subjects 
 who have fallen under their protection. 
 
 The government of the United States desires to obtain from that of Japan some positive 
 assurance that persons who may hereafter be shipwrecked on the coast of Japan, or driven by 
 stress of weather into her ports, shall be treated with humanity. 
 
 The undersigned is commanded to explain to the Japanese that the United States are connected 
 with no government in Europe, and that their laws do not interfere with the religion of their 
 own citizens, much less with that of other nations. 
 
 That they inhabit a great country which lies directly between Japan and Europe, and which 
 was discovered by the nations of Europe about the same time that Japan herself was first visited 
 by Europeans; that the portion of the American continent lying nearest to Europe was first 
 settled by emigrants from that part of the world; that its population has rapidly spread through 
 the country, until it has reached the shores of the Pacific ocean ; that we have now large cities, 
 from which, with the aid of steam-vessels, we can reach Japan in eighteen or twenty days; that 
 our commerce with all this region of the globe is rapidly increasing, and the Japan seas will 
 soon be covered with our vessels. 
 
 Therefore, as the United States and Japan are becoming every day nearer and nearer to each 
 other, the President desires to live in 2)eace and friendship with your imperial majesty, but no 
 friendship can long exist, unless Ja2)an ceases to act toward Americans as if they were her 
 enemies. 
 
 However wise this policy may originally have been, it is unwise and impracticable now that 
 the intercourse between the two countries is so much more easy and rapid than it formerly was. 
 
 The undersigned holds out all these arguments in the hope that the Japanese government
 
 COM M 1) O li E "S L E T T P: R S TO THE E M T E K () R. 259 
 
 will see the necessity of averting unfriendly collision between the two nations, by responding 
 favorably to the propositions of amity, which are now made in all sincerity. 
 
 Many of the large ships-of-war destined to visit Japan have not yet arrived in these seas, 
 though they are hourly expected ; and the undersigned, as an evidence of his friendly intentions, 
 has brought but four of the smaller ones, designing, should it become necessary, to return to 
 Ycdo in the ensuing spring with a much larger force. 
 
 But it is expected that the government of your imperial majesty will render such return 
 unnecessary, by acceding at once to the very reasonable and pacific overtures contained in the 
 President's letter, and which will be further explained by the undersigned on the first fitting 
 occasion. 
 
 With the most profound respect for your imperial majesty, and entertaining a sincere hope 
 that you may long live to enjoy health and happiness, the undersigned subscribes himself, 
 
 M. C. PERRY, 
 Commander-in-chief of the United States Naval Forces 
 
 in the East India, China, and Japan seas* 
 To His Imperial Majesty, 
 
 the Emperor of Japan. 
 
 Commodore Perry to the Emperor. 
 
 " UxiTED States Steam Frigate Susqitehanna, 
 
 " Uraga, Ycdo Bay, Juhj 14, 1853. 
 "It having been represented to the undersigned that the propositions submitted through him 
 to the government of Japan are of so much importance, and involve so many momentous 
 questions, that much time will be required to deliberate and decide upon their several bearings : 
 "The undersigned, in consideration thereof, declares himself willing to await a reply to these 
 propositions until his return to Yedo Bay in the ensuing spring, when he confidently hopes 
 that all matters will be amicably arranged, and to the satisfaction of the two nations. 
 
 "With profound respect, 
 
 "M. C. PERRY, ■ 
 '' Commander-in-chief of the United States Naval Forces 
 
 "in the East India, China, and Japan seas. 
 ' ' To His Imperial Majesty, 
 
 "the Emperor of Japan." 
 
 Letter of credence to Commodore Perry. 
 
 MILLARD FILLMORE, PRESIDENT OF TIIE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, TO HIS IMPERIAL MAJESTY THE 
 
 EMl'EROR OF JAPAN. 
 
 Reposing special trust and confidence in the integrity, prudence, and ability of Matthew C. 
 Perry, a captain in the navy of the United States, I have invested him with full power, for and 
 in the name of the said United States, to meet and confer with any person or persons furnished 
 -with like powers on the part of your imperial majesty, and with him or them to negotiate, 
 
 • It should be remarked that the Commodore framed tliia letter on his letter of instructions from the authorities of the United 
 Sutes.
 
 260 E X P E D 1 T I N T O J A P A N . 
 
 conclude, and sign a convention or conventions, treaty or treaties, of and concerning the friend- 
 ship, commerce, and navigation of the two countries ; and all matters and subjects connected 
 therewith which may be interesting to the two nations, submitting tlie same to the President of 
 the United States for his final ratification, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate of 
 the United States. 
 
 In testimony whereof, I have caused the seal of the United States to be hereunto affixed. 
 
 Given under my hand, at the city of Washington, the thirteenth day of November, in the 
 year one thousand eight hundred and fifty-two, and of the independence of the United States of 
 America the seventy-seventh. 
 
 MILLARD FILLMORE. 
 
 By the President : 
 
 EDWARD EVERETT. 
 
 [ Seal attached . ] Secretary of Slate. 
 
 Accompanying the letters were translations of the same into the Chinese and Dutch 
 languages. After the documents had been laid upon the lid of the imperial box, made as 
 their receptacle, Mr. Portman, Dutch interpreter, by the Commodore's direction, indicated to 
 Tatznoske, the Japanese interpreter, the characters of the various documents, upon which Tatz- 
 noske and Keyama Yezairaeu, still kneeling, both lx)wed their heads. The latter, now rising, 
 approached the Prince of Iwami, and prostrating himself on his knees before him, received from 
 his hands a roll of papers, with which he crossed over to the Commodore, and again falling 
 upon his knees, delivered it to him. The Dutch interpreter now asked "what those papers 
 were?" to which it was answered, "they are the imjierial receipt." The translation of it is 
 as follows : 
 
 [Translation of receipt given by the Princes of Idzu and Iwami to Commodore Perry.] 
 
 "The letter of the President of the United States of North America, and copy, are hereby 
 received and delivered to the Emperor. Many times it has been communicated that business 
 relating to foreign countries cannot be transacted here in Uraga, but in Nagasaki. Now it has 
 been observed that the Admiral, in his quality of ambassador of the President, would be insulted 
 by it; the justice of this has been acknowledged ; consequently, the above mentioned letter is 
 hereby received, in opposition to the Japanese law. 
 
 "Because the place is not designed to treat of anything from foreigners, so neither can con- 
 ference nor entertainment take place. Tlie letter being received you will leave liere." 
 
 [Here follow fac similes of signatures in Japanese.] 
 
 "The ninth op the sixth month." 
 
 The above is a literal translation from the Dutch, in wliich language the conferences were 
 held, and into which the receipt of the chief counsellors, the princes of Idzu and Iwami, was, 
 doubtless, badly translated from the Japanese by their interpreter. 
 
 The following would probaldy be tlie correct translation from the Japanese: 
 
 "The letter of the President of the United States of North America, and copy, arc liereby 
 eceived, and will be delivered to the Emperor. 
 
 "It has been many times intimated tliat business relating to foreign countries cannot be 
 transacted here in Uraga, but at Nagasaki ; nevertheless, as it has been observed that the Admiral, 
 in his (quality of ambassador of tlie President, would feel himself insulted by a rei'usal to receive 
 the letter at this place, the justice of which has been acknowledged, the above mentioned letter 
 is hereby received, in opposition to the Japanese law.
 
 TERMINATION OF THE CONFERENCE. 2G1 
 
 "As this is not a place wherein to negotiate with foreigners, so neither can conferences nor 
 entertainment be held. Therefore, as the letter has been received yon can depart." 
 
 After a silence of some few minutes, the Commodore directed his interpreters to inform the 
 Japanese that he would leave, with the squadron, for Lew Chew and Canton in two or three 
 days, and to offer to the government his services, if it wished to send any dispatches or 
 messages to those places. The Commodore also stated that it was his intention to return to 
 Japan in the approaching spring, perhaps in April or May. Tatznoske then asked the Dutch 
 interpreter to repeat what he had said about the Commodore's leaving and returninr, which 
 he did, using the same words as before. Then the question was asked " whether the 
 Commodore would return with all four vessels?" "All of them," answered the Commodore, 
 " and probably more, as these are only a portion of the squadron." Allusion had been made 
 to the revolution in China, and the interpreter asked its cause, without however tran.slating to 
 the Japanese princes, to which the Commodore dictated the reply, that " it was on account 
 of the government." 
 
 Yezaimen and Tatznoske now bowed, and, rising from their knees, drew the fastenings 
 around the scarlet box, and informing the Commodore's interpreter that there was nothing 
 more to be done, passed out of tlie apartment, bowing to those on either side as they went. 
 The Commodore now rose to take leave, and, as he departed, the two princes, still preserving 
 absolute silence, also arose and stood until the strangers had passed from their presence. 
 
 The Commodore and his suite were detained a short time at the entrance of the building 
 waiting for their barge, whereupon Yezaimen and his interpreter returned and asked some of 
 the party what they were waiting for; to which they received the reply, "For the Commodore's 
 boat." Jsothing further was said. The whole interview had not occupied more than from 
 twenty to thirty minutes, and had been conducted with the greatest formality, though with 
 the most perfect courtesy in every respect. 
 
 The procession re-formed as before, and the Commodore was escorted to his barge, and, 
 embarking, was rowed off toward his .ship, followed by the other American and the two 
 Japanese boats which contained the governor of Uraga and his attendants, the bands 
 meanwhile playing our national airs with great spirit as the boats pulled off to the ships. 
 While there was some little delay in embarking all the party, in consequence of the smallness 
 of the landing place, which was now flanked by some sixty or seventy Japanese government 
 boats, the soldiers took occasion to crowd in from various purts of the shore, either to satisfy 
 their curiosity, or to show a more formidable front ; and it must be confessed that, had such 
 been the disposition of the Japanese, there would have been no difficulty, witli tiieir large 
 force, in completely hemming in the Americans.
 
 262 
 
 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 CHAPTER XIV 
 
 CO.VCESSIOXS OF THE JAPANESE. RELAXATION OF THEIR RESTRICTIVE LAWS. SATISFACTION OF BOTH JAPANESE AND AMERICANS 
 
 AT THE RESULT OF THE VISIT ON SHORE AND DELIVERY OF THE PRESIDENT'S LETTER. VISIT OF KETAMA YEZAIMEN TO THE 
 
 SHIPS. IMPUDENCE OF THE INTERPRETER SABOROSKE. THE SQUADRON GOES FURTHER UP THE BAT TOWARD THE CAPITAL. 
 
 POLICY OF THIS MOVEMENT. ALARM OF THE JAPANESE GRADUALLY QUIETED. BEAUTIFUL SCE.NERY UP THE BAY. SURVEY OF 
 
 THE BAY CONTINUED. CONVIVIALITY ON BOARD. SURVEYING BOATS ENTER A SMALL RIVER. CORDIAL GREETING OF THE 
 
 INHABITANTS. CROWD DISPERSED BY A JAPANESE OFFICIAL. COMMODORE TRANSFERS HIS PENNANT FROM THE SUSQUEHANNA 
 
 TO THE MISSISSIPPI. THE LAST-NAMED VESSEL GOES UP IN SIGHT OF THE SHIPPING PLACE OF YEDO. SINAGAWA. YEDO 
 
 ABOUT TEN MILES DISTANT FROM THE POINT WHERE THE SHIPS TURNED ABOUT. GOOD DEPTH OF WATER IN YEDO BAT, 
 
 PROBABLY ALMOST UP TO THE CITY. THE BAY PRETTY THOROUGHLY EXPLORED AND SOUNDED BY THE SURVEYING PARTIES. 
 
 INTERCHANGE OF PRESENTS WITH THE JAPANESE OFFICERS. AVOWED SORROW OF JAPANESE OFFICIALS ON BIDDING FAREWELL 
 
 TO THE AMERICANS. COMMODORe's REASO.NS FOR NOT WAITING FOR A REPLY TO THE PRESIDENT'S LETTER. LEAVES YEDO 
 
 BAY DECLARING HIS INTENTION TO RETltRN IN THE ENSUING SPRING. THE SARATOGA SENT TO SHANGHAI TO LOOE AFTER 
 
 AMERICAN INTERESTS. THE PLYMOUTH ORDERED TO LEW CHEW. OUO-SIMA. SHIPS ENCOUNTER A STORM. GENERAL 
 
 RESULTS OF THE FIRST VISIT OF THE SQUADRON TO THE BAY OF YEDO. 
 
 HE Commodore had, previous to setting out on the 
 exjjcdition ashore, jilaced his two steamers in such a 
 position as to command the little hay, and had given 
 orders that the decks should he cleared and everything 
 gilt ready for action. Howitzers were placed in hoats 
 [alongside, in readiness to he dispatched at a moment's 
 'notice, in case any trouble should occur on land, and 
 the ship's guns were prepared to send their halls and 
 I ells in showers upon all the line of Japanese troops 
 which thronged the shore, had they commenced hostil- 
 ities. There was, however, no serious apprehension 
 felt of any warlike termination to the ceremonies of 
 the day, although every precaution was properly taken to provide against the least untoward 
 occurrence. When the reception was over, there was a general feeling of satisfaction on the part 
 of every man in the squadron at the successful result. Judged hy the ordinary relations of 
 civilized nations, there was not much ground for congratulation, hut when considered in refer- 
 ence to the exclusive policy of Japan, there was every reason for a proud self-satisfaction on the 
 part of each American who had shared in the event of the day. 
 
 The justice of the Commodore's demand to be received as befitted the envoy of a great nation, 
 was acknowledged in the remarkable document received from the imperial government, and 
 confirmed in the most impressive manner by the proceedings of the day, when two of the chief
 
 COMMODORE PREPARES TO ASCEND THE BAY. 263 
 
 princes of the Empire, actinpj as the inimediate representatives of the highest authority, had so 
 far raised the iron-like mask of Japanese reserve as to sliow themselves face to face to the 
 Americans, and receive from the hands of an American amhassador an urgent invitation to 
 share in the comity of nations. "As it has been observed that the Admiral, in his quality of 
 ambassador of the President, would feel himself insulted by a refusal to receive the letter at this 
 place, the justice of which has been acknowledged, the above mentioned letter is hereby received 
 in opposition to the Japanese laws." Such are the remarkable words of the Japanese docu- 
 ment, and thus, in this striking phrase, "in opposition to the Japanese laics," has Japan herself 
 emphatically recorded the American triumph, as she has, perhaps, foretold her own regenera- 
 tion. The vigorous grasp of the hand of America which was proffered in a friendly spirit, but 
 thrust forward with an energy that proved the power to strike, as well as the disposition to 
 embrace, had stirred Japanese isolation into a sensibility of its relationship to the rest of the 
 world. Japan had broken its own code of selfish exclusiveness to obey the universal law of 
 hospitality. 
 
 The concession to the demands of the Commodore^, though great for the Japanese, was yet 
 very far from all that was to be reasonably demanded on the score of the usual comity of 
 nations. The communication from the government of Jajjan, remarkable as it was for its 
 breaking through the Japanese law of exclusion, was still marked with traces of their 
 restrictive policy, and contained these words: "Therefore, as the letter has been received, you 
 can depart." The Commodore, to show how little he regarded the order of the princes to 
 depart, had no sooner reached his ship, after the interview on shore, than he ordered the whole 
 squadron to get under way. This was not to leave the bay, as the princes doubtless expected, 
 but to go higher up. The Commodore determined to examine the channel toward Yedo, being 
 satisfied that the employment of so large a force in surveying service, and in so near a 
 neighborhood to the capital, would produce a decided influence upon the pride and conceit of the 
 government, and cause a more favorable consideration of the President's letter. 
 
 The Governor of Uraga, Yezaimen, and Saboroske, with the interpreters, had accompanied 
 the party on the return to the ships, and, on going on board of the Susquehanna, were received 
 by the captains and the Commodore's aid in the ujiper cabin, where the following conversation 
 ensued : 
 
 Yezaimen. We are happy to state that everything has passed off well and favorably. 
 
 Captain Buchanan. We hope that Japan and the United States will always be friends. 
 
 Yezaimen. When do you intend to go away? 
 
 Capt. B. In the course of two or three days. The Commodore is going to take a sail up the 
 bay to see the anchorage. He does not like his first place of anchorage. 
 
 Yezaimen. Will you anchor there? 
 
 Capt. B. Only for two or three days, until wo get ready to go to sea. 
 
 Yezaimen. We desire to take leave ofiicially to-day, that it may not be necessary for us to 
 return before you go. 
 
 Capt. B. We hope to have the pleasure of seeing you again before many months. 
 Commodore Perry did not bring this time with him the presents intended for the Emperor of 
 Japan, but when he comes again he will bring them. Among them is a steara engine or 
 locomotive, for railroads. 
 
 Lieut. Confee. There is also among them a telegraph long enough to reach from Uraga to Yedo, 
 by means of which you can speak from one place to another in a single second.
 
 264 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 Yezatmen. H.^w many miles can you make in an hour with your steam engine ? 
 
 Lieut. C. Eight Japanese or thirteen American miles, with steam only and witliout wind. 
 In the United States, there are some very light steamers on the river wliich can go eighteen 
 miles an hour. 
 
 Yezaimen. Where were steamers first invented ? 
 
 Lieut. C. In America : an American named Fulton first invented them in New York. 
 
 Yezaimen having been urged to remain and observe the engine in motion, his curiosity 
 prompted him to do so, and his boat and that of Saboroskc being taken in tow, these two 
 officials and their interpreters, while the anchors were weighing and the steamers were 
 proceeding to their old anchorage, partook freely of the hospitalities of the officers, and busied 
 themselves in gratifying their natural desire of seeing all that was to be seen on board the ship. 
 
 These Japanese officials, evincing as they always did a certain reserved curiosity, yet showed an 
 intelligent interest in the structure of the steamer and all that pertained to its appointments. 
 While the engines were in motion they minutely inspected every part, but exliibited no fear, 
 nor any of that startled surprise that would be expected of those who were entirely ignorant of 
 its mechanism. They seemed to acquire rapidly some insight into the nature of steam, and into 
 the mode with which it was applied to put into action the great engine and move by its power 
 the wheels of the steamers. Their questions were of the most intelligent character, and they 
 asked again by whom steamers were first discovered, and to what speed they could be propelled 
 through the water. They examined with marked interest various engravings which were shown 
 them of American river and sea steam vessels, and also some views of New York, New Orleans, 
 and San Francisco, which happened to be on board. Yezaimen having observed the revolvers 
 in the belts of some of the American officers, expressed a desire to examine the construction and 
 see one let ofl". His curiosity was accordingly gratified by one of the captains, who fired off a 
 revolver from the quarter deck, and he watched the repeated discharges of the six barrels with 
 very evident astonishment but no alarm. 
 
 There was a marked contrast observed between the bearing of the two officials. While 
 Yezaimen always exhibited a modest reserve of manner, Saboroske was bold and pushing. The 
 former evinced an intelligent curiosity, but the latter showed an importunate incjuisitiveness. 
 Yezaimen was always the quiet, courteous, and reserved gentleman, but Saboroske was perpetually 
 bustling, rude, and intrusive. The latter was continually peering his bold and impudent face 
 into every nook and corner, whether invited or not, and appeared more desirous of acting the 
 spy than of gratifying the interest of a liberal curiosity. 
 
 A shrill blast of the steam whistle now announced the arrival of the steamers off Uraga, 
 and startled the Japanese to their feet, as the time of their departure had arrived. The engines 
 were stopped for a few minutes while the Japanese boats were brought alongside from the stern, 
 where they had been in tow. Yezaimen and his party were evidently disappointed that their 
 visit was brought so soon to a close, and expressed some reluctance at leaving before they 
 had fully gratified their curiosity. 
 
 The whole squadron now got in position, the steamers having been joined by the two sloops- 
 of-war, the Plymouth and Saratoga, and all four ships presented a formidable array as they 
 stood off' in a line abreast of each other and advanced with running lines of soundings up the 
 bay. The course was now directed toward the eastern shore, leaving on the west the promontory 
 of Uraga and a beautiful bay beyond, which disclosed to the view its surrounding hills of the
 
 ASCENT OF THE BAY OF TKDO. 265 
 
 richest verdure with numerous villages at their base, as the squadron moved alono- in a 
 diagonal line. 
 
 As the land on the west was approached to within three miles, it was seen to rise gradually 
 from the undulating slopes, near the waters of the bay, to steep mountains in the distance. 
 Fertile fields, expanding parks, bounded with plantations, and varied here and there with 
 carefully arranged clumps of trees of advanced but vigorous growth, terraces lifting their 
 smooth surfaces one above the other, in the richest and greenest of verdure, and retired 
 groves of deep shade, showed upon the acclivities of the nearer range of hills all the marks 
 of a long and most perfect cultivation, and presented a beauty of landscape unrivalled even 
 by the garden-like sceneiy of England when clothed in the fresh charms of a verdant spring. 
 The distant hills were rugged and bare, and apparently without cultivation, but gave, by their 
 contrasting barrenness and rudeness of aspect, a heightened beauty to the rich culture of the 
 land wliich gradually undulated from their base to the waters of the bay. As the squadron 
 advanced toward the north the shore became more level, and a stretch of sand was observed 
 to extend for three or four miles into the bay, and to arise near its termination into two 
 considerable elevations, upon which forts with ten guns each were erected, and there the Japanese 
 troops had been seen to gather. 
 
 The ships now directed their course toward the proposed place for anchoring, which had 
 been surveyed by Lieutenant Bent on the previous surveying expedition. Keeping in view a 
 bold headland, which bounded the upper part of the bay, to which the squadron was tending, 
 the ships steered toward the western shore, and finall}' dropjied their anchors in the afternoon 
 in a place which the Commodore then named the American AncJiorage. This was about ten 
 miles distant from the first anchorage off Uraga, and a mile and a half from the shore, in a 
 depth of water which gave full thirteen fathoms. Within the bay in which tlie ships were 
 anchored were two beautiful islands, covered with a green growth of herbage and scattered 
 groves. The coast which bounded the anchorage was composed of a succession of steep 
 cliffs of white rock, the summits of which were covered with a fertile soil, which produced 
 a rich vegetation that hung over from above in heavy festoons of green shrubbery and 
 trailing vines and plants, while the sea had washed the base of the cliffs here and there into 
 caverns where the water flowed in and out. The headland at the north was about six miles 
 distant and descended in green slopes to the bay, and from the thick growth of trees which 
 covered them a white smoke was observed to wind through the close foliage, and was supposed 
 to indicate the presence of some encampment. A great number of the usual government boats, 
 distinguished liy red banners, lined a long stretch of the shore of nearly a mile in length, and 
 the fortresses had extended their usual cotton cloth batteries or screens, which were now, on 
 longer experience, supposed to be rather military emblems, like the flag and banners, than 
 sham exhibitions of force and intended evidences of hostility. 
 
 Immediately on anchoring the Commodore ordered the boats out upon a surveying 
 expedition, and although this seemed to bring out the soldiers in numbers about the battery 
 which lay opposite to the ships, as well as some of the government boats which were moored 
 along the shore, there was no direct interference with the surveying party. The Japanese 
 boats, however, moved backward and forward, as if watching the movement of the ship's 
 cutters, but seemed indisposed to do more than show themselves in force and on the alert. 
 Soon, however, Yezaimen, witli his iuterpreters, were seen to approacli the Susquehanna, in 
 their usual boat, which the Japanese oarsmen were sculling with all their might, and at once 
 34 J
 
 266 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 (lashed up alongside the steamer. Yezaimcn and his companions hurried up the companion 
 way, and were evidently much ruffled, and in a state of great anxiety. Tliey were at once 
 ushered into the cahin, where they were received as iisual by the captains, who were coolly 
 prepared to listen to what they had to say. Tatznoske at once burst out with the question, 
 " Why do your ships anchor here ?" He was answered that as they had been already informed 
 by the Commodore, the ships had advanced up the bay in order to obtain a more secure 
 anchorage. The interpreter then stated that that part of the Japanese waters had always been 
 hitherto. respected by strangers, and that the squadron must not go any. further. He then 
 asked whether the Commodore intended to go beyond, and if not, how long he intended to 
 remain where he then was? He was told that the Comiuodore intended to remain three or 
 four days longer for the purpose of finding out a good anchorage, as he was to return in the 
 ensuing spring with many more ships and men, and that it was desirable that the most secure 
 place should be found for mooring his vessels, and that for this purpose it was necessary to 
 survey the bay. Uraga had been tried, but it was found insecure, as the water was rough, and 
 the winds occasionally blew there with great force. Upon the interpreter Tatznoske asserting 
 that the Commodore had promised to leave the bay immediately on the reception of the 
 President's letter by the princes, he was reminded that the Commodore had only promised to 
 leave the shore, but had distinctly stated that it was his intention to advance further up the 
 bay with his ships. The interpreter continued by declaring that if the surveying boats should 
 approach any nearer to the land that there would be trouble, as the people were already under 
 considerable excitement from observing the close neighborhood of the strangers. He was then 
 told that there was no need for any anxiety, as the boats should not land, and the Americans 
 would not interfere with the Japanese unless they were first disturbed by tliem. Yezaimen 
 still persisted through his interpreters upon the squadron leaving, and courteously expressed 
 his assurance that the Japanese government was favorably disposed toward the Americans, 
 and tliat as the President's letter had been received it would undoubtedly be considered with 
 a favorable disposition. He concluded by expressing the hope that on the next visit of the 
 Commodore he would not advance any further up the bay than Uraga, as that place offered 
 every convenience for the proposed negotiation. Yezaimen was now assured that the 
 Americans came as friends, and that therefore it was quite unreasonable that any opposition 
 should be made to their ships seeking a suitable anchorage. They were moreover told that it 
 was the custom in the United States to afford every facility to foreigners in that respect, and 
 that if the Japanese came to the United States they would find the navigable waters of 
 the country free to them, and that they would not be debarred even from the rich gold fields of 
 California. 
 
 Yezaimen had nothing more to say, and, whether persuaded or not, had the courtesy to refrain 
 from pushing his demands any further. He and his companions, upon being invited to partake 
 of some refreshments, readily comjjlied, and were soon engaged in discussing with a vigorous 
 appetite the collation that was spread before them. Another government boat was at this 
 juncture announced as being alongside, when immediately the Japanese officials who were on 
 board of it were invited to share in the hosi>italities of the cabin. Quite a convivial scene 
 ensued, in the course of which abundant supplies of ham, ship's biscuit, and other stores, 
 washed down by plentiful draughts of whiskey, quickly disappeared. The cheer seemed to be 
 much relished, and the interpreters were so exceedingly delighted that they desired to bear 
 away some substantial mementos of the pleasant feast, and, accordingly, not satisfied with well-
 
 INTERCOURSE WITH INHABITANTS ON SHORE. 267. 
 
 filled paunches, they carried off in their capacious sleeves pieces of the hread and ham, -where- 
 with to refresh their memories and their future appetites. As the night approached, the 
 Japanese took their departure, full of courteous expressions of satisfaction at the hospitality of 
 the ships. 
 
 The following morning (July 1.5t]i) a surveying party was again, at a very early hour, 
 dispatched by the Commodore to sound further up the hay. Three of the boats pulled round 
 to the other side of the battery whicli shut out a part of the country inland from the view of 
 those on board ship. Here they found an inlet and a beautiful surrounding country watered 
 by a stream, upon the fertile borders of which were grouped a great number of picturesque 
 Japanese villages, while fertile fields and highly cultivated gardens stretched out beyond them. 
 The officers ordered their boats up the river and were met as they advanced by crowds of the 
 inhabitants, gathering upon the shores to satisfy their curiosity in a look at the strangers. 
 Some of the people greeted the boats with every indication of welcome, and readily supplied 
 those on board with water and some excellent peaches. There were a few government boats 
 lying near, and the officers on board gladly welcomed our people to a visit, in the course of 
 which such a mutual friendliness sprung up that the Americans joined the Japanese in a social 
 pipe or two of tobacco. Our officers, in return for their hospitable entertainment, amused their 
 newly-found hosts with an exhibition of their revolvers and fired them ofl", to the intense sur- 
 prise and delight of the Japanese. In the midst of this enjoyment of social intercourse,, where 
 the greatest harmony prevailed, and in which the Japanese seemed remarkably genial in manner 
 and expansive in hospitality, down came some severe official and beckoned off his countrymen, 
 who rapidly scattered away, like so many children caught in the very act of some awful 
 disobedience. 
 
 On the return of the ships' boats from sounding, all the officers and men were in raptures 
 with the kindly disposition of the Japanese and the beauty of their country. In fact, nothing 
 could be more picturesque than the landscapes wherever the eye was directed, and even those 
 on board ship never tired of looking at the surrounding shores. The high cultivation of the 
 land everywhere, the deep, rich green of all the vegetation, the innumerable thrifty villages 
 embowered in groves of trees at the heads of the inlets which broke the uniformity of the bay, 
 and the rivulets flowing down the green slopes of the hills and calmly winding through the 
 meadows, combined to present a scene of beauty, abundance, and happiness, which every one 
 delighted to contemplate. 
 
 In the course of the afternoon the Commodore transferred his pennant from the Susquehanna 
 to the Mississippi. He then proceeded some ten miles further up the bay toward Yedo, and 
 reached a point estimated to be distant twenty miles from the anchorage at Uraga. The port 
 or shipping place of Yedo was distinctly seen on the southern side of the capital, but not tlie 
 capital itself, which, being composed of low houses, like those of China, was completely hidden 
 behind a projecting point, beyond which the bay took an easterly direction, and was bounded by 
 a shore of low alluvial land. The town observed was probably Sinagawa, a suburb of Yedo. 
 On the western side of the bay a view was obtained of Kanagawa and Konazaki, two populous 
 places. Some four miles beyond the extreme point reached by the Mississippi- there was a cape 
 formed by a projecting point of land, and marked by a wliite tower, which resembled in 
 appearance a light-house ; it was some three or four miles still further where the shipi)ing and 
 supposed port of Yedo appeared to the view. The Commodore thus supposed that he had taken 
 his ship within ten miles of Yedo, and as the lead gave twenty fathoms where he put about he
 
 268 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 concluded that he could readily have gone still higher up. He vras apprehensive, however, of 
 causing too much alarm, and thus throwing some obstacle in the way of a favorable reception at 
 court of the President's letter, that had only been delivered the day before, and which was 
 probably then under consideration. The Commodore tlius thinking that he had done enough, 
 without going further, caused the ship to rejoin the squadron at the " American Anchorage." 
 
 During the passage of the Mississippi, there was no show of opposition to her movements, 
 although there was a considerable display of troops about the batteries, loosely grouped, as if 
 gathered for curiosity and not for martial manifestation, and an occasional government boat put 
 out from the shore with the apparent design of watching the steamer. While the Commodore 
 was absent on his expedition up the bay, Yezaimen and his interpreters came alongside the 
 Susquehanna, bringing some boxes containing presents, but neither they nor their presents were 
 received, as the Commodore had given orders that no one from the shore should be admitted on 
 board the ship without his special permission. Upon being told this, the Japanese first 
 expressed a wish to wait, but finally pushed oif, saying that they would return another time. 
 All the boats which could be spared from the several ships, amounting to twelve, were busily 
 engaged during the whole day in surveying the western shore of the bay above Uraga. 
 
 At daylight next morning (Saturday, 16th July,) the ships were moved to a bay about five 
 miles from Uraga, which the Commodore named "Susquehanna Bay, ".and in the survey of 
 which the boats were kept diligently occupied, and without interference or, in fact, any expressed 
 objection. The squadron was now anchored much closer to the shore than before, at a distance of 
 less than a mile, and from the ship's deck a distant view was had of the land on the west, which 
 was singularly green with vegetation and beautiful in aspect. The present anchorage was 
 completely land-locked. On one side was the charming little island named "Perry Island," 
 by Lieutenant Bent, who was in command of the surveying party which first examined its 
 neighboring waters. Out of the trees which grew to the summit of the rising land peered, with 
 a suspicious look, a Japanese battery. Below, some miles to the south, the promontory which 
 extends out into the bay beyond Uraga closed in the ships which were moored so far under the 
 cover of its lofty flank, that the view of the eastern shore for a considerable extent was 
 entirely blotted out. Two villages, of the name of Orsa and Togirasaki, nestled among the 
 trees within the curve of the bay, and presented to the eye a charming aspect of repose and rural 
 delight. 
 
 Yezaimen, the governor of Uraga, was again alongside the Susquehanna before she had 
 anchored. He came to renew his assurance of the favorable reception of the President's letter, 
 and as nothing was said now of sending the answer to Nagasaki, it seemed that the nearer the 
 Commodore approached the im2)erial city of the Japanese the more conciliating and friendly 
 they became. The governor had brought with him some presents, consisting of some pieces o^ 
 silk, .some fans, lacquered tea-cups and tobacco pipes. These objects were interesting as 
 specimens of Japanese manufacture, and though not very valuable, were creditable evidences of 
 mechanical skill. The cups were made of a very light wood, neatly executed and beautifully 
 polished in surface with the famous Japanese lacquer. The silks were of fine texture, richly 
 interwoven with braids of gold and silver, elaborately wrought into various ornamental figures. 
 The fans were covered with those "dragons and chimeras dire" in which the grotesque fancy of 
 Japanese art seems especially to delight, and the pipes were small and like what had been 
 previously observed in use among the Lew Chewans.
 
 PRESENTS EXCHANGED. 269 
 
 Tczaimcn was informed, by the orders of the Commodore, that the presents which he had 
 brought could not be received unless others from the Commodore were accepted in return. To 
 this Yezaimen at first demurred by interposing the invariable plea that the Japanese law 
 forbade it. He was now answered that American laws enjoined a reciprocity, and that 
 his presents could not be otherwise received. Finding the Commodore resolute upon this, 
 as upon all other points of ceremony, Yezaimen consented at last to receive in return 
 whatever, with the exception of arms, there was a disposition to give him. Accordingly, some 
 few articles of more value tlian those brought by the Japanese were sent on deck ; but when 
 Yezaimen saw them he declared that they were of too much value, and that he dared not take 
 on shore anything but what he and his interpreter could conceal about their persons. He was 
 then informed that if he could not receive the articles openly, and without concealment^ that 
 those which he had brought with him would be put back into his boat. He then departed, 
 carrying with him all the Commodore's presents, with the ♦exception of three swords, which 
 be was permitted to leave. 
 
 In the afternoon, Yezaimen and his interpreters came on board again, with a trifling present 
 of some fowls in wicker cages and several boxes of eggs. They seemed in very good humor, 
 as there had been no objection urged on shore to their retaining the presents they had 
 received fi-om the Commodore in the morning. The Commodore, on receiving the fowls and 
 eggs, sent presents to the wives of the Japanese officials, as he was determined to be under 
 no obligation to them. Another important point had been gained in persuading the Japanese 
 to consent to an exchange of presents, a concession which had hitherto been unprecedented in 
 all their previous relatious with foreign nations. 
 
 Among the articles given to Yezaimen was a large box containing a variety of American 
 seeds and some, if not equally useful, not less acceptable, cases of wine. The governor 
 had showed his appreciation of the latter article by the gusto with which he shared in the 
 conviviality on board which marked his last visit. Yezaimen and liis interpreters, Tatznoske 
 and Toksaro, evidently lingered with pleasure on board the ship and were loth to say the final 
 good-bye. Over the board which was spread to refresh and to do honor to tliem they became 
 remarkably jovial and communicative. Yezaimen's disposition was naturally genial, and it 
 became still more exi^ansive in its bonhommie under the by no means restricted draughts of 
 champagne. His aifection towards his American friends was liberally acknowledged^ and he 
 confessed such a yearning for them that he declared he would not be able to restrain his tears 
 on their departure. The interpreters, though less bibulous and more reserved than their 
 superior, were evidently in a very joyous mood and disposed to be confidential. Tatznoske, 
 with a knowing look, hinted in a low, whispering tone of voice, that the President's letter had 
 a very fair chance of a satisfactory answer, and that Yezaimen had a good prospect of promotion 
 from the governorship of Uraga to some higher grade of official distinction. 
 
 The Japanese, however, were always on the alert to gain a point in diplomacy, and despite 
 their convivial freedom did not forget their official duties. Captain Buchanan had informed 
 Tatznoske of the intention of the Commodore to leave Yedo Bay next day, whereupon tliat 
 shrewd gentleman put down his glass of champagne, and showing his usual eager attention to 
 business, even in the midst of pleasure, asked the captain for a declaration in writing of what 
 he had said in words about the srjuadron's departure. This was refused with an expression of 
 cold reserve on the part of Captain Buchanan, as it would seem to imply a doubt of his word.
 
 270 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 •The Japanese officials now prepared to depart, and finally, after expressing in the most 
 courteous terms their thanks for the treatment they had received, and their regret on leaving 
 their American friends, shook all the officers warmly by the hand^ and went bowing and 
 smiling over the side of the ship into their boat. No sooner were they seated on their mats, 
 than Yezaimen showed his appreciation of the present of wine by ordering one of the cases to 
 be immediately opened, and taking the first bottle that came, impatiently knocked off its neck, 
 and without more ado commenced imbibing its contents, probably desiring, with his usual 
 courtesy, to drink a parting health to his American friends. His boat soon pulled out of sight 
 behind the projecting promontory of Uraga, and nothing more was seen of the courteous 
 Yezaimen and his worthy and learned associates Tatznoske and Toksaro. 
 
 The survey of the west side of the magnificent bay having been completed from Uraga to a 
 point about fourteen miles below Yedo, and the steamer Mississippi having ascended with the 
 boats and sounded six miles nearer to that capital, the Commodore believed that a sufficient 
 knowledge was obtained of the navigation of the bay to conduct the man-of-war, the Vermont, 
 which was to join his squadron on his next visit, to the American anchorage, or even higher if 
 necessary. 
 
 The governor of Uraga, as will have been observed, had evinced a great anxiety, during the 
 several conferences on board the Susquehanna, to learn how long the Commodore intended to 
 remain on the coast. On these occasions Yezaimen always took care to remark that it was the 
 custom of the Japanese government to be very slow in deciding upon matters having reference 
 to foreign countries. In consequence of these representations, and knowing that tlie propo- 
 sitions contained in the President's letter were of such importance as to require time for 
 deliberation, overturning, as they would, if acceded to, many of the fundamental laws of the 
 Empire, the Commodore deemed it advisable not to wait for a reply. To these were added 
 other reasons of importance. The Commodore had not provisions or water sufficient to allow of 
 his remaining on the coast more than a month longer, and he well knew that the Japanese 
 authorities could easily, and with every apparent show of reason, defer any satisfixctory reply to 
 a jjeriod beyond the time when it would be absolutely necessary for him to leave. They would 
 be prepared, as an excuse for delay, to allege the necessity of calling together and conferring 
 with the princes of the Empire, as also of consulting the Dairi or Ecclesiastical Emperor, and 
 thus the Commodore might be put off from day to day, and ultimately be obliged to sail without 
 any satisfaction whatever. Such a result would have been construed into a triumph by the 
 Japanese, and would have caused, as the Commodore believed, a serious injury to the success of 
 his mission. 
 
 The Commodore, moreover, was glad to have a good excuse for waiting until the ensuing 
 spring for the final answer from the Japanese government, because he knew that some of his 
 ships were required to protect American interests on the coast of China, then somewhat 
 endangered in consequence of the disturbed state of that country. He could not spare any of 
 the squadron while he remained in Japan, for the vessels promised by the Navy Department 
 had not yet followed him as he liad expected. He was also unprepared to respond with becoming 
 courtesy to any concession or act of friendliness on the part of the Japanese government, in 
 consequence of not having received the presents from the United States that were expected in 
 the Vermont, and which it was essential to have ready upon the reception of a favorable answer 
 to the President's letter.
 
 CAUSES OF commodore's LEAVING JAPAN. 271 
 
 The Commodoi'e preferred, then, to wait until the ensuing spring, when he wouhl be able to 
 concentrate his wliole force, and he pre^jared with store and coal vessels, and all other con- 
 veniences for remaining an indefinite time to secure whatever concessions the Japanese should 
 be disposed to make. His policy, though in conformity with the exigencies of his position, was 
 at the same time a courteous concession to the deliberate ceremoniousness of Japanese diplomacy, 
 and was crowned by the happiest result. A letter signifying his intention to leave immediately 
 and return the ensuing spring for an answer to the President's letter, had been, it will be 
 recollected, delivered with that letter on the occasion of the Commodore's reception on shore. 
 
 The squadron left the anchorage in Susquehanna Bay on Sunday morning, (July It.) With 
 the steamer Susquehanna towing the Saratoga, and the Mississippi the Plymouth, the four 
 vessels began their voyage and started away rapidly without a yard of canvas set. The morning 
 was fine, and as the departure of the Americans was a great event, and the appearance of the 
 four ships moving ofi" in stately procession, succeeding each other in regular line, was imposing 
 and novel to the Japanese unfamiliar with the power of steam, crowds of people gathered upon 
 the land to behold the sight. As the promontory of Uraga was doubled the soldiers thronged 
 out of the batteries, and hurrying to the loftiest summits eagerly looked at the passing ships. 
 The course of the squadron was down the centre of the bay. and the inhabitants on both shores 
 could, in the clearness of the day, equally gratify their curiosity. Many were not content with 
 the distant view, and crowding into boats had pushed off in the stream in such multitudes that 
 the waters were covered with many hundreds of them. 
 
 As the squadron steamed out of the bay a parting look was obtained of the lofty summit of 
 Mount Fusi, both behind and in advance ; as the ships took an easterly course, the mountainous 
 coast of the province of Awa, at the northern entrance to the lower bay of Tedo, ro.se to the 
 view. Yries' Island, or, as it is otherwise called, Oo-Sima, was left to the south ; and, though 
 partly obscured with clouds, the convex outline of the lower part of its mountainous elevation 
 could be distinctly traced. The course of the ships was now directed toward the south, when 
 the various islands which extend in a line from the mouth of the bay of Yedo were gradually 
 approached and observed. They mostly were marked with the usual features of volcanic origin, 
 having a rounded contour, with their summits rising into cones, their steep sides scarred with the 
 burning currents of lava, and their bases surrounded with irregular shaped detached rocks. A 
 rich vegetation, as is common in such latitudes, had thrown its green mantle over the sides of 
 some of the islands, which presented a striking contrast of verdant beauty with the bared ribs and 
 fire-blasted surface of others. Vulcan Island was conspicuous among the rest with its volcanic 
 summit and its acclivities of cooled lava. Fatsicio, the penal island of Japan, was in the 
 distance at the south ; but as the shades of evening gathered as the ships approached, it was not 
 come up with before it was too dark to obtain a good view. As several of the islands were not 
 laid down in any of the charts in possession of the Commodore, he took the usual privilege of 
 American and European discoverers and gave names to some of the chain. One was called, 
 after the steamer, the Mississippi Island ; a cluster of rocks, described as resembling somewhat 
 the ba.saltic formation of the Giant's Causeway, was called after the Susquehanna ; and the 
 other .ships, the Plymouth and Saratoga, each came in for the honor of giving her name to a rock 
 or an island. The whole chain was composed of a great number of islands or islets, as many as 
 eight being in view at one time. They showed no marks of iiabitation ; but from tiieir proximity 
 to the Japanese coast they were probably utilised for some purpose and peopled more or less. 
 Fatsicio, it is known, is used as a penal settlement, and it is probable some of the other islands
 
 272 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 may be also forced into some service by the Japanese people, who seem ever on the alert to 
 make any available use of their territory. 
 
 On the next day, after the departure of the squadron from Yedo bay, the wind, which had 
 been steadily blowing from east to E.S.E., began to increase with such force as made it 
 necessary to cast off the two sloops-of-war, the commanders of which, having been ordered by 
 signal to proceed to the duty previously assigned them, then parted company. Commander 
 Walker, in the Saratoga, had received written instructions from the Commodore to make the 
 best of his way to Shanghai to protect American life and property and to look after the general 
 interests of the United States in that vicinity. Commander Kelly, in the Plymouth, was 
 instructed to proceed to Lew Chew, and on his way to examine the western shores of Oho-Sima. 
 It was the intention of the Commodore to have surveyed the eastern shores of this island, but 
 he was prevented by the weather. 
 
 After the Plymouth and Saratoga had been cast off, the wind gradually increased to a strong 
 gale. The two steamers were now hove to on the port tack. The wind being at east by soikh, 
 beating up an ugly sea, the Susquehanna rolled very deeply, but otherwise made tolerable 
 weather. The Mississippi apparently was doing better, but nevertheless lost two of her boats 
 during the gale. The storm did not begin to abate imtil the tliird day, when the Commodore 
 continued his course, without delay, for Napha. During the passage to and from Yedo bay, 
 the current set invariably with more or less strength, according to the wind, to the north and 
 east, while in the bay of Yedo itself, the tides were regular and set up and down the channel 
 opposite Uraga at the rate of two and a half knots. 
 
 At the close of a chapter which completes the account of the first visit of Commodore Perry 
 to Japan, it seems appropriate to sura up briefly the results of that visit. Short as was the stay 
 of the squadron in the waters of the bay of Yedo, the ships having first anchored on the eighth 
 of July and taken their departure on the seventeenth of the same month, no imimportant 
 results had been effected. These, to be fully appreciated, must be considered not absolutely in 
 regard to their own intrinsic value, but relatively to the former policy of Japan, in its restricted 
 intercourse with foreign nations. 
 
 During the eight days, which was the full extent of his first visit. Commodore Perry had 
 gained in behalf of his country several advantages hitherto denied to all other nations. It is 
 true certain concessions had been made, but in a very limited degree, to the Dutch and Chinese ; 
 and these, small as they were, were awarded to them at the expense, on their ])art, of the most 
 degrading conditions. The first point conceded was the release of the American squadron from 
 the perpetual presence of the Japanese guard-boats, which had always hitiierto surrounded 
 foreign ships, and placed them, as it were, under arrest during their visit. A resolute resistance 
 was at once opposed by Commodore Perry to this degrading imposition of force upon a peaceful 
 visitor, and, in spite of all the Japanese autliorities could urge on the score of their own 
 exclusive laws and inhospitable practice, a new precedent was established in conformity with the 
 comity of civilized nations. 
 
 The second point gained was the accomplishment of the Commodore's predetermined intention 
 to confer with no one but a dignitary of the highest rank in tlie Empire, and to obtain a recep- 
 tion in every respect honorable to himself and the country which he represented. Tiiis was 
 effected without the slightest deviation on the part of the Commodore from those simple rules 
 of diplomatic courtesy recognised by our institutions. For example, during the reception on 
 shore, while the governor of Uraga prostrated himself on every occasion when he addressed the
 
 ADVANTAGES OF SURVEY OF THE BAY OP YEDO. 
 
 273 
 
 Prince of Idzu and his associate, the Prince of Iwami, the Commodore and his staff remained 
 qiiietlj- seated, and used no more ceremony toward the Japanese princes than wouhl have heen 
 proper in a similar conference with the commissioners of any country duly credited. 
 
 The survey of the hay of Tedo, in spite of the protests of the authorities, and under the very 
 guns of their hatteries, was an important advantage. It not only taught the Japanese the folly 
 of attempting to frighten away the Americans hy bravado and sham exhibitions of force^ but 
 has proved to the world, for the first time, the practicability of sailing even to the capital of 
 Japan, and secured every fticility for approaching it in the charts which have been the results 
 of the observations of the hydrographical department of the expedition. 
 
 The Commodore, conscious that he was dealing with a ceremonious people, never lost an 
 opportunity of symbolising, even by form and etiquette, his resolute determination to ujjhold 
 the dignity of his mission. Thus, in the matter of giving and receiving presents, it was taken 
 care that the invariable eastern custom should be strictly followed, and that the advantage, on 
 the score of the value of gifts, should never be on the side of the Japanese. Heretofore it had 
 been the policy of China and Japan to consider and receive all presents as so many tributes to 
 their superior power. In the equal exchange carefully regarded by the Commodore he deter- 
 mined that presents should be considered merely as a mutual interchange of friendly courtesy, 
 and he accordingly never received anything without returning at least its equivalent. 
 
 "While the Commodore strove to impress the Japanese with a just idea of the power and 
 superiority of his country, be was ever studious of exhibiting the most friendly disposition in all 
 his relations with the authorities of Japan, that they might understand that it was the desire of 
 the United States to cultivate a kindly intercourse. Thus, on the one hand, a resolute deter- 
 mination was shown to demand a respectful hearing, and to secure at all hazards a jirotection 
 for American citizens who might be at the mercy of Japan, and on the other, a courteous 
 desire was exjiressed of cultivating a mutual trade and commerce, by which international good 
 feeling and reciprocal interests are most securely created and safely guaranteed. The Japanese 
 were reminded how closely the geographical position of their Empire had been brought to the 
 United States by the new possessions on the Pacific, and the development of the mighty power 
 of steam, the effective operation of which had been so strikingly revealed to the people of Japan 
 by the appearance of the American naval steamers almost within gun-shot of their capital. 
 How far this policy, which proved the power to compel, while it exhibited the disposition to 
 conciliate, was successful, will be developed in the future pages of the narrative. 
 
 35 J
 
 271 
 
 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 AMAKIRIMA ISLANDS. — STATE OP FEELING IN LEW CHEW. COMMODOBe's MEASURES FOR PERMANENT ARRANGEMENTS WITH 
 
 THE AUTHORITIES. COAL DEPOT. PROTEST AGAINST ESPIONAGE. TRADE IN OPEN MARKET. LETTER TO THE REGENT. 
 
 INTERVIEW WITH THE REGENT. ENTERTAINMENTS OF THE COMMODORE. DURING DINNER THE REGENt's ANSWER IS 
 
 BROUGHT. UNSATISFACTORY TO THE COMMODORE. LETTER HANDED BACK TO THE REGENT, AND THE COMMODORE PREPARES 
 
 TO LEAVE THE HOUSE. INFORMS THE REGENT THAT HE MUST HATE A SATISFACTORY ANSWER ON THE NEXT DAT, OTHER- 
 WISE HE WILL LAND AND TAKE POSSESSION OF THE PALACE AT SHUI AND RETAIN IT UHTIL MATTERS ARE ADJUSTED. 
 
 PROBABLE EFFECTS OF HUNTING UP THE OLD SEDAN CHAIR ON SHORE. COMMODORe's PROPOSITIONS ALL ACCEPTED. 
 
 COAL DEPOT BUILT. — TISIT TO THE CASTLE OF TIMA-GUSKO PURCHASES IN THE BAZAAR. — DEPARTURE FROM NAFUA FOR 
 
 CHINA. PLYMOUTH LEFT BEHIND WITH ORDERS TO VISIT BONIN ISLANDS AND MAKE FURTHER SURVEYS. CAPTAIN KELLy's 
 
 REPORT OF THE VISIT AND SURVEYS. — FORM OF GOVERNMENT AND CONSTITUTION OF THE SETTLERS ON PEEL ISLAND. — 
 GENERAL EFFECT OF THIS LAST TlSlT TO LEW CHEW. — ARRIVAL OF THE VANDALIA ; OF THE POWHATAN. — OVERHAULINO 
 OF THE VESSELS OF THE SQUADRON AT HONG EONG. 
 
 HE storm wtiich began to blow soon after tbe de- 
 parture from the bay of Yedo continued for three 
 days, and the two steamers rolled heavily and 
 were much tossed by its violence, making it neces- 
 sary to send down the topmasts and secure the 
 great guns by strong lashings ; they, however, rode 
 lut the storm in safety, and finally arrived at 
 Xapha on the 25th of July. On the approach 
 "to the coast of Lew Chew the weather was so hazy 
 that the land could not be discerned at any dis- 
 tance, and, night coming on, it was thought ad- 
 visable for the ships to stand off, which they did, and were carried very much to the southward 
 and westward by the current. This current, according to the generally received accounts, 
 should have been setting in a contrary direction, and consequently the allowance for a northeast 
 set was wrongly made. 
 
 The atmosi)liere continued hazy throughout the night, and as the day dawned the land was 
 still concealed from view, and it was some hours before the position of the steamers could be 
 determined by the sight at last of the Amakirima Islands. At some distance from the islands a 
 patch of breakers was observed, which was duly noted in the chart. Tlie discovery of these 
 breakers and other dangers among the Amakirima group show the necessity of a thorough
 
 MEASURES FOR PERMANENT ARRANGEMENTS. 275 
 
 survey of the islands lying west of Great Lew Chew, and a surveying expedition could not bo 
 better employed than in making the proper investigations. 
 
 On coming to anchor in the harbor of Napha, at noon on Monday, (25th July,) the storeship 
 Supply was found there rolling in the swell of the bay like a great log, and the officers stated 
 that the gale had blown with great Tiolence with them and had raged several days, while those 
 upon the land declared that it had been one of the severest storms they had ever experienced. 
 
 Upon the Commodore's arrival at Lew Chew he lost no time in advancing the chief purpose 
 of his visit, and prepared at once to enter into negotiations with the authorities for obtaining 
 from them further relaxations in their laws respecting strangers. Having been comparatively 
 Buccessful with the Japanese, the Commodore felt confident of gaining additional concessions 
 from the Lew Chewans, and that too without resort to any act of unkindnesb, or the adoption of 
 their policy of deceit g,nd falsehood. 
 
 The officers of the Supply, which vessel had been left at Napha during the Commodore's visit 
 to Japan, stated that the people had evinced no unfriendly feeling towards them, but were still 
 very much reserved and as tenacious as ever of their system of espionage. Supplies of pro\asions, 
 however, had been regularly furnished through the agency of Dr. Bettleheim, and payment had 
 been also received through him. 
 
 The Commodore had no time to spare, as his present visit was intended to be very short, and 
 he was not disposed to be put off for a moment by the usual temporizing policy of the slow- 
 moving Lew Chewans, so he demanded at once an interview with the regent ; the demand was 
 immediately granted, and a day appointed for the meeting. Previous, however, to the inter- 
 view, the Commodore had caused the regent to be made acquainted with the nature of the propo- 
 sitions, upon a favorable concession to which he had resolutely fixed his mind. Commander 
 Adams was commissioned to lay these propositions before the mayor of Najiha and some of the 
 authorities, and accordingly went ashore, accompanied by Dr. Williams, the Chinese interpreter, 
 bearing the following instructions from the hands of the Commodore : 
 
 "Establish rate and pay for rent of house for one year. State that I wish a suitable and 
 convenient building for the storage of coal, say to hold six hundred tons. If they have so such 
 building, I desire to employ native workmen to erect one after the fashion of the island ; or if 
 the Lew Chewan government prefers, it can be done under the inspection of the mayor, at 
 government expense, and I will agree to pay an annual rent for it. Either one or the other 
 arrangement must be made." 
 
 " Speak about the spies, and say if they continue to follow the officers about, it may lead to 
 serious consequences, and perhaps to bloodshed, which I should deplore, as I wish to continue on 
 the most friendly terms with the authorities. That should any disturbance ensue, it wUI be the 
 fault of the Lew Cliewans, who have no right to set spies upon American citizens who may be 
 pursuing their own lawful business." 
 
 " We must have a free trade in the market, and the right to purchase articles for the ships." 
 
 " It will be wise, therefore, for the Lew Chewans to abrogate those laws and customs which 
 are not suited to the present age, and wliich they have no power to enforce, and by a persistence 
 in which they ■srill surely involve tliemselves in trouble." 
 
 " Let the mayor clearly imderstand that this port is to be one of rendezvous, probably for 
 years, and that the authorities had better come to an understanding at once."
 
 276 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 " Thank the mayor for the kind act of the authorities in putting a tombstone over the remains 
 of the boy buried from tiie Siisquehanna, and ask the privilege of paying the cost of the same." 
 " Require prompt and early replies to all these propositions and demands." 
 The Commodore, in addition to these instructions by which Commander Adams was to be 
 governed in his interview, sent a formal communication to the regent, in these words : 
 
 ''To his Excellency the Tsung-li-kwan of the Kingdom of Lew Chew: 
 
 "Sir: The commander-in-chief of the United States naval forces in the East India, China, 
 and Japan seas, having returned to this port from Japan, is about sailing for China, and before 
 leaving is desiroTis of communicating to his excellency the Tsung-li-kwan a few observations, 
 having reference to the intercourse of persons under his command with the authorities and people 
 of Lew Ciiew. 
 
 " The commander-in-chief, while he thanks the officers of the Lew Chewan government for 
 the services which they have already rendered in fiumishing a few supplies to the ships of the 
 squadron, cannot see the necessity of enforcing against strangers a system of restriction which is 
 altogether at variance with the customs and practices of all civilized nations, and which cannot 
 at the present day be recognized as just or proper. 
 
 " The commander-in-chief is especially desirous of remaining on the most friendly terms with 
 the government of Lew Chew, and of contributing all in his power to the prosperity and happi- 
 ness of the people ; and he claims that the officers and men undet his command shall be received 
 on the same footing as those who arrive from China and Japan ; that they shall have the privilege 
 of purchasing in the market and shops whatever they may need, and for which they will pay the 
 prices demanded by the sellers ; that the inhabitants, particularly the women and children, shall 
 not fly from us as if we were their greatest enemies; and, finally, that our officers and men shall 
 not be watched and followed by low officials and spiesi He declares that if this systen of 
 espionage is persisted in, he will on his return to Lew Chew take the necessary steps to stop it. 
 
 "It is repugnant to the American character to submit to such a course of inhospitable dis- 
 courtesy, and though the citizens of the United States, when abroad, are always regardful of, 
 and obedient to, the laws of the countries in which they may happen to be, provided they are 
 founded upon international courtesy, yet they never can admit of the propriety or justice of 
 those of Lew Chew, which bear so injuriously upon the rights and comforts of strangers 
 resorting to the island with the most friendly and peaceful intentions. 
 " With the highest consideration, 
 
 "M. C. PERRY, 
 " CommanderAn-CMef of the United States Naval Forces, 
 
 " in the East India, China, and Japan Seas." 
 
 Upon Commander Adams laying the propositions of the Commodore before the mayor of 
 Napha, he was told by that official that he could do nothing of his own accord, and was obliged 
 to refer all the demands of the Americans to the Tsung-li-kwan, or regent of Lew Chew, as 
 his own powers were entirely subordinate to those of that high dignitary. Captain Adams 
 then told the mayor that he must inform the regent that the Commodore desired to have an 
 interview with him, cither the next day or tlie day after, at any hour or place he, the regent, 
 might appoint ; and, moreover, that his excellency must come prepared to answer, unequivo-
 
 INTERVIEW WITH THE REGENT. 277 
 
 cally and without discussion, the propositions just presented. To this the mayor replied that 
 tlie regent would he immediately notified, and that the Commodore should he informed as to the 
 time and place of meeting. 
 
 Next morning, Lieutenant Contee, the Commodore's aid, was sent ashore to call upon the 
 mayor of Napha, from whom he learned that the regent had appointed the ensuing day, (Friday, 
 July 28,) and the Kung-qua at Napha, as the time and place for the interview. 
 
 Accordingly, on Friday the interview came off, and its details are minutely given in the 
 following report, prepared hy a suhordinate ofiicer appointed for that special service : 
 
 "By previous arrangement, two o'clock, p. m., had heen fixed upon as the hour for the 
 interview, and the regent had sent word that he would leave Shui at noon. About half-past 
 one, however, a boat came off to the Susquehanna with the Pe-ching, Chang-yiien, on hoard, to 
 inform the Commodore that everything was in readiness for his reception, and the regent 
 already in waiting. The place selected for the purpose was the Kung-qua of Napha, which is 
 used on all official occasions. The Commodore went ashore at two o'clock, accompanied hy 
 Captain Adams, captain of the fleet, Lieutenant Contee, flag lieutenant. Captain Lee, of the 
 Mississippi, Captain Kelly, of the Plymouth, and twelve other oflicers, making a staff of sixteen 
 persons. 
 
 " On landing he was received hy a deputation of oflicers, headed hy the Pe-ching, and con- 
 ducted to the place of reception, which is situated on the main street or road leading from 
 Napha to Shui, and about a quarter of a mile from the heach. It is a small hut neat building, 
 surrounded hy a high wall, whicli screens it from all observation from without. The mayor of 
 Napha, with some of his attendant officers, stood at the entrance, and the regent advanced to 
 the door of the enclosure to receive the Commodore. Within the building, tables were already 
 prepared for a collation, similar to that given at Shui hy the former regent, though not on so 
 extensive a scale. The feast was arranged in precisely the same manner, the Commodore and 
 Captain Adams occupying the first table on the right hand, while the regent and mayor took 
 that on the left, opposite to him. After tea had heen brought, the regent made a com- 
 plimentary remark to the Commodore, hoping that he had returned in good health. Ichirazichi 
 acted as interpreter, and the conversation was carried on by Mr. Williams, through the medium 
 of the Chinese language. 
 
 " The Commodore stated that he would leave in a few days for China, but should return 
 again to Lew Chew in a few months. Before he left, however, he wished to have a settlement 
 of all those matters concerning whicli he had addressed them. His demands were reasonable 
 and proper, and he exiiected that they would he comiilied witli. The Americans were persons 
 of few words, hut they always meant what they said. The regent answered that his reply 
 would soon he ready, and invited the Commodore, in the meanwhile, to partake of some 
 refreshments. He was answered that we preferred business first and the refreshments after- 
 wards. The requests made were fair and simple, aid the Commodore was dissatisfied witli any 
 delay in granting them. We had been to Japan, where we had been received in a very friendly 
 manner. We had exchanged presents with Japanese governors, and were on friendlj' terms 
 with the Japanese. We hoped, now, to be on friendly terms also with the Lew Chewans. Mr. 
 Williams then, at the Commodore's request, gave a brief narration of his reception hy the 
 jirinccs of Idzu and Iwami, and of our exploration and survey of the bay of Yedo. The regent 
 observed, in return, that his reply would he very soon delivered.
 
 278 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN, 
 
 "The dinner then commenced, and seven or eight of the twelve courses of soups had heen 
 served, when the letter was brought in and given to the regent, who took it, and, accompanied 
 by the mayor and interpreter, advanced to the Commodore's table, where he presented it with 
 every appearance of submission and humility. His demeanor during the dinner was even more 
 constrained and impassive than on the occasion of his dining on board the Susquehanna, pre- 
 vious to our departure for Japan. Tlie letter was enclosed in an envelope, and stamped with 
 the great seal of Lew Chew. Mr. Williams, at the Commodore's order, opened and read it on 
 the spot. 
 
 "It commenced by affirming the small size and poverty of the island, stating that Dr. Bettle- 
 heim's residence among them had given them much trouble, and that if we should erect a 
 building for coal their difficulties would be greatly increased. Besides, they said, the temple 
 which they had a})propriated to our use was thereby rendered useless to them, and their priests 
 were prevented from performing their worship in it. The productions of the island were few, 
 as they derived all of their teas, silks, cloths, and many other articles from Japan and Cliina. 
 With regard to the shops and markets, that was a matter that depended on the people them- 
 selves, and if they chose to keep their sIio^ds shut, the regent could not interfere. He declared, 
 moreover, that the persons who had followed us whenever we had gone ashore were not spies, 
 but officers appointed to act as guides, and to prevent us from being annoyed by the people. 
 Since we had not found them to be of service, and objected to them, they would be directed not 
 to follow us in future. 
 
 "After the letter had been read, the Commodore ordered it to be delivered back to the regent, 
 stating that it was not at all satisfactory, and could not be received. We had asked, he said, 
 for no more than is accorded to us in other countries — ^for no more than we already had in 
 China, and expected to have in Japan. With regard to the temple, that they had themselves 
 assigned it to our use, as they invariably had done, for those foreigners who had visited them 
 previous to our arrival. We would pay them rent for it, and expected to pay for everything 
 that we obtained. We had travelled over their island, and knew that the soil was rich, the 
 people thrifty, and supplies of all sorts abundant. As we paid for all we received, our presence 
 was an advantage to the people, who found in our vessels a good market for their productions. 
 If tliey did not wish to erect a building for coal, we would send a vessel with materials, and 
 put it up ourselves. The regent ventured to say that there were some difficult points in the 
 Commodore's communication, and they had much deliberation concerning them, before the 
 reply was written. The Commodore reiterated what he had previously said, that all his 
 demands were plain and simple, and ought to be granted without hesitation. The Lew 
 Chewans should be satisfied, by this time, that we had no intention to injure them. They had 
 not been molested in any way by any of our men. and if they persisted in following us with 
 spies hereafter he would not be answerable for tlie consequences. 
 
 "The regent attempted to come forward and again present the rejily ; but tlie Commodore rose 
 and prepared to leave, declaring that if he did not receive satisfactory answers to all his 
 demands by noon the next day, he would land two hundred men, march to Slmi, and take pos- 
 session of the i^alace there, and would hold it until the matter was settled. With this declara- 
 tion, he left, the regent attending him to the gateway, where he remained until all the officers 
 had taken their departure. The Commodore returned to the beach, attended by his staff, and 
 immediately went on board the Susquehanna."
 
 commodore's propositions all accepted. 279 
 
 It will be observed tbat the new regent, Shang-Hiung-IIiun, was a great adept in the tem- 
 porizing policy of bis government, and was ever ready with a thousand crooked arguments for 
 not giving a direct answer to a direct demand. 
 
 The Commodore, however, was not to be balked of bis purpose by any of the shams and 
 devices of Lew Chew policy, and went straight on to the end proposed, without allowing himself 
 to be diverted from a broad, honest course of fair dealing, into any of the bye-ways of the 
 oriental hide-and-go-seek diplomacy. As to resorting to force, which had been threatened at 
 the close of the conference with the regent, the necessity of violent measures was never seriously 
 contemplated by the Commodore, as it was rightly judged that a resolute attitude would answer 
 all the purpose of a blo-w. The Commodore, therefore, sent Commanders Adams and Buchanan, 
 accompanied by Dr. Williams, to the mayor of Napha. These gentlemen were instructed to 
 obtain categorical replies to all the demands made upon the regent the previous day. Simulta- 
 neously with this mission ashore, an incident occurred, which, however slight in itself, had 
 probably no small effect upon the timid hearts of the Lew Chewans. The Commodore had 
 dispatched his carpenter to look after the sedan chair which had been deposit'ed in the temple at 
 Tumai, since its use on the previous occasion of the grand procession to the palace of Shui. 
 The people of Lew Chew watched, with considerable anxiety, the movements of the carpenter, 
 and their frightened imaginations already, no doubt, fancied the Commodore borne on in his car 
 of state, the aforesaid sedan chair, as a triumphant victor within the walls of their capitol. 
 
 Whether this looking after the sedan chair was accidental or not, it happened in the very 
 nick of time, and probably hastened the decision of the Lew Chew authorities. The mayor of 
 Napha was very prompt in complying, to the extent of his authority, with the demands of the 
 Commodore, as urged in his behalf, by his representative Commander Adams, who returned to 
 the ship bearing the message that the regent would be immediately communicated with, and 
 that the Commodore might be assured that a definite answer would be given to his propositions 
 the next day. 
 
 Accordingly, at about ten o'clock the following morning, the mayor came on board the 
 Susquehanna, with the information that all the Commodore's propositions had been acceded to, 
 and would be carried out as far as the people could be controlled. He then, in detail, stated the 
 various concessions to which the government had finally yielded. In regard to the coal depot, 
 he said that preparations had already been made for its construction, and that the government 
 had agreed upon the amount of rent, which was to be ten dollars per month. As for access to 
 the market, it having been stated that the difficulty was with the common people, and particu- 
 larly the women, who were averse to entering into immediate commerce with strangers, a 
 compromise was proposed by the Commodore, and agreed to on the part of the mayor, which 
 was to the effect that a bazaar should be opened in the Kung-qua for the sale of the various 
 products of the country which the Americans might desire to purchase. 
 
 The mayor proposed the subsequent Sunday for the opening of the bazaar, when he was told 
 that that was a day kept holy by Christians, when buying and selling were contrary to their 
 religion. It was then proposed, and acceded to, that as the squadron was not to sail until 
 Monday, at nine o'clock, that the market should be opened at six o'clock on tlie morning of 
 that day. 
 
 Although the authorities had soon found that it was necessary to give a favorable answer to 
 the demands of the Commodore, and the mayor of Napha had come on board for tlie express
 
 280 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 purpose of giving sncli an answer, which he accordingly did at once, yet while yielding each 
 point, he still pertinaciously insinuated all sorts of trivial objections to the Commodore's plans. 
 He said tliat the coal would not be safe on shore, as the natives would probably steal it ; in 
 answer to which he was told that the government of Lew Chew would be held responsible for 
 every lump of it. The mayor was then ready with another objection, stating that typhoons 
 blew very severely on the island, and would no doubt sweep away the coal depot ; and thus, to 
 the very last, while forced to grant all that was asked, the authorities still clung to their 
 prevaricating policy, as if deceit was so much a part of their nature that they practiced it for 
 its own sake alone. 
 
 During the few days in which the steamers remained at Napha a party of the officers and 
 artists of the exjiedition, at the suggestion of Commodore Perry, availed themselves of the occa- 
 sion to visit the ruins of the castle of Tima-gusko. The Commodore had requested them to take 
 their supplies with them, that they might be entirely independent of the natives for the satisfac- 
 tion of their wants. They accordingly set out well provided with a supply of ship biscuit, and 
 some American saki, wliich Japanese word was now pretty generally accepted as the generic 
 term for all that was intoxicating and potable. Trusting to the general direction that the castle 
 was situated at the southern end of the island, and constantly repeating with an interrogatory 
 tone, whenever they met a native, the word " Tima-gusko f" the jiarty proceeded on their way. 
 Passing from the little village, on the southern side of Junk river, they got upon a narrow paved 
 road leading eastward along its banks. By the way they reached a large village, where they 
 were hospitably entertained at tea, in a handsome Kung-qua, embowered in fruit-bearing lime 
 trees, and succeeded in making friends with the Lew Chewan host, and a party of his neighbors, 
 who just dropped in to get a glance at the strangers, and to share in their supplies of ship 
 biscuit and foreign saki, wliich were liberally dispensed by the American officers, and highly 
 relished, as usual, by the Lew Chewans. 
 
 Tima-gusko? Tima-gusko? which was about the extent of tlie limited vocabulary of the 
 Americans, seemed quite intelligible, and the interrogatory repetition of the word was responded 
 to by an offer on the part of the Lew Chewan tea party to act as guides. They were, undoubtedly, 
 some of the spies who swarmed everywhere, but it was thought advisable, as it seemed quite 
 impracticable to get rid of them, to turn these fellows to some good purpose, and their services 
 as guides were accordingly accepted. In spite, however, of their assistance, it was a long time 
 before the right road was discovered, and tlien only after a very tedious tram]) through rice fields 
 flooded with water, and the climbing of a steep hill, from which a beautiful view, however, of 
 the palace of Shui and its groves, and Napha with its white tombs and red tiled houses, and its 
 inner and outer bays, and of the wliole amphitheatre of the verdant hills of the island, proved 
 some compensation for the labor lost. 
 
 The true road was only reached at last by turning back, in accordance with the direction of 
 the Lew Chewan guides, or rather spies, in whom it would have been better to have trusted from 
 the first ; but these timid-hearted natives had become so impressed with the obstinacy of the 
 self-willed Yankees, and their resolute determination to have their own way, wherever it might 
 lead, that they seemed half afraid of iirging the right, wlien they knew the Americans were 
 pursuing the wrong. It was thus, from the apparent distrust in their own knowledge on the 
 part of the Lew Chewans, that the party from the ship had followed their own bent, but finding 
 at last that it was wrong, they trusted to the leadership of their guides.
 
 VISIT TO THE CASTLE OF TIMA-GUSKO. 281 
 
 On returning through the rice fields towards the bridge of IsJiirashi, as the natives called it, 
 and which was supposed to he the same as tliat of Madato-darki, as it had been termed by Dr. 
 Bettleheim, the Lew Chcwans pointed up to some ruined walls which stood upon the brink of a 
 lofty and precipitous hill, which overlooked the town of Napha, and a large circuit of the 
 country and the surrounding waters. 
 
 The report, as drawn up by one of the party and laid before the Commodore, describes Tima- 
 gusko as distant four miles in a southeast direction fi-om Napha, and as being on a large scale, 
 covering about eight acres, but in a state of utter ruin. It seemed to have no regular plan, and 
 the walls had been erected upon various projecting points of the rock, and often i)arallel to each 
 other in several lines, for the pui-pose of strengthening the defences. The neck of the headland 
 connecting it with the hills behind had been separated by a moat, which was, however, hardly 
 perceptible from the profuse growth of vegetation, which filled it up and concealed it from the 
 eye. On a lofty eminence of the headland there was an oblong space shut in with walls, and 
 thickly crowded with a dense thicket of trees and undergrowth. This part ef the fortress was 
 in a better state of preservation than the rest, and the original height of the wall, which reached 
 about twelve feet, was discernable. On the western side there was a massive arched gateway, 
 with a wooden door, closed by what appeared to be a Chinese lock. As a large tree, growing on 
 the summit of the arch, had sent dowu its twisted roots among the stones which formed the sides 
 of the entrance, a natural ladder was thus formed, by which the party succeeded in clambering 
 over into the enclosed space. Following a narrow pathway through the otherwise impenetrable 
 thicket, a heap of ruins was reached, upon the summit of which were two stones marked with 
 Chinese characters, and the remains of some joss sticks. From these it was concluded that the 
 present inhabitants of Lew Chew still retain some forms of this worship. Tiina-giisko is 
 undoubtedly the remains of the southern one of the three castles which were the strongholds of 
 the three several kings who at one time divided the dominion of Lew Chew. The traditional 
 account of the former dynasties, as given by Klaproth in his translation of the " Kan-to-sits," 
 seems remarkably confirmed by the observations of our officers at Lew Chew. The two castles 
 of the north and the south were found in ruins, while the central one of Shui, now the habitation 
 of the present supposed young king, was seen to be in a perfect state of preservation, and 
 indicated that the dynasty of Lew Chew had been finally concentrated in a single ruler. 
 
 In accordauce with the arrangements between the Commodore and the authorities of Napha, 
 the bazaar. was opened at six o'clock on the morning of the steamer's departure_, (Monday, 
 August 1.) The Kung-qua, the place selected for the mart, was found duly prepared, with 
 heaps of Lew Chewan productions, a motley assortment of lacquered cups, plates and boxes, 
 pieces of grass-cloth, and the various articles of Lew Chew costume, such as cotton and silk 
 sashes, sandals of straw, and hair jiins of brass and silver, fans, chow-chow boxes, which 
 correspond somewhat with our sandwich cases, smoking pipes and a plentiful supply of tobacco. 
 The interpreter, Ichirazichi, was the presiding genius, or, rather, roguish Mercury of this 
 market, who went busily about performing his functions as general broker, accompanied by a 
 group of subordinate officials. The various parties from the ship soon commenced a brisk 
 business, and succeeded in spending, in the aggregate, about a himdred dollars. As the demand 
 increased it was found, in accordance with the usual law of trrde, that the supply augmented, 
 and the Lew Chew mercliants were not backwanl in illustrating this princijile of jwlitical 
 economy. The prices were not very heavy at first, but the natives, in the course of the business, 
 36 J
 
 282 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 began to improve in this particular, and it was found that some from the ships had paid at least 
 double the sum paid by others for a similar article. The objects obtained were of not much 
 importance, but the chief interest of the occasion arose from the fact that this dealing with 
 foreigners was the first authorized, and was in direct opposition to a fundamental law of the 
 island, the abrogation of which cannot but result in the greatest advantage to the people of Lew 
 Chew. The signal of departure being hoisted, the party of purchasers returned to their respective 
 ships, and at 8 o'clock in the morning (August 1) the Commodore started for Hong Kong. 
 
 So prompt had been the effect of the Commodore's resolute demands upon tlic authorities of 
 Lew Chew, that on the day of sailing, the building for the storage of coal, commenced only two 
 days previous, had been framed and reared, and it was learned afterward that it was entirely 
 finished in two days more. The building is 50 by 60 feet in dimensions, with a water-tight 
 thatched roof, with the caves projecting beyond the sides, which are boarded up more than half 
 the distance from the ground to the roof, leaving an open space sufficient for purposes of ventila- 
 tion. It was originally of sufficient capacity to hold 500 tons of coal, and the first cargo placed 
 in it was that of the Caprice, which arrived soon after the departure of the Commodore. Subse- 
 quently, the Southampton landed her cargo, shipped at Macao, when it was thought advisable 
 to enlarge the depot, and accordingly the authorities added a wing to each side. 
 
 The Commodore, conceiving it to be of the highest importance that a ship of the squadron 
 should be stationed almost constantly at Lew Chew, to keep alive the fi-iendly interest and good 
 feeling then subsisting between the Americans and the islanders, who were becoming daily more 
 cordial, he determined to leave the Plymouth, Commander Kelly, there. He, however, instructed 
 this officer to run over to the Bonin islands, after the termination of the hurricane season, for the 
 purpose both of visiting the settlement at Port Lloyd and of surveying the southern cluster of 
 the Bonins, originally called the Coffin islands, after the first American discoverer in 1823, 
 though, as we have stated before, subsequently appropriated and named by the English Captain 
 Beechy, the Baily group. 
 
 The instructions of the Commodore to Commander Kelly referred generally to the conciliatory 
 but firm attitude he desired should be sustained in all the relations of the Americans with the 
 Lew Chewans. It was strictly enjoined upon Captain Kelly that he should receive nothing from 
 the islanders without returning a fair compensation, and always bear himself towards them in 
 such manner as to prove that it was the desire of the United States to cultivate their friendship 
 and secure their confideilce. The Commodore, in addition to some detailed instructions in regard 
 to the construction of the coal depot and landing the cargoes from the expected storeships, directed 
 that, in his absence, the survey of Melville harbor and the coast of the island should be made, 
 the investigations already commenced in the waters of Napha be continued, and a boat and officer 
 kept in readiness to pilot in any of the American squadron that might arrive. 
 
 In regard to Captain Kelly's visit to the Bonin Islands, he was instructed to proceed with the 
 Plymouth, after the hurricane season, about tlic 1st of October, provided nothing occurred to 
 detain him at Lew Chew, to Port Lloyd, where he was to enquire into the condition of the 
 settlers, especially with respect to Nathaniel Savory and John Smith, two persons who had been 
 enrolled on the books of the steamer Susquehanna. Ho was also directed, after obtaining tiie 
 services of some of the settlers at Port Lloyd as guides or pilots, to visit the group of islands 
 lying south of Peel Island, and named on Beechy's chart Baily's group. Captain Kelly was 
 then to lay out a chart, giving the result of his survey, and to be careful to give the name of
 
 SURVEYS OP CAPTAIN KELLY IN THE PLYMOUTH. 283 
 
 Coffin, tlie original discoverer, to the group of islands alluded to. The largest single island, or 
 the one containing the best harbor, was to be called Hillsborough, and its port to be termed 
 Newport. To these directions were added general instructions to examine and survey the harbor 
 and coasts, and to investigate the geological formation and the nature and condition of the soil 
 of the Coffin Islands. 
 
 In anticipation of the regular course of the narrative, it may be well to give here the result of 
 Captain Kelly's observations and proceedings at the Lew Chew and Bonin Islands, in accordance 
 with the Commodore's instructions. The officer appointed by the commander of the Plymouth 
 for the survey of the middle group of the Lew Chew Islands and the neighboring waters, reports 
 that on September 15, 1853, he and his party encamped on the island of Kindaka, the south- 
 eastern one of the chain extending along the east coast of Great Lew Chew. Here a bay was 
 discovered, but it was found to be of no practical utility, being filled with coral reefs, which 
 extend, in fact, in an unbroken chain outside of all the islands as far as the northeast point of 
 Ichey, with the exception of a narrow ship channel between the islet off the northeast end of 
 Kindaka and the island of Ta-k'ing. But as this channel leads to a bay with numerous reefs, it is 
 not safe to enter it. In regard to Barrow's Bay, the survey proved it to be useless for all purposes 
 of navigation, from its exposure to easterly winds and the swell from the ocean. 
 
 A port of refuge, however, was discovered on the west side of the island of Icliey, which forms 
 the southern point of Barrow" s Bay, as well as under Hanadi, toward both of which a secure 
 anchorage may be found. This is, in fact, the only harbor of refuge on the eastern coast of the 
 Lew Chew group. 
 
 The position of Sidmouth Islands was found to be in latitude 26° 43' 30" north, differing 3' 
 30" from that assigned to it by Captain Basil Hall in his sketch of the Lew Chew group. 
 
 And the outline of the coast was observed also to nm in a direction varying somewhat from 
 that laid down by that navigator. The whole of the island of Great Lew Chew was circumnavi- 
 gated in the course of this survey, under the directions of Commander Kelly. 
 
 On the arrival of the Plymouth at the Bonins, it was found that the settlers on Peel Island, 
 the principal one of the group, had of their own accord organized a municipal government, 
 under the title of "</te Colony of Peel Island." Commander Kelly also, in accordance with the 
 instructions of Commodore Perry, visited the islands hitherto termed "Baily's," took formal 
 possession of them in the name of the United States, and gave them their proper name of Coffin, 
 a due record of which was made upon the chart, and upon the spot, by affixing a plate, inscribed 
 with the fact, to a large sycamore tree growing about twenty feet from the beach, near the north- 
 west point of the cove, and burying one also, with some documents placed in a bottle, giving a 
 true history of the discovery of the islands, and assigning the credit to the genuine discoverer, 
 the American whaling captain. Coffin.* 
 
 • As an interesting specimen of this original efibrt at constitution-making by wanderers from many lands, civilized and savage, 
 we subjoin a copy of the 
 
 "ORGANIZATION OF THE SETTLERS OF PEEL ISLAND." 
 
 "We, the undersigned, residents and settlers on Peel Island, in convention assembled, wishing to promote each other's 
 mutual welfare, by forming a government, have ordained and established the following articles, which we sole^^nly bind our- 
 selves to support for the period of two years."
 
 284 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 On leaving Napha, the reflection naturally suggested itself to the mind of the Commodore as 
 to the effect produced upon the Lew Chewans by his visit. It seemed evident that a very 
 marked change had taken place in the deportment of the islanders toward the Americans. 
 
 There was less mystery about them, and some of the spies had thrown off a portion of their 
 reserve. The Lew Chew authorities probably conjectured, and with good cause, that the trouble 
 they had taken in their attempts to deceive the Commodore, with respect to the condition of 
 their government, the poverty of the islands, and the harmless innocence of the people, was 
 ftitile, and so much labor lost. And accordingly it was found that, although they still adhered, 
 as if by instinct, to their system of deception, they were not quite so ready with their mis- 
 representations. 
 
 But, after all, many allowances should be made for these misgoverned people, who have been, 
 doubtless, taught from infancy to practice duplicity and lying as a necessary part of an accom- 
 
 APiTICLE I. 
 
 "The style of our government shall be the ' Colony of Peel Island.' " 
 
 ARTICLE II. 
 
 "The government shall consist of a chief magistrate, and a council, composed of two persons ; and by virtue of tliis article, 
 we hereby unanimously elect and appoint Nathaniel Savory, chief magistrate, and James Mailley and Thomas H. Webb, 
 councilmen ; each to bold his said office of chief magistrate and councilman for the period of two years from the date of this 
 convention. The said chief magistrate and council shall have power to enact such rules and regulations for the government 
 of this island as te them, from time to time, may appear necessary for the public good ; such rules and regulations, to become 
 binding on the residents, must have the approval and concurrence of two-thirds of the whole number of residents. " 
 
 AETICLE III. 
 
 " Until such time as the chief magistrate and council may be enabled to form a code of regulations, we unanimously ordain 
 and establish the following thirteen sections, under this article, which shall have full force and effect until the adoption of 
 others, and until the expiration of two years." 
 
 Section 1. 
 
 " It shall be the duty of any and all person or persons having claims and demands against each other, or who shall have any 
 dispute or difficulties between themselves, which they cannot amicably settle, to refer the same to the chief magistrate and 
 council, for adjudication and settlement ; and their decision to be final and binding." 
 
 Section 2. 
 
 " All penalties in this colony shall be a pecimiary fine ; and no penalty for anj offence shall exceed the sum of ." 
 
 Section 3. 
 
 "The chief magistrate and council shall have pow'er to direct the seizure and s;ile of any property of any offenders, sufficient 
 to pay the same, against whom a fine has been decreed, wherever it may be found within the limits of Peel Island." 
 
 Section 4. 
 
 " It shall be unlawful for any resident, settler, or other person, on the island, to entice anybody to desert from any vessel 
 that may come into this port, or to secrete or harbor any such deserter." 
 
 Section 5. 
 
 " Any person who shall entice, counsel, or aid, any other person to desert from any vessel in this port, or shall harbor or 
 conceal him to prevent his apprehension, shall be liable to a fine, not exceeding J50 (fifty dollars)." 
 
 Section 6. 
 
 " All moneys arising from the levy of fines upon offenders shall be a public fund for the use and behalf of the colony ; and 
 the same shall be placed in the hands of the chief magistrate for safe keeping, and to be appropriated to such public purposes 
 as the chief magistrate and council may deem necessary and proper ; and a correct account of all expenditures of said moneys 
 shall be kept by them, and a statement of receipts and expenditures published at the end of one year." 
 
 Section 7. 
 
 " .\11 public moneys remaining unexpended at the end of one year shall be equally divided among the present settlers, nnlew 
 otherwise ordained by a convention of the people "
 
 CONSTITUTION OF THE SETTLERS ON PEEL ISLAND. 285 
 
 plished education, and altogether essential to advancement. It is certain that they do not, any 
 more than the Japanese, place the least confidence in each other, and the government in 
 employing their agents invariably send tliem forth in coui)les, one to watch the otlier. 
 
 The abominable system of espionage imposes great hardships on all classes, as those in power 
 can never know how soon any of their acts, however harmless they may appear to themselves, 
 may be construed into offences against the state. They thus find their lives in constant 
 jeopardy, and are often compelled to purchase safety by the most servile humility, or a good 
 share of their substance. If, by the most prostrate servility, or by the prodigal forfeit of 
 property, they fail to obtain immunity, they are forced to commit suicide, in order to save their 
 fortunes from confiscation and theii' families from ruin. The lower classes are by no means the 
 
 Section 8. 
 
 " Port Regulations. — There shall be two regularly appointed and recognized pilots for this port, and, by virtue of this section 
 of article 3, we hereby unanimously appoint James JIaitley and Thomas H. Webb as such for a period of two years from the 
 date of this convention. Said pilots may appoint capable substitutes under them ; and it shall be unlawful for any other person 
 or persons to perform the duty of pilots. Any one who shall, without the authority of either of the appointed pilots, attempt 
 to pilot any vessel into or out of this port, shall be liable to a fine equal to the amount of the established rate of pilotage." 
 
 Section 9. 
 
 " It shall be unlawful for any commander of a vessel to discharge any of his crew in this port without permission from the 
 chief magistrate and coumil, and no commander of a vessel shall leave any sick or helpless man or men upon the island, unless 
 he procure a bouse for him or them and make suitable arrangements for his or their comfort and subsistence during his or their 
 illness." 
 
 Section 10. 
 
 "Any person or persons not owning land upon this island who may hereafter enter into partnership in trade with a resident 
 and landholder, or who shall purchase an undivided interest in the land of a resident, must enter into written articles of agree- 
 ment, and obtain a written title to the undivided interest he may purchase in lands, stock, &c. ; and in the event of dissolution 
 of partnership, or death of either party, partition of the property shall be made by the chief magistrate and council, whose 
 duty it shall be to secure and take charge of the property and effects of any deceased person for the benefit of his friends." 
 
 Section 11. 
 
 " Any person or persons who shall be guilty of trespass or waste upon the lands of any of the inhabitants, shall be fined in a 
 sum equal to the value of the damage or waste he or they may commit thereon, upon a proper adjudication thereof by the chief 
 magistrate and council." 
 
 Section 12. 
 
 " The chief magistrate and council may, when they deem it necessary, call a convention of the people to propose new, and 
 make amendments to the foregoing, rules and regulations." 
 
 Section 13. 
 
 " Any and all person or persons who shall hereafter emigrate to or settle in this colony, shall be subject and held amenable 
 to the foregoing rules and regulations." 
 
 All the above articles of government having been prepared, concurred in, and adopted by us, in convention assembled, at the 
 house of Nathaniel Savory, in Port Lloyd, Peel Island, on the 28th day of August, A. D. 1&53, we solemnly pledge ourselves 
 to each other to support and carry out the same. 
 
 In testimony whereof we have hereunto subscribed our names the day and year aforesaid. 
 
 NATHANIEL SAVORY, 
 THOMAS H. WEBB, 
 JA.MES MAITLEY, 
 WILLIAM GILLY, jr., 
 JOHN BHONA, 
 JOSEPH CULLEN, 
 GEORGE W. BKUNO, 
 GEORGE HORTON.
 
 286 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 smallest sufferers, for it is their hard-tasked labor which supports the whole system which is 
 carried on hy swarms of spies, who infest every corner and nook of the island. 
 
 On the second evening after leaving Xapha, as the Susquehanna and Mississippi were 
 proceeding on their course to Hong Kong, a sail was seen ahead in the distance, steering in a 
 northeasterly direction. At first there were some doubts as to what she was, but these were 
 Buon cleared up by the flashing of her guns, in the approaching darkness of tlie night, which 
 showed that she was saluting the Commodore's flag on the Susquehanna. It was now certain 
 that she was an American man-of-war, and soon she was discovered to be the long-expected 
 Vandalia. As she lay to, the Susquehanna steered toward her, making a signal for her 
 commander to come on board, and soon a boat came off, bringing Captain Pope, who at once 
 reported to the Commodore. The voyage of the Yandalia had been a remarkably fine one, 
 having left Pliiladeljihia only on the fifth of March, touching at Rio Janeiro by the way. Her 
 commander brought the information of the arrival of the Powhatan from the United States at 
 Hong Kong, and of her proposed departure for Lew Chew. This information made Commodore 
 Perry very anxious to reach port before the sailing of the Powhatan, as her trip to the north 
 would be utterly useless, and the consequent consumption of coal a serious loss to the limited 
 stock of the squadron. The Vandalia being ordered back to Hong Kong, the fleet continued its 
 course to that place, where the steamers arrived on Sunday, August Y, 1853. 
 
 The Vandalia, however, did not get back to Hong Kong until the fifteenth. The Commodore 
 was much disappointed to find that the Powhatan had sailed just the day before his arrival, and 
 as she had taken the Formosa passage, he had thus lost the chance of intercepting her. She 
 did not return to Hong Kong until the 25th of August, having been detained ten days at Lew 
 Chew for the repair of her machinery ; and similar delays had been found necessary, in 
 the opinion of her chief engineer, at almost every port at which the Powhatan touched 
 on her outward passage. 
 
 As the typhoon season was approaching, and the ships all required a general overhauling, 
 the engineers asking for sixty working days for putting the Powhatan alone in order, and the 
 crews needing some relaxation, the Commodore determined, in consideration of these circum- 
 stances, to give all his vessels a thorough refitment. 
 
 \ inn ol Ouirr UarUer of Nuplm (roiti tLc Oiqxtau.
 
 ALARM OF AMERICANS IN CHINA. 
 
 287 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 ALARM OF AMERICANS IX CHINA. REQUEST TO COMMODORE THAT HE TTOrLD SENT) A SHIP TO CAXTOy. SrPPLT SENT. THE REST 
 
 OF THE SQCADROX AT CUM-SING-MOOX. HOSPITAL ESTABLISHED AXD HOUSE TAKEX AT MACAO. 5ICKXESS IX THE SQfADROX. 
 
 WORK KEPT CP IN ALL DEPARTMEXTS, XOTWITHSTAXDIXC. HEALTHIXESS OF CAXTON. GLCTTONT OF THE CHINESE. 
 
 CHINESE SERVAXTS CHIXESE ENGLISH, OR " PIGEON." MALE DRESSMAKERS, CHAMBER SERVANTS, ETC.— CHINESE FEMALE 
 
 FEET. CHINESE CDILDS.^ BEGGARS. CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS. THIEVES BOATMEN. LABORING CLASSES. DOMESTIC 
 
 SERVANTS. POLYGAMY AND ITS MORAL RESULTS. DECADENCE OF MACAO. HUMBLED CONDITION OF THE PORTUGUESE. 
 
 HARBOR OF MACAO. COMMODORE ESTABLISHES HIS DEPOT FOR THE SQUADROX AT HONG KONG. PLEASANT SOCIETY OF 
 
 MACAO. POWHATAN STATIONED AT WHAMPOA TO RELIEVE THE SUSQUEHANNA. SUPPLY STILL AT CANTON. CHINESE PEACE- 
 ABLE TOWARD FOREIGNERS. STEAMER 'QCEEN' CHARTERED TO PROTECT AMERICAN INTERESTS IN CHINA WHILE THE SQUADRON 
 
 SHOULD GO TO YEDDO. SUSPICIOUS MOVEMEXTS OF RUSSIANS AND FRENCH IXDUCE THE COMMODORE TO HASTEN HIS RETURN 
 
 TO JAPAN. LEXINGTO.X ARRIVES. THE SQUADRON ORDERED TO RENDEZVOUS AT NAPHA, LEW CHEW. ORDERS RECEIVED, 
 
 JUST AS THE SQUADRON LEAVES CHINA, TO DETACH A STEAMER FOR THE USE OF MR. MCLANE, AMERICAN COMMISSIONER TO 
 
 CHINA. — EMBARRASSMENT OF THE COMMODORE IN CONSEQUENCE. HIS MODE OF PROCEEDING TO ACCOMPLISH BOTH THE 
 
 OBJECTS OF THE GOVERNMENT. CORRESPOXDEXCE WITH SIR GEORGE BONHAM TOHCHIXO THE BOXIN ISLANDS. COURTESY 
 
 OF THE ENGLISH ADMIRAL PILLOW. — SQUADRON ASSEMBLES AT NAPHA. 
 
 rcH time Lad not elapsed after the arrival of Com- 
 modore Perry at Houg Kong before the American 
 merchants at Canton applied to him for further 
 protection to their lives and property, which they 
 believed endangered by what appeared to them the 
 imminent prospect of a revolutionary outbreak in 
 the city. These gentlemen addressed a communi- 
 ^ cation to the Commodore, in which they expressed 
 ^==^ their great satisfaction at his determination to re- 
 main upon the Chinese coa.'it witii his squadron 
 i^^r until he was prepared to rcsiunc negotiations with 
 Japan. They moreover stated their belief that 
 the revolution wlm ii Jiad commenced in China would result in the overthrow of the Tartars, 
 with no immediate prospect for the future but a confused state of anarchy, without a power 
 anywhere to reduce it to the order of a settled government. 
 
 While it was acknowledged that the majority of the Chinese people are distinguished by a 
 disposition to cultivate the peaceful pursuits of industry and commerce, and the opinion was
 
 288 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 expressed that the revolutionists -n-ere favorahly disposed toward foreign intercourse, thus giving 
 hopes for the future prosperity of trade, still it was dechired that the disturbed condition of the 
 country was such that, if continued, foreign commerce would be destroj'ed, and the importation 
 of American goods, so vastly important to the United States, be entirely extinguished. 
 
 The chief purpose, however, of the communication from the American merchants was, as it 
 stated, to urge upon the Commodore to send one or more of his vessels to the immediate neigh- 
 borhood of the factories at Canton, the whole country about which place was swarmiug with 
 thieves and desperate fellows, lying in wait for an opportunity to attack and plunder the foreign 
 residences, if not to wreak their vengeance upon the persons of their occupants. 
 
 The Commodore ])romptly answered this communication with assurances of his determination 
 to give his countrymen all the protection required in the prevailing crisis of China afl'airs. He 
 had already sent the Mississippi to Blenheim Keach to protect the shipping at Whampoa, as 
 also to guard against the numerous pirates ; and had directed an examination of the river with 
 a view of moving that steamer nearer Canton ; but as for placing her at the point desired by the 
 American merchants, it was impossible, from her draught of water. The Commodore, however, 
 promised that the Supply, which had an efficient armament and accommodations for a hundred 
 and fifty men, should be sent on her arrival, if it were necessary, to the city of Canton itself, 
 and if there was any delay in the arrival of that vessel that the storeship Southampton should 
 take her place. In the meantime the merchants were informed that they could have, if they 
 desired, a guard of marines and one or more pieces of artillery from the Mississippi, which 
 would be landed and stationed at the Factories. Moreover, Commander Lee, of the steamer 
 Mississippi, was instructed to be prepared to land, on the requisition of the acting American 
 vice consul, at a moment's notice, an advanced guard, to be followed, if need be, by a much 
 larger force, composed of detachments from the other ships in the river. 
 
 On the arrival of the Supply from Amoy, the Commodore dispatched her, as he had promised, 
 to take her station at the anchorage opposite the city of Canton. Meanwhile the remainder of 
 the squadron were ordered to rendezvous at Cum-sing-moon, a port lying between Hong Kong 
 and Macao. This port was more safe and commodious, as well as more healthful, tlnin any of 
 the other harbors or anchorages in the neighborhood, and, being the rendezvous of the opium 
 vessels belonging to the merchants of Canton, possessed the additional advantage of constant 
 communication with the neighboring towns. 
 
 The Commodore, having thus disposed of his squadron, found it convenient, in order to arrange 
 the accumulated results of his voyage to Japan and the Lew Chew and Bonin Islands, to take a 
 house at Macao, for facilitating his own business, and for the accommodation of the surveying 
 officers and artists of the expedition to bring up their work. A hospital was also established in 
 the town under the superintendence of the fleet surgeon. The Commodore found the station he 
 selected much more advantageous than it would have been on board cither of the ships, or at 
 Canton or Hong Kong ; as Macao was an intermediate, or rather central point between those 
 two places and Cum-sing-moon, and where, with mails arriving and departing daily, and 
 steamers and dispatch boats almost hourly, he was enabled to hold communication with them all. 
 
 The hospital soon had a good number of inmates sent from the diifcrent ships. Scarcely an 
 officer or man escaped an attack of fever of more or less severity, and some few deaths occurred, 
 among which were those of Lieutenant Adams, of tlic Powhatan, and tlie master of tlic band 
 belonging to the steamer Mississippi. The Commodore himself, worn out by duties which were
 
 HEALTUINESS OP CANTON. 289 
 
 more than iisiially heavy, in consequence of the supervision of the lahors in connexion Tvith the 
 accnmuhited results of the expedition, and large correspondence that became necessary from the 
 appreliensions of the danger entertained by the American merchants as likely to result from the 
 disturbed state of China, was finally prostrated and suffered from an attack of illness. Notwith- 
 standing, however, the work of the expedition was not allowed any remission. The surveying 
 oflScers continued their hydrographical labors and succeeded in preparing fair copies of the 
 charts which had been constructed during the late cruise. The artists and draughtsmen were 
 constantly engaged in making and completing their sketches and drawings, of which more than 
 two hundred were finished. The several apparatus of the magnetic telegraph, the Daguerre- 
 otype, and the Talbotype were arranged and put in full operation. 
 
 Macao had always hitherto been considered a remarkably salubrious place, and chosen as the 
 usual summer resort of families from Canton and Hong Kong ; but the epidemic which prevailed 
 in 1853 proved that it was not always to be exempt from those destructive visitations of disease 
 to which the cities and towns of the east are so much exposed. During the time that so much 
 sickness prevailed at Macao, Canton was comparatively exempt. In fact, this latter city is 
 looked upon, and justly so, as a healthful place when compared with otlier cities in the neighbor- 
 hood ; and this seems more remarkable when it is considered that the inhabitants are constanly 
 breathing the miasmatic atmosphere arising from the luxuriant and marshy fields of rice and 
 other grains which surround Canton. Many parts of the town itself, in fact, are periodically 
 overflowed by the rising of the river, which makes the circumstance of its comparative 
 healthfulness still more extraordinary. While there was so miich sickness at Macao, the public 
 garden of the Factories at Canton was covered with water which approached to the very doors 
 of the merchants, and this too at a season when, in all inter-tropical latitudes, local fevers are 
 to be expected. And notwithstanding all these exciting causes of disease, the officers and crew 
 of the Supply, at anchor off the city, and within the direct influence of them, remained 
 perfectly healthy, while those on board the other ships suffered more or less from the prevailing 
 epidemic. 
 
 Various speculations have been advanced to account for the singular exemption of the 
 inhabitants of Canton from the effects of malaria. Some have ascribed it to the vast amount 
 of smoke produced by the burning of wood for domestic purposes, while others have attributed 
 it to the abstemiousness of the people. These reasons seem, however, insufficient to account 
 for it ; for if smoke only be effective to dispel the ill influences of malaria. New Orleans should 
 be free from them, for more fuel is certainly burned there than at Canton. As for the 
 abstemiousness of the people, which certainly exists, but from necessity, not choice, it is hardly 
 reasonable to suppose that that would counteract the other habits of their lives, which certainly 
 would appear to be highly unfavorable to healtli. If narrow, filthy streets, ill-ventilated and 
 crowded hou.ses, and unclcanliness of person, can produce disease, then it would appear that the 
 people of Canton should be sorely afflicted. But yet all these predisposing causes seem to have 
 DO effect either upon the myriads who live and die in crowded boats upon the river, or upon 
 those who throng the land, and years pass away without any serious epidemic. 
 
 In regard to the abstemiousness of the Chinese, this, as has been remarked, is altogether a 
 virtue of necessity, as they seem to be fond enough of flesh and of all sorts of food, however 
 gross, when they can get it. They are certainly the most inordinate feeders in tlie world, when 
 37 J
 
 290 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 supplied with tlic material necessary for tlie exercise of their gastronomical propensities. The 
 poorer classes are accustomed to the use of hoiled rice only, mixed with small proportions of 
 dried fish, and occasionally with some simple condiments, and they consume enormous quan- 
 tities of this food, if they have the means of procuring it. Dogs and cats, which are carried 
 about the streets for sale, must he considered delicacies ahove the reach of the poorer classes, 
 judging from the prices demanded for them. Eats, mice, and other vermin, are also eagerly 
 sought after, and arc made up into various savory dishes. To the families belonging to the fast 
 boats attached to the ship a good fat rat was one of the most acceptable of presents, which they 
 cooked and served up with their rice, making a dish very much like the French one of Poulet- 
 au-riz in appearance ; but as for the taste, that question must be referred to Chinese authorities, 
 as no American or European has yet been found, it is believed, to test it by actual experiment. 
 
 Those Chinese emjiloyed in the ships of the squadron have always found the navy ration 
 insufficient to satisfy their gluttony, notwithstanding that of the United States vessels is far 
 more abundant and of better quality than the ration of the navy of any other country. A mess 
 of ten American seamen usually stop each two rations, for which they receive the commutation 
 in money. The Chinese, however, although the most sordid of beings, not only devoured the 
 entire ration served out to them, but went about the decks collecting what they could pick up 
 from the leavings of the messes, and invariably beset the ship's cooks for the scrapings of the 
 coppers. 
 
 The Chinese servants emjiloyed in the Commodore's cabin ate, in miscellaneoiis food, including 
 rice, bread, beef, pork, and the leavings of tlie table, three times as much as the other 
 attendants. In fact, the enormoi:s quantities of rice they consumed, with whatever else they 
 could seize upon, is almost incredible. As for sugar and other sweets, there would have been 
 no end to their pilfering, if they had not been carefidly watched by the steward. This gross 
 feeding exhibited its efiects upon the Chinese servants, as it does upon dumb animals, for they 
 soon became fat and lazy. 
 
 Most of the Chinese servants employed in the European and American families settled in China 
 engage to find their own food. Their wages vary from four to six and seven dollars per month ; 
 the cooks, however, receive from seven to ten. All articles for household consumption, in the 
 foreign establishments, are procured through the agency of a person called a comprador, who 
 hires the servants, pays them their wages, and becomes security for their honesty ; he keeps a 
 regular account of the domestic expenditiire, and settles with his employers at established 
 periodical seasons. In the large mercantile establishments the profits of these compradors are 
 very considerable. However ample a dinner may have been furnished, it would be difticult to 
 secure at some of the residences, where little attention is paid to the economy of the household 
 by the proprietors themselves, anything for a late guest arriving half an hour after the meats 
 had been served. Scarcely are the dishes taken from the dining room, before they are on their 
 way to the neighboring eating houses, there to be rehashed into stews, and sold to the middle 
 classes. In the hongs of the merchants, who are called upon, as a part of their business, to 
 keep up abundant tables, great waste must necessarily take place, but as the expenditure goes 
 to the profit and loss of the concern, it is of little consequence. The missionaries and others, of 
 small means, are necessarily hard put to it to make both ends meet. 
 
 In the houses of the foreign merchants, where there happen to be no ladies, female servants
 
 CHINESE SERVANTS. 
 
 291 
 
 are unknown ; and wliat would appear to be repugnant to our own sense of delicacy, there are 
 even some English and American families without female domestics, although ladies form part 
 of the household. The reason assigned is the difficulty of olitaiuiug trusty maid servants. 
 
 Chinese Girl, Showing Female Head Dress. 
 
 It was, however, observed, that in all the families containing children, either maid servants 
 or women of Macao, called Amahs or Ayahs, were employed. 
 
 The wages of the latter at Macao are four dollars a month, but if taken to Canton or Hong 
 Kong they demand additional comi^ensation. Many of the women speak a little of the lingua 
 called Chinese English, or in the cant phrase, pigeon, which sounds very ludicrous to those first 
 hearing it, but one soon finds liimsclf drawn necessarily into this manner of making himself 
 understood. The Macao women possessing this elegant accomplishment demand higher wages. 
 
 There is certainly some excuse for employing male attendants about the bed chamber and 
 dressing rooms, when it is known that the Chinese lords of creation are the only tailors, dress- 
 makers, washers, ironers and doers up of fine linen. In Canton, however, there are some women 
 hired by the tailors to do plain sewing, for which they receive nearly as little as our needle 
 workers, and those poor creatures in Great Britain, over whose misery and living death Hood 
 sang his dirge. Their pay is from five to seven cents a day. The male tailors are somewhat 
 better paid, and will go to any house and work for twelve hours at the rate of twenty-five cents 
 a day, they finding their own food, or, as they call it, their "cliow-chow." It is not uncommon 
 to see a dirty small-footed female sitting at some corner in the street, with a supply of sewing 
 materials and a few rags, ready to stitch up a rent or put a patch ii])<in tlie garments of any passer
 
 292 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 by who may want her serviees. Toward night she may he seen hohhling home, with her stock in 
 trade, on her disgusting stumps, of wliich she is seemingly very proud. 
 
 All the Chinese women, in fact, pride themselves very much on their goat-like hoofs, and have 
 the greatest possible contempt for a natural foot. Little girls are said to importune their mothers 
 with tears in their eyes to compress their feet, as promising them a higher position in society, 
 although females of the lower orders are frequently observed with the aristocratic hoof, but these 
 are those who have, possibly, seen better days. It is difficult for strangers to get a sight of these 
 sino-ular deformities, as the Chinese women manifest the greatest reluctance to show them; but 
 Dr. Parker prevailed upon a girl of thirteen, who was a patient in his hospital, to unbandage in 
 the presence of her mother, in order to satisfy the curiosity of the Commodore, who had quite 
 enough in one glance of that .shapeless stump, whicli appeared more like a specimen of bad surgery, 
 such as Dr. Parker would have been doubtless ashamed of, than, as the Chinese considered it, 
 an elegance of fashion. 
 
 These horrid hoofs are very carefully looked after by the Chinese women, and are swathed in 
 gay bandages of all colors, and shod with a high heeled shoe, richly worked and adorned. 
 
 A fashionable ladies' dressmaker in China, where all these indispensible servitors of fashion aro 
 males, is always greatly in demand among the foreign ladies, and it is as necessary to bespeak 
 his services in time at Canton and Macao as it is those of a Miss Lawson in New York. 
 These man-milliners generally require what they call a muster, or pattern, which they, 
 with the usual Chinese imitative skill, reproduce exactly, whether of London, Paris or New 
 York fashion, and adapt it to any form or size. It was by no means an agreeable sight, on 
 passing one of the dark and dirty tailor shops at Macao, to behold the greasy and half naked 
 Chinaman, late at night, busily plying his dirty fingers about a splendid female dress, destined 
 to drape the graceful form of some beautiful woman at the coming ball or dinner party. These 
 male dressmakers are held in such estimation by those resident in China, that some few European 
 and American ladies have been known, on leaving the country, to carry away a China man- 
 milliner with them. 
 
 The ordinary compensation for all operatives in Canton, who find their food, varies from twelve 
 to twenty cents a day. Farm hands, when fed, receive six cents for twelve hours work, being 
 at the rate of a farthing an hour. The day laborers, chair bearers, and porters, if not hired by 
 the job, are paid from twenty to twenty-five cents. Boatmen's wages are from one and a half to 
 two and a quarter dollars per month, when found, which latter condition generally includes 
 food, not only for themselves, but for their wives and children, who live with them in the boat. 
 
 Porters, and those of other crafts in Canton, form themselves into guilds, and appoint leaders, 
 or headmen, who contract for labor of various sorts. This system of organization is not 
 confined to those who work, but extends to those who beg. The beggars, like the gipsies, have 
 their kings, who assign to their ragged subjects their particular ofiices of vagabondage and their 
 respective fields of operation ; and what is singular, the laws of China secure to these rogues 
 certain rights and privileges. These laws give to them the right of approaching and knocking 
 at the door of any domicile, or to enter the shops, and there to strike together a couple of sticks 
 similar to those used by the watchmen emj)loyed by families to guard their premises against 
 thieves ; these sticks produce a disagreeable sound, and, however long the beggars keep uj) this 
 annoyance, they cannot be legally ejected until they are paid the usual gratuity, which is the 
 smallest coin in use, termed a ca.sh, and which in value is about the twelfth of a cent; when
 
 BEGGARS. — CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS. 
 
 293 
 
 Biipplied with this the heggar takes his departure, and repeats the stick striking nuisance next 
 door, and so on until he has completed his daily circuit. 
 
 Chinese Beggar — Macao. 
 
 It is said that one hundred of these mendicants are assigned by their king to Old China 
 street alone, which is altogether occupied by wealthy shop keepers. Some of these commute 
 with the beggars, by paying them a round sum for exemption from the annoyance of tliose noisy 
 visitors ; others refuse to do this, and hold out as long as their patience will allow, with a view 
 of wasting the time of the suppliant, who, having a right to visit all the shops, desires to make 
 the greatest number of calls possible in the course of the day, and thus be able to pay into the 
 general treasury at night the largest amount of cash. The organized beggars have their own 
 benevolent institutions, where provision is made for the sick and needy and the old and infirm. 
 The number of these well disciplined gentry can hardly be estimated by a stranger, but it is
 
 294 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 undoubtedly very large, if we may judge from the crowds which infest those parts of the city of 
 Canton accessible to foreigners. 
 
 Each city has its own laws with respect to mendicants, and its own charitable institutions. 
 In Canton there are four principal benevolent establishments : one for widows, another for 
 foundlings, a third for furnishing coffins for the dead relations of indigent families, and the 
 fourth for " loafers." They are all, however, so badly managed, that they answer very 
 indifierently the purpose intended, for it happens very generally in China, as is too often the 
 case in Christianized countries, that those who have the control of these institutions contrive to 
 embezzle the revenues, and thus make themselves rich by taking care of the poor. Whether 
 thieving is one of the recognized functions of these beggars or not, is not known ; but it is 
 quite clear that they can and do turn their hand with great skill to occasional small pilfering, 
 in which they show themselves as great adepts as the most accomplished pickpockets in any part 
 of the world. 
 
 The Americans, during the detention of the squadron on the coast of China, had occasion to 
 become practically acquainted with the mode of carrying on business on the part of the lower 
 or laboring classes. Among these, the boatmen and boatwomen were those with whom there 
 was, of course, the most frequent relations. The men-of-war, as in fact do most of the 
 merchant vessels, employ what is called a fast boat, which is always in charge of a skipper. 
 This man's family, if he have one, which is almost universally the case, lives with him in his 
 boat, and assists in rowing, steering, managing the sails, and in otherwise conducting the craft. 
 The children are born and grow up in the boat, rarely leaving her, and, in proportion to their 
 number and strength, contribute to the profit of their father, who happens to be the proprietor. 
 The females lend a hand as readily as the males, and both sexes are seen laboring alike. A 
 skipper who has the misfortune to be childless, has to employ six or eight laborers to assist him 
 in the management of his fast boat ; while he who has been blessed with a numerous progeny 
 can dispense with these expensive assistants. Forty dollars a month is the ordinary rate paid 
 by ships for the hire of one of these boats. 
 
 There are various other descriptions of boatmen and boatwomen plying their curious craft in 
 the Canton river ; there are those who manage the flower boats, the hon(j boats, the pull-away 
 boats, the numerous fishing boats, and the Tanka boats. The latter, and their picturesquely 
 costumed female tenders, have been already described somewhat in a previous chapter ; but it 
 may not be uninteresting to give some additional details in regard to them. They are used as 
 passenger boats to carry peoisle backwards and forwards from the laud to the shipping in the 
 harbor. In construction they are short, but broad in beam. In the centre there is a canopy of 
 matting under which the passengers sit or recline. The crew generally consists of two women, 
 who are often quite young, and who are generally joint proprietors, and a little female apjuen- 
 tice of twelve or thirteen years of age. One of the elder girls sculls and steers the Tanka boat, 
 the other sits in the bow and rows, while the chief function of the youthful apprentice is to 
 collect the fare, see to the comfort of the passengers, and make herself generally useful. 
 
 These girls rarely leave their boats except to purchase their simple food of rice, dried fish, 
 and leeks, which they cook on board, except in very boisterous weather, when it becomes 
 necessary to haul their craft on shore. On the latter occasion they are always ready to lend 
 each other a hand, and getting their boats high and dry on tlie land, and snugly protected, 
 they form quite a group on tlie sliore, like a flock of amjjhibious niurine birds, and avail them-
 
 LABORING CLASSES. — DOMESTIC SERVANTS. 
 
 295 
 
 selves of the opportunity to gossip and visit each other, which they do on board of their 
 stranded barks. 
 
 In regard to the lower or laboring classes of Cliina, of whom the Commodore had an oppor- 
 tunity of forming some judgment, as he was brought in contact witli thom from the necessity of 
 availing himself of their services, he was agreeably disappointed, as he found them, practically, 
 not so bad after all. It is true honesty is only a conventional virtue with the Chinese; but it 
 can be obtained for money, like anything else among that nation of shopkeepers; and if a 
 Chinese laborer stipulates to be honest for a consideration, he may, in ordinary cases, be 
 depended upon, especially if he furnishes security for the fulfilment of his contract. If, how- 
 ever, honesty has not been made expressly a part of the bargain, a Chinaman thinks he retains 
 the right of lying, cheating, and thieving, to the full extent of his opportunity and the utmost 
 bent of his inclinations. In engaging servants, it is customary to require of them to produce 
 securities who will hold themselves accountable for their honesty and good conduct. Without 
 an endorsement, no foreign merchant would think of taking a Chinese domestic into his house- 
 hold any more than he would receive across the desk of his counting-room an equivocal note 
 without the secui-ity of a good house or name. 
 
 Chinese Fruit Seller — Macao. 
 
 It is difficult to form any just estimate of the higher classes in Cliina without an opportunity, 
 wliicli few can possess, of mixing in intimate social intercourse with tliem. Tlie foreign 
 merchants, whose relations with the country are entirely commerciiil, have but little occasion of 
 knowing any others tlian those engaged in trade. Tlie missionaries have an opportunity, 
 undoubtedly, of extending their observations over a wider range, but their experience is 
 generally confined to the outskirts of society. 
 
 There wa* no very complete account of the social habits and characteristics of the Chinese
 
 296 
 
 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 people until the publication of Pere Hue's book of travels, -which contains certainly the best 
 account extant of the inner life of China. What is seen by a casual visitor of Chinese society is 
 not calculated to impress him very favorably. The position of women is such as to destroy all 
 the best features of domestic life. Polygamy being allowed by the laws of China, as well as 
 concubinage, women are naturally considered as mere household slaves to gratify the passions 
 and do menial service at the will of their lords and masters. The men do not treat females as 
 equals, and seemingly avoid their society as much as possible, for they are passing their leisure 
 hours at the tea and opium houses, while the women are kept at home in a state of domestic 
 slavery. As among the negroes on the western coast of Africa, the wealth of a king or chief is 
 estimated by the stock of wives he has been enabled to purchase, with all the cocoa-nut oil, gold 
 
 Dress of Chinese Lady of Rank. 
 
 dust, and elephant's tusks he can muster, so in Cliina, the number of damsels who can be bought 
 to call a man husband, make up the estimate of his wealth and swell his importance. The very 
 wealthy and aristocratic are the exclusive few, however, in China, who can afford the luxury of 
 a multiplicity of wives.
 
 DECADBNCK OF MACAO. 
 
 297 
 
 The Commodore's residence at Macao gave liim an opiiortuuity of extending his observations 
 of that place, beyond what had been offered by liis previous casual visit. 
 
 Macao, once so famed for its extensive and profitable commerce and for its wealth, is now entirely 
 divested of them, and seems to be sustained only by a small coasting trade, the expenditures of 
 a limited garrison, and those of the families of the English and American merchants who make 
 it a summer resort, and, having abundance of money, freely disburse it. The Portuguese 
 jurisdiction is confined within very narrow limits. The Chinese settlements seem to bo fast 
 absorbing the whole place ; in tact, the larger portion of the population of the town is already 
 composed of China men and women, who perform most of the menial duties in the domestic 
 establishments, both of the Portuguese and of other foreigners. 
 
 
 ^.'tK^^'^-^^"^" 
 
 Ohinctte llarbur — Macao. 
 
 Tlie Cliinese arc also tlic 8hoi)kecpers, the mechanics, and the market people. Wliat the 
 native Portuguese have to do it would bedilFicult toconjcclurc. They are, with some exceptions 
 •38 J
 
 298 
 
 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 of ■wealthy merchants, mostly very poor anil too proud to work ; tliere are some few, however, 
 who are employed as clerks in the various foreign mercantile houses, while the greater portion 
 spend their time in idleness, living upon the remnants of the once princely fortunes of their 
 ancestors, and still occui)y, in heggarly poverty, the stately mansions erected in the olden time 
 of Macao's splendid prosperity. 
 
 There is still a show of military possession on the part of the Portuguese, who hold the 
 surrounding hills, covering the city with fortified works, constructed after the fashion of the 
 seventeenth century. These seem quite sufficient to keep the Chinese in due awe, wlio, if 
 they had the least energy, could easily dislodge the Portuguese, for whom they have no great 
 affection, and might drive them altogether from the country. The Portuguese garrison consists 
 of ahout two hundred regular soldiers and as many local militia, all of whom are under excellent 
 discipline, and hetter dressed and more orderly men are seldom seen. 
 
 It will he, perhaps, recollected that the English East India Company, hefore the aholition of 
 its charter, made Macao a sort of entrepot for its China trade, and some of the finest residences 
 were erected hy that muuificeut corporation, or hy the ostentatious Portuguese in their days of 
 wealth and prosperity. One of these magnificent dwellings, with a garden of more than an 
 acre in extent, tastefully laid out, and still kept in order at considerable cost, could he hired, at 
 
 ., ,, ^^^^^Ji,^ .,.'^^.„-< 
 
 I^Vm nn 
 
 
 ■ J 
 
 I'roteslanl tiravc Vurd — M.tcuo. 
 
 the time of the Commodore's visit, for the small sum of five Imiidred dollars a year ; and this 
 jdace has the additional advantage of the romantic association witli the name of the ])oc't 
 Camoens, it having Wn his favorite resort, and tlie spot upon wliicli, as the reader has already
 
 NAVAL DEPOT AT IIONG KONG. 299 
 
 seen, a moiinmcnt to his memory lias licen erected. It was from Macao, in the days of ita 
 opulence, that many of the coniraercial expeditions of the Portuguese were dispatched to Japan; 
 and at Jlacao, too, the church of Rome liad one of its most powerful ecclesiastical estahlislnnents, 
 sustained hy the dread might of tlie inquisition, which, in former times, exercised in the east the 
 full force of its dark and cruel discipline. Now, however, the opulence and enterprise of its 
 merchants are gone, and the awful dominion of the haughty ecclesiastics and their bloody 
 tribunal has lapsed into the weak hands of a few impoverished priests, who meekly appeal to 
 the pity, and barely live upon the bounty, of the reduced Portuguese population. 
 
 Since the constriiction of vessels of greater draught than those of former times, few tliat visit 
 Macao can enter the inner harbor ; it, however, is sufficiently deep for those vessels engaged in 
 the coasting trade, sailing under the Portuguese flag, and called Lorchas, which arc a sort of 
 nondescript of curious rig and construction. Tlie Chinese junks are also enabled to enter the 
 inner port, as are occasionally a brig or schooner. The storeship Southampton, drawing 
 thirteen and a lialf feet, anchored inside. Tliirteen, and at high tides fourteen, feet can be 
 carried into tliis inner port, and about as much into a small harbor opposite the city, called the 
 Ti/pa. It was in the Tyjja that the Portuguese corvette, Don John the Second, was lying when 
 blown up, when the United States sloop-of-war Marion, being at anchor near by, rendered much 
 service. The Portuguese .ship is generally sujiposed to have been blown up purposely by the 
 gunner, who had been punLshed in the morning by the cajitain for neglecting some necessary 
 preparation to do honor to the day, which was some national anniversary. 
 
 Ships of war and large merchant vessels, resorting to Macao, anchor, as has been observed in 
 a previous chapter, in the road, at a distance of from three to five miles from the city ; this 
 makes the communication with the shore at all times inconvenient, and in blowing weather 
 altogether impracticable. This, together with other reasons, prompted the Commodore to 
 recommend tlie removal of the naval depot to Hong Kong. Commodore Perry, on this subject, 
 gave his views at length, in a communication to the Secretary of the Navy. He there stated 
 that, in consideration of the inconvenience and consequent delay, with the increased expense of 
 landing and shipping at Macao articles sent from the United States for the use of the squadron, 
 and especially the coal, that he at once saw the necessity of having a depot at Hong Kong, 
 which had been originally the naval station ; but as, at the time of the agitation of the Oregon 
 question, a rupture had been supposed to be imminent with Great Britain, it had been removed. 
 No such troubles now threatening, there could be no doubt that government property would 
 be safer at Hong Kong than at the badly defended town of Macao. Hong Kong has all the 
 advantages of anchorage, as vessels of the largest size can be moored in smooth water, within 
 seven hundred yards of the land, allowing of the conveyance of articles of all kinds, in all 
 weather, with great facility, from shore to ship, and ship to shore. The only objection to be 
 urged against Hong Kong was its iiulicaltlifulness ; but tliis did not apply to those afloat, who 
 were exempt from the evil effects of the injurious causes which prevailed on land. Hong Kong 
 has the additional advantage of being the market for all the various provisions which may be 
 required by a naval squadron, and lias conveniences for the refitment and rejiair of vessels. 
 Pending the action of the naval department, the Commodore made every necessary preliminary 
 arrangement, by obtaining depots for coal and otlier supjdies at Hong Kong, and then ordered 
 the coal vessels and storeshi[)S to discharge tlieir i'reiglit at that ])ort. 
 
 The Commodore found Macao an exceedingly agreeable place of residence, as the picturesque
 
 300 
 
 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 beauties of the country were full of interest, and the town, with its pleasant foreign society, 
 presented many attractions. During his stay there he made the acquaintance of many of the 
 residents, among whom were the tiimilies of several of the Canton merchants having summer 
 establishments at Macao, to which they arc accustomed to retire during the hot months, and 
 where they exercise the kindest and most liberal hospitality. Monsieur de Bourboulon, the 
 French minister to Canton, had a residence at Macao, and with his wife, an American lady, 
 whom he married while secretary of legation at Washington, contributed much toward 
 heightening the charms of social intercourse. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 View from Ruing of Jesuit Convent — Macao. 
 
 W.CKS. >^."V 
 
 The French commodore, Monsieur de Montravel, came with his squadron and anchored in 
 the outer road, and Commodore Perry had an opportunity of forming his acquaintance and of 
 interchanging with him, as well as with Monsieur de Bourboulon, and, indeed, with all the 
 principal residents of Macao, those acts of hospitality and kindness which are invariably allied 
 to a just appreciation of mutual courtesy. 
 
 With Governor Giumaraes, an officer of the Portuguese navy, whom the Commodore had mot 
 before on the coast of Africa, there were the most friendly and intimate relations, as well as 
 with Captain Loreiro, of the same service; and it is due to both these officers to acknowledge 
 their courteous deportment in tlie course of all the official transactions with them. Tlie utmost 
 good feeling prevailed in the intercourse with Sir George Bonham, the British superintendent of 
 affairs in China and governor of Hong Kong, and with the military and naval commanders-in- 
 chief, as well as with the mandarins of the countrv and the local authorities.
 
 HUMBLED CONDITION OF THE PORTUGUESE. 301 
 
 Two events occurred in 1849 at Macao, during tlic administration of tlic Portuguese Governor 
 Aniaral, an ofHcer of distinction and universally esteemed, which, although they were pnhlished 
 at the time of their occurrence in the Hong Kong newspapers, are still so strikingly illustrative 
 of the fallen fortunes and depressed national character of the Portuguese, that it may not he 
 amiss in this place to relate them. The first event alluded to, grew out of one of those acts of 
 folly which are sometimes exhihited hy the ill-regulated enthusiasm of fanatics in foreign 
 countries, where the religion happens to differ from their own. A young Englishman, attached 
 to a missionary school at Hong Kong, made a visit to Macao, and shortly after landing he 
 espied one of those religious processions so common in Eoman Catholic countries, in which what 
 is called the Host is conducted with great pomp through the principal streets, attended hy 
 numerous priests and others in full costume, with lighted candles, the swinging of censers, and 
 all the rich display of Komish eclcsiastical ceremony. 
 
 This young man on seeing, for the first time, perhaps, this singular exhibition of what 
 to him seemed nothing hut an insult to true Christianity, and making, probably, not sufficient 
 allowance for differences of opinion and religious belief, and for the sincerity, however mistaken, 
 of those of another faith than his own^ conceived the idea of showing his contempt for such 
 pageantry. He accordingly placed himself conspicuously in the way of the procession, and 
 refused to take off his hat when the Host passed. This act, if unwilling, from conscientious 
 motives, to perform, he might have easily avoided by turning away and passing down another 
 street. Many Protestants in Romish countries do so. The young man, however, did not act in 
 this very obvious and simple manner, by which he might have readily saved his conscience and 
 allowed others who diftered from him to act in accordance with their views. When the 
 Englishman was observed purposely standing in the way of the procession and covered, he was 
 mildly requested by the priests to take off his hat, or move away ; but so far from complying 
 with this request, the young enthusiast pressed his hat closer on his head and stood his ground 
 like a martyr. He was now warned by the armed police to uncover or to retire, but being still 
 obstinate, notwithstanding this summons, he was arrested and taken to the guard-house. 
 
 Here was now a catastrophe, one of her Majesty's subjects shut up in a Portuguese guard- 
 house. The indignation of Captain Keppel, commanding the British man-of-war Dido, then at 
 anchor in Macao roads, was greatly aroused, and a demand was immediately made upon Amaral, 
 the Portuguese governor, for an unconditional surrender of the Englishman. The governor 
 asked a short delay, for the purpose of consulting the ecclesiastical council. In the meantime, 
 a regatta of boats belonging to the United States ship Plymouth and the vessel commanded by 
 Captain Keppel, who had been appointed one of the judges, was to take place. Governor 
 Amaral and many of the garrison officers were also to be present on the occasion. The day 
 arrived, and Captain Keppel quietly withdrew himself from the place, and with a party of marines 
 and some volunteer officers left the outer roads, the scene of the regatta, pulled on shore, and 
 landed opposite the house of Mr. Patrick Stewart, and thence passing throiigh an unoccupied 
 house and garden, in order to avoid the main street, came suddenly upon the guard of the 
 garrison, and rushing upon the sentinel, rescued by force the Englishman, whose ill-timed 
 enthusiasm had brought about this military outrage. 
 
 The second incident, to which allusicm has been made, was one of equally surjirising character 
 and resulted in the death of the governor. It appears that Amaral was a man of great energv, 
 and ambitious of improving the town of Macao by opening carriage roads through and about its
 
 302 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 limited space. In tlie governor's attempts to effect tliese improvements, he -svas cliarged hj the 
 Chinese with desecrating their ancient hmial phices. He had received several ohscnrc hints to 
 the effect that his life was in danger, hut paid little or no attention to them. In accordance 
 ■with his usual practice, he was riding in the afternoon on the outskirts of the town, the common 
 resort of equestrians, accompanied by his aid-de-camp, Lieutenant Leite, also on horseback, 
 while a niunber of other horsemen were not far off, when, as he came to a part of the road 
 skirted by a few bushes, a Chinaman, or perhaps more, as the number was never exactly ascer- 
 tained, rushed upon him from behind them. The governor's bridle was snatched from his single 
 hand, (for he had only one arm, the other having been lost in battle,) and he himself was 
 dragged from his hor.se behind the ambuscade of bushes, his head cut off and his hand severed, 
 leaving nothing but his maimed and lifeless body for the startled view of the other horsemen 
 who rode up, and eagerly but in vain sought after the assassin. No traces were ever discovered 
 of the dastardly murderer or murderers, and the Portuguese council of Macao, in spite of the 
 strictest investigations, could never get any clue to the authors of the crime. The Chinese 
 authorities, however, it was suspected must have been acquainted with the persons of the villains, 
 as after repeated summons of the Portuguese council of Macao the severed head and liand of the 
 unfortunate governor were sent to the city. This murder occurred only two months after the 
 act of Captain Keppel, which had greatly chagrined the gallant Amaral. 
 
 The engineers having reported, towards the latter end of October, that the machinery of the 
 steamer Powhatan was in good working order, she was sent to take the place of the Susquehanna. 
 This latter vessel had previously relieved the Mississippi at Whampoa. Each steamer in turn 
 dispatched an officer of marines with a competent guard and one of the boat howitzers to remain 
 at Canton during her stay at Whampoa. The guard was stationed on board the Supply, then 
 lying off the town, while the officer was a guest at the house of some one or other of the 
 American merchants, that he might be in readiness in case of any disturbance at night. All 
 this time, however, there was not the slightest incident tliat could in any degree justifj' an 
 opinion that a revolt was seriously contemplated by the Chinese people, and up to the day of the 
 departure everything remained as quiet in Canton as at the moment of first sending vessels and 
 a guard to the city. Nor had there been any outbreak, at either of the consular cities, which 
 had in the least affected Americans or foreigners of whatever nation, during the presence of the 
 squadron on the Chinese coast. 
 
 However the Chinese may have quarrelled among themselves and cut each other's throats, not 
 a foreigner conducting himself properly had been in the least degree molested. Before leaving 
 the Chinese coast, Commodore Perry had succeeded in establishing the most cordial understand- 
 ing with the Canton merchants, and, in consideration of the necessity of withdrawing the 
 Supply from that city and the Powhatan from Whampoa, had determined, at the request of the 
 merchants, to assume the responsibility of hiring and arming a sniiill steamer for the protection 
 of the American residents during his absence. Conformably to this determination, the Com- 
 modore chartered a new and very suitable vessel, the steamboat Queen, for six months, at five 
 hundred dollars a month, with the privilege of extending the term of engagement at the same 
 rate of hire. To tliis steamer was assigned a sufficient armament, and the command was given 
 to Lieutenant Alfred Taylor, of the Mississiji])!, with such comi)lenicnt of officers, engineers, 
 sailors, and firemen, as could be spared from tlie sqxuxdron. The Commodore had the satisfac- 
 tion of receiving from the leading American merchants a communication, in which it was stated
 
 SUSPICIOUS MOVEMENTS OF RUSSIANS AND FUENCU. 303 
 
 that there seemed no immediate danger of an attack, and which contained an expression of 
 satisfaction at the provision made by the Commodore for tlie protection of their interests during 
 his absence. 
 
 About the close of November, the French commodore in the frigate Constantine, then lying at 
 Macao, suddenly put to sea under sealed orders. It was at the time well known, that in a day 
 or two he was to have departed for Shanghai with the French minister, Monsieur de Bourboulon, 
 and his wife, as passengers, but on tlic arrival of the mail from Europe he hurried away without 
 any one knowing in what direction. The Kussian admiral, Pontiatine, in the frigate Pallas, 
 and with three other vessels, was at this time at Shanghai, having just arrived from Nagasaki. 
 The Commodore, suspecting that the Kussians contemplated the design of returning to Japan 
 and of ultimately going to Yedo, wliich might seriously interfere with his operations, and sus- 
 pecting also that the same place was the destination of the French commodore, became very 
 anxious for the arrival of the storeship Lexington with some articles for presents on board. He 
 determined, therefore, rather than allow either the Kussians or the French to gain an advanta»ge 
 over him, to encounter all the inconveniences and exi^osure of a cruise to Japan in mid-winter. 
 Nor was he to be deterred from his purpose by the terrible accounts given by writers of the 
 storms, fogs, and other dangers to be met with on the inhospitable Japanese coasts during the 
 inclement season. 
 
 It had been originally the intention of the Commodore to wait until the spring had set in 
 before going to the north, but the suspicion of the movements of the French and Russians 
 induced him to alter his plans. The expected Lexington having fortunately arrived, after an 
 unusually long passage, she was ordered to Hong Kong, there ito land such part of her cargo as 
 would not be required for the Japan service, and to take on board, in place of what she might 
 discharge there, four hundred tons of coal. This being accomplished, the Commodore sailed 
 from Hong Kong in the Susquehanna, on the 14th of January, 1854, for Lew Chew, in company 
 with the Powhatan, Mississippi, and the storeships Lexington and Southampton, the two latter 
 being respectively in tow of the steamers ; the Macedonian and Supply having been a few days 
 before dispatched for Lew Chew, there to join the Vandalia. The Plymouth was at Shanghai, 
 and the Saratoga had orders to meet the sqiiadron at Lew Chew. 
 
 On the very day and at the precise hour of the Commodore's sailing, the steamer arrived with 
 the overland mail, bringing precise instructions from the Navy Department to detach one of the 
 steamers from the Japan expedition, and place her at the disposal of tlie Hon. Mr. McLane, 
 recently appointed commissioner to Cliina, and then soon exi>ected to arrive from the United 
 States. As these orders caused Commodore Perry great embarrassment, and would, if executed, 
 injuriously delay his plans and interfere with the success of his mission, he determined not to act 
 upon them immediately and thus weaken his force, but to wait until he had made a preliminary 
 demonstration in Yedo bay. 
 
 The Commodore was somewhat surprised to learn from Sir George Bonham, a few days prior 
 to his leaving Hong Kong, that his visit to tlic Bonin Islands had attracted the attention of the 
 British government. Sir George had called on board the Susquehanna to confer with the Com- 
 modore upon the subject, stating that he had been instructed by Lord Clarendon, then minister 
 of foreign affairs, to ask of him some explanations of his designs. The Commodore, in answer, 
 declared his willingness to communicate to Sir George Bonliam tlie information lie desired, and 
 accordingly gave him verbally to understand his objects, but at the same time suggested thart he
 
 30i EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 ■would prefer to have tlie purport of tlieir conversation put in writing. To this proposition Sir 
 George immediately assented, and the following day he wrote a letter recapitulating what ho had 
 already personally stated, to which the Commodore replied.* 
 
 • SopERiNTENDEjtcT OF Trade, Honc Kong, December 22, 1853. 
 Sir: With reference to my interview with your excellency, respecting your visit to the Bonin Islands, and to your proposal 
 that I should address you oflicially on tliis subject, 1 have now the honor to enclose, for your information, copy of a letter and 
 its enclosures from a Mr. Simpson, wherein it is stated that you have purchased ground from a resident there for a coal depot, 
 for the use of the government of tlic United States of America. 
 
 After our conversation yesterday your excellency will, I am sure, clearly understand that it is not my desire nor intention to 
 dispute your right, or tliat of any other person, to purchase land on the Bonin Islands ; but as it is generally understood that this 
 group was some time ago taken possession of in the name of tlie government of Great Britain, I thinli it desirable to acquaint 
 your excellency tlierettilh, in an official form, that you may, should you see fit, favor mo with an e.tplanatiou of the circum- 
 stances referred to by Mr. Simpson. 
 
 I have the honor to be, sir, your excellency's most obedient humble servant, 
 
 J. G. BONHAM. 
 His Excellency Commodore Perky, UniUd Slates navy, S,-c., 
 
 United States Steatnship Susquehanna. 
 
 Beaplet, Isverxesshire, October 1, IS53. 
 Mr Lord: I observe it stated in the public prints that the officer commanding the United States Japan expedition had 
 touched at the Bonin group — that he had made purchase from a resident there of land for a government coal depot. 
 
 Pennit me to call your lordship's attention to the fact that this group of islands, so advantageously situated for opening up 
 intercourse with Japan, really appertains to Great Britain. 
 
 Having had some connexion with it while acting temporarily for her Majesty's government in the South Seas, its importance 
 was impressed upon my mind; and I respectfully bring under your lordship's notice the particulars which will be found 
 narrated in the enclosure herewith. 
 
 I have, Sec, 
 
 ALEX. SIMPSON. 
 True copy: 
 
 H. N. LAY. 
 Lord Clarendon, S,-c., ({c., SiC. 
 
 Extract from a pamphlet published by the writer in 1S43. 
 THE BOXIN ISLANDS. 
 
 "WoAiioo, Sandwich Islands, December 27, 1842. 
 
 " This small but interesting, and, from its situation, valuable group of islands lies in latitude 27° north, longitude 146° east, 
 within five hundred miles distance from tlie city of Jedo, in Japan. 
 
 " It appertains to Great Britain, having been discovered by an English whaling vessel in 1825, and formally taken possession 
 of by Captain Beechey, of her Majesty's ship * Blossom,* in 1827. There were no aboriginal inhabitants found on the islands, 
 nor any trace that such had ever existed. 
 
 " Their aggregate extent docs not exceed two hundred and fifty square miles ; but their geographical position — so near Japan, 
 that mysterious empire, of which the trade will one day be of immense value — gives them a peculiar importance and interest. 
 The climate is excellent, the soil rich and productive, and there is an admirable harbor, well fitted for the port of a com- 
 mercial city. 
 
 " The first colonists of this eastern group were two men of the names of Millichamp and Mazarro, who, having expressed to 
 Mr. Charlton, the British consul at the Sandwich Islands, their wish to settle on some uninhabited island in the Pacific ocean, 
 were by him recommended to go to this group, of the discovery and taking possession of which he had been recently informed. 
 They sailed accordingly, in 1830, took with them some Sandwich Island natives as laborers, some live stock and seeds, and 
 landing at Port Lloyd, hoisted an English flag which had been given to them by Mr. Charlton. 
 
 " The little settlement has been visited by several whaling vessels since that period, and also by a ves.sel from the British 
 China squadron. Mr. Millichamp returned to England, and Mr. Mazarro, anxious to get additional settlers or laborers to join 
 the infant colony, the whole population of which only numbers about twenty, came to tho Sandwich Islands in the autanni of 
 1842 in an English whaling vessel. Ho described the little sctllumeiit us flourishing, stated that he hud hogs and goats in
 
 CORRESPONDENCE TOUCHING THE BONIN ISLANDS. 305 
 
 The followinp; are the copies of the letter of the Navj- Department and the Commodore's 
 answer, which hitter was necessarily hurried, as it was written and dispatched hy the pilot after 
 the squadron was fairly under way and standing out of port : 
 
 Secretary of the Navy to Commodore Perry. 
 
 Navy Department, October 28, 1853. 
 Sir: For some months past, the department indulged the hope of heing able to dispatch a 
 steamer to China, to be at the service of the commissioner representing our government, and to 
 aiford him facilities for accomplishing the great purposes of his mission, rendered much more 
 interesting and important by tlie startling revolutionary movements in that country. The 
 United States steamer Princeton was especially set apart for that purpose. But the steamers 
 
 abundance and a few cattle ; that he grew Indian corn and many vegetables, and had all kinds of tropical fruits ; that, in fact, 
 he could supply fresh provisions and vegetables to forty vessels annually. 
 
 " 5Ir. Mazarro, who, in virtue of his first arrival, receives the appellation of governor, finds the task of governing even this 
 little colony no easy matter. He applied to me for assistance in this task, and thankfully received the following document, 
 which I drew up for his assistance and moral support: 
 
 '"I hereby certify that Mr. Mattliew Mazarro was one of the origmal leaders of the e.xpedition fitted up from this port, 
 under the protection of Richard Charlton, esq., her Majesty's consul, to colonize the Boiiin Islands; and I would intimate to 
 the masters of all whaling vessels touching at that group, that the said Mazzaro is a sober and discreet man, and recommend 
 them to support him by all means in their power against the troublers of the peace of that distant settlement, recommending, 
 also, to the settlers to receive Mr. Mazarro as their head, until some officer directly appointed by her Britannic .Majesty is 
 placed over them.' 
 
 "ALE.X. SIMPSON, 
 " H. B. J\I. .deling Consul for the SandicicU Islands. 
 
 " God save the queen. 
 
 "A small body of enterprising emigrants would find this group a most admirable place for settlement. Its colonization, 
 indeed, I consider to be a national object." 
 
 True copy : H. N. LAY. 
 
 Us'iTED St.\tes Steam Frigate Sisqcehansa, 
 
 Hong- Kong, December 23, 1853. 
 
 Sir : Referring to the conversation which I yesterday had the honor of holding with your excellency, as also to your written 
 communication, with accompanying papers, this moment received, I beg to remark tliat the account given by .Mr. Simpson is 
 far from being correct. 
 
 That gentleman has omitted to name all the white persons who embarked in the enterprise to form a settlement upon Peel 
 Island. The names and places of birth of these men may be enumerated as follows : 
 
 Mateo Mazarro, the leader, a native of Genoa ; Nathaniel Savory, born in Massachusetts, United States ; Alden B. Chapin, 
 also a native of Massachusetts ; John Millechamp, a British subject, and Charles .Johnson, a Dane. 
 
 These five men, accompanied by about twenty-five or thirty natives of the Sandwich Islands, male and female, landed at Port 
 Lloyd in the summer of IS.'jO. Of the whites, Nathaniel Savory is the onlj- one remaining on the island. Mazarro, Chapin, 
 and Johnson, are dead, as I am informed ; and Millechamp is now residing at Guam, one of the Ladrone group. 
 
 It would, therefore, appear, that so far as the nationality of the settlers could apply to the question of sovereignty, the 
 Americans were as two to one, compared with the three others, who were subjects of ditlerent sovereigns. 
 
 Since the first occupation of the island, the early settlers have been occasionally joined by white persons landing from 
 whaling ships, some few of whom have remained ; and, at the time of my visit there were, I think, about eight whites in 
 the settlement. 
 
 These people, after my departure, met together and established a form of municipal government, electing Nathaniel Savory 
 their chief magistrate, and James Maitley and Thomas 11. Webb, counciimen. 
 
 With respect to any claim of sovereignty that may be founded upon the right of previous discovery, there is abundant evi- 
 dence to prove that these islands were known to navigators as early as the middle of the si.\teenlh century, and were visited by 
 the Japanese in 1675, who gave them the name of " Bune Sima." — (See enclosed extracLs ) 
 
 In 1623, three years before the visit of Captain Beechey, in H. M. ship "Blossom," the group was visited by a Captain 
 Coffin, in the American whaling ship "Transit."* 
 
 *1 hare ascertained the name of this vessel from a Captain Morris, commanding an American wlialtng gliip now in itils port. 
 
 Since the above was written, the Commodore has taltcn pains to procure evidence, on oath, that Coffin was born In the United States. As to the sliip 
 he has do further testimony than that stated above. 
 
 30 .1
 
 306 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 Princeton, San Jacinto, and Alleghany, have all proved miserable failures. This accounts, 
 therefore, for the delay of a previous order similar to this. 
 
 The President trusts that it may not seriously incommode your operations, in regard to 
 Japan, to co-oi^crate with our commissioner in the interesting undertaking to bring about free 
 intercourse with ^e government of China ; to form commercial treaties of vast benefit to the 
 American people, and introduce a new era in the history of trade and commerce. 
 
 The mission in which you are engaged has attracted much attention, and excited much 
 expectation. But the present seems to be a crisis in the history of China, and is considered by 
 many as throwing around China, at least, as much interest and attraction as Japan presents. 
 
 To have your name associated with the opening of commercial intercourse with Japan may 
 well excite your pride; but to be identified, also, with the great events that we trust may yet 
 transpire in connexion with China, may be well esteemed a privilege and an honor. 
 
 Hoping that it may not interfere seriously with your plan of operations, you will, on receipt 
 of this communication, immediately dispatch one of the war steamers of your squadron to 
 Macao, to meet the Hon. R. M. McLaue, our commissioner to China, to be subject to his control 
 until other orders reach you. Mr.€kIcLane will bear with him further instructions to you. In 
 the meantime, however, you will act as heretofore in the matter of your mission — only 
 dispatching the vessel as above mentioned. Mr. McLane will probably leave on the 19th 
 proximo. 
 
 Your very interesting dispatches of 25th June last have been received, and the department is 
 much gratified with your successful operations thus far, and indulges the hope, that in regard 
 to Japan and China there is in store for you much additional honor and fame. 
 
 I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, 
 
 J. C. DOBBIN. 
 
 Commodore M. C. Perry, 
 
 Commanding United States Squadron, East India and China Seas. 
 
 Thus it is plainly shown that the government of her Britannic Majesty cannot claim the sovereignty upon the ground of dis- 
 covery, and it only remains to determine how far this right may be derived from the ceremony performed by Captain Beechey. 
 
 Bui these are matters only to be discussed by our respective governments, and I refer to them now merely in explanation of 
 our conversation of yesterday. 
 
 With respect to my purchase of a piece of ground from Nathaniel Savory, though conceiving myself in no way bound to 
 explain such arrangement, 1 do not hesitate, in all due courtesy, to say, that the transaction was one of a strictly private 
 character. 
 
 In acquiring the fee of the land, I had not the slightest idea of personal profit, but made the purchase for a legitimate object, 
 and to withhold the only suitable position in the harlwr for a coal depot from the venality of unprincipled speculators, who 
 might otherwise have gained possession of it for purposes of extortion. 
 
 And now let me assure your excellency, that the course pursued by me has been influenced solely by a settled conviction of 
 the necessity of securing ports of refuge and supplies in the north Pacific for our whaling ships, and a line of mail steamers, 
 which sooner or later must be estahlisiied between California and China. 
 
 I have no special instructions from my government upon the subject, and am yet to learn whether my acts will be approved. 
 
 The recognized sovereignly of these islands would only entail an expense upon the power undertaking their occupancy and 
 protection, and whether they may ultimately fall under the American, the Knglish, or a local flag, would be a question of little 
 importance, so long as their ports were open to the hospitable reception of all nations seeking shelter and refreshment. 
 
 And I may venture further to remark, that it would seem to be the policy, as well of England as of the United States, to aid 
 in every possible way in the accomjjiislnnent of an arrangement that would fill up the remaining link of the great mail route 
 of the world, and thus furnish the means of establishing a semi-monthly communication around the entire globe. 
 
 With great respect, I have the honor to be, your most obedient servant, 
 
 M. C. PERRY, 
 Commander-in-Chief United States naval forces. East India, China, and Japan seas. 
 
 His Excellency Sir [. George Boniiam, Birt., 
 
 //. D. M. Chi^ Superintendent of Trade, Hong Kong.
 
 EMBARRASSMENT OF THE COMMODORE. 307 
 
 Commodore Pcrrij to (he Secretar)/ of the Xavy. 
 
 United States Steam Frigate Susquehanna, 
 
 Hong Kong, Janunry 14, 1855. 
 Sm: On the eve of getting under way for Japan, with all va\ arrangements made to leave in 
 an hour, and a large portion of my force actually gone, I am placed in possession of the letter 
 of the department of the 28th of Octoher, (which arrived by the mail of last night,) directing 
 me, under certain views of the government with respect to China, to detach one of the steamers 
 of my command, to be placed at the disposal of Mr. R. M. McLane, recently appointed 
 Commissioner to China. 
 
 Such an arrangement, at this moment, would be seriously inconvenient and highly injurious 
 to my plans, the execution of which has already commenced; indeed, it could not be done at 
 this time without deranging the operations of the squadron — so intimately are the steamers 
 connected with each other ; and I feel assured that, if the department could be made acquainted 
 with the true state of things, and the importance of my carrying the three steamers with me 
 to Japan, as it now knows of the events of my former visit to that Empire, it would at once 
 revoke the order; but, as it is my duty to obey, though it cannot be done at this moment 
 without serious consequences to the success of my mission, I will detach one of the steamers 
 from the Bay of Yedo, and send her to Macao, where only she can be of use in contributing to 
 the convenience of the commissioner, as her great draught of water will render it impossible 
 to ascend, for any useful purpose, the rivers in China. 
 
 My various letters to the department will, I think, demonstrate the correctness of this 
 assertion. However, I have no alternative, though I cannot but express the deep dis- 
 appointment and mortification to which I am subjected. 
 
 Although Mr. McLane may not find a steamer waiting for him at Macao when he arrives, I 
 will order her to the coast of China the moment I can do so consistently with the public 
 interests. 
 
 I am sure the department will not object to the exercise of this discretion — no possible 
 inconvenience can arise from the delay. Mr. IMcLane may probably be detained some time in 
 Europe, and the steamer may be back in time to meet him, and before he will be prepared 
 to act. 
 
 I must confess that this order has dampened my hopes very much, but I will do the 
 best I can. 
 
 I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, 
 
 M. C. PERRY, 
 Commander-in-chief of United States Naval Forces 
 
 in the East India, China, and Japan Seas. 
 
 Hon. James C. Dobbin, 
 
 Secretary of the Navy, Washington. 
 
 The English mail steamer, which had arrived just before the departure of the squadron, had 
 brought the cases and packages expected from Paris, containing presents for the Japanese, 
 but too late to be taken on board any of the ships. They were therefore passed over to the care
 
 30S 
 
 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 of some commercial friends at Canton, who were requested to send them to Shanghai hy her 
 Majesty's steamer the Eattler, to sail for that place two days after the Commodore's departure, 
 and on hoard of which they were to he received hy the. polite permission of Admiral Pellew. 
 They were to be shipped then in the Saratoga, wliich would carry them to Lew Chew, where 
 they were duly received in time for the second expedition to Japan. 
 
 Tlie squadron having set sail from Hong Kong, the course was directed through Lymoon 
 passage. It was thought desirable to get well to the northward before striking over for the 
 south end of Formosa. The northeasterly current, which is constantly setting with great 
 rapidity round the south end of this island, and with decreased velocity along its eastern coast, 
 was especially noticed during the voyage, and careful observations, the results of which 
 will be given in a future chapter, were made upon its force, direction, and other characteristics, 
 which resemble remarkably those of the Gulf stream on our own coast. The monsoon fortu- 
 nately not having been very strong, a very favorable passage was made, with the two store ships 
 in tow, as far as the northeastern point of Formosa, when they were cast off, with orders to 
 follow the steamers to Kapha, where the latter arrived on the 20th of Janiiary, and the former 
 on the twenty-fourth of the same month. Here were found the Macedonian, Vandalia, and 
 Supply. The Saratoga, however, had not yet made her appearance. 
 
 View on the Pack-slian Uiyer.
 
 INCREASED CORDIALITY OF THE LEW CUE WANS, 
 
 309 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 IKCREASED CORDIALITY AVC FRIEST3LY ISTERCOrRSE OS THE PART OF THE LEW CHEWAXS. SECOND VISIT OF THE COMMODORE TO 
 
 THE PALACE AT SHCI. ENTERTAINMENT BY THE REGENT. NO METALLIC COIN OF LEW CHEW TO BE OBTAINED. REV. MR. 
 
 JONEs' SECOND EXPLORATION IN SEARCH OF COAL. FINDS IT AT SHAH BAY. THE MINERAL NOT VALCED BY THE NATIVES. 
 
 ADDITIONAL GEOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS IN LEW CHEW. REMARKABLE SALUBRITY OF THE ISLAND. TENURE OF LANDS. 
 
 AGRICULTURE. RICE, POTATOES, SUGAR, COTTON, WHEAT, BARLEY, MILLET, SAGO, BEANS, PEAS, TOBACCO, EDIBLE ROOTS, 
 
 FRUITS, TREES, FLOWERS, ETC. SUGAR MILLS. GRAIN MILLS ANT) GRANARIES. POPULATION. ETHNOLOGY. COSTUME. 
 
 POLITENESS OF MANNER. GENERAL INTELLIGENCE. ARCHITECTURE. RUDE ATTEMPTS IN PAINTING AND SCULPTURE. 
 
 AMUSEMENTS. — GOVERNMENT. — RELIGION. — FUNERAL RITES. — JAPANESE SPIES IN LEW CHEW. DEPARTURE FOR THE BAY 
 
 OF YEDO. 
 
 IS MOXTHS liad paf?sed since tlie Commodore's last 
 departure from Lew Chew, and now, on his fourth 
 visit to that interesting ishind, he observed a very 
 marked change in the conduct of the Lew Chewans 
 towards the Americans. The axithorities readil}' ftir- 
 nished whatever was required, and received a due price 
 for it, seemingly as a matter of course, while the people 
 bad evidently thrown off somewhat of their reserve, 
 [d were more disposed to a friendly intercourse. The 
 lien in the street grew quite familiar with the sight of 
 the strangers, and did not avoid them, while the 
 "^^ women, even, no longer fled from the market ])laces, 
 ^ but remained in charge of their stalls, aj^parently 
 unmindful of the foreign intruders. 
 The Commodore, soon after his arrival, gave notice to the regent that it was his intention 
 before leaving Xapha to visit the palace of Shui for the second time, thinking it not amiss, as 
 the Lew Chewans seemed to be gradually yielding to American intercourse, to weaken by 
 repetition the very strong opposition at first evinced to opening the gates of the royal residence 
 to foreign visitors. The regent, however, still exhibited a very decided aversion to the 
 admission of the Commodore within the sacred walls of the palace, and in a courteous commu- 
 nication expressed a willingness to receive him, but a very strong preference for Naplia as the 
 place of reception. The Commodore, however, holding to his original intention, declared, in
 
 310 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 answer, ttat it would be far more respectful toward the empire of Lew Chew to go to the royal 
 palace, and added that he would expect that horses, kagos, and kago-bearers should be in 
 readiness to carry him and his attending party on the day proposed for the visit. 
 
 The regent was prepared to meet this demand with all the usual variety of objections, in 
 accordance with the crooked Lew Chewan policy, but they were answered by the Commodore's 
 repetition of his original resolve. 
 
 The regent accordingly put the best face possible on the matter, and made all the necessary 
 preparations ; and when the Commodore, on the 3d of February, carried his intentions into 
 execution he was received with all proper respect and the usual courtesies. He paid his first 
 visit, as on the previous occasion, to the palace, accompanied by a military guard and a suite of 
 officers, and was received with the same formal ceremonies. Immediately after, as on the former 
 visit, the party proceeded to the regent's house, where they found a handsome feast in prepara- 
 tion, to which the Americans, having now somewhat accustomed their palates to the Lew 
 Chewan cookery, succeeded in doing better justice than on the previous occasion. In the course 
 of the entertainment the Commodore informed the regent that he was desirous of obtaining for 
 the United States mint, in exchange for American coinage of equal value, all coins in use on 
 the island ; as it was well known that the imperial money of Japan was in circulation in Lew 
 Chew, although it had hitherto been carefully concealed. Both the regent and the pe-ching or 
 treasurer declared that there were no coins in the island, except a few in the possession of the 
 Japanese residents, who would not part with them. This declaration the Commodore was 
 inclined to believe to be, like most of their very positive assertions, false, and he therefore urged 
 upon them a compliance with his request, and left with them a certain number of American 
 coins, of about fifty dollars in value. The Commodore, at the same time, stated that he should 
 expect to receive a number of Japanese or Lew Chew coins in exchange before his departure. 
 The subject was then dropped ; but just on the eve of the squadron's sailing, a formal commu- 
 nication was received from the authorities in the name of Shang-Hyung-Hiun, superintendent 
 of afiTairs in the Middle Hill prefecture, in the kingdom of Lew Chew, high minister, and 
 Ma-Liang-tsai, treasurer, in which document it was stated, that on several occasions demands 
 had been made for an exchange of Japan coins for American, but that it was impossible to 
 comply. 
 
 The reasons given were that all the commercial transactions between Lew Chew and Japan 
 were carried on by the interchange of commodities, and not by the use of coin. That all the 
 gold and silver used by the Lew Chewans themselves for their hair pins were obtained from 
 China. That although every efl'ort had been made to obtain Japanese coins by careful investi- 
 gations among those in Lew Chew engaged in trade with Japan, it had been in vain, as the 
 Japanese strictly forbade by law the exportation of their money, and that none could accordingly 
 be brought into the island. With this document the authorities returned the American coin 
 that had been deposited with them, but as the Commodore refused to receive it, it was left in 
 their possession. 
 
 At the end of the regent's banquet each of the guests was presented, on leaving the hall, 
 with a red card, which was understood to entitle the holder, at Naplia, to refreshments and 
 other privileges. This was a curious practice, the object of which seemed to extend the 
 entertainment, and was a very creditable picture of Lew Chewan hospitality, as it appeared to 
 give it an indefinite duration.
 
 GEOLOGICAL B S E R V A T I O X S . — TENURE OF LANDS. 311 
 
 Exploring parties had been early dispatched to mate further investigations of the condition 
 and resources of the island. These investigations were directed chiefly to the examination of 
 the geological formation, the nature of the soil, and the mineralogical and agricultural resources 
 of Lew Chew. The officers selected for the various duties were Chaplain Jones and several of 
 the surgeons, whose studies and tastes were supposed to fit them especially for making those 
 observations, which had more or less a scientific bearing. 
 
 The chaplain concentrated his investigations upon the resources of the island in regard to 
 coal, and the result seemed to prove the interesting and important fact of the existence, at Shah 
 bay, of that combustible, a supply of whicli might be readily obtained by proper mining. The 
 natives do not seem conscious of the presence of this valuable mineral in their island ; they 
 remain, probably, totally unacquainted with its uses. 
 
 In the geological features of the island of Lew Chew, the first peculiarity that strikes the eye 
 are the great masses of coral rock abounding everywhere, even on the tops of the highest 
 mountains, four or five hundred feet above the level of the sea. The steep promontories 
 along the coast are generally compo.sed of gneiss, while in the interior some of the loftier 
 eminences show strata of slate. The base of the island is of the two combined, upon which the 
 coral zoophite has built its structures, which by some internal convulsion have been upheaved to 
 their present height. The soil on the surface is composed of the detritus of coral and decomposed 
 vegetable and animal remains. As the streams are free of lime, it is conjectured that their 
 springs take their origin from, and their currents flow through, those strata which are below the 
 coral formation. 
 
 The soil varies in accordance with the face of the country, being rich and fertile in the valleys 
 and plains, and comparatively poor upon the mountain tops and their acclivities. The climate 
 is generally favorable to culture, though droughts are said occasionally to occur, and the island 
 must sufi;er from the typhoons, being in the direct range of their ordinary occurrence. The 
 climate is undoubtedly highly favorable also to health, as may be inferred, not only from the 
 condition of the inhabitants but the topographical characteristics of the island. Tiie entire 
 absence of marshes, together with the pure air constantly wafted over the laud in the breezes 
 from the surrounding sea, must exempt it from all miasmatic disease. Although situated near 
 the tropics, the heat is so tempered by the sea winds and the elevation of the laud, that it is 
 never excessive. 
 
 All the land in Lew Chew is held by government and rented to large tenants, who, in their 
 turn, sub-let it to smaller ones, who are the direct cultivators of the soil. The system of 
 cultivation is rude and primitive, being performed by the hands of men and women, with 
 the occasional aid, however, of the horse and bull. A rude kind of plough, chiefly made of 
 wood but tipped with an iron point, and of the old Koman model, is used. They have harrows, 
 hoes, sickles, and axes, but all of simple and awkward construction. They have but small 
 supplies of iron and evidently employ it with a very strict regard to economy. 
 
 As rice is one of the chief products of Lew Chew and requires abundant supplies of water, a 
 very extensive system of irrigation is carried on. The ground is arranged in a series of terraces 
 which succeed each other, from the acclivities of the hills down to the bottoms of the valleys, 
 and the water of the neighboring streams is directed into them from the sides by means of 
 ditches and conduits. There are no dams, properly so called, but the irrigation is so graduated 
 by means of the terrace-like arrangement of the land that the supply of water is gradual, and
 
 31.2 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 never in such excess as to produce any of the ill efiects of flooding or surface washing. The land, 
 generally, is divided into small allotments appropriated to single individuals, so that the surface 
 of the country has rather the appearance of being divided into highly cultivated gardens than 
 overspread with fertile fields. In preparing the land for the cultivation of rice it is first 
 overflowed, and then the laborer, who goes to work knee deep into the mud and water, hoes it 
 into furrows. The plough is used subsequently for further loosening the soil, and is followed by 
 the application of the harrow. All this process is carried on while the land is overflowed, and 
 although this is considered by our agriculturists as the very worst kind of farming, it seems 
 very well adapted to Lew Che wan husbandry with its inferior implements. The rice is not 
 sown broad-cast over the fields, but first grown in plots and then transplanted by hand. The 
 water was observed always covering the fields, but it was not ascertained whether it was ever drawn 
 off, probably, however, not until the harvest, which takes place before the rice is "dead ripe." 
 "When this occurs the plants are cut, gathered into bundles, and then spread out to dry in the 
 air and sun. The product gives something like twenty bu.shels to the acre, and the head of the 
 grain is remarkably large and full, in consequence, probably, of the mode of growth by 
 transplantation. The rice fields probably yield two crops annually, with an alternation of a 
 supply of taro or sweet potatoes, both of which are extensively cultivated. Sugar cane, wheat, 
 cotton, barley in small quantities, tobacco, several varieties of millet, sago, beans, peanuts, 
 turnips, peas, radishes of very large size, some being three feet in length and twelve inches in 
 circumference, egg-plants, onions, and cucumbers, are all found growing in the island. Of 
 fruits there are the peach, the water melon, the banana, the wild raspberry, and the fig. Grass 
 is not cultivated, but some wild and coarse varieties are occasionally seen. It might be supposed 
 by the casual observer, from the beautiful asj^ect presented by the rich growth of the island, 
 that the variety of the vegetable kingdom is very great. Close investigation, however, proves 
 the reverse, for there is a remarkable sameness pervading nearly the whole country from north 
 to south. The flora in some respects presents a tropical appearance, but not so much so as 
 mio-ht be expected from the position of the island as compared with some others having a 
 hio-her latitude. The trees that are most abundant, are the pine and the banyan, (ficus indica,) 
 but as these are found growing in regular lines along the highways, forming beautiful avenues, 
 leading to the tombs and villages, it is reasonable to suppose that they have been planted. The 
 banyan is particularly abundant and is much used for hedges, being planted on the tops of the 
 coral walls which surround the houses, and pruned and cut into symmetrical forms. The 
 vegetable ivory tree, the ebony, the mulberry, several varieties of the palm, the orange, the 
 lemon, and the banana, are all found, but many of tiicni are evidently not indigenous. Of 
 flowers there is the camelia, which grows wild and bears a beautiful pink blossom, the dahlia, 
 the morning glory, the marsh mallow, the hibiscus, and some few others. 
 
 The bamboo, which grows abundantly, is of the greatest use to the inhabitants, supplying 
 them with food, with material for clothing and for building, and, when in its natural stateli- 
 ness of growth, with a beautiful shade for their hou.ses and villages. The ferns are exceedingly 
 fine upon the i.sland, and some of them are of the large and spreading tree variety. The agri- 
 culture of the island, though of the simplest character, as we have seen, yet seems to answer its 
 purpose admirably. Of the five hundred thousand acres, embraced by the whole area of Great 
 Lew Chew, one-eighth at least is under cultivation, producing, it is supposed, about two hundred 
 thousand bushels of rice, fifty thousand bushels of wheat, with the additional product of thirty-
 
 S U G A li MILLS. 
 
 313 
 
 five thousand acres of sweet potatoes, two thousand acres of sugar cane, and a considerable num- 
 ber of acres of beans, taro, and other hinds of grain and vogetabk-s. The implements of labor, 
 as has been observed, are rude in construction, but are handled with great skill and effect. The 
 agricultural machinery is simple in principle but generally effective. The sugar mills consist 
 of three cylinders of hard wood, supported in an upright position by means of a wooden frame. 
 The cylinders are about a foot in diameter, and are arranged in a row, with a mortice between 
 them to regulate the approach and their pressure upon the cane. The central one has a wooden 
 axle or shaft extending through the frame which supports it, to which is attached a curved lever 
 of fifteen feet in length, by which tlic mill is readily worked. This central cylinder has a row 
 of cogs of hard wood near its upper end, which play into mortices cut into each of the two other 
 cylinders. A single bull or horse is generally used to work the mill, and the animal moves in a 
 circuit of about thirty feet in diameter. The cane is placed first between the central and right 
 cylinders, and before its escape it is caught by the hand of the workman and, being twisted like 
 a rope, is thrust in between the central and left cylinders, by which it is completely crushed and 
 
 Sii^'ar Mill in Lew Cliew. 
 
 its juice expressed, which flows through gutters into a tub placed in a hole near by. Tlie juice 
 is then conveyed to neighboring houses, tcmjiorarily constructed for the purpose, and there boiled 
 in iron pans containing about eight or ten gallons. What use is made of all the sugar it is difiicult 
 to understand, as the common beverage, which is tea, is never sweetened. 
 40 J
 
 31-4 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 It proljably is kept as a delicacy for the palates of the higher classes, who delight in sweet- 
 meats and other confections of sugar, or sent as an export or tribute to Japan. In spite of an 
 abundant product, sugar is evidently a scarce article among the common people, for one of the 
 interpreters begged some from the Americans, as if he esteemed it a rare luxury. The refuse 
 cane, after being pressed, (baggass, as we call it,) is carefully dried and used as fuel. The Lew 
 Chewans have also mills for tlie grinding of grain. These are made of excellent millstones, 
 and are worked by hand. The flour, however, remains unbolted, but makes a good and sweet 
 bread. The granaries are marked objects in every village throughout the island. They are 
 generally constructed of either woven cane or wood, and in a square form, increasing in width 
 from their base, which is supported upon posts placed upon stones, to their tops, which is covered 
 with a rice straw thatch. They have the advantage of being well ventilated and protected from 
 vermin, of which, especially of rats, there is a great abundance. These granaries often contaiu 
 as much as five hundred bushels, and as they are grouped together in numbers, amounting some- 
 times to nearly a score, they are supposed to be the property of the government.* 
 
 The population of Great Lew Chew must amount to between one hundred and fifty and two 
 hundi'ed thousand, since there are two large cities, those of Napha and Shui, and some thirty- 
 six towns beside, with an average of about six thousand people each. The island seems to be 
 peopled by two distinct races, the Japanese and the Lew Chewan, properly so called. They both 
 have originally sprung, however, from the same stock. It has been supposed by some that the 
 Lew Chewan people are chiefly allied to the Tagallas, a race which is spread over the Phillipine, 
 Marian, and other Pacific islands, and which originally sprang from the Malays. There is, 
 however, no affinity between the Lew Chew, Malay, and Tagalla languages, nor are the relations 
 of their physical peculiarities such as to favor the opinion of a common origin. From the dis- 
 covery, during the exploration of the island, of some remains of ancient Hindoo worship, it was 
 surmised that the Lew Chewans might possibly have been originally a colony from southern 
 Asia. Whether these remains are the relics of a people living in Lew Chew previous to the 
 present races, or only the vestiges of a religion once held by one of the present existing races, 
 but now supplanted by the wide-spreading Buddhism, it is not easy to decide. Dr. Fahs, how- 
 ever, (to whom, together with his associate. Dr. Green, we are indebted for the principal facts 
 of this chapter,) inclines to the belief that the Hindoo idolatry was introduced directly by means 
 of priests coming from India as missionaries, or through the medium of the commercial inter- 
 course which has, in all ages, existed between eastern nations. 
 
 The Japanese and the Lew Chewans differ slightly from each other, the latter being more 
 effeminate and somewhat less intelligent, but this may be owing to their simple, retired life, 
 upon a remote island, where their wants are few, and nature is generous. They have, however, 
 such strong resemblances that it is almost impossible to resist the conviction of their sameness 
 of origin. They have both the same height, and very similar features. In both, the head is 
 oval, approaching in form that of the European, the frontal bones rounded, and the forehead 
 high, the face oval, and the general expression mild and amiable, the eyes large and animated, 
 though more so in the Japanese than in the Lew Chewans, the irides in both are dark brown or 
 black, the lashes long, and the eyebrows rather heavy and arched. 
 
 The long angular form of the internal canthus of the eye is seldom seen, either in the Japanese 
 
 • A detailed and highly interesting report on Low Chew agriculture, prepared by the fleet surgeon, Dr. Green, will be found 
 in Appendix, volume"!.
 
 LEW CUEW AND JAPANESE LANGUAGES. 
 
 315 
 
 or Lew Chewan. The nose in each is generally handsome, and well proportioned to the other 
 features ; the root of it is not depressed, as in the Chinese or Malay, and the nostrils are not so 
 widely dilated. The clieek bones are not very prominent, and consequently there is a want of 
 that squareness of face which is so remarkable in some eastern races. The mouth is rather 
 large, the teeth broad, very white and strong, and the chin neatly cut. One mark the Japanese 
 and Lew Chewans have in common to distinguish them from the Malay or Chinaman ; it is the 
 possession of a strong black beard, which both the latter are destitute of to any extent. In 
 other parts of the body the same conformity of organization exists in the Lew Chewan and 
 Japanese. 
 
 But it is not in mere physical conformity that we trace the same origin of both races. The 
 identity of the two races is proved by the more satisfactory testimony of affinity of language. 
 Dr. Fahs, while preparing his report upon the ethnology of Lew Chew, gave as much attention 
 as his opportunities afforded to the study of the language, and prepared the following vocabulary, 
 in which some Lew Chewan and Japanese words are placed side by side. It will be observed 
 there is such a similarity between the two, that no doubt can be entertained of the words being 
 the same, with only the difference which may be reasonably put down to peculiarity of dialect. 
 
 
 Lew Clieic. 
 
 Japanese. 
 
 
 Lew Chew. 
 
 Japanese. 
 
 Water, 
 
 Mizee, 
 
 Mi-dsoo. 
 
 i Rice, 
 
 Kumee, 
 
 Ko-me. 
 
 Tea, 
 
 Chaa, 
 
 Ts-ga. 
 
 1 
 
 j Sweet potato. 
 
 Karaemu, 
 
 Ka-ran-da-imo. 
 
 Sun, 
 
 Fee, 
 
 Fi. 
 
 Pan, 
 
 Nudee, 
 
 Ko-na-be. 
 
 Fire, 
 
 Fiee, 
 
 Fi. 
 
 Wine, 
 
 Sakee, 
 
 Sa-kee. 
 
 Moon, 
 
 Sichee, 
 
 Ts'ki. 
 
 Tobacco, 
 
 Tobako, 
 
 Ta-ba-ko. 
 
 Star, 
 
 Huzee, 
 
 Ho-si. 
 
 Basket chair, 
 
 Kagoo^ 
 
 Ka-go. 
 
 Wind, 
 
 Hadzee, 
 
 Ka-zee. 
 
 Silver, 
 
 Nanzee, 
 
 Si-ro-goone. 
 
 Chicken, 
 
 Nuatuee, 
 
 Ne-wa-ts-ri. 
 
 Iron, 
 
 Titzee, 
 
 Tets'. 
 
 Egg, 
 
 Tomague, 
 
 To-ma-go. 
 
 Cap, 
 
 Hachee-machee, Ba-oosi. 
 
 Sea, 
 
 Oomee, 
 
 Oo-mi. 
 
 Looking glass 
 
 Ka-ga-me, 
 
 Ka-ga-mi. 
 
 Eye, 
 
 Mee, 
 
 Me. 
 
 Book, 
 
 Soomuzee, 
 
 S'yo-mots. 
 
 Hand, 
 
 Tee, 
 
 Te. 
 
 Chair, 
 
 Tee, 
 
 K'yokf'rokf. 
 
 Nose, 
 
 Hanaa, 
 
 Ha-na. 
 
 Stone, 
 
 Ezaa, 
 
 I-si. 
 
 Mouth, 
 
 Koochee, 
 
 Koo-tse. 
 
 Swine, 
 
 Boobaa, 
 
 Boo-ta. 
 
 Tree, 
 
 Kee, 
 
 Ki. 
 
 
 
 
 It will be observed that two-thirds of the words, at least, in the comparative vocabulary, are, 
 with the slight differences of spelling, almost exactly the same. The orthography of a language 
 employed by a foreigner depends more or less upon his capricious estimate of the sounds that 
 the strange words seem to his ear to possess, and accordingly different observers will necessarily 
 employ a variety of spelling. In these words in the comparative lists which seem to differ 
 there will, on investigation, be found considerable affinity, and they will almost invariably show 
 a common derivation from the same root. This lexical comparison is all we can here make. 
 Unfortunately, we have no Lew Chew grammar to compare with that of Japan. 
 
 Allusion has already been made to the full beard, as a distinctive mark between the Lew 
 Chewans or Japanese, and Chinese and Malayan. The men in Lew Chew in youtli have almost 
 invariably a rich jet black beard, which in age becomes as white as snow. The higher classes 
 allow their beards to grow of great length, and cultivate them with great care and pride, while the 
 inferior people are obliged by law to cut theirs. The moustache is also generally worn, but seldom
 
 316 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 grows very luxuriantly. The Lair is ordinarily of a deep black, and is allowed to grow in long 
 locks behind and at the sides of the head, while the middle of the pate is shaved clean. The 
 hair being well oiled and gathered up from the sides and back, is formed into a large knot and 
 affixed to the bald place in the head with pins either of gold, silver, or brass, according to the 
 
 rank of the wearer. 
 
 The Lew Chewan male has generally a well proportioned figure, with broad and largely 
 developed chest, narrow hips, and a slim waist and neck. A deformed person is a very rare 
 sight in Lew Chew. The costume is neat, graceful, and suitable to the climate, and its flowing 
 outline is particularly becoming lo the aged, who, with their long white beards, have quite a 
 patriarchal look. The dress is a loose robe, with very wide sleeves, which falls nearly to the 
 ankles, and is gathered in at the waist with a girdle of silk or grass cloth, to which is attached 
 the invariable pouch containing the pipe and a supply of tobacco. The cap worn by the higher 
 classes and called in the Lew Chew tongue a hachee-machee, is of cylindrical form, and seems to 
 be made of two bands crossing each other in a figure of eight form. The laboring people go 
 invariably barefooted, but the better classes wear a white stocking, to which, when they go out, 
 a straw sandal is added. A band from the front passes between the great and next toe, as is 
 seen in the ancient statues. The peasants in the country go bareheaded as well as barefooted, 
 and are scantily clothed in a coarse cotton shirt, or with a mere cloth about the loins. 
 
 The women are kept so secluded, particularly those of the higher rank, that it is difficult for 
 a stranger to obtain a sufficient opportunity to investigate their peculiarities very thoroughly. 
 They are generally short of stature, and by no means handsome, having a great squareness of 
 face, and more depressed noses than the men. Some of the ladies of distinction, the exclusive 
 few, are described as being tolerably good looking, and of fair complexion. The women wear 
 a robe very much like that worn by the men, though without the girdle, while their hair, none 
 of which is shaved, is dressed in the same style, except that the top knot is rather more in 
 front, and somewhat to the side of the head. "Woman is by no means as high in the social 
 scale in Lew Chew as she should be, being regarded as a mere slave or chattel, and always 
 slighted by the men, who seem hardly to notice her, either in the houses or in the streets, 
 although the females in their deportment toward strangers show apparently much modesty 
 and amiability. 
 
 The Lew Chewans are a remarkably courteous people in their ordinary intercourse with each 
 other, and in their occasional relations with foreigners. Their usual form of obeisance is pre- 
 posterously polite, they clasp their hands with a spasmodic earnestness of courtesy, and pressing 
 them to their forehead, bow so low that it is a marvel how they preserve their centre of gravity. 
 The ordinary bending of the body, which seems to be to the utmost extent of suppleness of 
 back, is still further extended on coming into the presence of those of very high rank, when 
 the polite but inferior Lew Chewan bows so low as literally to touch if not to fall upon the 
 ground. 
 
 The people of Lew Chew are naturally among the most intelligent of the eastern nations, 
 but they are kept in general ignorance by their rulers. The higher classes are well instructed 
 in the learning of China, whither the literati and professional men, and esj^ecially the physicians, 
 are sent to finish their education. The literature, whatever they may possess, is derived from 
 the Chinese and Japanese. 
 
 The occupation of the Lew Chewans is chiefly agricultural, although they have some little
 
 MANUFACTURES. — PAINTING, SCULPTURE, ARCHITECTURE. 317 
 
 commerce witli China and Japan, to which they send annually a few junks, which carry such 
 articles of clothing and provisions as can be spared, and bring back in exchange the productions 
 of those countries. They have apparently no currency of their own, but in sjjite of their pro- 
 testations to the contrary, they are evidently familiar with money, particularly with the Chinese 
 copper coin termed cash. Their manufactures are few, and consist of sugar of a coarse kind, 
 salt of inferior quality, large vats for making which are found extending along the bay of 
 Napha, SaJcce, a spirit distilled from rice, cotton and grass cloth of rude texture, an inferior 
 style of lacquered ware, pottery, hair pins, junks, agricultural tools, and a limited variety of 
 other articles needed for their own simple life. 
 
 Salt Flats— Napha. 
 
 In the higher arts, the Lew Chewans have not made much progress, although there are speci- 
 mens among them of rude paintings and sculpture, particularly of the latter, in the coarse 
 figures of their idols, with which they adorn their tombs and temples. In their architecture 
 there is more evidence of advance than in the other brandies of the fine arts. The ruins of the 
 castles in the northern and southern parts of the island, and flie structure of the jialace of Shui, 
 with the various bridges, viaducts and roads throughout the country, show considerable archi- 
 tectural .skill. In the arches and massive masonry of the fortresses, and walls of stone, there 
 are marks, not only of artistic design, but of skilful workmanship. Their town liouiies arc all
 
 318 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 constructed of wood, roofed with earthen tiles, surrounded with verandahs of bamboo, and 
 enclosed within high walls of coral. The cottages in the country are generally thatched with 
 rice straw, and surrounded by either stone walls or bamboo picket fences, within which there is 
 not only the house, but the usual farmer's concomitants of stable, pig pen, and poultry 
 hutch. The furniture is of the simplest kind, consisting of thick mats spread upon the plank 
 floor, upon which the natives sit cross legged, a few stools, a table, and a teapot with a supply 
 of cups. The food of the ])eople is simple, being mostly rice and sweet potatoes. Animal 
 food is hut rarely used by the lowest classes, and consists, when enjoyed, chiefly of pork. The 
 higher ranks have a more elaborate cookery, and succeed in spreading occasional banquets, 
 which were found quite appetising. A great variety of soups, with various sweetened confec- 
 tions, and vegetable concoctions of diflerent kinds, are the chief elements of the recherche Lew 
 Chewan cuisine of the best tables. 
 
 The Lew Chewans are a hard working people, and enjoy but little relaxation from labor. 
 They have certain festivals, but of not frequent recurrence, for the celebration of religious and 
 national holidays. Of their amusements little could be observed, although it was inferred from 
 the existence of large level spaces, handsomely bordered with spreading pines, in the neighbor- 
 hood of the towns and villages, apparently adapted for racing, wrestling and other athletic 
 sports, that the Lew Chewans occasionally indulged in such exercises and amusements. In the 
 markets there are frequently found for sale certain large balls, adorned with bright colored 
 threads, supposed to be used in a game like that of our football. 
 
 Cajitain Basil Hall, in his interesting but not very authentic account of the Lew Chewans, 
 states that they were unacquainted with war; and in relating, during an interview with 
 Napoleon, at St. Helena, his experiences of travel, startled that great soldier with this unique 
 characteristic of the Lew Chewans, which drew from him, as he shrugged his shoulders, the 
 remark, "No wars ; it is impossible !" Hall's statement would seem to be confirmed by the 
 apparent absence of all arms or ammunition, or even of the rudest weapons of attack and 
 defence, such as bows and arrows. The ruins of fortresses and the walled defences of Shui, 
 however, seem to indicate that the island has not always enjoyed this blessed condition of peace, 
 and the Japanese histories record the fact of ancient intestine and foreign wars.* 
 
 The government of Lew Chew seems to be an absolute despotism, with a system of adminis- 
 tration like that of Jajian, to which the island is tributary. The present king is said to be a 
 youth of some eleven years of age, imder the immediate personal guardianship of a queen 
 mother, while his government, during the minority, is delegated to a regency, composed of a 
 regent and three chief officers, entitled pe-chings or treasurers. As the policy of the govern- 
 ment is to keep all foreigners in an absolute ignorance of its character, and as every kind of 
 deception is resorted to for the purpose, it is difficult to acquire a full knowledge of its nature. 
 The very existence of a young king is doubted, since from the time of the visit of Basil Hall, 
 nearly forty years ago, to that of Commodore Perry, the same story has been told about the 
 
 I • Our well known and deservedly distinguished countryman, Doctor John W. Francis, of New York, knew Captain Basil 
 Hall personally, while ho was in the United States, and lias furnished the compiler with the following memorandum : " On the 
 occasion of an assenihlage of literary men, at some entertainment given to Captain Hall, inquiries were put by several of the 
 gentlemen as to the literui accuracy of various circumstances related by the Captain in his book on Lew Chew. They wished 
 to know whether they were to understand his statements literally. In my hearing, he made this general remark, by way of 
 answer to all these interrogatories : ' If I were to rewrite the book, I should make of it a different story. ' ' '
 
 GOVERNMENT. — RELIGION. — FUNERAL RITES. 319 
 
 minority of the ruling prince, and unless ho is endowed with perpetual childhood, or there has 
 heen a succession of juvenile kings, it is difficult to reconcile the experiences of the various 
 travellers who have visited Lew Chew in the long intervals of scores of years. The literati, as 
 in China and Japan, compose the higher and ruling classes, and, as in these countries, are pre- 
 pared for official position hy a diligent study of the doctrines of Confucius and Mencius. In 
 fact, the young men belonging to families of rank are ordinarily sent to China to complete their 
 education, and fit them for their positions as officers of the government. The exclusive policy 
 of Japan is that also of Lew Chew, and was rigidly adhered to until dissolved by the intercourse 
 of the Americans under Commodore Perry. The system of espionage pervades the whole 
 government from the administration of the highest to the lowest official. Most of the higher 
 classes seem to have little else to do than to watch every word and movement of the people, and 
 form a large body of indolent non-producers, who live idly upon the hard tasked laborers of the 
 lower classes, who are treated with all the rigor of social servitude. The country is supposed 
 to have been conquered, centuries ago, by a Japanese prince of Satsuma, to the successor of 
 whom it is believed to be tributary, although there are some relations not well understood with 
 China. 
 
 The religion of Lew Chew is, as we have before stated, the generally prevalent Buddhism of 
 the east, with a mixture of various idolatries peculiar to the island; there are, however, not 
 many temples in Lew Chew, and those which exist do not attract a very large or a very 
 devoted class of worshippers. As in China and Japan, a general skepticism or religious 
 indifference seems to exist, particularly among the literati, or higher classes. The Bonzes, or 
 priests, however, are treated with greater reverence in Lew Chew than in most oriental 
 countries, though they have the same forlorn look, and go about, with their shaven crowns and 
 fusty garments, like similar miserable mendicants in China. 
 
 Great reverence is paid to the dead in Lew Chew, where they are put in coffins in a sitting 
 posture, and, being followed by the friends and relations and a procession of women in long 
 wh ite veils which cover their heads and faces, are interred in well built stone vaults, or tombs 
 constructed in the sides of the hills. After the body has been interred for a period of seven 
 years and all the flesh is decayed, the bones are removed and deposited in stone vases, which 
 are placed upon shelves within the vaults. The poor people place the remains of their dead in 
 earthen jars, and deposit them in the crevices of the rocks, where they are often to be seen 
 broken and disarranged. Periodical visits are paid by the surviving friends and relations to 
 the burial places, where they deposit ofl"erings upon the tombs. On the first interment of the 
 rich dead, roast pigs and other articles of food are offered, and after being allowed to remain for 
 a short time, are distributed among the poor. 
 
 During the explorations of the island of Lew Chew, which were so effectively prosecuted by 
 the Piev. Mr. Jones, Mr. Taylor, Drs. Fahs, Greene, and others, under the direction of the 
 Commodore, and which resulted in the obtaining of so mucli new information in regard to a 
 singular people, of whom little has been previously known to the world, tlierc were many 
 specimens obtained of their various fabrics and of their natural productions, and particularly 
 of their botany, which have been brought to the United States for the investigation of tlie 
 scientific and the interest of the curious. 
 
 The purposes of the Commodore in regard to the island had been so far effectively carried out. 
 The building for the storing of coal had been completed, the temple appropriated for the
 
 320 
 
 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 accommodation of the sick and others of the squadron, whose duties made it necessary for 
 them to reside on shore, liad heen secured, and those supplies obtained which were necessary for 
 the squadron. With an occasional faint demur on the part of the authorities, they continued 
 to accept payment for the various articles needed, and with their growing willingness to sell 
 came an increased demand for higher prices. The friendly intercourse of the Americans with 
 the inhabitants of the island had undoubtedly greatly contributed to their advantage. The 
 most scrupulous regard had been observed toward the rights of the authorities and other classes, 
 and they all were becoming less reserved. It was not an unreasonable inference, from the 
 favorable disposition of the Lew Chewan people toward relations with a higher civilization, and 
 from a seeming sense on their part of the oppressive tyranny of their absolute rulers, that they 
 would rejoice in being placed in a political position that might render them independent of 
 Jajiauese despotism. 
 
 A more demonstrative indication of the friendly feeling of the Lew Chewans for their foreign 
 visitors would have been shown probably had it not been for the numerous Japanese agents and 
 spies who were ever on the watch to notice and report to the imperial government every event 
 that transpired, and to make those who manifested any friendship toward the Americans 
 accountable at some future time. 
 
 The Commodore, being detained at Najiha in negotiations with the authorities, thought it 
 advisable to dispatch some of the sailing vessels of the squadron to Yedo bay, with the intention 
 of following soon after with his steamers. He expected to arrive, with the advantages of steam 
 in his favor, in Japan at about the same time with those who had preceded him in their departure. 
 
 Accordingly, Captain Abbot sailed on the first of February in the Macedonian, in company 
 with the Vandalia, Lexington, and Southampton. The Commodore followed on the seventh of 
 February, with the steamers Susquehanna, Powhatan^ and Mississippi. The storeship Supply 
 had been got ready, and was ordered to sail on the next day after the Commodore's departure 
 for Shanghai, there to take on board a cargo of coal and some live stock, and proceed to join the 
 squadi'on in Yedo bay. 
 
 It had been arranged that Dr. Bettleheim, who had been superseded by another English 
 missionary, a Mr. Moreton, should have a passage for himself and family in the Supjdy to 
 Shanghai. 
 
 
 
 ir.HOBSfifS.Sf- 
 
 American Grave-yurtl at Tu-mai, Lew Chew.
 
 DEATH OF THE JAPANESE EMPEROR. 
 
 321 
 
 CHATTEU XVIII 
 
 LETTER FROM DUTCH GOTERXOR GENERAL OF INDIA ANKOUNCING THE DEATH OF THE JAPANESE EMPEROR. COMMODORe's 
 
 REPLY. — EXIMERATIOX OF THE SEVERAL OBJECTS I.S VIEW. — PROSPECTS OF THEIR ATTAINMENT BY THE MISSION. OFFI- 
 CERS AND MEN LEFT IN LEW CHEW. ARRIVAL OF THE SARATOGA. RUN TO YEDO BAY. OHO-SIMA. CLEOPATRA ISLES. 
 
 MIJAKO-SIMA. ALL BELONG TO LEW CHEW GROUP. ENTRANCE OF GULF OR OUTER BAY OF YEDO. JAP.ANESE CHARTS OF 
 
 LITTLE VALUE, MADE FOR MERE COASTING. WI.NTRT ASPECT OF JAPAN. MACEDONIAN AGROUND. HAULED OFF BY THE 
 
 MISSISSIPPI. FRIENDLY OFFERS OF THE JAPANESE TO ASSIST THE MACEDONIAN. SQUADRON PROCEEDS UP THE BAY AND 
 
 ANCHORS AT THE " AMERICAN ANCHORAGE." JAPANESE OFFICIALS COME ALONGSIDE. RECEIVED BY CAPTAIN ADAMS ON 
 
 THE POWHATAN, PURSUANT TO THE CO.MMODORe's ORDERS. — THEY ATTEMPT TO PREVAIL ON THE CO.MMODORE TO RETURN 
 TO URAGA, STATING THAT THE HIGH JAPANESE FUNCTIO.VARIES WERE THERE AWAITING HIS ARRIVAL, BY APPOINTMENT 
 
 OF THE EMPEROR. — COMMODORE DECLINES ON ACCOUNT OF SAFETY OF THE SHIPS. VISIT OS THE NEXT DAT FROM THE 
 
 OFFICIALS, WHO REITERATE THEIR REQUEST, WITH AN ASSURANCE THAT THE COMMISSIONERS WERE ORDERED TO RECEIVE 
 
 THE COM.MOD0RE AT URAGA WITH DISTINGUISHED CONSIDERATION. COMMODORE AGAIN DECLINES. ^JAPANESE ASK THAT 
 
 AN OFFICER MAT BE SENT TO URAGA TO CONFER WITH THE COMMISSIONERS AS TO A PLACE OF MEETING. COMMODORE 
 
 CONSENTS THAT CAPTAIN ADAMS MAY HOLD SUCH A CONFERENCE, BUT THAT THE COMMISSIONERS MUST COME THERE TO 
 
 HOLD IT. JAPANESE BECOME ALARMED AS TO THE FRIENDLY FEELINGS OF THE AMERICANS. THEIR FEARS ALLAYED. 
 
 SURVEY OF THE BAY RESUMED WITHOUT INTERRUPTION BY THE JAPANESE. OUR BOATS FORBIDDEN BY THE COMMODORE 
 
 TO LAND JAPANE-SE PERSIST FOR SEVERAL DAYS IN DESIRING THE COMMODORE TO GO TO URAGA WITH THE SHIPS. 
 
 COMMODORE INVARIABLY REFUSES. AT LENGTH THE JAPANESE ARE INFORMED THAT THE COMMODORE WILL ALLOW CAPTAIN 
 
 ADAMS TO MEET A COMMISSIONER ON SHORE NEAR THE SHIPS, OR THAT HE WILL PROCEED UP THE BAY TO YEDO. — NOTE 
 
 FROM THE COMMISSIONERS TO THE COMMODORE. — HIS REPLY. CAPTAIN ADAMS SENT DOWN TO URAGA TO COMMUNICATE 
 
 TO THE COMMISSIO.NERS THE COMMODORES REASONS FOR DECLINING TO TAKE THE SHIPS TO URAGA. SOME OF THE 
 
 JAPANESE ACCOMPANY HIM I-N THE VANDALIA. INTERVIEW OF CAPTAIN ADAMS WITH THE COMMISSIONERS AT URAGA. 
 
 VISIT TO CAPTAIN ADAMS FROM YEZAIMAN ON BOARD THE VANDALIA. ASSURES CAPTAIN ADA-MS OF THE FRIENDLY DISPO- 
 SITION OF THE EMPEROR. VANDALIA RETURNS, AND PERCEIVES AHEAD THE SQUADRON STANDING UP THE BAY TOWARD 
 
 YEDO. THE JAPANESE NO LONGER URGE GOING TO URAGA, BUT SUDDENLY PROPOSE YOKU-HAMA, WHERE THE SHIPS THEN 
 
 WERE, ABOUT EIGHT MILES FROM YEDO.— COMMODORE IMMEDIATELY ASSENTS. BUILDINGS CONSTRUCTED AT YOKU-HAMA. 
 
 A JAPANESE SEAMAN IN THE SQUADRON SENDS A LETTER TO HIS FAMILY ASHORE, BY YEZAIMAN. YEZAIMAN DESIRES AK 
 
 INTERVIEW WITH HIM. THE INTERVIEW. CEREMONIALS SETTLED AS TO THE CONFERENCES ON SHORE FOR NEGOTIATION. 
 
 RF^^ous to leaving Kajjlia, Commodore Perry had re- 
 ceived a coinmunication from tlie governor general of 
 Diitcli India, conveying information of tlie death of the 
 Emperor of Japan, soon after the reception of the Pre- 
 sident's letter. The Japanese government (so said the 
 communication) had requested the Dutch superintendent 
 to communicate the fact to the American government, 
 as this event, according to the laws and customs of 
 Japan, made certain ceremonies of mourning and ar- 
 ransrements for succession to the throne necessarv, and 
 ''.wssirx'/xj' |]^p consequent postponement of all consideration of the 
 
 Pre.sident's letter for the present. The Japanese authorities accordingly had, as was stated by 
 the governor general, repeatedly requested the superintendent of the Dutch factory at Nagasaki 
 41 J
 
 322 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 to express the wish of the government of Japan that the American squadron would not return 
 to the Bay of Yedo at the time fixed by Commodore Perry, lest his presence miglit create con- 
 fusion. The Commodore answered the communication of the governor general of Dutch India 
 witli the usual formal expression of regret at the event of the Emperor's death, and added that 
 he hoped the present rulers of Japan were so well satisfied of the intentions of the President of 
 the United States, as stated in liis letter, that they would not be disjjosed to throw any serious 
 obstacles in the way of accomplishing friendly relations between the American nation and the 
 Japanese.* 
 
 The Commodore had previously heard, through the officers of the Russian squadron, of the 
 reported death of the Emperor of Japan, and that similar reasons to those set forth in the com- 
 munication of the Dutch governor general had been assigned to the Russian admiral for not 
 
 * [Translation.] 
 
 BcETENZORG, December 23, 1853. 
 
 Mr. Commodore : The Dutch sliip " Hendrika," master Admiral, whicli sailed for Japan in July last, has returned to Batavia 
 on the loth instant. 
 
 She brings intelligence from the superintendent of our factory there, np to November 15, 1853, and information of the death 
 of the limperor of Japan, soon after receiving the letter of the President of the United States. 
 
 The Japanese government has requested the Dutch superintendent to communicate to the American government : That this 
 event, according to Japanese laws and customs, makes necessary the performance of many and continuing ceremonies of 
 mourning, and extensive arrangements with respect to the succession to the throne ; that during the period of mourning no 
 business of any importance can be transacted ; that the letter of the President of the United States can only be taken into 
 deliberation when tlie time of mourning is over ; that previous thereto, the opinions upon the subject have to be obtained from 
 all the governors (lords) in Japan ; that for that purpose the governors have to repair to Yedo in succession, (one after the 
 other ;) that all that will take much time. 
 
 The Japanese authorities have repeatedly requested the superintendent of our factory that he would inform the American 
 government of the wish of the Japanese government not to let the .American squadron return to Japan at the time fixed upon 
 by your excellenc}^ for fear that under the circumstances created by the decease of tlie Emperor, and trom the several and 
 unavoidable conferences with the Japanese authorities, and of those authorities among themselves, the American squadron 
 might create 6roi7, (confusion,) as the Japanese authorities express themselves. 
 
 I believe it not necessary to go beyond informing your excellency of this wish of the Japanese government, to be filed with 
 my letter of September 22, 1852, (No. 134.) 
 
 With great respect, I have the honor to be, your excellency's obedient servant, 
 
 DUYMAER VAN TWIST, 
 Gove7^or General ofj^^etherlandsj Jndia, 
 
 By order of his excellency the governor general : 
 
 A. PRINS, C/itf/Secrf(ari/ 
 
 His E.\cellency Commodore Perrt, 
 
 Commandant of tlie United Stales squadron, destined for Japan. 
 
 U.viTED States Ste.am Frio.ite Scsqceilinka, 
 
 .}t~npha, Lew Chctc, January 23, 1854. 
 Sir ; I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of the letter of your excellency of the 23d ultimo, informing me of a com- 
 munication you had received from the superintendent of the factory at Dezima, announcing the death of the Emperor of Japan, 
 and detailing the consequences that would result from this event in retarding the progress of the mission with which I have 
 been charged. 
 
 Allow me to thank your excellency for the trouble you have taken in conveying to me this sad intelligence. I trust, however, 
 that the present rulers of Japan have become so well satisfied of the intentions of the President in suggesting the propositions 
 which I have had the honor of presenting, that they will not be disposed to throw any serious obstacles in the way of a friendly 
 understanding between the two nations. 
 
 With great respect, I have the honor to be, your most obedient servant, 
 
 M. C. PERRY, 
 Commander-in-clii^ United Statet naval forces, East Indies, China, and Japan Staa. 
 His Excellency Ddtmaer Van' Twist, 
 
 Governor General of the .Netherlands, India,
 
 ■ENTMERATIOX OF THE SEVERAL OBJECTS IN VIEW. 323 
 
 replying to the letter from his sovereign, which had heen sent to Yedo from Nagasaki. The 
 Commodore was disposed to suspect, at first, as nothing had been said of the illne.ss of the 
 Emperor of Japan during the first visit to the Bay of Yedo, and as so short an interval had 
 elapsed since then, that the statement of the death of the Emperor was a mere ruse to obstruct 
 the American negotiations. 
 
 And even granting that the Emperor was dead, (which was proved subsequently to be the 
 fact.) there seemed to be no reason for the delay in public business. The laws of China require 
 the eldest son of the highest classes to abstain from pleasure, company, or business, for seven 
 weeks in the event of the death of an Emperor, but the successor to the imperial throne assumes 
 the government immediately, and public business is never interrupted. A similar custom was 
 inferred to prevail in Japan, as none of the books describing the manners and customs of that 
 Empire allude to any different practice on such an occasion. 
 
 The Commodore was not, however, to be deterred from the prosecution of his plans by any 
 unfavorable intelligence which those wlio might be disposed to obstruct them so carefully 
 acquainted him with. 
 
 It is well to enumerate here, while the Commodore is on his way to Ja]ian, the leading objects 
 of his mission. He was to demand explanations of the Japanese government respecting its 
 treatment of American citizens who had been accidentally thrown upon its shoves, and to make 
 declaration that the United States government will no longer tolerate such acts ;H0^endeavor to 
 obtain, at least, the opening of one or more Japanese ports to American vessels ; and to negotiate, 
 if possible, a treaty with the Empire upon a basis just and equitable, and if a general treaty could 
 not be made, to make the best that was attainable for trade. Of course, there was much uncer- 
 tainty in regard to the successful issue of the mission in this respect, and the Commodore was 
 resolved to do all in his power by firmly insisting upon what was due to the United States, and 
 discreetly urging the establishment of those relations which seemed desirable for the interests of 
 his country. There would be little difficulty, he thought, in bringing about suitable explana- 
 tions and apologies, with assurances of kind treatment to all strangers who should thereafter 
 fall into the hands of the Japanese, as also a friendly reception and necessary supplies to whaling 
 ships anchoring in the ports of the empire. These results alone, it was believed, would repay 
 the United States government for all the expenses of the expedition. With respect to the 
 accomplishment of the other objects there was some doubt, unless force should be resorted to. 
 This, however, was an alternative tliat could only be justified by some overt act of wrong or 
 insult on the part of the Japanese government, and, of course, was not contemplated. The 
 Commodore, though he felt confident that the purpose of his mission as regards the demanding 
 of redress for ill-treatment of American citizens would be easily accomplished, nevertheless had 
 made provision against any failure. He had arranged, provided the Japanese government 
 refused to negotiate, or to assign a port of resort for our merchant or whaling ships, to take 
 under surveillance of the American flag the island of Great Lew Chew, a dependency of the 
 Empire of Japan. This, if necessary, was to be done on the ground of reclamation for insults 
 and injuries well known to have been committed upon American citizens. Previously to leaving 
 Napha, Commodore Perry accordingly issued a proclamation to the effect that as a question was 
 pending between the United States and Japan touching certain demands upon tlie Japanese 
 government, and as it was deemed essential to the security of the just claims of the United 
 States to assume, during the pending negotiations, limited authority on the island of Great Lew
 
 324 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 Chew, lie had, therefore, detached from the squadron two master's mates and about fifteen men 
 to look after the United States government property and other interests during his absence. 
 
 These were merely measures of precaution, wliich seemed justified by the wily policy of the 
 Japanese, wliich fori:>adc any confident reliance upon its justice, and by the probability of the 
 Russians, French, or English, in their eagerness to anticipate the Americans, stepping in before 
 them and seizing a dependency like Lew Chew, which might so greatly further their purposes 
 in regard to Japan. It was not proposed by the Commodore to take Lew Chew, or claim it as a 
 territory conquered by, and belonging to, the United States, nor to molest or interfei'e in any way 
 with the authorities or people of the island, or to use any force, except in self defence. In fact, 
 there was not likely to be any occasion for violence, as the Americans already possessed all 
 necessary influence in Lew Chew, which had been acquired by kindness and non-interference 
 with the laws and customs of the island. 
 
 The arrival of the Saratoga from Shanghai had been expected for some days previous to the 
 Commodore's departure from Napha, and, as she had not arrived before his setting out, it was 
 thought probable that the squadron would fall in with her outside the harbor. Accordingly, the 
 steamers' course was directed to the westward of Lew Chew, in view of intercepting the track of 
 the Saratoga, and it so haiqiened that the steamers had scarcely cleared the harbor when a sail was 
 discovered standing toward the island, which, on approaching nearer, was ascertained, by signal, 
 to be the long looked-for ship. Captain Walker, who was in command of the Saratoga, soon 
 came on board the Susquehanna, and received orders to proceed direct to the American anchorage 
 in Yeddo bay. Upon his return to his ship, after sending some live stock brought from 
 Shanghai for the squadron, ami three packages containing presents for the Japanese authorities, 
 he bore away with the intention of taking the passage east of Lew Chew. 
 
 The passage of the steamers, until the islands lying at the entrance of the great Bay of Yedo 
 were made, was ideasant and by no means protracted. The northern group of the Lew Chew 
 chain, composed of the islands of Oho-sima, or as the Chinese call it Ta-tao, Tok-sima, Ratona- 
 sima, and Kikai-sima, were passed in full view. There was an opportunity, wliich was im- 
 proved, of establishing with some accuracy the iJositions of several of the headlands on the 
 western side of Olio-sima and the islets named by Captain Guerin, of the French corvette Sabine, 
 Cleopatra islands. In passing these islands. Commodore Perry was reminded of an order he 
 had received from the Secretary of the Navy to investigate, and report upon, a question touching 
 the original discovery of Oho-sima, by Commander Glynn, in February, 1846, being at the time 
 in command of the United States sloop-of-war Preble. A diligent investigation was accordingly 
 made, and tlie results embodied in a communication to the Navy Department. The island repre- 
 sented to have been seen in June, 1849, and described in Commander Glynn's letter to Commodore 
 Jones, dated February 21, 1850, as bearing in a southeasterly direction from the Preble, and as 
 a new discovery, is called in the Japanese charts, Oho-sima, and by the Chinese, Ta-tao. The 
 islets stated to have been discovered at the same time, and described as bearing north-northwest, 
 were examined, in 1846, by Captain Guerin, of tlie Sabine, and named by him "Cleopatra 
 Isles." The latter, as well as others lying contiguous to Oho-sima, were distinctly seen from 
 the decks of the several ships of the squadron, during the present voyage, on February 8, 1854. 
 Sketches of the islands were taken, and their positions established by cross bearings taken from 
 the steamer Susquehanna, at noon, after good observations. The results were as follows : 
 
 South end of Cleopatra Isles, latitude 28° 48' N., longitude 128° 59' 30" E. 
 
 North end of Oho-sima, latitude 28° 29' N., longitude 129° 30' E.
 
 O 11 0-S I XI A . — Jl IJ A K 0-S I M A . — C L K O V A T R A ISLES. 325 
 
 Oho-sima is the principal of what may be called the northern group of the Lew Chew chain 
 which, in connexion with the Mijako-sinia, and other islands commencing with the Cleopatra, 
 extend from near the north end of Formosa to Kiusiu, the soutlnvesteru extremity of Japan 
 proper. The three groups of ilijako-sima, Great Lew Chew, or Okinawa-sima, and Oho-sima » 
 should he denominated the sduthern, middle, and northern Lew Chew islands, the central 
 government being established at the city of Shui, in the island of Great Lew Chew. Of the 
 people and government of these islands little is known, but it is presumed that they are all 
 subject to an intermediate sovereignty between Lew Chew and the Empire of Japan, or possibly 
 the Japanese prince of Satsuma. This potentate is stated by Von Siebold to receive about 
 2,240,000 guilders, or nearly $900,000, annually, from the Lew Chew islands. Oho-sima is in 
 circumference nearly one hundred and fifty English miles, and bears in its external aspect, 
 with its mountains and richly verdant valleys, a considerable resemblance to Great Lew Chew. 
 It is represented by various writers to be thickly populated, having all the advantages of cities, 
 towns, villages, and commodious ports. It is surprising that it has never hitherto been visited 
 by any Chi'istian voyager. 
 
 The ilijako-sima islands have been more than once visited by foreign vessels, and during the 
 progress of the Japan expedition, by the Saratoga, whose officers described the inhabitants as 
 being in language, manners, customs, and appearance, almost identical with tlie people of Lew 
 Chew. And it is reasonable to infer that this, in common with the other inhabited islands o 
 the chain, has been peopled for many hundreds of years. The Mijako-sima group was ascer- 
 tained to be governed by officers appointed by the king and council of Great Lew Chew, who 
 are frequently changed, in conformity with the policy practised throughout Japan and its 
 dependencies. 
 
 The Cleopatra islands are only two in number, lying in close proximity to each other, and 
 are small and uninhabited. They are cone-shaped, and evidently of volcanic origin, the craters 
 leing clearly visible, the larger one of which has been estimated at 1,650 feet in height. The 
 geographical position of all this chain of islands, extending from Formosa to Japan proper, 
 would seem to he so arranged as to suit the convenience of the commerce of the unskilful 
 Japanese navigators, who sail in their frail open-sterned vessels from island to island, always 
 being careful to have a port under their lee, into which to escape on the least apjjroach of foul 
 weather. 
 
 On entering, upon the 11th of February, the outer Bay of Yedo, or as it may be more 
 suitably termed, the Gulf of Yedo, including the space embraced between Cape Nagatsuro on 
 the Avest, Cape Serafama or Cajje King on the east, and Wodawara, Kamakura, and Cape 
 Sagami on the north, the steamers encountered a .severe blow from the nortliward and eastward. 
 They were kept, however, during the night, under the lee of Oho-sima, {i. e. Great Island,) 
 and thus avoided the greatest violence of the gale. On the previous afternoon a cluster of three 
 dangerous rocks, showing above the surface of the sea from ten to twenty feet, were passed quite 
 near. These were supposed to be what are called on the charts tiie Brougliton Rocks; and if 
 they were, their position is evidently very erroneously laid down, and if they were not, they 
 have escaped the observation of previous European and American navigators. That these rocks 
 should have been hitherto unnoticed wt>uld not be at all remarkable, for few ships have ever 
 visited the southern and eastern coasts of Japan, and it is not reasonable to expect that the very 
 imperfect charts which have been compiled from the meagre information furnished by Broughton,
 
 326 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 Gore, King, Krusenstern, and the three or four American and English vessels which have visited 
 the coast within a few years back, should be in any manner correct. 
 
 It is true that the Japanese have constructed charts, but they are on a plan peculiar to 
 themselves, and of little benefit to the bold navigators, with their large vessels, of Europe and 
 America. The Japanese charts, without meridian or scale, and totally destitute of any record 
 of soundings, are hardly of any use, except in their own timid navigation. The Japanese never 
 venture, if they can possibly avoid it, beyond sight of land, and always seize upon favorable 
 seasons, weather, and winds, for making their longest runs. Their junks skirt the coasts by 
 touching the land here and there, and going from island to island, and seldom make a run of a 
 longer duration than twenty-four hours. The largest Japanese junks seen did not draw more 
 than eight feet of water, and, as has just been remarked, they run from port to port, invariably 
 seeking shelter on occasions of adverse winds or appearances of bad weather. The pilots, 
 familiar with every rock upon the coast, need no charts, and conduct their vessels, in accordance 
 with their cautious navigation, with general safety. Every harbor, however small, is furnished 
 with conveniences for securing the Japanese craft, holes being artificially made through the 
 angles of the rocks for passing the cables, and where this is not practicable, upright pillars or 
 posts are hewn or morticed in the stone, and all chafings of the moorings provided against by a 
 careful rounding and smoothing of the neighboring projections or detached parts. 
 
 On the morning of the 12th of February the weather became more settled, and the steamers stood 
 up the bay. The outlines of the land were recognized from the familiarity of the previous visit, 
 but a change had come over the face of the landscape, in consequence of the difference of season. 
 The lofty summit of Fusi-Yama was distinctly visible as before, but was now completely clothed 
 in its winter o-arb of snow. The rich verdure of the surrounding land had lost its cheerful sum- 
 mer aspect, and looked withered, bleak and sombre. The rising uplands were no longer repo- 
 sing in their beds of green, shaded from a summer's sun beneath spreading groves, but were 
 bare and desolate, while the distant mountains stood cliill in tlieir snowy drapery and frowned 
 upon the landscape. Tlie weather was cold and blustering. As the steamers approached the land, 
 two vessels were observed close in and apparently at anchor. On approaching them it was 
 discovered that they were the Macedonian and Vandalia. The latter had a signal displayed 
 announcing that the Macedonian was aground. It was soon ascertained that Captain Abbott, 
 on the day previous, had mistaken the indentation in the coast within which his ship was 
 aground for the entrance to the passage to Uraga and Yedo. He had, accordingly, on venturing 
 too near the shore, grounded his vessel on a ledge of rocks not, of course, laid down upon the 
 imperial chart which he had ; said chart being nothing more than a copy of one of Von Siebold's 
 maps, which had been copied from the Japanese authorities, with a few notes upon it, made 
 during the first visit of the squadron to the Bay of Yedo. Captain Abbott, finding his ship in 
 this dilemma, adopted the usual means of getting her afloat by starting the water, making her 
 o-uns ready for tlirowing overboard, and actually throwing over the side many miscellaneous 
 articles. Commander Pope of the Vandalia, at that time in company, immediately anchored 
 and sent his boats to the assistance of his consort the Macedonian. 
 
 The fortunate arrival of Commodore Perry with his three steamers at once gave assurance of 
 effectual aid. Commander Lee of the Mississippi was accordingly ordered to approach with his 
 steamer as near as he could safely venture to the ship on shore, and run a couple of hawsers to 
 her with the view of hauling her off by the power of steam. This duty he executed with his
 
 MACEDONIAN AGROUND. 327 
 
 usual promptitude and judgment, and before night the JIaccdonian was towed into a safe 
 anchorage. Meanwhile the other vessels were brought to anchor for the night, having been 
 joined on the same afternoon by the Lexington, which, it will be recollected, sailed from Napha 
 iu company with the Macedonian and Yandalia. In the course of the night a boat came along- 
 side the Commodore's flag-ship, having been dispatched by Lieutenant Commanding Boyle of 
 the Southampton, which vessel, another of Captain Abbott's division, had arrived the day before 
 at the American anchorage in the Bay of Yedo. 
 
 Lieutenant Boyle had received information from the Japanese authorities that two shi})s liad 
 arrived off Kama-kura, and that one of them was ashore, and very promptly and properly 
 dispatched the launch of the Soutliampton, with two ofiiccrs and a suitable crew, to render all 
 practicable assistance. 
 
 The friendly disposition of the Japanese toward the Americans was handsomely illustrated 
 by their ofiers of .assistance as soon as the Macedonian was observed ashore. Such, too, was 
 their courteous and scrupulous regai'd for the interests and property of their visitors, that they 
 actually took the trouble of sending to the squadron, then at a distance of twenty miles, a hogs- 
 head of bituminous coal, which had been thrown overboard on lightening the ship, and subse- 
 quently washed ashore. 
 
 Next morning (February 13) after the Macedonian had been relieved from her hazardous 
 position, in the bight of Kawatsu, near Kama-kura, the whole squadron moved up the Bay of 
 Yedo, sailing in a line ahead, the Lexington, Yandalia, and Macedonian being in tow respect- 
 ively of the Susquehanna, Powhatan, and Mississippi. With the experience of navigation 
 acquired during the previous visit, there was no occasion for the ships to feel their way, but they 
 passed along the magnificent bay with confidence, bringing into view at each turn various 
 points of the land on either side, which had now the aspect of familiar ground. 
 
 The precipitous coasts of Sagami rose bleakly in the winter atmosphere on the left, while far 
 inland could be seen the lofty ranges of the mountains covered with snow, and the high peak of 
 Fusi-Yama, about the lofty summit of which the clouds were scudding in reckless succession. 
 There was the distant coast of Awa, some twelve miles away on the oi>posite side, and along the 
 shores everywhere were the numberless villages and towns, though snugly reposing under the 
 cover of the high land which ro.se behind them, yet looking desolate and exposed, in comparison 
 with their former aspect of rural comfort when nestling in the full-leaved groves of summer. 
 Abreast was the town of Goriliama, the scene of the delivery of the President's letter, and in 
 front extended out from the land the promontory of Uraga, with its harmless forts, and as the 
 ships doubled it and came abreast the city, numerous government boats, with their athletic 
 oarsmen sculling vigorously, and their little striped flags fluttering in the wind, puslied olf to 
 intercept the squadron, as on the previous visit. The Japanese officials, however, who had 
 risen from their places midships, and seemed to be directing their boats towards the sfjuadron, 
 were warned off, and the strangers moved majestically on, with their train of formidable men- 
 of-war, without altering their course a line, or lingering a moment in their speed until they 
 reached the anchorage, at three o'clock in the afternoon, (February 13.) The government boats 
 were left in the distance, but were seen sculling rapidly along ind following in the wake of the 
 squadron. 
 
 The position in which the three steamers and the four ships, including the Southampton, 
 which had preceded the squadron, had anchored was named, in the previous visit, the " American
 
 328 EXPEDITIONTOJAPAN. 
 
 andiora^e." It is within tlie bight emhracod within two hohl hcadhands, about twelve miles 
 distant from eacli other, on the western side of the Bay of Yedo. The anchorage was about 
 twelve miles beyond the town of Uraga, and about twenty miles from the capital city of Yedo. 
 The island which had been called Perry's, and which presented such a picturesque aspect during 
 the summer with its pleasant groves, was seen as the squadron passed up, and the fort which 
 covered its summit could be more distinctly traced through the trees, which had been stripped of 
 their foliage by the frost and winds of winter. 
 
 The villages of Otsu and Torigasati, no longer embowered in green growth, stood out from 
 the land a mile or so distant, in all the sharpness of outline and staring surface of their peak- 
 roofed and boarded houses. The anchorage, though protected by the bounding headlands and 
 the curved shore, had loss of that sheltered look which it had previously presented. 
 
 The squadron had hardly come to anchor when two of the government boats, which had fol- 
 lowed rapidly in tlie wake of the ships, came alongside the Susquehanna. The Japanese officials 
 requested to be admitted on board, but as the Commodore had caused the extra or captain's cabin 
 to be removed from the steamer Susquehanna to the Powhatan, in view of changing his flag to 
 that ship preparatory to the return of the former to China, and as in accordance with the system 
 of exclusiveness which it was thought politic still to continue, the Commodore coidd not admit 
 them, as they were of subordinate authority, into his own cabin, he directed Captain Adams to 
 receive the officials on board the Powhatan. 
 
 Captain Adams, having been charged by the Commodore with precise and special instructions 
 to hear all the Japanese had to say, but to give them no unnecessary information, nor to promise 
 anything, proceeded to the steamer Powhatan, accompanied by the interpreters, Messrs. Williams 
 and Portman, and the Commodore's secretary, Mr. Perry. 
 
 The government boats followed and the Japanese deputation came on board the Powhatan. 
 It consisted of a high dignitary, who was announced as Kura-kawa-kahie, the two interpreters 
 who had formerly officiated, three grey-robed individuals, who seemed to be making excellent 
 use of their eyes, and turned out to be metshe dwantinger, literally cross-eyed persons, or those 
 who look in all directions, in other words spies or reporters. They were all received with one 
 ceremony and ushered into the cabin, where the object of their visit was set forth at length 
 Some preliminary conversation took place, in the course of which inquiries having been made 
 about Yezaiman, the governor of Uraga, who had taken so prominent a part in the negotiations 
 on the previous visit, the Japanese stated that that dignitary was unwell, but would probably 
 soon pay his respects to the Commodore. Questions were also asked and answered in regard to 
 the ships, their number, names, and those that were to come. The usual compliments, of which 
 the Japanese officials seemed never weary or forgetful, having passed, they stated that their 
 business was to endeavor to induce the Commodore to return to Uraga, where, they said, there 
 were two high Japanese officials, in waiting, and that more were expected, who had been 
 appointed by the Emperor to meet and treat with the Americans. Captain Adams replied that 
 the Commodore would not consent to go to Uraga. And upon the Japanese rejoining that the 
 Emperor had appointed that town for the place of negotiation, and that it could, in consequence, 
 be nowhere else, he was told by Captain Adams that the Commodore was willing to meet the 
 commissioners on shore, opposite the jiresent anchorage of the squadron ; but if the Japanese 
 government would not consent to that, the Commodore would move his ships higher up the bay, 
 even, if it should be deemed necessary, to Yedo itself. The interview was conducted in the most
 
 CAPTAIN ADAMS AND JAPANESE OFFICIALS. 329 
 
 courteous and friendly manner, and after the business was over, the Japanese partook of some 
 refreshments and entered cheerfully into a general conversation. 
 
 The Japanese now took their ledve, and althougli they had been impressed with the resolute 
 bearing of the Americans, departed with their usual good humor and polite expressions of 
 friendly feeling. 
 
 The next day the Japanese officials came off again to the Powhatan, and were received as 
 before by Caj)tain Adams, under instructions from the Commodore. 
 
 The Japanese reiterated their assurances of the friendly disposition of the Emperor, who had 
 given orders, as they said, that the Americans should be treated with the greatest consideration. 
 The commissioners, they declared, would be ready to receive the Commodore in a few days, and 
 upon being asked in what place, they answered at Kama-kura. As Uraga had been specified 
 on the previous day, Captain Adams, with some surprise, demanded how it was that the place 
 had become so suddenly changed. The Japanese, Avith their usual imperturbable manner, 
 which is schooled to cunning and deceit, promptly answered, without the least mark of emotion 
 or evidence of discomposure, that the Emperor had named both places, so that if the Commodore 
 should not be satisfied with the one, he might perchance with the other. 
 
 Kama-kura is a town situated in the outer Bay of Yedo, about twenty miles below Uraga, at 
 the place where the Macedonian had grounded. As the Commodore had had an opportunity 
 when anchored off Kama-kura, while engaged in the extrication of the Macedonian from her 
 perilous position, of seeing enough of that place to satisfy him that it would be absurd to take 
 the ships there, and as he suspected some artfnl design on the part of the Japanese, when 
 informed that Kama-kura had been specified, he directed Captain Adams to say that it was 
 altogether unsuitable. Captain Adams then conveyed this information to the Japanese, with 
 the statement that neither Uraga nor Kama-kura were proper places, as they were so distant 
 and so insecure as harbors, and that some other locality must be selected. The Japanese then 
 proposed that Captain Adams should go down to Uraga and confer with the high officer there 
 about the place of meeting, when they were told that it would be necessary to receive the 
 instructions of the Commodore before a reply could be given on that point. 
 
 The Commodore's secretary, who was present at the interview, was then dispatched to the 
 Sus(iuehanua. The secretary soon returned with the answer that the Commodore would neither 
 go to Uraga, nor allow any of his officers to do so, but that Captain Adams would be permitted 
 to meet any of the high Japanese dignitaries on the shore, near the anchorage of the squadron, 
 to confer upon the subject of a proper place of meeting, but that it was an essential condition 
 of the Commodore's consent that the place should not be remote from his present position. 
 
 The Japanese officials, notwithstanding the very explicit answer, which was duly conveyed in 
 Dutch by Mr. Portman to Tatsnoske, (who, as on the first visit, was one of the attendant inter- 
 preters.) and by him interpreted to his superiors, still pertinaciously clung to their ongmal 
 proposition, and urged the necessity of making Uraga the place of meeting. As they still per- 
 sisted in their wearisome efforts to carry their point, Captaiu Adams cut the matter short by 
 telling them to put in writing their objections to holding the interview in the neighborhood of 
 the American anchorage, to which the Japanese assented, on the condition that Captam Adams 
 would answer a written question which they were about to ask. This being granted, Toksuro, 
 the second interpreter, having conferred for a moment with his superiors, wrote down in Dutch 
 the proposed question, which was translated by the American interpreter, Mr. Portman: "As 
 42 J
 
 330 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 the President's letter was received at Goraliama, near Uraga, why are you not willing to receive 
 the answer there?" Captain Adams answered tliat he did not know precisely all the Commo- 
 dore's reasons, hut the principal one was that the anchorage was very unsafe. 
 
 The Japanese now seemed somewhat trouhled, us if tliey feared that the Americans were 
 disposed to assume a hostile attitude, and asked, with some anxiety, whether the Commodore was 
 actuated hy the same friendly feelings as the Japanese government. Captain Adams did all in 
 his power to reassure tliem, and declared that the Americans were actuated hy no other motives 
 than those of friendship, and that their greatest desire was to he in relations of peace and amity 
 with Japan, and that their chief ohject in refusing their assent to the Japanese ])ropositions was 
 the fear of endangering the lives of the officers and crews and the safety of the ships hy resorting 
 to an insecure place. The Japanese reiterated, several times, that a high officer would come to 
 arrange all business with the Commodore, hut that he could not arrive for several days. Upon 
 its being proposed that he should come on hoard the ships, the Japanese declared that that was 
 quite impossible ; and then Captain A. suggested that, as it was the custom to transact all 
 public business at the metropolis, the Commodore should go to Yedo. The last suggestion was 
 opposed by the very emphatic remark : " You cannot be received at Yedo." 
 
 The Japanese now requested that the boats of the squadron should be prohibited from landing 
 or surveying the harbor, and were told that could not be promised, but that the Commodore 
 should be informed of the request. After the usual refreshments — tea, wine, cakes, and segars — 
 of which the Japanese always freely partook, and the ordinary interchange of compliments, they 
 prepared to take their departure, saying, as they left, that it would take some six or seven days 
 before they could bring any decision from the high officer in regard to the place of meeting, but 
 promising the earliest dispatch. 
 
 A surveying party had been organized on the second day of the arrival of the squadron, under 
 the command of Lieutenant Maury, and ordered to commence operations, which were effectively 
 carried out. There were no positive interruptions on the part of the Japanese authorities, but 
 they evidently looked upon the proceeding with jealous anxiety ; and that the subject was 
 uppermost in their mind is clear, from the constant allusion to it in their various couferences with 
 the American officers. The Commodore, however, fully alive to the importance of thoroughly 
 surveying the bay, not only for the convenience of the immediate purposes of the expedition but 
 for the future interests of the United States, and, we may add, those of the whole civilized world, 
 was resolved to omit no opportunity of obtaining a thorough knowledge of the navigation of the 
 bay, and thus complete the hydrographloal reports and charts, which are now among the by no 
 means least valuable results of the expedition. The surveying boats were accordingly kept 
 busy day after day, and the protestations of the Japanese authorities, though courteously 
 listened to, were always met with the assertion of the resolute determination of the Commodore 
 to prosecute what he believed so essential to the full development of the objects of his mission. 
 It was now the fourteenth of February, a day which was recorded in the logs as cold and 
 blustering, but with an atmosphere perfectly clear. The land just off the ships, tlie promon- 
 tories to the north and south, and the opposite shore, showed a clear and distinct wintry aspect, 
 and the view could be readily extended for a circuit of many miles, far back to the snowy 
 summits of the mountains, which traced their irregular outlines ujion the cold grey sky. 
 
 Notwithstanding that tlie Japanese officials luul declared that it would require several days 
 before they could bring any answer to the Commodore's protest against moving his squadron
 
 CONTINUED VISITS OF JAPANESE AUTHORITIES. 331 
 
 to TJraga, they came on board the Powhatan early the next morning, (February 15.) Commo- 
 dore Perry had suffered since his arrival from a severe indisjiosition, of which the Japanese 
 had heard, and they now made their visit to inquire, as tliey said, after the *Admirars 
 health. They also stated that they had been instructed to lay off the squadron with their 
 boats, in case the Americans had auy^iing to communicate, or desired any sufiplies. They 
 made an offer to bring off wood, water, or anything else the sliips might require ; when 
 they -were told that nothing was wanted at jjresent, but perhaps some fish, eggs, and vegetables 
 might be acceptable in a few days, and that they would be received provided payment should 
 be taken for them. The Japanese then replied that their proposed supplies were intended 
 as presents, and that they had no authority to receive money for them. They seemed to be 
 very fearful lest some of the boats should land, but they were assured that they would not 
 be allowed to do so. Captain Adams, in the course of the conversation, alluded to the report 
 of the death of the Emperor, biit was not very explicit in his question, as there seemed to 
 be some doubt of its truth. He merely stated that when the squadron liad sailed for Japan 
 he had heard that a high dignitary had died, and asked whether it was true. To which 
 the Japanese answered, "Yes, a very high man died lately." Captain A. — "What was his 
 rank?" Japanese official. — " He was a prince." It was thus a matter of the greatest difficulty 
 to get at the truth, the Japanese being as indirect and evasive as possible in regard to the 
 simplest matter of fact. 
 
 The Japanese dignitaries repeated their official visits day after day, sailing up in their boats 
 from the long distance of Uraga, and consumed the time with offering the most puerile pretexts 
 for coming, and the length of their negotiations. Now they would express the greatest 
 solicitude about the Commodore's health, and showed their courtesy by bringing him presents 
 of bon-bons and confectionary ; again they would offer provisions and other supplies ; at another 
 time they would enter into explanations about the Americans going ashore, and on one occasion 
 they brought with them a dozen or more naval buttons which had been thrown into their boats, 
 and which they returned with the most formal ceremony. They always recurred, however, 
 to the question of the vessels going to Uraga, and never ceased persisting in their pertinacious 
 solicitations that the Commodore would remove hi.s squadron tliere, notwithstanding the direct 
 and resolute refusal with which they were invariably opposed. On their visit on the 18th of 
 February they announced that the high officer had arrived at Uraga, and tliat they had been 
 sent to request the Commodore to meet him there. Upon being told tliat it was imjjossible for 
 the Commodore to go to Uraga, Captain Adams then handed them the following document from 
 the Commodore : 
 
 " United States Steam-frigate Powhatan, 
 "American Anchorage, Tedo Bay, February 18, 1854. 
 
 " The Commodore expects to be received at Yedo, agreeably to the customs of all countries. 
 
 "In consideration of the size of our ships, and tlicir great value, he cannot return to the 
 anchorage at Uraga, nor even remain at this place much longer, but will have to go higher up 
 the bay towards Yedo, where the vessels can be more secure. 
 
 " If the great man (chief commissioner) will appoint an officer of proper rank to meet Captain 
 Adams on shore, near where the ships are now lying, to determine when and where the 
 interview with the Commodore shall take place, he must let us know by noon of Tuesday next. 
 
 • The Japanese officials alwayi ipoke of the Commodore as tlie Admiral, not beinj; acquainted witli the former title.
 
 332 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 " The Commodore will be happy to place a ship at the disposal of the great man, to bring 
 him up to the place of interview, and take him back again to Uraga, if he wishes it. 
 
 " When the officer comes to meet Captain Adams, lie had better bring a letter to show tliat 
 he has proper authority, and a person must be sent to conduct Captain Adams to the phice of 
 meeting." 
 
 The Japanese received the dispatch from the Commodore without any attempt to discuss it, 
 and bore it away with them, with the intention of consulting, doubtless, with others higher in 
 authority. As they rose to depart, they asked if the Commodore had received a letter, through 
 the Dutch at Nagasaki, which had been sent to him the previous year by the government of 
 Japan. Captain Adams, as he had not been authorized to make any revelations on the subject, 
 answered he had no authority to speak on the subject. They then took their departure. 
 
 It was on this day (February 18th) that the Commodore transferred his broad pennant to the 
 Powhatan. The surveying boats, as usual, were busily occupied on duty, but had changed 
 their scone of operations further toward Tedo. The Southampton followed in their wake^ in 
 order to facilitate the work of the surveyors, who had hitherto lost much time by being obliged 
 to return, after a day's labor, a great distance to the squadron. The surveying party was now, 
 by being immediately followed by a ship, enabled to go on board of her at night, without losing 
 time, which it was necessary to economise, in order fully to complete the extensive observations 
 they had in view. 
 
 The next day was Sunday, (February 19th,) but the Japanese officials, notwithstanding, came 
 on board the Powhatan as usual. They were told that it was a day set apart by the Americans 
 as their Sabbath, but that if they had anything to say, they would be listened to, in consideration 
 of the long distance and inclement weather through which they had come. They brought with 
 them a large quantity of vegetables, oranges, fowls, eggs, and various sweetened confections, 
 which they courteously offered as a present to the Commodore, with a kind inquiry after his 
 health. These were received upon their expressing a willingness to receive something in return, 
 and they accordingly were presented with some ship's bread and a box of tea ; the Japanese 
 remarked, as they received them, they had given eatables only, and that it was a Japanese 
 custom to receive eatables only in return. Upon being asked whether the Commodore's pro])o- 
 sitions had been laid before the high officer, the officials replied that they had, and that he 
 desired to confer about the President's letter at Uraga. The Commodore's objections against 
 going to Uraga were again resolutely pressed, but the Japanese merely answered, that that 
 place had been selected by the order of the Emperor. Captain Adams distinctly declared, that 
 if the Commodore did not receive a favorable answer to his request for an interview with the 
 high officer near his present anchorage, by the subsequent Tuesday, (February 21st,) "he 
 would then know what to do." The Japanese official still reiterated that it was the Emperor's 
 order that the interview should be held at Uraga. The next day there was another visit, with 
 the usual ceremonies, and a present of oysters for the Commodore. 
 
 The Japanese brought with them a short dispatch from the high commissioners, addressed 
 to the Commodore, written in Japanese and Dutch, stating their instructions from the govern- 
 ment. The translation is as follows : 
 
 " We are compelled by the order of the Emperor to meet the ambassador of the President of 
 the United States of America either at Kama-kura or Uraga.
 
 CAPTAIN ADAMS SENT DOWN TO URAGA. 333 
 
 "In the interim we shall talk ahont the negotiations of commerce and the influence it miist 
 exercise upon the well-being of the Japanese and American nations. It is out of the question 
 now. This is all according to truth." 
 
 This document having been laid before the Commodore, he submitted the following answer: 
 
 "The Commodore, for the reasons before given, cannot return to Uraga. His instructions 
 are to receive the answer of the Emperor to the President's letter at Yedo." 
 
 The Japanese having received and perused the answer attentively, conferred with each other, 
 and then promised that it should be submitted to the high officer. Captain Adams now informed 
 them that it was his intention, under orders, to go down to Uraga the next day to declare in 
 person to the high officer what had just been delivered in writing from the Commodore. The 
 Japanese seemed very anxious to know if he would be accompanied by a very large party, and 
 seemed quite tranquilized when told that there would be a few officers only. They, promised 
 that a boat should be in readiness, and all other preparations made for tlie reception. In the 
 course of a general conversation they were told that the following Wednesday would be the 
 anniversary of Washington's birthday, and that a salute would, in consequence, be fired. They 
 seemed perfectly acquainted with the name of the great father of our country, and expressed a 
 desire to participate in celebrating the occasion, asking to be permitted to come off to see the 
 giins fired. They were, of course, politely invited, and requested to bring their ladies with them ; 
 the latter part of the invitation they, however, jeered at as a very amusing but quite an 
 impracticable joke. 
 
 On Tuesday, the 21st day of February, the Japanese boat came alongside the Powhatan, and 
 the officials, on being received aboard, stated that they had come to show Captain Adams the 
 landing at Uraga. They were then invited to accompany him on board the Vandalia, which 
 ship immediately set sail, and moved down the bay. Captain Adams was the bearer of the 
 following note from the Commodore to the Japanese authorities : 
 
 "United States Flag-ship Powhatan, 
 "American Anchorage, Yedo Bay, Fehruary 20, 1854. 
 
 "The undersigned is highly gratified to learn, through the officers of his Blajesty who have 
 visited the flag-ship, that the imperial court has come to the conclusion to respond, in the most 
 cordial manner, to the propositions of the President of the United States which the undersigned 
 had the honor to present in July last. 
 
 "Inasmuch as the anchorage at Uraga is unsafe and inconvenient, and considering the great 
 size and value of the steamers composing a part of the command of the undersigned, he does 
 not consider himself justified in removing to tliat place ; on the contrary, he deems it necessary 
 to seek a more commodious harbor higher up the bay ; and as his instructions direct him to 
 present himself at Yedo, it is desirable that he should ajiproach as near as possible to that city, 
 as well for the better convenience of communication as with reference, also, to the arrangement 
 and exhibition of the various presents sent by the President to his Imperial Majesty. 
 
 "As the mission of the undersigned is of a most friendly character, he is not prepared to 
 anticipate any objection to his reception at the seat of government, conformably to the usages 
 of all the nations of Europe and America, and he hopes that wlien the steamers shall have 
 reached the vicinity of the city, and secured more suitable moorings, he may have the honor of
 
 334 
 
 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 receiving on board his sliip such distinguished members of the imperial court as may be desirous 
 of viewing the steamers and witnessing the working of their machinery. 
 
 " This communication will be presented by Commander H. A. Adams, captain of the fleet, 
 who is empowered to receive any written proposition addressed to tlie undersigned, and place at 
 the disposal of the commissioners of his Imperial Majesty one of the vessels of the squadron. 
 ' ' With the highest respect, 
 
 "M. C. PEEKY, 
 •' Commander4n-chief U. S. Naval Forces East Inciia, China, and Japan seas." 
 
 It was calm in the morning, but before the Vandalia had reached Uraga a strong gale from 
 the southwest, and directly ahead, prevented her from reaching the port, and made it necessary 
 for her to anchor under Point Kubicon.* Captain Adams, accordingly, was not enabled to land, 
 until the succeeding day. It being the twenty-second of February, Washington's birthday, tlie 
 Vandalia commenced at noon firing a sulute in honor of the occasion, and amidst the salvo of 
 
 Landing at Uraga. 
 
 artillery Captain Adams left the ship, accompanied by a score ol officers and attendants, and 
 landed at Uraga, where they were met by a large party of Japanese officials, who conducted 
 them to a wooden pavilion, whicli evidently had been but lately constructed. 
 
 Captain Adams and his suite were ushered into a large hall, some fifty feet long and forty 
 
 •Point Rubicon was a headland, in the bay which had received that name from the Commodore, because it was just abreast 
 of it where the surveying boats, on tlie first visit to Yedo Bay, had, in spite of some show of opposition on the part of tlio 
 Japanese, persisted in carryinjr on tlie operations with success, and thus passed, as it were, the Rubicon.
 
 INTERVIEW OF CAPTAIN ADAMS WITH COMMISSIONERS. 335 
 
 wide. The floor was spread with soft mats of very fine texture, and at a distance of several 
 feet from the walls, on either side, were arranged long settees covered with what appeared to he 
 a red felt ; in front of them were tahles spread with a silken crape. 
 
 The Americans were invited, on entering, to take tlieir seats on the left hand, Avhich is 
 esteemed by the Japanese the place of honor ; this they had no sooner done than the Japanese 
 prince, accompanied hy two other high dignitaries, entered the hall, tliroiigh a curtained 
 ojiening which led into another compartment. As soon as these dignitaries presented them- 
 selves, the governor of Uraga, the interpreters, and various Japanese subordinates, who had 
 accompanied the Americans, dropped at once upon their knees — a position they retained 
 throughout the interview — and bowed their heads to tlie ground. The prince and his two 
 associates took their seats on the riglit, opposite to the American officers, and a file of Japanese 
 soldiers, amounting to half a hundred, marched in and ranged themselves, on their knees^ 
 behind the three dignitaries, in the space between their backs and the wall. 
 
 The prince, with his robes of richly embroidered silk, his fine presence, his benevolent and 
 intelligent face, and his courtly manners, made quite an imposing appearance. 
 
 He first addressed Captain Adams, rising as he spoke, and expressed his pleasure at seeing 
 him. His interpreters translated his Japanese into Dutch, which was then repeated in English 
 by the American interpreter, Mr. Portman. The audience then commenced in form, and was 
 conducted throughout with the most friendly expression of feeling on both sides. 
 
 CajJtain Adams commenced by stating, that it was quite evident that Uraga was not a proper 
 place for the ships, since the anchorage was so much exposed. The Japanese replied, that it 
 had been ordered by the Emperor to receive the Admiral there, and to deliver the answer to 
 the President's letter there. Captain Adams, without at the moment pushing this subject 
 further, handed his card to the prince, and requested his in return. He was told that he should 
 have it in a few minutes, when the Japanese prince, requesting to be excused for a few moments, 
 retired through the curtained door into an adjacent apartment. In the meantime the attendants 
 handed round tea, in small China cups handsomely adorned, and borne upon wooden trays 
 beautifully lacquered. The Japanese interpreters apologised for the meagreness of the repast, 
 and entered into an informal conversation, in the course of which they asked for the names of 
 the American officers who were present, and inquired whether they were satisfied with Uraga 
 as a proper place for the reception of the President's letter. 
 
 This subject was uppermost in their minds, and they seemed resolved to press it on all 
 occasions, as they were very desirous of jircventing any nearer approach of the s(|uadron to 
 Yedo ; being instructed, no doubt, to attempt to acconii)lish this purpose at all hazards. They 
 were told that Captain Adams had a letter upon the subject from the Commodore, and were 
 reminded of the severe weather to which the Vandal ia had been exposed, and how impossible 
 it was to place the squadron in a position so little protected against the stormy season then 
 prevailing. 
 
 The prince now entered and his card was handed to Captain Adams, upon which was 
 recorded his full name and title, thus: Hayashi-Daigaku-no-kami, i. e., Hayashi, prince of 
 Daigaku. 
 
 Captain Adams now handed the Commodore's letter, which has already been given in full, to 
 the prince, accompanying it with a statement in regard to the insecure anchorage at Uraga, and 
 the necessity of having shelter, space, and smooth water, for mooring the squadron, and repair-
 
 336 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 ing one of tte sliijis wliich had become leaky. He also emphatically declared that it was quite 
 impossible for the Commodore to come to Uraga, but that he would be very hapjjy to send one 
 of his steamers to convey the prince up the bay to a place of meeting, near the anchorage of 
 the American ships. 
 
 The prince and his two coadjutors now retired to consider the Commodore's letter. In the 
 meantime refreshments were presented, consisting of tea, of a cake resembling our sponge cake, 
 candy, various fruits, and their saki. 
 
 A general conversation ensued in regard to the building which the Japanese said had been 
 especially constructed for the meeting with the Commodore, the depth of the harbor, and other 
 points of no material interest. 
 
 The Japanese interpreters, in answer to the objections urged against the security of the port 
 of Uraga, insisted that it was perfectly safe_, and requested Captain Adams to make a survey of 
 it, in order to convince himself; and again and again earnestly urged ujion him to entreat the 
 Commodore to bring his ships there, and meet the Japanese high officei's, who had been appointed 
 to treat with him ; saying that if he would come the whole treaty might be arranged before night. 
 Captain Adams, in answer, said that he would inform the Commodore, when the conversation 
 was interrupted by the reappearance of the three Japanese high dignitaries. Upon entering 
 they annoimced that they had carefully perused the Commodore's letter three or four times, but 
 were not prepared to give an answer, as they would be obliged to consult the other high officers 
 appointed by the Emperor, and who were now in waiting at Uraga. On being asked when the 
 answer would be ready, they appointed the third day after the interview. Captain Adams 
 strove to impress upon them the necessity of dispatch, in consequence of the insecurity of the 
 ship in the prevailing stormy weather at Uraga, and of explicitness in their answer, as the 
 Commodore was anxious to bring matters to a conclusion, and to send to America one of his 
 ships to report progress in the negotiations, and prevent others from coming out. The confer- 
 ence now being at an end, the prince and his coadjutors bowed politely and retired. 
 
 The weather being stormy and the water in the bay very rough, the American officers delayed 
 their return to the Vandalia, and occupied the interval in strolling about and viewing the neigh- 
 borhood. Hardly anything could be seen, however, of the town and the people, as the Japanese 
 authorities had, in accordance with their usual custom, hemmed in the shore, on both sides of 
 the audience hall, with cotton screens of some eight feet in height, which excluded the houses 
 from the sight of the strangers. Crowds of men, women, and children could be observed, how- 
 ever, in the distance, thronging upon the surrounding hills, and gazing eagerly at the Americans. 
 When the storm had somewhat abated. Captain Adams and his party, having been presented, 
 in accordance with Japanese practice, with paper parcels containing the remains of the refresh- 
 ments which had been left upon their jjlates or salvers, returned to their ship lying oif the 
 harbor. Some went back in the Vandalia's boats, while others accepted the oilers of the 
 Japanese officials, and put off in their craft. The superior excellence of the Japanese boats, in 
 a sea, was admirably proved, by the fact tliat those on board of them reached the ship 
 with dry jackets while the others were wet through and through by the dashing spray. The 
 use of the scull instead of the oar, may partially account for this advantage of the Japanese 
 boats, although their construction has something to do with it. The sculls never leave the 
 water, while the oars are constantly in and out, dipping up considerable spray, which at every 
 stroke is blown, in case of a high wind, all over the persons in a boat of our usual construction.
 
 VISIT OF YEZAIMAN. 337 
 
 On the next morning (February 23) tlie Vandalia was still lying oflf Uraga, when our old 
 acquaintance, Yezaiman, the governor of Uraga, presented himself. This, it will be remem- 
 bered, was the dignitary who had figured so conspicuously during the first visit of the squadron 
 to the Bay of Yedo. His absence hitherto had created great surprise, and it was naturally feared 
 that his conduct on the previous occasion had not been approved of by his government, and that 
 he had fallen into disgrace, or possibly had been reduced to the disagreeable necessity of disem- 
 bowelling himself. He however explained his long absence on the score of illness, and the im- 
 mense pressure of public business. He expressed great pleasure in seeing his old acquaintances, 
 and proved himself the same afi"able, courteous gentleman, as on all previous occasions. Yezaiman 
 explained the object of his visit by presenting a letter from himself, in which he informally, as 
 he stated, though undoubtedly with the connivance of the government, repeated the assurances 
 of the friendly disposition of the Emperor, and earnestly solicited Captain Adams to use his 
 influence with the ''Admiral' to prevail upon him to concede the point in regard to Uraga. 
 Everything, of course, was referred to Commodore Perry, although the belief was expressed that 
 he would resolutely adhere to his original determination. Yezaiman, having promised that the 
 answer of the high officers to the Commodore's letter should be brought on board the next day, 
 took his departure. 
 
 Accordingly early the next morning (February 24) the Japanese, having brought the dispatch 
 in answer to the Commodore's letter, and having taken the occasion of urging their views about 
 Uraga, for their first and last word was perpetually Uraga! Uraga! the Vandalia got under 
 way to join the squadron at the American anchorage. The ship, however, had not proceeded 
 far, when the steamers and sailing vessels were observed in the distance ahead, standing up 
 the bay. 
 
 The Commodore, having little hope of any favorable result from the visit of Captain Adams to 
 Uraga, had determined to put his threat into execution, and had actually removed the squadron, 
 during the absence of the Vandalia, to a spot whence Yedo might be seen from the masthead. 
 So near, indeed, did he approach to that capital, that the striking of the city bells during the 
 night could be distinctly heard. As a measure of precaution, the surveying boats always 
 sounded in advance of the ships, and when the Vandalia was seen to approach with Captain 
 Adams on board, bearing the dispatch of the high officers at Uraga, the surveying party was 
 absent engaged in further explorations toward Yedo. Next morning (February 25) while the 
 squadron was anchored off the town of Kanagawa, one of the Vandalia's boats arrived, and came 
 alongside the flagship, bringing Captain Adams, who handed the Commodore the following 
 letter from the high officer : 
 
 " To Admiral M. C. Perry : 
 
 " The undersigned, ambassadors of the Emperor of Japan, have perused and understood the 
 letter of the Lord Admiral, and in reply may remark : 
 
 " The Lord Admiral is right in going up to Yedo, to be received there according to the custom 
 in Europe and America. According to the Japanese custom ambassadors are commissioned, 
 and a building erected, for the reception of ambassadors from foreign countries in a friendly 
 manner and with high consideration. 
 
 " The Emperor has sent us to Uraga to receive the Admiral with the highest honor, and to 
 
 extend the Japanese hospitality towards him, and have the interview at that place in compliance 
 
 with the order of the Emperor, regardless of the customs of foreign countries. 
 43 J
 
 338 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 " We wish this to be well understood : we desire the Admiral to come to Uraga, there to have 
 the interview with us in the huilding aforesaid, and would gratefully acknowledge the friendly 
 meeting of the Lord Admiral in complying with this order of the Emperor and our own wishes. 
 
 " Our best wishes for the health of the Admiral. 
 
 " HAYASHI-DAIGAKU-NO-KAMI. 
 
 " The 21th Siogoots, 1854. 
 
 The arrival of Captain Adams was soon followed by that of Keyama Yezaiman, the governor 
 of Uraga, who made his appearance with the alleged object of receiving a reply to the high 
 officer's letter, but, as it will appear, for another purpose. Yezaiman commenced by inquiring 
 whether the Commodore was still determined not to return to Uraga, and being answered in 
 the affirmative, he again offered supplies, and was again told that wood and water would 
 be received. Yezaiman replied that these articles would be cheerfully furnished, but that they 
 could only be obtained at Uraga. He was then informed that it was a matter of indifference 
 whence they came, but that the Commodore would not go to Uraga, and if the Japanese did not 
 brinf water to the ships, the Commodore would send on shore and procure it by some means. 
 
 Finding that the Commodore was immovable in purpose, and evidently inclined to approach 
 nearer to Yedo, Yezaiman suddenly abandoned the previously pretended ultimatum of the 
 Japanese commissioners, as to the place of meeting, and suggested a spot in the immediate 
 nei"-hborhood of the village of Yoku-hama, directly opposite to where the ships then were 
 anchored. 
 
 Thus, after having interposed for the last ten days all possible objections to the squadron's 
 movino- further wp the bay, and having used every inducement to prevail upon the Commodore 
 to return to Uraga, they suddenly abandoned the position from which they had so frequently 
 declared they could not possibly be moved. They had discovered that the Commodore was not 
 to be shaken from his resolution, and finding that the ships had already approached within 
 eio-ht miles of their capital, they thought it politic to stop them there, while it was practicable, 
 by a conciliatory concession. 
 
 The motive of the Commodore for thus persisting, with what may seem obstinacy, in his 
 determination not to go to Uraga, is best explained by himself. In his communication to the 
 honorable Secretary, on this subject, he thus writes : 
 
 " I was convinced that if I receded in the least from the position first assumed by me, it would 
 be considered by the Japanese an advantage gained ; and, finding that I could be induced to 
 change a predetermined intention in one instance, they might rely on prevailing on me, by dint 
 of perseverance, to waver in most other cases pending the negotiations ; therefore, it seemed to 
 bo the true policy to hold out at all hazards, and rather to establish for myself a character for 
 unreasonable obstinacy, than that of a yielding disposition. I knew that upon the impression 
 thus formed by them would in a measure hinge the tenor of our future negotiations ; and the 
 sequel will show that I was right in my conclusions. Indeed, in conducting all my business 
 with these very sagacious and deceitful people, I have found it profitable to bring to my aid 
 the experience gained in former and by no means limited intercourse with the inhabitants of 
 strange lands, civilized and barbarian ; and this experience has admonished me that, with 
 people of forms, it is necessary either to set all ceremony aside, or to out- Herod Herod in assumed 
 personal consequence and ostentation.
 
 COMMODORE ASSENTS TO YOKU-HAMA. 339 
 
 "I have adopted the two extremes — hy an exhibition of great pomp, when it could properly 
 he displayed, and hy avoiding it, when such pomp would he inconsistent with the spirit of our 
 institutions ; and by resolving never to recognise, on any occasion, the slightest personal 
 superiority, always meeting the Japanese officials, however exalted their rank, with perfect 
 equality, whilst those of comparative distincti(m, of their own nation, were cringing and 
 kneeling to them ; and from motives of policy, and to give greater importance to my own 
 position, I have hitherto studiously kept myself aloof from intercourse with any of the subordi- 
 nates of the court, making it known that I would communicate with none but the princes 
 of the Empire. Up to this time, I have succeeded far beyond my expectations in maintaining 
 this extreme point of diplomacy, and, as I believe, to very great advantage. 
 
 " It is probable that arrogance may be charged against me for persisting as I did, and against 
 the judgment of all about me, in changing the place of conference, and thus compelling four 
 princes of the Empire to follow the squadron, and subjecting the government to the trouble and 
 expense of erecting another building ; but I was simply adhering to a course of policy deter- 
 mined on after mature reflection, and which had hitherto worked so well." 
 
 The Commodore expressed a willingness to accede to the last proposition of the Japanese, 
 provided his officers, on examining the place selected, should find it suitable. Captains 
 Buchanan and Adams accordingly, having visited the spot in company with Yezaimau, returned 
 with a favorable report. The situation was suitable in all respects, being near to Yedo, with 
 safe and commodious anchorage at a mile distant from the shore, and affording abundant space 
 for landing and exhibiting the presents intended for the Emperor. The Commodore accord- 
 ingly determined to concur in the choice of the place now selected, and notified his resolution in 
 the following communication : 
 
 '' UyiTED State.? Flag-ship Powhatan, 
 " j4f anchor off the toion of Yoku-hama, Yedo Bay, March 1, 1854. 
 " Tour Excellency : The letter of your excellency from Uraga was duly delivered by Captain 
 Adams ; and shortly after, when it was ascertained that I could not agree to return to Uraga, 
 Kej^ama Yezaiman suggested that the negotiations might be conducted at a village opposite the 
 present anchorage of the squadron. 
 
 "Being exceedingly desirous of meeting the wishes of your excellency, in every way con- 
 sistent with the honor and interest of my country, and learning that the place pointed out was 
 in all respects convenient for the purpose, I at once consented to defer my visit to Yedo until 
 after the completion of the negotiation.s. 
 
 "I the more readily entered into this arrangement, as, on examination of the port by the 
 surveying boats, it has been found that the ships can approach near to the city, where I propose 
 at some future time to anchor them, as well to do honor to his Imperial Majesty hy salutes, &c., 
 as to be in full view of the palace, and convenient to be visited by such of the court as may 
 desire to examine the steamers and their machinery, and I hardly need say that they will be 
 kindly and politely received. 
 
 " With the most profound respect, 
 
 "M. C. PERRY, 
 "Commander-in-chief United States Naval Forces East India, China, and 
 
 Japan Seas, and Special Ambassador to Japan, 
 "His Highness H.\yashi-Daigaku-no-kami, &c., &c., dec."
 
 340 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 The surveying boats liatl been kept busy during the progress of all this negotiation, and 
 immediately after the Commodore had signified his intention of accepting the proposition of the 
 Japanese offering Yoku-hama as the place of meeting, the party of surveyors returned to the 
 Powhatan, and reported that they had found six fathoms of water within four or five miles of 
 Yedo. This near approach to their capital was supposed to be the clue to the sudden change in 
 the policy of the Japanese, as they doubtless feared that the Commodore would proceed at once 
 to execute his threat of moving his squadron to Yedo, if the authorities still persisted in their 
 demands for him to return to Uraga. 
 
 The Japanese now commenced constructing at once a wooden building for the proposed 
 conference, and great numbers of workmen were seen busily engaged in bringing materials and 
 putting them together in the form of a large and irregular structure. The ship's boats were 
 sent out to examine the anchorage opposite the place, and the Commodore, after receiving a 
 favorable report, directed (February 27) the squadron to be moored in a line abreast, and within 
 a mile of Yoku-hama, covering with their guns an extent of shore of five miles. Captains 
 Buchanan and Adams went ashore, soon after the anchoring of the ships, to see the buildings 
 in progress of erection, and to instruct the Japanese workmen how to make the wharf for the 
 landing of the Commodore and his party. Accordingly, when Yezaiman came on board the 
 Powhatan, on March 3d, he alluded with some expression of anxiety to the fact of some of 
 the Americans having landed, fearing, he said, lest some trouble might ensue, if this should be 
 continued, between our people and the natives. As soon, however, as he was told the purpose 
 of the visit, and of the Commodore's order that no one of his men should be allowed to land, 
 he seemed satisfied. 
 
 Captain Adams now gave the governor of Uraga a letter which had been written to his 
 friends by a Japanese who belonged to the squadron, and was generally known among the 
 sailors by the soubriquet of Sam Patch. Sam was one of the crew, consisting of sixteen men, 
 of a Japanese junk which had been driven off in a storm from the coast of Japan. An American 
 merchant vessel, having fallen in with the junk, took the Japanese on board and conveyed 
 them to San Francisco, where they were removed to a revenue cutter. They remained on board 
 the cutter twelve months, when they were taken by the United States sloop-of-war St. Mary's to 
 China, and there transferred to the Susquehanna. When this steamer joined Commodore 
 Perry's squadron, bound to Japan, the Japanese all preferred to remain in China, lest if they 
 returned home they should lose their lives, with the exception of Sam Patch, who remained 
 on board, and being regularly shipped as one of the crew, was with the squadron on the first, 
 as he was now on the second, visit to Japan. Upon his letter being presented to Yezaiman 
 he was requested to deliver it in accordance with the direction, which he promised to do, but 
 the Japanese seemed very much surprised at the fact of one of their countrymen being among 
 the crew, and expressed an earnest desire to see him. Yezaiman was accordingly promised 
 that his request should be complied with in the course of a few days. 
 
 Yezaiman and his interpreters, to whom there was now added a new one, of the name of 
 Moryama Yenoske, who spoke a little English, which he was said to have acquired from an 
 American sailor who had been a captive in Japan, and was one of those taken away by the 
 Preble, came off daily to the ships. As the building on shore was in progress, the details of its 
 erection, and the prospective interview ashore, were naturally daily topics of conversation. The 
 coming ceremonies were spoken of, and the rank and number of those who were to participate
 
 SUPPLIES OF COAL, ETC. 341 
 
 in them discussed. Yezaiman, in accordance with the request of the Commodore, submitted the 
 names and credentials of the high commissioners who were to represent the government of Japan 
 at the approaching conference. The following is a translation of the letter of credence of the 
 imperial officers: 
 
 Hatashi Daigaku-no-kami, Ido-Tsus-sima-no-kami, Izawa Mema-saki-no-kami, Udono Mimbusco : 
 
 You are hereby empowered to hold interviews with his excellency the American ambassador 
 on his arrival, and to negotiate concerning the business which has been communicated to you. 
 SiOGOOTS. KA-EI-SILSI-NEU. [seal of the emperor.] 
 
 Yezaiman having said, that now as his government knew the Americans better, and had entire 
 confidence in them, there would be no Japanese soldiers brought out at the coming interview at 
 Yoku-hama, as before at Gora-hama, he was assured that the guard that would accompany the 
 Commodore was only intended to do honor to the occasion. A conversation then ensued which, 
 as it refers to the important subject of the resources of Japan, in regard to coal and other sup- 
 plies, is thought of sufficient importance to give verbatim, as reported by the Commodore's 
 secretary. Captain Adams, it will be observed, was still acting in behalf of Commodore Perry, 
 as the latter continued his policy of seclusion. 
 
 Yezaiman (having first alluded to the fact of the President's letter stating that coal would be 
 probably wanted by American steamers touching on the coast of Japan) asked, "How much 
 shall you need annually?" 
 
 Captain Adams. "It is quite impossible now to say what amount will be needed; ships will 
 call and get what they want. The Commodore, however, will speak on this point with the 
 commissioners." 
 
 Yezaiman. "We have plenty of coal, but a port is asked for to get it from — that is, a port 
 where a ship can take it in conveniently." 
 
 Captain Adams. "Yes: a port lying along the southern shores of Nippon would be most 
 convenient, but the Commodore will arrange that. Where is the best coal found?" 
 
 Yezaiman. "The most abundant supply and the best coal come from Kiusiu. I do not know 
 how much there is in Nippon, but there is none in Sikok." Yezaiman then changed the subject 
 by asking, "What sort of provisions do you want? We have the greatest abundance of wheat 
 and vegetables at Nagasaki." 
 
 Captain Adams. "Our ships will only take such supplies as you can furnish." 
 
 Yezaiinan. " Our principal supplies are pork, beef, sheep, poultry, and vegetables of many 
 kinds, but no Irish potatoes."* 
 
 Captain Adams. "Did you give the Eussians any coal?" 
 
 Yezaiman. "Yes; a little from time to time, and they said it was very good." Yezaiman 
 then promised to bring a specimen of their coal, which he said was a fuel seldom used by the 
 Japanese. 
 
 The arrival of the Saratoga, on the fourth of March, was quite an event to all the officers and 
 men in the squadron, who, confined to the narrow limits of an anchored ship, month after 
 month, with no variety in the daily routine of duty, and no change of scene from the mono- 
 tonous view of the same look-out from deck, gladly welcomed anytiiing that could break up for 
 
 * Yeziiman means at Nagasaki, where limited supplies of these articles are kept for strangers. The Japanese, in general, do 
 nut use the meats here named.
 
 342 
 
 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 a moment the tedium of their life. The Saratoga had experienced very severe vreatlier, which 
 those in the squadron, although sheltered in a safe anchorage, could readily understand, for the 
 season, even in the hay, had given evidence enough of its rude inclemency. Frequently the 
 wind was so high and the waters of the bay so disturbed, that the surveying boats were obliged 
 to intermit their labors. The frequent recurrence of rain, alternating with an occasional snow- 
 storm, and a cold temperature more penetrating to the sensations, from its moisture, gave all a 
 verv disao-reeable experience of a Japan winter. The hard-working Japanese boatmen seemed 
 alone insensible to the weather, and, as they worked vigorously at their long sculls, sung 
 cheerily, as if their half-naked bodies were as much proof against cold wind and boisterous 
 weather, as their tight built craft. 
 
 According to agreement, Sam Patch was brought forward and presented to the Japanese 
 officials and no sooner did he behold these dignitaries than he prostrated himself at once, 
 apparently completely awe-stricken. Sam had been frequently laughed at during the voyage 
 by his messmates, and teazed by statements of the danger to which his head would be exposed 
 on his arrival in his own country, and the poor fellow possibly thought his last hour had come. 
 Captain Adams ordered him to rise from his knees, upon which he was crouching with the 
 most abject fear and trembling in every limb. He was reminded that he was on board an 
 American man-of-war, perfectly safe as one of her crew, and had nothing to fear ; but it being 
 found impossible to reassure him while in the presence of his countrymen, he was soon 
 dismissed. But more of Sam hereafter. 
 
 The eio-hth of March had been appointed by the Commodore as the day for the conference 
 ashore ; and, as crowds of Japanese laborers kept busily at work upon the building, there seemed 
 every prospect of its being ready in time. When the building was finished, the usual Japanese 
 deputation, headed by Yezaiman, came off to the Powhatan, and, announcing the fact, asked if 
 the Admiral would be ready to land on the next day, (March 8.) They were told that, provided 
 the weather should be suitable, the Commodore and his party would leave the squadron at twelve 
 o'clock on the morrow. Yezaiman entered into some jireliminary explanations in regard to the 
 ceremonies on the occasion. He asked the number and names of all the officers in the squadron, 
 with the purpose, as he said, of providing presents for each. Upon being asked whether the 
 chief of the commissioners appointed to negotiate with the Commodore was next in rank to the 
 Emperor, Yezaiman answered that he was, and at the same time corrected a previous statement 
 saying that, instead of four dignitaries in addition to the high commissioner, there would be 
 five. With the iisual courtly assurances of kindly feeling, Yezaiman and his suite took 
 leave, saying, as he departed, that he would send a person on board next day to conduct the 
 Commodore and his party to the land. 
 
 Toku-hama, Bay ol Vedo.
 
 SHIPS ANCHORED IN Y OKU -HA MA BAY. 34.3 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 • HIPS AVCHORED IM TOKU-HAMA BAT SO AS TO COMMAND THE SHORE. KAVAGAWA "TREATY HOUSE." IMPERIAL BARGE. 
 
 LAS'DiyC OF THE CO>1MODORE. DESCRIPTION* OF THE JAP.W'ESE COMMISSION'ERS. IVTERPRETERS. SERVILITY TO SUPERIORS. 
 
 SEGOTIATIOKS COMMENCED. COMMODORE SUBMITS A COPY OF THE TRF.ATY OF THE UNITED STATES WITH CHIVA FOR 
 
 COVSIDERATIOV. DEATH OF OKE OF OUR MEN'. COMMODORE PROPOSES TO BUY A BURIAL GROUND FOR AMERICAN'S. — 
 
 COMMISSIONERS PROPOSE TO SEND THE BODY OF THE DECEASED TO XAGASAEI FOR INTERMENT COM.MODORE REFUSES 
 
 AND PROPOSES TO BURY THE DEAD ON WEBSTEr's ISLAND. COMMISSIONERS CONSENT TO THE INTERMENT AT TOKD- 
 
 RAMA. THE BURIAL BY CHAPLAIN JONES. INTEREST OF THE JAPANESE IN THE CEREMONY. THET AFTERWARD PERFORM 
 
 THEIR OWN BITES OVER THE COVERED GRAVE. THE JAPANESE BUILD AN ENCLOSURE AROU.VD THE SPOT. JAPANESE 
 
 ARTISTS 'attempt THE PORTRAITS OF OUR OFFICERS. ANSWER TO THE PRESIDENT'S LETTER. INFORMAL CONFERENCE 
 
 BETWEEN CAPTAIN ADAMS AND YENOSKE LANDING AND DELIVERY OF THE PRESENTS. JAPANESE WORKMEN ASSIST THE 
 
 AMERICANS IN PREPARING FOR THEIR EXHIBITION. NEGOTIATIONS CONTINUED. SURPRISE AND DELIGHT OF THE JAPANESE 
 
 AT THE TELEGRAPH AND RAILROAD. CURIOSITY OF THE JAPANESE IN EXAMINING MECHANISM. PASSION FOR BUTTONS. 
 
 NOTE-TAKING OF EVERYTHING STRANGE TO THEM. LOVE OF PICTURES. DRAWINGS. COMMON PEOPLE DISPOSED TO SOCIAL 
 
 INTERCOURSE WITH THE AMERICANS. EXCITEMENT ON CHAPLAIN BITTINGER*S ATTEMPT TO REACH TEDO BY LAND. 
 
 WRITTEN REPLY OF COMMISSIONERS, DECLINING TO MAKE A TREATY LIKE THAT OF THE UNITED STATES WITH CHI.NA. 
 
 FURTHER NEGOTIATIONS. ACCURACY OF THE JAPANESE IN NOTING ALL THE DISCUSSION'S. FORTS OF SIMODA AND 
 
 BAKODADI AGREED TO, BUT WITH GREAT DIFFICULTY ON' THE PART OF THE JAPANESE. 
 
 fe^^ ^^ g . ^k=. LOXG the western side of the Bay of Yedo, from its 
 
 ' "" -===^-^--- =^ ^^g mouth, where it opens into the Gulf of Yedo, to the 
 
 ^^^^^■^^^^^^^BH^^H|^fc uninterrupted scene of populousness arc the projecting 
 ^P^ I "m^^^^ ^^SBbb^^^^^ spurs of the highlands, which, presenting less advantage 
 
 ^gn Bi^BB^^^^^S^^^!^S¥i^i ^^^S houses. These promontories, however, are covered 
 
 M|^HBL^HP'r^=4BHHH^^^&" ^^t^^ batteries, which are more formidable in aspect 
 
 f^B^S^f^^^^^^^^'^^^^X^'] ^^^^ in reality, for their guns are but of small calibre, 
 
 ^^^^^^^^^g^~r~^~-~ ~''^~:-VT °"^ '^^ these numerous and populous villages, and is 
 ■^S^' '^^^^^H^Sfc^^^^. — . — situated at the head of a bay called on the American 
 -"^^^^'S=^^fe^^fes=- charts "Yoku-hama Bay," which is formed by Point 
 Hope, on the southeast, and the neck of land extending northeast from Kanagawa to the suburb 
 of the city of Yedo, termed Sinagawa, and near to which tlic junks resorting to the capital 
 usually anchor. At the position in front uf Yoku-hama there was just sufficient room to anchor 
 in a line of battle the whole squadron ; the guns of the several ships commanding an extent
 
 344 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN, 
 
 of shore equal to their entire range. It was in this position that the Commodore had placed 
 his nine ships — the steam frigates, the Powhatan, which was the tlag-ship, the Susquehanna, 
 and the Mississippi, and the sailing ships, the Macedonian, the Vandalia, the Saratoga, the 
 Southampton, the Lexington, and the Supply, the latter having suhsequently joined the 
 squadron.* 
 
 Kanagawa is quite a large town, and was the residence of the Japanese commissioners 
 pending the negotiations of the treaty, and it would have been selected by Commodore Perry 
 for the place of conference, had it not been for the impossibility of the ships approaching 
 within gunshot of its front towards the bay. He therefore preferred to select Yoku-hama, to 
 confirm the choice of Captains Buchanan and Adams, who had been sent to examine and rej^ort 
 upon the most eligible anchorage for the squadron. 
 
 The building erected for the accommodation of the Japanese commissioners and the Commo- 
 dore, and the numerous persons in attendance, and which was called by the Americans the 
 " treaty house," was placed upon a level plain near to the shore, and contiguous to the village 
 of Yoku-hama, being distant from Kanagawa three, from the southern suburb of the capital 
 five, and from Yedo itself probably nine miles. The treaty house had been hastily erected of 
 unpainted pine wood, with peaked roofs, and covered a large extent of ground, having a 
 , reception hall of from forty to sixty feet in area, and several adjoining apartments and offices. 
 From each side extended yellow canvas screens divided into panel-like squares by black painted 
 stripes. On the exterior walls of the building was spread a dark cloth, upon which was 
 represented in bright colors some device which was said to be the arms of the third commis- 
 sioner, Izawa, prince of Mimasaki. 
 
 At an early hour on the 8th of March, the day appointed for the conference with the 
 Japanese commissioners, there was an unusual stir ashore preparatory to the ceremonies of the 
 occasion. The Japanese workmen were busily engaged in adorning the treaty hoiise with 
 streamers and other gay paraphernalia. Two poles were erected, one on either side of the 
 entrance, to which were hung long oblong banners of white cotton cloth with a bright red 
 stripe across the centre. On the peaked roof of the building was placed a tall staff, surmounted 
 with a circular ornament in shape like the upper part of a chandelier, from which was suspended 
 a heavy silken tassel. In the preparation of the place it had been surrounded by the usual 
 enclosure of cloth, which completely excluded it from the view of those without, and, in fact, 
 seemed to enclose it within a sort of prison yard. The Commodore, who saw this arrangement 
 from his ship before he landed, immediately sent an officer on shore to demand what it meant, 
 and, in answer to some frivolous pretext about preventing intrusion and doing honor to the 
 occasion, informed the Japanese that he would forego the honor, and that, until it was 
 completely removed, he could not think of landing. It was immediately taken down by the 
 Japanese. 
 
 Bands of flag-bearers, musicians and pikemen manoeuvred in order here and there, glistening 
 with their lacquered caps, bright colored costumes, crimson streamers, showy emblazonry, and 
 burnished spears. There was no great military display as on the first visit at Gora-hama, and 
 the few who had the look of soldiers were merely a small body guard, composed of the retainers 
 of the various high dignitaries who were to officiate on the occasion. Crowds of people had 
 
 • The Supply arrived with coal and store* for the squadron on the 19lh of March.
 
 IMPERIAL BARGE AT Y K U - K A M A . 
 
 345 
 
 gathered from the neighboring towns and villages, and were thronging in curious eagerness on 
 eitlier side of a large open snace on the shore, which was kept free from intrusion by barriers, 
 within which none of the siiectators were allowed to enter. Two or three officials were seen 
 busily moving about, now directing the workmen, and again checking the disorder among the 
 Japanese multitude. 
 
 Soon a large barge came floating down the bay, from the neighboring town of Kanagawa. 
 This was a gaily painted vessel, which, with its decks and open pavilion rising high above the hull, 
 had very much the appearance of one of our western river steamboats, while streamers floated 
 
 Imperial Barge at Toku-hama. 
 
 from its three masts, and bright colored flags and variegated drapery adorned the open deck 
 above. This barge bore the Japanese commissioners, and when it had reached to within a short 
 distance of the shore, these dignitaries and their suites disembarked in several boats and hurried 
 to the land. An immense number of Japanese craft of all kinds, each with a tassel at its prow 
 and a square striped flag at its stern, gathered about the bay. The day was fresh and clear, 
 and everything had a cheerful aspect, in spite of the lingering wintry look of the landscape. 
 
 The Commodore had made every preparation to distinguish the occasion of his second landing 
 in Japan by all necessary parade, knowing, as he did, the importance and moral influence of 
 such show upon so ceremonious and artificial a people as the Jai)anese. He had, accordingly, 
 issued orders to the eflFect that all the marines who could be spared from duty should appear on 
 the occasion in full accoutrement, that the bands of music from the three steamers should be 
 present, and all the officers and sailors that could possibly leave. The officers were to be in 
 undress uniform, frock coats, cap and epaulets, and equippod with swords and pigtola. Th« 
 44 J
 
 346 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 sailors were to be armed witli muskets, cutlasses and pistols, and dressed in blue jackets and 
 trowscrs and white frocks. The musicians Avcro each to be supplied with cutlass and pistol, and 
 every man of the escort provided with either musket or pistol cartridge boxes. 
 
 At half-past eleven o'clock the escort, consisting of about five hundred officers^ seamen and 
 marines, fully armed, embarked in twenty-seven boats, under the command of Commander 
 Buchanan, and i'orming a line al)reiist, pulled in good order to the shore. When the escort 
 had landed, the marines were drawn up in a hollow square, leaving a wide open space between 
 them, while the naval oiRcers remained in a group at the wharf. The ship's boats were arranged 
 in two separate divisions of equal numbers on either side of the landing, with their bows point- 
 "ine in regular order from the shore. The Commodore now embarked from the Powhatan in his 
 barge, under a salute from the Macedonian of seventeen guns. The Commodore, on landing, 
 was received by the group of officers, who, falling into a line, followed him. The bands now 
 struck u}) a lively tune, and the marines, whose orderly ranks in complete military appointment, 
 with their blue and white uniforms, and glistening bayonets, made quite a martial and effective 
 show, presented arms as the Commodore, followed in procession by his immediate staff, his guard 
 of fine looking sailors and a number of his subordinate officers, proceeded up the shore. A group 
 of richly costumed Japanese guards, or retainers, with banners, flags and streamers, were gath- 
 ered on each side of the entrance of the treaty house. As the Commodore and his party passed 
 up between these they were met by a large number of Japanese officials who came out, and 
 imcovering, conducted them into the interior of the building. As they entered, by a precon- 
 certed arrangement, liowitzers which had been mounted on the bows of the larger ship's boats, 
 that were floating just by the shore, commenced firing in admirable order a salute of twenty- 
 one guns in honor of the Emi)eror, which were succeeded by a salute of seventeen for Hayashi 
 Daigaku-no-kami, the high commissioner, and the hoisting of the Japanese striped flag from 
 the masthead of the steamer Powhatan in the bay. 
 
 The apartment into which the Commodore and his officers first entered was a large hall, 
 arranged in a similar manner to that at Gori-hama. Thick rice-straw mats carpeted the floor, 
 long and wide settees, covered with a red cloth, extended along the sides, with tables spread 
 with the same material arranged in front of them. The windows were composed of panes of 
 oiled ])aper, through which a subdued and mellow light illuminated the hall, while a com- 
 fortable temperature was kept up — for, although the sjjring, which is early in Japan, had 
 already opened, the weather was chilly — by copper braziers of burning charcoal, which, 
 supported upon lacquered wooden stands, were freely distributed about. Hangings fell from 
 the walls around, with paintings of trees, and representations of various animals and birds, 
 particularly of the crane, with its long neck in every variety of strange involution. 
 
 The Commodore and his officers and interpreters had hardly taken their seats on the left, the 
 place of honor, and the various Japanese officials, of wliom there was a goodly number, theirs 
 on the right, when the five commissioners entered from an apartment which opened through 
 an entrance at the upper end of the hall. As soon as they presented themselves the subordinate 
 Japanese officials prostrated themselves on their knees, and remained in that attitude during 
 their presence. 
 
 The commissioners were certainly august looking personages, and their grave but courteous 
 manners, and their rich flowing robes of silk, set them off to the highest advantage. Tlieir 
 costume consisted of an under garment somewhat similar to the anti(][ue doublet, and a pair of 
 very wide and short trowsers of figured silkj while below the legs were encased in white cotton
 
 DESCRIPTION OF THE JAPANESE COMMISSIONERS. 347 
 
 or woollen socks, laced to some distance above the ankles. The socks were so contrived that the 
 great toe was separated from the other four for the j)assage of the baud which attached to the 
 sandal, and joined another from tlie heel at the ankle, where the two were tied together. Over 
 the doublet and trowsers a loose gown of embroidered silk, something in the shape of the clerical 
 robe, with loose sleeves, was worn. This was secured to the waist by a sash, in wliich are 
 usually thrust the two swords which mark the dignitaries of higher rank. Tiie three princes 
 alone, of all the commissioners, were observed to wear a white inner shirt, or vest, wliicli was 
 exposed at the breast. This was a mark of the very highest ranlc, and belongs exclusively to 
 princes and the loftiest dignitaries of the Empire. 
 
 Hayashi Daigaku-no-kami, prince councillor, was evidently the chief member of the com- 
 mission, for all matters of imjiortance were referred to him. He was a man of about fifty- 
 five years of age, was liandsomely formed, and had a grave and rather saturnine expression of 
 face, though he had a benevolent look and exceedingly courtly manners. Ido, Prince of 
 Tsusima, was probably fifty, or thereabout, and was corpulent and tall in person. He had a 
 rather more vivacious expression than the elder Hayashi. The third and youngest of tlie 
 princes was the Prince of Minia-saki, who could hardly be much beyond forty years of age, and 
 was far the best looking of the three. He was quite gay, fond of fun and frolic, and had the 
 reputation of being a Lothario. According to the interpreters, Mima-saki entertained more 
 liberal vieAvs with respect to foreign intercourse than any of his coadjutors, and seemed to be a 
 great favorite with the Japanese, as he certainly Avas with all the Americans. His gaiety of 
 heart manifested itself very apparently in his fondness for the music of the bands of the 
 squadron, and he could not keep liis hands and feet quiet whenever they struck up a lively air. 
 
 Udono, who, though not a prince, was a man of high station, and was known by the title of 
 Mimbu-shiyoyu, or member of the board of revenue, was a tall, passable looking man, but his 
 features were prominent and had much of the Mongolian caste. The fifth and last one of the five 
 commissioners was Matsusaki Michitaro, whose rank and title were not discovered. Indeed, he 
 had not been originally named to the Americans as one of the commissioners. In re^ily to the 
 inqmries made, they at first said there were four ; and afterward, at a subsequent interview, the 
 interpreter remarked, as if casually, that a fifth commissioner had been added. Possibly he 
 was the oflicial public spy appointed to remind the others, by his presence, of their duty, and 
 we may add, danger. Wliatever may have been his official position, his precise business in the 
 commission it Avas difficult to fathom ; he was always present at the conference, but took his 
 seat constantly at rather a remote distance from the other dignitaries, on the further end of 
 the sedan. By him there was continually crouched, upon his knees, a scribe, Avho was con- 
 stantly employed in taking notes of what was passing, and occasionally under the promptings 
 of his superior. Matsusaki was rather an equivocal character, difficult to understand. As 
 far as could be observed, he did not seem to be called into consultation, at least publicly, and 
 from the circumstance of not sitting with the other commissioners, liis rank and powers seemed 
 to be inferior to theirs. This, however, is but conjectural. Our officers, of course, asked no 
 questions, though all agreed in the decidedly unfavorable impression made upon them by 
 Matsusaki. For aught they knew, he might have been the Emperor himself, though it is most 
 unlikely ; and if he were, all that can be said is that he Avas much loss polished and agreeable 
 than his prince commissioners. Ho was, as we have intimated, probably tlie court spy. He 
 Avas a man of sixty years of age at least, had a long, drawn-out meagre body, a very yellow 
 bilious face, an uncomfortable dyspeptic expression, whidi liis excessive sliort-sightedncss did
 
 348 
 
 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 not improve, for it caused him, in his efforts at seeing, to give a very wry distortion to a 
 countenance naturally not very handsome.* 
 
 Moryama Yenoske was the principal interpreter who officiated on the occasion ; the same man 
 who figured so conspicuously during the visit of Captain Glynn in the Prehle. As soon as the 
 commissioners had taken their seats, Yenoske took his position on his knees, at the feet of 
 Hayashi, the chief, and humbly awaited his orders. The Japanese are never forgetful of the 
 respect which they think due to rank, and graduate their obeisance according to its degrees. 
 From the Emperor to the lowest subject in the realm there is a constant siiccession of 
 prostrations. The former, in want of a human being superior to himself in rank, bows humbly 
 to some Pagan idol, and every one of his subjects, from prince to peasant, has some person 
 before whom be is bound to cringe and crouch in the dirt. Oneis reminded, as he looks upon a 
 universal nation on their knees, "in suppliance bent," of a favorite amusement of childhood, 
 •where a number of blocks are placed on end in a row, one shoves the other, and the first being 
 knocked down, topples over the second, and so on in succession until all are tumbled upon the 
 ground. The crouching position in which an ini'erior places himself, when in the presence of 
 his superior in rank, seems very easy to a Japanese, but would be very difficult and painful for 
 one to assume who had not been accustomed to it. Tbe ordinary mode pursued is to drop on 
 
 * It may not be without interest to the reader to present the heraldic devices of the Emperor and commissioners, as well as 
 tliat ol Lew Chew. 
 
 t '•! P L h U H 
 
 Hf^'i ASHI, CHItF COMMISSt* 
 
 IDO, PRINCE Of TSU5-5IMA 
 SECUMD COMM ? 
 
 TAKE-HO-UCHI SHEYTARO- 
 SIXTH COMMISSS 
 
 LEW — CHEW
 
 ANSWER TO THE PRESIDENT'S LETTER. 349 
 
 the knees, cross the feet, and turn up tlie heels, with the toes, instep, and calves of the legs 
 brought together into close contact. 
 
 Sometimes it is mere squatting down with the soles firm upon the ground, the knees bent, and 
 the body crouched low. Yenoske was quite an adept in these manccuvres, as were his coadjutors, 
 and especially the prefect, Kura-kawa-kahei, who was one of tlie subordinate functionaries 
 present during the conference. They all showed a wonderful elasticity of muscle and suppleness 
 of joint which could only have been acquired by long practice, and reminded one of those .'skilful 
 contortionists or clowns, who exliibit their caoutchouc accomplishments to the wonderment of 
 the spectators. Thesp worthies, humble as they were in the august presence of the commis- 
 sioners, had their worshippers in turn, who were more humble still, and who outdid them, even, 
 in their bowings and prostrations. Every Japanese is thus by turns master and slave, now 
 submissively with his neck beneath the foot of one, and again haughtily with his foot upon 
 the neck of another. The commissioners, after a momentary silence, spoke a word to the 
 prostrate Yenoske, who listened an instant, with downcast eyes, and then by a skilful 
 manoeuvre, still upon his knees, moved toward the commissioners' interpreter, and having com- 
 municated his message, which proved to be merely the ordinary compliments, with an inquiry 
 after the health of the Commodore and his officers, returned with an appropriate answer to his 
 former position. An interchange of various polite messages having been thus borne backward 
 and forward for several minutes, through the medium of the humble but useful Yenoske, 
 refreshments, consisting of the invariable pipe, tea in porcelain cups, served on lacquered 
 trays, cakes, and some confectionary were handed round. 
 
 It was now proposed by the commissioners that an adjournment should take place to another 
 room, which they stated would accommodate comfortably about ten persons. Accordingly, the 
 Commodore having assented, he, accompanied by the captain of the fleet, his two interpreters 
 and secretary, were conducted into another and much smaller room, the entrance to which was 
 only separated from the principal hall by a blue silk flag, ornamented in the centre with the 
 embroidered arms of Japan. On entering, the commissioners were found already seated on the 
 right, they having withdrawn previously to the Commodore, and arranged themselves in rank 
 ujion one of the red divans, which extended along the sides of the apartment. 
 
 The Commodore and his party took their seats on the left, and business commenced, the 
 commissioners having preliminarily stated that it was a Japanese custom to speak slowly. 
 They were evidently very anxious to proceed with deliberation, and weigh every word with the 
 exactness of cautious diplomatists. 
 
 The chief commissioner now handed the Commodore a long roll of paper, which proved to be 
 an answer to the President's letter, delivered on the previous visit at Gori-hama in July. 
 
 Translation of answer to the letter of the President to the Emperor of Japan. 
 
 " The return of your excellency, as ambassador of the United States to this Empire, has been 
 expected according to the letter of his Majesty the President, which letter your excellency 
 delivered last year to his Majesty the Emperor of this Empire. 
 
 "It is quite impossible to give satisfactory answers at once to all the proposals of your 
 government, as it is most positively forbidden by the laws of our Imperial ancestors ; but for us 
 to continue attached to the ancient laws, seems to misunderstand the spirit of the age ; how- 
 ever, we are governed now by imperative necessity.
 
 350 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 " At the visit of your excellency last year to this Empire, his Majesty the former Emperor 
 was sick, and is now dead. Subse(juently, liis Majesty the present Emperor ascended the 
 throne ; the many occupations in consequence thereof are not yet finished, and there is no time 
 to settle other business thoroughly. Moreover, his Majesty the new Emperor, at the succession 
 to the throne, promised to the princes and high officers of the Empire to observe the laws. It 
 is therefore evident that he cannot now bring about any alteration in the ancient laws. 
 
 " Last autumn, at the departure of the Dutch ship, the superintendent of the Dutch trade in 
 Japan was requested to inform your government of this event, and a reply in writing has been 
 received. 
 
 "At Nangasaki arrived recently the Russian ambassador to communicate a wish of his govern- 
 ment. He has since left the said place, because no answer would be given to anj^ nation that 
 might communicate similar wishes. However, we admit the iirgency of, and shall entirely com- 
 ply with, the proposals of your government concerning coal, wood, water, provisions, and the 
 saving of ships and their crews in distress. After being inforued which harbor your excellency 
 selects, that harbor shall be prepared, which preparation it is estimated will take about five 
 years. Meanwhile a commencement can be made with the coal at Nangasaki by the next 
 Japanese first month, (Siogoots,) (16th of February, 1855.) 
 
 "Having no precedent with respect to coal, we request your excellency to furnish us with an 
 estimate, and upon due consideration this will be complied with, if not in opposition to our laws. 
 What do you understand by provisions, and how much coal? 
 
 "Finally, anything ships may be in want of that can be furnished from the production of 
 this Empire shall be supplied. The prices of merchandise and articles of barter to be fixed by 
 Kurakawa Kabei and Moryama Yenoske. After settling the points before mentioned, the treaty 
 can be concluded and signed at the next interview. 
 
 " Seals attached by order of the high gentlemen. 
 
 "MORYAMA YENOSKE." 
 
 The Commodore having returned the document, reqiiesting it should be signed by the high 
 commissioner, and delivered to him next day, entered at once upon the subject which was upper- 
 most in his mind, the negotiation of a treaty. He remarked that it would be better for the two 
 nations that a treaty similar to the one between the United States and China should be made. 
 He had been sent, he continued, by his government to make a treaty, and if he did not succeed, 
 the United iStates would jirobably send more ships to make one ; but he hoped that everything 
 would be soon settled in an amicable manner, and that he would be enabled to send two of his 
 ships, as he desired, to prevent others from coming. A copy of the Chinese treaty, written in 
 English, Chinese, and Dutch, accompanied by two notes from the Commodore, and a letter in 
 answer to one sent by the high commissioner from Uraga, were now handed to the Japanese, 
 when they asked for time to have the documents translated into their own language. 
 
 Notes handed to First Commissioner on Wednesday, March 8, 1854. 
 
 The American ambassador learns with pleasure that the Japanese government is disposed to 
 enter into some friendly arrangement with tlie United States. As such is happily the case, it 
 would be much more advantageous to both nations, and especially to Ja])an, if a treaty is 
 agreed upon, even if it be of short duration ; for reason tliat tlie citizens and subjects of both
 
 COMMOnOIlE'S LKTTER TO HAY AS HI. 351 
 
 the contracting powers would be mutually bound by law to conform to all its stipulations, and 
 thus prevent mistakes and consequent disputes. 
 
 This is the practice with all other nations ; and such is the present condition of the world, 
 that these treaties have become necessary to avert contention and war. The obligations to con- 
 form to them are enjoined as well by considerations of honor, as the preservation of the peace 
 and prosperity of the respective countries ; and it would be impossible for the western nations 
 to preserve friendly intercourse if it were not for similar treaties. 
 
 Although we have abundance of prepared provisions in the squadron, it wovild be desirable 
 to obtain daily supplies of fresh meat, vegetables, &c., for which we would pay the prices 
 demanded. Wood and water will, of course, be wanted, and for a supply of which we shall be 
 thankful. 
 
 The Bealth of the officers and men require that they should have exercise on shore ; and 
 though I have hitherto, out of respect to the Japanese laws, forbidden any one to land except 
 for purposes of duty, I feel assured that some arrangement will be made to admit of some 
 reasonable intercourse with the neighborhood. 
 
 Copies of the surveys which the officers are employed in making will be presented to the 
 Imperial government ; and, to make them more perfect, it will be necessary to place signal- 
 poles at some points on shore by which to measure the angles ; therefore it is requested that the 
 officers landing for such purposes may not be molested. 
 
 It is thought that the business of the negotiation would be facilitated by submitting the^ 
 several questions and replies that may arise in writing. 
 
 M. C. PERKY. 
 
 United Statis Flag-ship Powhatan, 
 Tedo Bay, off the town of Yoku-hama, March 1, 1854. 
 
 YouK Excellency : In presenting for the consideration of your highness the accompanying 
 draught of a treaty, which, in all its essential features, is identical with that at present subsist- 
 ing between the United States and China, I again venture to urge upon the Imperial govern- 
 ment of Japan the importance of establishing a friendly understanding with the nation which 
 I have the honor on this occasion to represent. 
 
 It would be needless in me to reiterate the arguments already advanced in support of a 
 measure so fraught with the best interests of the two nations, and so necessary to the peace and 
 prosperity of Japan. 
 
 I have in a former communication remarked that the President of the United States enter- 
 tains the strongest desire, and cherishes a most fervent hope, that the mission which he has 
 intrusted to my charge may result in the accomplishment of a treaty mutually beneficial, and 
 tending to avert, by timely negotiation, the consequences that would otherwise grow out of 
 collisions certain to arise, should the present undefined relations between the two countries 
 much longer continue. 
 
 In the increasing number of American ships almost daily passing and repassing the territories 
 of Japan, the President is apprehensive of the occurrence of some further act of hostility towards 
 the unoffending citizens of the United States who may be thrown by misfortune upon your 
 shores, and hence his wish to establish a treaty of friendship, whicli shall give assurance of the 
 discontinuance of a course of policy, on the part of the Japanese, altogether at variance with the 
 usages of other nations, and no longer to be tolerated by the United States.
 
 352 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 As an evidence of the friendly intentions of the President, and to pay the highest honor to his 
 Imperial Majesty, he has sent nic in command of a number of ships — to be increased by others 
 which are to follow — not only to bear to his Majesty the letter which I have already presented, 
 but to evince, by every suitable act of kindness, the cordial feelings entertained liy him towards 
 Japan. 
 
 That there might be sufficient time allowed for a full consideration of the just and reasonable 
 demands of the President, I took u])on myself to withdraw the ships in July last from the coast, 
 and have now, after an absence of seven months, returned, in the full expectation of a most 
 satisfactory arrangement. 
 
 Another proof of the friendly disposition of the President has been given in his sending for 
 exhibition to the Imperial court three of the magnificent steamers of the United States, of which 
 there are many thousands, large and small, in America ; and he has also sent, for premutation 
 to the Emperor, many specimens of the most useful inventions of our country. 
 
 Therefore, after all these demonstrations of good will, it would be strange if the Japanese 
 government did not .seize upon this very favorable occasion to secure a friendly intercourse with 
 a people anxious to prevent, by wise and prudent foresight, all causes of future misunderstanding 
 and strife. 
 
 It will be observed that there is no western nation so intimately connected with the peace and 
 welfare of Japan as the United States, a part of whose territory lies opposite the Imperial coast, 
 and whose commerce covers the Pacific ocean and Japan seas ; not less than five hundred large 
 ships being engaged exclusively in those regions in pursuit of whales, the crews of many of 
 which suffer for want of water and other refreshments ; and it would seem nothing more than 
 common humanity to receive those who may seek shelter in the ports of Japan with kindness 
 and hospitality. 
 
 The government of China has derived much benefit from its treaty with the United States. 
 The purchase of teas by the Americans during the present year will amount to three million six 
 hundred thou.sand (3,600,000) taels, and of raw and manufactured silks to nearly three millions 
 (3,000,000) of taels. 
 
 Nearly thirty thousand subjects of the Emperor of China have visited America, where they 
 have been kindly received, and jjermitted by the American laws to engage in whatever occupa- 
 tion best suited them. They have also been allowed to erect temples, and to enjoy in all freedom 
 their religious rites. All have accumulated money, and some have returned to China, after a 
 short absence, with sums varying from 300 to 10,000 taels. 
 
 I have adverted to these facts merely to show the advantages that would grow out of sUch a 
 treaty as I now propose, and to remark again that some amicable arrangement between the two 
 nations has become positively necessary, and for reasons already explained. 
 
 Indeed, I shall not dare to return to the United States without carrying with me satisfactory 
 responses to all the proposals of the President, and I must remain until such are placed in my 
 possession. 
 
 With the most profound respect, 
 
 M. C. PERRY, 
 Commander-in-chief U. S. Naval Forces East India, 
 
 China, and Japan Seas, and special Ambassador to Japan. 
 
 His Highness Hayasiii-Daigaku-no-kami, dc, (to.
 
 BURIAL OF A MARINE AT YOKU-IIAMA. 353 
 
 One of the marines belonging to the Mississippi had died two days previous to the conference, 
 and the suitable interment of his body now cume up in course of discussion. The Commodore 
 proposed to buy a piece of ground from the Japanese for the burial of the man then lying 
 dead, and for any other American who might die. This proposition seemed to perplex the 
 commissioners, and, after some consultation, they retired to discuss the question alone, and, on 
 leaving, invited the Commodore and his officers to partake of some refreshments, consisting of 
 saki, fruit and cakes, soups and fish, which were immediately served. This invitation was 
 accepted, with the remark that it would be more consonant with American notions of hospitality 
 if tlie commissioners were to join the Commodore and his officers, as the breaking of bread 
 together was, in the United States, as among many other nations, considered an evidence of 
 friendship. The Japanese replied that they were unacquainted with foreign customs, but 
 would cheerfully join. They then all retired ; but, shortly after, the second and third in rank 
 of the number returned and participated socially in the repast th^ had been served, one of the 
 dignitaries filling a cup of saki at once, drinking it ofi" to the dregs, and, turning it bottom 
 upward, remarked that it was a Japanese custom for the host to drink first. 
 
 It was not long before the whole board was again in session, and a written repl}- to the 
 Commodore's request respecting the burial of the marine presented by the chief commissioner, 
 and to the purport that, as a temple had been set apart at Nagasaki for the interment of 
 strangers, it would be necessary to send the body to Uraga, whence, at a convenient season, it 
 might be conveyed in a Japanese junk to the former place. To this the Commodore objected 
 tliat undisturbed resting places were granted by all nations, and then proposed to send boats 
 and inter the body at Webster island. Webster island, as it is named on the American charts, 
 is a small island lying convenient to the "American anchorage;" and the Commodore had 
 determined, if the Japanese had persisted in forbidding the interment within any of their 
 numerous burial places, to have effected it at all hazards upon that island, being perfectly 
 satisfied that the Japanese respect for the dead would leave the body undisturbed. The 
 commissioners evinced strong objections to the choice of the spot, and, after considerable 
 discussion among themselves, finally consented to allow the burial to take place at Yoku-hama, 
 at a place adjoining one of their temples, and in view of the squadron. They observed, 
 however, that, as the novelty of the scene might attract an inconvenient crowd, the authorities 
 would send on board the Mississippi, in the morning, an officer to accompany the funeral party. 
 
 The Commodore now prepared to depart, having first stated that he would be happy to see 
 the Japanese dignitaries on board his vessel as soon as the weather should become warmer. 
 They expressed courteously the pleasure they would have in accejiting the invitation, and, 
 bowing, retired. The subordinate American officers had been entertained with refreshments in 
 the large outer hall during the conference, and amused with the rude efibrts of Japanese artists, 
 who liad been sent from Yedo, at delineating their portraits. The Commodore now passed out, 
 followed by his suite and the procession of officers as before, and marcliing down, to the music 
 of the bands, between the files of marines on either side, embarked in his barge and pulled for 
 the ship. The other boats soon followed, filled with the numerous officers, sailors, marines, and 
 others, who had shared in the ceremonies of the day. 
 
 Early next day, (Tliursday, March 9,) as had been arranged, a Jajianese official went on 
 board the Mississippi, to accompany the funeral party on shore, for the purpose of pointing out 
 the burial place selected for the interment of the dead marine. At five o'clock in the afternoon 
 45 J
 
 354 
 
 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 the 'boats left the ship with the hotly, attended by the chaphxin, Mr. Jones, Mr. Williams, the 
 interpreter, and a party of marines. The flags of every vessel in the squadron were hoisted at 
 half mast as the boats pushed oflP. The body was borne to a very picturesque spot at the foot of 
 a hill, at a short distance from the village of Yoku-hama. The chaj^lain, Mr. Jones, was robed 
 in his clerical gown, and on landing was received in the most courteous manner by some of the 
 Japanese authorities, who showed none of their supposed reinignance to the Christian religion 
 and its ministers. Crowds of the people had also gathered, and looked on with great curiosity, 
 
 IJuddhlst I'liest in Full Dress. 
 
 hut with decorous respect, as the funeral procession moved slowly along to the sound of the 
 muffled drum. The road lay tlirough the village, and its inhabitants came out from their 
 houses and open shops to behold tlie novel scene. The place chosen for tlie burial was ne.ar 
 a Japanese place of interment, with stone idols and sculptured headstones, and as the procession 
 camo up a Buddhist priest, in robos of richly embroidered silk, was observed already on the 
 ground.
 
 VISIT OF THE PREFECT AND INTERPRETER. 355 
 
 Mr. Jones read the service of the Protestant Episcopal church, and while he was offici- 
 ating the Buddhist priest sat near hy on a mat, with an altar before him, on which was a 
 collection of scraps of paper, some rice, a gong, a vessel containing saki, and some turning 
 incense. The service having been read, the body lowered, and the earth thrown in, the party 
 retired from the grave. The Buddhist priest then commenced the peculiar ceremonies of his 
 religion, beating his gong, telling his rosary of glass and wooden beads, muttering his prayers, 
 and keeping alive the burning incense. He was still going through his strange formulary when 
 the Americans moved away, and crowds of Japanese continued to linger in the neighborhood, 
 about the crests and acclivities of the hills wliich bounded the scene. Mr. Williams, the 
 interpreter, who had lived long in China, and was familiar with the Buddhi.st worship, recog- 
 nized its peculiarities in the precisely similar ceremonies performing at the grave by the 
 Japanese priest. A neat enclosure of bamboo was subsequently put up about the American 
 grave by the authorities, and a small hiit was erected near, for a Japanese guard to watch the 
 grave for a time, according to their custom. 
 
 On the same day the prefect, Kura-Kawa-Kahei, and the chief interpreter, Yenoske, came on 
 board the Powhatan with a copy of the Imperial reply to the President's letter, duly certified 
 and signed by the four commissioners. The two Japanese officials subsequently repaired to the 
 Mississippi, where they conferred for some time with Captain Adams. They appointed the 
 Monday following (March 13th) for the reception of the presents, and it was arranged that those 
 persons who had the supervision of the telegraph, the Daguerreotype apparatus, and steam 
 engine, should land on the previous Saturday, to arrange a place for their suitable exhibition. 
 The Japanese stated that two of the commissioners would be in attendance, with a scribe, to 
 receive and record the various presents, and the names of the persons for whom they were 
 ^tended. Upon Captain Adams saying that all the presents received by the officers of the 
 United States were, by law, the property of the government, Yenoske remarked that a similar 
 law existed in Japan. To the inquiry of the Japanese as to when the Commodore's reply to the 
 answer to the President's letter would be ready, it was promised for the subsequent Saturday. 
 
 Captain Adams now asked what ports the commissioners had selected for the trade of the 
 Americans, and where they were, and remarked that five years, the time appointed for the 
 opening of them, was deemed by the Commodore much too long, and that he woidd never 
 submit to having a place so restricted as Dezima for the use of the Americans. The prefect 
 waived all immediate consideration of the subject, saying that it was one upon- which the 
 commissioners woidd negotiate and deliberate, and that it would necessarily require time. 
 Yenoske, the interpreter, was then told that he could forward the purposes of the expedition, 
 since he was familiar with them ; he promised to do so to the utmost of his power, but he 
 declined, although a map was placed before him, to name the ports for American intercourse, 
 saying, as he refused, that the whole matter was so new, and so opposed to the laws of the 
 Empire, that time would he required to bring matters to such an issue. In regard to the 
 question of going ashore, which had been submitted to the commissioners, Captain Adams asked 
 for some explicit reply, stating that the surveying party, which was at the time at work in the 
 bay, would require to plant signals along the shore, but would not go into the interior. To 
 this the prefect answered that the views of the commissioners had not been yet fully matured, 
 but seemed to concur in the necessity of the signals, if the Commodore had so ordered it. lie, 
 however, expressed his fear of trouble and confusion, if the officers, engaged in their duty,
 
 356 
 
 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 should enter the villages, and hoped they would go down tlie hay, and not northward. The 
 suhject of supplies was next spoken of, and the question of payment seemed to he conceded hy 
 the Japanese, who proposed that as soon as a port was selected, certain compradors should he 
 appointed for the sale of articles of every kind, hut in the meantime, they said a single person 
 would he chosen, whose duty it would he to supply what was necessary, and receive in payment 
 the American coin, to he estimated weight for weight with the Japanese money. They would 
 prefer, they said, that Nagasaki should he the place for such transactions, hut granted the 
 necessity of carrying them on for the present where they were. The liours for tlie future 
 meetings heing settled at from eleven o'clock to one, instead of the previous irregular mode, the 
 Japanese took their departure. 
 
 On the next day (March 11) a short conference was held hy Captain Adams with the same 
 Japanese officials in the treaty house on shore. He also hore a communication of the date of 
 the loth of March from tlie Commodore, addressed to the commissioners, in wliich the answer to 
 the President's letter was acknowledged. The Commodore, while he expressed his satisfaction 
 at the determination of the Japanese government to alter its policy in regard to foreign govern- 
 ments, at the same time stated that the concessions proposed were not enough, and that a 
 written compact or treaty, with wider provisions, was essential. The chief points talked of 
 were, the answer to the Commodore's notes in reference to the proposed treaty, and the privilege 
 of going ashore. In regard to the former, they stated that a reply was not yet prepared ; hut 
 as for the latter, tlie interpreter remarked, unofficially, that there would he no ohjection to the 
 Commodore and his officers going ashore ; hut that if the permission should he general, diffi- 
 culty with the people might ensue. Some general conversation followed in regard to tlie 
 necessity of disjjatch in the negotiations, Captain Adams stating that it was the Commodore's 
 intention to send one of his ships to the United States, in the course of a week or so, to inform 
 the government at home of the progress of the negotiations, that it might know whether it was 
 necessary to send more vessels or not. The Japanese evinced some uneasiness at this statement, 
 and asked, "Whether the Americans are friendly?" "Certainly we are," was the answer, 
 and the conference closed in the most amicahle manner. 
 
 The day agreed upon had arrived (Monday, March 13) for the landing of the presents, and 
 although the weather was unsettled, and the waters of the hay somewhat rough, they all 
 reached the shore without damage.* 
 
 ' The following is a list of some of the various presents landed on the occasion : 
 
 ■ Emperor. 
 
 1 box of arms, containing — 
 5 Hall's rifles, 
 3 Maynard's muskets, 
 12 cavalry swords, 
 C artillery swords, 
 
 1 carbine, 
 20 army pistols, 
 
 2 carbines, cartridge boxes, and belts, containing 120 
 
 cartridges. 
 
 10 Hall's rifles. 
 
 11 cavalry swords. 
 
 1 carbine, cartridge box and belts, and 60 cartridges. 
 60 ball cartridges. 
 1 box books, Emperor. 
 1 box dressing-cases. Emperor. 
 
 1 box perfumery, 2 packages. Emperor. 
 
 1 barrel whi.skey, Emperor. 
 
 1 cask wine, Emperor. 
 
 1 box for distribution. 
 
 1 box containing 11 pistols, for distribution. 
 
 1 box perfumery, for distribution. 
 
 A quantity of cherry cordials, distribution- 
 
 A quantity of cherry cordials, Emperor. 
 
 A number of baskets champaignc. Emperor. 
 
 A number of baskets champaignc, conmiissioncrs 
 
 1 box China ware, commissioners. 
 
 A quantity of maraschino, commissioners. 
 
 1 telescope, Emperor. 
 
 Boxes of tea, Emperor. 
 
 1 box of tea, commissiouera.
 
 DELIVERY OF TUE PRESENTS, 
 
 357 
 
 The presents filled several large boats, which left the ship escorted by a number of officers, a 
 company of marines, and a band of music, all imder the superintendence of Captain Abbott, 
 ■who was delegated to deliver the presents, with proper ceremonies, to the Japanese high 
 commissioners. A building adjoining the treaty bouse had been suitably constructed and 
 arranged for the purpose, and on landing Captain Abbot was met by Yezaiman, the governor of 
 Uraga, and several subordinate officials, and conducted to the treaty house. Soon after entering, 
 the high commissioner, Prince Hayashi, came in, and the usual compliments being interchanged, 
 Captain Abbott, with the interpreters, were led into the smaller room, where a letter from the 
 Commodore and some formalities on the delivery of the presents were disposed of. The Japanese 
 commissioner, after some discussion, fixed the ensuing Thursday (March 16) for an interview 
 with the Commodore on shore, when they promised to deliver a formal reply to his notes in 
 regard to the opening of the various Japanese ports insisted upon. 
 
 The presents having been formally delivered, the various American officers and workmen 
 selected for the purpose were diligently engaged daily in unpacking and arranging them for 
 exhibition. The Japanese authorities ofiered every facility; their laborers constructed sheds for 
 sheltering the articles from the inclemency of the weather ; a piece of level ground was 
 assigned for laying down the circular track of the little locomotive, and posts were brought and 
 erected for the extension of the telegraph wires, the Japanese taking a very ready part in all 
 the labors, and watching the result of arranging and putting together the machinery with an 
 innocent and childlike delight. The telegraphic apparatus, under the direction of Messrs. 
 Draper and Williams, was soon in working order, the wires extending nearly a mile, in a direct 
 line, one end being at the treaty house, and another at a building expressly allotted for the 
 purpose. When communication was opened up between the operators at either extremity, the 
 Japanese watched with intense curiosity the modus operandi, and were greatly amazed to find 
 that in an instant of time messages were conveyed in the English, Dutch, and Japanese 
 languages^ fi-om building to building. Day after day the dignitaries and many of the people 
 would gather, and, eagerly beseeching the operators to work the telegraph, watch with unabated 
 interest the sending and receiving of messages. 
 
 Nor did the railway, under the direction of Engineers Gay and Danby, with its Lilli- 
 putian locomotive, car, and tender, excite less interest. All the parts of the mechanism 
 were perfect, and the car was a most tasteful specimen of workmanship, but so small tliat it 
 could hardly carry a child of six years of age. The Japanese, however, were not to be cheated 
 out of a ride, and, as they were unable to reduce themselves to the capacity of the inside of the 
 carriage, they betook themselves to the roof. It was a spectacle not a little ludicrous to behold 
 
 2 telegraph instruments. 
 
 3 Francis's life-boats. 
 
 1 locomotive and tender, passenger car, and rails complete. 
 
 4 volumes Audubon's Birds of America. 
 3 volumes Audubon's Quadrupeds. 
 Several clocks. 
 
 10 ship's beakers, containing 100 gallons whiskey. 
 
 8 baskets Irish potatoes. 
 
 3 stoves. 
 
 Boxes standard United States balances. 
 
 Boxes standard United States bushels. 
 
 Boxes standard United States gallon mcasurcii. 
 
 Boxes standard United Slates yards. 
 
 1 box coast charts. 
 
 4 bundles lelegrajjli wires. 
 
 1 box gutta perclia wires. 
 
 4 boxes batteries. 
 
 1 box machine paper. 
 
 1 box zinc plates. 
 
 1 box insulators. 
 
 1 box connecting apparatus. 
 
 I box machine weights. 
 
 1 box acid. 
 
 1 box seed. 
 
 Largo quantity of agricultural implomenli, &c., &.c., £cc.
 
 358 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 a difrnified mamlarin -whirlins; around the circular road at the rate of twenty miles an honr, with 
 his loose robes flying in the wind. As he clung with a desperate hold to the edge of the roof, 
 grinning with intense interest, and his huddled up body shook convulsively with a kind of 
 laughing timidity, while the car spun rapidly around the circle, you might have supposed that 
 the movement, somehow or other, was dependent rather upon the enormous exertions of the 
 uneasy mandarin than upon the power of the little puffing locomotive, which was so easily 
 performing its work. 
 
 Although the Japanese authorities were still very jealous of any intercourse on the part of the 
 Americans with the people, and did all they could to prevent it, still there was necessarily a 
 good deal of intermingling. The ships of the squadron were being daily supplied with water 
 and provisions, for Avliich the officials of the government had now consented to receive payment, 
 but they insisted upon conducting all the regulations, and provided their own boats and laborers 
 for the purpose. There was, however, what with the necessary passing to and from the ships 
 with the supplies, and the arranging and working the telegraphic apparatus, and the toy 
 railway, almost daily intercourse between the American officers, sailors, and marines, and the 
 Japanese mandarins, officials, and laborers. 
 
 The Japanese always evinced an inordinate curiosity, for the gratification of which the various 
 articles of strange fabric, and the pieces of mechanism, of ingenious and novel invention, 
 brought from the United States, gave them a full opportunity. They were not satisfied with 
 the minutest examination of all these things, so surprisingly wonderful as they .appeared to 
 them, biit followed the officers and men about and seized upon every occasion to examine each, 
 part of their dress. The laced caps, boots, swords, and tailed coats of tbe officers, the tarpaulins, 
 jackets, and trowsers of the men, all came in for the closest scrutiny, and a tailor in search of a new 
 cut or a latest fashion could not have been more exacting in his observations than the inquisitive 
 Japanese as he fingered the broadcloth, smoothed down the nap with his long delicate hands, 
 pulled a lappel here, adjusted a collar there, now fathomed the depth of a pocket, and again 
 peered curiously into the inner recesses of Jack's loose toilette. They eagerly sought to possess 
 themselves of anything that pertained to the dress of their visitors, and showed a peculiar 
 passion for buttons. They would again and again ask for a button, and when presented with 
 the cheap gift, they appeared immediately gratified, and stowed it away as if it were of the 
 greatest value. It is possible that their affection for buttons and high appreciation of their 
 value, may be owing to the rarity of the article in Japan, for it is a curious fact, that the simple 
 convenience of a button is but little used in any article of Japanese dress, strings and variou 
 bindings being the only mode of fastening the garments. When visiting the ships the man- 
 darins and their attendants were never at rest, but went about peering into every nook and 
 corner, peeping into the muzzles of the guns, examining curiously the small-arms, handling the 
 ropes, measuring the boats, looking eagerly into the engine-room, and watching every movement 
 of the engineers and workmen as they busily moved, in and about, the gigantic machinery of the 
 steamers. They were not contented with merely observing with their eyes, but were constantly 
 taking out their writing materials, their mulberry-bark paper, and their Indian ink and hair 
 pencils, which they always carried in a pocket within the left breast of their loose robes, and 
 making notes and sketclies. Tlie Japanese had all apparently a strong pictorial taste, and 
 looked with great delight upon the engravings and pictures which were shown them, but their 
 own performances appeared exceedingly rude and unartistic. Every man, however, seemed
 
 EXCITEMENT CAUSED BY CHAPLAIN BITTINGEB. 359 
 
 anxious to try Lis skill at drawing, and they were constantly taking the portraits of the 
 Americans, and sketches of the various articles that appeared curious to them, with a result, which, 
 however satisfactory it might have been to the artists, (and it must he conceded they exhibited 
 no little exultation^) was far from showing any encouraging advance in art. It should, however, 
 he remarked, that the artists were not professional. Our future pages will show more artistic 
 skill than the rude specimens here alluded to would have led one to suppose existed in Japan. 
 The Japanese are, undoubtedly, like the Chinese, a very imitative, adaptative, and compliant 
 peoide, and in these characteristics may be discovered a promise of the comparatively easy 
 introduction of foreign customs and habits, if not of the nobler i^rinciples and better life of a 
 higher civilization. 
 
 Notwithstanding the Japanese are so fond of indulging their curiosity, they are by no means 
 communicative about themselves. They allege, as a reason for their provoking reserve, that 
 their laws forbid them to communicate to foreigners anything relating to their country and its 
 institutions, habits, and customs. This silence on the part of the Japanese was a serious 
 obstacle to acquiring that minute information about a strange people of whom curiosity is 
 naturally on the alert to know everything. Much progress will, however, never be obtained 
 toward a thorough knowledge of Japan, until some of our men of intelligence are established 
 in the country in the character of consular agents, merchants, or missionaries, who may thus 
 be enabled to acquire the language and mingle in intimate social relations with the people. 
 
 The common people were found much moi-e disposed to fraternize than were the Japanese 
 officials. It seemed evident that nothing but a fear of punishment deterred the former from 
 entering into free intercourse witli the Americans ; but they were closely watched by their 
 superiors, as in fact the latter were by their equals. 
 
 In Japan, as in Lew Chew, probably, a closer intimacy would have en.sued, during the visits 
 of the squadron, with all classes, if they had been allowed to follow their own natural inclina- 
 tions, and had not been so jealously guarded by the numerous spies. Xo one, even of the 
 highest dignitaries, is entrusted with public business of importance, without having one or more 
 associated with him, who is ever on the alert to detect and take note of the slightest suspicion 
 of delinquency. 
 
 Kura-Kawa-Kahei, the prefect, and Yenoske, the interpreter, paid almost daily visits to the 
 ships, and had always something to communicate in regard to' the supplying of the vessels with 
 water and fresh provisions, the arrangements for which were under their especial care. When 
 they came on board, as they were subordinate dignitaries, they were not received by the 
 Commodore himself, but by some of his chief officers, who were delegated for the purpose, and 
 acted as his medium of communication with them. After one of these interviews, (March 14,) 
 as Kura-Kawa and Yenoske were about taking leave, a Japanese official liurried aboard from 
 Kanagawa, and, in a state of considerable excitement, reported that an American officer had 
 passed through that town, and was walking very fast toward Yedo. His appearanee, so said the 
 messenger, was causing great excitement, and it was feared that unpleasant consequences might 
 ensue. The Japanese officials, on hearing this, declared that tbe conduct of the American 
 officer was in violation of their laws and of the promi.se.? made to them by the Admiral. The 
 Commodore, when informed of the fact, directed guns to be fired immediately, and a signal 
 made recalling all boats and officers to their respective ships. He also prepared written orders, 
 which were sent in different directions, commanding all persons belonging to the squadron to
 
 360 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 repair immediately on board. A copy of tliese orders was, on the instant^ dispatched by the 
 Japanese officials, then in the Powhatan, in pnrsuit of the American officer, rei>orted to be on 
 his way to Yedo. The Commodore's prompt action was handsomely acknowledged by tlie 
 authorities, who sent to him, next day, a formal expression of their gratitude. 
 
 The American officer, whose intrusion had created so great an excitement, was Mr. Bittinger, 
 the chaplain of the steamer Susquehanna. While taking a walk on shore, this gentleman's 
 curiosity prompted him to extend his observations somewhat beyond the usual circuit of some 
 four or five miles, within which the Japanese authorities had contracted the movements of 
 their visitors. Starting from Yoku-hama, opposite to where the squadron was anchored, the 
 enterprising investigator pushed on to the town of Kanagawa, some three miles further up the 
 bay, whore he was accosted by some of the Japanese officials and the interpreter, Gohatsiro, 
 who urgently solicited him to return. He was not, however, to be so easily balked of his 
 purpose, and continued his journey, followed by the Japanese officers, who dogged his steps at 
 every turn until he reached Kamasaki. Here there was a river to cross, and he tried to prevail 
 upon the Japanese boatmen to ferry him to the opposite side, but they refused in spite of bribes 
 and threats, in the course of which the chaplain, if the Japanese accounts are to be believed, 
 drew his sword. He now pursued his way higher up the river with the hope of finding a place 
 that might be forded, and had just reached a very promising looking crossing, the depths of 
 which he was about trying, when the messenger, who had hurried in rapid dispatch, from the 
 steamer Powhatan accosted him with the written order of the Commodore. "He," thus 
 reported the Japanese authorities, with their usual minuteness of description, "read it, walked 
 four steps further, read it again, then suddenly returned and intimated his intention of going 
 back to the ship." The chaplain, in the course of his wanderings, had an opportunity of 
 seeing one of the largest towns of Japan, that of Kanagawa, which, with its numerous wide 
 streets, and its crowded population, had quite an imposing ajipearance. He penetrated into 
 several of the dwellings and temples, and, by his pertinacious perseverance, succeeded in 
 obtaining, in one of the shops, some Japanese money in exchange for American coin. The 
 native authorities seemed particularly worried in regard to this last matter, as it was so great 
 an offence against their laws. The Japanese, in their rejjort of the occurrence, stated that the 
 American officer had gone into a shop by the roadside and asked the keeper to allow him to see 
 some coins. The Japanese shopman complied with the request, but as he seemed somewhat 
 chary in the display of his treasure the chaplain insisted upon seeing more, which demand was 
 also granted. Scales were now asked for, which being brought the chaplain took out some 
 silver pieces, and weighing them in one balance against the Japanese gold and silver coins, 
 mixed indiscriminately in a heap, in the other, transferred the latter to his pockets and left his 
 American coin to console the shopman for the loss of his Japanese change. The authorities 
 further reported that the chaplain was not content with gentle exhortations and mild persu<a- 
 sions, but bad used threatening gestures, in which his drawn sword had figured conspicuously. 
 They, however, mildly and courteously added in their report, "that they supposed that it was 
 with no intention to do harm, but for his own amusement." There was a gentle and graceful 
 charity in the suggestion of an apology for the conduct of the American officer, which sliowcd 
 an example in beautiful accordance witli the precepts of the faith of the intruder, and well 
 worthy of imitation. On the next day Yenoske brought back the sum of three dollars and a 
 half in American silver coin, which had been left in compulsory exchange with the Jajjanese
 
 COMMISSIONERS DECLINE TO ADOPT THE CHINESE TREATY. 3G1 
 
 shopman, and stated that six pieces of gold, six of silver, and the same number of copper, were 
 in possession of the chai)lain. Tenoske requested that the Japanese money should be returned, 
 and was told it should be restored. 
 
 The day appointed for the conference, on sh tc, with the Commodore (March 16) proved 
 very stormy, and, accordingly, the interview was postponed until the next morning. In the 
 meantime, a communication h.ad been received from the commissioners, in answer to several 
 notes of the Commodore, in regard to a proposed treaty with Japan, on the basis of that between 
 the United States and China: , 
 
 Kofe from the Japanese Commissioners to Commodore Perry. 
 
 At our personal interview, on the 8th, you presented us a paper in which the President's 
 views were expressed; and, on the 11th, we received a reply to our letter, in which the same 
 views were given as at the interview in relation to the commerce your country now has with 
 China ; both of which we have carefully examined, and learn that you wish to ascertain whether 
 we are ready to adopt the same that the Chinese have. The burden of that which you presented 
 on the 8th is similar to that which was sought in the President's letter, and you gave it, to 
 learn whether we would adopt it or not. In our letter, it was plainly stated that our Emperor 
 had but lately acceded to his throne, and all the numerous aifairs of government required to be 
 quietly settled, and that he had no leisure for extraneous negotiations. Consequently, he last 
 autumn sent, through the superintendent of the Dutch shipping, to make this known to you, 
 for you to communicate it to the United States. 
 
 Among those points which you now propose for adoption, the two items of extending succor 
 and protection to the distressed and wrecked vessels on our coast, and of furnishing coal to 
 passing ships and supplying provisions and other necessaries to those who may be in need of 
 them, are founded in reason, and ought to be granted without hesitation. But as to opening a 
 trade, such as is now carried on with China by your country, we certainly cannot yet bring it 
 about. The feelings and manners of our people are very unlike those of outer nations ; and it 
 will be exceedingly difficult, even if you wish it, to immediately change the old regulations for 
 those of other countries. Moreover, the Chinese have long had intercourse with western 
 nations, while we have had dealings at Nagasaki with only the people of Holland and China. 
 Beside them, it mattered not for us to trade with those of any other land ; and this has made 
 our exchange of commodities very small. 
 
 The ships of your country must, therefore, begin your trade at Nagasaki during the first 
 moon of our next year, where they can procure fuel, water, coal, and other things ; but as our 
 ideas of things, and what we each like, are still very dissimilar, as are also our notions of the 
 prices or worth of things, this makes it indispensable that we both first make a mutual trial and 
 examination, and then, after five years, we can open another port for trade, which will be 
 convenient for your ships when passing. 
 
 The points of the treaty you have now presented for our deliberation, and this now given to 
 you can be retained by each as evidence of our separate views. 
 
 Kayei, ^tk year, 2d moon, l*llh day. (March 15, 1854.) 
 
 HAYASHI. 
 
 IDO. 
 
 IZ.VAVA. 
 
 UDONO. 
 46 J
 
 362 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 The next day, (ilarcli 17th,) the Commodore, accompanied by his interpreters, secretary, and 
 two or three of his officers, met the commissioners at the treaty liouse, and after some preliminary 
 compliments iu regard to the presents, he was conducted as before from the hall of reception to 
 the inner room of conference. The Commodore, on the present occasion, had dispensed with the 
 military display, and much of the ceremony of the former visit, (which, as we have intimated 
 in a previous chapter, was merely for effect,) as had the Japanese commissioners, although the 
 negotiations were carried on with the usual formalities. 
 
 Hayashi, the chief dignitary, opened the day's business by asking whether the Commodore 
 was satisfied with the Japanese propositions for a treaty, which had been sent on the previous 
 day, alluding to those embodied in the note printed above. The Commodore having replied 
 that their communication was not accomjjanied with a Dutch translation, the Japanese presented 
 one immediately, and the discussion began. The various propositions of the Japanese, and the ^ 
 answers have been thus formularised : 
 
 PROPOSITIONS OF JAPANESE COMMISSIONERS, WITH REPLIES OF COMMODORE PERRY. 
 
 First Japanese proposition. 
 
 From the next first month, wood, water, provisions, coal, and other things, the productions 
 of this country, that American ships may need, can be had at Nagasaki ; and after five years 
 from this, a port in another principality shall be opened for ships to go to. 
 
 Note. — Those articles to be charged at the same prices that are charged to the Dutch and 
 Chinese, and to be paid for in gold and silver coin. 
 
 Commodore Perry's reply. 
 
 Agreed to ; but one or more ports must be substituted for Nagasaki, as that is out of the 
 route of American commerce ; and the time for the opening of the ports to be agreed upon 
 must be immediate, or within a space of sixty days. The manner of paying for articles received 
 shall be arranged by treaty. 
 
 Second Japanese proposition. 
 
 Upon whatever part of the coast people may be shipwrecked, those people and their property 
 shall be sent to Nagasaki by sea. 
 
 Note. — When, after five years shall have expired, and another harbor shall be opened, those 
 shipwrecked men will be sent either there or to Nagasaki, as may be most convenient. 
 
 Commodore Perry's reply. 
 Agreed to, excepting as to the port to which the shipwrecked men are to be carried. 
 
 Third Japanese proposition. 
 It being impossible for us to ascertain who are pirates and who are not, such men shall not 
 be allowed to walk about wherever they please. 
 
 Commodore Perry's reply. 
 
 Shipwrecked men and others who may resort to the porta of Japan are not be confined, and 
 shall enjoy all the freedom granted to Japanese, and be subject to no further restraints. They 
 shall, however, be held amenable to just laws, or such as may be agreed upon by treaty.
 
 FTRTHER NEGOTIATIONS. 363 
 
 It is altogether inconsistent with justice, that persons thrown by the providence of God upon 
 the shores of a friendly nation should be looked upon and treated as pirates, before any proof 
 shall be given of their being so ; and the contiiuiance of the treatment which has hitherto been 
 visited upon strangers will no longer be tolerated by the government of the United States, so 
 far as Americans are concerned. 
 
 Fourth Japanese proposition 
 At Nagasaki they shall have no intercourse with the Dutch and Chinese. 
 
 Commodore Perry's reply. 
 
 The Americans will never submit to the restrictions which have been imposed upon the 
 Dutch and Chinese, and any further allusion to such restraints will be considered offensive. 
 
 Ft/th Japanese proposition. 
 
 After the other port is opened, if there be any other sort of articles wanted, or business which 
 requires to be arranged, there shall be careful deliberation between the parties in order to settle 
 them. 
 
 Commodore Perry's reply. 
 Agreed to, so far as it applies to ports other than Nagasaki. 
 
 Sixth Japanese proposition. 
 Lew Chew is a very distant country, and the opening of its harbor cannot be discussed hj us. 
 
 Commodore Perry's reply. 
 
 As there can be no good reason why the Americans should not communicate freely with Lew 
 Chew, this point is insisted on. 
 
 Seventh Japanese proposition. 
 
 Matsmai is also a very distant country, and belongs to its prince ; this cannot be settled now, 
 but a definite answer on this subject shall be given when the ships are expected next spring. 
 
 Commodore Perry's reply. 
 
 The same with respect to the port of Matsmai, for our whaling-ships, steamers, and other 
 vessels. 
 
 These propositions and replies were consecutively discussed, the commissioners interposing 
 with great pertinacity all possible difficulties, and contending that the laws of the Empire 
 were of such a character as positively forbade the concessions demanded. They insisted that 
 Nagasaki was the place set apart for strangers ; they stated that the inhabitants and authorities 
 of that city had been trained to enforce the laws with respect to foreigners, and declared that
 
 364 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 if the Americans wore to have another port assigned to them, five years would he required to 
 make simihir preparations. The Commodore replied that the fact of Nagasaki having been 
 especially appropriated to foreigners was one of the grounds of his objections to it ; that its 
 inhabitants and authorities, having been so long accustomed to the servility of the Dutch, would 
 doubtless exact more from the Americans than they would he inclined to submit to, and serious 
 consequences might follow. Moreover, the Commodore declared that he desired it to be well 
 understood that his countrymen visiting Japan must be free from all those oppressive laws 
 which have been hitherto imposed upon strangers. In a word, he declared emj^hatically that 
 he would not think of accepting Nagasaki as one of the ports. 
 
 The Commodore then informed the commissioners that he should expect, in the course of time, 
 five ports to be opened to the American flag. He would, however, he said, be content for the 
 present with three : one on the island of Nippon, say either Uraga or Kagosima ; another in 
 Yesso, suggesting Matsmai, and a third in Lew Chew, that of Napha. In regard to the 
 remaining two he was willing to defer all discussion to .some future time. 
 
 After many evasions, and their usual protestations of legal difficulties, they at last answered 
 that, as the Commodore positively refused to accept Nagasaki, and as they themselves objected 
 to Uraga, that Simoda accordingly was formally proposed. In regard to Lew Chew, the 
 commissioners declared that, as it was a distant dependency, over which the Emperor of Japan 
 had but limited control, they could entertain no proposition. And as for Matsmai, that also 
 stood in similar relations to the Japanese government. 
 
 Notwithstanding all these objections, the Commodore still persisted in his demands, as he 
 had always to be on his guard against the deceitful diplomacy of the people with whom he was 
 negotiating. Finding that the Commodore was resolute, and that all their cunning devices to 
 bend him from his purpose were of no avail, the commissioners proposed to consider the matter, 
 and retired to another apartment for private consultation. After an absence of an hour they 
 returned and reported as the result of their deliberations that a longer time would be required 
 before their decision could be given in regard to tlie opening of Matsmai. They remarked, in 
 addition, that it was not in the power of the Emperor to grant the use of this port without 
 consulting the prince under whose hereditary right it was governed, and that to do this would 
 require a year, at the expiration of which time they would he prepared to give a reply. The 
 Commodore then told them that he could not leave Japan without an answer of some kind, and 
 that if tlie prince to whom they referred was an independent sovereign, he would go himself to 
 Matsmai and negotiate with him. 
 
 This point was finally settled for the time by the Japanese saying that they would give a 
 definite answer on Thursday, the twenty-third of March. In regard to Simoda, it was agreed 
 that the Commodore should disjiatch one or more vessels to that port, and the commissioners a 
 Japanese officer of rank to meet tliem, in order that the harbor might be examined, and its 
 fitness for the required purposes determined, it having been clearly understood that if it did not 
 answer the expectations of the Americans in all respects, another place, somewhere in the 
 southern part of Nippon, would be insisted on. The Vandalia and Southampton were accord- 
 ingly dispatched, on the twentieth of March, to examine the harbor of Simoda. 
 
 The day after the conference on shore, Moryama Yenoske, the chief interpreter, accompanied 
 by two Japanese officials, came on Ijoaid tlic Powhatan and submitted a paper, in the Dutch 
 language, containing a report by the Japanese themselves of the propositions made by the
 
 ACCURACY OF JAPANESE IN NOTING DISCUSSIONS, 3G5 
 
 Commodore, and it proved that the commissioners were perfectly cognizant of his views.* On 
 the occasion of this visit Yenoske asked for the Ja])anese coins which had heen obtained by the 
 chaplain of the Susquehanna in the course of his wanderings on shore, and they were delivered 
 to him. On the interpreter and his companions taking leave, presents were given to them, as 
 they had been also to the commissioners after the last interview at the treaty house. These 
 gifts consisted of Colt's pistols, and various articles of American manufacture of no great value. 
 
 On one of these visits, which were regularly kept up almost without the intermission of a 
 single day, the Japanese officials wore asked what had been the result of the expedition of the 
 Kussians to Nagasaki? They replied that no treaty of any kind whatever had been made with 
 them ; but they had been told that the Emperor had so many affairs to dispose of that their 
 propositions could not be entertained at that time; although, perhaps, in the course of a few 
 years, circumstances might be more favorable for negotiation. This they declared was the 
 constant answer to their repeated demands. The Russians had been, however, supplied with 
 wood, water, and provisions. One of the chief objects of their visit, said the Japanese, was to 
 define with precision the frontier of Yesso. 
 
 On the twenty-third of March the usual deputation visited the Powhatan, bearing with them 
 the final answer of the commissioners in regard to the opening of the port of Matsmai. The 
 document presented was written in the Japanese, Chinese, and Dutch languages ; of the latter 
 of which the following is a translation : 
 
 "Ships of the United States of North America, in want of provisions, wood, and water, shall 
 be supplied in the harbor of 'Hakodadi,' as has been desired. Some time will be required to 
 make preparations, inasmuch as this harbor is very distant ; consequently a commencement can 
 be made the 7th month of next year, (the 17th September, 1855.) Kaei Sitzinen Nigoats. 
 (March 23, 1854.) 
 
 ' ' Seals attached by order of the high gentlemen. 
 
 "MORYAMA YENOSKE." 
 
 * This Japanese report is curious as an evidence of the precision with which the commissioners conducted the negotiations, 
 and of the exactitude with which their reporter, wlio was constantly present, noted the proceedings of the conference : 
 
 Japanese slatemenl of points agreed upon in the interview of Commodore Perry toilh the Japanese commissioners, March 17, 1854. 
 
 1st. The citizens of the United States will not suhmit to degradations like those imposed upon the Dutch and Chinese, in 
 their confinement at Nagasaki ; that place is not convenient for ships to resort to, and docs not answer the purpose. 
 
 2d. Lew Chew is a very distant country, and a definite answer cannot be given. 
 
 3d. Matsmai is a very distant place, and belongs to a prince. This point cannot be settled now ; some time will be required 
 for negotiation, until the first month of our next year ; because the concurrence of the central government and of the prince of 
 that country are both necessary to effect a result ; a negotiation of the admiral with that prince, therefore, would be to no 
 purpose. 
 
 It was stated that an answer had better be given at once. There was time enough to have that harbor opened by the above- 
 mentioned time ; that it was not probable that in the first year that harbor would be resorted to by many ships, because some 
 time would be required to communicate this decision lo the government and to have it generally known. 
 
 In consideration thereof, it was agreed that a final answer should be given on the 33d of iVIarch, (the 3Gth of the Japanese 
 month.) 
 
 It being mentioned that, besides Lew Chew and Matsmai, more harbors in Nippon would bo required, it was aaggeated that 
 the harbor of Simoda could be opened for the ships of the United States, and agreed that two ships of the squadron would sail 
 on the ]9th of March to make a survey of that harbor ; and, further, that some Japanese officers, to go by land, would arrive 
 at that place on the 22d instant, and that the captains of those ships would await the arrival of those officers before proceeding 
 to survey, permit any one to land, &c. 
 
 That shipwrecked men should meet with kind treatment, and be free .i« in other countrie*. 
 
 Agreement made upon due consideration.
 
 366 
 
 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN, 
 
 The CommcKlore assented to the proposition of the commissioners assigning the port of 
 Hakodadi, which was near the city of Matsmai, and was reported to have a better harbor, on 
 the condition that, on examination, it proved equal to the favorable description given of it. 
 He, however, expressed his desire that it should be opened at an earlier date than that proposed. 
 
 This concession of Hakodadi betokened a favorable prospect for a successful issue to the great 
 purpose of the expedition ; and the Commodore now looked forward with sanguine expectations 
 to an early consummation of his labors in the formation of a satisfactory treaty. 
 
 Japanese grave-yard at Yoku-hama. — Grave of the Slarlne on Ihc right.
 
 CORDIALITY BETWEEN JAPANESE AND AMERICANS. 
 
 367 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 CORDIALITY BETWEEN- JAPANESE AKD AMERICAN'S. PRESEXTS FROM THE JAPANESE. COIN'S. SINGULAR CUSTOM OF IN-CLCDINO 
 
 RICE, CHARCOAL, AND DOGS, IN A ROYAL JAPANESE PRESENT. JAPA.VESE WRESTLERS. THEIR IM.ME.V5E SIZE ANT) 
 
 STRENGTH. EXHIBITION IN THE RING. CONTRAST IN THE EXHIBITIO.V OF THE TELEGRAPH AND LOCOMOTIVE. PARADE 
 
 OF THE MARINES. YENOSKE VISITS THE FLAG-SHIP, AND SEEKS TO DRAW THE COMMODORE OCT. FAILURE. ENTERTAIN. 
 
 MENT OF CHINESE COM.MISSIONERS ON BOARD THE FLAG-SHIP. GREAT CORDIALITY. PERFORMANCE ON SHIP BOARD OF 
 
 "ETHIOPIAN minstrels" TO THE GREAT AMUSEMENT OF THE JAPANESE. .NEGOTIATIONS CONTINUED. JAPA.VESE OBJECT 
 
 TO THE IM.MEDIATE OPE.NING OF THE PORTS. FINALLY CONCEDE THE POINT TO A CERTAIN EXTENT. ABSOLUTE AND 
 
 PERSISTENT REFUSAL TO ALLOW AMERICANS PERMANENTLY TO ABIDE IN JAPAN. RELUCTANT CONSENT, AFTER .MUCH 
 
 DISCUSSION, TO ALLOW ONE CONSUL TO RESIDE AT SIMODA. TREATY FINALLY AGREED ON AND SIGNED. PRESENTS BY 
 
 COMMODORE TO THE COM.MISSIONERS, THAT TO THE CHIEF BEING THE A.MERICAN FLAG. E.NTERTAINMENT OF THE COM- 
 MODORE ANT) HIS OFFICERS BY THE COM.MISSIONERS. PECULIARITIES OF THE MISSION TO JAPAN. OBSTACLES TO MAKING 
 
 ANY TREATY AT ALL. DISPOSITION OF THE JAPANESE SHOWN IN THE CONFERENCES. PARTICULAR REFUSAL TO MAKE A 
 
 TREATY ALLOWI.NG AMERICAN FAMILIES OR FE.MALES TO LIVE IN JAPAN. ANALYSIS OF THE TREATY- COMMODORE 
 
 CAREFUL TO SECURE FOR THE UNITED STATES ALL PRIVILEGES THAT MIGHT THEREAFTER B£ GRANTED BY TREATY TO 
 OTHER NATIONS. CASE OF THE AMERICAN SCHOONER FOOTE. 
 
 FTER the concessions made by the Japanese, related in 
 the last chapter, the greatest good feeling prevailed 
 on both sides, and there seemed every prospect of 
 establishing those national relations which had been 
 the purpose of Commodore Perry's mission. In accord- 
 ance with the harmony and friendship which existed, 
 there was an interchange of those courtesies by which 
 mutual good feeling seeks an outward expression. 
 The Japanese had acknowledged, with courtly thanks, 
 the presents which had been bestowed on behalf of 
 the government, and now, on the 24th of Maich, 
 
 invited the Commodore to receive the various gifts 
 
 which had been ordered by the Emperor in return, as a public recognition of the courtesy of the 
 United States. 
 
 The Commodore, accordingly, landed at Yoku-hama, with a suite of officers and his interpreters, 
 and was received at the treaty house, with the usual ceremonies, by the high commissioners. 
 The large reception room was crowded with the various presents. The red-covered settees, 
 numerous tables and stands, and even the floors, were heaped with the different articles. The 
 objects were of Japanese manufacture, and consisted of specimens of rich brocades and silks, 
 of their famous lacquered ware, such as choio-cJwio boxes, tables, trays, and goblets, all skilfully 
 wrought and finished with an exquisite polish ; of porcelain cups of wonderful lightness and 
 transparency, adorned with figures and flowers in gold and variegated colors, and exhibiting a 
 workmanship which surpassed even that of the ware for which the Clnnese are remarkable. 
 Fans, pipe-cases, and articles of apjjarel in ordinary use, of no great value, but of exceeding 
 interest, were scattered in among the more luxurious and costly objects.
 
 368 
 
 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 With the usual order and neatness which seera almost instinctive with the Japanese, the 
 various jircsents had been arranged in lots, and classified in accordance with the rank of those 
 for whom they were respectively intended. The commissioners took their position at the further 
 end of the room, and when the Commodore and his suite entered, the ordinary compliments 
 having heen interchanged, the Prince Hayashi read aloud, in Japanese, the list of presents, and 
 the names of the persons to whom they were to be given. This was then translated by Yenoske 
 into Dutch, and by Mr. Portman into English. This ceremony being over, the Commodore 
 was invited by the commissioners into the inner room, where he was presented with two 
 complete sets of Japanese coins, three matchlocks, and two swords. These gifts, though of no 
 great intrinsic value, were very significant evidences of the desire of the Japanese to express 
 their respect for the representative of the United States. The mere bestowal of the coins, in 
 direct opposition to the Japanese laws, which forbid, absolutely, all issue of their money beyond 
 the Kingdom, was an act of marked favor. 
 
 r9:^ 
 
 Japanese Match-lock. 
 
 As the Commodore prepared to depart, the commissioners said that there was one article 
 intended for the President which had not yet been exhibited. They accordingly conducted the 
 Commodore and his officers to the beach, where one or two hundred sacks of rice were pointed 
 out, heaped up in readiness to be sent on board the ships. As that immense supply of 
 substantial food seemed to excite some wonder on tlie part of the Americans, Yenoske, the 
 interpreter, remarked that it was always customary with the Japanese, when bestowing royal 
 presents, to include a certain quantity of rice, although he did not say whether that quantity 
 always amounted, as on the present occasion, to hundreds of immense sacks.* 
 
 •The Commodore, upon subsequent inquiry, learned that there are three articles which, in Japan, as he understood, alway* 
 form part of an Imperial present. These are rice, dried fisli, and dogs. 
 
 Fish Present of Japan. 
 tWlial is neon protruding at cillier end of tlio paper cover is a spories of dried soa-wcad, used an food. The fish 
 
 is placed upon it, and covered by the paper]
 
 JAPANESE PRESENTS. 
 
 369 
 
 As illustrative of the usages of the country, we subjoin, in a note, the list of articles presented 
 by the Japanese.* 
 
 While contemplating these substantial evidences of Japanese generosity, the attention of all 
 was suddenly riveted upon a body of monstrous fellows, who tramped down the beach like so 
 many huge elephants. They were professional wrestlers, and formed part of the retinue of the 
 princes, who kept them for their private amusement and for public entertainment. They were 
 some twenty-five in number, and were men enormously tall in stature, and immense in weight 
 of flesh. Their scant costume, which was merely a colored cloth about the loins, adorned with 
 fringes and emblazoned with the armorial bearings of the prince to whom each belonged, 
 revealed their gigantic proportions in all the bloated fulness of fat and breadth of muscle. Their 
 
 Some also said tliat charcoal was always included. "Why these should have been selected, or what they particularly 
 symbolize, he did not learn. The charcoal was not omitted in the gifts on this occasion, and four small dogs of a rare breed 
 were sent to the President, as part of the Emperor's gift. We have observed also in the public prints that two were put on 
 board of Admiral Stirling's ship for her Majesty of England. The fact that dogs are always part of a royal Japanese present 
 suggested to the Commodore the thought that possibly one species of spaniel now in England may be traced to a Japanese 
 origin. In 1613, when Captain Saris returned from Japan to England, he carried to the King a letter from the Emperor, and 
 presents in return for those which had been sent to him by his Majesty of England. Dogs probably formed part of the gifts, 
 and thus may have been introduced into the Kingdom the Japanese breed. At any rate, there is a species of spaniel in England 
 which it is hard to distinguish from the Japanese dog. The species sent as a present by the Emperor is by no means common 
 even in Japan. It is never seen running about the streets, or following its master in his walks, and the Commodore under- 
 stood that they were costly. 
 
 * List of the articles received from the Japanese government, March 24, 1854 : 
 
 1st. For the government of the United States of America, 
 from the Emperor — 
 
 1 gold lacquered writing apparatus. 
 
 1 gold lacquered paper bo.t. 
 
 1 gold lacquered book-case. 
 
 1 lacquered writing table. 
 
 1 censer of bronze, (cow-shape,) supporting silver 
 
 flower and stand. 
 1 set waiters. 
 
 1 flower holder and stand. 
 
 2 brasiers. 
 
 10 pieces fine red pongee. 
 10 pieces white pongee. 
 5 pieces flowered crape. 
 5 pieces red dyed figured crape. 
 2d. From Hayashi, 1st commissioner — 
 1 lacquered writing apparatus. 
 1 lacquered paper box. 
 1 box of paper. 
 1 box flowered note paper. 
 5 boxes stamped note and letter paper. 
 4 bo.xes assorted sca-shclls, 100 in each. 
 1 box of branch coral and feather in silver. 
 1 lacquered chow-chow box. 
 
 1 box, set of three, lacquered goblets. 
 
 7 boxes cups and spoons and goblet cut from 
 
 conch shells. 
 3d. From Ido, 2d commissioner — 
 
 2 boxes lacquered waiters, 4 in all. 
 2 boxes, conlainmg 20 umbrellas. 
 
 1 box 30 coir brooms. 
 4th. From Izawa, 3d commissioner — 
 1 piece red pongee. 
 1 piece white pongee. 
 
 8 boxes, 13 dolls. 
 
 1 box bamboo woven articles. 
 
 2 boxes bamboo stands. 
 
 47 J 
 
 5th. From Udono, 4tli commissioner — 
 3 pieces striped crape. 
 
 2 boxes porcelain cups. 
 1 box, 10 jars of soy. 
 
 6th. From Matsusaki, 5th commissioner — 
 
 3 boxes porcelain goblets. 
 1 bo.x figured matting. 
 
 35 bundles oak charcoal. 
 7th. From Abe, 1st Imperial councillor — 
 
 14 pieces striped-figured sUk, (taffeta.) 
 8th — 12th. From each of other 5 Imperial councillors — 
 
 10 pieces striped-figured silk, (taff"eta.) 
 13lh From Emperor to Commodore Perry — 
 1 lacquered writing apparatus. 
 
 1 lacquered paper box. 
 3 pieces red pongee. 
 
 2 pieces white pongee. 
 
 2 pieces flowered crape. 
 
 3 pieces figured dyed crape. 
 
 I4th. From commissioners to Capt. H. A. Adams — 
 3 pieces plain red pongee. 
 2 pieces dyed figured crape. 
 20 sets lacquered cups and covers. 
 15th — 17th. From commissioners to Mr. Perry, Mr. Port- 
 man, and Mr. S. W. Williams, each — 
 2 pieces red pongee. 
 2 pieces dyed figured crape. 
 10 sets lacquered cups and covers. 
 18th — 22d. From commissioners to .Mr. Gay, Mr. Danby, 
 Mr. Draper, Dr Morrow, and Mr. J. P. Williams — 
 1 piece red dyed figured crape. 
 10 sets lacquered cups and covers. 
 23d. From Emperor to the squadron — 
 
 200 bundles of rice, each 5 Japanese pecks. 
 300 chickens.
 
 370 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 proprietors, the princes, seemed proud of them, and were careful to show their points to the 
 greatest advantage hefore our astonished countrymen. Some two or three of these huge monsters 
 were the most famous wrestlers iu Japan, and ranked as the champion Tom Cribs and Hyers Of 
 the land. Koyanagi, the reputed huUy of the capital, was one of them, and paraded himself 
 with the conscious pride of superior immensity and strength. He was especially brought to 
 the Commodore, that he might examine his massive form. The commissioners insisted that the 
 monstrous fellow should he minutely inspected, that the hardness of his well-rounded muscles 
 should he felt, and that the fatness of his cushioned frame should be tested by the touch. The 
 Commodore accordingly attempted to grasp his immense arm, which he found as solid as it was 
 huge, and then passed his hand over the monstrous neck, which fell in folds of massive flesh, 
 like the dewlap of a prize ox. As some surprise was naturally expressed at this wondrous 
 exhibition of animal development, the monster liimself gave a grunt expressive of his flattered 
 vanity. 
 
 They were all so immense in flesh that they appeared to have lost their distinctive features, 
 and seemed to be only twenty-five masses of fat. Their eyes were barely visible through a long 
 perspective of socket, the prominence of their noses was lost in the puffiness of their bloated 
 cheeks, and their heads were almost set directly on their bodies, with merely folds of flesh 
 where the neck and chin are usually found. Their great size, however, was more owing to the 
 development of muscle than to the deposition of fat, for, although they were evidently well fed, 
 they were not less well exercised, and capable of great feats of strength. As a preliminary 
 exhibition of the power of these men, the princes set them to removing the sacks of rice to a 
 convenient place on the shore for shipping. Each of the sacks weighed not less than one 
 hundred and twenty-five pounds, and there were only a couple of the wrestlers who did not 
 carry each two sacks at a time. They bore the sacks on the right shoulder, lifting the first 
 from the ground and adjusting it without help, but obtaining aid for the raising of the second. 
 One man carried a sack suspended by his teeth, and another, taking one in his arms, turned 
 repeated somersaults as he held it, and apparently with as much ease as if his tons of flesh had 
 been only so much gossamer, and his load a feather. 
 
 After this preliminary display, the commissioners proposed that the Commodore and his party 
 should retire to the treaty house, where they would have an opportunity of seeing the wrestlers 
 exhibit their professional feats. The wrestlers themselves were most carefully provided for, 
 having constantly about them a number of attendants, who were always at hand to supply them 
 with fans, which they often required, and to assist them in dressing and undressing. Wiiilo 
 at rest they were ordinarily clothed in richly-adorned robes of the usual Japanese fashiim, but 
 when exercising they were stripped naked, with the exception of the cloth about the loins. 
 After their performance with the sacks of rice, their servitors spread upon the huge frames of 
 the wrestlers their rich garments and led them up to the treaty house. 
 
 A circular space of some twelve feet in diameter had been enclosed within a ring, and the 
 ground carefully broken up and smoothed in front of the building, while in the portico, divans 
 covered with red cloth were arranged for the Japanese commissioners, the Commodore, his 
 officers and their various attendants. The bauds from the ships were also present, and enli- 
 vened the intervals during the performance with occasional lively strains. As soon as the 
 spectators had taken their seats, the naked wrestlers were brought out into the ring, and the 
 whole number, being divided into two opposing parties, tramped heavily backward and forward, 
 looking defiance at eacli other, but not engaging in any contest, as their object was merely to
 
 EXnin 1X10X1X7 IIERING. 371 
 
 parade their points, to give the beholders, as it were, an opportunity to form an estimate of 
 their comparative powers, and to make up their betting-hooks. They soon retired behind some 
 screens phiced for the purpose, where all, with the exception of two, were again clothed in full 
 dress and took their position on scats in front of tlie spectators. 
 
 The two who had been reserved out of the band, now, on the signal being given by the 
 heralds, who were seated on opposite sides, presented themselves. They came in, one after the 
 other, from behind the screen, and walked with slow and deliberate steps, as became such huge 
 animals, into the centre of the ring. Then they ranged themselves, one against the other, at 
 a distance of a few yards. They crouched for a while, eyeing each other with a wary look, as 
 if each were watching for a chance to catch his antagonist oif his guard. As the spectator 
 looked on these over-fed monsters, whose animal natures had been so carefully and successfully 
 developed, and as he watched them, glaring with brutal ferocity at each other, ready to exhibit 
 the cruel instincts of a savage nature, it was easy for him to lose all sense of their being human 
 creatures, and to persuade himself that he was beholding a couple of brute beasts thirsting for 
 one another's blood. They were, in fact, like a pair of fierce bulls, whose nature they had not 
 only acquired, but even their look and movements. As they continued to eye each other they 
 stamped the ground heavily, pawing as it were with impatience, and then stooping their huge 
 bodies, they grasped handfuls of dirt and flung it with an angry toss over their backs, or rubbed 
 it impatiently between their giant palms, or under their stout shoulders. They now crouched 
 low, still keeping their eyes fixed upon each other, and watching every movement, until, in an 
 instant, they had both simultaneously heaved their massive forms in opposing force, body to 
 body, with a shock that might have stunned an ox. The equilibrium of their monstrous frames 
 was hardly disturbed by the concussion, the efiiect of which was but barely visible in the quiver 
 of the hanging flesh of their bodies. As they came together, they had thrown their brawny 
 arms around each other, and were now entwined in a desperate struggle, each striving with all 
 his enormous strength to throw his adversary. Their great muscles rose with the distinct 
 outline of the sculptured form of a colossal Hercules, their bloated countenances swelled up 
 with gushes of blood which seemed ready to burst through the skin of their reddened faces, and 
 their huge bodies palpitated with emotion as the struggle continued. At last, one of the 
 antagonists fell, with his immense weight, heavily upon the ground, and being declared 
 vanquished, was assisted to his feet and conducted from the ring. 
 
 The scene was now somewhat varied by a change in the kind of contestbetween two succeeding 
 wrestlers. The heralds, as before, summoned the antagonists, and one, having taken his place 
 in the ring, assumed an attitude of defence with one leg in advance, as if to steady himself, 
 and his bent body, with his head lowered, placed in position, as if to receive an attack. 
 Immediately after, in rushed the other, bellowing loudly like a bull, and, making at once for 
 the man in the ring, dashed, with his head lowered and thrust forward, against the head of his 
 opponent, who bore the shock with the steadiness of a rock, although the blood streamed down 
 his face from his bruised forehead, which had been struck in the encounter. This manoeuvre 
 was repeated again and again, the same one acting always as the opposing, and the other as the 
 resisting, force ; and thus they kept up their brutal contest until their foreheads were besmeared 
 with blood, and the flesh on their chests rose in great swollen tumors, from the repeated blows. 
 This disgusting exhibition did not terminate until the whole twenty-five had, successively, in 
 pairs, displayed their immense powers and savage qualities. 
 
 From the brutal performance of these wrestlers, the Americans turned with pride to the
 
 372 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 exhibition — to which the Japanese commissioners were now in their turn invited — of the 
 telegraph and the railroad. It was a happy contrast, which a higher civilization presented, to 
 the dis^ustin"- display on tlie part of the Japanese otHcials. In place of a show of brute animal 
 force, there was a triumphant revelation, to a partially enlightened people^ of the success of science 
 and enterprise. The Japanese took great delight in again seeing the rapid movement of the 
 Lilliputian locomotive ; and one of the scribes of the commissioners took his seat upon the car, 
 while the engineer stood upon the tender, feeding the furnace with one hand, and directing the 
 diminutive engine with the other. Crowds of the Japanese gathered around, and looked on 
 the repeated circlings of the train with unabated pleasure and surprise, unable to repress a 
 shovit of delight at each blast of the steam whistle. The telegraph, with its wonders, though 
 before witnessed, still created renewed interest, and all the beholders were unceasing in their 
 expressions of curiosity and astonishment. The agricultural instruments having been explained 
 to the commissioners by Dr. Morrow, a formal delivery of the telegraph, the railway, and other 
 articles, which made up the list of American presents, ensued. The Prince of Mamasaki had 
 been delegated by his coadjutors ceremoniously to accept, and Captain Adams appointed by the 
 Commodore to deliver, the gifts ; and each performed his separate functions by an interchange 
 of suitable compliments and some half dozen stately bows. After this, a detachment of 
 marines from the squadron were put through their various evolutions, drills, &c., while the 
 bands furnished martial music. The Japanese commissioners seemed to take a very great 
 interest In this military display, and expressed themselves much gratified at the soldierly air 
 and excellent discipline of the men. This closed the performances of the day; and, the 
 commissioners having accepted an invitation from the Commodore to dine with him on the 
 twenty-seventh, the Japanese retired to the treaty-house, and the Americans returned to the 
 ships. The Japanese jirc^ents were all boxed up and sent, together with the rice and charcoal, 
 on board the storeship Supply, when, after being duly addressed to the proper department of 
 the government, they were stored away for future shipment. 
 
 On the next day, (March 25,) Yenoske, accompanied by Kenzeiro, his fellow interpreter, came 
 on board the Powhatan to acknowledge, formally, in behalf of the commissioners, their 
 gratitude for the exhibition of the marines, the locomotive, and the telegraph, with all which 
 they declared themselves highly delighted. Yenoske and his coadjutor were invited to seat 
 themselves in the cabin of the Commodore, and, after some expressions of courtesy, which the 
 Japanese officials were careful never to intermit, j)roposed to talk over some points in connexion 
 with the projected treaty. The Commodore said he had no objections to the discussion of the 
 matters informally; but he protested against considering the interpreters as the official 
 representatives of the commissioners, with the latter of whom only, he declared, could he treat 
 authoritatively. 
 
 Yenoske then commenced by stating that Hakodadi, which the commissioners had desired 
 not to have opened before September, 1855, might be ready for American shij^s as early as 
 March of that year, and added that Simoda, also, would be prepared by that date. The Com- 
 modore replied that, in regard to Hakodadi, although it was his intention to visit it during the 
 Eummer, he was willing to accept it without a preliminary survey ; but, as for Simoda, it must 
 first be examined belorc it cotild be adopted. Tlie Jajianese now expressed the hof)e that the 
 Commodore would not go to Hakodadi for a hundred days yet, as it was necessary to send to 
 Nagasaki for an interpreter, who would be obliged to go to Yedo previous to going to Hakodadi. 
 The Commodore stated that he could not wait so long a time, but would be obliged to pay his
 
 COMMODORE S CONVERSATION WITH THE INTERPRETERS. 373 
 
 contemplated visit in about a month; and, as for an interpreter, he would take with him 
 Namoura, one of those who was occasionally present in behalf of the commissioners. 
 
 Namoura, Th\rd Interpreter, Yoku-hama. 
 
 The Japanese rejilied that it would be necessary to retain Namoura, and, beside, that the 
 dialect at Hakodadi was so different another interpreter would be required. The Commodore 
 finally declared that, as for Simoda, he would consider that port opened, in accordance with his 
 express understanding with the commissioners, as soon as he should receive a favorable report of 
 it from Captain Pope, who had been dispatched to make the proper investigation. 
 
 He also stated that, though he wished all the ports to be opened at once, none of them could 
 be practically available for more than a year, since the necessary preliminary action of his 
 government would require at least that time before ratifying the agreement with the Japanese. 
 The Commodore then cut the discussion short by saying that he desired to refer these points in 
 detail to the commissioners, which he would do, in writing, at the next interview. 
 
 Yenoske, who had evidently been delegated by tlio commissioners to test the firmness of the
 
 374 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 Commodore in regard to various points in the proposed treaty whicb they were loth to concede, 
 now alluded to the establishment of an American consular agent. He said tliat they would 
 not be required, as the governors of the towus could carry on all the business of supplying the 
 ships with coals, provisions, and other necessaries, without the intervention of any consul, and 
 that, consequently, the commissioners proposed a delay of four or five years before consenting to 
 the appointment of any such officer among them, that they might, in the meantime, discover 
 how the new intercourse with the Americans worked. In reply, the Commodore explained to 
 Tenoske the nature and duties of the consular office, and urged the residence of such an officer 
 as a consul upon the ground of its advantage to the Japanese themselves ; and finally declared 
 that this feature must be in the treaty, though he was willing there should be but one consul 
 who should reside at Simoda. 
 
 Tlie Commodore now informed the interpreters that he wished a junk, loaded with a thousand 
 peculs of coal, to be in readiness for him at Simoda, after his return from Hakodadi. He also 
 desired various other supplies at the same time and place, the whole to be accompanied with a 
 list of prices, as he insisted upon paying for everything. He also insisted that the Americans 
 should be permitted to purchase any articles of Jajjanese manufacture they might desire, and 
 should have the liberty of going on shore and rambling about the country, under such proper 
 restrictions as the Japanese authorities might be inclined to impose. The interpreters seemed 
 to admit the propriety of these concessions on their part, but were evidently apprehensive of the 
 consequences, remarking that their government had been obliged to make severe regulations in 
 regard to the English and Portuguese, and animadverting with anger upon the conduct of 
 Captain Pellew at Nagasaki some years before. 
 
 Monday, March 27, was the day appointed for the entertainment to which the Commodore 
 had invited the commissioners, and their attendants. Accordingly, great arrangements were 
 made in the flag-ship preparatory to the occasion. The quarter-deck was adornel with a great 
 variety of flags, and all parts of the steamer put in perfect order, while the officers, marines, 
 and men dressed themselves in their uniforms and prepared to do honor in every respect to their 
 expected visitors. 
 
 The Commodore was determined to give the Japanese a favorable impression of American 
 hospitality, and had accordingly spared no pains in providing must bountifully for the large 
 party expected, which was understood to comprise no less than seventy, exclusive of the 
 boatmen and menials. As it was known that the strictness of Japanese etiquette would not 
 allow the high commissioners to sit at the same table with their subordinates, the Commodore 
 ordered two banquets, one to be spread in his cabin for the chief dignitaries, and another on 
 the quarter-deck. The Commodore had long before made up his mind to give this entertain- 
 ment as soon as the negotiations with the Japanese took a turn sufficiently favorable to justify 
 some degree of convivial rejoicing. He had accordingly I'eserved for it live bullocks, some 
 sheep, and a supply of game and poultry. The ordinary cabin stores of preserved meats, fish, 
 vegetables, fruits, and a choice supply of tlie best wines, furnished every requisite for the 
 preparation of a generous feast. These abundant materials, under the cunning hands of the 
 Commodore's chef de cuisine, assumed nearly every variety of dish attractive to the eye and 
 appetising to the taste. 
 
 Previous to coming on board the Powhatan, the commissioners visited the sloop-of-war 
 Macedonian, being saluted as they stepped on her deck by seventeen guns froin tlie Mississippi, 
 lying near. The great guns and boarders having been exercised for their entertainment, tlio
 
 ENTERTAINMENT ON BOARD TUE FLAG-SHIP. 375 
 
 commissioners, with their numerous attendants, left for the Powhatan, the Macedonian firing a 
 salvo in their honor, as they took their departure. On arriving on board the flag-ship, they 
 were first conducted through the different dqmrtments of the steamer, and examined with 
 minute interest the guns and the machinery. A boat was lowered, with a howitzer in its bows, 
 and this was repeatedly discharged, much to their amusement ; for, although not a very warlike 
 people, (at least in their modern history,) the Japanese evidently liad a great fondness for 
 martial exercise and display. The engines were next put in motion, and they evinced the usual 
 intelligence of the higher class of Japanese in their inquiries and remarks. After satisfying 
 their curiosity, dinner was announced, and the five commissioners were conducted to the Com- 
 modore's cabin, where a very handsome banquet awaited them. The subordinate officials, 
 amounting to about sixty, were provided for under the awning on the quarter-deck, where a 
 large table had been spread with an abundant supply. 
 
 The Commodore had invited the four captains of the squadron, his interpreter, Mr. Williams, 
 and his secretary, to join the commissioners at his table. Yenoske, the Japanese interpreter, 
 was allowed the privilege, as a special condescension on the part of his superiors, to sit at a side- 
 table in the cabin, where his humble jiosition did not seem to disturb either his equanimity or 
 his appetite. Hayashi, who always preserved his grave and dignified bearing, ate and drank 
 sparingly, but tasted of every dish, and sipped of every kind of wine. The others proved them- 
 selves famous trencher-men, and entered more heartily than their chief into the conviviality of 
 the occasion. Matsusaki was the soul of the party, and showed at once a very decided appreci- 
 ation of American fare, and a special fondness for the champaigne, with no marked aversion, 
 however, to the other wines and beverages. The liqueurs, particularly the maraschino, seemed 
 to suit the tastes of the Japanese exactly, and they drank unnumbered glasses of it. Matsusaki, 
 who was a jovial fellow, soon showed the effects of his copious libations, and became very parti- 
 cularly happy. Hayashi, the grave prince, was the only one, in fact, whose sobriety was proof 
 against the unrestrained conviviality which prevailed among his bacchanalian coadjutors. 
 
 The Japanese party upon deck, who were entertained by a large body of officers from the 
 various ships, became quite uproarious under the influence of overflowing supplies of cham- 
 paigne, Madeira, and punch, which they seemed greatly to relish. The Japanese took the lead 
 in proposing healths and toasts, and were by no means the most backward in drinking them. 
 They kept shouting at the top of their voices, and were heard far above the music of the bands 
 that enlivened the entertainment by a succession of brisk and cheerful tunes. It was, in short, 
 a scene of noisy conviviality, and of very evident enjoyment on the part of the guests. The 
 eating was no less palatable to them than the drinking, and the rapid disappearance of the large 
 quantity and variety of the viands profusely heaped upon the table was quite a marvel, even to 
 the heartiest feeders among the Americans. In the eagerness of the Japanese appetite, there 
 was but little discrimination in the choice of dishes and in the order of coiu'ses, and the most 
 startling heterodoxy was exhibited in the confused commingling of fish, flesh, and fowl, soups 
 and syrups, fruits and fricassees, roast and boiled, pickles and preserves. As a most generous 
 supply had been provided, there were still some remnants of the feast left, after the guests had 
 satisfied their voracity, and most of these, the Japanese, in accordance with their usual custom, 
 stowed away about their persons to carry off witli them. The Japanese always have an 
 abundant supply of pajier within the left bosom of their loose robes in a capacious pocket. This 
 is used for various purposes ; one species, as soft as our cotton clotli, and withal exceedingly 
 tough, is used for a pocket handkerchief; another furnishes the material for taking notes, or for
 
 376 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 ■wrapping up wliat is left after a feast. On the present occasion, when the dinner was over, all 
 the Japanese guests simultaneously spread out their long folds of paper, and gathering what 
 scraps they could lay their hands on, without regard to the kind of food, made up an envelope 
 of conglomerate eatables in which there was such a confusion of the sour and sweet, the albu- 
 minous, oleaginous, and saccharine, that the chemistry of Leibig, or the practised taste of the 
 Commodore's Parisian cook, would never liave reached a satisfactory analysis. Nor was this 
 the result of gluttony, or a deficiency of breeding ; it was the fashion of the country. These 
 unsavory parcels they stowed away in their pockets, or in their capacious sleeves, to carry 
 away with them. The practice was universal, and they not only always followed it themselves, 
 but insisted that their American guests, wlien entertained at a Japanese feast, should adopt it 
 also. Whenever the Commodore and his officers were feasted on shore, they had paper parcels 
 of what was left thrust into their hands on leaving, which they were obliged to take away with 
 them, as it seemed an important part of Japanese hospitality, which could not be declined with- 
 out giving offence. 
 
 After the banquet, the Japanese were entertained by an exhibition of negro minstrelsy, got up 
 by some of the sailors, who, blacking their faces and dressing themselves in character, enacted 
 their parts with a humor that would have gained them unbounded applause from a New York 
 audience even at Christy's. The gravity of the saturnine Hayashi was not proof against the 
 grotesque exhibition, and even he joined with the rest in the general hilarity provoked by the 
 farcical antics and humorous performances of the mock negroes. It was now sunset, and the 
 Japanese prepared to depart with quite as much wine in them as they could well bear. The 
 jovial Matsusaki threw his arms about the Commodore's neck, crushing, in his tipsy embrace, 
 a pair of new epaulettes, and repeating, in Japanese, with maudlin affection, these words, as 
 interpreted into English: "Nippon and America, all the same heart." He then went toddling 
 into his boat, supported by some of his more steady companions, and soon all the happy party 
 had left the ships and were making rapidly for tlie shore. The Saratoga fired tlie salute of 
 seventeen guns as the last boat pulled off from the Powhatan, and the squadron was once more 
 left in the usual quiet of ordinary ship's duty. 
 
 The following day the Commodore lauded to have a conference in regard to the remaining 
 points of the treaty previous to signing. He was met, as usual, at the treaty house by the 
 commissioners, who had more than their ordinary share of gravity, probably, owing to the 
 natural effects of the previous day's conviviality. 
 
 As soon as the Commodore had taken his seat, a letter was handed to him, which tlic Japanese 
 stated they had just received from Simoda. It was from Commander Pope, and had been 
 transmitted through the authorities over land. Its contents gave a satisfactory report of 
 Simoda, and the Commodore at once said that he accepted that port, but declared that it must 
 be opened without delay. Hakodadi, he added, would do for the other, and Napha, in Lew 
 Chew, could be retained for 'the third. In regard to the other two, he was willing, he said, to 
 postpone their consideration to some other time. 
 
 The Commodore now proposed to sign the agreement in regard to the three ports, and directed 
 his interpreter to read it in Dutch. When the document had been thus read and afterwards 
 carefully perused by the Japanese, they stated that they were prepared to concur in everything 
 except as to the immediate opening of Simoda. After discussion, it was finally settled that 
 though the port might be opened, the Japanese would address a note to the Commodore, stating 
 that everything which might be wanting by ships could not be furnished there before the
 
 SIGNING OF THE TREATY. 377 
 
 expiration of ten months, but that wood and water, and whatever else the place possessed would 
 be supplied immediately ; and to this note the Commodore promised to reply, and express his 
 satisfaction with such an arrangement. 
 
 The question now came up with respect to the extent of privileges to be granted to Americans 
 who might visit Simoda, in the discussion of which it was perfectly plain that the Japanese 
 meant to be distinctly understood as prohibiting, absolutely, at least, for the present, tlie 
 permanent residence of Americans, with their families, in Japan. The distance, also, to which 
 Americans might extend their excursions into the country around the ports of Simoda and 
 Hakodadi was settled ; and it is observable, that, at the special request of the Japanese, the 
 Commodore named the distance, they assenting, at once, to that which he mentioned. 
 
 The proposition to have consular agents residing in Japan was one which evidently gave great 
 anxiety to the commissioners, and the same grounds were taken and answered as have already 
 been related in the narrative of the Commodore's conversation with the interpreters on a previous 
 page of this chapter. The Commodore was firm in saying there must be such agents for the 
 sake of the Japanese themselves as well as for that of our own countrymen, and it was finally 
 conceded that there should be one, to live at Simoda, and that he should not be appointed until 
 a year or eighteen months from the date of the treaty. 
 
 Two more articles, including the new points which had been discussed were now added to the 
 transcript of the proposed treaty, and the Japanese having promised to bring on board the 
 Powhatan next day a copy, in Dutch, of their understanding of the agreement as far as 
 concurred in, the Commodore took his departure. 
 
 During the next two days several notes passed between the Commodore and the Japanese 
 commissioners, in the course of which various questions that had been already considered were 
 more definitively settled ; and the American interpreters were occupied, in cooperation with the 
 Japanese, in drawing up the treaty in the Chinese, Dutch, and Japanese languages. On the 
 twenty-ninth, the ships Vandalia and Southampton arrived from Simoda with a confirmation of 
 what Commander Pope had already stated in his dispatch which had been transmitted by the 
 Japanese authorities, over land, to the Commodore, namely, that the harbor and town of Simoda 
 had been found, on examination, suitable in every respect for the purposes of the Americans. 
 All was now in readiness for the final signing of the treaty. 
 
 Accordingly, on Friday, the 31st of March, 1854, the Commodore proceeded to the treaty 
 house with his usual attendants, and immediately on his arrival signed three several drafts of 
 the treaty written in the English language, and delivered them to the commissioners, together 
 with three copies of the same in the Dutch and Chinese languages, certified by the interpreters, 
 Messrs. Williams and Portman, for the United States. At the same time, the Japanese 
 commissioners, in behalf of their government, handed to the Commodore three drafts of the 
 treaty written respectively in the Japanese, Chinese, and Dutch languages, and signed by the 
 four of their body especially delegated by the Emperor for that purpose. The following is the 
 treaty as agreed upon. 
 
 The United States of America and the Empire of Japan, desiring to establish firm, lasting, 
 and sincere friendship between the two nations, have resolved to fix, in a manner clear and 
 positive, by means of a treaty or general convention of peace and amity, the rules wliich shall 
 48 J
 
 378 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN, 
 
 in future be mutually observed in the intercourse of their respective countries ; for which most 
 desirable object the President of the United States has conferred full powers on his commissioner, 
 Matthew Calbraith Perry, special ambassador of the United States to Japan ; and the august 
 sovereign of Japan has given similar full powers to his commissioners, Hayashi-Daigaku-no- 
 kami, Ido, Prince of Tsus-Sima, Izawa, Prince of Mimasaki, and Udono, member of the 
 Board of Kevenue. 
 
 And the said commissioners, after having exchanged their said full powers, and duly 
 considered the premises, have agreed to the following articles : 
 
 AKTICLE I. 
 
 There shall be a perfect, permanent, and universal peace, and a sincere and cordial amity, 
 between the United States of America, on the one part, and the Empire of Japan on the other, 
 and between their people, respectively, without exception of persons or places. 
 
 ARTICLE II. 
 
 The port of Simoda, in the principality of Idzu, and the port of Hakodadi, in the principality 
 of Matsmai, are granted by the Japanese as ports for the reception of American ships, where 
 they can be supplied with wood, water, provisions, and coal, and other articles their necessities 
 may require, as far as the Japanese have them. The time for opening the first named port is 
 immediately on signing this treaty ; the last named port is to be opened immediately after the 
 same day in the ensuing Japanese year. 
 
 Note. — A tariff of prices shall be given by the Japanese officers of the things which they can 
 furnish, payment for which shall be made in gold and silver coin. 
 
 ARTICLE III. 
 
 Whenever ships of the United States are thrown or wrecked on the coast of Japan, the 
 Japanese vessels will assist them, and carry their crews to Simoda or Hakodadi, and hand them 
 over to their countrymen appointed to receive them. Whatever articles the shipwrecked men 
 may have preserved shall likewise be restored, and the expenses incurred in the rescue and 
 support of Americans and Japanese who may thus be thrown upon the shores of either nation 
 are not to be refunded. 
 
 ARTICLE IV. 
 
 Those shipwrecked persons and other citizens of the United States shall be free as in otlier 
 countries, and not subjected to confinement, but shall be amenable to just laws. 
 
 ARTICLE V. 
 Shipwrecked men, and other citizens of the United States, temporarily living at Simoda and 
 Hakodadi, shall not be subject to such restrictions and confinement as the Dutch and Chinese 
 are at Nagasaki ; but shall be free at Simoda to go where they please within the limits of seven 
 Japanese miles (or ri) from a small island in the harbor of Simoda, marked on the accompa- 
 nying chart, hereto appended ; and shall in like manner be free to go where they please at 
 Hakodadi, within limits to be defined after the visit of the United States squadron to that place. 
 
 ARTICLE VI. 
 If there be any other sort of goods wanted, or any business which shall require to be 
 arranged, there shall be careful deliberation between the parties in order to settle such matters.
 
 TREATY WITH JAPAN, 379 
 
 ARTICLE VII. 
 
 It is agreed that sliips of the United States resorting to tlie ports open to them sliall be 
 permitted to exchange gold and silver coin and articles of goods for other articles of goods, 
 under such regulations as shall be temporarily established by the Japanese government for that 
 purpose. It is stipulated, however, that the ships of the United States shall be permitted to 
 carry away whatever articles they are unwilling to exchange. 
 
 ARTICLE VIII. 
 
 Wood, water, provisions, coal, and goods required, shall only be procured through the agency 
 of Japanese officers appointed for that purpose, and in no other manner. 
 
 ARTICLE IX. 
 
 It is agreed, that if, at any future day, the government of Japan shall grant to any other 
 nation or nations privileges and advantages which are not herein granted to the United States 
 and the citizens thereof, that these same privileges and advantages shall be granted likewise to 
 the United States and to the citizens thereof without any consultation or delay. 
 
 ARTICLE X. 
 
 Ships of the United States shall be permitted to resort to no other ports in Japan but Simoda 
 and Hakodadi, unless in distress or forced by stress of weather. 
 
 ARTICLE XL 
 
 Tliere shall be appointed by the government of the United States consuls or agents to reside 
 in Simoda at any time after the expiration of eighteen months from the date of the signing of 
 this treaty ; provided that either of the two governments deem such arrangement necessary. 
 
 ARTICLE XII. 
 
 The present convention, having been concluded and duly signed, shall bo obligatory, and 
 faithfully observed by the United States of America and Jajmn, and by the citizens and subjects 
 of each respective power ; and it is to be ratified and approved by the President of the United 
 States, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate thereof, and by the august Sovereign 
 of Japan, and the ratification shall be exchanged within eighteen months from the date of the 
 signature thereof, or sooner if practicable. 
 
 In faith whereof, we, the respective plenipotentiaries of the United States of America and the 
 Empire of Japan, aforesaid, have signed and sealed these presents. 
 
 Done at Kanagawa, this thirty-first day of March, in the year of our Lord Jesus Christ one 
 thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, and of Kayei the seventh year, third month, and 
 third day. 
 
 Immediately on the signing and exchange of the copies of the treaty, the Commodore 
 presented the first commissioner. Prince Hayashi, with an. American flag, remarking that he 
 considered it the highest expression of national courtesy and friendship he could ofier. The 
 prince was evidently deeply impresssed with this significant mark of amity, and returned his 
 thanks for it with indications of great feeling. The Commodore then presented the other 
 dignitaries with the various gifts he had especially reserved for them. All formal business
 
 380 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN, 
 
 being now concluded to the mutual satisfaction of both parties, the Japanese commissioners 
 invited the Commodore and his officers to partake of an entertainment which had been particu- 
 larly prepared for the occasion. 
 
 The tables were now spread in the large reception hall. These were nothing more than wide 
 divans, such as were used for seats, and of the same height. They were covered with a red- 
 colored crape, and arranged in order, according to the rank of the guests and their hosts, an 
 upper table, raised somewhat above the rest, being appropriated to the Commodore, his superior 
 officers, and the commissioners. When all were seated, the servitors brought in a rapid 
 succession of courses, consisting chiefly of thick soups, or rather stews, in most of which fresh 
 fish was a component part. These were served in small earthen bowls or cups, and were 
 brought in upon lacquered stands, about fourteen inches square and ten high, and placed, one 
 before each guest, upon the tables. Together with each dish was a sujiply of soy or some otlier 
 condiment, while throughout there was an abundant quantity, served in peculiar vessels, of the 
 Japanese national liquor, the saki, a sort of whiskey distilled from rice. Various sweetened 
 confections, and a multiplicity of cakes, were liberally interspersed among the other articles on 
 the tables. Toward the close of the feast, a plate containing a broiled cray fish, a piece of fried 
 fish of some kind, two or three boiled shrimps, and a small square pudding with something of 
 the consistence of blanc mange, was placed before each, with a hint that they were to follow the 
 guests on their return to the ships, and they were accordingly sent and duly received afterward. 
 
 The feast of the commissioners did not make a strikingly favorable impression on their guests ; 
 but they were greatly pleased with the courtesy of their liosts^ whose urbanity and assiduous 
 attentions left nothing to desire on the score of politeness. They left, however, it must be con- 
 fessed, with apjjetites but scantily gratified by the unusual fare that had been spread before 
 them. It is true that apologies were made, and this, by the way, proved to be an habitual 
 feature of their entertainments, and causes were assigned for the poorness of the repast on the 
 score of the difficulty of obtaining the best articles of food at Kanagawa. The dinner given to 
 the commissioners on board the Powhatan would have made, in quantity, at least a score of 
 such as that offered by the Japanese on this occasion. To dispose of the subject in one word, 
 the entertainments of the Japanese, generally, while full of hospitality, left but an unfavorable 
 impression of their skill in cookery. The Lew Chewans evidently excelled them in good 
 living. 
 
 After the feast, which passed pleasantly and convivially, mutual compliments being freely 
 exchanged, and healths drunk in full, though Lilliputian, cups of saki, the commissioners 
 expressed great anxiety about the proposed visit of the Commodore to Yedo. They earnestly 
 urged him not to take his ships any higher up the bay, as, they said, it would lead to trouble, 
 by which tlie populace might be disturbed, and their own lives, perhaps, jeoparded. The 
 Commodore argued the matter with them for some considerable time, and, as they still pertina- 
 ciously urged their objections to his visit to the capital, it was agreed that the subject should be 
 further discussed by an interchange of notes. The meeting then broke up. 
 
 Before proceeding further with the narrative, it may be well here briefly to pause and define 
 with precision what had been accomplished by means of the treaty that had been signed. 
 
 When it was determined by our government to send an expedition to Japan, those in authority 
 were not unmindful of the peculiar characteristics of that singular nation. Unlike all otlier 
 civilized people, it was in a state of voluntary, long-continued, and dotcrmincd isolation. It
 
 PECULIARITIES OF THE MISSION TO JAPAN. 381 
 
 neither desired nor sought communication with the rest of the world ; hut, on the contrary, 
 strove to the uttermost to prevent it. It was comparatively an easy task to propose to any power, 
 the ports of which were freely visited by ships from every part of the world, the terms of a com- 
 mercial treaty. Such powers have recognized commerce itself as part of tlieir national system, 
 and the principle of permitting it is freely avowed by their usage ; a treaty, therefore, had but to 
 define its privileges, and state the conditions on which they might be enjoyed in the case of any 
 nation seeking to make such a treaty. But not so, when, by any power, commerce itself was 
 interdicted and made contrary to law. Before general conditions of commerce could be proposed 
 to such a power, it was necessary to settle the great preliminary that commerce would be allowed 
 at all. Again, if that preliminary were settled affirmatively, a second point, of great moment, 
 remained to be discussed, viz., to what degree shall intercourse for trading purposes be extended? 
 Among nations accustomed to the usages of Christendom, the principles and extent of national 
 comity in the interchanges of commercial transactions have been so long and so well defined 
 and understood, that, as between them, the term, " commercial treaty," needs no explanation; 
 its meaning is comprehended alike by all, and in its stipulations it may cover the very broad 
 extent that includes everything involved in the operations of commerce between two maritime 
 nations. All ports are open, all commodities maybe imported or exported, subject only to such 
 regulations as may have been agreed upon between the contracting parties. The foundation for 
 the contract existed before its terms were adjusted. But in a kingdom which, in its polity, 
 expressly ignored commerce and repudiated it as an evil instead of a good, it was necessary, as 
 we have said, to lay the very foundation as well as adjust the terms. 
 
 Hence the instructions to Commodore Perry covered broad ground, and his letters of credence 
 conformed to his instructions. If he found the Japanese disposed to abandon, at once and 
 forever, their deliberately adopted plan of non-intercoiirse with foreigners (an event most 
 unlikely) his powers were ample to make with them a commercial treaty as wide and general 
 as any we have with the nations of Europe. If they were disposed to relax but in part their 
 jealous and suspicious system, formally to profess relations of friendship, and opening some 
 only of their ports to our vessels to allow a trade in those ports between their people and ours, 
 he was authorized to negotiate for this jnirpose, and secure for his country such privileges as he 
 could, not inconsistent with the self respect which, as a nation, we owed to ourselves. It must 
 not be forgotten, in the contemplation of what was accomplished, that our representative went 
 to a people who, at the time of his arrival among them, had, both by positive law and an usage 
 of more than two hundred years, allowed but one of their harbors, Nagasaki, to be opened to 
 foreigners at all ; had permitted no trade with such foreigners when they did come, except, under 
 most stringent regulations, to the Dutch and Chinese ; were in the habit of communicating 
 with the world outside of them at second hand only, through the medium of the Dutch, who 
 were in prison at Dezima ; and a people who, as far as we know, never made a formal treaty 
 with a civilized nation in the whole course of their antecedent history. To expect such a people 
 to make a compact such as would be made between two great commercial nations, England and 
 ourselves, for instance, would have been simply ridiculous. There were, in fact, but two points 
 on which the Commodore's instructions did not allow him a large discretion, to bo exercised 
 according to circumstances. These two were, first, that if, liappily, any arrangements for trade, 
 either general or special, were made, it was to be distinctly stipulated that, under no circum- 
 stances, and in no degree, would the Americans submit to tlio iiumiliating treatment so long
 
 882 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 borne by the Dutch in carrying on their trade. The citizens of our country would be dealt 
 with as freemen, or there should be no dealings at all. The second point was, that in the event 
 of any of our countrymen being cast, in God's providence, as shipwrecked men on the coast of 
 Japan, they should not be treated as prisoners, confined in cages, or subjected to inhuman 
 treatment, but should be received with kindness and hospitably cared for until they could leave 
 the country. 
 
 It will easily be seen, therefore, that, from the circumstances of the case, there was novelty 
 in the features of the mission on which Commodore Perry was sent. Little or no guidance was 
 to be derived from our past diplomatic experience or action. The nearest approach to such 
 guidance was to be found in our treaty with China, made in 1844. This, therefore, was care- 
 fully studied by the Commodore. It jJurports to be "a, treaty or general convention of peace, 
 amity, and commerce," and to settle the rules to "be mutually observed in the intercourse of 
 the respective countries." So far as " commerce" is concerned, it permits " the citizms of the 
 United States to frequent" five ports in China, " and to reside loith their families and trade there, 
 and to proceed at pleasure with their vessels and merchandise to or from any foreign port, and 
 from either of the said five ports to any other of them." As to duties on articles imported, 
 they are to pay according to a tariff which is made part of the treaty, and in no case are to be 
 subjected to higher duties than those paid, under similar circumstances, by the people of other 
 nations. Consuls are provided for, to reside at the five open ports ; and those trading there are 
 "permitted to import from their own or any other j^orts into China, and sell there, and pur- 
 chase therein, and export to their own or any other ports all manner of merchandise, of which 
 the importation or exportation is not prohibited by" the treaty. In short, so far as the five 
 ports are concerned, there exists between us and China a general treaty of commerce ; and 
 accordingly the twenty-second article expressly declares that "relations of peace and amity 
 between the United States and China" are " established by this treaty, and the vessels of the 
 United States" are " admitted to trade freely to and from the five ports of China open to foreign 
 commerce." 
 
 It certainly was very desirable to obtain, if possible, similar privileges from Japan, and the 
 Commodore resolved that^ if the Japanese would negotiate at all, his first efforts should be 
 directed to that end. Accordingly he caused to be prepared, in the Chinese character, a tran- 
 script of the treaty, with such verbal alterations as would make it applicable to Japan, with 
 the view of exhibiting it to the Imperial commissioners of that country should he be so 
 successful as to open negotiations. He was not sanguine enough to hope that he could procure 
 an entire adoption of the Chinese treaty by the Japanese. He was not ignorant of the differ- 
 ence in national characteristics between the inhabitants of China and the more independent, 
 self-reliant, and sturdy natives of the Japanese islands. He knew that the latter held the 
 former in some degree of contempt, and treated them, in the matter of trade, very much as 
 they did the Dutch. He was also aware that the Chinese, when they made their treaty, did 
 know something of the advantages that might result from an intercourse with the rest of the 
 world; while as to the Japanese, in tlicir long-continued isolation, either they neither knew 
 nor desired such advantages ; or, if they knew them, feared they might be purchased at too 
 high a price in the introduction of foreigners who, as in the case of the Portuguese, centuries 
 before, might seek to overturn the empire. It was too much therefore to exjiect that the 
 Japanese would in all the particulars of a treaty imitate the Chinese. Still, they might be
 
 DISPOSITION OF TUB JAPANESE IN CONFERENCE. £83 
 
 disposed to adopt some of its most important features when suggested to them by a knowledge 
 of what otlier orientals had done. 
 
 But of the difficulties encountered, even after the Japanese had consented to negotiate, the 
 best account we think may be given from the conferences and discussions between the respective 
 negotiators, of all which most accurate reports were kept on both sides, in the form of dialogue. 
 At the first meeting of the Commodore with the Imperial commissioners, on the 8th of March, 
 he acted on the plan he bad proposed to himself with respect to the treaty with China, and thus 
 addressed them : 
 
 ' ' Com. Perry. I think it would be better for the two nations that a treaty similar to the one 
 between my country and the Chinese should be made between us. I have prepared the draft of 
 one almost identical with our treaty with China. I have been sent here by my government to 
 make a treaty with yours ; if I do not succeed noiu, vaj government will probably send more 
 ships here ; but I hope we will soon settle matters amicably." 
 
 "Japanese. We wish for time to have the document translated into the Japanese language." 
 
 This was but one among a himdred proofs of their extreme suspicion and caution ; for there 
 was not one of the imperial commissioners, probably, who could not have read, without the 
 least difficulty, the document as furnished by the Commodore ; and certain it is that their 
 intei'preters could have read it off into Japanese at once. 
 
 The Commodore, whose wish it was to do as far as possible everything that might conciliate, 
 of course, made no objection to a request so seemingly reasonable, though he knew it to be 
 needless, and was content to wait patiently for their reply. In one week that reply came in 
 writing, and was very explicit : " As to opening a trade, such as is now carried on by China 
 with your country, we certainly cannot yet bring it about. The feelings and manners of our 
 people are very unlike those of outer nations, and it will be exceedingly difficult, even if you 
 wish it, to immediately change the old regulations for those of other countries. Moreover, the 
 Chinese have long had intercourse with western nations, while we have had dealings at Nagasaki 
 with only the people of Holland and China." 
 
 This answer was not entirely unexpected, and put an end to all prospect of negotiating 
 a " commercial treaty," in the European sense of that phrase. It only remained, therefore, to 
 secure, for the present, admission into the Kingdom, and so much of trade as Japanese jealousy 
 could be brought to concede. At length, after much and oft repeated discussion, the point was 
 yielded that certain ports might be opened to om- vessels; and then, in the interview of March 
 25th, came up the subject of consuls. 
 
 "Japanese. About the appointment of consuls or agents, the commissioners desire a delay of 
 four or five years to see how the intercourse works. The governor of the town and the official 
 interpreter will be able to carry on all the business of supplying provisions, coal, and needed 
 articles, with the captain, without the intervention of a consul." 
 
 "Com. Ferry. The duties of a consul are to report all difficulties between American citizens 
 and Japanese to his government in an authentic manner, assist the Japanese in carrying out 
 their laws and the provisions of the treaty, and recovering debts made by the Americans ; and 
 also communicating to the government at Washington whatever the Japanese wish, as no letters 
 can be received after this through the Dutch ; and if no consuls are received, then a ship of war 
 must remain in Japan constantly, and her captain do the duties of a consul." 
 
 "Japanese. If we had not felt great confidence in you, we should not have consented to open
 
 384 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 our ports at all. Consuls may be accepted by aud by, after experience bas shown their need ; 
 and we hope that all American citizens obey the laws of their country, and behave properly." 
 
 "Com. Perry. True ; aud I hope no difficulty will arise ; and this appointment of consuls in 
 Japan, as they are in China, Hawaii, and everywhere else, is to prevent and provide for diffi- 
 culties. No American will report his own misdeeds to his own government, nor can the 
 Japanese bring them to our notice, except through a government agent. This provision must 
 be in the treaty, though I will stipulate for only one, to reside at Simoda, and he will not be 
 sent, probably, for a year or two from this time." 
 
 And thus it was that the Commodore had to explain everything, and feel his way, step by 
 step, in the progress of the whole negotiation. 
 
 " Japanese. The commissioners wish every point desired by the Admiral to be stated clearly, 
 for the Japanese are not equal to the Americans, and have not much to give in exchange." 
 
 " Com. Perry. I have already stated all my views as regards our intercourse in the draft of 
 the treaty you have." [This was one prepared by the Commodore after the rejection of the 
 transcrijjt of the Chinese treaty.] "Let the commissioners state their objections to it. This 
 treaty now to be made is only a beginning ; and as the nations know each other, the Japanese 
 will permit Americans to go anywhere, to Mount Fusi, all over the country." 
 
 "Japanese. "We have found restrictions necessary against the Portuguese and English." 
 Then followed observations by the Japanese on Pellew's entry into Nagasaki harbor, which 
 showed how much dislike of the English that event had occasioned. A strong proof of their 
 remarkable caution was furnished by the Japanese at the conference held on the 28th of March, 
 when most of the terms of the treaty had been agreed upon. 
 
 " Crnn. Perry. I am prepared now to sign the treaty about these three harbors." 
 
 [Mr. Portman, interpreter, then read in Dutch that portion of the treaty which contained 
 such points as had been already agreed upon.] 
 
 " Japanese. It is all correct except that we have objection to opening the port of Simoda 
 immediately ; if any vessels were to go there in distress, we would be glad to furnish them with 
 provisions, wood, and water." 
 
 " Com. Perry. You have already consented, in one of your letters to me, to open that port 
 immediately. I am very desirous of settling that matter now, as I wish to dispatch the 
 Saratoga home to inform the government, before Congress adjourns, how matters are advancing ; 
 that will take some time, and there is no probability that any ships will come here before ten or 
 twelve months have expired ; so that it will make no difference to you whether you put it in the 
 treaty to be opened now or in ten months." 
 
 " Japanese. We are willing to put it in the treaty ' to be opened now,' if you will give us a 
 letter or promise that no ships will come here before the President gives his permission." 
 
 " Com. Perry. I cannot do that very well, but I am willing to put it off ninety days ; that 
 will be about the time I shall return from Hakodadi ; it was your own proposition yesterday to 
 open that port immediately. I consent to this, however, to show you how desirous I am to do 
 what I can to please you. I cannot consent to a longer time." 
 
 " Japanese. If we put it in the treaty to be opened now, Ave would like you to give us an order 
 that no ships shall enter that port before ten months." 
 
 " Com. Perry. I cannot do that. But there is no probability that any .ships will come here 
 before that time, as I shall not leave here for three months, and they will not hear of it before
 
 CONVERSATION OF THE COMMODORE WITH COMMISSIONERS. 385 
 
 that time ; and when they do hear of it, it will take several months for ships to make the 
 voyage here. If you choose, I will keep one of the ships at Simoda for several months." 
 
 " Japanese. If ships go there before that time, we shall not be able to give them other than 
 provisions, wood, and water." 
 
 " Com. Perry. The ships that may go there will want such things only as you may have ; if 
 you have them not, of course you cannot and will not he exjiected to furnish them; but, as I 
 said before, there is no probability that ships will go there before the expiration of ten 
 months." 
 
 "Japanese. When you come back from Matsmai, we will have a plenty of provisions at 
 Simoda for the whole squadron ; hut to other ships we cannot fuimish more than wood, 
 water, &c." 
 
 " Com. Perry. When we return from Matsmai we shall not want many pi-ovisions, as we 
 shall be going to a place where we can get a plenty. It is only the principle I wish settled 
 now. I have come here as a peacemaker, and I want to settle everything now, and thus prevent 
 trouble hereafter ; and I wish to write home to my government that the Japanese are friends." 
 " JajMnese. We will write you a letter stating that we cannot furnish everything before ten 
 months, hut that we can furnish wood and water immediately, and that we will furnish such 
 other things as we possibly can. This letter we would like you to answer." 
 " Com. Perry. Very well ; I will." 
 
 ^'Japanese. [Entering on another part of the terms agreed on.] AYe will not confine 
 Americans, or prevent them from walking around ; hut we would like to place a limit to the 
 distance they may walk." 
 
 " Com. Perry. I am prepared to settle that matter now, hut they must not he confined to any 
 particular house or street. Suppose we make the distance they may walk, the same distance 
 that a man can go and come in a day. Or, if you choose, the number of lis or ris may be 
 agreed upon." 
 
 " Japanese. We are willing that they shall walk as far as they can go and come in a day." 
 " Com,. Perry. There is no probability that sailors would want to go on shore more than once 
 from curiosity ; beside, they will have their daily duties to attend to on board ship, and will 
 not be able to go on shore." 
 
 " Japanese. We do not want any women to come and remain at Simoda." 
 " Com. Perry. The probability is but few women will go there, and they only the wives of 
 the ofiicers of the ships." 
 
 " Japanese. When you come back from Matsmai we would like you to settle the distance 
 Americans are to walk. It is difficult for us to settle the distance." 
 
 " Com. Perry. Say the distance of seven Japanese miles in any direction from the centre of 
 the city of Simoda." 
 
 " Japanese. Very well. A few miles will make no diiference. You are requested not to 
 leave agents until after you have experienced that it is necessary." 
 
 " Com. Perry. I am willing to defer the appointment of a consul or agent one year or eighteen 
 months from the date of signing the treaty ; and then, if my government think it necessary, it 
 will send one." 
 
 In fact, not an article of the treaty was made but upon the most serious deliberation by the 
 Japanese. In answer to a question from Captain Adams, in the very first stages of the negoti- 
 ation, they replied : "The Japanese are unlike the Chinese; they are averse to change ; and 
 49 J
 
 386 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN, 
 
 when they make a compact of any kind they intend it shall endure for a thousand years. For 
 this reason it will be best to deliberate and examine well the facilities for trade and the suitable- 
 ness of the port before any one is determined (m." Probitbly nothing hut the exercise of the 
 most perfect truthfulness and patience would ever have succeeded in making with them a treaty 
 at all ; and from the language of one of their communications, it is obvious that, with character- 
 istic caution, they meant that their present action should be but a beginning of intercourse, which 
 might or might not be afterward made more extensive according to the results of what they 
 deemed the experiment. Tims they say: "As our ideas of things and what we each like are still 
 very dissimilar, as are also our notions of the prices or worth of things, this makes it indispen- 
 sable that we both first make a mutual trial and examination." This shows the spirit in wliich 
 they negotiated. The treaty has already been laid before tlie reader. A brief analysis of it is 
 all that is here necessary. And it is to be remarked first, that it evidently implies, in its 
 language and proper construction, future and more enlarged regulations as to commerce. Thus, 
 in article VI, it is declared: "If there be any other sort of goods wanted, or any business 
 which shall require to be arranged, there shall be careful deliberation between the parties in 
 order to settle such matters." And again, in article VII, "It is agreed that ships of the 
 United States, resorting to the ports open to them, shall be permitted to exchange gold and 
 silver coin and articles of goods for other articles of goods, under such regulations as shall be 
 temporarily establi.shed by the Japanese government for that purpose." In both these articles 
 the Japanese substituted the word " goods" for " merchandise," as from their ignorance of the 
 customs and terms used in foreign trade, they did not know what might be included in the 
 technical meaning of the word " merchandise ;" while "goods" had, to their minds, a well 
 defined and perfectly intelligible signification. The words "shall be," in the sixth article, 
 point to the probable necessity o{ future treaty-making with us, to " settle" " any business which 
 shall require to be arranged." This, it must be remembered, was the first formal treaty they 
 ever made on the subject of foreign trade, at least since the expulsion of the Portuguese, and 
 they evidently meant to proceed cautiously by single steps. Again, in article VII, the word 
 " temporarily" is used, inserted by them, and meant to imply some future action toward a more 
 comjjlete commercial arrangement or treaty, for which, at the present, they were not prepared. 
 They meant, therefore, their action to be initiative only now, but contemplating, prospectively, 
 a more enlarged commercial intercourse. 
 
 Secondly. There is observable throughout, the predominating influence of the national 
 prejudice against the permanent introduction of foreigners among them. The word "reside" 
 is but once used in the whole treaty, and that in the eleventh article relative to consuls. The 
 details of conferences, already given, show how anxiously they sought to avoid having consuls at 
 all. Indeed, Commodore Perry says, "I could only induce the commissioners to agree to this 
 article, by endeavoring to convince them that it would save the Japanese government much 
 trouble, if an American agent were to reside at one or both of the ports opened by the treaty, 
 to whom complaints might be made of any mal-practice of the United States' citizens who 
 might visit the Japanese dominions." They wanted no permanent foreign residents among 
 them, official or unofficial. This was shown most unequivocally in the remark already recorded 
 in one of tlie conferences: " loe do not zvant any women to come and remain at Simoda." Simoda 
 was one of the ports open for trade with us, they knew tliat our people had wives and daughters, 
 and that a man's family were ordinarily resident with him in his permanent abode, and that if 
 the head of the family lived in Simoda as a Japanese would live, there would certainly be
 
 TREATIES OF OTHEU POWERS WITH JAPAN. 387 
 
 w^omcn who would "come and remain at Simoda." But more tlian this. It will be remembered 
 that the Commodore had submitted to them our treaty with China, and tlicy had held it under 
 consideration for a week, at the end of which time they said, " as to opening a trade, such as is 
 now carried on by China with your country, we certainly cannot yet bring it about. The 
 Chinese have long had intercourse with western nations, while we have had dealings at 
 Nagasaki with only the people of Holland and China." Now what was " such a trade" as we 
 carried on with Ciiina ? Tlie Japanese read in our treaty that five ports were open to us, that 
 permission was given "to the citizens of the United States to frequent" them; and further, 
 " to reside with their families and trade there." This they deliberately declined assenting to 
 when they refused to make a treaty similar to that with China. Tliey surely would not afterward 
 knowingly insert it in any treaty they might make with us. The only permanent residence to 
 which they gave assent, and that most reluctantly, was the residence of a consul. Temporary 
 residence was allowed to our shipwrecked citizens, as well as to tiiose who went to Simoda 
 or Hakodadi on commercial business. They are allowed to land, to walk where they please 
 within certain limits, to enter shops and temples without restriction, to jiurchase in the shops, 
 and have the articles sent to the proper public office duly marked, where they will pay for them, 
 to resort to public houses or inns that are to be built for their refreshment, " when on shore" 
 at Simoda and Hakodadi ; and until built, a temple, at each place, is assigned "as a resting 
 place for persons in their walks." They may accept invitations to partake of the hospitality of 
 any of the Japanese ; but they are not permitted to enter " military establishments or private 
 houses without leave." Without leave, our citizens cannot enter them within the territories of 
 any nation with which we have a treaty. In short, the whole treaty shows that the purpose of 
 the Japanese was to try the experiment of intercourse with us before they made it as extensive 
 or as intimate as it is between us and the Chinese. It was all they would do at the time, and 
 much, very much, was obtained on the part of our negotiator in procuring a concession even to 
 this extent. 
 
 But, as he knew that our success would be but the forerunner of that of other powers, and as 
 he believed that new relations of trade once commenced, not only with ourselves, but with 
 England, France, Holland, and Russia, could not, in the progress of events, fail effectually and 
 forever to break up the old restrictive policy, and open Japan to the world, but must also lead 
 gradually to liberal commercial treaties, he wisely, in the ninth article, secured to the United 
 States and their citizens, without " consultation or delay," all privileges and advantages which 
 Japan might hereafter " grant to any other nation or nations." And the Commodore's 
 comments on this article, conclusively show, that he, at least, did not suppose he had made a 
 "commercial treaty." 
 
 "Article IX. This is a most important article, as there can be little doubt that, on hearing 
 of the success of this mission, the English, French, and Russians will follow our example ; and 
 it may be reasonable to suppose that each will gain some additional advantage, until a commercial 
 treaty is accomplished. Article IX will give to Americans, without further consultation, all 
 these advantages." 
 
 As far as we have yet learned, all other powers have been content to obtain just what we, as 
 pioneers, have obtained. Their treaties are like ours.* That of Russia is copied from ours, with 
 
 • In a note to page 63, we have said intclliirenco had reached ua of a commercial treaty hetween Enr;Iand and Japan. Wo 
 have reason to think this is a mistake. If there be such a treaty, wo are entitled, under our 9th article, to all its privileges and 
 advantages, at once.
 
 388 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 no diange liut that of the snhstitution of the port of Nagasaki for Kapha in Lew Chew. "We 
 respectfully submit, therefore, that all, and indeed, more than all, that, under the circumstances, 
 could reasonably have been expected, has been accomplished. Japan has been opened to the 
 nations of the west, and it is not to be believed, that having once effected an entrance, the 
 enlightened powers that have made treaties with her will go backward, and, by any indiscretion, 
 lose what, after so many unavailing efforts for centuries, has at last been happily attained. It 
 belongs to these nations to show Japan that her interests will be promoted by communication 
 
 Since the foregoing was written the treaty with England has reached us. We subjoin it, with the expression of our regret 
 that .iVdniiral Stirling could obtain no more than he did, as all he might obtain beyond what we had, would, under article IX of 
 our treaty, have inured at once to our benefit, as well as that of England. 
 
 [From the London Gazette, of January 15.] 
 CONVENTION BETWEEN HER MAJESTY QUEEN VICTORIA AND THE EMPEROR OF JAPAN. 
 
 CONTENTION BETWEEN HER MAJESTY AND THE EMPEROR OF JAPAN, SIGNED AT NAGASAKI, IN THE ENGLISH AND JAPANESE 
 LANGUAGE, OCTOBER 14, 1854, RATIFICATIONS EXCHANGED AT NAGASAKI, OCTOBER 9, 1855. 
 
 Convention for regulating the admission of British ships into the ports of Japan. 
 
 It is agreed between Sir James Stirling, knight, rear admiral, and commander-in-chief of the ships and vessels of her Britannic 
 Majesty in the East Indies and seas adjacent, and Mezi-no f'liekfusno Kami, Obm yo of Nagasaki, and Nagai Evan Ocho, 
 Omedski of Nagasaki, ordered by his Imperial Highness the Emperor of Japan to act herein, that — 
 
 1. The ports of Nagasaki (Fisen) and Hakodadi (Matsmai) shall be open to British ships for the purposes of effecting repairs 
 and obtaininii- fresh water, provisions, and other supplies of any sort they may absolutely want for the use of the ships. 
 
 2. Nao-asaki shall be open for the purposes aforesaid from and after the present date, and Hakodadi from and after the end 
 of fifty days from the admiral's departure from this port. The rules and regulations of each of these ports are to be complied 
 with. 
 
 3. Only ships in distress from weather, or unmanageable, will be permitted to enter other ports than those specified in the 
 foregoing articles, without permission from the Imperial government. 
 
 4. British ships in Japanese ports shall conform to the laws of Japan. If high officers or commanders of ships shall break 
 any such laws, it will lead to the ports being closed. Should inferior persons break them, they are to be delivered over to tha 
 commanders of their ships for punishment. 
 
 5. In the ports of Japan, either now open or which may hereafter be opened to the ships or subjects of any foreign nation, 
 British ships and subjects shall be entitled to admission and to the enjoyment of an equality of advantages with those of the 
 most fiivored nation, always excepting the advantages accruing to the Dutch and Chinese from their existing relations with 
 Japan. 
 
 C. This convention shall be ratified, and ratifications shall be exchanged, at Nagasaki, on behalf of her Majesty the Queen 
 of Great Britain, and on behalf of his Highness the Emperor of Japan, within twelve months from the present date. 
 
 7. When tliis convention shall be ratified, no high officer coming to Japan shall alter it. 
 
 In witness wnereof we have signed the same, and have affixed our seals thereunto, at Nagasaki, this 14th day of October, 1854. 
 
 JAMES STIRLING. 
 N. B. The Japanese text was signed by the Japanese plenipotentiaries. 
 
 Exposition of the Articles of the Convention of .N'agasaki of the Wth of Oc/o6er, 1854, agreed to on the \%th of October, 1855, by 
 their Excellencies the Rear-Admiral Cominanding-in- Chief and the Japanese Commissioners. 
 
 1. The ports of Nagasaki (Fizen) and Hakodadi (Matsmai) The first article of the convention ooens the ports of Naga- 
 shall be open to British ships for the purposes of effecting re- saki and Hakodadi to British ships for repairs and supplies. It 
 pairs and obtaining fresh water, provisions, and other supplies opens the whole and every part of those ports ; but ships must 
 of any sort they may absolutely want for the use of the ships. bo guided in anchoring by the directions of the local govern- 
 ment. Safe and convenient places will be assigned where ships 
 may be repaired. Workmen, materials and supplies will be provided by the local government according to a tariff to bo agreed 
 upon, by which, also, the modes of payment will be regulated. All official communications will hereafter, when Japanese shall 
 have time to learn English, be made in that language. A British burying ground shall bo set apart on Medsurae Sima, fenced 
 in by a stone wall and properly protected. 
 
 2. Nagasaki shall be open for the purposes aforesaid from The second article provides that at each of the ports of Na- 
 and after the present date ; and Hakodadi from and after the gasaki and Hakodadi the port regulations shall be obeyed ; but 
 end of fifty days from the Admiral's departure from this port, the Japanese government will take care that they shall not be 
 The rules and regulations of each of these (lorts arc to be com- of a nature to create embarrassment, nor to contradict in any 
 plied with. other way the general tenor and intent of the treaty, the main 
 
 object of which is to promote a friendly intercourse between 
 Great Britain and Japan.
 
 TREATIES OF OTHER POWERS IVITH JAPAN. 389 
 
 with them ; and, as prejudice gradually vanif3hes, vre may hope to see the future necjotiation of 
 commercial treaties, more and more liberal, for the benefit, not of ourselves only, hut of all the 
 maritime powers of Europe, for the advancement of Japan, and for the upward progress of our 
 common humanity. It would be a foul reproach to Christendom now to force Japan to relapse 
 
 3. Only ships in distress from weather, or unmanajreable, will The third article declares that only ships in distress from 
 be permitted to enter other ports than those specified in the fore- weather, or uninana{»eahle, shall enter other ports than Naga- 
 going articles, without permission from the imperial govern- saki and Hokadadi without permission from the imperial ijov- 
 ment. ernment; but ships of war have a general right to enter the 
 
 ports of friendly powers in the unavoidablu performance of public 
 duties, which right can neither be waived nor restricted :but her Majesty's sliips will not enter any other tlian open ports without 
 necessity, nor without offering proper explanation to the imperial authorities. 
 
 4. British ships in Japanese ports shall conform to the laws The fourth article provides that the British ships and subjects 
 of Japan. If high officers or commanders of ships shall break in Japanese ports shall conform to the laws of Japan ; and that 
 any such laws, it will lead to the ports being closed. Should if any subordinate British subjects couimit otfences against the 
 inferior persons break them, they are to be delivered over to laws, they shall be handed over to their own officers for punish- 
 the commanders of their ships for punishment. ment ; and that if high officers or commanders of ships shall 
 
 break the laws, it will lead to the closing of the ports specified . 
 All this is as it should be ; but it is not intended by this article that any acts of individuals, whether high or low, previously un- 
 authorized or subsequently disapproved of by her Majesty the Queen of Great Britain, can set aside the convention entered into 
 with her Majesty alone by his Imperial Highness the Emperor of Japan. 
 
 5. In the ports of Japan, either now open, or which may The fifth article secures in the fullest sense to British ships 
 hereafter be opened, to the ships or subjects of any foreign na- and subjects in every port of Japan, either now open or here- 
 tion, British ships and subjects shall be entitled to admission, after to be opened, an equality in point of advantage and ac- 
 and to the enjoyment of an equality of advantages with those commodation with the ships and subjects orcitizens of any other 
 of the most favored nation, always excepting the advantages foreign nation, excepting any peculiar privileges hitherto con- 
 accruing to the Dutch and Chinese from their existing relations ceded to the Dutch and Chinese in the port of Nagasaki. If, 
 with Japan. therefore, any other nation or people be now or hereafter per- 
 mitted to enter other ports than IN'agasaki, and Hakodadi, or 
 
 to appoint consuls, or to open trade, or to enjoy any advantage or privilege whatever, British ships and subjects shall, as ot 
 right, enter upon the enjoyment of the same. 
 
 6. This convention shall be ratified, and the ratification shall be exchanged at Nagasaki on behalf of her Majesty the Queen 
 of Great Britain, and on behalf of his Highness the Emperor of Japan, within twelve months from the present date. 
 
 7. When this convention shall be ratified no high officer coming to Japan shall alter it. 
 
 ARRANGEMENT REGARDING STAMPS. 
 
 An arrangement made subsequently to the convention requires that British ships intending to visit Japan shall be provided 
 with a document in proof of their nationality, and as a check upon the conduct of vessels in Japanese ports; and her Majesty's 
 government has directed a form of certificate of registration to be adopted, which has been accepted as satisfactory by the 
 Japanese authorities; and merchant ships arriving in Japanese ports are to submit their certificate of registration to the 
 officers to be appointed by the Japanese authorities, and to permit them to make such extracts from it as may seem good to 
 them before such ships can be admitted to obtain repairs and supplies. Her Majesty's ships of war will not be provided with 
 such documents, but the officers in command, upon proper application, will afford all reasonable information reirardino- their 
 ships, 
 
 REGCLATIOS'l FOR THE PORT OF NAGASAKI, COMMUNICATED TO REAR ADMIRAL SIR JAMES STERLING BT THE GOVERNOR OP 
 
 NAGASAKI, OCTOBER, 1854. 
 
 Standing port regulaliom. 
 
 Art. 1. Ships shall anchor within two sima, and there await the direction of the governor. 
 
 Art. 2. No fire arms to be discharged. 
 
 Art. 3. No person to land on any of the islands. 
 
 Art. 4. No soundings to be taken, nor boats to be pulling about. 
 
 Art. 5. Should any communication be desired, a bout of the upper officers shall be called; but no communication shall be 
 held with merchant boats, and no exchange of articles take place, or trading of any sort. 
 
 The above being according to the law of Great Japan, all commanders and other officers shall obey the same, and orden ihall 
 bo given to the crew that the aforesaid law shall not be broken. 
 
 No regulations for the port of Hakodadi have yet been communicated. 
 
 Of the Dateh treaty, all wo know is contained in the following newspaper paragraph : 
 
 THE DUTCH TRE.'^TY WITH JAPAN. 
 
 In reference to the treaty between the Dutch and the Empfror of Japan, a private letter from Batavia under date of 
 December 5, to a party in Boston, «ayi : " The Dutch royal coinmiasioners have returned from Japan, and Captain Fnbins is off
 
 390 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 into her cheerless and nnprogressive state of unnatural isolation. She is the youngest sister 
 in the circle of commercial nations ; let those who are older kindly take her by the hand, and 
 aid her tottering steps, until she has reached a vigor that will enable her to walk firmly in 
 her own strength. Cautious and kindly treatment now will soon lead to commercial treaties 
 as liberal as can be desired.* 
 
 with this steamer to take the treaty overland. By favor of a private friend I have seen a copy of it, and a more silly, stupid 
 document I have never read. Things remain as they have done for the last two hundred years, only the Dutch resident of 
 Decima may enter and circulate freely in the town of Nagasaki without tlie usual guard of honor. The ground on which the factory 
 buildings stand and the buildings themselves become the property of the Dutch by purchase. No concessions are to be made by 
 the Japanese to other nations without the Dutch participating in them. The only clause which appears distantly to hint to any 
 future change is wlien the opperhoofel, (or chief agent of the government,) at Decima, is appointed and recognised as repre- 
 senting the Dutch government, in the event of the Japanese seeing fit, at any time, to desire to treat for further concessions. 
 The treaty is not, I believe, to be published." 
 
 It will thus be seen that all other powers have encountered difficulties similar to those we met, and none have made a treaty 
 more liberal then ours. 
 
 •Note. — Scarcely had this chapter been completed, before the public prints of the country brought to ournotice the results of 
 the first voyage made to Hakodadi after the signing of the treaty. The facts appear to be substantially as follows: On the 13th 
 of February, 18.55, the .4merican schooner C. E. Foote sailed from Honolulu for Japan, via the Bonin islands. The vessel was 
 fitted out by Messrs. Reed and Douffherty, American citizens, and was loaded, for the most part, with articles of ship chandlery, 
 chains and anchors, pork and beef; sails, tar, cordage, &,c. The purpose of the voyage was to fulfil a contract " to establish at 
 Hakodadi a supply depot for American whale ships, so that they may winter at that place instead of Honolulu." Among the 
 passengers were .Mr. Heed and his family, and Mr. Doty and his family. These families included three American ladies and 
 some children. On the l.'ith of March the vessel arrived at Simoda. She there found some of the officers and crew of the 
 Russian frigate Diana, which had been wrecked by the effects of an earthquake at Smioda in the previous December. The 
 Foote had touched at Simoda in the expectation of meeting there the United States ships Powhatan and Vandalia, to which she 
 carried letters, and also to consume the time that had to elapse, some few weeks, before, under the treaty, the port of Hakodadi 
 would be open to our vessels. On the arrival of the vessel, guard and shore boats surrounded her, and great curiosity was 
 manifested to see the American ladies. Tlie Russians were an.xious to get away, and the owners of the American vessel at 
 once negotiated with them to take them to Petropaulowski. This made it necessary to land all the passengers and a part of the 
 cargo at Simoda. The schooner having been chartered, and her provisions sold to the Russians, Mr. Reed and Mr. Duty, with 
 the three ladies of the party and the children, landed, and were assigned a residence in one of the temples named in the treaty 
 to be used for that purpose until inns should be built, and carpenters were employed to make it convenient. The Japanese 
 were very curious to see the ladies and children ; but the temple and grounds were considered as exclusively the Americans. 
 No Japanese, Mr. Reed states, in a communication to the " Alta Californian," except the officers, were permitted to enter but 
 by special permission. " To guard against intrusion," (thus he writes,) " four officers are stationed at the gate, and are relieved 
 every few hours. The watch is kept up day and night. Near the gate is a small house in which are stationed five other officers, 
 who transmit all messages to or from us, introduce to us all who are allowed to enter, and make for us all the purchases we 
 require." The list of articles of food furnished is both varied and extensive. Nor were the Americans confined to the temple. 
 Mr. Reed thus writes: " In walking into the coimtry, we found that pleasing views invited us from one point to anotlier, from 
 mountain peak to mountain peak, as we admired the strangeness and richness and beauty, until, though we started only for a 
 morning walk, we often wandered too far to return the same night." The amusements of the party were not disturbed ; for, on 
 the evening of the 2Dd of March, the Americans united with the Russian officers in celebrating, in the temple, by music and 
 dancintr, the birthday anniversary of one of their number. Nor was this all : the time of the sojourn of our countrymen was 
 about two months and a lialf; and, during this period, as appears from Mr. Doty's communication to the "San Francisco 
 Herald," " Mr. Reed spent his time in selecting and purchasing a cargo of Japan goods for San Francisco, composed of lacquer 
 ware, rice, silks, fiC, &c.," which cargo, the California papers inform us, was afterward sold at San Francisco at a large profit. 
 
 It would appear, therefore, briefly to recapitulate, that our countrymen were permitted to land in Japan, were furnished with 
 a house which was made comfortable for their residence, were permitted to store part of the cargo of their vessel, were 
 plentifully supplied with necessary food, were permitted to walk about the country, were not molested in their amusements, 
 and were allowed to purchase a cargo from the Japanese and take it away. Now, not one of these things could any American 
 have done but for the treaty made by Commodore Perry. 
 
 Mr. Reed further writes, in the columns of the " Alta Californian :" " The Japanese began early to interrogate us upon our 
 intentions, and we told them in writing that we came there to live." In the letter of Reed and Dougherty, addressed to the 
 governor of Simoda, on the 22d of A[)ril, 1855, as published in the " New York Herald" of the 15th of October, 1855, they 
 thus state their intentions : "We touched hero, expecting to meet the Powhatan and Vandalia, to which we h.ad letters, and 
 also to consume time, knowing that, by the treaty, we could not go to that place (Hakodadi) before the middle or last of thi" 
 month." 
 
 "We found the officers and crew of the wrecked ship Diana here, and anxious to go away, and we at once negotiated to 
 transport them to Petropaulowski. On this account it became necessary for us to come on shore, and also to land part of our 
 cargo and all the passengers." 
 
 " It wan not nur design to land hero, nor ia it our intention now to remain here longer than till our vessel returns, which we
 
 CASE OF THE SCHOONER FOOTE. 391 
 
 now expect in fifteen or twenty days. Should our schooner be lost and never return, our plans may be chang^ed altogether ; and 
 should we not hear trom her tor two months to come, we then may seek other means of convevance from this place." 
 
 " Our object is not to mingle or trade with the Japanese, but to trade with and assist our own people and ships that visi 
 Japan." 
 
 As to the treaty, the letter proceeds: " We know well the interpretation and meaning given to it by our government." 
 " We shall never compromise our government by saying that we have no right to remain here a week, a month, a year, or even 
 five years, for we know, by the treaty, we have a perfect right so to do." 
 
 Mr. Doty, in his letter to the authorities of Simoda, dated the 23d of April, as published in the " New York Herald" of 
 October 15, 1855, thus writes : 
 
 ** I give you in writing the following reason for my sojourn at this place : 
 
 " I arrived in this port on the 15th ult., on board the American vessel C. E. Foote. Soon after our arrival, I was informed 
 that the vessel would sail hence to Heda, and from thence to a foreign port, with officers and men of the late Russian frigate 
 Diana. Not wishing to make the above voyage with my family, I came on shore, and now must necessarily remain here until 
 the return of our vessel, when it is my intention to leave Simoda. 
 
 " If the vessel should not return after a reasonable time for making the voyage has elapsed, I shall avail myself of the first 
 opportunity that offers to sail direct for the United States of America. 
 
 " In answer to the question of right of Americans to reside here, I would most respectfully beg leave to represent that, in my 
 opinion, it is a matter to be settled by our respective governments, and, therefore, decline making any further communication 
 upon this subject." 
 
 A proclamatiou was then issued by the authorities of Simoda, as follows : 
 
 "PROCLAMATION. 
 " To TBE American's at Yokcshec Temple : 
 
 " About your leaving this place, your intention is heard, which you have declared that staying in this place is not properly 
 your intention. But because the Russians have engaged the vessel manned by you, with which they have gone home, you 
 have been compelled to stay here, and that vou will, on the return of the vessel, leave this place, or should she not return in 
 the intended time, to await the arrival of a vessel that sails for your country, and with that vessel to leave this place. 
 
 " According to this declaration, you must, on the return of your vessel, leave this place; or should she uot return in the 
 declared time, then, upon the arrival of an American ship, you must leave this place, without, at that time, e.xpressing any 
 excuse to delay you. 
 
 " Your present stay among us is found necessary, but it cannot in future be taken as an example. 
 
 " Never let it be asked again to stay. It is not only so in this place, but also at Hakodadi, which you and all Americans are 
 obliged to observe. 
 
 " The foregoing is communicated by word of mouth from the governor of Simoda." 
 
 Soon after this. Commander Rogers, of the United States surveying expedition to the North Pacific, arrived at Simoda in the 
 Vincennes, and to him the Americans appealed. This officer, taking distinctly the ground that the proper interpretation of the 
 treaty was not confided to him, but could be settled only by the two governments of Japan and the United States, still 
 endeavored, by a temperate and judicious letter to the authorities of Simoda, to induce them to put a ditferent construction from 
 that they had adopted upon the " temporary residence" allowed to Americans under the treaty ; his effort, however, was 
 fruitless. 
 
 But the object of Messrs. Reed and Dougherty, as they have stated it in the "San Francisco Herald" of the 18th of 
 September, 1855, was to transport goods, and to establish themselves in Hakodadi for the purpose of supplying our whale ships 
 that designed to winter there instead of at Honolulu. In other words, their object was to make at Hakodadi a permanent 
 commercial agency and supply depot for whale ships; to live in Japan with their families, just as they would live in any 
 European foreign port where they might establish a storehouse. They, therefore, while yet at Simoda, on the 20th of May, 
 addressed the following letter to the governor of Hakodadi, and forwarded it by the Vincennes, that was about to sail for 
 Hakodadi : 
 
 "To His Excellency the Governor of Hakodadi : 
 
 " We have the honor to communicate with you, through Commodore Rodgers, commanding the United States surveying 
 expedition, and who visits your place to meet a part of his squadron, and also to survey and make a chart of your harbor. We 
 are merchants on our way to your place, to make a temporary residence there, in order that we may receive and supply a 
 certain number of our ships that are daily expected there. The supplies we intend to furnish are necessary, and cannot be 
 furnished by the Japanese, for they have them not, such as chains and anchors, pork and beef, sails, tar and cordage, and ship, 
 chandlery generally. We have our families with us, and shall require or want a house for them to live in, and also a building 
 to store our goods, for which we expect to pay a reasonable compensation or sum of money. We have been living here (at 
 Simoda) fur the past three months, awaiting the return of our vessel to take us to your place. When it returns, (and we expect 
 it every day,) we shall leave this place for Hakodadi. On our arrival there, wo trust your excellency, in the absence of hotels 
 and inns, will have selected a suitable place for our families to reside, and also to store our goods. Sutler us, also, to ask of 
 your honor to inform any of our ships which may arrive there before us that we are at this place, and expect soon o be at 
 Hakodadi." 
 
 To this an answer was sent throu^'h Commander Rodgers, the purport of which will be seen from the following comniunicalion, 
 sent by that gentleniau to Messrs. Reed and Dougherty: 
 
 " Unitid States Ship Vimcejines, Hakodadi, June 19, 1855. 
 " Gentlemen : The governor of flakodadi has replied to my application for permission for you to reside on shore, in 
 ascordauce with the stipulations of the treaty of Kanagawa, that tsniporary, used lu ths trsaty msaus a short tune — he thinks
 
 392 
 
 SXPfiDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 five or ten days, or, at the utmost, a few months. Unless I will consent to his definition, by asking for some short definite 
 period, after wlii.h you may be sent away, he utterly refuses to permit you to sleep on shore a singlCnight. 1 have replied that 
 I dare not define temporary residence in other than the usual manner. That if two governments, in their wisdom, preferred to 
 give you permission to " live temporarily" in Hakodadi, I would not so circumscrilie the meaning of the treaty. 
 
 •■ I apprehend no difliculiy in obtaining permission for you to live for a few months in Hakodadi ; but I must say how long you 
 may remain. After the time expires, the Japanese will consider that you cease to be temporary residents, and that you 
 commence to live permanently. If permanent residence is not in the treaty, they will then have a right to send you away. 
 1 have been officially informed of the fact, and, therefore, say to you offi ially that the government of Japan will not sutfer you 
 to sleep a night on shore while 1 persist in claiming ti'mporary residence to mean an indefinite period of time. 
 
 " If the government of the United States decides that the treaty has been broken to your prejudice, I believe it will demand 
 the proper redress for you. Should the government decide that the Japanese are right, your coming here was rash." 
 
 Subsequently Messrs. Reed and Dougherty, with their families, left Simoda in their schooner, and proceeded to Hakodadi, 
 arriving at that port eight days after the arrival of the Vir.cenncs, and being the first American merchant vessel which had 
 entered the port under the treaty. In fact the port had but just been opened. Mr. Doty states that they " were refused 
 permission to laud, and ordered away." 
 
 These seem to be substantially the facts connected with the voyage of the Foote, and it will be perceived, that the question 
 involved in them is one of interpretation of the treaty merely. The conduct of the Japanese at Simoda certainly showed no 
 unwillingness to comply with the treaty stipulations, for everything they did was performed by reason of the treaty, and, but 
 for its existence, would not have been performed at all. The only question raised by them was whether the treaty, by 
 ''temporary residence," meant a residence which might be made "permanent" by continuance for an indefinite period- 
 As to Hakodadi, it must be remembered that the port is at a long distance from the capital on the island of Nippon, being, 
 in truth, on another island, (Jesso,) and ordinarily has but little communication with its more populous neighbor. The 
 authorities at Hakodadi did not refuse to let the .A-mericans land — for under the treaty they had a right to do this for "temporary 
 residence " — but asked them to name, before landing, some definite period which should be considered as being " temporary " 
 in the sense of the treaty. They did, however, object to .Americans coming on shore, with their wives and children, to lite at 
 Hakodadi as long as they pleased, just as a Japanese would live there ; they did object to their opening a warehouse and making 
 a permanent depot of supply, and establishing a commercial house in Japan, as our merchants do in China ; and it will probably 
 be conceded, after reading the conferences of negotiation which we have detailed, that they never meant to bind themselves by 
 the treaty to the concession of such privileges. If they did not, and if, as at Simoda, they carried out all their stipulations 
 touchinor the temporary sojourn and personal comfort of our countrymen, then it would seem they are not chargeable with any 
 wilful breach of faith. Some may think they misinterpret as to the extent of what they did concede ; but this, as Commander 
 Rogers very truly said, is a point which can be settled only by the two governments. One thing seems very certain from the 
 records of the negotiation, that both Commodore Perry and the Japanese commissioners supposed that the treaty they were 
 makinc was but " a beginning" of friendly relations, and a partial agreement for trade; but neither party could have believed 
 they were framing a general " commercial treaty," inasmuch as the Japanese had, in the beginning, expressly declined to enter 
 into such a compact. It is understood, though we know not that the fact has been otficially promulgated, that the interpretation 
 of the treaty by oar government agrees with that of the Japanese. 
 
 Y«do aiid Siuiodu duga pruduQtcd to Coinuiudure M. C. Ftrrry by the Jupaness commisslonera.
 
 TEEATY SENT HOME. 
 
 393 
 
 CHAPTEU XII. 
 
 DF.PARTCBE OF COMMAKDER ADAMS FOR THE UNITED STATES, WITH THE TREATY. VISITS OF THE COMMODORE AND OFFICERS 
 
 ON SHORE. IMPERTCRBABLE COMPOSURE OF TENOSKE WHEN CHARGED WITH FALSEHOOD. CALL UPON THE MAYOR OF 
 
 TOKU-HAMA. ^ THE LADIES OF HIS HOUSEHOLD. DISGUSTING FASHION OF DYEING THEIR TEETH. USE OF ROUGE. 
 
 ENTERTAIN5IENT OF THE COMMODORE. THE .MAVOr's BABY . THE COMMON PEOPLE VERY COMFORTABLE. FIELD LABORS 
 
 SHARED BY THE WOMEN. STRAW GREAT COAT FOR RAINY WEATHER. PAPER UMBRELLAS. PEOPLE NOT INDISPOSED 
 
 TO INTERCOURSE WITH FOREIGNERS. RESPECTFUL TREATMENT OF THE FEMALE SEX .— JAPANESE CN-ORIENTAL IN THIS 
 
 RESPECT. POLYGAMY NOT PRACTISED. JAPANESE WOMEN NATURALLY GOOD-LOOKING. SOME STRIKINGLY HANDSOME . 
 
 GIRLS HAVE GREAT VIVACITY, TET DIGNIFIED AND MODEST. SOCIAL HABITS. VISITS. TEA PARTIES. SQUADRON, 
 
 AFTER NOTICE TO THE JAPANESE AUTHORITIES, PROCEEDS UP THE BAY WITH SOME OF THE OFFICIALS ON BOARD. 
 
 POWHATAN AND MISSISSIPPI GO WITHIN SIGHT OF THE CAPITAL, ITS IMMENSE SIZE. SEA FRONT PROTECTED BY HIGH 
 
 PALISADES. CHANGE OF JAPANESE POLICY ON THE SECOND VISIT TO YEDO . ALL SHOW OF MILITARY RESISTANCE 
 
 STCDIODSLY AVOIDED. THE COMMODORE ASSURES THE JAPANESE OFFICIALS THAT HE WILL NOT ANCHOR THE STEAMERS 
 
 NEAR THE CITY, AND, AFTER A GLANCE, AT THEIR REQUEST, RETURNS. GREAT JOY OF THE OFFICIALS THEREAT. 
 
 PREPARATIONS FOR DEPARTURE. MACEDONIAN ORDERED TO PEEL ISLAND. SOUTHAMPTON, SUPPLY, VANDALIA, AND 
 
 LEXINGTON SENT TO SIMODA. WEBSTER ISLAND. DEPARTURE OF THE COMMODORE FOR SIMODA . HARBOR EXAMINED. 
 
 THE TOWN AND ADJACENT COUNTRY. SHOPS AND DWELLINGS. PUBLIC BATHS. FOOD. MODE OF CULTIVATION. 
 
 BODDHIST TEMPLES. GRAVE YARDS AND TOMBS. STATUES OF BUDDHA. OFFERINGS OF FLOWERS ON THE GRAVES. 
 
 EPITAPHS OR INSCRIPTIONS. CHARMS FOR KEEPING AWAY FROM THE DEAD MALIGNANT DEMONS. A TEMPLE APPRC- 
 
 PRIATED FOR THE OCCUPANCY OF OUR OFFICERS. A SINTOO TEMPLE. MARINEr's TEMPLE. SALUBRITY OF SIMODA. 
 
 MADE AN IMPERIAL CITY SINCE THE TREATY. 
 
 HE treaty having been signed and exchanged, the Commodore 
 sent it, together with the necessary communications, to our 
 government at Washington, under the especial charge of 
 Commander H. A. Adams, commissioned as hearer of dis- 
 patches, who left in the Saratoga. This vessel got under way 
 on the morning of the 4th of April, (1854,) and sailed for the 
 Sandwich Islands, homeward bound. As she passed the 
 squadron anchored at Kanagawa, the Saratoga saluted the 
 flag of the Commodore with thirteen guns, which were re- 
 turned from the Powhatan. The wind and weather prevented 
 ler however, from getting out of tlie bay, and she was 
 ibliged to anchor at the " American anchorage " on the first 
 night, and did not stand out for sea until the next day. 
 - The Japanese interpreters still visited the ships almost 
 ^ daily, and came on board the Powhatan on the day after the 
 departure of the Saratoga, bringing with them a number of trifling presents of lacciuered ware, 
 porcelain? and other articles fur several of the subordinate officers. On the following moruiug, 
 50 J
 
 394 
 
 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 one of the small brass howitzers was landed from the Mississipjii as a present for the Emperor, 
 as well as several boxes of tea brought from China, to be distributed as gifts to the interpreters 
 and some of the Japanese dignitaries. Soon after, the Commodore went ashore, accompanied 
 by several of his officers, for the purpose of taking a survey of the country. After having been 
 entertained at the treaty house with the usual refreshments, the party set out on their walk, 
 attended by Moryama, Yenoske, the chief interpreter, and several of the Japanesii officials. A 
 circuit embracing some tive miles was the extent of the field of ob.servation, but this gave an 
 opportunity of seeing a good deal of the country, several of the villages, and large numbers of 
 the people. 
 
 Fiii'ni Yard, Yoku-hama 
 
 The early spring in that temperate latitude had now much advanced, and the weather, 
 though never very severe, the thermometer having varied during the stay of the squadron 
 from 38° to 64°, had become more warm and genial. The fields and terraced gardens 
 were now carpeted witli a fresli and tender verdure, and the trees, with the full growth of 
 renewed vegetation, spread their shades of abounding foliage in the valleys and on the hill 
 sides of the surrounding country. The camelias, with the immense growth of forty feet in 
 height, which abound everywhere on the shores of the bay of Yedo, were in full bloom, with 
 their magnificent red and white blossoms, which displayed a purity and richness of color, and a 
 perfection of development, unrivalled elsewhere. As soon as a village or hamlet was 
 approached, one of the Ja])anese attendants would hurry in advance and order the women and 
 the rabble to keep out of the way. This did not suit the purposes of the Commodore, who was 
 desirous of seeing as much as possible of the people, and learning all lie could of their jpanners,
 
 VISIT TO T II K mayor's IIOUSEIIOT, n. 395 
 
 habits, and customs. He accordingly spoke to the interpreter and took him to task, particularly 
 for dispersing tlie women. Yenosko protended that it was entirely for the henefit of the ladies 
 themselves, as their modesty was sueh that it could not withstand tlie sight of a stranger. 
 
 The Commodore did not believe a word of this intt'rpretation, however adroit, and plainly 
 told Yenoske so. The imputation, though it expressed a doubt of his truthfulness, did not 
 oft'end the interpreter in the least, but was rather taken as a coin])liment to his duplicity, which 
 is one of the most cherished accomplishments of a Japanese official. Finding that the Commo- 
 dore was quite alive to the Japanese cunning, and was not to be balked of any of his privileges 
 as a sight-seer, Yenoske promised that at the next town, where some refreshments had been 
 ordered, the women should not be required to avoid the party. Accordingly, on entering this 
 place, every one crowded out to see the strangers, men, women, and children. 
 
 The Commodore and his officers were conducted to the home of the mayor or chief magistrate 
 of the town. This dignitary, with great cordiality, met and welcomed them to the hospitalities 
 of his establishment. The interior was quite unpretending, consisting of a large room, spread 
 with soft mats, lighted with oiled paper windows, hung with rudely executed cartoons, and 
 furnished with the usual red-colored benches. The wife and sister of the town official soon 
 entered with refreshments, and smiled a timid welcome to the visitors. These women were 
 bare footed and bare legged, and were dressed very nearly alike, in dark colored robes, with 
 much of the undress look of night gowns, secured by a broad band passing round the waist. 
 Their figures were fat and dumpy, or at any rate appeared so, in their ungraceful drapery, but 
 their faces were not wanting in expression, for which they were very much indebted to their 
 glistening eyes, which were black as well as their hair ; this was dressed at the top of the head, 
 like that of the men, although not shaved in front. As their " ruby" lips parted in smiling 
 graciously, they displayed a row of black teeth, set in horribly corroded gums. The married 
 women of Japan enjoy the exclusive privilege of dyeing their teeth, which is done with a 
 mixture of vile ingredients, including filings of iron and sakee, termed Olia gur or Camri. 
 This compound, as might be naturally inferred from its composition, is neither pleasantly 
 perfumed nor very wholesome. It is so corrosive, that in applying it to the teeth, it is 
 necessary to protect the more delicate structure of the gums and lips, for the mere touch of 
 the odious stuff" to the flesh burns it at once into a purple gangrenous spot. In spite of the 
 utmost care, the gums become tainted, and lose their ruddy color and vitality. We should 
 think that the practice was hardly conducive to connubial felicity, and it would be naturally 
 inferred that all the kissing must be expended in the extacy of court.ship. This compensa- 
 tion, however, is occasionally lost to the prospective bridegroom, for it is not uncommon for 
 some of the young ladies to inaugurate the habit of blacking the teeth upon the popping of the 
 question. 
 
 The effects of this disgusting habit are more apparent from another practice which prevails 
 with the Japanese, as with our would-be civilized dames, that of painting the lips with rouge. 
 The ruddy glow of the mouth brings out in greater contrast the blackness of the gums and 
 teeth. The rouge of the Japanese toilet, called bing, is made of the carthamus tindonus, and is 
 prepared in cups of porcelain. When a sliglit coat is applied, it gives a lively red color, but 
 when it is put on thick, a deep violet hue, which is the most prized, is the result.* 
 
 • Thunberg.
 
 396 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 The worthy mayor had some refreshments prepared for his guests, consisting of tea, cakes, 
 confectionary, and the never absent saki. With the latter was served a kind of hot waffle, 
 made apparently of rice flour. The civic dignitary himself was very active in dispensing these 
 offerings, and he was ably seconded by his wife and sister, who always remained on their knees 
 in presence of the strangers. This awkward position of the women did not seem to interfere 
 with their activity, for they kept running about very briskly with the silver saki kettle, the 
 services of which, in consequence of the smallness of the cups, were in constant requisition. 
 The two ladies were unceasingly courteous, and kept bowing their heads, like a bobbing toy 
 mandarin. The smiles with which they perseveringly greeted the guests might have been 
 better dispensed with, as every movement of tlieir lips exposed their horrid black teeth and 
 decayed gums. The mayoress was uncommonly polite, and was good natured enough to bring 
 in her baby, which her guests felt bound to make the most of, though its dirty face and general 
 untidy appearance made it quite a painful effort to bestow the necessary caresses. A bit of 
 confectionary was presented to the infant, when it was directed to bow its shaven head, which 
 it did with a degree of precocious politeness, that called forth the greatest apparent pride and 
 admiration on the part of its mother and all the ladies present. 
 
 On preparing to depart, the Commodore proposed the health, in a cup of saki, of the whole 
 household, which brought into the room, from a neighboring apartment, the mayor's mother. 
 She was an ancient dame, and as soon as she came in she squatted herself in one corner, and 
 bowed her thanks for the compliments paid to the family, of which she was the oldest member. 
 
 As the Japanese officials no longer interfered with the curiosity of the people, there was a 
 good opportunity of observing them, though hurriedly, as the Commodore and his party were 
 forced to return early to the ships. The people, in the small towns, appeared to be divided into 
 three principal classes, — the officials, the traders, and laborers. The inferior j^eople, almost 
 without exception, seemed thriving and contented, and not overworked. There were signs of 
 poverty, but no evidence of public beggary. The women, in common with many in various 
 parts of over-populated Europe, were frequently seen engaged in field labors, showing the 
 general industry and the necessity of keeping every hand busy in the populous Empire. The 
 lowest classes even were comfortably clad, being dressed in coarse cotton garments, of the same 
 form, though shorter than those of their superiors, being a loose robe, just covering the hips. 
 They were, for the most part, bareheaded and barefooted. The women were dressed very much 
 like the men, although their heads were not shaved like those of the males, and their long hair 
 was drawn uj) and fastened upon the top, in a knot, or under a pad. The costume of the upper 
 classes and the dignitaries has been already described. In rainy weather, the Japanese wear a 
 covering made of straw, which being fastened together at the top, is suspended from the neck, 
 and falls over the shoulders and person like a thatched roof. Some of the higher classes cover 
 their robes with an oiled paper cloak, which is impermeable to the wet. The umbrella, like 
 that of the Chinese, is almost a constant companion, and serves both to shade from the rays of 
 the sun, and keep ofi" the effects of a shower. The men of all classes were exceedingly 
 courteous, and although inquisitive about the strangers, never became offensively intrusive. 
 The lower people were evidently in great dread of their superiors, and were more reserved in 
 their presence, than they would have been if they had been left to their natural instincts. The 
 rigid exclusiveness in regard to foreigners is a law merely enacted by tlie government from 
 motives of poli<;y, and not a sentiment of the Japanese people. Their habits are social among
 
 SQUADRON PROCEEDS TO YEUO. 
 
 397 
 
 themselves, and they frequently intermingle in friendly intercourse. There is one feature in the 
 society of Japan, by which tlie superiority of the people, to all otlier oriental nations, is clearly 
 manifest. Woman is recognised as a companion, and not merely treated as a slare. Her 
 position is certainly not as elevated as in those countries under the influence of the Christian 
 dispensation, hut the mother, wife, and daughter of Japan, are neither the chattels and 
 household drudges of China, nor the purchased objects of the cajiricious lust of the harems of 
 Tarkey. The fact of the non-existence of polygamy, is a distinctive feature, which pre-eminently 
 c'aaracterizes the Japanese, as the most moral and refined of all eastern nations. Tlie absence 
 of this degrading practice shows itself, not only in the superior character of tlie women, but in 
 the natural consequence of the greater prevalence of the domestic virtues. 
 
 • Japanese Womiu — Simoda. 
 
 The Japanese women, always excepting tlie disgu Siting l)lack t( eth of those who are married, are 
 not ill-looking. The young girls are well formed and rather pretty, and liave much of that vivacity 
 and self-reliance in manners, which come from a consciousness of dignity, derived from the 
 comparatively high regard in wliich they are held. In the ordinary mutual intercourse of friends 
 and families the women have their share, and rounds of visiting and tea parties are kept up 
 as briskly in Ja2)an as in tlie United States. The attitude assuiiieil by the women, who
 
 39S EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 prostrated themselves in tlie presence of the Commodore and his party, should he considered 
 rather as a mark of their reverence for the strangers than as an evidence of their subordination. 
 That in the large towns and cities of Jajian there is great licentiousness, it is reasonable to 
 suppose, for such seems, unhappily, a universal law in all great communities ; hut it must he 
 said to the credit of the Japanese women, that during all the time of the presence of the 
 squadron in the bay of Yedo, there was none of the usual indication of wantonness and license 
 on tlie part of the female sex in their occasional relations with the miscellaneous sliips' people. 
 
 On the 9th of April, notwithstanding a note received from the commissioners, in vrliich they 
 urgently remonstrated against the movement, the Commodore sent word that he would on the 
 following day approach with the steamers as near to Yedo as the depth of water would allow. 
 Accordingly, on the next morning, the whole squadron got under way from the anchorage at 
 Kanagawa, and moved up the bay. The Japanese interpreters came on board the Powhatan 
 just as she started, and were evidently in great dismay. They earnestly begged the Commodore 
 to desist from his purpose, urging that the safety of the Empire, perhaps, and certainly that of 
 their own lives, depended upon the issue. Not being able to dissuade the Commodore, the 
 Japanese remained on board to mark his movements. The steamers Powhatan and Mississippi 
 advanced beyond the other vessels and doubled the jjoint near Sinagawa, the southern suburb of 
 the capital, and came so close to the far-famed Yedo that, if it had not, unfortunately, been for 
 a fog, so common on that coast, the capital would have been distinctly visible. The general 
 outline .of the city could, however, be made out, showing an immense and thickly crowded 
 number of houses and buildings covering a large surface. Though there was every indication 
 of the great size of the town, there was a general similarity in the low peaked houses and the 
 terraced gardens to the other populous settlements on the bay. Upon the heights and projecting 
 points commanding the capital there were the usual forts, with canvas outworks, and other 
 fortified places. The Buddhist temples, however, which are generally the highest and most 
 conspicuous buildings in these Japanese towns, may possibly, from the prevailing haze which 
 confined the view, have been mistaken for fortifications. 
 
 Along the whole sea front of the city there appeared to be a row of high jialisadcs, with 
 occasional openings for the admission of boats or small junks. Whether these were arranged 
 to protect the landing places from the washing of the sea, or to defend the city from an attack, 
 it was impossible to decide. It was quite probable, however, that they had been put up in 
 consequence of the visit of the squadron, to prevent the approach of the armed boats in case of 
 an attempt on the part of the Americans to land by force. One thing, however, seems quite 
 certain, that the city of Yedo can be destroyed by a few steamers of very light draught of water 
 and with guns of the heaviest calibre. 
 
 Considerable preparation had evidently been made at first by the Japanese to impress the 
 Americans with a great idea of their military power. New works of defence were commenced, 
 and large numbers of troops paraded ostentatiously within sight of the squadron, during the 
 first visit to Yedo bay, and it is probable that it had been seriously discussed in the Japanese 
 councils whether or not to resist by force all intercourse with the Americans. On the second 
 visit there was evidently a change of policy, and a studious avoidance of all show of military 
 resistance. An extensive fortified work that had been begun in the neighborhood of Yedo was 
 discontinued, and a fire which destroyed it and the large wooden shed which had been built for 
 the accommodation of the numerous workmen, was suspected to have been applied at the
 
 D E P A R T r R E F R S I M O I) A . 399 
 
 instigation of the authorities, in order to efface every vestige of an erection, which inij;ht 
 provoke by its show of hostility an unfriendly feeling on the part of the formidable visitors. 
 
 In consequence of the strong ebb tide, the boats which were jjulling ahead, en"-ao-ed in 
 sounding the channel towards the city, made but little headway, and the steamers with difficulty 
 stemming the current could not be kept under safe steerage. The sailing ships had already 
 anchored some distance astern. The Commodore having promised the commissioners, in o.dtr 
 to allay, their apprehensions, that he would not anchor the steamers near the capital, but on y 
 advance them sufliciently to take a glance at it, felt himself bound to return. The men in the 
 boats were exhausted with hard pulling, and as it was not safe to keep the steamers where they 
 were without dropping anchor, the surveying party were accordingly summoned back, and the 
 ship's head pointed down the bay again. The fears of the commissioners, as they stated, and 
 as the interpreters who were present never failed to continue to suggest, were founded upon the 
 supposition that if the squadron should anchor near to, and in full view of the capital, its 
 immense populace would become greatly excited. Tliis, they declared, might result in tjie 
 most disastrous consequences ; and though they did not particularly name the Emperor and his 
 household, they evidently felt deeply concerned about their safety. In consequence, therefore, 
 of the very courteous and friendly conduct of the princes and their coadjutors, and trusting to 
 their asseverations that they would be held personally responsible for any catastrophe that 
 might ensue from anchoring the steamers off the city and saluting the palace, as was the 
 original intention, the Commodore determined to yield to their remonstrances. A direct appeal 
 was also made by the commissioners to the generosity of the Commodore in the statement that 
 having, in the treaty, conceded more than had been originally designed, and thus shown their 
 coniidence and friendship, they hoped the Commodore would not subject them to a possible 
 injury and probable death. The Commodore yielded at once. He thought it was better not to 
 bring about an issue that might endanger the very friendly iwsition in which he had placed 
 himself in relation to the Japanese. It would have been a source of endless regret, too, if to 
 gratify a profitless curiosity misfortune should have been brought upon the commissioners 
 whose friendly conduct deserved every kind return that might be given in consonance with dutv. 
 The squadron, therefore, now returned and anchored at the '"American anchorage." The 
 anxiety of the Japanese interpreters, who remained on board during the whole trip, was thus 
 much relieved, and they participated with the greatest conviviality in a collation which was 
 spread for their entertainment in the Commodore's cabin. 
 
 There being no further reason for the detention of the squadron in the upper bay of Tedo 
 the Commodore prepared to depart. He accordingly dispatched in advance the Macedonian for 
 Peel island, on the llth of April; the shij)8 Southampton and Supply on the iburteenth, and 
 the Vandalia and Lexington on the sixteenth, for Simoda. During the two days preceding his 
 own departure, the Commodore took the opportunity of inspecting the island near the 
 "American anchorage," which had been called by him Webster, and the neighboring shores. 
 The beauty of the country, now developed in all its picturesque charms of rich verdure, shaded 
 groves, fertile fields, and cultivated gardens, was a source of never-ending pleasure, and as the 
 time approached for taking leave of the attractive shores of the upj)er bay of Yedo, there was 
 no little feeling of regret. The scenery in the neighborhood of the American anchorage was 
 now very familiar to all on board ship, and had a double interest, as well that of association 
 from long residence as from its intrinsic beauties. Webster island is a charming spot, shaded 
 with the thickest groves of green growth, and varied with hill and dale, wild mountain top and
 
 400 
 
 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 cultivated slope. Between it and its neigclil'oring isle, called by the surveyors Perry, after the 
 Commodore, is a little bay, upon the inland shores of which there is a considerable quarry of 
 stone that the Japanese have extensively worked. Large blocks were lying about, and the 
 rocky precipices of the shore were hewn into good walls of a smooth surface, from wliich the 
 masses of stone had been cut with a regularity that showed much skill. There were other 
 evidences about of the busy industry of the Japanese ; there were various boat building yards, 
 ■with junks dragged ashore for repairs, with workmen actively at work over their hulls, and 
 various docks and landing places constructed of stone, and showing the careful industry and no 
 little skill of the people. 
 
 Mia or fiojul Siiic (.■ii..|)Ll, ut Vuku-haina. 
 
 At four o'clock in tlie morning of the 18th of April the Commodore finally got under way 
 for Simoda, in the Powhatan, accompanied by the Mississippi, and anchored in that port at ten 
 „;„„*„„ .,„„. *!,..,.„ ;.. .1,,. „ft r n,. i..„ 'p.,,. Mis.sissippi dn>piu<d her ancb.ir off 
 
 minutes past three in the aftcniiMHi of tlic same day
 
 A R R I V A I, AT S I M n A . 
 
 401 
 
 the mouth of the harbor, but soon after took her position within, in the neighborhood of the 
 Powhatan. The Vaudalia, Southampton, Supply, and Lexington, were found anchored there. 
 The Commodore had i)urposely dispatched the several ships in succession, in order to enable 
 those which arrived tirst, time for examining the harbor and selecting convenient anchoring 
 places for their consorts which were to follow. This turned out to be a well-timed precaution, 
 as the Southampton, in warping into the inner harbor, came upon a rock lying in the middle 
 of the channel, with only twelve feet of water upon it at low water, a danger which had escaped 
 the hasty examination of the surveyors. If it had not been for this timely discovery, one or 
 both the steamers would have probably struck upon the rock, as it lies directly in the way, and 
 is all the more dangerous from its being only thirty feet in diameter, and cone-like in shape. 
 Lieutenant Commandant Boyle had very prudently placed a buoy upon it, which enabled the 
 steamers to avoid the danger, and pass in without inconvenience, although the channel at that 
 point is only six hundred yards wide. Both steamers found sufScient room to moor without 
 interfering with the Southampton and Supply, already in the inner harbor. The Lexington 
 subsequently came in also and anchored, but Captain Pope preferred a position further out for 
 his ship^ the Vaudalia. 
 
 Simwlii from the Crt-ck. 
 
 There can be no better harbor than that of Simoda for a limited number of vessels ; " when 
 its contiguity to the sea, its easy and safe approach, its convenience of ingress and egress are 
 considered, I do not see," says Commodore Perry, " how a more desirable port could have been 
 selected to answer all the purposes for which it is wanted." 
 
 The town of Simoda, or Shimoda, is on the island of Nippon, near the mouth of the lower 
 bay or gulf of Yeilo ; latitude 34° 39' 49" north ; longitude l38° 57' 50" east. It is withiu the 
 51 J
 
 402 
 
 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN, 
 
 prefecture of Kamo, one of the eight, into which Idzu is divided, and occupies the southern 
 termination of that principality. Tlie town is situated at the western end of the harhor, on a 
 plain at the opening of a fertile A-alley. Its name is probahly derived from its low position, 
 Simoda, meaning Low field. Through the valley a small stream, called Inodzu-Gawa, 
 flows, and empties at the town into the harhor. This river is navigable for the flat bottomed 
 boats, which are used by the inhabitants for transporting stone, timber, grain, and other 
 produce. 
 
 The country surrounding the town is extremely picturesque and varied. Undulating hills, 
 covered with trees and verdure, rise from the water's edge and extend back into the lofty moun- 
 tains, roclc-ribbed and bare. 
 
 Valleys divide the mountain ranges, with their richly cultivated fields and gardens, stretching 
 up to the very summit of the hill sides. Streams of water, shaded with groves, wind through 
 the level bottoms, and beautify and enrich the land. The snow-capped Fusi is visible in the 
 distance, pointing its cone-like summit high into the clouds, and far above the elevation of the 
 blue mountains which surround it. On entering the harbor, the town, with its groups of low 
 houses, does not j^resent a very imposing apj^earance, but, with its back ground of hills, wooded 
 ■with spreading pines and yew trees, and the verdant valleys wliich open between them, it has 
 an air of sheltered repose, and an appearance of secluded rusticity which are quite attractive. 
 
 L.indin^ Place at Simoda. 
 
 Simoda is said to be the largest town in the principality of Idzu, and was at one time a mart 
 of considerable importance. It was founded centuries ago, and some two hundred years since, 
 was the port of entry fur vessels bound to the capital, but Uraga, further up the bay, having
 
 S I M D A . 
 
 403 
 
 siicceedod to this important function, Simoda has declined and become comparatively a poverty 
 stricken place. There is not much appearance of commercial activity in the port, but there 
 still is some inconsiderable business carried on through it, between the interior of the country 
 and various places on the Japanese coast. In front of the town there is a depot for .small junks 
 and boats, artificially constructed by means of dykes and a breakwater. This is connected 
 with the river, which flows through the valley, that extends into the interior, and the boats 
 are thus enabled when the tide, which rises about five feet, is at its height, to iloat in, and sail 
 up the stream. Rude docks exist for building and launching vessels, and these show some 
 evidence of activity in the numbers of junks, about wliich there are always numerous laborers, 
 more or less busy at work, constructing and repairing. Kear these docks, picturesquely 
 bordered by a row of stately pine trees, in the shade of which stands a small shrine, there is 
 a landing jjlace which, however, is not very easily reached by ships boats when the tide is low. 
 The town of Simoda is compactly built, and regularly laid out. The streets intersect each 
 other at right angles, and most of them are guarded by light wooden gates, with the names of 
 the streets marked ujion their hollow posts, within which are the stations of the watclimeu. 
 Through the town a small stream passes, tlie sides of which are walled with stone, and across 
 it are thrown four small wooden bridges, which connect the opposite banks. The streets are 
 about twenty feet in width, and are partly macadamized and partly paved. Simoda shows an 
 
 Street and Entiuucc lo Cincf Xciiiiiie, StuioiJii. 
 
 advanced state of civilization, much beyond our own boasted progress in the attention of its 
 constructors to the cleanliness and healthfulness of the place. Tliere are not only gutters, 
 but sewers, which drain the refuse water and filth directly into the sea or the small stream 
 which divides the town.
 
 401 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 The shops and dwelling houses are but slightly built, many of them being merely thatched 
 hnts. A few of the houses of the better classes are of stone, but most are constructed of a 
 framework of bamboo or laths, and then covered witli a tenacious mud. This latter, when dry, 
 is again covered with a coat of pilaster, which is eitlier painted or becomes black by exposure. 
 Mouldings are afterwards arranged in diagonal lines over the surface of the Imildiiig, and these 
 being painted white and contrasting with the dark ground behind, give the houses a curious 
 pie-bald look. The roofs are often of tiles colored alternately black and white, and their eaves 
 extend low down in front of the walls, and jjrotect the inmates from the sun, and the oiled 
 paper windows from the effects of the rain. On the tops of some of the houses wires are 
 stretched in various directions to keep off the crows, it is said ; but whether on account of their 
 being birds of ill omen, or only in consequence of their bad habits, was not very apparent. 
 These houses have no chimneys, and there being occasional fires for cooking and other purposes, 
 the smoke is left to force its way through the various crannies and cracks which may chance to 
 exist, unless, as is sometimes the case, there are certain holes in the upper part of the walls 
 prudently left for the purpose. The buildings are generally but a single story in height, 
 though many of the houses and shops have attics for the storage of goods and refuse articles. 
 
 Some of the residences stand back from the front of the streets, with yards before them, 
 although generally the latter are in tlie rear, and are variously appropriated, some for kitchen 
 gardens and others for pleasure grounds, with flowering shrubs, ponds for gold fish, and other 
 ornamental ajiidiances. There are a few buildings fronted with stone, while the main structure 
 is of dried mud or adobe, these are used for the storage of valuable goods, as they are supposed 
 to be better protected against fire. The fronts of the shops and houses have movable shutters, 
 which at night are fastened to the posts which support the projecting roofs. Behind these are 
 sliding panels of oiled paper, which are closed when privacy is sought, and opened for the 
 purpose of seeing in the houses what may be passing, or displaying the goods in the inside of 
 the shops. In lieu of the paper windows there are occasional lattices of bamboo. The title of 
 the shop is displayed over the door or window, generally in some fanciful device, significant of 
 the kind of business carried on. There are but few signs distinctly recording the trade or 
 occupation, although there was one shop which bore on its front, in the Dutch language, the 
 name in full of a Dutch nostrum, which seemed to be a popular remedy in Japan, for the same 
 was observed in Kanagawa. The finer goods were generally kept secluded from view in boxes 
 and drawers, and seemed to be of a kind which indicated no great afiluence on the part of the 
 comnmnity. 
 
 The internal arrangements of the houses and shops of Simoda is simple and uniform, though 
 somewhat modified according to the position and business of the inmates. The door is on the 
 right or left side, and is protected by the overhanging roof, under wliich the coarser goods are 
 sheltered, and the customers when driving a bargain. From the front door a pathway leads 
 directly to the rear, where there are various dwelling and out-houses, among which there is 
 often the shrine for private worship. In the shops this passage way is crowded with baskets, 
 stands, and trays, laden with various merchandise ; and the walls on either side are provided 
 with shelves, upon which goods are also heaped. In the best establishments articles for sale 
 are seldom displayed beyond turning the opened ends of the boxes wliich contain them towards 
 the street. 
 
 In the interior of the houses there is a large frame work, raised two feet above the ground.
 
 SI MO DA. 405 
 
 It is spread witli stuffed mats, and is divided into several compartments by means of sliding 
 panels. This house within a house may be applied to all the various purposes of trading, eating, 
 sleeping, and receiving company, according to the pleasure or necessities of the proprietors. 
 This cage or platform is used as the workshop by some of the various handicraftsmen, as, for 
 example, the carpenters and lacquer varnishers ; tlie blacksmiths and stonecutters, however, 
 perform their heavier work upon the ground. 
 
 The houses intended for lodgers are generally clean and neatly spread with the usual soft and 
 thick mats, which serve the double purpose of seats by day and beds by night. The names of 
 the guests are recorded as with us, but somewhat more publicly as they are affixed to tlie door 
 posts on the street. The aristocratic gentry have their coats of arms emblazoned in full 
 and displayed upon wide banners, stretched in front of their stopping jjlaces. The interiors of 
 these hotels are by no means very magnificent in appearance or complete in appointment. The 
 entire absence of tables, chairs, sofas, lamps, and other essentials to comfort, interfere very 
 seriously with a guest taking his ease at his Japanese inn. Moreover, the want of pictures, 
 looking-glasses, and other pleasing appeals to the eye, gives to the establishment a very naked, 
 cold look to a traveller who has a vivid recollection of the warm snugness of an English inn or 
 the luxurious completeness of an American hotel. 
 
 The whole number of houses in Simoda is estimated at about a thousand, and the inhabitants 
 are supposed to amount to nearly seven thousand, one-fifth of whom are shopkeepers and 
 artisans. There are in the town, as elsewhere in Japan, a disproportionate amount of officials, 
 soldiers, and retainers, of the various princes and dignitaries, who add nothing to the productive 
 resources of the country, but are great consumers of the results of the labor of the lower classes^ 
 who are forced to do much work and are'allowed to enjoy but little of the profit. The people 
 have, notwithstanding, a tolerably thriving appearance, and it is seldom that a beggar is seen. 
 The streets, with the exception of the few shops which do but little business, show no signs of 
 trading activity. There is no public market place, and all the daily transactions of buying and 
 selling are conducted so privately and quietly that, to a passing stranger, Simoda would appear 
 as a place singularly devoid of any regard to the concerns of this world. 
 
 The people have all the characteristic courtesy and reserved but pleasing manners of the 
 Japanese. A scene at one of the public baths, where the sexes mingled indiscriminately, 
 unconscious of their nudity, was not calculated to impress the Americans with a very favorable 
 opinion of the morals of the inhabitants. This may not be a universal practice throughout 
 Japan, and indeed is said by the Japanese near us not to be ; but the Japanese people of the 
 inferior ranks are undoubtedly, notwithstanding their moral superiority to most oriental nations, 
 a lewd people. Apart from the bathing scenes, there was enough in the popular literature, 
 with its obscene pictorial illustrations, to prove a licentiousness of taste and practice among a 
 certain class of the population that was not only disgustingly intrusive, but disgracefully 
 indicative of foul corruption. 
 
 The chief diet of the inhabitants of Simoda consists of fish and vegetable food. There are 
 poultry, chickens, geese and ducks, and some few cattle, but the latter are used only for beasts 
 of burden, and their flesh is never eaten. Rice, wheat, barley, and sweet potatoes are the chief 
 articles raised in and about Simoda, although Irish potatoes, buckwheat, Indian corn, taro, 
 beans, cabbages, cresses, and egg plants are produced to some extent. The wheat and barley are 
 reaped in May, and the rice, which is first sown and then transplanted, as in Lew Chew, is
 
 406 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 ready for tlie latter operation in the middle of Juno, and these crops succeed each other year 
 after year. During the winter, part of the rice fields, that which lies low, is left fallow, while 
 the terraces are turned into wheat fields. In preparing the fields for the rece])tion of the young 
 shoots of rice, they are overflown with water, and then reduced by ploughing and harrowing 
 into a soft well mixed mud. Subsequently, a substratum of grass and small bushes is trodden 
 down below the surface by the feet. The laborer putting on a couple of broad pieces of wood, 
 like a pair of snow shoes, goes tramping over the grass and bushes, laboring until they all 
 disappear below the surface of the mud. This operation over, the small plants are transferred 
 from the plot where they have been sown, to the fields, where they are allowed to remain until 
 maturity. The rice crop is ready for harvesting in the latter part of September or early in tlie 
 ensuing month. Oxen and horses are occasionally used in agricultural operations, but the labor 
 is mostly performed by hand. 
 
 Wliatever may be the moral character of the inhabitants of Simoda, it might be supposed, 
 from the great number of places of worship, that they are a highly devotional people. Though 
 the peculiar religions of the Japanese seem to be sustained in a flourishing condition, the 
 people are rather remarkable for their toleration of all kinds of worship, except that of the 
 Christian, for which, in consequence of the political intrigues of the Koman priesthood, 
 centuries ago, they have an intense hatred, careful!)' inculcated by those in authority, who keep 
 alive the traditional enmity engendered at the epoch when the Portuguese were expelled the 
 Empire. The Buddhist and Sintoo worships are those most prevalent in Japan, and the lower 
 classes are strict but formal devotees, while it is suspected that the higher and better educated 
 are indifferent to all religions, and entertain various speculative opinions, or seek refuge in a 
 broad skepticism. 
 
 There are no less than nine Buddhist temples, one large Mia, or Sintoo temple, and a great 
 number of smaller shrines. Those devoted to the worship of Buddha have strange fiinciful 
 titles: the largest is called Eio-shen-zhi, or Buddha's obedient monastery ; and there are Dai- 
 an-zhi, or great peace monastery ; the Hon-gaku-zhi, or source of knowledge monastery ; the 
 Too-den-zhi, or rice field monasteiy ; the Fuku-zhen-zhi, or foxmtain of happiness monastery ; 
 the Chio-raku-zhi, or continual joy monastery ; the Ri-gen-zhi, or source of reason monastery ; 
 and lastly, the Chio-me-zhi, or long life monastery. Twenty-five priests and a few acolytes are 
 attached to these temples, and arc supported by fees bestowed by devotees for burial services, 
 and the various offices peculiar to Buddhism. The buildings are of wood, and although 
 generally kept in tolerable repair, show the efl'ects of weather upon the unpainted surface. The 
 roofs are tiled and project, as in the houses, beyond the walls. The posts which support the 
 superstrucliu-e are, together with the rest of the wood work, covered with the famous Japanese 
 lacquer. The floors, which are raised four or five feet above the ground, are neatly covered 
 ■with matting. At the door of the main apartment there is a drum on the left and a bell on the 
 right, the former of which is beaten, and the latter tingled, at the commencement of worship, 
 to awaken the attention of the iuols to the prayers of the devout. Between the door and the 
 central shrine there are several low lecterns, or reading desks, near each of which there is 
 conveniently placed a piece of wood carved in the shape of a fish, wliich is used to beat time 
 dur ng the chanting, which forms an important part of the religious services. 
 
 The shrine, in which are arranged tlie ancestral tablets, in niches, seems to be an object of 
 particular attention, for it was kept always in perfect order, and the monuments and idols were
 
 S I >I D A . 
 
 407 
 
 uot allowed to suffer from want of repair or of a decent regard to cleanliness. The sculpture 
 of the various images was no Letter in art or more imposing in appearance than the ordinary 
 figures of Joss in the Chinese temples. An occasional picture is hung up as a votive offering 
 upon the v\'alls, representing, rather rudely, some event in the life of the worshipper, in the 
 course of which he had reason, as he piously believed, to be grateful for the services of Buddha 
 or some of his numerous progeny o^ subordinate deities. Certain boxes, distributed about the 
 temple, remind the Christian visitor of the duties of charity, and he thinks with a pious 
 recollection of the claims of the poor, which are suggested by a practice similar to that in the 
 old churches of his own faith. His charitable feelings, however, are suddenly repelled when he 
 learns the object of the boxes, for the label upon them reads : "For feeding hungry demons," 
 and the promise which follows that, "his merit will be consolidated," is hardly inducement 
 enough to contribute toward the necessities of the devil, or any of his voracious legion. In front 
 of some of the temples pillars are found, upon which are inscribed an edict forbidding any 
 liquors or meats to be carried within the sacred precincts. 
 
 Connected with each monastery is a grave-yard, in which there is a great variety of monuments 
 and tombstones. They are generally made of a greenstone found in the neighborhood of 
 Simoda, and have the various forms of simple slabs, raised tombs, ana obelisks. Among the 
 
 Grave-yard and Temple at Simoda. 
 
 monuments are distributed statues of Buddha, varying in size from the largeness of life to that 
 of only a foot or less. They are represented in various attitudes, some erect and others in 
 a sitting posture, while many are carved in relief upon slabs of stone, wnere Buddha is seen
 
 408 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 issuing from an opening shell, and is figured sometimes with his hands clasped, or holding a 
 lotus flower, a fly-trap, or some other symbol. A pleasant feature in the aspect of the otherwise 
 gloomy burial places, disfigured by the coarse and grotesqiie art of a corrupt superstition, is the 
 abundance of flowers which are plentifully distributed about. These are placed, freshly culled 
 from dav to day, in cups and troughs of water, which are deposited before the tombs and idols. 
 Offerings of other kinds are also frequently found near the various statues of Buddha and his 
 kindred deities. 
 
 The tombs and monuments, as with us, are inscribed with epitaphs ; but such is the moisture 
 of the climate, that they are soon covered with moss and rendered illegible. Some of the fresher 
 ones, however, could be deciphered, and it was observed that, as in our own practice, the rank, 
 merits, and date of death of deceased, were usually recorded. That the good deeds of the 
 departed may live after them, there is often a summary of their meritorious works during life, 
 among which we read that some have recited one thousand, two thousand, and even three 
 thousand volumes of the canonical books, an amount of pious performance which entitles them, 
 say the eulogistic Japanese epitaphs, to heavenly felicity. An invocation, " Oh, wonderful 
 Buddha !" generally prefaces the inscriptions. In the grave-yard of the Kio-shen-zhi, there is 
 a sort of pantomimic record of the deceased, where, in a fenced enclosure of bamboo, there is a 
 sepulchre of two personages of rank. Their statues and those of their families and servants 
 are represented as if holding an audience, which indicates the rank of the deceased. 
 
 Near the recent graves and tombs narrow boards or wooden posts are placed, on which 
 extracts from the canonical books are written, exhorting the living to add to their stock of good 
 works by diligently repeating the pages of those excellent volumes, or vicariously performing 
 that necessary duty, by getting the priests to do it for them, and not neglecting to pay the 
 customary charges. The canonical books supply many of the other inscriptions with- various 
 quotations, aptly chosen to extol the felicity of the departed, or to inculcate the shortness of life 
 and the vanity of this world ; one of the latter, when translated, read thus : 
 
 " What permanency is there to the glory of the world? 
 Jt goes from the sight like hoar-frost before the sun. 
 If men wish to enter the joys of heavenly light 
 Lei them smell a little of the fragrance of Buddiia's canons." 
 
 Another was this : " Whoever wishes to have his merit reach even to the al)ode of the demons, 
 let him with us, and all living, become perfect in the doctrine." And again : " The wise will 
 make our halls illustrious and the monuments endure for long ages." To them all was added 
 a significant hint, that these hoijes and aspirations were to be secured in their objects by the 
 j)rompt payment of the contributions levied on the living. At Yoku-haina, in addition to these 
 various Japanese inscriptions, there were boards upon which were written charms in the 
 Thibetan or complicated Chinese characters, the purport of which the writers themselves do not 
 profess to understand, but all appeared to believe they were effectual in warding off malignant 
 demons from disturbing the dead. 
 
 The nine Buddhist temples are all situated in the suburbs, back of the town ; and on the 
 acclivities or summits of the hills, which bound them in the rear, there are shrines and 
 pavilions erected within groves of trees, which are approached by a flight of stone steps. In 
 the interior of these pavilions and shrines are rude images, or merely inscriptions, dedicated to 
 the tutelary deities of tlie spot. Their jjurpose is to afford facility to tliose living near, or to
 
 SI MOD A. 409 
 
 the passer by, of appeasing and imploring the good and evil spirits which are supposed to 
 frequent the neighborhood. At tlic doors and before tlie shrines there are always bits of paper, 
 some rags, copper cash, bouquets of flowers and other articles, which have been placed there us 
 propitiatory offerings by different devotees. 
 
 The Rio-shen-zhi, tlie largest of the nine Buddhist temples, was set apart by the government 
 authorities for the temporary use of the Commodore during the stay of the squadron. It is 
 situated on the south side of the town, and has quite a picturesque aspect, with a precipitous 
 rock of over a hundred feet on one side, and a burial ground on the other, extending up the 
 acclivity of a thickly wooded hill. Connected with the temple is a kitchen garden, which 
 supplies the priests with vegetables, and pleasure grounds with beds of flowers, tanks containing 
 gold fish, and various plants and trees. A small bridge, neatly constructed, leads from the 
 gardens to a flight of steps, by which the hill in the rear is ascended. Adjoining the ecclesi- 
 astical part of the establishment there is a room used for lodgers, which is so constructed with 
 sliding doors that it may be separated into several rooms for the accommodation of many 
 persons, or left as one large ajiartment. The officers of the squadron were comfortably provided 
 for in another building, and with an abundant supply of mats to sleep upon, good wholesome 
 rice and vegetables to eat, plenty of attendants, and everything clean, there was very little 
 reason for complaint on the score of the material necessities of life. 
 
 The large Mia, or Sintoo temple, is situated in the same part of the town as the Buddhist 
 establishments. A wide street, the broadest in Simoda, leads to an avenue of fir and juniper 
 trees, the vista through which is closed by the temple. As the visitor approaches he comes to 
 a bridge which is thrown over an artificial fish pond, which breaks the continuity of the street, 
 and as he enters the shaded avenue he passes over another miniature bridge beautifully 
 constructed of finely carved greenstone. Two grim statues of armed men, whose fierce asjiect is 
 heightened by the covering of moss and lichen which, with their irregular growth, roughen 
 the rude sculpture, and, by their mottled color, give an increased savageness to its look, stand, 
 one on either side, as guardians of the temple. Several pairs of candelabras in stone are 
 arranged near by, towards the termination of the avenue, and on their right is a square belfry 
 of open woodwork resting upon a high foundation of masonry. From the roof swings a beam, 
 which is used to strike the bell which hangs within. To the left is a low shed covering six 
 small stone images of deified heroes, the flowers and coins lying before which indicate the 
 worship of devotees. As the visitor advances he passes under a pavilion built over the pathway, 
 and^finds within various offerings, some paintings, coarsely executed, of junks, and shipwrecks, 
 a bow or two, and scores of queues, cut off by shipwrecked sailors, and hung up as testimonials 
 of gratitude for the preservation of their lives. 
 
 Leaving the pavilion the visitor reaches a flight of stone steps beyond, which lead to the 
 principal hall, which is elevated some six feet above the ground. Two stone lions, whoso small 
 heads and enormous ungainly bodies show that the artist was equally unacquainted with the 
 grace of art and the truth of nature, guard the entrance. Tiie porch is sustained by posts 
 which are carved with grotesque representations of tigers and elephants' heads, and other 
 adornments, showing neither skill of hand nor beauty of design. The temple itself is con- 
 structed of wood, with a covering of thatch. The interior is not, like the Buddhist monasteries, 
 supplied with sliding panels, but contains two compartments — the main hall and an inner 
 shrine, partitioned by a latticed bamboo screen. Within the latter is the image of Ilachiman, 
 52 J
 
 410 EXPEDITION TOJAP AN. 
 
 the deified hero to whom the temple is dedicated. Standing in a niche, on either side, is the 
 figure of an attendant dressed in ancient Japanese ofl'jial costume, armed with a how, as if 
 awaiting tlie orders, as in life, of tlieir superior. Before the god-like Hachiman there is the 
 usual Tariety of devotional oiferings. A large number of paintings of no great artistic skill, a 
 frame containing the representation of a pagoda constructed of copper cash, a sword, bow and 
 arrows, and a subscription list of at least tliirty feet in length, hung from the walls of the 
 shrine. This gigantic subscription list contains the names and donation of the contributors 
 towards the expenses of the temple services. The Japanese priests find, we suppose, as we fear 
 it is sometimes found elsewhere, that an imposing display of the munificence of their benefactors 
 is a useful reminder of duty to the benevolent, and a great encouragement of generosity. The 
 idol of Hachiman is honored annually with a festival, termed matzouri, which occurs on the 
 fifteenth day of the eighth month, when the subscribers are expected to pay up the amount of 
 their contributions, for which their names are down upon the enormous list. Before the image 
 there is a box provided for the alms of those who are too modest to publish their names, or 
 whose donations are too small to make much of a figure on jiaper. 
 
 As the Japanese structures are unpainted, the wood work soon turns brown and decays, 
 requiring frequent repair and removal. There is always a sort of guardian or superintendent 
 living on the premises, whose duty it is to keep in order the temple and grounds, and most of 
 them are creditable evidences of the care of the overseers. There are, however, some of these 
 establishments which show either a careless superintendence or a low state of the exchequer, for 
 several show signs of ruin and neglect. 
 
 In addition to the one great Sintoo temple, there are various smaller shrines of the same faith 
 dedicated to certain deified heroes, whose services are called into requisition by those of some 
 particular occupation, or on the occasion of a special emergency. The sites of these humbler 
 places of worship have been picturesquely selected on the acclivities, or the summits of the 
 wooded hills which boimd the town of Simoda landward. The pathways which lead to them 
 are handsomely constructed, often with causeways, bridges of a single Roman arch, and 
 flights of steps, all of stone, carefully scnljjtured and substantially built. Various gateways, 
 guarded by stone statues of lions, or sometimes merely by pillars, upon which an inscription 
 warns off intruders, divide at intervals the approach, while the sides of the avenues are shaded 
 with fine trees of vigorous growth and abundant foliage. Some of the temples are so embosomed 
 in groves, that they are completely hidden from the sight, until their shaded thresholds are 
 reached imexpectedly by the stranger. One of these was especially noticed for the beauty of its 
 position and the perfection of its structure. It was particularly devoted to a patron saint of the 
 sailors, and was called by the Americans "the mariners' temple," and those engaged in 
 occupations connected with the sea constantly resort there, to invoke the aid of, or to return 
 thanks to the enshrined deity. Groups of fishermen, with their baskets laden with the 
 successful hauls of the day, gathered within the precincts of the sacred place, and gratefully 
 symbolized, according to prescribed form, the gratitude of their liearts. Shipwrecked mariners 
 prostrated themselves before the idol, and fulfilled their vows by the sacrifice of their queues, 
 and other exercises of self-imposed penance, which they had pledged for their lives in the agony 
 of impending danger. Witliin the sliade of the grove boatmen and fishermen were busy 
 repairing their nets, and surrounded with their long oars, tlieir baskets, and all the para])hernalia 
 of their business, seemed to be invoking a blessing upon their labors, and propitiating the deity
 
 ST MO DA. 411 
 
 for good luck to the next day's fishing. Tlie mariners' temple is one of the handsomest 
 structures in Simoda. A solid stone causeway, leading over an arched hridgc, with a low, well- 
 constructed wall on either side, leads to the steps of the building. Tlie temple is built in the 
 usual style, with a projecting roof of tiles ornamentally arranged in cornices of flowers and 
 graceful scrolls,' and supported by lacquered pillars. Over the door-way there is a fine 
 specimen of carved wood work, representing the sacred crane, on the wing, symbolizing as it 
 were the unsettled life of the mariner. The body of the building is closed partly witli wall and 
 partly with oiled paper casements. The usual stone lantern is found on the left, and from the 
 door hangs a straw rope, -which, being connected with a bell inside, is pulled by the devotee to 
 ring up the deity, that he may be aware of the call, and be wide awake to the spiritual necessities 
 of his visitor. 
 
 The expense of these numerous religious establishments must be very great, and the tax upon 
 the people of Simoda proportionately burdensome, but it was impossible to obtain any very 
 exact data in regard to the amount. As the voluntary system prevails to a great extent, and 
 ecclesiastical prosperity depends chiefly upon the generosity of the pious, the priests are 
 very naturally stimulated into a very vigorous exercise of their functions, and are undouljtcdly 
 indefatigable laborers in their peculiar field. 
 
 The country about Simoda is beautifully varied with hill and dale. There are the usual signs 
 of elaborate Japanese culture, although from the more sparse population of the neighborhood 
 there is more land left in a comparatively barren condition than further up the bay towards the 
 capital. The bottoms and sides of the valleys are covered with gardens and fields, which are 
 well watered by the streamlets wliich flow through every valley, and which, by artificial 
 arrangement, are diverted from their course, and pour their fertilizing waters over the land from 
 terrace to terrace. There are four principal villages near Simoda. Kaki-zaki, or Persimmon 
 point, lies at the end of the harbor and contains barely two hundred lioiises. One of its 
 monasteries, known by the name of Goku-zhen-zhi, was set apart, like the Rio-zhen-zhi in 
 Simoda, as a place of resort for the foreigners ; and within the ground attached is the burial 
 place appropriated to Americans. There is a good anchorage at Kaki-zaki for junks, and many 
 of them take in their cargoes there rather than at Simoda. 
 
 Passing over the hills in a southeasterly direction, we come to the village of Susaki, wliich, 
 with its two hundred houses or so, hangs upon the acclivity o^ a wooded hill side, with its front 
 extending down to the beach and facing the waters of the inlet. Its inhabitants are generally 
 fishermen, and their boats, and even larger vessels, can approach the shore at all states of the 
 tide. From Susaki a good road leads in a northeasterly direction to the village of Sotowra, 
 a small hamlet, also situated on the seaside, but with a pleasing landscape inland, varied by 
 cultivated fields and an undergrowth of dwarf oaks. A larger place, the town of Sliira-hama, 
 or White Beach, extends its houses along a sandy beach some three miles distant from Sotowra, 
 and is comparatively a flourishing settlement. Several quarries of trachyte, or greenstone, are 
 worked in the neighborhood, and large quantities of charcoal are prepared on the forest-crowned 
 hills in the rear. 
 
 Turning westwardly and ascending the hill beyond Shira-hama, the highest summit within five 
 miles of Simoda is reached, from which the whole southern area and breadth of the peninsula 
 of Idzu can be seen at one glance. Barren peaks rise to the view out of thickly wooded hills, 
 whoso sides open into valleys, down which the wild vegetation throngs until checked by the
 
 412 
 
 KXPEDITION rO JAPAN. 
 
 culture of tlie fields that siurouml the busy hamlets at the bottom. Where the beholder stands 
 on the summit of the hill there is a small wooden shrine, almost hidden in a grove of pines. 
 The numerous pictures, flowers, rags, copper cash, and decapitated queues found within, attest 
 the popularity of the Zhi-zo-bozats, the deity of tlie place. 
 
 Valley above Simoiia. 
 
 Descending the hill by its northwestern slope, the largest valley of the country round is 
 entered. The river Inodzu-gama, which flows into the harbor of Simoda, passes througli this, 
 irrigating the cultivated banks and sustaining the commerce of the various villages and towns 
 in the interior. TIio liamlet of Hongo, containing about one hundred and fifty liouses, is 
 situated on the river, which has been dammed at that spot, and turns five undershot mills for 
 cleaning rice. This operation is performed by a very simple machine, which consists of a 
 projecting piece of wood or stone attached at riglit angles to the end of a long lever, Avhich 
 plays upon a horizontal axis, and is moved up and down, like a pestle working in a mortar. 
 
 This rude machinery is occasionally worked by water^ as at Hongo, but more frequently by a 
 man, who steps alternately off and on, the long end of the beam. The river at Hongo is 
 navigable for flat bottomed boats, wliicb frequent tlie i)lace for cliarcoal, grain, stone, and other 
 products. The country about is beautifully diversified, and the culture of the land is carried on 
 to an extent that woulil liardly be believed by one wlio was not familiar witli tlie populous 
 countries of the east. Every hill is but a succession of terraces, rising one above the other, from 
 the bas(( to the summit, and greon with the growth of rice, barley, wheat, and other grain.
 
 S I M D A , 
 
 413 
 
 At the opening of a smaller valley, which branches off from the main one near Hongo, is a 
 small village, called Kendai-zhi, from the Lotus terrace monastery near by. 
 
 — ^^^'-^ 
 
 Japanese Rice Cleaner and Spade. 
 
 From Hongo the valley widens more and more until it reaches Simoda, where it forms an 
 <>pen expanse, like an alluvial plain. Along the base of the range of hills, and up their slopes, 
 in the direction of the harbor, the numerous farm houses and abounding granaries, many of 
 them of stone, and with substantial walls of the same material, exhibit a cheerful prospect of 
 thrift and comfort. Nor are there wanting evidences of luxuriant enjoyment in the handsome 
 structure of the dwelling houses, with their pleasure grounds adorned with pastures of varie- 
 gated flowers, artificial ponds of gold fish, and fancy dwarf shade and fruit trees. West of 
 Simoda the villages are smaller, and the hills which flank them of less height. In that 
 direction there are no villages of a shorter distance than five miles from the town of Simoda. 
 Near two seaside settlements, towards the southwest, the inhabitants have excavated large 
 chambers in the clifi"s, some hundred feet above the shore, in which they store the sea weed, 
 which is a favorite article for chewing, as tobacco is used with us, and where the fishermen occa- 
 sionally resort for shelter. The lower hills in every direction are covered with wood, from 
 which large supplies of charcoal are made, which is extensively used as fuel for domestic and 
 manufacturing purposes. 
 
 The topographical characteristics of Simoda are such as to indicate a healthful climate. Its 
 situation on the extremity of a peninsula, looking seaward, and the elevated ground which 
 surrounds the town, secure the fresh breezes of the sea and a freedom from miasmatic influences. 
 Simoda itself lies low, but the soil is dry, and the stream which passes through it flows rapidly 
 and with a clear current of pure water. It cannot be very cold, as Simoda is at the level of the 
 sea, by the equable temperature of which the winter season is necessarily tempered. The hills 
 from under which the town snugly reposes protect it from the full severity of the blasts from 
 the snowy summits of the distant mountains. The climate is more or less variable in the 
 winter and spring. The presence of snow upon the lofty peaks, althougli there is seldom frost 
 or snow at Simoda itself, and the not unfrequent rains with the ever recurring fogs, give an 
 occasional humidity and rawness to the atmosphere, which are chilling to the senses, and must 
 be productive of occasional inflammatory diseases, such as are frequent in the spring and winter 
 with us. The change of the wind alternates often between the warm sea breezes from the
 
 414 
 
 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 Bouth, and the cold blasts from the snow-capped mountains inland, and produces the usual 
 effects, doubtless, of such variations. In the summer it is occasionally very hot in the day time, 
 but the nights are refreshed by the sea breezes. From April 19th to May 13th, a record of the 
 thermometer gives 72° as the highest, and 58° as the lowest point, and of the barometer 29.38 
 and 30.00. As the season advances the mercury rises, no doubt, much higher, reaching probably 
 85° of Fahrenheit, or more. Simoda is liable to the ordinary affections of temperate climates, 
 but there seems no reason to suspect that it has a special tendency to any epidemic diseases. 
 
 Since the treaty of Kanagawa, by which the port was opened to intercourse with the 
 Americans, Simoda has been separated from the jurisdiction of the principality of Idzu, and 
 constituted an imperial city, the authorities of which are appointed directly by the government 
 at Yedo. There is a governor or general superintendent of the municipal and commercial 
 affairs of the place, with a fiscal assistant or treasurer, whose particular function has regard to 
 the revenues. Subordinate to these two officials, there are the same number of prefects or bugio, 
 who again have under them various collectors and interpreters, whose business is the practical 
 administration of affairs in the various departments of government and trade. The limit of 
 the jurisdiction of the imjierial ofScers is marked by six guard stations, neither of which is more 
 than a mile and a half from the town, placed on all the principal roads leading to Simoda. 
 Beyond these, the inhabitants of the country are amenable as before to their own local 
 government, while within them all persons are under the newly appointed authorities. 
 
 Qonga and Musical lustrumcnU fur Wursliip.
 
 U A U D U OF S I M O D A . 
 
 415 
 
 CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 SCKVET AND DESCRIPTION OF THE HARBOR OF SIMODA. — DISCIPLINE IK THE SQDADRON. — INTERCOURSE WITH THE AUTHORITIES 
 OF SIMODA. — KCRA-KAWA-KAHEI, THE PREFECT. — HIS DISPOSITION TO PRODUCE TROUBLE. — TREATMENT OF THE AMERICAN 
 
 OFFICERS. REMONSTRANCES OF THE COMMODORE. EQUIVOCATION OF THE PREFECT. HE IS FRIGHTENED INTO PROPRIETY. 
 
 EFFORTS OF TWO JAPANESE GENTLEMEN CLANDESTINELY TO LEAVE THEIR COUNTRY IN THE SQUADRON. COMMODORe's 
 
 CONDUCT. — BUDDHIST TEMPLES AT SIMODA. — PREFECT AGAIN SHOWS HIS PETTY HOSTILITY. — HIS PREVARICATIONS AND 
 
 FALSEHOODS. FUNERAL OF AN AMERICAN ON SHORE. INSULT OFFERED TO AMERICAN OFFICERS ON SHORE. PREFECt's 
 
 FURTHER FALSEHOODS. COMPELLED TO APOLOGIZE, AND INFORMED THAT HIS INSOLENCE WOULD NOT BE BORNE IN FUTURE. 
 
 FRIENDLY INTERCOURSE WITH THE PEOPLE. DEPARTURE FOR HAKODADl. VOLCANO OF OHO-SIMA. THE KURO-SIWO, OR 
 
 JAPANESE "gulf STREAM." STRAITS OF SANGAR. — FOGS. — HARBOR OF HAKODADl. — DIRECTIONS FOR ENTERING. 
 
 N THE Commodore's arrival at the port of SImoda, he 
 immediately organized a surveying party for the complete 
 examination of the harhor, and, during his stay, succeeded 
 in obtaining a thorough knowledge of all the points of 
 nautical interest to the navigator. The harbor of Simoda 
 is near the southeastern extremity of the peninsula of Idzu, 
 which terminates at the cape of that name, and bears S. W. 
 by W. , at a distance of forty-five miles from Cape Sagami, 
 at the entrance of the lower bay or gulf of Yedo. To the 
 northward of the harbor, a high ridge of mountains intersects 
 the jjcninsula, and south of this, all the way to the cape, 
 tlie land is broken by innumerable peaks of less elevation. 
 There are several islands and prominent rocks, which are 
 picturesi{ue features in the view, and important indications, 
 which require to be carefully considered by those approaching 
 Simoda from the sea. Kock island, in latitude 34° 33' 50" 
 N., longitude 138° 57' 16" E., is about one hundred and twenty feet high, and a third of a milo 
 long, with precipitous shores, and a surface of irregular outline. Covering the top there is a 
 thick growth of slirubs, grass, weeds, and moss. From tlie summit of tliis island overfalls 
 were seen, bearing N. ^ W., distant a mile or a mile and a half, which may have been caused 
 by rocks or reefs. An effort was made to investigate the cause, but without success, in 
 consequence of the strong current and the fresh winds. The Japanese fishermen, however, 
 deny that there is any danger to navigation in tliat direction. Nortli by west from Rock island, 
 distant two miles, are the Ukona rocks, which are really two in number, thougli at a distance
 
 416 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 they generally appear as one. The larger reaches a height of seventy feet. Between these 
 rocks and Rock island there is a current setting east noitheastwardly, and running at a rate of 
 quite four miles an hour. From Rock, Centre island, so called from its being the point from 
 ■which the treaty limits are measured, bears N. ^ E., at a distance of fire and a half miles, and 
 from the two Ukona rocks, N. by E. ^ E., distant three and a half miles. Centre island is 
 high, conical in shape, and is covered with a full growth of trees, while through its base passes, 
 from one side to the other, a natural cave. Its latitude was found, by careful observation, to be 
 34° 39' 49" N., and its longitude 138° 67' 50" E., with a variation of 52' westwardly. High 
 water, full and change, five hours. The extreme rise of the tide is five feet seven inches upon 
 the shores of the island, and the mean rise three feet. Buisako is the name of an islet which, 
 covered with trees and shrubs, and about forty feet in height, lies N.N.E. from Centre island. 
 Off the village of Susaki, at a distance of one-third of a mile from the shore, is a ledge of rocks 
 upon which the swell is always breaking. 
 
 Vessels bound to the harbor of Simoda from the southward and westward should make Cape 
 Idzu, latitude 34° 32' N., longitude 138° 51' E., from which Rock island bears E.S.E. ^ E., 
 distant about six miles. If the weather is at all clear, the chain of islands at the entrance of the 
 lower bay or gulf of Yedo will, at the same time, be plainly visible. Between Rock island and 
 the main land there are a number of rocks projecting above water, among which the Japanese 
 junks freely pass ; but a ship should not attempt the passage inside the island, unless in case 
 of urgent necessity, as the northeasterly current, which sweeps along this coast, seems to be at 
 this point capricious both in direction and velocity. Giving Rock island the berth of a mile, 
 the harbor of Simoda will be in full view, bearing N. ^ W., distant five miles. Vandalia bluff, 
 on the east side of the entrance, may be recognized by a grove of pines on its summit, and 
 the village of Susaki, which is situated about one-third of the way between the bluff and a 
 sharp point called Cape Diamond, making out to the eastward of the entrance to the harbor. A 
 vessel standing in from Rock island will probably pass through a number of tide-rips, but 
 soundings will not be obtained by the hand-lead until near the entrance of the harbor, when 
 the navigator will find himself in from seventeen to twenty-four fathoms. Should the wind be 
 from the northward and fresh, it would be expedient to anchor at the mouth of the harbor imtil 
 it lulls or shifts, or until the vessel can be conveniently warped in, as the breezes usually blow 
 in flaws and are always baffling. 
 
 Approaching from the northward and eastward, a vessel can pass on either side of the island 
 of Oho-sima, from the centre of which Cape Diamond bears W.S.W. f W., distant about 
 twenty miles. The navigator approaching from the east will not find the harbor opening until 
 he is well inside of Cape Diamond. Between Oho-sima and Simoda no dangers arc known to 
 exist, but the northeasterly current must be borne constantly in mind, particularly at night 
 and in thick weather. Its general strength is from two to three miles per hour; but as this, as 
 well as its direction, is much influenced by the local winds, headlands, islands, rocks, and other 
 causes, neither can be relied on. 
 
 Should Oho-sima be obscured by thick weather before reaching Cape Diamond, the pilot should 
 endeavor to sight Rock island, for there are no very conspicuous objects on the main land by 
 which the stranger can recognize the harbor at a distance, and the shore appears as one 
 unbroken line. To the northward of Cape Diamond is the bay of Sira-hama, which is quite 
 deep, and as it has several sand beaches it may be taken for Simoda ; but as this bay is
 
 DISCIPLINEONBOARD. 417 
 
 approached, Cape Diamond ■will shut in the Ulcona rocks and Rock island to the southward, 
 while in the Simoda roads they are both visible from all points. To the westward of the harbor 
 there are several beaches and banks of sand, which, as they can be plainly discerned at the 
 distance of six or eight miles, will serve as good land marks. 
 
 A vessel from the southward and eastward should pass to the west of the island of Meac-sima, 
 which may be known by a remarkable snow-white cliff on its western side, and a patch on the 
 summit toward the north. To the southward and westward of the island there are two groups 
 of dangerous rocks, some fifteen or twenty feet high, which were called by the Commodore, 
 Redfield, after the well-known scientific investigator of that name. One set is in latitude 33° 
 56' 13" N., and longitude 138° 48' 31" E. ; the other in latitude 33° 51' 31" N., and in longitude 
 138° 49' 13" E. 
 
 There are but two hidden dangers in the harbor. The first is the Southampton rock, so called 
 from the ship which touched upon it, and lying in mid-channel, bearing N. ^ W. from Vandalia 
 bluff, between which and Centre island it is situated about three-fourths of the way. The rock 
 is estimated to be about twenty-five feet in diameter, and has two fathoms of water covering it. 
 It was marked by the surveyors with a white spar-buoy. The other concealed danger is the 
 Supply rock, which bears S. by W., at a short distance from Buisako islet, aud has a sharp edge 
 with eleven feet of water upon it. A red spar-buoy indicates its position. 
 
 The general discipline of the squadron had been excellent during the whole expedition, and 
 under circumstances calculated to test, with some degree of severity, the government of the 
 officers and the obedience of the men. From the necessity of conciliating the strange people of 
 Japan, and conforming, in some respects, to their habits of non-intercourse with foreigners, it 
 required great tact, on the part of those having authority on board ship, to reconcile the natural 
 desire of occasional liberty on the part of the sailors with the rigid reserve of the Japanese. 
 This was, however, accomplished with general success, and there was but little occasion for any 
 but the ordinary exercise of the rules of discipline to secure the preservation of that good order 
 which was the characteristic of all the ships of the squadron. Neglect of duty and small 
 offences were promptly rebuked and punished by the usual penalties, and great severity was 
 rarely called for. On the 19th of April, however, it was found necessary to convene a general 
 court martial on board the Mississippi for the trial of several seamen, and the result was the 
 finding of two of the men guilty of desertion. It was, however, but technical desertion, 
 consisting in what Jack calls "French," meaning " taking French leave," by wandering off 
 from a boat ashore, without permission, to look for drink. The laws of the service, however, 
 properly enough, deem such conduct desertion. The sentence was duly read in all tlie ships of - 
 the squadron, and the delinquents suffered the usual penalty of confinement for a time and 
 stoppage of pay. 
 
 On the third day after reaching Simoda, April 21st, the Commodore, accompanied by a small 
 suite of officers, landed, and paid an official visit to Kura-Kawa-Kahei, the ])refect. The party 
 was received with the usual formal courtesies by the Japanese official and JMoryama Yenoske, 
 who had come to Simoda to exercise his functions as an interpreter, and to aid, by his experience 
 in carrying out the conditions of the treaty just negotiated at Kanagawa. The Commodore, after 
 partaking of refresliments, walked through tlie town to take a general survey, aud entered 
 various temples, which are tlie chief objects of interest to the stranger at Simoda. On hia 
 53 J
 
 418 
 
 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 return to the ship he was accompanied by several of the Japanese officials, who proposed to make 
 some arrangement I'or the supply of such provisions as might be required by the squadron. 
 
 Presuming upon the privileges secured by the treaty, the officers began now to frequent the 
 shore and stroll freely about the streets of the town and the neighboring country. The common 
 people, as had been elsewhere observed, seemed very much disposed to welcome the strangers 
 and engage in friendly converse with them. They exhibited their usual curiosity, and thronged 
 about the Americans, examining their dress, and, with almost childish eagerness and delight, 
 fingered the officers' buttons, swords, and gay accoutrements, and, pointing to them, would ask, 
 in their pantomimic way, the English names for each article which struck their fancy. It was 
 soon discovered, however, that the Japanese authorities were not disposed to allow of this free 
 intermingling of the peoi^le with the Americans, and no sooner was it observed than various 
 armed soldiers or policemen came up and dispersed their countrymen. Not satisfied with the 
 exercise of this severe discipline upon the poor Japanese, the officials seemed determined to 
 practice their authority upon the American officers. It was found that, wherever the latter 
 went, they were followed by a squad of soldiers, who watched every movement, and dogged 
 
 rfi/— 
 
 Group of Japanese Women — Stmoda. 
 
 their steps with the pertinacity of a pack of hounds. The people, imder the orders of the local 
 authorities, fled, and the town, with its shops closed and its streets deserted, was as sad as if it 
 had been devastated by the plague. Even in their strolls into the country, the American 
 officers found that they could not divest themselves of the perpetual presence and jealous 
 watchfulness of the Japanese spies, who were evidently resolved to restrict tlie freedom of their 
 visitors, and put them under the most rigid surveillance.
 
 TWO JAPANESE GENTLEMEN. 419 
 
 The CV>mmo(lore, upon being made aware of this treatment of his officers, felt greatly indignant, 
 as it was in violation of the stipulations of the treaty, and he determined to bring the authorities 
 of Simoda, whom he held responsible, to account. He accordingly dispatched his flag lieutenant 
 and his two interpreters on shore, to call upon the prefect and lay before him certain complaints, 
 which were specified in a memorandum in which the Commodore expressed his dissatisfaction at 
 the manner in which his officers were treated on going ashore, and protested against their 
 being followed by soldiers, the dispersion of the people, and the closing of the shops. These, he 
 declared, were at variance with the stipulations of the treaty; and threatened, if the annoyances 
 should continue, that he would sail to Yedo with his whole squadron and demand an explanation. 
 The Commodore also took occasion to insist upon a suitable place being set apart on shore for a 
 resort for himself and officers ; and as he proposed a visit to the island of Oho-sima, requested 
 that proper provisions should be made for the journey, a junk be provided, and certain Japanese 
 officials selected to accompany the American expedition. 
 
 The prefect, upon hearing this protest of the Commodore, replied, that the Dutch at Nagasak 
 were always followed by twelve or fourteen Japanese soldiers, and seemed to think that such a 
 precedent should be a rule of conduct for the Americans. He was, however, told, that the 
 treatment of the Dutch was not to be taken far a moment as a criterion by which the Japanese 
 authorities were to judge of what was proper in their relations with the Americans, who had a 
 " treaty of amity and intercourse" with Japan ; and coming, as they did, to Simoda as friends, 
 they would insist upon being treated as such, and suffer no infringement of privileges which 
 had been guarantied by a solemn comiiact. The prefect, moreover, was told that the Americans 
 intended no harm to the people, but, on the contrary, desired the most friendly relations with 
 them, and the freest intercourse, without being watched and restrained by soldiers, acting under 
 the orders of their superiors. Such a surveillance as had hitherto been practised was what 
 Americans were not accustomed to, and particularly as it would seem to indicate that they were 
 intent upon the commission of some outrage. 
 
 This resolute language produced its desired eifect upon the prefect, who excused his conduct 
 upon the plea that he had left Yoku-hama before the signing of the treaty, and had, in 
 consequence, not been aware that it contained the clause "free intcrcoiu'se." He would be 
 obliged, he continued, to refer to his superiors at Yedo for instructions on this point, and 
 ascertain how they construed that article ; but, in the meanwhile, he would give orders that the 
 houses should not be closed, and try the experiment of allowing the officers to visit the shore 
 without being followed by soldiers. 
 
 The prefect then readily acceded to the Commodore's demands in regard to a jdace of resort 
 and the visit to Oho-sima, saying that any of the temples were at his disposition, where the 
 best accommodation Simoda affijrded would be prepared for him, and that a junk, two boats, 
 and certain Japanese attendants would be immediately provided for those persons of the 
 squadron the Commodore wished to send to Oho-sima. After an expression from the ])refect of 
 courtesy, and the hojie that trifles would not be permitted to interrupt tlie friendly feelin<'- 
 subsisting between the Americans and the Jajianese, the interview closed. 
 
 The various officers of the squadron now visited the shore daily, and for a time there was 
 apparently less disposition to interfere with their movements, or watch their proceedings. On 
 one of these occasions a party had passed out into the country beyond the suburbs, when they 
 found two Japanese following them ; but, as they were supposed to be a couple of spies on tlic
 
 420 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN, 
 
 watch, little notice was at first taken of them. Observing, however, that they seemed to be 
 approaching as if stealthily, and as though desirous of seeking an opportunity of speaking, the 
 American officers awaited their coming up. On being accosted, the Japanese were observed to 
 be men of some position and rank, as each wore the two swords characteristic of distinction, 
 and were dressed in the wide but short trowsers of rich silk brocade. Their manner showed 
 the usual courtly refinement of the better classes, but they exhibited the embarrassment of men 
 who evidently were not perfectly at their ease, and were about doing something of dubious 
 propriety. They cast their eyes stealthily about as if to assure themselves that none of their 
 countrymen were at hand to observe their proceedings, and then approaching one of the officers 
 and jiretending to admire his watch-chain, slijiped within the breast of his coat a folded paper.* 
 They now significantly, with tlie finger upon the lips, entreated secresy, and rapidly made off. 
 
 During the succeeding night, about two o'clock, a. m., (April 2r)th,) the officer of the mid- 
 watch, on board the steamer Mississippi, was aroused by a voice from a boat alongside, 
 and upon proceeding to the gangway, found a couple of Japanese, wlio had mounted the ladder 
 at the ship's side, and upon biding accosted, made signs expressive of a desire to be admitted on 
 board. 
 
 They seemed very eager to be allowed to remain, and showed a very evident determination 
 
 "Tliig paper proved to be a letter in Japanese, of which the following is a literal translation by Mr. Williams, the interpreter 
 of the squadron : 
 
 " Two scholars from Yedo, in Japan, present this letter for the inspection of ' the high officers and those who manage affairs.' 
 Our attainments are few and trifling, as we ourselves are small and unimportant, so that we are abashed in coming before you ; 
 we are neither skilled in the use of arms, nor are we able to discourse upon the rules of strategy and military discipline ; in 
 trifling pursuits and idle pastimes our years and months have slipped away. We have, however, read in books, and learned a 
 little bv hearsay, what are the customs and education in Europe and America, and we have been for many years desirous of 
 going over the ' five great continents,' but the laws of our country in all maritime points are very strict ; for foreigners to come 
 into the country, and for natives to go abroad, are both immutably forbidden. Our wish to visit other regions has consequently 
 only ' gone to and fro in our own breasts in continual agitation,' like one's breathing being impeded or his walking cramped. 
 Happily, the arrival of .so many of your ships in these waters, and stay for so many days, which has given us opportunity to 
 make a pleasing acquaintance and careful examination, so that we are fully assured of the kindness and liberality of your 
 e.xcellcncies, and your regard for others, has also revived the thoughts of many years, and they are urgent for an e.\it. 
 
 " This, then, is the time to carry the plan into execution, and we now secretly send you this private request, that you will 
 take us on board your ships as they go out to sea ; we can thus visit around in the five great continents, even if we do in this, 
 slight the prohibitions of our own country. Lest those who have the management of affairs may feel some chagrin at this, in 
 order to effect our desire, we are willing to serve in any way we can on board of the ships, and obey the orders given us. For 
 doubtless it is, that when a lame man sees others walking he wishes to walk too ; but how shall the pedestrian gratify his 
 desires when he sees another one riding.' We have all our hves been going hither to you, unable to get more than thirty 
 degrees east and west, or twenty-five degrees north and south ; but now when wo see how you sail on the tempests iuid cleave 
 the hufe billows, going lightning speed tliousands and myriads of miles, skirting along the five great continents, can it not be 
 likened to the lame finding a plan for walking, and the pedestrian seeing a mode by which ho can ride? If you who manage 
 affairs will give our request your consideration, we will retain the sense of the favor ; but the i)rohibitions of our country 
 are still existent, and if this matter should become known we should uselessly see ourselves pursued and l)rought back for 
 immediate execution without fail, and such a result would greatly grieve the deep humanity and kindness you all bear towards 
 others. If you are willing to accede to this request, keep ' wrapped in silence our error in making it ' until you are about to 
 leave, in order to avoid all risk of such serious danger to life ; for when, by-and-bye, we come back, our countrymen will never 
 think it worth while to investigate bygone doings. Although our words have only loosely let our thoughts leak out, yet truly 
 they are sincere ; and if your excellencies are pleased to regard them kindly, do not doubt tlicm nor oppose our wishes. Wo 
 together pay our respects in handing this in. April 11." 
 
 A small note was enclosed, of which the following is a translation : "The enclosed letter contains the earnest request wo 
 have had for many days, and which we tried in many ways to get off to you at Yoku-hama, in a fishing boat, by night; but 
 the cruisers were too thick, and none others were allowed to come alongside, so that we were in great uncertainty how to act. 
 Hearing that the ships were coming to Simoda we have come to take our chance, intending to get a small boat and go off to 
 the ships, but have not succeeded. Trustmg your worships will agree, we will, to-morrow night, after all is quiet, bo at 
 Kakizaki in a small boat, near the shore, where there are no houses. There wo greatly hope you to meet us and take us away, 
 and thus bring our hopes to fruition. April 25."
 
 CONSEQUENCES OF TUE VISIT OF TUE TWO GENTLEMEN. 421 
 
 not to return to the shore, hy the desire they expressed of casting off their boat, utterly 
 regardless of its fate. The captain of the Mississijipi directed them to the flag-ship, to which, 
 on retiring to their boat, they iralled off at once. Having reached her with some difficulty, 
 in consequence of the heavy swell in the harbor, they had hardly got upon the ladder and 
 mounted to the gangway, when their boat got adrift, either by accident, or from being let go 
 intentionally. On their reaching the deck, the officer informed the Commodore of their presence, 
 who sent his interpreter to confer with them and learn the purpose of their untimely visit. 
 They frankly confessed that their object was to be taken to the United States, where they might 
 gratifj' their desire of travelling, and seeing the world. They were now recognised as the two men 
 who had met the officers on shore and given one of them the letter. They seemed much fatigued 
 by their boating excursion, and their clothes showed signs of being travel worn, although they 
 proved to be Japanese gentlemen of good position. They both were entitled to wear the two 
 swords, and one still retained a single one, but they had left the other three in the boat which 
 had gone adrift with them. They were educated men, and wrote the mandarin Chinese 
 with fluency and apparent elegance, and their manners were courteous and highly refined. 
 The Commodore, on learning the purpose of their visit, sent word that he regretted that he was 
 unable to receive them, as he would like very much to take some Japanese to America with him. 
 He, however, was compelled to refuse them until they received permission from their government, 
 for seeking which they would have ample opportunity, as the squadron would remain in the 
 harbor of Simoda for some time longer. They were greatly disturbed by this answer of the 
 Commodore, and declaring that if they returned to the land they would lose their heads, earnestly 
 implored to be allowed to remain. The prayer was firmly but kindly refused. A long 
 discussion ensued, in the course of which they urged every possible argument in their favor, 
 and continued to appeal to the humanity of the Americans. A boat was now lowered, and 
 after some mild resistance on their part to being sent off', they descended the gangway piteously 
 deploring their fate, and were landed at a si^ot near where it was supposed their boat might 
 have drifted. 
 
 On the afternoon of the next day, Tenoske, the chief interpreter, who had come to Simoda 
 from Ycdo for the express purpose of requesting the postponement of the expedition to Oho-sima, 
 w^hich was conditionally granted by the Commodore, came on board the Powhatan, and requested 
 to see the flag-lieutenant, to whom he stated, that " last night a couple of demented Japanese 
 had gone off to one of the American vessels," and wished to know if it had been the flag-ship ; 
 and if so, whether the men had been guilty of any impropriety. The flag-lieutenant replied, 
 that it was difficult to retain any very precise recollection of those who visited the sliips, as so 
 many were constantly coming from the shore in the watering boats and on business, but he 
 assured the interpreter that no misdemeanor coidd have been committed, or he would have been 
 aware of the fact. The interpreter was then asked, whether the Japanese he referred to had 
 reached the shore in safety, to which the very satisfactory answer that ''they had" was received. 
 
 The Commodore, upon hearing of the visit of the interpreter and tlie apparent anxiety of the 
 Japanese authorities in regard to the conduct of the two strange visitors to the ships, sent an 
 officer on shore in order to quiet the excitement which had been created, and to interpose as far 
 as possible in behalf of the poor fellows, who it was certain would be pursued with the utmost 
 rigor of Japanese law. The authorities were thanked for the solicitude tlicy liad expressed 
 lest the Americans should have been inconvenienced by any of their people, and assured that
 
 422 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 they need not trouble themselves for a moment with the thought that so slight a matter had 
 been considered otherwise than a mere trivial occurrence unworthy of any investigation. The 
 Japanese were further informed that they need give themselves no anxiety for the future, as 
 none of their countrymen should be received on board the American ships without the consent 
 of the authorities, as the Commodore and his officers were not disposed to take advantage of 
 their confidence or act in any way that would be inconsistent with the spirit of the treaty. If 
 the Commodore had felt himself at liberty to indulge his feelings, he would have gladly given 
 a refuge on board his ship to the poor Japanese, who apparently sought to escape from the 
 country from the desire of gratifying a liberal curiosity, which had been stimulated by the 
 presence of the Americans in Japan. There were other considerations which, however, had 
 higher claims than an equivocal humanity. To connive at the flight of one of the people was 
 to disobey the laws of the Empire, and it was the only true policy to conform, in all possible 
 regards, to the institutions of a country by which so many important concessions had already 
 been reluctantly granted. The Empire of Japan forbids the departure of any of its subjects 
 for a foreign country under the penalty of death, and the two men who had fled on board the 
 ships were criminals in the eye of their own laws, however innocent they might have appeared 
 to the Americans. Moreover, although there was no reason to doubt the account the two 
 Jaijanese gave of themselves, it was possible they were influenced by other and less worthy 
 motives than those they professed. It might have been a stratagem to test American honor, and 
 some believed it so to be. The Commodore, by his careful efi'orts to impress upon the authori- 
 ties how trifling he esteemed the offence, hoped to mitigate the pvmishment to which it was 
 amenable. The event was full of interest, as indicative of the intense desire for information on 
 the part of two educated Jajmnese, who were ready to brave the rigid laws of the country, and 
 to risk even death for the sake of adding to their knowledge. The Japanese are undoubtedly 
 an inquiring people, and woiild gladly welcome an oj^portunity for the expansion of their moral 
 and intellectual faculties. The conduct of the unfortunate two was, it is believed, characteristic 
 of their countrymen, and nothing can better represent the intense curiosity of the people, while 
 its exercise is only prevented by the most rigid laws and ceaseless watchfulness lest they should 
 be disobeyed. In this disposition of the people of Japan, what a field of speculation, and, it 
 may be added, what a prospect full of hope opens for the future of that interesting country ! 
 
 Some days subsequently, as a i^arty of officers were strolling in the suburbs, they came upon 
 the prison of the town, where they recognized the two unfortunate Japanese immured in one of 
 the usual places of confinement, a kind of cage, barred in front and very restricted in capacity. 
 The i)oor fellows had been immediately pursued upon its being discovered that they had visited 
 tlie ships, and after a few days they were pounced upon and lodged in prison. Thoy seemed to 
 bear their misfortune with great equanimity, and were greatly pleased apparently with the visit 
 of the American officers, in whose eyes they evidently were desirous of appearing to advantage. 
 On one of the visitors approaching the cage, the Japanese wrote on a piece of board that was 
 lianded to them the following, which, as a remarkable specimen of philosophical resignation 
 under circumstances which would have tried the stoicism of Cato, deserves a record : 
 
 " When a hero fails in his purpose, his acts are then regarded as those of a villain and robber. 
 In public have we been seized and pinioned and caged for many days. The village elders and 
 head men treat us disdainfully, their oppressions being grievous indeed. Therefore, looking up 
 wliilr yet we have nothing wherewith to reproach ourselves, it nuist now be seen whether a hero
 
 TEMPLE OF RIO-Sn EN-ZHI, SI MOD A. 423 
 
 will prove himself to be one indeed. Eegarding the liberty of going through the sixty States 
 as not enough for our desires, we wished to make the circuit of the five great continents. This 
 was our hearts' wish for a long time. Suddenly our plans are defeated, and we find ourselves 
 in a half sized house, where eating, resting, sitting, and sleeping are difficult ; how can we find 
 our exit from this place ? Weeping, we seem as fools ; laughing, as rogues. Alas ! for us ; 
 silent we can only be. " ISAGI KOODA, 
 
 "KWANSUCHI MANJI." 
 
 The Commodore, on being informed of the imprisonment of the two Japanese, sent his flag 
 lieutenant on shore to ascertain unofficially whether they were the same who had visited the 
 ships. The cage was found as described, but empty, and the guards of the prison declared that 
 the men had been sent that morning to Tedo, in obedience to an order from the capital. They 
 had been confined, it was stated, for going off to the American ships, and as the prefect had no 
 authority to act in the matter, he had at once reported the case to the imperial government, 
 which had sent for the prisoners, and then held them under its jurisdiction. The fate of the 
 poor fellows was never ascertained, but it is hoped that the authorities were more merciful than 
 to have awarded the severest penalty, which was the loss of their heads, for what appears to us 
 only liberal and a highly commendable curiosity, however great the crime according to the 
 eccentric and sanguinary code of Japanese law. It is a comfort to be able to add, that the 
 Commodore received an assurance from the authorities, upon questioning them, that he need 
 not apprehend a serious termination. 
 
 The large Buddhist temple, the Kio-shen-zhi, or great peace monastery, was the place appro- 
 priated by the authorities, in accordance with the demands of the Commodore, for his use, and 
 another was provided for that of his officers. Most of the Japanese temples have apartments 
 separate from the ecclesiastical part of the establishment, which are used for lodging and enter- 
 taining strangers and distinguished visitors. They are also employed occasionally for various 
 public gatherings, on festival and market days ; and bazaars, for buying and selling, are not 
 unfrecjuently opened ; thus converting the temple into a place for the free exercise of all the roguery 
 of trade, if not literally into a "den of thieves." As the supply of furniture was scant in the 
 lodging department of the Kio-shen-zhi, chairs and other appliances of comfort were brought from 
 the ships, and the quarters were made tolerably luxurious. In order to fiimiliarize tlie Japanese 
 people with their presence, the Commodore and his officers frequently resorted to their apartments 
 on shore, and found a walk in the pleasure grounds which surrounded tliem, and on the wooded 
 hills at the back, a pleasant diversion from the routine of ship's duty. 
 
 There was, notwithstanding the promise of the prefect, very little improvement in the conduct 
 of the authorities, and the Americans still found their liberty much restricted, and their privacy 
 interrupted by the jealous watchfulness and intrusive officiousness of the soldiers and spies. 
 The Commodore himself, on one occasion, when proceeding through th,e town in company with 
 several of his officers, found that he was constantly preceded by two Japanese functionaries, who 
 ordered all the people they met to retire within their houses and close the doors. The shopmen 
 were evidently forbidden to sell their wares to the strangers, for the most trifling articles which 
 they might desire to purchase could not be obtained on any terms. The Commodore found it 
 necessary again to protest against this illiberal treatment, and sent his flag-lieutenant to the 
 prefect to lay before him certain complaints and to insist upon their causes being immediately 
 removed. The prefect was accordingly called upon, and informed that it appeared that lie was
 
 424 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 determined to evade the full execution of the stipulations of the treaty, since, by allowing his 
 spies or soldiers to follow the Americans, and by ordering the people to withdraw from the 
 streets and to close their houses, he was placing every obstruction in the way of that friendly 
 intercourse with the Japanese which was guarantied by the compact solemnly entered into 
 between Japan and the United States. The prefect was then assured, that if these annoyances 
 should continue, the Commodore would stop all relations with the town and return to Yedo, as, 
 although he had been eight days at Simoda, there had been very little improvement in the 
 conduct of the authorities, and his patience was exhausted. 
 
 The prefect excused himself by averring that the Commodore was mistaken in his allegations, 
 and that the soldiers were present for the protection of the visitors, and were engaged, not, as 
 was supposed, in ordering the people to withdraw and close their houses, but in directing them 
 to welcome the Americans, and open their doors to them. Upon the flag-lieutenant, however, 
 urging that his personal experience proved the contrary, the prefect said then that his orders 
 had been misunderstood, and he would renew them and see that they were executed, that the 
 Commodore might have no reason to complain thereafter. In regard to trading with the 
 Americans, the prefect declared that he had received no instructions to allow of it until the 
 opening of a bazaar. He was then answered that the officers merely wanted some small 
 articles for their own use, and any purchases they might make could not be considered as 
 coming within the technical understanding of the term "trade." It was then agreed, after 
 some resistance on the part of the prefect and a long discussion, that whenever an American 
 wished to buy any article he should give an order for it to the shopman, who would be directed 
 to take the order and the purchase to the interpreter, by whom the article would be sent to the 
 ships. The prefect then referred to the case of the two Japanese who had clandestinely visited 
 the steamers, and seemed solicitous of obtaining some information in regard to their conduct, 
 but his enquiries were abruptly checked by the answer that the Commodore was not to be 
 questioned by any of the subordinates of the government. 
 
 As the Americans, subsequent to this last interview with the prefect, began to frequent the 
 shops and select articles for purchase, it was found necessary to establish some temporary 
 currency. It was accordingly arranged, since the Japanese money, from the strict laws which 
 governed its circulation, could not be used in dealings with foreigners, that United States coins 
 should be received by the shopmen at Simoda. The value of these was estimated comparatively 
 with the Chinese copper cash, with which the Japanese were familiar, at the rate of 1,G00 
 Chinese cash to one silver dollar. This the Japanese readily assented to, and became soon as 
 eao-er as any other trading people to become possessed of the money of the Americans. 
 
 On the 2d of May the Macedonian arrived from the Benin Islands with a very welcome supply 
 of fine turtles, which were distributed among the several ships of the squadron and greatly 
 enjoyed. The market of Simoda was not well supplied with fresh meats, for, in consequence of 
 the prevailing Buddhism and the simple habits of the people, there were but few animals which 
 could be obtained for food. The poultry were very scarce, and the few cattle in the place were 
 too much valued as beasts of burden to be readily offered for sacrifice to the carnivorous 
 propensities of strangers ; so the arrival of the turtles was very gratefully welcomed by those 
 on board ship who, with the exception of a supply of fish and vegetables, had been so long 
 confined to a sea-diet of biscuit and salt junk. 
 
 Twn days subsequent to the arrival of the Macedonian the Lexington was dispatched for Lew
 
 F D N K R A L OF AN AMERICAN. 425 
 
 Cliew, antl on the Gth of May tlie Macedonian, Vandalia, and Southampton preceded the 
 steamers and sailed for Hakodadi. 
 
 One of the sailors on board the Powhatan having unfortunately Mien from aloft and died 
 soon after, it became necessary to make some provision for liis burial. 
 
 The Japanese authorities readily assented to the request tliat he should be buried ashore. A 
 place of interment was accordingly selected in the neighborhood of the village of Kaki-zaki, 
 and thenceforward appropriated as the burial j^lace for Americans. On the day of the funeral 
 several Japanese officials came on board ship, and saying that their laws required it, asked to 
 inspect the body. They, however, politely prefaced their demands with the remark that it was 
 a formality about which the prefect and they themselves could exercise no discretion, but that 
 they had no doubt it might be dispensed with for the future, on a requisition being made to the 
 commissioners. As the coffin was still unnailed, and there seemed no good reason for refusing 
 to grant the request of the Japanese officials, they were allowed to see the body. The burial 
 then took place, according to the usual Christian ceremonies, in the place on shore which liad 
 been appropriated for the purpose. 
 
 Everything seemed now to be on the most friendly footing, and it was with no little surprise 
 and vexation that the Commodore heard, from the reports of some of his officers, of an outrage 
 which called for a prompt rebuke^ and the demand for an apology from the local authorities. 
 The Commodore's first impulse, in fact, was to dispatch a guard of marines on shore to arrest 
 the Japanese officials who had been guilty, but, upon reflection, he determined to send his 
 lieutenant to call upon the prefect and to lay before him the facts of the outrage, and to insist 
 upon the fullest explanation and apology. The occurrence was simply this : three of the officers 
 went ashore to amuse themselves in the neighborhood of Simoda with their fowling-pieces, and, 
 after a day's shooting, which was prolonged to a late hour, they betook themselves to one of the 
 temples as a resting place. As the evening was too far advanced to think of returning to the 
 ships, it was proposed that the sportsmen should spend their night in the lodging apartment 
 connected with the monastery. With a view courteously to avoid any misunderstanding, the 
 officers first informed Tabroske, the interpreter, of their intention, which was supposed to be in 
 perfect conformity with the understanding with the authorities, who had specifically declared 
 that either of the temples was at the disposition of the Commodore and his officers for a resting 
 place. The three gentlemen had hardly, however^ entered and prepared themselves for a night's 
 rest upon the soft mats of the apartment, when a great noise at the entrance and the subsequent 
 thronging in of a troop of soldiers, led by Tatsnoske and a number of Japanese officials, 
 disturbed their prospect of repose, and greatly aroused the indignation of the officers. The 
 Japanese intruded themselves unceremoniously into the sleeping apartment, and rudely insisted 
 on the Americans leaving on the instant and returning to the ships. 
 
 Tatsnoske and another official, finding that their urgent appeals were unheeded, loft with 
 the intention, as they said, of going to see the Commodore in reference to the matter. In their 
 absence, the remaining officials and soldiers became still more rude and insolent, but were soon 
 brought to a civil silence and driven in fright from the ai)artment by the formidable attitude of 
 the three officers, who stood to their arms, and significantly cocked their revolvers. There was 
 no further interruption to the tranquillity of the officers, but a guard was stationed in anotlier 
 part of the temple, where they remained during the whole night. 
 The prefect was disposed at first to justify the conduct of his subordinates when the case was 
 54 J
 
 4-i6 E X P E D 1 T 1 N T O J A r A N . 
 
 laid before liiin. He declared that the American officers were in the wrong for not having given 
 previous notice of their intention to stay on shore, and because they had gone to a temple wliich 
 had not been especially designated for their use. 
 
 When the prefect was set right in regard to these false countercharges, he shifted his ground 
 and urged that, as the treaty had not yet gone into effect, the Americans could not yet claim 
 the advantages it was supposed to secure. This view was, of course, emphatically objected to, 
 and the prefect, moreover, informed that the Commodore was not willing to discuss with him 
 the subject of the interpretation of the treaty, as it did not concern him. It was then proposed 
 by the prefect that the matter complained of should be submitted to the commissioners for their 
 arbitration. This was peremptorily declined, and an immediate apology for the outrage, or a 
 categorical refusal, insisted upon. The Japanese official was not yet willing to come directly to 
 the point, and lingered in the discussion of the minor details of the question, in the course of 
 which he stated that it was a Japanese custom to appoint guards for the protection of strangers. 
 He was then indignantly told that the Americans required no such protection, as they were well 
 able to protect themselves on all occasions, and that one of the articles of the treaty was framed 
 for the express purpose of securing freedom from that very surveillance alluded to. The prefect 
 was then emphatically assured that the Americans would never submit with impunity to such 
 treatment, as it was not only an infringement of the stipulations of the treaty, but a violation 
 of the laws of hospitality and an outrage. The prefect now disavowed the whole proceeding, 
 saying that his subordinates had acted upon their own responsibility and without his knowledge, 
 and that he regretted its occurrence. This apology was, of course, accepted, with a reminder, 
 however, that for the future the Commodore could make no distinction between the prefect's 
 own acts and those of his subordinates, but tliat the former would be held responsible in all 
 cases. 
 
 The prefect then expressed a desire to restrict the stay of officers during the night on shore 
 to cases of necessity, but any such qualification of the privilege was positively denied ; and as 
 the Japanese " could not, of course, judge of the necessity which might require the American 
 officers to remain on shore, they must decide that for themselves." 
 
 All difficulty now being removed, there was no further interruption to the friendh* intercourse 
 between the people of Simoda and their American visitors. There were daily and most intimate 
 relations with the authorities, who seemed anxious to facilitate the views of the Commodore, 
 and superintend the supplying of his vessels with water, and all the provisions their scant 
 resources afforded. As the day was now approaching the 9th of May, which had been appointed 
 for meeting the Japanese officials at Hakodadi, the Commodore took his departure for tliut place 
 in his flag-ship, the Powhatan, accompanied by the steamer Mississippi. The Macedonian, 
 Vandalia, and Southampton had sailed previously for the same port. The store-ship Supply 
 was left at Simoda. Previous to the Commodore's departure, he had offered a passage to the 
 interpreter Tatsnoske, or any other Japanese personage whoso presence might be required at 
 Hakodadi ; this offer, however, was declined, as, with their usual ceremonious obedience to their 
 superiors, they were fearful of taking any step, however trifling in itself, without being fortified 
 by the authority of the imperial government. The Commodore had now been twenty-five days 
 in the harbor of Simoda, and as much of his time had been spent in tedious negotiation with 
 the local authorities, who pertinaciously disputed at every step what had been previously con- 
 ceded by their superiors, he was glad to vary the dull business in which he had been necessarily
 
 DEPARTURE FOR 11 A K D A D 1 . 427 
 
 involved by the disputatiousness of tlic prefect of Simoda and his satellites. He had, however, 
 succeeded in making a thorough survey of the harbor, had acquired a considerable knowledge 
 of the place and its resources, and, above all, impressed the people with a just idea of the 
 friendly relations he wished to establish with them, and taught the authorities that no infringe- 
 ment, in the slightest degree, of the stipulations of the treaty of Yoku-hama would be allowed 
 to pass with impunity. 
 
 On leaving the outer harbor, Oho-sima and other islands of the cluster, lying at the entrance 
 of the Gulf of Yedo, came into full siglit. For the sake of examining the former, and observing 
 more closely the volcano on it, the steamers were steered so as to pass near its southern end. 
 The volcano was in a state of active eruption, and there seemed to be either several craters, or 
 one of great extent, as the vapor and smoke could be seen rising at short intervals and at 
 diflerent places along the crest of a ridge of mountains which extended to a distance of four or 
 five miles. After passing Oho-sima, the steamers hauled up for Cape King, for the purpose of 
 establishing the position of that important headland by the meridian observations. Up to the 
 southern end of Oho-sima there was but little current discovered, but after reaching the channel 
 between that island and Cape King it was observed to run with considerable rapidity in a 
 direction nearly east, and on doubling the Capes its velocity increased still more. 
 
 In running along the coast between Capes Susaki, Serofama,.and Firatatsi, or as the last is 
 most generally called, Cape King, the three prominent southern headlands of the promontory of 
 Awa, there was a good view of the land, and every one was struck with the extraordinary extent 
 and perfection of its cultivation. Every portion of earth, from the base to the very summits of 
 the mountains was terraced and planted with grain, and innumerable towns and villages were 
 seen crowding, in all directions, the hill sides and the valleys. 
 
 Cape King, Firatatsi, the southeastern extremity of the island of Nippon, and included within 
 the district of Awa, is in latitude 34° 53' 15" north, and in longitude 140° 18' 50" east, according 
 to the observations taken on board the steamers Powhatan and Mississippi during the voyage. 
 The headland, which forms the cape, runs off in an easterly direction to a low point that rises 
 gradually inland, and about two miles from the extremity of this point is a cone-shaped elevation 
 crowned by a tuft of trees. A little more than half way between Capo King and Cape Sirofama, 
 near the shore, is another conical hill, also topped with trees, which offers a good land-mark. 
 A strange navigator, first making this part of the Japanese coast, might mistake Cape King for 
 an island. Vessels bound to Simoda from the east should endeavor to make Cape King, and 
 after getting it to bear north, at a distance of six miles, should steer for the southern end of 
 Oho-sima, which can be seen, in this position, in clear weather. After passing the southern 
 end of Oho-sima, the navigator should steer west for the harbor. No specific account is here 
 given of the currents, which are rapid and irregular throughout tlie Gulf of Tedo. The only 
 sure guides, therefore, are the charts, the cross-bearings of tlie more prominent islands, and a 
 good look-out. Along this part of the coast, the influence of the stream, called by the 
 Japanese, Kurosiwo, was quite perceptible. It never ceases to run in a northeasterly 
 direction. 
 
 On this current the observations of our officers are particularly interesting. A detailed 
 report thereon, made by Lieutenant Bent, will be found in the Nautical Appendix. We will 
 therefore here present merely the general results attained by the gentlemen of the expedition. 
 They found on the coast of Japan a stream analogous, in many respects, to the " gulf stream " 
 on our Atlantic coast.
 
 428 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 This commences on tlie south end of the island of Formosa, and is undoubtedly part of the 
 great equatorial current of the Pacific. The larger portion of this current, when it reaches the 
 point just named, passes off into the China sea ; while the other part is deflected to the 
 northward, passing along the eastern coast of Formosa, where its strength and character are 
 uneipiivocally shown, and extending itself, at times, as far to the eastward as the Lew Chew 
 islands, where the increased temperature of the water shows the presence of a torrid current. 
 Its northwardly course, however, continues as far as the parallel of 26°, when it hears off to the 
 nortliward and eastward, washing the whole southeastern coast of Japan as far as the Straits of 
 San"-ar, and increasing in strength as it advances. At the chain of islands south of the Gulf of 
 Yedo, about the meridian of 140° E., its maximum strength on one occasion was observed to be 
 seventy-two, seventy-four, and eighty miles per diem, respectively, on three successive days. 
 From the south end of Formosa to the Straits of Sangar, its average velocity was found to be 
 from tliirty-live to Ibrty miles per day, at all seasons when our ships traversed it. Its precise 
 width south of the Gulf of Yedo was not satisfactorily ascertained, but enough was discovered 
 to make it certain that it reaches to the southward of Fatsicio, and it extends perhaps even to 
 the Bonin Islands in latitude 26° N. 
 
 In the latitude of 40° N. and to the eastward of the meridian 143° E. the stream turns more 
 to the eastward, and thus allows a cold counter-current to intervene between it and the southern 
 coast of the island of Yesso. Our hydrographers could not positively ascertain the fact, but 
 they believed that this hyperborean current, found on the coast of Yesso, passes to the westward 
 through the Straits of Sangar down through the Japan sea, between Corea and the Japanese 
 islands, finding an outlet through the Formosa channel into the China sea. The data they 
 had, together with the known fact that a strong southwardly current prevails between Formosa 
 and the coast of China, particularly during the northeast monsoon, when the northwardly 
 current along tlie east coast of Formosa continues unimpeded, would seem to give probability to 
 this conjecture of the gentlemen. The southwest monsoon may possibly aflect this counter- 
 current, and force it to mingle its waters with those of the Kuro-siwo, or "Japanese gulf 
 stream," between the north end of Formosa and the southwest extremity of Japan. The 
 Vandalia was ordered from Hakodadi, to pass westward through the Straits of Sangar and 
 proceed to China, on the western side of Japan. One object of this was to make observations on 
 current and temperature ; but, unfortunately, the Commodore left China before the report was 
 made, and it has never reached him. 
 
 The existence of this counter-current, however, is so well known by vessels trading on the 
 coast of China, that they seldom attempt to heat to the northward through the Formosa channel, 
 but usually make the passage to the eastward of Formosa during adverse winds, even though 
 such winds may be stronger on the cast side of the island than in the Formosa channel. 
 Lieutenant Bent traced also some striking analogies between this Kuro-siwo (great stream) of 
 Japan, and our gulf stream. His observations were strikingly confirmatory of the views that 
 have been expressed both by Mr. Eedficld and Lieutenant M. F. Maury, as to the cause of the 
 deflection of the Atlantic gulf stream to the eastward, and the cold counter-current below or 
 between it and the shore. The first is not caused by the water impinging on land, and being 
 thereby turned to the east, but by the greater rotative velocity of the latitudes at and near the 
 equator, which throw the gulf stream eastward ; and the second is produced by tlie tardy 
 rotation of tlie high latitudes operating on the cold counter- cuirent setting southward from the
 
 KURO-SIWO, ANALOGOUS TO ATLANTIC GULF STREAM. 429 
 
 pole and tlirowinj^ it to the west, along the shores and soundings of our Atlantic coast. The 
 Grand Bank itself, Mr. Eedfield thinks, is less a cause than an effect. Now there are precisely 
 similar currents, warm and cold, with the same relative position too, on the coast of Japan. It 
 may be that the first northioard direction of both currents may be produced by the configuration 
 of the eastern sides of America and Asia respectively, but their turn to the eastward afterwards 
 is probably not influenced by any agency of the land in its shape or position. 
 
 There are other analogies which Mr. Bent remarked. These are found in the strata of cold 
 water in the gulf stream, marked by Professor Bache on the charts of the coast survey in the 
 report of 1853, and corresponding strata, derived entirely from the observations made on our 
 Japan expedition. A comparison of temperatures of the two streams (Atlantic and Pacific) 
 showed a striking coincidence. The maximum was the same ; but in the Kuro-siwo, the differ- 
 ence between its temperature and that of the ocean, proper to the latitude where taken, was 
 somewhat greater than in the gulf stream. 
 
 There is also a sea-weed floating in the Kuro-siwo, similar in appearance to the fiicus natans 
 of the gulf stream ; specimens of it were collected, but unfortunately lost before reaching the 
 hands of the scientific botanists to whom it was to be submitted. We cannot therefore say it 
 was the same plant in the classifications of science ; but to a sailor's eye there was no difference 
 between it and the weed of the gulf stream. Lieutenant M. F. Maury is of opinion that this 
 current in the Pacific has its origin in the Indian ocean, where the temperature is much greater 
 than in the Caribbean sea, and where the waters, obstructed on the north by tropical lands, 
 must somewhere make a current by which to escape, but this supposition appears to us c[ues- 
 tionable. 
 
 While steering along the shore to the northward the steamers, being about six miles from the 
 land, and off Isomura, approached a fleet of fishing-boats, where there was noticed a discolora- 
 tion of the water and an unusual drift of sea-weed. Soundings were then taken with the deep- 
 sea-lead, and seventy-four, and then eighty fathoms, with a bottom of fine black sand, were 
 foimd. The vessels still continuing to run along the shore within five or six miles, and 
 Dai-ho-saki or White Cape being made, another cluster of fishing-boats was noticed under sail, 
 apparently trailing for fish. About them the water was observed broken and discolored, and 
 when the steamers had reached within a mile of the spot, their engines were stoj)ped, and the 
 lead again thrown, when soundings were obtained in thirty fathoms, coral bottom. The sliips' 
 course being changed from northeast by east to southeast, and running slowly and cautiously, 
 they came suddenly on the eastern edge of the broken water into twenty-one fathoms, with what 
 is called overfalls, and a bottom of coral as before. There seemed every reason to believe, from 
 these indications, that there was a dangerous ledge lying directly in the way ahmg the coast, at 
 a distance from the land where such a danger would be hardly looked for. Tlie Commodore 
 would have anchored and examined this ledge had it not been for the near approacli of niglit ; 
 and as for waiting until next day, the necessity of being at Uakodadi on the I'Jth of May, made 
 it advisable not to lose any time by delay. It is true, with good weather, there was every reason 
 to expect that the voyage might be accomplished in a day or two before the time appointed, but 
 with the fref|uency of fogs about the Straits of Sangar, and the experience of the vexatious 
 detentions caused by those annoyances, there could be no certainty in tlie calculation. 
 
 During the day time the course was kept along the coast, althougli at night the ships were 
 hauled a little off. On the loth of May^ Cape Kurosaki aime into sight, with its elevated
 
 430 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 peaks in the interior covered witli snow. Tlic atmosphere was fresh and invigorating, the mean 
 temperature of the air being 59° of Fahrenheit, and that of the water 55°. The water was 
 perfectly smooth, with an oily aspect from the surface, being covered with a substance which 
 was supposed to be the excrement of wliales, of wliicli large numbers of various kinds, as well 
 as of porpoises, were seen. At daylight, on the 16th, the course was shaped at an angle 
 approaching the coast, and although the land had been for awhile out of sight, it was now again 
 made and traced along until the ships reached the northeastern extremity of Nijjpon, called by 
 the Japanese Sirija Saki. The southern and eastern coast of Japan from Cape Sirofama, as far 
 as was observed, is not so high as that on the western side of the Gulf of Yedo. It is, however, 
 of sufficient height to be observed, in tolerably clear weather, at a distance of forty miles. On 
 getting abreast of Cape Sirija Saki, the Strait of Sangar, which separates Nippon from Yesso, 
 was full in view, with the high land of the latter island distinctly visible ahead. The course 
 was now steered directly for Hakodadi, but on getting into the middle of the strait a current or 
 tide was encountered, which probably accelerated the eastern one, until the two reached a 
 combined velocity of six knots. This powerful current prevented the steamers from reaching 
 port that night, and it was thought advisable to put the heads of the steamers seaward. This 
 would not have been necessary if any reliance could have been placed upon the continuance of 
 clear weather. The engines were so managed as to expend little coal, and still to retain the 
 position of the vessels ; conser|uently, on taking the cross-bearings at daylight, it was found, 
 notwithstanding the current, that the ships had not shifted their places a mile from where they 
 had been when night set in. 
 
 Scarcely, however, had the steamers stood again for their destined port when a dense fog 
 came on and obscured every object from sight, so that it was found necessary to head the 
 steamers towards the east. The sun, however, on approaching the zenith, cleared away the fog, 
 and fortunately bearings were distinguished which served as a guide to the port. As the cape, 
 called by the Japanese Surro-kubo, and which the Commodore named Cape Blunt, in honor of 
 his friends Edmund and George Blunt, of New York, was approached, there could be discerned 
 over the neck of land which connects the promontory of Treaty Point * with the interior, the 
 three ships Of the sr[uadron which had been previously dispatched, safely at anchor in the 
 harbor of Hakodadi. At the approach of the steamers, in obedience to the previous instructions 
 of the Commodore, boats came off from the ships with officers prepared to pilot in the Powhatan 
 and Mississijjpi, which finally came to anchor at nine o'clock on the morning of the I'Jth 
 of May. 
 
 The spacious and beautiful bay of Hakodadi, which for accessibility and safety is one of the 
 finest in the world, lies on the north side of the Strait of Sangar, which separates the Japanese 
 islands of Nippon and Yesso, and about midway between Sirija-saki,t the northeast point of the 
 former and the city of Matsmai. The bay bears from the cape N.W. ^ W. distant about forty- 
 five miles, and is four miles wide at its entrance and riins five miles into the land. 
 
 The navigation of the Strait of Sangar, as far as it was examined by the officers of the 
 expedition, proved to be safe and convenient, and the entrance to the port of Hakodadi as 
 accessible as that of Simoda, which is saying everything in its favor. Like Simoda, Hakodadi 
 has an outer and inner harbor, the former being formed by the bay, which is somewhat of 
 
 • So tailed on the American charts. 
 
 t Saki, in llio Japanese language, means "capo;" consequently it should more properly bo called Capo Sirija.
 
 H A K B R OF U A K O D A D I . 
 
 431 
 
 horse-shoe shape. And here, too, as at Pinioda, a dangerous obstruction was timely discovered 
 and buojed out, consisting of a long spit of shoal water, making out from the centre of the 
 town to an extent of about twelve hundroil yards. The inner harbor is the southeastern arm of 
 the bay, and is completely sheltered, with regular soundings and excellent holding ground. 
 
 Uakodadi from the Bay. 
 
 For expansiveness and safety from all winds it has not its superior in the world, with anchorage 
 of five to seven fathoms, and room to moor a hundred sail. The inner harbor is formed by a 
 bold peaked promontory standing well out from the high land of the main, with wliieli it is 
 connected by a low sandy isthmus^ giving it, consequently, in the distance, the appearance of an 
 island. It may be readily recognized by the navigator from the outline of the land, and, on 
 approaching from the eastward, after passing Cape Surro-kubo, or Cape Blunt, which forms a 
 conspicuous headland, twelve miles east by south from the town, the junlcs at anchor in the 
 harbor will be visible over the low isthmus. 
 
 To enter the harbor the navigator must, after rounding the jiromontory of Hakodadi, and 
 giving it a berth of a mile to avoid the calms under the headland, steer for the sharp peak of 
 Komaga-daki, bearing about north, until the east jDcak of the saddle, bearing about N.E. by 
 N., opens to the westward of the round knob on the side of tlie mountain ; then haul uj) to the 
 northward and eastward, keeping them open until the centre of the sand hills on the isthmus, 
 which may be recognized by the dark knolls upon them, bears S.E. by E. J E. This will clear 
 a spit which makes out from the western point of tlic town in a north-north westerly direction,
 
 43: 
 
 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 two-thirds of a mile. Thougli this spit would be a danger in entering the harbor, it, in fact, 
 makes the anchorage more safe hy its forming a natural breakwater, sheltering vessels at anchor 
 inside of it from all inconvenient swell. Then bring the sand hills a point on the port bow, 
 and stand in until the western extremity of the town bears S.W. I W., when the best berth 
 will be secured, with five-and-a-half or six fathoms water. If it should be desirable to get a 
 little nearer in, haul up a little to the eastward of south for the low rocky peak which will be 
 just visible over the sloping ridge to the soiithward and eastward of the town. A vessel of 
 moderate draught may approach within a quarter of a mile of Tsuki Point, where there is a 
 building yard for junks. This portion of the harbor is generally crowded with native vessels, 
 and unless the want of repairs, or some other cause, renders a close berth necessary, it is better 
 to remain further out. 
 
 If the peak or saddle should be obscured by clouds or fog after doubling the promontory, it 
 will be necessary to steer N. by E. ^ E., until tlie sand hills arc brought upon the bearing 
 previously given, when it will be proper to proceed as there directed. A short distance from 
 the tail of the spit is a detached sand bank, with three-and-a-half fathoms of water upon it, the 
 outer edge of which was marked by the officers of the expedition with a white spar buoy. 
 Between this and the spit there is a narrow channel, with five or six fathoms depth of water. 
 Vessels may pass on either side of the buoy, but it is more prudent to go to the northward of 
 it. Should the wind fail before reaching the harbor, there will be found a good anchorage in 
 the outer roads, with a depth of from ten to twenty-five fathoms. 
 
 KamiJa Creek, Jluy of ilakoJudi.
 
 VISIT FROM THE AUTHORITIES OF HAKODADI. 
 
 433 
 
 CHAPTEE XXIII 
 
 VISIT FROM THE ACTBORITIES AT HAKODADI. — THEIR ICXORAKCE THAT A TREATY HAD BEEN MADE. — TISIT TO AUTHORITIES 
 
 AN'D ESPLAXATIOK OF AFFAIRS TO THE JAPANESE. AKSWER OF THE OFFICIALS AT HAKODADI. THEIR FRIENDLINESS AND 
 
 COCRTEST. VISITS AND RAMBLES OF THE AMERICANS ON SHORE. HOUSES ALLOTTED FOR THEIR TEMPORARY ACCOMMODA- 
 TION. DESCRIPTION OF HAKODADI. RESEMBLANCE TO GIBRALTAR. CLEANLINESS OF STREETS. PAVEMENTS AND SEWERS. 
 
 DIVISION INTO DISTRICTS UN"DER OTTONAS. PACK HORSES USED, NO WHEEL CARRIAGES. TOWN VERT THRIVING. 
 
 BUILDINGS DESCRIBED. PREPARATIONS AGAINST FIRES IN THE CITY SKILL OF CARPENTERS AND HOUSE-JOINERS. SHOPS, 
 
 THEIR CONSTRUCTION ANT) GOODS. CARTINGS I.N WOOD. FURNITURE. — CHAIRS AND TABLES. FASHION IN EATING. TEA, 
 
 HOW PREPARED, FIRE FOR BOILING THE KETTLE. KITCHENS, STABLES, AND GARDENS. FIRE-PROOF WAREHOUSES. 
 
 TRAFFIC AT THE SHOPS. BUDDHIST TEMPLES. GRAVE-YARDS. PRAYING BY MACHINERY. INSCRIPTIONS ON TOMBS. 
 
 SINTOO TEMPLES. SHRINES BY THE WAY SIDE. GATEWAYS ON THE ROADS. PROSPECTS FOR CHRISTIANITY IN JAPAN. 
 
 WEAK MILITARY DEFENCES OF HAKODADI. SURROUNDING COUNTRY. LOOK-OUT FOR SHIPS APPROACHING. JAPANESE 
 
 TELESCOPE. GEOLOGY OF THE COUNTRY. MINERAL SPRING. — NATURAL CAVE. CULINARY VEGETABLES. COMMERCE AND 
 
 FISHERIES. JAPANESE JUNKS. SHIP YARDS. FEW BIRDS. FISH ABUNDANT. WILD QUADRUPEDS. FOX CONSIDERED AS 
 
 THE DEVIL. HORSES MUCH USED. KAGOS. CLIMATE OF HAKODADI. POPULATION AND PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF 
 
 THE PEOPLE. AINOS OR HAIRY KURILES. MECHANICAL SKILL OF THE JAPANESE. CARPENTRY AND MASONRY. COOPERS. 
 
 IRON ORE WORKERS. BLACKSMITHS, THEIR BELLOWS. COPPER MUCH USED IN JUNK BUILDING. SPINNING AND WEAVING. 
 
 DYED COTTONS. — SILK FABRICS. LACQUERED WARE. PRINTING, DRAWING, AND FAINTING. SCULPTURE. ARCHITECTURE. 
 
 GENERAL INTELLIGENCE. INFORMATION, DERIVED THROUGH THE DUTCH AT NAGASAKI, FROM EUROPEAN PUBLICATIONS. 
 
 JAPA.VESE GAME OF CHESS. CARDS. LOTO. — BALL ANT) JACKSTRAWS AMONG THE CHILDREN. 
 
 HE steamers had been at anchor hut a fevr hours 
 
 ■when a boat, which, from the usual black striped 
 
 flag and emblazoned standard at the stern, was 
 
 known to be a government craft, was seen slowly to 
 
 approach the flag-.ship. Her build was very much 
 
 like those boats elsewhere seen, but of a heavier 
 
 make and clumsier model. Her eight boatmen 
 
 were dressed in the livery — dark blue and white — 
 
 and marked on the back with the arms of the 
 
 dignitary in whose service they were. Their boat 
 
 was rowed instead of being sculled, and made less 
 
 S- speed than was usual with the Japanese government 
 
 g^, boats. As soon as it arrived alongside of the 
 
 Powhatan several Japanese officials came on board. 
 
 On their arrival they were presented with the letter 
 
 the Commodore bore from the Japanese commissioners, and a copy of the treaty in the Chinese 
 
 55 J
 
 434 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 language. Tliey stated that the officers from Yecio, who liad been delegated to meet the 
 Americans at Hakodadi, had not yet come ; and that the people had been greatly alarmed at the 
 arrival of the ships, as there had been no previous intimation of the intended visit of the squadron, 
 and tliey had not even heard of the treaty, or of tlie opening of Simoda. The Japanese officials 
 were then informed that on the next day a delegation of his officers would be sent by the Com- 
 modore on shore to confer with the authorities. 
 
 Preparations were immediately made, on the arrival of the steamers, for a complete survey of 
 the harbor^ and this having once been begun was carried on diligently during the stay of the ships, 
 until a very effectual examination of the whole harbor was made, as had been the case at Simoda. 
 
 On the succeeding morning, (May 18,) as had been appointed, the flag-lieutenant, accom- 
 panied by the two American interpreters, Mr. AVilliams and Mr. Portman, and the Commodore's 
 secretary, paid a visit to the governor. On their arrival at tlie government house, the governor 
 Yendo Matzaimon presented himself, in company with Ishulca Konzo and Kudo Mogoro, two of 
 the principal personages of his suite. The Americans were received with the usual ceremonious 
 courtesies, and, being seated in a handsome hall with the ordinary appointments of a Japanese 
 apartment, were ready to proceed at once to business. The governor was a middle-aged man, 
 with a very benevolent expression of face, and of the characteristic mild and courteous manners ; 
 and his companions, though obsequious in the presence of their superiors, were also very 
 creditable specimens of Japanese gentlemen. The conference hall was large, and opened by a 
 wide open doorway from a narrow courtyard, in which could be seen various entrances with 
 carved wood cornices, and staircases leading to other apartments of the building. Windows 
 and doorlights, constructed in form like our own, but with paper panes, lighted the place, and 
 handsome mats carpeted the floor, while there was but the ordinary meagre supply of furniture, 
 consisting only of a half dozen camp stools. A shallow recess at one end of the room, with an 
 elaborate carved moulding along the border, contained the usual arm-chair and idols, showing 
 it to be dedicated to the rites both of hospitality and of family worship. Attendants frequently 
 passed in and out with supplies of tea, cakes, confectionary, pipes, and tobacco, and the governor 
 and his companions were never forgetful of their duties as hosts, but politely pressed their 
 guests at every moment to refresh themselves. 
 
 The American officers now explained the object of their visit, and stated in effect that the 
 Commodore had come to Hakodadi with his squadron to carry out the stipulations of tlie treaty 
 between the United States and Japan, agreed upon on the 31st of March, and that any deviation 
 from the spirit and letter of that treaty on the part of the authorities of Yesso would load to 
 serious consequences. It was then demanded that arrangements should be made at Hakodadi, 
 as had been at Simoda, securing to the Americans the privilege of going where they chose^ 
 through the streets or out into the country, into the shops and public buildings. It was further 
 required that the shopkeepers and market people should be allowed to sell their articles, and 
 that a temporary currency be established for the mutual convenience of buyer and seller ; that 
 three different houses or temples be appropriated by the authorities as places of resort severally 
 for the Commodore, the officers, and the artists of the expedition ; that such supplies as the 
 country afforded be furnished to the shijis according to a fixed tariff of prices, and that not only 
 articles of necessity, but those productions of Yesso and specimens of natural history which 
 might be objects of curiosity and interest in America, be also provided, for which a just price 
 would be paid.
 
 LETTER FROM THE GOVERNOR OF HAKODADI. 435 
 
 The governor, on hearing these demands, asked for a dehiy until the officers appointed hy the 
 commissioners, whom the Commodore had stated he expected, should arrive with instructions 
 from Yedo. The governor accounted for the delay in the arrival of the Japanese officials by the 
 long distance of the capital from Hakodadi, saying that it was a journey of thirty-seven days 
 length in winter and thirty in summer. He also declared that he had no special commands 
 himself but what were contained in the letter presented by the Commodore, which merely 
 commended the Americans to the ordinary welcome and good treatment, and enjoined uj^on the 
 authorities to supply the ships with provisions and water. After some discussion, in the course 
 of which the American officers reiterated their demands and the governor his objections, it was 
 agreed that the views of the authorities of Hakodadi should be stated at length in writing, and 
 submitted next day for the consideration of the Commodore. 
 
 Accordingly, on the succeeding morning, the following communication was received from the 
 governor and hLs coadjutors : "Hakodadi is an outlying, remote region, and its population 
 sparse and ignorant, so that when your honorable ships arrived recently in this place, all, both 
 old and young, fled away into the interior, although the local officers ordered them not to 
 scatter." 
 
 " Tou have come to this place under the impression doubtless that it was an extensive region 
 and well settled, not with the least desire to rob or rudely force your way into it without 
 permission. The common people here being ignorant and easily alarmed, we have been unable 
 to get them to come before us, so that we could instruct them in this matter personally, for such 
 is their waywardness ; and it accounts for their timidity, as you saw yesterday when you and 
 other officers went through the streets, and for there being no business doing. But after this 
 you may go on shore, no obstructions will be put in the way of your walking, nor will the 
 people be rude to you." 
 
 ' ' This place is as it were no bigger than a pill or a speck, and the country in its vicinity is 
 sterile, and produces almost nothing. The provisions and other necessaries are brought from 
 other principalities, quite unlike the rich regions of Simoda and Uraga, and we fear the list now 
 given, (deer skins, dried fish, fish oil, salt salmon, surume, a sort of fish, saccharine fucus 
 laminaria, and roe of salmon,) meagre as it is, will by no means meet your desires after you 
 have examined it, but rather dissatisfy you. As for what has been hitherto supplied no prices 
 are asked." 
 
 "Yesterday you spoke of maintaining friendly relations with us, and this surely involves the 
 duty on both sides of adhering to right, and nothing should be done to hinder amicable feelings. 
 We are placed here in charge of the public halls, and to rule the people, as our chief duty, 
 which cannot be evaded ; and though to let you have the halls as you desire might be agreeable 
 to yoUj yet the result would be very heavy and serious to us, and the people would hardly know 
 to whom to look as their rulers. If you press the matter to this degree, and insist on three 
 buildings, will it be consistent with your professions of friendship?" 
 
 "Yesterday, your gentlemen explained to us several particulars having reference to inter- 
 course with us, to wit : that on the 31st of March a treaty was formed at Yoku-hama, between 
 the high officers of our respective countries, and in compliance with that, you had come to 
 Hakodadi to carry its provisions into eflfect, in the same manner as had been done at Simoda 
 respecting trade and procuring three houses for resting at, and wherein to make drawings." 
 
 " It is a matter of great surprise to us that, since a treaty has been formed at Yoku-hama, no
 
 436 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 orders or letters have reached us from court on this matter, nor did the communication you 
 brought us from Uraga contain any reference or explanation on these points, which we now learn 
 from yourselves for the first time. Yet, to follow out a course of action ourselves, before receiving 
 any directions from the throne, is a very serious matter, we can assure you ; for the undeviating 
 usage of all our principalities is first to attend to those commands, and can we here be expected 
 to transgress it? Whether the matter be of great or small moment, if it appertain to the state, 
 it must be referred to the prince, and he makes a clear statement to the Emperor, and acts after 
 he obtains special commands. You yourselves, gentlemen, after all your experience at Yoku- 
 hama and Simoda, cannot but be aware that such is the usage and law in this country. Yet 
 such articles of provisions as we have here, eggs, fowls, green fish, ducks and other commodi- 
 ties, as well as rambling about the country, going into villages, markets and shops, albeit they 
 are contemptible and dilapidated, mean and rude, quite beneath the slightest regard or care, are 
 temporarily allowed, and that which you require will be furnished." 
 
 After the flag-lieutenant, who had been delegated to receive the above communication, had 
 explained in regard to the "hall" alluded to, that it was only desired by the Commodore to 
 use those parts of the temples usually appropriated to lodgers, as temporary places of resort, 
 and not to take possession of their ecclesiastical establishments, the governor seemed greatly 
 relieved, as he evidently sup^josed that it was the intention in some way to interfere with their 
 national worship. The governor then having announced that it was the intention of " Matsmai 
 Kangeayou, great ofiicer of the family of the Prince of Matsmai," to call upon the Commodore 
 next day, the American officers took their leave. 
 
 After this preliminary negotiation, the ofiicers of the ships began daily to visit the land, and 
 they walked freely through the streets, frequented the shops and temples, and strolled without 
 interference into the neighboring country. Three houses were finally, after several conferences, 
 assigned, one for the accommodation of the Commodore, another for his ofiicers, and a third for 
 the artists, and a bazaar opened daily, where the various articles of Japanese art and manufac- 
 ture could be obtained at fair prices, a dollar, which is equal to about three of their silver coins, 
 called itchaboo, passing current for 4,800 copper cash. With this greater freedom of intercourse 
 on shore, the Americans soon became tolerably acquainted with Hakodadi and its people, and 
 we may here appropriately introduce some description of them, while we intermit for the present 
 the relation of the further progress of the tedious negotiations with the authorities. 
 
 The town of Hakodadi, or Hakodate,* lies on the southern coast of the island of Yesso, in 
 latitude 41° 49' 22" north, and longitude 140° 47' 45" east, being situated on the western bank 
 of a small peninsula, which forms one side of the harbor. The meaning of the Japanese word 
 Hakodadi is " box shop," but what gave rise to the name it is not easy to understand, as some 
 of the best informed inhabitants themselves seem unacquainted with the origin of the term. 
 The appearance of the place on entering the harbor is striking and picturesque. The town 
 stretclies for the space of three miles along the base of a lofty promontory, divided into three 
 principal peaks, which reach a height of from six hundred to a thousand feet. Their lofty 
 summits are bare, and often covered with snow ; their upper slopes are but scantily clothed with 
 underwood and some scattered pines, while below, where the mountains begin to rise from the 
 level land, there is a rich profusion of verdant growth, with groves of wide-spreading cypresses, 
 tall forest maples, and fruit-bearing trees, the plum and the peach. This abundant vegetation 
 
 • Golownin, in hie " Recollections," rails the town Chakodiidp, but crronrousl}-.
 
 DESCRIPTION OF II A K D A D 1 . 437 
 
 presents a pleasing contrast to the bolder and more barren aspect of the higher acclivities and 
 summits of the surrounding hills. The town thus appears to be nestling in rejiose under the 
 cover of the shade of the trees in the midst of a scene of rural beauty, while all around in the 
 distance is the wild, bleak massiveness of nature. A low, sandy isthmus, scantily verdant here 
 and there with a few jmtches of kitchen gardens, connects the peninsula upon which the houses 
 are built to the main land. Coarse, hard rocks of trachyte, thrown up by volcanic agency, 
 separate the alluvial sand from the mountainous region in the interior, and add to the wildness 
 of the scene. The Japanese have quarried the rocks here and there, and various hewn surfaces, 
 with cut blocks lying about, prove the art and busy industry of the people. These quarries 
 supply them with stone for constructing their sea walls, jetties, dykes, foundations for their 
 houses, and other building purposes. 
 
 The town contains over a thousand houses, which mostly stretch along in one main 
 thoroughfare near the seaside, while the remainder, forming two or three parallel streets, hang 
 upon the ascent of the hill in the rear. Every one on board the ships who had visited 
 Gibraltar was struck with the resemblance of Hakodadi, from its position and general aspect, 
 to that famous fortified town. There was the isolated hill, on the base and acclivity of which 
 the houses were built corresponding to the rock of Gibraltar ; there was the low neck of land 
 reaching to the elevated region beyond, like the neutral ground which separates the English 
 fortress from the Spanish territory, and a receding country and capacious bay surrounding 
 Hakodadi, as well as Gibraltar, to strengthen the resemblance between the two. Moreover, the 
 position of the Japanese town on the Strait of Sangar, with the high land of Nippon and its 
 towns of Say and Mimaga at the south, like that of Gibraltar, overlooking the narrow channel 
 which connects the Atlantic and Mediterranean and commands the opposite and elevated coast 
 of Africa, with the towns of Tangier and Ceuta clothing its heights, served to confirm the 
 similarity of features with which every one whose travelled experience allowed of comparison 
 was greatly impressed. 
 
 Hakod&di belongs to the imperial fief of Matsmai, and is the largest town on the island of 
 Yesso, with the exception of Matsmai, from which it is distant about thirty miles in an easterly 
 direction. An excellent road not far from the seacoast connects the two places, and a large 
 trade is carried on between them and by both with several small towns on the island of Nippon, 
 on the southern side of the Strait of Sangar, or, as it should be properly called, Tsugara. 
 
 The town of Hakodadi is regularly built, with streets running at right angles with each 
 other. They are between thirty and forty feet in width, and are carefully macadamized to 
 allow of the proper draining of water. There are open gutters on each side, which receive the 
 drippings of the houses and the washings of the street, and also well constructed sewers through 
 which the surplus water and the refuse are poured into the bay. The side walks, which are 
 frequently paved, are curbed with stone planted on edge as with us, but as no wheeled carriages 
 are found in the town, the middle of the street is used indiscriminately in dry weather by the 
 pedestrian. Hakodadi, like all the Japanese towns, is remarkably clean, the streets being 
 suitably constructed for draining, and kept, by constant sprinkling and sweeping, in a neat 
 and healthful condition. Wooden picket fences with gates cross the streets at short intervals ; 
 these are opened for the passage of the people during the day, but closed at night. The 
 same municipal regulations obtain in Hakodadi as in all the other towns of Japan ; the 
 inhabitants of the several streets form so many separate communities, as it were, responsible
 
 438 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 for tlie conduct of cacli other, each governed by an official called " ottona," who is also 
 held responsible for the good order of the people under his especial charge, and these ottonas 
 are also made responsible for the conduct of each other. The gates and picket fences would 
 seeui to mark out the separate fields of duty of these officials. At one side of the street, 
 among the houses, there is ordinarily a sentry-box for a watchman, whose duty it is to 
 guard the town against disturbance, and give early notice of the occurrence of fire. A general 
 quiet pervades the streets, without those ordinary signs of busy activity which belong to a 
 trading city. No carriages or laden wagons rumble along the road, no clamorous dealers claim 
 the preference of the purchase of their wares, no busy pedlars or itinerant hucksters cry their 
 articles for sale, and no turbulent mob disturbs the general peace and tranquillity. An almost 
 universal quiet prevails in the streets, broken only at times by a stout horse-boy yelling to his 
 obstinate beast of burden, either an unruly nag or lumbering ox, and an officious attendant of 
 some great man shouting out to the people to prostrate themselves before his coming master, or 
 perhaps the clanging of the hammer of a workman busy in some neighboring forge. Still the 
 stranger is impressed with the idea that Hakodadi is a thriving town when he beholds the 
 occasional droves of laden pack-horses slowly pacing through the streets, the hundreds of junks 
 at anchor in the harbor, the numerous boats rapidly gliding across the bay, and the many 
 richly dressed two-sworded Japanese gentlemen and officials pompously stalking about or riding 
 richly caparisoned horses. 
 
 The buildings in Hakodadi are mostly of one story, with attics of varying heights. The 
 upper part occasionally forms a commodious apartment, but is ordinarily merely a dark cock- 
 loft for the storage of goods and lumber, or the lodging of servants. The height of the roofs 
 is seldom more than twenty-five feet from the ground. They slope down from the top, project- 
 ing with their eaves beyond the wall, are supported by joints and tie-beams, and are mostly 
 covered with small wooden shingles of about the size of the hand. These shingles are fastened 
 by means of pegs made of bamboo, or kept in their places by long slips of board, which have 
 large rows of cobble stones put upon them to prevent their removal. The stones are,. however, 
 said to have the additional advantage of hastening the melting of the snow, which during the 
 winter season is quite abundant at Hakodadi. The gable ends, as in Dutch houses, face towards 
 the street, and the roofs projecting to some distance, serve as a cover and a shade to the doors. 
 All the roofs of the houses in front are topped with what at first was supposed to be a curious 
 chimney Avrapped in straw, but which upon examination turned out to be a tub, protected by its 
 straw envelope from the effects of the weather, and kept constantly filled with water, to be 
 sprinkled upon the shingled roofs, in case of fire, by means of a broom which is always deposited 
 at hand, to be ready in an emergency. The people would seem to be very anxious on the score 
 of fires, from the precautions taken against them. In addition to the tubs on the tops of the 
 houses, there are wooden cisterns arranged along the streets, and engines kept in constant 
 readiness. 
 
 These latter have very much the general construction of our own, but are deficient in that 
 important part of the apparatus , an air chamber, and consequently they throw the water, 
 not with a continuous stream, but in short, quick jets. Fire alarms, made of a thick piece 
 of plank, hung on posts at the corners of the streets, and protected by a small roofing, 
 which are struck by tlie watchman, in case of a fire breaking out, showed the anxious fears of
 
 DWELLINGS AT HAKODADI. 439 
 
 the inhabitants, and the oharrcd timbers and ruins still remaining where a hundred houses had 
 stood but a few months before, proved the necessity of the most careful precautions. 
 
 A few of the better houses and the temples are neatly roofed with brown earthen tiles, laid in 
 gutter form. The poorer people are forced to content themselves with mere thatched hovels, the 
 thatch of which is often overgrown wltli a fertile crop of vegetables and grass, the seeds of 
 which have been deposited by vagrant crows. The walls of the buildings are generally con- 
 structed of pine boards, fastened lengthwise, with a layer inside and out, to the framework, 
 which is jointed with admirable skill. The boards in front and rear are made to slide horizon- 
 tally in grooves like shutters. At night they are barred fast, and in the day-time entirely 
 removed, to allow of the light to pass freely through the paper screens behind them. As in 
 Simoda, the roofs project beyond the walls of the houses, and serve as a shelter, in front for the 
 display of goods, and in the rear for the carrying on of various domestic operations. The 
 Japanese wood-work is never painted, although in the interior of the houses it is occasionally 
 varnished or oiled ; the buildings consequently have a mean and thriftless look. In the wintry, 
 moist climate of Hakodadi, the effect of weather upon the unpainted pine boards was strikingly 
 apparent, causing them to contract mould and rot, so that the whole town had a more rusty, 
 ruined appearance than its age should indicate. ■-• 
 
 Previous to building a house the ground is beaten smooth, and the floor is raised about two 
 feet above it, leaving a space in front and by one of the sides, which serves for a path to the 
 rear, and a place to store heavy goods, as the roof projects over and protects it from the weather. 
 In the shops the whole front is often taken out to display their contents, but in the dwellings 
 and the mechanics' establishments, there is usually a barred lattice of bamboo to hide the 
 inmates from passing observation. Each house has a charm placed over the liirtel or doorpost, 
 consisting of the picture of a god, a printed prayer or a paper inscribed with some complicated 
 characters, designed to protect the dwelling from fire or any other calamity. 
 
 The raised floor which covers nearly the whole 
 area of the house is covered with white mats 
 made soft and thick by being lined at the bottom 
 with straw. These are very neatly woven and 
 liound with cloth, and are all of the uniform size 
 prescribed by law, being three feet by six, and 
 placed in rows upon the floor so neatly asto have 
 the appearance of one piece. Upon these mats 
 the people sit to take their meals, to sell tlieir 
 japsnesc Pillow and cushion.-Drawer opon. warcs, to smokc thcir pipcs, to convcrsc with 
 
 their friends, and lie down at night without undressing themselves to go to sleep, adding, 
 however, a quilted mat for a cover, and the equivocal comfort of a hard box for a pilbiw. 
 The houses are generally lighted, as has been frequently observed, with windows of oiled 
 paper, though mica and shells are occasionally used instead. 
 
 The interior of the houses is plain and simple in arrangement, but always scrupulously neat 
 and clean. There are in some of the better mansions occasional wood carvings of exijuisite 
 workmanship, though not very elaborate in design. The paper windows and sliding screens 
 which divide the apartments are often adorned with paintings of landscape and birds. In 
 addition to the panels the walls of the room are frequently hung with gaily painted paper,
 
 440 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 •which being arranged as rolling maps are with us, is moveable at pleasure. The stork or crane, 
 a bird held sacred by the Japanese, and the winged tortoise, and the porpoise, or dolphin of the 
 ancients, are favorite designs in all these decorations, whether of wood, carving, or painting, in 
 the various buildings. 
 
 The furniture of a Japanese house is particularly meagre, consisting invariably of nothing but 
 the floor mats and the household utensils, which are few and simple. As squatting, not sitting, 
 is almost the invariable practice, there seems no occasion for chairs, although they were 
 sometimes found, and invariably supplied on state occasions. These are clumsy contrivances 
 with coarse leathern seats, and a framework like that of the common camp stool, which is 
 readily folded up when not used. At the conferences with the authorities, the subordinate 
 officers, both American and Japanese, were seated on sedans or benches covered with a red 
 crape, while tlie CommodDre and the highest native dignitaries were honored with stools, which 
 occasionally had the comfortable addition of arms and backs to them. The national posture of 
 all classes, however, in Japan, when at rest, is crouching either upon the knees, or on the 
 haunches with their legs crossed. The latter is common among the lower classes, and is 
 pronounced by the fashionables as decidedly vulgar, who invariably assume the former. 
 
 Tables are not generally used, but on the occasion of the public entertainments given to the 
 American officers, the narrow red crape covered benches were appropriated for the spread of the 
 feast, the dishes being raised to the proper height for the guest by means of the ordinary 
 lacquered stands of a foot in height and fourteen inches square. The Japanese eat from these 
 raised trays while squatting upon their mats, and the unsocial practice thus obtains of each 
 person taking his food by himself. Some lacquered cups, bowls, and porcelain vessels, the 
 invariable chop«ticks, and an occasional earthenware spoon, comprise the ordinary utensils used 
 in eating. They drink their soups directly out of the bowl, as a hungry child might, after 
 seizing with their chopsticks the pieces of fish which are generally floating in the liquid. Their 
 tea-kettles, which are always at hand simmering over the fire in the kitchen, are made of bronze, 
 silver, or of fire-proof earthenware. In the centre of the common sitting room there is a square 
 hole built in with tiles and filled with sand, in which a charcoal fire is always kept burning, 
 and suspended above is the tea-kettle supported by a tripod. There is thus constantly a supply 
 of hot water for making tea, which is invariably handed to the visitor on his arrival. Tlie 
 beverage is prepared as with us, but very weak. The cup is generally of porcelain, with a 
 wooden lacquered cover. The tea is not ordinarily sweetened, though at Hakodadi sugar was 
 often used. The better houses are warmed, but very imperfectly, by metal braziers placed on 
 lacquered stands containing burning charcoal, which are moved readily from room to room as 
 they may be required. In tlie cottages of the poor, there being but little ventilation from their 
 contracted size, and no places of issue for the smoke, the burning charcoal in the fixed central 
 fire places becomes a great nuisance. In the more pretentious establishments, where there is 
 plenty of space and holes in the roof or in the walls for the escape of smoke, while the charcoal 
 is not brought in until perfectly ignited, this mode of heating the apartments is more endurable. 
 At Hakodadi the people seemed to suffer a great deal from the wintry weather, the poorer 
 classes kept much within doors huddled about their meagre fires in their liovels, which, without 
 chimneys, and with but a scant light from the paper windows, were e.xceodingly cold, gloomy, 
 and comfortless. The richer people strove to make themselves more comfortable by enveloping
 
 DOMESTIC LIVING AT UAKODADI 
 
 441 
 
 their bodies in a succession of warm robes, but succeeded indiiferently, as they were constantly 
 complaining of the severity of the weather. 
 
 It is by the charcoal fires in the centre of the sitting apartment where the water for tea is 
 boiled, the saki heated, and sundry small dishes cooked ; but in tlie larger establishments there 
 is a kitchen besides, wliere the family cooking is got up. These are generally provided with a 
 stove, like an ordinary French cooking apparatus, in which wood is often burned, but this is an 
 article they are very economical in using. 
 
 Japanese Kitchen, Ilakoiladi. 
 
 Connected with most of the dwellings in Hakodadi there is a yard iu which tliere are out- 
 houses used for kitchens or stables. There is also frequently a garden where vegetables in 
 small quantities are raised, flowers cultivated, and shade-trees and ornamental shrubs jilanted. 
 Some of the leading men of the i)lace have handsome residences upon elevated situations, a little 
 back of the town. Their houses are of the ordinary construction, but much larger in dimen- 
 sions. The superior wealth and luxurious tastes of their proprietors are shown chiefly in the 
 handsome gardens and pleasure grounds. These are tasteftilly planted with fruit and shade 
 trees, and bounded with green hedges, while beds of variegated flowers contrast their bright 
 hues with the green verdure of the foliage and the lawns of grass. There seems, in the high 
 fences which guard from the eyes of the passer by the sight of these luxurious delights, a 
 desire for that privacy which betokens a love of retirement and a fastidious appreciation of the 
 reserved comforts of home. 
 
 As in Simoda, there are large fire-proof warehouses, used for the storage of valuable goods. 
 They are built with a great deal more care than the ordinary shops and other buildings, and 
 56 J
 
 442 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 have walls two feet thick, made of dried mud and cobbles, and faced with stone, while their 
 roofs are securely constructed of earthen tiles. These warehouses are generally two stories in 
 height, the upper one having window shutters of wood sheathed with iron. Their exterior is 
 sometimes covered with a coat of fine plaster, which, with their substantial structure, gives 
 them a neatness and solidity of a.spect which contrast greatly with the flimsy stained look of 
 the ordinary houses. They are probably depots for the storage of goods which belong to the 
 government," and are kept with great care and guarded watchfully. 
 
 The shops in Hakodadi geuerally contain such goods as are of a cheap sort, and adapted to 
 the restricted wants of a poor population. The stock is made up of a miscellaneous assortment 
 of coarse, thick cottons, inferior silks, common earthen and China ware, lacquered bowls, cups, 
 stands and chop sticks, cheap cutlery, and ready made clothing. Furs, leather, felted cloths, 
 glass-ware, or copper articles are rarely seen, nor are books and stationery very common. The 
 provision shops contain rice, wheat, barley, pulse, dried fish, seaweed, salt, sugar, sackee, soy, 
 charcoal, sweet potatoes, flour, and other less necessary articles, and all apjiarcntly in abundant 
 quantities. There is no public market in the town, as neither beef, pork, nor miitton are eaten, 
 and very little poultry. Vegetables, and a preparation made of beans and rice Hour, which has 
 the consistency and appearance of cheese, are hawked about the streets, and form a considerable 
 jjortion of the diet of the people. The signs of the shops, in accordance with the general prac- 
 tice in Japan, are inscribed on the paper windows and doors, in various well known devices and 
 cyphers, either in Chinese or Japanese chai-acters. The shopmen were at first very shy, and 
 showed but little disposition to sell their goods to the Americans ; but when they became some- 
 what more flxmiliar with the strangers, the characteristic eagerness of tradesmen developed 
 itself to the full, and the Hakodadi merchants showed themselves as clever at their business as 
 any Chatham street or Bowery salesman with us. They bustled about the raised platform upon 
 which they were perched, pulled out the drawers arranged on the walls, and displayed their 
 goods to the greatest advantage when they thought there was a chance of catching the eye and 
 pleasing the taste of a passing American. They were always very jealous, however, of their 
 prerogatives, and were exceedingly annoyed if any of their purchasers stepped upon the 
 platform, which was their trading sanctum, and as carefully guarded against intrusion as the 
 "behind the counter" of a New York shopman. The purchaser ordinarily stood under the 
 roof, on the ground, in the space which intervened between the sidewalk and the elevated shop 
 floor. Some of the more impatient and intrusive Yankees, however, would occasionally spring 
 up, and pulling out the goods, handle them very unceremoniously, not, however, without a 
 serious protest on the part of the sellers, who sometimes were so annoyed that official comjilaints 
 were made by them to the authorities. The shopkeepers had always a fixed price for their 
 goods, and all attempts to beat them down were useless, and generally rebuked by an expres- 
 sion of displeasure. 
 
 There are four large Buddhist temples in Hakodadi, one of which, called the Zhiogen-zhi, or 
 the country's protector, is a good sjiecimen of Ja])anese architecture. It was built by the 
 townspeople about twenty years since, and is kept in excellent repair. The tiled roof rises fully 
 sixty feet from the ground, and is supported by an intricate arrangement of girders, posts, and 
 tie-beams, resting upon large lacquered pillars. This temide is cue of the most conspicuous 
 objects seen when entering the harbor. The principal apartment in the interior is elaborately 
 carved and richly gilded. Tlie carving and sculpture about tlie altar, the niches, and cornices, 
 are of wood and brass, and show very skilful workmanship. The designs are dragons,
 
 TEMPLES AT HAKOn.vni, 
 
 443 
 
 phoenixes, cranes, tortoises, and other subjects associated with the religious worship of Bud<lha. 
 The main floor is elevated six feet above the ground, and covered, as usual, with thick mats. 
 There are three separate shrines, each containing an image, the one in the nave being the 
 largest and most highly adorned. A sort of architrave descends between the pillars, so 
 contrived that, with the aid of folding screens, the shrines may be readily partitioned off. 
 There are six priests attached to the establishment, and their quarters and those wliicli are 
 provided for visitors were models of neatness and cleanliness. Tlie temples in Ja^ian, as in 
 China, are often used for places of concourse or entertainment, and on such occasions the altars 
 and shrines are covered or removed, which so changes the aspect of the interior that no one 
 would suspect that he was in a house of worship. On the visit of the American squadron one 
 of the temples was appropriated for a bazaar — a worldly use that the ecclesiastics, so far from 
 objecting to, highly approved of, as it added considerably to their revenue, the rent of the 
 apartments being the perquisite on the occasion. 
 
 In the enclosure before the Zhiogen-zhi there is a grove of large spreading cypresses, in the 
 shade of which there are several outer buildings, and a shed which covers six small stone 
 images of deities. On either side of the avenue which leads to the temple there are pairs of 
 stone candelabras, and near by the statue of a goddess with a child in her arms. A copper 
 nimbus or glory surrounds the heads of all these idols, and reminds the Christian visitor of what 
 he may have seen in some churches of his own country. 
 
 Next to the Zhiogen-zhi, in a southerly direction, is the Zhetsa-zhi or True-acting monestary, 
 an older and somewhat dilapidated building. There are several small sheds in the yard in 
 front of this temple, one of which protects from the weather a subscription-box and a handsomely 
 sculptured stone candelabra. The priests have shown considerable taste in the cultivation and 
 arrangement of the garden and pleasure grounds in the rear of the building. 
 
 — =^--^^ ,-rr^ -- _ Near the main street, which extends 
 
 ^ Aj^ -=^ along the bay, in an enclosure beautifully 
 
 ^ 1_ shaded with willows and firs of remark- 
 
 able growth, is the Kono-zhi, or High 
 Dragon temple, so called from a large 
 
 dragon carved along the entablature in 
 front ; there is also a carp fish, some six 
 feet long, .skilfully cut out of wood, ex- 
 tending in an upright direction on the 
 right side of the porch. Tliis temple is 
 a large edifice, and, although now falling 
 to decay, bears in its elaborate ornaments 
 and its expensive appointments signs of 
 liaving been once in great esteem. Within 
 the grounds which enclose it are various 
 richly adorned gateways, stone statues, 
 candelabras, and shrines, all showing more 
 or less skilful design and workmanship. 
 Tlie fourth and last of tlic Buddhist tem- 
 idois near a Buddhui Temple, Uakodudi. plcs Is Called the Shiomio-zhi, Or the mon- 
 
 astery of Buddha's name, but presents nothing of especial interest to distinguisli it from the others.
 
 444 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 Each of these temples has its adjoining grave-yard, filled with tombs and monuments charac- 
 teristic of the Japanese people and their religious belief. Near each grave, as at Simoda, there 
 arc s(inare posts and boards, with the names of the dead, quotations from the canonical 
 Buddhist books, lines of poetry, and moral and religious apothegms, generally referring to the 
 vanity of this world and the felicity of Buddha's heaven in the next. There was a curious 
 contrivance found in one of the burial places, consisting of a tall post, in which an iron wheel 
 was attached. The post was placed upright, and being square presented four surfaces, on each 
 of which v.-as one or two of the following inscriptions or prayers : 
 
 " The great rovmd mirror of knowledge says, ' wise men and fools are embarked in the same 
 boat ;' whether prospered or afflicted, both arc rowing over the deep lake ; the gay sails lightly 
 hang to catch the autumnal breeze ; then away they straight enter the lustrous clouds, and 
 become partakers of heaven's knowledge." 
 
 " The believing man Hanyo Shenkaman, who no longer grows old." 
 " The believing woman, once called Yuenning : Happy was the day she left." 
 "Multitudes fill the graves." 
 
 " To enable to enter the abodes of the perfect, and to sympathize fully with the men of thc 
 world, belongs to Buddha. It is only by this one vehicle, the coffin, we can enter Hades. 
 There is nought like Buddha ; nothing at all." 
 
 " We of the human race with hearts, minds, and understandings, when wc read the volumes 
 of Buddha, enjoy great advantages." 
 
 " He whose prescience detects knowledge, says : as the floating grass is blown by the gentle 
 breeze, or the glancing ripples of autumn disappear, when the sun goes down, or as the ship 
 returns home to her old shore, so is life : it is a smoke, a morning tide." 
 
 " Buddha himself earnestly desires to hear the name of this person, (who is buried,) and 
 wishes he may go to life. ' 
 
 " He who has left humanity is now perfected by Buddha's name, as the withered moss is by 
 the dew." 
 
 " The canon of Buddha says, all who reach the blissful land will become so that they cannot 
 be made to transmigrate, (or change for the worse.)" 
 
 The square post upon which these inscriptions were cut was nearly eight feet in length, and 
 near the centre, at a convenient height to be reached by the hand, was affixed, vertically, a 
 wheel, which moved readily on an axle that passed through the post. Two small iron rings 
 were strung upon each of the three spokes of the large wheel. Every jjcrson who twisted this 
 instrument in passing was supposed to obtain credit in heaven for one or more prayers on the 
 post, the number being graduated according to the rigor of the performer's devotion, and the 
 number of revolutions effected. The jingle of the small iron rings was believed to secure the 
 attention of the deity to the invocation of the devotional, and the greater the noise, the more 
 certain of its being listened to. This praying by wheel and axle would seem to be the very 
 perfection of a ceremonious religion, as it reduces it to a system of mechanical laws, which, 
 provided the apparatus is kept in order, a result easily obtained by a little oil, moderate use, 
 and occasional repairs, can be readily executed with the least possible exiienditure of human 
 labor, and with all that economy of time and thought which seems the great purpose of our 
 material and mechanical age. Hue, in his interesting account of his travels in Thibet, speaks 
 of an improvement on the machine we have described, where the apparatus was turned by
 
 SINTOO TEMPLES, HAKODADI. 
 
 445 
 
 water-power, and very appropriately styles it a prayer mill. lu tlic course of the progress of 
 the Japanese in the mechanical arts, this, with their usual readiness in adopting new improve- 
 ments, will no doubt he introduced, or perhaps the more eifective 
 power of steam will be applied to their praying machines, and 
 with the introduction of steamboats and railroads may commence 
 an era of locomotive devotion. 
 
 There are three large Mia, or Sintoo temples, in Hakodadi, 
 called respectively the Sheumei, the Hachiman, and the Penten, 
 dedicated to national deified heroes and gods. They are not in 
 so flourishing condition as their competitors, the Buddhist tem- 
 ples, which have gained the ascendancy, and are fast absorbing 
 the whole devotional interests of the Japanese people. The Sintoo 
 places of worship are generally got up on a cheaper scale, and are 
 much less resorted to. They have no burying grounds attached, 
 and are not surrounded by any defined enclosure. There are, 
 however, several gateways, with ornaments sculptured on stone 
 simnning the approach, hut the area which surrounds the temples 
 is open and the public road passes through it. A curator with 
 his family, whose duty it is to keep the idols polished up and the 
 sacred grounds in a tidy condition, generally resides on or near the 
 premises. The Hachiman house of worship presents a peculiarity 
 in its architecture not elsewhere observed, which consists of a 
 projection from the roof like a dormer window, underneath which 
 there is an entablature adorned with a few carvings in wood. The 
 effect, in an architectural point of view, is good, as it relieves the 
 blankness of a great expanse of roof, and is in harmony with the 
 ornaments of the eaves below. 
 
 Upon the summits and acclivities of the hills in the neighbor- 
 hood of Hakodadi, and in niches and small shrines under shadow 
 of groves of cypress and other trees by the wayside, are frequent 
 Prayer wiieei. stonc statucs of Buddha, venerable with age and moss-grown, 
 
 about four feet high, elevated upon small pedestals, and the innumerable offerings of copper 
 cash, rags, flowers, and written papers, strewed before them, prove the large number of devotees 
 and the attention of the people to their devotional duties. The Japanese resort frequently to 
 these roadside deities, and the higher they are perched, and the more inaccessible their approach, 
 the greater is esteemed the merit in invoking them. These idols are supposed to have great 
 power in warding off the storms or disasters to which mariners on that inhospitable coast are 
 exposed, and most of the offerings are made with a view to propitiate Buddha and his associate 
 deities in the event of an approaching danger. In addition to the statucs there are distributed 
 along the roads and pathways frequent stone slabs with inscriptions and a gallows-shaped 
 gateway, fancifully carved and ornamented beams, with two vertical and a single horizontal one 
 crossing tliem at the top. These are never passed by tlie pious Japanese without a genuflexion 
 and the utterance of a passing prayer ; and so frequent are the stoppages in consequence, that
 
 446 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 the American officers, when strolling into the country under the guidance of a native, found 
 their journey indefinitely prolonged, and their patience sorely taxed. 
 
 The question naturally arises, what, upon a survey of the whole ground, arc tlie prospects 
 of now presenting Christianity to the Japanese mind with any hope of a favorable reception? 
 To this subject Mr. Jones, the chaplain, naturally directed his thoughts, and his sound judg- 
 ment, added to his known pious zeal, entitles his opinions to the respect of Christians of all 
 denominations. He thus writes : 
 
 "Apart from governmental influence, I think there would be no great difficulty in introducing 
 Christianity; hut the cjovernment would interfere most decidedly. I performed funeral services on 
 shore four times: once at Yoku-hama, twice at Hakodadi, and once at Simoda; in every 
 instance in the presence of the Japanese, and, in most, when large numbers were collected. 
 They always behaved well. Japanese officers were present, with their insignia, on all occasions. 
 I thus became known among the people everywhere as a Christian clergyman, or, to follow their 
 signs for designating me, as ' a praying man.' Instead of this producing a shrinking from me, 
 as I had supposed it would, I found that I had decidedly gained by it in their respect, and this 
 among officials as well as commoners. At oiir last visit to Siraoda we found a new governor, it 
 having now become a royal instead of a provincial town. This governor was an affivble, yet 
 dignified, man, of very polished manners, and would compare favorably with the best gentlemen 
 in any country. At the bazaar, amid the buying, &c., I was led up to him by one of the 
 officials and introduced as a clergyman. The governor's countenance brightened up as my office 
 was annoimced, and his salutation and treatment of me became additionally courteous. I 
 mention this, however, for what it may be worth. There was no seeming aversion to me 
 because I was a minister of Christianity. The government, however, beyond all doubt, is 
 exceedingly jealous about our religion ; but the Japanese officials, as well as the people, are ^ 
 inquisitive, and so observant of all that comes witliin their reach, that, doubtless, after a time, 
 they might be brought to see the difference between ourselves and the Romanists. Against the 
 latter they have a deep-seated dislike. Until they do understand that difference, no form of 
 Christianity can probably get foothold in Japan." 
 
 There is little appearance of military defence about Hakodadi, though its position would seem 
 to offer advantages for rendering it almost impregnable. Beyond the town, liowever, in an 
 easterly direction, there are two earthen forts dug out of the ground, and intended, ajiparently, 
 to guard the entrance to the harbor. Stakes or i)alisades are driven in along the cuttings to 
 prevent the earth from caving in, and to aid in the defence. Two wooden buildings stand near 
 by, which arc connected with magazines underneath the excavated area of tlie forts. Within 
 these latter is a pavement of stone, and embrasures of four feet in width, opening in the eastern 
 embankment looking seaward, and made apjiarently for only two guns. On the beach, at the 
 eastern end of the main street, tliere is a building, with a broad enclosure, which seems to be 
 intended for purposes of fortification, although, from the absence of cannon and other warlike 
 appointments, it may be only used for a parade ground. There are better specimens of military 
 defence in Japan than those rude constructions, as, for example, at Uraga, where several stone 
 forts exist, built according to better principles of art, altliough there are probably none in the 
 whole country which could withstand a slight cannonading from European or American ships 
 of war, or even an attack from a few well armed boats. 
 
 The country about Hakodadi, though picturesque to the view, did not present such attractions
 
 MINERAL SPRING AT HAKODADI. 447 
 
 for the pedestrian as that in the neighborhood of Sinioda. The environs are comparatively rnde 
 and uncultivated, and the land is so broken by the hills and mountainous elevations, that the 
 roads are necessarily steep, irregular, and toilsome to the traveller. The isolated rock at the 
 base, and on the side of which the town is built, is steep and rough, but is ascended by a 
 winding ]iath to the top. The summit commands a fine view of the harbor, and was often 
 scaled by the officers of the expedition, where they were reminded of the high advance in art of 
 the country by finding an observatory, or look-out for vessels, supplied with a telescope of 
 Japanese manufacture, being arranged with glasses like our own inserted in a tube of bamboo. 
 
 The geological features of the hill itself are of considerable interest. It is composed of a 
 variety of granite, the syenite, generally gray, though occasionally of a reddish tint, in which 
 crystals of tourmaline are more or less abundantly diffused. On the southwestern side of the 
 promontory the rock has been first torn apart by some subterranean force, leaving a crevice 
 about twenty feet in width, and subsequently another upheaving movement has forced up, 
 so as to fill the space partially, a rocky substance, similar to the mountain in kind, but 
 with no tourmaline, and a softer feldspar, having the charaeter of the porjihyritic formation. 
 At this point a mineral spring issues from the crevices of the rock. It is considerably impreg- 
 nated with sulphuretted hydrogen gas, as was very evident from its taste and odor, is warm to 
 the touch, and one of the surgeons reports it as " sitting lightly on the stomach." Its gases 
 and odor are lost, however, by being kept even for a short time. The water contains chloride 
 of sodium, and probably some mineral sulphate or sulphuret. The intelligent medical officer 
 Dr. Green, to whose account we are indebted for our information, further reports it to be 
 medicinally somewhat diuretic and slightly aperient, and infers that it would be probably 
 beneficial in some cutaneous diseases and chronic complaints, where the secretions are disordered 
 or suppressed. The natives, who accompanied the Americans to the spring, made signs that 
 the water was not good to drink, but excellent to bathe in ; and the erection of a presiding 
 deity in its neighborhood, and the frequent use of it by the inhabitants for washing themselves, 
 proved a high appreciation of its qualities. 
 
 A few hundred yards west of the sulphur spring, at the back of the town, is a natural cave 
 in the mountain. It opens from the sea into a steep, perpendicular cliff, and can be entered 
 only by means of a boat. It is about thirty feet high, a dozen or so in width, and the water at 
 the entrance has a depth of nearly twenty feet. A party from the ships penetrated it until the 
 darkness of the interior became so great that objects could no longer be distinguished ; it was 
 found, however, by groping along, that the cave branched oft' to the right and left, with appa- 
 rently the same depth of water and the same height of roof as at the entrance. Within, a 
 perfect calmness reigned, the water being almost motionless, and the atmosphere close and 
 undisturbed by a breath of wind. Wlien the light was sufficient, the bottom could be seen 
 glistening brightly with a deposit of white sand. When storms prevail, there must be a great 
 rushing of waters, and war of the winds, through this cavernous channel. The entrance to 
 the cave is arched, and the rocky cliff in which it opens has a columnar formation, extending 
 from the curve of the arch, high up the rock. At first sight it was supposed to be basalt, as it 
 had a similar appearance to the columns of the Giant's causeway in Ireland ; but on further 
 investigation, the geological formation proved to be the syenitic form of granite, like the main 
 body of the mountain. 
 
 The peninsula on which the town stands affords but a few score of acres of arable laud lying
 
 448 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 on the eastern slope of the highest hill, near the fishing village of Shirasawaki on the seashore. 
 It is cultivated in vegetables, principally for the consumption of the jieople of Hakoiladi. 
 Onions, a few sweet potatoes and radishes, are the chief products, the last of which are a very 
 favorite article of food, and are served up raw, being grated and used as a condiment with fish, 
 and cooked hy stewing and boiling. The low isthmus which connects the site of the town with 
 the main land is mostly left uncultivated, although it might be by proper tillage rendered 
 tolerably productive. Further in the interior, the soil is more worked, and large crops are 
 obtained, but with very little profit to the farmer, as the country in that direction is composed 
 of a flat, sandy plain, which can only be made productive by immense labor, and a great 
 expenditure of manure, which is extensively used. 
 
 There are several beautiful copses of pines and maples near the town, some fruit trees and 
 flowering shrubs, and the vegetation upon the lower acclivities of the surrounding hills is 
 vigorous. A large variety of northern plants, birches, spiroeas, laburnums, wake-robins, and 
 others clothe the sides, and afford a scant fuel to the poor. 
 
 The inhabitants of Hakodadi and its neighborhood, gaining their livelihood chiefly from 
 commerce and the fisheries, necessarily pay but little attention to agricultural pursuits. They 
 carry on a large trade with the interior of the island of Tesso, with Matsmai, and other of the 
 numerous towns and villages, which are supplied with the various products of Japan by means 
 of the brisk commerce which exists between Hakodadi and the shipping ports on the coasts of 
 Nijipon, Sikok, and Kiu-siu. The junks engaged in this shipping trade take from Hakodadi 
 cargoes of dried and salted fish, prepared seaweed, charcoal, deers' horns, timber, and other 
 produce of Yesso, and bring back rice, sugar, tea, various grains, sweet potatoes, tobacco, cloths, 
 silks, porcelain, lacquered ware, cutlery, and whatever else they may need. More than a 
 hundred of the native vessels sailed for different southern jiorts of the Empire during the short 
 stay of the Commodore, and all had cargoes almost exclusively made up of productions of the sea. 
 They generally travel along the western coast, as being less boisterous, and affording a greater 
 number of safe anchoring places. These junks are all nearly of the same dimensions in burden, 
 corresponding to about a hundred tons of our measurement, and in construction, rig, and 
 equipment, precisely alike. More than a thousand of these vessels are occasionally seen at one 
 time at anchor in the port of Hakodadi. The principal places with which this commerce is 
 carried on are Sado, lying south of Matsmai, Tedo, Yetchigo, Nagasaki or Simonosaki, and with 
 Osaka and Owari. Of the craft in which this commerce is carried on the Commodore has 
 furnished the following account : 
 
 " The ramifications of the laws of Japan leave nothing unnoticed, and it has been more than 
 once remarked, that in no part of the world are the established laws and municipal regulations 
 more thoroughly enforced,, and so in respect to the construction of vessels or junks as they are 
 called. The builder is not permitted to deviate from a uniform rule, as well in model, size, rig, 
 as in the interior arrangement. 
 
 " In the time of Kempfer, the authorized dimensions of Japanese merchant vessels were, as 
 he tells us, ' fourteen fathoms long and four fathoms broad,' (length 84 and breadtli 2 t feet ;) 
 he says nothing of the depth, but from their flatness I should judge that the hold could not 
 exceed six or eight feet under deck. Tliese proportions have not, in all probability, clianged for 
 a long period before Kenipfcr's book appeared, (whicli was publislied in the early part of the 
 last century,) down to the present time.
 
 JAPANESE SHIP BUILDING. 449 
 
 "Those wliicli came within»my observation, and I certainly could not have seen less than a 
 thousand, were all of somewhat similar dimensions and appearance ; the drawings to which the 
 reader is referred are so accurate that any precise description is rendered unnecessary, and it is 
 only requisite to say that they all have at this time open sterns, with a strong bulkhead aft to 
 keep the water from tlowing into the hold. The rudder is of large and unwieldy size, and is 
 hoisted up or lowered by means of runners worked by a windlass fitted in the cabin, which latter 
 is also used in connexion with one on the forecastle for hoisting and lowering the mast 
 and sail. 
 
 " The reasons assigned for requiring the sterns of all vessels to be constructed in this way, has 
 been to render more convenient the management of the rudder ; Kempfer and other writers 
 ascribe it to the susjiicious policy of the government, which forbids any of its vessels to visit 
 foreign countries ; and, until the period of my negotiations, the punishment of death was 
 adjudged against all who, by design or accident, were thrown upon a strange land ; and hence 
 they very naturally assumed that the navigators of these frail and open stern craft would not 
 venture beyond the sight of land. It is known, however, that the Chinese junks usually have 
 sterns and rudders somewhat similar, and a presumption may be reasonably advanced that this 
 description of rudder was the first substitute for the paddle oar or sweep used in early times for 
 steering, and the recess in the stern has been left for the sole convenience of taking the rudder 
 out of the water. 
 
 ' •■ It will be seen by the drawings that these vessels have a sharp tapering bow with a straight 
 projecting stern. They have but one mast, and that is placed considerably abaft the centre 
 beam ; one sail only is used, and that a lug with a square head. This is worked by braces to 
 the yard and by the usual tacks and sheets, and a number of bow lines attached to both leaches, 
 and extending well up towards the head ; these are intended to keep the sail flat, when on a 
 wind ; but with all these contrivances it cannot be prevented from bellying to such a degree as 
 to render it impossible for the vessel to work nearer the wind than seven points on either tack ; 
 and, to make the sail still more clumsy and unsuitable, the material of which it is made, either 
 cotton or grass cloth, is laced together in vertical breadths, instead of being closely sewed, as 
 with us. 
 
 " The main or lower deck is flush, and intended to be sufficiently strong and water tight to 
 
 secure the cargo ; over this and abaft the mast, is a sort of half deck, "which covers the cabin, and 
 
 is also of tolerable strength. In this cabin the officers, passengers, and servants are quartered, 
 
 the diflerent apartments being formed of moveable bulkheads or screens ; here also is the altar, 
 
 surmounted by an image of some patron god. Forward of the mast, and above the main or 
 
 only flush deck, is a sort of pitched roof, with sides resting upon the gunwales. This is covered 
 
 with boards or thatch, and serves as a shelter for the crew, averaging about thirty in number, 
 
 and the stowing of the least valuable part of the cargo ; forward of this is the cable,windlass 
 
 and a space for working the runner forestay ; here also the anchors are stowed when on board." 
 
 By this description one may well judge of the unfitness of these vessels even for navigating 
 
 the coasts and islands of Japan, made, indeed, more dangerous by the prevalence of boisterous 
 
 and foggy weather in those regions ; doubtless many of them are lost, but their pilots (for each 
 
 has an under officer of this class) rarely venture more than a few miles from the land, excepting 
 
 when running from island to island ; and in these passages they never leave port without 
 
 favorable weather and a fair wind. 
 
 57 J
 
 450 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 The boats are large and commodious, and in model not unlik* tlie junks ; they are usually 
 propelled by sculls, which are worke ' at the sides on projections from the gunwales, the oars 
 or sculls being long and somewhat bent. At Hakodadi we noticed that some of the boatmen 
 used their oars in the American fashion, excepting tluit they dropped and raised their starboard 
 and port oars alternately, and not uniformly together as we do. In sculling, the Japanese 
 stand, and keep perfect measure or stroke with their sculls, which is the better preserved by 
 their chaunting a monotonous refrain, every alternate man swinging his body in opposite 
 directions, one pushing the other pulling. Tlic rowers thus vibrating half of them one way, and 
 half the other, the boat is kept perfectly upright as she dashes through, or rather over, the water. 
 
 We saw nothing remarkable in the manner or workmanship of the Japanese shipbuilders. 
 It is doubtful whether they have any scientific rules for drafting or modelling, or for ascer- 
 taining the displacement of their vessels ; nor perhaps has it been necessary, as the law 
 confined tliem all to one model and size. 
 
 The tools with which they work are of primitive description, and the finest of their work is 
 not remarkable for its neatness ; copper is preferred to iron in fastening, when it can be advan- 
 tageously used, and this is doubtless owing to the great abundance of the former as a native 
 production. 
 
 It is a singular fact, strongly illustrative of the effect produced upon the people of this 
 strange country by our friendly and social communications with them, that the law already 
 mentioned, which restricted the construction of their vessels to one particular model, and that 
 inflicting death upon those of their nation who should return to the Empire after having once 
 left it, no matter how, were both suspended ; whether annulled or not, I cannot say. 
 
 Kayama Tesaiman, the governor of Uraga, was authorized, as we have heard, and instructed 
 to build a vessel after the model of the storeship Supply, a very pretty vessel, and the Japanese 
 commissioners who negotiated with me invited a native we had on board the flag-ship, to whom 
 the sailors had given the sobriquet of "Sam Patch," to land and rejoin his family, pledging 
 themselves, in my presence, that he should be treated kindly and provided for, under the imme- 
 diate protection of one of them. Since then there has been, as I understand, no objections made 
 to the return of any of the shipwrecked Japanese ; but how far they have improved in sliiiJ 
 building, I have not heard. 
 
 We saw no war junks, and it is jirobable they have none of any size, the country not having 
 been engaged for a long period in war. They content themselves, most likely, in putting light 
 swivels or howitzers on the larger of their boats, whenever they cannot depend entirely upon 
 their many land batteries. 
 
 A very large portion of the population is engaged in the fisheries, which supply an abundant 
 product. While the American squadron was in the harbor, the seine was frequently drawn by 
 the sailors of the ships, and large quantities of excellent fish obtained, consisting of salmon, 
 salmon trout, groupers, white fisli, porgies, perch, flounders, herrings, whitings, mullets, and 
 various other kinds. The salmon we took are not more than half the size of those obtained in 
 the United States, but are superior to them in flavor. (Specimens of smoked salmon from 
 further north were as large as ours.) Crabs, clams of the genus Venus, with beautifully-marked 
 shells, and the large blue muscle, are found in great abundance. The crabs are of considerable 
 size, and proved excellent eating, quite equal to the famous ones of the Chesapeake. 
 
 The sportsmen of the expedition, in their occasional rambles, succeeded in obtaining but few
 
 FISU, GAME, ETC., AT HAKODADI 
 
 451 
 
 specimens of birds or animals. Wild geese, ducks, quail, and other descriptions of game are, 
 however, abundant in their seasons, but the pheasant is rarely seen ; of common birds there 
 were found some curlew, plover, and snipe. The fox, the wild boar, the deer, and the bear, 
 are occasionally hunted. The fox is looked upon by the Japanese as possessed of an evil spirit, 
 and is represented in their allegories as a willing agent of the devil, and with this belief the 
 animal is pursued to the death. The people do not attempt to deprecate the wrath and cunning 
 of his Satanic majesty and his brood, as in some countries, but jpanfully hold them in defiance, 
 and boldly give them battle. A male and female fox, with another animal allied to them in 
 species, were shot, and their skins preserved. 
 
 Fishing at Hakodadi. 
 
 Hakodadi, in the future, will probably be frequented by our whalers, as it is conveniently 
 situated to their usual resorts. Von Siebokl states that sixty-eight square-rigged vessels were 
 counted by the Japanese as passing Hakodadi and Matsmai in one year, and probably nearly all 
 these were American, and most of them engaged in the whale fishery. Von Sicbold, moreover, 
 significantly adds, " and not one daring to approach the shore within gunshot." The treaty 
 has, however, dispelled these alarms, and American vessels are now secured a safe retreat and a 
 place for obtaining necessary supplies. 
 
 Hakodadi will not probably soon become a place of much trade with American vessels, but it 
 can readily supply to the whalers and other .ships good water and aliundance of fish, poultry, 
 vegetables, and some timber, and other articles, the varieties and quantities of which will no
 
 452 
 
 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 doubt increase witlv the demand. Fish, however, is the great staple food of the people 
 throughout tlie Empire of Japan, and is justly called by them their staff of life ; and to express 
 their appreciation of its value, they invariably wrap up a bit of it in paper and send it with 
 each gift. Cattle are only used for the plough and as beasts of burden, so it is almost 
 impossible to obtain a supply of beef. Horses are used a good deal in Hakodadi and the 
 neighborhood for carrying burdens, and also for riding purposes. These animals seem of an 
 excellent breed, and though small are neatly limbed, spirited, and of good bottom. The roads, 
 which, by the-bye, are j^rovided with roadside conveniences answering to the French cahinets 
 d'aisances, are excellent throughout the country, and are occasionally wide and paved, though 
 most frequently they are mere bridle paths, but kept in good order for the horsemen, the pack 
 animals, and the sedans or kagos. 
 
 Jajiiilie.^e K;igo. 
 
 These latter are mo.st generally used for travelling, and consist ot small wooden boxes, 
 supported by poles, which are carried upon the shoulders of the bearers. They are adorned 
 and enriched according to the distinction of the proprietors, but are never very comfortable 
 conveyances. 
 
 Hakodadi is several degrees further north than Simoda, and is surrounded like it with 
 mountains, which are, however, more numerous and lofty, though at a further distance from 
 the town. These were found to be covered at their summits and on their upper acclivities with 
 snow, as late as tlie month of June. The climate of Hakodadi is, therefore, colder than that 
 at Himoda in winter and spring, and the fogs are both fre(|uont and dense. The range of the
 
 n A K O D A D I . 
 
 453 
 
 thermometer from May 18 to June 3 was from 51° to 66°, and that of the barometer 29° 45' to 
 30° 05'. 
 
 The changes of temperature and humidity are sudden and extreme, and therefore render tho 
 inhabitants liable to inflammatory diseases, but probably not more so than in the northern 
 cities with us. 
 
 There are apparently no soiirces of miasma, as the town is situated at the base and on the 
 side of a considerable mountain ; while such is the careful cultivation and draining of the 
 Japanese farmers, there probably can be no causes of ill health from tlie low sandy isthmus and 
 the level plains which connect the peninsula, upon which Hakodadi is situated, with the distant 
 range of mountains. It may, then, be reasonably inferred, that both Hakodadi and Simoda are 
 
 Sub-prefect of Hakodadi with Attendants. 
 
 free from malignant endemic diseases, and may be resorted to with advantage by our ships of 
 war on the China station, particularly at that period of the year — the latter part of summer and 
 autumn — when dysentery and fevers are usually prevalent there. This opinion has, however.
 
 454 
 
 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 more particular reference to the climate ; for, if true, as Golownin says, that the inhabitants of 
 the island of Yesso are subject to scurvy, it will be necessary for vessels to provide against the 
 chances of this disease. It is quite probable that the statement of Golownin may be correct, as 
 occasionally a scarcity of vegetable f >■ d — a frequent source of scurvy — might occur towards 
 spring, as the winters are so long, and the space so short for culture, which, moreover, is the 
 exceptional occupation of the people along the coast, who are mostly engaged in commerce and 
 the fisheries. Vessels, therefore, on a long cruise, should make provision for the possible want 
 of vegetable supplies at Hakodadi. 
 
 The town contains from sis to eight thousand inhabitants, and, from their manly occupations 
 in connexion with the sea, are a comparatively vigorous and spirited people. 
 
 There are still some of the indigenous race of Ainos existing upon the island of Yesso, but they 
 are rarely seen in the neighborhood of Hakodadi. There was, however, during the expedition sent 
 by the Commodore to Volcano Bay, an opportunity of obtaining a casual glance at these strange 
 people, who are described as being of a stature less than that of Europeans, averaging a little 
 over five feet in height, but well proportioned and with intelligent features. Their color is 
 quite dark and their hair black and coarse^ which is clipped behind but allowed to straggle in 
 thick matted locks down in front, in a confused cluster with their long beards, which are never 
 
 Water-boiits anil Junks, Ha'KuJ.uli. 
 
 cut or shaven. Their legs are bare of artificial covering, but are grown over with a plentiful 
 crop of coarse hair, which, together with the abundant growth on their lieads and faces, has 
 given them the name, by which they are better known, of " Hairy Kuriles." Tlioir dress was 
 a coarse and ragged 1)lue undergarment reaching below the knees, over which was thrown 
 carelessly a brown sack with wide sleeves, made of grass or skins. Their dishevelled hair and
 
 JAPANESE MECHANICAL ARTS. 
 
 455 
 
 rude costume gave them a wild look, and they had a dirty, poverty-stricken aspect. Their 
 chief occupation is that of fishing, which thoy carry on under the eye and for the benefit of 
 their Japanese taskmasters, to whose absolute will they are subject. 
 
 Though the people of Hakodadi are generally engaged in the fisheries ■ and occupations 
 connected with a nautical life, there are, of course, to be found in the town persons of all classes, 
 trades, and businesses. 
 
 In speaking, moreover, in the course of the following remarks, upon Japanese life, as illus- 
 trated by manners, habits, customs, and occupations, chiefly observed at Hakodadi, it must not 
 be inferred that what is said applies exclusively to the inhabitants of that place, as a more 
 general bearing is intended. 
 
 In the practical and mechanical arts, the Japanese show great dexterity ; and when the 
 rudeness of their tools and their imperfect knowledge of machinery are considered, the perfec- 
 tion of their manual skill appears marvellous. Their handicraftsmen are as expert as any in 
 the world, and, with a freer development of the inventive powers of the people^ the Japanese 
 would not remain long behind the most successful manufacturing nations. Their curiosity to 
 learn the results of the material progress of other people, and their readiness in adapting them 
 to their own uses, would soon, under a less exclusive policy of government, which isolates them 
 from national communion, raise them to a level with the most favored countries. Once 
 possessed of the acquisitions of the past and present of the civilized world, the Japanese 
 would enter as powerful competitors in the race for mechanical success in the future. 
 
 Every American admired the skillful workmanship of the carpenters as displayed in the 
 construction of the wood- work in the houses, the nice adjustment and smooth finish of the 
 
 Japanese Cooper. 
 
 jointing, the regularity of the flooring, and the neat framing and easy working of the window 
 casements and movable door panels and screens. The general designs of the houses and public
 
 456 
 
 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 buildings were very inferior to the execution of the details of construction. The former were 
 uniform, and probably in accordance with the ancient models, and showed a constraint of inven- 
 tive power within rules doubtless prescribed by government, while the latter evinced that 
 perfection of finish which belongs alone to progressive experience. As in the carpentry, so in 
 the masonry, there was no freedom nor boldness of conception, but the most complete execution. 
 Their stone was well cut, and their walls strongly and regularly built, generally in the massive 
 Cyclopean style. 
 
 The coopers were found to be very expert at Hakodadi, where a large number of barrels was 
 constantly in the process of manufacture for packing the dried and salted fish. The barrels are 
 firkiu'shaped, bulging at the top, and are rapidly and skilfully hooped with plaited bamboo. 
 There are many workers in metal for ornamental and useful purposes. The Japanese under- 
 stand well the carbonizing of iron, and the temper of much of their steel is good, as was proved 
 by the polish and sharpness of their sword blades. The cutlery, however, in common use at 
 
 
 Blacksmith's Shop, 
 
 Hakodadi was of an inferior kind, and the barber of one of the ships pronounced a razor, 
 purchased in the town, as abominably bad, neither cutting nor capable of being made to cut. 
 The blacksmiths arc numerous and busy in the town, but their work is of a small kind, as they 
 do not use the base metals in large masses, but chiefly as parts of various implements and 
 articles, of which wood forms the larger portion. 
 
 Their bellows are peculiar, being a wooden box with air chambers, containing valves and
 
 HAJCODADI. 
 
 457 
 
 a piston, which is -worked horizontally at one end like a hand pnnip, while the compressed 
 air issues from two outlets at the sides. 
 
 ^siirrs^'^- 
 
 Blacksmith's Bellows. 
 
 Charcoal is generally used as the fuel, of which large quantities are made in the forests of the 
 mountains of the interior, and brought to the town by droves of pack-horses, which are seen 
 constantly trotting through the streets. 
 
 As the commerce of Hakodadi is extensive, the ship, or rather junk yards, showed much 
 activity, and great numbers of vessels were constantly seen there in progress of construction. 
 Pine is the material of which the vessels of all sizes are built, and copper is used extensively 
 for bolting and for other purposes. The models are much superior to'those of the Chinese ; but 
 of this department of industry we have already spoken fully. 
 
 Biiip-yiird. 
 
 Nothing was seen of the higher and more complicated branches of industrial art in operation, 
 although the shops were supplied with fabrics which proved no little skill and perfection in 
 58 J
 
 458 
 
 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 various manufactures. The people seemed, however, to be unacquainted with woollen tissues, 
 and exhibited great curiosity in examining the cloth dresses of the Americans. Cotton is much 
 worn by the lower classes, and is generally coarsely woven, being ordinarily made in private 
 looms at liome. Every Japanese woman is more or less an adept at handling the wheel, the 
 spindle, and shuttle, and they were often seen busy in preparing the threads and weaving the 
 rude fabric of which the garments of the poorer classes are commonly made. 
 
 Their cottons are occasionally printed with colors, forming neat calico patterns, but their tints 
 readily fade and will not bear washing. The width of the calico pieces, like that of tlie silks 
 and crapes, is uniformly eighteen inches. This is not suited to an American or European 
 market. Their silks are rich and heavy, and somewhat like our brocade in texture, but stouter 
 
 Spinning and WeaTing. 
 
 and less flexible. Tliey are often of very elaborate figured patterns, interwoven with golden 
 threads and exceedingly beautiful. These are mostly used for the state robes of the high 
 officials and dignitaries of the land. A very high price was generally demanded for these silks, 
 though, in one instance, one of the ofl!icers, from some cause or otlier, purchased a piece at 
 Hakodadi at thirteen cents per yard. The various colored crapes are some of them very flimsy, 
 and are an essential part of Japanese upholstery, being often seen as coverings to divans or 
 scats, and hangings to apartments. Other pieces are superior to Chinese crapes. 
 
 The lacquered ware has all the lightness, neatness of cabinet-work structure, and exquisite 
 polish, that seems possible in work of that description, and the porcelain is equal to tlie
 
 JAPANESE ART. 
 
 459 
 
 choicest specimens of similar Chinese work. The forms and ornamentation of the various 
 articles, although frequently grotesque, showed much grace and skill, and proved great 
 advancement in the application of the arts of design to manufacturing purposes. 
 
 In examining into the character of art exhibited by the Japanese in the illustrated books and 
 pictures brought home by the officers of the expedition, of which several specimens are now 
 before us, the same surprising advancement of this remarkable people, as they have shown in 
 so many other respects, is strikingly observable. To the archajologist there is presented in 
 these illustrations a living example of the archaic period of a national art, when the barbaric 
 character of the past seems to be fast losing its rude features in the early and naive beginnings 
 of a sober and cultivated future. We are reminded, in a degree truly surprising, of the 
 monochromatic designs upon the Etruscan vases. We find simplicity of expression rather than, 
 as might be expected, extravagance and grotesqueness ; and a soberness of coloring so far 
 removed from the gaudy tendencies of oriental taste, that, as we look, we are almost persuaded 
 that we have here a beginning of that unextravagant expression of nature which, in the early 
 Greek efforts, though crude, is so interesting to the antiquarian and artist. The character and 
 form in these Japanese illustrations, though apparently much in advance of Chinese art, are 
 still typical rather than naturalistic ; yet they are marked by an observation of nature which 
 removes them from anything like conventionalism or manner. 
 
 One of these specimens is a book in two volumes, written by the Prince Hayashi, the chief 
 member of the imperial commission appointed to negotiate the treaty, and presented by him to 
 
 
 i ._ . [■: of U'jr^L', from Japanese Drawings. 
 
 Commodore Perry. The subject treated of is "The Points of a Horse," and the work is 
 illustrated by a large number of pictures. These illustrations are from woodcuts of bold outline, 
 
 t\
 
 460 
 
 BXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 and apparently printed witt a tint to distinguish each in the various groups of the animal, by 
 sober greys, reds, and blacks. The style might be classed as that of the medireval, and the 
 horses might pass for those sketched in the time of Albert Durer, though with a more rigid 
 adherence to nature. Tliey exhibit, what may be noticed in the Elgin marbles, a breed of 
 small stature and finely formed limbs, such as are found in southern countries. There is great 
 
 freedom of hand shown in the drawing. The animals are represented in various attitudes, 
 curvetting, gambolling, and rolling upon the ground, positions requiring and exhibiting an 
 ability in foreshortening, which is found, with no small surprise, in Asiatic art. 
 
 Another example of Japanese art before us is a species of frieze, if we may so call it, cut ia
 
 JAPANESE ART. 
 
 461 
 
 wood and printed on paper in colors. It presents a row or line of the huge wrestlers of whom 
 we have spoken on a previous page. The chief point of interest in this illustration, considered 
 in an artistic sense, is, that, apart from its being a successful specimen of printing in colors — a 
 process, hy the way, quite modern among ourselves — there is a breadth and vigor of outline 
 compared with which much of our own drawing appears feeble, and, above all things, undecided. 
 Whatever the Japanese may lack as regards art, in a perception of its true principles, the style. 
 
 W''' 
 
 grace, and even a certain mannered dexterity which their drawings exhibit, show that they are 
 possessed of an unexpected readiness and precision of touch, which are the prominent 
 characteristics in this picture of the wrestlers. There is no stiffness or angularity about it. 
 There is also a picture of an amphitheatre, in which the wrestlers appear, which serves to 
 correct an error found in former writers as to Japanese ignorance of perspective.
 
 462 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 In illustration of the rapidity and dexterity with which the Japanese artists work we have 
 the testimony of the chaplain of the Mississippi, the Kev. Mr. Jones, who employed an artist 
 at Hakodadi to paint for him a set of screens. Mr. Jones sat by the painter and watched him 
 at his work. He made no previous sketch, but drew at once the various portions of the 
 landscape, putting in his houses, ships, horses, trees and birds, with wonderful readiness, the 
 whole being a fancy piece ; and when he came to paint the foliage of some pines, he used two 
 brushes in one hand at the same time, so as to expedite his work. The result was, though not 
 a production of high art, yet a much better specimen of ornamental screen than could readily 
 be found in the most pretentious manufacturing establishment of our own country. And here 
 we may add, that a very remarkable specimen of Japanese linear drawing in perspective fell 
 under Mr. Jones' observation. On the first visit of the squadron to Japan, as we have stated, 
 intense interest was excited among the natives by the engines of the steamers. Their curiosity 
 seemed insatiable, and the Japanese artists were constantly employed, when they had opportu- 
 nity, in making drawings of parts of the machinery, and seeking to understand its construction 
 and the principles of its action. On the second visit of the squadron, Mr. Jones saw, in the 
 hands of a Japanese, a perfect drawing, in true proportion, of the whole engine, with its several 
 parts in place, which he says was as correct and good as could have been made anywhere. The 
 Japanese artist had made it, and valued it very highly, being unwilling to part with it at any 
 price ; Mr. Jones would have gladly bought it, and offered to do so, that he might bring it 
 home as a specimen of Japanese skill. 
 
 In reo-ard to anatomical markings, there is, in the specimens of Japanese drawings we have 
 before us, no lack of such a degree of correctness as may be obtained by close outward observa- 
 tion of the parts. The muscular development of the horses, both in action and at rest, is shown 
 in lines sufficiently true to nature to prove a very minute and accurate observation, on the part 
 of the artist, of the external features of his subjects. This is very striking in the frieze of the 
 wrestlers alluded to above. It is characterized by remarkable precision in this respect, and 
 while preserving in the figures all the peculiar features of the Asiatic stock, the outer angle of 
 the eye running upward, the small corneas, &c., there is distinctive expression, yet with 
 similarity, and a height of art is reached in the drawings corresponding, as regards naturalistic 
 characters, with what has been found in some of the Ninevah fragments. 
 
 The third example of Japanese art is afforded by an unpretending, illustrated child's book, 
 purchased in Hakodadi for a few Chinese copper " cash." This humble little primer suggests 
 a thousand points of interest in connexion with the Japanese, and acquaints us at once, as we 
 turn over the very first page, with an important foct as regards tlieir advance in art. We here 
 find evidence that, unlike the Chinese, the artists of Japan have, as we have already hinted, a 
 knowledge of perspective. There is a balcony presented in angular perspective, with its rafters 
 placed in strict accordance with the princijde of terminating the perspective lines in a vanishing 
 point abruptly on the horizon. On another page there is what appears to be some Tartar 
 Hercules, or Japanese St. Patrick clearing the land of reptiles and vermin, and the doughty 
 destroyer is brandishing his sword in most valiant style. This is drawn with a freedom and 
 humorous sense of the grotesque and ludicrous that are rarely found in similar books prepared 
 for the amusement of children with us. In one of the illustrations there is a quaint old 
 shopman peering through a pair of spectacles stuck upon his nose, and made precisely like the 
 double-eyed glasses just now so fashionable, without any side wires or braces to confine them to
 
 JAPANESE ART. 463 
 
 the head. A number of tea-chests are heaped one above another at his side, and the perspective 
 of these is perfectly correct. A glass globe of gold fish, whicli bave awakened the hungry 
 instincts of a cat that ■wistfully watches their movements in the water, is among the pictures. 
 A couple of chairmen, who have put down their sedan to take their rest, are engaged lighting 
 their pipes ; and a professor, seemingly, of phrenology is standing amid the jiaraphernalia of 
 bis art, whatever it be, and is taking the measure with a j)air of compasses of a bald-beaded 
 disciple. All these scenes occur among the illustrations of this little book. All show a 
 humorous conception and a style of treatment far in advance of the mechanical trash which 
 sometimes composes the nursery books found in our shops. A people bave made some progress 
 worth studying who have a sense of the humorous, can picture the ludicrous, and goodnaturedly 
 laugh at a clever caricature. The constant recurrence on the margin of the pages of these 
 Japanese books of wdiat is usually called by architects "the Greek fret or border," is certainly 
 curious. We are surprised by a classic form that we would not have expected to find an 
 established feature in Oriental art. Not less surprising also is it to find another architectural 
 form belonging to what is usually termed the "Gothic" style. If the reader will turn to the end 
 of chapter XXI, he will find, delineated on a gong, the perfect representation of the trefoil of 
 the modern architect ; it is an accurate copy from the original. Our artist has also sketched 
 another, in which the "Gothic" pattern is plainly seen. These are singular coincidences. 
 
 There is great scope for sculpture in the image-worship of the religion of the Japanese, and, 
 accordingly, statues of stone, metal, and wood, abound in the temples, shrines, and by the way- 
 sides. The mechanical execution of these generally exhibits much manual skill, but none of 
 them are to be named as works of art. Tbe wood carving is often exquisitely cut, and when 
 representing natural objects, particularly the lower animals and familiar parts of vegetation, is 
 often remarkably close to truth. The sculptured cranes, tortoi.ses, and fish, which are amonf 
 the most frequent subjects carved upon the entablatures and cornices of the houses and 
 temples, were continually admired for their fidelity to nature. 
 
 With the exception of a temple or a gateway here and there, which, in comparison with the 
 surrounding low houses, appeared somewhat imposing, there were no buildings seen which 
 impressed the Americans with a high idea of Japanese architecture. Tbe mo.st creditable 
 specimens of this branch of art are found in some of tbe stone causeways and bridges which are 
 often built upon single bold Koman arches, and in design and masonry are equal to the most 
 scientific and artistic structures anywhere. 
 
 There were no printing establishments seen either at Simoda or Hakodadi, but books were 
 found in tbe shops. These were generally cheap works of elementary character, or popular 
 story books or novels, and were evidently in great demand, as the people are universally taught 
 to read and are eager for information. Education is diffused throughout the Empire, and the 
 women of Japan, unlike those of China, share in the intellectual advancement of the men, and 
 are not only skilled in the accomjdishments peculiar to their sex, but are frequently well versed 
 in their native literature. The higher classes of the Japanese with whom the Americans were 
 brought into communication were not only thoroughly acquainted with their own country, but 
 knew something of the geography, the material progress, and contemporary history of the rest 
 of the world. Questions were frequently asked by the Japanese whicli proved an information 
 that, considering their isolated situation, was quite remarkable, until explained by tliemselvee 
 in the statement that periodicals of literature, science, arts, and politics, were annually received 
 from Europe through the Dutch at Nagasaki ; tliat some of those were translated, reiniblishcd,
 
 464 
 
 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 and distributed 1"; rough the Empire. Thus they were enabled to speak somewhat knowingly 
 about our railroads, telegraphs, daguerreotypes, Paixhan guns, and steam-ships, none of which 
 had they ever seen before Commodore Perry's visit. Thus, too, they could converse intelligently 
 about the European war, about the American revolution, Washington, and Buonaparte. Aa 
 strikingly illustrative of the extent of their information as to passing events out of the Empire, 
 Lieutenant Bent relates that when he was there in the Preble in 1849, after the close of the war 
 with Mexico, the interpreters, in their very first interview with Captain Glynn, said: "You 
 have had a war with Mexico?" "Yes." "You whipped them?" "Yes." "You have 
 taken a part of their territory ? " " Yes." " And you have discovered large quantities of gold 
 in it?" And after the seamen, whom Captain Glynn went to demand, were given up, they 
 stated to our officers that, from the guards of their prison in Matsmai, (many hundred miles 
 from Nagasaki,) they had heard of every battle we had with the Mexicans, and of every victory 
 we gained. The Japanese learned the facts from the Dutch. 
 
 As the better classes showed an intelligent interest in all they saw on board the ships and 
 steamers that was novel to them, so the common people exhibited an importunate curiosity about 
 
 ouTUDOMOMo 
 
 ODDDDOOOD 
 
 Qaaisidi^afSiiii 
 
 :QlQiai^I8IQlglIalQ. 
 
 1. Oho-shio, (King,) centre square, first row. 
 
 2. Kin^shio, (Gold, or cliief councillor,) upon first row, and 
 
 on either side of Obo-shio. 
 
 3. Gin-shio, (Silver, or sub-councillor,) upon first row, and 
 
 one on each square, next outside Kin-chio. 
 
 4. Kitma, (Flying horse,) upon firat row, and one on each 
 
 square, next outside Oin-nhio. 
 
 0. Kioshia, (Fragrant chariot,) one upon each corner square, 
 first row. 
 
 6. Hishia, (Flying chariot) on second square, second row, 
 
 on right side of the board. 
 
 7. Kakuku, (The horn,) on second square, second row, left 
 
 side of the board. 
 
 8. Ho-hti, (The soldiery,) on all the nine squares of the 
 
 third row.
 
 JAPANESE GAME OF CHESS. 405 
 
 all that pertained to the dress and persons of the Americans whenever they visited the land. 
 The Japanese were constantly besetting the officers and sailors in the streets, making all kinds 
 of pantomimic inquiries about the English names of some part of their persons and apparel, 
 from hat to boots, taking out their paper and pencil and making memoranda of the newly 
 acquired English words. 
 
 The Japanese are hard workers, but they compensate themselves with occasional holidays, 
 and in the evenings and hours of leisure with frequent games and amusements. One day, at 
 Hakodadi, Dr. Green, the fleet surgeon, and Mr. Jones, the chaplain, were strolling through 
 the streets, when a shower of rain drove them for shelter into a sort of military station or guard 
 house, at hand. On entering, they found some of the inmates playing at a game very similar, 
 as it appeared, to chess. This interested the Doctor, who fortliwith set about studying it, until, 
 finally, with the aid of the interpreters, he succeeded, after some sittings, in mastering its 
 mysteries. The game is called Sho-Ho-Ye, and is a great favorite among the Japanese. The 
 Doctor's account of it will be found below.* 
 
 Besides this, they have a game analogous to ours with cards. They play with flat pieces of 
 horn, ivory, or bone. These are about an inch and two-thirds long, and little more than an 
 
 •JAPANESE GAME OF SHO-HO-Yfi, ANALOGOUS TO OUR GAME OF CHESS. 
 
 This game is played by two persons, with forty pieces, (twenty on either side,) and upon a chequer board of eighty -ono 
 squares, (nine upon each side.) The board is of one uniform color, thougli the squares miglit be colored, as with us, for the 
 sake of convenience. The pieces are also of one uniform color, as they are used, (at pleasure,) by either party, as his own, 
 after being captured from the adversary. They are of various sizes, are long and wedge-shaped, being at the same timo 
 sharpened from side to side, in front, and the names of each piece are inscribed upon it, both the original, and the one assumed, 
 upon being reversed or turned over, (as below.) Each player knows his men, or pieces, by their pointed and thin end beintr 
 always forward or from him. But they would be more readily distinguished if the back parts of all were painted with some 
 decided and striking color, as that part of his own men is seen by each player only — and if the fronts of all the men were 
 painted of some other color, as that part of the adversary's pieces is seen by either player only. They are laid flat upon the 
 board, (front forward,) and thus their names are plainly visible. They capture, as in chess, by occupying the places of the 
 captured pieces. The King, OJio-shio, bemg the chief piece, cannot remain in check, and when checkmated, the game is lost. 
 
 The pieces are named, and are placed upon the board, as follows, viz : 
 
 Oho-shio, (King,) centre square, first row. 
 
 Kin-shio, (Gold, or chief councillor,) upon first row, and one on either side of Oho-shio, 
 
 Gin-shio, (Silver, or sub-councillor,) upon first row, and one on each square, next outside Kln-shio, 
 
 Kiema, (Flying horse,) upon first row, and one on each square, ne.xt outside Gin-shio. 
 
 Kio-shia, (Fragrant chariot,) one upon each corner square, first row. 
 
 Hishia, (Flying chariot,) on second square, second row, right side of the board. 
 
 Kakuko, (The horn,) on second square, second row, left side of the board. 
 
 Ho-hei, (The soldiery,) on all the nine squares of the third row. 
 
 The moves and powers of the pieces are as below, only noting, that in capturing, there is no deviation from them, as with us 
 in the case of pawns. 
 
 Oho-shio moves and takes on one square in any direction. 
 
 Kin-shio, as the Oho-shio, except that he cannot move diagonally backward. 
 
 Neither of the above arc ever reversed or acquire different powers ; but all the pieces below may be reversed, (at the option 
 of the player,) when they move to or from any square, in any of the adversary's three first rows, and thereby they acquire 
 different powers, as well as different names. 
 
 Gin-shio moves and takes as the Oho-shio, except that he cannot move directly on either side, or directly backward. When 
 reversed, or turned over, he becomes a Gin-.Vari-A'iii, and acquires all the powers (and those alone) of the Kin-shio. 
 
 Kiema has the move of our knight, except that he is strictly confined to two squares forward and one laterally, and can in no 
 case make more than four moves as a Kiema. When reversed he becomes a A'iemo-Auri-A'in, witii all the powers (and those 
 alone) of the Kin-shio, 
 
 Kioshia moves directly forward only, but that may bo any number of steps. He may be reversed upon cither of iho first throi 
 rows of the adversary, and then becomes a Kioshia-.Vari- Kin, with all the powers (and those alone) of the Kin-shio. 
 
 Ilishia has the entire powers of our castle, and when reversed, ho assumes the name of Rioho, (the dragon,) and acquires, in 
 addition to his former moves, all those of the Oho-shio. 
 
 Kakuko has the entire powers of our bishop, and when reversed, he assumes the name of Riomc, (the dragonoss,) and 
 acquires, in addition to his former moves, all those of the Oho-shio. 
 
 59 J
 
 466 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 inch wide. There are forty-nine pieces, marked by tliree different colors^ blue, red, and white, 
 to indicate the different suits^ and also by lines and dots to signify the value of the iiiece. 
 The games played with these are, as with our cards, numerous, and are generally played for 
 money. The Japanese shuffle and cut them precisely as is done with us, sometimes by lifting 
 off a part of the pack, and at others expressing satisfaction with them as they are, by tapping 
 the knuckle on the top of the heap. Another common game is played with small black and 
 •white stones, and seems to be somewhat of the character of loto, so much jilayed in the gardens 
 and estaminets of Paris and Hamburgh, frequented by the lower classes. It was a cheerful 
 reminder of one's childhood, and another bond of sympathy between the various branches of the 
 human race, however remotely separated from each other, to find the little shaven-pated lads 
 playing ball in the streets of Hakodadi, or jackstraws within the domestic circle at home. 
 
 Note. — For the remarks made in this chapter on the specimens of Japanese art alluded to, 
 we would make our acknowledgments to the accomplished instructor in drawing, &c., in the 
 Free Academy of New York, Professor Duggan. The specimens were submitted to him with a 
 request that he would examine them artistically, and favor the compiler with his opinion. 
 
 Ho moves forward one step only at a time, and may be reversed upon either of the first three rows of the adversary ; when 
 so reversed, he becomes a //o-.Vuri-A'iii, and acquires all the powers of the Kin-shio. 
 
 Besides the preceding moves and powers, any piece which has been taken may be replaced upon the board, at the discretion 
 of the captor, as follows, viz: when it is his move, instead of moving one of his men, he can rei)lace any one of the captured 
 pieces upon any unoccupied square whatever, observing to keep tliat side up to which it was entitled originally ; but it may be 
 reversed at any move thereafter, if (o or from any square in the before-mentioned three first rows of the adversary, and observing 
 further, that he cannot replace a Ho, or (soldier,) on any column upon which there is already one of his own, t. e., he cannot 
 double a Ho, or (soldier.) 
 
 It may be further stated, that no piece can pass over the head of any other piece in its move, except the Kiema. 
 
 Some of the problems of this game, prepared by Dr. Green, will be found in vol. 1 of the Appendix.
 
 INTERVIEW \V I T U DEPUTY OF THE PRINCE OF JI A T S M A I . 
 
 467 
 
 CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 INTERTIEW BETWEEN THE COMMODORE AKD THE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE PRIXCE OF MATSMAI. SODTHAMPTON SENT TO 
 
 EXPLORE VOLCANO BAT, INCLCDINO ENDERMO HARBOR. REPORT OF THE SURVEY. POVERTT OF THE REGION AROIND 
 
 THE BAT. ERUPTION OF A VOLCANO AT MIDNIGHT. AINOS. BOUNDARIES OF AMERICANS AT HAKODADI LEFT TO BE 
 
 SETTLED WITH THE IMPERIAL COMMISSIONERS. GOOD UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE AMERICANS AND PEOPLE OF 
 
 HAKODADI. JAPANESE DELIGHTED WITH THE EXHIBITION OF THE "ETHIOPIAN MINSTRELS " ON BOARD SHIP. SQUADRON 
 
 THEATRICALS. INTEREST OF JAPANESE IN THE MACHINERY AND FIRE-ARMS OF THE SHIPS. ANSWER OF HAKODADI 
 
 AUTHORITIES TO COMMODORe's ENQUIRIES AS TO EUROPEAN OR AMERICAN VESSELS WRECKED IN JAPAN DURING THE LAST 
 
 TEN YEARS. ANSWER OF THE IMPERIAL COMMISSIONERS TO SIMILAR ENQUIRIES. MACEDONIAN SAILS FOR SIMODA. 
 
 VANDALIA DISPATCHED FOR CHI.VA BY THE WESTERN PASSAGE. JAPANESE OFFICERS DESIRE A CONFERENCE WITH THE 
 
 COMMODORE. FLAG-LIEDTENANT SENT ASHORE TO BRING THEM ON BOARD. DISRESPECTFUL CONDUCT OF THB OFFICERS 
 
 FLAG-LIEUTENANT RETURNS WITHOUT THEM. JAPANESE OFFICERS FINALLY COME OFF IN THEIR OWN BOAT. NOT 
 
 ALLOWED TO SEE THE COMMODORE UNTIL THEY APOLOGIZE FOR THEIR BEHAVIOR. APOLOGY ACCEPTED. CONFERENCE 
 
 RESULTS IN NOTHING BUT A FURTHER ILLUSTRATION OF JAPANESE FINESSE. BURIALS OF AMERICANS AT HAKODADI. 
 
 RESPECT SHOWN FOR THE CEREMONIES BY THE JAPANESE. BUDDHIST PRIEST PERFORMS HIS FUNERAL CEREMONIES 
 
 AFTER THE AMERICANS RETIRE. — SERVICES IN A BUDDHIST TEMPLE. — JAPANESE ERECT A FENCE AROUND THE AMERICAN 
 
 GRAVES. sailor's epitaph COMPOSED BY HIS SHIPMATES. BLOCK OF GRANITE PRESENTED BY THE JAPANESE AT 
 
 HAKODADI FOR THE WASHINGTON MONU.MENT. VOLCANO OF OHO-SIMA. ARRIVAL AT SIMODA. MEETING WITH THE 
 
 COMMISSIONERS. BOUNDARIES AT HAKODADI SETTLED. APPOINTMENT OF PILOTS AND HARBOR-MASTER AGREED ON. 
 
 VALUE OF JAPANESE AND AMERICAN MO.VEY RESPECTIVELY FIXED. ADDITIONAL REGULATIONS BETWEEN THE COM- 
 MISSIONERS AND COMMODORE AGREED TO AND SIGNED. COAL SUPPLIED AT SIMODA.— ITS COMPARATIVE QUALITY AND 
 
 VALUE. COST OF VARIOUS ARTICLES FURNISHED TO THE SHIPS. ANOTHER BLOCK OF STONE FOR THE WASHINGTON 
 
 MONUMENT PRESENTED BY THE IMPERIAL COMMISSIONERS AT SIMODA. JAPANESE PRESENT OF DOGS TO THE PRESIDENT. 
 
 SAM PATCH HAS AN INTERVIEW WITH THE OFFICIALS OF HIS COUNTRY. REFUSES TO CO ON SHORE OR LEAVE THE SHIP. 
 
 PRAISEWORTHY CONDUCT OF A MARINE TOWARD SAM. " DAN KETCH." JAPANESE PUNISHMENT OF CRUCIFIXION. 
 
 PRACTICE OF THE " HARI KARI " OR "HAPPY DISPATCH." DEPARTURE FROM SIMODA. MACEDONIAN AND SUPPLY SENT 
 
 TO FORMOSA AND PHILLIPPINES. REDFIELD ROCKS. PARTY SENT ON SHORE FOR OBSERVATION OF OHO-SIMA. ARRIVAL 
 
 AT LEW CHEW. — SOUTHAMPTON ORDERED TO HONG KONG. — POWHATAN AND MISSISSIPPI COME TO ANCHOR AT NAPHA. 
 
 N the afternoon of May 19, the Commodore, having 
 shifted his flag temporarily to the Mississippi, re- 
 ceived on hoard of that ship Matsmai Kangsayii, 
 the great ofiScer of the family of the prince of 
 Matsmai, who had come, as had heen announced, to 
 meet the Americans on hehalf of his superior. He 
 was accompanied hy Yendo Matazaimon, thc'hungo 
 or governor of Hakodadi, Ishuko Kenso, the Chinese 
 interpreter, and several attendants. After the usual 
 interchange of compliments, the Commodore asked 
 when he was to expect the arrival of the Prince of 
 Matsmai himself. Kangsayu replied, that it was 
 impossible to say, as he was at Matsmai, and no 
 ^^S=fip~ ^ 'y ; '^: ■-; - '— r communication had been received from him in 
 
 ^■^i2£rps^^"=?=r " - ■%-.;;r-,;j..;, ' ' reference to his coming. The Commodore then 
 remarked, that if the prince did not come to sec him he would he obliged to go and sec the 
 prince, since there was no one at Uakodadi with whom a conference could lie held in regard to 
 the treaty. Upon this the Japanese rejoined, that, as the prince could not leave Matsmai 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 ll"' 
 
 1. 
 
 miiii 
 
 f; 
 
 1/ 
 
 , 
 
 i
 
 468 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 himself, he had delegated his highest officer to meet the Commodore as his substitute, who was 
 ready to put the treaty in operation. It was, however, added, that the Americans were asking 
 for some things not specified, inasmuch as the treaty was not to go into effect before the lapse of 
 a year from its date. It was then exjiUxined to the Japanese, that this condition had reference 
 to merchant vessels, but that the Commodore had made subsequent arrangements with the high 
 commissioners about his present visit, the objects of which he was now desirous of accomplishing 
 if Kangsayu had full powers to act in the matter. This dignitary then answered that he was 
 clothed with complete local authority, but that neither he nor his prince could settle the 
 boundary within which American intercourse was to be restricted without instructions from the 
 court at Tedo. 
 
 The wind now commenced blowing very hard, and the bay was so rough that the Japanese 
 preferred remaining for some time on board the Mississippi, where they were handsomely 
 entertained and shown all the points and novelties of the steamer. After a long stay, in the 
 course of which the Japanese were evidently gratified by all they saw (manifesting therein their 
 usual intelligent interest) and by the attentions they received, they returned to the shore. 
 
 On the next day the Southampton was dispatched by the Commodore to make a survey of 
 Volcano Bay, including Endermo harbor, about seventy miles from Hakodadi, at the south- 
 eastern end of Yesso ; and it may be here appropriate, though somewhat anticipating the 
 chronological order of events, to dispose of this part of our story, by giving a general report of 
 the result of the survey. The ship arrived off the southern promontory of Volcano Bay at five 
 o'clock on the afternoon of the day of her departure from Hakodadi. The wind soon lulled to a 
 dead calm, and the bay was not entered until the next morning. The weather being very 
 thick the ship bore away for the harbor of Endermo, and shortly after noon made the land 
 ahead, which, being approached to within two miles, was coasted in ten fathoms of water, 
 taking care to keep off when shoaling in that depth. The fog was so thick, and the breakers 
 were so far off the shore, that it was not deemed prudent to approach too near the land ; and, 
 consequently, the entrance to the harbor of Endermo, which is quite narrow and shut in by 
 adjacent points, could not be seen. Its position, however, having been passed, and the ship 
 continuing to run along the land by the lead until seven o'clock in the evening, came then to 
 anchor in front of a small village. As the night advanced the atmosphere cleared, for a 
 moment, sufficiently to allow of the sight of several junks anchored near a large town about 
 three miles distant. The fog soon gathered again and continued so thick all the rest of that 
 night" and the next day, with fresh breezes from E.S.E., that it was deemed more prudent to 
 remain at anchor, and the ship did not again get under way until the 2Yth of May. 
 
 At sunrise on that day, the fog having partly dispersed, the Southampton stood for the 
 eastern coast, sounding with a boat in five fathoms to within a mile and a half of the shore, 
 and also running a line of soundings in the ship. As the morning advanced the fog cleared off, 
 and revealed to view a charming scene of picturesque beauty. The land rose from the sandy 
 beach in undulating heights, covered with trees of dark green foliage, interspersed here and 
 there with yellow spots of culture, while innumerable houses were seen everywhere grouped at 
 the openings of the ravines toward the sea, into which streams of fresh water poured, after 
 irrigating the cultivated fields on the hill sides and the fertile bottoms of tlie valleys, and 
 passing through the villages. 
 
 The meridian observation having been taken, which gave the latitude 42° 11', the ship,
 
 ENDEEMO HARBOR. 469 
 
 heading east, made for an indentation in the Lmd, supposed to be the entrance to the harbor of 
 Volcano Bay, and with a depth of water of seventeen fathoms and a fair wind, before wliich 
 she was going at nine knots, the whole circuit of the large bay soon opened to the sight. An 
 amphitheatre of lofty mountains, with summits covered with snow, surrounded the land, which 
 gradiially lessened in height as it descended toward the hills and uplands that rose immediately 
 from the shore. To the northeast were two volcanoes in active eruption^ throwing out convul- 
 sively their thick smoke, which, as it swept before the breeze, darkened with its passing but 
 ever recurring shadow the snow which glittered like silver upon the sunlit summits of the 
 neighboring mountains. 
 
 Passing a small island, called Olason, from one of Captain Broughton's men who was buried 
 there, the Southampton stood up the channel of Endermo, and anchored in the evening near the 
 land, where a few houses, a fortification upon an adjacent hill, and some sheds upon the shore, 
 indicated a settlement. Soon two officials came off in a boat, rowed by a number of Indians, 
 (as they are called,) the native ainos, and upon reaching the ship the Japanese functionaries 
 produced a bit of paper in which was wrapped some rice and a piece of wood, and displaying 
 the contents, pointing at the same time to some water, asked, by signs, if either of these was 
 required. The chief dignitary, who, in addition to the usual Japanese official costume, wore 
 an outside coat with a red collar and a great deal of embroidery, and seemed to be a military 
 personage, was not apparently disposed to be very friendly toward his visitors. Ui^on his being 
 made to understand that if any fish, vegetables, eggs, or poultry could be obtained from the 
 land, the Americans would be glad to purchase them, the Japanese officer sent his boat ashore, 
 apparently with the view of ascertaining. Upon its return, the only article brought back was 
 a bundle of stems^ looking like those of the rhubarb plant, with the information that, in conse- 
 quence of the weather, there were no fish, and only three chickens in the place. 
 
 Next morning a surveying party commenced their operations in the bay, and continued them 
 during the stay of the ship. Little was to be had from the shore in the way of provisions, but 
 the bay abounded in clams, muscles, and fish, and large supplies were obtained. The inhabi- 
 tants, who were mostly ainos, had been very much alarmed at the arrival of the Southampton, 
 and were seen hurrying away from the harbor and village with all their property heaped upon 
 their backs, so that the land was quite deserted. The few Japanese officials became gradually 
 more friendly, and frequently visited the ship and partook of its hospitalities. Nothing 
 occurred of especial interest during the visit to Endermo bay beyond the blazing up one night 
 of another volcano, making three which were seen from the ship in a state of active eruption at 
 the same time. The sudden starting U]5 of a broad and vivid flame from the summit of a 
 mountain in the midst of the night, dispelling at once the darkness which enveloped sea and 
 land, produced a grand effect. The other two volcanoes merely emitted smoke, while the third 
 continued in a blaze. 
 
 Lieutenant Boyle, commander of the Southampton, visited Olason island, at the mouth of 
 Endermo Bay, previous to his departure, and found the grave of the buried sailor left there by 
 Captain Broughton. The Japanese authorities had respected the remains, though they had 
 been interred more than three-fourths of a century, and built on the spot where they rested one 
 of the usual tombs of the country, with the ordinary marks of mourning. The survey having 
 been completed, the ship sailed to join the squadron at Simoda, pursuant to orders. 
 
 The Commodore, on the next day after the visit from Kangsayu, went on shore to call upon
 
 470 EXPEDITION TOJAPAN. 
 
 this dignitary, who, after having presented his credentials from the Prince of Matsmai, and 
 emphaticallj declared that the latter could not possibly come to Hakodadi, was officially rccog- 
 uizcd as the representative of his superior. He, however, refused to settle definitively the 
 question of the boundary within which the Americans, in their intercourse with the place, were 
 to he restricted, and the subject was finally disposed of by a mutual agreement that it should be 
 referred to the commissioners who were to meet the Commodore at Simoda. During the 
 frequent visits of the Americans on shore, occasional disagreements arose in regard to their 
 relations v.-ith the shopkeepers and the extent and freedom of their walks in the town and about 
 the country. These little troubles, which, although they gave rise to much tedious negotiation, 
 ■were uniformly settled by mutual explanations, produced in the end the establishment of an 
 excellent understanding and the most friendly feelings between oui* countrymen and all classes 
 of the Japanese. 
 
 The governor and his attendants continued to visit the ships frequently, when they were 
 uniformly entertained with refreshments, and sometimes invited to a more ceremonious dinner, 
 of which they always partook with a proper appreciation both of the viands and the courtesy. 
 On one occasion, some of the sailors got up a concert of " Ethiopian minstrels," which seemed 
 to give as much delight to the natives at Hakodadi as it had done to the commissioners in the 
 bay of Yedo. The performance undoubtedly showed that talent for grotesque humor and comic 
 yet sentimental melody which are, as some think, characteristic of the sailor, the monotony of 
 whose life on ship-board is often compensated by that hearty flow of animal spirits with which 
 natures, invigorated by a hard and hazardous occupation, console themselves for its risks and 
 privations. The sentimental strain, too, in which the sailor sometimes indulges, is naturally 
 the antagonistic tone with which the mind, surrounded by its rude associations, opposes their 
 petrifying influence. All the sailors' rough humor is hence toned down by a gentler touch of 
 feeling. The negro minstrelsy, which not only wrinkles the face with a broad and noisy laugh, 
 but also can moisten the eye with a tear, is consequently a great favorite with Jack. The 
 sailors performed their parts with a sympathetic interest and an earnest intensity, which would 
 Lave carried with them the frequenters of Christy's, and produced a marked effect even upon 
 their sedate Japanese listeners, and thus confirmed the universal popularity of " the Etliiopians" 
 by a decided hit in Japan. Everything was arranged appropriately as to dresses and scenery, 
 much as it would have been at home. Bills of the performance, too, were printed by the aid of 
 the press, which was on board one of the ships of the squadron, and freely worked within the 
 dominions of the Emperor of Japan, without regarding any censorship that he might possibly be 
 disposed to establish. American like, our men stuck to the principle of a " free press," on the 
 ground that the press itself and popular opinion are about the best correctives of the abuse of 
 the press. And here we may remark, that theatrical performances in the squadron wore not 
 confined to "EthioiMan minstrelsy." Histrionic ambition took a higher flight, and ventured 
 on the "legitimate drama." There was more than one company of Thespians in the squadron, 
 composed of the men, who acquitted themselves very creditably. They generally selected some 
 good natured officer, known to have a taste for theatricals, to give them some general instruc- 
 tions, and help them at rehearsals, and with such aid, added to natural cleverness and quickness 
 of parts, they succeeded very well. The female characters wore allotted to boys, and all the 
 appliances of scenery and appropriate costume were called in to give greater efiect. 
 The Japanese officials took especial interest, on the occasion of their frequent visits to the
 
 INFORMATION AS TO WRECKS IN JAPAN. 471 
 
 ships, in the inspection of the armament, and were often gratified with the exercise of the "nns 
 the filling of the shells, and other matters of military discipline and practice. Thou"-h, in 
 their later history a pacific people, the Japanese, as we have already said, are fond of military 
 display, and seemed particularly desirous of scrutinizing all the warlike appointments which 
 made their visitors so formidable ; as if they felt the necessity^ in the new relations which were 
 opening with foreigners, of studying and adopting the best means of attack and defence, should 
 either ever become necessary by any future collision with the great powers of the west. With 
 proper training, no people would make better soldiers. Every opportunity was afforded them, 
 without restriction, of satisfying their curiosity, which was naturally directed towards those 
 points in which they were conscious of their greatest weakness ; and this liberality of the 
 Americans, in the free exposition of their power, deeply impressed the Japanese with a 
 conviction of the pacific intentions of their visitors, who desired to show that they looked to a 
 friendly intercourse, and not to a violent invasion, for those mutual benefits which were to 
 accrue from more intimate relations between the United States and Japan. 
 
 A valuable communication was received from the authorities at Hakodadi, in answer to certain 
 enquiries made hy the Commodore in regard to the various American and European vessels 
 which were supposed to have been wrecked at different times upon the coast of the Empire. 
 There was reason to suppose that several vessels which had been lost, and never heard of in the 
 countries from which they had sailed, had been wrecked on the shores of the island of Tesso ; 
 and it was thought possible, from the hitherto inhospitable conduct of the Japanese government 
 towards foreigners, that some who had been cast by calamity upon its mercy might yet be held 
 in captivity. It was, therefore, a great satisfaction to receive the following answer from the 
 Hakodadi officials : 
 
 " From the third year of Ohoka to the third of Kayee, [1847 to 1851,] there were five foreign 
 vessels wrecked by storms on our coasts, whose crews have all been sent on to Nagasaki, thence 
 to be sent by the Dutch back to their homes ; not one now remains in Japan. 
 
 "In 1847, June, seven American sailors were drifted ashore at Tetoroop in a boat. 
 
 " In 1847, June, thirteen American sailors in three boats were thrown ashore at Teramachi, 
 N.W. of Matsmai. 
 
 " In March, 1849, three men from an American ship went ashore at Karafto, the south end 
 of Saghalien, and then went off. 
 
 "In May, 1850, an English ship was wrecked at Mabiru, in Yesso, from which thirty-two 
 men came ; but where they came from we know not. ' ' 
 
 The Commodore also addressed to the imperial commissioners, with whom the terms of the 
 treaty were negotiated, a communication on the same subject, and received the following 
 reply : 
 
 ' ' To His Excellency Commodore Perry : 
 
 " The undersigned have well understood your written communication in reference to ships 
 navigating the Pacific, the Chinese, and Japanese seas, which have never been heard of at their 
 ports of destination ; and the probable fiite of their crews being imcertain, his majesty the 
 President has ordered enquiries to be made on the subject, and ships-of-war have been sent to 
 Borneo, Formosa, and other islands ; and that two ships were again to sail to Formosa, by your 
 order, for a similar purpose.
 
 472 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 " In reply to your request for a list of all the sliips -which have been wrecked In Japan for 
 the last ten years, we have the honor to state as follows : 
 
 "In 1847, some Americans, shipwrecked in the principality of Matsmai, were sent to 
 Nagasaki to take passage in the Dutch trading ships. 
 
 "In 1848, some Americans, shipwrecked in the same principality, were sent to Nagasaki, 
 and thence taken away by an American ship-of-war. [This was the Preble.] 
 
 "In the year 1850, some Americans and Englishmen, shipwrecked, were sent to Nagasaki, 
 to go in the Dutch trading ships. 
 
 " Beside the three instances just mentioned, there has been no shipwreck, and there are no 
 foreigners now in Japan. The local authorities having settled this business, we are not able to 
 give you the names of the shipwrecked persons. 
 
 " We have the honor to be, with great respect, 
 
 " BY THE IMPERIAL COMMISSIONERS. 
 
 " Seal attached by order of the high gentlemen. 
 
 "MORYAMA YENOSKE." 
 
 On the morning of the 31st of May the Macedonian sailed for Simoda, and the Vandalia for 
 Shano-hai, the latter vessel being directed by the Commodore to take the western passage by 
 passing through the Straits of Sangar, the Japan sea, and China gulf. The steamers still 
 remained at Hakodadi to await the arrival of those personages whom the commissioners had 
 promised to send there to meet the Americans and settle the stipulations of the treaty in regard 
 to that place. The Commodore was naturally somewhat impatient at the delay in the coming 
 of the expected delegation, as, in accordance with his agreement to that eifect, he was obliged to 
 return to Simoda on the 15th day of June, and the last day of the previous mouth had now 
 passed. On the morning of the 1st of June, however, a communication was received by the 
 Commodore, written in Japanese, Chinese, and Dutch, of which the following is an English 
 translation : 
 
 " The Japanese imperial government officers, Amma Zhium-noshin and Hirayama Kenzhiro, 
 and others, desire a conference with his excellency the plenipotentiary of the United States and 
 other officers. 
 
 " They have received orders from tlie court to go to Karafto, and, learning that your ships 
 were at Hakodadi examining its harbor, in accordance with the treaty of Kanagawa, have come, 
 as these distant frontier places are not fully apprized of all these matters, and perhaps there 
 may be some mistake or misapprehension. We have requested of our superior officer presently 
 to come and deliberate upon such matters as may come up, as was done at Yoku-haraa ; but he 
 has taken a passage by sea, and has already gone on to Karafto. We are unable, therefore, to 
 tarry behind him for more than three days in order to confer with your honor. 
 
 " We wish you mvich peace." 
 
 This was not very explicit, but it seemed apparent that, although these dignitaries affected, 
 in their letter, merely to have called, as it were, in passing, they were delegated by the 
 government to make the visit. In accordance, however, with the indirect policy of Japanese 
 diplomacy, it was deemed exi^edient to make use of a subterfuge, by which the intention of the 
 government, of deferring all negotiation until the meeting of the commissioners, might be 
 accomplished and yet concealed, for fear of offending the sensibilities of the Americans by this
 
 CONFERENCE AT H A K O I) A D 1 . 473 
 
 change in the original arrangement. The Hag-lieutenant, Mr. Bent, was sent by the Com- 
 motlore to meet the Japanese delegates, and inform them that they would be received on board 
 the Powhatan at any time they might appoint. One o'clock was accordingly named, and at 
 that hour the boat was sent ashore to receive the Japanese officials and bring them to the ship. 
 On the llag-lieutenant's arriving at the government house and sending word that he was in 
 waiting to conduct the dei^uties to the Commodore, he was told that these gentlemen were at 
 luncheon. After a due exercise of patience for more than an hour, the chief deputy and two of 
 his suite presented themselves, and very deliberately, instead of proceeding to the boat, took 
 their seats in the custom-house, and leisurely refreshed themselves with tea and pipes. The 
 flag-lieutenant very courteously reminded them that it was time to go, but these dignitaries, 
 with the greatest self-composure imaginable, continued to sip their tea and smoke their pipes, 
 and showed by their manner that, such was the idea of their own importance, that not only 
 time and tide, but flag-lieutenants, should wait their leisure. This conduct was the more 
 remarkable from a people so habitually ceremonious and polite. The ofiicer, therefore, very 
 properly said that the boat sent by the Commodore was at the steps, and was then going off to 
 the ship, and if they chose to take passage in it he would be pleased to have their com])any ; if 
 not, they would be obliged to find their own conveyance ; but, as the appointed hour had long 
 since passed, it was doubtful whether they would be received by the Commodore at all. They 
 then replied, without, apparently, making any effort to hurry themselves, that they were 
 waiting for their companions. 
 
 The flag-lieutenant now, without more ado, took his departure, and, getting into the boat, 
 put oft' for the ship. On his way thither he was met by a messenger from the Commodore, 
 with the command to wait no longer for the deputies, unless they had some good reason for 
 their delay. On the flag-lieutenant's making his report, orders were given to prepare for 
 another visit to the land, with a stronger demonstration of earnestness. The deputies, however, 
 in the mean time arrived, and, as they presented themselves at the gangway of the Powhatan, 
 the flag-lieutenant demanded, in the name of the Commodore, an explanation of their delay. 
 The Japanese functionaries then having ofiered as an apology that they had been delayed in 
 purchasing a few articles as presents for the American ambassador, were treated as if they told 
 the truth, and conducted to the Commodore's cabin, where they held a short conference, and 
 refreshments were hospitably set before them. They repeated in conversation the tenor of their 
 note, and said they had no authority to settle the boundaries in Hakodadi. Of course there 
 was no occasion to confer further with them, and the Commodore no longer pressed tlie matter, 
 but determined to postpone all negotiations until he should meet the imperial commissioners at 
 Simoda, the appointed time for which meeting was now rapidly approaching. 
 
 On parting with these Japanese officials, the Commodore took occasion, while expressing his 
 gratification at the general kindness and courtesy of the authorities and jK'ople at Hakodadi, to 
 remark, that the inhabitants still seemed susi)icious of the Americans, as they continued to shut 
 their houses and remove the women from observation. To this the deputies returned a written 
 reply, which, as it presents a document singularly characteristic of the gentle, conciliatory tone 
 of the Japanese, and of their ingenuity in the work of self-justification, and also exhibits the 
 moderate style of tlieir official communications, we give at length : 
 
 "To hear from the Commodore that, since his arrival in Hakodadi, ho lias been much jdeased 
 witli his intercourse and communications with the local authorities, is truly a great gratification
 
 474 
 
 KXrFDITION TO JAPAX. 
 
 to US. With regard to going through the streets, and seeing shops and liouses shut, with 
 neither women nor chiUlren in the ways, let it be here observed, that at Yoku-hama this very 
 matter was jdainly spoken of by Moryama, the interpreter, at that place. The customs of our 
 country are unlike yours, and the people have been unused to see people from foreign lands ; 
 and though the authorities did what they could to pacify them, and teach them better, they still 
 were disinclined to believe, and many absconded or hid themselves. If the Commodore will 
 recall to mind tlie day when he took a ramble to Yoku-hama, in wliich some of us accompanied 
 him, he will recollect that in the villages and houses we hardly saw a woman during the whole 
 walk. If he saw more of them at Simoda, as he went about, it was because there the people 
 were gradually accustomed to the Americans, and their fears had been allayed, so that they felt 
 no dread. 
 
 Jap:ine;*e Women. 
 
 " On these remote frontiers, many miles from Yedo, the usages of the people are so fixed that 
 they are not easily intliicncpd nnd altnrod ; but, pray, how can the inhabitants liero tliink of
 
 K E r. 1 G 1 N OF THE JAPANESE. 475 
 
 regarding Americaas with inimical feelings? Even when they see their own officers, with the 
 persons of whom they are not familiar, they also run aside, and, as from fear, seek to escape us, 
 This is the custom of our country that officers should accompany visitors about — a custom not 
 to be so soon changed. Still, the disposition of the men here is ingenuous, brave, upright, and 
 good, and that of the women retiring and modest, not gazing at men as if without bashfulness. 
 Such characteristics and such usages must be considered as estimable, and we think that you 
 also will not dislike them. 
 
 " In general, when upright, cordial propriety marks intercourse, then peace, good feeling, 
 and harmony are real between the parties ; but if harshness, violence, and grasping characterize 
 it, then hate and distrust with collision arise, and love will not be found to bring the hearts of 
 the people together. This is a rule of heaven, concerning which no one can have any doubt." 
 
 The authorities of Hakodadi had set apart and fenced ofl", for the interment of the American 
 dead, a portion of a small, neglected burial ground, situated in an easterly direction, beyond 
 the town and near the forts. The spot is exceedingly picturesr[ue, and commands a fine view 
 of the harbor, the Straits of Sangar, and the adjacent coasts. It was the melancholy duty of 
 our countrymen to deposit there the remains of two of their shijimates, who, after a long illness, 
 died during the stay of the squadron in that port. The funerals were conducted with the usual 
 naval and religious ceremonies. After a short preliminary service on board ship, the escort, 
 consisting of several officers, a number of seamen and marines, in four boats, conducted tlie 
 bodies ashore, the boats and all the ships with flags at half-mast. On reaching the land, the 
 procession was formed, and as it marched with slow step and muffled drums to the burial place, 
 a large concourse of Japanese collected and followed it to the grave. The chaplain, the Kev. 
 Mr. Jones, read the burial service of the Protestant Episcopal church, and, after the services 
 had terminated, many of the natives gathered around him, and, although they evinced much 
 curiosity, they never forgot the respect which they seemed to think due to his religious office. 
 This was the fourth funeral among the Americans in Japan, and knowing the very strong 
 prejudice against Christianity, and, indeed, the very violent opposition to it manifested by the 
 Japanese, Mr. Jones had felt uncertain, when his duty required him to officiate at the first 
 interment, how far he would be permitted to proceed unmolested. He accordingly asked the 
 Commodore for directions, and was told, "Do exactly as you always do on such occasions, no 
 more, nor no less ;" and in answer to his inquiry how he should act if interrupted, the answer 
 ■was, "still go on and have your usual service." No opposition, however, was made, and the 
 chaplain felt that it was a day to be remembered, that, after the lapse of centuries, a minister 
 of Christ stood, in his person, upon the soil of Japan, and, unmolested, performed one of the 
 rites of his faith. He could not but remember, that, more than two hundred years before, it 
 had been written in Japan, " so long as the sun shall warm the earth, let no Christian be so 
 bold as to come to Japan ; and let all know that the king of Spain himself, or the Christian's 
 God, or the great God of all, if he violate this command, shall pay for it with his head." The 
 first funeral was at Yoku-hama, the second at Simoda, and the last two at Hakodadi. Respect 
 for the ceremonies was shown by the Japanese at all ; and at the latter place the natives often 
 alluded, in their intercourse with Mr. Jones, to his officiating at the grave, and called him, in 
 their language, "the praying man;" and instead of losing standing among them from his 
 office, as he expected to do, he found himself treated with increased friendliness and attention.
 
 476 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN, 
 
 By the burial ground at Hakodadi, wiiich was allotted to our countrymen and had been lorg 
 used by the Japanese thcmselv^es, there is a Buddhist temple surrounded with an enclosure 
 containing large roughly carved stones, intended to represent deities, and inscribed with various 
 devices and religious apothegms. There are also several of the rotary praying machines, 
 already described, and when the chaplain turned enquiringly to the apparatus, the Japanese 
 put their hands together, signifying that it was intended for prayer, and then pointed to the 
 praj'er-book in Mr. Jones' hands, implying that it was used for the same purpose, an 
 explanation which the good chaplain felt to be anything but a compliment to his much valued 
 manual of devotion. By the way, on the subject of prayer, the chaplain had an opportunity to 
 obtain further information. One day he wandered into a Buddhist temj^le when the Japanese 
 were at worship. There was a large altar exactly similar to that in a Romish church, with a 
 gilt image in its recess ; two handsome lamps lighted, two large candles burning, artificial 
 flowers, &c., with an abundance of gilding; there were also two side altars with candles on 
 them burning. Before the jirincipal altar, within an enclosure, were five priests, robed and on 
 their knees, the chief one striking a small saucer-shaped bell, and three others with padded 
 drumsticks striking hollow wooden lacijuered vessels, which emitted a dull sound. They kept 
 time, and toned their prayers to their music in chanting ; after chanting, they knelt again, and 
 touched the floor with their foreheads ; after which they repaired to the side altars and had a 
 short ceremony before each of them. When all was over, one of the priests approached, and, 
 pointing to an image, asked Mr. Jones what it was called in America. He answered : " Nai," 
 " we have it not." He then pointed to the altars and asked the same question, to which he 
 received the same reply. When the chaplain left the temple, as he walked on, his oflScial 
 attendant asked him ' if the people prayed in America?' He was answered in the affirmative, 
 and Mr. Jones, dropping on one knee, joined his hands, and, with upturned face, closed his 
 eyes, and pointed to the heavens, to intimate by signs that we j^ray to a being there. He then 
 asked his attendants if they prayed to that being ? He replied : " Yes ; we pray to Tien," their 
 word for heaven or God. 
 
 To return to our narrative of matters connected with tho funeral, it was found, in a few days 
 after the interment of our countryman, that the Japanese authorities had caused to be erected a 
 neat picket fence around the American graves, before it was known to our officers.* 
 
 After a farewell visit of ceremony on shore, and an interchange of courtesies and presents, 
 (among which was a block of granite for the Washington monument,) the Powhatan and 
 Mississippi, which were the only vessels of the squadron left, took their departure for Simoda 
 
 * The seamen of the Vandalia, to the crew of which ship the deceased hail beloiif^cd, with a pious reverence for their 
 departed shipmates sleeping in that distant land, erected a gravestone, npon which was inscribed an epitaph of their own 
 composition, in the following words, cut by the Japanese in English letters from a copy furnished them : 
 
 " Sleeping on a foreign shore, 
 Rest, sailor, rest! thy trials o'er; 
 Thy shipmates leave this token here. 
 That some, perchance, may drop a tear 
 For one that braved so long the blast, 
 And served his country to the last." 
 
 The want of poetic inspiration in this humble tribute may well be forgiven for the sake of its mingled affection and patriotism. 
 Poor Jack may not be able to u'ri(e poetry, and yet his heart may feel as strongly as another man's those deep emotions of our 
 nature which underlie the poet's work, when, " with his singing-robes about him," he soars aloft with his impassioned gushes 
 of spirit-stirring song, or, it may bo, in gentler mood, breathes, as it were, on jEolian harp-strings, making the sadder " music 
 hat can move to tears."
 
 CONFER ENCK WITU TUE COMMISSIONERS AT SIMODA. 477 
 
 on tho 3d of June, 1854. The steamers, however, had hardly got under way at early sunrise, 
 when tliey were obliged to anchor again at the mouth ot" the hay, in consequence of a dense fog. 
 It was providential that tho weather had remained clear a sufhcient time to allow of securing 
 some bearings for a safe anchorage. As the day advanced the fog was dissipated, and tlic two 
 steamers, weighing again, got clear of the straits before night. 
 
 On tlie fifth day out, the smoke of the volcano of Oho-sima was discovered in the distance, 
 and the land was soon distinctly made ; but the weather becoming very thick from the rain ai d 
 mist, it was found necessary to put the sliips' lieads off shore and continue under low steam 
 during the night. The fog continuing while the ships were among the islands in the Gulf of 
 Yedo, caused a delay of full twenty-four hours, and they consequently did not arrive at Simoda 
 until the 7th of June, which, however, was one day before the time appointed for a meeting of 
 the Commodore -with the commissioners. Nothing of especial interest occurred during the 
 passage. A very large number of whales was observed, and the strong eastward current was 
 remarked as before. 
 
 At noon, the Powhatan, passing Vandalia bluff at the entrance of Simoda harbor, ran in and 
 came to anchor in her former berth, followed by her consort the Mississippi. The store-ship 
 Supply was found at anchor in the harbor. Shortly after anchoring, some of the Japanese 
 officers came on board the flag-ship, and cordially welcoming the Commodore on his return to 
 Simoda, informed him that the commissioners had arrived from Yedo with an addition of two to 
 their number. As the Commodore was very desirous of completing his business with these 
 functionaries, who, judging from past experience, would probably be somewhat slow in all their 
 movements, he sent his flag-lieutenant on shore to propose an immediate interview. It was 
 ascertained by this officer that the commissioners were out of town, but very soon after a 
 message arrived, to the effect that they would return at once, and be in readiness to meet the 
 Commodore the next day at noon. 
 
 The Commodore landed with a suitable escort on the next day, and was received at the temple 
 by the commissioners, with the usual formal compliments. The two new members of the 
 commission were presented by name and title as Tzudsuki, Suraga-no-kami, (prince of Suraga,) 
 and Take-no-uchisetaro, comptroller of the revenues : the chief commissioner then stated that 
 Simoda had been made an imperial city, and that Izawa, Prince of Mimasaki, and Tzudsuki 
 had been apjiointed its governors, with Kura-kawa-kahei and Ise-sin-toheiro as lieutenant- 
 governors. In conseqiience of this new organization the commissioners declared that it would 
 be necessary to establish certain boundaries to the city by means of walls and gates, in order to 
 define the limits of the imperial jurisdiction ; and asked whether the Commodore would object 
 to the erection of such, with the understanding that the Americans should have the privilege of 
 going where and when they pleased within them, and beyond them, on asJctng permission, whicli 
 permission would always readily be granted. Tire Commodore replied that he had no desire to 
 interfere with any plans of the government, provided they did not violate the stipulations of 
 the treaty ; and, reminding them that the Americans had a perfect right, guarantied to them by 
 that document, of moving unmolested within the limits of seven U or ri, said that, of course, 
 he would leave what was beyond that distance to be governed by their own regulations.* It 
 
 • A ri is equal to 2 i\-„'j, English statute miles ; G feet is equal to 1 ken ; 60 kens make 1 choo ; 36 choos make 1 ri. T)io 
 fans of the Japanese are of uniform size, six of tliem making five Rnglish foot. They are used as mcitsuros, recognised by tho 
 laws.
 
 478 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 was then mutually agreed that three American officers should accompany the Japanese officers 
 appointe 1 to affix the boundaries, and regulate the erection of the walls and gates at Simoda. 
 The Commodore, however, positively refused to consent that Americans should ask any permis- 
 sion of the Japanese officers, or of any one else, to go anywhere within the limits of the seven 
 ri fixed by the treaty, they, of course, conducting themselves properly and peaceably. 
 
 The great discussion, however, was concerning the boundaries within wliich our countrymen 
 might go at Hakodadi. These had not yet been settled at all. The Japanese wished to confine 
 Americans within the city itself; but as the Commodore protested most strongly against this, 
 the subject was postponed for future consideration. Tire commissioners having stated that a 
 special place had been set apart for the burial of Americans, asked permission to have the body 
 of the man buried at Yoku-hama removed to Simoda. This was granted, and a promise made 
 that proper persons from the squadron should be selected to assist in the removal. 
 
 The suggestion of the Commodore that pilots and a harbor-master be appointed was 
 readily acceded to by tlie commissioners, who promised that suitable persons should be chosen 
 and made acquainted with their duties. The conference then closed and was resumed on the 
 following day, in the course of which the question again came up in regard to the limits at 
 Hakodadi, but its settlement was, for the second time, postponed. A general conversation 
 ensued over the refreshments with which the Japanese entertained their guests, in which the 
 commissioners showed, by their enquiries, that lively interest which was uniformly exhibited 
 among the educated classes in the events transpiring in different parts of the world. They 
 were very curious to know something about the products and manufactures of the United States, 
 and asked our views in regard to China and its revolution, and concerning the war between 
 Kussia and Turkey. 
 
 Another conference took place on the succeeding day, but without any definite result in 
 regard to the limits at Hakodadi, although the question was discussed for several hours. An 
 attempt was made by the commissioners to obtain the consent of the Commodore to a regulation 
 prohibiting the Americans from remaining on shore after sunset, which was positively refused. 
 Two (the newly appointed commissioners) had been chosen expressly to settle the question in 
 regard to the comparative value of the Japanese and United States currencies, and Pursers 
 Speiden and Eldridge were selected by the Commodore to confer with them on that subject. 
 An important result ensued, embodied in an iiiteresting and valuable report made by those 
 gentlemen to the Commodore.* 
 
 After a succession of daily conferences, which continued from the 8th to the ITth of June, a 
 mutual agreement was finally adjusted on the latter day, in regard to the various disputed 
 
 * Tho following correspondence embraces the official action on this point : 
 
 UsMTED States Flag-ship Powhatan, Simoda, Junt 12, 1854. 
 
 Gevtlemex : You are hereby appointed to the duty of holding communication with certain Japanese officials delegated by 
 the imperial government, in conformity with the treaty of Kanai^awa, to arrange with officers, alil<e delegated by nie, tho rate 
 of currency and exchange which shall for the present govern the payments to he made, by the several ships of the squadron, for 
 articles that havt been and are to be obtained ; also to establish, as far as can be, the price at which coal, per picul or ton, can 
 be delivered on board at this port of Simoda. 
 
 It is not to be understood that the rate of currency or exchange which may be agreed upon at this time is to be permanent ; 
 on the contrary, it is intended only to answer immediate purposes. Neither you nor myself are sufficiently acquainted with tho 
 purity and value of the Japanese coins to establish a fixed rate of exchange, even if I had the power to recognise such 
 arrangement. 
 
 It will, however, bo very desirable for you to make yourselves acquainted with all the peculiarities of tho Japanese currency,
 
 ADDITION A I, REGULATIONS. 470 
 
 points of detail not specified in the treaty. These are embodied in the following additional 
 regulations : 
 
 Additional regulations, agreed to between Commodore Matthew C. Perry, special envoy to Japan 
 from the United States of America, and Hayashi Daigaku-no-kami ; Ido, Prince of Tsiis-sima ; 
 Izawa, Prince of Mimasaki ; Tsudzuki, Prince of Suruga ; Udono, member of the board of 
 revenue; Take-no-uchi Sheifaro, and Matsnsaki Jlichitaro, commissioners of the Emperor of 
 Japan, on behalf of their respective governments. 
 
 Article I. — The imperial governors of Simoda will place watcli stations wherever they deem 
 best, to designate the limits of their jurisdiction ; but Americans are at liberty to go through 
 
 and also, if practicable, with the laws appertaining thereto, as the information will be valuable in facililatino- all future 
 negotiations upon the subject. 
 
 You will, of course, before entering into any agreement which may be considered binding, refer to me. 
 Very respectfully, your obedient servant, 
 
 M. C. PERRY, 
 Commander-in-chief i<f the United States .\aral Forces in the East India and China Seas. 
 Purser William Speides-, United States Aory. 
 Purser J. C. Eldkidge, United States Aouj/. 
 
 Un-ited States Steam-frigate Powhatan, Simoda, June 15, 1854. 
 
 Sir: The committee appointed by you, in your letter of the 12th instant, to confer with a committee from the Japanese 
 commissioners in reference to the rate of exchange and currency between the two nations in the trade at the ports opened, and 
 to settle the price of coal to be delivered at this port, beg leave to report ; 
 
 The Japanese committee, it was soon seen, came to the conference with their minds made up to adhere to the valuation they 
 had already set upon our coins, even if the alternative was the immediate cessation of trade. The basis upon which they made 
 their calculation was the nominal rate at which the government sells bullion when it is purchased from the mint, and which 
 Seems also to be that by which the metal is received from the mines. The Japanese have a decimal system of weight, like the 
 Chinese, of catty, tael, mace, candareen, and cash, by which articles in general are weighed; but gold and silver are not 
 reckoned above taels. In China, a tael of silver, in weight, and one in currency are the same, for the Chinese have no silver 
 coin ; but in Japan, as in European countries, the standard of value weight and that of currency weio-ht differ. We were told 
 that a tael weight of silver has now come to be reckoned, when it is bullion, as eqijal to 225 candarecns, or 2 taels, 2 mace, 
 5 candareens ; but, when coined, th« same amount in weight is held to be worth 6 taels, 4 mace. It is at the bullion value that 
 the government has decided to receive our dollar, the same at which they take the silver from the mines ; asserting that, as its 
 present die and assay give it no additional value, it is worth no more to them. In proportion to a tael a dollar wein-lis 7 mace 
 1 1-5 candareen, which, at the rates of bullion value, makes it worth I tael, 6 mace, or 1,61)0 cash. Thus the Japanese 
 government will make a profit of 66j per cent, on every dollar paid them of full weight, with the trifling deduction of the 
 expense of re-coining it. The injustice of this arrangement was shown, and the proprietv of paying to the seller himself the 
 coin we gave at this depreciated rate urged, but in vain. 
 
 For gold the rate is more, as the disparity between the value of bullion and that of coin, among the Japanese, is not so oreat. 
 A tael weight of gold is valued at 19 taels in currency, and a mace at 1 tael, 9 mace. The gold dollar weighs almost 5 
 candareens, but the Japanese have reckoned it as the twentieth part of a $20 piece, which they give as 8 mace, 8 candareens ; 
 and, consequently, the dollar is only 4 candareens, 4 cash. This weight brings the gold dollar, wlien compared with the tael of 
 bullion gold worth 19 taels, to be worth 83G cash, and the $20 piece to be worth 10,720 cash, or 16 taels, 7 mace, 2 candareens. 
 This, when converted into a silver value, makes a gold dollar worth 52J cents, and a §20 piece %vorth §10 45, at which the 
 Japanese propose to take them. IJut this valuation of the gold dollar at 52^ cents, when reckoned at 8.36 cash, its assessed 
 value by the Japanese government, suffers the- same depreciation as our silver ; and its real value, when compared with the 
 inflated currency in use among the people, is only about 17 i cents. Consequently, by this estimate, gold becomes 50 per cent, 
 worse for us to pay in than silver. The currency value of a gold dollar, taking the iehibu as of equal purity, and comparing 
 them weight for weight. Is only 1,045 cash, or nearly 22 cents in silver ; so that the actual depreciation on the part of the 
 Japanese is not so great as silver — being for the two metals, when weishcd with each other, for silver as 100 to 33;, and for 
 gold as 22 to 17. The elements of this comparison are not quite certain, and therefore its results are somewhat doubtful ; but 
 the extraordinary discrepancy of both metals, compared with our coins and with their own copper coins, shows how the 
 government has inflated the whole monetary system in order to benefit itself. 
 
 The parties could come to no agreement, as wo declined to consent to the proposals of the Japanese, who were decided to 
 adhere to their valuation of a silver dollar at 1 tael, 6 mace, or 1.6 10 c.isli ; neither wouM they consent to do justly by us in 
 relation to the moneys paid ihem at this place before our departnro for llakodadi, nt the rale "f only I tael, 2 niaco, or 1,200
 
 480 EXi'EDlTIONTOJAPAN. 
 
 them, unrestricted, withia the limits of seven Japanese ri, or miles ; and those who are found 
 transgressing Japaaese laws may be apprehended by the police and taken on board their ships. 
 
 Article II. — Tliree landing-places shall be constructed for the boats of merchant ships and 
 whale-ships resorting to this port ; one at Simoda, one at Kakizaki, and the third at the brook 
 lying southeast of Centre Island. The citizens of the United States will, of course, treat the 
 Japanese officers with proper respect. 
 
 Article III. — Americans, when on shorCj arc not allowed access to military establishments 
 or private houses without leave ; but they can enter shops and visit temples as they please. 
 
 Article IV. — Two temples, the Rioshen at Simoda, and the Yokushen at Kakizaki, are 
 assigned as resting-places for persons in their walks, until public houses and inns are erected 
 for their convenience. 
 
 Article V. — Near the temjjle Yokushen, at Kakizaki, a burial-ground has been set apart for 
 Americans, where their graves and tombs shall not be molested. 
 
 Article VI. — It is stipulated in the treaty of Kanagawa, that coal will be furnished at 
 Hakodadi ; but as it is very difficult for the Japanese to supply it at that port. Commodore 
 Perry promises to mention this to his government, in order that the Japanese government may 
 be relieved from the obligation of making that port a coal depot. 
 
 Article VII. — It is agreed that henceforth the Chinese language shall not be employed in 
 official communications between the two governments, except when there is no Dutch interpreter. 
 
 Article VIII. — A harbor-master and three skilful pilots have been appointed for the port of 
 Simoda. 
 
 Article IX. — Whenever goods are selected in the shops, they shall be marked with the name 
 of the purchaser and the price agreed upon, and then be sent to the Goyoshi, or government 
 office, where the money is to be paid to Japanese officers, and the articles delivered by them. 
 
 Article X. — The shooting of birds and animals is generally forbidden in Japan, and this 
 law is therefore to be observed by all Americans. 
 
 Article XI. — It is hereby agreed that five Japanese ri, or miles, be the limit allowed to 
 Americans at Hakodadi, and tlie requirements contained in Article I, of these Regulations, are 
 hereby made also applicable to that port within that distance. 
 
 Article XII. — His Majesty the Emperor of Japan is at liberty to appoint whoever he pleases 
 to receive the ratification of the treaty of Kanagawa, and give an acknowledgment on his part. 
 
 cafih, to the dollar, by which they had made a profit of 75 per cent, on each dollar, stating that the money paid them at this 
 rate had passed out of tlicir hands ; and, moreover, that the prices placed upon the articles furnished had been cluirgcd at 
 reduced prices with reference to the low value placed upon the dollar. 
 
 For the amount due and unsettled, for supplies received at Yoku-hama, and on account of wliich Purser Eldridge paid 
 Moryama Yenoskc, imperial interpreter, $350 in gold and silver, that they might be assayed and tested at Yodo, they consent 
 to receive the dollar at the valuation now placed on them ; that is, at the rate of 1,630 cash for the silver dollar. 
 
 We carefully investigated the price of the coal to bo delivered to vessels in this port. We learn that 10,000 catties or 100 
 piculs have arrived ; and this, at the rate of 1,6-iO catties to a ton of 2,340 pounds, or IG l-.) piculs, costs 2G'2 taels, G mace, 
 5 candareens, 3 cash, or fjil64 16 ; making the rate to be g"27 91 per ton. Tlie Japanese state that tlie price of coal would be 
 considerably reduced as the demand for it increased, and their facilities for mining becacne more perfect. 
 
 In conclusion, we take pleasure in expressing our thanks to Messrs. Williams and Portman, whoso services as interpreters 
 were indispensable, and from whom we received important aid in our investigations. 
 We have the honor to be, respectfully, your obedient servants, 
 
 WILLIAM SPEIDEN, Purser Unilid Slates Xavy. 
 }. C. ELDRIDGE, Purser United Stales .Xnnj. 
 Commodore M. C. Perry, 
 
 Commandevin-chief of llie UnVed Slates J^'^ai'al Forces in the Eitst hidia and China Seas.
 
 JAPANESE COAL. 481 
 
 It Is .agreed that nothinp; lierein contiiincd shall in any way affect or modify the stipulations 
 of the treaty of Kanagawa, should that be found to be contrary to these regulations. 
 
 In witness whereof, copies of these additional regulations have been signed and sealed in the 
 English and Japanese languages by the resjiective parties, and a certified translation in the 
 Dutch language, and exchanged by the commissioners of the United States and Japan. 
 SiiiODA, Japax, June Vl, 1854. 
 
 M. C. TERPtY, 
 Commander-in-chief of (he U. S. Naval Forces, East India, 
 
 China, and Japan Seas, and Special Envoy to Japan. 
 
 These regulations were agreed to on the part of the commissioners only after a very hard 
 struggle. The question of limits to the Americans, both at Simoda and Hakodadi, was the one 
 most difficult of adjustment, in consequence, as it appeared, of the trouble in reconciling the 
 imperial and local jurisdictions. The commissioners urged that the authority of the Empire 
 did not extend as far as the seven Japanese ri, or sixteen English miles, guarantied to the 
 Americans by the treaty of Kanagawa. The Japanese officers had pointed out three positions 
 to the American officers, who had been designated by the Commodore to be present, as the sites 
 for the gates and walls. Neither of these was distant more than a mile and a half from Centre 
 Island, the starting point agreed upon from which to mark the boundary. The gates were 
 finally erected at the spots indicated, when the commissioners formally proposed that the 
 Commodore should now assent to a regulation making it necessary for Americans desiring to 
 pass beyond them to obtain permission first from the Japanese officer on duty. But the 
 Commodore peremptorily refused, and was firm in resisting all efforts, great or small, to 
 weaken, in the slightest degree, the concessions already made to the Americans by the treaty. 
 He intimated, however, a willingness to assent to such regulations as were undoubtedly necessary 
 to govern the Japanese authorities as well as the Americans ; but as for modifying or in any 
 way altering the treaty, he wished them distinctly to understand that it was entirely impossible. 
 In regard to the limits at Hakodadi, the commissioners at first wished to confine them to 
 one street, then to the whole town, then to the projecting promontory extending toward 
 the sea, next to three Japanese ri, and then to three and a half. They thus contested 
 the ground, inch by inch. The Commodore proposed that the Americans should enjoy 
 the same extent of boundary as had been granted at Simoda ; but this was so pertina- 
 ciously opposed that it was thought expedient to compromise for five Japanese ri, or twelve 
 English miles ; and as the country in the neighborhood of Hakodadi is mountainous and 
 sparsely settled, this restriction will prove of no great consequence. Nothing, however, was 
 more apparent than that the Japanese, admonished by their old Portuguese experience, were 
 exceedingly reluctant to allow Christian foreigners to come among them at all, even for 
 temporary purposes. 
 
 The Japanese authorities had, in accordance with their agreement, supplied the steamers 
 at Simoda with some of their native coal. It had been brought from their mines, at 
 considerable trouble and expense, in hampers made of rice-straw. Notwithstanding the country 
 is said to produce large quantities of this mineral, and the people are reported to have been long 
 familiar with its uses, the coal they supplied appeared to be surface coal, and to have been 
 obtained from mines which had not been opened thoroughly and worked. On being tried on 
 61 J
 
 482 
 
 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 board the steamers, the engineers reported tliat it was of a equality so inferior that they were 
 unable to keep up steam with it. They liave, liowever, very good coal, and the experiments 
 practically made on specimens brought home by the squadron give the following results. A 
 careful chemical analysis made at the navy yard laboratory, Brooklyn, will be found in the 
 Appendix. 
 
 "Navy Yard, New York, January 8, 1856. 
 
 "Sir: In compliance with your order of November 5, to subject to suitable tests samples of 
 Japan and Formosa coals, with a view to ascertain their respective qualities as fuel, we 
 respectfullj' report, as follows, viz : 
 
 " As both the Japan and Formosa coals are of bituminous character, we have used, as a 
 standard of comparison, the best quality of Cumberland coal, and conducted the test upon a 
 scale sufficiently large, that incidental causes, of a minor character, always attending experi- 
 ments, Avould not be likely to materially affect the correctness of the results obtained. 
 
 " The test was made in a boiler of the drop-flue form, having thirty -nine square feet of grate 
 surface. The engine worked from this boiler has a cylinder of thirty-six inches diameter, with 
 four feet length of stroke, and operates the machinery in the machine shop of this yard ; the 
 work is so nearly equal, at each moment of time, that the resistance may be considered constant. 
 
 "The experiments were conducted for consecutive days with the different kinds of coal, and 
 the quantity consumed at the expiration of each day's work accurately noted, which was 
 required to maintain as nearly an equal pressure of steam as possible. 
 
 "The following table embraces the results obtained of the comparative evaporative effect of 
 the two coals, and also the comparative stowage: 
 
 CUMBERLAND COAL. 
 
 Date. 
 
 Hour. 
 
 Steam 
 pressure. 
 
 Remarks. 
 
 Date. 
 
 Hour. 
 
 Steam 
 pressure. 
 
 Remarks. 
 
 1855. 
 Dec. 27 
 
 8 A. M. 
 
 14 
 
 
 1855. 
 Dec. 28 
 
 8 A. M. 
 
 15 
 
 
 
 9 a. m. 
 
 15 
 
 
 
 9 A. M. 
 
 16 
 
 
 
 10 A. U. 
 
 15 
 
 
 
 10 A. M. 
 
 15 
 
 
 
 11 A. M. 
 
 13 
 
 
 
 11 A. M. 
 
 14 
 
 
 
 12 A, M. 
 
 14 
 
 
 
 12 A. M. 
 
 15 
 
 
 
 1 P. M. 
 
 15 
 
 Coal consumed, 1,900 lbs. 
 
 
 IP. M. 
 
 13 
 
 Coal consumed, 1,950 lbs. 
 
 
 2 p. M. 
 
 13 
 
 
 
 2 p. M. 
 
 15 
 
 
 
 3 p. M. 
 
 14 
 
 
 
 3 p. M. 
 
 14 
 
 
 
 4 P. M. 
 
 14 
 
 
 
 4 p. M. 
 
 14 
 
 
 
 4.30 p. M. 
 
 15 
 
 
 
 4.30 p. M. 
 
 13 
 
 40 cubic feet displaced for 
 one ton of coal.
 
 ArjceriiuuiXtzfiJVBii>tuiMa4-Vi
 
 COAL IN JAPAN', 
 FORMOSA COAL. 
 
 483 
 
 Dale. 
 
 Hour. 
 
 Steam 
 pressure. 
 
 Remarks. 
 
 Date. 
 
 Hour. 
 
 Steam 
 pressure. 
 
 Remarks. 
 
 18.i5. 
 Dec. 29 
 
 8 A. M. 
 
 16 
 
 
 1855. 
 Dec. 31 
 
 8 a m. 
 
 16 
 
 
 
 9 A. M. 
 
 14 
 
 
 
 9 A. M. 
 
 15 
 
 
 
 10 A. M. 
 
 13 
 
 
 
 10 A. M. 
 
 14 
 
 
 
 11 A.M. 
 
 15 
 
 
 
 11 A. M. 
 
 14 
 
 
 
 12 A. M. 
 
 13 
 
 
 
 12 a m. 
 
 13 
 
 
 
 IP M. 
 
 14 
 
 Coal consumed, 2,957 lbs. 
 
 
 1 P. M. 
 
 15 
 
 Coal consumed, 3,036 lbs. 
 
 
 2 P. M. 
 
 16 
 
 
 
 2 p. M. 
 
 14 
 
 
 
 3 p. M. 
 
 13 
 
 
 
 3 p. M. 
 
 14 
 
 
 
 4 P. M. 
 
 14 
 
 
 
 4 p. M. 
 
 13 
 
 
 
 4.30 P. H. 
 
 14 
 
 
 
 4.30 p. M. 
 
 14 
 
 40 cubic feet displaced for 
 one ton of coal. 
 
 JAPAN COAL. 
 
 Date. 
 
 Hour. 
 
 Steam 
 pressure. 
 
 Remarks. 
 
 Date. I Hour. 
 
 Steam 
 pressure, i 
 
 Remarks. 
 
 1856. 
 Jan. 2 
 
 8 A. M. 
 
 9 A. M. 
 
 10 a m. 
 
 11 A. M. 
 
 12 A. M. 
 
 14 
 13 
 13 
 12 
 14 
 
 
 
 1856. 
 Jan. 3 
 
 8 A M. 
 
 9 A. M. 
 
 10 A. M. 
 
 11 A. M. 
 
 12 A. M. 
 
 12 
 13 
 14 
 13 
 14 
 
 
 
 1 P. M. 
 
 13 
 
 Coal consumed 
 
 3,700 lbs. 
 
 
 I P. M. 
 
 15 
 
 Coal consumed, 3,648 lbs. 
 
 
 2 p. M. 
 
 15 
 
 
 
 
 2 P. M. 
 
 14 
 
 
 
 3 p. M. 
 
 14 
 
 
 
 
 3 p. M. 
 
 14 
 
 
 
 4 p. M. 
 
 14 
 
 
 
 
 4 p. M. 
 
 15 
 
 
 
 4.30 p. M. 
 
 13 
 
 
 
 
 4.30 p. .M. 
 
 14 
 
 37 cubic feet displaced for 
 one ton of coal. 
 
 "The Formosa coal burns freely, leaving but a small amount of ashes and scoria. 
 " The Japan coal produces considerable scoria and ashes. The sample of this coal was taken 
 from the out-croppings of the vein, and will, undoubtedly yield a much superior quality at a 
 greater depth. 
 
 "JESSE GAY, Chief Engineer. 
 "WILLIAM E. EVERETT, Chief Engimer. 
 " Captain Abrah.\m Bigelow, 
 
 "Commandant Navy Yard, New York." 
 
 Whether the shrewd Japanese supplied an inferior ([uality to deceive their visitors, or 
 whether from ignorance of the article and want of mining skill they innocently brought 
 that which was inferior, cannot be certainly decidetl ; but as good coal certainly exists in 
 Japan, and as the natives not only use it, but, according to Von Siebold, know very well how 
 to mine it, the probabilities are that they purposely furnished tlie poorest samples. When the 
 Preble was at Nagasaki, and they saw the armorer on board at work at liis forge, they 
 pretended that they did not know wliat coal was, and actually took a piece on shore as a
 
 484 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 t 
 
 curiosity, expressing, with well feigned astonishment, their surprise at seeing a "stone" tha 
 would burn. The coal that was obtained was cliarged at the enormous rate of about $28 per 
 ton ; but the Japanese stated that the price would be probably much reduced as the demand for 
 it increased, and their facilities for obtaining it improved. We are inclined to think, after a 
 careful examination of the particulars of the interviews and conferences with them ou all 
 topics, that on no one subject did they misrepresent more unscrupulously than on that of coal. 
 There is no doubt that they liave an abundance, and some of it very good. 
 
 As the negotiations with the commissioners had now terminated, the Commodore prepared for 
 his final departure, and accordingly was desirous of settling the accounts of the ships with the 
 local authorities. Proper officers were accordingly sent on shore to receive from the governor a 
 statement, with the prices of the various articles with which the squadron had been furnished.* 
 
 Among other accounts was a bill for spars, which had been ordered previous to leaving for 
 Halvodadi ; but upon investigation it was found that, although charged, they had not yet been 
 prepared or delivered, and that even the trees from which they were to be made had not yet 
 been cut down. The bazaar had also been opened for several days, and was supplied with the 
 various articles of Japanese manufacture which the Americans desired to purchase and take 
 home as memorials of the expedition. The prices charged, however, were so exorbitant that 
 the Commodore was obliged to protest against the conduct of the authorities in this respect, and 
 to rebuke them for the neglect, not to call it b}^ a harsher term, in not having the spars ready, 
 although they had been charged for as if furnished. 
 
 The protest and complaints of the Commodore having been laid before the governor. Prince 
 Agawa, that functionary sent Moryama Yenoske, the interpreter, on board the flag-ship with a 
 respectful rejoinder to the efiect that the prices of articles offered for sale in the bazaar had been 
 arranged at Yedo, and that they were not above the usual market valuation. It was then 
 explained by the flag-lieutenant that, although the prices in Chinese ' ' cash ' ' might not appear 
 exorbitant to the Japanese, yet that they were really so to the Americans, who were obliged to 
 pay in dollars, at a depreciation much below their value. Moryama Yenoske explained the 
 afiair of the spars by declaring that he was responsible for what he was pleased to term the 
 error, as he supposed that all the Commodore had asked for was the cost of spars, and did not 
 understand that an order had been given for a supply of them. Subsequently, the Commodore 
 
 * Tlio cost of the various supplies, which are those ordinarily required by foreign vessels, is hero given, us it may be of 
 interest and value to future navigators. 
 
 Prices of supplies at Simoda. 
 
 Six fans = 5 English feel. 
 
 1 spar, 82 fans long, diameter 1 fan 3.G-10 inches - $108 60 
 
 2 spars, 50 fans G inches long, diameter 8 inches - 27 00 
 2 ditto, 73 fans 7 in. long, diameter 1 fan 2.8-10 in. 176 10 
 2 ditto, 47 fans 3 inches long, diameter 8 inches - 25 50 
 2 ditto, 52 fans 8 inches long, diameter 8 inches - 27 00 
 2 ditto, 3!) fans G inches long, diameter G.4-10 inches 10 40 
 2 ditto, 55 fans long, diameter 8 inches - - - 30 00 
 1 ditto, GG fnis long, diameter 1 fan 1.2-10 inches - 54 40 
 
 1 ditto, 44 fans long, diameter 7.2-10 inches - - 7 80 
 
 2 ditto, 4!l fans long, diameter 8 inches - - - 25 50 
 2 ditto, 4G fans long, diameter 7.2-10 inches - - 19 50 
 2 ditto, .30 fans 8 5-10 in. long, diameter 7.2-10 in. 13 00 
 2 ditto, 49 fans 5 in. long, diameter 1 fan 1.2-10 in. 95 20 
 2 ditto, 33 fans long, diameter 4 8-10 inches - - 71 49 
 2 ditto, 55 fans long, diaincler 1 fan 2.8-10 inches 1G3 20 
 
 1,200 C«s/i = Sl. 
 
 Wood $G 75. 
 
 Kggs 7 for 10 cents. 
 
 Chickens - - - - 39 cents each. 
 Fish - . . . . from 174 to 89 cents each 
 Cray -fish - - - - 3! cents each. 
 
 Ditto ----- ]li cents per cattee. 
 Cabbage - - - - 18 cents per sack. 
 
 Radishes - . - - 12' cents per sack. 
 
 Potatoes ... - 3a cents per sack. 
 
 Unions - - - - 10 cents per sack. 
 
 (The sack holds a little more than an English bushel.)
 
 SAM PATCH. 485 
 
 and some of liis officers went on slioro and iiartook of a liaudsorae collation, at the earnest 
 solicitation of the commissioners, who, on the occasion, made an ample apology for the various 
 errors and misunderstandings which had interrujited the friendly intercourse between the 
 Americans and the authorities. The Commodore explained that it was a principle he had been 
 contending for, and not the comparatively unimportant consideration of a few Inmdred dollars, 
 more or less, as his government had jdaced ample means in his hands, and he was disposed to 
 pay liberally for all he had ; but neither the United States nor he were at all willing to bo 
 imposed upon. Moryama Yenoske, who was always the most active of all the officials, and was 
 now the chief spokesman, said that the Americans might purchase any articles they pleased at 
 their own valuation. This offer was, of course, rejected ; and Yenoske then assumed, in behalf 
 of himself and his fellow-interpreter, Tatsnoske, the whole blame, not only in regard to the 
 spars, but the exorbitant prices and all the other wrongs which had given rise to complaint. 
 Indeed, these two worthy gentlemen seemed to be convenient mediums through which their 
 superiors might render a vicarious expiation for their offences. They were ever ready to 
 shoulder all the responsibility for anything wrong. Yenoske, however, was very civilly told 
 that, although the Commodore could ajj^jreciate the self-sacrificing devotion with which he 
 shouldered all the blame, yet that it was not a victim that was sought, but merely a correction 
 of certain evil practices which, if not checked in the beginning, might lead to disaffection and 
 serious quarrel. A perfect reconciliation then ensued, which was appropriately sealed by a 
 present from the commissioners of a block of stone for the Washington monument, which was 
 to be carried to the United States as a tribute from Japan to the memory of the great father of 
 our republic. Nothing afterwards occurred to interrupt friendly relations, and frequent 
 intercourse, which grew more and more intimate as the day of departure approached, took place 
 with all classes on shore. Handsome presents were exchanged, and some choice articles of 
 Japanese manufacture were received from the authorities as gifts for the President and for the 
 officers of the ships. Among the gifts were three Japanese dogs, sent to the President. These 
 were of the small spaniel breed, already alluded to, very highly esteemed in Japan, and 
 purchasable only at a very large price. The Commodore succeeded in bringing tliem to the 
 United States, and they now thrive at Washington. The Commodore obtained two for himself, 
 one only of which reached the United States. 
 
 A few days previous to the departure of the Commodore, Moryama Yenoske, in company with 
 several other officials, came on board the Powhatan to request that the Japanese "Sam Patch," 
 of whom we have spoken, should be allowed to remain in Japan. They were told that the 
 Commodore had no objection whatever to the man's remaining, if ho wished ; but that it must 
 be by his own free will, and that the commissioners must give a written pledge that the man 
 should not, in any way, be punished for his absence from Japan. Moreover, as he had suffered 
 shipwreck, and had been thrown, by God's providence, on American protection, and had 
 entered on board an American ship by his own choice, he was entitled to all the protection and 
 security of an American citizen ; consequently the Commodore could allow of no coercion being 
 resorted to to make the man remain in Japan. The Japanese officials ridiculed the idea of his 
 suffering any harm or hurt by his remaining in Jajjan, and said that the commissioners would 
 cheerfully give any guarantee required that he should in no way be molested, but be allowed at 
 once to return to his friends, who were very anxious to sec him. Sam was now called up, but 
 all the eloquence and persuasiveness of tlie Japanese were insufficient to induce him to leave the
 
 486 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 ship. The truth is that Sam never, during the whole stay of the squadron in Japan, appeared 
 fully to understand the independence and safety of his position. Long habit had so impressed 
 upon him the cowardice of trembling servility before his .superiors in Japan, that it was very 
 obvious the interview with the officials produced no emotion but abject fear. He fell on his 
 knees before them after the manner of his country, and would have remained in that position if 
 Lieutenant Bent, who was determined that no such obsequiousness should be shown on the deck 
 of an American man-of-war, and under the flag of the United States, to anything wearing the 
 human firm, had not perem])torily ordered him immediately to rise to his feet. 
 
 Sam had tak«n his place as one of the crew, and had won the goodwill of his shipmates 
 generally by his good nature. All pitied his misfortunes, and one of the marines named Goble, 
 a religious man, had taken a special interest in him ; finding in his docility and intelligence 
 promise of good fruit from a properly directed religious training, Goble had begun with him a 
 system of instruction which he hoped would not only make the Japanese a fair English scholar, 
 but a faithful Christian. Sam came to the United States in the Mississippi, and accompanied 
 his benevolent shipmate and devoted teacher to his home in the interior of Kew York, where 
 Goble has property. At the last accounts they were living there together, and it is not 
 unreasonable to hope that Sam, with the education of his faithful American friend, may be an 
 instrument, in tlie event of his return to Japan, under a further development of our relations 
 with that Empire, of aiding in the introduction of a higher and better civilization into his own 
 country. 
 
 It will be recollected that, of the several Japanese who had been picked up on the coast of 
 California and taken to Shanghai, with the view of restoring them to their own country, Sam 
 Patch was the only one who accompanied the expedition to Japan. The rest were all afraid, 
 and Sam went with fear and trembling. On the return of the Mississippi to China, on her way 
 home, another of the Japanese expressed a wish to visit the United States, and was gratified in 
 his desire ; this was the young man whom we have mentioned on a former page. His Japanese 
 name is something like Dam-Kevitch ; but the sailors, with their usual fondness for christening 
 those adopted into their roving family, soon called him Dan Ketch. It was fortunate for the 
 poor fellow tliat he escaped the more usual nautical cognomen of Jack; for that, however 
 respectable in itself, would have made a much less reputable combination in union with the 
 Americo-Japanese Ketch ; and poor Dan might have found himself undesirably elevated to the 
 office of a hangman, without precisely understanding the process which conferred the unenviable 
 rank. Dan is under the protection of the Commodore, and evinces great intelligence with an 
 eager desire for knowledge. Should he ever return to Japan, as at present he purposes, after 
 learning more about us, ho will doubtless carry home with him no small amount of information 
 about our country. 
 
 The Commodore now transferred his broad pennant i'roni the Powhatan back to the Missis- 
 sippi, and the two steamers got under way and moved down to the outer roads of Simoda, where 
 they anchored pre])aratory to their final departure. Moryama Yenoske, in company with some 
 of the other officials, paid a farewell visit to tlie Commodore on that day, bringing with him 
 the closing accounts of the ships, and some specimens of natural history as presents. A hand- 
 some entertainment was spread before the visitors in the cabin, and in the course of the friendly 
 conversation aroimd the table, a Japanese picture, representing the punishment of crucifixion, 
 was shown to Yenoske. This had been purchased at Simoda, by some of our officers, and
 
 JAPANESE PUNISHMENT OF CRUCIFIXION. 4S7 
 
 its presence turned the conversation on the subject of capital i)unishiuents in Japan. The 
 Commodore was ghid of the opportunity to procure accurate information on this point, inasmuch 
 as some writers, later than Kicmpfer, have denied his statement that crucifixion is a Japanese 
 mode of execution. Yenoske said that the picture itself was illustrative merely of a scene in 
 one of their popular farces ; but, he added, that reijicides were executed somewhat in the 
 manner represented in the picture, being first nailed to a cross and then transfixed with a spear. 
 In the picture, the man was merely tied to the cross. Decapitation, however, he said, was the 
 usual mode of capital punishment for murderers, but never strangulation or hanging. Upon 
 Yenoske being asked if the practice of the Hari-kari or "Happy dispatch" still j^revailed, he 
 replied that one of his fellow interpreters had committed suicide in that way, in his presence, 
 while at Nagasaki. The Commodore then inquired if it were true that the governor of Nagasaki 
 had destroyed himself, after the visit of Captain Pellew in 1808 ; and Yenoske declared that not 
 only the governor had done so, but that two other high officers and ten subordinates had 
 followed his example. The Japanese, after a prolonged conviviality, took their farewell of the 
 Americans, with many expressions of warm attachment to their visitors, and pulled oS for 
 the land. 
 
 The ships were now all in readiness for departure. The Southampton, which had arrived 
 from Volcano Bay on the tenth of June, and had discharged her cargo of coal into the steamers, 
 the Macedonian, which reached Simoda on the eleventh, and the store-ship Supply that had 
 been stationary in that port for several months, with the Mississippi, now the flag-ship, and the 
 Powhatan, composed the whole squadron, and were anchored in the outer bay, preparatory to 
 sailing for their respective destinations. Arrangements had been made to carry out the regula- 
 tions agreed to with the authorities in regard to the appointment of a harbor-master and three 
 pilots, and these now, at the last moment, were completed by the signature of Kura-kawa-kahei, 
 the deputy-governor, to a written contract,* copies of which were made in English and Dutch, 
 
 • Regulalions respecting pilols, and the supplying of .American vessels entering the port of Simoda. 
 
 A look-out place shall be established at some convenient point, from which vessels appearing in the offing can be seen and 
 reported, and when one is discovered making apparently for the harbor, a boat shall be sent to her with a pilot. 
 
 And in order to carry this regulation into full effect, boats of suitable size and quality shall always be kept in readiness by 
 the harbor-master, which, if necessary, shall proceed beyond Rock island, to ascertain whether the vessel in sight intends 
 entering the harbor or not. If it may be the desire of the master of said vessel to enter port, the pilot shall conduct her to safe 
 anchorage, and during her stay shall render every assistance in his power in facilitating the procurement of all the supplies she 
 may require. 
 
 The rates of pilotage shall be : for vessels drawing over 18 American feet, fifteen dollars ; for all vessels drawing over 13 and 
 less than 18 feet, ten dollars ; and for all vessels under 13 feet, five dollars. 
 
 These rates shall be paid in gold or silver coin, or its equivalent in goods, and the same shall be paid for piloting a vessel out 
 as well as into port. 
 
 When vessels anchor in the outer harbor, and do not enter the inner port, only half the above rates of compensation shall be 
 paid to the pilot. 
 
 The prices for supplying water to American vessels at Simoda shall be fourteen hundred cash per boat-load, (the casks being 
 furnished by the vessel.) And for wood delivered on board, about seven thousand two hundred cash per cube of five American 
 feet. 
 
 SILAS BE.\T, Flag Lieutenant. 
 KUKA-KAWA-KAIIEI, Lieutenant Governor. 
 
 United States Steam-Frigate Mississippi, at Sea, June 28, 1854. 
 
 Approved : M. C. PERRT, 
 
 Commander-in-chief United States .Voiul Forces East India, China, and Japan Seas. 
 UxiTED States Steam-Frigate Mississippi, Simoda, Japan, June 23, 1854. 
 
 Bepalingen met betrekking lot loodsen, en het leveren van bcnodigdhcdcn aan .Imerikaansche schepen in Jen haven van Simoda. 
 Op eene daartos goschikte plaats zal een uitkyk wordcn opgcrigt van waar nchopon in do nabylieid komcndo kunnon worden
 
 488 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 and deposited with the Japanese officials at Sinioda. The harbor-master and the pilots, after 
 having been selected by the local authorities, were brought to the Commodore for his 
 confirmation of their appointment. The Commodore, having signified his approval of the 
 choice, gave to the harbor-master a spy-glass, to be kept always at the look-out place and to 
 
 gczicn, alsdan zal de overheid daarvan verwiltigd, en een boot met een loods aan boord naar het schip afgezonden worden als 
 lietzelvc naar deze baven scbynt te komen. 
 
 Ten einde deze bepaling ten voile uit te voercn zullen booten van genoegzame grootte altyd door den havenmcester in 
 gcreedbeid worden gehoviden, welke booten als zulks nodig mogt zyn zoover als Rots eiland (Mikomoto Sinia) znllcn gaan om 
 to ondcrzoeken of hot scbip in gezigt al of niet in den baven zal komen. Als nu de scbipper van zulk eon scbip den baven wil 
 binnen loopen, zal de loods betzelvo naar een veiligo ankerplaats brengen, en gediirende deszelfs verblyf aldaar al bet mogelyko 
 aanwenden, om het verkrysen van wat hetzelve nodig mogt bebben, gemakkelyk te niaken. 
 
 Het loon van den loods zal zyn voor scbepen meer den aclittien Amerikaansclie voeten diep in het water, vyflien dollars ; voo r 
 scliepen meer dan dertien en minder dan achttien voeten diep in het water, tien dollars ; en vyf dollars voor scbepen minder 
 dan dertien Amerikaanscbe voeten diep in bet water. 
 
 Dit loon zal betaald worden in gouden of zilveren munt, of met eeno gelyke waarde in goederen en evenveel zal betaald 
 worden voor bet uilloodsen, als voor bet naar binnen loodsen. 
 
 Als scbepen niet in den binnen haven komen, docb in den buiten haven ten anker gaan, zal alleen de lielft van do bicrboven 
 vastgestelde loonen worden betaald. 
 
 Amerikaanscbe schepen in den baven van Simoda, zullen kunnen verkrygen water aan boord tegon veertien bondord pitjeg 
 (cash) voor een volgeladcn boot, (de watervaten door bet scbip geleend wordende) en brandhout aan boord geleverd voor 
 oncevcer zeven duizend twee honderd pitjes per kubiek iki, of kubick van vyf Amerikaanscbe voeten. 
 
 SILAS BENT, Liji(enaii( Jtljudant. 
 KUR.\KAWA KAHEI, Luilenant Gom-ernnir. 
 
 Goedgekeurd : M. C. PERRY, 
 
 Oppcrbcvelltehbcr ran de Oorlogsmagt van de Vereeniff de Slalen in de zeeen van Oosl Indie, CliUin, en Japan. 
 
 Eene ware vertaling, A. L. C. PORTMAN. 
 
 V. S Stoom-Freg.\t Mississippi, Siiiiorfa, 7a;)aii, (!c7i 23s(en ./inii/, 1854. 
 
 United States Steam-Frigate Mississippi, at Sea, June 27, 1854. 
 This is to certify that Yobatsi, Hikoyemon, and D.sbirobe have been appointed pilots for American vessels entering or 
 departing from the port of Simoda, and that the following rates for pilotage have been established by the proper authorities, viz: 
 
 For vessels drawing over eighteen American feet $15 00 
 
 For vessels drawing over thirteen and less than eighteen feet 10 00 
 
 For vessels drawing under thirteen feet • 5 00 
 
 These rates shall be paid in gold or silver coin, or its equivalent in goods ; and the same shall be paid for piloting vessels out 
 as well as into port. 
 
 When vessels anchor in the outer roads, and do not enter the inner harbor, only half the above rates of compensation shall 
 be paid to the pilots. 
 
 By order of the Commander-in-chief: 
 
 SILAS BENT, Flag LieiUenant. 
 Approved : M. C. PERRY, 
 
 Commander-in-chief of the United States J^aval Forces in the East India, China, and Japan Seas. 
 United States Steam-Frigate Mississippi, Simoda, Island of Siphon, Japan, June UH, 1854. 
 
 Dit dient om te verklaren, dat Yoh.atsi, Hikoyemon, en Dshirobe bcnoomd zyn als loodsen voor scliepenvan do Vereenigde 
 Statcn de baven van Simoda binnenkoraende, of uitgaande ; en dat hot loon voor do loodsen door de bcvoegde overheid is 
 vasgesteld geworden als volgt : 
 
 Voor scliepen over 18 Amerikaanscbe voeten diep in bet water $15 00 
 
 Voor schepen over 13 en minder d,an 18 voeten diep 10 00 
 
 Voor schepen onder 13 Am : voeten deip 5 00 
 
 Dit loen zal betaald worden in gouden of zilveren munt of met eeno gelyko waarde in goederen ; en hctzelfde zal betaald 
 worden voor het binnen komen als wel als voor het uitgaan. 
 
 Als schepen in den buitenbavcn ankeron er niet naar binnen gaan, zal allccn do belfl van do bicrboven vastgcstcldo loonon 
 worden betaald. 
 
 Op last van den Opperbovelhebber : 
 
 SILAS BENT, Luitenant .Jdjudant. 
 
 M. C. PERRY, 
 
 Opperbevelhebber van de Oorlogsmagt ran de Vcreenig de Statcn in de zeccn van Oost Indie, China, en Japan. 
 Ecnc ware vertaling, A. L. C. PORTMAN. 
 
 V. S. Stoom-Fhegat Mississippi, Simoda, Japan den U2sten Juny, 1854.
 
 DEPARTURK FROM SI MO DA. 489 
 
 pass to his successor in office ; to each of the pilots a comfortable overcoat and two American 
 ensigns, to be displayed on board the jiilot-boats when going to any vessels that may appear off 
 the harbor. The surveyors had marked the rocks, buoys, and prominent headlands with signal 
 flags, but as the Japanese authorities objected to them as seeming to imply some evidence of 
 right to possession, it was readily conceded that the Japanese should substitute for theui their 
 little white and black striped flags. 
 
 On the morning of the 28th of June, 185i, the whole squadron got under way ; but the 
 wind shifting to the southward, the Macedonian and Supply were obliged to anchor again. 
 The Commodore, accordingly, ordered these vessels to warp iuto a safe berth, and sail when the 
 ■wind and weather should permit, and to keep company, if possible, to Kelung, in Formosa, 
 where they were bound. There seemed no occasion to wait for them, as their destination was 
 difierent, and any further delay on the part of the steamers would only result in an unnecessary 
 consumption of coal ; so the Mississippi and the Powhatan, with the Southampton in tow, stood 
 out to sea and shaped a course to tlie southward and westward. 
 
 In passing out beyond Kock Island, a high sea was encountered, which gave additional proof 
 that the outer as well as the inner harbor of Simoda is perfectly safe. The violence of the sea 
 being in a considerable degree broken by the ledge of rocks extending, though not continuously, 
 from Eock Island to Cape Idzu — but these channels were not thoroughly explored by the officers 
 of the expedition — "I should not like," says the Commodore, "to venture through either of 
 them, and would not recommend others to do so. It is more prudent to go outside of Eock 
 Island, by which ships will not be so much endangered by the influence of the rapid current 
 seemingly setting at all times to the eastward." 
 
 After leaving Simoda, the Commodore directed the steamers to be steered to the southward, 
 in order to obtain another observation of the Eedfield rocks, discovered on the passage during 
 the previous mouth of February. On coming up with them it was found that their positions 
 had been very correctly established by former notes, but care was taken to verify these by fresh 
 observations. From the Eedfield rocks a course was made for the northeast end of Oho-sima, 
 the island claimed to have been discovered by Commander Glynn. On the previous passage to 
 Japan, the western shore of Oho-sima and the adjacent islands had been carefully observed. It 
 ■was now determined to examine very closely the eastern coast, and, consequently, on the 
 morning of the 29th of June, the northern point of Oho-sima was made with this view. It 
 was found that this part of the island bore N. 82° W., and that the hearings, therefore, on the 
 chart, were erroneous. The steamers continuing their course, passed between Oho-sima and 
 Kikai-sima, or Bungalow Island, and traversed the eastern coast of the former so closely, that 
 all its sinuosities, bays, inlets, could be marked with much accuracy. Having at meridian 
 obtained excellent observations of latitude and longitude, as the result of the notes of the three 
 ships, it was practicable to determine the positions of the most prominent headlands by a series 
 of angles deduced from these observations. 
 
 Before the visit of the United States squadron to these seas, a French chart, constructed by 
 Monsieur N. Guerin, capitaine de vaisseau, and published in Paris in 1848, was the most 
 approved guide. This chart has been improved by the observations and notes of the officers of 
 the expedition, and, although there are doubtless many hidden dangers yet to be discovered and 
 accurately reported, it can be said, with honest pride, that the Americans have contributed very 
 much towards the hydrographical information of that part of the world, and especially of the 
 gulf and bay of Yedo, waters hitherto almost unknown to foreign navigators. 
 C2 J
 
 490 
 
 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 After the meridian observations had been calculated, Commodore Perry dispatched two of the 
 boats of the Mississippi, in cliarge of Lieutenants Maury and Webb, to visit a little bay of the 
 island of Olio-sima, about two miles distant abreast the ships. These officers landed, and found 
 only a small hamlet and a squad of miserably clad natives drawn up on the shore to meet them, 
 armed with clubs, stones, and one old firelock. The inhabitants, however, notwithstanding 
 their warlike aspect, were very civil, and gave, in exchange for bread and pork, some fowls and 
 vegetables. A few botanical specimens were also obtained, but there was no time, or, what is 
 even more important, no coal to spare for any lengthened exploration. This was probably the 
 first time a Christian had ever landed upon Oho-sima. These islands, however, deserve a more 
 complete examination, and it is hoped that our government will, ere long, send suitable vessels 
 for such a purpose. One small steamer and a schooner of about a hundred and twenty tons, 
 with a store-ship for carrying coals and provisions, would be adequate for the work. 
 
 Keeping as near as safety would permit to the chain of islands lying between Oho-sima and 
 Lew Chew, the steamers were steered southward and westward during the night, and at 
 daylight made the northern end of Great Lew Chew and the other islands in the neighborhood. 
 On rounding the former a ship was discovered, about five miles distant, steering north with a 
 fair wind. As soon, however, as she saw the steamers approaching, she tacked and stood to 
 the southward and westward. The Commodore ordered two blank cartridges to be fired as a 
 signal for the ship to heave to. At first she did not seem inclined to do so, but finding that the 
 squadron was closing in upon her very fast, she tacked again, and, running down towards the 
 steamers, she finally hove to. The flag-lieutenant then boarded her in a boat from the Mississippi, 
 and learned that the vessel was an English ship from Shanghai bound to England. The 
 captain explained the cause of his suspicious movements by saying that, having heard of the 
 war with Eussia, he had supposed at first that the American ships were the Russian squadron, 
 and was greatly alarmed until he succeeded in making out distinctly the United States colors. 
 He showed his friendly disposition by sending to the Commodore an English paper. Within 
 ten miles of Napha, and as night approached, it became so dark that it was deemed imprudent 
 to enter the harbor, and the vessels were accordingly kept merely under steerage-way until 
 daylight, when the Powhatan cast off the Southampton, which had orders to proceed direct to 
 Hong Kong. Both steamers then entered the port of Napha, and came to anchor on the 1st 
 of July, 1854.
 
 DISPOSITION OF THE SQUADRON. 
 
 491 
 
 CHAPTEH XXV. 
 
 PREPARATIONS FOR FINAL DEPARTURE FROM THE JAPANESE WATERS. MACEDONIAN AND SUPPLY ORDERED TO FORMOSA. 
 
 INSTRUCTIO.NS TO CAPTAIX ABBOT, OF THE MACEDO.VIAN, TO TOUCH AT THE PHILIPPINES ON HIS WAT FROM FORMOSA TO 
 
 CHINA. MISSISSIPPI, POWHATAN, AND SOUTHAMPTON PROCEED TO LEW CHEW. STATE OF AFFAIRS IN LEW CHEW. 
 
 SUPPOSED MURDER OF AN AMERICAN BY LEW CHEWANS. TRIAL OF LEW CHEWANS FOR MURDER BY THEIR OWN AUTHORI- 
 TIES ON THE commodore's DEMAND. DESCRIPTION OF A LEW CHEW COURT OF JUSTICE. ACCUSED MADE TO PLEAD BY 
 
 PtJ.>JCHKS IN THE RIBS. ACCUSED CONVICTED AND BROUGHT TO THE COMMODORE FOR PUNISHMENT. HE HANDS THEM OVER 
 
 TO THEIR OWN AUTHORITIES. THEY ARE BANISHED. NEW YEAR's CUSTOMS. COAL REMOVED FROM THE DEPOT TO THE 
 
 SHIPS. COMPACT OR TREATY MADE WITH LEW CHEW. PRESENT FROM THE LEW CHEWANS TO THE COMMODORE A STONE 
 
 FOR THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT. EFFORT OF A JAPANESE TO COME OFF IN THE SQUADRON TO THE UNITED STATES. 
 
 PARTING ENTERTAINMENT TO LEW CHEW AUTHORITIES. DEPARTURE OF THE SQUADRON FOR CHI.NA MACEDONIAN'S VISIT 
 
 TO FORMOSA. UNAVAILING SEARCH FOR AMERICANS SUPPOSED TO HAVE BEEN WRECKED ON THE ISLAND. EXPLORATIONS 
 
 BY CHAPLAIN JONES FOR COAL. FOUND IN ABUNDANCE AND OF GOOD QUALITY. SURVEY OF THE HARBOR OF KELCNG. 
 
 LYING AND CCNNI.NG OF THE FORMOSANS. RUN TO MANILLA. VERY STORMY PASSAGE. MARINE VOLCANOES IN THE 
 
 NEIGHBORHOOD OF FORMOSA. INQUIRIES AT MANILLA INTO THE MURDER OF CERTAIN AMERICANS. SATISFACTORY CONDUCT 
 
 OF THE SPANISH AUTHORITIES IN THE MATTER. DELIVERY BY CAPTAIN ABBOT TO THE GOVERNOR OF SIX SILLIBABOOS 
 
 THAT HAD BEEN PICKED UP .AT SEA BY LIEUTENANT COMMANDING BOYLE, OF THE SOUTHAMPTO.N, FLOATING IN AN OPEN 
 
 BOAT. REMARKABLE DISTANCE THAT THEY HAD DRIFTED. PHYSICAL APPEARANCE OF THE SILLIBABOOS. VOYAGE OP 
 
 MACEDO.NIAN TO HONG KONG CAPTAIN KELLy's HANDLING OF THE CHINESE PIRATES AND IMPERIAL TROOPS; FORCES 
 
 THEM TO MAKE REPARATION. CHASTISEMENT OF THE CHINESE BY THE JOINT ACTION OF THE OFFICERS AND MEN OF THE 
 
 PLYMOUTH AND OF THOSE OF HER BRITANNIC MAJESTy's SHIPS ENCOUNTER AND GRECIAN. THE CO.MMODORE, BY LEAVE 
 
 FROM THE NAVY DEPARTMENT, TURNS OVER THE COMMAND TO CAPTAIN ABBOT, AND RETURNS HO.ME BY THE OVERLAND 
 
 ROUTE. ON THE ARRIVAL OF THE MISSISSIPPI IN NEW YORK, ON THE 23d OF APRIL, THE COMMODORE REPAIRS ON BOARD, 
 
 AND FORMALLY HAULING DOWN HIS FLAG, TERMINATES THE EXPEDITIO.N. 
 
 HE story we are telling will perhaps be better understood if, 
 before proceeding further, we recapitulate as to the disposi- 
 vU\T/|Cl>' tion that had been made of the several ships of the squadron, 
 ri; ikn '^^^ Saratoga sloop-of-war was on her way home, as we have 
 stated, with the copy of the treaty in the custody of Captain 
 Adams, who had been dispatched on the 4th of April, as a 
 ^^^.— -_ special messenger by the Commodore, to deliver the important 
 document into the hands of the proper authorities. The 
 ^^_^_^ steamer Susquehanna had been sent on the 24tli of March, 
 just one week before signing the treaty, and at the first mo- 
 ment at which she could be spared, to place herself at the dis- 
 posal of the Hon. Mr. McLean, our minister to China. The 
 Vandalia sloop-of-war, instead of returning with the other 
 ships from Hakodadi to Simoda, had been ordered to make her 
 way from the former port to China, by passing through the 
 Straits of Sangar, and down on the western side of Japan 
 to Shanghai. The store-ship Southampton having surveyed 
 Volcano bay, and Endermo bay within it, just on the northern or Yesso side of the eastern 
 entrance of the Straits of Sangar, had rejoined the squadron, and was now ordered to China.
 
 492 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 The Plymouth, it will be remembered, had been left at Shanghai to protect American interests 
 there, and was not with the squadron on the second visit to the Bay of Yedo ; while the store- 
 ship Lexington was sent back from Simoda to Lew Cliew, during the previous month of May. 
 There were, therefore, collected at Simoda, after the visit to Hakodadi, but five ships of the 
 squadron, viz : the steamers Mississippi and Powhatan, the Macedonian sloop-of-war, the 
 Southampton, which, having finished the survey of Volcano bay, there rejoined the squadron, 
 and the store-ship Supply, the last named having remained at Simoda during the absence of 
 the others. 
 
 As the discovery of coal was an important object, and as, beside, there were various causes 
 making a visit to Formosa necessary, the Commodore, as has been said, ordered the Macedonian 
 and Supply to that island, with instructions to Captain Abbot, in command of the former vessel, 
 to stop at the Pliilijipines on his way back, to join the squadron in China. As to the steamers, 
 he proceeded with them and the Southampton direct to Lew Chew. This was the fifth and last 
 visit to Napha ; we shall first speak of that, reserving for a future page the results of the voyage 
 of the Macedonian to Formosa. 
 
 When the squadron left Lew Chew on its last visit, two master's mates, named Eandall and 
 Bierbower, had been left in charge of the coal depot established at Tumai, and now, on the 
 Commodore's return, he found that matters during his absence had not proceeded quite as 
 amicably as he could have wished. Randall had his little complaints to make, and had 
 preferred them to his superior. Lieutenant Commanding Glasson, when he arrived in the 
 Lexington in May, and this latter officer now reported them to the Commodore. They 
 amounted to but small grievances, however ; one consisted of a complaint that some of the 
 children in Lew Chew had thrown stones, which fell near some of the American seamen who 
 were walking on shore ; another was, that a Lew Chew butcher had quarrelled with one of the 
 seamen while engaged in traffic with him, and beaten him with a club. Lieutenant Glasson 
 had called on the mayor of Napha to ask an explanation. As to the first, the mayor stated 
 that it was an accident, occurring while the children were engaged in sport, and was not an 
 intentional act of aggression toward the seamen. As to the case of the butcher, the mayor 
 stated that one of the sailors attempted in the market to take from the butcher certain of his 
 meats without paying for them. The butcher naturally endeavored to secure his property, 
 when the sailor struck at him with his knife ; a scufile ensued, in whi'ch the sailor was beaten 
 with a club. Lieutenant Glasson told the mayor that the butcher, instead of resorting to force, 
 should have reported the sailor ; that he (the mayor) well knew the Commodore, on such a state 
 of things, would have caused the man to be punished, and would have amjily reimbursed the 
 butcher for his loss ; but that the latter should not have violated the law of Lew Chew and 
 resorted to such desperate remedies. To this the mayor readily assented. These, however, 
 were minor matters, and the probability is that the general feeling on board the ships was that 
 the sailor got no more than his deserts, as the matter seems to have gone no further. 
 
 But there was a far more serious incident to be reported by Lieutenant Glasson ; this was no 
 less than the supposed murder of one of his crew by the Lew Chewans. It seems that, on the 
 12th of June, a man named Board was found dead in Napha, under circumstances which 
 justified a strong suspicion that he came to his end by violence. The Commodore had not yet 
 reached the island, and Lieutenant Glasson appointed five officers of the ship to investigate the 
 circumstances and report thereon to him. These gentlemen, after making a post-mortem
 
 CASE OF BOARD, A SEAMAN, AT LEW CHEW. 493 
 
 examination and hearing witnesi5es, reported as their opinion that the man came to his death 
 from blows inflicted on his head by some person or ]iersons unknown to tliem, and by subsequent 
 immersion in the water for a considerable time while insensible from the blows he had received. 
 They further added, that the testimony of the Lew Chew witnesses was very equivocal and 
 unsatisfactory. Soon after this tlie Commodore arrived, when Lieutenant Glasson immediately 
 reported to him all the facts and documents in his possession connected with the case ; and, 
 among the rest, that he had demanded a full and fair investigation by the local authorities of 
 Lew Chew, to which demand he had received no satisfactory answer. 
 
 The Commodore, upon enquiry, soon became convinced that the man's death, though 
 unlawfully produced, was probably the result of his own most gross outrage on a female, and, 
 in such case, not undeserved ; still he felt that, for the security of others, both Europeans and 
 Americans, who might subsequently visit the island, it was important to impress upon the 
 authorities the necessity for the full investigation and proper punishment, by the local 
 authorities, of acts of violence committed upon strangers who might visit them. He therefore 
 made a peremptory demand upon the regent or superintendent of affairs to cause a judicial trial 
 to be instituted, conformably to the laws of Lew Chew. 
 
 This demand was at once complied with, the court consisting of six superior judges, and the 
 regent and first treasurer giving their constant personal attendance during the entire pro- 
 ceedings. 
 
 The facts, as well as they could be ascertained, appeared to be these. On the 12th of June 
 three American sailors, one of whom was named Board, passing through the streets of Xapha, 
 forcibly entered the house of one of the inhabitants, and taking therefrom some saki soon 
 became intoxicated. Two of them found a sleeping place in the gutter, but Board, clambering 
 over a wall, entered a private house, where he found a woman, named Mitu, and her niece, a 
 young girl. He brandished his knife, threatened the woman, and attempted the foulest 
 outrage ; she cried out until she fainted and became insensible. Her cries brought some Lew 
 Chew men to the spot, and the circumstances clearly showed the purpose of Board. Some of 
 the Lew Chewans seized him and threw him to the ground. More than half drunk, he rose 
 and fled towards the shore, seeking to escape. Many persons had by this time assembled, and 
 pursued Board, throwing stones at him, some of which struck him, and, according to the 
 statements of the native witnesses, in his drunkenness he fell into the water and was drowned. 
 Whether this latter particular was precisely in accordance with the fact was somewhat doubtful. 
 
 At any rate, the Lew Chew authorities, declaring that it was "altogether illegal to throw 
 stones and wound persons, causing them thereby to fall into the water and be drowned," 
 convicted six persons, one as principal and the others as accessories. After the conviction the 
 regent and first treasurer appeared on board the Mississippi with the ringleader bound, and 
 desired to deliver him to the Commodore to be dealt with according to the laws of the United 
 States. The Commodore, of course, declined to receive him, and explained to the Lew Chewans 
 that it was not his wish or purpose to interfere in any mode with the administration or execution 
 of the Lew Chew laws ; that he only wished them to enforce them on proper occasions, when 
 wrong or injury was done to any foreigners who might chance to visit the island. He 
 accordingly remanded the prisoner to the regent, who expressed many thanks to the Commodore 
 for the act. The end of the matter was that the accessories were banished to a neighboring 
 island for a time, and the principal was banished for life. It seems doubtful, however, whether
 
 494 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 these sentences were rigorously executed, although the authorities solemnly promised the 
 Commodore that they should be. 
 
 The Commodore, however, ordered the trial by a court martial of the two surviving 
 Americans, who commenced the disturbance, and they were dealt with according to their 
 deserts. The whole affair was a subject of deep regret to the Commodore, and was the only 
 instance of any seriously unpleasant occurrence during the whole intercourse of the Americans 
 with the Lew Chewans, in their five visits to the island. 
 
 It may not be uninteresting to lay before the reader the forms of a Lew Chew judicial 
 proceeding, as the customs of a country, in so grave a proceeding, are necessarily illustrative of 
 the national character. The flag-lieutenant, Mr. Bent, and Mr. Williams, the interpreter, had 
 been selected by the Commodore to attend the trial, in accordance with the request of the Lew 
 Chew authorities that some of our officers should be present. These gentlemen, on reaching 
 the hall, were furnished with seats at the head of the room, immediately opposite to the regent 
 and treasurer ; on their left sat three of the judges on mats ; and opposite to them, on a line 
 with the regent and treasurer, were the three other judges similarly seated. The prisoner on 
 trial knelt on the ground outside of the hall, (which was open on that side,) with his head just 
 above the flooring of the balcony, and facing the interior of the hall. Questions were put to 
 him by the judges, and if he proved intractable or stubborn in responding his elbows were tied 
 together behind his back, and, on the slightest hesitation, a policeman on either side of him 
 punched him severely in the ribs with large sticks about two inches .in diameter and four feet in 
 length. These never failed to loosen the fellow's tongue, but whether to utter truth or 
 falsehood was, to our gentlemen, very questionable. This, if not equal in severity to the old 
 '^ peine forte et dure" of our ancestors, proceeds on the same principle. 
 
 On each successive visit to the island the gentlemen of the expedition gathered additional scraps 
 of information as to customs, one of which is so similar, in the feeling which prompts it, to our 
 own new year's congratulations, that it is worthy of a passing notice. In the spring, when 
 the new year opens in Lew Chew, and perhaps in Japan also, (though of the latter we cannot 
 speak certainly,) the usage of the islanders is to offer the expression of their good wishes and 
 friendly feelings in the form of inscriptions attached to the houses of each other, or sent to the 
 inmates. Mr. Williams translated several of these, a few of which we subjoin as specimens : 
 
 " Gay clouds meet the rising, glorious sun ; ten thousand joys greet the opening spring. 
 
 " Let all sing these days of general peace, and rejoice together in the opening spring." 
 
 "■ May all joys clamber about your happy abode; may a thousand lucks collect at this gate." 
 
 " May every door have lucJc and joy, and every land be blessed with peace." 
 
 " 3Iay your felicity be as broad as the eastern sea; your age enduring as the southern hills." 
 
 " The peach tree in fairy land ripens in thirty centuries ; may the seaside house be blessed tvith 
 
 ninety more autumns." 
 
 " We joyfully hope the brightening year will meet a flourishing time, as the bloom of spring begins 
 
 to shine upon this humble door. ' ' 
 
 " May the three stars, peace, office, age, enter your door ; and sons, riches, honors, bless your 
 
 gate." 
 
 " Happiness descends from heaven." 
 
 " Js the wind and light go their circuits through the world, so does the gladsome spring from 
 
 heaven to us come doivn."
 
 COMPACT WITH LEW CHEW. 495 
 
 While the jtnlicial proceedings in the case of Board's death were in progress, the Commodore, 
 who was anxious to lose no time, employed, with the aid and approval of the Lew Chew 
 authorities, native lighters to transport to the steamers all the coal remaining in the coal-shed 
 at Tumai ; and causing the building itself to be put in order, left it in charge of the native 
 authorities, with an assurance that they would look carefully to its preservation for future use, 
 and the reception of any deposit of coal the United States might wish to make there in time to 
 come. 
 
 There remained, however, one important piece of business yet to be done. This was the 
 making of a compact or treaty between our government and that of Lew Chew. Accordingly, 
 the flag-lieutenant, Mr. Bent, and the interpreter, Mr. Williams, were deputed by the 
 Commodore, under suitable instructions as to terms, to confer with the regent of Lew Chew ; 
 and these gentlemen, on the 8th of July, met that official on shore by appointment, and 
 discussed with him the proposed compact, a rough draft of which they presented. The preamble 
 to this recognized Lew Chew as an independent nation. To this recognition the regent 
 objected, saying that such an assumption on their parts would get them into trouble with China, 
 to which country they owed allegiance ; that, as to the articles of the compact, they would 
 cheerfully assent to them, and faithfully fulfil them, nor would they hesitate to affix their seals 
 to the instrument, but that it had better not bear on its face the assertion or appearance of 
 their claiming absolute independence. There was none of the delaying, crooked policy of the 
 Japanese in these negotiations. The Lew Chewans were made fully to understand what had 
 transpired in Japan, and probably derived confidence and candor from their knowledge of the 
 Japanese treaty, which was shown to them. 
 
 After the discussion our officers returned on board to report to the Commodore their 
 proceedings, and submit the terms proposed and accepted. On the 10th, the same gentlemen 
 were sent to hold another interview with the regent, when they soon succeeded in arranging all 
 the terms of the compact satisfactorily to both parties, and obtained from the regent a promise 
 that a bazaar should be opened on shore, on the succeeding Wednesday and Thursday, for the 
 officers of the ships. It was also arranged that the Commodore would visit the regent at an 
 appointed hour on the morrow. On the next day, in the morning, the Commodore sent on 
 shore a number of presents for the regent, treasurer, and other officers of the island^ consisting 
 of revolvers, lorgnettes, a dressing case, and numerous valuable agricultural implements. He 
 was also particularly careful to send a handsome present to the poor woman who had been the 
 subject of Board's outrage. At noon he landed himself, and, with a small escort of marines, 
 visited the regent at the town-hall. 
 
 After the usual compliments, and a formal delivery of the presents he had sent on shore, the 
 articles of agreement or compact that had been made was produced, written in the English and 
 Chinese languages, and read, and the instruments were duly signed and sealed, and copies 
 exchanged, by the Commodore, regent, and treasurer of Lew Chew, the English version being 
 as follows : 
 
 " Compact between the United States and the kingdom of Lew Chew, signed at Najtha, Great Lew 
 
 Chew, the Wth day of July, 1854. 
 
 " Hereafter, whenever citizens of the United States come to Lew Chew, they shall be treated 
 with great courtesy and friendship. Whatever articles these persons ask for, whether from the
 
 496 EXPEDITIONTOJAPAN. 
 
 officers or people, which the country can furnish, shall be sold to them ; nor shall the authorities 
 interpose any prohibitory regulations to the people selling ; and whatever either party may 
 •wish to buy shall be exchanged at reasonable prices. 
 
 " Whenever ships of the United States shall come into any harbor in Lew Chew they shall 
 be supplied with wood and water at reasonable prices ; but if they wish to get other articles 
 they shall be purchaseable only at Napha. 
 
 "If ships of the United States are wrecked on Great Lew Chew, or on islands under the 
 jurisdiction of the royal government of Lew Chew^ the local authorities shall dispatch persons 
 to assist in saving life and property, and preserve what can be brought ashore till the ships of 
 that nation shall come to take away all that may have been saved ; and the expenses incurred 
 in rescuin"' these unfortunate persons shall be refunded by the nation they belong to. 
 
 " Whenever persons from ships of the United States come ashore in Lew Chew they shall be 
 at liberty to ramble where they please, without hindrance, or having officials sent to follow 
 them, or to spy what they do ; but if they violently go into houses, or trifle with women, or 
 force people to sell them things, or do other such like illegal acts, they shall he arrested by the 
 local officers, but not maltreated, and shall be reported to the captain of the ship to which they 
 belong, for punishment by him. 
 
 " At Tumai is a burial-ground for the citizens of the United States, where their graves and 
 tombs shall not be molested. 
 
 " The government of Lew Chew shall appoint skilful pilots, who shall be on the look-out for 
 ships appearing off the island ; and if one is seen coming towards Napha they shall go out in 
 good boats beyond the reefs to conduct her in to a secure anchorage ; for which service the 
 captain shall pay the pilot five dollars, and the same for going out of the harbor beyond the 
 reefs. 
 
 " Whenever ships anchor at Napha the local authorities shall furnish them with wood at the 
 rate of three thousand six hundred copper cash per thousand catties ; and with water at the 
 rate of six hundred copper cash (43 cents) for one thousand catties, or six barrels full, each 
 containing thirty American gallons. 
 
 "Signed in the English and Chinese languages, by Commodore Matthew C. Perry, com- 
 mander-in-chief of the United States naval forces in the East India, China, and Japan seas, and 
 special envoy to Japan, for the United States ; and by Sho Fu Fing, superintendent of affairs 
 (Tsu-li-kwan) in Lew Chew, and Ba Kio-si, treasurer of Lew Chew, at Shui, for the government 
 of Lew Chew; and copies exchanged this 11th day of July, 1854, or the reign Hien Fung, 4th 
 year, 6th moon, 17th day, at the town hall of Napha." 
 
 As soon as this business was thus happily completed, a handsome entertainment, furnished by 
 the Lew Chew authorities, was served, of which the Americans partook, and great kindness and 
 cordiality characterized the festivities. At four o'clock the Commodore returned to his ship. 
 On the next day, the 12th, there was sent off to the Commodore a large bell, as a present from 
 the regent ; whether of Lew Chew casting is not known, though the probability is it was made in 
 Japan, and, at any rate, it is no discreditable specimen of foundry work. A little circumstance 
 that occurred on this last visit to Lew Chew was highly gratifying to the feeling with which 
 every American thinks of the character of Washington. Various parts of the world, as is 
 known, have testified their appreciation of the exalted virtues of the father of our country, by
 
 APPRECIATION OF "WASHINGTON." 497 
 
 contributing a stone to be wrought into the monument whidi is rising at Washington to 
 perpetuate the memory of one who presented a specimen so rare of the qualities wliich ennoble 
 humanity. There is something at once impressive and beautiful in such a tribute, coming from 
 the men of various lands and tongues, as if all were anxious to claim their kindred share in a 
 glorious possessor of human nature, and to attest their respect for such an illustration of human 
 purity. It serves to show that as a man Washington belonged to the world, and men every 
 where are justly proud of their brotherhood ; such pride is their tribute to human virtue; as 
 the leader of our army who periled all he had on earth for his country, and as the head of our 
 republic, he belonged indeed to us ; but we are willing and glad that good men everywhere 
 should seek to catch inspiration from his virtues. When these poor Lew Chewans knew that a 
 stone from their far distant island would be acceptable, even they understood what it meant, they 
 had heard of " the great mandarin," as they called him, and the stone was sent. So, too, the 
 rocks of Japan and Formosa have furnished their quota of material, and thus the broad lands 
 of earth's continents and the remote islands of oriental seas have alike brought together their 
 enduring tributes to a memorial which is meant 
 
 " To give the \corld assurance of a mas !" 
 
 It was during this last visit, also, that a circumstance occurred which served to show that some 
 of the common Japanese, at least, had seen enough of the world and of other people than their 
 countrymen to make them desirous of seeing more. While the squadron was lying at anchor 
 at Napha, a native of Japan, who was in Lew Chew, in what capacity we know not, swam from 
 the shore to the Lexington with a bundle of clothing, and begged to be received on board and 
 to be brought to the United States. The officer in command of the Lexington sent him to the 
 flag-ship ; and while the Commodore would have made no objection provided the assent of the 
 Japanese authorities had been obtained, yet, knowing their severe restrictions on the subject of 
 natives leaving the kingdom, and, scrupulously anxious not to give oflence, he declined, as before, 
 receiving the man, and ordered him to be set on shore again. The only Japanese who came home 
 in the squadron were part of the shipwrecked crew of a junk, of which we have already spoken. 
 These men were taken from San Francisco to China, and there two of them shipped themselves 
 as landsmen on board the Susquehanna, and both are now in the United States. Frequent 
 intercourse with one of them — a young man of some twenty-two years — enables us to say that 
 he is remarkably intelligent, reads and writes Japanese, both Kata-kana and Hira-kana, has 
 learned to speak (though imperfectly) and to write English, is very desirous of information, 
 conforms to our customs and fashion in dress, and is most scrupulously clean and tidy. His 
 wish is to learn more of our country and language, and then to return to Japan. 
 
 On the evening of the 14th the Commodore gave a parting entertainment on board his ship 
 to the authorities of Lew Chew. All passed off ])leasantly, and at nine o'clock the guests 
 returned on shore, after uttering many tlianks for the attentions the Commodore had shown 
 them on his repeated visits, and expressing and seemingly feeling great gratification in the 
 courtesies that had been shown them. On the next day the Lexington was ordered to Hong 
 Kong and sailed immediately; and on the ITth the Commodore left in the Mississippi, 
 accompanied by the Powhatan, these being the only remaining vessels of the squadron, and the 
 harbor of Napha was left to the quiet in which it reposed when our ships first anchored in its 
 ■waters. 
 
 G3 J
 
 498 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 Whatever satisfaction their departure may have afforded the Lew Chewans was doubtless 
 enhanced by the fact that the ships took away Dr. Bettelheim. This gentleman had been 
 superseded by the Rev. Mr. Moreton, who was on the ground ; and Dr. Bettelhoim's family had 
 left some time before for China in the Supply. The earnestness of application to the Commodore 
 to take Dr. Bettelheim away with him forcibly demonstrates the very little prospect there was 
 of any useful labors, on his part, among the natives ; and, indeed, their desire to be rid of Mr. 
 Moreton also, would seem to hold out but small hope, at present, of evangelizing Lew Chew. 
 The letter addressed by the authorities to the Commodore will be found below.* 
 
 The Powhatan, pursuant to orders, took her course for Ning-po-fou, Fuh-chow-fuh, and 
 Amoy, on the coast of China, to inquire into the interests of Americans resident in those places, 
 and was instructed to proceed from Amoy to Hong Kong. The Mississippi proceeded direct to 
 the last named port. 
 
 And now, while she is on her passage, we will return in our narrative to the expedition to 
 Formosa, the incidents of which occurred simultaneously with those which form the subject of 
 the previous part of this chapter. It will be remembered that the Macedonian, Captain Abbot, 
 and the Supply, Lieutenant Commanding Sinclair, had been sent from Simoda, before the 
 squadron left that port, with instructions to visit Formosa, and the former ship was also ordered 
 on her way thence to China, to stop at the Philippines. There was more than one object 
 contemiilated in the visit to Formosa. Certain of our countrymen, as our authorities at home 
 had been informed, navigating near Formosa, had been shipwrecked and thrown upon that 
 island, where they remained, either in a state of captivity or because they were unable to get 
 away. Instructions were therefore given by the navy department to the Commodore to make 
 research and inquiry into this matter. Again, the importance of an abundant supply of coal 
 for the use of steamers, not only of our own, but of other nations that may reasonably be 
 expected ere long to throng these seas, furnished another motive for the visit to Formosa, as 
 there was reason to think the mineral existed in abundance on that island. There was also a 
 particular reason for touching at the Philippines, which we will detail presently. 
 
 On the 29th of June, the Macedonian and Supply left Simoda. On the second day out the 
 Supply disappeared, and was not seen again until she entered the harbor of Kclung in Formosa, 
 on the 21st of July, ten days after the arrival at that place of the Macedonian, which had made 
 the run from Simoda in about twelve days, encountering an opposing current, head winds, and 
 
 * From the aulhorities of Lew Chew to Commodore Perry : 
 
 A prepared statement Sho Fu-fing, general superintendent of affairs in the kingdom of Lew Chew, and Ba Rio-si, treasurer 
 at Shui, earnestly heg your excellency's kind consideration of some circumstances ; and that, to show compassion on our little 
 country, you will take away bac to their own land Bettelheim and Moreton, who have remained here long. » « » 
 
 In the years 1844 and 1846 some French officers came, and the Englishman Bettelheim also brought hither his wife and 
 children to reside, and they all required something to be daily given them, to our continual annoyance and trouble. Whenever 
 an English or French siiip came in, we earnestly represented these circumstances to them, and besought them to take these 
 people away with them. The Frenchmen, knowing our distresses, went away in the year 1848 to their own country, and have 
 not hitherto returned ; but Bettelheim has loitered away j'cars here and not gone, and now, further, has brought Moreton with 
 his family to take his place anc' live here, greatly to the discomfort of the people, and distress and Inconvenience of the country. 
 
 Wo have learned that your excellency has authority over all the East Indian, China, and Japan seas, and not a ship of any 
 western country can go from one of these seas to the other but you know and regulate its movements. Wherefore we lay before 
 you our sad condition in all its particulars, humbly beseeching your kind regard upon it, and requesting that, when your fine 
 ships return, you will take both Bettelheim and Moreton away with you. This will solace and raise us up from our low 
 condition, and oblige us in a way not easy to be expressed. We wish your life may be prolonged to a thousand autumns, in the 
 enjoyment of the highest felicity. 
 
 July 10, 1854.
 
 VISIT OF THE MACEDOXIAN TO FORMOSA. 499 
 
 tempestuous weather throiij^h nearly the entire voyage. The island was made at its northern 
 end, and the entrance to Kelun;^ was not very plain. Certain landmarks, however, were noted 
 hy the ofKcers, upon further acquaintance with the locality, and by these and the charts made 
 by the surveying party during the stay of the ship, information was obtained which may be 
 relied on, and which is recorded in the nautical appendix. Very violent currents were found at 
 the north end of the L^land, though these may liave been stronger than usual at the arrival of 
 the Macedonian, as there had then been a tempest of some days' continuance. A pilot came 
 off and took the ship safely into the harbor. 
 
 As to our supposed shipwrecked and captive countrymen, Captain Abbot made the most 
 diligent investigation, through the medium of his Chinese steward, but could gain no intelli- 
 gence, although his inquiries were made, not only of the mandarins or officials in and about 
 Kelung, but also of all classes of the people. Tlie report from all was uniform ; they declared 
 that they neither knew nor had heard of any shipwreck of any American or European vessel on 
 any part of the island ; nor had they ever known or heard of the existence of the crew, or any 
 part thereof, of any such vessel anywhere in Formosa, and Captain Abbot became quite 
 convinced that, in this particular, they told the truth, and reported to the Commodore accord- 
 ingly, that he had " no belief that any of our missing countrymen are alive on the island of 
 Formosa." 
 
 But after this conclusion had been reached, and no doubt correctly, a specimen of cunning 
 was exhibited, on the part of the island authorities, such as meets us at every turn in the story 
 of our intercourse with all the eastern people, and indeed seems characteristic of oriental nego- 
 tiation. The chief mandarin of Kelung came to Captain Abbot, just as he was about sailing, 
 (he had doubtless purposely deferred his visit until that moment, to forestal the possibility of 
 strict inquiry.) and informed him that he had been making more particular investigations 
 concerning shij^wrecks, and had learned that some six or seven j'ears before a ship had been 
 wrecked, forty or fifty miles from Kelung, on the loestem side of the island, having a number 
 of black men on board as well as white ; that the white men took the boat and went off to an 
 adjacent island, while the black men were left, and all died on board the ship ; and that he 
 would send some of his war-junks with the Macedonian to show Captain Abbot the place. This 
 story was a lie too transparent to deceive Captain Abbot for a moment, and was evidently a ruse 
 by which he hoped to induce the commander of the Macedonian to do what, for several days, he 
 had been unavailingly persuading him to perform. He had been endeavoring to prevail on him 
 to take the ship, in company with some of his war-junks, to the western side of the island, a 
 run that, in going and returning, would occupy, he said, four or five days only, and there assist 
 him in driving off the rebels who were there collected, witli whom his troops had lately had a 
 fight and been beaten, with a loss of thirty men killed and wounded. The fact was that he 
 lived in constant fear of an invasion from Amoy. He told Captain Abbot that if he would 
 render him this assistance, he would, immediately on his return, make him a present of a large 
 ship-load of coal. It is needless to say that Captain Abbot paid no attention to his proposals 
 for a moment ; he then seemed very anxious that the ship should prolong her stay at Kelung, 
 as he supposed her presence there would insure the place from any attack by the rebels during 
 her stay. 
 
 As to another object of the mission to Formosa, the search for coal, this was confided to the 
 chaplain, Mr. Jones, of the Mississippi; and Midshipmen Breese and Jones, with Mr. Williams,
 
 500 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 master's mate, all of the same ship, were detailecl for special duty as assistants. The full 
 results of Mr. Chaplain Jones' labors will be found in his very interesting report in the 
 Ap))eiulix. Suffice it here to say, that he found an abundance of coal, of excellent quality, 
 admirably situated for transportation from the mines to the water at very little expense ; and 
 that he had reason to believe that a considerable part of the island, around Kelung, at least, 
 ■was underlaid witli coal. Several tons were purchased and brought away, though in the nego- 
 tiation the Formosans, high and low, showed themselves to be such adepts in falsehood and 
 cunning, that even the equanimity of the good chaplain was disturbed, and his really mild and 
 amiable spirit was roused to meet the prevarications of the chief mandarin, by bidding the inter- 
 preter say to him, " that he had trifled with us. had lied, and tried to deceive us from the 
 beginning, and that we would be trifled with no longer ;" and this, from the lips of Mr. Jones, 
 will appear to those who know his eminently peaceful temper to be terribly energetic language. 
 It may well be doubted whether he ever before told any body, in good wholesome English, that 
 "he lied ;" and yet the squadron, probably, did not contain a more resolute and fearless man. 
 
 On the 23d of July, the Macedonian left Kelung, for Manilla, in the island of Luconia. 
 The Supply was ordered to remain, to take in the coal and sail, as soon as she could, for 
 Hong Kong. On this part of her voyage, the Macedonian encountered terrible weather, having 
 met with the border of a typhoon soon after getting clear of the northern shores of Formosa. 
 This 2)rovidentially carried the ship very rapidly on her course to the southward of the south 
 end of the island before the tempest became so violent that she could not run. In the long 
 experience of Captain Abbott, (so he reports,) he never before encountered such weather at sea. 
 "We had," says he, "a constant succession of heavy, tempest squalls, with hard drenching rains, 
 some of them peculiarly severe and frightful in appearance. The shijj sufiered more, during 
 this short passage, in her sails and rigging, than on her whole passage out from the United 
 States." 
 
 But this is emphatically the region for phenomena and convulsions of nature. The vessels of 
 the squadron had a varied experience in these waters. Some met typhoons and some suddenly 
 found themselves along side of marine volcanoes. It was within ten miles of Formosa that 
 Lieutenant Commanding Boyle, in the store-ship Southampton, when on his way from the 
 United States to join the squadron at Hong Kong, came near a marine volcano. He thus 
 describes it : "On the 29th of October, 1853, near the island of Formosa, I discovered a volcano, 
 distant from the land about ten miles, in a violent state of eruption, throwing out columns of 
 vapor to a great height, resembling in appearance a similar phenomenon to which I was witness 
 some years ago on the coast of Sicily ; this, however, was of greater magnitude and force than 
 that, although no lava was visible by reason of the dense bank of vapor which hung around it. 
 The depth of water here is much greater than on the Sicilian coast, and hence my conclusion as 
 to the cause of not seeing lava. When last seen, at 3 p. m., it was in a lively state of activity, 
 and bore N.N.W., distant about ten miles. It was in latitude about 24° N., and longitude 
 121° 50' E. ; there was no sail in sight. 
 
 "Shortly after passing the neighborhood of the volcano, we passed through a very heavy 
 over-fall or rip, so much so, that the executive officer and others, at first, supposed that there 
 were breakers. I had seen such an appearance before, and decided that it was, what it proved 
 to be, an effect of the volcano merely. On arriving, a few days afterwards, at Lew Chew, I 
 found that they had had a few shakes. *******
 
 MARINE VOLCANOES OFF FORMOSA, 501 
 
 "On ray discovery of the phenomenon off Formosa, I liad at the mast-head, in addition to 
 the nsual kiok-out, a seaman, caHeil (Gilbert Lee, in whom I liad great conlidence, who at first 
 thought the appearance was caused by a steamer. One of the petty officers, A. L. Benton, also 
 took particular notice of it ; several on deck said they did nut know what to make of it. As I 
 have before stated, it had the same appearance as when Uraham's island rose from the ocean off 
 the coast of Sicily."* 
 
 As no opportnnity was ever lost by the squadron of obtaining accnrate information that might 
 benefit nautical men of all countries, while the Macedonian was at Kelung, Lieutenant Preble 
 was employed, under Captain Abbot's orders from the Commodore, in making a survey of the 
 harbor ; in this work Passed Midshipman Jones volunteered as an assistant, and a chart was 
 prepared by these gentlemen, the correctness of which may be relied on. The object of the 
 Commodore in directing the Macedonian to proceed from Kelung to the Philippines was twofold. 
 In the month of March, 1853, a shocking murder had been committed by several Spaniards on 
 two Americans, at a rope factory at Santa Mesa, within the jurisdiction of the governor and 
 captain general of the Philippines. Captain Abbot was instructed respectfully to ask of the 
 authorities what measures, if any, had been taken to discover and bring to punishment, under 
 the Spanish law, the perpetrators of the homicide. The Marquis de Novaleches, the governor 
 general, in reply to Captain Abbot's inquiries, very promptly informed him that the courts had 
 been employed, ever since the murder occurred, in ferreting out and punishing the guilty ; that 
 some of those concerned had been detected and sentenced ; that two of the criminals had not yet 
 been found, but that, if in the islands, the court, which had not relaxed its zeal and diligence, 
 would find and punish them ; that instructions had been received from the government at home 
 most earnestly to prosecute the matter to the fullest penalties of the law on all who were guilty ; 
 and finally, that all which had been done had been fully rejjortcd to the government of her 
 Catholic majesty, and probably through that channel to the authorities of the United States. 
 
 The other cause for Captain Abbott's visit was occasioned by an act of humanity on the part 
 of our countrymen. On the morning of the 5th of August, 1853, in about latitude 18° 46' N., 
 longitude 121° E., the store-ship Southampton, Lieutenant Commanding Boyle, was steering 
 S.W. by W., the wind blowing from the northward and westward a fresh top-gallant breeze, 
 with considerable swell, when a boat was discovered to windward. Tlie sliip was hove to, and 
 presently succeeded in getting on board the boat and its contents. When hoisted in and 
 measured, the craft was found to be twelve feet long, four wide, and seventeen inches deep. On 
 
 • It would seem that tliis part of the ocean exhibits this phenomenon with considerable frequency. We have before us a 
 letter from Lieutenant Jones, addressed to Lieutenant Bent, in which he descrilies a similar convulsion, to which he was a 
 witness, in January, 1850, and not far from the spot designated by Lieutenant Commanding Boyle. Mr. Jones was, at the time, 
 an olHcer of the United States sloop-of-war St. Mary's, and thus writes : " It was in latitude about '2^0 56' .\. and longitude 
 134° 45' E. I was in the St. Mary's. We were bound from the Sandwich Islands to Hong Kong. The wind at the time was 
 moderate from the eastward, and the sea smooth. At about 11 p. m., the ship going seven or cigiit knots, the wind suddenly 
 died away, the sea became troubled, the air heated, and a sulphurous smell was, to some of the men, very apparent. Tlioro 
 were putTs of wind from ditferent quarters, but before the yards could be braced around, it would be calm again. This lasted 
 about twenty-five minutes, when the wind oaino out as before from the eastward, and when 1 camo on tlock, at midnight, thoro 
 was nothing unusual in the appearance of the sveather or sea. Unfortunately, the ollicor of the deck did not take the tempera- 
 ture of the air or the water, nor did lie think of sounding. 
 
 " My information was derived immediately after the watch, from the ollicers and men of the watch. All noticed the wind 
 dying away suddenly, and most of them the heated air. A number observed tlie sea and thought they were in a tide-rip, but a 
 larger one than they had ever before seen. Only a few remarked the sulphurous smell, but they wore positive and to bo relied 
 on ; they were intelligent men. The officer of the dock I think was one, also the nuartormastor. Though all did not give tlio 
 same account, there was no contradiction."
 
 502 
 
 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 board of the boat, when the sliip thus jjiukoil licr u]). wore six males, four of whom were adults 
 and two were boys, the one about ten and the other fourteen years of age. They were all of 
 healthy appearance, of medium stature, of a dark color, the hair cut close, not tattooed, and 
 did not appear to be much exhausted. Captain Boyle supposed, from their appearance, that 
 they might have been adrift some two or three days. They had in tlie boat about two or three 
 dozen tars of Indian corn, (maize,) a few sweet potatoes, some j^repared betel nuts, a cask, two 
 gongs, a fishing net, an axe, a small piece of grass cloth as a sail, and a colored piece of cloth 
 supposed to be a t!ag. Of water they had none ; but, from the frequent showers encountered by 
 the ship, Ca2)tain Boyle concluded they had not suffered much from the want of it. 
 
 To what nation or people these poor creatures belonged no one could tell, as nobody on board 
 could understand the r language. It was observed, however, that tlie word most frequently on 
 their lips was t'il-li-Ija-boo. The nearest land to the ship was Cape Engano, the N.E. point of 
 Lnconia, distant about one hundred miles. The Babuan and Bashee group were about one 
 huiulred and eiglity miles directly to windward ; and tiie first conjecture was that possibly they 
 might belong to these. Their dress consisted of wide-legged trowsers extending a little below 
 the knee, with a dark-colored gown enveloping the entire person, and secured around the neck 
 by a drawing string ; their heads they would sometimes bind around with a cotton handkerchief, 
 after a fixshion not unlike that used by the blacks of the southern States. Though seemingly 
 not much exhausted when they were taken on board tlie ship, yet they evidently experienced 
 great difficulty in walking, from their long confinement in a cramped position. Sleep, with 
 suitable diet, however, soon restored them to their usual condition. 
 
 UK » iili SilHbubooi, picked up hy tli>;
 
 PUYSICAL APPEARANCE OF TUE SILLIBABOOS. 503 
 
 Wlien the s^i]1 came near and passed through the group of islands just named, the 
 commander watched closely to observe if they showed any mark of recognition. Their attention 
 was called to them by signs, and they seemed to understand the pantomimic inquiry, for they 
 invariably shook their heads as if to imply that their home was not there, and pointing towards 
 the eastward, said " Sil-li-ba-boo." Soon after the ship arrived at Cura-sing-moon, in China, 
 and here great pains were taken to discover, if possible, where these poor adventurers belonged. 
 There were many ships lying there, and the Commodore directed tliat diligent search should be 
 made among them all, in the hope that, perchance, some one miglit be found who could 
 communicate with them. They were visited by many from the various vessels, and, from their 
 timidity, they fell at first under the suspicion that they were anxious to remain unknown ; but 
 Captain Boyle became quite convinced that their shyness, and repugnance to leave the ship, 
 proceeded from fear alone. They were taken on board each of the trading ships at Cum-sing- 
 moon, and out of the numerous tongues spoken on board not one was found like that spoken by 
 these men. At length they uttered some words when on the deck of the English ship Bombay, 
 which Captain Jamieson, the commander, thought he recognized as belonging to the language 
 of the natives of the Bentinck Isles. On perceiving that their words were attracting notice, they 
 made their usual salaam, and uttering 8il-li-ba-boo, afterwards held their jwace. There is an 
 island called by that name, and mentioned by Horsburg as being in latitude 4° N., longitude 
 127° E., but this is so remote from the spot where they were picked up, some twelve or fifteen 
 hundred miles, that Caj^tain Boyle could not suppose it possible they had drifted sucli a distance. 
 The wind had, indeed, for several days been strong from the southward and eastward, just 
 before the boat was seen, though at the time they were picked up it was from the northward and 
 westward. Xotwithstanding this, however, it seemed most improbable that in their frail craft 
 they could have floated so many miles. Captain Jamieson and his crew interested themselves 
 much for these poor creatures, and persevered in their efforts to communicate with them by 
 means of the slight vocabulary they had acquired in their voyagings ; and though such 
 communication was very imperfect, of course, yet it was plain some words were understood, and 
 the unfortunate men were evidently pleased, and sought opportunities of mingling with those 
 who could comprehend any portion, however small, of their language. With these imjierfect 
 means of knowrcdge, the best account Captain Jamieson cOuld gather from them was, that they 
 did come from Sil-li-ba-boo, distant as it was ; that they left the land in their boat with some 
 articles of food for a vessel in the offing, met a fresh breeze which carried them out to sea, and, 
 by its continuance, prevented their return to land, and that they had been in the boat fifteen 
 days when the Southampton picked them up. By direction of the Commodore, two of the 
 surgeons of the squadron made a minute examination of these Sil-li-ba-boos, and reported in 
 substance as follows : 
 
 " The Sil-li-ba-boos are of medium height and well set, with moderate muscular development, 
 and, though possessed of no great strength, are active in movement. Destitute of the fatty 
 tissue beneath the skin which generally gives roundness and fullness to the forms of northern 
 races, the Sil-li-ba-boos have, from this deficiency, a sharp and angular contour that deprives 
 them of all claim to physical beauty. Their features have the irregular expression of the negro, 
 though their color resembles that of the mulatto. Tlieir heads are small and round, with a 
 large disproportionate development of the posterior part of the skull ; their faces are oval,
 
 504 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 their foreheads moderately high, their eyes dark, but not very brilliant or intelligent, and their 
 chins broad and massive. Their noses are long and flat, their lijis tliick and prominent, and 
 their large months display strong well-formed teeth, which, however, are generally blackish, 
 from the use of the betel nut. The skin is smooth, with a small supply of black coarse hair in 
 those parts where it is usually found, except on the head ; there it grows profusely and straight, 
 but is worn short. Their limbs are lithe, and their hands and feet small. Their language is 
 soft and agreeable to the ear, but, although it is supposed to be a derivation from the Malayan, 
 it is not intelligible to those on board familiar with the ordinary dialect of the Malays. They 
 are, however, believed to be of Malay origin, much modified by the effects of climate and 
 accidental causes. The intelligence of the Sil-li-ba-boos is so far blunted as to place them 
 within the category of the savage races, to which, in habits and social characteristics^ they are 
 closely allied." 
 
 One purpose of the visit of the Macedonian to Manilla was to hand over the Sil-li-ba-boos to 
 the governor general of the Philippines, that they might be protected and sent home. The 
 governor, with many expressions of gratitude for the kindness that had been shown toward 
 these involuntary wanderers, received them ; and we may indulge the hope that, long ere this, 
 they have reached their native island, there to tell to their wondering countrymen the story of 
 their providential preservation and marvellous adventures. 
 
 On the 17th of August, the Macedonian (her officers having been shown the greatest civility 
 and kindness both by the authorities and the American residents) left Manilla for Hong Kong, 
 and her voyage presented a strong contrast to what she had experienced in the run from 
 Formosa to Manilla. Captain Abbot reported that for the first five days he had either a dead 
 calm, or light, baffling winds from the north and northwest, which did no more than enable 
 him to make an offing from the land ; and after that, either calms or moderate breezes had 
 prevailed, with pleasant weather, and the very unusual circumstance of scarcely any southing in 
 the winds. On the 26th, the Macedonian was at her anchorage at Hong Kong. 
 
 It will be remembered that we left the flag-ship, tlie Mississippi, on her way from Lew Chew 
 to Hong Kong. She arrived after a short passage, and the Commodore now turned his attention 
 to affairs in China. The reader will not have forgotten that the Plymouth, Commander Kelly, 
 had been left at Shanghai to watch over the interests of our countrymen there, and did not 
 accompany the squadron on the second visit to the Bay of Yedo. And now it was found that 
 the Chinese imperial troops had given both the English and ourselves some work to do during 
 the Commodore's absence. The first acts of aggression were shown in the latter part of 
 February and beginning of March, very soon after our squadron had left for Japan on the 
 second trij). The imperial troops were at that time encamped around the settlement of the 
 foreigners at Shanghai, and the imperial fleet was anchored off the place. They soon began their 
 acts of violence and robbery on the land, by tearing down buildings that the foreigners were 
 erecting, and stealing the materials ; while their fleet, without the slightest previous notice, 
 commenced firing upon and searching all boats passing up or down the river. Complaints were 
 made in the first instance to the general commanding the Chinese troops, and to the Taoutae, or 
 commander-in-chief of the fleet. These functionaries at length acknowledged tlieir inability to 
 prevent such acts of aggression, and said that the foreigners would have to protect themselves. 
 
 It so happened that on the 6th of Marcli a pilot boat, under tlie American flag, and belong- 
 ing to three of tlio foreign residents, Ayers, Linklater, and Donaldson, all American citizens,
 
 CHECK TO CHINESE INSOLENCE. • 505 
 
 was passing on the river with her ensign flying, when^ without hail or warning, she was fired 
 upon by one of the imperial fleet, the Sir H. Compton, and ordered alongside. The order was 
 perforce complied with. On reaching the Compton she was immediately hoarded from that 
 vessel by a body of armed men, who forthwith hauled down the American ensign, dragged the 
 crew of the boat up the side of the ship, and made them fast by lashing their long Chinese 
 queues to the mainmast. Commander Kelly was informed of these facts by the American 
 consul at seven o'clock that evening, when, in a very few minutes. Lieutenant Guest had his 
 orders, and was under way for the Compton, in one of the ship's cutters, manned by eleven 
 men, armed, and accompanied by the owners of the pilot boat. His instructions were to release 
 the boat and crew, and demand of the captain by what authority he had dared thus to insult 
 the American flag. Lieutenant Gruest, of course, interpreted his instructions to mean that, if 
 necessary, he should use force to release the boat and her crew. He was soon alongside of the 
 Compton, and, pursuant to orders, inquired first for her captain, to whom Commander Kelly 
 had addressed a note on the subject of the outrage. He was told that tlie captain was on board 
 the Agnes, another Chinese vessel of war ; he pulled to her, and was there told that he was on 
 shore. Lieutenant Guest did not suppose it to be his duty to seek for him any fiirther, and was 
 soon back to the Compton. This vessel was anchored in the middle of the Chinese fleet, 
 mounted some ten or twelve guns, and had about forty men on her deck, renegades and scoun- 
 drels of all nations. On getting alongside, the lieutenant immediately ascended the vessel's 
 side^ accompanied by the owners of the boat, ordering his eleven men to remain in the 
 cutter, and to come when he called them, but not before. On reaching the deck he asked for 
 the ofiicer in command, when a Portuguese stepped forward and claimed that rank. Lieutenant 
 Guest then asked him how he dared to fire upon and make prisoners of men under the protec- 
 tion of the American flag, and demanded that they should be immediately released and their 
 boat given up. He replied that Tie did not do it, and that in the captain's absence he had no 
 authority to release either men or boat. He then conferred with another official, (a China- 
 man,) and he confirmed his decision. Lieutenant Guest then called out to his men, " come on 
 board," and with wonderful alacrity and speed they were on the deck, each with cutlass in 
 hand, and in a moment had released the prisoners from their confinement to the mainmast. 
 About this time the crew of the Com^rton had assumed a menacing attitude, and Mr. Donaldson 
 called out to the lieutenant that some of the men on the poop-deck were levelling their muskets 
 at the Americans. Fortunately the Portuguese commanding officer was at that moment very 
 near Lieutenant Guest. Instantly drawing and cocking his pistol, the American officer levelled 
 it at the Portuguese, and told him that on the first shot fired he would blow out his brains. 
 On hearing this threat, he called loudly to his men on the poop to desist, and no further 
 obstacle was interposed to the taking away of either boat or men. One of the owners examined 
 the pilot boat before her removal, and reported to the lieutenant that his property was all safe, 
 and she was then taken with her crew to a place of safety, within gun-shot of the Plymouth. 
 
 The next morning (the 7th) Commandor Kelly i.iibrmed the Taoutae, or comm 'ude of the 
 imperial fleet, through our consul, that as the Compton had insulted the American flag, she 
 had an act of public atonement to render, which consisted in her hoisting our national colors 
 at her fore-royal mastliead in open day, and saluting them with twenty-one guns ; and he made a 
 demand accordingly. The Taoutae seeming not disposed to make this act of rejiaration for 
 unprovoked insult, Commander Kelly, after the allowance to him of a reasonable time, got 
 under way and proceeded to the anchorage of the imperial fleet for the purpose of enforcing his 
 64 J
 
 506 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 demand by arguments, less gentle indeed, but probably more effective than any be bad yet 
 used. The Plymouth, however, had scarcely gained her position, before the captain of the 
 Compton came on board and informed Commander Kelly that he was ordered by the Taoutae 
 to make any concession he, the American captain, might demand, and that on the following 
 day he would hoist the American flag at the fore, and at noon salute it with twenty-one guns. 
 Commander Kelly thought he might as well stay where he was and see it done, as be was 
 determined it should be, and on the next day, at noon, it was done according to promise, when 
 the Plymouth returned to her old anchorage ofi' the American consulate. 
 
 One would have supposed that the Chinese might have learned from this transaction that 
 there was a limit to the patience and forbearance of the foreigners at Shanghai; but, though 
 we hear of no more of their insolence on the water, the aggressions of tlie land troops still 
 continued in the outskirts of the settlement ; and although they were frequently warned by the 
 consul of every nation of the probable consequences of such conduct, it availed nothing, and 
 at last the old reply came, that the foreigners must take care of themselves. The foreigners 
 then resolved to take the Chinese at their word, and protect themselves. 
 
 The marauding celestials were not long in forcing them to execute their resolution. On the 
 third of April some of the imperial troops commenced destroying a building, which one of the 
 foreigners was erecting, and carrying off the timbers. The owner, on hearing of it, repaired 
 with a friend to the spot, where his remonstrances were answered by an attack on both the 
 gentlemen tcith siuords. Providentially one of them had a revolver, with which he defended 
 himself and wounded two of his assailants, who then retreated. Very soon after, however, 
 they began to assemble from the different camps, and attacking a lady and gentleman, compelled 
 the former to flee for her life, pursued by these miscreants, and inflicted several wounds on the 
 latter. It was now obvious that the time had come to deal with these vermin, and the alarm 
 was given. Her Britannic Majesty's ships Encounter and Grecian were in the harbor, as well 
 as the Plymouth, and from the former a small body of marines had been previously put on 
 shore for the purpose of giving protection. As soon as the alarm was given, these repaired to 
 the race course, where the Chinese were assembled in large numbers, and were immediately 
 fired upon. The ground in the vicinity is literally covered with tombs, and behind these the 
 little handful of marines were obliged to seek temporary shelter until reinforcements could arrive. 
 The blue jackets and marines were soon landed from the English ships and from ours, and the 
 Chinese were driven back to their encampments, one of which was captui'ed and destroyed. The 
 English and Americans then retired for the night, keeping up strong patroles. The next morn- 
 ing early a conference was held by the English and American consuls, Captain O'Callaghan, of 
 the English service, and Commander Kelly, who came to the conclusion that it was necessary for 
 the safety of the foreign settlement and population that the entrenched encampments of Chinese, 
 in the vicinity of the race course, should be abandoned by them ; and the gentlemen resolved to 
 inform the Chinese general and the commander of their fleet that they must be so abandoned by 
 four o'clock on that day, failing which they would be destroyed. To this communication no reply 
 had been received at half past three, when the foreigners proceeded to their work. Captain 
 O'Callaghan, with about one hundred and fifty sailors and marines from the English ships, and 
 the Shanghai volunteers, occupied the right ; the sailors and marines from the Plymouth, in 
 number about sixty, together with thii-ty men from the American merchant ships, and two private 
 field pieces, worked by American citizens^ who placed themselves under Captain Kelly, occupied the 
 left, the whole of this detachment being under the orders of Commander Kelly. This detachment
 
 CLEANING RICE IN CHINA. 
 
 507 
 
 had also a twelve-pound howitzer, with which at four o'clock it commenced throwing shells into 
 the encampment. This was continued for some fifteen or twenty minutes, when, no return 
 heing made from the entrenchment, Commander Kelly ordered the firing to cease, with the view 
 of charging into the camp. The men advanced accordingly, when they found themselves sepa- 
 rated from the encampment, at a distance of ahout thirty yards from it, by a creek twenty feet 
 wide and seven deep. Here the Chinese opened a smart fire of musketry and gingals from 
 behind their mud walls, while our men were totally unprotected. The fire continued here 
 about ten minutes, when Commander Kelly directed a flank movement to the left, where were 
 numerous mounds, which would aflbrd the assailants some protection, and whence they could 
 also throw their shot into the enemy's camp. lu about eight minutes the Chinese fled in great 
 disorder, leaving behind them a number of wounded and dead. 
 
 While these things were passing on the left Captain O'Callaghan had assaulted them on the 
 right, captured their entrenchments on that side, and set their encampment on fire. He then 
 marched up to the rear of that entrenchment which Commander Kelly had attacked in front, so 
 that it was between the two detachments, and set fire to that encampment also. The English 
 and Americans then retired for the night. The next morning at daylight they were again on 
 the spot, when a hundred Chinese coolies were set to work, and soon levelled all the embank- 
 ments. The casualties to the English and Americans were equal ; each had one man killed 
 and three wounded After this the Chinese behaved themselves quietly. 
 
 Our artists, as usual, busied themselves in sketching scenes and objects of interest on this 
 their last visit to China, and directed their attention particularly to the manipulations connected 
 
 iiiikiii'; 
 
 ■'.iiwi!! m 
 
 \h 
 
 !•■ 
 
 
 
 - J^^Kl : .Jims J 
 
 CliLucae Uicc llulliug .Mit«:liiu«. 
 
 with the preparation of agricultural products for market. TIic rice hulliu','^ machine falls far 
 I'diiiid tliat of the .Tapnnf^e worked by watr>r.
 
 508 
 
 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 Nor is the mode of whipping cotton^ which fell under their ohservation, more worthy of 
 admiration. It is a coarse and laborious contrivance, which Yankee ingenuity would soon 
 supersede, provided the Emperor of the celestials would grant a "patent for the invention," 
 which could he protected. Without that, Jonathan will not tax his ingenuity. 
 
 Cotton Whipping, Hong Kong. 
 
 And now the Commodore, having finished the work assigned him hy his country, and worn 
 down hy long-continued anxiety of mind, ill health of body, aggravated, doubtless, hy his 
 solicitudes and cares for many months, and an increasing debility, began to look toward the rest 
 of home, which he so much needed. He had written to the Hon. Secretary some time before, 
 asking leave, when his work was done, to turn over the command to the officer next in rank, 
 and return to the United States. At Hong Kong he found awaiting him dispatches from the 
 Navy Department, conveying the leave he asked, leaving it optional with him to return in the 
 Mississippi, or by the overland route from India. He cliosc the latter, and, delivering to Captain 
 Abbot the command of the squadron, now composed of the Macedonian, Powhatan, and Vandalia 
 only, (the rest having all been ordered home,) after a most friendly acknowledgment of his 
 services by his countrj'men living in China, and a kind farewell expressed in a correspondence 
 between himself and the commercial houses of Russel, Nye, Wetmore, King, and indeed all the 
 American firms and residents, which will be found at length in tbe Appendix, he embarked, in 
 company with his flag lieutenant, in the Englisb mail steamer Hindostan, and arrived in New 
 Yoik on the 12th day of January, 1855, having been absent from the United States two years 
 and two months. 
 
 On the 23d of April, 1855, the Mississippi reached the navy yard at Brooklyn, and on the 
 next (" y i ? Commodore, repr'ving on bof:-d and .om tilly hauling down his flag, thus cou»"m- 
 niated the final act in the scory of the United States Expedition to Japan.
 
 C O >1 M A N P K li ADAMS A K It 1 \' E S WITH T U E TREATY. 
 
 009 
 
 SUPPLEMENTARY CHAPTER. 
 
 COMMANDER ADAMS ARRIVES IN THE UNITED STATES WITH THE TREATY. SUBMITTED BY THE PRESIDENT AND RATIFIED BY 
 
 THE SENATE. COMMANDER ADAMS SENT BACE WITH ADTHORITY TO EXCHANGE RATIFICATIONS —ARRIVES AT SIMODA 
 
 AFTER AN ABSENCE OF LITTLE MORE THAN NINE MONTHS ALTERED ASPECT OF THE PLACE FROM THE EFFECTS OP AN 
 
 EARTHdCAEE. JAPANESE ACCOUNT OF THE CALAMITY LOSS OF RUSSIAN SHIP-OF-WAR DIANA. RUSSIANS MAKE A TREATY 
 
 EXACTLY LIKE OCRS, WITH A SUBSTITUTION MERELY OF NAGASAKI FOR NAPHA AS ONE OF THE THREE PORTS. FRENCH 
 
 SHIP BRINGS IN TWO SHIPWRECKED JAPANESE. AUTHORITIES REFUSE TO RECEIVE THEM EXCEPT FROM UNDER OCR FLAG- 
 HAVING NO TREATY WITH FRANCE. MEN TAKEN ON BOARD THE POWHATAN, AND THEN RECEIVED BY THEIR COUNTRY, 
 
 MEN. ENERGY OF JAPANESE IN REBUILDI.VG SIMODA FREEDOM OK INTERCOURSE WITH THE PEOPLE. NO MORE ESPION- 
 AGE. BRISK TRAFFIC AT THE SHOPS. DELIVERY TO CAPTAIN ADAMS OF SOME RELIGIOUS TRACTS LEFT AT SIMODA BY 
 
 MR. BITTINGER. JAPANESE HAD LEARNED TO MANAGE THE LOCOMOTIVE, BUT NOT THE TELEGRAPH. MORYAMA YENOSKE 
 
 PROMOTED. MESSAGE FROM THE COMMISSIONERS TO COMMODORE PERRY. RATIFICATION'S EXCHANGED. 
 
 HE Narrative of the Japanese Expedition, properly speaking, 
 ended with the act recorded in the closing sentence of the 
 last chapter ; but for the completion of the story, it is 
 thought it will prove not unacceptable to our countrymen to 
 present the subsequent transactions connected with the treaty 
 up to the exchange of ratifications by the respective repre- 
 sentatives of Japan and our own government. 
 
 Commander Adams, it will be remembered, was dispatched 
 home with the copy of the treaty, on the 4th of April, 1854, 
 in the Saratoga. On the 1st of May, he reached Honolulu, 
 and took the first vessel that offered for San Francisco, and 
 thence, taking the usual route, via Panama, reached the 
 City of Washington on the 12th of July, thus making the 
 travel from Japan to our seat of government in three mouths 
 and eight days. The treaty was submitted by the President 
 to the Senate, and was by that body promptly and unani- 
 mously ratified ; and on the 30th of Septemlier Commander 
 Adams left New York with the ratified copy for Japan. On reaching England, he took the 
 overland route, and arrived at Hong Kong on the 1st of January, 1855. The Powhatan was 
 ordered by Commodore Abbot immediately to convey Commander Adams to Simoda, where he 
 arrived on the 26th of January, 1855, with full powers as the representative of the United 
 States to exchange with the Japanese authorities the ratifications of the treaty. The journey 
 back to Simoda occupied three months and twenty-seven days, and the whole time that elapsed 
 between the signing of the treaty and the arrival of it in Japan, duly ratified by the President 
 and Senate, was nine months and twenty-two days. 
 
 On the arrival of Comrrander Adams at Simoda, he found a great and sad change in the 
 physical aspects of the place. In the iiteiral during his absence from Japan, (on the 23d of
 
 510 
 
 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 
 
 December, 1854,) an earthquake had occurred which was felt on the whole coast of Japan, 
 doing some injury to the capital, Yedo, completely destroying the fine city of Osaca on the 
 southeastern side of Niphon, and leaving abundant evidences of its ruinous effects at Simoda. 
 One who should now visit the place would find the description of it given in our narrative and 
 the pictured illustrations of our artists no longer appropriate. They represent Simoda as it was. 
 Every house and public building on the low grounds had been destroyed ; a few temples and 
 private edifices that stood on elevated spots were all that escaped, and but sixteen structures 
 were all that was left of what was once Simoda. The inhabitants told Commander Adams that 
 
 W.Meint du — SSi 
 
 Temple of Ben-ting, Simoda. 
 
 the destruction was not caused by the immediate agitation ot the earth, but by the action of the 
 sea which it occasioned, and which regularly followed the shocks. According to the statements 
 of the Japanese, the waters in the bay and near the shore were first observed to be violently 
 agitated ; they soon began rapidly to retreat, leaving the bottom of the harbor, where usually 
 there were five fathoms of water, nearly bare. The sea then rushed in upon the land in a wave five 
 fathoms above its usual height, and, overflowing the town up to the tops of the houses, swept 
 everything away. The frightened inhabitants fled to the hills for safety, but before they 
 could reach their summits they were overtaken by the climbing waters and hundreds were 
 drowned. The waters retreated and returned in this manner five several times, tearing down 
 everything, and strewing the adjacent shores with the wrecks and ruins of houses prostrated, 
 and vessels torn from their anchorage. The Russian frigate Diana, bearing the flag of Admiral 
 Pontiatine, was lying in the harbor at the time. Tlie Russian officers told Commander Adams
 
 LOSS OF UrSSIAN S II I P-O F - W A U DIANA. 511 
 
 that, when the waters retreated, the mud boiled up from the bottom in a thousand springs. 
 When they came in they boiled like a maelstrom, and such was their velocity and force that the 
 frigate actually made forty-three com])lete revolutions in the space of thirty minutes. The 
 officers and crew were made giddy by this rapid turning. Their anchor had been let go in six 
 fathoms ; when the waters retreated they could sec it, and had but four feet of water alongside. 
 The ship's rudder, stern-post, and a great part of her keel, were knocked off and lost, and her 
 bottom was very much injured. After the effects of the earthquake had somewhat subsided, 
 and the sea became comparatively tranquil, she was found to leak badly. Her guns were 
 landed, and as there was no suitable place in Simoda to heave her down, Admiral Pontiatine 
 sent to look for some contiguous spot fit for the purpose ; and it may subserve the interests of 
 navigation here to record that he informed Commander Adams that he found a most excellent 
 and sheltered harbor, resembling that of Hakodadi, but smaller, and completely land-locked 
 with an abundance of water. It is about sixty miles from Simoda, at a jjlace called Hed-do, 
 situated at the head of the bay which lies westward of the peninsula of Idzu. Here the Russian 
 admiral attempted to take his disabled ship and repair her, but a gale came on, and she 
 foundered near the shore, the officers and crew with difficulty saving their lives. They were 
 all in Japan during the stay of Commander Adams, and, at that time, with little prospect of 
 getting away. They, however, subsequently chartered the American schooner Foote, as we 
 have related on a previous page, and sailed in her for Petropaulowski. The Russians were in 
 distress, and Captain McCluney, of the Powhatan, generously supplied them with all the 
 provisions he could spare from his ship. The object of the admiral was to make for his country 
 a treaty with Japan, and it was concluded after the loss of his ship and during the stay of 
 Commander Adams, who was informed by the admiral that it was exactly like that made by 
 Commodore Perry for ic~s, with the single change of a substitution of the harbor of Nagasaki for 
 that of Napha in Lew Chew ; this, we venture to suggest, is no improvement, inasmuch as the 
 long continued and tame submission of the Dutch at Dezima has taught the Japanese officials 
 there to be very arrogant and insolent toward foreigners. But, although Admiral Pontiatine 
 thus succeeded in making a treaty, to Commander Adams the Japanese " appeared to entertain 
 no goodwill toward the Russians." They are probably suspicious of their ultimate purposes. 
 
 While the Powhatan was at Simoda, a French ship arrived there and anchored in the outer 
 harbor, having on board two Japanese seamen wlio had been taken off the wreck of a junk 
 about three years before by an American whale-ship. The authorities ordered the vessel off, 
 would permit none of their people to go on board of her, and positively refused to receive the 
 shipwrecked seamen. They had, they said, no treaty with France, and French vessels had no 
 right to come there under any pretext. At the intercession, however, of Commander Adams 
 and Captain JlcCluney, they agreed to receive their shipwrecked countrymen from the 
 Powhatan, if Captain McCluney would first receive them on board his ship, and then deliver 
 them as coming from an American man-of-war. This plan was adopted. The men were kept 
 all night on board the Powhatan, and landed the next morning. They were immediately, 
 however, compelled to lay aside their European clothing, and conform in all respects to the 
 Japanese costume ; besides which they were placed under a strict surveillance, which continued, 
 at any rate, as long as the ship remained. 
 
 Notwithstanding the calamities caused by the earthquake, there was shown a resiliency in the 
 Japanese character which spoke well for tlieir energy. They did not sit down and weep over
 
 512 EXPEUITIONTOJAPAN 
 
 their misfortunes, but, like men, went to work, seemingly but little dispirited. They were 
 busily engaged, when the Powhatan arrived, in clearing away and rebuilding. Stone, timber, 
 thatch, tiles, lime, &c., were coming in daily from all quarters, and, before the Powhatan left, 
 there were about three hundred new houses nearly or quite completed, though occasional and 
 some pretty strong shocks, during the ship's stay, were admonishing them of a possible 
 recurrence of the calamity. 
 
 The outlines of the harbor of Simoda, Commander Adams states, were not altered at all by 
 the earthciuake, but the holding ground seems to have been washed out to sea, leaving no 
 bottom scarcely but naked rocks. This, however, will be resupplied, as it was furnished in the 
 first instance, by the washings from the land, which will probably accumulate rapidly. Tlie 
 Powhatan, for want of holding ground, dragged with three anchors ahead, the wind blowing 
 across the harbor, and no sea. Indeed, she was obliged to rely on her steam to keep off the 
 rocks. 
 
 From the place we now turn to the people. The Japanese were much more disposed to be 
 friendly and sociable than on the former visit. The officers of the ship roamed over the country 
 undisturbed, went into the villages, and were received with a welcome everywhere. Espionage 
 seemed to have been laid aside, for there was no attempt to follow or watch them. The shops 
 having all been destroyed, and not yet replaced, a bazaar was opened in a temple repaired for 
 the purpose, and was soon filled with a variety of beautiful articles brought from Yedo and the 
 interior towns. The ofScers were not only invited but importuned to buy, which they did very 
 fi-eely. An anxious wish was expressed by the people to Commander Adams, that trading 
 vessels from America would soon begin to visit them, and the governor of Simoda (who was one 
 of the commissioners that made the treaty) intimated to the commander that it would be very 
 agreeable to him, personally, if a consul from the United States should be appointed to reside 
 at Simoda. 
 
 The Japanese were exceedingly desirous of obtaining English books, particularly on medical 
 and scientific subjects ; and many valuable works were given to them by our officers. But thay 
 coveted our books on any subject except religion. One circumstance occurred which, says 
 Commander Adams, "made me feel a little ashamed." "The governor of Simoda sent off a 
 bundle of religious books which he said ' Bittinger' (one of the chaplains of Commodore Perry's 
 squadron) had left there clandestinely, which was contrary to Japanese law, and ' not right ;' 
 and he begged me to take them away with me, which I agreed to do." 
 
 Commander Adams found that they had learned to manage the locomotive which the 
 President had sent to the Emperor ; they had also the life-boat afloat with a trained crew, but 
 the magnetic telegraph they said was too hard for them yet. Every day, when Commander 
 Adams was not employed on shore, the lieutenant governor or some official of high rank came 
 off to visit him, and their meetings were those of old friends. Some of them indeed were old 
 acquaintances ; the governor of Simoda was Isawa, Mimasaki Nokami, one of the treaty 
 commissioners, and our old friend the interpreter, Moryama Yenoske, who assisted in making 
 our translation of the treaty, (he understood English,) was also at Simoda, having been very 
 deservedly promoted ; others of the commissioners were also there for the purpose of exchanging 
 ratifications, and Commander Adams was not allowed to feel as if he were among strangers. 
 The commissioners inquired with great interest about Commodore Perry, sent many messages 
 of friendship and remembrance, and charged Commander Adams to say to him that his " name 
 would live forever in the history of Japan."
 
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 FINAL CONSUMMATION ON WASHINGTON'S BIRTH DAY, 
 
 513 
 
 As to the exchange of ratifications^ the Japanese, at first, interposed two objections ; these, 
 however, did not arise from unwillingness to abide by their engagements, but were rather 
 technical, and founded iipon their scrupulous interpretation of the terms of a written contract, 
 and upon their profound respect for ceremonials. The objections were, first, that their copy of 
 the treaty said it was to be ratified after eighteen months ; ours said loithin eighteen months ; 
 but as the Dutch and Chinese translations agreed with our English copy, and as that had been 
 taken as the original, from wliich all the translations, including their Japanese version, had 
 been made, they became convinced that the discrepancy arose from the ignorance of their 
 translator, and having had explained to them what was meant by our English word " within," 
 as here used, they very gracefully withdrew all objection on this score. The other objection was 
 to the Emperor's affixing his sign manual to the Japanese copy for our government. They said 
 the Emperor never signed any document, but the supreme council only. Commander Adams 
 represented to them that the President and Secretary of State had signed the copy he had 
 brought for them, and beside, the Emperor was the party named in the instrument as having 
 made the treaty, and therefore he wished his signature. Finally, it was concluded that both 
 the Emperor and supreme council should sign it, and it was accordingly done. On the 21st of 
 February the exchanges were formally made, and as soon as it was done, the Powhatan 
 immediately showed the Japanese flag at the fore, and fired a salute of seventeen guns. 
 
 The commissioners also gave Commander Adams a ratijied copy of the "additional regula- 
 tions" made between the Commodore and the Japanese commissioners, which they seemed to 
 consider part of the treaty, with a request that he would deliver it to the President, and ask 
 him to send out, by some American ship, the American ratification as soon as it was completed. 
 On the day after the ratification, February 22, the Powhatan left Simoda, and our new and, as 
 we trust, enduring friendly relations with Jajjan are thus associated, in date at least, with the 
 name of Washington. 
 
 Graves of American Dt-atl in Jupan. 
 
 65 J
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Page. 
 
 Abbott, Captain, misled by Von Siebold's charts.- 326 
 
 inquiries at Formosa 499 
 
 report of squalls near Formosa.. 500 
 
 Abbey Point, Lew Chew 152, 195 
 
 Adams, William, pilot of the Ducth fleet, his ac- 
 count of his visit to Japan 27 
 
 his letters sent to England 34 
 
 Adams, Commander, his MS. journal iv 
 
 interview with the governor 
 
 of Uraga 237 
 
 interview with the governor 
 
 of Uraga 244 
 
 interview with the mayor of 
 
 Xapha 276 
 
 conversation with Japanese of- 
 ficials respecting the death 
 
 of the Emperor 331 
 
 discussion respecting Uraga . 332 
 interview with the Japanese 
 
 officials at Uraga 333 
 
 conversation with Yezaiman. 341 
 conferences with Japanese 
 
 officials 355,356 
 
 delivers American presents to 
 
 the .Japanese 372 
 
 bearer of the treaty to the 
 
 United States 393 
 
 arrives home 509 
 
 returns with the ratified trea- 
 ty to Simoda 509 
 
 his numerous visitors at Si- 
 moda 512 
 
 leaves Simoda 513 
 
 Admiral, title of used for that of commodore, in 
 
 treating with the Japanese 246 
 
 Agriculture of the Japanese, their grains 52 
 
 tea 52 
 
 Advanced state of Lew Chew 220 
 
 Agiiculturist, his share in the products of the land 220, 22G 
 
 Ainos, Ycsso 454,469 
 
 Ale.'iandcr the Great, fleet of, visits Ceylon 116 
 
 Althca, Lew Chew 168 
 
 Amahs, Chinese nurses 291 
 
 Auiakirima islands, near Lew Chew 274 
 
 Auaral, Portu^u^se governor, Macao plot ogointt. 3Ul 
 
 Page. 
 
 America. Japanese knowledge of 464 
 
 American commercial houses, high character of 
 
 among the Chinese 136 
 
 merchants at Shanghai claim protection- 148 
 
 anchorage, the bay of Uraga 265 
 
 anchorage, bay of Yedo 328 
 
 meichants at Hong Kong, application of 
 
 the to Commodore Perry 287 
 
 sailor captive in Japan 340 
 
 ships, intercourse of, with Japan 351 
 
 limits in Japan- 385, 387 
 
 ships in Japan, supplies for 385 
 
 intercourse with the Japanese 474 
 
 intercourse with Japan, treaty regula- 
 tions respecting 479 
 
 Americans shipwrecked at Formosjv 498, 499 
 
 Amphitheatre, Japanese drawing of an 461 
 
 Anatomical drawing, Japanese 462 
 
 Antidote for poison in use in the Indian seas 119 
 
 Arch, peculiar, at Xagaguska, Lew Chew 171 
 
 Architecture, Japanese - 463 
 
 Areca tree, Bonin islands 198 
 
 Argonaut, visit of the ship, to Japan 39 
 
 Arms of "Izawa, emblazoned. 344 
 
 Arrack tree, Bonin islands 198 
 
 Art, Japanese 459 
 
 Arts of design in Japan 59 
 
 Arzobispo, a name given to the Bonin islands 200 
 
 Astronomical knowledge of the Japanese 57 
 
 Awa, province of Japan 232 
 
 capes of 427 
 
 Ayahs, Chinese nurses -- 291 
 
 Baby, Japanese -- 396 
 
 Bache, Professor, charts of the coast survey 429 
 
 Baggass, or crushed sugar-cane 314 
 
 Bailey islands 197, 199.283 
 
 Ballastier, Mr., visit to Siam 121 
 
 Bamboo range of mountains, Mauritus 108 
 
 Bamboo, Lew Chew 312 
 
 fences. Lew Chew 178 
 
 Banner Rock, Lew Chew 168 
 
 Banyan, Lew Chew 175,312 
 
 Barometrical observations in the Indian ocean 104 
 
 Barrels, Hakodadi 456 
 
 Barrows bay. Lew Chew 165, 167, 173, 176
 
 516 
 
 INDEX 
 
 Page. 
 Bastions, substitutes for in the fort of Nagaguska, 
 
 Low Chew 171 
 
 Baths, public, Simoda 405 
 
 Battas, a tribe of the Malays, their dainty canni- 
 balism - 130 
 
 Batteries, Japanese, bay of Yedo 343 
 
 Beacon-fires, Japanese, bay of Uraga 236 
 
 Beard, a full black, a distinctive mark of the Ja- 
 panese and Lew Chewans -- 315 
 
 Beech tree. Peel island -- 210 
 
 Beechey, Captain, names the Bonin islands 197 
 
 his nomenchiture of the islands 
 
 disowned 199 
 
 position of Port Lloyd in his 
 
 chart, erroneous 202 
 
 account of the Lew Chewans 221 
 
 Beggars, commutation with. Canton 292 
 
 Begging, mode of. Canton - 293 
 
 Belcher, Captain, account of the Lew Chewans — 221 
 Bell, a large, presented to Commodore Perry by the 
 
 regent of Lew Chew 496 
 
 Bellows, Napha. in blacksmith's shop. 220 
 
 Japanese - 456 
 
 Bent, Lieutenant, his MS. journal iv 
 
 pilots the expedition in Napha 
 
 harbor 150 
 
 survey of the bay of TJraga 238, 241 
 
 conversation with Japanese re- 
 specting America. - - 464 
 
 rebukes servility of "SamPatch" 486 
 commissioner of treaty with Lew 
 
 Chew.. 495 
 
 Bettelhcira, Dr., a missionary at Lew Chew 152 
 
 visits Commodore Perry 153 
 
 remark on the old regent of Lew 
 
 Chew 215 
 
 believes Lew Chew a part of Ja- 
 pan 222 
 
 remarks respecting education in 
 
 Lew Chew 223 
 
 history of, and of his missionary 
 
 operations in Lew Chew 225 
 
 a layman 225 
 
 removal of -- 320 
 
 leaves Lew Chew 498 
 
 Lew Chew, official communication 
 
 respecting 498 
 
 Bing, Japanese rouge 395 
 
 Birds, scarcity of. Lew Chew 175 
 
 Bonin islands 203 
 
 Bishop's bay, Macao 140 
 
 Bittinger, Rev. Mr., visits Kanagawa, Japan 360 
 
 his excliange of American for 
 
 Japanese coin 360 
 
 his kind treatment by the Ja- 
 panese 300 
 
 coins obtained by, returned.. 365 
 
 Blacksmiths, Japanese 456 
 
 Blacksmith's shop, Napha 220 
 
 VdQr, 
 
 Blunt, Cape, near Hakodadi 430 
 
 Boar, wild. Lew Chew 182 
 
 Peel island 206 
 
 Board, supposed murder of, at Napha 492 
 
 Boas of Ceylon 119 
 
 Boatmen, Canton 294 
 
 Boats, Japanese 450 
 
 Bocca Tigris, Canton river 137 
 
 Bonaparte, Napoleon, remark on war to Basil Hall. 318 
 Bonham, Sir George, conference with Commodore 
 
 Perry respecting the Bonin islands 303 
 
 Bonin islands 196, 197 
 
 discovery of the, by the Japanese.. 197 
 advantages of establishing a naval 
 
 station at the 212 
 
 described 200 
 
 sovereignty of the 213 
 
 Captain Kelly's visit to the 282 
 
 English claim to the 304 
 
 Books in Japan 58, 59 
 
 in Lew Cliew, Chinese 224 
 
 Japanese 463 
 
 Borodino islands 214 
 
 Bosquette, M., a writer on hurricanes 113 
 
 Boundaries, American, Simoda 477 
 
 Hakodadi 478,481 
 
 Boundary of American intercourse in Japan 468 
 
 Bourboulon, M. de, French minister to Canton 300,303 
 
 Boyle, Lieutenant, assists the Macedonian, aground 
 
 in the bay of Yedo 327 
 
 places a buoy on a rock, bay of 
 
 Yedo 401 
 
 visits Olasou island 469 
 
 report of a marine volcano near 
 
 Formosa 500 
 
 treatment of the Sillibaboos 503 
 
 Brabant mountains, Mauritius 108 
 
 Broom-corn, Lew Chew. 173 
 
 Broughton rocks, bay of Yedo 325 
 
 Brown, Mr., daguerreotypist 154 
 
 Buchanan, Commander, conducts regent of Lew 
 Chew over the Susque- 
 hanna 216 
 
 interview with the gover- 
 nor of Uraga 237 
 
 interview with governor 
 
 of Uraga 244 
 
 leads the escort of Com- 
 modore Perry 253 
 
 first American who lands 
 
 in Japan 254 
 
 conversation with the gov 
 
 ernor of Uraga 263 
 
 Buddha, statues of, in grave-yard, Simoda 407 
 
 Buddhism, extent of Hs influences - 21 
 
 in Ceylon. 120 
 
 Buddhist priest at a funeral, Japan 354 
 
 temples, Simoda 406 
 
 offerings ..., i-----. '*0'-'
 
 INDEX 
 
 517 
 
 rage. 
 
 Buddhist gardens .- 409 
 
 apartments 409 
 
 religious services 476 
 
 temples, Hakodadi 442 
 
 occasionally used as places of 
 
 concourse 443 
 
 Building erected to receive the letter of the Pres- 
 ident, Japan. 254 
 
 Burial customs. Lew Chew. 319 
 
 of a sailor at Kaki-Zaki 425 
 
 Butting a part of Japanese wrestling .- 371 
 
 Buttons, Japanese taste for American - 358 
 
 Cabinets d'aisance, public, Japan 452 
 
 Caffre war, consequences of the - 99, 103 
 
 Caffires, description of 101 
 
 Camelias, bay of Yedo 394 
 
 Camoens, history of 143 
 
 cave of 142 
 
 monument to - 299 
 
 Camp Perry, Lew Chew 167 
 
 Camphor tree in Japan 61 
 
 Cannibalism, daintiness in.- 130 
 
 Canton, visit to 135 
 
 annual trade of. 138 
 
 charitable asylums of 294 
 
 river - 135 
 
 Cape Colony, population of 101 
 
 Cape de Verde islands, the Harmattan observed at 89, 90 
 
 Cape of Good Hope, route to, from Ejiglaud 98 
 
 Cape Town, visit to 98 
 
 Cards, Japanese game of 465 
 
 Cassa sent to Japan by Sir Stamford Raffles - 44 
 
 Castles of Lew Chew 185 
 
 Cats and dogs, wild, hunted in the Bonin islands . 203 
 Catherine, Empress of Russia, directs shipwrecked 
 
 Japanese to be sent home 45 
 
 Cattle at Simo<ia 424 
 
 Cecille, Admiral, explores Lew Chew 229 
 
 Cedars, Japanese, large size of 61 
 
 Centipede boats 158 
 
 Centre island, Simoda harbor - 416 
 
 Ceylon, visit to 116 
 
 Chairs, Lew Chew 190 
 
 Chama gigas, Bonin islands 202 
 
 Chang- Yuen, the Lew Chew guide 172 
 
 Chapin, Aldin B., visits the Bonin islands 200 
 
 an early settler of the Bonin islands 305 
 
 Charcoal, Japanese custom respecting 369 
 
 Charitable institutions. Canton 294 
 
 Charms on grave-stones, Yoku-liama 408 
 
 Charts of Japanese waters in use, incorrect 325 
 
 Chess, Japanese game of 465 
 
 Chimneys, absence of, Siraoda. 404 
 
 Chin-Chin to Commodore Perry 153 
 
 China, laws regulating etiquette on the death of 
 
 an emperor 323 
 
 benefit of American trade to 352 
 
 American treaty with 382 
 
 sea, na\igation of the 132 
 
 Page. 
 
 China street. Canton 1,36 
 
 China, imitation of, in Lew Chew. 223 
 
 Chinese, their claims to have colonized Japan 8 
 
 language not understood by the Japanese 8 
 
 commerce with Singapore 125 
 
 traders, activity of, at Hong-Kong 135 
 
 coolies, inefficient 174 
 
 coolie, treatment of a sick.. 181 
 
 lack of sympathy for a dying comrade 196 
 
 emigrants, Commodore Perry's remarks 
 
 on the transportation of, to California. 212 
 
 claim sovereignty over Loo-Choo 221 
 
 account of the origin of the Lew Chewans. 221 
 
 treated as strangers in Lew Chew 222 
 
 emigrants to Lew Chew 223 
 
 books in Lew Chew 224 
 
 handwriting in use in Lew Chew 224 
 
 revolution, inquiry of a Japanese respect- 
 ing.. 261 
 
 abstemiousness of the 289 
 
 servants 290 
 
 comprador 290 
 
 feet, women averse to showing 292 
 
 higher classes 295 
 
 preponderance in Macao 297 
 
 treaty with the U. States, a copy of fur- 
 nished to the Japanese commissioners. 350 
 imperial troops, conduct to American 
 
 citizens 504 
 
 imperial troops, assaults on American mer- 
 chants, Shanghai ; English and Ame- 
 rican attack upon 506 
 
 Chow Hwang, his account of the origin of the Lew 
 
 Chewans 221 
 
 Christianity, its early introduction into Japan doubt- 
 ful 22 
 
 early introduced into Ceylon 120 
 
 the common people of Lew Chew fa- 
 vorably disposed towards. 225 
 
 introduction of, into Japan 446 
 
 in Japan 475 
 
 Chung Ching, castle of. Lew Chew 185 
 
 Cleanliness of Lew Chew 193 
 
 Cleopatra islands, Lew Chew 324,325 
 
 Clergyman, treatment of a, in Japan 446 
 
 Clifford, Lieutenant, forms the Lew Chew naval 
 
 mission 225 
 
 Climate of St. Helena 92 
 
 Climate of Simoda 413 
 
 Clipped Camelia, Lew Chew 176 
 
 Clock, Japanese 54 
 
 Contce, Lieutenant 155 
 
 Coal, abundant in Japan 60 
 
 supplies of, a prominent object of the Japa- 
 nese c.tpedition 75, 77 
 
 depots 97 
 
 opportune supply of 114 
 
 depot at Singapore.. 129 
 
 at Lew Chew 280
 
 518 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Page. 
 
 Conl depot at Bonin islands 304 
 
 the U. States desirous to procure, from Japan- 257 
 
 building for storing, Lew Chew 282 
 
 at Shah bay, Lew Chew - 311 
 
 Japan - 311,350 
 
 at Simoda 481 
 
 analysis of 482 
 
 supply of, from Formosa 498, 499 
 
 Cockes, Kichard, first director of the English fac- 
 tory in Japan 36 
 
 Cocoa-nut in Ceylon 11" 
 
 Coi35ii. Captain, visits the Bonin islands - 197, 199 
 
 Coffin islands - 199,283 
 
 Color printing. Japan 460 
 
 Columbus, examines Marco Polo's ^rritings 5 
 
 Columbus, visit of the, to Japan 233 
 
 Commercial treaty, the Japanese decline making a 383 
 
 Comprador, a household official -- 140 
 
 Compradors of European households in China 290 
 
 Compton, the Sir H., of the Chinese imperial fleet, 
 attack on an American pilot- 
 boat 504 
 
 forced to make reparation — 505 
 
 Conference at Hakodadi 434 
 
 Confucian temples, schools at .- 223 
 
 wTitings, text-books in Lew Chew 224 
 
 remark of the Bishop of Victoria on 224 
 
 Congress water at Shanghai 145 
 
 Constantia vineyards, visit to - 100 
 
 Consul, American, In Japan 374,383 
 
 date of appointment of 385 
 
 Consular fees of the United States often insufficient 
 
 for support 116 
 
 Consuls, American, in Japan 377 
 
 Contee, Lieutenant, his MS. journal- - iv 
 
 conference with the deputy 
 
 governor of Uraga 234 
 
 conversation with the gov- 
 ernor of Uraga 263 
 
 Coolies at Mauritius 109 
 
 of Lew (hew commended 163, 164, 174, 179 
 
 Coopers, Hakodadi 456 
 
 Copper abundant in Japan 60 
 
 mode of casting 60 
 
 Coral in Kapha harbor, Lew Chew 154 
 
 reef, Chinasea - 132 
 
 reefs 429 
 
 rock, Lew Chew - 311 
 
 walls, Lew Chew 312 
 
 Corpse, Japanese official inspection of a 425 
 
 Costume of the sexes similar in Lew Chew 158 
 
 Cotton weaving, Japan 458 
 
 whipping, Hong Kong 508 
 
 Courses of a Japanese entertainment 191 
 
 Courteous deportment of Japanese officials - 247 
 
 Crows, precautions against, Simoda - 404 
 
 Crucifixion, Japanese, punishment of 486 
 
 Crumeno, a tree, Bonin islands 210 
 
 Crustacea, Bonin islands 202 
 
 Piige. 
 
 Cultivator, an jVmerican, at the Cape of Good Hope 101 
 
 Cumberland coal, analysis of 482 
 
 Cum-sing-moon, China - 503 
 
 near Hong Kong, rendezvous of 
 
 the squadron at- 288 
 
 Cung-qaa, or Khan, Lew Chew -163, 174, 179 
 
 Cunning of Mandarin of Kelung 499 
 
 of the inhabitants -- 500 
 
 Currency, the Lew Chewans do not possess a 227 
 
 Current at sea observed 81 
 
 at the Cape of Good Hope 103 
 
 between Lew Chew and Japan 230 
 
 southeast of Formosa 308 
 
 near Hakodadi - - 430 
 
 Currents - - 90 
 
 near Japan 272 
 
 Custom dues, Uraga - 237, 242 
 
 Cutlery, Japanese, inferior - 456 
 
 Cyclone near Mauritius-- 113 
 
 Daguerreotypists of the expedition 194 
 
 Dai-ho-saki, or White Cape 429 
 
 Dairi, or ecclesiastical Emperor of Japan. 270 
 
 Dans Kevitch, a Japanese 486 
 
 Dead, respect for the, in Lew Chew 226 
 
 Death of a Chinese opium eater 195 
 
 Decorations of the Treaty House, Japan 344 
 
 Defences, military, at Uraga 239, 240 
 
 Demons, boxes for feeding hungry, Simoda 407 
 
 Dezima, factory at-- 4 
 
 the residence of the Dutch iu Japan 7 
 
 described 32 
 
 Diamond, Cape, Simoda harbor- 416 
 
 Diana, the Kussian frigate, at Simoda 390 
 
 Diaz, discovery of the Cape of Good Hope 98 
 
 Diet, Simoda - 405 
 
 Dinner to the regent of Lew Chew, on board the 
 
 Susquehanna - 217 
 
 Dinners, Japanese, unsubstantial .- 380 
 
 Disappointment island, position of 213 
 
 Discipline of the expedition in Japan - 417 
 
 Disembovvelment, practice of, among the Japanese. 17 
 
 Dishes served up in Lew Chew 191 
 
 Divine service at sea 196 
 
 Docks, Simoda 403 
 
 Doeff, a writer on Japan - 4,7 
 
 his intrigues against the English in Japan. . 64 
 
 his treatment of the expeditions of Raffles. 42, 44 
 
 Dogs, Peel island, poor hunters 206 
 
 presented by the Japanese 369 
 
 Japanese 369 
 
 introduced in England 369 
 
 Dogwood, tree resembling the, Peel island 210 
 
 "Dollar boats," Whampoa 135 
 
 Domestic animals running wild, Bonin islands 203,211 
 
 Domestic life. Lew Chew 172 
 
 Dosia, a preparation imparting flexibility to a 
 
 corpse, also administered to the living 57 
 
 Doty, Mr., his letters respecting the treatment of 
 
 Americans at Simoda 390
 
 INDEX. 
 
 519 
 
 Page. 
 
 Drainage, Japanese 453 
 
 Drawings, Japanese - - - 462 
 
 Dress of dignitaries at Lew Chew 217 
 
 the Japanese 396 
 
 Duer, lieutenant, observation of a meteor, bay of 
 
 Uraga 236 
 
 Duggan, Professor, remarks on Japanese art 466 
 
 Dutch, intercourse of the, with Japan 4,27,381 
 
 extent of their linowledgc of Japan 7 
 
 expedition to Japan, W. Adams's account 
 
 of. 27 
 
 deny the authority of papal grants. 27 
 
 and English carry on joint buccaneering 
 
 enterprises 27 
 
 aid the Japanese in making war on the na- 
 tive Christians 31 
 
 removed to Dezima 32 
 
 concessions to Japanese opinion. 32 
 
 do not trample on the cross. 33 
 
 ofBcials formerly visited the Emperor of 
 
 Japan 33 
 
 intercourse out of their factor)* with the 
 
 Japanese 33 
 
 induce Japanese to refuse intercourse with 
 
 the English 39 
 
 their foothold in India destroyed by CUve 
 
 and Hastings - 39 
 
 answer to their claim to have assisted the 
 
 Japanese expedition 63,67 
 
 in 1844 recommend Japan to abolish her 
 
 exclusive system 64, 65 
 
 proposed treaty 65 
 
 possession of St. Helena 91 
 
 possession of Mauritius 107 
 
 possessions in Ceylon. 116 
 
 treaty with Japan 389 
 
 nostrum for sale in Japan. 404 
 
 Duyong, alleged mermaid of Singapore 131 
 
 Dwarf trees of the Japanese 53 
 
 Earthquake, Japan 510 
 
 East India Company construct roads in St. Helena. 92 
 
 Education in Japan 68 
 
 of the Lew Chewans, Dr. Bettelheim's 
 
 evidence respecting 223 
 
 Ehrenberg, his examination of the Harmattan 90 
 
 Eldridge, J. C. , purser, report on Japanese curren- 
 cies 478 
 
 Elephants of Ceylon 118 
 
 hunting 118 
 
 "Elevated enclosure of fragrant festivities," Shui, 
 
 Lew Chew 190 
 
 Emperor of Japan, death of the 321, 331 
 
 the new 350 
 
 reception of his reply to the 
 letter of the President of the 
 
 United States 346 
 
 his official signature 513 
 
 Endermo harbor, survey of ; beauty of its shores. . 468 
 
 Engines, disconnecting 105 
 
 Fife. 
 
 English, intercourse of the, with Japan 4,34 
 
 deny the authority of Papal grants of 
 
 newly discovered countries 27 
 
 trade with Japan at first unprofitable 36 
 
 trade closed voluntarily in 1623 36 
 
 attempts to reopen trade 37 
 
 refused intercourse with the Japanese 39 
 
 colonial policy hinders their progress in 
 
 Japan 40 
 
 in 1808 send a man-of-war to Japan in 
 
 pursuit of Dutch ships 40 
 
 treaty with Japan 63,387,388 
 
 possession of Mauritius. 107 
 
 possessions in Ceylon. 116 
 
 temporary possession of the Bonin islands 200 
 
 Japanese restrictions upon the 384 
 
 ship encountered by the Expedition 490 
 
 Epitaphs, Simoda 408 
 
 Escort of Commodore Perry at Uraga chosen by 
 
 lot 252 
 
 Espionage, official, in Japan 15 
 
 effects of. 16 
 
 anecdote of 16 
 
 Ethiopian Minstrels, Japanese interest in their per- 
 formances 470 
 
 Ethnological resemblances between Lew Chew and 
 
 Japan 223 
 
 European periodicals read and translated in Japan . 463 
 
 Everett, Edward, his reply to Commodore Perry . . 87 
 
 Exchange, rate of, established with the Japanese. 424 
 
 Exclusive policy of the Japanese, its origin 19 
 
 Executioners in Japan, how selected 14 
 
 Factories at Canton 136 
 
 Fahs', Dr., exploration of Peel island 204 
 
 survey of Peel island 209 
 
 report on the ethnology of Lew Chew. 315 
 
 Fans, Japanese 268 
 
 Farm-houses near Simoda 413 
 
 Fatsicio island, Japan 271 
 
 Fatcisko Tokushumo, Japanese interpreter 244 
 
 Fees at "show places" 112 
 
 Feki, a prince, story of 20 
 
 Female servants in China 291 
 
 Ferns, Lew Chew 312 
 
 Fertility of Peel island 206, 209 
 
 Fi-ija, a stream in Lew Chew 183 
 
 Filial reverence, the chief of virtues in Lew Chew 
 
 and China - 224 
 
 Fillmore, Millard, liis Japanese diplomacy 74 
 
 letter of, to the Emperor of Ja- 
 pan . 256 
 
 letter of credence of Commo- 
 dore Perry from, as President 
 
 of the United States 259 
 
 Fine arts, Lew Chew 317 
 
 Fingoos, of the Cape of Good Hope, described 101 
 
 Fir trees forced to an enormous size 53 
 
 Firando, first factory of the Dutch at 30 
 
 Firatatsi, Cape *2^
 
 620 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Page. 
 Fire-arms, astonishment of the Lew Chewans at 
 
 the American - — 182 
 
 Fischer, a writer on Japan 4,7 
 
 account of the ingenuity of a Japanese 
 
 fisherman 65 
 
 Fish in Kapha harbor, Lew Chew 154 
 
 Japanese mode of presenting 368 
 
 in Japanese waters 450 
 
 a favorite gift 452 
 
 Fisherman, I>ew Chew 219 
 
 Fishing boats, near Macao. 133 
 
 Fishing at Port Lloyd, Bonin islands 202 
 
 Flora of Peel island 210 
 
 Flowers, Lew Chew -- 175 
 
 in grave yard, Simoda 408 
 
 Fogo, indistinct view of - 89 
 
 Fogs off the Chinese coast 144 
 
 common on the Japanese coast 231,249 
 
 Foot-balls, Lew Chew 318 
 
 Foote, C. E., the American schooner at Simoda 390 
 
 Forcade, Father, remark of Siebold on 72 
 
 Foreigners, Japanese, jealousy of 386 
 
 Forks, bamboo sticks used ao. Lew Chew. 191 
 
 Formosa coal, analysis of 483 
 
 expedition to 498 
 
 Fortifications, Japanese 398 
 
 Fortress of J>i agaguska. Lew Chew 1C9 
 
 Forts, Chinese, at the mouth of Canton river 137 
 
 bay of Uraga 237,239 
 
 Fourth of July, 1853, celebration of by the Expe- 
 dition 230 
 
 Fox, Japanese ideas respecting the. 451 
 
 Francis, John W., anecdote of Basil Hall 318 
 
 Frassinet, his opinion on Pinto's visit to Japan 23 
 
 acquits the Dutch of persecuting the 
 
 Japanese Christians. 31 
 
 Frederick, visit of the ship, to Japan 39 
 
 Free negroes at the Cape of Good Hope 103 
 
 at Mauritius 109 
 
 French, intercourse of the with Japan 4 
 
 possession of Isle of France, or Mauritius.. 107 
 
 inhabitants of Mauritius 110 
 
 Fryers, Lieutenant, a writer on hurricanes 113 
 
 Fudsi-Jamma, a mountain of Japan 7 
 
 Funchal 82,84 
 
 Funeral, American, at Hakodadi 475 
 
 of amarine, Japan 353 
 
 Fusi the Great, a mountain, Japan 231,232 
 
 Mount, Japan 271 
 
 Fusi-Yama, bay of Jedo, summit of 326 
 
 Gale experienced by the expedition on entering Yedo 325 
 
 Garden seeds distributed to settlers, Bonin islands 211 
 
 Geological features of Lew Chew 311 
 
 formation of the Bonin islands 202 
 
 Geology of Lew Chew, Rev. Mr. Jones's report on 184 
 
 of Peel island 209 
 
 Gingerbread, tough, Shui, LewChew 190 
 
 Giumarafcs, governor of the Portuguese navy, Hong 
 
 Kong 300 
 
 Page. 
 
 Glass, manufacture of, by the Japanese 51 
 
 Glasson, Lieutenant, at Kapha. 492 
 
 Glynn, commander, enforces release of American 
 
 seamen in Japan 48 
 
 urges intercourse with Japan . 77 
 
 discoveryofOho-Simain 1846 324 
 
 Gneiss, Lew Chew 175 
 
 Goats, wild, number of, on Stapleton island, 
 
 Bonins 211 
 
 Goble, Mr., his interest in "Sam Patch". 486 
 
 Goebrokcn Eilandtr 230 
 
 Gohei, an ornament of the Japanese temples 19 
 
 Gokai, or "five laws' ' of Buddism 21 
 
 Goku-zhen-zhi, a monastery, Simoda 411 
 
 Gold abundant in Japan GO 
 
 Golownin, Captain, his account of Japan 7 
 
 his visit to Japan 47 
 
 gays scurvy is prevalent in Ye.sso 454 
 
 Gomara indistinctly seen 87 
 
 Gordon, Captain, of the British navy, visits Japan 
 
 in 1818 44 
 
 Gori-Hama, village of, Japan 253 
 
 Government of Japan 15 
 
 Gozeman, a book-keeper of the Dutch factory, car- 
 ried off by the English 40 
 
 released 41 
 
 Grades, classification of the Lew Chewans into four 219 
 
 of Lew Chewan population 226 
 
 Granaries, Lew Chew 314 
 
 Grand Port, Mauritius Ill 
 
 sea flight at 105 
 
 Granite, Lew Chew 178 
 
 Gniss-cloth robes worn by dignitaries at Kapha.. 216 
 
 jackets, Lew Chew 184 
 
 Grasses, Peel island 210 
 
 Grave yards, Simoda. 407 
 
 Hakodadi 444 
 
 Green, Dr., account of mineral water, Hakodadi.. 447 
 
 Green turtle, Bonin islands 202 
 
 Guerin, N. , chart of Japanese seas 489 
 
 Guest, Lieutenant, his course with the Chinese 
 
 vessel of war the Sir H. Compton 505 
 
 G uilds of porters. Canton 292 
 
 of beggars 292 
 
 Gulf Stream, analogy with the Kuro-siwo 428 
 
 Gutzlaff, remark of Siebold on 72 
 
 Hachiman, a Sintoo deified hero 409 
 
 Sintoo temple, Hakodadi 445 
 
 Hail Columbia, at Shui, Lew Chew 190 
 
 Hair, Lew Chew, mode of wearing the 223 
 
 pin, LewChcw 225 
 
 Hakodadi, opened to trade by the United States.. 69, 365 
 governor of, reply to Messrs. Reed and 
 
 Dougherty 391 
 
 harbor of 431 
 
 survey of 434 
 
 negotiations respecting the reception of 
 
 the expedition at 435 
 
 products of 435
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Pace 
 
 Uakodndi, environs of 436 
 
 stone quarries, resemblance to Gibraltar 437 
 
 streets quiet and cleanly 4.'i7 
 
 buildings, roofs, precaution against fire, 
 
 fire-engines 438 
 
 walls, sliding partitions, shops 439 
 
 fire-engines (... 438 
 
 internal decorations of houses, furni- 
 ture, stools, tables, cooking-appara- 
 tus, tea and tea-cups, fuel 440 
 
 kitchens, stoves, out-ho\ises, gjiidens, 
 
 lire-proof warehouses 441 
 
 shops, commodities, signs, shopmen, 
 
 fixed prices, Buddhist temples 442 
 
 grave j'ard, epitaphs, prayer wheel 444 
 
 Sintoo temples, roadside shrines 445 
 
 defences ot 446 
 
 environs, observatory, telescope 447 
 
 geology of. mineral spring, cave 447 
 
 vegetables, trees, trade, junks 44S 
 
 birds, animals, a depot for whalers 451 
 
 t cattle, horses, roads, sedans, mountains, 
 
 climate, fogs 452 
 
 temperature, healthy climate 453 
 
 ship yards 457 
 
 Ha-koo-shoo, pe.isants, Lew Chew 226 
 
 Hall, Captain Basil, occupies a house at Lew Cliew 158 
 
 erroneous statements of 160 
 
 erroneous description of the 
 
 Ix!w Chew.ins 220 
 
 remark on the Lew Chewans 
 
 to Napoleon l>onap,irte 318 
 
 his remark on his account of 
 
 Lew Chew 318 
 
 Hampton, Mr., taken sick during the exploration 
 
 of Peel island 206 
 
 Hansiro, a Japanese convert to Christianity 24 
 
 Hara-kiri, or discmbowelment 215 
 
 Harmattau, a wind pa.-ising over Africa 89 
 
 its alleged effects 89 
 
 H:irris, Purser, his MS. journal iv 
 
 Hatchce-matchee, or red cap. Lew Chew 189, 216 
 
 Hayashi-daijaku-no-kami, prince of Daijaku, Ja- 
 
 p.in 335 
 
 letter of to Com. Perry. 337 
 
 Japanese commissioner. 347 
 distribution of Japanese 
 
 presents by. 368 
 
 at the dinner given by 
 
 Commodore I'crry 375 
 
 enjoys negro minstrelsy 376 
 
 Haze noticed at sea — 89 
 
 Hed-do, harbor of, Japan 511 
 
 Heine, Mr., arti.st of the expedition 149 
 
 sketches Pino 165 
 
 Heraldic devices of the Japanese Emperor and com- 
 missioners 318 
 
 Hiilc-yosi, or I'ide-yosi, his history 12 
 
 Higher classes in China 295 
 
 GO J 
 
 Hindoo idolatry in Lew Chew 314 
 
 Hirakana, Japanese 224 
 
 Hog lane, Canton l.tG 
 
 Honesty, a conventional virtue with the Chinese. 2fl.") 
 
 Hongo, near Simoda 412 
 
 Hongs, at Canton 136 
 
 Hong Kong 133 
 
 Horsburgh, remark on the action of the barometer 
 
 in the Indian ocean 104 
 
 s.iiling directions 124 
 
 remark on tides in the tropics 132 
 
 mention of Sillibaboo island. 503 
 
 Horse, the points of a, Japanese drawings of 459 
 
 Horses, humane treatment of, at Singapore 130 
 
 of Lew Chew 158 
 
 Lew Chew _ 192 
 
 Japanese 254 
 
 Horticulture of the .lupauese .... 53 
 
 Hospitality at Englisli colonial settlements to' 
 
 United States oflicers - 110 
 
 of foreign merchants in the East 139 
 
 Host, incident of disrespect to the at Macao 4 301 
 
 Hot water drunk in Lew Chew . 179 
 
 House at Lew Chew refused to the expedition 159 
 
 House court yards, Simoda 404 
 
 Houses, construction of, Uraga. 240 
 
 at Simoda ; 404 
 
 interior arrangements of, Simoda. 405 
 
 number of, Simoda 405 
 
 uniformity of, in Japan 456 
 
 Howland & ^Vspinwall. acknowledgment of their 
 
 services by Commodore I'erry 114 
 
 Hue, JI., account of the Portuguese settlement at 
 
 Macao ^ 140 
 
 travels in China 296 
 
 description of a praying machine 444 
 
 Humboldt, B;iion. remark on Teneriffe 88 
 
 Hurricanes at Mauritius. 105, 112 
 
 Huts of natives, Lew Chew 167 
 
 Hydrographic survey of the harbor of Lew Chew . . 161 
 
 report on the bay of Uraga 239 
 
 Ichirazichi, court intei-preter, Lew Chew 192. 216, 281 
 
 Ido-Iwami-no-kami, (Prince of Iwami,) Japanese 
 
 commissioner 255 
 
 Ido, prince of Tsusima, Japanese commissioner 347 
 
 Idsu or Negatsu cape, Japan . 230 
 
 Ingenuity of the Japanese 55 
 
 Inodzu-gama, the ri ver Japan 412 
 
 Inquisition at Macoa. 299 
 
 Internal trade of the Japanese 63 
 
 Interpreter, court. Lew Chew 192 
 
 Iron in Japan 60 
 
 Irrigation, I/?w Chew 220,311 
 
 Ischiraschi, bridge of. Lew ( 'hew 2sl 
 
 Isliee, or Lingam, Lew Chow 173 
 
 Isitza, Lew Chew 175 
 
 Isoniura, Jji|>an 429 
 
 Itrhalioo, a .Japanese coin 436 
 
 lyeyas, his history J2
 
 522 
 
 INDEX, 
 
 rage. 
 
 lycyas, his letter to tlio Kiiifc of England 35 
 
 Jamestown, St. Helena !t2 
 
 nnchorage at 95 
 
 Jamicson, commander of the English ship Bom- 
 bay . 603 
 
 Japan, derivation of the name -- 6 
 
 its extent - 7 
 
 divisions 7 
 
 olijeets of curiosity relative to 3 
 
 writers on - 4 
 
 physical aspect of - 7 
 
 rivers of 7 
 
 roads 8 
 
 hridges 8 
 
 canals 8 
 
 climate 8 
 
 colonized by the Chinese -. 8 
 
 duplicate sovereignty of 11 
 
 its political subdivisions 15 
 
 its Council of State 15 
 
 its governor of the Empire 15 
 
 introduction of Christianity into 22 
 
 visited by Pinto - 22 
 
 Portuguese intercourse with 24 
 
 missions 24 
 
 letter of Emperor of, to the King of Eng- 
 land 35 
 
 progress of industrial arts in, as workers in 
 
 metal work 50 
 
 silver, copper, quicksilver, lead, tin, iron, 
 coal, sulphur, precious stones, pearls, 
 
 found in BO 
 
 Russian expedition to, in 1853 62 
 
 Admiral Sterling concludes a treaty with.. 63 
 treaty between and other nations, pioposed 
 
 by the Dutch 65 
 
 sui)posed laws regulating etiquette on the 
 
 death of an emperor 323 
 
 an American sailor captive in 340 
 
 coal abundant in 341 
 
 polygamy unluiown in 397 
 
 Japanese people, origin of 8 
 
 language not understood by the Chinese. 8 
 
 alphabet or syllabarium 9 
 
 dialects 9 
 
 construction of language 9 
 
 pronunciation 9 
 
 Kcempfcr's theory of their origin . 9 
 
 language, its analogies with otlier lan- 
 guages 10 
 
 color of the 10 
 
 of rank resemble Europeans in color 10 
 
 resemblance to the Tartar family 10 
 
 their claims to antiquity as a nation 11 
 
 hereditary rank among the 13 
 
 priests, rank of ; merchants ; peasantry ; 
 
 leather manufacturers ; executioners-. 14 
 government secretaries ; official espionage 
 
 among the 15 
 
 rngu. 
 Japanese, disemhowelment ; reason of their un- 
 changeable customs ; interdiction of in- 
 tercourse with Europeans ; falsehood 
 among offi( ials a result of their system ; 
 not common to the people in general.. 17 
 
 severity of their laws ; mode of trial ; 
 
 cage; prisons 18 
 
 religion, known as Sintoo ; diflficulty of 
 
 obtaining information respecting 19 
 
 liberal in their religious views ; number 
 of sects among ; refusal to banish Jes- 
 uits and monks 21 
 
 proclamation expelling the Portuguese .. 26 
 
 their reception of the Dutch 28 
 
 extirpate the native Christians 31 
 
 officials dealing with the Dutch required 
 
 to trample on the cross 33 
 
 intercourse with the English ; license to 
 
 East India Company 34 
 
 intercourse with Russia 44 
 
 refuse to take back their sailors ship- 
 wrecked on the Eussian coast 45 
 
 decline the overtures of Kesanoff 46 
 
 officials, conversation with the leaders of 
 the English expedition to that country 
 
 in 1673. 37 
 
 refuse intercourse with the English 39 
 
 imprison Golownin ; intercourse with the 
 United States ; refuse to take back their 
 sailors shipwrecked on the United States 
 
 coast 47 
 
 treatment of the ships Morrison, Vin- 
 cennes, and Preble ; refuse trade with 
 any nation but Holland ; imprison Uni- 
 ted States seamen 48 
 
 tabular view of the attempts at inter- 
 course with the 49 
 
 their skill in lacquered wood-work and 
 
 carving 50 
 
 manufacture of glass, porcelain, paper- 
 woven fabrics, and leather ; shoes of 
 
 straw 51 
 
 agriculture; livestock 52 
 
 horticulture ; dwarfed trees 63 
 
 marine navigation ; vessels ; compass 53 
 
 their scientitic knowledge ; clock 54 
 
 ingenuity; mermaids 65 
 
 knowledge of medicine ; post mortem exam- 
 ination not permitted 66 
 
 medical works 56 
 
 Dozia 67 
 
 their astronomical knowledge 67 
 
 similar to that of the Muiscas, of Bogota.. 68 
 
 colleges; schools.. 68 
 
 books, music, drawing, painting, wood- 
 engraving, bas-reliefs, architecture ; sy- 
 
 akfdo, or enamel 59 
 
 cedars 61 
 
 camphor tree 61
 
 INDEX, 
 
 523 
 
 .lapanpse, conduct to lie oliscrved towards the, by 
 
 the expedition 150 
 
 embassy at Lew Cliew. 153 
 
 junks 153 
 
 official, Lew Chew conversation with 158 
 
 possess fire-arms ; spies IfiO 
 
 guide, LewChew Ifi2 
 
 cultivation. Lew Chew I(i5 
 
 discovery of the Bonin islands lil" 
 
 account of the Konin islands 198 
 
 junk driven into Port Lloyd ; wrecked on 
 Stapk'ton island ; survivors taken off 
 by a French ship ; wrecli seen* by ofti- 
 
 cers of the Susquehanna 199 
 
 garrison at Napha, Lew Chew ; domesti- 
 cated at Lew Cliew ; officials, conjec- 
 tured at ; inform Commodore Perry tliat 
 
 they claim jurisdiction over Lew Cliew 222 
 expedition makes the first full exploration 
 of the coast of the northern Lew Cliew 
 
 islands 230 
 
 at Yedo, admiration of the Susquehanna 
 
 by the.. 231 
 
 coasting vessels, bay of Tedo 232 
 
 gtiard-boats 233 
 
 crews 233,243 
 
 oars 233,243 
 
 flag. 233 
 
 forts 237,239 
 
 uniform 237 
 
 artists 237 
 
 diplomacy 238 
 
 soldiers, TTraga 239 
 
 defences, Uraga. .- 239,240 
 
 junks, Uraga 241 
 
 attempt to interrupt the survey of the 
 
 bay of Uraga 241 
 
 officials, courteous deportment of 247,249 
 
 fond of whiskey and brandy 248 
 
 their geographical knowledge 248 
 
 officials, their inspection of the Susque- 
 hanna 248 
 
 swords 248 
 
 internal trade, activity of. 249 
 
 official etiquette 251 
 
 preparations for the reception of the let- 
 ter of the President of the U. States.. 251 
 
 standards ; official uniform 252 
 
 stTcens of painted cloth 252 
 
 oarsmen, dexterity of.. 254 
 
 army, appearance of the ; horses 254 
 
 cannon; imiform 255 
 
 concession of the, in the reception of the 
 
 letter of the President at Uraga 263 
 
 friendly intercourse with Americans of 
 the squadron ; intercourse with, forbid- 
 den by Japanese officials ; officials carry 
 away remnants of a collation in their 
 
 sleeves 2C7 
 
 Page. 
 Japanese lacquered ware ; silks; fans; pipes 2tiK 
 
 curiosity respecting steam-vessels -- 271 
 
 comparison of the, with the Lew Chcw- 
 
 ans 314 
 
 black beards of the ; vocab\dary com- 
 pared with that of Lew Chew ; har- 
 bors, provision for securing vessels ; 
 charts, slight value of ; mode of navi- 
 gation 32fi 
 
 courtesy and scrupulous honesty, in- 
 stance of; offers of assistance to the 
 Macedonian ; officials prevented from 
 boarding the American ships 327 
 
 officials received by Captain Adams 328 
 
 officials change the place of delivery of 
 
 the Emperor's letter 329 
 
 commissioners endeavor to prevent a sur- 
 vey of the bay of Yedo 330 
 
 officials, frequent visits of the ; return 
 naval buttons ; urge removal of the 
 American squadron to Uraga ; offer 
 supplies as presents 331 
 
 etiq)iette respecting presents ; officials re- 
 fuse to receive Commo<lore Perry, ex- 
 cept at Kama-kunior Uraga 332 
 
 officials treat invitation to " bring their 
 ladies with them" to the celebration 
 of Washington's birth-day as a joke 333 
 
 boats steady in a rough sea ; curiosity re- 
 specting the Americans ; present rem- 
 nants of feasts to their guests 336 
 
 intercourse with Americans 340 
 
 crew rescued by an American merchant- 
 man 340 
 
 ambassadors, creden tials of 341 
 
 winter ; boatmen, rugged health of 342 
 
 batteries, bay of Yedo 343 
 
 commissioners, arrival of, at Yoku-hama. 345 
 
 their personal appearance 346 
 
 deference to rank ; heraldic devices ; 
 
 mode of obeisance ; interpreter 348 
 
 reply to the letter of the President of the 
 
 United States.. 349 
 
 drinking custom -. 353 
 
 respect for the dead 355 
 
 interest in the American railroad and tel- 
 egraph 357 
 
 curiosity respecting American dress ; taste 
 for pictures ; taste for sketching ; inter- 
 course with the American scjuadron ; 
 taking noti^s- 358 
 
 non-communicative ; common people 
 more disposed than the officials to 
 intercoursi' with the Americans ; imi- 
 tative like the Chinese 359 
 
 commissioners, note of the, to Commo- 
 dore Perry 3C1 
 
 report of conference rrlalivc to the treaty 
 
 with the United SUtes 365
 
 524 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Japanese neatness 368 
 
 wrestlure oGO 
 
 interest in the Amcricnn railroad and tel- 
 egrapli ; presents to the United States 
 
 placed in the store-Bliij) Supply 372 
 
 use of paper ; officials, conviviality of, at 
 
 the dinner given hy Commodore Perry. 375 
 OilScials carry away fragments of a feast ; 
 officials' appreciation of negro min- 
 strelsy 37G 
 
 entertainment in honor of the treaty ; 
 
 dinners unsubstantial 380 
 
 commissioners, notes of their conferences 
 
 with Commodore Perry 383 
 
 unlike the Chinese 385 
 
 qualifications of the treaty 386 
 
 jealousy of foreigners 386 
 
 treaty with Russia 387 
 
 treaty with Englaml 387, 388 
 
 treaty with the Dutch 389 
 
 curiosity respecting American women ; 
 treatment of Americ-ans and Russians at 
 
 Simoda 390 
 
 proclamation to the Americans at Si- 
 moda - 391 
 
 tooth dye ; women 395 
 
 women rouge their lips 395 
 
 women work in the fields ; dress ; baby ; 
 common jjcoplo ; courtesy of the com- 
 mon people.. 396 
 
 women good looking 397 
 
 women, social position of.. 397 
 
 policy towards the expedition 398 
 
 stone dressing, Ixiat liuilding yards 400 
 
 buildings uniiuintcd.- 410 
 
 inclined to intercourse witli the members 
 of the expedition, restrained by their 
 
 officials - 418 
 
 scholars, t»vo, request to sail with the ex. 
 
 pedition 420 
 
 confmed in a cage 422 
 
 official inspection of a corpse 425 
 
 officials' insult to American officers 425 
 
 apology for 426 
 
 boat, Hakodadi. 433 
 
 vessels. Commodore Perry's account of. . 448 
 
 navigation. 449 
 
 boats, sculling, ro>ving, ship models, tools, 
 
 war junks, fisheries 450 
 
 ideas of the fox, of demoniacal influence. 451 
 
 cabinets d'aisance, public ; cattle, horses, 
 
 roads, sedans 452 
 
 drainage 453 
 
 dexterity in the mcchanicAl arts, curi- 
 osity respecting, neat workmanship 455 
 
 houses, carpentry, masonry, stone cut- 
 ting, coopers' barrels, steel, swords, 
 cutlery, razors, blacksmiths' bel- 
 lows 45,S 
 
 Page. 
 Japanese cotton fabrics, silks, lacquered ware, por- 
 celain 458 
 
 art 459 
 
 spoctacles, drawings 4C2 
 
 drawings of steam-engine. 462 
 
 screen painter 462 
 
 primer 462 
 
 sculpture 463 
 
 architecture, books, knowledge of Euro- 
 pean periodicals 463 
 
 of America 464 
 
 curiosity 464 
 
 chess civrds 465 
 
 game of Loto 466 
 
 official uniform 469 
 
 respect to the dead 469 
 
 officials, their interest in the armament 
 
 of the expedition 471 
 
 embassy respecting bovnularies at Hako- 
 dadi, official commimication 473 
 
 respect for the dead. 476 
 
 cmrencies, exchange of. 478 
 
 commission, Simoda 477 
 
 knowledge of European afl'airs 478 
 
 coal -- - 481 
 
 mining 483 
 
 pretend to be ignorant of coal 483 
 
 prices, accounts 484 
 
 dogs sent to the President of the United 
 
 States -- 485 
 
 in the United States 486,497 
 
 capital punishments 487 
 
 treaty with Russia ; shipwrecked sejimen ; 
 
 energy 511 
 
 friendliness to Americans ; anxious for 
 trade ; for English books ; send away 
 
 religous tracts 512 
 
 technicalities respecting ratifications 513 
 
 (See Ilakodddi and Simuda.) 
 Jesuits endeavor to destroy the Dutch visitors to 
 
 Japan 28 
 
 Jewels in Japan GO 
 
 Johnson, Charles, visits the Bonin islands. 200 
 
 an early settler of the Bonin 
 
 islands 305 
 
 Jones, Lieut., report of volcanic phenomena at sea. 501 
 
 Jones, Rev. Mr., his MS. journal iv 
 
 observations of the zodiacal lights. . 91 
 
 zodiacal observations 132 
 
 sketches a plan of the fortress of 
 
 Nagaguska 170 
 
 report on geology of Lew Chew 184 
 
 conducts an exploration of the in- 
 terior of Lew Chew 311 
 
 reads the burial service in Japan.. 354 
 views on the introduction of Chris- 
 tianity into Japan 446 
 
 observations on Japanese paint- 
 ings 462
 
 INDEX 
 
 52l 
 
 Pngc. 
 Jones, Rev. Mr., applies for directions respecting 
 
 funeral services 475 
 
 conversation with Japanese on 
 
 prayer 476 
 
 exploration for coal at Formosa . 600 
 Journal kept by the peclilng of the exploration of 
 
 Lew Chew 17fi 
 
 Journals, MS. , of the expedition iii 
 
 officers of the expedition invited by 
 
 Commodore Perry to prepare 88 
 
 prohibition of the publication of by 
 
 members of the expedition 79, 88 
 
 "Judge," the Peel island. . 205 
 
 Junf;le-weod, Peel island 210 
 
 Junks, Japanese -- 153,231,241 
 
 large number of in the bay of Vraga 248 
 
 Ka-ei^silsi-neu, letter of 341 
 
 Koempfer 7 
 
 a writer on Japan 4 
 
 his theory of the derivation of the Japan- 
 ese 9 
 
 remark on profits of Portuguese commerce 
 
 with Japan 25 
 
 agency of the Dutch against Japanese 
 
 Christians 31,32 
 
 concessions of the Dutch in religious ob- 
 servances 32 
 
 remark on the population of Japan 53 
 
 account of Japanese minerals . 60 
 
 account of the Bonin islands .- 197 
 
 account of Japanese vessels 448 
 
 on Japanese crucifixion 487 
 
 Ka-goo, or Lew Chew chair 172, 181, 310, 452 
 
 Kakekigo, a general, storj' of 20 
 
 Kaki-zaki, Simoda - 411 
 
 Kama-kura, Japan 329 
 
 Kami, divinitiesof 19 
 
 Kami-musi, or priests of the temple 20 
 
 origin of 20 
 
 Kanagawa, bay of Ycdo 267,343,344 
 
 Kanaka inhabitants of the Bonin islands - 204 
 
 Kangsayu, Matsmai, interview with Commodore 
 
 Perry 467 
 
 Kan-to-sits, chronicles, accinacy of the 281 
 
 Kelly, Lieutenant, harbor-ma.ster of Port I»uis 106 
 
 Kelly, Commander, of the Plymouth, forces the Sir 
 H. Compton to salute the American flag ; attacks 
 
 Chinese intrenchments at Shanghai 506 
 
 Kelimg, Formosa 498 
 
 survey of the harbor - 499,501 
 
 mandarin of 499 
 
 Kcppcl, Captain, British navy, rescue of an Eng- 
 lishman from justice at Macao - 301 
 
 Kcttal-trce of Ceylon.. 118 
 
 Kikai-sima, or Bungalow island, survey of 4^9 
 
 Kindaka, Ix;w Chew 283 
 
 King, C. W., account of the visit of the " Morri- 
 son" to .Japan -- 47 
 
 King, Cajie. near the Gulf of Yedo-. 427 
 
 Page. 
 Kings of the central, southcm, and northern hills, 
 
 Lt^w Chew 221 
 
 Kingfisher descrilied 149 
 
 Kiu-siu, an island of Japan 7 
 
 color of the inhabitants of the coast of.. 10 
 Kiycmon, a Japanese fisherman, raises a simken 
 
 vessel 55 
 
 Klaproth, comparison of the Jai>anese witli other 
 
 languages 10 
 
 translation of a Japanese account of the 
 
 Bonin islands 198 
 
 account of the sovereignty of Lew Chew 221 
 Kockebecker, a Dutch director, aids the Japanese 
 
 against tliu native Christians 31 
 
 Komaga-daki, near Hakodadi. 431 
 
 Konazaki, bay of Yedo 267 
 
 Kono-zlii, a Buddhist temple, Hakodadi 443 
 
 Koyanagi, a Japanese wrestler 370 
 
 Koye, the Chinese dialect of Japan 9 
 
 Kuan-tong 137 
 
 Kung-K was, n.^ schools in the 223 
 
 Kura-kawa-kahie, a Japanese official 328, 349 
 
 visits the American squadron .. 355 
 
 frequent visits to the expedition 359 
 
 Kurilcs, hairy 454 
 
 Kurosiiki, cape 429 
 
 Kuro-siwo, a current, Lieut. Bent's report on 427 
 
 Laboring classes of China 295 
 
 Laboring class. Lew Chew 219 
 
 Lacquered ware, Japanese 50, 268,367,458 
 
 Liimpayao, Portuguese merchants of, settle Macao. 140 
 
 Land, tenure of, Lew Chew 311 
 
 held by the government. Lew Chew 220 
 
 Land crabs. Peel island 205 
 
 Limguage of Lew Chew 224 
 
 Latham, Dr., remark on the origin of the Japanese 10 
 
 Laxnian, a Itussian officer, his visit to Japan 45 
 
 Lead in Japan 60 
 
 Leather manufacturers, treatment of, in Japan 14 
 
 Lennox, Lieut., of the garrison at Point de Gallc, 
 
 his elephant hunt ing 118 
 
 Letter of credence of the Emperor of Japim to 
 
 Toda, Prince of Idzu 2J0 
 
 of the President of the I'nited States 254 
 
 delivery of, to the Japanese commis- 
 sioners 25G 
 
 Lew Chew islands, Com. Perry proposes the occu- 
 pation of the ports of tho 85 
 
 acceded to by the United States 87 
 
 visit to 151 
 
 officers startled by report of cannon 155 
 
 explomtion of . 158 
 
 view from the summit ridgo of the isl- 
 and 167 
 
 exploration of, by a gentleman atUicheU 
 
 to tlie Saratoga 218 
 
 origin of the population of. 220 
 
 Boveriignty of 221 
 
 their statement of 222
 
 526 
 
 INDEX 
 
 rage. 
 Lew Chew, Japanese garrison at, trade confined to 
 
 Japan 222 
 
 pay tribute to China 223 
 
 invitation of the Chinese in 223 
 
 autlioritics endeavor to drive Dr. Bet- 
 
 tellieini from the island 225 
 
 naval mission 225 
 
 afcrit'ultural products, live stock, and 
 
 firtility of - - - 227 
 
 condition of the laboring classes in 227 
 
 a portion of the coast unvisitcd 229 
 
 its northern islands first fully explored 
 
 by the Japanese expedition -. 230 
 
 regent of, letter to Commodore Perry.. 277 
 
 Commodore Perry's fourth visit to 309 
 
 explorations of the inteiior of - 311 
 
 its soil, climate, temperature, salubrity, 
 tenure of land, agriculture, irriga- 
 tion. 311 
 
 products 312 
 
 sugar mills 313 
 
 granaries, rats, population, origin, com. 
 
 parisonwith the Japanese - 311 
 
 vocabulary compared with that of Japan 315 
 commerce of, Sakee, fine arts, arehitec. 
 
 ture, dwellings 317 
 
 furniture, food, amusements, football, 
 
 unarmed, government 318 
 
 youth of, sent to China for education.. 319 
 espionage, literati, religion. Bonzes, bu- 
 rial customs, fabrics 319 
 
 spies 320 
 
 contemplated "surveillance" of, by the 
 
 American expedition 321 
 
 islands, northern group of.. 324 
 
 Japanese control over 364 
 
 trial at 493,494 
 
 New Year compliments 494 
 
 treaty with the United States 495 
 
 Lew Chewan, a, desires to join the American squad- 
 ron 497 
 
 Lew Chewans induced to accept pay for provisions 194 
 inexpert in the use of knives and 
 
 forks 217 
 
 appreciation of a European dinner.. 217 
 
 social grades among 219 
 
 terror of spies 219 
 
 their personal appearance 223 
 
 black beards of the 315 
 
 good figures, courtesy, learning, com- 
 merce 316 
 
 Licentiousness of Japanese towns 398 
 
 of Japanese 405 
 
 Licou Kieou, or Lew Chew 151 
 
 Light-house Board of the United States, remark on 106 
 
 Lignite, Lew Chew 173 
 
 Lingam, Lew Chew 173 
 
 Literary men, Lew Chew 219 
 
 Literati of Lew Chew wear gold and silver hair pins 226 
 
 Page. 
 
 Literature in Japan 58 
 
 Live stock in Japan 52 
 
 Ijodgers, arrangements respecting, Simoda 405 
 
 Leather, manufacture and use of by the Japanese. 51 
 Lee, Commander, services to the Macedonian 
 
 aground in the bay of Yedo 326 
 
 Left hand, the Japjinese place of honor 335 
 
 Leite, Lieutenant, attack on, at Macao. 302 
 
 Lemons, Peel island 20C 
 
 Longwood, St. Helena, visited 92 
 
 Loo rock, anchorage at the 82 
 
 Loom, Lew Chew 173,219 
 
 Lorchas, Macao, Portuguese boats 299 
 
 Loreiro, Captain, of the Portuguese navj-. Hong 
 
 Kong 300 
 
 Loto, Japanese game of 466 
 
 Lutkc, Captain, of Russian navy, takes possession 
 
 of the Bonin islands 200 
 
 MacFarlane, remark on Japanese deception 18 
 
 on the Sintoo worship 19 
 
 McLaue, R. M., United States commissioner to 
 
 China 306,307 
 
 McLcod, Captain, of the Alceste, inaccurate account 
 
 of the Lew Chewans 221 
 
 Macao, visit to 140 
 
 salubrity of 289 
 
 population of. 297 
 
 Macarenhas discovers Mauritius 106 
 
 Macedonian, the. run aground in the bay of Tedo. 326 
 
 Machinatoo, Lew Chew 184 
 
 Madeira, coast of 81 
 
 Mahommedans in Ceylon 120 
 
 Mail routes from England and the United States to 
 
 China, letter of Commodore Perry on.. 212 
 
 Malabars of Ceylon 120 
 
 Malacca 126 
 
 straits of, passage through 122 
 
 Malaria, burning wood a defence against 289 
 
 Malay race, extent of 131 
 
 Mamasaki, Prince of, receives the American pres- 
 ents to tlie Japanese 372 
 
 Man milliner, China, much esteemed by American 
 
 residents. 292 
 
 Mandarin, Japanese, enjoying a railroad ride 358 
 
 dialect understood by tlie educated 
 
 classes in Japan 8 
 
 Mangustecn, fruit of tlie, Singapore 130 
 
 March, J. H. , his hospitiility 83 
 
 Marco Polo, his account of Lipangu 4 
 
 account of - 5 
 
 visits Ceylon - 116 
 
 Marine volcano near Formosa 500 
 
 " Mariners' Temple," Simoda 410 
 
 Market, Lew Chew 281 
 
 Marquesas, native of the, at Peel island 205 
 
 Marshall, Humphrey, his intercourse with the ex- 
 pedition 148 
 
 JIarshes imknown inLewChew 311 
 
 Mats used as floor-cloths and beds. Lew Chew 218
 
 INDEX. 
 
 527 
 
 Page. 
 
 Uatsmai, a port of Yesso 7 
 
 incident in the liistory of 16 
 
 (liscHssion relative to opening the port of. 36-t, 3G5 
 
 road to 437 
 
 Blatsusaki, Michitaro, Japanese commissioner 347 
 
 his conviviality 375 
 
 friendly in his cups 370 
 
 Mataiimon, Tcndo, governor of Hakodadi. 434 
 
 Matzouri, a religious festival, Simoda 410 
 
 Mauritius, visit to 103 
 
 Maury, M. F., observations on the Gulf Stream .. 428,429 
 
 Maury, Lieut., survey of the bay of Yedo by 330 
 
 Massara, Mattheo, visits the Bonin islands 200 
 
 an early colonist of the Bonin 
 
 islands.- 304,305 
 
 Mcac-Sima, island of 417 
 
 Medical knowledge of the Japanese 56 
 
 Men the drones of Lew Chew 219 
 
 Merchandise, a term not understood In Japan 386 
 
 Merchants, rank of, in Japan _ 14 
 
 Mermaid manufacture in Japan 55 
 
 Metal workers, Hakodadi 456 
 
 Metals found in Japan 50 
 
 wrought by the Japanese. - 50 
 
 Meteor, bay of Uraga 236 
 
 Meylan 4,7 
 
 description of a Japanese clock 54 
 
 on the Japanese religion 19 
 
 speaks of a fourth Japanese religion 22 
 
 Mia, or Siutoo temples, Hakodadi 445 
 
 Simoda 406,409 
 
 Miako, the chief seat of learning in Japan . 58 
 
 Mijako-sima, Lew Chew 325 
 
 ilikados, the founder of the 11 
 
 mode of government 11, 13 
 
 history of the dynasty 11 
 
 MUdtchamp, Richard, visits the Bonin islands 200 
 
 an e;irly colonist of the Bo- 
 nin islands 304 
 
 Mills, Lew Chew - 314 
 
 Mima-saki, prince of, Japanese commissioner 347 
 
 Minerals of Japan 60 
 
 Ming dyna.sty, China 221,222 
 
 Missikya, Lew Chew - 174 
 
 Missionary station, an American colony at Port 
 
 Lloyd would form a desirable 213 
 
 Missionaries at Lew Chew - 225 
 
 in China, their observations 295 
 
 Mississippi, the, her good conduct at sea 81 
 
 Molva, LewChew 168 
 
 Monasteries, Buddhist, Simoda 406 
 
 Money value of foreign coins understood in Lew 
 
 Chew 160 
 
 Monsoons at Ceylon 117 
 
 Montravel, M. de, French commodore at Canton. 300 
 
 Mooring vessels, mode of, at Port Louis, Mauritius 105 
 Moreton, Rev. Mr., succeeds Dr. Bettelheim at 
 
 Lew Chew 498 
 
 Moro, a Portuguese, plots against the Japanese... 26 
 
 Mosquitoes, annoying at Ja.w Chew 167 
 
 Moustache worn in Lew Chew and Japan 315 
 
 Music in Japan 59 
 
 Muster, or Chinese pattern 292 
 
 )Iijako-sima islands. Lew Chew 325 
 
 Nagagusko fortress. Lew Chew 169 
 
 castle at 221 
 
 Nagasaki. 4,7 
 
 first occupied by the Portuguese 30 
 
 Japanese endeavor to restrict American 
 
 commerce to 363 
 
 port regulations of. 389 
 
 Kagazima Saboroske, vice-governor of Uraga 234 
 
 appearance of, in his state 
 
 dress 253 
 
 Napha, Lew Chew 154 
 
 visit to. 156 
 
 mayor of, visits the E.xpedition 155 
 
 the mayor of, invites Commodore Perry to 
 
 a fea.st 187 
 
 return to.. 214,215,274 
 
 new regent of 214 
 
 school at 223 
 
 interview of Commander Adams with the 
 
 mayor of.. 277 
 
 view of - 280 
 
 diflSculties with the inhabitants of 492 
 
 Napoleon at St. Helena 92 
 
 conduct of England to 93 
 
 tomb of 94 
 
 Navigation of the Japanese by sea, inland 53 
 
 of the Chinese coast 144 
 
 of the Japanese close in-shore 449 
 
 Navy of the United States, backward in adopting 
 
 improvements in steam-vessels 105 
 
 Negatsu, or Idsu, cape, Japan 230 
 
 Negro guards of Commodore Perry 255 
 
 New Year congratulatory phrases. Lew Chew 494 
 
 Night signals of the Expedition, picturesque effectof 196 
 
 Nippon, a work on Japan by Sicbold 4 
 
 volcanoes of. 7 
 
 the modem Zipangu 4 
 
 Dai, Japanese name of Japan 6 
 
 an island of Japan 7 
 
 Novaleches, marquis of, governor of the Philippine 
 
 Islands 50 1 
 
 Ny-komnia, Lew Chew 179 
 
 Oars, Japanese management of 243 
 
 Observatory, Japanese 447 
 
 O'Callaghan, Captain, of British navy, attack on 
 
 Chinese intrenchmcnts, Shanghai 506 
 
 Officers of state, Lew Chew . 219 
 
 of the expedition requested to keep jour- 
 nals 88 
 
 Oho-sima 229, 231, 271, 825, 416, 427 
 
 discovery of . 324 
 
 Commodore Perry's visit to 419 
 
 visit to 490 
 
 Oki-nawa-sima, or Great Lew Chew 325
 
 ''.o 
 
 28 
 
 INDEX, 
 
 ragi-. 
 
 Olftson island, Eudcrmo harbor. 46!) 
 
 Oo-ban?, public slaves, Lew Chew - 226 
 
 Opium e.itor, deatli of a Chinese - 195 
 
 Orsa, a Japanese village 268 
 
 Osaca, Japan, destruction of, by an earthquake — 510 
 
 Otahcitan at Peel island 205 
 
 Otsu, village of. Bay of Yedo 328 
 
 Overfalls, Simoda harbor 415 
 
 Owari, the prince of, his histoi-y. - 12 
 
 Oxen used in drawing carriages in Funchal 84 
 
 teams of at the Cape of Good Hope 100 
 
 Oysters, presented by the Japanese to Com. Perry. 3,52 
 
 Pacific mail routes 212 
 
 Palace, Shui, Lew Chew 190 
 
 Pallisadcs in front of Yedo 398 
 
 Palma latina, Peel island 206 
 
 Palmer, A.aron IT., an early advocate for au expe- 
 dition to Japan 77 
 
 Palms, Peel island 210 
 
 Palmyra palm in Ceylon - 117 
 
 Panama, isthmus of, intcroccanic communication 
 
 at the, known to the Japanese 218 
 
 Pandanus, Peel island 206 
 
 Lew Chew 174, 176 
 
 Paper, manufivcture of, by the Japanese 51 
 
 burnt by the Lew Chewans 186 
 
 Paps, the mountains on the Ikinin islands 209 
 
 Parasitic plants, thick growth of. Peel island 204 
 
 Parker, Dr., Canton 292 
 
 Patriarchal authority the basis of the government 
 
 of Lew Chew 225 
 
 Paul and Virginia, foundation of the story of 111 
 
 Pavement, Lew Chew — 185 
 
 Payment made for supplies, Lew Chew 194 
 
 Peacock, visit of the, to Siam — 121 
 
 Pearl fishery of Ceylon — 118 
 
 Pearls found in Japan 61 
 
 Peasantry of Lew Chew . — •. 19.*! 
 
 rank of, in Japan 14 
 
 Pe-ching, or Lew Chew guide 166 
 
 the, escort of Cora. Perry 189 
 
 or guide, Lew Chew, keeps a journal 177 
 
 presents to the 194 
 
 Peel island 196 
 
 European settlers at 203 
 
 colony of, Bonins 283 
 
 Pellew, Capt. , Japanese remarks on 384 
 
 visit to Japan 487 
 
 Perry, Com. M. C, wishes in regard to this pulili- 
 
 cation, his MS. journals iii 
 
 his revision of the narrative . i v 
 
 attestation v 
 
 declines admitting Russian ships in 
 
 the American squadron 62 
 
 avoided interconrse with the Dutch 
 
 in Japan 67,69 
 
 declines giving Sicbold a place in the 
 
 expedition 70 
 
 never saw Sicbold's letter of adncc. 73 
 
 Page 
 Perry, Com., expresses the wish to the Japanese 
 commissioners that other nations 
 should share in the benefits of the 
 
 treaty 74 
 
 first to formally propose an expedi- 
 tion to Japan 77 
 
 aids in the adjustment of the fishery 
 
 question 78 
 
 declines applications from at home 
 and abroad for situations m the 
 
 expedition 78 
 
 departure from Annapolis 79 
 
 letter written at 5Iadeira to the Sec- 
 retary of the Navy 85 
 
 his view of the objects of the expe- 
 dition 85 
 
 order forbidding the transmission 
 
 home of journals 88 
 
 requests oiScers to prepare joinnals. 88 
 shows how St. Helena could be at- 
 tacked 95 
 
 economy in the use of coal 97 
 
 visits a Con.stautia vineyard 100 
 
 remark on treatment of savage abo- 
 rigines 101 
 
 visits a captive chief at the Cape of 
 
 Good Hope 102 
 
 opinion as to the best course from 
 
 the Cape to Mauritius 104 
 
 hospitality extended to, at Mauritius 11 
 
 letter of to Phar-Pen-CIow-Chow- 
 
 Yon-Hon, a prince of Siam 121 
 
 endeavors to open communication 
 
 with Siam 122 
 
 visits a Chinese temple at Singapore. 128 
 remark on hospitalities of foreign na- 
 tions, and "table money" 133 
 
 remark on Canton river ; disappoint- 
 ed in the ajipearance of the city.. 135 
 liospitable treatment of at Canton.. 139 
 opinion of Shanghai as a naval depot 144 
 his visit to the Taou-tai of Shangliai 147 
 his views on the revolution in China 148 
 admits Bay'd Taylor in the expedition 152 
 receives a chin-chin at Lew Chew ; 
 visited by Mr. Bettelheim, by 
 
 Whang-cha-ching 153 
 
 directs an exjiloration of Lew-Chew. 154 
 
 receives the mayor of Lew Chew 155 
 
 announces an intention to return the 
 
 visit 156 
 
 directs a sick officer to occupy a house 
 
 at Tum.ii 159 
 
 letter of Shang-ta-mu to 159 
 
 declines invitation of the mayor of 
 Lew Chew ; receives banquet sent 
 
 on board ship 187 
 
 refuses to abandon his visit to Shui. 187 
 
 his progress to Shui 188
 
 INDEX, 
 
 529 
 
 Pnge. I 
 PeiTV, Com., cuiiosilT of the I^w Tbewans to 
 
 witness, with his escort 189 
 
 his interview with the regent of Lew 
 
 Chew - 190 
 
 healths proposed hy, at Shui - 192 
 
 remark on the cleanliness of Lew 
 
 Chew 193 
 
 happy effects of his determination.. 193 
 
 reliance of the Japanese on 193 
 
 remark on acceptance of payment hy 
 
 the Lew Chewans- 194 
 
 sends presents to the queen, regent, 
 
 and other dignitaries of Lew Chew 194 
 
 attends a burial at sea 195 
 
 observations on the anchorage of Port 
 
 Lloyd harboV 202 
 
 leaves live stock on Peel and North 
 
 islands, Bonin island 203 
 
 orders an exploration of Peel island. 204 
 
 orders an exploration of Stapleton 
 
 island, Bonins - 211 
 
 recommends Peel island as a stopping 
 place for steam-vessels between 
 
 California and China. . - 211 
 
 distributes garden-seeds to settlers, 
 
 Bonin islands 211 
 
 purchases land for a landing-place 
 
 and coal depot 211 
 
 letter of to the Navy Department, 
 on steam navigation and mail- 
 routes in the Pacific 211 
 
 remark on the commercial importance 
 
 of Shanghai 212 
 
 note on the ad van tagesof establishing 
 
 a naval station at the Bonin islands. 212 
 
 proposes the establishment of an 
 American colony at Port Lloyd, 
 
 Bonin islands 213 
 
 determines the position of Disap- 
 pointment island 213 
 
 dinner to the new regent of Lew 
 
 Chew on board of the Susquehanna. 215 
 
 presents garden-seeds to the regent 
 
 of Lew Chew 218 
 
 entertains him with the music of the 
 
 band 218 
 
 classifies the Lew Chewans in four 
 
 grades 219 
 
 remarks on the miserj- of the Mex- 
 ican peons, of the lower classes of 
 
 the Lew Chewans 219 
 
 remark on the investigations of Hall, 
 McLeod, Beeehcy, Belcher, and the 
 Japanese expedition, respecting the 
 
 origin of the Lew Chewans 221 
 
 information obtained hy, respecting 
 
 the ownership of Lew Chew 222 
 
 his opinion on the mixed origin of 
 
 the Lew Chewans 223 
 
 67 J 
 
 Page. 
 
 Perry, Com. , leaves Napha for Japan 228 
 
 prepares for action on entering the 
 
 bay of Yedo 231 
 
 forbids the Japanese to visit the 
 
 squadron at Japan 233 
 
 prevents the Japanese from boarding 
 or surrounding the squadron in the 
 
 bay ofUraga. 233,234,235 
 
 bis reception of the deputy governor 
 
 of Uraga 234 
 
 his policy towards the Japanese 235 
 
 remark on a meteor, hay of Uraga. . 235 
 
 reception of Keyamon Tezaimen, 
 
 governor of Uraga 237 
 
 enforces a survey of the bay of Uraga. 238 
 
 refuses to go to Nagasaki. 233 
 
 threatens to land at Yedo 233 
 
 despatches the Mississippi towards 
 
 Yedo 240 
 
 his letter to the Emperor of Japan.. 244 
 
 refuses to communicate with the 
 Japanese through the Dutch or 
 
 Chinese 244 
 
 refuses to go to Nagasaki.. — 244 
 
 stipulations with the governor of 
 Uzama relative to tlie delivery of 
 the letter of the President of the 
 
 United States 244,245 
 
 preparations for the delivery of the 
 letter of the President of the Uni- 
 ted States 251 
 
 delivery of his credentials and the 
 letter of the President to the Ja- 
 panese 254 
 
 letters to the Emperor of Japan 258,259 
 
 letter of credence 258 
 
 announces his departure and return. 261 
 
 orders the squadron up the bay of 
 Uraga, after the reception of the 
 
 letter of the President 263 
 
 insists on his right to take soimdings 
 
 in the bay of Uraga 266 
 
 advances to within ten miles of Yedo. 267 
 
 presents American seeds and cases of 
 
 wine to the governor of Uraga 269 
 
 refuses presents from the Japanese 
 unless they receive presents in re- 
 turn 269 
 
 desirous of protecting American com- 
 merce in China 270 
 
 his reasons for not waiting for a re- 
 ply from the Emperor of Japan 270 
 
 names islands near the coast of Japan. 271 
 
 departure from the bay of Uraga — 271 
 
 concessions obtained by, from the 
 
 Japanese - 272 
 
 orders the Saratoga to Shanghai 272 
 
 «rdcrs the Plymouth to explore the 
 
 shore of Oho-Sima 272
 
 530 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Perry, Com., his policy respecting etiquette, pres- 
 ents 
 
 negotiations at Lew Chew respecting 
 
 intercourse with strangers 
 
 propositions to the authorities of Lew 
 
 Chew - 
 
 letter to the Tsungli-kwan of Lew 
 
 Chew - 
 
 interview with the regent of Kapha, 
 directs survey of Melville harbor — 
 instructions to Com. Kelly respecting 
 
 Lew Chew 
 
 his remarks on the effects of liis inter- 
 course upon the Lew Chewans 
 
 his arrangements for the protection 
 of American commerce in China- - 
 
 takes a house at Macao 
 
 examines foot of a Chinese woman., 
 his opinion of the laboring classes of 
 
 Chma 
 
 fevorable opinion of Chinese hoitesty. 
 
 residence at Macao 
 
 proposes forming a naval station at 
 
 Hong Kong 
 
 his sojourn at Macao 
 
 arrangements for the protection of 
 
 American interests at Japan 
 
 recognition of this service by the 
 American merchants at Canton — 
 
 departure from Hong Kong 
 
 his letter to Sir J. G. Bonham respect- 
 ing the Bonin islands 
 
 letter to the Secretary of the Navy.. 
 
 his second visit to Shui 
 
 endeavors to obtain Japanese coins in 
 
 exchange at Lew Chew 
 
 objects accomplished by him in Lew 
 
 Chew 
 
 receives information of the death of 
 
 the Emperor of Jajjan 
 
 letter respecting the death of the Em- 
 peror of Japan 
 
 suspects the rumor to be a ruse 
 
 course contemplated by him in case 
 of a refusal by the Japanese to ne- 
 gotiate 
 
 objects of his mission to Japan 
 
 return to the bay of Yedo 
 
 directions for the relief of the Mace- 
 donian, aground in the bay of 
 
 Yedo 
 
 refuses to go to Kama-kui-a, or to 
 
 Uraga 
 
 refuses to interrupt the exploration 
 
 of the harbor of Yedo 
 
 letter respecting removal of the squad- 
 ron to Uraga. 
 
 proposes to visit Yedo 
 
 letter to the Japanese authorities 
 
 Page. 
 273 
 275 
 275 
 
 276 
 
 277 
 282 
 
 282 
 
 284 
 
 288 
 288 
 292 
 
 295 
 295 
 297 
 
 299 
 300 
 
 302 
 
 302 
 303 
 
 305 
 307 
 309 
 
 312 
 
 319 
 
 321 
 
 322 
 323 
 
 323 
 323 
 321 
 
 326 
 
 329 
 
 330 
 
 331 
 333 
 333 
 
 Perry, Com. , refuses to go to I'raga 333 
 
 asks for wood and water from the 
 
 Japanese 338 
 
 refuses to go to Uraga, his letter on 
 
 the subject 338 
 
 policy adopted by, in his intercourse 
 
 with the Japanese - 339 
 
 consents to receive the Emperor's let- 
 ter at Yoku-hama . 339 
 
 letter of, to the Japanese commis- 
 sioner - 339 
 
 refuses to allow the men of the expe- 
 dition to land in Japan 340 
 
 causes screens surrounding the ' ' trea- 
 ty-house " to be removed 344 
 
 preparations for the reception of the 
 
 Emperor's letter 345 
 
 his interview with the Japanese com- 
 missioners - 349 
 
 proposes the formation of a treaty to 
 
 the Japanese commissioners 350 
 
 notes by, handed to the Japanese 
 
 commissioners 350 
 
 requests permission for the members 
 of the expedition to land in Ja- 
 pan ■■ 350 
 
 reasons presented to the Japanese in 
 
 favor of a treaty 351 
 
 arrangements for the burial of a ma- 
 rine 353 
 
 proposes to purchase a burial-place 
 
 for Americans in Japan 353 
 
 communication respecting a treaty 
 
 with the Japanese government. . . 356 
 
 meets Japanese commissioners at the 
 
 treaty-house 362 
 
 his replies to the terms proposed for 
 
 the Japanese treaty 362 
 
 discussion of the treaty with the Ja- 
 panese commissioners. 364 
 
 assents to the substitution of Hako- 
 
 dadi for Matsmai 366 
 
 reception of the presents of the Em- 
 peror of Japan 367 
 
 presents to Japanese 368 
 
 presents of the Japanese government 
 
 to 369 
 
 remarks upon Japanese dogs - . 369 
 
 examhies Koyanagi, a Japanese 
 
 wrestler - - 370 
 
 conversation on the treaty with Ye- 
 
 noske. - 372 
 
 claims jirivileges for members of the 
 
 expedition 374 
 
 dinner to the Japanese commission- 
 ers 374 
 
 conference respecting the treaty 376 
 
 signs the treaty between thg United 
 
 States and Japan 377
 
 J N 1) E X . 
 
 531 
 
 r«ge. 
 Beny, Com., proposes the American limits in Ja- 
 panese iferts. 377 
 
 presents Hyashi with an American 
 
 flag 379 
 
 Japanese entertainment to, in honor 
 
 of the treaty. 380 
 
 scope of his instruct ions 381 
 
 tircuhites a Japanese translation of 
 
 the China treaty 382 
 
 novelty of his position 382 
 
 notes of his conferences with the Ja- 
 panese commissioners 383 
 
 refuses to allow communications to 
 pass through the hands of the 
 
 Dutch. 383 
 
 his proposals to the Japanese respect- 
 ing an American consul 383 
 
 j-emark on Japanese jealousy of for- 
 eigners 386 
 
 looks forward to a commercial treaty 
 
 with Japan 387 
 
 does not interpret the treaty as a 
 
 commercial treaty 392 
 
 sends the treaty to the United States. 393 
 
 his walk in the neighborhood of 
 
 Kanagawa 394 
 
 his visit to a Japanese mayor 395 
 
 sails towards Yedo 598 
 
 his reasons for not ^Hsiting Yedo 399 
 
 explores 'Webster island 359 
 
 leaves the bay of Yedo 400 
 
 remark on the bay of Simoda 401 
 
 lodged in a Buddhist temple at 
 
 Simoda 409 
 
 orders a survey of the harbor of Si- 
 moda 415 
 
 visit to Kura-Kawa-Kahei, at Simoda 417 
 
 his visit to Oho-Sima . 419 
 
 remonstrance against the spy system 419 
 declines to allow two Japanese 
 scholars to sail with the expedi- 
 tion 421 
 
 incommoded by Japanese officials 423 
 
 lodged in the Rio-shen-zhi, Buddhist 
 
 temple 423 
 
 sails for Hakodadi 427 
 
 account of Japanese vessels 448 
 
 interview with Matsmai Kaagsayu.. 467 
 
 visits Matsmai Kangsayu 470 
 
 directions respecting funeral ser- 
 vices 475 
 
 returns to Simoda, interview with 
 
 Japanese comraissiuners 477 
 
 suggests appointment of pilots, Si- 
 moda 477 
 
 letter respecting Japanese cur- 
 rencies 478 
 
 his course respecting American 
 
 iKmndaries, JapoD 481 
 
 Page. 
 
 Perry, Com., re^sts imposition at Simoda ..^ 484 
 
 his course respecting "Sam Patch". 48S 
 approves Japanese pilots, Simoda ; 
 presents the harbor-master with a 
 
 spyglass 488 
 
 remark on navigation near Bock 
 
 island 489 
 
 course regarding Lew Chewan crimi- 
 nals 493 
 
 proceedings respecting the killing of 
 
 Board, a seaman 493 
 
 repairs coal depot at Tumai 49i 
 
 presents to the regent of Lew Chew, 
 
 signs treaty with Lew Chew 49» 
 
 parting entertainment to the authori- 
 ties, Lew Chew 497 
 
 exertions in behalf of the SilUbaboos 503 
 directs a surgical examination of the 
 
 Sillibaboos 503 
 
 correspondence with American mer- 
 
 chant.s, China; returns home 508 
 
 respect for, in Japan 512 
 
 Perry, Mr. , his MS. journal iv 
 
 Perry island, bay of Uraga 268,400 
 
 Persimmon point, Simoda 411 
 
 Perspective, Japanese knowledge of 462 
 
 Petrel, Bonin islands 203 
 
 Photon, British ship-of-war, visit to Japan. - 40 
 
 Pbalic worship, emblems of. Lew Chew 173 
 
 Physical conformity of the Japanese and Lew 
 
 Chewans 314 
 
 Pickering, Dr., considers the Japanese of Malay 
 
 origin 19 
 
 Pictures, Simoda 407 
 
 Pigs, sacred, at Canton 137 
 
 Pi-ko, Lew Chew 183 
 
 Pilotage, rates of, Simoda 488 
 
 Pilots, danger of trusting entirely to 123 
 
 Pine, Lew Chew 163 
 
 Pines, large. Lew Chew .-. 181 
 
 Pino, Lew Chew -..i 164 
 
 Pinto, his visit to Japan 2t 
 
 Pipes, Japanese 268 
 
 Pirate, the, land crab, Bonin islands 202 
 
 Pirates, Chinese, on Canton river.. 137 
 
 Plains, fertile, Bonin islands. 209 
 
 Plj-mouth, the, left at Shanghai 149 
 
 Point de Galle, Ceylon, visit to 114 
 
 Polygamy, non-existent in Japan -... 397 
 
 Pontiatine, admiral of the Russian navy in Japan. . 5 1 1 
 
 Pope, Commander, letter respecting Simoda 376 
 
 Population of Lew Chew, origin of 220 
 
 Porcelain, Japanese 51,458 
 
 Port, tlic United Status desirous to obtain access 
 
 to a Japanese 257 
 
 Ports, .Japanese, open to Amvricans .......... 355 
 
 Port Lloyd, lioiiiu islands 202 
 
 the crater of an extinct volcano 209 
 
 Port Louis, Mauritius HI
 
 5S2 
 
 INDEX, 
 
 rngc. 
 
 Port Louis, Mauritius, visit to 105 
 
 Portman, Mr., Dutcli interpreter, conversation of, 
 
 witli a Japanese — 234 
 
 Portuguese, intercourse of the, with Japan 4 
 
 missionaries, their information respect- 
 ing Japan 7 
 
 discovery - 22 
 
 intercourse with Japan 23 
 
 how interrupted -. 25 
 
 insult the Japanese 26 
 
 their naval system 27 
 
 attribute their expulsion to Dutrh in- 
 trigues -- 27 
 
 possession of Mascarenhas, afterwards 
 
 Mauritius 107 
 
 possession of St. Helena - - - 91 
 
 possession of Ceylon IIC 
 
 possession of Macao - 140 
 
 in Macao 297 
 
 fortifications, Macao 298 
 
 Japanese restrictions upon the 384 
 
 Postal service of the Japanese 54 
 
 Prayer, Japanese 476 
 
 wheel, Hakodadi 444 
 
 Praying machine, Japanese — - 476 
 
 "Praying man," Japanese respect for a 446 
 
 Preble, United States man-of-war, her visit to Japan 48 
 
 Preble, Lieutenant, survey of harbor of Kelung — 501 
 
 Precipices, Peel island. 207 
 
 Presents to the Japanese, quality of, proposed by 
 
 Commodore Perry 86 
 
 of Japanese, refused .- 155 
 
 from the United States to the Emperor of 
 
 Japan »... i- -» 257 
 
 of the American government to the Em- 
 peror of Japan - 270 
 
 policy of the expedition respecting. . - — 273 
 
 law respecting Japan - 355 
 
 to the Japanese, list of-. 356 
 
 delivery of - 357 
 
 of the Japanese to the United States 369 
 
 President of the United States, letter of the, to 
 
 the Emperor of Japan - 238,245 
 
 Prices of labor in Canton - 292 
 
 Priests, support of, Simoda 411 
 
 Priesthood, Lew Chew 219 
 
 Primer, Japanese - 462 
 
 Prince, young, of Lew Chew 190 
 
 Princeton, the, unable to join the squadron 78 
 
 Prisons in Japan 18 
 
 Proas of Malacca, beauty of models of 126 
 
 Queen dowager, Lew Chew 188,190,193 
 
 Quicksilver in Japan 60 
 
 Kaffles, Sir Stamford, attempts, as governor of 
 Java, to oust the Dutch 
 
 from Japan 42 
 
 his services to Singapore 127, 128 
 
 Eailroads of the United States known to Japanese 
 
 officials at Uraga 248 
 
 Page, 
 
 Riijali of Jahore and Singapore 129 
 
 liank indicated by dress in Lew Chew 225 
 
 Ruts, how served up in China - 290 
 
 abundance of, Lew Chew 314 
 
 Eaven with a broad beak, Lew Chew 167 
 
 Razor, Japanese 456 
 
 Receipt, the Japanese, for tiie letters transmitted 
 
 to the Emperor 260 
 
 Red card, presentation of a 310 
 
 Kcdlield, W. C, observations on the Gulf Stream. 428 
 
 Eedfield rocks, near Simoda. 417 
 
 survey of 489 
 
 Reed and Dougherty, Messrs, communication to 
 
 tlie governor of Hakodadi 391 
 
 Reed, Mr., his letters respecting the treatment of 
 
 Americans at Simoda 390 
 
 Regent, Lew Clicw, his reception of Commodore 
 
 Perry 189 
 
 entertainment liy the, to Com. Perry 191 
 
 dignity of proof against the effects of good 
 
 liquors 213 
 
 new, of Lew Chew _ 214 
 
 Religion, Simoda 406 
 
 Resanoff, a Russian officer, his visit to Japan 45 
 
 orders a hostile attack _ 46 
 
 Residence, American, in Japan 377 
 
 Reviews and military exercises of the expedition 
 
 at Lew Chew 194 
 
 Rhubarb, plant resembling 46U 
 
 Rice, Japanese custom respecting. 368 
 
 bearded. Lew Chew 163 
 
 cultivation of. Lew Chew.. 311 
 
 cultivation, Simoda. 40& 
 
 fields. Lew Chew 168 
 
 hulling machine, China 507 
 
 mills, Hongo 412 
 
 Rioboo-Sintoo, a Sintoo sect 21 
 
 Rio-shen-zhi. a Buddhist temple. Simoda 409 
 
 Rocks, remarkable masses of. Lew Chew. 168 
 
 at entrance of the bay of Yedo 325 
 
 Rock island, near the bay of Yedo 23 1 
 
 Simoda harbor 415, 416 
 
 near Simoda . 489 
 
 Rodgers, Commander, letter to Messrs. Reed and 
 
 Dougherty 391 
 
 Roman Catholic missionaries at Lew Chew 225 
 
 Japanese dislike of. . 446 
 
 Roofs of dwellings, Sunoda 404 
 
 Rociuemausel, Commodore, of the French navy, 
 
 pleasant intercourse with 133 
 
 Rosario, identity of. with Disappointment island.. 213 
 
 Rouge, applied by Japanese women to their lips .. 395 
 Russia apparently desirous of sharing the honors of 
 
 the Japanese expedition 62 
 
 Russian intercourse with Japan 44 
 
 possessions adjacent to Japan 44 
 
 advantages to her from the possession of 
 
 Japan - 45 
 
 visit to Japan in 1853 62
 
 INDEX. 
 
 633 
 
 Page. 
 
 Bussian temporary possession of the Bonin islands 200 
 
 aml)<i*sa<;lor, application of the 350 
 
 expedition to Nagasaki 365 
 
 treaty with Japan similar to the American 388 
 
 expedition at Simoda 511 
 
 Russians, intercourse of the. with .Japan 4 
 
 Saboroskc. impertinent curiosity of, on board the 
 
 Su.squehanna 26-t 
 
 Saddles ishinds, near Shanghai 149 
 
 Sagami, cape 2.il 
 
 shores of - - 232 
 
 Sago palm, Peel island 201 
 
 Sail-boats. Lew Chew 179 
 
 Sailing directions for Simoda 416 
 
 Sailing-fish of Singapore 131 
 
 observations - 229,272 
 
 Sailor epitaph, Japan - - - 470 
 
 Sailors of the expedition, misconduct of three of, 
 
 at Lew Chew. 493 
 
 Sakee.. - - 191 
 
 Sakee, Lew Chew 317 
 
 Saki, Lew Chew 219 
 
 Saki 380,396 
 
 Saltness of sea-water. Lew Chew 175 
 
 Salute. Chinese, three guns. 147 
 
 "Sam Patch," a Japanese 340, 450 
 
 before the Japanese o£Bcials 342 
 
 the Japanese 485 
 
 Samuns, the, teachers in Lew Chew 224 
 
 Sandwich islands, expedition to the Bonin islands 
 
 from - - 200 
 
 islanders on the Bonin islands. 204 
 
 Sangar, straits of, fogs about 429 
 
 strait of, navigation of. 430 
 
 San Kolp Tsoir Ran To Sits, a Japanese writer, ac- 
 count of the Bonin islands 198 
 
 Santa Mesa, Philippine islands, murder of an Ame- 
 rican at 501 
 
 Saris, John, an English sea captain, visits Japan.. 34 
 
 has an interview with the Emperor .. 34 
 
 his visit to Japiin in 1613 369 
 
 Satskai. the rainy season of Japan 8 
 
 Satsuma, prince of Lew Chew, a dependency of — 151 
 
 Japanese prince of, his revenue 325 
 
 Savory, Nathaniel, an American resident at the Bo- 
 nin islands 200 
 
 robbed by sailors under the Ame- 
 rican flag 200 
 
 an early settler of the Bonin isl- 
 ands 305 
 
 Sayka-Sinka, founder of Buddhism 21 
 
 Scientific knowledge of the Japanese 64 
 
 men, not of the navy, applicationa of to 
 
 join the expedition declined 78 
 
 Scott, Mr., his intercourse with the LewChewans.. 194 
 Screens of cloth set up as mock fortifications by 
 
 the Japanese 237 
 
 of painted cloth, Japanese 252, 2C5 
 
 of cloth, Japanese - 336 
 
 Page. 
 
 Scribe, Jap.incisc. 347 
 
 Sculling, Japanese 450 
 
 Sculls and oars. 336 
 
 Sculpture, Jap.ancsc 463 
 
 Simoda 407,409,410,411 
 
 Scurvy in Yesso 454 
 
 Sea-weeds of the Kurosiwa 429 
 
 Sedan chair of Commodore Perry.. 188 
 
 at Lew Chew. 279 
 
 Sedgcwick, Mr., a writer on hurricanes 113 
 
 Sennimar, founder of a fraternity of the Japanese 
 
 clergy 20 
 
 Serofama, Cape 427 
 
 Serpents of Ceylon 119 
 
 Shah bay. Lew Chew, coal at 311 
 
 Shanghai, visit to 140 
 
 Commodore Perry on commercial im- 
 portance of 212 
 
 Shang Hung Hiun, new regent of Lew Chew. .215, 217, 218 
 
 regent of Lew Chew 279 
 
 Shang Ta-mu, regent of Lew Chew, letter of, to 
 
 Commodore Perry 159 
 
 Sharks taken by dogs, Bonin islands 202 
 
 Sheude, capital of Lew Chew 163 
 
 Shiomio-zhi, a Buddhist temple, Hakodadi 443 
 
 Shipyards, Hakodadi 457 
 
 Shipwrecked sailors, American, in Japan 382 
 
 Shira-hama, Simoda 411 
 
 Shirasawaki, near Hakodadi 448 
 
 Shoes. Japanese, of straw 51 
 
 Sho-Ho-Yt=, or Chess.-. 4C5 
 
 Shops, Simoda 404 
 
 Shrines, Simoda 404 
 
 of temples, Simoda 406 
 
 roadside, Hakodadi, frequent genuflexions 
 
 at 445 
 
 Shrubs, new varieties of. Lew Chew 107 
 
 Shui, a "University" at 223 
 
 Shuntecn dynasty rulers of Lew Chew 221 
 
 Shutters, Simoda 404 
 
 Siamese naval commander visits Com. Perry 120 
 
 Sida, or Indian gooseberry. Peel island 205 
 
 Siebold, a writer on Japan 4.7 
 
 his comparison of the language of Japan 
 
 with that of the adjacent shores 10 
 
 remarks on the Siktoo worship 19, 20 
 
 remarks on .Japanese teas 52 
 
 his opinion of the Japanese expedition .. 61 
 
 story of his banishment from Japan 69 
 
 desirous of joining the Jnpani-se expedition 70 
 
 his jMimphlct. 70 
 
 letter tu an oOicer of the .lapim expedi- 
 tion 71 
 
 remark on Gutzlaff and Forcadc, mission- 
 aries 72 
 
 account of Oho-sima, or Tatao 229 
 
 inaccuracy of his map of the bay of Tedo. .126 
 
 account of wlialcsliips, .la|>an 4.*il 
 
 on .Japanese mining.. •183
 
 534 
 
 INDEX 
 
 P«ge. 
 
 Signs of shops, Simoda. . 404 
 
 Sikai, or "ten counsels" of Buddhism 21 
 
 Sillvs, Japanese 268,458 
 
 woven bycriminals 51 
 
 Sillibaboos, piclied up at sea by the Southamp- 
 ton - 501 
 
 surgical examination of the 503 
 
 left to be sent home from Manilla 504 
 
 Silver, abundant in Japan 60 
 
 Simoda, opened to trade by the United States 69 
 
 discussion relative to opening tlie port 
 
 of 364 
 
 approval of as an American port 377 
 
 Japanese proclamation to the Americans 
 
 at 390 
 
 Japan - - 401 
 
 beauty of the enx-irons of 402 
 
 its antiquity - 402 
 
 docks, streets, sewers of 403 
 
 houses, shops -- 404 
 
 officials, biiths, diet, vegetables 405 
 
 rice, religion, temples, monasteries, shrines 406 
 
 sculpture, pictures, demons, gravc-yards- 407 
 
 festivals, "Mariners' Temple". 410 
 
 environs of 411 
 
 its topographical characteristics 413 
 
 government of 414 
 
 harbor of -- 415 
 
 Commodore Perry's return to 477 
 
 regulations respecting American vessels 
 
 at 487 
 
 earthquake at 510 
 
 harbor unaffected by the. 512 
 
 Simpson, Alex., letter respecting the Bonin islands 305 
 
 Sinagana, a suburb of Yedo 267,343 
 
 Singapore, visit to 125 
 
 Sintoo, the priests of .- 13 
 
 religion of Japan 19 
 
 its deities 19 
 
 idols 19 
 
 temples 19 
 
 priests, question of their marriage 20 
 
 pilgrimages 20 
 
 duties 20 
 
 festival services 20 
 
 sects 21 
 
 temple, Simoda 406,409 
 
 shrines, Simoda 410 
 
 Siutoo, a Japanese belief ; its rules 22 
 
 Sira-hama, bay of, near Simoda 416 
 
 Sirija Saki, Nippon 430 
 
 Sirocco, the, compared with the Harmattan .. 89 
 
 Sitkokf, an island of Japan 7 
 
 Slave, value of a Lew C'hcwan 226 
 
 Slavery, system of, in Lew Chew 226 
 
 Sledges, carriages drawn on, at Funchal 84 
 
 Smith, Sir Thomas, licensed, as governor of the 
 
 East India (Company, to trade with the Japanese 34 
 
 Society in China 296 
 
 Socks, Japanese 317 
 
 Sorghum, or millet, I>cvi' Chew 173 
 
 Page. 
 
 Sotowra, near Simoda 411 
 
 Soundings, bay of Uraga 232 
 
 Southampton rock, near Simoda 417 
 
 Soitheast bay, Peel island 208 
 
 Southern Head, Bonin islands, natural tunnel at.. 20 
 
 Sovereignty of the Bonin islands 213 
 
 Sowas, a metal made by the Japanese 50 
 
 Spaniards, intercourse of the, with Japan.. 4 
 
 Spaniel, an English species of, possibly introduced 
 
 from Japan 369 
 
 Spars, purchase of, at Simoda 484 
 
 Spectacles, Japanese 462 
 
 Speiden, W. , purser, report on Japanese currencies. 478 
 Sphynx, her British Majesty's ship, visit to Napha, 
 
 Lew Chew _. 215 
 
 Spies 193,194,217,423 
 
 at Lew Chew. .157, 160, 172, 176, 192, 219, 220, 226, 280 
 
 in the bay of Uraga 236 
 
 vigilance of, relaxed at I^ew Chew 284 
 
 bad effects of the system of 285 
 
 Japanese 328,347,359 
 
 follow American officers in Japan 418 
 
 Spooner, Mr. , hospitality of 139 
 
 Springs, Peel island, brackish 209 
 
 Squadron, disposition of, for the return voyage 491 
 
 St. Geran, shipwreck of the French vessel, the 
 
 foundation of the story of Paul and Virginia 112 
 
 St. Helena, visit of the expedition to 91 
 
 military strength of 94 
 
 greediness for money of the people 
 
 of 94 
 
 St. Pierre Bernardin 111 
 
 St. Thomas, said to have preached in Ceylon 120 
 
 Standards, Japanese 252 
 
 Stapleton island, Bonin islands, goats on 203 
 
 Steam-engine, astonishment of the Japanese at 155 
 
 not unknown to the Japanese 248 
 
 Steel, Hakodadi 456 
 
 Stirling, Admiral, makes a treaty with Japan 63 
 
 copy of his Japanese treaty 388 
 
 Stone worked by Japanese 400 
 
 Storms off the Cape of Good Hope 104 
 
 Streets of Simoda guarded by gates 403 
 
 Styx, her British Majesty's steamer 105 
 
 Subscription list in a Sintoo temple 410 
 
 Sugar-cane, Lew (Uiew 173 
 
 Sugar crop at Mauritius 109 
 
 Sugar-loaf island, Lew Chew 178 
 
 Sugar mills. Lew Chew. 313 
 
 Sugar, use of, Lew Chew 313 
 
 Sulphur in Japan 60 
 
 spring. Peel island 209 
 
 Sunday, observance of, by the expedition 240 
 
 Supplies for whale ships at the Bonin islands 203 
 
 for American ships in Japan 356 
 
 cost of, Simoda 484 
 
 Supply rock, near Simoda 417 
 
 the, nearly wrecked 144 
 
 Suraga-no-kami, Japanese commissioner.. 477 
 
 Surro-kubo, or Cajjc Blunt 430,431 
 
 Survey of the bay of Uraga 238,241,267,268,270
 
 INDEX. 
 
 535 
 
 Puge. 
 
 Survey of the bay of Yedo 332 
 
 of the bay of Vedo, signals for the 355 
 
 of Voloino bay, Endermo harbor 468 
 
 Surveys, Kelung 501 
 
 of the Japanese harbors, copies of pre- 
 sented to the Japanese government 351 
 
 Susaki. Simoda 411 
 
 Cape 427 
 
 Susquehanna bay, Japan 268 
 
 Swell from the northwest at sea 88 
 
 Swords, Japanese- 248 
 
 Japanese 456 
 
 Syakfdo, a species of enamel work 59 
 
 Table bay, visit to !)S 
 
 Table-cloth, a cloud on Table mountain. !I9 
 
 Table mountain 09 
 
 Tailoresses, street, China 292 
 
 Takahasi, his connection with Siebold 70 
 
 Take-no-uchisetaro, Japanese commissioner 477 
 
 Talipot tree of Ceylon 118 
 
 Tanka boats 294 
 
 boat girls - 294 
 
 boats at Macao - 140 
 
 Taoutai, commander-in-chief of Chinese fleet 504,505 
 
 Taoutai, or governor of Shanghai 146 
 
 Taro plant, Peel island.. 205 
 
 Tatao, one of the Lew Chew islands 229 
 
 Tatznoske, Japanese interpreter 244 
 
 interpreter, his facility in the acquisi- 
 tion of languages. 251 
 
 his conviviality and shrewdness 269 
 
 Tayko, opposes the Portuguese 26 
 
 Tayko-sama, his history 12 
 
 Taylor, Bayard, his manuscript journal iv 
 
 description of Lew Chew from the 
 
 sea 152 
 
 joins the expedition 152 
 
 account of the harbor of Kapha by. 154 
 
 first landing on Lew Chew 156 
 
 exploration of Peel island 204 
 
 Tea and pipes served to guests in Lew Chew 158 
 
 culture of, by the Japanese 52 
 
 drinking. Lew Chew 219 
 
 T<:^n-sun, the first ruler of Lew Chew — 221 
 
 Teeth dying in Japan 395 
 
 Telegraph , magnetic, in Japan 357 
 
 Telescope, Japanese 447 
 
 Temperature at sea, near Japan, in July - 230 
 
 bay of Uraga 239 
 
 of Simoda 413 
 
 Temple at Lew Chew, visit to 158 
 
 Tcncriffe not seen - 87 
 
 Ten Fathom Hole, Port Lloyd, Bonin islands 202 
 
 Ten-sio-dai-zin, the patron divinity of Japan 19 
 
 the most sacred of Jajianesc shrines 20 
 
 Testacea, IVmin islands 202 
 
 Theatrical performances by sailors of the expedition 470 
 
 Thermometric range at Point de Oalle, Ceylon 115 
 
 Thieves, Chinese 138 
 
 Thorn, Dr., a writer on hurricanes 113 
 
 Thunberg, a writer on Japan 4,7 
 
 Pnjo. 
 
 lliunberg, his account of Japanese rouge 395 
 
 Tides in the straits of Malacca 123 
 
 of Cochin China 132 
 
 at Shanghai 144 
 
 at Napha, Lew Chew 195 
 
 bay of Yedo 272 
 
 Tigers, ferocity of, at Singapore 130 
 
 Tima-gusko, ruins of the castle of. Kapha 280 
 
 Tin. in Japan 60 
 
 Titsingh, a writer on Japan 4,7 
 
 account of the operation of the Dozia 
 
 powder 56 
 
 Toasts, drinking, in Lew Chew. 191 
 
 Tobacco, Peel island 206 
 
 smoking. Lew Chew 219 
 
 Toda-Idzu-no-kami, Japanese commissioner. 251 
 
 Todo, Japanese commissioner 255 
 
 Togirasaki, a Japanese village 268 
 
 Tomatoes, Peel island. 208 
 
 Tombs, Lew Chew 167, 16S 
 
 called "houses of the devil's men," Lew 
 
 Chew 173 
 
 Lew Chewan 226 
 
 Tomes, Robert, his share in the authorship of this 
 
 publication iv 
 
 Torigasaki, village of, bay of Yedo 328 
 
 Town hall, Tumai, Lew Chew. 158 
 
 Trade winds, northern boundary of 88 
 
 encountered by the expedition 90 
 
 Trades 97 
 
 Treaty between Japan and the United States 350 
 
 of commerce, terms proposed by the Japa- 
 nese 361 
 
 Commodore Perry's replies to. 362 
 
 conversation between Yenoske and Commo- 
 dore Perry respecting the 372 
 
 conference respecting the 376 
 
 between the United States and Japan 377 
 
 objects secured liy the 380 
 
 difficulties incident to its formation 380 
 
 progress of the formation of the 383 
 
 discussion as to when it shall go into effect 384 
 
 patience required for its negotiation 386 
 
 qualifications of the, inserted by the Japa- 
 nese 386 
 
 advantages secured by .- 388 
 
 the, sent to the United States 393 
 
 ratified by the Senate 509 
 
 time of ratification of, in Japan 513 
 
 "Treaty-house," Yoku-hama 344 
 
 Treaty Point, near Hakodadi 430 
 
 Trees of Japan 61 
 
 Trials, mode of conducting among the Japanese .. 18 
 
 Tsuki Point, near Hakodadi 432 
 
 Tuchara, island of 222 
 
 Tunnels, natural, in the Bonin islands 201 
 
 Turcomans of Asia Minor use ladles similar to 
 
 those of the Japanese 157 
 
 Turtle, Peel island 205 
 
 green - - — -- 202 
 
 Tiirtles from the Bonin islands 424
 
 536 
 
 INDEX 
 
 Page. 
 500 
 311 
 477 
 347 
 417 
 
 TS'phoon near Formosa 
 
 Typhoons felt at Lew Chew 
 
 Tzudsuki, Japanese commissioner 
 
 Udono, Japanese commissioner 
 
 Ukona rocks, near Simoda 
 
 Uniform, Jap.^nese 237, 243 
 
 United States commercial agent at Point de Galle, 
 
 Ceylon, imprisoned for debt 115 
 
 correspondence of the, with Holland, 
 
 relative to Japan ' 66 
 
 intercourse with Japan, expedition 
 
 ofl846 -- 47 
 
 priority of their treaty with Japan. 74 
 
 seamen imprisoned in Japan 48 
 
 forced to trample on the cross 48 
 
 released 48 
 
 the "Middle Kingdom" 75 
 
 Un-na, Lew Chew - - 180 
 
 Uraga, Japan - — 231 
 
 bay of, Japan -. - -- 232 
 
 city of — 232 
 
 vice governor of, received on board the 
 
 squadron 234 
 
 picturesque shores of the bay of- 237, 265, 267 
 
 survey of the bay of 268, 270 
 
 proposed as a place of negotiation 328 
 
 discussion respecting a meeting at 336 
 
 Vandalia, voyage of the, to Lew Chew 286 
 
 Vandalia bluff, Simoda harbor - - 416 
 
 Van Twist, Duymaer, letter to Com. Perry an- 
 nouncing the death of the Emperor of Japan — 322 
 
 A'cgetablcs, Simoda 405 
 
 Vegetation, peculiar, of the Bonin islands 209 
 
 luxuriant, of the bay of Yedo. 394 
 
 Vessels, sea, of the Japanese - 53 
 
 Victoria, Hong Kong 134 
 
 Victoria, the English bishop of, and his account 
 
 of his official visit to Lew Chew in 1850 223 
 
 Victoria, the English bishop of, remark on the 
 
 writings of Confucius -- 224 
 
 Victoria, the English bishop of, account of Dr. 
 
 Bettclheim - 225 
 
 Village, Lew Chew, description of — 218 
 
 Villages, Lew Chew -- 173 
 
 Virgin and child, image of, found in a lieathen 
 
 temple in Singapore - 128 
 
 Vocabulary of Lew Chew and Japanese words 315 
 
 Volcanic formation of Peel island 209 
 
 Volcano bay, survey of 468 
 
 Volcanoes - 7 
 
 in Endermo harbor 469 
 
 Vries island, or Oo-sima, bay of Yedo - 231 
 
 Japan 271 
 
 Vulcan island, Japan 271 
 
 Wages of laborers, Lew Chew 220 
 
 Walls of coral in Lew Chew 156 
 
 Wampon river . 144 
 
 Wardenaar, his connexion with the expedition of 
 
 Raffles 42 
 
 Washington, George, remark of Lew Chew official 
 
 on 16 si 
 
 Page. 
 
 Washington, " very gre.at mandarin" - - 192 
 
 known to the Japanese 333 
 
 styled the great mandarin at Lew 
 
 Chew 496 
 
 monument, Japanese stone for 4S5 
 
 stone contributed to, from 
 
 Lew Chew .-. 497 
 
 Washington's birth-day, celebration of, by the 
 
 American squadron in Japan 333, 334 
 
 Watch, a curiosity in Lew Chew 175, 176 
 
 Water buffalo of Singapore 131 
 
 Wax plant. Lew Chew 168 
 
 Webster island, Japan 353, 399 
 
 We-dae-o-gang, or smaller officials of Lew Chew.. 226 
 
 Weirs for fish. Lew Chew 168 
 
 Whale ships, supplies for, Bonin islands 203 
 
 fishery off Japan opened by the treaty 212 
 
 fishers, protection to shipwrecked, demand- 
 ed of the Japanese 257 
 
 Whaling depot, Hakodadi 451 
 
 Whampoa, a Chinese merchant at Singapore, his 
 
 hospitality 128 
 
 anchorage at 135 
 
 pagoda - 135 
 
 Wharf, temporary Japanese, of bags of sand and 
 
 straw 254 
 
 Williams, Wells, interpreter 154, 155 
 
 Wind, direction of - 89 
 
 Winds, encountered off the Cape and in the Indian 
 
 ocean - - 103 
 
 Winter, severity of, Japan 342 
 
 Women, seclusion of. Lew Chew 193 
 
 industry of. Lew Chew 219 
 
 position of. Lew Chew ; dress 316 
 
 foreign, not wanted in Japan 385, 386 
 
 American, at Simoda 390 
 
 driven away on approach of Commodore 
 
 Perry. 394 
 
 Japanese, visited by Commodore Perry.. 395 
 
 J.apanese, woric in the fields 396 
 
 social position of, in Japan 397 
 
 Wood, dense. Lew Chew. 177 
 
 Wood-cuts, Japanese - - 459 
 
 Woosung, village of 144 
 
 Wives, importance of the number of, in China — 296 
 
 Woven fabrics of the Japanese 51 
 
 Wrecks of American vessels, Japan, communica- 
 tion respecting 471 
 
 Wrestlers, Japtinese - 369, 370 
 
 Japanese, drawings of.- 461 
 
 Wrestling match, Japanese 37 1 
 
 Writing, hand. Lew Chew 224 
 
 Xavicr, his mission in Japan - 24 
 
 establishes Christianity in Ceylon 120 
 
 Yang-tso-keang river - 144 
 
 Yedo 6.7 
 
 town observed on the bay of - 241 
 
 plan of, shown to Japanese officials 251 
 
 port of, in sight.. 267 
 
 advantages of the survey of the bay of 273 
 
 shores of the hay of, in winter 326
 
 INDEX. 
 
 537 
 
 Page. 
 
 Tedo, bay of 327 
 
 Japanese refuse to receive the expeditiou at. 330 
 
 bells of, heard by the American expedition. 337 
 surveying boats of the expedition approach 
 
 within four miles of S-iO 
 
 populousness of the bay of 343 
 
 an American officer on his way to 359 
 
 glimpse of, through a fog -- 388 
 
 Commodore Perry's reasons for not visiting. 399 
 
 scurvy, Ainos -. 451 
 
 Tcnoske, a Japanese interpreter 340,348,417 
 
 reply to the letter of the President of the 
 
 United States - 350 
 
 visits Commodpre Perry 372 
 
 duplicity of 395 
 
 readiness to assume blame 485 
 
 his farewell visit to Commodore Perry.. 486 
 Yezaimen, governor of Uraga, visits Commodoie 
 
 Perr)' 237 
 
 his second visit 240 
 
 his third visit to Com. Perry 244 
 
 bearer of a letter from the Emperor of 
 
 Japan to Com. Perry 249 
 
 visit to the Susquehanna on the day of 
 the reception of the letter of the 
 
 President- - 253 
 
 conversation with Captain Buchanan.. 2 63 
 
 rage. 
 Yezaimen, his examination of the engine of the 
 
 Susquehanna when in motion 264 
 
 his visit of expostulation on the ad- 
 vance of the squadron 265 
 
 his appreciation of good cheer 260 
 
 brings presents to Com. Perry 268, 269 
 
 bis friendliness 269 
 
 parting health to the Americans 270 
 
 visits the squadron 337 
 
 \-isits the Powhatan 340 
 
 takes charge of a letter from " Sjim 
 
 Patch," of Japan 340 
 
 conversation with Captain Adams 34 1 
 
 makes arrangements for the delivery 
 
 of the Emperor's letter 342 
 
 Yokuhama, Japan _ 343 
 
 Yomi, the pure Japanese dialect 9 
 
 Yoritimo, his history 11 
 
 Yuitz, a Sintoo sect 21 
 
 21ietsa-zhi, a Buddhist monastery, Hakodadi 443 
 
 Zhiogcn-zhi, a Buddliist temple, Hakodadi 442 
 
 Zhi-zo-bozats, a Japanese deity 412 
 
 Zingoons, or temporal sovereigns of Japttn 11, 13 
 
 Zin-mu-ten-woo, the founder of the Japanese sov- 
 ereignty 11 
 
 Ziogoon, now dethroned. 15 
 
 Zipangu 4 
 
 68 J
 
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