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The 
 Complete Journal of 
 
 TOWNSEND HARRIS 
 
 First American Consul General 
 and Minister to Japan 
 
 INTRODUCTION AND NOTES BY 
 
 MARIO EMILIO COSENZA, Ph.D, 
 
 Professor of Classical Languages 
 The College of the City of New York 
 
 PUBLISHED FOR 
 
 JAPAN SOCIETY, NEW YORK 
 
 BY DOUBLEDAY, DORAN & COMPANY, INC. 
 
 GARDEN CITY, NEW YORK 
 
 MCMXXX 
 
COPYRIGHT, I930 
 BY MARIO EMILIO COSENZA, PH.D. 
 
 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 
 
 PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES AT 
 
 THE COUNTRY LIFE PRESS 
 
 GARDEN CITY, N. Y. 
 
 FIRST EDITION 
 

 2 
 
 CD 
 
 TO THE 
 
 PEACE OF THE PACIFIC 
 
 761242 
 
"J shall be the first recognized agent from a civilized 
 power to reside in Japan. This forms an epoch in 
 my life and may be the beginning of a new order of 
 things in Japan. I hope I may so conduct myself 
 that I may have honorable mention in the histories 
 which will be written on Japan and its future 
 destiny." 
 
 Towns end Harris 
 Journal, August io y i8$6 
 
 * 
 VI 
 
4 
 
 t*V 
 
 i 
 
 CHERISH THE KNOWLEDGE OF ANCIENT THINGS 
 
 A famous saving of Confucius. Reproduced on silk, for this book, bv the 
 brush of His Excellency Prince IYESATO TOKUGAWA, present Head of the 
 House of Tokugawa and legal successor of Shogun IYESADA TOKUGAWA, 
 who made the Treaty with Townsend Harris. 
 
UBRkRY 
 
 of m ^*» 
 WNERtfY OF UWOB 
 
PREFACE 
 
 In 1916, the writer of this preface was appointed 
 Deputy Director, and later Director, of Townsend 
 Harris Hall, the Preparatory High School of The Col- 
 lege of the City of New York. Immediately he became 
 interested in learning why the school had been named 
 after Townsend Harris. Preliminary researches revealed 
 the two outstanding achievements of Townsend Har- 
 ris's life: the first, that, as President of the Board of 
 Education of New York City, he had been the driving 
 force and chief inspiration for the founding of The 
 College of the City of New York; and the second, that, 
 by a particularly happy turn of the wheel of fortune, 
 he had later been appointed our first Consul General 
 for Japan, and had been successful in opening Japan 
 and bringing her into the larger family of nations. 
 
 The writer surrendered himself whole-heartedly to 
 the alluring subject of the life and work of Townsend 
 Harris. As a loyal alumnus of The College of the City 
 of New York, he turned first to the study of Townsend 
 Harris's connections with his Alma Mater, and accord- 
 ingly, in 1925, he published a volume entitled The 
 Establishment of The College of the City of New York 
 as The Free Academy in 1 847. Townsend Harris. 
 Founder. 
 
 It soon became apparent that the available informa- 
 tion about Townsend Harris was scanty, with much of 
 it inaccurate. An irresistible urge to undertake the pres- 
 
 vii 
 
ent task lay in the mass of source material at the writer's 
 disposal. Some years ago, Miss Bessie A. Harris, grand- 
 niece of Townsend Harris, presented to The College 
 of the City of New York all the original letters, docu- 
 ments, and papers of Townsend Harris then in her pos- 
 session. The more the writer looked into this material, 
 the more he became aware of the possibilities that lay 
 in it. 
 
 Here were four volumes of Townsend Harris's manu- 
 script Journal; a dozen historic documents in the 
 original Japanese and Dutch languages; a complete 
 collection of Townsend Harris's various appointments, 
 letters of credence, passport, etc. ; five large letter books, 
 containing a complete file of his official correspondence 
 not only with the authorities at Washington and at Yedo, 
 but also with all persons who approached him on topics 
 closely connected with his official duties; and, finally, 
 hundreds of original manuscript letters received from 
 many of the great men of the day — the ranking officers 
 of our navy, the representatives of all the foreign powers 
 accredited to Japan and to China, the many business 
 men of all nationalities who early established themselves 
 in China, in Siam, in Japan, and generally in the Far 
 East; as well as the early British and American mis- 
 sionaries to those countries, etc., etc. 1 
 
 This hasty enumeration is not by any means intended 
 to be a full description of the priceless historical ma- 
 terial owned by The College of the City of New York. 
 Enough has been said, however, to indicate the wealth 
 and the importance of this Townsend Harris collec- 
 
 1 Townsend Harris did not keep copies of the letters he wrote to his friends. 
 It is very sincerely hoped that readers of this work will be good enough to 
 send to the writer all manuscript material (or copies thereof) that they may 
 possess, for use in future works on the diplomatic relations between the United 
 States and Japan. 
 
 Vlll 
 
tion, practically every item of which is historic and dip- 
 lomatic material yet unpublished. Large use has been 
 made of these tempting sources in the notes of this vol- 
 ume, but only in so far as they properly illustrate 
 passages of the Journal. 
 
 In these days of ever-expanding foreign relations, 
 when American destiny in the new Pacific is so closely 
 linked with that of the nations on the western border of 
 that ocean, the story of the beginning of our friendly 
 relations with Japan is an all-absorbing one. That story 
 is here reproduced directly from the original manu- 
 script. Words underlined by Townsend Harris have been 
 printed in italics, and abbreviations have been spelled 
 out in full, but there have been no omissions from the 
 text. The transcription is a faithful and complete one. 
 
 The earlier portion of Mr. Harris's Journal (which 
 includes his mission to Siam, and which is approxi- 
 mately one third of the entire manuscript) is here pub- 
 lished for the first time. The portion of the Journal re- 
 lating to Japan was published (with omissions) in 1895 
 by Dr. William Elliot Griffis in his book Townsend 
 Harris, First American Envoy in Japan. By express 
 understanding with Houghton Mifflin Company, pub- 
 lishers of Dr. GriffiYs book (long out of print), the 
 text of the Japanese portion of the Harris Journal is 
 now for the first time given to the public in its full and 
 complete form. 2 
 
 The publication of the present volume is due to the 
 kindly and continued interest which the officers of the 
 Japan Society in New York have taken in it, and to their 
 very natural desire that the complete Journal of Town- 
 send Harris be made available to students of American 
 
 2 The Houghton Mifflin Company book is Copyright 1895, by William E. 
 Griffis. 
 
 IX 
 
relations with Japan and the Far East, as well as to the 
 general public. It was, furthermore, peculiarly and his- 
 torically fitting for the Society to undertake this pub- 
 lication through its Townsend Harris Endowment Fund 
 Committee — a Committee that bears the name of the 
 man whom this volume delighteth to honor. It would 
 be difficult for the writer adequately to convey his sin- 
 cere thanks to the officers of the Society and to the mem- 
 bers of this Committee individually. He trusts they will 
 feel that they are all included when he expresses his 
 deep appreciation of the kindness shown, and of the 
 courteous assistance given, by Mr. Jerome D. Greene, 
 the Chairman of the Committee; by Mr. Douglas L. 
 Dunbar, its Secretary; and, above all, by Mr. Alexander 
 Tison, the President of the Japan Society. 
 
 This work, finally, has been signally honored by His 
 Excellency Prince Iyesato Tokugawa, who has graci- 
 ously contributed a silken scroll on which he has in- 
 scribed an appropriate saying of Confucius. The pres- 
 ent Head of the House of Tokugawa and the legal suc- 
 cessor of Tycoon Iyesada Tokugawa, who made the 
 Treaty with Townsend Harris, by this courteous act 
 establishes still another spiritual contact with the deeds 
 of his ancestors. To him, too, the writer expresses his 
 sincere appreciation and gratitude. 
 
 In 1891, Dr. Inazo Nitobe said that four thick quarto 
 volumes had made known to the world the minutest de- 
 tails of Commodore Perry's expedition, but that suffi- 
 cient justice had not yet been done to the memory of 
 Townsend Harris, whose candle was still kept under a 
 bushel. It is hoped that the present volume may make a 
 beginning of rendering unto Harris the justice that is 
 due him in recognition of his great achievement — a task 
 that was perhaps the most difficult in the history of 
 
American diplomacy. It is a source of high satisfaction 
 to reflect that the establishment of friendly relations 
 between the United States and Japan was providentially 
 placed in the hands of Townsend Harris — a New York 
 City merchant, endowed with so great skill and patience 
 and with so sympathetic an understanding. 
 
 In his careful evaluation of the pioneering but quiet 
 and unheralded diplomatic work of Townsend Harris 
 in Japan, Dr. Nitobe further says: 
 
 "An oak falls noisily crashing through the forest; the 
 acorns drop with scarce a sound. To generations after, the 
 acorns prove the greater blessing. Men have not yet learned 
 what conquests there are in peace and in silence." 
 
 As the years glide silently by, the seeds of sympa- 
 thetic understanding that were sown by Townsend 
 Harris so many years ago — in a foreign, but congenial 
 and fertile soil — are indeed proving the greater blessing 
 to later generations. The human family, after the pass- 
 ing of countless ages since its migrations from the plains 
 of central Asia, is meeting again on the far-flung coasts 
 of the greatest of waters. The Ocean Sea — first named 
 from its mere size — is no longer an estranging sea. The 
 modern argosies of commerce and of trade, as they 
 cross and recross it from west to east and from east to 
 west, are daily vindicating the prophecy of Magellan, 
 who, as he emerged from the stormy Strait and found 
 himself wafted by gentle breezes, glanced over the quiet 
 waters ahead and hailed them as the Mar Pacifico. 
 
 Mario Emilio Cosenza. 
 
 The College of the City of New York. 
 January 25, 1930. 
 
 xi 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Quotation from the Journal of Townsend Harris vi 
 Scroll by Prince Iyesato Tokugawa Facing page vi 
 
 Preface vii 
 
 List of Illustrations xv 
 
 List of Abbreviations xix 
 
 Introduction: The Appointment of Townsend 
 
 Harris as Consul General for Japan i 
 
 The Complete Journal of Townsend Harris: 
 
 Journal No. I : May 21, 1855 to April 14, 1856 17 
 
 Journal No. 2 : April 15, 1856 to July 6, 1856 83 
 
 Journal No. 3 : July 7, 1856 to February 25, 1857 175 
 
 Journal No. 4: February 26, 1857 t0 December 7, 1857 315 
 
 Journal No. 5 : December 7, 1857 to February 27, 1858 477 
 
 Fragments 559 
 
 Appendices: 
 
 I. President Pierce's Letter to the First King of Siam 565 
 
 II. List of Presents for the First King of Siam 566 
 
 III. List of Presents for the Second King of Siam 
 
 IV. The Convention of Shimoda: concluded June 1 7, 
 
 1857 571 
 xiii 
 
V. The First American Flag made in Japan : Novem- 
 ber, 1857 573 
 
 VI. Townsend Harris's Letter of Credence, or "Full 
 Powers" : dated, Washington, D. C, September 
 8 > ^55 575 
 
 VII. President Pierce's Letter to the Emperor of Japan: 
 
 dated, Washington, D. C, September 12, 1855 576 
 
 VIII. Letter written by Hotta, Bitchiu-no-Kami, to 
 
 Townsend Harris : dated, Yedo, January 4, 1858 577 
 
 IX. The Treaty of Amity and Commerce: concluded 
 
 at Yedo, July 29, 1858 578 
 
 Index 59 1 
 
 xiv 
 
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 
 
 Townsend Harris in 1847 Frontispiece 
 
 From a Bronze Tablet by Albert P. D'Andrea, of the Art Depart- 
 ment of the Townsend Harris Hall High School — the Preparatory 
 High School of The College of the City of New York. It is a 
 gift presented by the Class of January, 1924, of the High School, 
 and was unveiled on Charter Day, May 20, 1925, by H. I. M.'s 
 Ambassador, His Excellency Tsuneo Matsudaira. 
 
 Townsend Harris's Seal Title page 
 
 This impression of Mr. Harris's stone seal shows three Chinese 
 characters — Ha, Ri, S — somewhat conventionalized by the en- 
 graver who made the seal. 
 
 FACING PAGE 
 
 Townsend Harris's First Commission as Consul 
 General for Japan 24 
 
 Dated, Washington, D. C, August 4, 1855. 
 
 A Holograph Letter from the Second King of 
 Siam no 
 
 Dated, Palace of the Second King, Bangkok, Siam, April 22, 1856. 
 
 Townsend Harris's Manuscript Journal, August 
 
 19, 1856, in vol. 3, p. 25 196 
 
 At the top of the page may be read his hope to receive honorable 
 mention in the ''Histories which will be written on Japan." 
 
 View of Shimoda, from Kakizaki 212 
 
 From a drawing in India ink by Mr. H. C. J. Heusken, whose 
 signature in the lower right-hand corner is clearly legible in the 
 original. This drawing was enclosed by Townsend Harris in a 
 letter to "Kate" Drinker (later Mrs. Thomas Allibone Janvier), 
 dated Shimoda, Japan, November 21, 1856. For this letter and 
 drawing, see the Janvier Letters and Papers, in the Manuscripts 
 Division of the New York Public Library. 
 
 XV 
 
FACING PAGl 
 
 The U. S. Consulate at Shimoda in 1856 226 
 
 From a drawing in India ink by Mr. H. C. J. Heusken. This 
 drawing gives the earliest and only authentic view of the grounds 
 of the consulate, of its buildings, and of the flagstaff flying the 
 first consular flag ever seen in Japan. See Journal, Thursday, 
 September 4, 1856. 
 
 Monument Dedicated to the Memory of Town- 
 send Harris 268 
 
 This monument was erected in the courtyard of the Gyokusen-ji, 
 near Shimoda — the home of the first American accredited re- 
 presentative to Japan. It was unveiled on Saturday, October i, 
 1927. The front of the monument bears the English text; the 
 back, the Japanese text. The Journal entry carved on the monu- 
 ment is that for September 4, 1856, commemorating the hoisting 
 of the first consular flag ever seen in Japan. 
 
 Townsend Harris's manuscript Journal, vol. 4, 
 
 P. 52 374 
 
 This illustration shows his comment on having concluded the 
 Convention of Shimoda: June 17, 1857. 
 
 Townsend Harris's Second Commission as Consul 
 General for Japan 400 
 
 Dated, Washington, D. C, July 31, 1856. 
 
 The First American Flag Made in Japan: No- 
 vember, 1857 412 
 
 This flag is now framed and is hanging on the wall of the Direc- 
 tor's Office, in the Townsend Harris Hall High School. See 
 Appendix V. 
 
 Townsend Harris's "Full Powers," or Letter of 
 Credence 468 
 
 Dated, Washington, D. C, September 8, 1856. 
 
 The Japanese Text of the Shogun's Speech 474 
 
 This speech was delivered at the First Audience granted to Town- 
 send Harris, December 7, 1857. It is the earliest official and 
 personal expression uttered by the Shoguns of friendly relations 
 between the United States and Japan. 
 
 Letter Written by Hotta, Bitchiu-no-Kami, to 
 Townsend Harris 494 
 
 Dated, Yedo, January 4, 1858. See Appendix VIII. 
 
 xvi 
 
FACING PAGE 
 
 The Famous Ginkgo Tree at the Zempuku-ji (The 
 Shrine of Peace and Prosperity) in Tokyo 514 
 
 This tree marks the site where once stood the first flagstaff 
 erected by Townsend Harris in the Capital of Japan. Townsend 
 Harris concluded the Treaty of Yedo on July 29, 1858; the 
 Convention of Kanagawa on March 19, 1859; and opened the 
 American Legation at Yedo (Tokyo) on July 7, 1859. 
 
 The Harbor of Settsu 527 
 
 This drawing is by Townsend Harris's hand. The illustration is 
 a reproduction of the manuscript Journal, vol. i, p. 112. 
 
 XV!! 
 
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS USED IN THE NOTES 
 
 L. & P.: Refer to the volumes of manuscript Letters and Papers of Toiunsend 
 Harris. 
 
 L. B.: Refer to the volumes of manuscript Letter Books of Toivnsend Harris. 
 
 In referring to the volumes of the Congressional Series, the numbers 35-2 (for 
 instance), refer to the 35th Congress, 2nd Session. 
 
 All other abbreviations and references in the notes are, it is thought, clear in 
 themselves. 
 
 XIX 
 
THE COMPLETE JOURNAL 
 
 OF 
 
 TOWNSEND HARRIS 
 
Introduction 
 
 The Appointment of Townsend Harris as Consul 
 General for Japan 
 
 INTEREST in the strange and secluded country to which 
 the American squadron under Commodore Perry was 
 proceeding was very great and very general. Conse- 
 quently many persons, both in the United States and 
 elsewhere, moved either by scientific interest or by keen 
 curiosity, importuned Perry for permission to go aboard 
 the ships of his fleet and so have one of the earliest peeps 
 at the people who, for more than two centuries, had kept 
 the doors of their island empire so tightly shut. 
 
 Commodore Perry met these importunate advances 
 with dignity and with firmness. His position in the 
 matter was clearly stated in the Second General Order 
 which he issued while at sea, on December 23, 1852 1 1 
 
 "Entertaining the opinion that the talents and acquire- 
 ments of the officers of the squadron, if properly directed 
 and brought into action, will be found equal to a plain 
 and practical examination and elucidation of the various 
 objects pertaining 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 
 
 1 Perry, Narrative, 33-2, S. Ex. Doc, no. 79, vol. 1, p. 88. 
 
 I 
 
to the employment of persons drawn from civil life to 
 conduct those departments more immediately connected 
 with science." 
 
 In spite of the fact that these invariable objections of 
 the commanding officer were well known, requests to 
 accompany the Japan Expedition continued to pour in 
 on Perry. Townsend Harris was in China at the time the 
 American fleet reached that country. Perry first stopped 
 at Hongkong and at Macao; from there he went to 
 Shanghai, where he arrived on May 4, 1853, leaving 
 again towards the end of the same month. It was during 
 Perry's stay at Shanghai that Townsend Harris made his 
 first definite effort to reach Japan. In a letter dated 
 Macao, June 18, 1859, 2 Mr. S. Robertson congratulates 
 Townsend Harris on his then recent and brilliant 
 successes both in Siam and in Japan. In the course of his 
 congratulations there appears this interesting para- 
 graph : 
 
 "I often smile to myself when I recollect how anxious 
 you were at Shanghai to accompany Commodore Perry 
 on his first visit to Japan, and your annoyance at his 
 refusal. The 'C little thought at the time, that he was 
 then refusing a man who would accomplish greater 
 achievements and acquire more renown in Japan [than 
 Commodore Perry himself] while he would at the same 
 time throw additional lustre on the name of Perry. But 
 so wags the world." 
 
 This refusal to be permitted to accompany Commo- 
 dore Perry did not discourage Townsend Harris. At 
 
 2 L. & P., vol. i, no. 175. 
 
about the same time (the spring of 1853), he applied 
 for the position of American Consul at either Hongkong 
 or Canton, describing himself a resident of Hongkong. 3 
 In his letter of recommendation addressed to the Hon. 
 William L. Marcy, and dated New York, December 28, 
 1853, General Wetmore says that he had never met Har- 
 ris's "superior in a thoroughly educated and accom- 
 plished merchant," and says of him: "I think from his 
 unusually extensive acquirements on all commercial sub- 
 jects and his acquaintance with several foreign languages 
 (such as Spanish, French, Italian) that he could not fail 
 to render himself useful in a consular office." 4 
 
 Instead of either of these posts, President Pierce, by 
 letter dated Thursday, July 27, 1854, nominated Towns- 
 end Harris Consul, at $1,000 per annum, for the treaty 
 port of Ningpo, China, to succeed Charles W. Bradley, 
 who was being transferred to Singapore. This nomina- 
 tion was received by the Senate on Tuesday, August 
 1st, and was duly referred to its Committee on Com- 
 merce. On Wednesday, August 2, 1854, tne Senate con- 
 sented to the appointment. 5 
 
 And here we begin to approach rather closely the 
 matter of Townsend Harris's later appointment as 
 Consul General for Japan. On Sunday, April 29, 1855, 
 returning from his travels in India, Harris reached the 
 home of his dear friend, Mr. Charles C. Currier, 
 
 8 Dennett, Americans in Eastern Asia, p. 348. 
 
 4 Files of the Bureau of Appointments, Washington, D. C. 
 
 5 S. Ex. J'l, vol. 9, pp. 369, 373, 379. Lamb's Biographical Dictionary and the 
 American Encyclopedia are both wrong in stating that Townsend Harris was 
 appointed only Vice-Consul for Ningpo. 
 
United States Consul at Pulo Penang, in the Strait of 
 Malacca — Penang, "the primeval Paradise not altered 
 at the Flood," as he himself says in the Journal entry for 
 May 21, 1855. At Mr. Currier's residence he must have 
 found awaiting him his commission as Consul for 
 Ningpo. Instead, however, of proceeding to this post, 
 which seems to have had no attractions for him, he set 
 sail for the United States on May 21, 1855, a f ter having 
 appointed the Rev. Dr. Daniel Jerome Macgowan his 
 Vice-Consul for Ningpo. This gentleman, a medical 
 missionary of the Baptist faith, carried on for a short 
 while, but with great difficulty and under protest, as his 
 long letters of complaint to Townsend Harris clearly 
 prove. Harris himself never served a single day as 
 Consul at Ningpo. 
 
 In the meantime Townsend Harris's friends had been 
 exerting themselves in his behalf. Mr. Sandwith 
 Drinker, whose hospitality Commodore Perry and his 
 officers had enjoyed both at Hongkong and at Canton, 
 was a sailor of the old school and the most intimate 
 friend that Townsend Harris had in the Far East. 
 There is no doubt in our mind that Mr. Drinker im- 
 proved every opportunity to praise Townsend Harris 
 to Commodore Perry, who had already received Towns- 
 end Harris's personal letter expressing a sincere desire 
 to accompany him to Japan. In the United States Harris 
 could count on the active assistance of Mr. W. H. 
 Topping, of General Prosper M. Wetmore, and, 
 through him, of the Hon. William L. Marcy, Secretary 
 of State. 
 
We believe the following to have been the course of 
 events. His appointment as Consul for Ningpo must 
 have suggested to Harris the possibility of the far more 
 responsible consulship to Japan — an ambition which 
 could not have been much out of his mind since the days 
 of Perry's Japan Expedition. There, in Japan, lay the 
 greatest opportunity of the century for truly great and 
 pioneer diplomatic work. The Perry Treaty received 
 the approval of the Senate on July 15, 1854, an( l was 
 signed by the President on August 7th. Ratifications 
 were exchanged at Shimoda, February 21, 1855 ; and the 
 Treaty itself was proclaimed June 22, 1855. On July 27, 
 1855, at 4 P. M., Townsend Harris passed the buoy on the 
 Bar of New York, reaching home from far-off Pulo 
 Penang in the Strait of Malacca after a voyage of more 
 than two months. 
 
 The appointment of an American representative to 
 Japan was now in order. The Perry Treaty (concluded 
 March 31, 1854) clearly stated (Article XI) : 
 
 "There shall be appointed, by the Government of the 
 United States, Consuls or Agents to reside in Shimoda, 
 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." 
 
 The President undoubtedly consulted with Commo- 
 dore Perry as to the best available man, and we have 
 subsequent official testimony to the effect that the Com- 
 
 5 
 
modore was one of the men who recommended Harris 
 for the post. 
 
 Townsend Harris's claims for consideration were 
 truly outstanding and unique. He had resigned as Presi- 
 dent of the Board of Education of New York City on 
 January 26, 1 848. In 1 849, he sailed from New York and 
 journeyed around Cape Horn to California as super- 
 cargo of his own merchant vessel. With this voyage 
 began his wandering trading expeditions from port to 
 port — expeditions which extended over a period of six 
 years and brought him into close contact with the 
 many different races of the South Seas and of Asia. In 
 the course of these voyages, he visited many islands of 
 the Pacific, and many points on the mainland of the 
 oldest of continents. He visited far-off New Zealand 
 and the Philippines; he crossed the China Sea; he 
 lived and carried on business in both North and South 
 China, in Shanghai, Ningpo, Canton, Macao, and 
 Penang; in Singapore, in Ceylon, and in India. 
 
 These statements may seem of minor importance, but 
 they become facts of primary importance when we con- 
 sider their real significance in connection with the great 
 life work which was to follow. This commercial wander- 
 ing from place to place gave Townsend Harris the ideal 
 training and preparation for his later diplomatic inter- 
 course with the Japanese. It helped remove that feeling 
 of shock or of puzzled attitude which takes hold of so 
 many men when suddenly brought face to face with a 
 different civilization and with strange manners and 
 customs. It taught Harris to be tolerant and sympathetic, 
 
 6 
 
and, above all, to be patient — for patience has ever been 
 the supreme and special prerequisite for all successful 
 intercourse with the peoples of the East. Finally, it 
 gave him a knowledge of the life and the mind of the 
 Oriental that even an extended course of reading of 
 selected books could scarcely have given him. 
 
 To repeat, then, these qualifications of Harris could 
 not, we venture to assert, have been duplicated any- 
 where in the United States of 1855. The Perry Treaty 
 was not a commercial agreement, but merely a "wood 
 and water" treaty, and it provided (as we have seen) 
 for the appointment of consuls or agents. Harris's 
 friends presented and urged his really exceptional 
 claims to the post. On July 31, 1855 — only four days 
 after his arrival in New York — the following letter was 
 written to the President of the United States and signed 
 by eight of the foremost citizens of New York: 6 
 
 New York, July 31, 1855. 
 To the President of the United States : 
 
 Sir: 
 
 We desire to recommend for your most favorable 
 notice Mr. Townsend Harris, formerly for many years 
 an active merchant in this city, but more recently a 
 resident in various parts of China and India. 
 
 Mr. Harris possesses great business experience, ex- 
 tensive and varied information on commercial subjects, 
 and is unusually well qualified to discharge the duties 
 of a consular or diplomatic situation in the East. Feel- 
 
 6 Files of the Bureau of Appointments, Washington, D. C. 
 
 7 
 
ing confident of the great capacity and personal merits 
 of Mr. Harris, we unite most cordially in commending 
 him to your favor. 
 With high respect 
 
 (signed) Brown Brothers Co. 
 Herman J. Redfield 
 Isaac Townsend 
 Schuyler Livingston 
 R. Withers 
 John J. Cisco 
 John Romeyn Brodhead 
 C. W. Lawrence 
 
 It is interesting to note that Mr. John R. Brodhead, 
 one of the signers of this letter, had himself been nomi- 
 nated Consul General for Japan by President Pierce on 
 Saturday, March 3, 1855. 7 And on August 1, 1855, Mr. 
 John J. Cisco wrote this special letter of recom- 
 mendation : 8 
 
 New York, August 1, 1855. 
 
 In addition to what is contained on the preceding page, 
 I desire to state that Mr. Harris, while residing here, 
 occupied and deservedly a high position in the com- 
 munity. He was an active member of the Chamber of 
 Commerce, trustee of a savings bank, and for several 
 years President of the Board of Education. These duties 
 were all discharged with credit in the intervals of an 
 active commercial life. 
 
 As a politician he was a sound, reliable, and influential 
 Democrat, and I have reason to know that his views have 
 
 7 S. Ex. J'l, vol. 9, pp. 440, 441. 
 
 8 Files of the Bureau of Appointments, Washington, D. C. 
 
 8 
 
undergone no change ; that he is a true Democrat now as 
 ever before. I give this testimony with much pleasure. 
 
 John J. Cisco. 
 
 Townsend Harris now went to Washington and had 
 the privilege of several personal interviews with Presi- 
 dent Pierce. We are not in a position to give the details 
 of these busy days in the nation's capital. There are ex- 
 tant, however, other extremely interesting documents re 
 lating to this historic appointment. 
 
 From Willards Hotel, Townsend Harris addressed to 
 the President a very frank and touching letter : 9 
 
 Willards Hotel, 
 Washington 
 
 August 4, 1855. 
 Sir: 
 
 In consequence of letters which reached me last 
 evening, I have postponed my return to New York, and 
 remain at this hotel, anxiously awaiting Your Excel- 
 lency's decision on my application. 
 
 I have told Your Excellency that I have long had a 
 strong desire to visit Japan ; and so deep has this feeling 
 become that, if I was offered the choice between Com- 
 missioner to China or Consul to Japan, I should in- 
 stantly take the latter. 
 
 I have a perfect knowledge of the social banishment 
 I must endure while in Japan, and the mental isolation 
 in which I must live, and am prepared to meet it. I am 
 a single man, without any ties to cause me to look 
 anxiously to my old home, or to become impatient in my 
 new one : — You may rely, Sir, that I will not ask for leave 
 
 9 Files of the Bureau of Appointments, Washington, D. C. 
 
 9 
 
to visit my friends, or resign the place for any reasons of 
 dislike to the country, but will devote myself, zealously, 
 to the faithful discharge of my duties. 
 
 I have only to add, that I shall be much obliged by 
 your early decision on my application. 
 
 I have the honor to be 
 With great respect 
 
 Your obedient servant, 
 Townsend Harris. 
 
 To His Excellency Franklin Pierce 
 President of the United States. 
 
 The references in this letter to social banishment and 
 mental isolation were a prophetic look into his future life 
 in Japan — a presentiment of the long-continued isolation 
 which later caused him such great pain and sorrow. 
 
 The Secretary of State, William L. Marcy, who was at 
 Old Point Comfort enjoying a brief respite from the 
 oppressive heat of the capital, had known of the Pres- 
 ident's indecision for some days; and on August 4, 1855 
 — the very same day on which Townsend Harris wrote 
 his letter to the President — Secretary Marcy wrote a 
 confidential letter to General Prosper M. Wetmore (an 
 intimate friend of Townsend Harris), giving a clear 
 picture of the President's hesitation — even quoting the 
 President's own words from a letter which he had re- 
 cently received from the White House. The letter proves 
 that General Wetmore had enlisted the hearty cooper- 
 ation of Secretary Marcy. The communication is marked 
 "Confidential," but its presence to-day in the Harris 
 Letters and Papers simply means that, after reading it, 
 
 10 
 
General Wetmore (in accordance with Secretary 
 Marcy's expressed wish) turned it over to Mr. Harris 
 with his compliments. The letter 10 reads as follows : 
 
 (Confidential) 
 
 O. P. Comfort 
 August^ 1855. 
 My dear General: 
 
 Your letter notifying me that Harris intended to come 
 here arrived the next day after he left this place for 
 Washington. Some days before I left home, the Pres- 
 ident had assented to Harris's appointment, but when I 
 sent him a commission to sign he hesitated, and I 
 thought he was inclined to bestow the office on another. 
 I think he retained that view when Mr. Harris had his 
 first interview with him, but it appears by a letter I have 
 just received from him that Harris has carried his point. 
 From that letter I make the following extract, which I 
 do not doubt will be very gratifying to you. 
 
 "I had a short interview with Mr. Harris yesterday 
 and he dined with me to-day. He is evidently a man of 
 high character, and his large intelligence derived both 
 from books and observation impresses me forcibly. 
 My consultations with him have been very satis- 
 factory, and you have not in my judgment overesti- 
 mated his qualifications for the position of which we 
 have spoken. I shall appoint him at once and think he 
 had better sail as soon as possible." 
 
 I rejoice as heartily as you can at this result. I cannot 
 doubt that he will justify the favorable opinion we enter- 
 
 10 L. Sf P., vol. 1, no. 5. 
 
 II 
 
tain of his eminent qualifications. Should Harris get the 
 appointment, — as I think it is beyond contingency he 
 will, — I have no objection you should read to him the 
 above extract from the President's letter to me. Beyond 
 that I wish it to be regarded as strictly confidential. I 
 have been here nearly a fortnight and may remain some 
 time longer. I brought work with me. The President 
 says in his letter it is hot in Washington and urges me to 
 remain until the weather changes, unless some emer- 
 gency calls for my return. We are here "under an ardent 
 Southern sun," as old Mr. Ritchie would say, but we are 
 surrounded by water and nearly all the time fanned by 
 ocean breezes. These breezes and the bathing are our 
 comforts, — perhaps fish[ing] ought to be added 
 thereto. 
 
 Yours truly, 
 W. L. Marcy. 
 General P. M. Wetmore. 
 
 President Pierce, then, had reached a final and favor- 
 able decision before he received Townsend Harris's 
 letter of August 4, 1855. Indeed, on that same day, Mr. 
 W. Hunter, Assistant Secretary of State, sent Harris the 
 following notice of his appointment : 1X 
 
 Department of State 
 4th August, 1855. 
 Dear Sir: 
 
 I have the pleasure to inform you that the President 
 has signed your commission as Consul General to 
 Japan. He is desirous of conversing with you upon the 
 
 "Z,. & P., vol. 1, no. 10. 
 
 12 
 
subject and will receive you for the purpose at any time 
 when he may not be otherwise engaged. 
 
 Very respectfully 
 
 Your obedient servant, 
 W. Hunter. 
 To Townsend Harris. 
 
 Townsend Harris must have been in New York City 
 by this time, as is proved by another interesting note by 
 Mr. W. H. Topping, written August 5, 1855, which was 
 addressed to him at New York, and which reveals two 
 more persons who strove for the appointment of Harris 
 as our first representative to Japan. 12 
 
 Washington, August 5, 1855. 
 My dear Sir : 
 
 Permit me to congratulate you on your success in 
 obtaining the appointment you desired. 
 
 I called on Mr. Webster, as I promised I would, and 
 was informed by him that the President had concluded 
 to give you the appointment, and I then called in at the 
 Hotel, but you had flown. 
 
 It is more than probable that you will be obliged to 
 return here to receive your instructions, and, if so, I shall 
 have the pleasure of seeing you again either here or in 
 New York, at which latter place I shall be in the course 
 of a few days. Present my regards to General Wetmore 
 and his brother, and believe me to be 
 
 Very respectfully and truly yours, 
 W. H. Topping. 
 Townsend Harris, Esq., 
 etc. etc. etc., 
 New York. 
 
 12 L. & P., vol. 1, no. 11. 
 
 13 
 
This letter brought added joy to Townsend Harris, 
 who must have hastened to communicate the good news 
 to some of his dearest friends — for this we interpret to 
 be the meaning of the names written in his own hand on 
 the back of this letter — namely, Topping and Marcy 
 (at Washington), Currier (at Penang), Barstow (S. L. 
 M. Barlow?), and Drinker (in China). Mr. Sandwith 
 Drinker, indeed, was particularly well informed about 
 Harris's appointment. Writing from Canton, China, on 
 December 3, 1855, 13 he says to Harris : 
 
 "Mrs. Drinker received your note mentioning your 
 appointment to Japan, and we shall all be glad to see you 
 back again. . . . Your secrecy about your mission to 
 Siam is rather amusing, as you say you do not wish it 
 to reach China. We know all your movements better 
 than people at home do. I have received two letters about 
 your going to Siam, and have seen two or three others 
 giving an account of your mission. I also knew, before 
 you wrote, of your appointment to Japan, and knew 
 Marcy consulted Commodore Perry about it. I knew 
 Perry's answer. So you see we are well posted up 
 here." 
 
 As Mr. Drinker said, Secretary Marcy had in fact 
 consulted Commodore Perry as to a properly qualified 
 person for the post to Japan. But we are in a position 
 to-day to give more authoritative information than Mr. 
 Drinker had been able to gather from the letters which 
 he had received. Curiously enough, it is information that 
 Townsend Harris himself received only years later — 
 
 13 Z.. & P., vol. 1, no. 23. 
 
 14 
 
after he had officially sent in his resignation as Minister 
 Resident to Japan. In regretfully accepting this letter 
 of resignation, the then Secretary of State, William H. 
 Seward, bears testimony not only as to the persons who 
 actually had recommended Townsend Harris for the 
 position, but also to the satisfaction of the United States 
 Government at the pioneer work he had accomplished 
 in Japan. 14 
 
 No. 24 Department of State 
 
 Washington, October 21, 1861. 
 Sir: 
 
 Your dispatch of July 10 (No. 29) has been re- 
 ceived. 
 
 You perhaps are informed now for the first time that 
 your appointment as the first commissioner to Japan was 
 made by President Pierce upon the joint recommenda- 
 tion of Commodore Perry and myself. 
 
 You will do me the justice, therefore, to believe that 
 I sincerely sympathize with you in your suffering from 
 ill health, and that I regard your retirement from the 
 important post you have filled with such distinguished 
 ability and success, as a subject of grave anxiety, not only 
 for this country, but for all the Western nations. 
 
 The President [Lincoln] instructs me to say that he 
 accepts your resignation with profound regret, and to 
 present to you an assurance of his entire satisfaction with 
 the manner in which the responsibilities of your mission 
 have been discharged. 
 
 Mr. Robert H. Pruyn has been appointed to succeed 
 you, and, I presume, will reach Yedo as early as January 
 
 ^Dipl. Corr., 1862, pt. 2, p. 816. 
 
 15 
 
next. You will, of course, remain in the discharge of 
 official duties until relieved by his arrival. 
 I am, Sir, 
 
 Your obedient servant, 
 William H. Seward. 
 Townsend Harris, Esq., 
 etc. etc. etc., 
 Yedo. 
 
 So closes the history of Townsend Harris's appoint- 
 ment as Consul General for Japan. He thus became the 
 first representative of any country at any time to be 
 accredited to the Island Empire of the Far East; and it 
 was an extremely fortunate choice — fortunate not only 
 for Japan but for the United States and the world in 
 general. Japan feels deeply the debt of gratitude which 
 she owes to the United States for all that Townsend 
 Harris did for her in those early and troubled days when 
 she first opened her ports to the Western world; and, 
 on the other hand, the world has greatly profited from 
 the fact that Townsend Harris built the diplomatic re- 
 lations of Japan with the United States and the other 
 members of the family of nations on the firm founda- 
 tion of friendliness, mutual trust, and sympathetic un- 
 derstanding. 
 
 16 
 
Journal No. 1 
 
 Commencing May 21, 1855 
 Ending April 13, 1856— on page 60 1 
 
 At Penang, 1855. Having arrived here on the 29th 
 ult. from my Indian trip, and being soon to start on my 
 homeward voyage overland, I shall only record a few of 
 the points and dates in my journey. 
 
 May 21, 1855. Bade adieu to my most kind and 
 hospitable friend Charles C. Currier, Esq., a true Amer- 
 ican and an honor to his country; his praises are in the 
 mouth of every gentleman who has visited Penang. 2 Dear 
 Penang! a part of the primeval Paradise not altered at 
 the Flood: here, an everlasting spring reigns; fresh 
 flowers scent the air on each morning; its luscious 
 fruits, — the pisang, mangosteen, durian, ramput, mango, 
 rambutan, kachao, orange, golden fig, among others, — ■ 
 and the whole family of palm fruits are some of them 
 constantly in season. What lovely views! What a panor- 
 
 iThis legend is written in Townsend Harris's own hand, on the first page 
 of vol 1 of the manuscript Journal. As a matter of fact, Journal no. i ends 
 (on p. 60 of the manuscript) with the entry for Monday, Apr. 14, 1856. 
 
 2 U.S. Consul at Penang ; sailed for the United States on July 1, 1859 : L. & P., 
 vol. 1, no. 256. 
 
 A thorough search of Hasse's Index has failed to find any mention of Mr. 
 Currier as U. S. Consul. In a footnote to his letter to Charles Huffnagle, U. S. 
 Consul General for British India, and dated Shimoda, July 6, 1857 (£• B-> vol. 2 i 
 P« 39). Townsend Harris distinctly mentions Mr. Currier as U. S. Consul at 
 Penang. 
 
 17 
 
ama from the West Hill 2,800 feet high! What rides in 
 its sweetly shaded valleys ! It is a land of delight, and the 
 people are simple, warm hearted and hospitable ; so long 
 as memory continues I can never forget them and their 
 terrestrial Paradise. Go on board the steamer Singa- 
 pore, Captain Baker, my old friend who commanded the 
 steamer Pekin, when we were in fearful danger from a 
 typhoon in the China Sea, October 2, 1851. 
 
 May 2Q, 1 8 55. Arrive off Point-de-Galle (Ceylon) 
 at 7 P. M. Cannot enter the harbor except by daylight, 
 therefore we lie off and on all night, and enter at day- 
 light on the 30th. 
 
 May 30, 1855. Go on board the small steamer Bom- 
 bay for Suez, — horribly crowded, and any quantity of 
 ill-tempered children, speaking Hindostanee, Bengalee, 
 Malay and "Pigeon English" — anything in fact but 
 English — sallow-looking things they are, but time and 
 the temperate zone will give them rosy cheeks, red lips 
 and bleach the yellow stain of bile out of their skins. 
 
 June II, 1855. Reach Aden, created by Shaitan 3 and 
 abandoned by God. Is the most fearfully desolate place 
 I ever saw. Volcanic in its origin, it looks as though it 
 had not yet got cool. Go out to the cantonments five 
 miles, situated on the actual bottom of the old crater. 
 The side to the north is broken down, and through this 
 opening runs the road to the neck which unites it with 
 the land. Finish coaling at 8 P. M. and start for Suez. 
 The weather is oppressive beyond anything I ever knew 
 — it utterly prostrates one. 
 
 3 An Arabic word meaning Satan. 
 
 18 
 
June 12, 1855. Last night will always be fixed in my 
 mind as a night of horror. As we ran up the Straits of 
 Bab-el-Mandeb (truly to us the "Gate of Tears") the 
 simoon began to blow; at 1 A. M. the thermometer stood 
 at 104 ; the air did not appear to possess any oxygen. 
 Men — strong men — gasped for breath, — for something 
 to satisfy the craving of their lungs. At last we passed the 
 Gate at 5 A. M., and, joy of joys, we saw the blue waters 
 of the Red Sea curling under a fresh breeze from the 
 west. The relief was instantaneous — all were like men 
 raised from a sick bed — and the thermometer fell to 87 . 
 About two years ago, three females died from exhaustion 
 alone, during a passage like that of last night. I would 
 advise any friend to avoid the Red Sea from April to 
 November. 
 
 June IQ, 18^5. Reached Suez early this morning. I 
 had the good luck to draw Van No. 1, consequently I 
 leave in the first caravan of five carriages at 2 P. M. The 
 other passengers will follow at intervals of four hours 
 between each caravan. The Van is half an omnibus on 
 two wheels, and drawn by two horses and two mules. 
 Guards on horseback go with each party. The Arabs 
 drive furiously and treat their brutes with great cruelty. 
 
 About five miles from Suez, I had a fine sight of the 
 "Moving Sand Pillars" so graphically described by 
 Bruce. 4 There were four that I saw. They are simply 
 occasioned by a small whirlwind which lifts up the burn- 
 
 4 James Bruce (Dec. 14, 1730-Apr. 27, 1794), African traveller and ex- 
 plorer. The passage referred to is in Travels to Discover the Source of the 
 Nile, in the Years 1768-177 3, Dublin, 1790-91, in vol. 5, bk. VIII, ch. XI, pp. 
 318-19, 321. 
 
 19 
 
ing dust of the desert, and, from its being confined to the 
 vortex of the whirlwind, gives it the appearance of a 
 solid body of great height and moving more or less 
 rapidly over the desert. This no doubt is the origin of the 
 Arab fables of the Jin whose heads reach up to the clouds. 
 Afterwards had a fine mirage — the deception was 
 perfect — a beautiful sheet of water — a noble and exten- 
 sive palace raised its lofty white walls — palm trees were 
 waving — and the green fields refreshed the eye. How 
 much like the future of life in the eye of youth with its 
 glowing anticipations! Alas! how much were the facts 
 like the realities of life! 
 
 The water was the sandy desert — the palace simply 
 the low white stables where our horses stood — the palm 
 trees a poor stunted "thorn acacia" and the green fields 
 a few leaves that will grow in the desert despite its 
 aridity. We have sixteen relays of cattle and eat three 
 times on the road between Suez and Cairo. The coffee 
 must be drunk to be appreciated. Distance, 83 miles; 
 time, 16 hours. On reaching the hills that overlook Cairo, 
 I saw the Great Pyramid by the light of the rising sun — 
 a grand sight. It looked like a mountain. 
 
 June 20, 1855. As the cholera was raging in Cairo, 
 we drove at once to the steamer at Shubra, about three 
 miles below Boulak. Here are a fine palace and beautiful 
 gardens belonging to the Pasha, Said-Pasha. Not fearing 
 the cholera [we] went to Cairo and visited the Citadel 
 and the Tomb of Mehemet Ali. As Cairo is no novelty 
 nowadays I do not describe it, merely remarking that the 
 Mosque or Tomb of Mehemet Ali brought the glories 
 
 20 
 
of Agra and Delhi to my mind from the similarity of 
 style; but what a difference! Go and see the Taj Mahal 
 and Moote Musjeed, the Tomb of Ackbar and the 
 Jumma Musjeed and twenty other fine buildings at 
 Agra; then visit Delhi, both old and new, and see her 
 glories, and you would at once say that Mehemet's Tomb 
 is mere cutcha. 6 
 
 Having time, I went to the Great Pyramid and went 
 through the whole process of donkey bargaining with its 
 attendant noise and cheatery ; was dragged up to the top 
 of the Pyramid by four cutthroat looking rascals, and 
 then came down again, woefully out of breath. I am 
 sorry I ever saw it under any other light than that from 
 the hills at sunrise. 
 
 I would advise any friend visiting Cairo to go out there 
 to see the sight. It will pay — as we say in America. Passed 
 the night miserably enough in the small, dirty, hot and 
 crowded steamer. The last passengers arrived at 8 P. M. 
 
 June 21, 1855. Left Shubra at 6 :3c* A. M. for Kafirlis, 
 or Cafferlis — seventy-five miles below Cairo. Pass 
 through the great hydraulic work called the Barrage, 
 intended to secure the inundation of the lands above it. 
 
 It is a bold and noble work, but not yet complete. 
 Reached Kafirlis at 4 P. M. and took the railway! Shade 
 
 ^Musjeed (or masjid, mesjid, musjid) : a Mohammedan mosque. "Moti 
 Masjid, or Pearl Mosque, is an equally perfect example of the Mahommedan 
 style" ; Encycl. Brit., s. v. Agra. 
 
 It will be noticed that here, and generally so, Townsend Harris anglicizes 
 the spelling of foreign words: e. a., the long "i" of masjid he represents by 
 a double "e." 
 
 6 The meaning is quite clear, even without knowing that cutcha is an Anglo- 
 Indian word meaning a cheap lime used in building. 
 
 21 
 
of Cheops! A railway in Egypt! Cars new and capital, 
 we spun over the eighty-three miles to Alexandria by 
 8 130 P. M. Rose early and got a vapor bath — the first 
 bath since leaving Ceylon. 
 
 June 22, 1855. Went on board the steamer Euxine 
 at n A. M. for England ho! via Malta and Gibraltar. 
 View of Alexandria Harbor as you leave it is very fine. 
 
 En route to Malta saw Cape Bon near Tripoli, and 
 Captain Weeks like a good fellow sheered in so that we 
 could make out the houses at Algiers as we passed. 
 
 June 25, 1855. Arrive at Malta, visit the Church of 
 St. John with its magnificent roof and pavement and 
 noble monuments of the old knights ; also the old palace 
 and armory of the knights; about one hundred suits of 
 their armor are preserved in the armory. I was surprised 
 at the smallness of it, but few of the corselets were large 
 enough for my chest, although I am not very large. 
 
 July 1, 1855. Arrive at Gibraltar early in the morn- 
 ing. Visit the fortifications, which I think might be truly 
 called impregnable, — so long as ammunition and food 
 hold out, nothing but treachery or cowardice can cause 
 its surrender. Capital apricots and other fruits. Pleasant 
 to my ear it was, to hear the rolling sounds of the 
 majestic Castilian language. I should have noted that, on 
 our voyage from Malta, we saw snow on the peaks of the 
 Sierra Nevada, and that among other places we had 
 capital views of Velez-Malaga, Malaga itself, and the 
 beautiful country between. Malaga must be a capital 
 place for an invalid. We left the same day for our last 
 stage, — Southampton. 
 
 22 
 
July 6, 1855. On our voyage from Gibraltar we 
 sighted Cape Trafalgar, Cape Finisterre and Ushant, 
 of course observing Europa Point and Cape Spartel. 
 
 We reached Southampton at 4 P. M. having passed be- 
 tween the Isle of Wight and the villages of New Forest. 
 I would here remark that, from leaving Penang until 
 our arrival here, the weather has been good, so far as 
 wind is concerned, and that we never had any sea that 
 would endanger a common ship's boat. Passed my 
 luggage at the Custom House and went to Radley's 
 Hotel, a very good house, where we had beefsteaks, 
 strawberries and other things that do not figure in the 
 Asiatic bills of fare. 
 
 July 7, 1855. Went up to London and on going to 
 Baring Brothers & Co. I met the welcome of letters from 
 my dear friends in New York. I had intended to go to 
 Paris, but my letters were so urgent for my immediate 
 return 7 that I took my passage for the Atlantic to leave 
 Liverpool on the 16th inst. Went down to Liverpool 
 on the 14th, passed the 15th in calling on Mr. and Mrs. 
 Miller and Mr. and Mrs. Whittemore, and early on the 
 1 6th went on board the noble steamer Atlantic, Captain 
 West ; and, being so placed and surrounded by plenty of 
 countrymen, I felt as though I had already reached 
 home. 
 
 7 Though there is no manuscript evidence, the writer feels sure that among 
 these urgent letters from dear friends in New York there was at least one 
 from General Prosper M. Wetmore, and perhaps one from William L. Marcy, 
 the Secretary of State. The writer is even more sure that the reason for the 
 urgency of Townsend Harris's return was that he might be present in the 
 United States to plead his own cause and to make sure of receiving the ap- 
 pointment as first Consul General to Japan. 
 
 23 
 
We had a singular mirage on our voyage home. We 
 saw Cape Race early in the morning, and at 3 P. M. land 
 appeared nearly directly ahead and apparently some ten 
 miles distant. Suddenly the line of the land stretched 
 along nearly across our course and extended a long 
 distance. Now, in reality, the nearest land in that 
 direction was Cape Breton (I think) then some one hun- 
 dred and ten miles (not knots) distant. The land soon 
 began to show remarkable changes. Sometimes it would 
 shoot up into high sharp peaks ; then the peaks would 
 change to rounded hills; then the line of coast would be 
 changed into distinct islets as quick as the changes of a 
 kaleidoscope. It continued until 9 P. M. 
 
 July 2J, 1855. At 4 P. M. we passed the buoy on the 
 Bay of New York, which completed my voyage around 
 the world. 
 
 I expressed a hope to some of the passengers that I 
 should never be required to leave New York for two 
 hundred and fifty miles in any direction. 8 
 
 I omit the details of what I did while in the United 
 States, merely noting that on the 4th of August I was 
 appointed Consul General 9 for Japan. 
 
 8 The hope here expressed by Townsend Harris must have been due to the 
 exuberance of his joy at reaching home again, — "dear old, inflammable New 
 York" (as he elsewhere calls it), — after an absence of seven years, dating 
 from the spring of 1849, when he left for California as supercargo of his own 
 trading argosy. (See note 7.) 
 
 9 See illustration. It will be noticed that the word General was inserted by 
 hand on a form intended for consuls only; secondly, that this first commission 
 was addressed to "His Imperial Majesty, The Emperor of Japan," although, 
 as a matter of fact, it was ultimately delivered to the Shogun at Yedo; and 
 thirdly, that W. Hunter signed as Acting Secretary of State, in place of Secre- 
 tary William L. Marcy, who was then at Old Point Comfort enjoying a 
 short vacation. 
 
 24 
 
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UFSARY 
 
 OF THE 
 UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS 
 
During the same month the President was pleased to 
 entrust me with the making [of] a commercial treaty 
 with the Kingdom of Siam, 10 a matter in which Mr. 
 Balestier was unsuccessful in 1851. 11 
 
 10 The first information Townsend Harris received of this additional assign- 
 ment was contained in a letter from Secretary W. L. Marcy, dated Washington, 
 Sept. 6, 1855 (L. & P., vol. 1, no. 14). He was informed that he was to visit 
 Siam with a view to negotiate a treaty, and was requested to go to Washing- 
 ton as soon as possible in order to make the necessary arrangements. As is so 
 often the case, the most interesting part of this letter is the postscript, which 
 reads: 
 
 "I advise that nothing should be said about the Siam negotiations. If it 
 should become public, obstacles may be thrown in the way of it." 
 
 We have already seen (in the Introduction) how well this state secret was kept. 
 Townsend Harris informed Mr. S. Drinker of it by letter of Sept. 15, 1855. For, 
 writing from Canton, China, on Dec. 3, 1855, Mr. Drinker was already in 
 a position to say to Harris: 
 
 "Your secrecy about your mission to Siam is rather amusing, as you say 
 you do not wish it to reach China." 
 
 Incidentally, there seems to have been no exception made in this instance to 
 the rule affecting secrets. For, just as Townsend Harris, in spite of Secretary 
 Marcy's injunctions, had within ten days seen fit to confide in his intimate 
 friend Mr. Drinker, so had others (at least the "two or three others" referred 
 to by Mr. Drinker) similarly confided in their friends in China. 
 
 The two "Full Powers," authorizing Townsend Harris to conclude com- 
 mercial treaties with Siam and Japan, are dated September 8, 1855, and are 
 signed by President Franklin Pierce and by Secretary of State William L. 
 Marcy. The special passport, signed by Secretary Marcy, is dated Sept. 12, 
 1855. (These three originals are at The College of the City of New York; cf. 
 also L. & P., vol. 1, no. 15.) The President's letters to the King of Siam and 
 to the Emperor of Japan (countersigned by Secretary Marcy), are dated Sept. 
 12, 1855 (L. & P., vol. 2, nos. 14 and 15). These five documents were sent 
 to Townsend Harris enclosed in Secretary Marcy's Letter of Instructions, 
 bearing date of Sept. 12, 1855, and directing him: 
 
 Firstly, to revise the existing treaty with Siam, concluded by Edmund 
 
 Roberts on Mar. 20, 1833; and 
 
 Secondly, to make sure that missionaries from the United States would 
 
 henceforth be free from molestation. (Dispatch No. 1 from the Department 
 
 of State: L. & P., vol. 2, no. 16.) 
 
 njoseph Balestier, of Massachusetts. He was nominated U. S. Consul for 
 Rhio, Island of Bintang, Malagan Sea, on Jan. 21, 1834; referred to the Com- 
 mittee on Commerce; consented to, Feb. 10, 1834 (Hasse, Index, pt. 3, p. 1720). 
 
 He was nominated U.S. Consul for Singapore, July 2, 1836; referred to Com- 
 mittee on Commerce; consented to, July 4, 1836; served in this capacity from 
 1836 to 1852 (ib. t p. 1712). 
 
 From Aug. 16, 1849, to Feb. 15, 1851, he acted as Special Commissioner of the 
 
 25 
 
It was arranged between the State and Navy Depart- 
 ments, that the Steam Frigate San Jacinto would call at 
 Penang, to which place I wished to proceed overland, 
 and then take me to Siam and afterwards to Japan. I 
 soon made the acquaintance of Commodore Armstrong 12 
 whose flag is on the San Jacinto, and Captain Bell 13 of 
 the frigate. I put on board of her the presents for the 
 Kings of Siam with my heavy luggage for Japan, with 
 some few stores. I found the Commodore and Captain 
 Bell very kind and accommodating, and I hope we shall 
 prove to be good messmates. 
 
 October IJ ', 1855. Embark on board the steamer 
 Pacific?* Captain Nye, for Liverpool. For reasons that 
 
 United States to Cochin China. Mr. Balestier's report to the Secretary of 
 State of his unsuccessful efforts to conclude a commercial treaty with Siam is 
 to be found in 32-1, S. Ex. Doc, no. 38 — in Serial no. 618 — a report which, 
 with the accompanying documents, fills 125 pages. 
 
 12 Commodore James Armstrong: born at Shelbyville, Kentucky, Jan. 17, 
 1794. His official career was as follows: Midshipman, Nov. 15, 1809; Lieuten- 
 ant, Apr. 27, 1816; Commander, Mar. 3, 1825; Captain, Sept. 8, 1841; Com- 
 modore, Retired List, Apr. 4, 1867; died, Aug. 25, 1868 {cf. Callahan, List; 
 and T. H. S. Hamersly, General Register). 
 
 In 1814, he was captured by the British while serving in the Frolic; from 
 1855 to 1858, he commanded the East India Squadron, during which time (in 
 1857) he destroyed the Barrier Forts at Canton. 
 
 13 Captain Henry Haywood Bell: born in Orange County, North Carolina, 
 in 1808. His official career was as follows: Midshipman, Aug. 4, 1823; Passed 
 midshipman, Mar. 23, 1829; Lieutenant, Mar. 3, 1831; Commander, Aug. 12, 
 1854; Commodore, July 16, 1862; Rear-Admiral, July 25, 1866; Retired List, 
 Apr. 12, 1867; Drowned at the mouth of the Osaka River, Japan, Jan. 11, 
 1868. (Cf. Callahan, op. cit.; and Hamersly, op. cit.) 
 
 In early life he served on the Grampus in the expedition against the pirates 
 on the coast of Cuba. In the destruction of the Barrier Forts at Canton, he 
 commanded the San Jacinto. During the Civil War, he did distinguished 
 service in the West Gulf blockading squadron under Admiral Farragut. In 
 1865, he commanded the East India Squadron with the rank of commodore. 
 
 14 This steamer (300 feet long and 46 feet wide) was a ship of 3,500 tons. 
 The New York Tribune of Thursday morning, Oct. 25, 1849, in reporting the 
 installation of her engines the preceding day, speaks of her as the largest 
 steamer in the world and the future monarch of the ocean. 
 
 26 
 
I will omit, the voyage was the most unpleasant I ever 
 made. From unavoidable exposure I took a violent cold 
 on the 24th. We arrived at Liverpool at 2 A. M. of Sun- 
 day, October 28th. I visited Mr. and Mrs. Miller and 
 Mr. and Mrs. Whittemore, and transacted some business 
 with Messrs. Brown, Shipley & Co. and left for London 
 at 4 P. M. of the 29th. Arrived at the Euston Square 
 Station 15 and thence went to the Clarendon Hotel. I was 
 very happy to meet here Colonel Osborne of the Madras 
 Army, an old fellow passenger on the Indian side. The 
 30th and 31st were passed in arranging my money 
 matters with the Messrs. Baring, calling on Mr. 
 Buchanan 16 and making some small purchases. 
 
 November I, 1855. Went to Paris via Dover and 
 Calais, Lisle, Amiens, etc. etc. Reached Paris at 1 1 P. M. 
 and went to the Hotel Meurice, where with great 
 difficulty I got a room up 132 steps of staircase at five 
 francs per day! I ordered some properly ornamented 
 clothes to wear at the Court of Bangkok 17 , etc. etc., and 
 
 15 Townsend Harris arrived in London the same day — Monday, Oct. 29, 
 1855. (£• Sf P., vol. 2, no. 119.) 
 
 16 James Buchanan, then Minister to Great Britain, later President of the 
 United States. 
 
 Townsend Harris called at the American Legation on Tuesday, Oct. 30, 1855. 
 Among other reasons, he called to have his passport duly vised — which was ac- 
 cordingly marked, Bon pour La France, and was signed by John Appleton, 
 Secretary of Legation. On the same day, he visited also the Consulate General 
 of France in London, and for the same purpose. His passport was here marked 
 Bon pour un an pour France. The next day, Oct. 31, 1855, he paid Mr. Buchanan 
 a visit of leave. {Journal, Monday, Mar. 9, 1857.) 
 
 By a strange coincidence, Buchanan was destined, as President of the United 
 States, to receive officially, at Washington, the first Japanese Embassy that, in 
 i860 and at the instance of Townsend Harris himself, left the Island Empire 
 for a visit to the Western countries — seeing America first. 
 
 17 0n a small scrap of blue paper (endorsed "Uniform Regulations"), Town- 
 
 27 
 
purchased a good supply of shoes. I visited the great 
 Exhibition, the Louvre and all the great collections of 
 works of art, besides going to the opera as often as I 
 could. 
 
 November 15, 1855. The great Exhibition was 
 closed to-day, with all the imposing ceremonies that the 
 French know so well how to arrange. On arriving in 
 London I found the steamer for India was full and that 
 a passage could not be had at any rate. I therefore took 
 my passage by the steamer of the 20th from Southamp- 
 ton (I to go via Marseilles), although this will compel 
 me to wait in Ceylon some fifteen days. I should have 
 reached Penang just as soon by taking the steamer of the 
 4th of December, but I wished to avoid even the appear- 
 ance of loitering, though, for that matter, the steamer 
 of the 4th of January, 1856, would have taken me to 
 Penang in ample time for the San Jacinto 18 , as Captain 
 Bell told me he did not expect to reach Penang before 
 the 20th of February. 
 
 send Harris wrote the following memorandum of the uniform he was to wear 
 at Court (L. & P., vol. 2, no. 7) : 
 
 Uniform 
 
 A blue coat lined with white silk, straight, standing collar embroider[e]d 
 
 with gold, single breasted, straight or round button holes, slightly embroid- 
 
 er[e]d — Navy button — cuffs embroider[e]d in the manner of the collar, white 
 
 cassimere breeches, gold knee buckles, white silk stockings, and gold shoe 
 
 buckles — a chapeau bras, black cockade and gold eagle — sword. 
 
 18 The San Jacinto left New York for Pulo Penang on Oct. 25, 1855, eight 
 
 days after Townsend Harris sailed on the Pacific (William Maxwell Wood, 
 
 Fankivei: or the San Jacinto in the Seas of India, China and Japan, p. 15. 
 
 London and New York, Harper & Bros., 1859). She arrived at her destination 
 
 on Mar. 21, 1856, at 11 A. M., 149 days out from New York (L. B., vol. 1, p. 14), 
 
 having on board Mr. Heusken, Townsend Harris's Dutch Secretary for Japan, 
 
 and the numerous presents for the two Kings of Siam and for the Emperor 
 
 of Japan. (P. J. Treat, The Early Diplomatic Relations between the United 
 
 States and Japan, p. 56.) 
 
 28 
 
November 26, 1855. My cold, contracted in the 
 Pacific, has not left me, indeed I do not know how it 
 could, as I have only seen the sun twice since I have been 
 in Paris, — fog, drizzle, rain, mud and misery. I am glad 
 to start for the clean skies and bright suns of the tropics 
 once more. 
 
 I called frequently on Mr. Mason 19 and Mr. McRae, 20 
 our Consul at Paris. I was most happy to meet Mr. 
 Vesey, 21 our Consul for Havre, and Charles Huffnagle, 
 Esq., 22 United States Consul General for British India. 
 The latter is an old Indian acquaintance, and we passed 
 many happy hours together in Paris. 
 
 Mr. Huffnagle left on the 19th to go to the Crimea, 
 promising to join me at Alexandria and so go on with me 
 to Ceylon. 
 
 I left Paris early this evening and travelled all night 
 
 19 John Young Mason, of Virginia: Apr. 18, 1799-Oct. 3, 1859; Envoy Ex- 
 traordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to France, 1853-59. 
 
 He was Secretary of the Navy (President Tyler), Mar. 14, 1844 to 1845; 
 Attorney General (President Polk), Mar. 5, 1845, to Sept. 9, 1846; again 
 Secretary of the Navy, Sept. 10, 1846-49; commissioned Minister to France 
 (President Pierce), Oct. 10, 1853 ; nominated Minister on Dec. 6, 1853, in place 
 of William C. Rives, who was recalled at his own request; died at his post 
 in Paris, Oct. 3, 1859. (Hasse, Index, pt. 3, p. 1798, and Encycl. Brit.) 
 
 20 D. K. McRae, of North Carolina, Consul at Paris, 1854-55. 
 
 He was nominated on Feb. 4, 1854, in place of S. G. Goodrich, recalled; 
 consented to, Feb. 13, 1854. (Hasse, Index, pt. 3, p. 1723.) 
 
 21 William H. Vesey, of New York, Consul for Havre, France, 1853-59. 
 
 He was nominated Consul on Mar. 9, 1853, in place of L. Draper, recalled; 
 reported, Mar. 14th; consented to, Mar. 21st. (Hasse, Index, pt. 3, p. 1722.) 
 
 22 Charles Huffnagle, of Pennsylvania. 
 
 He was nominated Consul for Calcutta on Dec. 22, 1847, m place of J. B. 
 Higginson, recalled; reported, Dec. 23, 1847; consented to, Jan. 3, 1848; served 
 till 1853. 
 
 He was nominated Consul General for British India on Mar 7, 1853; re- 
 nominated, July 7, 1856; consented to, July 31, 1856; served till 1861. (Hasse, 
 Index, pt. 3, p. 1704.) 
 
 29 
 
to Marseilles — passing Lyons, Vienne, Avignon, etc., 
 etc., — arriving at 5 P. M. Next day called at the Amer- 
 ican Consulate — the Consul, Mr. Hodge, 23 I left in 
 Paris. Got my passport, etc., en regie and finally left 
 Marseilles on the 29th. The new harbor of Marseilles 
 is a noble work; passed quite close to the celebrated 
 Chateau d'lf or Monte Cristo's Island. I am in the 
 Vectis, a small but very fast steamer which is com- 
 manded by Captain Norris, an old China acquaint- 
 ance. 
 
 November 2Q, 1855. Pass between Corsica and Sar- 
 dinia and have a fine view of both islands, and on the 
 morning of the 30th we see the coast of Sicily. Pass the 
 Island of Maritima, celebrated for its prison for political 
 offenders of the olden time. It looks bad enough, but it 
 is a pleasure garden when compared with Aden. Have 
 a capital view of the town of Marsala and afterwards 
 some other places on the coast, — coast high and pictur- 
 esque. At 3 P. M. passed Girgenti, and on the 30th of 
 November at 6 A. M. reached Malta. Called at once on 
 Mr. Winthrop, 24 U. S. Consul; afterwards went on an- 
 other pilgrimage to the noble church of St. John and 
 to the ramparts of Civita Vecchia. 
 
 23 J. L. Hodge, of Pennsylvania, Consul for Marseilles from 1850 to 1856. 
 
 He was nominated Consul on Jan. 4, 1850, in place of D. C. Croxall, recalled; 
 reported, Aug. 2, 1850; consented to, Aug. 27, 1850. (Hasse, Index, pt. 3, 
 p. 1722.) 
 
 24 William Winthrop, of Massachusetts, Consul for Malta from 1834 t0 1869. 
 
 William Winthrop was the same individual as W. W. Andrews. As An- 
 drews, he was nominated Consul on Dec. 10, 1834, in place of P. Eynard, 
 removed; referred to the Committee on Commerce, Dec. 15, 1834; consented 
 to Dec. 30, 1834. He changed his name to William Winthrop about Sept. 2, 
 1845; died at his post, July 3, 1869. (Hasse, Index, pt. 3, p. 1709.) 
 
 30 
 
The U. S. Frigate Constellation left yesterday for 
 Sicily. We leave at noon for Alexandria. 
 
 December 4., 1 855. We reached Alexandria at 3 P. M. 
 and am sorry to learn my friend Huffnagle has not ar- 
 rived, so I shall lose his agreeable company. Mr. De 
 Leon, 25 the U. S. Consul General for Egypt, is in Cairo. 
 The Vice-Consul called on me in the evening. 
 
 December 5, 1855. Leave Alexandria per railway at 
 7 A. M. for Cafferlis. Had we been one day later we 
 should have been able to go all the way to Cairo by rail, 
 which would have been more agreeable than the small 
 dirty Nile steamers. The steamer from Southampton 
 (November 20th) reached Alexandria one hour before 
 us. This shows that a person saves eight days by going to 
 the East via Marseilles. Among my fellow passengers 
 is the Hon. Chisholm Anstey, 26 late M.P., now Attorney 
 General for Hongkong, and Mr. Gregory, M. P. for 
 Dublin, both agreeable persons. Arrived at Cafferlis at 
 half-past ten and did not leave till half-past twelve. A 
 
 25 Edwin De Leon, of South Carolina, Consul General for Alexandria, 
 Egypt, from 1854 t0 1861. 
 
 He was nominated Consul General on Feb. 4, 1854, m place of R. B. Jones, 
 recalled; reported, Feb. 13, 1854; consented to, Apr. 18, 1854. (Hasse, Index, 
 pt. 3, p. 1752.) 
 
 He was author, journalist, and diplomat. Born May 4, 1818, in Charleston, 
 South Carolina, he resigned his office in 1861 in order to go with the Confed- 
 eracy. In his Thirty Years of My Life on Three Continents, he gives many 
 pleasing reminiscences of distinguished persons whom he met in Europe and 
 in the East. He died in New York City, Dec. 1, 1891. (Nat. Cycl. Amer. Biogr., 
 vol. 4, p. 94.) 
 
 26 The Hon. Thomas Chisholm Anstey, 1816 to Aug. 12, 1873. After a stormy 
 career in English home politics, which scarcely gave him any claim to govern- 
 ment office, he was none the less appointed Attorney General for Hongkong 
 in 1854. His endeavors to reform radically the entire administration of Hong- 
 kong brought him into serious collision with Sir John Bowring, the Governor; 
 and finally, in 1858, he was suspended from his post by Sir John — a suspension 
 later confirmed by the home government. (Diet. Nat. Biogr.) 
 
 31 
 
most unpleasant trip — steamer small, dirty and crowded ; 
 and, going upstream, do not reach Cairo until half-past 
 two on the next morning. I found Mr. De Leon at the 
 hotel and am indebted to him for a most agreeable day. 
 Revisited the Citadel, Tomb of Mehemet Ali, and some 
 of the chief bazaars. Leave Cairo at midnight. 
 
 December J, 1855. Reached Suez at 4 P. M. and, 
 after three hours' search after luggage, I go on board 
 the fine steamer Bengal. I had applied for a sofa when 
 I was in London, but they were all engaged and I was 
 compelled to take an upper berth, which is very un- 
 pleasant in a hot climate. I was most agreeably surprised, 
 on going on board, at being told that sofa No. 95 was 
 assigned to me — one of the best places and cabins in the 
 ship. I find a large and pleasant company on board ; but 
 the steamer is so large and roomy and so well ventilated, 
 that we are very comfortable. I here meet Mr. Stirling, 
 late Attorney General for Hongkong, who is going to 
 Ceylon as Puisne 27 Judge. He has Mrs. and Miss Stirling 
 with him. Among the passengers whose names I wish to 
 preserve were Mr. Mitford, Civil Judge, Ceylon; 
 Major Durand, 28 Bengal Engineers; General Lockyer, 
 Commander of the forces, Ceylon, with his amiable wife 
 and daughters. We left Suez during the night. 
 
 The sunsets in the Red Sea are glorious beyond any 
 description I can give. At 5 P. M. the atmosphere appears 
 to be composed of liquid gold — more glorious even than 
 
 27 Junior, younger or inferior judge. From the old French fuh-ne; Latin, 
 post natus, meaning therefore "born later," and giving our English word 
 "puny." 
 
 28 Sir Henry Marion Durand, 1812-1871. (See Diet. Nat. Biogr.) 
 
 32 
 
Turner's landscapes which excited so much criticism. It 
 then changes to green, violet, purple and other hues 
 that make a combination "that must be seen to be 
 appreciated." 
 
 December 1 3, 1855. Off Mocha; pass the Calcutta 
 steamer Oriental bound to Suez. She is forty-eight hours 
 behind her time. Have a capital view of Mocha. I 
 omitted to state that both in going up in June last, and 
 now in coming down the Red Sea, I had a very good 
 view of the peak of Mount Sinai and of Mount Hor. 
 
 Arrive at Aden December 8th, 8 A. M. I did not intend 
 to land, but at nine o'clock I received a letter from Mr. 
 Alley, an American who has established himself here in 
 business. He invited me to his house and said his carriage 
 was waiting for me at the wharf. I accepted his kind 
 offer and passed some hours very pleasantly with him. 
 We left Aden at half-past two P. M. with a fresh breeze 
 from the south. Thermometer 8 1 °. What a contrast to my 
 visit here last June! 
 
 Sunday, December 16, 1855. Divine service in the 
 morning by Mr. Brown of the Scotch Kirk, and in the 
 afternoon by the Rev. Mr. Daintree, son of the Bishop 
 of Madras. Among our passengers, beside those noted 
 before, are Colonel Chester, Bengal; Colonel Spottis- 
 wood, 29 do.; Major Tombs, 30 Bengal Cavalry; Mr. Far- 
 quarson, Bengal Civil Service; and Captain Crish, of 
 Maulmain. A Miss De Quincey, daughter or sister (?) 
 of the "Opium Eater" ; she is going out to India to meet 
 
 29 Arthur Cole Spottiswoode, 1808-74. (See Diet. Nat. Biogr.) 
 30 Sir Henry Tombs, 1824-74. UM 
 
 33 
 
her betrothed. She has a sweet voice and sings charm- 
 ingly. I shall long remember her intelligent face. 
 
 Miss Stirling gave the following as a good reason for. 
 not marrying : E. E. xx Matrimony, e e XX. 
 
 December 24, 1 855. At 6:30 anchor off Point-de- 
 Galle to wait for daylight. The next morning I take leave 
 of Captain Black of the Bengal, with thanks for his 
 attentions, and go on shore and proceeded to my old 
 quarters at Bogar's Mansion House. Call on Captain and 
 Mrs. McDonald. The Bengal leaves for Madras and 
 Calcutta at 5 P. M. I dine with Dr. Clarke (LL.D.), 
 Acting Judge. The guests, besides myself, were Judge 
 Mitford, Mr. Clarke, the Presbyterian clergyman, Mr. 
 Black, 31 U. S. Consul, and wife. Mr. Clarke is a tee- 
 totaler, — of which class the number is increasing in the 
 East. While in France I drank the delightful mild wine 
 of the South, but after leaving Marseilles I came back to 
 my old Asiatic habit — tea and cold water. 
 
 December 26, 1855. Call on John Black, Esq., U. S. 
 Consul — he [was] absent at Colombo. Saw Mrs. Black 
 and her three fine children. Afterwards I see Staff Sur- 
 geon Cowen and the Rev. Mr. Garstin, Colonial Chap- 
 lain, and Mr. W. C. Forbes, all of whom called on me 
 first. What a difference a title of office makes in this 
 world of ours! Mr. Forbes invited me to dine with him 
 on New Year's Day, which I accepted. 
 
 December 2J, 1855. Breakfast chez moi. Afterwards 
 go to reading room, where my name has been kindly 
 inscribed. See a grand match at billiards played between 
 
 31 John Black (cf. entry for Dec. 26, 1855). 
 
 34 
 
Major Lilly, Commander at Point-de-Galle, and Cap- 
 tain Vanderspaar, of the Ceylon Rifles. A deal of betting 
 by the players and bystanders. How fond the English 
 are of a bet! Home to dine and early to bed. Sleep well. 
 
 December 28, 1855. Breakfast and dine with Cap- 
 tain and Mrs. McDonald, my old Hongkong friends. 
 They kindly give me a standing invitation to breakfast 
 with them every day and also to dine, when they are not 
 engaged out themselves. 
 
 Write to Judge Mitford and J. O'Halloran, Esq. Mr. 
 H. Sonnerkalb, Consul for Hamburg, called on me to- 
 day. 
 
 Friday, Saturday and Sunday, December 28, 2Q and 
 30, 1855. Did not leave the hotel. Read The New- 
 comes. This, like the other works of Thackeray, leaves 
 a very unpleasant sensation. In his eyes the whole world 
 is base, black and faithless; he ignores everything like 
 benevolent action based on principle, and disbelieves any 
 other motive of action than egoism. On Monday the 
 31st the steamer from Calcutta for Suez comes in. Mr. 
 Baker, formerly of the Sandwich Islands and now of 
 Calcutta, desires to be remembered to S. N. Greene, 32 
 (fat Sam), of Penang. Write to N. Dougherty of New 
 York. 33 
 
 32 Samuel N. Greene, an intimate friend of Townsend Harris, of whom we 
 shall hear more later. He was a business partner of Charles C. Currier, U.S. 
 Consul at Penang. (Wood, op. cit., p. 133.) Mr. Greene's wife and two children 
 sailed for Scotland on the P. & O. Malabar on Oct. 22, 1859 (£• & ?•* v °l- *> no. 
 256). He was a cousin of Captain W. C. Nicholson, of the U.S.S. Mississippi, 
 {lb.) 
 
 33 Nathaniel Dougherty, a very intimate friend of Townsend Harris. He 
 served as Townsend Harris's clerk while the latter was in the earthenware 
 business in New York from Oct., 1838, till the winter of 1847-48. (See Nathan- 
 
 35 
 
Monday, December 31, 1855. The steamer from 
 China comes in. Hear of the death of Commodore Ab- 
 bott, 34 U. S. N., at Hongkong. Call on Mrs. Black and 
 Mrs. McDonald. 
 
 Go to reading room ; look over China and India news- 
 papers; return The Newcomes, and take out The 
 Caxtons. 
 
 January 1, 1856. Happy New Year! I would much 
 like to be in New York to-day to call on the few friends 
 that Death has left me. This bids fair to be an important 
 year to me. I have important matters entrusted to my 
 charge, and, if I am successful, I may connect my name 
 with the history of my country. But, if unsuccessful, no 
 matter what ability I may display in my negotiations, I 
 shall sink just as much in proportion as I should rise if 
 successful. In other words, the world judges solely by 
 results. Finis coronat opus is the motto of our day and 
 generation. The steamer from China (Noma) sailed for 
 Bombay at 6 :30 A. M. 
 
 Call on Captain and Mrs. McDonald. Finish and re- 
 turn The Caxtons. How much the later works of Bulwer 
 excel his early productions; what a difference in the 
 
 iel Dougherty's letter to General Prosper M. Wetmore, dated New York, 
 Mar. 24, 1855, now in the files of the Bureau of Appointments, Washington, 
 D. C.) During the early part of 1847 Townsend Harris devoted very much 
 of his time to the establishment of The College of the City of New York, to 
 the neglect of his own business. He resigned as president of the Board of Edu- 
 cation of New York City by letter dated Jan. 26, 1848, and in May, 1849, sailed 
 for California. Mr. Dougherty continued independently as an importer of earth- 
 enware at 101 Water Street, New York; and during Townsend Harris's absence 
 in Japan frequently acted as his American agent in financial matters. (L. B., and 
 L.& P., passim.) 
 
 34 Commodore Joel Abbott, of Massachusetts; died at Hongkong, Dec. 14, 
 1855. (Hasse, Index, pt. 1, p. 7.) 
 
 36 
 
morals and philosophy of My Novel and The Caxtons 
 and that of Pelham, Eugene Aram, Paul Clifford, etc., 
 etc. Dine with Mr. Forbes, Governor's Agent for this 
 place. His bungalow is outside the Fort, on a pretty hill 
 overlooking the Fort and Harbor. Met Captain and 
 Mrs. McDonald, Major Lilly and two subaltern officers. 
 These military men cannot talk anything but shop. The 
 Indian officers are, many of them, much better informed 
 than those of FJer Majesty's service. The latter talk only 
 of horses, dogs, billiards and cards — that is, beyond the 
 gossip of the regiment and station. 
 
 Mrs. Forbes is a very charming person, daughter of a 
 judge, born and educated in Ceylon; she has never been 
 one hundred and fifty miles from her birthplace, yet she 
 is well informed and most pleasing in her manners. The 
 dinner was somewhat different from the usual English 
 one in the colonies. A great number of excellent Cinga- 
 lese plates made their appearance: among others, the 
 cabbage, as it is called, of the cocoanut tree, dressed half 
 a dozen different ways, — the meat of the cocoanut which 
 has just begun to germinate, in which state the cavity is 
 quite filled up with a sweet, crisp, vegetable substance 
 that is quite agreeable. The Malay curries of Mrs. 
 Forbes were unexceptionable. Hulwah, an Arab sweet- 
 meat, made of rice, sugar and camel's milk, figured at 
 the dessert among a regiment of Cingalese and Hindo- 
 stanee preparations of fruit and sugar. 
 
 January 2, 1856. I meet for the first time with the 
 works of the Rev. C. Kingsley: Alton Locke, Yeast, 
 Hypatia, and Westward Ho! I shall read these. I took 
 
 37 
 
out the Adventures in the Punjab by Major H. M. 
 Lawrence, the most remarkable man of India at the 
 present day. He resembles Lord Clive in energy, fertility 
 of resources and indomitable courage, while he has none 
 of the vices that stained the glory of Clive. Also took 
 [out] Anti-Coningsby. 35 
 
 January 3, 1856. Up at 5 A. M. and go out to a rock 
 temple (wiharree) , sitting and recumbent figures of 
 Budh — the last, twenty-five feet long. Plenty of the 
 sacred tulsi of the Hindoos growing here. This plant is 
 the "sweet basil" of Europe and America — the purple 
 variety. The Hindoo legend is that "Tulasi," beloved of 
 Krishna, was changed by him into this plant. The first 
 avatar of Vishnu was in the form of a fish, and a fish 
 forms a part of the Royal Arms of the Great Mogul, the 
 King of Oude, and other potentates of the East. When a 
 new Governor General comes out to India, that "shadow 
 of a shade," the "Great Mogul," presents him with a 
 patent of nobility giving him various titles, among others 
 that of "Bahaudor" 36 or "Lord of the Sword." This 
 patent bears the impress of two crossed fishes as a seal. 
 Sacred trees here, as in India, are decorated with red and 
 yellow flags. I cannot but admire the brilliancy and blue 
 tinge of Sirius, the Dog Star, as seen both in India and 
 Egypt. It shines more brightly than Venus with us. 
 Major Durand told me that when he was stationed at 
 
 Z5 Coningsby: or The Ne<w Generation is the title of a novel written in 1844 
 by Benjamin Disraeli, Earl of Beaconsfield. 
 
 S6 Bahaudor, or Bahadur: an Anglo-Indian title of ceremony, given to Euro- 
 pean officers in India State papers; or to high officials, in the common language 
 of Hindus and Mahommedans. 
 
 38 
 
Peshawur, in the Punjab, he had frequently seen the hour 
 by his watch from the light of this star. It is the most 
 agreeable in idea of all the host that was worshipped by 
 the ancient Egyptians, who called him Anubis, and he 
 figures as a Dog-headed Deity. The Hindoos say that 
 the constellation Rishi — our Great Bear — is composed 
 of seven Hindoo Fakeers, who were so placed by Siva 
 or Ram. 
 
 The Neem tree (Persian lilac) is planted near the 
 temples ; leaves are on racemes ; are pointed, about three 
 inches long by half an inch wide. In appearance it is 
 like our mountain ash; when in flower, the fragrance is 
 charming. Here also is the henna tree — Mendee in Hin- 
 dostanee. It is the Lawsonia of botanists. The leaves are 
 small and the flowers are like those of the clematis; if 
 placed close to the nose, they have an unpleasant vege- 
 table smell, but at a short distance the perfume is charm- 
 ing. The henna dye is produced by bruising the leaves 
 and moistening them with water and lime juice. When 
 applied to the nails and palms, it produces a bright 
 orange tint. The extraordinary custom of polyandry, — 
 i.e., one woman having several husbands, — is practised 
 in Ceylon and also in Thibet and parts of Nepal. The 
 husbands are usually (but not always) brothers, and 
 exercise their marital rights for one week at a time. On 
 the road from Point-de-Galle to Colombo, the rest house 
 where coach passengers breakfast is kept by three Cin- 
 galese brothers, who have one wife. On stopping there 
 the second time, I asked the woman which she would 
 like the best : to be one of many wives to one man, the 
 
 39 
 
sole wife of one man, or her present situation. She spat 
 at the idea of polygamy, shook her head at a single union, 
 and was emphatic in praise of polyandry. After some 
 pressing she said the youngest of her husbands was her 
 favorite, but that all were kind to her. 
 
 January 4, 1856. Major Lilly invites me to dine 
 with him to-morrow. At reading room; finish Guizot's 
 Charles I, and first volume of Coningsby. Lieutenant 
 Griffith, R.N., and Admiralty Mail Agent, is a fellow 
 lodger at the hotel with me. He is an enthusiast with 
 the microscope, examining flowers, flies, beetles, etc., 
 etc. 
 
 January 5, 1856. Finish Coningsby and Anti-Con- 
 ingsby; query, Who wrote the latter work? Dine with 
 Major Lilly. Guests: Captain McDonald, Judge 
 Clarke, Mr. Forbes, Mr. Sonnerkalb and Mr. Vander- 
 spaar. Left at 10 P.M., leaving the whole party playing 
 short whist at sovereign points. I never bet on any game 
 of chance — not even sixpenny points, and the older I 
 grow the more am I satisfied with this resolution which 
 I took some eight years since. 
 
 Sunday, January 6, 1856. At church, where, to my 
 surprise and annoyance, I found myself occupying a 
 "high place in the synagogue." Dr. Garstin gave a capi- 
 tal sermon. Dined at the McDonalds. Yesterday I took 
 from the library Kay's Life of Lord Metcalf; a very 
 readable book. 
 
 Monday, January 7, 1856. Steamer Cadiz from 
 Bombay for China arrived. By this steamer I shall pro- 
 ceed to Penang, where I am to be taken up by the San 
 
 40 
 
Jacinto, but the Cadiz must wait the arrival of the 
 steamer from Suez to take the mail on to Penang, Singa- 
 pore and China. Went on board the Cadiz and found my 
 old friend Captain Baker. Captain Franceville and 
 Mr. Newman (Americans) are passengers. 
 
 Tuesday, January 8, l8$6. Returned Life of Lord 
 Metcalf. Write to A. H. Fryer, my kind host at Colombo 
 in 1854, during my visit to that part of Ceylon. Mr. 
 Ronaine, Collector of this Port, was introduced to me 
 to-day. Call on Mrs. McDonald, Mr. Clarke, Major 
 Lilly, and the Rev. Dr. Garstin. Ride with the Collector 
 to Garstin's hill, where he has a pretty bungalow, 
 beautifully placed, charming views from all sides of 
 it. 
 
 Dine with Mr. Sonnerkalb, Hamburg Consul. 
 
 January Q, 1856. Mr. Ronaine takes me out for a 
 drive. It was charming and such an one as only can be 
 found in the tropics. Palms of every kind shaded our 
 road. The bright sweet-scented flowers were seen on all 
 sides; bright plumaged birds flitted about, and monkeys 
 mimed and grimaced at us on all sides. Our road lay 
 across a stream over which the government engineer 
 had thrown what he called an American truss-bridge; 
 but, from some slight errors in his architecture, the 
 bridge, instead of presenting a fair level roadway, 
 formed an inverted arch of rather steep descents and 
 ascents. It is a crazy looking affair, and I was glad when 
 I was safely over it. Dine with Mr. Black, U.S. Consul ; 
 Captain Baker, Rev. Dr. Garstin and Mr. Ronaine 
 were the guests. It is the custom of all who do not ride 
 
 41 
 
or drive out to walk on the ramparts from half-past 
 five to six P.M. The views are beautiful and you have 
 a fine fresh air. I always walk here unless occupied 
 by a drive. 
 
 Thursday, January 10, 1856. Breakfast at Captain 
 McDonald's and dine with Mr. Forbes. It is a shame 
 to nembu a dinner, no matter how good, when the table 
 is graced by such a woman as Mrs. Forbes, but I must 
 say that her dinners, for my palate, excel all I have 
 partaken of in Ceylon. 
 
 Friday, January II, 1856. Mr. Forbes drives me 
 out to the Paramendr wiharree. The High Priest Dar- 
 masalmkase Sirisoman Tisse is a clever man. He showed 
 me a number of letters from the First King of Siam 
 written in English by the King himself, and a number 
 of presents from him. The High Priest has some curious 
 books in the Pali character, inscribed on leaves of the 
 talipot palm, with a steel style. After thus engraving 
 the letters, the surface is rubbed over with blue, red or 
 black, according to taste; and, falling into the marks of 
 the style, the letters remain of the color of the powder 
 applied. This priest built the Burmese wat at Ayer- 
 Etam, Pulo Penang. He speaks Cingalese, Burmese 
 and Malay, and understands English very well — alto- 
 gether an uncommon man. I had a good deal of conver- 
 sation with him, — he answering my English by Malay. 
 He said he would not take life under any circumstances ; 
 that, if threatened by a cobra capello or tiger, he would 
 not attempt to secure [his life] by destroying either of 
 them ; that if it were God's will that he should escape 
 
 42 
 
or die, that will would take effect notwithstanding his 
 efforts. He said he would not catch a fish or kill a fowl, 
 yet he would eat of both when they were cooked for 
 him; that the sin lay not in the eating but in the slaying. 
 In answer to my remark, that if there were no eaters 
 of fish or fowl none would be killed, he said those 
 things were settled by an overruling power. The Cin- 
 galese use the sacred A um of the Hindoos. This word 
 is composed of the initial letters of the three unknown 
 and ineffable names of the Deity. In Thibet the lamas 
 use Aum, mani pani aum, 37 and also Aum! mani pami 
 aum! Heu! jemma lotus heu! The Chinese use Aum 
 meto Foo! Amidah BudhP 8 repeating these thousands 
 of times; and this dull repetition forms the principal 
 occupation of the life of a Chinese recluse. When I was 
 wandering among the picturesque hills and the sacred 
 groves of Tien-Tung in China, I came one day to a 
 hermitage seated high up the gorge of the hills. A little 
 streamlet of water ran near it, and made everything 
 verdant in its vicinity. On approaching the hermitage, 
 its tenant, a pleasant looking old man, came out and 
 saluted me kindly. 
 
 On looking about I saw a little water-wheel, such 
 as boys make from shingles in America, placed over 
 the brook, where it was revolving merrily. 
 
 37 Still another form of this formula is Om mani fadme hum — which "by 
 repetition bars the door of the various worlds of delusion and permits pure 
 meditation": Talbot Mundy, Om, The Secret of Ahbor Valley, pp. 274 (es- 
 pecially the note) and 289. 
 
 38 The Chinese form of this invocation to Buddha is given as O-me-to-Fuh 
 in Jos. Hergesheimer's Java Head, pp. 84-85. (New York, Knopf, 1919.) 
 
 43 
 
I could not help smiling, as it brought back my boy- 
 ish days when I used to construct similar pieces of 
 machinery. On looking at it closely, I discovered that 
 the gudgeon or shaft was square, and that it had Chinese 
 characters on each of its four sides, and a further exami- 
 nation showed the inscription to be the same on all the 
 sides. Through my Chinese servant I asked for an ex- 
 planation and was told that the characters stood for 
 Aum meto Foo — Amidah Budh, and that, when the 
 wheel revolved, each time one of its square sides came 
 up, it answered the same as if it had been uttered by 
 the priest; in other words, that he was praying by 
 water. I believe wind wheels are used for a similar pur- 
 pose. 
 
 I may here remark that, while the Chinese Buddhists 
 have retained the sound of these pious ejaculations, they 
 have entirely lost the meaning of the words, and this 
 remark will apply to all the books they have in the 
 Pali character. They have preserved the sound by writ- 
 ing it in Chinese, but the sense is lost. The same has 
 taken place with the Mahometans at Ningpo with the 
 Koran, and with the Jews and the Pentateuch. 
 
 The following lines, translated from a Cingalese poet, 
 show that females do not occupy a high position in their 
 estimation : 
 
 I've seen the udumber tree in flower; 
 White plumage on the crow; 
 And fishes' footsteps o'er the deep, 
 I've seen through ebb and flow; 
 
 44 
 
If man it is who this asserts, 
 His word you may believe ; 
 But all that woman says, distrust, 
 She speaks but to deceive. 
 
 The udumber, almost alone of the Cingalese trees, 
 never blooms. In my wanderings in almost every part 
 of the world I have applied one test, which I find to 
 be unvarying, and that is, that the social position of 
 women in any nation will indicate the amount of its 
 civilization. Therefore, given her social status and you 
 can at once find the mental state of the men. 
 
 Saturday, January 12, 1856. No steamer yet from 
 Aden. The Oriental is now five days behind her time. 
 Captain Bond of Madras Artillery desires to be remem- 
 bered to Captains Danen and Macpherson at Penang. 
 Captain Bond is ordered to the Tennessarim provinces 
 at a post back of Maulmain. At library from 1 1 A.M. 
 to 5 P.M. Steamer from Suez arrived at n 130 P.M. 
 
 Sunday, January 13, 1856. Meet my friend Huff- 
 nagle; take him to breakfast at Captain McDonald's. 
 At noon good-bye to all kind friends at Galle, and go 
 on board the Cadiz and start for Penang; not crowded. 
 Among the passengers are the Hon. Chisholm Anstey 
 and Captain Twiss, R.A., 39 both for Hongkong. Cap- 
 tain Twiss is a son of Horace Twiss, a former Tory 
 whipper-in and small poet. I am most happy to meet 
 
 39 The father, Horace Twiss, lived from 1787 to 1849. He married twice, 
 and his only son (by his second wife) was Quintin William Francis Twiss, who 
 therefore must be the Twiss here mentioned by Townsend Harris. (Diet. Nat. 
 Biogr.) 
 
 45 
 
my old friend the Bishop of Batavia, on his return with 
 his health quite restored. 
 
 Thursday, January 77, 1856. We have beautiful 
 weather, and expect to be up to Pulo Rondo (of! north 
 end of Sumatra) by midnight. 
 
 The Bishop has told me some wonderful stories, 
 among others that not long since a soldier bathing in 
 the river at Samarang, Java, suddenly cried out and 
 hastened on shore, when, to his horror, he found the 
 head only of a very venomous snake was fastened to 
 his thigh. The head had the appearance of having been 
 recently severed from the body of the snake. All possible 
 aid was given to the poor man, but all was in vain; he 
 died shortly after being bitten. Not long after the man 
 was bitten, the headless body of the snake was seen 
 floating down with the tide. Further inquiry discov- 
 ered that the snake had been killed some hours before 
 the accident by a native who, having severed its head, 
 threw the head and body into the river. A good snaik 
 story! 
 
 The Bishop said the sagacity of the elephants in Suma- 
 tra was very surprising, for when they heard the sound 
 of the beating out of rice, which is done with a heavy 
 pestle in a species of trough or canoe made of a very 
 hard and resonant wood, the elephants would approach 
 the place and, if only a few women were present, they 
 would drive them away and devour the paddy! Well 
 done, Bishop! 
 
 Friday, January /<?, 1856. The Portuguese Gover- 
 nor of Timor is a passenger with us. I give to Mr. Anstey 
 
 46 
 
a parcel for Mrs. Drinker of Macao, which I re- 
 ceived from Mr. Walker at New York. Write to Mrs. 
 Drinker, 40 and Armstrong and Lawrence of Hong- 
 kong. 41 
 
 Saturday, January IQ, 1856. Arrive at Penang at 
 8 P.M. I am at once approached by my old friend Cur- 
 rier's khansamar 42 who cannot salaam me enough or ex- 
 press his happiness at seeing me. I leave him in charge 
 of my luggage, take leave of my fellow passengers, and 
 at the jetty am received in the most cordial manner 
 by Mr. Currier. On arriving at the house I find the 
 whole family paraded to welcome me. Bhusties, 4 * 
 syces, 44 bobbachees, 45 bearers, misaulchers, kitmagars 46 
 
 40 The Drinkers were Townsend Harris's dearest friends. The Mrs. Drinker 
 here referred to was Mrs. Susannah Budd Drinker, wife of Mr. Henry Sand- 
 with Drinker, a captain and sailor of the old school. Townsend Harris knew 
 intimately their four little children, mentioned in his letters as "Kate," 
 "Harry," "Mortie," and "Elizabeth" — the last born in China while Townsend 
 Harris was in Japan. The little "Harry" mentioned in Townsend Harris's 
 correspondence is (1928) the President Emeritus of Lehigh University; "Mortie" 
 is Morton, who became a student of divinity; while "Kate," with whom Town- 
 send Harris carried on a voluminous correspondence (unfortunately destroyed 
 by fire during a spring house-cleaning), was Catherine Ann Drinker, who 
 became the wife of Thomas Allibone Janvier, and who died July 19, 1922. 
 
 41 Bankers. At the end of 1856 this firm was dissolved and was succeeded 
 by the firm of Davis & Lawrence, the new member having been bookkeeper 
 with the banking house of Wetmore & Co., of Canton, which had branches 
 at Shanghai, Foo-Chau, and New York (Journal, July 17, 1856), and which 
 had recently failed. L. & P., vol. 1, no. 62.) 
 
 42 Khansamar (or: khansamah, khansuma, consumah, consumar) : an Anglo- 
 Indian word meaning a servant combining the functions of house steward and 
 butler. (Funk & W agnails.) 
 
 ^Bhusties (or: bheestee, beastee, beestie, bheestie, bheesty) : an Anglo-Indian 
 word meaning a water-carrier, especially one who furnishes water for domestic 
 purposes, carrying it from the tanks in skins. (lb.) 
 
 44 Syces (or: saice, sice, sais) : a groom or horseman's attendant; a horse- 
 keeper, (lb.) 
 
 45 Bobbachee (or: bobachee) : a male cook. (lb.) 
 
 4G Kitmagars (or: kitmutgar, khitmutgar, kitmudgar) : a table servant; an 
 underbutler. (lb.) 
 
 47 
 
and even the poor old mehter 47 with the grass cutters 
 were there and help to swell the chorus of Slamat Allah!! 
 Tuom! Tuom! etc., etc. 48 
 
 It was not unpleasant to be thus welcomed at the 
 antipodes of New York. 
 
 Find three Americans at Mr. Currier's : Captain Hol- 
 lis and Captain Parker of the American ships Chilo 
 and Daniel Sharpe, also a Mr. Dow. 
 
 Sunday, January 20, 1856. Visit Pere Martin 49 at 
 the Cochin-Chinese College; am warmly welcomed by 
 him and his confreres. 
 
 Afterwards call at Mrs. Wallace's and T. Mitchell's. 
 
 Monday, January 21, 1 8 $6. Call on W. T. Lewis, 
 Esq., President Councillor and Acting Governor. Af- 
 terwards on Mrs. Rose, Madame du Thune, Mrs. 
 Palmer (who has become a widow since I left here), 
 Mr. Mitchell Sr., Captain Danen of the Artillery, 
 Commandant of Fort Cornwallis; Captain Cross, an 
 
 47 Me/iter (or: mehtar) : in the original Persian, this word meant a high offi- 
 cial in the royal household; here it means a groom or house-sweeper. {lb.) 
 
 4S Slamat: a corruption of the Arabic greeting from one Mahommedan to 
 another — a different form of salutation being used to a non-Mahommedan. 
 The usual greeting was: As-salam 'alaikum — Peace be unto you; to which 
 the obligatory reply was: W a-' alaikum as-salam — And unto you peace. {New 
 Int. Encycl.) 
 
 49 Pere N. Martin, head of the Roman Catholic College General at Penang. 
 We know very little about him. In the manuscript Letters and Papers of Town- 
 send Harris, there is extant only one letter, and that one is written by P. Martin 
 to Townsend Harris, who was then at Shanghai, on a short visit from Japan. 
 This French letter (L. Sf P., vol. i, no. 159) is dated Penang, Apr. 27, 1859. 
 It describes P. Martin's visit to the U.S.S. Powhatan, which had entered the 
 harbor of Penang to await the arrival of the United States Commissioner to 
 China; it gives news of the different members of the College General, consist- 
 ing of six teachers and 129 pupils; and announces the victories in Cochin 
 China of the French forces commanded by Vice-Admiral Rigault de Genouilly, 
 etc., etc. 
 
 For a short description of the Roman Catholic Mission at Penang, see Wood, 
 op. cit., pp. 137-38; and Journal, Jan. 27, 1856. 
 
 48 
 
old Indian veteran, seventy-nine years old, has been in 
 India sixty-three years and rose from the ranks, fought 
 under Wellington, has led three forlorn hopes, has 
 been active in storming some thirty fortresses and in 
 more than a hundred actions, or rather under fire more 
 than a hundred times. A noble-minded man, with the 
 simplicity and kindliness of a child. He is now enjoying 
 an extra pension, the just reward of his long service 
 and universal good conduct. Afterwards [call] on Cap- 
 tain Clarke, another veteran who has risen from the 
 ranks, but not so old as Captain Cross. 
 
 Tuesday, January 22, 1856. Visit Pere Bigandet, 50 
 George [Charles] Scott of Ayer Rajah, Walter Scott 
 at Scotland Nutmeg Gardens, and Alexander Brown 
 of Sans Souci. 
 
 Wednesday, January 23, 1856. It is the custom for 
 the stranger arriving at any place in the East which is 
 held by the English to make the first visit. If he does not 
 do so, it is considered that he declines going into society. 
 It is many times excessively awkward for the poor 
 stranger, who is entirely ignorant of the family he visits, 
 their tastes, habits, etc., etc., but he dashes on and runs 
 through the list his resident friends have given him of 
 people he must visit. 
 
 Called to-day on Mr. Caunter, Mr. Nairne, Captain 
 Mann, two Captains Hazlett, Ensign Dickson, Rev. 
 Mr. Bland and Captain Boulderson. 
 
 50 In Journal, Mar. 30, 1856, Townsend Harris tells us that Pere Bigandet 
 was that day consecrated a bishop in partibus infidelibus, and that he was soon 
 to leave for Burmah. Pere Martin, in his letter to Townsend Harris (L. & P., 
 vol. 1, no. 159), adds: "Mgs. Bigandet est a Rangoon." 
 
 49 
 
January 24, 1856. Home and wrote letters to W. L. 
 Marcy, 51 Joseph Evans, 52 Mrs. Langlois, Mrs. Drinker, 
 Heerjeebhoy Rustumjee, S. Drinker, D. J. Macgowan 53 
 and P. M. Wetmore. 54 
 
 Miss Lewis, daughter of W. T. Lewis, Resident 
 Councillor, died yesterday and was buried to-day at 
 5 P. M. 
 
 Friday, January 2$, 1856. The steamer Madras with 
 the mails from China arrived this morning. Get letters 
 from Mrs. Drinker, Kate Drinker, S. Drinker, and 
 Dr. Macgowan. 
 
 51 William L. Marcy, Secretary of State of the United States. The letter 
 referred to is to be found in L. B., vol. i, p. 12. The two chief items of this 
 letter are: first, that before leaving the United States he had upon the recom- 
 mendation of the Rev. Dr. De Witt and others of New York, appointed Mr. 
 Heusken of New York to be his Dutch interpreter for Japan at $1,500 per 
 annum and free passage to Japan, "he paying his mess," while Townsend 
 Harris advanced him $750; and second, that the English officers he had met 
 on his journey to the Far East had condemned the spirit and the tone of anti- 
 American articles in the London Times, and that they "deprecated even the 
 idea of a war between the two countries." 
 
 52 Mentioned elsewhere in the Journal. In a letter to Townsend Harris dated 
 Deshima, Feb. 18, 1859 (L. & P., vol. 1, no. 142), Mr. Jan Hendrik Donker 
 Curtius, the Netherlands Minister to Japan, speaks of the English and the 
 American firms that were establishing themselves at Nagasaki; and he men- 
 tions Mr. Joseph Evans as the Nagasaki agent of Dent & Co., of Shanghai. 
 
 53 Daniel Jerome Macgowan, a medical missionary to China, sent out by the 
 American Baptist Union, of Boston, Massachusetts. He had already spent many 
 years in China when Townsend Harris appointed him Vice-Consul for the 
 treaty port of Ningpo, China. It will be remembered that Townsend Harris 
 was then at Penang, and that, instead of going to Ningpo, he returned to the 
 United States and obtained the appointment of Consul General to Japan. 
 
 In the Letters and Papers of Townsend Harris there are numerous letters 
 by Dr. Macgowan, clearly describing the difficulties of trying to be a mis- 
 sionary, a consul, and a general translator at the same time, until he was driven, 
 on June 22, 1855, to send in his resignation to Secretary Marcy and to Town- 
 send Harris (L. & P., vol. 1, nos. 8 and 9). It was later the ambition of his 
 life to have Townsend Harris appoint him to some post in Japan — the sealed 
 empire to the east of China. 
 
 54 General Prosper M. Wetmore, an exceedingly prominent citizen of "little 
 old New York," and one of the men who had exerted themselves to obtain 
 Townsend Harris's appointment to Japan. 
 
 50 
 
Write to C. W. Bradley, Esq., U.S. Consul at Singa- 
 pore. 55 
 
 Mr. Murphy, 56 U.S. Consul at Shanghai, is a passen- 
 ger by the Madras. He called on me and informs me that 
 he is on his way to the United States. 
 
 Saturday, January 26, l8$6. The steamer Lightning 
 arrived from Calcutta at 7 P.M. She brought me a letter 
 from S. Drinker at Canton dated December 15, 1855, 
 and sent per steamer Fiery Gross,* 1 but, as she did not 
 stop here, the letter went on to Calcutta. The Lightning 
 leaves to-morrow at 6 A. M. 
 
 Sunday, January 27, 1856. At St. George's Church 
 this morning. The Rev. Mr. Bland, Colonial Chaplain, 
 officiated. I never was so much displeased at church as 
 this morning. 
 
 From gross affectation Mr. Bland sank his voice so 
 low that I could not hear one word in twenty though 
 
 55 Charles William Bradley, Sr., of Connecticut. Consul for Amoy, 1849-54. 
 He was nominated on Jan. 26, 1849, in place of T. S. Peachey, resigned; con- 
 sented to, Feb. 7, 1849. (Hasse, Index, pt. 3, p. 1714.) He was nominated 
 Consul for Ningpo on Jan. 23, 1854; consented to, Jan. 31, 1854. (Hasse, Index, 
 pt. 3, p. 1716.) He was nominated Consul for Singapore on Mar. 8, 1854, in 
 place of J. H. Adams, declined; consented to, Mar. 14, 1854. {Ibid., p. 1712.) 
 
 The letter referred to was received by Consul Bradley on Jan. 29, 1856, and 
 was answered the following day. (L. & P., vol. 1, no. 28, dated Singapore, 
 Jan. 30, 1856.) In answer to what must obviously have been Townsend Har- 
 ris's request, he sends him a copy of Sir John Bowring's Treaty with Siam and 
 a list of books on that country. He adds important information on the French 
 mission to Siam. Then he applies for the position of Secretary to Townsend 
 Harris and hopes that he may be sent back to the United States as the bearer 
 of the treaty about to be concluded with Siam. He concludes with the courteous 
 offer of his home when Townsend Harris should arrive at Singapore. 
 
 56 Robert C Murphy, of Ohio, Consul at Shanghai, 1854-57. He was nomi- 
 nated, in place of J. N. A. Griswold, recalled, on January 23, 1854; consented 
 to, January 31, 1854. (Hasse, Index, pt. 3, p. 1716.) 
 
 57 This English steamer was later purchased at Yedo by Shimadzu Saburo 
 for his son-nephew, the Daimyo of Satsuma, at a time when he did not enter- 
 tain toward foreigners any feelings of hostility. (J. R. Black, Young Japan, 
 vol. 1, p. 99.) 
 
 51 
 
I was not thirty feet distant from him. This feeble ut- 
 terance does not arise from disease or physical inability, 
 for at a dinner party he can talk loud enough, and per- 
 haps a little too loud. From dissatisfaction the congrega- 
 tion of St. George's is not one-half as large as I left it 
 in May last. Penang is well supplied with churches: 
 i st, St. George's; 2nd, Church of the London Church 
 Missionary Society; 3rd, Scotch Free Kirk; 4th, Ar- 
 menian Church; 5th, 6th, 7th, three Roman Catholic 
 Churches. The Roman Catholic Cochin-Chinese Col- 
 lege is a noble institution. It has about one hundred 
 pupils, nearly all of whom are from Cochin-China. 
 They here receive such an education as will fit them 
 to perform the duties of a priest in their own country, 
 with such instruction in astronomy, natural philosophy, 
 etc., etc., as will enable them to detect the popular er- 
 rors of their countrymen. In dress, food, manner of 
 living, etc., etc., they follow the exact fashions of their 
 own country, so far as they are compatible with good 
 morals — so that, when the youth returns home after his 
 eight years' absence, there is nothing in his dress or 
 manners to point him out as one who has long been 
 among foreigners. On his return home, the youth bears 
 a report from the head of the College addressed to the 
 Bishop which shows the pupil's attainments, disposi- 
 tion, conduct during his residence, with an opinion as 
 to his fitness for the priesthood. If, after his return home, 
 he wishes to enter the priesthood, his Bishop puts him 
 under a two years' probation ; and if his conduct is good 
 and his desire continues, he is then consecrated as a 
 
 52 
 
deacon, priest, etc., etc. It does not require any argu- 
 ment to show how preeminently priests so prepared, 
 and of the people themselves, are qualified to be mis- 
 sionaries in a country where the persecution is so fierce 
 and so fatal as it is in Cochin-China. Remain at home 
 in the afternoon with a bad earache. 
 
 Monday, January 28, 1856. Gave Mr. Currier 
 thirty-three sovereigns for my account. Ear very bad 
 — number of calls on me, do not see anyone from that 
 cause. 
 
 Thursday, January 31, 1856. Write a letter to Com- 
 modore Armstrong of the U.S. Frigate San Jacinto, 
 now daily expected to arrive here, and gave it to the 
 pilot who is to watch his arrival. 
 
 February 5, 1856. Chinese New Year. Talk of keep- 
 ing New Year's Day by the Americans, the French, or 
 any other people, and it sinks into child's play when 
 compared with that of the Chinese. It is a Saturnalia 
 for all, for three days, and is kept up by the wealthy 
 until the full of the then new moon, and by some until 
 the next new moon. 
 
 All work is suspended; the smith pulls down his 
 furnace; other handicrafts renew their tools or work- 
 shops; the house is furnished with new cooking and 
 eating appliances. The man, his house, his clothes, his 
 children, are all thoroughly washed and dressed up in 
 their best and gayest clothing. The house, shop or work- 
 shop shine with new vermilion papers inscribed with 
 all sorts of wisdom from Confucius, Mencius and other 
 philosophers. The Chinaman gives himself up to the 
 
 53 
 
enjoyment of his favorite weakness, gambling; and for 
 three days the anti-gambling laws are suspended. He 
 drinks samshew 58 — he fires off uncounted crackers — he 
 beats tom-toms, gongs and his bamboos with their click 
 clock. He visits, with all the forms laid down in the 
 books of ceremonies, his friends, and pays his greetings; 
 presents are exchanged; children gaily dressed are now 
 drawn about the streets in pretty little carriages. "Mo- 
 tions," 59 to use an old English phrase, swarm in the 
 streets, performing before each house. Here is the great 
 dragon trying to swallow the world. There some of the 
 heroic demigods of China are showing how they did 
 it in their day and generation. Yonder is a dance of 
 peacocks — and vastly well done it is. Men are disguised 
 under the plumage and form of the proud bird (except 
 the legs) . In the breast is a pretty oval mirror — the tail 
 is spread in all its glory, and now and then the bird 
 flutters its wings, as it "walks the stately pavisse." Now 
 come the bands of music led off by an instrument that 
 looks like a hoboy and sounds like a distracted bagpipe 
 (may its inventor burn in Jehannenn), with tom-toms, 
 gongs, bamboos, and all the noisy appliances that the 
 Chinese delight to call music. Add to this the unceasing 
 explosion of firecrackers, some of which are as loud 
 as a three-pounder cannon (fact), and then think for 
 
 68 Samsheiv (or: samsho, shamshoo) : a Chinese word for an alcoholic liquor 
 distilled from boiled and fermented rice or millet; loosely, any kind of spirits. 
 {Funk & W agnails.) 
 
 "Only one distillation is made for common liquor, but when more strength 
 is wanted, it is distilled two or three times, and it is this strong spirit alone 
 which is rightly called samshu, a word meaning 'thrice fired.' " (S. Wells 
 Williams, Middle Kingdom, vol. i, ch. 14, p. 808 [s. '83].) 
 
 59 Puppets, or puppet shows. 
 
 54 
 
seventy-two hours this din never lags — never stops, and 
 you have an idea of "New Year" as celebrated by the 
 Chinese at Penang. 
 
 Sunday, February 10, 1856. The American screw 
 steamer Caroline arrived in forty-five hours from Sin- 
 gapore. Passengers: Mr. Charles K. Tuckerman, Supra 
 Cargo, and Mr. Shaw of Singapore. 
 
 Receive a letter from C. W. Bradley, U.S. Consul 
 at Singapore, dated January 30, 1856. 
 
 Monday, February II, 1856. The Caroline sailed 
 to-day for Calcutta; wrote to C. HufTnagle, Esq., U.S. 
 Consul General for British India. 
 
 Invited to dine with Captain Boulderson and the 
 officers of 27th Regiment Madras Native Infantry at 
 their mess house — have a prior engagement for that 
 day, — i. e., Friday next. 
 
 Tuesday, February 12, 1 8 $6. Dine at Mr. Charles 
 Scott's, Ayer Rajah. What a glorious house! — worthy 
 of its situation in the center of nutmeg and clove gar- 
 dens. The approaches to the house are shaded by glori- 
 ous palm trees of different varieties, among which 
 figures that most graceful of trees, the areca palm, with 
 its straight slender stem and its waving panache of 
 green plumes to ornament its head, while just below 
 hangs its golden fruit, that look like apples of Paradise. 
 What a dining room! Some sixty feet by eighty feet!! 
 Think of that, Fifth Avenue. 
 
 Saturday, February 16, 1 8 56. Dine with Mr. A. 
 Brown of Sans Souci. We were, greatly to the discom- 
 posure of our host, thirteen at table. The belief here 
 
 55 
 
is strong that, when thirteen dine in company, some 
 one of them will die before twelve months come round 
 — and hence the discomposure of my good host. Mr. 
 Walker, Judge at Point-de-Galle, who is here for the 
 benefit of hill air for Mrs. Walker, who is an invalid, 
 came down the mill to-day and took quarters with 
 Mr. Currier. As there is no hotel at Penang, strangers 
 are dependent on the hospitality of the Penang people, 
 who, to do them justice, are never backward in showing 
 it. Among the first in the rank of hospitality stands our 
 countryman, Mr. Currier. 
 
 Monday, February l8, 1856. Go up the hill on in- 
 vitation of Mr. S. N. Greene to his bungalow "Belle- 
 vue" situated over twenty-six hundred feet above the 
 plain. This hill is one of the delights of Penang. You 
 ride in your palkee 60 to the foot of the hill four and a 
 half miles, and then mount one of the pretty, active and 
 sure-footed Sumatra ponies, who takes you some three 
 miles up the hill in less than an hour, so that in an hour 
 and a half you leave the heat of the plain and reach 
 a point where a covering on your bed is always accept- 
 able at night. The thermometer ranges here from 65 ° 
 to8i°. 
 
 The panorama from "Bellevue" is charming: over- 
 looking the plain and town of Penang — the nutmeg 
 and clove gardens — the varied groves of palms sur- 
 rounding the spacious and elegant mansions of the 
 Europeans, the view extends out towards the Bay of 
 Bengal and sometimes Pulo Bouton, sixty miles distant, 
 
 60 An East Indian word for "palanquin." 
 
 56 
 
can be seen. Directly west you see Elephant Mountain 
 in the Kingdom of Quedah 61 which pays tribute to 
 Siam. To the right you see the mountains that form 
 the backbone of the Malayan Peninsula and are, in fact, 
 a prolongation of the Himalaya range. 
 
 "Europe ships," country crafts, Malay prows, 62 and 
 China egg-boats are seen moving or lying at anchor in 
 all directions. Due south you look into the Strait of 
 Malacca, and see the high lands of the dominions of 
 the independent Rajah of Perak. I was warmly wel- 
 comed by Mrs. Greene, who resides here the greater 
 part of the year for the health of her two children, a 
 boy and girl — the latter Miss Maggy, my god-daughter. 
 
 The children speak only Malay, it being found easier 
 to teach them English as a foreign language than to 
 get them to unlearn the broken lingo they acquire from 
 native servants who pretend to speak English. For this 
 reason most families refuse to employ servants who 
 speak English. Mr. Greene leaves his house at half-past 
 five A.M. and returns at 6 P.M., and he does not find it 
 fatiguing, as the good rest he always enjoys on the hill 
 amply makes up for the extra fatigue of descending and 
 ascending the hill six times a week. There are eight 
 bungalows on this part of the great hill, which makes 
 a little society; besides, each resident has always some 
 guests up from the plain. 
 
 As this is my seventh visit to Penang I have fre- 
 
 61 Quedah (or: Kedah, Kedda) : a state in the Malay Peninsula. 
 62 Prows (or: Proa, prau, prahu) : a swift Malaysian vessel sailing equally 
 well in either direction. (Funk & W agnails.) 
 
 SI 
 
quently been on the hill, and every part of it is quite 
 familiar to me. 
 
 Tuesday, February IQ, 1856. Up at daylight to see 
 the beautiful changes of light and shade produced by 
 the rising sun; indeed, it is a constant source of enjoy- 
 ment to watch the effect of those changes during the 
 day; now, the light cloud, passing quickly over the sun, 
 seems to race down the mountain, across the plain, across 
 the water over to Province Wellesly; where now it 
 darkens for a moment the golden paddy fields — next 
 seems to deepen the green of the canes growing on the 
 various sugar estates. Next dark masses of clouds rise 
 up over Elephant Mountain. The leaden color of its 
 advanced edge does not leave you in doubt for a moment 
 as to its nature — it is a thunder squall. Soon the vivid 
 lightning begins to dart about — next you hear a faint 
 mutter of thunder; the cloud hurries on; the lightning 
 plays incessantly; the crash of the thunder is distinct; 
 you see the curtain formed by the falling rain, down 
 to the tops of the palm trees at a distance of twenty 
 miles — on it comes — now the tall white chimneys of 
 the sugar boiling houses are shut out — now it strikes 
 the shipping — the town — the plain — palm trees and 
 houses are shut out from view. You hear a low sound 
 like an angry roar and it has reached the hilltop. You 
 are in the cloud itself. What blinding lightning — the 
 roll of the thunder never ceases. It continues half an 
 hour, an hour, or three hours, and then the clouds roll 
 away to the southeast and the sun comes out once more. 
 In all parts of the tropics the thunder is heavy and the 
 
 58 
 
lightning vivid, but I never saw such grand displays 
 of God's pyrotechnics as I have seen at Penang. On 
 one night that I was on the hill, the storm lasted six 
 hours. It was the most magnificent sight I ever wit- 
 nessed. I saw on that occasion what indeed I have seen 
 since, the descending stream of lightning, divided into 
 a great number of lines and curved around and up- 
 wards, forming an "inverted weeping willow." 
 
 Very good bridle paths are cut in various directions 
 on the top of the hill, and you can gallop away for more 
 than a mile without any ascent to check you. 
 
 The ferns here are both rich in number, and many 
 rare and beautiful ones are found. Among the sixty 
 and odd varieties that have been catalogued by botanists 
 as having their habitat here, the grandest is the tree 
 fern, more than twenty feet high, with branches like 
 the fronds of the cocoanut palm. The rattan is also found 
 here and extends its tendrils, armed with hooks like 
 steel, that forbid all passage until a path is cut. The rat- 
 tan is a climber. It is covered with a great number of 
 husks, so that the body is sometimes five or six inches 
 in diameter. The part used is the core or center. As it 
 is attached in the strongest possible manner by the hooks 
 before named to every tree or shrub that comes within 
 its sphere, and as it sometimes climbs the tallest trees 
 and thence stretches itself from tree to tree for a great 
 distance (for, some have been found five hundred feet 
 long!) , it would be all but impossible to detach it from 
 its place. It is collected for use in the following manner. 
 The natives find its root and then cut it off near the 
 
 59 
 
ground ; they then strip off the husky covering for some 
 six or eight feet, and of the part so cleaned they form 
 a loop through which they pass a stick some eight or 
 ten feet long. Six or eight men now apply their strength 
 to this stick, surging backwards from the direction the 
 rattan has grown. By thus pulling it backwards, the 
 sutures of the husks that are attached to the rattan 
 at distances of two to five feet are easily broken, and 
 this done, the men have only to pull in and coil away 
 the rattan as they would a rope. If the attempt was made 
 to pull out the rattan from the top, no force could be 
 applied that would accomplish it. The milk tree (so 
 called from its juice being the color of milk and thick- 
 ness of cream) is the largest of the jungle trees of 
 Penang. One of these measures forty-three feet in cir- 
 cumference some fifteen feet above the ground, and the 
 boll rises up one hundred and twenty feet without a 
 limb. The branches and top of this tree are very small 
 when compared with the enormous size of the trunk 
 or boll. 
 
 The cinnamon, clove and nutmeg trees grow in the 
 jungle, and my dinner has often been cooked with the 
 wood of these precious trees. 
 
 The cayu-puti™ (white wood), corrupted into our 
 cajeput, produces the oil once considered as a specific 
 for Asiatic cholera, also grows here. A great variety 
 of other trees are found in the jungle, but even their 
 names would not be understood if I was to write them 
 
 e3 Cayu-puti (or: kajeput, cajaput, cajuput) : from the Malay kayu-putih, 
 kayu meaning tree, and putlh (or puteh) white. {Funk & W agnails.) 
 
 60 
 
here. Coffee flourishes on the hill and produces a berry 
 almost equal to that of Mocha. Some tea shrubs are 
 growing here, bearing innumerable small yellow white 
 roses. The rose of Shiraz is cultivated here, and in the 
 early morning the fragrance is delightful. The ipeca- 
 cuanha shrub is used to form hedges for the hill gardens 
 and grounds. It produces a pretty flower. The ipeca- 
 cuanha is a certain cure for the bite of the centipede and 
 sting of the scorpion; and, if applied immediately, pre- 
 vents any of the dreadful pain that is sure to follow 
 the neglected wounds made by these insects. The powder 
 is simply made into a poultice with cold water and 
 applied to the wound. I should like to hear of a trial 
 of this remedy for the bite of venomous snakes. It is 
 at least worthy of a trial. Some few vegetables of the 
 temperate zone are raised on the hill, but they do not 
 succeed so well as they do at Calcutta, Bombay or 
 Macao. This may arise in part from unskillful culti- 
 vation. 
 
 The air plants, parasites and climbers, are without 
 number, and the blossoms of some of the two first are 
 exceedingly beautiful. The nepenthe or pitcher plant 
 — that curious creation of nature with its pitchers filled 
 with sweet potable water — grows here in vast numbers. 
 Happily no tigers, elephants or rhinoceros are found 
 in this happy island, although they abound on the main- 
 land not one mile distant. Wild hogs are numerous and 
 a host of animals of the fox and weasel tribes, that are 
 sad enemies to the poultry. Monkeys caper and grimace 
 and mow in every direction on the hills. Lizards of all 
 
 61 
 
sizes, from the smallest up to the gekko, which is some- 
 times four feet long, abound. Scorpions, both black and 
 gray, and centipedes are numerous, but they do not 
 give any uneasiness to the residents here, as, if you let 
 them alone, they will not molest you. A great variety 
 of snakes are found; some are very curious and even 
 beautiful. The cobra capello is also here. The boa con- 
 strictor is also found. There is hardly any one pro- 
 duction of the East concerning which so much error 
 prevails as concerning this serpent. It will not kill an 
 elephant, or a buffalo, or a man. It is sluggish in its 
 movements and perfectly harmless. The natives are 
 always glad to have them in their rice fields where they 
 destroy the rats, frogs and other things that injure the 
 rice crop. I have made inquiries constantly in India, 
 Ceylon, Java, Borneo, Siam, Burmah, Arracan, 64 and, 
 in fact, in all the countries where the boa is found, and 
 never found any good authority for the exaggerated 
 tales of its size and ferocity which are so widely dis- 
 seminated. I have never seen the skin or body of one 
 that measured more than twenty-five feet long, nor 
 could I ever meet any respectable evidence of the actual 
 existence of longer ones. The stories of boas being fifty, 
 seventy-five, or even one hundred and twenty feet long, 
 are the simple exaggerations of heated imaginations. 
 So again, no reliable account of man or any of the larger 
 animals being attacked by the boa can be found. The 
 skin that was twenty-five feet long I saw in the Museum 
 of the Asiatic Society of Calcutta, and its preservation 
 
 64 Arakan, a division of Lower Burmah, on the Indian Ocean. 
 
 62 
 
there is a proof that it is one of the largest that is 
 known. 
 
 The beetles are a numerous and interesting family 
 The trumpeter sounds his ra-ta-ta-ta-ta-ra in loudness, 
 tone and length of note precisely like the penny trum- 
 pets of children at home. Others resemble the sound of 
 the carpenter sawing his boards, and another is exactly 
 like the knife grinder in sound. The stick insect is a 
 curious affair. It is sometimes eight inches long — legs 
 very long — wings preposterously short — the color gray, 
 or like a decayed stick or twig. When it flies, its long 
 legs are folded closely and parallel to the body, and it 
 looks precisely like a withered stick passing quickly 
 before you. The leaf insect is a curiosity; some of them 
 look like beautiful flowers. Ionce captured a flying liz- 
 ard on the hills of Penang. It was about six inches long 
 and had integuments or filaments of its skin extending on 
 each side from the fore to the hind legs — precisely like 
 our flying squirrel; and, like him, the lizard can dart 
 from tree to tree on a descending plane to a considerable 
 distance. 
 
 In this reptile we have the rudiments of the fabulous 
 dragon, exaggerated by the utmost powers of invention. 
 
 Many beautiful birds are found here. The toucan 
 and great grosbeak among others build their nests here. 
 The Penang lark has a great many very sweet notes. 
 Snipe are abundant and good, being large and always 
 fat. There is a small bird always found on the snipe 
 ground whose note sounds like the words "did you do 
 it? did you do it?" When the sportsman fires his gun, 
 
 63 
 
scores of these birds scream out "did you do it? did you 
 do it?" — sometimes to the great annoyance of the sports- 
 man, especially if he often misses his aim. 
 
 Wednesday, February 20, 1856. The Malay is not 
 a handsome person, nor is the Chinese good-looking, 
 yet the children of a Malay woman by a Chinese are 
 really quite good-looking. The high cheek bones of the 
 mother disappear, the oblique eye of the father is dis- 
 placed by a round, bright and not snaky looking eye. 
 The face is round and the skin like satin; color like a 
 solution of gold laid on a rose colored ground. They 
 are always plump. 
 
 It is a singular fact that the children of the Chinaman 
 by the Malay, Burmese or Siamese women are far bet- 
 ter looking than the progeny of the white man by women 
 of those nations. 
 
 The children of Europeans by native women are a 
 queer race — always warmhearted and hospitable, they 
 are never more happy than when showing their hospi- 
 tality to white persons. They resemble our negroes in 
 the love of stilted expressions, considering magnilo- 
 quence and eloquence as synonyms. They always try to 
 secure the hand of a white for their daughters, and to 
 this end the mother has her tiffin spread with curries 
 that only can be made by them, and their beer is always 
 of the coolest. Young men are fond of visiting them 
 from the ease that they can there enjoy and from the 
 pleasure of romping, which is carried to a certain extent. 
 One of the difficulties of the foreigner is to learn how to 
 use certain descriptive words. For example : it is a gross 
 
 64 
 
insult to call one of them "half-caste." You may ask 
 them if they are "country born," and no offence is given, 
 but to use the word liplap (Dutch for mixed blood) 
 or to call the girls chee chees is very offensive — the latter 
 comes from the constant use of the Hindostanee word 
 chee! (fie!) which the girls scream out when romping. 
 
 But the name most affected by them is Eurasian — 
 being a compound of the nouns Europe and Asia. This 
 word is of Calcutta origin. 
 
 A young Englishman had long visited a house where 
 the Eurasian daughter, Miss Harriet, was quite a fav- 
 orite with him. He had sung with her, romped with 
 her, and talked mock sentiment with her, and was re- 
 warded with capital tiffins and now and then a pleasant 
 romping bout. The mother, having asked her daughter 
 how matters stood between her and her admirer, re- 
 solved herself to bring the young man "to book." Ac- 
 cordingly, at his next visit and after tiffin was over, Miss 
 Harriet disappeared from the room; and the mother, 
 seating herself near the young man, addressed him as 
 follows : 
 
 "You rice and curry eat 'em; hand you squeeze 'em; 
 fum fum pinch 'em. What for you no propose?" The 
 young man evaporated. 
 
 Another case is quoted to show how recklessly these 
 poor creatures rush into the cares of matrimony. 
 
 A young Eurasian, who was employed in a govern- 
 ment office as a writer at some sixty rupees ($27) per 
 month, being smitten with the charms of the fair Rosa 
 Matilda, made her an offer of his "hand, heart and 
 
 65 
 
fortune." Miss Rosa Matilda simply asked him: "Sil- 
 ver tea pot got?" Yes. "Have buggy got?" Yes. "Can 
 ask mamma." 
 
 However, many of these Eurasians are quite well 
 educated (some being sent to England for that pur- 
 pose), and behave with perfect propriety and decorum. 
 I have passed many satisfactory hours with this class 
 of Eurasians. 
 
 As a general rule, the English officials do not neglect 
 the children they have by the illegitimate connections 
 they form with the women of the country. 
 
 Mr. Blundell, 65 Governor of Penang, Singapore and 
 Malacca, has eleven children (illegitimate) born of 
 a Burmese woman. He has given them as good educa- 
 tions as were to be had in Singapore, Penang or Cal- 
 cutta (some of the younger ones are now in England). 
 Has given them his name, introduced them to his own 
 table, and at last opened the State Ball, given on the 
 Queen's Birthday, with one of his illegitimate daugh- 
 ters, thus making her the Burra Beebe 6G or Great Lady 
 of the Ball. It was a bold and defiant step and gave 
 offence to many of the Englishwomen, wives of high 
 officials and military men at Singapore, but Governor 
 Blundell carried the matter out with a high hand, and 
 his bastard mulatto sons and daughters have the entree 
 
 65 From a letter written by Sir John Bowring to the King of Siam and dated 
 Apr. 5, 1855 (L. & P., vol. 2, no. gi), we learn that Blundell succeeded 
 Colonel Butterworth in this office when the latter returned to England. Gov- 
 ernor Blundell is mentioned as Governor of Singapore in 1854, also in 33-2, 
 S. Ex. Doc. no. 34, p. 182. 
 
 66 Burra means great and honorable; and Beebe (or Bibi) means wife or 
 lady. Both are Anglo-Indian words. (Funk & Wagnalls.) 
 
 66 
 
of Singapore society. Three of his girls are married to 
 Englishmen. He gives them 10,000 rupees as a marriage 
 portion ($4,500), and they will receive more at his 
 death. 
 
 The circumlocution used in Asia to avoid the phrase 
 "half-caste" reminds me of a similar state of things 
 that existed in Australia before the gold discoveries 
 in that country; 67 up to which period 499 persons out 
 of 500 were transports. But you could not use the word 
 "convict" or "transport" without danger of a row. The 
 questions were put as follows : "What ship did you come 
 out in?" for all the ships were transports for convicts; 
 or, "Are you a Government man?" i. e., a convict. "Are 
 you an old hand?" i; e., have you been reconvicted of 
 crime in the colony? Sydney has a very pretty theater 
 situated in George's Street. The opening address of 
 this theater was written by the celebrated Barrington, 
 the notorious pickpocket. It was very witty and full of 
 allusions to the conditions of the then inhabitants of 
 the place. One couplet has been often repeated, and by 
 many who were ignorant of the author, or of the cir- 
 cumstances under which it was written. It is as follows: 
 
 True patriots we, for, be it understood, 
 
 We left our country for our country's good.™ 
 
 67 Gold was first discovered in Australia at Summerhill Creek, twenty miles 
 north of Bathurst, in the Macquarie plains, in Feb., 1851, by Mr. Edward 
 Hargraves, a gold miner from California. 
 
 68 George Barrington — a truly strange character, born May 14, 1755, at 
 Maynooth, Ireland. He was a robber, confirmed pickpocket, and historian of 
 Australia. His real name was Waldron. After a chequered career in England, 
 Scotland, and Ireland, he was finally shipped to Botany Bay, in New South 
 Wales. On this long voyage, he prevented the success of a mutiny among the 
 convicts on board, and, on arriving at his destination, he received a pecuniary 
 
 67 
 
Friday, February 22, l8fj6. Came down to the plain 
 to be ready for the mail from China, en route for 
 England. 
 
 Sunday, February 24, 1856. The steamer Cadiz with 
 the mails arrives from China. Write by this mail to 
 W. L. Marcy, Secretary of State, Washington; 69 
 N. Dougherty, New York. 
 
 Received a letter from Captain John Pope, 70 of the 
 U.S. Corvette the Macedonian, now at Singapore. Cap- 
 tain Pope wishes to know when I expect the Commo- 
 dore to arrive here. He will await his arrival at Singa- 
 pore. 
 
 Monday, February 2$, 1856. Steamer Noma with 
 the mails from England arrived here to-day. Mr. Harry 
 
 reward from the captain of the ship and in addition was favorably recom- 
 mended to the governor of the colony. He was freed in 1792. 
 
 A few years later, Governor Hunter authorized the opening of a theater 
 at Sydney. The chief actors were convicts, and the price of admission was 
 meal or rum. The theater opened on Jan. 16, 1796, with Dr. Young's tragedy, 
 The Revenge, and George Barrington wrote the celebrated prologue, be- 
 ginning: 
 
 "From distant climes, o'er widespread seas, we come, 
 
 Though not with much eclat or beat of drum; 
 
 True patriots we, for, be it understood, 
 
 We left our country for our country's good. 
 
 No private views disgraced our generous zeal, 
 
 What urged our travels was our country's weal; 
 
 And none will doubt, but that our emigration 
 
 Has proved most useful to the British nation." 
 
 {Diet. Nat. Biogr., s.v., Barrington.) 
 69 This is his second dispatch to the Secretary of State. (L. B., vol. 1, p. 13.) 
 He informs his superior that the French Government has appointed a com- 
 missioner to negotiate a treaty with Siam; and that Captain Pope is waiting 
 at Singapore for the arrival of the San Jacinto. 
 
 70 John Pope, of Maine, United States Navy, 1816-76. Midshipman, May 30, 
 1816; Lieutenant, Apr. 28, 1826; Commander, Feb. 15, 1843; Captain, Sept. 14, 
 1855; Retired List, Dec. 21, 1861; Commodore on Retired List, July 16, 1862; 
 died, Jan. 14, 1876. In 1845-47, commanded the Dolphin, of the African Squad- 
 ron; in 1853-54 an <l 1856—57, commanded the Vandalia of the East India 
 Squadron. (Hasse, Index, pt. 2, p. 1303; Hamersly, op. cit.) 
 
 68 
 
S. Parkes, 71 H.B.M. Consul for Amoy, China, and his 
 wife are passengers by the Noma. Mr. Parkes is the 
 bearer of the ratified treaty with Siam and will proceed 
 from Singapore to Bangkok for the purpose of ex- 
 changing the ratifications. 
 
 Mr. Parkes was Sir John Bowring's private secre- 
 tary when Sir John 72 negotiated the treaty. Sir John 
 spoke to the King seated and uncovered, — made some 
 six official visits. Guard not wanted. Siamese cooks good 
 enough. House comfortable. 
 
 71 Sir Harry Smith Parkes, 1828-85. He was one of the really outstanding 
 men in the history of Far Eastern relations. Left an orphan at a young age, 
 he went out to Macao, China, to join his cousin, who was the wife of the 
 Rev. Charles (Karl) Gutzlaff, the famous missionary to China. Dr. Gutzlaff 
 had spent a lifetime travelling in China and in Korea and was one of the 
 few foreigners who knew the Chinese language well. Under his tutelage the 
 young Parkes likewise learned Chinese, and this, together with his intimate 
 acquaintance with things Chinese, proved of great value to the distinguished 
 men under whom he served in almost every capacity — men such as Sir Henry 
 Pottinger, Sir Rutherford Alcock, Lord Elgin and Kincardine, etc. In 1855, 
 Parkes was secretary of the mission to Bangkok headed by Sir John Bowring, 
 and in 1865 he became Minister to Japan, succeeding Sir Rutherford Alcock. 
 The best and standard Life of Sir Harry S. Parkes is by Stanley Lane-Poole 
 and Dickins, London, 1894. 
 
 72 Sir John Bowring, 1792-1872: another of that endless chain of wonderful 
 and trained statesmen that Great Britain has always seemed to have at her 
 beck and call for service either at home or abroad — capable, patient, energetic, 
 faithful. There is no doubt that the history of Great Britain's expansion in 
 the Far East is summed up in the lives of her representatives to that region, 
 whether consuls, ministers, plenipotentiaries, chief superintendents of trade, 
 governors, or missionaries. 
 
 Sir John was philologist, philanthropist, linguist (in the same class with 
 Mezzofanti), poet, philosopher, statesman, chartist, and voluminous writer on 
 all these subjects. There are extant a number of letters by him to Townsend 
 Harris. The best work in connection with his mission to Siam is: The Kingdom 
 and People of Siam, with a Narrative of the Mission to that Country in 1855, 
 in two volumes, 8vo, London, 1857 — a very comprehensive work which, though 
 published so long ago, is still one of the standard works on Siam. 
 
 The Treaty of Friendship and Commerce between Great Britain and Siam 
 was concluded at Bangkok on Apr. 18, 1855, and was to go into effect Apr. 6, 
 1856. Sir Harry (then Consul) Parkes had brought the Treaty to England and 
 was now returning with the ratified copy. (L. & P., vol. 2, nos. 26, 30, 31, 32.) 
 
 69 
 
Wrote per Noma to Captain John Pope and C. W. 
 Bradley, U.S. Consul, both at Singapore. 
 
 February 27, 1856. Visited Alexander Brown and 
 Charles Scott, Esquires. 
 
 February 28, 1856. The American ship Daniel 
 Sharpe, Captain Parker, sailed for Singapore. 
 
 Saturday, March /, 1856. The Honorable Com- 
 pany's steamer Pluto arrived here from Rangoon via 
 Maulmain. 
 
 Monday, March 3, 1856. The steamer Chusan from 
 Calcutta en route for China arrived yesterday; left 
 Calcutta February 25th. 
 
 The Chusan brings news, telegraphed to Calcutta 
 from Bombay, that a Treaty of Peace between France, 
 England and Russia was signed at Paris on the 18th 
 of last January. Write to Captain Pope, Singapore, 
 and to S. Drinker, Hongkong. 
 
 Tuesday, March 4, 1856. The steamer Pluto left 
 for Rangoon. On the 1st, 2nd and 3rd of this month, 
 the wind blew very fresh from North by West to East 
 North East. At 5 130 A.M. on the second, the thermometer 
 in Mr. Currier's verandah stood at 76 ° ; the coolest I 
 ever knew it here. 
 
 Wednesday, March 5, 1856. At 2 P.M. the ther- 
 mometer in Mr. Currier's verandah stood at 90°. This 
 heat is the greatest I ever knew at Penang, and the range 
 of 14 in three days is quite unexampled. (See record 
 March 4th.) 
 
 Friday, March 7, 1856. At the sessions of Penang, 
 just closed, a Chinese was convicted of murder and sen- 
 
 70 
 
tenced to be hanged on the ioth of this month. The 
 cause of this murder, and the evidence of one of the 
 Chinese witnesses, shows how little they regard the 
 beastly crime of sodomy. It appeared that the mur- 
 derer had a catamite paramour who was seduced from 
 him by the murdered man. 
 
 The witness to prove the murder was the degraded 
 wretch of a catamite, who coolly told the tale of his 
 own degradation and the fact of his seduction, without 
 any hesitation or apparent knowledge that he had com- 
 mitted any offence against the laws, or against good 
 morals. The authorities here always avoid taking any 
 notice of this crime, if they can avoid it; but this case 
 was so flagrant that the wretch is to be prosecuted. 
 
 The crime of sodomy is almost universal among the 
 Chinese, whether they are in China or in any other part 
 of the world; in fact, it is the universal practice of all 
 the people of Asia, as well as those of Arabia, Egypt, 
 Asia Minor, etc. The Cingalese are the least obnoxious 
 to this charge of any of the nations of the East. 
 
 Monday, March 10, 1 8 56. News has reached here 
 of the annexation of the Kingdom of Oude to the pos- 
 sessions of the East India Company. It was done by 
 a proclamation of Lord Dalhousie, 73 Governor Gen- 
 eral of India, dated February, 1856. 
 
 This proceeding excites no surprise, as the prelimi- 
 nary measures have been progressing for the last four 
 
 73 James Andrew Broun Ramsay, First Marquess and Tenth Earl of Dal- 
 housie, 1812-60. One of the master builders of the Indian Empire of Great 
 Britain. The proclamation annexing the Kingdom of Oude (or Oudh) was 
 dated February 13, 1856. 
 
 71 
 
years. It is the old story — Naboth's Vineyard and the 
 Wolf and the Lamb. The lands of Oude are rich and 
 fertile, and the people industrious; and, when I was 
 in Oude (Lucknow, January, 1855), they were more 
 prosperous and thriving than the adjoining lands of 
 the Company at Cawnpore, or in the Doab generally. 
 
 The proclamation charges the King of Oude with 
 misgovernment and with oppressing his people. But 
 who made Lord Dalhousie a judge in this case, or the 
 guardian of the people of Oude? It also charges him 
 with the religious feuds of the kingdom which have led 
 to bloodshed. Were none of these feuds excited by Brit- 
 ish emissaries? Were not the inflammatory papers, 
 which were abundantly circulated in Oude, printed 
 at Calcutta or some other place in the Company's terri- 
 tory? Was there any printing press in Oude except that 
 of the King at Lucknow? 
 
 Time will answer these questions, and also Truth is 
 the daughter of time. 
 
 The Government of Oude has been at peace with 
 the Company since 1765. It did not join the Nepalese 
 in 18 16, when there was an apparent prospect that the 
 British could be driven out of Bengal. When the dis- 
 asters of Cabul took place in 1847, the Indian Govern- 
 ment was shaken to its center. The prestige of its mili- 
 tary power had received a grievous blow, and it had 
 neither money nor credit, not a rupee would the ban- 
 yans 74 of Calcutta or Benares advance to the Govern- 
 
 74 Hindoo merchants or traders, especially those in the foreign trade, acting 
 also as brokers or bankers. 
 
 72 
 
ment. The troops from Bengal, destined for the Bolan 
 Pass, 75 could not even reach the Punjab. It was in this 
 time of gloom and trouble that this very King of Oude, 
 unsolicited, advanced fifty lacs of rupees (five millions) 
 to the Government of India. The troops then marched 
 — recovered their reverses in Cabul and restored their 
 shaking power. What would have been the present 
 state of the British power in India but for the gen- 
 erous assistance of the King of Oude, is a wide ques- 
 tion. 
 
 There has been a constant interference in the affairs 
 of Oude by the Indian Government during the last 
 forty years. It dates particularly from the late Nepa- 
 lese War. 
 
 When a British Resident is forced on any Asiatic 
 power, it is only a question of time how long that power 
 shall be permitted to exist, before the fiat of annexation 
 goes forth, and the government of the native sovereign 
 annihilated. 
 
 Oude contains 25,000 square miles and 6,000,000 of 
 inhabitants, principally of the Rajhpoot caste. 
 
 Tuesday, March II, 1856. Again up to "Bellevue," 
 Mr. Greene's bungalow. 
 
 Friday, March 1 4, 1856. The American ship Anna 
 Maria, Captain Rhodes, arrives here in six days from 
 Singapore. 
 
 Saturday, March 1 5, 1856. Thermometer 71 ° at 
 
 75 A narrow gorge in the southwestern corner of British Baluchistan leading 
 into Afghanistan. 
 
 73 
 
6 A.M. Visit Mr. and Mrs. Mackenzie 76 at Strawberry 
 Hill, the late residence of poor Sir William Jephcott, 
 who died suddenly shortly before my arrival here from 
 Point-de-Galle. The furniture, pictures, etc., etc., of 
 the bungalow remain as they were in his time, and 
 strongly bring him and the many pleasant hours I have 
 passed with him to my mind. Mr. Buttery comes up 
 to Mr. Greene's. Write to S. Drinker, Hongkong, to 
 go by mail now daily expected from Point-de-Galle 
 on her way to China. 
 
 Monday, March IJ, 1856. Mr. Buttery goes down 
 this morning. Mr. Mackenzie and Lieutenant Corbit 
 call and pass two hours this morning. 
 
 Mr. White comes up this evening. Catch a flying 
 lizard — body five inches, head one inch, tail five and a 
 half inches; total, eleven and a half inches. Tail is flat 
 and broader at the end than in any other part. 
 
 Thursday, March 20, 1 8 56. The mail in from Point- 
 de-Galle. Hear that the San Jacinto has been at Galle 
 and that she left one day before the mail. 77 She is more 
 than a month behind her time. Go down the hill at 
 
 76 Mr. K. R. Mackenzie, a business man in China, who later, after Townsend 
 Harris had concluded a treaty with Japan, sought to visit Yedo on business. 
 Townsend Harris, in whom the Japanese placed complete faith to keep 
 traders away from Yedo, held out no encouragement, and wrote him from 
 Shimoda, on February 7, 1859 (L. B., vol. 4, p. 7) : 
 
 "The creation of a large commerce with Japan must of necessity be the 
 work of time. The rich latent resources of the country must be developed ; the 
 labor of a large surplus population must be directed to useful employments, 
 and lastly, artificial wants must be created among the masses." 
 
 About ten days later, February 18, 1859, the Dutch Minister, J. H. Donker 
 Curtius, wrote Townsend Harris from Nagasaki stating that several gentle- 
 men had arrived from Shanghai on a visit, among them Mr. K. R. Mackenzie. 
 (L. & P., vol. 1, no. 142.) 
 
 77 The San Jacinto arrived at Galle on Mar. 6, 1856. (Wood, op. cit., p. 105.) 
 
 74 
 
i P. M.; get letters from Captain McDonald and Mr. 
 Forbes at Point-de-Galle. 
 
 Good Friday, March 21, 1856. At noon the San 
 Jacinto is telegraphed but does not come in to-day. 
 
 Saturday, March 22, 1856. The San Jacinto comes 
 in at n A. M. She left New York October 25, 1856, 
 [1855]. Consequently she has been 149 days on her pas- 
 sage. Two ordinary merchant ships that left the United 
 States after the San Jacinto both arrived out before 
 her — one in 87 days, and the other [in] 94 days. Our 
 men-of-war never hurry. 
 
 Go on board the San Jacinto and am warmly wel- 
 comed by all. On leaving am saluted with thirteen guns. 
 The steamer Fiery Cross from Calcutta for China 
 comes in. Write to S. Drinker and Captain Pope. 
 
 Tuesday [Monday], March 24, 1856. Mail steamer 
 from China for England arrives. Write by her to W. L. 
 Marcy 78 and P. M. Wetmore, also to Captain McDonald 
 and Mr. Forbes at Ceylon. 
 
 Wednesday [Tuesday], March 25, 1856. Dine with 
 the Hon. W. T. Lewis, Resident Councillor and Acting 
 Governor, with Commodore Armstrong, Captain Bell, 
 Purser Bradford, 79 Fleet Surgeon Wood 80 and Lieu- 
 tenant Tyler of the marines. Wilson, 81 Lord Bishop of 
 
 78 Dispatch No. 3, dated Pulo Penang or Prince of Wales Island (L. B., vol. 1, 
 p. 14), informing the Secretary of State of the arrival of the San Jacinto, and 
 closing with the statement that in his next dispatch he hoped to be able to 
 inform the Secretary "on the result of my mission to the Court of Bangkok." 
 
 79 T. O. Bradford. 
 
 80 William Maxwell Wood, M.D., already referred to in these notes as the 
 author of Fankwei. This work is indispensable for all that relates to Town- 
 send Harris and his mission to Siam (pp. 147-260), but has very little on 
 Townsend Harris's work in Japan (pp. 295-320). 
 
 81 Daniel Wilson, 1778-1858, Fifth Bishop of Calcutta. {Diet. Nat. Biogr.) 
 
 75 
 
Calcutta, was among the guests. He is a venerable, 
 charitable and excellent man, but outrageously eccentric. 
 He has a most awkward habit of thinking aloud, and 
 as his private thoughts are very queer, the utterance of 
 them sometimes leads to ludicrous scenes. 
 
 He is equally odd in the pulpit. On one occasion, 
 when he was preaching at the Cathedral, Calcutta, his 
 subject was the sin of a lust of money. After illustrating 
 in a very ample manner the social and moral evils that 
 grow out of this sin, he wound up by saying: 
 
 "There is my brother the venerable Archdeacon" 
 (pointing at him) ; "he once sold me a horse for 500 
 rupees and the brute was not worth an anna" (two- 
 pence), "and I am very much afraid, my brethren, that 
 my venerable brother knew it when he sold him to me/" 
 Imagine the scene. 
 
 Thursday [Wednesday], March 2d, 1856. The 
 Commodore and Captain Bell go up the Hill to Mr. 
 Greene's, and in the evening Mr. Currier takes a number 
 of officers up to his bungalow "Mount Ellenborough." 
 Repairs are required to the engines of the San Jacintp 
 that will keep her here until the 1st or 2nd of next 
 month. 
 
 Saturday, March 2Q, 1856. Mr. Currier comes 
 down the Hill, and Lieutenant Lewis and Dr. Semple 82 
 go up. 
 
 Sunday, March 30, 1856. My old friend Pere 
 
 82 Assistant Surgeon of the San Jacinto, of whom Captain (later Rear- 
 Admiral) Andrew Hull Foote, of the Portsmouth, speaks to Townsend Harris 
 in L. & P., vol. 1, no. 75, dated Hongkong, Nov. 5, 1857. 
 
 76 
 
Bigandet is to-day consecrated a bishop In partibus 
 infidelibus. He leaves soon for Burmah. 
 
 Monday, March 31, 1856. Wrote to C. Huffnagle, 
 Esq., U. S. Consul General for British India at Calcutta. 
 Had the nightmare very bad last night. 
 
 Tuesday, April I, 1856. Gave in charge of Purser 
 Bradford of the San Jacinto eleven bags of dollars 
 containing $5,420. 
 
 Make all the calls I can and leave cards P. P. C. for 
 all kind friends at Penang — the cards will be sent after 
 I leave by Mr. Greene. 
 
 Wednesday, April 2, 1856. Early on board the San 
 Jacinto, which gets under way at 9:30 A. M. I am now 
 fairly on my way to the scene of my diplomatic labors. 83 
 
 Friday, April 4, 1 856. Arrive at Singapore at 9 :3c* 
 P. M. Were directed into the harbor by the blue lights 
 and rockets thrown up from the U. S. Corvette 
 Macedonian. 
 
 Saturday, April $, 1856. Go on shore to the house 
 of C. W. Bradley, Esq., U. S. Consul. Call on Governor 
 Blundell in company with Captain Bell and the Com- 
 modore. The Governor not at home. Afterwards I call 
 on M. Gautier, 84 Consul de France. Monsieur absent, 
 
 83 Cf. Wood, op. cit., p. 142; and L. & P., vol. 2, no. 119, in which Townsend 
 Harris, on Mar. 7, 1861, certifies (obviously for the use of the Department 
 of State) to the principal dates of his voyage from the day he sailed from 
 New York to that of his arrival at Shimoda, Japan, Aug. 21, 1856. 
 
 84 Townsend Harris must have been particularly eager to make M. Gautier's 
 acquaintance. Charles Wm. Bradley, Sr., U.S. Consul for Singapore, had writ- 
 ten to Townsend Harris a very interesting letter on Jan. 30, 1856. (JL. Gf P., 
 vol. 1, no. 28.) Among other important information, he wrote: 
 
 "Mr. Gautier, French Consul at this port, called on me yesterday, and in 
 the course of conversation informed me that his Government were about to 
 demand a commercial convention from the Siamese; and that for that pur- 
 
 77 
 
see Madame and pass an agreeable half hour. Make 
 some small purchases of stationery, etc., for Siam, and 
 a satin cover 85 for the President's letter. 
 
 Monday, April 7, 1856. Wrote W. L. Marcy, 86 
 N. Dougherty, S. Drinker and Dr. Macgowan. Am in- 
 vited to attend a ball and supper to be given by the 
 citizens of Singapore to the French Commodore Mon- 
 travel (see private letter book). 87 Send excuse, as I 
 hope then to be in Siam. 88 
 
 pose the diplomatic gentlemen already designated by H.I.M. would proceed 
 
 to Bangkok about the end of next month (February). Mr. Gautier will be one 
 
 of the mission, — probably its Secretary, and the bearer of its fruits to 
 
 France." 
 
 85 In L. B., vol. 1, p. 7, there is the following entry in Townsend Harris's 
 hand: "At Singapore. Paid on Diplomatic a/c Whampoa & Co.'s bill for satin 
 cover for the President's letter, and sundry small articles of stationery — $7.40." 
 
 86 Dispatch No. 4 (L. B., vol. 1, p. 14), by which he informed the Secretary 
 of State that a French squadron of two corvettes and one steamer was at Singa- 
 pore awaiting the arrival of the French Envoy to Siam, who would then pro- 
 ceed to Bangkok with a fleet of four vessels. Townsend Harris then voices 
 his fears as follows: 
 
 "I hope I shall be able to close my negotiations with the Siamese Court 
 
 before the arrival of the French mission, as its presence would cause much 
 
 delay, if no other embarrassment should arrive. 
 
 "I shall therefore use my best exertions to bring my negotiations to a close 
 
 as speedily as possible." 
 
 In the meantime, ratifications of the English Treaty with Siam (concluded 
 by Sir John Bowring on Apr. 18, 1855) had been exchanged at Bangkok by 
 Harry S. Parkes on Apr. 5, 1856 (L. & P., vol. 2, no. 26), and had gone into 
 effect on Apr. 6, 1856 (L. & P., vol. 2, no. 32). By letter of the same date (Apr. 
 6, 1856), Commodore James Armstrong was urging Townsend Harris to be 
 quick in selecting the person (Consul Bradley) to be the bearer to Washing- 
 ton of the American Treaty to be concluded with Siam ( L. & P., vol. 1, no. 34). 
 
 87 The letter to which Townsend Harris refers is lost. Commodore Perry had 
 met Commodore Montravel (whose fleet lay at anchor in the roadstead of 
 Macao, China) in Aug. 1853, when Perry put in there after his first visit to 
 the Bay of Yedo. (See Perry, Narrative, in 33-2, H. Ex. Doc, no. 97, vol. 1, 
 p. 300; and W. E. Griffis, Perry, p. 344.) 
 
 88 Though Townsend Harris was only about to begin negotiations with 
 Siam, the Americans in China had long been on the lookout for the arrival of 
 his ship. Commissioner Parker, in writing to Secretary of State Marcy (Macao, 
 Apr. 10, 1856) says: ". . . and am most solicitous for the arrival of the 
 San Jacinto (reported by the last mail as having left Point-de-Galle on or 
 about the 20th ult.), . . ." (35-2, S. Ex. Doc, no. 22, pt. 2 — in Serial 
 no. 983 — p. 761.) 
 
 78 
 
Tuesday, April 8, 1856. San Jacinto leaves at 3 
 P. M. for Bangkok. Have delightful weather — no dates 
 — perfect calm all the way. Pulo Panjang has a small 
 islet near it quite covered with guano. Passed Pulo Way 
 at midnight. Vast quantities of snakes in the Gulf of 
 Siam. Water blue at only sixteen fathoms soundings! 
 
 Sunday, April 1 3, 1856. We anchored at the bar of 
 the River Menam at 1 1 130 A. M. in six fathoms water. 89 
 We can just see the tops of the trees on shore. 
 
 The Honorable Company's steamer Auckland is 
 here with Mr. Parkes, who has not yet completed his 
 labors with the Siamese. I fear his presence may delay 
 me. Write a letter to the Minister of Foreign Affairs 90 
 
 89 Wood, Fankzvei, p. 150. In his letter to the Rev. Stephen Mattoon, written 
 on board the San Jacinto the same day (L. B., vol. 1, p. 9), Townsend Harris 
 says that the vessel "anchored here about 2 P. M." It will be remembered that 
 Perry, when he reached Point-de-Galle on his way out to Japan, wrote a letter 
 to His Royal Highness Prince Phar-Pen-Clow of Siam (dated Mar. 14, 1853), 
 and that, as the result of the courteous answer he received and of other private 
 information, "he would have gone to Siam had not uncontrollable circum- 
 stances prevented." (Perry, Narrative, in 33-2, H. Ex. Doc, no. 97, vol. 1, 
 p. 122.) 
 
 90 His name, as it appears in the treaty later concluded by Townsend Harris, 
 is: His Excellency Chau Phaya Rawe Nongee Maha Kosa Dhipade, the 
 Phra Klang — the last two words meaning "Minister of Foreign Affairs." 
 
 Townsend Harris's letter was dated: "Legation of the United States of 
 America to Siam. U. S. Steam Frigate San Jacinto, at anchor off the Menam. 
 [Sunday], April 13th, 1856." (L. B., vol. 1, p. 10, Dispatch No. 1.) 
 
 In addition to the statement in the text, Townsend Harris expresses his 
 desire to deliver the President's letter, of which he is the bearer; gives the 
 names and ranks of those who will compose his suite; asks for proper con- 
 veyances to move a number of large packages; and trusts that all facilities 
 will be afforded the Rev. S. Mattoon to enable him to reach the San Jacinto 
 as speedily as possible. 
 
 In signing this letter, Townsend Harris describes himself as: "Envoy Pleni- 
 potentiary of the United States of America to Siam, and American Consul 
 General for the Empire of Japan." 
 
 Townsend Harris had learned from the experiences of the two Americans 
 who had preceded him as envoys to Siam — namely, Edmund Roberts and 
 Joseph Balestier; and he began immediately to surround himself with all the 
 pomp and ceremony and dignity which have everywhere so much weight, but 
 particularly in the Far East. 
 
 79 
 
announcing my arrival and requesting boats, etc. Also 
 write to the Rev. Mr. Mattoon, an American mis- 
 sionary residing at Bangkok, requesting him to come to 
 me, as I wish him as my interpreter. 91 I sent to him a 
 letter from the Rev. Mr. Lower a of New York, re- 
 questing him to assist me. 92 
 
 The Captain and Supra Cargo of the American ship 
 Ino come on board. The Ino has loaded rice here for 
 China and sails to-day. Mr. Stone of the house of King 
 & Co. also came on board. He says the King has pro- 
 hibited the exportation of rice and salt. By Mr. Stone 
 I send up all the letters and parcels for Bangkok. I also 
 give him the letter for the Minister of Foreign Affairs, 
 and desired him to show it to the Governor of Paknam 
 and offer to carry it up to Bangkok if the Governor 
 
 91 The Rev. Stephen Mattoon, an American Presbyterian missionary long 
 resident at Bangkok, who became indispensable to Townsend Harris and of 
 whom we shall therefore hear a good deal. We quote from the letter referred 
 to in the text (L. B., vol. i, p. 9) : 
 
 "I am most anxious to secure your valuable aid not only as interpreter 
 but as my adviser in many things, for which your long residence here and 
 knowledge of public men peculiarly fit you. ... Of course I shall expect 
 to repay you all your expenses for boats, etc., as well as for your services." 
 
 Dr. Mattoon's home was visited by members of the American party on 
 May 4, 1856, and is described by Wood, in Fankivei, pp. 215, 220. 
 
 92 The reference is to Senator Walter Lowrie, born in Edinburgh, Scotland, 
 Dec. 10, 1784, died in New York, Dec. 14, 1868. His family moved to the 
 United States, where the young man was educated for the ministry, but went 
 into politics instead. He was successively State Senator in Pennsylvania, 
 United States Senator, and Secretary of the Senate. His early training and his 
 earnestly religious nature now led him into the field of foreign missions, and 
 in 1836 he was elected Corresponding Secretary of the Western Foreign Mis- 
 sionary Society, later known as the Presbyterian Board of Foreign Missions. 
 This post he held for more than thirty years, and it was as Secretary of the 
 Presbyterian Board that he recommended Townsend Harris to the Rev. 
 Mattoon, a Presbyterian Missionary in Siam. 
 
 This letter introducing Townsend Harris, who, although not personally 
 known to Mr. Lowrie, was "highly appreciated" and cordially recommended, 
 is dated at the Mission House, New York, Oct. 12, 1855. (L. B., vol. 1, p. 8.) 
 
 80 
 
wished him to do [so], but to be careful to fully under- 
 stand the wishes of the Governor before he took it from 
 Paknam. 
 
 Gar fish abundant and very large, pretty gulls, also 
 shrike or Indian kite, called jheel. Now make out houses 
 of the fishing stations. 
 
 Commander Drought of the Auckland comes on 
 board. He cannot salute the Commodore, as he has only 
 six guns, and vessels of that number and under are not 
 allowed to fire salutes. The Ino sailed this evening — a 
 lovely night — the land breeze is very refreshing. 
 Thermometer 85 . 
 
 Monday, April 14, 1856. The Commodore and 
 Captain Bell return the call of Commander Drought 
 of the Auckland. 
 
 Mr. Richards, of H. B. M. Surveying Schooner 
 Spartan, came on board and kindly promised to send 
 me his copy of Admiral Stirling's Treaty with the 
 Japanese. 93 
 
 For continuation of Journal in the order of dates, see 
 Journal No. 2. 
 
 93 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") signed a Convention with the Japanese at Nagasaki, on Oct. 14, 
 1854; it was ratified by Queen Victoria (Lord Clarendon) on Jan. 23, 1855; 
 and ratifications were exchanged at Nagasaki on Oct. 9, 1855 — the very day 
 on which Hotta, Bitchiu-no-Kami, was appointed to the Japanese Cabinet! 
 (Akimoto, Lord Ii Naosuke, p. 137.) 
 
 This Convention was concluded for the purpose of "regulating the admission 
 of British ships into the ports of Japan." There is a manuscript copy of the 
 full text in L. B., vol. 1, pp. 176-78, which is followed, on pp. 178-81, by Admiral 
 Stirling's own explanation of the various articles of the Treaty. The Hong- 
 kong Government Gazette, dated Victoria, Saturday, Oct. 27, 1855, carried 
 the same material, with the addition of a "Copy of the English Act of Ratifi- 
 cation." (L. £f P., vol. 2, no. 22.) More accessible references are: Perry, 
 Narrative, 33-2, H. Ex. Doc, no. 97, vol. I, pp. 388-89; and J. H. Gubbins, 
 The Progress of Japan, Appendix 3, pp. 232-33. 
 
 8l 
 
Journal No. 2 
 
 Commencing April 15, 1856 
 Ending July 6, 1856 
 
 Tuesday, April 1$, 1 8 56. On board the San Jacinto 
 off the Menam. 94 At 9 A. M. a small steamer belonging 
 to the King appeared in the offing and soon anchored 
 alongside. She is about forty tons and has a small, high- 
 pressure engine or locomotive brought out from the 
 United States. She was otherwise wholly built and set 
 agoing by the Siamese. She is called The Siamese Steam 
 Fleet. Dr. Mattoon came on board 95 in company with 
 Phra Nai Wai (brother of the Prime Minister 90 ), who 
 informed me that he was sent down by the King to wel- 
 come me on my arrival. 
 
 I soon learned that the Prime Minister was on board 
 and would visit the ship, provided he could come in a 
 private capacity, or incognito. A boat was sent for him, 
 and he came on board with four younger brothers. 
 After a little conversation I learned that the house oc- 
 cupied by Sir John Bowring when here was now occu- 
 
 94 In his manuscript, Townsend Harr:3 breaks off at this point to say: ''For 
 Journal from May 21, 1855, see Journal no. 1." 
 
 95 This visit is fully described also by Wood, op. cit., pp. 151-54. 
 
 96 His name, as it appears in the treaty later concluded by Townsend Harris, 
 is: His Excellency Chau Phaya Sri Suriwongse Samuha, Phra Kralahom — the 
 last two words meaning "Prime Minister." 
 
 83 
 
pied by Mr. H. Parkes, and that they wished me to send 
 up two officers to inspect the house prepared for me to 
 see if it would suit me, or whether I would prefer wait- 
 ing until Mr. Parkes should leave. On inquiry I found 
 that the new house, although sadly deficient, was really 
 the best they could give me until Mr. S. Parkes leaves. 
 I determined that I would not send anyone up as it 
 would lead to a great delay, and I was most anxious to 
 get to Bangkok as speedily as possible — that I would 
 take the house they had prepared, and that I was to be 
 removed to the other and better house as soon as it was 
 vacated by Mr. Parkes. 
 
 The Minister said he was not prepared to enter into 
 business, so that what I got from him was rather from 
 incidental than direct remarks. I gather that the King 
 is rather inclined to undervalue our mission, as it does 
 not come from a crowned head, etc., etc. By his advice 
 I wrote letters to the First and Second Kings (see 
 copies). 97 
 
 The flag of Siam (white elephant on red ground) 
 was then saluted with a royal salute of twenty-one guns. 
 The [Prime] Minister, whose name is Phra Kalahom, 
 
 97 The letter to the First King of Siam is to be found in L. B., vol. i, pp. 
 15-16. Townsend Harris informs the King of his desire to present the Presi- 
 dent's letter, thanks him for his kindness to Americans in Siam, and requests 
 an early audience. 
 
 The letter to the Second King of Siam is to be found in L. B., vol. 1, pp. 
 16-17. This letter is not so long as that to the First King. In fact, it plainly 
 refers the Second King to that other letter for more complete information. 
 
 The treaty concluded by Townsend Harris gives the names of the two 
 kings thus: 
 
 First King: Phra Bard Somdetch Phra Paramendr Maha Mongkut Phra 
 
 Chom Klau Chau Yu Hua; 
 Second King: Phra Bard Somdetch Phra Pawarendr Ramesr Mahiswaresr 
 Phra Pin Klau Chau Yu Hua. 
 
 84 
 
declined to be saluted, as he was not on board officially. 
 He went over the ship and examined everything very 
 minutely and made many very sensible and shrewd re- 
 marks. He is the father of the Siamese navy, as he built 
 all the ships they have which are after European models. 
 
 He told me I must let the King know how many swords 
 and guns and big ships we have, which would greatly 
 alter his tone. Still I have hopes of getting a treaty on 
 terms that will be satisfactory, and without any bluster. 
 
 Two Americans came down with the Minister, — 
 Captain Duvall 98 and Mr. Porter, both recently from 
 China. Captain Duvall brought me a letter of intro- 
 duction from Mr. Keenan, U. S. Consul at Hongkong." 
 
 After taking some refreshments the Prime Minister 
 and suite left for Bangkok. 
 
 The little steamer had the private flag of the King, — 
 
 98 Writing from Shimoda on Apr. 4, 1859, to Mr. E. E. Rice, United States 
 Commercial Agent at Hakodate, Townsend Harris says (L. B., vol. 4, p. 32) : 
 
 "Your friend Captain Duvall died miserably in the jungles of Siam, where 
 he had gone on a gold hunting expedition. The story about his brave con- 
 duct while in command of one of the Siamese ships-of-war was nothing 
 but fiction. He never held any such command, nor was he ever in Siamese 
 employ." 
 
 "General James Keenan, of Pennsylvania, U.S. Consul for Hongkong, 
 1854-57. He was nominated Feb. 2, 1854, in place of F. T. Bush, resigned; 
 reported, Feb. 8, 1854; consented to, Mar. 14, 1854. (Hasse Index, pt. 3, 
 p. 1707.) 
 
 Tyler Dennett {Americans in Eastern Asia, p. 283) points out that General 
 Keenan carried the American flag over the walls of Canton when Admiral 
 Michael Seymour (British) attacked the city (Oct. 29, 1856), but that no men- 
 tion of this fact was made in the official reports to the Department of State. 
 (Cf., too, Lane-Poole and Dickins's Life of Sir Harry Parkes, vol. 1, p. 239.) 
 
 This act of General Keenan, then, constitutes another, and an earlier, in- 
 stance of Commodore Josiah Tattnall's "Blood is thicker than water," uttered 
 on the occasion of the British reverse at the Peiho forts in northern China, on 
 May 28, 1858 — and both these gentlemen were therefore technically guilty of 
 breaking the official neutrality of the United States. (For the full details of 
 General Keenan's deed, see 35-2, S. Ex. Doc, no. 22, pt. 2 — in Serial no. 983 — 
 pp. 1383-99.) 
 
 85 
 
viz., on a red field the royal crown supported on each 
 side by state umbrellas, closed. 
 
 Mr. Mattoon remains on board the ship with me until 
 the King shall send down for me. 
 
 Wednesday, April 16, 1856. Nothing from Bangkok 
 to-day. Had much conversation with Mr. Mattoon re- 
 garding my mission. He thinks I shall have no difficulty 
 in getting the same terms as the English obtained. Has 
 given me the characters of the two Kings and principal 
 nobles. 100 We expect to be sent for to-morrow in the small 
 steamer to proceed to Paknam and from thence we shall 
 go up to Bangkok in the King's state barges. 
 
 The tide on the bar is about twelve feet. Lowest water 
 on the bar is in March, when it is only thirteen feet at 
 high water. The highest is in November, when eighteen 
 feet is found. 
 
 Vessels can always lie in the roads, as no storms of a 
 serious kind ever occur. No hurricane or typhoon was 
 ever known in Siam. 
 
 Cambodia is now tributary to Siam, but a portion of 
 its territories have been seized on by Cochin-China on 
 the east and Siam on the west. 
 
 Chantibon produces most of the spices and fine gums 
 
 100 Townsend Harris had taken pains to procure information on these points 
 before leaving New York City. (See Journal, entry for Sept. 21, 1855.) It is 
 almost certain (from a study of the handwritings) that the Rev. Dr. Samuel 
 R. House (who had been a missionary to Siam for many years) was the author 
 of the four-page unsigned document (L. & P., vol. 2, no. 61), which Mr. 
 Heusken (Townsend Harris's secretary) endorsed: "Biography of the King 
 of Siam, his family and prime ministers." 
 
 The Rev. S. R. House must also have penned for Townsend Harris a simi- 
 lar document (L. & P., vol. 2, no. 18), giving him a list of good books on Siam, 
 and making suggestions regarding such practical details as the supply of paper, 
 envelopes, tape-ribbon, and presents for the two kings, which last he actually 
 assisted Townsend Harris in selecting. (L. B., vol. 1, pp. 1, 76.) 
 
 86 
 
of Siam. Black pepper is lately become an article of 
 cultivation there, and enough might easily be produced 
 to take the place of the Sumatra pepper. 
 
 The white elephant is an object of veneration, but not 
 of worship. It is considered as a fortunate possession for 
 a king — bringing to him good luck. The Siamese annals 
 state that the Burmese once made a successful war on 
 Siam, to obtain five white elephants. 
 
 Divorce in Siam is the simple will of the husband — 
 who can even sell his wife as a slave. The father can 
 always sell his son, no matter what his age, etc. Mar- 
 riage is a simple sale of the girls, as the sum paid is only 
 considered as her dower, when the family is rich. When 
 it is poor, they use a part or the whole of the purchase 
 money for the payment of their debts. 
 
 No marriage ceremony is performed. At a feast given 
 on the occasion, a priest comes and eats before 12 M., 
 as he cannot eat after noon. He says some prayers on 
 the occasion, but it cannot be called a benediction or 
 making a contract. Slavery 101 is deprived of some of its 
 evils by the laws of Siam. The slave can work for him- 
 self, provided he pays his master a certain per cent, on 
 the sum paid for him. He can also redeem himself by 
 paying the original purchase money, but the owner may 
 add any costs he may be put to by the slave, such as 
 running away, sickness, or by his failing to pay the sum 
 due to his master when working for himself. 
 
 A slave may keep any property which he has acquired 
 
 101 Townsend Harris's interest in slavery is easily understood when we 
 remember that his mission to Siam and Japan took place in the years immedi- 
 ately preceding the Civil War. 
 
 87 
 
by his own labor or other means. So, also, the wife can 
 trade on her own account, and her husband or his 
 creditors cannot touch it. 
 
 Sodomy is very common, as is also bestiality. Neither 
 is punished with any severity, and never except in the 
 case of a priest. 
 
 Adultery is very common, but almost escapes without 
 punishment, except when the female belongs to the royal 
 family or some of the very high nobles, in which case 
 the male offender is punished with death. 
 
 Thursday, April IJ, 1856. Nothing new to-day, nor 
 anything from Bangkok. Very hot. 
 
 Friday, April 18, 1856. I have a letter 102 this morn- 
 ing from the Minister of Foreign Affairs acknowledging 
 the receipt of my letter of Sunday and explaining that 
 the bamboo house prepared for me is according to strict 
 Siamese etiquette of the most honorable kind, as it is 
 new and has never been occupied. 
 
 He also writes that he will send out for me on Mon- 
 day to take me to Paknam, or, according to its name in 
 the court language, Samut-phra-kan, at which place I 
 am to meet twenty-two royal boats to take me and my 
 suite up in high honor to Bangkok. 
 
 Write to the Minister in reply. ( See copy this date. ) 103 
 
 102 The manuscript original of the translation of this letter (by the Rev. Mat- 
 toon) is still extant. (L. & P., vol. 2, no. 25.) It is dated as follows: "This com- 
 munication was written on Thursday the 12th of the increasing Moon, the fifth 
 month of the year of the Serpent, corresponding to April 17th, 1856." 
 
 William M. Wood is authority for the statement that on April 17th Town- 
 send Harris received presents from the King. (Fankivei, p. 159.) 
 
 103 L. B., vol 1, p. 17. The substance of the letter from the Minister for 
 Foreign Affairs (L. & P., vol. 2, no. 25) and of Townsend Harris's reply is 
 given in this Journal entry. 
 
 88 
 
Concerning slavery. On the death of the father, the 
 eldest son succeeds to his rights. When only minors are 
 left, an uncle can sell his nephews and nieces, especially 
 if they have lived with or have been supported by 
 him. 
 
 Saturday, April IQ, 1856. The little steamer came 
 down to-day, and Mr. Parkes in her paid me a visit. I 
 had much conversation with him. He finds much delay 
 in getting a full understanding as to the meaning of the 
 Treaty, and some efforts have been made to change some 
 of the articles in Schedules A and B of the Treaty. He 
 is now having the line four miles distant from the walls 
 (within which foreigners may lease but cannot buy 
 houses and grounds until they have resided ten years 
 in Siam) measured and marked, and when this is done 
 the Treaty is to be proclaimed by the Siamese Gov- 
 ernment. 
 
 He fears that I shall find my new house too small and 
 says I will require both that and the one erected for the 
 French Embassy. 
 
 Mr. S. Parkes recommended me to apply for the house 
 occupied by the late Phra Klang. I got Mr. Mattoon to 
 write up to his friends to move in the matter. 
 
 Mr. Parkes informs me that I will meet a most 
 friendly reception from the Siamese, but that I must be 
 prepared for many and some very unreasonable delays 
 which will greatly try my patience. 
 
 After taking some refreshment, Mr. Parkes went over 
 the ship and saw her armament, machinery, etc., etc., 
 and left at half-past two. We gave him a salute of eleven 
 
 8 9 
 
guns, although as Consul he only is entitled to nine guns, 
 but Captain Bell had been informed that Mr. Parkes 
 had been saluted with that number by the Auckland 
 when he disembarked at Bangkok. 
 
 The weather is very hot. The thermometer ranges 
 about 82 at night, and from 88° to 90 during the heat 
 of the day. A pleasant breeze springs up about 2 P. M. 
 and blows until 4 A. M. 
 
 I am told the heat at nights is more oppressive on 
 board ship than it is at Bangkok, although the ther- 
 mometer rises to 96 there during the day. 
 
 It is an old saying here that those who come here for 
 business should bring one ship loaded with patience, 
 another loaded with presents, and a third ship for carry- 
 ing away the cargo. 
 
 Mr. Mattoon has made a careful translation of the 
 Foreign Minister's letter to me (i.e., the Phra Klang). 
 
 About 8 P. M. heavy clouds arose in the north (in the 
 direction of Bangkok) , and the lightning was very vivid 
 for more than an hour with an occasional sound of dis- 
 tant thunder. The lightning was almost all vertical, de- 
 scending quite to the edge of the horizon. Some bolts 
 were of a deep red, others yellow in color. Mr. Mattoon 
 thinks the storm was over Bangkok. It is the beginning 
 of the rainy season. 
 
 Sunday, April 20, 1856. Mr. Mattoon preached a 
 most excellent sermon at half-past ten to the ship's com- 
 pany. He had an attentive audience, and was earnest 
 and clear in his discourse. 
 The schooner sent down for the presents anchored 
 
 90 
 
near the ship this morning, but they will not be put on 
 board till to-morrow. 
 
 Boats came off from her with eggs, fowls, onions, 
 plantains and a few mangoes for sale. About noon an- 
 other boat from Paknam came alongside with a present 
 of dried fish and cocoanut oil, as a present from the King 
 to the ship's company. The boat had two rudders, one 
 on each quarter. 
 
 I shall send up in the schooner one case of cordials, 
 one ditto cherry brandy, the "diplomatic trunk," 104 and 
 two barrels of flour, which I borrowed from the ship 
 and am to return it in Hongkong. I take the flour to 
 make bread for the party, as neither bread nor flour is to 
 be had at Bangkok. 
 
 Monday, April 21, 1856. At 7 A. M. the little steamer, 
 The Siamese Steam Force, 105 with two Cochin-Chinese 
 boats, each rowed by thirty men, came alongside and 
 brought five nobles, one of the third rank and four of 
 the fourth rank. Of the latter, one went on board the 
 schooner, one to each of the Cochin-Chinese boats, and 
 one to the steamer, where the other third rank noble re- 
 mained. A joint note was received written in the name 
 of the Phra Nai Wai, etc., explaining that the boats 
 were sent to convey part of my suite, for fear the steamer 
 should be too much crowded. The steamer had two flags 
 
 104 This trunk was recently in the possession of Mrs. Sarah C. W. Harris, of 
 New York City, who died Feb. 5, 1927. 
 
 105 Under the caption "A Royal Siamese Machinist" (Prince T. N. Chau Fa 
 Khromakhun Isaret Rangsan), the New York Tribune gives an interesting 
 account of the building of a Siamese steamer entirely by native talent. 
 {Tribune, morning ed., Saturday, April 7, 1849, p. 2, col. 3, quoting from the 
 Singapore Free Press of Oct. 19, 1848.) William M. Wood, op. cit., p. 153, 
 identifies this Prince as the then Second King of Siam. 
 
 91 
 
on the bow : the flag of Siam, a white elephant on a blue 
 field ; the other was the particular flag of the King, — his 
 crown, supported on each side by royal umbrellas, — and 
 was hoisted on the stern. The boats, which were some 
 fifty feet long, had each four flags on the stern, red, 
 blue, pink, white. 
 
 The schooner came alongside, and the articles hereto- 
 fore noted and the packages of presents were all put on 
 board and the marines sent to the two boats. After leav- 
 ing Penang a large number of the marines were on the 
 sick list, but as soon as it was known that a guard of 
 marines was to go up to Bangkok, they all speedily 
 recovered. 
 
 At 10:20 A. M. we started, the ship saluting me with 
 seventeen guns. 
 
 The air was from the north and, as our course was 
 also north, it made a fine refreshing breeze, which was 
 most grateful after the great heat we had suffered in the 
 ship. As we passed H. M. Surveying Schooner, 106 she 
 saluted us by dipping her flag, which courtesy was 
 answered by the band playing "God Save the Queen." 
 
 About eight miles from the ship we entered into the 
 pass between the fishing stakes. These are stout saplings 
 and from the strong tide which was then running were 
 constantly swaying to and fro. Large quantities of shell 
 fish were adhering to the poles. The white ibis, or paddy 
 bird of the Indian Archipelago, were collected in num- 
 bers. Some perched on the stakes, others in larger 
 
 106 The Spartan; cf. above entry for Apr. 14, 1856. Willian M. Wood, op. cit. s 
 p. 160, ascribes this interchange of courtesies to H. M.'s Brig Saracen. 
 
 92 
 
numbers were collected on the little patches of sand, 
 seen here and there. At the very entrance of the river 
 was a building roofed with tiles and standing some ten 
 feet above the water on strong posts. On the staff was a 
 flag with blue, red and blue in horizontal stripes and 
 having the white elephant. This building is a sort of 
 lookout, and is also a refuge for benighted persons in 
 boats. About three miles above is Paknam. This place 
 is strongly fortified with long lines of batteries on both 
 banks and on an island nearly in the middle of the river. 
 The batteries appear to be in good order, and are well 
 supplied with guns. The position of these defences ap- 
 pears to be judiciously selected, but of this only a mili- 
 tary man could judge. A short distance above the forti- 
 fied island is a very pretty pagoda, crowning another 
 islet. It does not contain any images, but is a place of 
 great resort at certain seasons of merrymaking, when it is 
 covered with cloths of various colors. 
 
 On approaching the landing place a number of flags 
 were seen fluttering in the wind. Soldiers were seen 
 under arms, and a large number of people collected. As 
 soon as we had anchored, a person in a tawdry uniform 
 with the black hat of the West on his head came on board 
 and invited me to land, which I did, in company with 
 the Commodore, my secretary and some three others. As 
 I ascended the steps, the guard, which lined both sides 
 of the brick pathway, presented arms, and the bugles 
 made a most diabolical noise. The uniform was red 
 pantaloons and jacket, black shako, cross belts and bare 
 feet. 
 
 93 
 
About fifty yards from the landing was a building, 
 open on all sides, and built after the exact manner of 
 the Pondoppo of Java, and in its interior consists of 
 three stages or degrees, the upper one occupying more 
 than half of the whole area, and is the post of honor. 
 
 It was here that Mr. Balestier met the first instance 
 of uncivil treatment, as he was stopped on the second 
 stage, and there he was compelled to take the refresh- 
 ments offered to him. 107 I was aware not only of the 
 custom, but also of the manner [in which] Mr. Balestier 
 was treated, and was determined not to submit to such 
 treatment, had it been attempted. But my reception was 
 quite different. I was met on the upper stage by the 
 Phra Nai Wai and a brother of the Prime Minister, 
 who was of higher rank than the Phra Nai Wai. They 
 were very cordial, shaking hands and inviting me to be 
 seated, etc., etc. 
 
 The Phra Nai Wai requested the band might land 
 
 107 Mr. Joseph Balestier went up the River Menam on Apr. 3, 1850. In his 
 long report to the Hon. Daniel Webster, Secretary of State, dated Washington, 
 Nov. 25, 1851, he tells the story as follows (32-1, S. Ex. Doc, no. 38 — in Serial 
 no. 618 — pp. io-ii): 
 
 "At the second port, about midway between the mouth of the river and 
 the capital, where preparations had been made on a large scale to receive 
 the embassy, I was informed that the commanding officer or governor of the 
 place was taken suddenly ill, and I was attended by men of low rank, who 
 seated me on the second platform of the building I was in, thereby intimating 
 to the crowd that I was a person of inferior rank; for, in that country, 
 officers of high rank occupy the upper platform of the floor; those of inferior 
 rank, the second platform; and, finally, the third or lowest part of the floor 
 is resorted to by persons of low rank. It was only after I returned to my 
 barge that I was made aware of this rule of etiquette, and, consequently, of 
 the affront put upon me . . ." 
 
 This episode had already been reported by Mr. Balestier to the Hon. Clayton, 
 Secretary of State, but much more briefly and with minor differences, (lb., 
 p. 51, dated U. S. Flagship Plymouth, Gulf of Siam, Apr. 30, 1850.) 
 
 94 
 
and play during the meal which they had provided, and 
 that when the marines came up (their boat was about a 
 mile astern when we arrived) that they also might 
 land. 
 
 We soon after sit down to a table abundantly sup- 
 plied with soup, fish, poultry, pork, vegetables, etc., etc., 
 followed by plenty of fruits and various preparations in 
 sugar, etc. 
 
 The Phra Nai Wai proposed to salute the American 
 Flag with twenty-one guns, and borrowed an ensign to 
 hoist on the Fort during the salute, and requested that 
 we should order another American flag to be hoisted on 
 the little steamer during the same period. All of which 
 was done, and when the salute was over the band struck 
 up "Hail, Columbia." The Siamese of all ranks are 
 greatly attracted by our band, and, when the men went 
 to another building, they were followed by large crowds 
 to see them eat, etc. I here saw the Siamese women for 
 the first time. Their scanty clothing is almost the same 
 as that of the men, except a cloth which is thrown over 
 the neck, with the ends falling down over their bosom 
 which it partially conceals, when the wind does not blow 
 it about. They have the same ungraceful way of cutting 
 the hair, — i. e., very short except on the crown of the 
 head, where it is about three inches long and stands up 
 like bristles. On examination, we found the Kanyu 108 
 boats were not of the style usually sent when similar 
 persons are to proceed up to Bangkok, and Mr. Mat- 
 
 108 There is a town of this name in northern China; and perhaps the refer- 
 ence in the text is to some kind of Chinese boats. 
 
 95 
 
toon was of [the] opinion that they did not expect us 
 to use them, or rather, they expected we would prefer 
 going up in the steamer; which, in fact, was the case, 
 for on our transit from the ship to Paknam we had can- 
 vassed the matter, and we agreed that it would be more 
 agreeable to go up in the steamer which would reach 
 Bangkok before six o'clock, P. M., while the boats 
 would probably not reach there before eight o'clock. 
 Mr. Mattoon formed his opinion of their intentions from 
 the fact that the boats were not decorated with cloth 
 of gold, banners, etc., etc., as is usual on such occasions, 
 and also because the number was not as great as that 
 named by the Minister of Foreign Affairs in his letter 
 to me, — viz., twenty-two. 
 
 The Phra Nai Wai inquired after my health and age, 
 and the health and age of the President, and some other 
 and similar questions. He told me that when I embarked 
 I should be saluted with seventeen guns. 
 
 I then ordered the marines, band and servants to go 
 on board and afterwards embarked myself, receiving 
 similar honors as on my landing. Soon after the steamer 
 got under way, the promised salute of seventeen guns 
 was fired from one of the forts on the left bank of the 
 river. Some of the guns seemed by the report to be very 
 heavy pieces. The powder appeared to be poor, as the 
 smoke from a single discharge was almost equal to the 
 smoke of a whole salute from the frigate. 
 
 A lively scene was now seen. The Kanyu boats, some 
 of them full fifty feet or more long, with high prows 
 and sterns, propelled by the paddles of some fifty men, 
 
 9 6 
 
all shouting and striving not only to pass each other but 
 the steamer also. The strife was animated, as you could 
 see by their countenances and eyes, while the air seemed 
 to be filled by a whirlwind of arms, paddles and naked, 
 screaming savages. 
 
 The tints of the green are very beautiful and rich, 
 among which the light pea green of the mangrove 
 arrests the eye from the moment you get near enough to 
 the land to distinguish shades of color, and this con- 
 tinues up the river for some distance, but is now (above 
 Paknam) mixed with the deeper greens of the casuarina 
 littorea and nipah palms, from which [come] the 
 ataps so largely used in the Indian Archipelago and the 
 peninsula for making and covering their houses. It is a 
 pretty palm, and is difficult to distinguish from the 
 young cocoanut, but it never grows up into a boll with a 
 verdant head of waving fronds, but remains lowly and 
 lovely and most useful to man. It is impossible to over- 
 estimate the advantages which are drawn from the 
 common varieties of the palm. 
 
 It furnishes materials for building the house and 
 the boat, with cordage and sails for the latter; fishing 
 lines and seines; refreshing and cooling drinks in the 
 hottest day; it furnishes oil and champagne wine, with 
 as much brandy as may be desired. Its produce of sugar 
 resembles the maple of our country, while it forms an 
 important part of each meal, furnishing the vessels in 
 which both food and drink are placed. The above are all 
 literal, and no doubt other uses are made which do not 
 at present occur to me. 
 
 97 
 
We now went on rapidly, as we had wind, tide and 
 steam all in our favor. 
 
 A few miles above Paknam and you begin to meet 
 with the houses of the Siamese peasantry. These are 
 generally very neat and far superior to the house oc- 
 cupied by the same class in India and China and, of 
 course, to those of the Malays. The houses are elevated 
 on posts some six feet above the ground, which [not 
 only] secures a greater degree of dryness (an important 
 consideration in a damp country), but [also] secures 
 the inmates from the carbonic acid gas or malaria which 
 is exhaled during the night and collects on the ground 
 until it is some feet in depth. Most travellers give as a 
 reason for this elevation of the house so far above the 
 ground that it is a means of protection against reptiles 
 and noxious animals and insects. This reason is no doubt 
 quite satisfactory to those who like to have their nerves 
 agitated by the dangers they read of, but careful exam- 
 inations prove that in this case (as in most analogous 
 ones) it is a better reason than childish fear of snakes 
 and toads that induces them to build their houses some 
 height above the ground. But to return to the house — 
 the roof is quite as steep as a French chateau ; the sides 
 are covered in with very neat panel work made of very 
 small pieces of wood, indeed the smaller the prettier 
 in Siamese eyes. The roof is covered with a neatly made 
 thatch made from the nipah palm. About ten miles from 
 Paknam the river makes an extraordinary curve or 
 curves quite like that in the Connecticut River at Mount 
 Holyoke. It is about twenty miles around this bend, but 
 
 98 
 
the Siamese have cut a canal, practicable for boats, in 
 the direct line of the river, which saves some ten miles 
 of distance, but we were compelled from the size of our 
 conveyance to follow the river. During the dry season, 
 — i.e., from December to May, a dam is erected across 
 the lower end to prevent the salt water from entering 
 the canal and thus injuring their cultivations ; but during 
 the rains such is the volume of rain water that the river 
 is always fresh even down to Paknam, and ships some 
 four miles from the mouth are said to take fresh water 
 from the surface during this season. 
 
 The entrance to this canal is near a sugar plantation 
 and just below the fort of Paklat. On arriving at Paklat 
 the steamer was stopped, and a number of boats came 
 alongside bearing an abundant supply of the various 
 fruits in season from the Commander of the place. It 
 was here that Mr. Balestier landed for the second time 
 on his way up, as is usual when the transit is made in 
 boats. Above the fort is the great iron chain which the 
 Siamese stretch across the river in times of danger, and 
 is thought by them to be a perfect barrier to the river. 
 The chain is on and attached to logs to float it to its 
 place, and powerful windlasses are erected on the left 
 bank to heave it across and to its place. 
 
 When Sir James Brooke 109 came up, the chain was 
 
 109 Sir James Brooke (1803-68), born at Benares, India — another of the 
 famous empire builders of Great Britain. He later became the Rajah of Sara- 
 wak, on the northwest coast of Borneo. (An interesting sketch in Diet. Nat. 
 Biogr.) 
 
 In 1850 he was commissioned to conclude a treaty with Siam, but he was 
 received (only a few months after Mr. Balestier, L. & P., vol. 2, nos. 31 and 61) 
 with hostile demonstrations, and negotiations were broken off in a manner that 
 
 99 
 
stretched across and he was taken through a small canal 
 which the Siamese cut around the end of the chain. 
 
 The scenery was now beautiful in the extreme, the 
 tide being a spring, and nearly high water hid all the 
 mud banks. Trees hung over the stream in many places 
 with their branches touching the water. Here we saw, 
 in addition to those noted before (except the mangrove) , 
 the cotton tree, the feather bamboo, areca 110 and cocoa 
 palms, pandanus spiralis, with others unknown to me. 
 The light of the declining sun had its rays softened by 
 thin clouds and seemed to give life and freshness to 
 everything which, with the delicious coolness of the air, 
 seemed like a paradise after the dreadful heat we had 
 endured at the anchorage outside the bar. 
 
 Boats of all sizes, from the tiny affair of some seven 
 feet long by fifteen inches wide, holding a single person, 
 up to those paddled by some fifty men, were seen darting 
 about in all directions. Here was a boat laden with wood 
 or coal propelled by a Chinaman standing erect and 
 facing the bow; pushed two oars and seemed to be in- 
 different about us or our craft. There were boats of the 
 Siamese who all squatted as we approached, out of re- 
 spect. Hundreds of neat cottages were seen peeping 
 through the rich foliage, with frequent wats or temples, 
 near which clusters of priests in their yellow robes were 
 seen, while men, women and children would occupy 
 every post of vantage to see us and hear the band. Now 
 
 made matters more difficult for those who followed him — namely, Sir John 
 Bowring, Sir Harry Parkes and Townsend Harris. (Lane-Poole and Dickins, 
 op. cit., vol. i, p. 190; Bowring, Siam, vol. 2, pp. 209-10.) 
 110 The areca or betel-nut palm. 
 
 100 
 
we began to meet the floating houses which are erected 
 on a raft of bamboos some two feet above the level of the 
 water. These houses have a neat appearance, and, when 
 kept in order, are far preferable to the houses occupied 
 by the laboring classes in Europe and America. I 
 omitted to note that when we stopped at Paklat to re- 
 ceive the presents of fruit, the head man asked, as a 
 favor, that the band might play, and appeared much 
 pleased with the music. 
 
 We now began to find the wats larger and finer. Raft 
 houses more frequent and the number of boats larger. 
 Presently we saw the masts of square-rigged vessels, and, 
 to our sincere pleasure, the "Star Spangled Banner" 
 waving in the gentle evening breeze. 111 One must be far 
 from home and among strangers to appreciate the in- 
 tense emotions that fill the heart at the sight of the 
 national flag. Abstractly, it is but so much bunting of 
 divers colors, but as a flag it represents country and 
 home and friends and all the dear thoughts that are 
 associated with those ideas. 
 
 The flag was hoisted on the ship lanthe, which was 
 receiving some repairs, preparatory to loading a cargo 
 for China. 
 
 I have before noted the fine ships which the Siamese 
 have built, and I now saw a new specimen — it was the 
 complete fusion of the junk of China with the ship of the 
 West. Her foremast was rigged as a ship, the main 
 hoisted the enormous single sail of the junk, while the 
 
 11:l Wood, op. ctt., p. 160: "On our way in, we passed several merchant ships 
 at anchor, all of which were being loaded by Mr. King, an enterprising Ameri- 
 can merchant of Bangkok. . . ." 
 
 101 
 
mizzen was bark rigged ; the bow was open and had its 
 two enormous goggling eyes of the junk, but out of the 
 open space projected the bowsprit and jib booms of the 
 ship of the West. 
 
 About 6 o'clock we came in sight of the Portuguese 
 Consulate, which had hoisted its flag in our honor; and, 
 a short distance above, a high flagstaff with a new bam- 
 boo-house pointed out our new residence. As soon as we 
 had anchored, a boat came off and a Portuguese as inter- 
 preter welcomed me and desired me to land. On ascend- 
 ing the steps from the river I was welcomed by the 
 Phra Klang in a very cordial manner. Here I also met 
 Dr. Bradley 112 of the American Presbyterian Mission, 
 also Mr. D. O. King, 113 and Mr. Stone, both Americans. 
 The Phra Klang now invited me to enter the house. I 
 
 112 The Rev. D. B. Bradley, who is also referred to as belonging to the Ameri- 
 can Missionary Association (L. & P., vol. 2, no. 61, p. 4), and to the Congrega- 
 tional Mission (Wood, op. cit., p. 190). As in so many other cases in the Far 
 East, the Rev. Bradley was at the same time both missionary and physician. 
 For the story of his vain effort to cure the Queen of the First King of Siam, see 
 Wood, op. cit., pp. 248-51 ; and Bowring, Siam, vol. 2, pp. 411-21. 
 
 113 David O. King had established himself at Shanghai, where he served as 
 Consul for Prussia. Some time before the date of this Journal entry, he had 
 freed some Siamese vessels that had been captured by the Chinese at Shanghai, 
 and the King of Siam had in gratitude appointed him Consul and Commercial 
 Agent of Siam at Shanghai. (L. & P., vol. 2, no. 23, Mr. King to Townsend 
 Harris, Bangkok, Jan. 28, 1856; and L. & P., vol. 1, nos. 30, 32.) 
 
 Naturally, Mr. King soon desired to visit the country which he officially 
 represented. He reached Bangkok some time in Nov., 1855. Writing from 
 Canton on Dec. 18, 1855 (L. & P., vol. 1, no. 25), S. Drinker warns Townsend 
 Harris against Mr. King: 
 
 "I wish you were at Siam now. David King from Shanghai has gone down 
 there to try and get the King's business at Shanghai. I am afraid he will be 
 meddling in your business with the King, and making a treaty on his own 
 hook." 
 
 Mr. King's own letter to Townsend Harris (see above) is a tirade against 
 the Prime Minister of Siam, and the latter's attitude towards Mr. King is 
 therein portrayed as so hostile that there was small danger of Mr. King's ob- 
 taining a treaty "on his own hook." 
 
 I02 
 
found a large room intended as a public and dining 
 room. Back of this, two large bedrooms with Chinese 
 bedsteads of a rich description, good beds, pillows, 
 bolsters, or Dutch wives, and silk mosquito curtains. 
 These rooms were appropriated to Commodore Arm- 
 strong and myself. Four other bedrooms, each with two 
 beds, properly furnished, accommodate eight of the 
 officers. 
 
 Two of our company went to the house of Mr. Mat- 
 toon, and the purser went to the house of Mr. D. O. 
 King (an American merchant who has established a 
 branch of his house here, having others at Canton and 
 Shanghai) . I found the house to be airy and clean, having 
 some appliances for comfort in the shape of bathing 
 rooms and water closets, but I have no private room for 
 writing or conversation, except my bedroom, which has 
 a doorway but no door. I closed it after a fashion with a 
 small flag, which was brought up for our procession. 
 
 After looking around the house and getting over the 
 bustle of arrival and landing baggage, I went to see the 
 quarters of the marines, band and servants, etc., etc., 
 which are very comfortable, and each man is supplied 
 with a good mattress made of quilted cloth wadded with 
 cotton, and to each man are given two sheets. 
 
 This over, the Phra Klang came to my room bringing 
 a man of Portuguese descent (who is, as he told me, a 
 general) as interpreter. 114 
 
 He spoke but very little English, but by speaking 
 
 114 This must be the strange individual who is called Gabrielle by William 
 M. Wood {op. cit., p. 162). 
 
 IO3 
 
Spanish I got along pretty well. The Phra Klang was 
 anxious to know how far my instructions went and what 
 we wanted, etc., etc. I avoided giving him any particular 
 information, saying that my mission was of the most 
 friendly kind ; that the President had a great esteem for 
 the King and was anxious to strengthen the ties of friend- 
 ship already happily existing, and to increase the inter- 
 course between the people of the two countries, etc., etc. ; 
 and finally that, when I met the Ministers together, I 
 would more fully explain matters, as I could then have 
 the assistance of Mr. Mattoon, who was competent to 
 interpret correctly between us. 
 
 The Phra Klang asked me if I had a copy of our 
 treaty with Japan. 115 I replied that I would send him a 
 copy when I reached China, as I was unwilling that they 
 should see that treaty at present. We continued in con- 
 versation until near eight o'clock, when dinner was 
 served. We sat down to a table handsomely spread with 
 French porcelain, white and gold, and plenty of new 
 table silver of English make. The food and fruit were 
 abundant, but the cooking was bad, meat almost raw 
 and everything surcharged with onions, garlic and leeks. 
 
 Soon after, some of the men were seized with cholera 
 morbus; which is not to be wondered at, as they had 
 eaten fruit and drunk cocoanuts to an unreasonable ex- 
 tent, one man having drunk one hundred cocoanuts be- 
 tween Paknam and Bangkok. In addition to all this, 
 they ate heartily of fresh pork at Paknam, and drank of 
 the very bad water at this place. Now, to all this, add 
 
 115 The treaty concluded by Commodore Perry, Mar. 31, 1854. 
 
 IO4 
 
exposure to the sun for some hours and the only wonder 
 is, not that some were sick, but that all were not so. 
 
 I went to bed about ten o'clock and was long kept 
 awake by the excitement of the day and the novelty. 116 
 
 List of Suite: 
 Commodore Armstrong 
 Lieutenant Lewis U. S. N. 
 
 Rutledge 
 Carter 
 " Tyler U. S. Marine Corps 
 
 Fleet Surgeon Wood U. S. N. 
 
 Assistant Surgeon Daniels " 
 Purser Bradford " 
 
 Chief Engineer Isherwood " 
 Mr. H. J. C. Heusken Secretary to Envoy 
 
 Mr. Van den Heuvel " " Commodore 
 
 16 Marines U.S.N. 
 
 8 Bandsmen " 
 
 i Quarter Master " 
 
 4 Servants 
 2 Apprentices 
 
 In all 42 persons. 
 
 Tuesday, April 22, 1856. It rained in the night, and 
 we find a prospect of a rainy day, and in fact it rained 
 very steadily until three P. M. Seven persons were found 
 sick this morning, three officers and four marines. One of 
 the latter was considered as being dangerously ill, but 
 happily he and all the others were in the way of re- 
 covery before night. 
 
 116 The voyage up the River Menam and the arrival at Bangkok are de- 
 scribed at full length in Wood's Fankiuei, pp. 159-74. 
 
 IO5 
 
Mr. Mattoon was also ill. He came to me about ten 
 o'clock. He says that the King is decidedly indisposed 
 to receive me in the same manner he did Sir J. Bowring, 
 and that the President's letter must be sent to him 
 through the nobles and that then he can appoint persons 
 to receive me. I learn that he has been much annoyed by 
 the number of letters which Mr. Parkes has written to 
 him, or rather the labor it has thrown on him, and 
 that he declares he will not receive any more. In fact I 
 am informed by Mr. Mattoon that Mr. Parkes took a 
 letter this morning to the Prince (the King's brother) 117 
 to be forwarded to the King, and that the Prince refused 
 to forward it until Mr. Parkes informed him that it was 
 simply an answer to some questions about the presents, 
 etc., etc., which the King had asked through a messenger, 
 and that, being unable to give an answer then, the mes- 
 senger went away and thus Mr. Parkes was compelled 
 to write. On this the Prince consented to take the letter 
 to the King. 
 
 I wrote to the Phra Klang (see copy), 118 requesting 
 a private interview with the King, etc., etc. 
 
 During the morning the following American mission- 
 aries called on me: 
 
 117 The King's younger half-brother and favorite. His full name, as it ap- 
 pears on his visiting card (L. & P., vol. 2, no. 63) is: Prince Pra Chau Nong 
 Ya Ter Krom Luang Wong Sa Tirat Sanit. The treaty later concluded by 
 Townsend Harris has it: Krom Hluang Wongsa Dhiraj Snidh. 
 
 118 This letter (L. B., vol. 1, p. 19) not only requested a private audience with 
 the King, but also that this audience should take place before his public re- 
 ception. Townsend Harris expressed his desire to be accompanied on this occa- 
 sion by Mr. Heusken and the Rev. Mattoon, and to receive permission to 
 present a copy of the President's letter. 
 
 IO6 
 
Mr. Telford, 119 Mr. Ashmore 119 and Mr. Chandler 120 
 of the Baptist Mission, and Mr. Bradley of the Presby- 
 terian Mission. 
 
 I feel somewhat dispirited by the unfavorable mood 
 of the King and fear it will cause me much delay, if not 
 defeat my object, — but Nil desperandum is my motto; 
 and, by unchangeable good humor, I hope to shame them 
 into kinder treatment, and the King is said to [be] 
 very capricious in his moods and he may as suddenly 
 turn around in my favor. The greatest difficulty exists 
 in the fact that the King is totally ignorant of the power 
 and greatness of the United States, and he will remain in 
 that state unless I can have a private interview and con- 
 vince him that we are to be both feared and respected. 
 Captain Smith and a surgeon from the steamer Auck- 
 land called; and in the evening Mr. King, Captain 
 Duvall and Mr. Porter, all Americans, called on me. 
 
 About seven this evening Prince George Wash- 
 ington, 121 son of the Second King, called on me, having 
 
 119 The Rev. Robert Telford and the Rev. William Ashmore were both mem- 
 bers of the Chinese Department of the Baptist Mission. Mr. Ashmore was 
 shortly to leave Siam for China on account of the ill health of Mrs. Ashmore, 
 and his last service in Siam was held (in the Chinese language) on Sunday, 
 May 4, 1856. (Wood, op. cit., pp. 193, 213.) 
 
 120 Mr. John H. Chandler was a type founder and printer and a member of 
 the Siamese Department of the Baptist Mission. (L. & P., vol. 2, no. 61, p. 4.) 
 
 Stephen Mattoon, Samuel J. Smith, and John H. Chandler were among the 
 six American missionaries who had signed a letter exculpating and defending 
 Mr. Joseph Balestier on the occasion of the failure of his negotiations in 1851. 
 Said letter of defence was signed by every American citizen resident in Bang- 
 kok (f. e., the six missionaries) and by the only English firm doing business 
 there — that of Daniel Brown. (32-1, S. Ex. Doc, no. 38 — in Serial no. 618 — pp. 
 
 14-15, 750 
 
 For a brief account of the American missions in Siam, read Bowring, Siam, 
 vol. 1, pp. 381 ff. 
 
 121 A young man eighteen years of age. (Wood, op. cit., p. 210.) 
 
 107 
 
the Rev. Mr. Smith of the Baptist American Mission as 
 his interpreter. 122 He had with him a Siamese officer of 
 the rank corresponding to ours of major, and some other 
 persons, among others a soldier of his father's. 
 
 He brought me a kind message from his father, with 
 his regrets that he could not see me until after my public 
 reception, and that, as soon as I had been received in 
 audience by the First King, he should expect to see me 
 often, etc., etc. He also brought a message to the Com- 
 modore and his officers requesting them to visit him 
 privately, as he could not receive them publicly until I 
 had had my audience. 
 
 The Prince now asked for a musket, and one being 
 brought, he ordered the Major 123 to put the soldier 
 through the manual, which he did, giving all his orders 
 in the English language. The performance was very 
 creditable, both to the soldier and to his officer. 
 
 At the Prince's request a marine was put through the 
 manual by a sergeant. The band played "Hail, 
 Columbia," etc., etc., much to the Prince's satisfaction. 
 
 A good deal of conversation then passed, but all 
 political subjects were carefully avoided. The Prince 
 left about nine o'clock, and I then retired; had a good 
 rest. The weather was rainy during the night and so cool 
 that I was glad to have warm clothing over me. 
 
 122 Samuel J. Smith, a member of the Siamese Department of the Baptist 
 Mission. For the services conducted at his house (in Siamese) on Sunday, 
 May 4, 1856, see Wood, op. cit., pp. 193, 210, 213-14. {Cf. L. & P., vol. 2, no. 61, 
 p. 4.) 
 
 12S Meaning the Siamese officer who accompanied Prince George Washing- 
 ton; while the "soldier" similarly refers to the Siamese soldier just mentioned 
 as belonging to the Second King. 
 
 108 
 
Wednesday, April 23, 1856. The schooner came up 
 this morning, and I had the trunk and two cases of 
 cordials brought to me. The two barrels [of] flour were 
 sent to Mr. Mattoon's, and the twelve large cases I put 
 in the godowns of Mr. D. O. King (see note to him) . 
 
 Mr. A. F. Moor, Portuguese Consul, and his secre- 
 tary 12 * called on me. He is a very pleasant person and 
 speaks English with great fluency. 
 
 Mr. Mattoon came in and informs me that the King 
 declines a private interview before my public one, and 
 refers me to his Ministers. He says that Sir John Bow- 
 ring was an old correspondent of his and that he admitted 
 him to a private audience, not as envoy, but as an old 
 friend. Mr. Mattoon also informs me that the King 
 wishes me to deliver the President's letter to the Nobles, 
 who, after examination, will, if it be in proper terms, 
 deliver it to him. We shall see about this. Mr. Mattoon 
 suggests that I should see the Minister of Foreign Af- 
 fairs, the Prime Minister and the Prince, to which I 
 assented, and we go about 4 P. M. 
 
 Mr. Parkes called on me, and we had a long and 
 pleasant conversation. He has a prospect of being de- 
 tained here quite as long as I am. 
 
 The Second King has sent me a most kind letter, ac- 
 companying a present of eighty-seven large dishes of the 
 most beautiful fruits of Siam. The quantity is enormous 
 — in fact, quite enough for the appetite of full five hun- 
 dred men. It came down in boats finely decorated and 
 under the charge of a high noble, who spoke excellent 
 
 124 The Consul's secretary was J. Da Silva. (L, & P., vol. 2, no. 61, p. 4.) 
 
 109 
 
English. This kingly present called forth the warm ap- 
 plause of the Commodore and all the gentlemen of my 
 suite. The grammar of the letter was perfect, and the 
 calligraphy quite puts all ours to shame; each letter is 
 as perfectly formed as though it had been written by a 
 writing master and, moreover, was all the King's, both 
 matter and manner. 125 
 
 Second King's Letter 
 [The royal device] 
 
 To His Excellency Townsend Harris 
 
 Envoy Plenipotentiary of the U. S. Am. to Siara, &c. 
 
 Dear Sir : 
 
 Your kind favor of the 15th Inst., announcing your safe 
 arrival off the Bar, has been received. 
 
 It affords me pleasure to welcome you and your suit[e] to 
 our country. 
 
 Please accept the accompanying fruit. 
 I am anticipating the pleasure of seeing you in due time, of 
 which you shall be informed. 
 
 With best wishes for yourself, and the gentleman of the 
 Steamer, believe me, 
 
 Yours truly, 
 
 P. S. Phra Pin Klau Chau 
 yu HUA. 
 Second King of Siam, &c. 
 Palace of the Second King, 
 
 Bangkok, Siam, April 22nd, 1856. 
 
 125 The original here quoted in full is L. & P., vol. 2, no. 33. (See illustration.) 
 
 Townsend Harris answered this letter on Apr. 23rd, expressing his appreci- 
 ation of the King's welcome and gift. (L. B., vol. 1, p. 21.) 
 
 It may here be mentioned that Commodore Perry, too, corresponded with this 
 Second King of Siam. (See 33-2, H. Ex. Doc, no. 97, vol. 2, pp. 191-97.) 
 
 Also, beginning with this letter of the Second King, the entries in the manu- 
 script Journal are for some pages written by Mr. Heusken, Townsend Harris's 
 
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 [/*e*M*£ >/< '*> e (At 
 
 A HOLOGRAPH LETTER FROM THE SECOND KING OF SIAM 
 
 Dated, Palace of the Second King, Bangkok, Siam, April 22, 1856. 
 
OF THE 
 UNIVERSmr OF ILLINOIS 
 
ThTs evening 120 I started accompanied by Dr. 
 Mattoon, Dr. Wood, Lieutenant Carter and my 
 secretary, in two barges to pay a private visit to the 
 Phra Klang, Minister for Foreign Affairs. His Ex- 
 cellency received me very kindly, offered us segars and 
 thea [tea], 127 usual reception in Siam. His palace is 
 built in a mixed European, Chinese style, the reception 
 room [is] covered with carpets, and furnished with 
 chairs, sofas, large mirrors, etc. 128 I explained to him the 
 nature of my mission, the extent of my powers, titles 
 etc. [He] inquired after the usual form of addressing the 
 President. I told him his title was merely "The President 
 of the United States," this being the highest rank in our 
 country and equivalent to that of Emperor or King. He 
 suggested that, Siam being a small country and the 
 United States a good, friendly and powerful nation, to 
 include in the treaty to be made an article wherein the 
 United States should bind themselves to act as arbiter 
 in case of any difficulty arising between Siam and any 
 other nation. I replied that the United States would al- 
 
 secretary. Mr. Heusken was a Hollander, and, though not perfect in his Eng- 
 lish, had been hired as secretary by Townsend Harris with a view to his 
 future services in Japan, where a knowledge of the Dutch language would be 
 and was essential. 
 126 Meaning at about 4 p. m. (See above in this day's entry.) 
 127 Mr. Heusken had originally spelled this word "thee," then changed it to 
 "thea" — a confusion due to his knowledge of French. 
 
 128 This visit to the Minister of Foreign Affairs is more fully reported by 
 Mr. Wood, op. cit., pp. 174-77. The Minister himself is thus described (ib., p. 
 175) : 
 
 "The Prah Klan, about forty years of age, was a heavy, solid, sober-faced 
 man, dressed in a blue figured silk mantle, fastened around the waist by a 
 yellow silk sash, and received us in an easy and dignified manner, but seemed 
 disappointed that a larger number of officers had not come, and immediately 
 inquired the reason." 
 
 Ill 
 
ways willingly act in the above mentioned capacity, and 
 consider it as the highest honor that could be paid to the 
 wisdom and power of their government; so even they 
 offered to act as mediators between the now belligerent 
 powers of France, England, Turkey and Russia; and 
 that, by making it an Article of the Treaty, would infer 
 that the Government of the United States were only 
 willing to act in the capacity of arbiter conditionally, 
 which, considering it as a high honor they are always 
 ready to accept, makes the Article in question quite 
 superfluous. 
 
 From there we called on Krom Luang Wong [Sa] 
 Tirat Sanit, the King's brother and Chief Physician to 
 the royal family. 129 His Highness seems to be fifty years 
 old, has a very benevolent face, his features are quite 
 Bourbonic and [bear] a striking resemblance to those of 
 Louis XVI. After explaining to him my titles and mis- 
 sion, he kindly suggested to write a note to the Phra 
 Klang, [asking] on which of the nobles I had to call be- 
 fore my public audience to the King in order to give no 
 offence to His Majesty and to conform myself to the 
 rules of Siamese etiquette. He spoke about the Siamese 
 being a jungle people, and not so advanced in civilization 
 as the nations of the West, hinted at Mr. Balestier's 
 mission and said the old bridge being a bad one, he was 
 confident that the new one was strong and sufficient to 
 
 129 We have already given the full name of Prince Krom Luang. Again Mr. 
 Wood gives a full description {op. cit., pp. 177-78), and says of the Prince 
 [ib., p. 177) : 
 
 "Prince Wongsa was a short and very fat man, with a broad, benevolent 
 and somewhat jocular face, though at the time of our call the expression was 
 rather sad." 
 
 112 
 
carry us over, anticipating the good result of the Treaty. 
 [He] was highly delighted at making Dr. Wood's 
 acquaintance (he, the Prince, having received some 
 years ago a doctor's diploma 130 from the New York 
 faculty), and requested to consult him on his brother's 
 disease. I told the Prince I had heard of him many and 
 many times before I ever dreamt of visiting his country, 
 and left him most favorably impressed with his reception 
 and manners. 
 
 Paid a visit to Khun Phra Nai Wai, Prime 
 Minister. 131 The magnificence of his house exceeded my 
 
 130 Mr. Wood more accurately says that Prince Krom Luang was a member 
 of the New York Academy of Medicine {op. cit., pp. 150, 177, 247) ; while Max 
 von Brandt states that in the Prince's reception room there hung his diploma as 
 an M. D. from Philadelphia {Dreiunddreissig Jahre in Ost-Asien. Erinnerun- 
 gen eines deutschen Diplomaten, 3 vols., Leipzig, Georg Wigand, 1901, vol. 1, 
 p. 255). 
 
 131 This is an error for Phra Kalahom. Compare Wood, op. cit., pp. 178-82. 
 This officer was, by general consent, considered the chief diplomat of the 
 Siamese Court. 
 
 We have already ascribed to the Rev. Dr. Samuel R. House document 
 L. & P., vol. 2, no. 61. On page 3 thereof he says: 
 
 "The Prime Minister, Chau P'ya Pra Kalahom, or P'ya Sri Suriwongsa as 
 he is sometimes called, understands English but little, and with him an inter- 
 preter will be necessary. He is a man of great ability and shrewdness — the 
 very embodiment of Siamese address and intrigue — has a great deal of 
 energy of character — to his enterprise Siam owes her numerous square- 
 rigged merchant vessels that have taken the place within the last sixteen 
 years of her junks, and to him mainly, alone I had almost said, is owing the 
 success of the late British negotiations for a liberal treaty. . . ." 
 
 So much for a characterization of his official conduct. Mr. David O. King, 
 the enterprising American merchant who had recently established himself at 
 Bangkok, gives equally interesting sidelights on his personal conduct and in- 
 fluence, in the course of a letter to Townsend Harris, written at Bangkok on 
 Jan. 28, 1856 (L. & P., vol. 2, no. 23, pp. 2 and 4) : 
 
 ". . . but the country is really ruled by the Prime Minister, a wily, deep, 
 rapacious fox; and, as the King was placed on the throne by his family, they 
 have gone on increasing in wealth and importance until they now fill every 
 post of importance in the land; with all their wealth and influence they are 
 extremely jealous of foreigners. . . . This Prime Minister's family were at 
 the bottom of the ill treatment Mr. Balestier received here. . . ." 
 
 113 
 
most sanguine expectations. It is built quite in the Euro- 
 pean style, large mirrors, encased in frames richly gilt, 
 cover the walls ; pendules, thermometers, engravings of 
 the London Exhibition, and the illustrated battles of the 
 everywhere-to-be-found Emperor Napoleon. His ante- 
 chamber leads into a spacious hall supported by pillars, 
 his bedroom [is furnished] with silk mosquito nettings 
 and crimson curtains of state. A Sharpens rifle hangs on 
 the wall ; fine bath and washing rooms. His house must be 
 two hundred feet deep, — the annexed brick houses of his 
 retainers, which form a whole street, not included. His 
 Excellency received me in as dignified a manner as any 
 Prime Minister of a European Court. He was suffering 
 from his nervous system and apologized for not re- 
 ceiving me at my arrival at the house prepared for my 
 reception. He made the same remarks about mediation 
 as the Phra Klang had previously done. I told him that 
 my conditions for the Treaty were entirely based on that 
 made with the English, with a few exceptions. He re- 
 plied that so much as they possibly could concede was 
 conceded to the English; that he had no fear of the 
 Treaty [not] being made to the satisfaction of both 
 parties; but, no such a thing as law being known in 
 Siam, he was afraid of its conditions [not] being kept. 
 I told him it would prove beneficent to both nations. He 
 replied he was perfectly well aware of that, [but] to 
 make the people understand it was another question. His 
 most ardent desire was to make the people happy. He 
 confessed their ignorance and inferiority to the nations 
 of the West. I told him to hope and persevere and good 
 
 114 
 
would come of it at last. [I] threw out a hint about the 
 tin mines, — if American citizens found and worked 
 them, to pay 10 per cent. ; he was satisfied to include this 
 in the Treaty. Workmen, Chinese or Siamese, could 
 always be found when paid high wages. He was afraid 
 the Siamese were too indolent. I made a comparison 
 with the pepper trade on the coast of Sumatra, how 
 much better it might be got in Siam. He told me the 
 taxes were too high to sell it, but even at the price, taxes 
 included, he calculated it would amount to considerable. 
 I assured him the Siamese pepper would find eager 
 buyers. [I] hinted I wanted no monopoly in opium 
 trade. On being asked if there were often changes in the 
 dynasty, he uttered the real republican sentiment that 
 kings who claim their title by right of birth, often forget 
 they originated from the people, consider themselves 
 as superior beings and don't lend an ear to the sufferings 
 of their subjects, — so there was often a change at the 
 fourth generation of princes of the same dynasty. On 
 taking leave, the soldiers were drawn out. On gliding 
 down the peaceful waters of the Menam, silvered by a 
 bright moonlight, in our stately gondolas pulled by 
 thirty oarsmen, one would almost fancy to be on a visit 
 to the city of St. Marcus, and if, instead of floating bam- 
 boo-houses and Chinese shops lighted with fanciful 
 paper lanterns, the stately palaces of Venice's patricians 
 had lined the shore, the illusion would have been com- 
 plete. A fine effect was produced by the graceful 
 pagodas with their fine tapering spires, shaming in 
 elegance the most refined works of Grecian architec- 
 ts 
 
ture. Each king builds himself a pagoda for his mem- 
 ory. 132 
 
 Thursday, April 24, 1856. Received a visit 133 from 
 the Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and 
 Prince Krom Luang Wong Sa Tirat Sanit. Entertained 
 them with music and had the guard drawn out when 
 they left. Sent my secretary with a letter to the Minister 
 of Foreign Affairs before he called, inquiring 134 when 
 I should be received by the King, and also as to what 
 princes and nobles I could visit with propriety before 
 my public reception. 185 
 
 At the visit before noted, I was told I was to have my 
 audience on Wednesday next, and also that I was re- 
 quested to visit two princes to-morrow morning. 
 
 In the note of yesterday evening at the Foreign Min- 
 ister's, 136 it is omitted that I was then informed that the 
 President's letter would be received in the same manner 
 as was that of Her Britannic Majesty. This was most 
 welcome news to me, as it quieted my mind about an 
 absurd question which ruined the mission of Mr. 
 Balestier. 
 
 I gave Prince Wong Sa, etc., a copy of my full 
 
 132 Heusken had written "for his last resting place"; Townsend Harris cor- 
 rected it to "for his memory." Though it is quite certain that Townsend Harris 
 wrote the original draft of his Journal (he at least jotted down the rough 
 notes), his secretary seems to have been permitted a good deal of liberty in 
 writing the clean copy of the Journal into the blank books in which it has come 
 down to us. 
 
 133 Compare Wood, op. cit., pp. 182-83. 
 
 134 Beginning with this word, the manuscript is again in Townsend Harris's 
 hand. 
 
 1S5 See L. B„ vol. 1, p. 21. 
 
 136 Referring to the series of visits which he paid on Apr. 23rd, setting ou 
 at about 4 P. m. (<v. s.). 
 
 Il6 
 
powers. 137 The company remained with me until half- 
 past twelve M. 
 
 I then called on Mr. Moor, the Portuguese Consul, all 
 the Baptist missionaries, Mr. Parkes, Mr. Mattoon, and 
 Mr. King. 
 
 Friday, 1 ™ April 2$, 1856. Paid a visit 139 to Somdet 
 Oong Noy, Chief Councillor, and the chief of the old 
 party opposed to progressive principles. His Excellency 
 received me, however, in the most cordial manner. 
 Our band played several national airs; the Som- 
 det's table was bountifully furnished with the beauti- 
 ful fruits of Siam, a golden teapot and golden water- 
 monkey and several other dishes and boxes made out 
 of pure gold and mounted with precious stones. We 
 had an opportunity of seeing some of the ladies, wrapt 
 in yellow scarfs. They gave us some Siamese music, 
 which from a distance sounded rather sweet and con- 
 trasted favorably with the ear-deafening noise given 
 us by his band of male musicians. The Somdet seemed 
 very favorably inclined to the Americans, and willing 
 to concede to them all the privileges obtained by the 
 English. Paid a visit to Somdet Pia Yumarat, Chief 
 Justice, who received me very well and presented me 
 and each of my suite with an ornamented water-monkey 
 brought by him to Bangkok when second in command 
 in a military expedition to Laos, a distant province of 
 
 187 These "full powers" for Siam are dated Sept. 8, 1855, and are signed by 
 President Franklin Pierce and Secretary of State William L. Marcy. The 
 original document is at The College of the City of New York. 
 
 138 Beginning with this word, the manuscript is written in Heusken's hand. 
 
 i39Wood, op, cit., pp. 185-88. 
 
 117 
 
the Siamese Empire. Visited Dr. Mattoon, where Prince 
 Wong Sa sent me word to call on him, if convenient. 140 
 His Highness, having observed the quality of our sugar 
 was not a very good one, made me a present of a 
 superior quality, which, however trifling the value may 
 be, was a fine attention of a man of his rank and station. 
 Saturday, April 2b, 1856. Paid a visit to the French 
 Bishop, 141 who bade me a cordial welcome and expressed 
 in a toast his hopes that my mission might prove bene- 
 ficial and glorious to my country; he said that patience, 
 which he learnt I had, was a cardinal virtue here, and 
 [which] Mr. Balestier, had not; etc. Visited Mr. 
 Moor, the Portuguese Consul, and the Baptist mis- 
 sionaries. This evening the Bishop sent me a copy of 
 his Siamese dictionary. I returned him my best thanks 
 for this beautiful present in a letter. The Somdet Oong 
 Noy 142 paid me a visit to-day accompanied by his son- 
 
 140 What took place at this visit is related below, in the entry for Saturday, 
 Apr. 26, 1856. 
 
 141 Mgr. Jean Baptiste Pallegoix, Bishop of Mallos and Vicar Apostolic of 
 Siam, 1840-62. By letter dated Bangkok, Apr. 26, 1856 (L. & P., vol. 2, no. 36), 
 he sent Townsend Harris a copy of his dictionary de la langue Thai — a gift 
 which Townsend Harris acknowledged by letter of the same date (L. B., vol. 1, 
 p. 22), praising the dictionary as "a noble monument of your Lordship's learn- 
 ing and industry." 
 
 The Bishop's modesty in describing his dictionary of 30,000 words — a life 
 work (he had arrived in Siam about 1830) — may be judged from the full title 
 of the work: Dictionnaire siamois — latin — franqais — anglais. He wrote also: 
 Description du royaume Thai ou Siam, Beaune, 1853 an d Paris, 1854. (Cath. 
 EncycL, s.v., Siam.) 
 
 142 Wood, op. cit., pp. 188-89. Sir John Bowring, in speaking of the Com- 
 missioners with whom he had had to deal, thus describes Somdet Oong Noy 
 (Siam, vol. 2, pp. 226-27) : 
 
 "The Commission was composed of the Somdetch om Fai, the first regent, 
 and his brother, the Somdetch om Noi, the second regent of the Kingdom. 
 These occupy the highest official rank. The second Somdetch [om Noi] is 
 the receiver-general of the revenues, and was notoriously interested in the 
 existing system, by which production, commerce, and shipping were placed 
 
 Il8 
 
in-law, and about twenty of his slaves, treasure bearers 
 and music band. I am told, I am the first foreign minis- 
 ter to whom the Somdet ever paid this attention, he 
 being considered one of the proudest nobles of the 
 realm and having an instinctive antipathy against all 
 foreigners and foreign nations. 
 
 I 143 availed myself of the occasion to introduce some 
 statistics of our country. Told him we had two millions 
 of militia — three millions of firearms — forty thousand 
 cannon — fifteen thousand merchant ships. Our gold 
 mines yield over fifteen hundred piculs of gold annually. 
 He said Siam had gold mines, etc. I told him that many 
 very rich tin mines, not worked, were in Siam, and 
 that Americans would come and work those, as well 
 as coal and other mines, if permitted. That they would 
 not require to purchase, but would lease, paying a rent 
 of 10 per cent, of the product. I was glad to present this 
 matter to him, in this casual manner, to let it work on 
 his mind, as I mean to bring it into the Treaty if I can, 
 and desired he might have previous notice of it. He 
 did not seem to receive it very favorably, but he is astute 
 and cunning and would not let his sentiments ap- 
 pear, whether they [were] favorable or not. He asked 
 
 at the mercy of the farmers of the various revenues, who paid the price of 
 their many and vexatious monopolies either to the Royal Treasury, or to 
 the high officials through whom those monopolies were granted. The two 
 Somdetches had been long the dominant rulers in Siam. Their names will be 
 found in all the commissions and councils by which have been thwarted 
 the attempts made by various envoys from Great Britain and the United 
 States to place the commercial relations of Siam with foreign countries on 
 a satisfactory basis." 
 
 143 Beginning with this word, the manuscript is again written in Townsend 
 Harris's hand. 
 
 II 9 
 
if we raised sugar in the United States, and I answered 
 some, but not all we wanted. He then asked why no 
 American ships had been here for eighteen years? I 
 answered that the duties were too high ; that they could 
 buy sugar cheaper in Manila (which was the fact owing 
 to the old monopolies) ; that twenty American ships 
 loaded each year at Manila. That in order to have a 
 good trade in Siam, the merchant must live here and 
 pick up his cargo by detail, by the catty and picul, as 
 there were no large markets where a cargo could be 
 purchased at once, etc., etc. He asked about the size 
 and population of Japan, and its size as compared 
 with Java, Ceylon, England and the United States. 
 He asked me to send him a fine Japanese sword from 
 Japan, giving me the length, scabbard, etc., etc., not 
 being very delicate, although it is to be a present from 
 me. 
 
 When at Mr. Mattoon's on Friday evening, I had 
 some conversation with Mr. King about details which it 
 was desirable to introduce into our treaty, etc., etc. I was 
 then (about 9 P. M.) sent for by the Prince, who wished 
 to see me. It appears that when Sir John Bowring was 
 here he told the Siamese that the governments of the 
 United States and France had been informed of the 
 treaty that he came to make, and they would make com- 
 mon cause in demanding and (as I understood) in en- 
 forcing it. 
 
 I was asked if this was true? When the President first 
 knew of the treaty made by Sir John? When the Presi- 
 dent was informed of the accession of the present 
 
 120 
 
Kings? etc., etc. (see letter on file). 144 To all of which 
 I replied that I did not know, as I was absent from the 
 United States when these things took place, and that my 
 government had not given me any information on these 
 points. I was also asked when I was appointed to come 
 to Siam. I answered, in September, 1855. I then gave 
 the Prince a copy of the President's letter to the King, 
 and begged him to observe my willingness to grant every 
 request they had made of me, as I had also done by giv- 
 ing them a copy of my full powers. 
 
 The Prince then introduced the subject of the United 
 States being the friend of Siam, in case of any trouble 
 with any of the Western powers (meaning England). 
 To this I replied as I had before done to the Prince and 
 Foreign Ministers. 
 
 While with the Somdet Oong Noy on Friday morn- 
 ing, he strongly recommended Mr. Mattoon as the best 
 person to be American Consul, saying he knew the Siam- 
 ese language, customs, etc., etc. That he was a discreet 
 good man ; that they had full confidence in him ; that he 
 never lied; and that he never got angry, all of which 
 I assented to and believe him the best person for that 
 place that the government could select. 145 
 
 144 This is L. & P., vol. 2, no. 35, dated at the Ancient Royal Palace, Bangkok, 
 Friday evening, Apr. 25, 1856. In addition to those mentioned in the text, there 
 were in this letter other questions (asked in the name of the First King), 
 which endeavored to connect Townsend Harris's appointment as Envoy to 
 Siam with the knowledge of Sir John Bowring's success that had reached the 
 United States. 
 
 The endorsement on page 4 of this letter reads: "received from the Prince 
 in person and answered verbally informing him I was appointed in September, 
 1855, and to the other questions [I answered] that I had no knowledge." 
 
 145 See below, Journal for May 28, 1856, and note 191. 
 
 121 
 
Sunday, April 2J, 1 8 56. This morning received a 
 present from Somdet Oong Noy of a large number of 
 very sweet cocoanuts (the finest I ever drank), and the 
 fruit of the Palmyra palm : the size of a small cocoa- 
 nut, rich purple color like the eggplant. 
 
 When opened, a fine tender fruit is found, like very 
 young nipah palm. It is oval and flat in shape, about 
 three inches long and two wide and three fourths in 
 thickness — taste, cool and refreshing. 
 
 I argue favorably from these attentions from the 
 Somdet, as [he] has never before done the like, and is 
 considered as the head of the "Old Siam" party and 
 policy. Still, nothing certain can be relied on such atten- 
 tions, as he is most astute and cunning, and possesses a 
 large share of the duplicity of an Oriental diplomatist. 
 
 The Second King has to-day sent me a present of 
 mangoes of two kinds. One of the sorts, the durian 
 mango, is the finest I ever tasted. These were grown in 
 the King's garden. 146 
 
 Attended divine service at the house of Dr. Bradley 
 of the Presbyterian Mission. 147 All the missionaries and 
 most of the white population were present, numbering 
 between thirty and forty. 
 
 Service is held at the house of each of the mission- 
 aries in turn, following the alphabetical rule. 
 
 146 Descriptions of and anecdotes connected with the durian (that strange 
 but most delectable of Oriental fruits which at first is so positively repellent) 
 are to be found in Wood, op. cit., pp. 187-88; Edmund Roberts, Embassy, p. 
 333 5 U. V. Wilcox, in Japan for Mar., 1926, p. 20, etc., etc. 
 
 147 Dr. Bradley's note inviting the members of the Townsend Harris suite 
 to attend services at 4:30 P. m., is L. & P., vol. 2, no. 37. (Cf. Wood, op. cit., 
 pp. 190-91.) 
 
 122 
 
I am told there are five inflections or tones on each 
 word in Siamese, and that while in sound there is but 
 a very small difference, in sense there is a large one. I 
 am also told that the word for angel and teapot is the 
 same, and the difference of meaning is produced by the 
 delicate inflection. 
 
 A missionary preaching to a Siamese audience was 
 horrified at hearing his congregation burst out into 
 the most uproarious laughter. On demanding the reason 
 he was told that he had said, "And the Lord sent his 
 teapot unto Joseph" in place of "sent his angel," etc., 
 etc. 
 
 It now rains regularly every afternoon, at four to 
 six o'clock, and continues during the night. The days 
 are pleasant, as the sun is slightly obscured by clouds, 
 but there is no rain in general. 
 
 Monday, April 28, 1856. Heavy showers during 
 the night, which continued until ten this morning. 
 
 Composed my address to the King. Find it hard work 
 to reconcile my republican ideas with the strong lan- 
 guage of compliment I must use. 
 
 Mr. Mattoon came in at 11 A. M. Says the Prince 
 wishes to see me this evening to arrange the ceremonial 
 of my presentation, etc., etc. 
 
 Mr. Mattoon informs me that my audience is again 
 postponed until Thursday, 1st of May. The reason 
 for this is that the Siamese consider this an unlucky 
 month for the transaction of business, and although 
 Thursday is not a new month with them, yet, as it is 
 so with us, they think that may remove the unlucky 
 
 123 
 
influence. 148 They say they are unwilling to detain me 
 until their month is over. 
 
 I am to go to Mr. Mattoon's, in order to see the Prince 
 at four o'clock. 
 
 Opened the cases containing the presents 149 of books 
 and portraits. All in good order except one book, which 
 was injured by a nail which had been carelessly driven 
 into the box. The fireflies here are very abundant. In 
 a tree in front of my bedroom they congregate in great 
 numbers, and at night they seem to assume most singu- 
 lar forms — now like a huge bird, then a dancing jack, 
 etc., etc.; but the most singular thing about them [is] 
 that the light emitted by them was all simultaneous, an 
 instant flash and the same period of darkness. The period 
 was about the time of an ordinary pulse, say eighty per 
 minute. This unity of action obtained among all the 
 insects, from the lowest branches to the topmost spray. 
 For fear my senses might deceive me, I called the atten- 
 tion of Commodore Armstrong and Dr. Wood to the 
 sight, and they received the same impressions as myself. 
 
 I have before seen the same thing at Penang. 
 
 When in Java, I was travelling one hot and very dark 
 night; my road lay through paddy fields most of the 
 way; the rice was then headed out. 
 
 On this occasion I saw more of these firefly insects 
 than I had ever seen before. Then I saw a very singular 
 effect of the light from them. The impulse appeared to 
 
 148 Compare Wood, op. cit., pp. 182, 200. 
 
 149 The two complete lists of the presents for the First and the Second King 
 respectively are to be found in L. & P., vol. 2, nos. 41 and 42 ; and in Appendices 
 
 II and III. 
 
 I24 
 
proceed from one side of the paddy field and advanced 
 in a regular line and at a rapid rate across the breadth 
 of the field, so that it was like waves of light moving 
 regularly across it. I frequently stopped my carriage 
 to see this beautiful sight. It was continued for miles 
 through the various rice fields that I passed that night. 
 
 Called on Prince Wong Sa by his request at 5 P. M. 
 and made arrangements in detail for my reception, etc., 
 etc., etc. 
 
 The Prince informed me that the Second King will 
 receive me on next Friday, the day after the First King's 
 [reception]. 150 I do not now enter the details of these 
 arrangements as they may possibly be altered. 
 
 The Prince also told me that I had made a most 
 favorable impression on Somdet Oong Noy; that the 
 Somdet said he liked my appearance and my mode of 
 talking. I told the Prince that I was very glad to hear 
 this, as I feared the Somdet would be my chief obstacle, 
 etc., etc. He told me not to fear, that he and the Somdet 
 were old friends d that he would bring him over to 
 me, etc., etc. 
 
 Tuesday, April 2Q, 1856. Opened the case contain- 
 ing the oval mirror for the Second King in order to get 
 out some prints which are to be divided between the 
 
 150 Compare Wood, op. cit., pp. 200-201. The rough draft of the details here 
 agreed upon is in Townsend Harris's hand (L. & P., vol. 2, no. 40). Earlier in 
 the day, Mr. Mattoon had written Townsend Harris that the Prince was de- 
 tained at the palace of his sick brother, and that therefore it was uncertain 
 whether Townsend Harris would be able to call on the Prince that afternoon 
 (L. & P., vol. 2, no. 38) ; but later in the day, Mr. Mattoon hurriedly sent Town- 
 send Harris a very brief note (L. & P., vol. 2, no. 39) announcing that the 
 Prince had returned to his home. Thus Townsend Harris's call was made at 
 5 P. m., instead of at 4 p. M., as originally scheduled (see above). 
 
 125 
 
two Kings. I was quite relieved on opening this case 
 to find the mirror quite safe and the gilding as bright 
 as when I saw it in New York. I had feared that the con- 
 cussion of the ship's guns in firing salutes might have 
 broken the plate (as is often the case), but all was safe. 
 
 Indeed, I owe this probably to the kindness of Com- 
 modore Armstrong, who gave orders that no shotted 
 guns should be fired for exercise while the mirrors were 
 on board, although the standing orders of the Navy De- 
 partment require that the men shall be exercised at 
 target firing as often as (I think) once a month. 
 
 An unlucky mistake has occurred. I had a cask con- 
 taining cut-glass globes, chimneys, etc., etc., for a pair 
 of chandeliers, which I am to present to the First King, 
 but instead of this cask one containing glass for my use 
 when I arrive in Japan came up. I availed myself of the 
 kindness of Mr. King who instantly dispatched a whale 
 boat to the San Jacinto for the proper package, and I 
 expect it will arrive to-night, so that it will be in good 
 time. 151 The other package was returned to the ship by 
 Mr. King's schooner which goes down in the morn- 
 ing. 152 
 
 Mr. Chandler has kindly taken charge of the opening 
 and arranging the presents for the Kings, and, as he is 
 perfectly competent, it takes a great charge off my mind, 
 and I cannot sufficiently thank him for his aid. 
 
 151 The necessities of the case were explained by Townsend Harris in a 
 letter to Captain Bell, who had been left on board the San Jacinto while Com- 
 modore Armstrong was in Bangkok with Townsend Harris. (L. B., vol. i, 
 p. 22.) 
 
 152 Meaning that the wrong package would go down the river the following 
 morning — i. e., Wednesday, Apr. 30, 1856. 
 
 126 
 
Went to dine at Mr. Mattoon's with Dr. Wood and 
 Lieutenant Carter. The Commodore does not like to 
 go out; but, being sent for, went to the Second King's 
 for a private visit, taking with him some five of our 
 suite, the band, and half a dozen marines. He stayed 
 until 8 P. M. and returned much pleased with his visit. 
 After dinner at Mr. Mattoon's, went to visit the fine wat 
 near his house. The buildings at a distance look very 
 beautiful. The green and yellow tiles of the roofs; the 
 hooked ornaments representing the tails and wings of 
 dragons, which decorate all the terminal points of the 
 roofs and gables; the pagodas with their beautiful out- 
 lines and, at a distance, apparent gorgeousness of detail 
 in color and adornment ; the delicate spires which spring 
 up in every direction; abundant statuary of men and 
 beasts and birds, real and imaginary; the finely placed 
 houses for taking the air near the water; the grounds 
 so well laid out and kept and bearing every variety of 
 sacred or flowering tree — all these form an ensemble 
 not easily forgotten. 
 
 But many of these things look best at a distance. The 
 ornamental work of the pagodas, so beautiful in form, 
 color and detail, falls of! into coarsely wrought figures 
 of men, beasts and flowers, made of mortar and broken 
 bits of porcelains. How much like the scenery of a 
 theater, so gorgeous by gaslight, so rough and coarse by 
 daylight! 
 
 A visit to the interior of the wat, — i. e., the principal 
 one, for there are several in the enclosure, showed us 
 something better. The court was crowded with grand 
 
 127 
 
figures of genii brought from China. In the arcades 
 or cloister surrounding the court of this wat, we counted 
 one hundred and thirty golden figures of Budh in his 
 posture of meditation. 
 
 The wat has some fine columns of marble and a rich 
 pavement of the same. The doors and windows were 
 richly decorated with the elaborate drawing and tracery 
 of the Siamese, all done in gold. Inside, the walls were 
 covered with paintings, descriptive of the life and ac- 
 tions of Budh and his principal apostles. Before the 
 throne were a great number of votive figures, four of 
 which bore royal umbrellas, two of which were of 
 gold and two silver, all solid. As you leave this wat 
 the roof and gable covering the main gate is worthy of 
 observation, and for beauty and richness of detail is 
 fully equal to anything I ever saw. It is composed of 
 representations of fruits, flowers, etc., etc. Here also 
 you see the cool marble seats erected under the shade 
 of a ficus religiosa, which from its coolness seems to 
 invite quiet and repose. The Buddhist gentlemen have 
 a marvellously good eye for all such spots. Afterwards 
 we returned to Mr. Mattoon's, took tea, and then our 
 departure for our home, which was some two miles dis- 
 tant down the river. 
 
 Neale, in his Munchausen history of Siam (London, 
 1852), 153 says that the floating houses of Bangkok are 
 
 15i Narratwe of a Residence at the Capital of the Kingdom of Siam, with 
 a Description of the Manners, Customs, and Laws of the Modern Siamese, by- 
 Frederick Arthur Neale, formerly in the service of His Siamese Majesty. 
 London, 1852, 1 vol., 8vo. This was one of the works on Siam recommended 
 by Consul Bradley, of Singapore, in his letter of Jan. 30, 1856 (L. & P., vol. 1, 
 no. 28). 
 
 128 
 
seventy thousand in number, and that the whole of 
 Bangkok (except a few named houses) is built on rafts. 
 From all I see and from all I can learn, I think there 
 are seven thousand, not seventy thousand floating houses 
 in Bangkok, and I know that more than nine tenths of 
 the whole city is built on terra firma. 
 
 I learn that Neale was actually in Bangkok for a 
 few weeks, and this increases my astonishment at his 
 gross errors in matters of fact, that required no great 
 labor to ascertain the truth. In America we call Balti- 
 more the Monument City, New York the Empire City, 
 and Cincinnati Porkopolis. In the East, Calcutta is 
 called the City of Palaces (I think the City of Large 
 and Dirty Houses would be a more correct name). 
 Now, I think Bangkok should be called the City of 
 Flagstaffs. From every palace, from every wat, from 
 the house of every noble, you see them springing 
 up in every direction by hundreds, if not by thou- 
 sands. 
 
 A very bad feature is the gambling houses. This vice 
 is legalized and farmed out. It is said there are more 
 than three hundred of these hells among the floating 
 or raft houses, and on the mainland they are said to 
 be numbered by thousands. Neale represents the raft 
 houses as forming streets, crossing each other at right 
 angles. I cannot find anywhere more than one tier of 
 raft houses. 
 
 Wednesday, April 30, 1856. Settled the order of our 
 procession for to-morrow for my audience, which is 
 as follows : 
 
 129 
 
Thursday?™ May I, 1856. The boats will arrive 
 about n A. M., when the procession will be formed as 
 follows : 
 
 1 The President's letter in a special boat; 
 
 2 The Envoy, Interpreter and Secretary in a boat 
 bearing the American Flag; 
 
 3 Commodore Armstrong in a boat; 
 
 4 The gentlemen of the suite according to their 
 rank in as many boats as required; 
 
 5 The band in a large boat; 
 
 6 The guard in a large boat; 
 
 7 On arriving at the palace landing place, a salute 
 will be fired which will be returned by the band 
 playing "God Save the King"; 
 
 8 After landing, the procession will be formed 
 again in exactly the same order as in the boats, 
 with the exception that the American Flag borne 
 by the Commodore's coxswain, and supported 
 by two boys, will be placed between the band 
 and the guard; all gentlemen will be carried 
 on chairs; 
 
 9 On arriving at the Hall of Justice, the band, 
 Flag and guard will halt, and the remainder of 
 the procession will proceed on to the Audience 
 Hall; 
 
 10 On arriving at the Audience Hall, the proces- 
 sion will be formed in four lines, as follows: 
 Commodore Armstrong, Mr. Harris, Mr. 
 Mattoon, Mr. Heusken; 
 
 Dr. Wood, Lieutenant Rutledge, Purser Brad- 
 ford, Lieutenant Carter, Mr. Isherwood, Lieu- 
 
 154 Beginning with this word, the manuscript is again written in Mr. Heus- 
 ken's hand. 
 
 130 
 
tenant Tyler, Dr. Daniels, Mr. Van den Heuvel, 
 Dr. Bradley, Mr. Chandler, Mr. King. 
 By request of the King the three last mentioned 
 gentlemen join the procession. 
 
 1 1 The procession, having fairly entered the Hall, 
 will halt, and make one bow, being uncovered ; 
 it will then proceed up the Hall in the same 
 order to a place marked by a table, when the 
 procession will halt, and, after bowing again, the 
 gentlemen will be seated, Commodore Arm- 
 strong occupying a cushion on the left in front. 
 
 Mr. Harris will then place the President's let- 
 ter (which he has borne from the entrance of the 
 Hall) on the table and remain standing by it. On 
 receiving a signal he will advance and present 
 the President's letter to the King, after which he 
 will return to his place and, still standing, will 
 read his speech, on the completion of which 
 (which will be known by his bowing and 
 handing a paper to Mr. Mattoon) the gentle- 
 men will please rise again, bow and be reseated. 
 
 12 In marching up the Hall and in being seated, 
 gentlemen are requested not to crowd on the rank 
 in front, and to cover their file leader. 
 
 Mr. Harris does not know whether the chairs 
 will be borne singly or two or more abreast. 
 
 This afternoon the Second King's son came with a 
 message from his father; being overcome with fatigue 
 I could not receive him. 
 
 Thursday, May 1, 1856. We left the house of [the] 
 Embassy at 1 P. M. in the order before alluded to, ex- 
 cept that the guard and band preceded the President's 
 
 131 
 
letter. There were scarcely boats enough, the boat for 
 the presents being intended likewise for me, which I 
 declined, and took passage in another. In order to honor 
 us an oarsman gave at every ten or twelve strokes a loud 
 yell, which was responded [to] by the others with a low 
 growling noise. Arrived at the palace of Somdet Phra 
 Paramendr Maha Mongkut, Major King of Siam, 
 we were carried in sedan chairs to the reception hall, 
 where some refreshments were served to us. All along 
 the road we passed through a double file of soldiers, 
 dressed in a most fantastic manner. Some companies 
 were armed with long poles, furnished at the top with a 
 round knife, others with battle axes, crossbows, old flint 
 muskets. Some wore long gowns and looked like women, 
 others looked like the Swiss montagnards of a Chatham 
 theater. Twenty elephants, each with a howitzer on its 
 back, of Spanish manufacture of two centuries ago. A 
 salute was fired of twenty-one guns. Arrived at the Hall 
 of Justice, the nobles, who had escorted me from the 
 House of Legation, fell on their knees as soon as the 
 door was opened, made three salaams and preceded us 
 up to the throne, crawling on hands and knees, among 
 a crowd of nobles all prostrated in the same manner, and 
 dressed in rich gowns interwoven with gold. Everyone 
 had the insignia of his rank, — viz., a gold betelnut box, 
 gold teapot, swords, etc., near him. The Hall of Justice 
 is a large building of immense height, built in the form 
 of a cross, the centrum supported by four slender and 
 most graceful looking pillars, rather in the Egyptian 
 style. Between the four pillars, the white state um- 
 
 132 
 
brella of nine stages; at the upper end of the hall, the 
 throne richly carved and gilt. The throne has no steps, 
 the King entering it outside the hall, and has no com- 
 munication whatever with the hall but the opening of 
 the throne where the King is seen sitting. His crown 
 consists of a blue velvet cap surrounded by rich precious 
 stones and mounted with a yellow feather. He had in his 
 hand a sword presented to him by the United States. On 
 each side of the throne two state umbrellas of seven 
 stages and ten others of five stages. Immediately under 
 the throne, four swordbearers and two guards armed 
 with a rifle. Two cushions were provided for the Com- 
 modore and myself, my suite had to sit or lie down on 
 the floor, covered with rich Smyrna carpeting. Hav- 
 ing gone through the ceremonial as alluded to in the 
 program and presented His Majesty with the Presi- 
 dent's letter 155 (I could hardly hand it to him, the throne 
 
 155 0n Sept. 20, 1855, W. Hunter, Assistant Secretary of State, wrote a letter 
 to Townsend Harris (L. &f P., vol. 2, no. 17), then at New York, in which he 
 stated that a package would be forwarded containing Townsend Harris's In- 
 structions and Other Papers (L. & P., vol. 2, nos. 1-6 incl.), and also the origi- 
 nals of the President's letters to the King of Siam and to the Emperor of 
 Japan. Secretary Marcy's first dispatch to Townsend Harris, dated Sept. 12, 
 1855, seems to have had enclosed therein copies of these two letters (L. & P., 
 vol 2, nos. 14 and 15 respectively). 
 
 For the text of President Pierce's letter to the First King of Siam, dated Sept. 
 12, 1855, see Appendix I. 
 
 During the visit which Townsend Harris paid to Prince Krom Luang on 
 Monday, Apr. 28, 1856, at 5 p. M. (see above), the details of his audiences 
 with the First King and the Second King had been agreed upon. The presents 
 (the more bulky ones) were to be sent to the Palace on Wednesday, Apr. 30th, 
 the day preceding the audience ; the books and pictures were to be taken by 
 Townsend Harris on the day of the audience; while the complete list of the 
 presents was to be placed under the silk cover of the President's letter (L. & P., 
 vol. 2, no. 40). 
 
 For the complete lists of the different sets of presents for the two Kings 
 (L. & P., vol. 2, nos. 41 and 42), see Appendices II and III. Wood, Fankivei, 
 pp. 201-07, gives a good account of this audience. 
 
 *33 
 
being so high), on a signal given I read my address as 
 follows : 
 
 "May it please Your Majesty, 
 
 "I have the honor to present to Your Majesty a letter of 
 the President of the United States containing a most friendly 
 salutation to Your Majesty, and also accrediting me as his 
 representative at your court. 
 
 "I am directed to express, on the President's behalf, the 
 great respect and esteem that he feels for you, and his warm 
 wishes for the health and welfare of Your Majesty, and for 
 the prosperity of your dominions. 
 
 "The fame of Your Majesty's great acquirements in many 
 difficult languages and in the higher branches of science, has 
 crossed the great oceans that separate Siam from the United 
 States, and has caused high admiration in the breast of the 
 President. The United States possesses a fertile soil and is 
 rich in all the products of the temperate zone. Its people are 
 devoted to agriculture, manufactures and commerce. The 
 sails of its ships whiten every sea ; its flag is seen in every port ; 
 the gold mines of the country are among the richest in the 
 world. 
 
 "Siam produces many things which cannot be grown in the 
 United States, and the Americans will gladly exchange their 
 products, their gold and their silver for the surplus produce 
 of Siam. 
 
 "A commerce so conducted will be beneficial to both 
 nations, and will increase the friendship happily existing be- 
 tween them. 
 
 "I esteem it a high honor that I have been selected by the 
 President to represent my country at the court of the wisest 
 and most enlightened monarch of the East, and if I shall suc- 
 ceed in my sincere wish, to strengthen the ties of amity that 
 unite Siam and the United States, I shall consider it as the 
 happiest moment of my life." 
 
 134 
 
The King opened a commonplace conversation; 
 asked how many treaties had been made between the 
 United States and Eastern nations; how long the actual 
 President would remain in office; the number of our 
 states, etc. Gave to me and each of the officers his visiting 
 card. After the audience we partook of a dinner dressed 
 up in the European style, and returned to our house at 
 sunset. At the end of the audience a large curtain is 
 drawn concealing the throne from our sight in three 
 strokes, and at every stroke the crouching nobles make a 
 salaam by raising their joined hands to their foreheads. 
 During the audience segars were handed to us by the 
 King's nephew on his knees. 
 
 Friday, May 2, 1856. Left in the same order as yes- 
 terday for the Second King's palace; had a salute of 
 twenty-one guns. His soldiers were in much better order 
 than the First King's. Some, dressed in the European 
 style, preceded us as a bodyguard and were the best 
 drilled troops I ever saw. The field pieces in firing the 
 salute were beautifully served. The Hall of Audience is 
 less splendid than the First King's. I was pleased to see 
 some of the highest peers I had seen at the First King's 
 present at his brother's audience, as Prince Wong Sa and 
 Somdet Oong Noy. My address reads as follows : 
 
 "May it please Your Majesty, 
 
 "I am to deliver to Your Majesty a most cordial and 
 friendly salutation from the President of the United States, 
 and to assure you that the President is aware of the kind 
 manner in which Your Majesty has received the Americans 
 who have visited Siam for many years past. The United 
 
 135 
 
States does not hold any possessions in the East, nor does it 
 desire any. The form of its government forbids the holding 
 of colonies. The United States therefore cannot be an object 
 of jealousy to any Eastern power. Peaceful commercial re- 
 lations, which give as well as receive benefits, is what the 
 President wishes to establish with Siam, and such is the 
 object of my mission. 
 
 U A new state of the American Union has lately sprung into 
 existence, from which the voyage to Siam can be made in one 
 month. 
 
 u This makes the United States the nearest neighbor that 
 Siam has among the Caucasian races and is a strong reason 
 for uniting the two nations. 
 
 "The fame of Your Majesty's great acquirements in 
 languages and in the higher branches of science (acquire- 
 ments so unusual among Oriental nations) has reached the 
 United States and has caused great admiration. If I can suc- 
 ceed in my earnest wish to draw more closely the bonds of 
 friendship that unite Siam and the United States, I shall 
 esteem it as the happiest event of my life." 
 
 The King inquired after our health, said he knew all 
 the names of the Presidents with the exception of the late 
 President and wanted to know the actual Vice-Presi- 
 dent's name. The audience over, we partook of our din- 
 ner and returned. 156 
 
 Saturday, May 3, 1856. The officers not yet invited 
 to the Second King's private audience went to-day to see 
 His Majesty. 157 Dined at Prince Wong Sa's without 
 our host, 158 he being detained at the First King's audi- 
 ence. 
 
 i56\Vood, op. cit., pp. 207-08. 
 157 Wood, op. cit., pp. 208-10. 
 
 158 Being obliged to attend this "political dinner" at Prince Krom Luang's, 
 even though the Prince was detained elsewhere, Townsend Harris missed the 
 
 136 
 
Monday, May $, 1856. Commodore Armstrong left 
 this morning in the steamer The Siamese Steam Force 
 accompanied by Lieutenant Rutledge, Lieutenant Car- 
 ter, Chief Engineer Isherwood, Assistant Surgeon 
 Daniels, Commodore's secretary Van den Heuvel and 
 some marines. 159 I paid visits to all the Ministers and 
 called this evening on the Somdet. 
 
 Tuesday, May 6, 1856. Arrived Captain H. Bell, 
 Lieutenant Williamson, Lieutenant Bryant, Master 
 Bowen, Assistant Surgeon Semple and Captain's clerk 
 Ashe. 160 
 
 Wednesday, May J, 1 8 56. The Second King sent 
 word for the newly arrived officers to call on him, which 
 they did and remained till late in the evening. 
 
 Friday, May Q, 1856. The First King gave a festival 
 called Rak-na, or festival of opening the agricultural 
 labors of the year. A large roof, stuck on poles, was 
 erected for the performances, during which the King, 
 sitting on an estrade surrounded by the princes of the 
 royal blood, transacted business. Under the estrade the 
 most wealthy and noble dignitaries of the realm attended 
 the performances, all kneeling from the beginning to the 
 end. On my arrival the King told me that the commis- 
 sion for the commissioners appointed for me was drawn 
 up in Siamese and now in the act of being translated into 
 
 dinner party given by the Rev. and Mrs. Bradley to Townsend Harris and 
 the officers of his embassy, the gentlemen and ladies of the several missions, 
 and to Mr. and Mrs. Harry S. Parkes (L. & P., vol. i, no. 37). 
 
 159 Townsend Harris had arranged for their departure by writing three let- 
 ters on Saturday, May 3, 1856: one to the Rev. S. Mattoon (L. B., vol. 1, p. 
 23); a second to the Minister of Foreign Affairs (ib.) ; and a third to the 
 First King (ib., p. 24). 
 
 160 Wood, op. cit., p. 220. 
 
 137 
 
English. Chairs were provided for us. Refreshments 
 consisting of Siamese sweetmeats, fruits, wines, coffee, 
 seasoned meat and segars, duly served. On the King's ex- 
 pressing a wish for our band being sent for, this was 
 complied with, and our band and the King's orchestra, 
 vocal and instrumental, played together different tunes 
 at the same time, which created a most barbaric con- 
 fusion, the singing women each [being] armed with two 
 long flat sticks, which they struck every time together, 
 accompanying this with some lamenting cries just the 
 same as the poor girls in New York on a wintry night 
 produce by crying "Hot Corn." So much for the sing- 
 ing part. The instrumental consisted of different drums, 
 bells and wooden hautboys, if this name may be given to 
 them. The stage itself was in the centrum of the build- 
 ing; no decorations except an artificial mountain, or 
 clouds, I could not make out. The play was a prince 
 being in love with a princess and seeing in a wood a 
 young girl sent out by the princess to cut a very rare 
 plant; some sacrifices by the princess and her court to an 
 idol, etc., etc. The performers are all young girls from 
 eight to fourteen years of age; trained for their profes- 
 sion from their most early childhood, have a wonderful 
 flexibility in their arms which they bend, without twist- 
 ing them, in the wrong way. The dances consist in very 
 slow but graceful movements especially with the arms, 
 and instead of dancing as in our ballets on the uppermost 
 end of their toes, they slowly proceed on the downmost 
 part of their heels. They were all painted white and had 
 black wigs on, gold dresses and crowns with dragon 
 
 138 
 
wings glittering with precious stones. Some looked very 
 well, their limbs exceedingly well rounded off and well 
 proportioned. Had generally very small feet support- 
 ing a well formed and, according to the lines of beauty, 
 in thickness increasing leg. I remarked a good deal of 
 precision in their combined movements. Every time the 
 performers entered or re-entered the stage, they crawled 
 first, until arrived opposite the King's seat, and made 
 the usual Eastern salutation. The King presented our 
 band with four piculs each, which I first refused, but on 
 his repeated request complied with. 
 
 The word "wat" means all the ground within the en- 
 closure of their temples, houses where the priests live, 
 detached buildings, etc., etc. 
 
 Omitted 161 : 
 
 Sunday, May 4, 1856. Attended divine worship at 
 the house of Mr. Mattoon. 162 
 
 Monday, May 5, 1856. Wrote to the King, 163 urging 
 the appointment of commissioners to meet me, 
 stating I had been twenty-two days in the country. I 
 learned in the evening that a grand row had taken place, 
 about the business of Mr. Parkes who had so wearied the 
 King by his letters, etc., that he got enraged, blew up all 
 his court and ended by closing the palace gates against 
 all the world. My letter was not presented until 
 
 161 Beginning with this word, the manuscript is again written in Townsend 
 Harris's hand. 
 
 162 An invitation had been received from the Second King for the officers to 
 visit him privately; but it was not accepted on the ground that it was Sunday 
 (Wood, op. cit., pp. 215-20). We shall see that also in Japan Townsend Harris 
 made it a rule never to conduct any official business on Sunday. 
 
 163 L. B., vol. 1, p. 25, which was presented on May 7th (see below). 
 
 139 
 
Wednesday, May J, 1856, when I was told the King 
 would give me a private audience on Thursday or Fri- 
 day, and then would inform me who were the commis- 
 sioners, etc., to treat with me. This promised private 
 interview ended in merely inviting me to visit his 
 theater. 164 When I entered, he invited me to the foot of 
 the estrade on which he was walking about, shook me by 
 the hand and said, "good-bye," which is his English for 
 "How d'do." 
 
 Saturday, May 10, 1856. Am told the Royal Com- 
 mission is now being translated, as the King has now a 
 strange fancy for executing public documents connected 
 with Americans and English in the English language. 
 This must cause more delay 165 and I think is so intended. 
 
 I am convinced I shall not be able to do anything 
 until the English have left. The Siamese cannot enter- 
 tain two ideas at the same time. 
 
 Sunday, May II, 1856. Attended divine service at 
 the house of the Rev. Mr. Smith who read a capital 
 sermon by the Rev. Mr. Williams of the Baptist 
 Church, New York. 
 
 Monday, May 12, 1856. Mr. Chandler sends down 
 for my secretary to assist him in copying the Royal Com- 
 mission, which he has only completed translating this 
 morning. 166 
 
 164 0n Friday, May 9, 1856. (See above, and Wood, op. cit., pp. 240-44.) 
 165 This delay is the theme of L. B., vol. 1, p. 26 (Townsend Harris to Com- 
 modore Armstrong, May 7th) ; of L. & P., vol. 1, no. 36 (the Commodore's 
 answer, May nth) ; and of L. & P., vol. 2, no. 45 (Mattoon to Townsend Har- 
 ris, May 8th). 
 
 166 Mr. Chandler's letter (L. & P., vol. 2, no. 44, written early in the morning 
 of May 12th) expresses the hope that Townsend Harris will send Mr. Heusken 
 
 I40 
 
Mr. Chandler is an excellent, good man ; what he does, 
 he does well, but he is not reliable as to time. 
 
 With Captain Bell, the officers and marines visited 
 the great wat in the palace enclosure. Found an endless 
 number of idols (over seven hundred it is said), six 
 hundred priests and the idol par excellence of the world. 
 It is a recumbent Budh, of the enormous length of one 
 hundred and fifty feet, richly gilt, and the soles of the 
 feet a perfect bijou of decorative mother-of-pearl work. 
 I never saw anything of the kind more beautiful. The 
 figure is pretty well proportioned. It reclines on the 
 right side, supporting the head on the right hand — the 
 elbow being bent to a right angle. 
 
 Subsequently visited the temple where worship is per- 
 formed. Rich gold and silver state umbrellas, etc., etc., 
 before the altar. The decorations of the temple were rich 
 and in good taste. 
 
 The patterns were rather elaborate than grand, with 
 a detail that bore the closest inspection. 
 
 Numberless pagodas of all sizes decorated the numer- 
 ous courts through which we passed. 
 
 The courts neatly paved with sandstone flags neatly 
 cut; large figures in granite from China representing 
 gods, heroes, men, genii, animals, rostral columns. 
 Chinese triumphal arches, fine bronze griffins and num- 
 
 to make two English copies of the document appointing the Treaty Commis- 
 sioners, which Mr. Chandler is nearly through translating from the Siamese. 
 
 Mr. Wood states {op. cit., p. 230) that it was thought negotiations would be 
 opened on this day (May 12th), but that it was found a mistake had been 
 made in the translation. 
 
 I 4 I 
 
berless similar objects, which would require weeks to 
 examine and describe. In the courts ornamental trees 
 and shrubs were frequent. Artificial ponds, with ditto 
 rocks, in the best Chinese manner, are also there. The 
 sides and roof of the building called the "Library" are a 
 gem of Siamese decorative architecture. The court and 
 floor of one of the temples is paved with marble tiles 
 from China, of the cool dove color. This wat covers 
 many acres of ground and is kept very clean, not a usual 
 thing in Siam. 
 
 In this enclosure stand the three pagodas before noted 
 as erected by the Kings of the present dynasty. A fourth 
 is in the course of erection by the present King. As to 
 these pagodas, which show so prettily from the river, I 
 can justly say that a close inspection does not add to their 
 beauty. Here we saw the Budh in the jungle where his 
 wants were supplied by wild animals. An elephant 
 presents him with water, a baboon gives him fruit — 
 both animals being in the attitude of adoration. 
 
 Next went to the wat on the opposite side of the 
 river, near Mr. Mattoon's, which I have already de- 
 scribed. 
 
 Dined and passed the evening at Mr. Mattoon's. At 
 9 P. M. the Prince sent for me. He says the Royal Com- 
 mission will be signed to-morrow and that I shall meet 
 the Commissioners on Wednesday. Mr. Parkes is to 
 leave early on Thursday morning. When he is gone I 
 shall think business has commenced with me. 
 
 Thursday, May 13, 1856. Breakfast with Mr. Tel- 
 ford. Complete pro forma of Treaty as I wish it, and 
 
 142 
 
give it to Mr. Mattoon to finish the little that remains to 
 be translated. The forts on both banks of the river, just 
 above the embassy, are called Phra-cha-mit and Pit- 
 patch-nuck. It is these forts which mark the limits above 
 which men-of-war are not to pass. In front of Phra-cha- 
 mit I this morning saw a human right hand, which had 
 been cut off at the wrist, stuck on a bamboo and drying 
 in the sun. I am told that forgery is punished by cutting 
 off a part or the whole of the hand, which is then stuck 
 up at this place. 
 
 Full one half of the children die before they are one 
 year old, owing to the unwise mode of treating them. I 
 have seen a Siamese woman pull her nipple from the 
 mouth of her child and insert the end of her lighted 
 cigar. 
 
 Visited Phra Klang with Captain Bell and his offi- 
 cers. White elephants modelled in clay, well done. 
 
 Pull up river with Mr. King, go up five miles, beau- 
 tiful scenery. Visit paper mill. Paper from bark of tree, 
 macerated in lime water, afterwards comminuted and 
 spread on frames made of bamboo splints. Creeks or 
 canals every fifty yards — bridges — steep ascent — then a 
 slab or pole — no hand rail — frequent falls. 
 
 I to-day saw the offerings or consecration of the 
 lingum. It is formed of clay, natural size. Is placed in 
 small shrines near the river. Its accurate form makes its 
 exhibition a filthy one. I am told they are to be found 
 everywhere. They are [offered] as a means of recovery 
 from the venereal [diseases], for a continued virility, or 
 as a thank offering for recovery. 
 
 i43 
 
Returning down the river at eight o'clock P. M., the 
 scene was very beautiful. The air, cool and balmy, was 
 loaded with the perfume of flowers. The moon silvered 
 over every object and softened the harsher features of 
 them. Boats of all descriptions were darting about. The 
 deep drum of the wat was booming its call for prayer. 
 Tom-toms were marking the seats of mirth and pleasure. 
 High up in the air twin lights marked the walls of the 
 Palaces of the Kings. Now an immense blaze of light, 
 with the clashing of musical instruments, called our 
 attention to some cause of more than ordinary merry- 
 making. 
 
 On drawing near, we found two large buildings, open 
 on all sides, were illuminated by every possible means 
 known to the natives. Single lights, chandeliers, pyra- 
 mids of lamps, vessels filled with a resinous gum and 
 set on fire — all these and other means were used to pro- 
 cure a perfect illumination. A full band of actors, danc- 
 ers and musicians were exercising their calling, to give 
 pleasure to the crowds that were assembled. 
 
 The occasion was the cutting [of] the long hair of a 
 boy some ten or twelve years old. It is something like a 
 mark of approaching puberty, this having the hair cut 
 so as to form the round crest or comb on the top of the 
 head, and may be said to resemble the toga virilis of the 
 Romans. 
 
 This crest of hair is only cut off in cases of mourning 
 or when a man becomes a priest. 
 
 Wednesday, May 14, 1856. This was the day the 
 Prince had fixed for me to meet the Siamese Commis- 
 
 144 
 
sioners, but in the morning he sent to me to say he could 
 not give me the meeting, as His Majesty had not drawn 
 up the full powers. The King resembles Sully's descrip- 
 tion of James I of England, — "The most learned fool in 
 Christendom." His Majesty is pedantic beyond belief, 
 and that too on a very small capital of knowledge. Add 
 to this the fact that he is much given to women, and a 
 solution is found for the delay of all useful business. It 
 may be said that [he] resembles Solomon only in the 
 chapter of wives and concubines. 
 
 This afternoon visited an old and respectable noble, 
 — Boudin. It was at his house that Mr. Roberts was 
 lodged when he was in Siam. After the usual routine 
 questions and answers, we were invited to enter a new 
 building, where a sumptuous repast in Chinese and 
 Siamese styles of cookery, served up in European dishes, 
 was set out. Among a vast variety of other things, we 
 had bird-nest soup, beche-de-mer, 167 sharks' fins, eggs 
 from Japan and many preparations of fowl and fish 
 which we could not name. A dessert of fruit followed 
 of the finest descriptions. 
 
 Spent the evening at Mr. Mattoon's, where all the 
 white persons had assembled to meet Mr. and Mrs. 
 Parkes who are to leave in the morning. 
 
 The evening was a lovely one, and our band added 
 much to the pleasure of the occasion. 
 
 167 Beche-de-mer, or sea cucumber, as it was called, because of its shape. Like 
 sandalwood, it was in great demand in China in the early days of our Pacific 
 trade. For a description of the various kinds of these sea slugs of the South 
 Seas, read Greenbie and Greenbie, Gold of Ophir, p. 49, note. 
 
 145 
 
Thursday, May lfj, 1 8 §6. This morning Mr. Wil- 
 liamson, Mr. Bryant and Mr. Bowen go back to the 
 ship in company of Mr. Parkes, etc. 16 * 
 
 I am quite unwell, having many boils, etc., etc., in- 
 digestion, etc. 
 
 The Second King sent for me this morning. I did not 
 go, being too unwell. 
 
 Friday, May 16, 1856. This morning I have the 
 welcome news that I am to meet the Commissioners this 
 P. M. at the house of the Prince. Four o'clock is the hour 
 fixed on. 
 
 At 169 the meeting with the Commissioners, 170 found 
 
 168 Sir Harry S. Parkes had brought back from England the ratified copy of 
 the Treaty with Siam concluded by Sir John Bowring on Apr. 18, 1855. 
 
 On Tuesday, May 13, 1856, he had signed a series of Supplementary Articles 
 (given in full in Bowring's Siam, vol. 2, pp. 230-47). On Wednesday, May 14th, 
 he had had his audience of leave (Wood, Fankivei, p. 230), and on Thursday 
 the 15th he left Bangkok. 
 
 On the same day (May 15th), an audience was granted to the Portuguese 
 Consul, who had been waiting for this privilege more than a year (Wood, 
 ib.) y and on the 16th, the American negotiations began to make progress — 
 which fully bears out Townsend Harris's presentiments in this connection — 
 namely, that business would really commence with him only after the departure 
 of Mr. Parkes (see above, entry for May 12, 1856). 
 
 169 Beginning with this word, the manuscript is again written in Mr. Heus- 
 ken's hand. 
 
 170 The original document appointing the five Commissioners to negotiate 
 the Treaty, and granting them full powers, is L. & P., vol. 2, no. 47, dated May 
 16, 1856. 
 
 At the top of page 1 (of this six-page document) are two rectangular stamped 
 seals: the left-hand one bears (in addition to Siamese printed writing) the 
 Latin legend, Maior Rex Siamensium, written by hand of the First King; the 
 right-hand seal bears (in addition to Siamese printed writing beneath the 
 Arabic numeral 120) the Latin legend Secundus Rex Siamensium, written by 
 the hand of the Second King. 
 
 At the end of the document (on p. 6) there are two elliptical seals: the left- 
 hand one bears across the face of it the signature of the First King, as follows: 
 "S.P.P.M. Mongkut, the First King of Siam"; the right-hand seal similarly 
 bears the signature of the Second King, as follows: "S. P. Pawarendr Ramesr, 
 the Second King of Siam." 
 
 The handwritings of these two sets of seals not only correspond from the 
 one set to the other, but are also to be compared with the handwritings in 
 
 I46 
 
that the Phra Kalahom, who had always affected to en- 
 tertain the most friendly feeling towards Americans, 
 was my chief opponent : wished to have the article about 
 opium, 171 which I left out as contrary to the wishes of my 
 government, inserted ; the article stipulating protection 
 to Siamese subjects 172 when in the United States, erased 
 as unnecessary, — considering the Siamese living in 
 foreign countries as cut off from the Siamese nation. 
 The reason this article appears in the English Treaty is 
 that, the English having possessions adjoining and in the 
 neighborhood of Siam, many of their subjects are living 
 there and engaged in trade. My three amendments to 
 the English Treaty were all rejected. 173 
 
 They were decidedly opposed to American citizens 
 and actual residents of Bangkok having residing agents 
 in any part of the Siamese dominions, 174 and their being 
 
 L. & P., vol. 2, no. 48 (by the First King) and in L. & P., vol. 2, no. 33 (by the 
 Second King). 
 
 The "full powers" of Townsend Harris for negotiating a treaty with Siam 
 were dated Sept. 8, 1855, and were signed by President Pierce and Secretary 
 of State Marcy. The original document is now at The College of the City of 
 New York. 
 
 171 Bowring's Treaty (Apr. 18, 1855), Art. VIII, says, in part (L. & P., vol. 2, 
 no. 29) : 
 
 "Opium may be imported free of duty, but can only be sold to the Opium 
 Farmer or his agents," etc., etc. 
 
 This portion of the British Treaty appears verbatim in Art. VII of the 
 American Treaty as adopted by the Senate — which was Art. VIII in Tov/nsend 
 Harris's original draft (L. & P., vol. 2, no. 53). 
 
 172 Bowring's Treaty, Art. I. In Art. I of the American Treaty this matter 
 was replaced by clauses promising to Siamese vessels on the high seas the aid 
 of American men-of-war without, however, committing a breach of neutrality; 
 and to Siamese vessels in foreign ports the aid of the American consuls at said 
 ports. 
 
 173 L. & P., vol. 2, no. 54. These amendments formed part of six propositions 
 advanced by Townsend Harris (L. & P., vol. 2, no. 55) ; the other propositions 
 finally found place in the Treaty. 
 
 174 This was the substance of Amendment 1. 
 
 147 
 
allowed to visit the coasts adjacent to the Menam and 
 islands under their annual pass without procuring a 
 special passport for that purpose. 175 Willing to grant 
 the lease of mines, but only for a period of five or ten 
 years. On my representing that it would be an absurdity 
 for a man spending say 150,000 piculs in laying shafts, 
 labor, etc., etc., and when at last the mine began to yield 
 being obliged to give it up, they would not yield; 176 
 wished to have the Treaty take effect eighteen months 
 after its date, 177 and consuls appointed at the same time. 
 I told them the Treaty was in operation now, and I had a 
 right of appointing a consul at once in virtue of Mr. 
 Roberts's Treaty. 178 Insisted on having an Article in- 
 serted [of] the United States being arbiter in case of dif- 
 ferences with other nations, and American men-of-war 
 rendering the same assistance to Siamese vessels which 
 they would render to vessels of their own nation in case 
 of piracy, etc., etc.; postponed for consideration. The 
 reason they gave for rejecting my amendments was, "they 
 would willingly grant them, but by doing so had to give 
 
 175 This was the substance of Amendment 2. 
 
 176 This was the substance of Amendment 3. 
 
 177 Art. XI of the Treaty as adopted by the Senate (Art. XII in Townsend 
 Harris's original draft) provided that the treaty "shall take effect immediately." 
 The Siamese had a precedent for their desire to postpone in Art. XII of the 
 British Treaty signed by Sir John Bowring on Apr. 18, 1855, which provided 
 that that Treaty should take effect from Apr. 6, 1856 — almost a whole year 
 after it was signed and sealed. 
 
 178 Mr. Roberts's Treaty (1833), Art. X: 
 
 "If hereafter any foreign nation other than the Portuguese shall request 
 and obtain His Majesty's consent to the appointment of Consuls to reside 
 in Siam, the United States shall be at liberty to appoint Consuls to reside 
 in Siam, equally with such other foreign nation." 
 
 The "such other foreign nations" was in this case Great Britain, by virtue of 
 Sir J. Bowring's Treaty. 
 
 I48 
 
other nations an equal share." I proposed having my 
 amendments drawn up as Additional Articles, as granted 
 exclusively to Americans in reciprocation for the assist- 
 ance given to their vessels by American men-of-war. 
 They replied that whatever they granted to Americans, 
 they had to grant to other powerful naval powers, as 
 France and England. 
 
 Adjourned, appointed to meet next Tuesday, 
 promised me a copy of Mr. Parkes's explanations. 179 Ap- 
 plied for a private interview with the King for to- 
 morrow. 
 
 Saturday, 1 * May 17, 1856. Quite unwell — many 
 boils and gastric derangement. 
 
 Desired Mr. Mattoon to say to Prince Wong Sa 
 that I would withdraw all the amendments I had offered 
 and take the Treaty as it stands in the English version, 
 except the clause about consuls. 
 
 Sunday, May 18, 1856. Attended service at the house 
 of the Rev. Mr. Telford. 
 
 Very unwell. 
 
 Monday, May IQ, 1856. Still unwell. Sent for by the 
 Prince this afternoon, 181 who said they would consider 
 my amendments, and hoped to give me satisfaction. The 
 Americans are in error in supposing Mr. Roberts's 
 
 179 See above, entry for May 15, 1856, and note 168. For another account of 
 this day's negotiations, see Wood, op. cit., pp. 230-31. 
 
 180 Beginning with this word, the manuscript is again written in Townsend 
 Harris's hand. 
 
 181 The Prince made his wishes known to the Rev. Mattoon, who wrote to 
 Townsend Harris (L. & P., vol. 2, no. 46). It was the Prince's desire to learn 
 thoroughly Townsend Harris's views, in order to present them to the nobles 
 that evening. Townsend Harris was closeted with him from 1 P. M., when the 
 Prince returned from the First King's Palace, to 9 P. m. 
 
 149 
 
Treaty secures [for the United States] every concession 
 that may be made by the Siamese to any other nation. 
 
 It secures any reduction of duties and the right to 
 appoint a consul, when that right is granted to any 
 nation except Portugal, but it does not put the United 
 States on the footing of the most favored nation. With 
 the Prince to 9 P. M. 
 
 Tuesday, May 20, 1856. At the Prince's, who pro- 
 duced a most absurd farrago of nonsense which he 
 wished to have introduced into the Treaty. It is a history 
 of Siamese diplomacy for the last thirty years, giving the 
 names of the nations sending and the envoys sent, etc., 
 with a great deal more of similar matter. 
 
 I told the Prince that it did not comport with the dig- 
 nity of the United States to have the name of any third 
 nation, or of its envoys, inserted in a mere commercial 
 treaty; that I came to negotiate for my own country on 
 terms of equality; that I could not take anything as a 
 favor and because it had been granted to England, etc., 
 etc. Could not bring him to any definite point on any 
 subject. Left at 8 P. M. 
 
 Wednesday, May 21, 1856. All the Commissioners 
 present. They had all the talking to themselves, as they 
 would only hear Mr. Mattoon interpret [not] more than 
 half a dozen words of my reply when they would all 
 open on him. The Prince is not as cordial as formerly. 
 
 The Prime Minister advanced a proposition which 
 will serve to show their ideas of reciprocity. He said, 
 "We love the Americans, for they have never done us or 
 anyone else in the East an injury"; that they were not 
 
 150 
 
seeking conquests in the East; [that] the American mis- 
 sionaries had been of vast use to them, teaching many 
 valuable arts, etc., etc. The English, on the contrary, 
 were rapacious tyrants who were seizing on the whole 
 of Asia. They had made the Treaty with Sir John Bow- 
 ring, not because they liked the English, but because they 
 feared them. 
 
 "Now," said the Prime Minister, "you who are our 
 friends and whom we esteem, surely you will not ask 
 as much from us as we were forced to give to our 
 enemies?" I told him that we acted on a different prin- 
 ciple; that we treated our friends best and not worst; 
 that their friendship would be a sorry thing for us if we 
 were not allowed as much as they gave their foes. 
 
 I discover the Commissioners cannot do any single 
 thing without first consulting the King. The Prince more 
 cool than he was last night. 
 
 Left at half-past ten P. M. 
 
 Thursday, May 22, 1856. This afternoon meet all 
 the Commissioners again at the house of the Prince. A 
 stormy time at first. They tried every possible means to 
 get me to give up the English Treaty as a basis, — argu- 
 ments, taunts, sneers and bluster, all were tried on me, 
 but I refused to move. They then refused to grant the 
 three concessions I asked, 182 except on terms which would 
 destroy them. Thinking quite time enough had been 
 wasted, I gave them my ultimatum, — viz., the Treaty as 
 I had given it to them in Siamese, striking out the re- 
 ciprocity clause from Article I and inserting that United 
 
 182 The three amendments referred to above. 
 
 151 
 
States ships-of-war and United States Consuls should 
 aid and assist Siamese vessels so far as could be done 
 without a breach of neutrality. 
 
 After much and very useless talk, they agreed to give 
 me an answer on Saturday evening. 
 
 Left at 9 P. M. 183 
 
 Friday, May 23, 1856. Much better in health, go 
 out with Mr. Telford to visit some of the wats. 
 
 Saturday, May 24, 1855 [1856]. At 5 P. M. meet the 
 Prince. He proposes to insert the preamble of the Treaty 
 made by Mr. Roberts. I object that it is not good Eng- 
 lish, being ungrammatical, and that it would be 
 laughed at. 
 
 The object of this is to get me to glorify the Kings 184 
 more than was done in the English Treaty, which would, 
 as they think, exalt them in the eyes of England and 
 France. I steadily refuse, and at last, after much ill 
 humor on the part of the Prince, he agrees that the Treaty 
 be engrossed in triplicate, as I gave it in on Thursday 
 last. 185 
 
 183 On the same day as this "stormy" conference, the First King sent a kind 
 autograph letter to Townsend Harris, accompanying a gift of sweet tamarinds 
 "grown at Northern Laos Country" (L. & P., vol. 2, no. 48) — a courtesy which 
 Townsend Harris acknowledged on the following day — (L. B., vol. 1, p. 28). 
 
 184 The Preamble of Mr. Roberts's Treaty is not in bad English — certainly 
 there are no ungrammatical constructions in it. And as for glorifying the 
 Kings, the only expression that might be so construed is the reference to "His 
 Majesty the Sovereign and Magnificent King," and the other minor high-flown 
 expression that the commercial intercourse thereby established would continue 
 "as long as heaven and earth shall endure." The rest of the Preamble of the 
 Roberts Treaty is written in as plain and matter of fact English as that of 
 the Bowring and Townsend Harris Treaties, though differing from the stereo- 
 typed form in which such documents were drawn up by the middle of the 
 century. 
 
 185 Meaning as finally agreed upon on May 22nd. The treaty negotiations 
 were really brought to a close at the meeting of May 24th (see also Wood, 
 op. cit., p. 232), and it was on this day that Townsend Harris announced that 
 he would leave on the 31st of May. 
 
 152 
 
My mind is greatly relieved and I hope this is the end 
 of my troubles with this false, base and cowardly people. 
 To lie is here the rule from the Kings downward. Truth 
 is never used when they can avoid it. A nation of slaves, 
 each one must crawl prone on his belly in the presence 
 of some superior, and in turn he strives to increase the 
 number of his prostrate inferiors. This custom causes 
 them to seek the company of those inferior to them- 
 selves. I never met a people like them, and hope I may 
 never again be sent here. The proper way to negotiate 
 with the Siamese is to send two or three men-of-war of 
 not more than sixteen feet draft of water. Let them 
 arrive in October and at once proceed up to Bangkok 
 and fire their salutes. In such a case the Treaty would 
 not require more days than I have consumed weeks. 
 
 Sunday, May 2$, 1856. Attended service at the 
 house of Dr. Bradley. I am now quite recovered. 
 
 Monday, May 26, 1856. Sent paper to the Prince so 
 that both versions shall be on the same kind of paper. 
 
 Mr. Heusken busy with the copies of the Treaty. 
 
 Mr. Mattoon came at 11 A. M. to say for the Prince 
 that he wanted still to change the preamble of the 
 Treaty to that used by Mr. Roberts. I again refused, say- 
 ing we had already nearly finished two copies. Mr. Mat- 
 toon tells me the Treaty is to be executed on Thursday at 
 the Hall of Justice. 
 
 I omitted in Saturday's journal to say that the Phra 
 Klang came in to the Prince's on Saturday evening, and 
 that I then gave him notice I should leave on Saturday 
 the 31st, and requested him to let me have the steamer. 
 
 153 
 
At 3 P.M. a letter from Mr. Mattoon 186 saying the 
 Prince wished me to write a letter giving my reasons for 
 declining to take Mr. Roberts's preamble, so that he 
 might show it to the King. I wrote accordingly. (See 
 copy.) 
 
 At 6 P. M. another note 187 requesting that in one of the 
 three copies of the Treaty I would name the Kings of 
 Siam first; agreed to. 
 
 Tuesday, May 27, 1856. The Second King, with a 
 large retinue of boats, visits the forts in our vicinity. 
 Salute him with our band. The Prince passed in his 
 boat. Captain Bell took off his hat and bowed to him. 
 The Prince only gave him an angry stare in return. The 
 King, I am told, bowed very politely to all. This after- 
 noon the Prince requested me to delay my departure 
 until Monday, saying the King had not the letter to the 
 President ready, nor could he give me an audience of 
 leave, as he had engagements for all the time. These 
 were mere childish pretences, as plenty of time exists 
 between this and next Saturday morning to do all they 
 require, and moreover I told the Prince last Saturday 
 that I must leave next Saturday. I accordingly sent 
 word that I should much regret not having an audience, 
 but it was absolutely necessary I should leave on Satur- 
 day, as the bread was running short in the ship, and that 
 if I did not go before Monday I should lose the June 
 
 186 Z. & P., vol. 2, no. 50, which contains also Prince Krom's detailed sugges- 
 tions as to the arguments which should appear in Townsend Harris's reply. 
 This reply Townsend Harris wrote on May 27, 1856, addressing it to the Rev. 
 Mr. Mattoon {L.B., vol. 1, p. 28). 
 
 lg7 L. & P., vol. 2, no. 49, also from the Rev. Mr. Mattoon. 
 
 154 
 
mail f om China. Finished the copies of the Treaties and 
 compared them. 
 
 Wednesday, May 28, 1856. Sent my secretary with 
 my copies of the Treaties to the Prince's that he might 
 have them compared and then attach the two versions to- 
 gether. Mr. Heusken engaged at this until 4 P. M. 
 
 The Prince in trouble wishes me to write him a letter 
 with my reasons for not staying over until Monday. 
 
 Wrote it and sent it to Mr. Mattoon. The reason the 
 Prince wishes this in black and white is that he may 
 show it to the King, as they are such a set of unsanctified 
 liars that the King would not believe him without some 
 proof like this. In my letter (see copy) , 188 in addition to 
 what I said yesterday, I wrote that the King's letter to 
 the President could be given to the consul, who would 
 forward it in a proper manner. This is the first hint I 
 have given of my intention to appoint a consul. 
 
 This evening I made out a commission 189 for Mr. 
 Stephen Mattoon, a native citizen of the State of New 
 York, as American Consul for the Kingdom of Siam, to 
 reside at Bangkok. Also wrote a letter to the Minister of 
 Foreign Affairs, informing him of Mr. Mattoon's ap- 
 pointment and making the usual requests. 190 
 
 Both these papers were dated the 30th of May, as I 
 wished them to follow the signing of the Treaty. 
 
 I consider Mr. Mattoon as peculiarly well fitted for 
 the office of consul. He speaks the language like a native, 
 
 188 L.B., vol. 1, p. 31. 
 
 189 L.B., vol. 1, p. 34, which, however, he dated May 30, 1856. 
 
 190 L.B., vol. 1, p. 32. 
 
 155 
 
he knows the people well — their manners, customs, laws, 
 prejudices, etc., etc., having lived here nearly ten years. 
 
 He is of a mild quiet temper, firm on any point of 
 principle, and winning in his manners. His reputation 
 for veracity is well established, and the Siamese never 
 doubt his word. He is popular with both of the Kings 
 and the nobles. 191 
 
 Thursday, May 2Q, 1856. This being the day fixed 
 for signing the Treaties, I went to the Old Palace (the 
 residence of the Prince) and met all the Commissioners 
 except the Prime Minister. The Treaty was then sealed 
 with all our seals and afterwards signed, — making one 
 hundred and eight seals and as many signatures. This 
 took over three hours. The Prince then delivered to me 
 two copies of the Treaty and I gave him one, at which 
 moment a salute of twenty-one guns was fired from 
 the Prince's battery or fort. All was smiles and good 
 humor. 192 
 
 191 To this estimate of the Rev. S. Mattoon, we should add that of Wood 
 {op. cit, p. 194) : 
 
 ". . . and part of the chain of these successful events was the planting 
 of American missionaries in Siam, for the confidence reposed in them ex- 
 tends to kindred Western people. It was very evident that much of the 
 apprehension they felt in taking upon themselves the responsibilities of a 
 treaty with us would be diminished if they could have the Rev. Mr. Mattoon 
 as the first United States Consul to set the treaty in motion." 
 See also, Journal, Apr. 26, 1856. 
 
 192 And so ended Townsend Harris's negotiations for the Treaty with Siam. 
 Some years later, in the course of a letter to Robert Chilton of the Department 
 of State, dated Yedo, Aug. 8, i860 (L. B. } vol. 5, p. 12), Townsend Harris 
 made the following disillusioned reference to his present success: 
 
 "Are you aware that the only acknowledgment of my services in making 
 the commercial Treaty with Siam (May, 1856) is contained in Dispatch no. 
 8, dated August 19, 1858, in which I am informed that printed copies of the 
 Treaty would be transmitted to me?" 
 
 On July 16, 1856, the Second King wrote to Commodore Perry (then in 
 
 156 
 
I then announced to them that I had appointed Mr. 
 Mattoon American Consul which, contrary to my ex- 
 pectations, was very well received. They all congratu- 
 lated both him on his appointment and me on my 
 fortunate selection. 
 
 I was agreeably surprised at this, as I expected a con- 
 test with them on this point, although I had the clear 
 right to make the appointment, and it was for their in- 
 terest to have him immediately. Another message from 
 the King. He wishes me to leave on Saturday evening 
 so that I can have an audience in the morning. I pro- 
 posed that he should give me an audience on Friday 
 night. After this the Second King sent to ask me to 
 visit him on Friday night; he was informed of the state 
 of my engagements with the First King. 
 
 Friday, May 30, 1 8 56. Signed Mr. Mattoon's Com- 
 mission and sent it to him; also thirteen cards under 
 cover, P. P. C, addressed to various persons here. 
 
 The First King came down at noon to visit the forts 
 Phra-cha-mit and Pit-patch-nuck; as he turned into the 
 Ban-kok-noy, by the Residence, the band played "God 
 save the King," and, in company with Captain Bell and 
 the others of my suite, I went to the landing platform 
 and there made our bows to the King, who returned the 
 same in a cordial manner. 
 
 Went up to Mr. Mattoon's and settled my accounts 
 
 America) and spoke of Townsend Harris's Treaty as follows (33-2, H. Ex. 
 Doc, no. 97, vol. 2, p. 408) : 
 
 "The American Envoy had the honor of making a liberal treaty of com- 
 merce and friendship, which I trust will prove mutually advantageous." 
 
 iS7 
 
with him. 193 At two P. M. the Second King sent for me 
 to visit him, which I promised to do after dinner. The 
 First King sent me word he would give me my audience 
 of leave early to-morrow morning, and that his boats 
 should be sent for me at 7 A. M. 
 
 At 5 P. M. went to [the] Second King with Mr. Mat- 
 toon, Dr. Wood and Mr. Lewis; Dr. Semple and Mr. 
 Heusken joined me an hour afterwards. I found matting 
 spread for me to walk on from the outer gate of the 
 Palace up to what the King calls his English House. I 
 was most kindly received by the King, who speaks ex- 
 cellent English, showed me a great many books, prints, 
 arms, chemicals, etc., etc., all of European or American 
 origin ; a curious clock showing the hour of the day, day 
 of the week, idem of month and month of the year and 
 finally the age of the moon. The hour of the day was 
 marked on a lapis lazuli globe, elevated above the clock 
 and revolved on a pivot, while the red tongue of a 
 green and gold serpent marked the actual hour. This 
 complex piece of work is kept in order, cleaned, etc., 
 etc., by the King himself. Had a good deal of conversa- 
 tion about the United States, the Presidents, and the 
 officers of the Peacock who were here in 1 833. The King 
 remembered not only the name of every officer, but 
 also his baptismal name, and asked after most of them. 
 
 He handed me a receipt 194 for the presents I brought 
 
 193 It being the end of the month, Town9end Harris settled accounts with Mr. 
 Heusken (L.B., vol. i, p. 84) and (on the assumption that "May 3" should read 
 "May 30") also with Mr. Mattoon, to whom he paid the sum of $500 for his 
 services as interpreter (L.B., vol. 1, p. 82). 
 
 194 Z,J3., vol. 1, p. 45, dated May 29, 1856. 
 
 158 
 
him from the President, and also gave me a list 195 of the 
 contents of four cases he had put up containing presents 
 from him to the President. The cases were very neatly 
 marked and, as he said, done with his own hands. 
 
 He gave us tea, coffee, and chocolate, fruit, sweet- 
 meats, etc., etc., making the tea, etc., himself — asking 
 each one how he liked to have it, with or without milk, 
 etc., etc. Two of his wives were present while we were 
 in the tea room and joined freely in the conversation, 
 but they were prostrate on the floor, literally grovelling 
 on all fours. Left about half-past seven and returned to 
 my quarters, and packed up everything so as to be ready 
 for an early start to-morrow morning. 
 
 Saturday, May 31, 1856. Up at five o'clock. Bathed 
 for the last time in fresh water. Put up all night articles, 
 etc., etc., and took breakfast at six o'clock. 
 
 The boats from the King, instead of coming for me at 
 seven o'clock, did not reach me until after eight o'clock. 
 
 Started in company with Captain Bell and Dr. 
 Semple; stopped for Mr. Mattoon and Lieutenant 
 Lewis, reached the upper landing at ten minutes before 
 nine, found armchairs for Captain Bell and self, and 
 ordinary sedans for the others. About one quarter the 
 number of troops were out now that were present when 
 I had my first audience. We went to the Hall of Justice, 
 where I was kept waiting nearly two hours before I was 
 admitted, although the King knew that this delay would 
 probably prevent my reaching the San Jacinto to-night. 
 
 Was received in the old Audience Hall — a finer in- 
 
 195 L.B., vol. i, p. 43, also dated May 29, 1856. 
 
 159 
 
terior than the other where I was first received. A very 
 large number of nobles and princes was present. The 
 King was seated on a low throne about two feet above 
 the floor. He asked me how soon I should leave, whether 
 I went to China direct or via Singapore. Spoke about 
 his regret at not having time! to write to the President 
 or to prepare presents for him. As to the last, I told him 
 the letter and presents could be delivered to the Consul 
 who would forward them in a proper manner, etc., etc. 
 This brought up the appointment of Mr. Mattoon as 
 Consul, and the King said he thought only the President 
 could appoint, as the Commission was to be signed by 
 him. Told him that all envoys, as well as commodores, 
 could fill vacancies or new consulates for the time being, 
 — i. e., during the pleasure of the President. 
 
 He then conversed aside with the nobles in a low tone 
 about this matter, and finally ordered the Pia Yumarat, 
 or Lord Mayor 196 as he calls him, to prepare a proclama- 
 tion acknowledging Mr. Mattoon's appointment. 
 
 Soon after, the King rose and told me he would grant 
 me a private audience, and would send for me as soon 
 as he was ready. 
 
 Soon afterwards he sent for me, Captain Bell and 
 Mr. Mattoon. We were conducted to a small house fitted 
 up and furnished in European fashion. Here he wel- 
 comed me with a shake of the hands and saying, "Good- 
 bye." After we were seated he poured out a glass of 
 wine for each of us and took one himself, giving as a 
 
 196 Townsend Harris has already referred to this person as Somdet P'ia 
 Yumarat, the Chief Justice (see Journal, Apr. 25, 1856). 
 
 l6o 
 
toast the President of the United States, wishing him 
 health and happiness and hoping that the Treaty just 
 concluded would lead to mutual advantages, etc., etc. 
 He then asked when the new election for President 
 would take place, when the new President would be 
 sworn in, etc., etc. 
 
 He gave me a blue velvet envelope which he said 
 contained my Credentials! and requested me to open 
 and read them. There were two papers : one a receipt 197 
 for the presents; and the other an apology for not 
 sending presents and writing a letter to the Presi- 
 dent, with a short history of the negotiations. 198 The last 
 document must have taken twice as much time as would 
 have sufficed for writing to the President direct. 
 
 So much for his excuse of "want of time." I was now 
 delayed over an hour by the most frivolous and pedantic 
 conversation I ever listened to, and satisfied me he was 
 quite as weak-minded as pedantic. He enumerated all 
 the languages he could speak — the various sciences he 
 has a small smattering of — the learned societies of which 
 he was a member, and the various individuals he corre- 
 sponded with in various parts of the world, and honored 
 me by asking me to correspond with him from Japan. It 
 was now half-past twelve and I was most anxious to get 
 away. But no — I must wait while he wrote a gossiping 
 letter to Sir John Bowring, informing Sir John that I 
 would show him my credentials, as he persisted in call- 
 ing the two papers in the blue pocket. At last, as there 
 
 197 L. B., vol. i, p. 41. 
 
 198 L. B., vol. i, p. 37, and Wood, op. cit., pp. 232-34. 
 
 161 
 
must be an end to all things, I got away a little past one 
 o'clock. I went down for the steamer in the King's boat, 
 but, as the tide was strong against us, did not reach her 
 until two P. M. I omitted to mention that at this inter- 
 view I gave the King the Nautical Almanac for 1856, 
 1 857 and 1 858 ; and just before I left, he gave me a silver 
 gilt segar case filled with segars. I shall smoke those 
 and send the case to the Secretary of State. 
 
 On board the steamer I received a letter from the Phra 
 Klang to Governor Marcy, giving the Siamese official 
 account of my arrival, transit from the ship, salutes, 
 boats and boatmen, with the dresses of the latter and all 
 the other important matters which are gravely written 
 in the archives of Siam. With this was a translation. 
 
 At twenty minutes past two we hauled down the flag, 
 which I gave to Mr. Mattoon, received three hearty 
 cheers from our countrymen whom we left there — re- 
 turned the cheers — the band played "Hail, Columbia," 
 "The Star Spangled Banner" and "Yankee Doodle," 
 and so we left Bangkok, 199 greatly to our satisfaction. On 
 we went in the little steamer Royal Seat Siamese Steam 
 Force for half an hour, when we had to stop to fix the 
 machinery. Then on again for another half hour — an- 
 other stop and another fix. Before this, it was clear that 
 we could not reach the San Jacinto to-night, so we took 
 it all quietly. 
 
 Arrived at Paknam at seven P. M. The Governor re- 
 ceived us with all respect and kindness, gave us tea, 
 coffee, cakes and fruit at once, and then had a hearty 
 
 199 Compare Wood, op. cit., p. 263. 
 
 162 
 
meal prepared which was ready at eleven P. M., but 
 only a few ate, as most of us preferred sleeping, which 
 we did very comfortably. No mosquitoes, and the air 
 was quite fresh. 
 
 Sunday, June I, 1856. Up at five A. M. The Gover- 
 nor had tea and coffee for us, and showed me a fine lot of 
 fruit which he had prepared as a present for me — there 
 were some thirty trays of it. 
 
 Started at half-past five A. M.; when outside were 
 overtaken by a heavy thunderstorm. The rain was very 
 heavy. No compass on board, and it was so thick noth- 
 ing could be seen at one hundred yards from us, so we 
 had to come to an anchor. 
 
 Soon afterwards the fog lifted and we saw the San 
 Jacinto, and finally and happily got on board at half- 
 past seven o'clock. 
 
 Some bills had to be adjusted and paid, and arrange- 
 ments made about two Siamese boys that the Prime 
 Minister has put under the charge of Commodore Arm- 
 strong to learn English, etc., etc. One of the lads is the 
 son of his nephew and grandson of the Somdet. 
 
 At noon precisely we got under way. Something 
 wrong about the machinery, as we only go about four 
 and three-quarters miles per hour. 
 
 Monday, June I [2], 1856. Steaming along very 
 slowly; see Pulo Way; squalls of rain and wind E. 
 of South. 200 
 
 Tuesday and Wednesday, June 3 and 4, 1856. En- 
 
 200 On this day Townsend Harris wrote Dispatch No. 5 to Secretary of State 
 Marcy, which gives the complete history of his mission to Siam, and a careful 
 outline of the Articles of the Treaty (L. B., vol. 1, pp. 46-57). 
 
 163 
 
gaged in making copies of various papers to be sent with 
 the Treaty. Heavy rain Wednesday. 201 
 
 Thursday, June $, 1856. This evening finish copy- 
 ing papers. Last evening saw Pulo Obi; and this morn- 
 ing, weather fine but a dead calm until noon when the 
 wind comes out from S. W. 
 
 It is now clear we shall not reach Hongkong in time 
 for the mail, which is to leave Tuesday the 10th current 
 at two P. M. 202 
 
 Friday, June 6, 1856. Sight Pulo Condore. Dead 
 calms. 
 
 Saturday, June J, 1856. At noon stop engines for re- 
 pairs. No matter about this, as I find I cannot save the 
 mail. 
 
 Close to Pulo Supatu. 
 
 Sunday, June 8, 1856. Engines started at two A. M. 
 Day very hot. Thermometer, 87 . No wind. 203 
 
 201 On Wednesday, June 4th, Townsend Harris wrote Dispatch No. 6 to 
 Secretary Marcy, marked "Confidential" (L. B., vol. 1, pp. 58-65). He explains 
 the initial delay as due to the "inferior" titles borne by the President of the 
 United States and by himself as contrasted with those of Queen Victoria and 
 Sir John Bowring; sketches (unfavorably) the character of the First King; 
 and gives a vivid picture of the fear of the English entertained by the Siamese. 
 
 On this same day (June 4th), Townsend Harris's thoughts turned to the 
 work ahead of him in Japan, and he wrote to Commodore Perry (33-2, H. Ex. 
 Doc, no. 97, vol. 2, p. 191) : 
 
 "I should have mentioned before that both the Kings of Siara inquired 
 
 after you and your welfare. They are both aware of your services to your 
 
 country, and of your opening Japan, and I do not hesitate to say to you that 
 
 your expedition to Japan was one of the great causes that led to the English 
 
 and American Treaties with Siam." 
 
 202 On June 5, 1856, Townsend Harris wrote Dispatch No. 7 to Marcy, in 
 which he described the mineral and other resources of Siam, the chief articles 
 of import and export, and the manner of carrying on business in that country. 
 (L. B., vol. 1, pp. 66-69). 
 
 203 On the following day, Monday, June 9, 1856, Townsend Harris wrote 
 Dispatch No. 8 to Marcy. While informing him of the appointment of the Rev. 
 Mr. Mattoon, Townsend Harris launches into a eulogy of his appointee, and 
 urges adequate remuneration and proper housing. (L. B., vol. 1, pp. 69-72.) 
 
 164 
 
Tuesday, June 10, 1 8 56. The mail leaves Hong 
 kong to-day at two P. M., and here we are about four 
 hundred miles off. 
 
 Wednesday, June 11,1856. At noon we are 185 miles 
 from Hongkong. We shall not, probably, reach there 
 before eight P. M. At five P. M. wind breezes from N. E. 
 Set square sails. 
 
 Thursday, June 12, 1856. We have had a fine wind 
 from N. E. all night, and when I went on deck at seven 
 A. M. found the Asses Ears in sight. Eight A. M. Chinese 
 pilot came on board. 
 
 Find my knowledge of the coast of some use, as Cap- 
 tain Bell often refers to me. English frigate in sight at 
 9 A.M. standing out. 
 
 When she sees us, she wears and runs towards Hong- 
 kong, keeping us close company. 
 
 At one P. M. anchor near E. Point opposite Coal De- 
 pot. U. S. Sloop Levant here. I am soon visited by Gen- 
 eral Keenan, U. S. Consul, Mr. Bradley from Singa- 
 pore, Mr. Armstrong 204 and Rev. Mr. Johnson. Get 
 my letters and papers — a large bag of them. 
 
 General Keenan invites me to take up my quarters on 
 shore with him, which I gladly accept, and go on shore 
 at four P. M. — fine large rooms and cool situation. 
 
 Friday, June 13, 1856. The excitement of arriving 
 here and reading my letters (which was not completed 
 till one A. M.) prevented my sleeping, and I got up at 
 six A. M. quite worn out. 
 
 Visit the Governor Sir J. Bowring with Commodore 
 
 204 Of the banking firm of Armstrong & Lawrence (see note 41). 
 
 165 
 
Armstrong, Captain Bell and Captain Smith 205 of the 
 Levant, Pleasant interview. Accept invitation to break- 
 fast with him on Tuesday at eight and a half A. M. 
 
 Mr. Drinker 06 and Mr. Strachan call on me this 
 evening. Go to bed at eight and a half P. M. and at once 
 to sleep. 
 
 Saturday, June 14, 1 8 56. From previous fatigue and 
 want of sleep I did not awake until I was called at half- 
 past nine. This prevented doing any work until noon. 
 Hard at work all day writing. 207 
 
 Tuesday, June IJ, 1856. Breakfast with Sir John 
 Bowring, Commodore Armstrong, Captain Bell, Cap- 
 tain Smith of Levant. Dr. Parker present. 208 Heavy rain. 
 
 Sir John gives me the late Dutch Convention with 
 Japan to copy. 209 
 
 205 William Smith, of Kentucky. 
 
 Midshipman, Mar. 4, 1823; Passed Midshipman, Mar. 23, 1829; Lieutenant, 
 Mar. 3, 1831; Commander, Sept. 12, 1854; Commodore, July 16, 1862; Retired 
 List, Jan. 19, 1865; died, Apr. 29, 1873. (Hamersly, List, ed. 1901.) 
 
 He commanded the Vixen, of the Home Squadron, 1851-52; the Levant, of 
 the East India Squadron, 1857-58. (Hasse, Index, pt. 3, p. 1530. In pt. 2, p. 889, 
 s.<v., Levant, however, it is stated that Smith commanded the Levant from 1855 
 to 1858.) 
 
 206 Henry Sandwith Drinker. See note 40. 
 
 207 On this day Townsend Harris received a letter also from the Rev. D. J. 
 Macgowan, dated Ningpo, June 8, 1856 (L. & P., vol. 1, no. 39), in which the 
 latter compares the Siamese and the Japanese, urges Townsend Harris to 
 visit all the ports on his way to the "Rising Sun," and asks him to procure for 
 him some Japanese books. 
 
 208 Peter Parker, the missionary-physician who was at various times Secre- 
 tary, Interpreter, and Charge of the American Legation in China, and finally 
 Commissioner. In a letter to Townsend Harris dated Canton, Dec. 18, 1855 
 (L. & P., vol. 1, no. 25), Mr. Drinker says: 
 
 "People think Marcy had much better made you Commissioner to China 
 
 than old Parker, which appointment gives general dissatisfaction." 
 
 209 In his Dispatch No. 9 to Marcy {L. B., vol. 1, pp. 73-75, dated Hongkong, 
 July 3, 1856), Townsend Harris says that Sir John (now Governor of Hong- 
 kong) had favored him with an authentic copy in French of the Convention, 
 
 166 
 
Sunday, June 22, 1856. It has rained steadily and 
 heavily for the last nine days. Do not go out at all ex- 
 cept on Tuesday 17th. 
 
 Hard at work the whole week getting my papers ready 
 for Mr. Bradley. 210 
 
 Monday, July [June] 23, 1856. Send by W. C. 
 Bradley, Esq., the following letters, under cover to 
 N. Dougherty: 
 
 Joseph Evans June 4, 
 
 1856 
 
 Commodore Perry ' 
 
 t << 
 
 a 
 
 H.Murray i 
 
 ' 25 
 
 a 
 
 Mrs. Langlois and Mouse ' 
 
 2 
 
 a 
 
 it U U iC < 
 
 ' 25 
 
 a 
 
 Miss Caroline D. Langlois 
 
 < a 
 
 a 
 
 E. P. Russell ' 
 
 ' 16 
 
 a 
 
 R. L. Crooke ' 
 
 1 u 
 
 a 
 
 N. Dougherty l 
 
 7 
 
 a 
 
 u a 1 
 
 ' h 
 
 a 
 
 n it t 
 
 ' 25 
 
 a 
 
 Mrs. Richard Schell ' 
 
 ' 14 
 
 a 
 
 P. M. Wetmore l 
 
 9 
 
 a 
 
 u a a t 
 
 ' 25 
 
 a 
 
 and that he was therewith transmitting to the Department a translation of the 
 same. 
 
 Three days later (on Friday, June 20, 1856), Sir John Bowring kindly fur- 
 nished Townsend Harris with more information of great importance — a state- 
 ment concerning the fish trade of Siam and the Dutch monopoly of trade with 
 Japan (L. & P., vol. 2, no. 64). 
 
 210 For earlier history of Consul Bradley, see note 55. The wish which he 
 expressed in his letter to Townsend Harris dated Jan. 30, 1856 (I.e.), was an- 
 swered, for here we see him about to return to the United States as special 
 bearer of dispatches. His special passport, signed by Townsend Harris, is 
 dated June 20, 1856 (L. B., vol. 1, pp. 88-89) \ nis Instructions, June 25, 1856 
 (L. B., vol. 1, pp. 87-88). 
 
 167 
 
Henry Grinnell June 8, 1856 
 
 B.A.Harris 211 " 16 " 
 
 W. L. Marcy (private) " " " 
 
 The following per mail : 
 
 Mrs. Eliza Harris 212 " 4 
 
 Captain McDonald " 18 
 
 The rain has happily ceased to-day, and Mr. Heusken 
 started for a visit to Canton and Macao. I learn from 
 Commodore Armstrong that it will require twelve to 
 fifteen days' more work to get ready to start for Japan. 
 
 Tuesday and Wednesday, June 24 and 2$, 1856. Fair 
 weather. Greatly disappointed in not being able to get 
 over to Macao. 
 
 Thursday, June 26, 1856. 5 130 P. M. start for Macao 
 in J. B. Endicott's 218 new steamer Lilly. Reach there in 
 four hours, fifteen minutes. Find a large party at Mr. 
 Drinker's, where I stop. 
 
 211 Miss Bessie Anne Harris, niece of Townsend Harris, who for so many 
 years cared for the Letters and Papers of her uncle and who finally presented 
 the valuable collection to The College of the City of New York — an institution 
 which under the name of Free Academy was founded by Townsend Harris in 
 1847. See The Establishment of The College of the City of New York as the 
 Free Academy in 1847. Townsend Harris, Founder, by Mario Emilio Cosenza, 
 published by The Associate Alumni of The College of the City of New York, 
 1925. 
 
 212 Perhaps the reference is to Elizabeth Mayer, the second wife of John 
 Watson Harris, one of Townsend Harris's older brothers and his business 
 partner before he left for the Far East. 
 
 213 Captain James B. Endicott, for many years residing near Canton. While 
 Captain of the American ship Ruparell, five Malays of his crew killed (Dec. 
 24, 1854) a Chinaman on shore at Cumsingmoon in a fight over women (35-2, 
 S. Ex. Doc., no. 22, pt. 1 — in Serial no. 982 — pp. 540-60). Later Captain Endi- 
 cott commanded the Spark (ib., p. 560: Jan. 19, 1855). 
 
 168 
 
Friday, June 2J , 1856. Still fine weather. Call on 
 French Legation, or [viz.], 
 
 Comte Rene de Courcy, Charge cT Affaires 
 
 Comte Kleczkowski, of French Legation 214 
 
 Mr. P. Stewart 215 
 
 Governor Guimaraes, Governor of Macao 216 
 
 Mrs. Loureiro 
 
 J. B. Endicott (no see) 
 
 Mrs. Hunter 
 
 S. B. Rawle — very sick — paralysis 217 
 
 Saturday, June 28, 1856. Receive calls from Comte 
 de Courcy, Comte Kleczkowski, Governor Guimaraes, 
 Mr. Stewart, Mr. Troplong, French Consul [at] Manila 
 [and] fiance de Katy. 218 Mr. Heusken reaches here 
 from Canton. 
 
 214 Comte Michel Kleczkowski, Secretary of the French Legation. When M. 
 de Courcy returned to Europe in 1857 (L. & P., vol. 1, no. 62), Kleczkowski 
 became First Secretary, and he served in this capacity under M. de Bourboulon, 
 the French Minister Plenipotentiary in 1858 (L. Sf P., vol. 1, no. 87). 
 
 Kleczkowski afterwards became Charge d'Affaires at Pekin and, on his 
 return to France, was made Professor of Chinese at the Ecole Nationale des 
 langues orientales vivantes. In 1876 he published at Paris, in 2 volumes, a 
 Cours graduel et complet de Chinois parle et ecrit. 
 
 215 Mr. Patrick Stewart, whose house is mentioned in the story of Captain 
 Keppel's rescue of a young and foolish Englishman, who had been imprisoned 
 at Macao in 1849 by orders of Governor Amaral (33-2, H. Ex. Doc, no. 97, vol. 
 1, p. 301). 
 
 216 Isidoro Francisco Guimaraes, an officer of the Portuguese Navy and His 
 Faithful Majesty's Governor of the Province of Macao, Timor and Solor. 
 
 217 S. B. Rawle, of Pennsylvania, U. S. Consul for Macao from 1856 to 1858. 
 
 He was nominated on Mar. 11, 1856, in place of R. P. De Silver, resigned; 
 consented to, Mar. 17, 1856. (Hasse, Index, pt. 3, p. 1742.) 
 
 He was a member of the firm of Rawle, Drinker & Co., Hongkong. (L. £f P., 
 vol. 1, no. 136, W. W. Whittlesey to Townsend Harris, dated Chicago, Feb. 
 4, 1859.) 
 
 218 The reference is to Catherine Ann Drinker, oldest of the four children 
 of Henry Sandwith Drinker. Miss Drinker married Mr. Thomas Allibone 
 Janvier on Sept. 26, 1878. She died rich in years and in honors, on July 19, 1922. 
 
 169 
 
Write to-day the following letters : 
 
 C. C. Currier dated July 3, 1856 
 S. N. Greene " " " " 
 William Hunter " " " " 
 
 Wrote to Armstrong & Lawrence requesting them to 
 ship four cases of presents for the President from the 
 Second King of Siam to the Collector of the Port of 
 New York, and to take five bills of lading. Also wrote to 
 Captain Bell asking him to order the delivery of the 
 four cases of presents now on board the San Jacinto to 
 Messrs. Armstrong & Lawrence. A slight shower this 
 morning, but weather still very fine. 
 
 A Chinese brought a wildcat for sale to me. It was in 
 a basket of openwork covered and lashed in a manner 
 that of itself was a curiosity. The legs were so lashed 
 that they were as stiff as sticks ; muzzle lashings enough 
 to hold a dozen mad dogs — the poor creature could not 
 open its mouth nor move a limb. It could wink and that 
 was all. The body was very long — of a dirty yellow and 
 spotted precisely like a leopard, except the spots were 
 nearly round instead of angular in shape. On examina- 
 tion I found [that] the pencil of hair on the tip of the 
 ear, and which I had always seen in wildcats, was want- 
 ing, and I expressed a doubt about the originality of the 
 wildness, but I was groaned down. The basket, as I 
 said before, was open ; you could see, but not touch. 
 
 On hearing the groans, I made a more careful survey 
 and lo ! the spots were forged/// 
 
 The Chinaman had procured a species of resin, very 
 
 170 
 
dark colored, and with this and the aid of a hot iron had 
 made the spots ! — manufactured out of a poor harmless 
 "roof scrambler" a fierce wildcat ! I tore the basket open, 
 and the forgery was soon made manifest, and I gained 
 great applause. 
 
 Monday, June 30, 1856. Still enjoying the delicious 
 weather on the Praya Grande at Macao. Heard a story 
 of a countryman who commanded an American clipper 
 loaded for London. While going down the China Seas, 
 his dearly beloved wife died. He did not like to let the 
 fishes feed on her. He was a temperance man and had 
 no spirits on board. What to do? 
 
 On reflection he remembered he had some cassia oil 
 on board. The recollection inspired the man! He pro- 
 cured a large water cask in which he headed up the re- 
 mains of his dear wife, and then filled up the cask with 
 cassia oil! It was worthy of the best days of Egyptian 
 embalming. His triumph in cheating the fishes assuaged 
 his grief for his loss, and he ate a hearty dinner. The man 
 was consoled. On his arrival in London, he went at once 
 to the consignees of the oil, and like an honest man told 
 them what he had done and asked, "What's the damage ?" 
 In reply he was told £1,000!!!! He was near joining 
 his truly dear wife. It appeared that the oil had from 
 various causes been very high in China and had come to 
 an excellent market in London. In the end he paid £900, 
 $4,500. 
 
 It is said that he then drew forth the remains of his 
 wife and had her buried in London. And it is also said 
 that he carefully put up the oil in its original jars and 
 
 171 
 
took it home with him to America, where peradventure 
 it is now being consumed in various shapes. 219 
 
 Wednesday, July 2, 1856. Remained at Macao until 
 six P. M. Went on board Lily. Mr. Heusken nearly left 
 behind. Started at seven twenty-five; went Cap-Sing- 
 Moon passage, arrived at eleven twenty-five P. M., and 
 at 12 :oo at my quarters with General Keenan. 
 
 Thursday, July 3, 1856. Go on board San Jacinto. 
 She expects to sail Monday [the] 7th. Meet the Commo- 
 dore on shore. General Keenan has a new jurisdiction 
 case. Attend to various matters. Write Nos. 9 and 10 to 
 [the] Department, 220 also write P. M. Wetmore, New 
 York. 
 
 Friday, July 4, 1856. Attend to closing dispatches 
 for Mr. Bradley and the duplicates to be forwarded by 
 the August mail. 
 
 General Keenan has a large dinner party in honor 
 of the day. Do not attend, as I wish to avoid all such 
 affairs which are sure to run into excess of noise and 
 drinking. Twenty-two sat down to table, and some of 
 them remained until two A. M. of the next day. The San 
 Jacinto was finely decorated with flags and fired a 
 national salute at noon. 
 
 219 On this day, President Franklin Pierce nominated Townsend Harris Con- 
 sul General for Japan (S. Ex. J'l, vol. 10, p. 112). 
 
 220 Dispatch No. 9 (L. B., vol. 1, pp. 73-75) tells of his arrival at Hongkong; 
 of the repairs to the San Jacinto; of the receipt from Sir John Bowring of a 
 French translation of the Dutch Convention with Japan, etc., etc. 
 
 Dispatch No. 10 (L. B., vol. 1, pp. 75-85) gives an accurate account of his 
 disbursements to date, under the three headings of presents for the Kings of 
 Siam, expenses of the Mission to Siam, and salary of Mr. Heusken. 
 
 Dispatch No. 11 of same date (L. B., vol. 1, p. 86) encloses duplicates of 
 the Siam Treaty, and of former Dispatches Nos. 5-10 incl. 
 
 172 
 
There are many American ships in the harbor, and 
 were finely dressed and most of them fired salutes. A 
 poor man lost his left and three fingers of his right hand 
 in firing on board the Sam Willets. 
 
 Saturday, July 5, 1856. Give to C. W. Bradley, Esq., 
 American Consul at Singapore, the dispatches and 
 Siamese Treaty with his passport 221 as special bearer of 
 dispatches and letter of instructions, and also gave to 
 General Keenan the duplicates of the Treaty and my 
 letters to be forwarded by the mail of August 10th. 
 
 Hired a cook and his mate at sixteen dollars per month 
 for the two; a tailor and washman at fourteen dollars 
 per mensem each. I am to furnish them their food on 
 board ship and after my arrival at Shimoda, and after 
 one year, if they do not wish to stay longer, I am to give 
 them a free passage to Hongkong. 
 
 Busy in picking up a few articles of furniture — hard 
 to be obtained. 
 
 The word now is that the San Jacinto will be ready to 
 sail on Monday evening next. 
 
 Sunday, July 6, 1856. Visit San Jacinto. Learn she 
 cannot leave before Wednesday next. Mr. Dixon, of 
 China, sends me a North China Herald of June 21st, 
 with account of a visit to Nagasaki and Shimoda by 
 some Americans (Mr. Cunningham, 222 late Vice-Consul 
 at Shanghai, among others). Great compliants of high 
 
 221 This passport was signed by Townsend Harris, and is dated June 20, 
 1856 (L. B., vol. 1, pp. 88-89). 
 
 222 Edward Cunningham: U. S. Vice-Consul at Shanghai, 1852-54; Acting 
 Consul, 1856 (Hasse, Index, pt. 1, p. 458). 
 
 173 
 
prices and unwillingness to give supplies or permit 
 trade. The following are the quotations of prices : 
 
 Firewood per picul 
 
 Chickens each 
 
 Eggs 
 
 Sweet potatoes per catty 
 
 White rice per picul 
 
 Brown sugar per picul 
 
 Beans per catty 
 
 Exchange: 1,600 cash per Mexican dollar; 
 
 i ichibu given for $i, or 66 2/3% discount. 
 
 They offered to barter silver watches and revolvers, 
 but were not allowed to do so, it being plain the authori- 
 ties prevented the traffic. 
 
 San Jacinto will not leave before Wednesday morn- 
 ing, 9th instant. 
 
 See Book No. 3 
 
 Shimoda 
 
 Shanghai 
 
 278 cash 
 
 300 cash 
 
 672 " 
 
 180 & 200 " 
 
 18 " 
 
 6 " 
 
 11 " 
 
 10 " 
 
 4.440 " 
 
 3,5oo " 
 
 $16^ 
 
 $5^2 
 
 15 cash 
 
 10 cash 
 
 174 
 
Journal No. 3 
 
 Commencing July 7, 1856 
 Ending February 25, 1857 
 
 Journal No. [3] 
 
 Monday, July 7, 1856. Write to H. Redfield, Esq., 
 Collector of the Port of New York, 223 enclosing to him 
 a bill of lading for the presents for the President from 
 the Second King of Siam. Also to W. L. Marcy, 224 giving 
 him a copy of the above letter and also a bill of lading. 
 Make various calls : Sir John Bowring, C. Anstey, Esq., 
 Attorney General, Captain Twiss, R. A., C. Turner, 
 Esq., Barrister, and several others. See about some 
 purchases. 225 
 
 Tuesday, July 8, 1856. Settle my accounts with Arm- 
 strong & Lawrence by giving them a draft on Purser 
 Bradford for $525. Engage a butler or head boy at fifteen 
 dollars per month — but fear he will not go as he cannot 
 get security for the advance, and without that he cannot 
 or will not go. Finish all my affairs at two P. M., and 
 
 223 Hemon J. Redfield. The letter itself ( L. B., vol. i, p. 87), however, is 
 dated July 8th. The four cases containing the presents for the President of the 
 United States were shipped by the Redgauntlet. 
 
 224 Dispatch No. 12 (L. B., vol. 1, p. 86), likewise dated Hongkong, July 8th. 
 
 225 0n this day, President Pierce's nomination of Townsend Harris as Con- 
 sul General to Japan was received by the Senate, read, and referred to the 
 
 175 
 
return to my quarters at Consul Keenan's. Weather 
 very hot; covered with prickly heat. 
 
 Wednesday, July Q, 1856. This morning the butler 
 Assam completed his security and I advanced him three 
 months wages or forty-five dollars. Go on board at eight 
 A. M. Find the engineers have not yet completed their 
 work, so that we cannot get away to-day. All my people 
 come on board. 
 
 Thursday, July 10, 1856. The San Jacinto got under 
 way at five A. M., but after running one mile came to a 
 dead stop. Cause — the propeller has lost the keys that 
 confine it on the shaft — has slipped down so far that it 
 overlaps the outer stern post to which it gave several 
 blows that shook the whole ship. It has been determined 
 to put the ship into dock at Whampoa for repairs. She is 
 to be towed up 226 there on Saturday next by the steamers 
 Canton and Willamette. 221 
 
 A trying delay for me. I am losing some fourteen 
 
 Committee on Commerce (S. Ex. J'l, vol. 10, pp. 112, 115). And at the other end 
 of the world, on the following day (Tuesday, July 8, 1856), the French mis- 
 sion concluded a treaty with Siam; cf. the extract quoted above (note 84) from 
 Consul Bradley's letter dated Singapore, Jan. 30, 1856 (L. & P., vol. 1, no. 28). 
 
 226 For an account of this "tow" on Saturday, July 12th, and of the chagrin 
 of the Americans as they passed the British Frigate Nankin,. see Wood, Fank- 
 <wei, p. 274. The chagrin was due to the fact that, in order to enter the dock 
 at Whampoa, the San Jacinto had to be lightened so as to draw not more than 
 sixteen feet of water. All coal, water, provisions and even the guns had to be 
 removed; and we can all feel the chagrin of the Americans when, not moving 
 proudly on her own steam, but "humbly dragging in the wake of two steam- 
 boats," the San Jacinto had to pass in review, as it were, and the band of 
 the British Frigate Nankin struck up "Hail, Columbia." No wonder the in- 
 tended compliment felt like a satire! 
 
 227 The American ship Willamette, Captain William Curry. On the evening 
 of Jan. 31, 1856, she was towing a Chinese junk from Hongkong to Canton. 
 When near the second bar inside the Bocca Tigris, she was fired upon by 
 several mandarin boats. (Consul O. H. Perry to Dr. Parker, Canton, Feb. 16, 
 1856: 35-2, S. Ex. Doc, no. 22, pt. 2 — in Serial no. 983 — pp. 755-57.) 
 
 176 
 
dollars per day salary besides the wages of my servants, 
 some sixty dollars per month. 228 
 
 Friday, July II, 1856. Rainy. Go over to Macao 229 
 in the Lilly. Leave at four P. M. and arrive at eight 
 twenty. Captain Hildreth of the American ship Sancho 
 Panza on board. 
 
 Monday, July 14, 1856. The weather has been so 
 showery and uncertain since my arrival. I have not made 
 any visits to-day; it sets in for a storm apparently. 
 Barometer, 29.55, wind fresh from N. N. E. 
 
 Tuesday, July 15, 1856. Blowing quite sharp. 
 Barometer, 29.38, much rain ; wind veers from N. N. E. 
 to S. E. by S. Impossible to go out. 
 
 228 0n this day, Townsend Harris also wrote to Secretary Marcy (L. B., vol. 
 i, pp. 89-90), informing him that the San Jacinto had to be put into dock for 
 repairs, and impatiently adding that he would avail himself of the first oppor- 
 tunity of a passage to Japan without waiting for the San Jacinto. 
 
 On July 10th, also, the overland mail left Hongkong in the steamer for the 
 Red Sea; and on board the steamer was Consul Charles William Bradley, Sr., 
 special dispatch bearer to far-off Washington, D. C, taking home the Treaty 
 just concluded with Siam (Wood, op. cit., p. 273). And so, after seven years 
 of service in the Far East — as U. S. Consul successively at Amoy, Ningpo, and 
 Singapore — Bradley started on the long-wished-for journey home. His earnest 
 plea had been written to Townsend Harris on Jan. 30, 1856 (L. £f P., vol. 1, 
 no. 28) : 
 
 "I am not advised, Sir, whether you have brought a Secretary in your 
 suite; but, if not, I shall be much obliged if you can give me that post, and 
 send me home as bearer of the Treaty. ... I must return to the United 
 States during the coming Spring — (my salary of $1,000 per annum being too 
 little, by half, for a decent but most economical subsistence,) — and if I can 
 be sent there in the capacity of which I have spoken, it will save me the 
 expense of a voyage, — a matter which I can illy afford." 
 229 At Macao Townsend Harris stayed with the Drinkers, who had a sum- 
 mer home in that city and a winter home at Hongkong. It was on one of these 
 visits to Macao that Townsend Harris presented to Miss Catherine Ann 
 Drinker ("Kat") the small clay model of the white elephant which had been 
 given to him by the Second King of Siam. At the same time Townsend Harris 
 gave her a copy of the Second King's autograph. Almost forty years later 
 (on Mar. 7, 1905), Mrs. Thomas Allibone Janvier (nee Miss C A. Drinker) 
 presented this model of Siam's white elephant to the American Geographical 
 Society, in New York, where the present writer found it. (See also the Janvier 
 Letters in the manuscript collections of The New York Public Library.) 
 
 177 
 
Thursday, July IJ, 1856. The blow appears to be 
 over, but it is still wet. Squalls and showers. Wind S. by 
 E. to S. by W. 
 
 Get a letter from Captain Bell, saying the San 
 Jacinto got up to Whampoa on Sunday morning and 
 would go into dock on Friday or Saturday following. 
 Also letter from Captain Endicott. 
 
 Wrote to Captain Bell by the Lilly which went up this 
 morning. Barometer, 29.55. 
 
 Wetmore & Co. of Canton, Shanghai, Foo-chau and 
 New York, have stopped payment. 230 
 
 Report says it was entirely uncalled for, that Mr. 
 Roberts could easily have procured all the money he 
 wanted. Some say it has been purposely done by Roberts. 
 The House is said to be solvent. Hear of the death of a 
 Mr. Randall Cunningham, a young man in the House 
 
 230 The founder of the house was William S. Wetmore, whose uncle (Samuel 
 Wetmore) was the partner of Mr. Edward Carrington of Providence, Rhode 
 Island — in those days the largest shipowner and East India merchant in the 
 United States. Young William S. Wetmore in 1824 became a member of the 
 great house of Alsop, Wetmore & Cryder, in Valparaiso, Chile, and in Lima, 
 Peru. In 1831 he retired from the firm with a large fortune, returned to the 
 United States, and then went to China. At Canton he established, together with 
 Joseph Archer of Philadelphia, the house of Wetmore & Co., and succeeded 
 to the large and profitable business of Nathan Dunn & Co. (Barrett, Old 
 Merchants, vol. 2, pt. 1, pp. 293-300.) 
 
 In a long letter to Townsend Harris, dated Hongkong, Apr. 3, 1857 (L. & 
 P., vol. 1, no. 62), Mr. S. Drinker says of the failure of Wetmore & Co.: 
 
 "I am not sure whether Nye had failed before you left for four million. 
 Wetmore also failed through the rascality of Roberts. He found he was not 
 to be included in the new firm and failed with $32,000 in the treasury. The 
 old folks were most savage and immediately sent out L. Sheppard Wetmore 
 and paid in full. Moore died owing the concern $30,000. By the failure poor 
 Lamson lost all." 
 
 And again, on June 15, 1857, Mr. Drinker writes (L. & P., vol. 1, no. 69) : 
 
 ". . . also poor old Davis [is dead], of Wetmore & Co., formerly; and 
 that House has resumed under the style of Wetmore, Williams & Co., and in 
 the circular state the House was never insolvent. They accuse Roberts of a 
 fraudulent failure. They have paid off every dollar and have a surplus." 
 
 178 
 
of Heard & Co., at Foo-chau. He was killed by the 
 Chinese in a street row, for improperly interfering. 231 
 When will men learn to mind their own business? 
 
 Saturday, July IQ, 1856. Rain, rain, constantly 
 raining. I cannot get out for any exercise, and my health 
 suffers accordingly. I learn the rain has extended all 
 along the coast, but the wind has not been so heavy as at 
 Macao. It is still squally. Mr. Drinker comes over this 
 evening from Hongkong in the new steamer Shamrock. 
 The Lilly also down from Canton — nothing new from 
 the San Jacinto. 232 
 
 231 Townsend Harris had the name wrong. The murdered man was Howard 
 Cunningham, of Boston, Massachusetts. All the necessary references to the 
 government documents are to be found in Hasse, Index, pt. i, p. 320. The main 
 details are best told in a communication by Commissioner Parker to Wang, 
 Viceroy of the Min and Cheh Provinces, Foo-Chow-foo. This letter is dated 
 U. S. Legation, Foo-Chow, July 22, 1856, and in it Parker says (35-2, S. Ex. 
 Doc, no. 22, pt. 2 — in Serial no. 983 — p. 882) : 
 
 "Being informed of some difficulty in the removal of some property 
 [furniture] from the old hong of Messrs. Heard & Co. [in the western part 
 of Nantae] to the new one [in the eastern suburbs], Mr. Comstock, the head 
 of the firm [in Foo-Chow], went to the street to ascertain the state of the 
 case, and, on seeing one of the men in his employ beaten by the men in the 
 street, very quietly asked them to desist; he was pushed down, and then 
 knocked down, but, fortunately escaping, ran to the United States Consul, 
 informing him of what had occurred. Soon after, Mr. H. Cunningham, an- 
 other gentleman in the house of Messrs. A[ugustine] Heard & Co., [and 
 Mr. Vaughan] went into the street, and, as it is believed [because he died 
 without being able to tell], he, knowing that Mr. Comstock had preceded him, 
 on arriving at the spot after he [Comstock] had fled to the consulate, seeing 
 his chair but not seeing Mr. Comstock, supposed him to be in the crowd, 
 and therefore he rushed in to rescue him, and not to take part in the difficulty 
 between the Chinese [the hostile clans of Foo-Chow and Canton men — the 
 latter of whom were in the employ of Heard & Co.]. In this most com- 
 mendable effort to afford aid to the head of the house he was cruelly mur- 
 dered [July 3, 1856], and I request your Excellency will not again represent 
 it as 'joining the Chinese in a fight.' " 
 
 The whole affair must have been presented to Townsend Harris only in the 
 aspect characterized by the closing phrase. (Cf. also the statement by Dr. 
 Parker to Secretary Marcy, dated July 26, 1856. lb., p. 868). 
 
 232 The San Jacinto on this day went into drydock at Whampoa. See Journal, 
 July 10, 1856; and L. & P., vol. 1, no. 40, a letter from Captain H. H. Bell, 
 dated Whampoa, July 21, 1856, to Townsend Harris, then at Macao. 
 
 179 
 
Monday, July 21, 1856. Mr. Drinker went over to 
 Hongkong this morning at seven o'clock in the Sham- 
 rock. 
 
 Called on the Governor of Macao and Mrs. Spooner. 
 Did not see either. Then to Mr. Hunter's, 233 Mr. Rawle's 
 and Mr. Stewart's. Saw all. The bi-monthly mail from 
 Hongkong to England is re-established. 
 
 Write to N. Dougherty, to go by the mail on the 24th 
 instant from Hongkong. 
 
 Write to General Keenan, U. S. Consul, and Arm- 
 strong & Lawrence, all at Hongkong. 
 
 Tuesday, July 22, 1856. Commodore Armstrong and 
 Dr. Wood come down from Canton this afternoon. Re- 
 ceive letter from Captain Bell. 234 The San Jacinto went 
 into dock on the 19th. Captain Bell writes that it will re- 
 quire two weeks for repairs to the propeller and another 
 week to get ready for sea. Received letter from Mr. 
 Heusken; he is at Canton. Have been reading Hue's 
 Journey from the Great Wall to Canton — full of lively 
 sketches, gross credulity and astounding errors. 235 
 
 233Very probably this is the Mr. W. C. Hunter who in Oct., 1854, recom- 
 mended Captain S. Drinker (Townsend Harris's great friend) for the hiring 
 of vessels and enlisting of men and soldiers to exterminate the pirates and rob- 
 bers in the townships of Shawan and Kau-Tong. For the failure of this con- 
 tract and for the resulting lawsuit, read the statement by Leang King Kwa and 
 other documents in 35-2, S. Ex. Doc., no. 22, pt. 2 — in Serial no. 983 — pp. 
 704-12. 
 
 234 L. & P., vol. 1, no. 40; see note 232. 
 
 235 The Abbe Hue, variously referred to as Missionary Apostolic in China, 
 and Missionary Priest of the Congregation of St. Lazarus. The text may refer 
 to Hue's Recollections of a Journey through Tartary, Thibet, and China dur- 
 ing the years 1844, 1845, and 1846, published at New York, by D. Appleton 
 & Co. in 1852, in two volumes. Indeed, Townsend Harris may have obtained 
 this work in New York on Oct. 8, 1855, tne day when he bought, at Appleton's, 
 books and maps for the Kings of Siam to the value of $182 (L. B. t vol. 1, p. 1). 
 
 180 
 
Wednesday, July 23, 1856. Call on Commodore 
 Armstrong, Mr. Troplong and the French Legation — 
 only leave cards at the last two places. 
 
 Commodore Armstrong, Dr. Wood and Mr. O. H. 
 Perry, U. S. Consul at Canton, call on me to-day. 
 
 Write to Captain Bell, now at Whampoa, in answer 
 to his letter of 21st inst. and send it per hands of Mr. 
 Perry, who goes up in the morning. Weather again 
 threatening. Wind N. Barometer, 29.50 and falling. 
 Clouds heavy, with occasional spurts of rain. 
 
 At night, wind heavy with much rain. Barometer fell 
 to 29.35 at eleven P. M. 
 
 Thursday, July 24, Friday 2$, Saturday 26, and Sun- 
 day 27, 1856. Constant and heavy rains with a gale of 
 wind from N. by W. to S. S. E. Twelve houses have 
 fallen in consequence of the walls being sapped by the 
 water, and a large number are damaged. 
 
 On Saturday night a house fell in Senate Square kill- 
 ing a woman and child. A second child which was on the 
 same bed with the woman and child escaped without any 
 injury. Friday evening went to a quiet party at Mr. 
 Hunter's. Got home at midnight. 
 
 Monday, July 28, 1856. Calm and no rain, but the 
 weather is not yet settled. The wind hangs in the N. E. 
 quarter. I learn that the rice crop of this vicinity is more 
 than half lost, and it is said that even greater damage has 
 been felt in the eastern provinces. Wrote Armstrong & 
 Lawrence that I had drawn on them in favor of Jose 
 Maria de Fonseca for fifty dollars. He paid me par for 
 my draft. Four P. M. rain again set in. 
 
 181 
 
Thursday, July 31, 1856. The rain has continued 
 since Monday, with strong winds. Sad accounts from 
 the country. Houses are falling in all directions. Rice 
 lands are all overflown. Crops supposed to be half lost. 
 Rice has advanced in price at retail 100 per cent. 
 
 Receive letter from Mr. Lewis, First Lieutenant of 
 Frigate. Says the repairs will be completed and the ship 
 come out of dock on Saturday, 2nd [of] August. 
 
 Receive my newspapers from New York up to 20th 
 of May, also a letter from Lieutenant J. N. Guest, 
 U. S. N. 236 
 
 Friday, August I, 1856. No rain, but still cloudy. 
 Wind S. by W. Make some calls. Write to Captain Bell 
 and Lieutenant Lewis. Rain at four P. M. 
 
 Saturday, August 2, 1856. Advance five dollars to 
 Assam my butler, and give him leave for two days to go 
 to his village to see after his family, his house having 
 fallen. 
 
 Showery all day. 237 
 
 Monday, August 4, 1856. Last night the Dutch bark 
 
 236 L. & P., vol. 1, no. 35, dated Washington, D. C, Apr. 15, 1856. Lieutenant 
 Guest must have been an intimate friend, for he thanks Townsend Harris for 
 gifts sent from Paris to his little daughter "Nan," and expresses himself famil- 
 iarly on other matters: 
 
 "I sometimes think I should like to be your companion in your Japan exile. 
 . . . The grand question in our party ranks is touching the nominee of the 
 [Democratic] Cincinnati Convention in June. . . . Buchanan stock rises 
 daily. . . . We are sure to have a Democratic President, old fellow, so 
 you can stay in Japan as long as you like." 
 
 Townsend Harris's appointment as Consul General for Japan was confirmed 
 by the Senate on this day — July 31, 1856 (S. Ex. J'l, vol. 10, p. 131) ; and Town- 
 send Harris resigned his office of Minister Resident to Japan when Lincoln, 
 a Republican, became President. 
 
 237 The San Jacinto came out of drydock on this day (L. B., vol. i, p. 90, 
 Dispatch No, 14 to Secretary Marcy, dated Hongkong, Aug. 9, 1856). 
 
 182 
 
Banka, having on board 270 coolies for Havana, was 
 burned to the water's edge, in Macao Roads, about four 
 miles from the Praya Grande. It is rumored that 120 
 lives were lost. 
 
 Fine weather yesterday and to-day. 
 
 Tuesday, August 5, 1856. Captain Bell writes to 
 Commodore Armstrong that the San Jacinto came out of 
 dock on Saturday and will be ready for sea on Thursday 
 the 7th inst. Made arrangements to go over to Hongkong 
 to meet the San Jacinto on Thursday next. 
 
 Mr. Heusken, who has been at Canton since the 15th 
 of July, writes me he should go to Hongkong yester- 
 day. 238 Write him that the San Jacinto will come down to 
 Hongkong on Thursday. 
 
 The inquiry into the loss of the Banka by the Governor 
 of this place finished to-day. 
 
 There is no doubt the ship was purposely set on fire 
 by the Chinese coolies, who were composed of the worst 
 class of this district — vagabonds, thieves and pirates. It 
 was proved that the Chinese threw all sorts of combust- 
 ibles on the fire, which was kindled under the cabin. 
 
 Soon after the fire was discovered, the Captain 
 ordered his crew to fire their muskets and pistols on the 
 Chinese, and then two carronades, loaded with canister 
 shot, were run in board and fired among the coolies who 
 thronged the spar-deck. 
 
 It appears the coolies were dissatisfied and were trying 
 to desert. The Captain knew this and had all the crew 
 
 238 L. & P., vol. 1, p. 41, dated Canton, Aug. 2, 1856. Mr. Heusken said, "I am 
 going to-morrow to Hongkong," which would make him arrive at Hongkong 
 on the 3rd, and not on the 4th, as Townsend Harris says. 
 
 183 
 
armed. It is proved beyond doubt that the Captain, four 
 of the crew, and 120 Chinese were lost. A sad affair, and 
 is one other black page in the history of this new form of 
 the slave trade. 239 
 
 Rain sets in again at 4 P. M., with bright lightning all 
 night. 
 
 Wednesday, August 6, 1856. It is clear that the 
 Captain and all the crew of the Banka were more or less 
 intoxicated when the fire broke out on board the bark. 
 
 Had the proper police been observed, the fire would 
 have been discovered as soon as it was set. My tailor has 
 been gambling, lost all his money, and now impudently 
 demands one month's wages. I, having already advanced 
 him three months, refused. Soon afterwards he sent 
 the butler to inform me that he had not only lost his 
 money, but had pawned all his clothes and even his 
 sleeping mat and blanket, and asked for five dollars 
 to redeem them. I again refused, but will take them 
 out of pawn to-morrow and keep them until I get him 
 on board ship. 
 
 Steady rain this morning. Wind W. S. W. Baro- 
 meter, 29.50. Get papers from Shanghai up to the 1st 
 inst. Strange to say, prayers are offered, processions 
 made, etc., etc., at Shanghai for rain, as it appears they 
 are suffering from a drought. 
 
 Thursday, August J, 1856. Mrs. E. E. Spooner, 
 wife of Mr. D. N. Spooner, 240 of the house of Russell & 
 
 239 For a shorter account of the destruction of the Banka at Macao, see Wood, 
 Fankivei, p. 295. 
 
 240 Daniel N. Spooner, Vice-Consul of the United States at Canton, 1853-56. 
 (Hasse, Index, pt. 3, p. 1715.) 
 
 184 
 
Co., sent me seventy-five dollars to purchase articles 
 of Japanese manufacture for her. I have before this 
 received orders amounting to thousands of dollars for 
 similar purposes, but this is the first one that was accom- 
 panied with money, and assuredly it will be the first 
 one to be attended to. Mrs. Spooner's letter explains 
 what she desires me to procure for her, in general terms. 
 
 Wrote to Armstrong & Lawrence that I had drawn on 
 them for twenty dollars in favor of Jose Maria de 
 Fonseca, of Macao. 
 
 Weather still rainy. The Spark came in at six P. M. 
 from Canton, and was circulated to go over to Hong- 
 kong in one hour after her arrival, but as the weather 
 is so bad, she is detained until after to-morrow morn- 
 ing. Commodore Armstrong has also been detained 
 here, and will not join the San Jacinto before to- 
 morrow. 
 
 Friday, August 8, 1856. Up at five A. M. Start for 
 Hongkong at seven-twenty in the Spark. Weather 
 wet. Arrive at twelve o'clock. Go up to house of 
 General Keenan. Fear I shall not get away from here 
 before Wednesday next. 
 
 Rain in the evening. 
 
 Saturday, August 10, 1856. Get up late, after a 
 good long sleep. Breakfast at ten A. M. Mr. Heusken 
 joins me at eleven A. M. 
 
 Write W. L. Marcy, Dispatch No. 14 241 
 
 241 Dispatch No. 14, L. B., vol. 1, pp. 90-91. After informing Secretary Marcy 
 that the San Jacinto has been repaired, Townsend Harris expresses the hope 
 that his next dispatch will be dated Shimoda. He adds that the Dutch Govern- 
 
 185 
 
N. Dougherty, New York 
 
 C. HufTnagle, U. S. Consul General, Calcutta. 
 
 Request Mr. Huffnagle to send me six bottles of sweet 
 sliced chutney, and six bottles curry powder, and send 
 to Armstrong & Lawrence, Hongkong, who will pay 
 for the same. 
 
 The San Jacinto came down at eleven A. M.; but, 
 having anchored at some distance from my lodgings 
 and under the Kowloon shore, I did not hear of her 
 arrival until three P. M. 
 
 On looking over my copy of "Instructions to 
 Consuls," I find that four leaves, beginning at page 
 148 and ending with page 152, are omitted by the 
 binder, and that they contain forms Nos. 1 to 9 in- 
 clusive. I must have copies made from the copy of 
 General Keenan. 
 
 Rain in showers all day. Walk five miles on the 
 verandah in the evening. My tailor has absconded — 
 sent to every gambling house and other disreputable 
 place, but he cannot be found. 
 
 Sunday, August 10, 1856. Get up at eight after a 
 very bad night. Rain and fog. Go on board the San 
 Jacinto. Learn she will leave to-morrow evening or 
 Tuesday morning at daylight. Called on the security 
 
 raent steamer Medusa (Captain Fabius) had left Hongkong for Nagasaki a 
 few days before, bearing (presumably) the ratified Convention which the 
 Dutch had concluded with Japan. 
 
 The reference is to the Preliminary Convention of Commerce signed by the 
 Japanese authorities and by Curtius at Nagasaki on Nov. 9, 1855. For the text 
 of this Convention, see J. H. Gubbins, The Progress of Japan, App. 8, pp. 
 245-50; and J. M. Tronson, Personal Narrative of a Voyage to Japan, etc., 
 pp. 44-51- 
 
 186 
 
of my tailor for the forty-two dollars I had advanced 
 him, — when he went out and in twenty minutes 
 brought the man to me tied hand and foot. I ordered 
 him to be sent on board and wrote to Captain Bell, 
 requesting him to receive the tailor and not permit him 
 to leave the ship without my permission. 
 
 Wrote to Mrs. Drinker, dated to-morrow, and to 
 Armstrong & Lawrence, informing the latter that I 
 had ordered some chutney, etc., from C. HufTnagle, 
 Esq., U. S. Consul General at Calcutta, and requested 
 them to pay for the same. 
 
 Also requested them to mark the postage in cents on 
 all letters and papers for me; to ask from time to time 
 of the Commodore when a ship would go to Japan; 
 and to send my letters, etc., by her. Also requested them 
 to inform Mrs. Drinker at Macao when a ship was 
 going to Shimoda. 
 
 Monday, August II, 1856. The tailor did not go 
 on board yesterday. Had him sought for again and at 
 last got him on board. 
 
 To charge him three dollars for absence at Macao 
 and one dollar for the same reason at Hongkong. 
 
 Send the butler and my luggage on board at one 
 P. M. Visit Mr. Strachan, 242 Armstrong & Lawrence 
 and Mr. Drinker. Go on board at four-thirty P. M. 
 Near the San Jacinto, the English seventy-four gun 
 ship Minden lay; she is now used as a hospital ship. 
 It was on board this ship that the words of "The Star 
 
 242 He is just mentioned in L. & P., vol. i, no. 62; and in ib., no. 39, Ningpo, 
 June 8, 1856, the Rev. D. J. Macgowan tells Townsend Harris: "Mr. Strachan 
 makes a friendly notice in his Register of your [Siam?] mission." 
 
 187 
 
Spangled Banner" were composed. 243 The music is an 
 old English air, "Anacreon in Heaven." The Minden 
 was one of the ships that bombarded Fort McHenry in 
 Baltimore Bay. As usual, the purser cannot close his 
 business to-day. Note : pursers are always behind time. 
 Rain in showers to-day. 
 
 Do not finish coaling and water until nearly midnight. 
 
 Tuesday, August 12, 1856. Purser not ready until 
 one P. M., when we get under way 244 — in a shower, of 
 course. The screw works much more smoothly than 
 before the last repairs. As we run out of the passage 
 eastward, we run into and out of our last rain for to-day. 
 As soon as we are out clear of Hongkong Island, we 
 get the true monsoon from S. W., and all sail is made. 
 
 Weather pleasant for the rest of the day. I counted 
 eight tide rips between nine and ten-thirty P. M. Left 
 Hongkong by the Ly-moon passage. 
 
 Wednesday, August 1$, 1856. Fine weather and 
 the ship going along very well — eight knots per hour. 
 Mr. Heusken begins to copy our back work. My cook 
 sick. Ask Dr. David to see him. Run, 168 miles. 
 
 Von Siebold 245 says that coal exists in the Island of 
 
 248 See The Americana, s. v., "Star Spangled Banner" It is interesting to note 
 that the miniature of Townsend Harris as a young man, painted on ivory by 
 John Wesley Jarvis in 1823, was exhibited at the Loan Exhibition of Colonial, 
 Revolutionary, and Historical Relics for the benefit of a fund to erect a monu- 
 ment over the grave of Francis Scott Key. 
 
 244 Wood, op. cit., p. 295. 
 
 245 Dr. Philipp Franz Von Siebold, born in Wiirzburg, Bavaria, Feb. 17, 
 1796. In 1823 he was appointed physician to the Dutch Factory at Deshima. 
 Associating with the people for six years as closely as possible because of 
 his medical practice, he became intimately acquainted with all things Japanese. 
 He gave lectures and examined patients at the houses of the Japanese inter- 
 preters; later he was granted permission to open a medical school at Narutaki, 
 a suburb of Nagasaki; and he also publicly practiced his profession beyond 
 
 188 
 
Kyushu. At Koyanosi he saw a coal fire. At Wukumoto 
 he visited a coal mine. Although he was not permitted 
 to descend the shaft for more than sixty steps, he saw 
 enough to convince him that the shaft was well and 
 judiciously worked. He was told the lower strata were 
 several feet in thickness, and the size of the blocks he 
 saw drawn up confirmed the statement. The coal is 
 bituminous, and is converted into coke for use by the 
 Japanese. Run, 166 miles up to noon. [In] P. M. breeze 
 freshens. At six P. M. are making eleven and a half 
 knots per hour. At midnight were up to the Pescadores 
 Islands. A large sea on after five P. M. Lovely evening — 
 bright moon — planets like young suns, and a fine cool 
 breeze. 
 
 Thursday, August 14, 1856. Sea began to go down 
 and wind to fail at three A. M. At seven sight the Island 
 of Formosa. See a brig and two other sail. Weather 
 thick and warm; threatens rain; wind very light. 
 
 The distance run to-day from observation to obser- 
 vation, 227 nautical miles, actual distance 242. Barom- 
 eter at two P. M. down to 29.32. Rain. Wind died 
 away at 6 P. M. Showery all the evening. 
 
 Friday, August 1$, 1856. Calm and showery. Six 
 A. M. saw a junk at anchor; this morning, ten A. M., see 
 
 the walls of Deshima. See the encyclopaedias; but especially Osada's 
 Life of Takano Nagahide, translated and edited with an introduction by the 
 Rev. Dr. Daniel Crosby Greene, in Transactions of the Asiatic Society of 
 Japan, Vol. XLI, pt. 3, Aug. 1913, pp. 401-03; and Richard Hildreth, Japan 
 and the Japanese, pp. 488-90, and Japan as It Was and Is, pp. 488-90. 
 
 Siebold wrote many books, chief of which was Nippon: Archiv zur Be- 
 schreibung von Japan, etc., in 5 quarto volumes of text and 6 folio volumes of 
 atlas and engravings — a work on which he toiled from 1832 to 1851. He died 
 Oct. 18, 1866. 
 
 189 
 
a number of cases floating — lower a boat to pick them 
 up — prove to be li-chi and other dried fruits — quite 
 spoiled. Dr. Wood pays me thirty-five dollars formerly 
 lent to him. Run to-day, 174 miles. Discovered a man 
 floating on a raft made of bamboos. He was brought on 
 board and proves to be a Chin-chew man who sailed 
 from Canton fourteen days since in a junk bound for 
 Shanghai. Four days since, suffered from a typhoon, 
 which tore the junk to pieces and finally sank, carrying 
 twenty-nine men in her. He says he was the only one 
 who got on the raft and that he was on it two days. 
 Both these statements were doubtful. The raft was 
 large and well made and must have taken a number of 
 men some time to make it. He was not as much ex- 
 hausted as he must have been had he been forty-eight 
 hours on the raft without food or water. The packages 
 we picked up belonged no doubt to this junk. 246 
 
 Two and a half P. M. discovered a junk dismasted. 
 We run down to her. She proves to be a junk from Can- 
 ton to Shanghai, sugar laden, value $8,000. Has lost her 
 mainmast and rudder. Says she was in sight of land four 
 days ago when she met a typhoon which blew her off 
 her [course]. Has no compass — wanted to be towed 
 in to the land again. This we could not do. Gave her 
 a compass 247 and sailing directions for the Island of 
 Agincourt, 248 south fifty miles. 
 
 While lying by this junk discover another wreck — 
 
 246 Wood, op. cit., pp. 296-97. 
 
 247 Wood, op. cit., p. 297. 
 
 248 This island is just off the northern end of Formosa, or Taiwan. 
 
 I90 
 
apparently European, under jury foremast. Run for 
 her; but, on reaching her, we found she was a Shantung 
 mandarin junk of nine guns and fifty-three men. The 
 commander said the junk was leaky and wished to be 
 taken off with his crew, — which was done and the junk 
 set on fire. 249 Before this last work was completed, an- 
 other dismasted junk was discovered about six miles 
 off. On reaching her, we found [she] was a large 
 Whampoa junk, laden with sapan wood and sugar, 
 and bound to a port in the Yangtse Kiang, near 
 Nankin. 
 
 She had nearly two hundred souls on board, and was 
 riding easily at anchor! one hundred and fifty miles 
 from land. She had the ordinary wood anchors and coir 
 cables. 250 These latter are so buoyant that they will float 
 on the surface of the water, which enables them to 
 anchor great distances from land and in very deep 
 water. Our Whampoa friend desired us to tow him to 
 the Yangtse Kiang, but not being able to do so we gave 
 him a spar and a topsail. 251 No one wished to leave the 
 junk. The females of the family of a high mandarin, in 
 Shantung, were passengers on board the junk. It was 
 half-past eight P. M. before all this was done, and we 
 again steered on our course. Just before midnight an- 
 other dismasted junk was discovered; and, on nearing 
 her, piteous cries were heard for relief, from her. She 
 
 249 Wood, op. cit., p. 298. 
 
 250 Buoyant cables made from the fiber of the cocoanut husk. 
 
 25l Wood, op. cit., pp. 297-98. 
 
 191 
 
was boarded and found to be a Bangkok junk, last 
 from Hongkong and bound to Shanghai, with a crew 
 of forty-three persons, and out of water. She did not 
 want anything else. Gave twenty small casks of water, 
 which was an ample supply. Fifteen of the crew wished 
 to leave the junk for the San Jacinto, but the Captain 
 of the junk objected, so they were refused. It was half- 
 past three A. M. before the relief of this junk was com- 
 pleted and we again stood on our course. 
 
 All these junks state that they were near the coast 
 of China, and four days ago were blown off in a typhoon. 
 I should state that the last junk relieved was at anchor. 
 Showery all night. 
 
 Saturday, August 16, 1856. The first junk relieved 
 yesterday had a crew of fifteen. When told we could 
 tow them in, the crew desired to be taken on board the 
 San Jacinto, but the Captain and owner both said they 
 would not leave the junk. Commodore Armstrong said 
 he would willingly take on board the whole of them, 
 provided the master of the junk was consenting to it, 
 but he had no right to interfere between him and his 
 men, for that would be in fact to encourage mutiny — 
 that the Captain was the best judge of what he could 
 do, and that his opinion was of more weight than that 
 of the crew, and that, as the master refused to let his 
 men leave, he (the Commodore) could not take them. 
 On leaving her the crew went down on their knees to 
 the boarding officer, imploring him to take them out 
 of the junk; and, when his boat left, they raised frantic 
 cries and with actions expressive of despair implored 
 
 192 
 
our return — but the Captain of the junk still held to 
 his first resolution. 
 
 I learn that the Commodore's action in this matter 
 is strongly condemned by the Fleet Surgeon and the 
 Purser, and that I am supposed to be the adviser of the 
 Commodore in the matter. It is due to him to say, that 
 he acted without advice or suggestions from anyone in 
 the matter ; and, in my opinion, he acted both wisely and 
 discreetly, and that it is a serious thing to interfere be- 
 tween the master of a ship and his crew, when the only 
 ground of such interference is the fears of the latter, and 
 also when such interference causes the loss of both vessel 
 and cargo. In the case of the large junk, her condition was 
 worse than that of the one referred to, yet not a soul 
 wished to leave her, although she had over one hundred 
 passengers who were free to go wherever they pleased, 
 and they were told we would take them on board, yet 
 not one accepted the offer. 252 
 
 Another misfortune to our machinery like the one 
 that took place when we were leaving Siam. One of the 
 air pumps is crippled thereby and takes in much atmos- 
 pheric air, destroying (partially) the vacuum. Our run 
 from this cause, and over twelve hours detention with 
 the junks, is only sixty-nine miles for the last twenty- 
 four hours. I cannot help thinking that these accidents 
 to our machinery arise in some degree from carelessness 
 among the engineers. It appears that, in both these 
 cases, water had collected in the air pumps, and, on the 
 machinery being started, the packing of the stuffing 
 
 252 For more details on wrecked Japanese junks, see Wood, op. cit., pp. 296-98. 
 
 x 93 
 
box was blown out. I also think there was neglect in not 
 examining the condition of the screw when we arrived 
 from Siam. Indications that something was wrong were 
 plain to every one, and yet, with nearly a dozen 
 engineers on board, no advice or suggestion for any 
 examination was made. 
 
 Sunday, August IJ, 1856. As heavy rain as I ever 
 saw in any part of the world. Very thick. Wind variable 
 from S. E. to N. W., changing in an instant. Barom- 
 eter, 29.50. Run, 126 miles. The weather looks very 
 bad. 
 
 P. M. weather looking wild — large sea getting up. 
 Barometer at eight P. M., 29.38. We are no doubt in the 
 S. E. part of a typhoon, having run north of it. Its 
 vortex now probably bears S. W. from us. Ship rolls 
 very deep. Capsized in my chair; hurt my left hip and 
 leg, and break my Ceylon chair. 
 
 Ship behaves well — does not take in any water — 
 showery all night, with now and then a sight of the 
 moon. 
 
 Monday, August 18, 1856. At four A. M. wind 
 came out from S. W. At seven A. M. made land nearly 
 ahead. Proves to be Tokara Sima of the Linschoten 
 group. 253 Wind strong with slight showers. Soon see 
 three other islands, N. E. Nine A. M. wind moderates 
 — make sail on ship — sea gradually going down and 
 weather improving. Barometer, 29.61. Hard work to 
 
 253 Takara Shima, of the Linschoten Islands. In Japanese, the word shima 
 (or jima) means island. The names of Japanese geography are spelled in such 
 a variety of ways that, for the sake of consistency, we shall follow the spelling 
 of the Century Atlas whenever possible. 
 
 I94 
 
write, the screw shakes the ship so much when going 
 ten knots. Distance run, 142 miles. Latitude, 29 
 18' N., longitude, 129 46' E. See the Island of Akui- 
 sima. 254 Conflicting emotions caused by the sight of these 
 Japanese possessions. My future brought vividly to 
 mind. Mental and social isolation on the one hand, and 
 on the other are important public duties which, if 
 properly discharged, will redound to my credit. A 
 people almost unknown to the world is to be examined 
 and reported on in its social, moral and political state; 
 the productions of the country — animal, vegetable and 
 mineral — to be ascertained ; the products of the industry 
 of the country found out, and its capacity for com- 
 mercial intercourse, what are its wants, and what it has 
 to give in exchange. A new and difficult language to 
 be learned ; a history, which may throw some light on 
 that of China and Korea, to be examined ; and, finally, 
 the various religious creeds of Japan are to be looked 
 at. These various matters offer abundant occupation for 
 my mind, and will surely prevent anything like ennui 
 being felt if I only give myself heartily to the work, and 
 if that sine qua non of all earthly occupation — health — 
 be vouchsafed to me by the Great Giver of all good. 
 
 The weather in the afternoon and evening was de- 
 lightful — a fine cool breeze — a bright day and a bright 
 moon at night. Water as blue as azure — was indeed like 
 the Pacific on which I had sailed so many miles. 
 
 Tuesday, August IQ, 1856. Rested badly — could not 
 drive Japan and my duties, on which I am so soon to 
 
 254 Aku, or Akuseki Shima. 
 
 195 
 
enter, from my mind. Tried every plan to induce sleep, 
 not forgetting Dr. Franklin's air bath, but I did not 
 sleep until after four A. M. and was called at six o'clock, 
 as we breakfast at seven. 
 
 The ship has been going on well during the night, 
 averaging about ten knots per hour. 
 
 Morning bright and beautiful, wind continues fair, 
 but is not so strong as last night. 
 
 See an albatross — the first I have seen since I last 
 left the coast of California in the month of October, 
 1850. The bird looked almost like a friend, certainly 
 like an old acquaintance. 
 
 We are to-day about seventy miles E. of the coast 
 of Kyushu, 255 but the water is like a desert, so far as 
 man is concerned — not a ship, junk, boat, or craft of 
 any kind is visible — and this too when near the coast 
 of an empire more populous than the United States! 
 What a contrast to the whirl of life on the opposite side 
 of the Pacific! I shall be the first recognized agent from 
 a civilized power to reside in Japan. This forms an 
 epoch in my life and may be the beginning of a new 
 order of things in Japan. I hope I may so conduct my- 
 self that I may have honorable mention in the histories 
 which will be written on Japan and its future destiny. 
 
 Our run to-day was 219 miles and we are about 380 
 miles from Shimoda, where we hope to arrive on Thurs- 
 day the 2 1 st inst. 
 
 Latitude, 32 13' N., longitude, 132 36' E. 
 
 Centre Island, 256 in the Harbor of Shimoda, from sur- 
 
 258 Kiusiu, or Kiushiu, or Kyushu. 
 
 196 
 
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 *0 
 
 TOWNSEND HARRIS S MANUSCRIPT JOURNAL, AUGUST 
 
 19, 1856, IN VOL. 3, P. 25 
 
 At the top of the page may be read his hope to receive honorable mention in the 
 "Histories which will be written on Japan." 
 
UBRARY 
 OF THE 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF ,LUM0 * 
 
veys made by Lieutenant Silas Bent, U. S. N., is situated 
 latitude 34° 40' N., longitude 138 50' E. 
 
 A mistake has been discovered in working the time; 
 and our longitude, instead of that noted above, was E. 
 133 20', and the run was 255 miles. Distance from 
 Shimoda about 344 miles. A strong current sets in to 
 the channels forming the islands Kyushu and Sitkoff. 257 
 So strong was it that from 6 P. M. we steered due East. 
 Another lovely night, bright moon and stars, with a 
 delightful breeze. The air full of oxygen, so different 
 from the tropics. I feel the stimulating and bracing 
 effects of it sensibly. 
 
 The mountain "Siri Jama," 258 8,000 feet high on the 
 west coast of Japan, is covered with snow the year 
 round, while "Foosie Jama," 259 12,500, is bare during 
 five months ; cause : the cold wind from Kamchatka on 
 the west, while the east is protected from it by the range 
 of mountains which runs through the Island of Niphon, 
 and the winds from N. E. to S. W. are tempered by the 
 vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean. 
 
 266 The Survey of the Harbor of Shimoda made by Flag-Lieutenant Silas 
 Bent is given in full in the official account of The Japan Expedition, 33-2, H. 
 Ex. Doc, no. 97, vol. 2, pp. 383-85. On p. 384, Centre Island is said to receive 
 its name from its being the point from which the treaty limits are measured. 
 This island may be seen in the illustration facing p. 425 ; and is clearly indi- 
 cated also in the chart of the Harbor of Shimoda in Plate 13 of the same volume. 
 
 257 Shikoku. In at least two places in the official account of Perry's expedition 
 this island is called Sikok (33-2, H. Ex. Doc, no. 97, vol. 2, map facing p. 354; 
 and Plate 2-3). But much nearer the spelling used by Townsend Harris is 
 the form Sikopf, found in the map facing p. 364 of the same volume. 
 
 258 Shiroyama or Hakusan (Hakuzan; or Haksan, as in Plate 2-3, op. cit.). 
 Mt. Haku, meaning the "White Mountain" (Griffis, Townsend Harris, p. 30), 
 is on the boundary line between the provinces of Kaga and Echizen. In Japa- 
 nese, Yama (the same as Jama, with the "J" pronounced as in the German lan- 
 guage) and San mean mountain. 
 
 269 Fuji Yama. 
 
 197 
 
Wednesday, August 20, 1856. Fine morning. Wind 
 very light. We steered due east all night, but at day- 
 light, having got out of the influence of the indraught, 
 we steer N. E. half E. We hope to see Cape Idsu 260 this 
 evening, but it is doubtful if we make it before morning 
 as the weather is so light. Commodore Armstrong de- 
 sires me to purchase some Japanese articles for his wife, 
 would like the "rare and beautiful." These purchases 
 to be made as opportunities offer, and he will take them 
 on his next visits. See numbers of albatross this morning. 
 They are of the brown back and white head varieties, 
 and are called "Gories" or "Quaker" albatross by 
 whalers. They are not of the largest kind as seen off 
 Cape Horn. 
 
 Run, 181 miles, and 130 miles from Shimoda. 
 
 In the afternoon we pass quite a number of Japanese 
 junks. They are small — say forty tons — one large square 
 sail and a small lug sail on a short foremast — no mizzen. 
 Sails are made of some kind of white cloth and have 
 various black marks — like private signals. 
 
 This is a common mode among the Chinese fishermen 
 of marking the vessels belonging to each company or 
 hu~wi. 
 
 We ran for some of the Japanese junks at first, desir- 
 ing to speak them — but they showed such evident alarm 
 and anxiety to avoid us that we gave it up, and they 
 would sheer off so as to allow us to pass them at one or 
 two miles' distance. We shall be up to Cape Idsu (ten 
 
 260 Idzu. 
 
 198 
 
miles from Shimoda) about two A. M. to-morrow, if 
 nothing happens in the meantime. 
 
 Dr. Wood, the Fleet Surgeon, has given me a 
 torniquet for use in case of an accident to Mr. Heusken 
 or myself, and some instructions regarding the use of 
 quinine. At nine P. M. meet many sail, which it is diffi- 
 cult to avoid, so stopped engines and hove ship to for the 
 night. 
 
 The ship lies-to very nicely. Squalls of rain during 
 the night. 
 
 Thursday, August 21, 1856. Six A. M. find our- 
 selves in sight of land, which proves to be Cape Ome- 
 Saki. 261 Large numbers of fishing boats, near seventy; 
 [I] like the appearance of the Japanese, clean and well- 
 clad, cheerful looking, pretty fish-boats. 
 
 At seven and a half A. M. under way. Showery. Write 
 letters announcing my arrival to the Governor of 
 Shimoda 262 and Minister of Foreign Affairs 263 — sending 
 to the latter a letter from Mr. Secretary Marcy. Mr. 
 
 261 Omaesaki, or Omaye Saki — Cape Omaye. In Japanese, the word Saki or 
 Zaki means Point, Cape. This Cape is called Omaesaki in Plate 2-3, referred 
 to above. 
 
 262 L. B., vol. i, p. 92. Townsend Harris announces that the San Jacinto, 
 commanded by Commodore James Armstrong, etc., etc., has arrived, bearing 
 him as the Consul General for Japan; and he encloses two letters for the 
 Minister of Foreign Affairs, hoping that the Governor will forward them 
 to Yedo as quickly as possible. The letter is dated "U. S. Frigate San Jacinto, 
 Shimoda Harbor." 
 
 The Dutch translation of this letter is to be found in L. B., vol. 1, pp. 94-95. 
 
 263 L. B., vol. 1, pp. 91-92. Townsend Harris announces his arrival and en- 
 closes: (a) a letter from Secretary Marcy to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, 
 notifying the latter of Townsend Harris's appointment; and (b) a Dutch trans- 
 lation thereof. Townsend Harris's own letter to the Minister closes with an 
 expression of the sincere friendship existing between the two nations. 
 
 The Dutch translation of this letter is to be found in L. B., vol. 1, pp. 93-94. 
 For the effect of these letters upon the Yedo authorities, see James Murdoch, 
 A History of Japan, vol. 3, p. 624. 
 
 199 
 
Heusken makes Dutch translations of these various 
 letters. When at the mouth of the harbor, a boat with 
 the American Flag at the bow and Japanese flags 
 (stripes white, black, white, horizontal), came off 
 bringing a pilot, 264 who soon took us into the petite 
 harbor of Shimoda. 265 It is rather a bight than a harbor, 
 and not more than three vessels like the San Jacinto can 
 moor at the same time in the inner harbor. The outer 
 harbor is nothing more than a roadstead. Soon after we 
 anchored, three officials and two Dutch interpreters 266 
 came off from the Governor, with his compliments on 
 my arrival, asking after my health, how long a passage 
 I had, etc., etc., offering to supply water and food to the 
 ship. They also asked when I proposed to land. In reply 
 I said that, as the weather was wet, I would not land 
 
 264«This boat brought us a pilot, a short, full-faced, respectable individual, 
 in straw sandals, blue stockings. . . . This functionary drew from the folds 
 of his gown a box in which, carefully protected by several wrappers, was his 
 commission as pilot for American vessels, given him by Commodore Perry, and 
 printed in English and Dutch, by the 'Japan Expedition Press.' He spoke but 
 a few words of English, and none of us spoke Japanese, but he gave us to 
 understand, by the waving of his hand, when we were to go to starboard, or 
 port, or ahead." (Wood, Fankwei, pp. 299-300.) 
 
 The three pilots appointed by Commodore Perry were Yohatsi, Hikoyemon, 
 and Dshirobe. Their Commissions were signed by Silas Bent, Flag-Lieutenant, 
 and were approved by Commodore Perry, at Shimoda, June 22, 1854. (33-2, 
 H. Ex. Doc, no. 97, vol. 1, pp. 487-89; and Article 8 of the Additional Regula- 
 tions, ib., p. 480.) 
 
 265 The Japanese chronicle of this momentous event says, very simply and 
 pithily: 
 
 "During the same [7th] month an American named Harris arrived at 
 Shimoda in Idzu, bearing a letter. He stated that he was entrusted by his 
 nation with full powers, and that he was instructed to reside in Japan. He 
 also requested leave to present his credentials to the Shogun." (Kinse 
 Shiriaku: A History of Japan from the First Visit of Commodore Perry in 
 1853 to the Capture of Hakodate by the Mikado's Forces in 1869. Translated 
 by Sir Ernest Mason Satow, Yokohama, 1873, P« 6.) 
 
 26C Meaning, of course, two Japanese officials who had learned the Dutch 
 language. 
 
 200 
 
to-day; but, if the weather was fair, would do so on the 
 morrow, asking what hour it would suit the Governor 
 to receive my visit. In reply to this they said they 
 would ask the Governor and make known his answer 
 to-day. 
 
 When asked what "provisions" could be furnished, 
 they said "the Governor would answer." I asked if a 
 house had been prepared for me? They said again "the 
 Governor would answer," adding that Shimoda was a 
 very poor place; that it had not yet recovered from the 
 effects of the earthquake of December, 1854, when 
 every house in the place except fourteen was de- 
 stroyed. 267 These persons soon after left. Some of the 
 officers went on shore this afternoon and were much 
 pleased with the appearance of the little place and the 
 people. The houses are all new and fresh looking. They 
 found quite a lot of coal here for us, say some two hun- 
 dred tons. At five P. M. the officials again came off and 
 said that the letter I had given them for the Governor 
 of Shimoda was then being translated, and that the two 
 for Yedo had been already sent off and that it would 
 take five days for thern to reach Yedo ; that the Governor 
 would be ready to receive my visit at one P. M. of to- 
 
 267 This earthquake occurred on Dec. 23, 1854. It was felt on the whole coast 
 of Japan, did some injury to Yedo, completely destroyed Osaka, and caused 
 great ruin at Shimoda. At this last place the real damage was caused by a 
 great tidal wave, which first receded and then engulfed the town. The Russian 
 Frigate Diana, Admiral Count Euphemius Poutiatine, happened to be in the 
 Harbor of Shimoda and was so seiiously damaged that it sank shortly after- 
 wards. The holding-ground of the harbor was entirely swept away by the 
 waves, leaving no bottom but naked rocks. (See 33-2, H. Ex. Doc, no. 97, 
 vol. 1, pp. 509-11 ; vol. 2, p. 210; Captain Sherard Osborn, A Cruise in Japanese 
 Waters, 2nd ed., pp. 107-11; and David Murray, The Story of Japan, p. 8, 
 note 3.) 
 
 201 
 
morrow. The interpreters were in constant trepidation 
 and fear, and large drops of perspiration stood on their 
 foreheads, while every word of question and answer 
 was written down by two of the party. The Commodore 
 is quite unwell this evening. 
 
 Friday, August 22, l8j6. The officers off again this 
 morning to inquire after the Commodore's health; and, 
 finding he was too unwell to go on shore to-day, they 
 said the Governor begged to be excused from seeing me 
 to-day, as he was unwell, etc. I said to-morrow would do 
 as well. They asked if the Commodore would be well 
 enough to go with me to-morrow. I answered I could 
 not say, but that my visit was entirely independent of 
 the Commodore; that, when he was well enough, he 
 would himself call on the Governor. I found that it was 
 their plan to delay my visit until the Commodore was 
 well enough, so that they might afterwards deny having 
 received me on my individual account, but solely as 
 one of the Commodore's suite, and this was proved by 
 their saying that when the Governor was well enough 
 to see me he would send me word. I then said this was a 
 matter concerning the dignity of my government, that 
 the Governor should write to me excusing himself on 
 account of illness, and that I would send that letter 
 to my government, and leave it for its adjustment. 
 
 This proposition greatly embarrassed them. 
 
 The Governor was sick, therefore no letter was re- 
 quired. I insisted. They then offered to write to that 
 effect themselves; this I declined. 
 
 I finally closed the discussion by saying that if the 
 
 202 
 
Governor wrote his excuse to me before noon of to- 
 morrow, I would be satisfied, but that otherwise I 
 should come on shore to-morrow at one o'clock to visit 
 him. The Governor sent off ten bonita and some small 
 cray-flsh as a present to the Commodore. Captain Bell 
 gave them some seeds of a creeper and a large sort of 
 squash, which they at first accepted; but, when they 
 were just leaving the ship, they brought them back to 
 the cabin, their courage having failed them. They went 
 ashore, promising to let me know to-day about the visit 
 to the Governor, etc. Visited the village of Kakizaki, 268 
 opposite Shimoda. The temple of this place — Yoku- 
 shen 269 of the Shinto sect — is set apart for the accommo- 
 dation of Americans. The rooms are spacious and very 
 neat and clean, and a person might stay here for a few 
 weeks in tolerable comfort. Near this temple is the 
 American cemetery, 270 which contains four neat tombs 
 and prettily fenced in. It is very small, only about fifteen 
 feet by ten feet. Kakizaki is a small and poor fishing 
 village, but the people are clean in person and civil in 
 manner. You see none of the squalor which usually at- 
 tends poverty in all parts of the world. Their houses 
 are as clean as need be. Every inch of ground is culti- 
 vated, as the ground is very [rolling], rising up in 
 
 268 The name means Oyster Point (Griffis, Towns end Harris, p. 36, note 1). 
 
 269 Though the name of this temple is not given, its location is clearly indi- 
 cated by the word Temple in the chart of the Harbor of Shimoda, Plate 13 
 in 33-2, H. Ex. Doc, no. 97, vol. 2. 
 
 270 See Plate 13, op. cit. When Perry visited Shimoda, one of the sailors of 
 the Powhatan fell from aloft and died soon after. A burial place was accord- 
 ingly provided by the Japanese, located near the village of Kakizaki. See 33-2, 
 H. Ex. Doc., no. 97, vol. 1, p. 425, and the illustration facing that page and 
 entitled "Shimoda from the American graveyard." 
 
 203 
 
pinnacles of lava or indurated clay ejected from vol- 
 canoes, and so steep as not to be arable. It is a pity goats 
 are not introduced here. These pinnacles afford fine 
 grazing for goats, and their habits of climbing would 
 make them at home on them. Their milk would be 
 nutritious food, and cheese might be made from it also, 
 and this would be an object to the Japanese even though 
 they might not eat the flesh. The views from the ship 
 present a series of serrated hills rising up to fifteen hun- 
 dred feet high — most of which are covered with fir, 
 spruce and cedar trees. 271 
 
 The Temple Rioshen at Shimoda is also set apart for 
 the use of Americans — perhaps I may have to reside in 
 it until a house can be prepared for me. 
 
 Late this afternoon the officers again came off, but I 
 declined to see them, so Mr. Heusken heard what they 
 
 271 This was the first visit of Townsend Harris on the soil of Japan. In con- 
 nection therewith, it is interesting to read the grim humor of the hope ex- 
 pressed by William M. Wood, Fankzvei, pp. 300-01 : 
 
 "As the knowledge of Japan seems to stop with old Kampfer [Kaempfer], 
 I am not sure that there would be any great want of charity in hoping that 
 the Japanese would give our Consul General [Townsend Harris] and his 
 observant secretary [Heusken] a cage journey throughout their sealed em- 
 pire. Of course we should promptly avenge their wrongs, shake down the 
 walls of exclusion, and make peace by shaking hands with Siogoon on his 
 throne in Yedo, and then, for once, we should know all about modern Japan. 
 Indeed, the interesting revelations and observations the prisoners would be 
 able to make, the wonderful stories they would have to tell, might go far to 
 shorten the duration of our national anger." 
 
 The diplomatic tact and skill of Townsend Harris will be demonstrated 
 more and more clearly as this story is unfolded — a story that is very far re- 
 moved indeed, from the ''cage journeys" in Mr. Wood's mind. He was think- 
 ing of those grim days of the captivity of the Russian Captain Golownin and 
 his companions (1811-13), or of the mutinous sailors of the New Bedford 
 whaler Lagoda, who were the cause of the relief expedition of the U. S. 
 Steamer Preble, Commander James Glynn, in 1849. 
 
 204 
 
had to say and reported it to me. The purport was that 
 the Governor was really unable to see me to-morrow, 
 and they offered to bring a doctor's certificate to that 
 effect and earnestly begged me to postpone my visit 
 until another day. I caused them to be told that I was 
 most anxious to do all I could to oblige the Governor, 
 and that I wished to be on friendly terms with him. I 
 would, therefore, consent to postpone my visit until 
 Monday, that no visits could be paid on Sunday or any 
 business transacted on that day. They were also told 
 that Commodore Armstrong would not visit the Gov- 
 ernor until after I had seen the Governor, and that 
 we should not come together to pay a visit to the 
 Governor. The officers were most urgent to see me, and 
 their anxiety on this point appeared to increase with my 
 refusals, but I persisted, and at last they left quite chap- 
 fallen. It is now understood that I am to visit the Gov- 
 ernor on Monday at ten A. M. Some of the officers have 
 been on shore and report a very pretty bazaar has been 
 opened with a great display of lacquered ware, etc., 
 etc. 272 
 
 Saturday, August 23, 1856. Go on shore with Cap- 
 tain Bell and Mr. Heusken. Visit the Temple Rioshen. 
 It is badly placed for hot weather, being at the foot of a 
 steep hill that shuts out the S. W. wind entirely, and 
 is surrounded by stagnant pools and other disagree- 
 ables. 
 
 We afterwards visited six or seven other temples. 
 
 272 For a description of this bazaar and of the manner of conducting busi- 
 ness there, see Wood, op. cit., pp. 304-09. 
 
 205 
 
They are all built after one pattern; some a little larger 
 and in better order than the others, and having more 
 agreeable situations, but beyond this they are exactly 
 alike. We afterwards walked up the valley some two 
 miles. Saw a large enclosure containing some twenty 
 detached buildings — all new, and in fact some were not 
 yet completed. I learn this is the residence of the 
 Governor. In the afternoon I went again to Kakizaki. 
 I find the temple there has been cleaned out, apparently 
 to prepare it for my reception. I have thought much 
 about my accepting this temple for my residence. The 
 building is as good [as], if not better than any of the 
 others, but it is isolated, and the approach is through 
 the narrow and crooked alleys of a very poor fishing 
 village. I should here be unseen and unknown to the 
 people, and to go to market my servants in bad weather 
 could not cross in a boat, and the road to go and return 
 would be nearly five miles. Again, — the Treaty says, and 
 my commission says, I am to reside at Shimoda. Now, 
 Kakizaki is not Shimoda. I, therefore, think I shall 
 refuse this temple as my place of residence. 
 
 Weather delightful. Barometer, 30.10. The air is like 
 that of the United States, full of oxygen. 
 
 Sunday, August 24, 1856. Do not leave the ship. In 
 the afternoon the Japanese come off and desire to see 
 me ; I decline to see them or to hear their message, for 
 the reason that it is Sunday. They urge me at least to 
 hear their message, saying it is very important and from 
 the Governor. They also say that when Commodore 
 Perry was here, he made no difference for Sunday, 
 
 206 
 
etc., etc. 273 I adhere to my previous determination, tell- 
 ing them (through Mr. Heusken) that they can come 
 off to-morrow morning as early as they please and then 
 state their message. 
 
 Monday, August 2$, 1856. The officers came off at 
 8 A. M. with a message that the Governor will be ready 
 to receive me at ten o'clock. At that hour, go on shore 
 accompanied by Captain Bell and some ten others. I go 
 in the Commodore's boat, having my secretary with me. 
 The three boats preceded me so that the officers could 
 land and form in order before I landed. When my boat 
 had pulled well off from the ship a salute of thirteen 
 guns was fired, waking up the grandest echoes among 
 the hills. On landing I found the streets thronged with 
 persons collected to see us pass. I was conducted to a 
 new building nearly in the center of the town. As I 
 shall hereafter have both time and better knowledge 
 of this building and of the manners and dress of the 
 people, I shall not now describe anything beyond my 
 interview with the Governor. I was politely received by 
 the Governor and Vice-Governor. Asked after my 
 health, when I left the United States, etc., etc. They 
 asked in whose honor the salute was fired and were told 
 
 273 This statement of the Japanese does not agree with that in the official 
 report of the Japan Expedition (33-2, H. Ex. Doc, no. 97, vol. 1, p. 240) : 
 
 "The next day was Sunday (July 10, [1853]), 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 Japanese authorities." 
 
 Later in the day, Perry refused to receive on board some Japanese officers. 
 Strenuous military preparations were made on land: 
 
 "Everything, however, remained on board the ships tranquil and without 
 interruption, as befitted the Christian day of rest." 
 
 207 
 
that it was in mine, when I perceived that I instantly rose 
 in their estimation. The Governor said he should like to 
 see such guns fired, whereupon Captain Bell invited him 
 to visit the ship on Saturday next, as they are now paint- 
 ing on board and he feared they might soil their clothes. 
 Refreshments were served up in Japanese style. The 
 cooking was excellent and served up with extreme neat- 
 ness and cleanliness. I am much prepossessed in favor 
 of their cooking. I asked the Governor when I could see 
 him on business. He said I could enter on business then 
 if I pleased. I replied that it would not be good breeding 
 to enter on business on a visit of ceremony. He then said 
 the Vice-Governor would attend me the next day, at the 
 same hour and place, and that the Vice-Governor could 
 act as well as [he] himself, etc., etc. 
 
 Our visit lasted nearly two hours, and we were all 
 much pleased with the appearance and manners of the 
 Japanese. I repeat, they are superior to any people east 
 of the Cape of Good Hope. 274 
 
 Tuesday, August 27 [26], 1856. I omitted yester- 
 day to state that a superior interpreter appeared at my 
 interview. He is attached to the office of the Minister for 
 Foreign Affairs; a good interpreter, of most agreeable 
 manners and a true courtier. Seven scribes recorded our 
 sayings and doings yesterday. To-day ashore at ten with 
 
 274 At the end of this entry, we desire to emphasize the importance of this 
 date. Here was the first day of real negotiations between Townsend Harris 
 and the Japanese — a day of momentous importance not only for the United 
 States, but even more so for the Empire of Japan, which began to make her 
 entry into the family of Western nations. 
 
 "... A courteous and amicable reception was given to a resident repre- 
 sentative of a foreign power, and that power one of the youngest among 
 nations." (Wood, op. cit., p. 309.) 
 
 208 
 
Mr. Heusken. Met the Vice-Governor and the person 
 from Yedo, who evidently has come down since our 
 arrival was reported there, although they say the 
 journey cannot be made under five days from here to 
 Yedo. My interview was long and far from satisfactory. 
 To sum it is all I shall attempt. They did not expect 
 the arrival of a Consul, — a Consul was only to be sent 
 when some difficulty arose, and no such thing had taken 
 place. That Shimoda was a poor place and had been 
 recently desolated by an earthquake; that they had no 
 residence prepared for me; that I had better go away 
 and return in about a year, when they hoped to have 
 a house ready. The Treaty said that a Consul was to 
 come if both nations wished it; that it was not left to 
 the simple will of the United States Government. 275 
 
 Would I land at Kakizaki, and take up my residence 
 at the temple there, and leave the question of my official 
 residence to be settled by future negotiations? Yedo was 
 also in a ruinous condition from an earthquake ten 
 months since, therefore they could not offer me a house 
 there while building one here. 276 
 
 275 Perry Treaty, Art. XI: 
 
 "There shall be appointed by the Government of the United States consuls 
 or agents to reside in Shimoda 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 arrangements necessary." 
 
 The Japanese text, unfortunately, had it that both governments had to deem 
 it necessary to appoint a consul. (J. H. Gubbins, The Progress of Japan, pp. 
 68-69.) 
 
 276«This great earthquake is graphically described in a well-illustrated 
 book, entitled The Tribulations of Ansei (year period, 1854-59). Most of the 
 dead, alleged to number 104,000, were buried in or cremated near the one 
 enlarged temple-yard of E'Ko In, where also the alleged 166,000 victims of the 
 seismic disturbances of 1656 had been interred or inurned." (Griffis, Townsend 
 Harris, p. 43, note.) 
 
 209 
 
The foregoing is the substance of their remarks and 
 propositions, made and renewed and changed in every 
 possible form and manner during three mortal hours. 
 I need hardly write that I courteously but firmly 
 negatived all their propositions. They earnestly pro- 
 tested against the idea that they refused to receive me, 
 or that they meant in any way to break the Treaty. They 
 at last begged to adjourn the business until to-morrow 
 at the same hour, to give them time to consult. The sales 
 in the bazaar cannot be much under two thousand 
 dollars. The prices are most exorbitant. They appear to 
 raise them at each new arrival of a ship here. Ordered 
 spars to make my flagstaff; one of fifty feet, twelve 
 inches by eight, and the other thirty feet long, seven 
 inches by four inches, and four small pieces. 
 
 Wednesday, August 2J , 1856. On shore at ten A. M. 
 by appointment, to meet the Governor or Vice- 
 Governor, but neither of them made his appearance. 
 Ten persons were present, including the Yedo official. 
 They said the Governor was very ill the previous night 
 with a violent headache, so they were unable to consult 
 with him. They then said that the Treaty provided for 
 a Consul, but not a Consul General ; that the Additional 
 Articles had not been sent out as ratified; 277 that they 
 expected the Government of the United States would 
 send out an Ambassador with the ratified Articles, and 
 then enter on negotiations about sending a Consul. 
 
 277 The "Additional Regulations" were concluded by Commodore Perry and 
 the Japanese Commissioners at Shimoda, June 17, 1854 (33-2, H. Ex. Doc, 
 no. 97, vol. 1, pp. 479-81). 
 
 2IO 
 
I told them I was surprised that the Vice-Governor 
 should not appear after making an appointment with 
 me; that I considered it as want of respect, and that I 
 must decline entering into any conversation about my 
 affairs with anyone but the Governor or Vice-Gover- 
 nor; that I would go on board the steamer and consult 
 with Commodore Armstrong, and then he would deter- 
 mine whether he would take me up to Yedo and there 
 get satisfaction. 
 
 The officer from Yedo said he was of higher rank 
 than the Governor and asked why I should object to 
 negotiate with him. I replied that I could only know 
 the official authorities of the place, and with them only 
 have any official intercourse; that for himself I had a 
 high esteem, based on what I had seen of him, but that 
 personal feeling could not give him that status which 
 my official business required. They urged me to proceed 
 in the matter, but to some questions they put, I said I 
 had no answer to give them. They constantly renewed, 
 and urgently, the request that I would proceed with 
 them. 
 
 I as constantly declined. They then said they would 
 report on what had occurred to the Governor, and re- 
 quested me to meet them to-morrow at the same hour 
 to meet the Vice-Governor. I told them that, as the Vice- 
 Governor had broken his appointment with me, I could 
 not consent to make another appointment, until I had 
 some explanation or apology for his absence of this 
 morning. 
 
 That I wished the Governor or Vice-Governor to 
 
 211 
 
write me a letter and send it to me on board the steamer, 
 stating whether they would receive me in Shimoda or 
 not, and whether they would assign me a house to reside 
 in ; that I desired this letter to be sent to me either to-day 
 or to-morrow morning. 
 
 They were anxious to know whether I was resolved 
 to go to Yedo if not received here. I said that would be 
 settled after consultation with the Commodore. They 
 were greatly agitated when I mentioned the going up to 
 Yedo. 
 
 Thursday, August 28, l8$6. The Vice-Governor, 
 the high person from Yedo and a large suite came off 
 this morning. The Vice-Governor explained his 
 absence yesterday by saying the individual from Yedo 
 was of higher rank than [he] himself and had full powers 
 from the government to act in my matters. He then said 
 that he was ready to receive me with all the honors due 
 to my high place, and to assign me the only place that 
 was habitable for my residence — the Temple of Jock- 
 send 278 at Kakizaki; that Kakizaki was in point of fact 
 a part of Shimoda, subject to the same governor, 
 magistrates, police, etc., etc.; that the name was only 
 local to distinguish it as a part of Shimoda, as the 
 suburbs of Western cities receive distinctive local 
 names; that the Goyoshi was, as its name indicated, an 
 "imperial seat" built solely for the reception of 
 strangers of distinction who came to Shimoda; that the 
 
 278 Townsend Harris time and again writes foreign names phonetically. 
 Jocksend represents Yokushen, with the accent on the first syllable, and with 
 the J of Jocksend pronounced as in German. This is Gyokusen-ji. 
 
 212 
 
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 UNIVERSITY » ' LUN018 
 
Governor had no power to use it for himself, or to 
 authorize its use by others; that I must see how deplor- 
 ably the place had been injured by the earthquake ; that, 
 as to the temples in Shimoda, they were all actually 
 occupied as places of worship and for cemeteries; that 
 it would be an outrage on the feelings of the people who 
 worshipped there, or who frequently went there to 
 offer [prayers] at the graves of their ancestors, to find 
 the place used for secular purposes; that the temple at 
 Kakizaki was not of this character; that its purpose was 
 the accommodation of parties who went out to make a 
 religious holiday; that its occupation by me would be 
 inconvenient, but would not be a desecration; that the 
 Government at Yedo could not give me any other 
 answer, even if I went up there in the steamer; that my 
 residence was to be considered as only temporary and 
 until they could erect a proper building for me, and 
 that they would adapt the building, as much as they 
 could, to my wants ; finally, that they had offered me the 
 best they had, and, if I did not. accept it, I could not 
 say they had refused to receive me or to furnish me with 
 quarters. I told them I would send my answer on shore 
 in two hours by my secretary. 
 
 Accordingly, I instructed Mr. Heusken to say to the 
 Governor that I was most anxious to avoid any difficul- 
 ties; and, although I feared my Government might 
 blame me for accepting a residence at Kakizaki instead 
 of Shimoda, I would accept it with the full understand- 
 ing that a suitable house was to be prepared for me 
 as soon as possible, and that I must have a boat and 
 
 213 
 
men constantly at my command for my use while 
 there. 
 
 I also gave notice that I should want two large boats 
 on Saturday to take my things on shore, and men to take 
 them from the landing to the house, with proper persons 
 to watch them until I came on shore, etc., etc. 
 
 In the afternoon a spar thirty feet long, seven inches 
 by four inches, was sent off to me; price, five dollars; 
 and word was sent that to get the spar fifty feet long, 
 they must go to the mountains to cut it and would require 
 three or four days to get it, and that would cost eighty 
 dollars. Sent the carpenter on shore to select the best 
 one he could find, even if short of the fifty feet. 
 
 Friday, August 2Q, 1 856. Mr. Heusken goes on 
 shore with the carpenter to aid him in selecting a spar, 
 etc., and afterwards to go over to Kakizaki to indicate 
 what alterations, etc., are required in the temple to fit 
 it for my residence, etc. 
 
 The Governor informs me that three rooms in my 
 house will be required for Japanese officers who are 
 to be with me night and day "to await my pleasure." I 
 return a message that I require all the rooms, and that 
 under no circumstances would I permit any Japanese 
 (except servants) to be in my house, or even to enter it 
 without my permission. The carpenter comes off at 
 three P. M. saying he cannot find a stick that will answer 
 for my flagstaff. Mr. Heusken at six P. M. informs me 
 that the Japanese say they have cut three trees that will 
 answer, but they cannot be got to the ship before Mon- 
 day morning. The authorities have agreed to give me all 
 
 214 
 
my rooms, and to withdraw their threatened police 
 force. 
 
 Dr. Wood, Fleet Surgeon, tells me a story which 
 strongly illustrates the determination of the authorities 
 to prevent the people from having any intercourse with 
 us, except what is unavoidable. While in the bazaar a 
 man came to him for medical advice for a cutaneous 
 affection; after examination, the doctor wrote a pre- 
 scription and gave it to the man, telling him (through 
 the interpreter) to take the paper on board the San 
 Jacinto, when medicine would be given to him which 
 would cure him. The man, with many thanks, took the 
 paper and went away. An hour afterwards he returned, 
 sweating like a bull and looking much alarmed. He 
 came to the doctor and gave him a paper, which he 
 found to be the prescription. The doctor made signs that 
 he should take the paper to the ship; the man shook 
 his head and again forced the paper into the doctor's 
 hands, making significant motions with his finger that 
 his head would be cut off if he took the paper to the 
 ship!!! 279 
 
 For the last three days the thermometer has stood as 
 high as 84 , but the air is so pure, and the barometer 
 being at 30.10, I do not feel it as much as I did 78 at 
 Hongkong, or in fact anywhere in the tropics. A shower 
 at eleven P. M. I have been making lists of my packages 
 on board and preparing to send them on shore on Mon- 
 day, at which time boats are to be sent for them with 
 
 279 Mr. Wood concludes his version of this occurrence with the remark that 
 the native's argument was powerful and conclusive. {Op. cit., p. 307.) 
 
 215 
 
proper officers to protect them from damage or 
 plunder. 
 
 Saturday, August 30, 1856. Busy writing letters 
 until one P. M. After dinner the Yedo officer came off 
 with five others. The Governor sent his compliments to 
 me and requested me to visit him at the Goyoshi at ten 
 A. M. of Monday. I accepted. They then asked if the 
 Commodore would come off with me. I said I presumed 
 he would if well enough, and as he was better to-day I 
 had no doubt he would come. They then asked when 
 the Governor could visit the ship, and Tuesday was 
 suggested. I discovered that the invitation to me was a 
 ruse to get the Commodore to visit the Governor first, 
 and then the Governor could visit the ship. I told them 
 frankly that, by the rule of our country and all Western 
 etiquette, the commander of a ship or squadron makes 
 the first visit, and the reason the Commodore had not 
 already visited the Governor was the illness of the 
 Commodore in the first place, and then afterwards the 
 illness of the Governor. This gave them great satis- 
 faction. 
 
 The Commodore came in afterwards and he accepted 
 the invitation for Monday, and at the same time told 
 them that he should have gone with me at my first visit. 
 This startled and pleased them, for they evidently had 
 not forgotten that he had told some of them that he would 
 not visit the Governor until after I had been received. 280 
 Then it was settled that the Governor would visit the 
 ship on Tuesday at eleven A. M. I was requested not to 
 
 280 See above, Journal, Aug. 22, 1856. 
 
 2l6 
 
land until as late a day as possible, in order to give them 
 the utmost time to prepare the temple for my reception. 
 Wednesday morning was named, and they then told 
 me that they would be there to receive me in due 
 form. 
 
 I am compelled to pay $78 for a spar to make my 
 flagstaff, — an enormous price! 
 
 Learn that some great personage has arrived at the 
 residence of the Governor, as a long procession was seen 
 by some of our officers, preceded by heralds bearing 
 the coat-of-arms, then a number of norimons, one very 
 large 281 — a led horse — servants bearing luggage, etc., 
 etc. 
 
 Sunday, August 31, 1856. A lovely day. Write many 
 letters. Japanese come off to see me. I refuse to see any- 
 one on Sunday. I am resolved to set an example of a 
 proper observance of the Sabbath, by abstaining from 
 all business or pleasures on that day. I do not mean I 
 would not take a quiet walk, or any such amusement. I 
 do not mean to set an example of Puritanism, but I will 
 try to make it what I believe it was intended to be — a 
 day of rest. 
 
 Captain Bell says we found blue water in the Gulf 
 of Siam (the upper part) while the soundings are only 
 thirty to forty-five fathoms. This proves clearly that 
 deep water is not a necessary condition for blue water. 
 
 Monday, September 1, 1856. List of letters bearing 
 
 281 Griffis (Townsend Harris, p. 50, note 1) explains that "The large 
 norimono or palanquin of officers of rank had the needlessly large and heavy 
 bearer's beam curved on top." 
 
 217 
 
date to-day and sent to Russell & Co., Shanghai, by the 
 San Jacinto, to be forwarded as directed: 282 
 
 Armstrong & Lawrence 
 
 General James Keenan 
 
 Charles HufTnagle 
 
 C. C. Currier 
 
 Mrs. S. B. Drinker 
 
 D. J. Macgowan 
 
 S. Drinker 
 
 Henry Grinnell 
 
 P. M. Wetmore 
 
 Robert C. Murphy 
 
 Baring Brothers & Co. 
 
 Joseph Evans 
 
 Commodore M. C. Perry 
 
 Mrs. Langlois 
 
 Sir John Bowring 
 
 Wm. Hunter, Ass't Sec'y State 
 
 Richard Schell 
 
 N. Dougherty 
 
 Russell & Co., Shanghai 
 
 282,) To Armstrong & Lawrence, at Hongkong (L. B., vol. i, pp. 95-97), 
 Townsend Harris sends an order for supplies and provisions of 
 various kinds, relates incidents of the voyage from China, and de- 
 scribes the harbor and the village of Shimoda. 
 
 2) To Charles Huffnagle, U. S. Consul General for British India, at 
 Calcutta. Acknowledged by letter dated Calcutta, Nov. 18, 1856 
 (L. ST P., vol. 1, no. 45). 
 
 3) To S. Drinker. Acknowledged by letter dated Hongkong, Apr. 3 and 
 
 4, 1857 (L. & P., vol. 1, no. 62). 
 
 4) To Robert C. Murphy, U. S. Consul at Shanghai. Acknowledged by 
 
 letter dated Shanghai, Oct 7, 1856 (L. & P., vol. 1, no. 44). 
 
 5) To Baring Bros. & Co., London (L. B., vol. 1, p. 99). Townsend Harris 
 says that his drafts for salary payments will be calculated from Aug. 
 21, 1856 — the day on which he arrived at Shimoda and consequently 
 entered upon his duties as Consul General to Japan. 
 
 6) To Sir John Bowring, Governor of Hongkong. From Sir John Bow- 
 ring's answer to this letter (L. & P., vol. 1, no. 43, dated Hongkong, 
 Sept. 27, 1856), it is evident that Townsend Harris had described to 
 
 218 
 
At ten A. M. go on shore with Commodore Armstrong 
 and a suite of officers. At the Goyoshi meet the new 
 Governor and Vice-Governor, [and] the other Gover- 
 nor. It appears there are two Governors and two Vice- 
 Governors for this place. They pass six months in Shi- 
 moda, then six in fedo. The new one arrived in 
 pursuance of this rule. The conversation began with 
 complimentary inquiries about health, etc., etc. Then I 
 was asked what was the secret object of my Government 
 in sending me to Japan. I answered that I knew noth- 
 ing beyond the fact of my appointment and our treaty 
 rights. 
 
 I was asked if I should go to Hakodate? I replied that 
 would depend on circumstances. If I was wanted there, 
 I should go. They then run over all the old objections, 
 and civilly ask me to go away ; and, on my declining to 
 do so, they asked the Commodore if he had no power 
 to take me away. That was answered by saying that he 
 was a military man. His orders were to bring the Con- 
 sul General to Shimoda and land him there, and then 
 his part was done. They asked would he take a letter 
 from the Japanese Government to the American Gov- 
 ernment explaining their embarrassed position, and 
 asking for my removal. The Commodore answered that 
 all communications for his Government from the 
 
 him the charms of change and of climate at Shimoda, had complained 
 of its unsuitability as a port, and had invited him to visit Shimoda. 
 7) To Russell & Co., at Shanghai (L. B., vol. 1, pp. 98-99). Asks if they 
 will negotiate his bills upon the account opened in his favor at BariDg 
 Bros. & Co., London, by the Secretary of State of the United States, for 
 his salary of $5,000 per annum. 
 
 2IQ 
 
Japanese would of necessity come through the Consul 
 General. 
 
 Next, would the Commodore write to his Govern- 
 ment, explaining the reasons why the Japanese refused 
 to receive the Consul General? This question, cover- 
 ing as it did a positive intention to refuse me, excited 
 much surprise and received a positive negative. 
 
 I was then asked would I forward a letter from the 
 Japanese Government to the American Government? I 
 answered I would if it was written by the Minister of 
 Foreign Affairs. Would not the Governor of Shimoda 
 do as well? He had full powers to treat with me; there- 
 fore it was the same thing. I replied that it might be the 
 same thing to them, but it was not in our eyes. Would I 
 write to my Government asking for my own removal? 
 This was declined. It was now twelve o'clock — two 
 mortal hours having been frittered away in renewing 
 and twisting the foregoing into all possible forms. Re- 
 freshments were served. The Governors retired for a 
 short time; and, after their return and the tiffin being 
 over, the Commodore and his suite, except Fleet Sur- 
 geon Wood, retired, leaving me with the doctor and my 
 interpreter. They now took another turn, — apologized 
 for delaying and wasting so much time in trivial ques- 
 tions, but their excuse was their want of knowledge of 
 such matters. That it was a new thing, etc., etc. They 
 asked me if I had any new negotiations to propose? I 
 answered none at that time. Did I intend to make new 
 regulations about sailors who were shipwrecked, or 
 should I change the place of the consulate without giv- 
 
 220 
 
ing notice to them? I answered, "No." They inquired 
 what were my powers and privileges as a Consul? To 
 which I gave a short synopsis of both. They then begged 
 me again to write to my Government the strong objec- 
 tions they had to receiving a Consul at this time, stating 
 that they had opened Shimoda to the Dutch and Rus- 
 sians, and that they would send a Consul here as soon as 
 they knew I was received here (this was news) , 283 I re- 
 plied that I could not write any formal letter ; that, if 
 I did, it would not be attended to on such a point ; that I 
 should, as a matter of course, give my Government an ac- 
 count of all that had occurred here, but they might be 
 sure it would not elicit any reply ; that, if they wanted to 
 communicate with the Government of the United 
 States, let their Minister of Foreign Affairs write a let- 
 ter, and he might depend on receiving a speedy answer. 
 
 283 The Russian Treaty with Japan was signed at Shimoda, Jan. 26 (Feb. 7), 
 
 1855. Art. Ill of this Treaty opened up to Russia the three ports of Shimoda, 
 Hakodate, and Nagasaki. Art. VI provided that the Russian Government could 
 appoint a Consul (when it should deem it necessary) for one of the first two 
 of these ports, — therefore, either for Shimoda or Hakodate; while in the Ex- 
 planatory Articles (agreed upon the day the Treaty was signed), it was dis- 
 tinctly stated (ad Art. VI) that Russia was to appoint her Consuls beginning 
 with the year 1856 (J. H. Gubbins, op. cit., pp. 236-38). 
 
 The Preliminary Convention between The Netherlands and Japan was 
 signed at Nagasaki, Nov. 9, 1855. Art. IV of this Convention provided that, 
 in case one or more ports of the Japanese Empire were then opened or would 
 thereafter be opened to one or more other nations, exactly the same privileges 
 were immediately to be granted to The Netherlands. 
 
 This Article of the Preliminary Convention was repeated almost verbatim 
 in Art. IV of the final Dutch Treaty with Japan signed at Nagasaki, Jan. 30, 
 
 1856. (See J. H. Gubbins, op. cit., pp. 246, 251; compare, too, the short note 
 from the Japanese authorities to Donker Curtius, given ibid., p. 266, and an- 
 swering a communication from the latter regarding the port of Shimoda, said 
 Japanese note being dated in the 8th month — Hachigwatsu — of the 4th year 
 of Ansei.) 
 
 Since the Perry Treaty of Mar. 31, 1854, opened the ports of Shimoda and 
 Hakodate to the Americans (Art. II), by virtue of Art. IV of their Treaty also 
 the Dutch were therefore to be permitted to come to Shimoda. 
 
 221 
 
They said their laws forbade it. Here for the third or 
 fourth time, they begged me not to be offended with 
 them. They were acting under orders. The matter was 
 new to them, and from their ignorance it appeared the 
 more alarming. It being now near two, I prepared to 
 leave them. 284 I should remark that at tiffin time I was 
 told the boats were ready to go to the frigate to bring 
 off my luggage, and asked if they should go. I answered 
 in the affirmative. Now this fact took place during a 
 discussion in which they had, in fact, declared they 
 would not receive me, and it convinced me they were 
 acting a part in which they did not even hope to suc- 
 ceed. 
 
 The people are of a genial disposition and are evi- 
 dently inclined towards intercourse with foreigners; 
 but the despotic rule of the country, and the terror they 
 have of their so-called inflexible laws, forbids them to 
 express their wishes. 
 
 I do not like the looks of the new Governor; he has 
 a dark, sullen look, like a bandog, and I fear I shall have 
 trouble with him. I much regret the change. 2843 Got on 
 board near three P. M., and commenced at once sending 
 off my traps. All of the supplies — furniture and some 
 
 284 For a parallel account of this day's interview, see Wood, op. cit., pp. 
 309-17. This day's discussion is typical of the many that were to follow. 
 Townsend Harris's task was one of peculiar difficulty, because, as J. H. 
 Gubbins points out {op. cit., pp. 68-69), ne was the fi fst foreign representative 
 to deal with the Japanese Government on equal terms: 
 
 "In that capacity he had to bear the brunt of obstruction so ingeniously 
 and constantly exercised that, had he not been plentifully endowed with 
 patience, he must have relinquished his task in despair." 
 284a The new Governor was Inouye, Shinano-no-Kami, who soon became one 
 of Harris's best friends. 
 
 222 
 
heavy luggage — was sent off, and all in pretty good 
 order except a hat in a leather box, which was destroyed. 
 
 Tuesday, September 2, 1 8 $6. The new Governor 
 and the old, and [the] Vice-Governors, our Yedo 
 friend and a large suite came on board at ten A. M. Men 
 were exercised at the guns and went through all the 
 manoeuvres of an action. Marines put through the 
 manual and marching, etc., and a salute was fired. Then 
 to table; and their performances in the way of eating 
 and drinking were noteworthy. What was not eaten was 
 carried away. Ham, tongue, salt beef, and such pre- 
 served food as is found on board a ship, seemed all of it 
 to suit their appetites. The new Governor was cold and 
 rude; not even the raw brandy which he and others 
 drank seemed to warm his heart, or thaw him towards 
 us. 285 
 
 They asked when I would land, and were told to- 
 morrow at five P. M. I was informed that two officers of 
 rank would be sent to escort me to my new residence. 
 The spar for my lower flagstaff only reached the ship 
 at one P. M. The carpenter says it shall be done to-mor- 
 row. 
 
 Wednesday, September 3, 1856. Go on shore and 
 select spot for flagstaff to stand. Return and write let- 
 ter to Secretary of State, twelve foolscap pages. 286 Four 
 
 285 Wood, op. cit., pp. 317-18. 
 
 286 Dispatch No. 15, L. B., vol. 1, pp. 105-16. This long letter announces his 
 arrival and then gives an outline of all that had happened since Aug. 21st — 
 practically a synopsis of the entries in the Journal thus far. Townsend Harris's 
 kindly policy towards the Japanese is clearly enunciated near the end of this 
 dispatch: 
 
 "I have deemed it prudent to let a few weeks elapse before I open to the 
 
 Japanese the matters contained in your Instructions. I wish to let the alarm 
 
 223 
 
P. M. ; instead of the flagstaff being ready at noon, it is not 
 yet completed, and there is a fair chance it will not be 
 sent ashore to-night. Mr. Heusken was taken ashore to 
 interpret about the bills, etc., with a positive promise 
 he should be brought back at half-past twelve. At half- 
 past two P. M. he procured a shore boat and came off. So 
 much for promises. I decide to land to-day, so send off 
 all my remaining traps; and, attended by two officials, 
 leave the ship at five P. M., having taken a kind leave 
 of all. As I left the ship the men manned the rigging 
 and gave me three hearty cheers. The men in my boat 
 responded, and a counter cheer of two more came from 
 the ship, and then the band on the quarter deck struck 
 up "Hail, Columbia." I was both flattered and touched 
 by this mark of attention. 
 
 It showed at least that I had so conducted myself 
 while on board the San Jacinto (off and on five months) 
 that I had secured the good will of all on board — and so 
 I came on shore for my final landing in Japan. On reach- 
 ing my temple, I found the Vice-Governor and a suite 
 of officials awaiting my arrival to welcome me, which 
 they did in very good terms, at the same time showing 
 me a present of fowls, eggs and lobsters from the Gov- 
 ernor. Two things I must note which caused me some 
 regret in the San Jacinto: the first, that Commodore 
 
 occasioned by my arrival subside ; to convince them by my quiet conduct of 
 my friendly disposition; and, by such friendly intercourse as I may have, 
 establish a kindly feeling towards me." 
 
 On the very day that Townsend Harris penned these sentiments of "quiet 
 conduct," "friendly disposition," and "kindly feeling," Sir Michael Seymour, 
 in command of the Barracouta, the Winchester, and the Pique, forced an en- 
 trance into the inner harbor of Nagasaki. (J. M. Tronson, Personal Narrative 
 of a Voyage to Japan . . . in H.M.S. Barracouta, pp. 397-99.) 
 
 224 
 
Armstrong was again quite unwell with considerable 
 fever; and the other, that he and Captain Bell refused 
 to permit me to pay anything for my mess while I was 
 on board, saying I had not cost the mess one cent extra; 
 that I never drank any wine, nor had called for any 
 different cookery; that I had not given any trouble, nor 
 added to their expenses. They therefore declined receiv- 
 ing anything from me. This was contrary to agreement 
 as, before I left New York, I agreed with both the 
 Commodore and Captain Bell that I should be allowed 
 to pay my share of the mess. We were up until after mid- 
 night in getting copies made of my dispatches. The 
 spar came on shore just at dusk, too late to put up 
 my staff. 287 
 
 Thursday, September 4, 1856. Slept very little from 
 excitement and mosquitoes, — the latter enormous in 
 size. At seven A. M. men came on shore to put up my 
 flagstaff. Heavy job. Slow work. Spar falls ; break cross- 
 trees; fortunately no one hurt. At last get a reinforce- 
 ment from the ship. Flagstaff erected; men form a 
 ring around it, and, at two and a half P. M. of this day, 
 I hoist the "First Consular Flag" ever seen in this 
 Empire. Grim reflections — ominous of change — un- 
 doubted beginning of the end. Query, — if for the real 
 good of Japan? 288 The San Jacinto left at five o'clock, 289 
 
 287 Wood, op. cit. t p. 318, wrongly states that this task was completed on 
 Sept. 3rd. 
 
 288 An interesting chapter might be written on this query of Townsend 
 Harris's, for it is a thought which occurred time and again to the early visitors 
 and representatives to Japan from the Western powers. 
 
 289 The San Jacinto left for Shanghai, where she arrived on Sept. n, 1856 
 (35-2, S. Ex. Doc, no. 22, pt. 2 — in Serial no. 983 — p. 963: Commissioner Peter 
 Parker to Consul Caleb Jones). 
 
 225 
 
saluting me by dipping her flag which was answered by 
 me, and then she left me "alone in my glory," not feel- 
 ing very sad, for in fact I was too busy in opening boxes, 
 searching out eatables and mosquito nets, to think of be- 
 ing downhearted. Go to bed at eight P. M. and sleep well. 
 
 Friday, September 5, 1 8 56. Busy all day in open- 
 ing packages, arranging contents, ordering various 
 articles from the Japanese. Get an old belfry made into 
 a nice pigeon house in which I installed my four pairs 
 of pigeons. Clear all day. 
 
 Saturday, September 6, 1856. Same employment as 
 yesterday. Am getting things to look a little com- 
 fortable. Find that the ichibu is equal to 1,600 seni or 
 cash. This takes two thirds off the prices of everything 
 I buy, as the Japanese have only allowed us 1,600 seni 
 for the dollar, although the dollar weighs three times as 
 much as the ichibu, 2 ™ consequently is worth 4,800 seni. 
 
 Moriama, 291 the Yedo official, visited me to-day on a 
 
 290 This word, spelled in such a variety of ways in the early accounts, stands 
 for ichi-bu, meaning one bu, or part. "To talk of 'a hundred ichibus' is as 
 though a Japanese were to say 'a hundred one shillings.' " (Lord Redesdale 
 (Mitford), Tales of Old Japan (London, 1908), p. 262, note 1.) 
 
 291 Moriyaraa Yenosuke (Mr. Mountain Grove), a Samurai and chief in- 
 terpreter of the Foreign Office of the Shogunate at Yedo. He took a prominent 
 part in all the early contacts between Japan and foreign nations, and is con- 
 stantly mentioned in all the narratives of the first visitors to Japan. His first 
 appearance on the stage of the diplomatic relations between the United States 
 and Japan is dated Sept. 2, 1848, when he visited the imprisoned sailors of the 
 whaler Lagoda, at Nagasaki. One of these sailors, Robert McCoy, in the sworn 
 statement of their captivity, made on Apr. 30, 1849, t0 Commander James 
 Glynn, of the Preble, calls our interpreter Moreama Einaska (32-1, S. Ex. 
 Doc, no. 59 — in Serial no. 620 — p. 17). 
 
 Moriyama was involved in so many important historical events that a 
 biography of him would not only make an interesting monograph, but would 
 constitute a valuable contribution to the history of our Japan relations. A good 
 beginning could be made with Lewis and Murakami, Ranald MacDonald, 
 p. 208, note 237 ; cf. also the index. 
 
 226 
 

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mere visit of friendship, as he said. Gave him u cakes 
 and champagne." 
 
 My tailor is proving to be a desperate character. He 
 will not work and says he does not care how much I cut 
 his wages. He is the first Chinese I ever saw who was 
 indifferent on this point. 
 
 I gave him a serious lecture. Told him if he expected 
 to eat that he must work; that I had the power of put- 
 ting him in jail and causing him to be fed on very spare 
 diet, and also might order him to be whipped every 
 day; that I would give him until Monday to reflect 
 which he would take, — work, wages and good food, — or 
 prison, hunger and whipping. 
 
 Hear a curious insect of the cricket tribe to-night. 
 Sound was precisely like a miniature locomotive at 
 great speed. Bats in rooms. See enormous tete de mort 
 spider; the legs extended five and a half inches as the 
 insect stood. Unpleasant discovery of large rats in num- 
 bers, running about the house. Light showers in the 
 night. 
 
 Sunday, September 7, 1856. No work to-day. Hoist 
 my flag, which is to be flown on Sundays, holidays — 
 Japanese ditto — and when foreign ships are here. The 
 Japanese were much pleased when I told them I 
 would hoist my flag in honor of their holidays, and gave 
 me a list for six months. The wind fresh all day from 
 the west. Thermometer 84 , but there is so much vitality 
 in the air that one does not feel oppressed by the heat. 
 My flag badly made, the wind has whipped out the end 
 hem and frayed the bunting in many places three inches 
 
 227 
 
— so badly is all government contract work done. The 
 sealing wax sent me from the Department is so bad 
 it will not run or even drop. It appears to be composed 
 of rosin and tallow, no wax or shellac in it. When a 
 stick is lighted it will burn to the end like a pitch pine 
 splinter. No rain. 
 
 Monday, September 8, 1856. Weather same as yes- 
 terday. Get on very slowly in fitting up the house with 
 shelves, closets, tables, etc., etc. Every carpenter that 
 comes to do anything is attended by an officer. It may 
 be to keep him from stealing, but more likely to prevent 
 any communication between us. I have required my 
 poultry to be all hens or pullets. They inform me that 
 in Japan fowls are always hatched in pairs — one cock 
 and one hen — therefore, they must give them to me in 
 the same manner. Send to each of the first Governors two 
 five-pints of champagne, one quart brandy, two quarts 
 whiskey, one cherry bounce and one anisette. This after- 
 noon we discover a Russian cemetery with three tombs 
 of the same patterns as the Americans'. They are of 
 persons who belonged to the Russian Frigate Diana, 
 and died in 1854 and 1855. One tomb is evidently that of 
 an officer, but I cannot read the letters to make out his 
 name or rank. 
 
 This tomb is decorated with two crosses deeply cut in 
 the stone. One is four inches, the other about sixteen 
 inches long. The presence of these crosses serves to prove 
 that the Japanese of the present day have not that exces- 
 sive hatred of the cross that was said to animate them 
 formerly. On Saturday last I showed Moriama my 
 
 228 
 
Mitchell's Atlas, the frontispiece of which contains a 
 colored engraving of the "Landing of Columbus," in 
 which a large cross is prominently engraved. Moriama 
 paid no attention to it, or rather said nothing. 
 
 Spalding says that he asked a Japanese for his auto- 
 graph, which he was about to write in his (Spalding's) 
 prayer-book, but, discovering a cross in the frontispiece, 
 he with great trepidation refused to write. 292 No rain. 
 
 Tuesday, September Q, 1856. I applied on Friday 
 last (5th) for two boys as house servants. Am told to- 
 day that they must write to Yedo about them. Get 
 measures of distance from Japanese (see record 
 book). 293 Weather fine, but little wind. Thermometer 
 at noon 82 , but it is not oppressive. I am anxious to 
 get my house arranged, so that I may begin to wander 
 about the country and see how it looks, which I cannot 
 now do, being constantly wanted for directions, etc., 
 etc. At nine o'clock a heavy thunder shower. The 
 lightning was as vivid as I ever saw out of the tropics, 
 and the thunder appeared to be interminable, so long 
 
 292 J. W. Spalding, The Japan Expedition, New York, Redfield, 1855, pp. 
 222-23 : 
 
 "They would present their fans on which they desired some sentiment to 
 be written. . . . Their own cards were presented. . . . They were very 
 polite in writing names in Japanese characters in our books. I requested one 
 to write a name on the title-page of a Book of Common Prayer, which 
 happened to have a steel engraving of the cross upon it. He had dipped his 
 camel's-hair pencil into his portable inkstand, passed the point through his 
 lips, and was about to write when his eye rested upon the cross; he in- 
 stantly shook his head, threw the book upon the table, nor could he be 
 induced to touch it again." 
 
 293 We do not know what Townsend Harris meant by Record Book. There 
 is extant, however, his manuscript copybook entitled Common Place Book, on 
 p. 8 of which are found not only the Japanese measures of distance, but also 
 the cloth measure. 
 
 229 
 
were the echoes prolonged among the hills. The ther- 
 mometer marked 8i° during the whole shower. There 
 was not much wind with the shower, which lasted 
 forty minutes. At eleven P. M. another shower, without 
 lightning. 
 
 Wednesday, September 10, 1856. Quiet rain set in, 
 in showers at three A. M. and continued until eleven 
 A. M., closing with some few claps of thunder. The 
 wind then came from [the] east and the thermometer 
 fell to 70 . 
 
 Much trouble with the lock of the iron chest. Pro- 
 cure mechanics to open it; and, after removing a load 
 of mortar placed over the lock, find it cannot be re- 
 paired. Caution: Never buy an iron chest with a patent 
 lock of Mr. Gaylor's or any other man's make, especially 
 if you are going to a semi-civilized country. I can close 
 and bolt the chest, but not lock it. It is a protection from 
 fire (soi disant) , but not from thieves. 294 Moriama and 
 suite visited me this afternoon. He said he came from 
 the Governor to inquire if I was frightened by the thun- 
 der of last night — a Japanese ruse. He quietly diverged 
 to the subject of Japanese servants, which I had 
 asked for last week. Said there were none at Shi- 
 moda; must write to other places; that they had to 
 reflect on every new proposition a long time; that they 
 could not decide as quickly as the men of the West, etc., 
 etc. I replied that I believed that servants could at once 
 be procured for me in Shimoda ; that it was treating me 
 
 294 This perverse iron chest had been purchased in New York from the 
 Japan Contingent Fund. "Sepr. 24th [1855]. Paid J. E. Van Antwerp for an 
 Iron Safe for the Consulate at Shimoda $87.75." (£• B. t vol. 1, p. 5.) 
 
 230 
 
improperly to leave me to wait on myself. I showed him 
 my blistered hands, which had so become by my being 
 compelled to do work in fault of proper servants. He 
 then begged me to give them some more time to pro- 
 cure them ('«. e., to invent lies to deny them if they think 
 best to do so) . I said I did not wish to appear impatient, 
 and would wait for the remainder of the week. I com- 
 plained of the very great delay there was in executing 
 my orders. I had for many days been expecting a num- 
 ber of slight things to be done (naming some of them), 
 and, although time enough to do them four times over 
 had elapsed, yet none of them had been done; that I felt 
 that I was neglected and expected it would be remedied. 
 
 He at once began blowing up the officers who were 
 with him and gave me some of their excuses. A greater 
 tissue of lies was never heard. The matter was closed by 
 an assurance on his part that I should have the matters 
 attended to in the morning. After this he got quite jolly 
 on champagne. At ten P. M. the thermometer marked 
 77 . Wind east. 
 
 Thursday, September II, 1856. A fine breezy morn- 
 ing. Thermometer, 75 . Wind N. E. 
 
 Men are here working on various matters for my 
 house. Had a flare-up with the officials, who told me 
 some egregious lies in answer to some requests I made. 
 I told them plainly I knew they lied ; that, if they wished 
 me to have any confidence in them, they must always 
 speak the truth ; that, if I asked anything they were not 
 authorized to grant, or about which they wished to con- 
 sult, let them simply say they were not prepared to an- 
 
 231 
 
swer me, but that to tell lies to me was treating me like 
 a child, and that I should consider myself as insulted 
 thereby; that in my country a man who lied was dis- 
 graced, and that to call a man a liar was the greatest 
 insult that could be given him ; that I hoped they would, 
 for the future, if they told me anything, simply tell me 
 the truth, and that I should then respect them, which I 
 could not do when they told me falsehoods. Send Mori- 
 ama an Atlas as a present. 295 
 
 Friday, September 12, 1 8 $6. As lovely a morning as 
 I ever saw. The wind fell before daylight, and we have 
 light airs from the west with a sky so blue it looks like 
 ultramarine. Thermometer, 79 . The Vice-Governor 
 and Moriama, with the usual suite. 
 
 The object of the visit was my demand for two boys as 
 house servants. It was a rare scene of Japanese deceit, 
 falsehood, flattery and politeness. I at last got them cor- 
 nered, and they were compelled to promise me to supply 
 my wants by the 16th. They fought hard to have the 
 boys leave at sunset and return at daylight, but I was 
 firm and carried my point. I may here remark that at all 
 these visits they readily drink all I offer them, — wine, 
 cordials, brandy, whiskey, etc., etc., and many of them 
 drink more than enough. Spirits of all kinds they drink 
 raw. 
 
 Saturday September 13, 1856. To-day is the anni- 
 versary of the Patron Saint 296 of Shimoda, and is one of 
 
 295Very likely his copy of Mitchell's Atlas, which he had showed Moriyama 
 on Sept. 8, 1856. 
 
 2 96 Ushijiwa no Jinja (Griffis, Townsend Harris, p. 64, note). 
 
 232 
 
their greatest holidays ; but, as my house is not in order, I 
 remain at home arranging books, etc., and trying to 
 eradicate the cockroaches, which I have brought from 
 the San Jacinto by thousands. They are a pest of the 
 most disagreeable kind. Mr. Heusken went out to see 
 what was doing, and says he saw a large procession bear- 
 ing a metal mirror and pieces of white paper (emblems 
 of the Shinto religion) ; a large drum borne by three 
 men was beaten by one. The fashion of the drum was like 
 the Chinese, — i. e. f a cylinder with one parchment head. 
 He did not see any change of dress; a number of per- 
 sons were throwing themselves into extravagant atti- 
 tudes and shouting or screaming loudly. The procession 
 went to a temple where a large quantity of holy water 
 was showered on them by the attending priests. After 
 their devotions they visited another temple, after which 
 he left. He did not see any of the theatricals referred to 
 by Kaempfer, Fischer, and Heer Doeff. A fine day. 
 Wind from west. Thermometer, 84 . 
 
 Sunday, September 14, 1856. A smart thunder 
 shower at five A. M., but the day has been a fine one. Some 
 of my Chinese servants went out to walk. They were 
 followed by three policemen. They offered to purchase 
 some fruit, but were refused, and finally, on asking for 
 a drink of water from a man who was by a well, he re- 
 fused, and ran away with the drinking vessel. 
 
 Monday, September 15, 1856. Commenced raining 
 at four A. M. with a raw wind from north, although the 
 thermometer is 82 in our open rooms, but protected 
 from the wind. I expect the Governor to visit me to-day, 
 
 233 
 
as I wrote him on Saturday asking him to order the 
 proper officer to receive from Mr. Heusken $500 in sil- 
 ver coin, and to give him the same weight of Japanese 
 silver money. 297 I am sure he will refuse, as they have 
 heretofore refused to take the dollar for more than their 
 ichibu, or quarter of a tael of silver. The value of the 
 tael is about $1.36. The ichibu is therefore worth 34 
 cents. We have heretofore paid nearly 200 per cent, over 
 price, — from their only allowing us 34 cents for our dol- 
 lar. But this must have an end, and I am fully instructed 
 by my Government to insist on our money being taken at 
 its proper value. 
 
 In the afternoon Moriama and the third Governor 
 and suite visited me, bringing two boys of the ages of 
 fifteen and sixteen years. Their names are Ske-zo and 
 Ta-ki-so ; 298 the latter I take for my servant, and the other 
 for Mr. Heusken. 
 
 On showing Kaempf er's work on Japan to the Gover- 
 nor, he at once pointed out the place of his and Mori- 
 ama's house in Yedo, showing the general correctness of 
 the plan of that city. I tried in various ways to get at 
 the population of Yedo from them, but without any suc- 
 cess. They said it was a large place; that there was such 
 a large number of persons going and coming daily, that 
 it was out of their power to state the population, etc., 
 etc. Complained to the Governor that my servants on 
 
 297 In the same letter (L. B., vol. i, pp. 116-17), Townsend Harris states 
 that he had received a letter from Captain Bell complaining of the poor quality 
 of the coal that had been furnished the San Jacinto, and transmits the Captain's 
 desires as to future supplies. 
 
 The Dutch translation of this letter is to be found in L. B., vol. 1, pp. 99-100. 
 
 298 Sukezo and Takezo (Griffis, Townsend Harris, p. 65). 
 
 234 
 
Sunday last had been followed by policemen; that they 
 had been refused fruit which they offered to buy, and 
 even denied a drink of water. I remonstrated sharply 
 against such conduct as disgraceful, inhospitable, etc., 
 etc., and they promised that the matter should be in- 
 quired into. Constant rain until four P. M. Got some 
 fine, ripe grapes and persimmons to-day and am 
 promised a regular supply, so long as they are in season. 
 They have constantly denied to me having any such 
 fruits here, and it was only after my cook had seen them 
 in the streets on Sunday and I charged them with false- 
 hood about fruit that they would bring them to me. 
 
 Tuesday, September 16, 1856. A fine bright morn- 
 ing. Sky as blue as sapphire. Wind light from northwest. 
 Thermometer, 76 ° at eight A. M. At eleven o'clock go out 
 for a walk. The paths lead over towards Yedo Bay, and 
 the views were enchanting. Sky clear — water blue — 
 whitecaps cresting the waves. High lands on the oppo- 
 site side of Yedo Bay (northeast side) dimly seen. Jap- 
 anese junks with their large square sail scudding merrily 
 before the wind. Ground here is cultivated wherever 
 water can be procured to irrigate it. It appears to be 
 equally rich on the steep hillsides as on the little plains. 
 A streamlet of water is found running down the gorge be- 
 tween two hills. The ground is cut into terraces, then the 
 water is led from the highest part right and left from the 
 stream to the upper terraces, thence it trickles down to 
 the next, and the next, until all the terraces have been 
 watered down to the foot of the hill. I never saw such fine 
 crops of rice, or rice of so good a quality as here. Rice is 
 
 235 
 
the chief produce ; some maize, millet, a little wheat, bar- 
 ley and buckwheat are also grown. A great variety of 
 pulse and lentils are also grown. I see [that] many 
 oleaginous seeds of whose names I am ignorant are also 
 cultivated. A bulbous root — the taro of the South Seas — 
 is also grown here. We pursued our pleasant walk until 
 we reached the highest hill in this vicinity, — say some 
 2,800 feet ; and from that we could just see the top of the 
 celebrated Fusi Yama, the highest mountain in Japan, 
 which is 1 2,500 feet high and not many miles from Yedo. 
 It is said that this mountain is always crowned with 
 snow, but the distance from which we viewed it was too 
 great to permit us to say whether it was so covered or not. 
 This mountain is the most celebrated spot in Japan. It 
 is the seat of their most terrible volcanoes. It is cele- 
 brated in the histories of their gods as the scene of many 
 remarkable events, and its picture figures on everything 
 that is highly decorated. 299 
 
 299 The annual celebration at The College of the City of New York known 
 as Charter Day took place in the year 1925 on May 20th. The speaker of the 
 day and the guest of honor was His Excellency Tsuneo Matsudaira, who had 
 courteously consented to unveil a bronze tablet of Mr. Townsend Harris. 
 Having read the Ambassador's address, Baron Takashi Masuda, who, at the 
 age of fourteen, had served in the Bureau for Foreigners, was stirred to write 
 his Reminiscences of Townsend Harris, which he sent to the Japanese Am- 
 bassador at Washington, who, in turn, caused them to be translated and then, 
 with exquisite courtesy, presented them to the writer. 
 
 From these manuscript Reminiscences we quote the following interesting 
 lines: 
 
 "Before the departure of Harris from Japan, Mr. Ando [Tsushima-no- 
 Kami] said to him, 'I wish to express my sincere gratitude for your friendly 
 advice on our international policy, and although I am very anxious to give 
 you a present, I am sorry that there is nothing I can give you which is equal 
 to the value of the help you have been to us. I wish I could give you Mt. 
 Fuji, but I am sorry that it is impossible.' " 
 
 Remembering the role played in Japanese mythology, history, legend, and 
 art by the famous Fujiyama, we realize that Ando Tsushima-no-Kami was 
 offering the very heart of Japan to the man who had won it. 
 
 236 
 
We reached home at three P. M. much pleased with our 
 walk. Our distance out [and] in was about eight miles. 
 Very nice grapes are furnished to us to-day at the rate 
 of about two cents per pound. Pears, shaped like apples 
 and of the exact color of russets, are also brought; not 
 good to eat raw, as they are hard, dry and tasteless, but 
 they cook very well. Persimmons, fully ripe, are now 
 brought to us. Our poultry has been taken with some 
 disease during the last few days and is dying off rapidly 
 — while we are afraid to eat any of it that is not ap- 
 parently sick, for fear it may have the seeds of disease in 
 it. I charge the Japanese with selecting all the sick 
 fowls they have and bringing them to me. They deny it, 
 and say the poultry all around is dying off in the same 
 manner. 
 
 Cleaning up exterior of house. Oven, extraordinary 
 affair — cut out of solid stone!! New paper on our win- 
 dows, by the way of glazing them anew. 
 
 Wednesday, September 17, 1856. Not pleasant this 
 morning. Cloudy. Wind N. E. Thermometer, 74 at 
 eight A. M. 
 
 Tuesday, September 23, 1 856. Yesterday at four 
 P. M. the wind began to blow fresh from E. S. E., with 
 rain. The wind continued to freshen until at eight P. M. 
 it became a heavy typhoon which continued up to mid- 
 night, when it moderated. The wind at four P. M. was 
 S. S. E., and continued to haul to S. S. W., at which point 
 the gale was heaviest. After midnight the wind stood at 
 W.N.W. 
 
 I was under much apprehension that my house would 
 
 237 
 
be blown down, as it shook in every post and beam, and 
 swayed to and fro as the heavy gusts struck it. My 
 kitchen was partly unroofed. Flagstaff blown over so as 
 to stand at an angle of 65 . In the harbor every junk was 
 cast ashore and many lives lost and much property de- 
 stroyed. In Kakizaki, full one half the houses were 
 blown down and some persons killed. The landing jetty 
 and breakwater at Kakizaki are totally destroyed. 
 
 At Shimoda, the bazaar part of the Goyoshi is totally 
 destroyed, and a large amount of beautiful lacquer and 
 inlaid ware lost. One hundred houses blown down and 
 twenty lives lost. The Japanese say it was the severest 
 storm ever known at this place. 300 
 
 Wednesday, October I, 1856. The Dutch Steam 
 Frigate Diana \Medusa~\, Captain Fabius, arrived here 
 to-day from Hakodate en route to Nagasaki. 301 I went 
 on board and was kindly received by Captain Fabius, 
 who gave me a salute of eleven guns on leaving. 
 
 Captain Fabius informs me that a mine of superior 
 coals has been discovered at Hakodate, which will 
 greatly reduce the price of that article at that place be- 
 
 300 Mr. Heusken's Diary says that this storm took place during the night 
 from the 20th to the 21st of September. (G. Wagener, Aus dem Tagebuche 
 Hendrik Heusken's, in the Tokyo Deutsche Gesellschaft fiir Natur — und 
 Volkerkunde Ostasiens, Mittheilungen, June, 1883, vol. 3, p. 376.) 
 
 On Sept. 25th, Townsend Harris wrote to the Governor of Shimoda 
 (L. B., vol. 1, pp. 117-21), protesting at the merely verbal answer given to his 
 written communication of Sept. 13th (see Journal for Sept. 15th), refut- 
 ing the Japanese arguments for refusing to provide him with Japanese 
 coins, and renewing his battle for evaluating the dollar at three ickibus. (The 
 Dutch translation of this letter is to be found in L. B., vol. 1, pp. 101-04.) 
 
 Finally, Heusken mentions a letter dated Sept. 25th and sent to Yedo to the 
 Minister of Foreign Affairs (Wagener, op. cit., p. 376). This is an error for 
 Oct. 25th. 
 
 301 See Heusken's Diary, loc. cit. 
 
 238 
 
sides giving a superior quality. Captain Fabius also says 
 that two steam vessels are now being constructed in Hol- 
 land for the Japanese, which are to be paid for as fol- 
 lows : say one-fifth part in each of the following articles 
 — copper, lacquer ware, etc., wax, camphor; and money 
 or bullion for the remaining 20 per cent. 
 
 Dutch mechanics of every branch connected with 
 shipbuilding have been brought out for the Japanese, 
 and they are now giving instruction to the Japanese in 
 all the various branches above referred to at Naga- 
 saki. 302 
 
 It appears that for some years the Dutch have received 
 a part of the returns of their annual cargo in money or 
 bullion. 
 
 The King of Holland has, as it is said, written a letter 
 to the Emperor of Japan, strongly urging him to open 
 his kingdom to the commerce of all nations. 303 
 
 302 Here is the beginning of the building of the mighty fleets of Japan ! We are 
 strongly reminded of the prophetic words of the imprisoned Russian Captain, 
 Golownin, who, from observations made more than forty years before, had 
 written (Memoirs, 2nd ed., 1824, vol. 3, pp. 33-34) : 
 
 "However deeply a horror of everything foreign may be impressed on the 
 Japanese and Chinese government[s], yet a change in their system is not in- 
 conceivable: necessity may compel them to do that to which their own free 
 will does not impel them ! Attacks, for example, like that of Chwostoff, often 
 repeated, would probably induce them to think of means to repel a handful 
 of vagabonds who disturbed a nation. This might lead them to build ships 
 of war on the model of those of Europe; these ships might increase to fleets, 
 and then it is probable that the good success of this measure would lead 
 them also to adopt the other scientific methods which are so applicable to the 
 destruction of the human race." 
 
 303 Dr. Daniel Crosby Greene, Correspondence between William II of Hol- 
 land and the Shogun of Japan, A. D. 1844., in Transactions of the Asiatic Society 
 of Japan, vol. 34, part 4 (June, 1907), pp. 99-132. In this scholarly article, Dr. 
 Greene gives both the versions through which the letter had to pass before it 
 could reach Shogun Iyeyoshi: the original Dutch text, on pp. 104-09; and the 
 Japanese translation, on pp. 124-29. The English version appears on pp.no-14. 
 
 239 
 
Friday, October 3, 1856. The Diana [Medusa] 
 sailed to-day for Nagasaki. As she will not go to Hong- 
 kong I do not write by her. 
 
 Saturday, October 4, 1856. I am fifty-two years old 
 to-day. God grant that the short remainder of my life 
 may be more usefully and honorably spent than the pre- 
 ceding and larger portion of it. 304 
 
 Sunday, October 5, 1856. The American Schooner 
 General Pierce arrived here from Hakodate. Left no 
 American vessels there, as it is too early for them. She 
 comes here to complete her trading. 305 
 
 Both the Diana [Medusa] and General Pierce were 
 in the typhoon of the 22nd ult. 306 
 
 Thursday, October Q, 1856. The General Pierce left 
 to-day. Wrote by her to : 
 
 The letter of the King of Holland was dated Feb. 15, 1844; Japonice, the 27th 
 day of the 12th month of the 14th year of Tempo. 
 
 To return to the Journal. Oct. 1st being the beginning of a new quarter, 
 Townsend Harris duly sent an order for supplies to Armstrong & Lawrence 
 (L. B., vol. 1, pp. 104-05) ; and, on the matter of his salary for the broken 
 quarter ending Sept. 30, 1856, he wrote to Russell & Co., at Shanghai (L. B., 
 vol. 1, pp. 121-23), and to Baring Bros. & Co., at London (L. B., vol. 1, pp. 
 123-24). 
 
 304 Townsend Harris lived to the age of seventy-four. He died of congestion 
 of the lungs at 263 Fourth Avenue, New York City, on Monday, Feb. 25, 1878. 
 His funeral took place at Calvary Church, Fourth Avenue and 21st Street, 
 on the morning of Thursday, Feb. 28, 1878. He is buried in Greenwood Ceme- 
 tery, Brooklyn, N. Y. 
 
 This entry in his Journal, written in Townsend Harris's own hand, settles 
 the moot point of the exact date of his birth, which is variously given in the 
 encyclopaedias, and which is wrongly given even on his tombstone. 
 
 305 The General Pierce arrived with a cargo of ammunition, which the 
 Japanese did not permit to be landed because it was found to be too old 
 (Heusken, in G. Wagener, op. cit., p. 376). She left on Oct. 9th, bound for 
 Hongkong (L. B., vol. 1, p. 125). 
 
 306 Compare above, entry for Sept. 23, 1856, and note 300. 
 On Oct. 7th, Townsend Harris had an interview with the Governor of 
 Shimoda, at which he discussed the currency question. (L. B., vol. 1, p. 126.) 
 
 24O 
 
The Secretary of State and Russell & Co., 
 
 N. Dougherty of Shanghai, sending 
 
 P. M.Wetmore a bill for my salary 
 
 S. Drinker up to 30th ult. on 
 
 S. B. Drinker Baring & Co. for 
 
 Armstrong & Lawrence them to negotiate. 307 
 
 Wednesday, October 22, 1856. I have not been well 
 since the 17th of September. I am suffering from a 
 bad wound in my left foot caused by treading on a large 
 nail, and also from a total loss of appetite, want of sleep 
 and depression of spirits. 
 
 I attribute all but the wound to two causes : first, in- 
 ability to take exercise in the open air; and second, 
 smoking too much. The latter I must break off. As I am 
 now much better, I shall begin to go out for exercise and 
 
 r i) To the Secretary of State: Dispatch No. 16 (L. B., vol. i, pp. 124-25). 
 Townsend Harris reports that he has already made progress in the 
 matter of evaluating the dollar, which makes him feel sure that the 
 making of a commercial treaty is only a question of time. Furthermore, 
 the storm of Sept. 22nd proves that Shimoda is an unsafe harbor 
 and should be exchanged for another. 
 
 2) To S. Drinker: Acknowledged by letter dated Hongkong, Apr. 3 
 and 4, 1857 (L. & P., vol. 1, no. 62). 
 
 3) To S. B. Drinker: Mrs. Susannah Budd Drinker, whose maiden name 
 was Susannah Budd Shober. 
 
 4) To Armstrong & Lawrence: L. B., vol. 1, p. 124, which speaks of 
 finances and supplies. 
 
 Though not mentioned in the Journal, on this day Townsend Harris 
 wrote at least two more letters: 
 
 5) To the Governor of Shimoda (L. B., vol. 1, p. 126), going over the 
 ground covered during the interview of Oct. 7, 1856, and again main- 
 taining that the silver dollar was worth three silver ichibus; 
 
 6) To Captain H. H. Bell, in answer to one from him regarding the 
 poor quality of the coal that had been furnished the San Jacinto 
 (cf. L. B., vol. 1, p. 116, Townsend Harris to the Governor of Shi- 
 moda, Sept. 13, 1856; and see above, Journal for Sept. 15th, and note 
 297). We have not found this letter to Captain Bell. Both this lost 
 letter and Townsend Harris's letter to Captain Bell of Dec. 10, 1856 
 (likewise lost), are acknowledged by Captain Bell by letter dated 
 Whampoa, Jan. 10, 1857 (£• ® P»* v °l *» no « 54) • 
 
 24I 
 
hope to be in robust health again. The climate here is 
 delightful. 
 
 The thermometer since September 16th has not been 
 above 8o° nor below 6i° Fahrenheit. 
 
 The Japanese have three times sent me the flesh of 
 what they call a wild hog. 308 I find on examination that 
 it is the baibarossa, or hog deer of India and the Indian 
 Archipelago, and I am much surprised to find it so far 
 to the north. The flesh is peculiar. It is very tender, 
 juicy and of an excellent flavor. The taste is something 
 between delicate veal and the tenderloins of pork. I am 
 promised a full supply during the cold weather, which 
 will be a great relief to my housekeeping. The typhoon 
 destroyed all the grapes, but I have been well supplied 
 with a great variety of the persimmon, some as large as a 
 pippin and all of good quality. Chestnuts have also 
 been sent to me. 
 
 To-day a horse was brought to me to examine the 
 saddle, bridle, etc. They are queer affairs, but I have 
 ordered a horse and trappings to be sent to me from 
 Yedo, — not only for actual use, but to give me increased 
 importance in the eye of the natives. For the same reason 
 I have ordered a norimon. 
 
 The Japanese officials are daily becoming more and 
 more friendly and more open in their communications 
 with me. I hope this will grow and lead to good re- 
 sults by and by. 
 
 My poor pigeons have all been killed in one night by 
 
 308 See comment by Griffis, in Tonvnsend Harris, p. 71, note. 
 
 242 
 
my cat. I have sent up to Yedo for more. The itats, a 
 species of large weasel, is a sad enemy to my hencoops. 
 
 Thursday, October 23, 1856. A lovely day. The 
 weather is as balmy and mild as in New York in Oc- 
 tober, but we have no smoke or haze in the air, and at 
 night the thermometer does not fall below 6o°. Took a 
 walk of some five miles. The country is very beautiful — 
 is broken up in steep volcanic cones, but every possible 
 spot is terraced and cultivated like a garden. The labor 
 expended in cutting down the rock to form some of 
 these terraces is something wonderful. My walk led me 
 first to Vandalia Point, the most southeastern part of the 
 land. From this I had a view of the vast Pacific, and it 
 was a curious thought that, looking due south, there was 
 no land between me and Australia, some five thousand 
 miles! 
 
 Turning more to the eastward I saw the Island of 
 Oho Sima, 309 with its volcano smoking on its summit. The 
 day is almost calm, so the smoke arose like a mighty pil- 
 lar for thousands of feet. It then spread out forming a 
 vast white cloud. 
 
 This volcano has been in action for some centuries, 
 and occasionally treats us here to an earthquake, as it 
 did in December, 1853, 310 when a mighty wave rolled in 
 on Shimoda, encountering as it entered a flourishing 
 town of some eight thousand to ten thousand souls. When 
 the wave receded, it left only fourteen houses standing; 
 
 309 Oshima or O Shima (Great Island), also known as Vries Island. 
 310 A slip of the pen for Dec, 1854; see above, Journal for Aug. 21, 1856, and 
 note 267. 
 
 243 
 
all the rest, — temples, bazaars and a large number of 
 the inhabitants, — were swept into the bay by the reflux 
 of this mighty wave, which was said to have been thirty 
 feet high. Four times it returned, but the deed of de- 
 struction was perfected by the first one. I passed through 
 the village of Satora on the Yedo Bay, thence, through 
 another village back of Kakizaki whose name I do not 
 know, home. I saw to-day cherry, peach, pear and per- 
 simmon trees, grapevines, ivy, althea, — the last just put- 
 ting out new leaves. Blue privet — very pretty; many 
 ferns; pine trees in variety; cedar, spruce, fir and cam- 
 phor trees. Camellia Japonica forms the jungle here 
 and is cut for fuel. 
 
 I saw a few bushes of the common rose, but no flowers 
 were on them. Among flowers whose names I know I 
 found : blue bell, Canterbury ditto, Scotch thistle — the 
 first I ever saw in the East — heart's-ease, yellow sham- 
 rock, daisy and others whose forms are familiar but 
 whose names I do not know, and then many that were 
 strange to me. How much I wish I was a botanist. 
 
 The fine clear bracing air, the high cultivation you 
 see everywhere, combined with views which are of the 
 most picturesque kind and which are constantly chang- 
 ing, make a walk here a thing to be desired and long 
 remembered. 311 
 
 311 While Townsend Harris was thus living Arcadian days, events of gieat 
 importance were taking place in China. On Oct. 22nd, Captain Andrew Hull 
 Foote, of the U.S.S. Portsmouth, landed eighty of his men at the Canton Fac- 
 tories to protect Americans and their property; on the 23rd, British troops 
 were landed, and Sir Admiral Michael Seymour captured all the Canton Forts, 
 from the Bogue Forts up, took also the Factories, and demanded an interview 
 with Yeh. A few days later the walls of Canton were breached, and Captain 
 Foote issued a proclamation of American neutrality. For these and many other 
 
 244 
 
Friday, October 24, 1856. The Japanese brought me 
 the entire carcass of what I have supposed to be the 
 baibarossa, but it proves to be simply a wild hog. It has 
 seven molars on each side of the upper jaw, while the 
 baibarossa has only five. The incisors are not developed 
 scarcely at all, or have been broken off. The baibarossa 
 has four incisors on the upper jaw; again, the baibarossa 
 has two large tusks which protrude through the upper 
 jaw and sweep backwards in a curve which brings the 
 points nearly in contact with the skin just below the eye. 
 This boar had only small tusks in the lower jaw. 
 
 Walked to the top of the hill that overlooks the har- 
 bor, about one thousand feet high ; has a wooden cannon, 
 about twelve pounder, bore. It is strongly bound with 
 bamboo hoops from end to end, the hoops are close to- 
 gether. Here also are two old iron guns, nine pounders, 
 bearing the shield of the Dutch East India Company. 
 These guns are only for signals. A lookout house is 
 erected here and a guard is always here from daylight 
 to dark. It commands a vast range of vision, and a ship 
 could, in clear weather, be seen some twenty miles off. 
 
 On my return I met a mountain-priest, — one of a class 
 whose vow binds him to ascend all mountains he can 
 meet with. He bears a staff surmounted with a circle of 
 iron; within is a trident like that of Siva, four loose 
 rings are attached to the circle, two on each side. These 
 make a jingling noise when the priest shakes his staff. 
 
 stirring details of the capture of the Barrier Forts and of Canton, see the very 
 long letter by Captain Bell to Townsend Harris, written at Whampoa over a 
 series of days and dated Jan. 10, 18, 26, 28, Feb. 20, 25, 1857 (L. £f P., vol. 1, 
 no. 54). 
 
 245 
 
I get 4,800 of the small copper coin of Japan for one 
 dollar. Ten of these given to the priest produced a long 
 prayer and a great jingling of his rings. 
 
 The priest was of a good pleasant countenance and 
 very robust in appearance. 
 
 Saturday, October 25, 1856. The Vice-Governor 
 visited me to-day. He borrowed the Treaties of the 
 United States with Foreign Nations, for the purpose of 
 having it translated. It will be a heavy work for them, 
 as they will have to do it by means of a dictionary in 
 English and Dutch. 
 
 The two Kamis, who are Governors here, are to visit 
 me on Thursday next. I have visited the prison of Shi- 
 moda. It corresponds generally with Golownin's de- 
 scription of the prisons at Hakodate and Matsmai, 312 but 
 what he calls cages are simply cells made of squared 
 joists of timber, placed some three inches apart. I am 
 sure they are larger and not so solitary as the stone cells 
 in the prisons of the United States. Imprisonment as a 
 punishment for the Japanese is unknown. The punish- 
 ments are either death or whipping, and the accused is 
 only in prison until he can be tried. The Japanese code 
 is somewhat sanguinary. Death is inflicted for murder, 
 arson, burglary, grand larceny and for violent deport- 
 ment towards a father. 
 
 The parent cannot put his children to death; but, on 
 
 312 Wassily Michailovitsch Golownin, a Captain in the Russian Navy. The 
 reference is to his famous work: Memoirs of a Captivity in Japan during the 
 Years 1811, 1812, and 1813, with Observations on the Country and the People. 
 Second edition, in 3 vols., London, Henry Colburn & Co., 1824. There are, of 
 course, other editions. 
 
 246 
 
complaint of disobedience of his children, the govern- 
 ment will punish the child with whipping or death, ac- 
 cording to the nature of the offence. The Japanese de- 
 clare that infanticide of legitimate children is unknown 
 in Japan. In cases where the parents are too poor to bear 
 the incumbrance of an additional child, the government 
 makes an allowance to them for the purpose. Paupers are 
 placed with their relatives, and an allowance made for 
 their support; but, if the pauper goes out begging, the 
 allowance ceases. There is no law to prohibit begging, 
 and in fact it would be difficult to frame one in a coun- 
 try where all the priesthood, besides a large number of 
 monks, hermits and nuns, live solely on charity. There 
 were three prisoners in the jail awaiting trial: two for 
 gambling, and one for a small larceny. They were to be 
 tried to-day, and will either go home acquitted or else 
 well whipped to-night. Whipping is inflicted with a 
 small bamboo or rattan over the shoulders or back. The 
 Japanese cannot understand our imprisonment for pun- 
 ishment. They say for a man to be in a good house and 
 have enough of food and clothing cannot be a punish- 
 ment to a large portion of men, who only care for their 
 animal wants and have no self-respect; and, as they 
 never walk for pleasure, they cannot think it hard to be 
 deprived of wandering about. 313 
 
 313 On this day, also, Townsend Harris wrote to the Japanese Minister of 
 Foreign Affairs (L. B., vol. i, pp. 127-29), stating that he had a letter from 
 the President of the United States for the Emperor of Japan, and that he had 
 concluded to go to Yedo, accompanied by his secretary, Mr. Heusken. He fur- 
 ther requested that all necessary arrangements be made for this visit; sends a 
 Dutch translation of his Treaty with Siam, and makes the tempting statement 
 that, when in Yedo, he will inform the Japanese Government of the intentions 
 of the British Government toward Japan. 
 
 247 
 
Monday, October 27, 1856. A lovely day; bright, 
 clear sky and the thermometer at 72 . 
 
 Took a walk over the hills and up the valley of Shi- 
 moda, making a circuit of some ten miles, part of it on 
 the road to Yedo. This is simply a foot or bridle path 
 of some six to eight feet wide, and is only practicable on 
 foot or on horseback. Every new walk I take shows me 
 more and more of the patient industry of the Japanese, 
 and creates new admiration of their agriculture, while 
 the landscape from the top of the hills, overlooking 
 the terraces rising one above another like the steps of a 
 giant staircase and running over the rich fields of the 
 valley and terminating with a glimpse of the blue water 
 of the sea, forms a series of charming landscapes which 
 are well worthy the pencils of able artists. So far as 
 buildings or monuments are concerned, there is nothing 
 to mark the age of the country. 
 
 There are no venerable ivy-grown ruins, no temples 
 bearing the marks of the tooth of time on their stones. 
 The temples and houses are from necessity built from 
 wood or bamboo wattles plastered with clay, as a stone 
 edifice would be very dangerous in a country so fre- 
 quently visited with violent earthquakes. 
 
 In my rambles over the hills I have met with some 
 proofs that Shimoda has been settled for many centuries 
 — I mean in the stone quarries. The stone is a soft and 
 light colored sandstone which is easily wrought. 
 
 In many places you see the face of the quarry in a 
 smooth perpendicular wall of one hundred fifty to two 
 hundred feet high, cut down in quarrying the stones. 
 
 248 
 
The great number of these quarries, their vast size and 
 the fact that the debris in many places is covered with 
 trees of the largest size, all go to prove the antiquity of 
 the place. This stone is used for foundations, for flag- 
 ging, for ovens and cooking places; for tombstones, for 
 altars, for images, and, in fact, for all the purposes (ex- 
 cept houses) that stone can be applied [to]. I see that 
 some of it is shipped away to other places. 
 
 The cotton here is a second crop which springs up 
 just before the first is taken from the ground ; the stool 
 and bolls are small and the latter few in number, but the 
 staple is long, strong and fine. The hemp of Japan is 
 probably the best in the world. It is water rotted, and 
 for this purpose a small rivulet is dammed up to give 
 sufficient depth to immerse the hemp, which is neatly 
 put up in cylindrical bales of some thirty-two inches 
 long by fourteen in diameter. 
 
 There are quite a number of water mills on the prin- 
 cipal stream of Shimoda. They are driven by undershot 
 wheels, and are used for grinding rice, buckwheat, etc. 
 Rice being the staple food of the country is, of course, 
 the chief occupation of the mills. The water is sadly 
 mismanaged, and a small increase of labor would con- 
 vert many of the mills to an overshot power, but they 
 appear to be either ignorant of the difference of power, 
 or indifferent as to its application. 
 
 There are deer, wolves, hares and wild monkeys 
 among the hills of this place. 
 
 I was much moved to-day on finding in the woods 
 a bachelor's button. This humble flower, with its sweet 
 
 249 
 
perfume, brought up so many home associations that I 
 was inclined to be homesick, — i. e., miserable for the 
 space of an hour. I am trying to learn Japanese. I have 
 begun with some words to my servants and can give them 
 all the orders necessary for my attendance. 
 
 Tuesday, October 28, 1856. Another lovely day, 
 which I improved by walking some eight miles, skirting 
 the shores of the Bay of Shimoda, and from Vandalia 
 Point turning east until I came on the village of Sazaki, 
 — a very ancient place, to judge by the vast number of 
 heavy stone terraces for supporting temples, houses and 
 gardens. The aggregate labor is very great, and all this 
 among a village population of five hundred to six hun- 
 dred souls. Thence I walked over the hills, and so along 
 to the village of Satora on the Bay of Yedo. From here 
 we cross over to Kakizaki by a valley which runs en- 
 tirely across the peninsula, save a small hill just back of 
 my residence. In this route I passed through the village 
 of Wenoyama, celebrated for its terraces cut out of the 
 living rock. 
 
 I do not know what to think of the seasons here. 
 I have before mentioned that the althea was putting 
 out new leaves, being before completely bare. To- 
 day I found flowers on the tea shrub and also cherry 
 blossoms. 
 
 Found a new variety of heliotrope and mayflower 
 both in blossom, besides many flowers quite unknown to 
 me. To-day I saw a camellia Japonica grown into a 
 large tree. The boll was quite twelve inches in diameter, 
 and the tree thirty to forty feet high. 
 
 250 
 
I wish I could send bouquets of the wild flowers of 
 Japan to some of my female friends. 
 
 Neither flowers nor fruits appear to be cultivated 
 anywhere in this vicinity. The last crop of rice is now 
 being harvested, and they are planting sweet potatoes 
 on all the cotton grounds. We have had sweet potatoes 
 ever since the 21st of August. 
 
 The cotton boll of Japan is divided into three cells, 
 each containing three or four seeds, mostly four. 
 
 These rambles over this broken country, climbing the 
 steepest of possible hills, descending on a similar plane, 
 is improving my health very much. My appetite im- 
 proves and I begin to sleep better, though not as well as 
 I could wish. 
 
 Certainly a more genial climate than that of Shimoda, 
 so far, is not to be found in the world. All that is wanted 
 to make me quite happy is society. I hope when I have 
 made some further progress in the language I shall find 
 some pleasure in the society of the upper classes here. 
 By a law of Japan no high officer can invite me to his 
 house. 314 He may make friendly visits to me, but he can 
 
 314 Townsend Harris's comment proves that the relations between him and 
 the Japanese had developed to the point where a friendly visit to his home was 
 no longer a matter of idle speculation. In fact, only two days later — on Thurs- 
 day, Oct. 30, 1856 (see below) — he was visited by the two Governors of Shi- 
 moda, accompanied by the Vice-Governor. This was indeed a red-letter day; 
 for, as Treat says (Early Diplomatic Relations between the United States and 
 Japan, p. 59), on this day (Oct. 30, 1856) commenced "the process of instruc- 
 tion in Western affairs — beginning with an account of the coast-surveying 
 operations of the maritime powers." 
 
 An even more significant day, however, was Tuesday, Feb. 24, 1857; for, 
 on that day, Townsend Harris was at last freed from the regulation of having 
 to meet the high officers at the Shimoda Goyoshi, and was permitted to enter 
 on terms of parity the home of two Japanese Daimyo, the Governors of Shi- 
 moda — namely, Inouye, Shinano-no-Kami, and Okada, Bingo-no-Kami. (Cf. 
 also Journal for March 7, 1857.) 
 
 251 
 
only see me in return at the Goyoshi, a sort of "Hotel 
 de Ville" or City Hall. 
 
 Wednesday, October 2Q, 1856. The Japanese are 
 much surprised to see me bathing in cold water, and 
 particularly when the thermometer stands at 56 , as it 
 does this morning. 
 
 The Japanese are a clean people. Everyone bathes 
 every day. The mechanic, day laborer, all male and 
 female, old and young, bathe every day after their labor 
 is completed. There are many public bath houses in 
 Shimoda. The charge is six seni, or the eighth part of 
 one cent! The wealthy people have their baths in their 
 own houses, but the working classes all, of both sexes, 
 old and young, enter the same bathroom and there per- 
 form their ablutions in a state of perfect nudity. I can- 
 not account for so indelicate a proceeding on the part 
 of a people so generally correct. 
 
 I am assured, however, that it is not considered as 
 dangerous to the chastity of their females; on the con- 
 trary, they urge that this very exposure lessens the de- 
 sire that owes much of its power to mystery and diffi- 
 culty. 
 
 Toko Juro, one of my interpreters, says that Yedo 
 contains more than a million of houses, and that the 
 city is twenty-four Japanese ri in circumference. This 
 is more than fifty-eight miles, English measure. In my 
 walk to-day I visited a cove lying to the south of Shi- 
 moda, but quite secluded on a pretty cove [sic]. In front 
 of a decayed old temple (mia), I found two statues 
 bearing marks of a higher antiquity than anything I had 
 seen in Japan. 
 
 252 
 
The figures represent a short, thickset human being, 
 the lobes of the ears long and resting on the shoulders. 
 Most of the features were so much obliterated by time, 
 that it was difficult to determine whether they were 
 taken from Japanese, Chinese or Indian types. But the 
 most singular thing about them was that they were 
 shadowed by two cobras capello, — after the same man- 
 ner that Siva is so often represented in India. The tale 
 runs in India that one day Siva was about perishing 
 from excessive heat, no shelter or shade being obtain- 
 able; on a sudden, he felt a sense of grateful coolness 
 and a shadow was spread over him. On looking around 
 he discovered that two enormous cobras were standing 
 erect behind him; and, having spread or inflated their 
 hoods to the greatest possible extent, they approached 
 their heads together and then hung over him. For this 
 benevolent act the cobra became sacred to Siva and his 
 followers to this day. But no trace of any such worship 
 can be found in Japan, nor is the serpent known here. 
 
 The Japanese imperial flag is white, black and white 
 in horizontal stripes of equal width. 
 
 The national flag of Japan is an orange sun (without 
 rays) on a white field. 
 
 Thursday , October 30, 1856. This will be remem- 
 bered hereafter as an important day in the history of 
 Japan. The laws forbidding the Imperial Governor of a 
 city to visit any foreigner at his residence is to-day to be 
 broken, and I am to receive the two Governors, with the 
 Vice-Governor, in a friendly and informal way. 
 
 They arrived about noon with a large suite, but only 
 
 253 
 
four came into my private apartments with the two 
 Governors and Vice-Governor. These Governors are of 
 the highest rank of any men in Japan after the vassal 
 Princes, being no-Kami, — i. e., men so learned that noth- 
 ing can be taught them, and so sublimated in goodness 
 that they rank in name — Kami — with the demi-gods or 
 saints of Japan. This word — Kami — has a variety of 
 meanings, — e. g., demi-god, noble, paper and hair. 
 
 Moriama was the interpreter on the occasion. 
 
 The Governors were very anxious on the subject of 
 coast surveys, and inquired where Lieutenant Rodgers 315 
 was, whether he would return here to survey; whether 
 the American Government had given orders for any 
 new expedition to survey the coasts, etc., and if I knew 
 what the English intended doing in the matter of sur- 
 veys, etc., etc. 
 
 I told them that Lieutenant Rodgers had returned to 
 the United States, and that I did not know of any in- 
 tended expedition here for a similar purpose, and that 
 the English had no such squadron out here at present. 
 They wished me to promise to order off any vessels that 
 might come here for such a purpose, but I told them 
 that would be out of my power. I then informed them 
 that the United States Government and all the other 
 governments of the world expended large sums in sur- 
 
 315 Lieutenant John Rodgers, who was in command of the United States Sur- 
 veying Expedition to the North Pacific Ocean, consisting of the U.S.S. Vincennes, 
 the Fenimore Cooper, and the steamer Hancock. He was Midshipman, Apr. 
 18, 1828; Passed Midshipman, June 14, 1834; Lieutenant, Jan. 28, 1840; Com- 
 mander, Sept. 14, 1855; Captain, July 16, 1862; Commodore, June 17, 1863; 
 Rear-Admiral, Dec. 31, 1869; died May 5, 1882. (Edward W. Callahan, List 
 of Officers of the Navy of the United States ; T. H. S. Hamersly, General Reg- 
 ister; and Griffis, Townsend Harris, p. 81, note.) 
 
 254 
 
veying their coasts and harbors, and that those surveys 
 were published with charts so that any nation in the 
 world could have them; that the whole world was sur- 
 veyed except Japan; that these surveys made many 
 books, and that all shipmasters purchased these books 
 (for they were sold freely to all) before they went on 
 any voyage to a part of the world that was new to them; 
 that all this was done for the security of ships, it being 
 the great object of all civilized nations to encourage 
 commerce, which next to agriculture was the great 
 spring of prosperity of nations; that, for the same rea- 
 sons, both America and England (as well as other 
 nations) had hundreds of lighthouses on their coasts, 
 and the channels leading into their harbors were care- 
 fully marked out with buoys, etc., etc. All of this aston- 
 ished them much, and appeared to remove some of their 
 anxiety, although at the beginning they told me that it 
 was a matter of life and death to them, as they must per- 
 form the hara-kiri, or "happy dispatch" (suicide), if 
 the surveys went on. 
 
 Moriama has been fasting for some fifty days on this 
 account, but he was so much consoled by what I said that 
 he ate flesh most heartily. He thanked me warmly for 
 my friendly deportment towards them, and got down on 
 his knees and prayed fervently for my welfare. My com- 
 pany partook of my refreshments (which were prepared 
 in our manner) without any hesitation, and by their eat- 
 ing showed their approval. They drank punch, brandy, 
 whiskey, cherry bounce, champagne and cordials, but 
 the punch and champagne were their favorite drinks. 
 
 255 
 
The last Governor warmed entirely and showed him- 
 self (like the other Japanese) of a most genial temper. 
 They did not eat or drink to excess in any respect, and 
 their conduct during the whole visit was that of well- 
 bred persons. I made the second Governor a present of a 
 Colt's pistol of five discharges, with which he was much 
 pleased. After staying about four hours they took their 
 leave with abundant thanks for my hospitality. This 
 P. M. they brought me a leg of real venison. It is ex- 
 cellent, tender, juicy and well flavored. 
 
 Tuesday, November 4, 1856. Yesterday it rained 
 steadily all day and only cleared up at daylight this 
 morning. At eight A. M. we had an earthquake. It seemed 
 like a heavy blow, which shook the house as though some 
 ponderous thing had fallen, and was accompanied with 
 a corresponding sound. Two or three light vibrations 
 followed the great shock. The weather was clear and 
 calm, and the adjacent volcano on Oho Sima did not 
 show any increased action. 
 
 The sound and vibrations seemed to come from the 
 S. E. and proceed towards the N. W. Got my stove in 
 order. It is a poor affair; it will not draw. The plates 
 warped and cracked the first time a fire was kindled, 
 although only a handful of charcoal was put in. I have 
 now a smoky house, but luckily no scolding wife. 316 The 
 stove appears to be a patent one and made by Abbott & 
 Lawrence of Philadelphia. So miserable is it that 
 bituminous coals go out even when the blower is up. Let 
 
 sl6 See Proverbs, 10: 26 ',21:9 and 19. It may be added that Townsend Harris 
 never married. 
 
 256 
 
me avoid all the works of Abbott & Lawrence as I would 
 those of the evil one. A fine wild boar brought to me to- 
 day. I take the saddle. It is the best flesh meat in the 
 world!! 
 
 Wednesday, November $, 1 8 56. A lovely day, 
 superior to the American Indian summer, the sky clear 
 and blue and the air balmy. At midday the thermometer 
 stands in the shade at 62 to 65 . During the month of 
 October the average temperature taken at eight A. M., 
 noon, four P. M. and ten P. M. was as follows: mean, 
 6435/100; highest, 77 ; lowest, 51 . The weather was 
 as follows : 
 
 Heavy rain three days 
 
 Showery five " 
 
 Cloudy five " 
 
 Fine eighteen 
 
 Thirty-one days. 
 
 Walked to-day about five miles up the Valley of 
 Shimoda and nearly all the way by the banks of 
 Shimoda River, or creek, as we would call it in America. 
 I have no doubt from the size of the stream that the Val- 
 ley must continue some fifteen or twenty miles fur- 
 ther. The scenery is of the same character as heretofore 
 described in my previous walks. The hamlets are almost 
 continuous. You are never out of sight of a temple. The 
 people are now in the middle of the rice harvest; and, 
 except the rice fields, the ground is covered with green 
 crops. Most of the deciduous trees have lost their leaves, 
 but many of them are putting forth new ones. 
 
 257 
 
I saw to-day some specimens of artemisia, but not 
 equal to those of China. I do not see here any specimens 
 of flower gardens of which so much has been written by 
 Kaempfer and others. But this is a poor place, where all 
 are poor and have enough to do to live without looking 
 to the ornamental. 
 
 But they live comfortably, are well fed according to 
 their wants, and are abundantly clad, and their houses 
 are clean, dry, and comfortable. 
 
 In no part of the world are the laboring classes better 
 of! than at Shimoda. 
 
 Visited a hot sulphur spring about three miles from 
 Shimoda. A tank about twelve feet square, paved and 
 lined with stone, contains the water which bubbles out 
 between the interstices of the stone. The water is beau- 
 tifully clear, about three feet deep, and is about 150 
 Fahrenheit in temperature. Some few bubbles of gas 
 arise to the surface. The whole tank is covered with a 
 building, and is a favorite bath for the Shimodeans. No 
 charge is made for its use. It is held in high repute for 
 its medical properties in cutaneous and rheumatic affec- 
 tions. Rice is cleaned from the straw by a machine 
 exactly like the hetchel used for cleaning flax with us. 
 This is done by the women and children. They take a 
 small number of rice straws (not over thirty) , draw them 
 through the iron teeth which stand upright on a board. 
 They are six inches long and they are usually some 
 twelve in number. The straw is drawn once or twice 
 through these iron teeth, which effectually strips every 
 grain of paddy from the straw. 
 
 258 
 
The process is a slow one, but the straw is of more 
 value than time; and, as the former is uninjured by this 
 process, it is not likely the Japanese would adopt a more 
 rapid process, if the straw would be injured thereby. 
 
 Thursday, November 6, l8$6. The thermometer at 
 eight A. M. stood at 50 , being the lowest point it has 
 reached as yet. 
 
 I still continue my cold baths, much to the amazement 
 of the Japanese. 
 
 Walked to-day around the point "Vandalia" to 
 Suzaki, thence over the hills to Satora and home. Lovely 
 weather. Saw many blossoms on the cherry trees. Saw 
 some fine specimens of camphor trees. They grow wild 
 about the hills of Shimoda. 
 
 Friday, November J, 1856. Two hours of dirty 
 work with my wretched stove. Happily I cannot make it 
 worse by any experiments I may try with it, and some 
 lucky hit may improve it. 
 
 Went in a boat to a sand beach about three miles south 
 from Shimoda, where I landed, and then had a fine 
 ramble over the hills and through the valleys. What a 
 field for an artist! Every half mile gives a new view 
 well worth drawing. The weather is balmy, clear and 
 pleasant. 
 
 As usual the hamlets are most numerous in every val- 
 ley or cove along the shore. Saw a village called Kisami 
 or "the place of assured assistance." Saw some new 
 varieties of artemisia. The Japanese name of this flower 
 is keraye. 
 
 The sandstone is curiously hollowed out by the action 
 
 259 
 
of the water in every place around here, and the Jap- 
 anese have aided nature by cutting out stones for use 
 from these places; thus, in the course of time, curious 
 grottoes, caves or chapels are created, — and they are 
 sometimes used as mias or small temples, at others as 
 receptacles for fuel, boat gear, etc., etc. The general 
 formation is either lava, sandstone, or else a conglom- 
 erate or pudding stone, composed of the debris of 
 various rock, lava, sand and alumine, — the whole 
 cemented so as to form a compact stone. It is the con- 
 tents of craters which have been vomited forth by the 
 projectile force of steam, gas or whatever composes 
 that terrible force in volcanoes. 
 
 Saturday, November Q, 1856. 317 The Russian Cor- 
 vette Olivuzza, Commodore Possiet and Commander 
 Korsacoff. 318 She brought with her a schooner built by 
 the Russians at the River Amur for the Japanese, and is 
 a present, as I understand. 319 The schooner is built on 
 the same lines as the one before seen by me, and makes 
 an aggregate of five schooners (all on the same model) 
 now owned by the Japanese. 
 
 Commodore Possiet is the bearer of the Ratified 
 Treaty made with Japan and will probably remain here 
 
 317 The correct date is Saturday, Nov. 8, 1856. 
 
 318 Townsend Harris was very careless in the spelling of proper names, even 
 in the case of Mr. Heusken, his own private secretary. The names of the two 
 Russian officers were Captain Constantine Possiet (of the Olivuzza) and Cap- 
 tain W. Rimsky Korsacoff — captains of the first and the second rank in the 
 Imperial Navy, respectively. 
 
 319 Similarly, in commemoration of the Treaty between Great Britain and 
 Japan (concluded Thursday, Aug. 26, 1858), Lord Elgin, in the name of Queen 
 Victoria, presented the Tycoon with a charming little screw yacht of 318 tons 
 and mounting six guns, called the Emperor. The Japanese later renamed her 
 the Dragon. 
 
 260 
 
some weeks. 320 I went on board the corvette soon after 
 she anchored, and was much pleased with the officers. 
 The corvette is a poor affair, old in age and older in 
 model. She is armed with old-fashioned carronades, and 
 looks to me like one of the old ships of the Russian 
 American Company, 321 although she now wears the im- 
 perial flag. I was not saluted by the corvette. I also went 
 on board the schooner. She has a pretty cabin, very 
 handsomely furnished; has oilcloth on the floor, tables 
 of fine woods, and the hangings are of mazarine blue 
 velvet. 
 
 She is commanded by Lieutenant Kolaxaltsoff. I pre- 
 sume she is intended as a present on the exchange of rati- 
 fications. 
 
 320 The Treaty between Russia and Japan had been signed at Shimoda by 
 Admiral Poutiatine, on Feb. 7, 1855 (Russian style: Jan. 26th; Japanese style: 
 21st day, 12th month, 1st year of Ansei). Ratifications were exchanged at 
 Shimoda on Dec. 7, 1856. For the French text of this Treaty and of the Ex- 
 planatory Articles accompanying it, see John Harrington Gubbins, The Prog- 
 ress of Japan, pp. 235-39. 
 
 While Admiral Poutiatine was negotiating the Russian Treaty early in 1855, 
 Commander H. A. Adams of the Powhatan (who had returned from the United 
 States with the ratified Perry Treaty) was likewise negotiating with the Jap- 
 anese authorities, and the Ratifications of the Perry Treaty (concluded Mar. 
 31, 1854) were exchanged at Shimoda on Feb. 21, 1855 — exactly two weeks 
 after Japan had concluded the Treaty with Russia. The Shogunate, therefore, 
 was fast accumulating a great deal of valuable experience in dealing with 
 foreign diplomats. These earlier dealings, indeed, constituted a preliminary 
 course to the thorough-going and long-continued instruction they were about 
 to receive over a series of years from the American Townsend Harris — the 
 first representative of any country to be accredited to the Island Empire. 
 
 321 This is a reference to the Russian American Fur Company, established 
 in the reign of Catherine II. All the islands lying between Kamchatka and the 
 then Russian part of the Northwest Coast of America were granted to them 
 in perpetuity. The principal depot of the Company was Alexandria (on Kodiak 
 Island), so named after Alexander I, who had greatly extended the privileges 
 of the Company and had declared himself their immediate patron. 
 
 Many of the early contacts between Japan and Russia are linked with 
 the names of Resanoff, Chwostoff, Davidoff, etc., and with this Company's 
 pursuit of the fur trade; similarly, our own early contacts with Japan were 
 due to the American seaman's pursuit of the whale. 
 
 26l 
 
Commodore Possiet promised me a copy of the Rus- 
 sian Treaty with Japan, 322 and, in return, I am to give 
 him the American and [the] Dutch Treaties with J apan, 
 and the Treaty with Siam which I made when at 
 Bangkok. 323 
 
 The Japanese have excellent provisions for watching 
 fire, although the appliances for extinguishing it are not 
 so good. In every street of length, there is a small build- 
 ing occupied by the fire police, who perambulate the 
 streets in turn from dark to daylight, and they warn the 
 people to be cautious about fire by striking two pieces of 
 bamboo or some resonant wood together; and, on hear- 
 ing this noise, all are reminded to be careful. Doeff 324 
 says that once, when he was in Yedo, a fire broke out 
 which burned over ground 9 miles long by i^ miles 
 wide, equal to I3>4 square miles, equal to 8,640 acres 
 
 322 Which Townsend Harris received on Nov. nth. 
 
 323 The American Treaty referred to was the one concluded by Commodore 
 Perry on Friday, Mar. 31, 1854. 
 
 The American Treaty with Siam was concluded by Townsend Harris at 
 Bangkok on Thursday, May 29, 1856. 
 
 At the time Townsend Harris penned these words, there were only two 
 agreements between The Netherlands and Japan: 
 
 1 ) A preliminary Convention, concluded by Jan Hendrik Donker Curtius, 
 and signed at Nagasaki on Nov. 9, 1855. (English Text in J. H. Gub- 
 bins, The Progress of Japan, pp. 245-50; some good notes and re- 
 marks, in J. M. Tronson, Personal Narrative of a Voyage to Japan, 
 etc., pp. 47-5 1. ) 
 
 2) A Treaty of Commerce, likewise signed at Nagasaki, on Jan. 30, 1856 
 (Gubbins, op. cit., pp. 250-55). 
 
 324 Hendrik Doeff, Warehouse Master and Superintendent (Opperhoofd) at 
 different times, from 1799 to 1817, of the Dutch Factory on the Island of 
 Deshima, in the Harbor of Nagasaki. His memoirs were published under the 
 title: Herinneringen vit Japan, Haarlem, 1835, 4to. 
 
 The great fire at Yedo here referred to and described by Doeff broke out 
 on Apr. 22, 1806, at 10 A. m.: Charles MacFarlane, Japan, p. 349; Richard 
 Hildreth, Japan and the Japanese, pp. 447, 451-52; Quarterly Review, July, 
 1836 (vol. 56), p. 420. 
 
 262 
 
American measure. In American cities, where the lots 
 are larger than in Japan, this extent of ground, after 
 taking out the streets, would give the enormous aggre- 
 gate of 1,038,800 building lots! (120 lots to the acre.) 
 Now, supposing only half the number of lots were built 
 on and allowing only 5 persons to each building, it 
 would give the astounding number of 2,597,000 per- 
 sons who were rendered houseless by this fire. 
 
 All the accounts I can gather of the extent and popula- 
 tion of Yedo are so extravagant that I cannot give them 
 credence. The Government of Japan carefully conceals 
 all the statistics of population, agriculture, commerce, 
 manufactures, and of the military. I am, however, con- 
 vinced that what is called Yedo covers, or rather in- 
 cludes, a greater extent of ground in its enceinte than 
 any city of the world ; but whether this space is all built 
 on or not I cannot decide. 
 
 Monday, November 10, 1856. The Russian officers, 
 — Captain of the First Rank Possiet (he is not Commo- 
 dore), Captain of the Second Rank Korsacoff, and 
 Lieutenant KolaxaltsofT, — I find them very agreeable 
 persons and very friendly. 
 
 We had much conversation about Japanese affairs, 
 but nothing worthy of particular note except that the 
 ratification of the American Treaty was not signed by 
 the Ziogoon, or, as we [call] him, the Emperor, but by 
 the Chief of the Government. The ratification stated, in 
 terms, that it was signed by the Chief by the express 
 order of the Ziogoon. 
 
 I learn that the Ziogoon has written two letters to the 
 
 263 
 
King of Holland, and Captain Possiet informs me that 
 within the last eighteen months the Japanese officials 
 have written nearly fifty letters to the Russians. 
 
 The Captain promises to loan me a barometer and 
 some other instruments until mine arrive from Hong- 
 kong, and I am to turn them over to the Russian Consul 
 who is expected to arrive here next spring. I am told 
 the Russian Consul for Japan speaks English very well, 
 and that he is very friendly to the Americans. I am in- 
 clined to think he will bring a family with him. 
 
 After the foregoing, I had a visit from three of the 
 young gentlemen of the ship. I am very much pleased 
 with them; their dress was neat, and their address 
 superior. 
 
 Tuesday, November II, 1856. Captains Possiet and 
 Korsacoff, the Lieutenant commanding the schooner, 
 and three other young officers dined with me to-day. 
 Previous to this I had a visit from two of the young 
 officers. They spoke French very well. I never passed a 
 more agreeable evening. The Russians behaved like 
 polished men of the world, and at my table they did not 
 merit the charge so often brought against them of being 
 hard drinkers. They ate with good appetites (and my 
 dinner was both good and abundant), and took their 
 wine in moderation. I do think the same number of 
 American or English officers would have drunk twice 
 the quantity of wine the Russians did. Captain Possiet 
 informed me that the Vice-Governor told him that he 
 wished him not to pay any money at present, for that 
 the American Consul General had made a demand on the 
 
 264 
 
Government to have a just value put on the dollar, and 
 that they expected a favorable answer in a few days. 
 
 Captain Possiet brought me a copy of the Russian 
 Treaty with Japan, which I have had translated from 
 the Dutch (he gave me a Dutch translation), and shall 
 send it to the Secretary of State. 
 
 My company left me at an early hour, say half-past 
 nine, and went on board. It was a glorious night, with a 
 bright moon and clear, blue sky. 
 
 Wednesday, November 12, 1 8 56. I was starting from 
 my house to visit the Russians, when the sound of the 
 corvette's guns told me that the Governors of Shimoda 
 were visiting the ship. I therefore went over to the 
 Goyoshi which is opened in a temple just behind 
 Rioshen, and examined the wares they have opened for 
 the Russians. I saw some new things, and a greater 
 quantity of articles with the fine rattan work. 
 
 I told them they would do well to have some bronze 
 articles, some fine porcelain, and some of their prettiest 
 toys against the arrival of another American ship, as 
 those things would be liked by the officers. 
 
 I went on board the corvette a little after four P. M. 
 (the Japanese having previously left). Captain Possiet 
 kindly offered me one of the boats of the Diana as a 
 present. I thanked him for his kind offer, but the boats 
 are all too heavy for my use, as none of them pulls less 
 than six oars. I told the two Captains my washman should 
 wash their linen for them, if they would send it on shore, 
 as the Japanese do not know how to wash. I also said 
 that I was sorry I could not offer the same compliment to 
 
 265 
 
all of the officers, but my washman had no assistance. 
 
 Captain Possiet is to send men on shore to set up the 
 rigging and stays of my flagstaff in the morning. He also 
 promises me some potatoes and spirits of turpentine, 
 neither of which is to be had in Shimoda. 
 
 Captain Possiet said the Japanese had again to-day 
 referred to the money question, and repeated that they 
 soon expected a favorable answer. 
 
 The Japanese all say that their country must sooner 
 or later [be] opened to foreign commerce, and that they 
 are anxious to have the period arrive. 
 
 Thursday, November 13, 1856. The Russians came 
 on shore this morning early to arrange my flagstaff. The 
 Captain Possiet made me a visit quite alone. He desires 
 that our visits should be without ceremony, and as be- 
 tween friends; that I should make myself at home with 
 him, and he will do the same with me. All this I was 
 quite willing to accede to. We had much conversation 
 about the harbor of Shimoda, its insecurity, its small 
 size, the incapacity of Shimoda to furnish supplies even 
 to one ship-of-war, and the total absence of a commercial 
 population. We agreed on the absolute necessity of an 
 exchange of Shimoda for another port. 
 
 Captain Possiet gave me a copy of a letter he wrote, 
 by order of Admiral Poutiatine, after the wreck of the 
 Diana frigate, 325 on the subject of the harbor of 
 Shimoda, to the Japanese authorities. 
 
 325 The Diana was the Russian frigate in which Admiral Poutiatine had come 
 to Shimoda to negotiate his Treaty with Japan (concluded Feb. 7, 1855; see 
 above). 
 
 The Western Pacific Ocean, at the end of 1854, was the scene of tremendous 
 
 266 
 
Captain Possiet informs me that, had the Diana not 
 met with her misfortune, she would have examined a 
 number of harbors on the east coast of Japan, and he is 
 of opinion that an exchange would have been made of 
 Shimoda for some more eligible place. The Russian 
 
 disturbances — from Japan to the Bonin Islands (see the letter by Messrs. Reed 
 and Dougherty to the editor of the San Francisco Herald, reprinted in the 
 New York Herald of Oct. 15, 1855, p. 1, coll. 5-6). 
 
 The Harbor of Shimoda was visited by a terrible storm which lasted from 
 Dec. 13 to Dec. 18, 1854, and which left the Diana almost a complete wreck. 
 The even worse earthquake which shook Japan on Dec. 23, 1854 (a week later) 
 hopelessly crippled not only the Diana, but the entire village of Shimoda and 
 its harbor, rendering the latter absolutely unfit as an anchorage. (For a splen- 
 did description of this storm, see Captain Sherard Osborn, A Cruise in Jap- 
 anese Waters, 2nd ed., pp. 107-11; David Murray, The Story of Japan, p. 8, 
 note 3; and Kinse Shiriaku — translated by Sir E. M. Satow, ed. 1873 — p. 51. 
 The latest description of this storm and earthquake written prior to Townsend 
 Harris's arrival at Shimoda, is by the American Commander H. A. Adams, 
 in Perry's Narrative, 33-2, S. Ex. Doc, no. 79, vol. 2 — in Serial no. 770 — 
 p. 210.) 
 
 A few references to the subsequent fortune of these shipwrecked Russian*, 
 give a clear insight into the dangers of travel in those days. After the storm, 
 the Diana foundered at sea as she was being towed around to Toda (or 
 Hey-da) Bay for repairs (Satow, Cambridge Modern History, vol. 11, p. 
 830). The Japanese of Shimoda immediately gave their willing aid to the 
 Russians in building a new ship, the Heda, in which the latter planned to 
 return to Russia (Mechnikov, L Empire Japonais, vol. 4, p. 649). 
 
 In the meantime, our enterprising Americans, Messrs. Reed and Dougherty, 
 had, immediately upon hearing of the conclusion of the Perry Treaty, chartered 
 the schooner Caroline E. Foote, and had loaded her with all manner of ship 
 chandlery, intending to carry full supplies for the American whale ships 
 which (they thought) would immediately flock to, and pass the winter at, the 
 splendid port of Hakodate — the opening of which was provided for in the 
 Perry Treaty. The C. E. Foote sailed from Honolulu on February 13, 1855, and 
 arrived at Shimoda on March 15th. There they found the shipwrecked Admiral 
 Poutiatine, Captain Possiet, and the rest of the officers and crew of the Diana. 
 The date for the opening of Hakodate was still in the future; and so, after 
 some negotiations, the cargo was landed; and the Foote, having been chartered 
 to the Russians, sailed for Petropaulowski with Admiral Poutiatine and other 
 officers and men of the crew. (New York Herald, morning ed., Monday, Oct. 
 15, 1855, p. 1.) 
 
 Later, the brig Greta (Mr. Luhdorf, supercargo), of the Bremen Free State, 
 visited Shimoda, and the rest of the officers and men of the Diana sailed away 
 in her. On Aug. 1, 1855 (during the Crimean War, that is to say), they were 
 captured by the English man-of-war Barracouta when near their destination, 
 and were finally taken to Ayan, in Siberia, which had recently been taken 
 by the English from the Russians. (J. M. Tronson, Personal Narrative of a 
 Voyage to Japan, etc., pp. 139-43* 146-47, 227; and Henry Arthur Tilley, 
 Japan, the A moor and the Pacific, p. 222.) 
 
 267 
 
sailors finished work on my flagstaff about four P. M., 
 when they left. I gave them a dinner, with plenty of 
 brandy and tea, and I gave one dollar to each of the 
 five men who were employed in the work. 326 
 
 This evening Captain Possiet sent me a bag of 
 Hakodate potatoes, about one picul in weight. A great 
 addition to my housekeeping. 
 
 Friday, November 1 4, 1856. I dined with Mr. 
 Heusken on board the Corvette Olivuzza. 327 Captain 
 Possiet gave me a salute of thirteen guns, although by 
 the rules of the Russian service a consul general is 
 saluted with eleven guns. Captain Possiet told me that 
 he gave me thirteen guns so that I should not receive 
 less than he gave the Japanese Governor of Shimoda. 
 
 I passed a very agreeable evening. The more I see of 
 the Russian officers the more I am pleased with them. 
 They are polished in manner and exceedingly well in- 
 formed. There is scarcely one of them that does not 
 speak two or more languages. 
 
 They speak in high terms of French generals and 
 soldiers. They say the first have skill equal to any in 
 the world, and the last are unsurpassed in military 
 courage and enthusiasm. The English, on the contrary, 
 they put directly opposite : generals without skill, and 
 men without one of the prerequisites of a soldier, except 
 mere bulldog courage; that to deprive an English army 
 
 326 L. B., vol. 1, p. 135: "Paid to 5 Russian sailors for setting up flagstaff, 
 $5." (This memorandum is, however, dated Nov. 15th.) 
 
 327 Townsend Harris must have enjoyed this dinner heartily; for, writing 
 to Commodore Possiet the next day, he complained of a headache caused by 
 his overeating (L. B., vol. 1, p. 129). 
 
 268 
 
OF THE 
 UNIVERSE OF ILLINOIS 
 
of its full supply of food and comfortable quarters is to 
 demoralize it; that an English soldier dreads an attack 
 on his belly more than a blow aimed at his head. A 
 current remark at Sebastopol during the siege was that 
 A or B had been out on so many occasions of sorties; 
 the question was instantly asked against which force? 
 If against the English, the querist would shrug his 
 shoulders and say, "That was nothing"; but if against 
 the French, he would say, "Oh! then [he] had some- 
 thing to do." 
 
 Constant conversations are held by Captain Possiet 
 with the Japanese on the subject of finally and fully 
 opening Japan to the commerce of the world. All agree 
 that it is only a question of time, and Moriama Yen- 
 osky 328 goes so far as to place it less than three years 
 distant. 
 
 All these things will help to prepare the way for me 
 in my attempt to make a treaty which shall at once 
 open Japan (at different dates for different ports) to 
 our commerce. 
 
 I left the ship about eight P. M.; a bright moon 
 shining; and a fresh breeze from the N. E. brought 
 the thermometer down to 50 Fahrenheit. 
 
 Saturday, November 1 5, l8$6. Wrote a chit to 
 Captain Possiet sending him a few pounds of coffee, 
 a Siamese sarong, and specimens of the three silver 
 
 328 The name of this historic interpreter is variously spelled. William S. 
 Lewis and Naojiro Murakami, in their very beautiful and scholarly work, 
 Ranald MacDonald (publ. by The Eastern Washington State Historical So- 
 ciety, Spokane, Wash., 1923), use both Moriyama Einosuke and Murayama 
 Ycanoske. 
 
 269 
 
coins of Siam which are circulated in that country. 329 
 I also sent a set of coins to Captain Korsacoff, — viz., 
 one tical, one salung, one fuang. 
 
 I am glad to find anything I can present to the Rus- 
 sians as a small return for their favors to me. 
 
 In the afternoon, was visited by Captain Korsacoff 
 and the surgeon of the corvette. This afternoon the 
 Japanese brought me two small dogs, which are very 
 fine ones. 330 They have the round, bullet-shaped head, 
 short nose and large protuberant eyes of "King Charles 
 spaniels," but the ears are small and short, and the hair 
 on them is also short, otherwise they resemble those 
 dogs closely, and I do not doubt they are the original 
 stock from which those spaniels were bred. 
 
 Sunday, November 16, 1856. I regularly read the 
 service of the Protestant Episcopal Church of the 
 United States every Sunday. 331 I am probably the first 
 
 329 L. B., vol. z, pp. 129-30, which, in addition to the information given in 
 the Journal, also thanks the Commodore for his hospitality on board the 
 Olivuzza the night before. 
 
 While these social pleasantries were going on at Shimoda, the British were 
 haying trouble with Yeh, the Chinese Commissioner at Canton. Also the 
 United States Squadron was fired upon (Nov. 15, 1856), and in the following 
 days Commodore James Armstrong silenced the Barrier Forts on the river 
 between Whampoa and Canton. (The best and most minute description of 
 the American action on this occasion is the very long letter — still unpublished 
 — to Townsend Harris by Captain H. H. Bell, of the U.S.S. San Jacinto: L. 
 & P., vol. 1, no. 54.) 
 
 330 These dogs Townsend Harris forthwith named Yedo and Miako, in 
 honor of the two capitals of Japan — that of the Shogun and that of the Em- 
 peror, respectively. These names, as well as a longer description of the dogs 
 themselves, are given by Townsend Harris in a letter to Miss Drinker: see the 
 Janvier Letters and Papers, folder 2, letter no. 1, in the Manuscripts Division 
 of the New York Public Library. 
 
 331 The writer has seen the Prayer Book used by Townsend Harris while in 
 Japan. It has been rebound in red morocco. On one of the flyleaves in 
 the front of the book, and on the left-hand side, is written "Townsend Harris, 
 New York," in Townsend Harris's own handwriting. On the same page, and. 
 
 27O 
 
resident of Japan who ever used that service. How long 
 will it be before that same service will be used in Japan 
 in consecrated churches? 
 
 It is to me one of the pregnant facts that grow up 
 daily under my observation, and which are the natural 
 result of my residence here in a protected capacity. 
 
 The Japanese brought me this evening the finest 
 specimen of a male golden pheasant I ever saw. I shall 
 measure it to-morrow. Beak to end of tail feathers, 
 forty-four inches; tail, thirty inches; wings from tip 
 to tip (across body), twenty-six inches. 332 
 
 Monday, November IJ, 1856. The Japanese 
 brought me a very extraordinary production. It is a 
 stone about six inches by three inches of irregular form, 
 having some six pipes standing perpendicularly on it, 
 somewhat like a coral formation, and out of these pipes 
 spring bunches of what appear stiff horsehair, or rather 
 like strong spun glass. This substance is of a snowy 
 whiteness, is elastic and quite strong. I supposed at first 
 it was artificial; but, on examination, I found it to be 
 natural. 
 
 On putting the fibers into the flame of a candle, they 
 fly into minute pieces with some little noise. The pieces 
 sparkle to the eye, no smell accompanies the burning; 
 
 underneath the above, there is another entry, stating that the book was the 
 property of Mrs. Helen Kearny Harris Vreeland, grandniece of Townsend 
 Harris. This precious Prayer Book of the man who (to use his own words) 
 was "probably the first resident of Japan who ever used that service" was 
 (in 1927) in the possession of Mrs. Henry Devereux Whiton (nee Gwendolen 
 Whiton Harris), of Glen Cove, Long Island. 
 
 332 This pheasant was destined to be the piece de resistance at the dinner 
 which Townsend Harris gave to Commodore Possiet and his officers on the 
 night of Wednesday, Nov. 19th (L. B., vol. 1, p. 131). 
 
 271 
 
the remainder is hard, gritty and quite like minute 
 particles of lime. The Japanese name for it is hoszuki — 
 horsehair shell. 
 
 I should have noted before that the fibers are from 
 twelve to eighteen inches in length, and the sockets from 
 which the bunches spring are some five inches high; 
 but the Japanese tell me that when taken out of the sea 
 the tube covers all the fiber, except about one inch, and 
 that they remove a part of it to show the beauty of the 
 fiber. I am inclined to think this an entirely new marine 
 production. I knpw it is a very beautiful one. The 
 Japanese say it is found in the Bay of Yedo near Ura- 
 gawa, but I place but little reliance on their statements. 
 
 The Governor has sent special word to the village 
 of Satora that all should go to work to procure me 
 specimens of the marsupial fish, which is said to be 
 found there. 333 
 
 Tuesday, November 18, 1 8 56. I wrote to the Gov- 
 ernor yesterday urging a reply to my letters on the 
 subject of the currency. 334 To-day the Vice-Governor, 
 a high official, and my old friend Moriama Yenosky, 
 came to visit me. They apologized for their long ab- 
 
 333 On this day, Townsend Harris also wrote the following letters: 
 
 1) To Commodore Possiet, inviting him, Captain Korsacoff, and four 
 other officers (to include the surgeon) to dinner on the night of the 
 19th, at 6 p. m. (L. B., vol. 1, p. 131) ; 
 
 2) Two letters to Secretary William L. Marcy, both on financial mat- 
 ters (L. B., vol. 1, p. 156, Dispatch No. 17; and ib., pp. 155-56, Dis- 
 patch No. 18). 
 
 334 L. B., vol. 1, pp. 130-31, in which Townsend Harris emphasizes the fact 
 that his former two letters on the currency question (dated Sept. 25th and 
 Oct. 9th) are still unanswered; and, considering the time elapsed, he hopes 
 that he may soon be in a position to inform his Government of the favorable 
 settlement of this vexed question. 
 
 272 
 
sence saying the arrival of the Russians had kept them 
 much occupied, etc., etc. They brought me a cage con- 
 taining six pretty tame pigeons, a present from the 
 Governor, and they told me that he had written to Yedo 
 expressly for them, as they are scarce in Japan. 
 
 I knew the visit of ceremony and the present were 
 all a pretence, and that something else was behind, and 
 a short time brought it out. 
 
 They (as if casually) said my letter of yesterday to 
 the Governor had been at once forwarded to Yedo by a 
 "Special Post"; and that, as soon as an answer was re- 
 ceived, the Governor would let me know it. I told them 
 I was happy to see them at all times, but I could not 
 consent to receive verbal answers to, or notices of, my 
 written communications. I told them that I knew that 
 the Ziogoon had written at least two letters to the King 
 of Holland; that the high officers of Japan had written 
 more than thirty letters to the Russians, within the last 
 two years ; and that numerous letters had been written 
 also to Captain Fabius of the Dutch Steam Frigate 
 Medusa when he was here. 335 
 
 That I could not consent to be treated with less for- 
 mality than they had shown to the Russians and Dutch, 
 and therefore I must insist on written answers to my 
 letters. 
 
 Wednesday, November IQ, 1856. Commodore 
 Possiet, his First Lieutenant, Surgeon and two junior 
 officers dined with me. Captain Korsacoff could not 
 come, as both he and the First Lieutenant cannot both 
 
 835 See above, entry for Oct i, 1856. 
 
 273 
 
leave the ship at the same time. I had a nice dinner, and 
 the party was a very pleasant one. The Commodore 
 says that the Japanese only give 1,500 seni among them- 
 selves for the ichibu, while they allow 1,600 to 
 foreigners. The Russian ruble is taken by them at 1,200 
 seni — the same ratio as the dollar at 1,600. 
 
 Thursday, November 20, 1856. The Russians send 
 me two barometers, but they are only marked for 730 
 millimeters, a little over twenty-eight inches, conse- 
 quently of no use except when the height of mountains 
 is to be measured. 
 
 The Commodore sends me as a present a new kind of 
 thermometer — on the principle of the expansion and 
 contraction of metals by heat and cold. It is in the form 
 of a large sized watch, and both back and front are 
 covered with a thick plate of glass. The metal acts on 
 the small end of a quadrant, fixed on a pivot, and the 
 periphery is cut into ratchet teeth which work a cog- 
 wheel, moving a needle indicator. It is graduated for 
 Reaumur, Centigrade and Fahrenheit. It is one of the 
 prettiest things of the kind I ever saw. Made by Richter 
 at St. Petersburg. I am informed that the horsehair 
 shell is only found in detached tubes. These the Jap- 
 anese fasten together in clusters on a stone so naturally 
 that it is almost impossible to detect it on a close 
 examination. 
 
 Friday, November 21, 1856. Busy in writing letters 
 to go by the corvette. 838 Captain Korsacoff visited me. 
 
 336 Sorae of the letters bearing the date of the 21st were: 
 
 1) L. B., vol. 1, pp. 132-33, to Commodore Possiet, returning thanks for 
 the thermometer and the two barometers received the day before; 
 
 274 
 
Wants me to cash some bills for them. This I cannot do, 
 but offer to lend him $1,000 to be returned at Hong- 
 kong on the corvette's reaching that place, to my agents 
 Armstrong & Lawrence. 
 
 The Japanese sent me yesterday some singing birds 
 which I asked for about the ioth of September — so 
 long does it take them to determine whether any new 
 demand of mine shall be granted or refused. The birds 
 are a pair of canaries, of course these are exotic birds, 
 although they now breed them in Japan; a pair of bull- 
 finches; a pair of birds much like a small sparrow in 
 form, but the tail is very short, plumage a mixture of 
 yellow, green and black; and a curious bird called the 
 mountain bird. Its plumage is very pretty, has a black 
 hood, a mask and ruff of tawny, wings a bright steel 
 and black, breast a dull red, or rather Spanish brown. 
 Its bill is long and sharply pointed. It feeds on hard 
 seed, and in breaking the shell it makes a constant noise 
 like the hammering of a woodpecker. As the cages are 
 too small I ordered new ones made. To-day I am told 
 that three of the four cages wanted must be procured 
 from Yedo, as they cannot be made in Shimoda. I 
 ordered some four quires of a soft cheap paper for 
 waste, blotting, etc., etc., and to-day I am told that the 
 
 2) L. B., ib., p. 134, to Armstrong & Lawrence at Hongkong, praising 
 the climate of Shimoda and giving them an order for household 
 supplies and sundries (for the list of these, cf., ib., pp. 189-90) ; 
 
 3) And, most important of all, a very long letter to Catharine Ann 
 Drinker, who many years later married Mr. Thomas Allibone Jan- 
 vier. In this letter Townsend Harris describes the climate, the geog- 
 raphy, and the people of Shimoda, and gives lengthy extracts from 
 his own Journal. Above all, he describes his house — the first Ameri- 
 can Consulate in Japan. (See the Janvier Letters and Papers, 
 folder 2, letter no. 1, New York Public Library, Manuscripts Division.) 
 
 275 
 
paper must be ordered from Yedo, as the quantity de- 
 sired cannot be had in Shimoda! ! ! 
 
 Whether this is an untruth, or that the place is so de- 
 plorably anti-commercial that four quires of common 
 paper cannot be furnished, I cannot say. Nor can I see 
 any object they have in telling a falsehood about it, as it 
 is to be furnished. 
 
 Saturday, November 22, 1856. The Russians have 
 presented to the Japanese all the guns that were on board 
 the Frigate Diana. They consist of: 
 
 18 short 24-pounders 
 30 long 24-pounders 
 4 Paixhan 68-pounders, shell guns. 
 
 The Russians are assisting the Japanese in getting up 
 all the fittings necessary for mounting the guns properly, 
 such as screws, quoins, etc., etc., all of which were lost 
 when the Diana sank. 337 
 
 Monday, November 24, 1856. The Goyoshi people 
 came to inform me that my cook and tailor went to the 
 apothecaries' shops in Shimoda yesterday, and asked 
 for opium, and were told they had none; but, the 
 Chinese characters being on the drawers, they dis- 
 covered it and demanded it in my name and with a show 
 of violence. They took the whole they found in two 
 shops, which was all the opium there was in Shimoda. 
 They said to me that opium was only used as a medicine, 
 
 337 0n this day, Townsend Harris wrote: 
 
 1) L. B., vol. 1, p. 133, to Mrs. Drinker, at Macao, introducing Commo- 
 dore Possiet, who will shortly visit that city on his way back to Russia ; 
 
 z) L. B., ib., p. 134, to Mr. Patrick Stewart, at Macao, likewise intro- 
 ducing the Commodore. 
 
 276 
 
and that it was unjust that two men should have the 
 whole of it, particularly as it was not wanted for medical 
 purposes. They respectfully asked that I would order 
 the Chinese to restore the greater part of it. I gave 
 orders that the whole should be taken from them. Mr. 
 Heusken got a lump of some six ounces from the tailor, 
 but the cook had dissolved his in water to refine it in 
 the Chinese way, so as to make it fit for smoking, and 
 refused to give it up. I went to him myself ; he was very 
 surly, and after some time brought me a dish containing 
 a small quantity of sediment and water. I demanded the 
 filtered liquid, and it was not until I had given him his 
 choice between a prison and the surrender of the drug 
 that he gave it up. The lump was restored to the Jap- 
 anese, but they said they could do nothing with the 
 solution, so that was thrown away. I directed the officers 
 to tell the shopkeepers that my people were not to be 
 supplied with opium, saki, or any kind of intoxicating 
 beverage. 
 
 Tuesday, November 2$, 1856. Evacuation day in 
 New York! What recollections of my "soldier life" 
 this day brings up! My marching up and down Broad- 
 way, Bowery, Hudson Street, Greenwich Street — to the 
 Battery, to the Park, and there firing off "real guns," 
 as Mr. Mantilini said. Commodore Possiet visits me. 
 He took a long walk on Friday, twelve miles to the 
 village of Matsusaki on the bay to the west of Yedo 
 Bay, and he remained there all night. He speaks in such 
 high terms of the beauty of the road that I shall take 
 the same walk, as soon as the Russians leave here. He 
 
 277 
 
had a message from the Governor on Monday, request- 
 ing him to give orders that none of the officers should 
 sleep on shore. The Commodore told them that he 
 would give orders to his officers that if any of them 
 went to a greater distance than seven ri, then they must 
 not sleep there, but that, within the distance of seven ri, 
 he claimed the right for himself and all other Russians 
 to sleep on shore as often as it suited their con- 
 venience. 338 
 
 To-day finish a letter of fifteen sheets to my friend 
 General Wetmore. 339 The Japanese bring my breeding 
 cage for my canary birds. 340 
 
 Wednesday, November 26, 1856. I have taken a 
 violent cold; have pains in my head, bones; and some 
 little fever. Take some Brandreth's pills, and diet. 
 
 I do not give up to it, but employ myself in writing 
 letters to go by the Olivuzza. 
 
 338 Art. V of Perry's Treaty (concluded Mar. 31, 1854) for the first time 
 established the principle that shipwrecked men and other citizens of the United 
 States "shall be free at Shimoda to go where they please within the limits 
 of seven Japanese miles (or ri) from a small island in the harbor of Shimoda 
 marked on the accompanying chart hereto appended." 
 
 339 In the entry for Dec. 10, 1856, Townsend Harris gives the date of this 
 letter as Dec. 9, 1856. Commodore Possiet's delay made it possible for Town- 
 send Harris to add to this letter, and very likely he then redated the entire 
 letter. 
 
 340 Other letters bearing this day's date were: 
 
 1) L. B., vol. 1, pp. 157-60, Dispatch No. 19, to Secretary Marcy, in 
 which Townsend Harris informs Mr. Marcy of Commodore Possiet's 
 arrival as the bearer of the ratified Russian Treaty, of which he 
 encloses an English translation; and adds that the Russians agree 
 with him that the port of Shimoda is absolutely unfit either for supply- 
 ing ships or for commercial purposes; 
 
 2) L. B., vol. 1, pp. 1 60-68, Dispatch No. 20, to Secretary Marcy, in 
 which Townsend Harris points out that the friendship of the Jap- 
 anese is increasing, as are also the prospects of an early abandonment 
 of their exclusion policy, giving four evidences of the changing times. 
 Very significant, too, is his report of the intentions of Sir John Bow- 
 ring (Governor of Hongkong, and recently appointed Plenipotentiary 
 to Japan) to impose a new treaty on the Japanese, whether peaceably 
 or forcibly. 
 
 278 
 
Moriama Yenosky came to see me, as he said, with a 
 message from the Governor. Three horses have been 
 offered, but none suits the Japanese; one is too old and 
 clumsy, one too young and vicious, the third is too ill- 
 looking for me. 
 
 The Governor is a good judge of a horse and has 
 promised to select one that will suit. He says he is re- 
 sponsible for my personal safety to both the American 
 and Japanese Governments, and if I should be killed by 
 a vicious horse, he would have to perform the hara-kiri. 
 I told Yenosky that I would be satisfied with any horse 
 the Governor might select, etc. Commodore Possiet and 
 Mr. Heusken took a walk southwest from Shimoda, and 
 were followed by a Gobanyosi. The Commodore, in a 
 decided and stern manner, ordered him to go about his 
 business and not to follow him; and the man left them. 
 But soon afterwards he reappeared and pertinaciously 
 kept with them. The Commodore then seized the man 
 and gave him a thorough shaking, and when he was 
 released, the Gobanyosi started off running like a deer 
 and no more appeared. 
 
 The First Governor's name is Inowouye 
 
 Sinano no Kami. 
 The Second Governor's name is Okado Bingo 
 
 no Kami. 
 First Vice-Governor's name is Matsmoura 
 
 Chiwousiro. 
 Second Vice-Governor's name is Wakana 
 
 Miwosabra. 341 
 
 341 These names are better written as: Inouye, Shinano-no-Kami ; Okada, 
 Bingo-no-Kami; Matsmura Chiwusiro; Wakana Miwosabra. 
 
 279 
 
Thursday, November 2Q [27], 1 8 56. Somewhat 
 better to-day ; medicine has operated well. Busy writing 
 letters to go by the Russian corvette. 
 
 Japanese bring me a basket of fine grapes to-day, 
 which came from Kyushu. They look and taste like the 
 Malaga muscatel grape, and have the same bloom on 
 them. The price, 1,800 seni for about twelve pounds. 
 Cheap enough. 342 
 
 Saturday, November 2Q, 1 8 '56. Quite recovered, 
 and am still occupied with my letters, of which I have 
 five to write to the State Department, and one of them 
 explaining my action in trying to get to Yedo is of 
 necessity a long one. 343 I keep copies of all my letters to 
 the State Department in my [private letter book, — 
 which see. 344 My washman washed some clothes for 
 
 342 A slight proof of the very practical aid which the American Townsend 
 Harris (as Dean of the Diplomatic Corps in Japan) now gave to Commodore 
 Possiet of Russia (as, later on, in far greater measure, to Lord Elgin of Great 
 Britain, and to Count Friedrich von Eulenburg of Prussia) is the fact that 
 on this day (Nov. 27, 1856) he sent the Russian Commodore four books on 
 Japan — having already sent him a copy of Kaempfer's famous work. These 
 books were a good selection, to wi:: 
 
 J. W. Spalding, The Japan Expedition, New York, Redfield, 1855. (A 
 
 volume on the Perry Expedition.) 
 Charles MacFarlane, Japan, New York, George P. Putnam & Co., 1852. 
 Richard Hildreth, Japan as It Was and Is, New York, J. C. Derby, 1855. 
 Richard Hildreth, Japan and the Japanese. (Which edition is uncertain.) 
 
 These books, to which Townsend Harris refers very briefly (L. B., vol. 1, 
 p. 135, Memorandum), undoubtedly were from among the books which he had 
 procured for his own use when in New York in Aug. and Sept., 1855. 
 
 Similarly, Commodore Possiet, who had learned of Townsend Harris's in- 
 disposition, was equally courteous in offering him the services of the ship's 
 surgeon. (L. & P., vol. 1, no. 47, dated Friday, Nov. 28, 1856.) 
 
 343 This was L. B., vol. 1, pp. 160-68, Dispatch No. 20, outlined above, see 
 note 340. 
 
 344 The passage which I have enclosed in square brackets ("private letter 
 book . . . table purposes," Nov. 29 to Dec. 1, 1856) was written on a dif- 
 ferent kind of paper by Miss Bessie A. Harris. This sheet, numbered 113, 
 is inserted in the original manuscript Journal of Townsend Harris in place 
 of a page that was carefully cut out, and that must have been numbered 113 
 
 280 
 
Commodore Possiet and Captain Korsacoff, for which 
 they sent him three dollars. I direct him to refuse to take 
 the money, not from any feeling of pride, but I wish 
 to make them all the returns I can for their kindness to 
 me; and his case is different from that of the Russian 
 sailors, to whom I made a present for their labor. He 
 is my private servant. They are in the employ of the 
 Sovereign of Russia. 345 
 
 Monday, December I, 1856. Engage another ser- 
 vant, Kooski. His duty will be to scrub floors, sweep 
 the compound, bring coals and do all the coarse heavy 
 work about the house; is to come at sunrise, eat his 
 food (which he is to furnish himself) here, and leave 
 after sunset; wages 400 seni per diem. Present to the 
 officers of the Russian corvette three bottles of Surat 
 
 recto, and 114 verso. In other words, the material bracketed in this Journal 
 entry gives Miss Harris's text, replacing a much longer original by Townsend 
 Harris. What was in the passage thus deleted? 
 
 Miss B. A. Harris made a manuscript copy of the entire Journal, which 
 copy is now in the possession of The College of the City of New York, to- 
 gether with the original. In her copy, Miss Harris did not hesitate to correct 
 words misspelled in the original, to change "would" to "should," etc., to 
 recast entire sentences, and to delete remarks that were somewhat too uncom- 
 plimentary or that, in her opinion, were for various reasons to be suppressed! 
 For instance: she omits entirely the entry for Jan. 21, 1857; and the entry 
 for Jan. 8, 1857, in her version, ends thus: "but words will not do — I must 
 have acts." 
 
 345 The intimacy and the cooperation between the Russian and the American 
 representatives were growing apace. On this day, Commodore Possiet wrote to 
 Townsend Harris telling him that he (the Commodore) was to see the Gov- 
 ernors of Shimoda at noon, and asking Townsend Harris for the status quo 
 of the currency question (L. & P., vol. 1, no. 48). 
 
 On the same day Townsend Harris answers that he will be glad to inform 
 Commodore Possiet of all his (Townsend Harris's) conversations with the 
 Japanese; that he has not discussed the currency question with the Japanese 
 since Possiet's arrival; and that late in the afternoon he will either call in 
 person or send his secretary, Mr. Heusken, to get the news of Possiet's visit 
 to the Japanese authorities (L. B., vol. 1, pp. 136-37). 
 
 This is a perfect, and the earliest, example of the cooperation among the 
 foreign representatives in Japan, which later almost became the general 
 rule. 
 
 28l 
 
oil, 346 they having none; have been using common, Jap- 
 anese oil for table purposes.] 
 
 Visit the corvette, but am soon interrupted by a lot of 
 Japanese officials who come to see the Commodore on 
 the subject of boat landings. Commodore Perry's Ad- 
 ditional Articles provided that certain landing places 
 should be provided at Shimoda and Hakodate, 347 and the 
 Japanese now wish to confine us to landing at these 
 places alone. I resist the propositions, as does the Com- 
 modore. On my return home I send to Commodore 
 Possiet letters of introduction to : 
 
 Patrick Stewart, Esq., Macao, dated November 22, 1856 
 Mrs. Drinker " " " " " 
 
 I also send to Captain Korsacoff letters of introduction 
 addressed to : 
 
 Patrick Stewart, Esq., Macao, dated November 22, 1856 
 Mrs. Drinker " " " " " 
 Mr. Sandwith Drinker, 348 Hongkong, dated December 
 1^856. 
 
 346 Surat is a district in the province of Bombay, India. 
 
 347 Article II of the Additional Regulations (signed at Shimoda, June 17, 
 1854) : "Three landing-places shall be constructed for the boats of merchant 
 ships and whale-ships resorting to this port; one at Shimoda, one at Kakizaki, 
 and the third at the brook lying southeast of Centre Island" (J. H. Gubbins, 
 The Progress of Japan, p. 230). 
 
 348 0f the letters here mentioned, those introducing Commodore Possiet to 
 Mr. Stewart and to Mrs. Drinker have already been noticed (under their 
 proper date). The two introducing Captain Korsacoff have not been found, 
 but must have been practically identical. "Not found" also is the letter ad- 
 dressed to Mr. Sandwith Drinker, who, by letter dated Hongkong, April 3 
 and 4, 1857, answers five of Townsend Harris's letters, dated Sept. 1, Oct. 9, 
 Nov. 25 (21st?), Dec. x, and Dec. 10 (L. & P., vol. 1, no. 62). 
 
 There is extant also a letter by Captain W. Rimsky Korsacoff of this date 
 (Dec. 1, 1856, L. & P., vol. 1, no. 49), which expresses appreciation of Town- 
 send Harris's offer of assistance (see Journal, Nov. 29, 1856), and also 
 acknowledges receipt of the two letters of introduction just mentioned. 
 
 282 
 
Get a further supply of the nice grapes from Kyushu. 
 I find they have no pips or seeds. 
 
 Tuesday, December 2, 1856. The Third Governor, 
 or Governor of Kakizaki, visits me to-day. His visit 
 is on the important subject of the oil furnished for my 
 lamps, which I have had difficulty in procuring of a 
 good quality, or rather a regular supply of a good article, 
 as on some days we have a capital article sent; then will 
 follow some that will not burn for two hours. Told the 
 [Third Governor] it was wanted for my lamps and not 
 for eating. 
 
 He promises a full supply of what I want now [that] 
 they fully understand my wishes. I told the Governor 
 that it was high time the jetty or boat landing of Kaki- 
 zaki was repaired; that it was destroyed on the 22nd of 
 September, more than seventy days ago, that all the 
 materials for its repair were still there, and that it was 
 a great neglect to leave it so long. He promised it should 
 be immediately attended to. 349 
 
 In order to have a clear understanding about the 
 orders I give, I have procured a book in which I write 
 every order, and there are columns left in which to enter 
 
 349 Townsend Harris describes the terrible damage caused by the hurricane 
 of Sept. 22, 1856, in his entry for Sept. 23rd. He is consistent in the date of 
 the typhoon here and elsewhere in his correspondence — e. g., to Secretary 
 Marcy (L. B., vol. 1, p. 158) and to Captain H. H. Bell (L. B., vol. 1, p. 143). 
 Mr. Heusken, however, says that the storm took place during the night from 
 the 20th to the 21st of Sept. {Diary, in Wagener, op. cit., p. 376.) 
 
 The Diary was written by Mr. Heusken in French; the text just referred 
 to is in German; and it was published the following year in an English trans- 
 lation in the Japan Mail, Jan., 1884. 
 
 It would be a great good fortune and a distinct boon to students of the 
 early diplomatic days in Japan to find and to publish the entire Diary of the 
 martyred Heusken, the first secretary of the American Legation in Japan. 
 
 283 
 
the name of the interpreter to whom the order was 
 given, with the date of it, and another column for the 
 date at which it was executed. By this means I shall 
 know whether my orders have been given by Mr. 
 Heusken, or forgotten by him, and also whether the in- 
 terpreter neglects them after he has received them. So 
 far it works to a charm, and I have had more done in the 
 last two days than in the previous fortnight. 
 
 Still busy writing letters to go by the Olivuzza. 
 
 Wednesday, December 3, 1856. Captain KorsacofT 
 calls to see about my barometers, to try to get them into 
 working order. I fear it is a bad job. 350 
 
 Still occupied with my letters. 
 
 I have had a very bad cold and sore throat for the 
 last four days. This arises from the habit Mr. Heusken 
 has of never putting any fuel on the fire. During the day 
 I attend to the fire myself and it is well kept up, but in 
 the evening I get busy, and, as Mr. Heusken is on the 
 side of the fire, I neglect it; and, being made with char- 
 coal, it soon goes out, and with our paper windows and 
 loose joints of the house, it soon becomes like sitting out 
 of doors. I believe that Mr. Heusken only remembers 
 when to eat, drink and sleep, — any other affairs rest 
 
 350 Though he does not mention it in his Journal, Townsend Harris on this 
 day wrote on this very subject to Lieutenant Maury, U.S.N., at the Hydro- 
 graphical Bureau, Washington, D. C. (L. B., vol. i, pp. 137-40). 
 
 In this letter, Townsend Harris states that when in Washington in Aug., 
 1855, he had been unsuccessful in obtaining meteorological instruments from 
 either the Navy Department or the Smithsonian Institution (cf., his letter to 
 Joseph Henry, of the Smithsonian, L. £f P., vol. 1, no. 18, dated Aug. 20, 1855). 
 He now renews his application, and sends Lieutenant Maury readings of the 
 thermometer, and observations on winds, rains, etc., at Shimoda from Sept. 
 15th to Nov. 30, 1856 — material that was quite new to our Hydrographical 
 Bureau. 
 
 284 
 
very lightly on his memory. Busy to-day in writing 
 letters. 
 
 Thursday, December 4, 1856. Commodore Possiet 
 and two officers came in this evening about half-past 
 seven, having taken a long walk on the side of Yedo 
 Bay. They were very hungry, and I gave them such re- 
 freshments as my poor larder offered. 
 
 They told me that they had seen some thin plates 
 of ice in a high bleak place. The first I have heard 
 of, as at my house the thermometer has not fallen be- 
 low 42 . 
 
 The Commodore told me that coals of a fair quality 
 had been discovered at three points on the Amur River 
 and also in the Island of Sakhalin, adding another im- 
 portant source of this important mineral. 
 
 Friday, December 5, 1 8 $6. The Commodore sends 
 me word that the ratified treaties are to be exchanged 
 on Sunday next, and invites me to "assist" on the 
 occasion. 
 
 I much regret that I cannot attend. I am suffering 
 from a very severe cold and great hoarseness; but the 
 most important reason is that I cannot consistently 
 "assist" in any such matter on a Sunday. From the time 
 of my arrival I have refused to attend to any kind of 
 business on that day, 351 and after a short time the Jap- 
 anese ceased to ask it of me. Should I now join the Rus- 
 sians, I shall contradict all my previous acts on this 
 account, and lose my character for consistency, a point 
 that cannot be too carefully watched in dealing with 
 
 351 Compare the entries for Aug. 22, 24, and especially 31, 1856. 
 
 285 
 
people like the Japanese. They delight to convict a 
 man of inconsistency. 
 
 Sunday, December 7, 1856. About eight last night 
 we had several distant, but very heavy claps of thunder 
 with some vivid lightning, which preceded violent 
 squalls from the west, and heavy rain succeeded, which 
 continued through the night. The barometer fell from 
 30.50 to 29.72. About the same time I had a violent ex- 
 acerbation of bile; severe vomiting for two hours, and 
 purging which lasted all night. It was a bright clear 
 morning, with a true old-fashioned American north- 
 wester, blowing a gale. 
 
 The corvette fired a salute as the Commodore landed 
 about eleven A. M., and at one fired a salute of twenty- 
 one guns in honor of the exchange of ratifications. 352 
 
 The Russian, American and Japanese flags were 
 hoisted from the three masts, from noon until sunset. 
 
 After the exchange was completed, the Commodore 
 and the Japanese commissioners proceeded to the place 
 where the guns of the Frigate Diana were placed. 
 
 The guns have been neatly furbished up and a double 
 guard of honor composed of Russians and Japanese were 
 mounted over them. The guns were then formally pre- 
 sented to the Japanese. The commissioners then at- 
 tended the Commodore to the corvette, where they re- 
 ceived a salute and a dinner, and thus completed the 
 ceremonies of the day. 
 
 Monday, December 8, 1 8 56. The Third Governor, 
 Moriama and some others visited me to-day. After kind 
 
 352 See note 320. 
 
 286 
 
messages and inquiries on behalf of the Governors, they 
 said they had been ordered to inform me of the exchange 
 of ratifications, etc., etc. Moriama was quite communi- 
 cative and oracular; said that a great change was im- 
 pending in Japanese affairs (as it relates to foreign in- 
 tercourse), and that it would surprise all, when it took 
 place, from its suddenness, etc., etc. 
 
 The Governor and Moriama told me that the largest 
 Japanese vessels were about 200 tons burden, and that, 
 enumerating all vessels of 60 tons up to 200 tons, the 
 aggregate number was about 100,000!! This aggregate 
 was so astounding that I made them repeat it in different 
 forms, so that I might be sure there was no misunder- 
 standing as to their meaning, but they all adhered to it, 
 remarking that if they had counted all their craft of 
 50 tons down to fishing boats, the number would be 
 enormous. 
 
 They said they had seen 700 junks all over 60 tons 
 in Shimoda Harbor at one time!! 
 
 If these figures be correct, the tonnage of Japan ex- 
 ceeds that of any nation in the world. 
 
 Tuesday, December Q, 1856. Up at seven A. M. to go 
 on board the corvette to see the Commodore before he 
 meets the Japanese to-day on the subject of the cur- 
 rency. I got him to agree that he would refuse to pay, 
 except on the basis I had named, — viz., one dollar to pass 
 for three ichibus; that he would pay that amount to 
 them; and, if they were dissatisfied, he would place the 
 difference in my hands (until the arrival of a Russian 
 Consul) to await the final settlement of the question. I 
 
 287 
 
am much pleased with this, as it will greatly strengthen 
 my demands for the adjustment of the question. Am told 
 the corvette will leave on Friday next, and am invited 
 to dine with them for the last time on Thursday next. 
 I shall send two pairs of nice, pet fowls (for Mrs. 
 Stewart 353 of Macao) on board the ship on Wednesday, 
 and embark my rascally tailor on Thursday. The Com- 
 modore is anxious to get away, as this strong north- 
 wester, which still blows, causes the ship to drag, and 
 she is so situated that she cannot "cut and run." 
 Busy closing up letters to go by the ship. 354 
 Wednesday, December 10, 1856. Begin to make up 
 my mail. It consists of letters as follows: 355 
 
 Secretary of State, five, Numbers 17 to 21. 
 
 S. Drinker, two, November 21st and December 1st 
 
 353\vife of the Patrick Stewart mentioned in the entry for Dec. i, 1856. 
 
 35 *On this date, Townsend Harris wrote a second letter to Armstrong & 
 Lawrence, at Hongkong (L. B., vol. 1, pp. 141-43; cf., p. 190), which, there- 
 fore, went off together with that of Nov. 21, 1856 {q.v.). 
 
 In addition to routine matters of accounts, Townsend Harris urgently begs 
 Messrs. Armstrong & Lawrence not to permit opium to be sent to any of his 
 servants in Japan. This, of course, was the result of the incident described 
 by him under date of Nov. 24, 1856. Townsend Harris was playing fair with 
 the Japanese: he now extended to China the same interdict which he had only 
 two weeks before given to the Goyoshi of Shimoda, and which later he in- 
 corporated in his Treaty of Commerce and Navigation (concluded July 29, 
 1858), Art. IV, in the historic words, "The importation of opium is pro- 
 hibited," etc. 
 
 355 0f the twenty-three letters here listed, eleven have been outlined above 
 under their respective dates — namely, those addressed to Secretary Marcy (5), 
 Armstrong & Lawrence (2), Miss Kate Drinker, Lieutenant Maury, Captain 
 Bell, and Sir John Bowring. The remaining twelve have not been found. 
 
 The answer, however, to Townsend Harris's numerous letters to Mr. Sand- 
 with Drinker is extant (see above, note 348). Likewise, the letter to Mrs. Pat- 
 rick Stewart (of Nov. 21, 1856) must have told her that he would send the 
 gifts mentioned in the present entry of the Journal; while still another letter 
 to Captain Korsacoff dated this day (not listed in the Journal) begged him 
 to take these gifts to Mrs. Stewart at Macao (L. B., vol. 1, pp. 140-41). 
 
 288 
 
I. Harland 
 
 November 
 
 21, 
 
 1856 
 
 Dr. Lorraine 
 
 a 
 
 21 
 
 a 
 
 
 Armstrong & Lawrence " 
 
 21 
 
 a 
 
 
 a , a 
 
 December 
 
 9 
 
 u 
 
 
 General Keenan 
 
 November 
 
 25 
 
 a 
 
 
 Mrs. Stewart 
 
 u 
 
 21 
 
 a 
 
 
 Mrs. Spooner 
 
 K 
 
 30 
 
 a 
 
 
 Mrs. Drinker 
 
 u 
 
 30 
 
 a 
 
 
 Kate Drinker 
 
 a 
 
 21 
 
 a 
 
 three sheets 
 
 Joseph Evans 
 
 a 
 
 29 
 
 u 
 
 
 Lieutenant Maury 
 
 December 3 
 
 u 
 
 
 Captain Bell 
 
 a 
 
 10 
 
 a 
 
 
 P. M. Wetmore 
 
 a 
 
 9 
 
 a 
 
 sixteen sheets 
 
 N. Dougherty 
 
 a 
 
 9 
 
 a 
 
 three sheets 
 
 Sir John Bowring 
 
 a 
 
 10 
 
 a 
 
 
 S. Drinker (for gun) 
 
 10 
 
 a 
 
 
 Send on board the Russian corvette a double coop with 
 two pairs of pet fowls for Mrs. Stewart of Macao. Also 
 send twenty-five catties each of rice and paddy, and some 
 gravel for the fowls. 
 
 Thursday, December II, 1856. Send my tailor 356 
 on board the Russian corvette. He had the impudence 
 to ask me to give him a good character! Who can ever 
 hope to fathom the want of moral principle in a 
 Chinese? Captain Korsacoff called this morning and I 
 loaned him $1,000, — 1,000 Mexican dollars to be repaid 
 in the same coin to my agents Armstrong & Lawrence 
 at Hongkong, the Captain taking duplicate receipts 
 
 356 In the letter which this tailor took aboard with him (L. B., vol. i, pp. 
 152-53), Townsend Harris gave Captain Korsacoff some good advice as to 
 how to treat the "rascally" servant. 
 
 289 
 
for the payment, one of which he is to forward to me. 357 
 The weather is the most lovely ever seen at this season 
 of the year in a similar latitude. The sky is as blue as 
 a sapphire, and a light air from the west raises the 
 thermometer to 53 . Last night the thermometer fell 
 to 38 . 
 
 My black pet hen commenced to incubate on the 9th 
 inst., therefore I shall look for some chicks from her 
 about New Year's Day. 358 
 
 Friday, December 12, 1 8 56. Dine on board the cor- 
 vette. After dinner see the process of lacquering per- 
 formed on some boxes of Commodore Possiet. 
 
 Saturday, December 1 3, 1 8 56. Go on board the cor- 
 vette to see her off, but the wind being so unfavorable she 
 could not get out of the harbor. Not feeling well, I bid 
 adieu to all and go on shore. 359 
 
 Sunday, December 14, 1856. The corvette went to 
 sea early this morning. 360 The Commodore paid one- 
 
 357 Townsend Harris's letter of this date to Armstrong & Lawrence (L. B., 
 vol. 1, p. 154) gave them the necessary instructions in connection with this 
 loan. 
 
 358 On this day, Townsend Harris acknowledges receipt from Commodore 
 Possiet of a mountain barometer, for delivery to the Russian Consul when 
 he should arrive in Japan (L. B., vol. i, p. 153). 
 
 359 Owing to the different valuation set upon the Russian and the Japanese 
 currency, Commodore Possiet and Townsend Harris finally agreed (in the 
 course of this visit of leave) that the Russians pay their accounts according 
 to their own reckoning and leave the balance in Townsend Harris's hands 
 against the time when the currency question should be properly adjusted 
 (L. & P., vol. 1, no. 50, Commodore Possiet to Townsend Harris, Dec. 13, 
 1856). 
 
 Further financial dealings just previous to the departure of the Russians 
 obliged Townsend Harris to write a second note to his agents at Hongkong, 
 Armstrong & Lawrence, in which he revised the figures in the letter written 
 on Dec. 11, 1856, to read $1,835.50 (L. B., vol. 1, p. 155, dated Dec. 13, 1856). 
 
 360 Heusken's Diary states that the corvette sailed on December 15th (Wag- 
 ener, op. cit., p. 376). 
 
 290 
 
third of the Japanese bill for pilotage and boat hire, 361 
 and sent the other two-thirds to me to await the final 
 settlement of their accounts. I am quite ill. I find my 
 complaint to be "Saint Anthony's Fire." Face and fore- 
 head much swollen, and burning hot and itching. 
 
 Thursday, December 18, 1856. Have drenched my- 
 self with purgative medicines, but my complaint is but 
 little relieved. 
 
 To-day the Vice-Governor called ; and, being anxious 
 to settle the question about the guards, I admitted him. I 
 demanded the immediate removal of the people who 
 have been in my compound from the day of my arrival. 
 The Vice-Governor said he would report it to the Gov- 
 ernors. I complained that the shopkeepers of Shimoda 
 would not sell anything to my people or even give the 
 prices. I added that I had before complained of this and 
 had been promised redress, but things went on just as 
 they did before. I also demanded ten silver ichibus 
 to make presents to my Japanese servants on Christmas 
 Day, according to the custom of my country. The Vice- 
 Governor said that orders to the shopkeepers should 
 again be given. As to the ichibus, he must report that 
 to the Governors. 
 
 Saturday, December 20, 1856. At last my horse has 
 arrived. It is not a high mettled racer, but will answer 
 my purpose. The price is nineteen kobangs, about 
 
 361 0n Commodore Perry's visit to Shimoda, three Japanese pilots were ap- 
 pointed and the scale of charges agreed upon — on June 22, 1854 (Perry, 
 Narrative, 33-2, S. Ex. Doc, no. 79, vol. 1, p. 488, note). 
 
 The Pilot Regulations for the Harbor of Shimoda were signed the next 
 day — June 23, 1854 — and the English and the Dutch versions thereof are 
 given ib., p. 487, note. 
 
 29I 
 
twenty-six dollars. The saddle and bridle are real curi- 
 osities and cost thirty kobangs, about forty-two dollars, 
 or about 60 per cent, more than the horse! The groom 
 to attend the horse costs me seven ichibus per month, 
 about one dollar [and] seventy-five cents. The horse is 
 shod with straw sandals, which last about an hour on 
 the road. 362 
 
 Monday, December 22, 1856. I am refused the ten 
 ichibus. I am told I must give orders on the Goyoshi, 
 and the money will be paid to the bearer of the order. 
 I reply that such a proposition is offensive and must 
 not be renewed, and I do not get the money. I renew my 
 complaint about the guards and demand their imme- 
 
 362 The Englishman Robert Fortune visited Yedo after Nov. 30, 1857, and 
 enjoyed Townsend Harris's hospitality. In his book (Yedo and Peking, London, 
 John Murray, 1863, pp. 200-01) he gives this interesting anecdote: 
 
 "Mr. Harris related an amusing circumstance connected with the shoeing 
 of horses in Japan, which illustrates the ready way in which the people of 
 the country adopt foreign customs when seen to be improvements on their 
 own. I have already had occasion to mention the marked difference which 
 exists between the Chinese and the Japanese in this respect. 'Oula custom' 
 — old custom — is the barrier to every foreign introduction in China, while 
 the Japanese adopt with promptness every improvement which is set before 
 them. When Mr. Harris first went to reside in Yedo, his horse was shod 
 with iron shoes in the usual way. Up to this time the horses of the Japanese 
 either wore straw shoes, or were not shod at all. One day an officer came 
 to Mr. Harris and asked him to lend him his horse, and to be good enough 
 to ask no questions as to the purpose for which the animal was required. 
 This strange request was good humouredly complied with, and the horse, 
 after being away for a short time, was duly brought back. The officer to 
 whom it had been lent came to the American Legation a few days after- 
 wards, and told Mr. Harris, as a great secret, that the Prime Minister 
 had sent for the horse to examine his shoes; and now, he said, the Minister's 
 horse had been shod in the same way, and all the horses of the other officers 
 were likewise being shod!" 
 
 We are indebted to Mr. Fortune for this delightful anecdote for which 
 Townsend Harris found no room in his Journal — for those were the busy, 
 fruitful days of his first visit to Yedo, when he was giving daily lessons 
 to the Japanese authorities in everything pertaining to the politics, finance, 
 and international law of the Western World (cf. below, Journal for Oct. 5, 
 1857). 
 
 292 
 
diate removal. I am told it must be referred to Yedo for 
 settlement. 
 
 Tuesday, December 23, 1 8 $6. Mr. Heusken walked 
 out to-day alone and unarmed. On the road he met a 
 Japanese wearing a coat-of-arms on his sleeve. As soon 
 as he saw Mr. Heusken, he flourished a long stick he 
 had in a threatening manner and then drew his sword, 
 which was also flourished. Mr. Heusken at first halted 
 and then, being unarmed, turned back. [I] directed him 
 never to go out unarmed again. 
 
 Thursday, December 2$, 1856. Merry Christmas! 
 How happy are those who live in lands where these 
 joyous greetings can be exchanged! As for me, I am 
 sick and solitary, living as one may say in a prison — 
 a large one it is true — but still a prison. I will here note 
 where I have been on Christmas Day for the last eight 
 years : 
 
 Christmas, 1849, at sea in the North Pacific Ocean 
 
 1850 
 
 " Manila 
 
 1851 
 
 ' Pulo Penang 
 
 1852 
 
 ' Singapore 
 
 1853 
 
 " Hongkong 
 
 1854 
 
 ' Calcutta 
 
 1855 
 
 " Ceylon 
 
 1856 i 
 
 n Japan 
 
 The weather here is as fine as one could desire. The 
 fields are very green with wheat which has been largely 
 planted or "sowed," and the camellias begin to appear. 
 
 Friday, December 26, 1856. Moriama Yenosky has 
 gone to Yedo to see about the currency question and to 
 
 293 
 
try to hurry a decision. I have given notice that I will 
 not allow any spies to come into my presence or even on 
 my premises; that, when they wish to see me, I will 
 only receive the principals and interpreters, excluding 
 spies and secretaries. The Japanese term for spy is "a 
 looker across." 363 
 
 Wednesday, December 31, 1856. The last day of the 
 year. How many events of great importance to me have 
 occurred during this year! I am very low spirited from 
 ill health and from the very slow progress I am making 
 with the Japanese. However, I must keep up my spirits 
 and hope for the best. My pet hen has presented me with 
 five chicks, — the merest mites of chickens ever seen. 
 The weather this month has been very fine. The ther- 
 mometer was as follows: mean for the month, 48 9/10; 
 highest, 69 ; lowest, 36°. First white frost, December 
 1 2th. Rain on no days, showers on four days, clear 
 twenty-seven days. 
 
 January I, 1857. Happy New Year! What a busy 
 day in dear old New York, what universal joy appears 
 on the faces that throng the streets, — each hurrying 
 along to get through "his list of calls." It is a good 
 custom and one that I hope will never be given up. 
 How many friendships are then renewed which, without 
 the occurrence of this day of "oblivion of neglect," 
 would otherwise die a natural death. I pass the day in 
 calling, in imagination, on my friends; but, as to Japan, 
 not a soul has darkened my door. I could only exchange 
 greetings with Mr. Heusken, and present my Chinese 
 
 36S The Metsuke, or (with the honorific prefix) Ometsuke. 
 
 294 
 
servants with the expected cumshaw. 3Gi All my New 
 Years since Christmas, 1849, were passed in the same 
 place as my Christmas, except New Year's Day of 1855, 
 which was at Benares in northwestern India; the pre- 
 ceding Christmas was at Calcutta. 365 
 
 Saturday, January 3, 1857. Assam, my butler, goes 
 to Shimoda. Is refused a few cakes he wished to buy 
 for refreshment. 
 
 Monday, January 5, l8$J. Vice-Governor calls to 
 say that orders have been given to all the shopkeepers 
 to give prices or sell anything my people may ask for. 
 I asked when those orders were given? He said they 
 had been frequently given, but were specially renewed 
 eight days ago. I then told him what had occurred on 
 Saturday, and added that I did not believe one word 
 they said; that it was an infraction of the Treaty, etc., 
 etc. I also told him that I demanded the instant removal 
 of the guards; that their presence made me in reality 
 a prisoner and was a gross outrage and open violation 
 of the Treaty. 
 
 The poor Vice-Governor shook in every joint, and 
 
 36 *Anything given as a present or as a tip. The word itself is a corruption 
 — a pidgin (z. e., business) English pronunciation of the word "commission," 
 current in China. 
 
 365 On this day, Townsend Harris wrote: 
 
 1) Two routine letters to James Guthrie, Secretary of the Treasury 
 (L. B., vol. 2, p. 10, Dispatches Nos. i and 2) ; 
 
 2) Three letters to Secretary of State Marcy — of which two merely sent 
 duplicates of former Dispatches (L. B., vol. 2, pp. n and 12, Dis- 
 patches Nos. 22 and 23), and the remaining one transmitted an ac- 
 count of disbursements under the head "Contingent Expenses in 
 Japan," for the quarter ending Dec. 31, 1856 (ib., p. 12, Dispatch 
 No. 24) ; 
 
 3) A letter to Baring Bros., at London, informing them that he had 
 drawn upon them for £258. 5. 3. — his salary for the quarter ending 
 Dec. 31, 1856 (L. B., vol. 1, p. 174). 
 
 295 
 
the perspiration streamed from his forehead and that of 
 the interpreter. I also complained of the insult to Mr. 
 Heusken, and demanded the arrest and punishment of 
 the offender. The Vice-Governor begged me to believe 
 that everything should be done to give me satisfaction 
 that lay in their power; that they wished to keep the 
 Treaty faithfully, and that he would hurry over to the 
 Governor's at once, etc., etc. 
 
 Tuesday, January 6, 1 8 57. Invited to meet the 
 Governors at the Goyoshi to-morrow. Although quite 
 ill I consented. 
 
 Wednesday, January J, 1857. Went to the Goyoshi 
 at noon and there met Bingo-no-Kami and Shinano-no- 
 Kami, or the Prince of Shinano and Prince of Bingo, 
 the two Governors of Shimoda. The two Vice-Gov- 
 ernors were present, but no secretaries. 566 
 
 The business commenced by the Governors inform- 
 ing me that they had been directed to give an answer to 
 my letter of October 25th to the Minister of Foreign 
 Affairs. I inquired if it was a written answer? They said 
 it was not. I told them I must decline any verbal answer 
 (delivered by a third person) to a written letter from 
 me. They asked if I objected to their rank? I told them, 
 "No." They told me that the laws of Japan forbade 
 the writing of letters to foreigners. I told them I knew 
 better ; that letters had been written by the highest offi- 
 cials, and even by the Emperor himself, to Commodore 
 Perry, to the Russians, and to the Dutch; that to assert 
 such palpable falsehoods was to treat me like a child ; 
 
 366 For the full names of these officials, see Journal for Nov. 26, 1856, and 
 note 341. 
 
 296 
 
and that, if they repeated it, I should feel myself in- 
 sulted. They not opening any other matter, I then re- 
 peated what I had told the Vice-Governor on the 5th 
 about the guards and the shops, and enlarged upon it, 
 telling them that it was not only a breach of the Treaty, 
 but a violation of the laws of nations, and that my Gov- 
 ernment would never submit to such treatment. The 
 Governors were in great trouble. They gave me their 
 private word of honor that the complaints about the 
 shopkeepers should be instantly attended to, and begged 
 me to wait until they could write to Yedo about the 
 officers which are stationed at my house; that I mistook 
 their nature; that they were there simply to protect me 
 against intrusion from the Japanese; that the Shimoda 
 people were very rude, and would be sure to give me 
 cause of offense if the officers were not there to keep 
 them away; and closed by saying they had no power to 
 remove the officers, but must refer to Yedo. 
 
 In reply I told them they could not disguise the fact 
 of my being under guard by a mere change of name; 
 that I had no fears of the Shimoda people, who I knew 
 were friendly when not under the eyes of their officials ; 
 that I would not consent to the delay of one day longer 
 as to the guard ; that more than three months had elapsed 
 since I had requested their removal ; and finally, so long 
 as they remained, I declared I should consider myself 
 a prisoner and would not leave the compound, and that 
 I would write to my Government the manner in which 
 they had treated me. The trouble of the Governors in- 
 creased. Finally they told me the officers should be re- 
 
 297 
 
moved. "When?" said I. "Very soon," was the reply. 
 "How many days?" They hesitated. I repeated firmly 
 that, now [that] I had so strongly brought the matter 
 up and that they had consented to the removal of the 
 guards, every day they remained was a new outrage, 
 and they must abide the consequences. They then said 
 that the officers should be removed to-morrow. Knowing 
 their duplicity, I told them the removal must be real 
 and not nominal ; they must not post them near, or even 
 in sight of, my house; that, if they made any such at- 
 tempt, I should consider it as an aggravation of the 
 wrong already done me. 
 
 They assented to the justice of my remarks and said 
 the officers should be brought back to the Goyoshi. 
 
 They then said they hoped I would not let what had 
 passed interrupt the good feelings heretofore existing 
 between us; that they were most anxious to give me 
 every proof of their friendship, etc., etc. 
 
 I told them they had a queer way of showing friend- 
 ship and hospitality; that I had been in the country 
 four months and a half, and had never yet been invited 
 to enter the house of a Japanese, 367 and that they had 
 even refused to dine with me on my New Year's Day, 
 making a flimsy excuse ; that in my country New Year's 
 Day was kept as it is in Japan, by making friendly visits, 
 
 387 In his Journal for Oct. 28, 1856, Townsend Harris had expressed the hope 
 that he would some day find pleasure in the society of the upper class — if 
 only he could be invited to the home of some high officer (cf. above, and note 
 314). On this day (Jan. 7, 1857) Townsend Harris makes what are certainly 
 some very pointed remarks on the subject. Mr. Heusken, the inferior officer, 
 managed to visit the home of a Japanese gentleman as early as Jan. 21, 1857; 
 while Townsend Harris himself finally received full recognition — both official 
 and social — on Tuesday, Feb. 24, 1857 (q.v., and also Mar. 7, 1857). 
 
 298 
 
etc., etc., but not a single Japanese came near me on 
 that day, and closed by saying that in America such con- 
 duct would be called inhospitable. 
 
 I then asked if the man that threatened Mr. Heusken 
 had been arrested. They said they did not know who it 
 was; therefore, could not arrest him. I told them the 
 person was one of a small class ; that he had a crest on his 
 clothes and wore a sword; and that, if they did not 
 arrest him, I should have a right to think the person 
 was acting either under direct orders from them, or ac- 
 cording to their secret wishes, adding that hereafter we 
 should go out armed and any insult would be promptly 
 punished by us, since they were either unable or un- 
 willing to punish such persons. 
 
 I then remarked that with such a system of espionage 
 as they had, I well knew that everything that occurred 
 to us in our walks was reported to them. 
 
 I then inquired about the currency question and re- 
 ceived the old reply, "Waiting for decision from Yedo." 
 I told them that it had the appearance of a determina- 
 tion on their part to postpone the question indefinitely. 
 They eagerly assured me that it was their wish to close 
 the matter as speedily as possible. So, after four hours 
 of stormy debate, I went home, where I was agreeably 
 surprised to find the officers and guard packing up to 
 leave, and, in effect, they did leave in the evening. So 
 much for showing them a bold face. 368 
 
 368 0n the very day that he was thus firmly maintaining his stand in Japan, 
 Townsend Harris was elected Corresponding Member of The China Branch 
 of The Royal Asiatic Society, whose headquarters were at Victoria, Hong- 
 kong: L. & P., vol. i, no. 53. 
 
 299 
 
Thursday, January 8, 1857. Quite ill. Write a letter 
 to Minister of Foreign Affairs about the verbal answer 
 offered to me (see private letter book). 369 Bingo-no- 
 Kami, one of the Governors, goes to Yedo to-day. I 
 suppose in consequence of the flare-up of yesterday. I 
 am determined to take firm ground with the Japanese. 
 I will cordially meet any real offers of amity, but 
 words will not do. They are the greatest liars on 
 earth. 370 
 
 Monday, January 12, 1837. There is a fine show of 
 a bulbous flower around my house. It has but little scent, 
 is of a pale yellow, and is, as I think, a species of jonquil. 
 It gives a cheerful look to everything. The camellias are 
 increasing in number and the wheat fields are as green 
 as emeralds. I noted in October that the althea was 
 putting out new leaves. These fell after the frost of 
 December. The Japanese cannot pronounce the letter L, 
 but substitute the letter R. This is exactly the reverse 
 of what the Chinese do. They cannot articulate the R, 
 
 S69 This was a very important letter (L. B., vol. i, pp. 172-74). In addition 
 to what is stated in the Journal, Townsend Harris with this letter begins to 
 lay down very definite lines indeed of the course he is going to pursue to 
 obtain a treaty from the Shogunate. He rather vaguely hints at dire calamities 
 that are threatening Japan and that emanate from a government other than 
 that of the United States. He concludes with the statement that already it 
 may be too late; and therefore urges that the authorities make arrangements 
 without delay for his visit to Yedo, where he may confer with them on these 
 impending dangers. 
 
 370 In spite of this inauspicious beginning, a thoroughly sincere and mutual 
 esteem gradually grew up between the Japanese authorities and Townsend 
 Harris. Indeed, when Townsend Harris resigned his position, the Shogunate 
 made every effort to retain their first and best friend, and expressed their 
 deep regret at his going. (Letter by Kuze, Yamato-no-Kami and Ando, Tsu- 
 shima-no-Kami, to Secretary William H. Seward, dated May 5, 1862: Diplo- 
 matic Correspondence, 1862, pt. 2, p. 812.) 
 
 For some sane remarks on this subject, see J. H. Longford, in Jas. Murdoch, 
 A History of Japan, vol. 3, p. 627, note 1. 
 
 300 
 
but substitute the L for it. Thus, instead of rice, they 
 say lice. This may be added to the many other proofs 
 that the Japanese are not a cognate people with the 
 Chinese. The English preposition of becomes no in 
 Japanese. Example: Shimoda-no-Minato, Bay of 
 Shimoda; Yedo-no-Mitisi, the road of Yedo; Shinano- 
 no-Kami, Prince of Shinano. It is a singular coin- 
 cidence that this is the very word used in the South Sea 
 Islands. When Captain Cook was in Ulietra, one of the 
 Friendly Islands, the chief asked him the name of his 
 burial place. Cook told him, "Stepney." The chief then 
 repeated many times to his people, "Stepney Marai No 
 Toote," "Stepney is the burial place of Cook." 
 
 Thursday, January 15, 1857. Ill, ill, ill. I have 
 cured the "Saint Anthony's Fire," but I am constantly 
 wasting away in flesh. 
 
 I have a relax that takes me every four or five days, 
 and continues about the same time. I am most careful 
 in my diet, but all is of no avail. I use exercise now in 
 my compound, walking from five to six miles every day. 
 My liver acts well, and what it is that ails me I cannot 
 say. I left Penang on the 2nd of April last, and am now 
 forty pounds lighter than I then was. 371 
 
 We are well supplied with wild boars' hams, some 
 
 371 0n Apr. 2, 1856, Townsend Harris left Pulo Penang on the San Jacinto, 
 on the way to Bangkok to negotiate the new Treaty with Siara. 
 
 It was surely due to Townsend Harris's well-founded anxiety over his fre- 
 quent illness that almost exactly a week later than the present entry, on Jan. 
 23, 1857, he appointed Mr. Heusken Vice-Consul, 
 
 "to discharge all Consular Duties within the Consulate of the United States 
 of America within the Empire of Japan, during such period as I may be 
 absent or unable to discharge the Duties of said office in Person." (For the 
 full text of this Document, see L. B., vol. i, p. 175.) 
 
 301 
 
venison, plenty of fine golden pheasants, and large and 
 good hares. 
 
 Friday, January lb, 1857. Walked to Vandalia 
 Point, but the climbing the steep hills knocks me up. 
 I have no wind. I must continue my exercise in the 
 compound. 
 
 Sunday, January 18, 1857. First snow seen on the 
 hilltops. I cannot sleep nor can I study. I have laid aside 
 the Japanese entirely, my reading is unsatisfactory; I 
 have a craving for something I cannot define. 
 
 Wednesday, January 21, 1857. First ice seen at my 
 house. Mr. Heusken reports some queer examples of 
 Japanese manners. To-day he entered the house of a 
 respectable Japanese, who received him quite cordially, 
 gave him tea, etc., etc. He then began to inquire the 
 names of various things in English — parts of persons — 
 hand — arm — eye. I should have noted that there was 
 present the mother, wife and daughter of the man, who 
 [had] gathered around so as to see and hear all. 
 
 After asking many names of things, the man opened 
 his dress and taking his privities in his hand — in sight of 
 all the females — asked the names of the various parts in 
 English! On another occasion Mr. Heusken went to the 
 Hot Springs and found three men, entirely naked, lying 
 in the tank; while he was looking on, a young female 
 some fourteen years of age came in, coolly stripped 
 herself to her "birthday suit" and lay down in the bath 
 in close proximity to a young fellow of some twenty 
 years of age. I asked the Vice-Governor if this promis- 
 cuous bathing was not rather injurious to the chastity of 
 
 302 
 
their females. He said it sometimes did so happen. I 
 then inquired what a man did when he married a 
 female who was supposed to be a virgin, but on consum- 
 mation he found she was not one. "Nothing," replied 
 the [Vice-] Governor. "What can he do?" and then 
 naively added, "I was once served in that way myself, 
 but what could I do? It was not my fault." 
 
 Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, January 26, 27 ' , 28, 
 1857. Festival of the Japanese New Year. Everyone 
 released from labor; all in their best clothes; faces shin- 
 ing with saki and everybody paying visits of ceremony 
 to everybody. Persons of rank put on their camissimo 
 or dress of ceremony on these occasions. 372 1 went out on 
 Thursday to see the decorations of the houses. Ever- 
 greens, rice in the straw, oranges, radishes, etc., etc., 
 were festooned about the front of every house. Before 
 each house was a pine or cypress branch planted in the 
 ground to represent a tree, while at the base of the tree 
 a quantity of firewood some fourteen inches long was 
 set on end, forming a bulk of some seven feet in cir- 
 cumference. The fuel was kept in its place by straw 
 ropes. At some houses wheat straw was neatly twisted 
 into the form of a cornucopia, in others the universal 
 shoe of Japan, — i. e., a straw sandal, — was hung up. 
 Everyone appeared under the influence of saki, while 
 but few were intoxicated and none quarrelsome. 
 
 Saturday, January 31, 1857. To-day closes the first 
 month of the year. I wish I could say that my health and 
 spirits were as good as the weather is fine, as the follow- 
 
 372 The Kami-shimo. or ceremonial dress of Old Japan. 
 
 303 
 
ing summary will show: mean temperature for the 
 month, 45 i/io; highest, 54 ; lowest, 32 . Rain two 
 days, showers one, cloudy three, fine twenty-five days. 
 A good return for the month of January in latitude 35 
 north. All writers on Japan speak much about the fogs. 
 As yet I have not seen one. Ice formed on the 21st, 22nd, 
 23rd and 29th of this month. 
 
 Monday, February 2, 1857. Ice this morning at 
 the Consulate three quarters of an inch thick, but it is 
 much sheltered; while in the valley, where the north 
 wind has a fair sweep, it freezes oftener and harder 
 than at the Consulate. 
 
 Friday, February 6, 185J. I made an effort to-day 
 and walked some seven miles up the valley of Shimoda, 
 as it is level ground. This was in part a new walk to me, 
 never having gone so far before in that direction. The 
 vegetation improves as you recede from the seacoast, and 
 I found the bamboo quite green in many places. Hamlet 
 succeeds hamlet in quick succession; the houses, 
 temples and cultivation all of the same character as at 
 Shimoda. The hills are equally steep; sometimes they 
 all but close the valley, only leaving a passage for 
 Shimoda-no-gawa, or Shimoda River. 
 
 Tuesday, February 10, 1857. A violent attack of 
 cholera morbus, — being the third I have had since last 
 December, and it has so happened that I ate potage a la 
 puree on each of those days. I shall, therefore, with 
 great regret give it up. First snow on the level ground 
 to-day, about one inch, but it soon melted and by eleven 
 o'clock was all gone. 
 
 304 
 
Monday, February 16, 1857. Bingo-no-Kami, now 
 at Yedo, sends me from thence a present of English wal- 
 nuts and dried persimmons. They call the latter figs 
 and, indeed, the best quality of them is very like a good 
 dried fig. I am daily expecting his return here, when I 
 hope I shall be able to bring our pending matters to an 
 amicable conclusion. 
 
 Thursday, February IQ, 1857. Rain, sleet and snow. 
 Learn that Bingo-no-Kami, with one of the Vice-Gov- 
 ernors and Moriama Yenosky, chief interpreter, has 
 returned from Yedo. 
 
 Friday, February 20, 1 8 57. The Vice-Governor and 
 Moriama call on me on their return from Yedo. 
 
 Saturday, February 21, 1857* Bingo-no-Kami, one 
 of the Governors of Shimoda, calls on me on his return 
 from Yedo. After the usual compliments, he presented 
 me with two pieces of Japanese crepe, a really good 
 article, and a Japanese sword!! It was in a common, 
 white wood scabbard, and had a handle to slip on of the 
 same. In fact, was simply a packing case. He told me 
 the blade was one he had worn for some years; that it 
 was by the first swordmaker of Japan, etc., etc.; that, 
 having procured another blade, he had shifted the scab- 
 bard and mountings to it, and therefore presented me 
 with the blade; that no foreigner had ever before ob- 
 tained such a blade, etc., etc. ; and to all this I made the 
 required replies. The blade is really a superb one 373 and 
 
 373 0n the occasion of his Audience of Leave (Apr. 26, 1862), the Tycoon pre- 
 sented Townsend Harris with another splendid sword, which Townsend Har- 
 ris, in his turn, later presented to Lieutenant General U. S. Grant for having 
 saved "my beloved country from the ruin that threatened her." (See the manu- 
 
 305 
 
has the "shark teeth mark" the whole length of it. This, 
 I am told, is not a mere surface mark, but extends 
 through the metal like the pamom in some Malay 
 krisses. The Governor invited me to visit him and 
 Shinano-no-Kami, at their private residence, which I 
 accepted. He then asked me if I would have European 
 or Japanese cookery. I selected the latter. So I am at 
 last to see the inside of their residence. 374 
 
 Tuesday, February 24, 1857. Norimons were sent at 
 nine this morning, but I did not leave until eleven, when 
 I proceeded with quite a train of attendants. The 
 norimon is a horrible affair. The only position you can 
 assume is to sit on your heels, Japanese fashion, or else 
 cross-legged. It is only four feet long and about three 
 and a half feet high. I was received with all formality 
 by the two Governors in an ante-room. I was then con- 
 ducted to an inner apartment furnished with seats, bra- 
 ziers, etc., etc. After drinking a cup of tea and smoking 
 three whiffs of tobacco, I was again conducted to the 
 room of my entertainment. This room, out of compli- 
 ment to me, was furnished with seats and tables. On the 
 table before me were pipes, tobacco, a brazier, etc., etc. 
 My seat was on the left of the Governor and close to the 
 toko, 375 or sacred place, and consequently the seat of 
 honor. The meal consisted of fish cooked in every pos- 
 
 script letter, L. & P., vol. i, no. 322, dated Union Club, New York, Nov. 15, 
 1865; and General Grant's courteous answer, ib., no. 323, dated, "Headquar- 
 ters Armies of the United States, Washington, D. C, Nov. 23, 1865.") 
 
 374 See above, Journal for Oct. 28, 1856, and Jan. 7, 1857, and notes 314 and 
 367- 
 
 375 The toko-no-ma. 
 
 306 
 
sible Japanese way, and fish raw; the latter cut from a 
 large fish which was brought to me to see. It was in a 
 large dish, decorated with a mast and sail, the colors 
 of the latter indicating welcome. 
 
 A pate made of lobster was very nice; sweet potatoes 
 and radishes served up in various forms were the vege- 
 tables. Contrary to my expectations, neither rice nor 
 bread was served with the dishes. Some ten courses were 
 served, all brought to me in wooden cups brightly lac- 
 quered. On a table placed across the foot of the room 
 was a dwarfed cedar tree, decorated with storks cut out 
 of radish and neatly colored. These were fastened to the 
 tree by springs of twisted wire, which continued any 
 motion for a long time. Flowers also, both real and 
 artificial, were used to decorate the dishes of cakes, bon- 
 bons, etc., etc., which were also placed on this table. I 
 was told the storks were a wish for my longevity, and 
 that the various flowers had a complimentary meaning 
 in them. After all the fish dishes were done, rice was 
 served without salt or any other condiment. Saki was 
 the beverage, but I plead ill health and only drank tea. 
 When the heavy part of the meal was over, Shinano-no- 
 Kami had brought to him the prettiest toy tea-making 
 apparatus I ever saw. It was in a neat, plain, wooden 
 case, which when opened displayed a tiny furnace for 
 boiling water, teapot and two cups, a jar of tea, mats for 
 the teapot and cups, a scoop for the tea, and a curious 
 machine for heating the tea over the fire before it is 
 put in the water. Shinano-no-Kami then proceeded to 
 boil the water, measure and heat the tea, place it in pot, 
 
 307 
 
pour on the boiling water, and then pour out a cup and 
 hand it to me with his own hands; whereat all the 
 Japanese fell into immense admiration, and then the 
 matter was expounded to me, — that the making of tea by 
 the Prince of Shinano and serving it with his own hands 
 was a proof of friendship only given to those of exalted 
 character and position, and I was requested to view it 
 in that light, whereupon I agreed so to regard it. Then 
 Shinano requested my acceptance of the whole concern 
 as a proof of his great regard, and this was also agreed 
 
 to. 376 
 
 The conversation now took the usual Japanese turn. 
 The lubricity of these people passes belief. The mo- 
 ment business is over, the one and only subject on which 
 they dare converse comes up. I was asked a hundred dif- 
 ferent questions about American females, as whether 
 single women dressed differently from the married ones, 
 etc., etc. ; but I will not soil my paper with the greater 
 part of them, but I clearly perceived that there are 
 particulars that enter into Japanese marriage contracts 
 that are disgusting beyond belief. Bingo-no-Kami in- 
 formed me that one of the Vice-Governors was specially 
 charged with the duty of supplying me with female 
 society, and said if I fancied any woman the Vice-Gover- 
 nor would procure her for me, etc., etc., etc. 
 
 I was asked if their people could receive some instruc- 
 tion in beating the drum when the next man-of-war came. 
 I replied I had no doubt the commander would be will- 
 ing to gratify them on that point. They said they had 
 
 376 This was the Cha-no-yu, the tea ceremony so characteristic of Japan. 
 
 308 
 
brass drums copied from the Dutch. They asked me 
 about the various signals given by beat of drum, which I 
 answered as well as I could. Then — oh, shame! They 
 asked me if we had not a beat of the drum as a signal to 
 our soldiers to go to the houses of ill fame, and I em- 
 phatically replied no. They evidently did not believe me ; 
 for, said they, "We know the Dutch do so at Nagasaki, 
 and all your armies are much the same." I gladly took my 
 leave at three P. M. and reached home quite jaded out. 
 
 Omitted : 376a 
 
 Monday, February 23, 1857. I applied to the Jap- 
 anese to fire a salute for me on "Washington's Birthday" ; 
 but, as it fell on Sunday, I wished the salute to be on 
 Monday. 377 This was agreed to, and this morning they 
 
 376a r p ownsenc j Harris thus indicates that he omitted to write the entry for 
 February 23rd in its proper, chronological order. 
 
 377 Again Heusken's Diary differs slightly from that of Townsend Harris in 
 wrongly dating the firing of this salute on Sunday the 22nd (Wagener, op. cit., 
 p. 376). 
 
 The friendly policy here followed by the Japanese was quite in accord with 
 the advice given them by the Dutch in the beginning of 1857, t0 tfte effect that 
 the Japanese should not enter on a policy of hostility with the foreigners lest 
 they go the way of China ten years before (Wagener, op. cit., p. 375). And it 
 was at just about this time (some time between Jan. 25 and Feb. 22, 1857) 
 that "the ex-Chiunagon of Mito declared his unwillingness to have any further 
 share in public affairs. This resolution was attributed to his dissatisfaction with 
 the course pursued towards foreigners by the Bakufu" (Kinse Shiriaku, transl. 
 by Sir E. M. Satow, ed. 1873, P- 7)« 
 
 In connection with the salute here fired by the Japanese in honor of Wash- 
 ington's Birthday, we are reminded of the astonishment felt by the officers of 
 Commodore Perry's expedition, when they first, on Monday, Feb. 20, 1854, 
 talked with the Japanese and learned that the name of George Washington 
 not only was not new in Japan, but, indeed, that it was a name already re- 
 spected and esteemed. 
 
 Dr. Francis L. Hawks, in Perry's Narrative of the Japan Expedition, 
 expresses himself thus (33-2, S. Ex. Doc, no. 79, vol. 1, p. 333) : 
 
 ''They seemed perfectly acquainted with the name of the great father of 
 our country, and expressed a desire to participate in celebrating the occasion 
 [Wednesday, Feb. 22, 1854], asking to be permitted to come off to see the 
 guns fired. They were, of course, politely invited, and [were] requested to 
 
 309 
 
sent over two handsome brass howitzers, exactly copied 
 in every respect from one Commodore Perry gave them ; 
 every appointment about the gun, down to the smallest 
 particular, was exactly copied : percussion locks, drag 
 ropes, powder or cartridge holder and all. 
 
 The cartridges were made of paper, and for wads they 
 used wood. The firing was good, quite as good as I have 
 seen among civilized persons. 
 
 Judging from the report, their powder is much better 
 than that of the Chinese or Siamese. The Japanese say 
 they have made 1,000 howitzers like those used at the 
 salute!! But they are great liars, consequently you do 
 not know when to believe them. 
 
 Wednesday, February 2$, 1857. Met the Governors 
 at the Goyoshi at noon to-day. They brought in, with 
 great ceremony, a box which was reverentially placed be- 
 fore me. Then a Vice-Governor opened the box, which I 
 
 bring their ladies with them; the latter part of the invitation they, however, 
 jeered at as a very amusing but quite an impracticable joke." 
 
 Writing many years later, in Sept., 1890, Mr. John S. Sewall (who in 1853 
 and 1854 had been Captain's Clerk on the Saratoga in the Japan Expedition) 
 gave a very good explanation of this knowledge of George Washington on 
 the part of the Japanese. He asks ( The invincible armada, in The New Eng- 
 lander and Yale Review, Sept., 1890, pp. 207-08) : 
 
 "Whence came all this knowledge? We naturally credited it to the Dutch, 
 the only nation besides the Chinese which had for the last three centuries 
 maintained its hold upon the good graces and the commerce of Japan. But 
 it appears that the Japanese printers had been in the habit of reprinting 
 in Japanese the manuals and text-books our missionaries had prepared for 
 the use of their schools in China. Their [the Japanese] knowledge of 
 America came straight from Dr. [Elijah Coleman] Bridgman's History 
 of the United States, which had been published in China, and which had 
 enjoyed what Dr. Bridgman had never dreamed of, a wide circulation in 
 the Mikado's dominions. That book had already prepossessed them in our 
 favor." 
 
 There is further interesting material on this small History of the United 
 States. It had a truly wonderful adventure, and its fate constitutes a shining 
 example of the Biblical behest to cast one's bread upon the waters, 
 
 310 
 
found to contain five pieces of a very poor satin damask, 
 which I was told was from five members of the Regency 
 at Yedo, — one piece from each person. This over, 
 another box was brought which, as I was told, contained 
 an answer to my two letters to Yedo, and at last they 
 mustered courage to open it and unfold a sheet of paper 
 about five feet long by eighteen inches wide, written 
 quite full and bearing the seals and signatures of the 
 following Princes who are members of the Regency: 
 
 Hotta Bittsyu-no-Kami . , ~ t , , . 
 
 A - , T J T r . with a Dutch translation 
 
 Abe lsen-no-Kami , - - . - - 
 
 of the same, which they 
 
 placed in Mr. Heusken's 
 
 hands. 378 
 
 Makino Bizen-no-Kami 
 Kuze Iamato-no-Kami 
 Naito Ku-no-Kami 
 
 I directed Mr. Heusken to put the letter and transla- 
 tion in the box and close it. The Governors wished me to 
 have it translated into English at once. This I declined, 
 saying I should prefer having it done at leisure, and that 
 in the meantime I should like to hear their answer on 
 the currency question. Now ensued a scene quite Jap- 
 
 378 This letter (written in classical Japanese) is in the possession of The 
 College of the City of New York. It is endorsed (in Townsend Harris's own 
 hand) : "Letter from the Council of State, Yedo, February 1857." It was signed 
 by: Hotta, Bitchiu-no-Kami; Abe, Ise-no-Kami ; Makino, Bizen-no-Kami; 
 Kuze, Yamato-no-Kami ; Naito, Kii-no-Kami. 
 
 In addition to what is stated in the Journal, the original letter pointed out 
 that the Shogunate had appointed special Governors for the ports of Shimoda 
 and Hakodate from the moment these ports had been opened to foreign trade; 
 and that, inasmuch as Yedo placed complete confidence in these Governors, 
 Townsend Harris should communicate with them, for this would be the same 
 as if Townsend Harris were to communicate directly with Yedo. 
 
 This letter from the Great Council was written in answer to Townsend 
 Harris's two letters dated Oct. 25, 1856, and Jan. 8, 1857. Townsend Harris 
 wrote a dignified protest to the Great Council on Mar. 28, 1857. (See above 
 notes 313 and 369.) 
 
 311 
 
anese, which occupied full two hours. The substance of 
 it was that they admitted the justice of my demand in 
 part, but said my offer (five per cent.) to pay for recoin- 
 ing was not sufficient; that they should lose by it, and 
 they therefore begged me to reconsider it and make them 
 an increased offer. I asked them what was the cost of 
 coining money in Japan? They gravely replied twenty- 
 five per cent. ! ! Twenty- five per cent. I told them it was 
 simply impossible ; that the cost in Europe and America 
 for such labor was not one per cent. ; that I would bring 
 competent moneyers from the United States who would 
 do the whole work for five per cent., or even less. They 
 said the laws of Japan forbade the employment of for- 
 eigners about their coinage. 
 
 I endeavored to elicit a direct offer from them, but 
 without success. Among other statements made by them 
 was this: that gold and silver before coinage had no 
 value; that it was the mint stamp that gave it its value, 
 etc., etc. I told them their Government had an undoubted 
 right to deal with the precious metals produced in Japan 
 as they pleased, but they had no such right over a 
 foreigner, and that to attempt to exercise such a right 
 over him would in effect be a confiscation of his property ; 
 that they might stamp pieces of paper or leather, and 
 compel their own subjects to take them in lieu of gold 
 and silver, but they could not expect the foreigner to take 
 them in exchange for his merchandise, or to have his 
 coin measured by the intrinsic value of such worthless 
 tokens. This ground was traveled over and over again, 
 the Japanese always reasoning in a circle and trying to 
 
 312 
 
gain their point by simple pertinacity. I passed four 
 weary hours and left at four P. M., appointing the next 
 day to meet again. On reaching home, Mr. Heusken 
 translated the Dutch copy of the letter, and found it to 
 be a simple announcement that all business was to be 
 transacted with the Governors of Shimoda or Hakodate, 
 and not one word in reference to the President's letter to 
 the Emperor of Japan, of which I told them I was the 
 bearer. 
 
 See Journal No. 4- 379 
 
 379 The title-page of the fourth volume of the manuscript Journal reads: 
 "Journal No. 4. Commencing February 26th, 1857, and Ending December 7th, 
 1857." (In Townsend Harris's hand.) 
 
 313 
 
Journal No. 4 
 
 Commencing February 26, 1857, and 
 Ending December 7, 1857 
 
 Thursday, February 26, 1857. On reaching the 
 Goyoshi to-day, the Governors asked me if I had pe- 
 rused the letter from the Regency, etc., etc., and said they 
 had something to add, which was that they had full pow- 
 ers to receive from me any propositions I had to make, 
 and to treat on all the matters referred to in my two 
 letters to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, 380 and then be- 
 gan to question me as to certain matters contained there- 
 in. I told them I was not yet ready to answer, but rather 
 to ask questions, and that I wished to know the nature of 
 their powers. Could they give me answers at once on all 
 matters I might propose without waiting to hear from 
 Yedo? They assured me in the most solemn manner that 
 they could. I then asked could they make a new treaty 
 without such reference? Their answer soon proved what 
 I before suspected, — that, in any minor matter, they 
 could decide, but, on any important one, they could only 
 hear and report. I then said, "I have some matters under 
 the Treaty which properly come under your jurisdic- 
 
 380 See above, Journal for Oct. 25, 1856, and for Jan. 8, 1857, and notes 313 
 and 369. 
 
 31s 
 
tion, and will now proceed to open them." They wished 
 to renew the discussion of the currency, but I told them, 
 unless they had some new matter, or a distinct propo- 
 sition to make, I should prefer leaving that for the 
 present. 
 
 I then stated that the Port of Nagasaki had been 
 opened to the Russians as a place where their ships 
 could obtain necessary supplies and coals for steam- 
 ers, 381 and I demanded the same rights for the Ameri- 
 cans. This was finally agreed to. 382 My next was, that 
 American ships in want of supplies and not having 
 money, that goods should be taken in payment. 383 They 
 said this was already granted by our Treaty. 384 I told 
 them, if that was the case, of course they could have no 
 objection to reaffirming it, and this was agreed to. 385 My 
 next was that Americans committing offences in Japan 
 should be tried by the Consul and punished if guilty ac- 
 
 381 The Treaty between Russia and Japan (signed at Shimoda, Feb. 7, 
 1855) provided for the opening of the three ports of Shimoda, Hakodate, and 
 Nagasaki. Art. Ill of the Treaty continues as follows (J. H. Gubbins, The 
 Progress of Japan, p. 236) : 
 
 "Dans ces 3 ports, les navires russes pourront reparer leurs avaries, 
 s'approvisionner d'eau, de bois de chauffage, d'aliments et autres objets 
 necessaires, de charbon de terre meme, la ou il s'en trouverait; ils paieront 
 tous ces objets en monnaie d'or ou d'argent, ou a defaut d'especes, en 
 raarchandises de leur chargement." 
 
 382 r phis matter became Art. I of the Convention of Shimoda, concluded 
 
 by Townsend Harris on June 17, 1857. Indeed, this article is a translation of 
 
 the corresponding portions of the Art. Ill just quoted from the Russian Treaty. 
 
 383 This represents the rest of Art. Ill of the Russian Treaty; compare Art. 
 
 V thereof. 
 
 384 The Perry Treaty (concluded Mar. 31, 1854) provided in Art. VII: 
 
 "It is agreed that ships of the United States resorting to the ports open to 
 them [at that time only Shimoda and Hakodate] shall be permitted to ex- 
 change gold and silver coin and articles of goods for other articles of 
 goods," etc. 
 385 This matter became Art. V of the Convention of Shimoda. 
 
 3*6 
 
cording to Japanese laws. 386 To my great and agreeable 
 surprise this was agreed to without demur. I next told 
 them that I demanded the right for Americans to lease 
 ground, buy, build, repair, or alter such buildings at 
 their pleasure, and that they should be supplied with 
 materials and labor for such purposes whenever they 
 might require it. I told them I founded this claim on the 
 12th and 13th Articles made with the Dutch at Nagasaki 
 on the 9th of November, 1855, by which all the ground 
 at Deshima was leased to the Dutch and the buildings 
 sold to them; and that they also had the right to build, 
 alter or repair, etc., etc.; 387 that I claimed those same 
 privileges under the 9th Article of the Treaty of Kana- 
 gawa. 388 
 
 386 This is a slip of the pen for "according to Americans laws." This matter 
 became Art. IV of the Convention of Shimoda, and was later repeated in Art. 
 VI of the Treaty concluded by Townsend Harris on July 29, 1858. "Consular 
 Courts" thus agreed upon (already to be found in Art. VIII of the Russian 
 Treaty and in Art. II of the Dutch Treaty of Nov. 9, 1855) were to be the 
 cause of endless and most serious trouble till abolished by treaties concluded 
 many years later. (For the United States, compare the Treaty of 1894, Articles 
 I and XVII.) 
 
 387 The Treaty between The Netherlands and Japan, concluded by Jan 
 Hendrik Donker Curtius, reads (Gubbins, op. cit., pp. 247-48) : 
 
 Art. XII— 
 
 "Except the outer wall, the guard-houses, and public buildings of Deshima, 
 all the dwellings and warehouses shall be sold, through the intervention 
 of the Governors of Nagasaki, to the Netherlands Factory, and the ground 
 of Deshima let. They shall be under the direction of the highest Nether- 
 lands officer dwelling there, and be maintained at the cost of the Nether- 
 lands Factory." 
 
 Art. XIII— 
 
 "For the performance of the necessary repairs, the building or pulling 
 down of warehouses or dwellings, or for making alterations and improve- 
 ments therein, the Netherlands Factory shall be at liberty to employ Jap- 
 anese tradesmen and to buy Japanese materials, for which payment shall 
 be made in kambang money. Previous notice of these operations shall be 
 given to the Governor of Nagasaki." 
 
 388pe rr y Treaty, Art. 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 
 
 317 
 
The Governors were amazed. They never heard of 
 any such convention. 389 It did not, it could not, exist. 
 When, where and by whom was it made? I told them. It 
 was not known to the Government at Yedo ; had never 
 been ratified, and therefore had never gone into effect. 
 I then read the 29th Article which declared the Conven- 
 tion should go into full effect on the 1st of January, 1856, 
 and extended the time of exchange of the ratifications to 
 the 9th of November, 1857; 390 but the ratifications had 
 been exchanged, and that I had with my own eyes seen 
 the ratified Japanese copy. They then asked where the 
 ratifications were exchanged, and where it was I saw 
 it? 
 
 I told them Captain Fabius of the Dutch Navy 
 brought the Dutch ratification to Nagasaki in August 
 or September last, and that when he came here in the 
 Frigate Medusa he had the ratified Convention on 
 
 herein granted to the United States and the citizens thereof, that these 
 same privileges and advantages shall be granted likewise on the United 
 States and to the citizens thereof, without any consultation or delay." 
 
 The introduction of this "most favored nation" clause in the Perry Treaty is 
 said to have been due to Dr. S. Wells Williams, for many years a missionary- 
 printer in China. 
 
 389 Meaning, of course, the Treaty concluded with the Dutch at Nagasaki, 
 Nov. 9, 1855 (see below). 
 
 390 The pertinent portions of Art. XXIX of the Treaty with The Netherlands, 
 read (Gubbins, op. cit., p. 250) : 
 
 ". . . and the ratifications signed by high officers empowered thereto on 
 both sides, shall be exchanged at Nagasaki within the space of two years 
 from the date hereof [Nov. 9, 1855]. 
 
 "All the stipulations of this Convention come into immediate operation 
 with the exception of the following Articles: 
 
 "Art. I. The freedom therein granted comes into operation on the 1st 
 December, 1855, and Articles IX, XII, XIII, XIV, XVIII, XX, and XXVI 
 come into operation on the 1st January, 1856." 
 
 318 
 
board, and that what I held in my hand was an authentic 
 translation of it. 391 
 
 Now, will it be believed that during all this time 
 (more than one hour) the Governors had an authentic 
 copy of that very Convention lying before them in a dis- 
 patch box? It was so; and all this barefaced falsehood 
 was a fair specimen of Japanese diplomacy. 
 
 They then took new ground. The Dutch had been in 
 Japan more than two hundred years; that these were 
 old matters and had no relation to the present state of 
 affairs. I replied that I claimed none of the rights the 
 Dutch had before the Treaty of Kanagawa was signed ; 
 that I only claimed the same new rights as had been 
 
 391 The Medusa, Captain Fabius, had been at Hakodate; and, on the way 
 to Nagasaki, stopped at Shimoda on Oct. i, 1856, sailing away for Nagasaki 
 on Oct. 3, 1856 (see above Journal, under these dates). 
 
 Though the Preliminary Convention of Commerce concluded with the Dutch 
 on Nov. 9, 1855, went into operation in the manner provided in Art. XXIX 
 (from which we have just quoted), it was never duly ratified. (Gub- 
 bins, op. cit., p. 66). Only a short time elapsed before the Dutch signed at 
 Nagasaki a second Treaty of Commerce — Jan. 30, 1856. Townsend Harris, 
 in his discussions thus far with the Governors of Shimoda, quotes entirely 
 from the Dutch Treaty of Nov. 9, 1855. It would seem, therefore, that when 
 Captain Fabius visited Shimoda in Oct., 1856, he was quite generous in giving 
 Townsend Harris the text of the Dutch Treaty of Nov. 9, 1855, because he 
 was aware that this Treaty had already been superseded by the one of Jan. 30, 
 1856; and the terms of the latter Treaty he seems to have felt himself bound 
 to keep secret until such time as the ratifications thereof should have been 
 exchanged. This last took place at Nagasaki, Oct. 16, 1857, about eight months 
 after Townsend Harris's present discussion with the Japanese. 
 
 In other words, Townsend Harris, not knowing the full facts, was at a dis- 
 advantage with the Japanese Governors, who, in their manoeuvring for 
 diplomatic position, could well adhere to their statement that the Dutch Treaty 
 of Nov. 9, 1855, had never been duly ratified and that therefore, to all intents 
 and purposes, it did not exist. And, of course, they did not give the slightest 
 inkling of the existence of the later Dutch Treaty of Jan. 30, 1856. 
 
 Townsend Harris finally received a copy of the Dutch Treaty of Jan. 30, 
 1856, and from the Governor of Shimoda himself, only on Wednesday, Nov. 
 18, 1857 — on the eve of his departure for his audience with the Tycoon at 
 Yedo. (See his entry in the Journal for that date, and his remarks on this 
 very point of leasing ground and buying buildings at Deshima.) 
 
 319 
 
granted to the Dutch ; that under the old regulations the 
 Dutch lived in Deshima simply on sufferance, had no 
 written rights and were liable to be ordered away at 
 any moment, but the Convention of November 9, 1855, 
 placed them on new and secure ground. They had ac- 
 quired fixed and indefeasible rights, and among others 
 that of permanent residence in Japan. 
 
 Again the ground was shifted. The privileges granted 
 to the Dutch were in effect to the Dutch Government, 
 represented by a factory, and not to the Dutch burghers 
 at large; that as I had told them the Government of the 
 United States never engaged in trade, of course it could 
 not have a factory; and, as a natural consequence, the 
 claim on my part was ill founded. I replied that it was 
 a privilege of trade and residence granted to Dutch- 
 men, no matter whom they represented ; that the effect 
 was the same, whether they traded for themselves or for 
 the Dutch Government. 
 
 Four o'clock having arrived, I left them to meet again 
 to-morrow at the same hour. 392 
 
 Friday, February 2J, 1857. At the Goyoshi at noon. 
 The Governors opened the business by travelling over 
 the same ground as yesterday (on my last proposition) 393 
 
 S92 While Townsend Harris was thus ably presenting the point of view and 
 the claims of the United States, his good friend Nathaniel Dougherty, in far-off 
 New York City, was drawing up a memorial in behalf of Townsend Harris, 
 praying compensation for him ($12,000) for the successful conclusion of the 
 American Treaty with Siam. This memorial was presented to the Senate on 
 Friday, Feb. 27, 1857, by another friend of Townsend Harris — Senator Wil- 
 liam H. Seward. It was referred to the Committee on Commerce, and ordered 
 to be printed (34-3, S. Misc. Doc, no. 52, pp. 1-2). 
 
 393 Namely, "the right for Americans to lease ground, buy, build, repair, 
 or alter such buildings," etc. 
 
 320 
 
for nearly two hours, not one new idea or argument be- 
 ing started. At last, when they questioned the correct- 
 ness of my translation, I suddenly asked them to give 
 me a copy of [the] 12th and 13th Articles according to 
 their version, which they promised to do — apparently 
 for the moment forgetting their denial of any knowledge 
 of such a Convention only yesterday. 
 
 I next claimed the right to have purchases made for 
 me by any person I mighty employ, and that payment 
 should be made directly to the seller without the inter- 
 ference of any Japanese official. 394 I also claimed that 
 the limits of seven ri and five ri at Shimoda and Hako- 
 date did not apply to me as Consul General, but that the 
 whole Empire of Japan was included in my Consu- 
 late. 395 The arguments with which I supported this 
 claim will be found at large in my private letter book. 396 
 
 There was less falsehood in their replies to this point 
 than there was to the preceding one, but this arose from 
 the want of opportunity rather than the want of inclina- 
 tion. Two hours were thus consumed, and I left at four 
 
 394 This was breaking new ground. The Russian Treaty (of Dec. 7, 1856) 
 distinctly said in the Explanatory Articles (ad Art. V) : 
 
 "Les Russes . . . effectueront le paiement ou l'echange des raarchandises 
 dans le dit entrepot par Tentremise des employes japonais." (Gubbins, op. cit., 
 p. 238.) 
 
 Townsend Harris v\ n his point, and this matter became Art. VII of the 
 Convention of Shimoda. 
 
 395 This matter became Art. VI of the Convention of Shimoda. 
 
 396 These arguments were indeed given "at large" in the lengthy letter which 
 Townsend Harris addressed to the Governors of Shimoda, dated Mar. 13, 
 1857 (£• B>> vol. 1, pp. 182-88, and vol. 2, pp. 1-3). 
 
 Incidentally, this reference, made on Feb. 27th, to a letter that was written 
 on Mar. 13th, is but one of many proofs that Townsend Harris first wrote a 
 rough copy of his Journal and copied it into the present manuscript volumes 
 some time thereafter — in the present case, two weeks later at least. 
 
 321 
 
P. M., they promising to send me their version of the 
 1 2th and 13th Articles of the Dutch Convention. 
 
 Saturday, February 28, 1857. At home all day, and 
 very glad to rest after the vexing labors of the last three 
 days. The weather this month was as follows: ther- 
 mometer, mean 45 5/10; highest, 63 ; lowest 32 . The 
 thermometer is noted at eight A. M., noon, four and ten 
 P. M.; but at four A. M. on the nth, the thermometer 
 stood at 28 . Ice on 2nd, 3rd and nth; and it snowed 
 on the 10th and 25th. It rained four days, showers on 
 four days, cloudy four days and clear sixteen days. The 
 mean of the coldest day this winter was 36 25/100 on the 
 2nd of February. 
 
 Monday, March 2, l8$J. Moriama Yenosky comes 
 here to-day with their version of the 12th and 13th 
 Articles of the Dutch Convention. They agree in every 
 essential with my version! 
 
 Moriama informs me he was promoted one step when 
 last at Yedo, and has a place in the Revenue Board. He 
 says his name is now changed to Moriama Tatsitsio, in 
 place of Moriama Yenosky; that each time a man rises 
 a step in office, he takes a new name. He introduced the 
 "currency question" by saying how very anxious he was 
 to have it settled, and tried to persuade me to open the 
 question with him. He assured me that he knew of his 
 own knowledge it did cost twenty-five per cent, on all 
 their coinage; and, on being pressed, he admitted that a 
 whole army of officers were quartered on the mint; that 
 some of them had very large salaries, etc., etc. I inferred 
 from what he said that the mint is a sort of pension estab- 
 
 ^22 
 
lishment for the Empire. On inquiring of him as to the 
 revenue of Japan, I could get no satisfaction; nobody 
 knew, most of the dues were paid in rice. But this I did 
 learn: that all the lands in the imperial domains are 
 crown property, and the tenants are perpetual lease- 
 holders; the rent paid varies from forty per cent, to 
 thirty per cent, and twenty per cent, of the gross product 
 of the land. All rents are estimated as rice; although 
 wheat or any other cereal or green crops are raised, it is 
 all estimated as rice. The tenant may pay his rent in kind 
 or in the money value of the place on the day he pays it. 
 This applies to the imperial domain. As to the domains 
 of the vassal princes, I could not get any satisfactory 
 answer. No publication of any kind as to public affairs is 
 ever made in Japan. The head of a department knows 
 only what belongs to that department; and under such 
 a jealous government as this, surrounded by spies on 
 every hand, he may well tremble even at the idea of seek- 
 ing information that does not directly and officially per- 
 tain to him. For these reasons nothing can be accurately 
 known as to the amount of their army, or navy, or 
 police, or the number of officials, or of the paid spies. 
 The same remarks will apply to their tonnage and the 
 action of trade. As to the latter I much doubt if the Gov- 
 ernment keeps any statistics of its action. 397 
 
 Tuesday, March 3, 1857. Met the Governors. The 
 
 397 On this date, Senator William H. Seward wrote to Secretary Marcy, 
 asking (among other things) whether the Department of State would recom- 
 mend additional compensation for Townsend Harris for his services in con- 
 cluding the Treaty with Siam (L. & P., vol. i, no. 59). On the same day, 
 Secretary Marcy gave a favorable answer (ib., no. 55). 
 
 323 
 
currency question was introduced, and they at last made 
 a distinct offer. They said that heretofore the dollar had 
 been taken by them for 1,600 seni (or cash) ; that this 
 was not right. They proposed to weigh coins brought 
 here by Americans — gold coins with Japanese gold 
 coins, and silver coins against Japanese silver coins — 
 weight for weight, and from the amount of Japanese 
 coin to deduct fifteen per cent, to pay for the loss of 
 melting and coining. I told them the demand was un- 
 reasonable and that I could not agree to it. They then 
 asked me to give them a counter proposition. I accord- 
 ingly made three distinct offers : 
 
 i st, The dollar in silver to pass by tale for three 
 ichibus or 4,800 seni ; 
 
 2nd. Weighing the coin as proposed by them and de- 
 ducting five per cent. ; 
 
 3rd. That inasmuch as they said their coin was com- 
 posed of pure silver or pure gold and without 
 alloy, — that, if that statement was correct, I 
 would allow them ten per cent, discount, and 
 that any alloy found in their coin should be 
 deducted from that allowance, and that any in- 
 crease of alloy in the coins brought by Ameri- 
 cans, over the present standard, should go to 
 swell the discount. 
 
 The third proposition was instantly rejected with 
 such manifest trepidation that I am convinced that their 
 coin contains a large amount of alloy. They also said 
 that to weigh the coin would be more just than to have 
 it pass by tale, as from wear or other causes old coins 
 
 324 
 
were never as heavy as new ones. We then went over 
 the ground again on my two last propositions. At last I 
 told them I had something of great importance to com- 
 municate confidentially, and to them alone. To my great 
 surprise the room was at once cleared of all but the two 
 Governors and Moriama Tatsitsio. I then read to them 
 an extract from a letter to me from the Secretary of 
 State, which was to the effect that, if the Japanese sought 
 to evade the Treaty, the President would not hesitate 
 to ask Congress to give him power to use such arguments 
 as they could not resist. The fluttering was fearful — the 
 effect strong. They thanked me for the confidence I had 
 placed in them by reading that part of the Secretary's 
 letter, and asked if they might communicate the same to 
 their Government. I told them they could do so. They 
 then asked me to give them a written translation of the 
 paragraph so that they might make a correct transla- 
 tion. This I declined, but told them I would have it 
 translated and that Moriama might use that paper in 
 my presence to translate it to them, but that the paper 
 must be returned to me. This ended our proceedings for 
 the day at half-past four P. M. 398 
 
 Wednesday, March 4, 1857. Met the Governors at 
 noon. The room was cleared and I then handed them the 
 Dutch translation referred to yesterday, and it was care- 
 fully translated into Japanese by Moriama, and then the 
 paper was returned to me. Travelled over the debates of 
 yesterday, like a horse in a mill. I finally demanded a 
 
 398 Secretary Marcy's letter to Senator Seward (dated Mar. 2, 1857) was 
 read to the Senate and was ordered to be printed (34-3, S. Misc. Doc, no. 55, 
 P- x). 
 
 325 
 
categorical answer to the three points open, — viz., cur- 
 rency, residence of Americans, and the Consular rights. 
 They requested me to place all my propositions in writ- 
 ing. This I declined, telling them that, once I had 
 placed my name to a paper, it could not be modified and 
 that I wished to leave a door open by which we might 
 arrive at a solution of the questions. It was finally agreed 
 that Mr. Heusken, as from himself, would give them an 
 unsigned paper containing the substance of my demands, 
 the paper to be sent to the Governor's residence in the 
 morning of to-morrow, and that we should meet again 
 for the dispatch of business on Friday, the 6th inst. 
 
 Friday, March 6, 1857. Met the Governors at the 
 usual place, — i. e., the Goyoshi. 
 
 I asked them if they were prepared to give me answers 
 to the points remaining unsettled, and soon found they 
 were anything but ready. They said these were im- 
 portant matters and must be calmly considered ; that the 
 Japanese took a great while to consider every question; 
 that in this respect they differed from the Americans, 
 who decided promptly on all questions. 
 
 The currency question again came up and was again 
 gone over for the twentieth time. At last I told them 
 my mind was made up and that I would not allow more 
 than five per cent, for re-coinage; that their demands 
 were exorbitant, etc., etc.; that their plea that it cost 
 twenty-five per cent. I had fully met by offering to 
 have it done for five per cent, and that it appeared as 
 though the Government wished to squeeze the Ameri- 
 cans who came here, etc., etc. This elicited a direct offer 
 
 326 
 
on their part of taking our coins at six per cent, discount. 
 To show how great a step this was in our favor, it should 
 be remembered that heretofore the dollar passed for 
 i, 600 seni, but the last offer of the Japanese would give 
 4,670 for the dollar, or nearly two hundred per cent, 
 more than they formerly allowed. 
 
 I refused to advance from the five per cent. The Gov- 
 ernor, the Prince of Shinano, rose from his seat and 
 came to me; and, while standing, begged me as a per- 
 sonal favor to him to yield the one per cent, of differ- 
 ence; that they were most anxious to have the matter 
 settled, but that it was impossible for them to go fur- 
 ther than they had done, and {mark this) that, if they 
 took the coin of the Americans at less than six per cent, 
 the Government would lose by the operation of re-coin- 
 age. Contrast this with their solemn assurance that it cost 
 twenty-five per cent, to coin the money of Japan. The 
 mendacity of these men passes all human belief. We 
 finally adjourned to some day next week. I am really ill, 
 yet I am forced day after day to listen to useless debates, 
 on points that have been exhausted, and are only varied 
 by some new phase of falsehood ! 
 
 Saturday, March J, 1857. On looking over my Jour- 
 nal for February 25th, I find I have omitted two im- 
 portant matters. On the 4th of October, 1855, the Secre- 
 tary of State wrote me 399 that the Navy Department had 
 
 399 Townsend Harris made two copies of this Letter of Special Instructions 
 (L. & P., vol. 1, no. 21 ; and vol. 2, no. 21). In addition to what is stated in the 
 text, Secretary Marcy suggests an additional article to the Perry Treaty, 
 which should establish the right of temporary residence in Japan; discusses 
 the currency question, and the establishment of a Consulate at Hakodate; and 
 closes with the hope that the Japanese will reciprocate in kindly feelings and 
 
 327 
 
received dispatches from Lieutenant Rodgers to the 
 effect that Reed and Dougherty, two Americans who 
 had gone to Japan to establish themselves there, had 
 been ordered away from Shimoda and refused permis- 
 sion to land at Hakodate. 400 Lieutenant Rodgers also 
 wrote that the Japanese version of the seventh Article 
 of Commodore Perry's Treaty contained the words 
 "such as may be necessary for them" in connection with 
 the agreement to permit Americans to make purchases 
 of goods in Japan. I was informed by the Department 
 that these words were not contained in the English, 
 Dutch or Chinese versions of the Treaty, and I was 
 directed to inquire into the matter and see if they were 
 actually inserted in the Japanese version. 
 
 I asked the Governors if they had an authentic copy 
 of the Treaty of Kanagawa; and, on their answering in 
 the affirmative, I requested them to turn to the seventh 
 
 that consequently Townsend Harris will succeed in procuring greater privi- 
 leges than were procured by the Perry Treaty. 
 
 The question of residence was completely settled by Article II of the Con- 
 vention of Shimoda (June 17, 1857), which provides "that American citizens 
 may permanently reside at Shimoda and Hakodate," etc. 
 
 400 Messrs. W. C. Reed and T. T. Dougherty (and party) had left Shimoda 
 in the American schooner Caroline E. Foote, Captain A. J. Worth, early in 
 June, 1855. Arriving at Hakodate, they tried in vain to land and establish in 
 that city their store for general ships' supplies for the American whaling 
 fleet — in vain, in spite of the help rendered by Lieutenant John Rodgers, who 
 had arrived at that port a few days before them in the U.S.S. Vincennes, of 
 the U. S. Surveying and Exploring Expedition to the North Pacific Ocean. 
 (See Lieutenant Rodgers's letters to Messrs. Reed and Dougherty written at 
 Hakodate, June 19 and 25, 1855.) The C, E. Foote therefore left Japan on 
 June 27 or 28, 1855 '» P ut m at Guam for supplies on July 15th ; and left on July 
 31st for San Francisco, where she arrived safely on Sept. 17, 1855, bringing: 
 firstly, dispatches from Admiral Poutiatine, who had just (Feb. 7, 1855) con- 
 cluded the Russian Treaty with Japan; and, secondly, the first cargo ever 
 imported directly from Japan to the United States. (Read the copious corre- 
 spondence of this unsuccessful commercial venture to Japan by Messrs. Reed 
 and Dougherty in the New York Herald, Morning ed., Monday, Oct. 15, 1855, 
 p. 1, columns 2-6; and see above, note 325.) 
 
 328 
 
Article of the Treaty, and then asked them if the words 
 above noted were contained in it. They at once said they 
 were not in the Article. I then told them that, when 
 Lieutenant Rodgers was here, the Governor had assured 
 him that those words were contained in the Japanese 
 version of the Treaty. 
 
 With unmoved faces they assured me they never heard 
 of any such statement ; that the Governor could not have 
 said so, and that there must be some mistake about it. 
 I then complained of the ordering away of Messrs. Reed 
 and Dougherty from Shimoda and refusing them per- 
 mission to land in Hakodate. They answered that that 
 was wrong, that they ought not to have ordered them 
 away from Shimoda, nor have refused them permission 
 to land at Hakodate. 
 
 I also omitted a description of the interior of the 
 houses occupied by the Governors. These are some 
 twenty to thirty buildings in one grand enclosure, all of 
 which are occupied by the various officials of this place. 
 The houses are all of wood covered with tile roofs. The 
 sides of each room are a series of paper windows some 
 six feet high, and have sliding shutters to close them 
 in during storms or cold weather. The houses are very 
 open and are only warmed by charcoal braziers. The 
 rooms are covered with very soft and beautiful mats. 
 These mats are the same size all through Japan, — i. e., six 
 feet long and three feet wide. At the outer door the Jap- 
 anese take off their straw shoes and walk into the house 
 in their stockings, consequently the mats are always 
 clean. The mat serves as a seat by day and a bed by night. 
 
 329 
 
In cold weather they wrap themselves in a thickly 
 wadded blanket made with sleeves; a wooden pillow 
 three inches high supports the neck (not the head) , and 
 prevents the hair being tumbled. At their meals a stand 
 of lacquered wood about one foot high and some eight- 
 een inches square serves as the table of each person, and 
 their food is served entirely in wooden vessels, except 
 tea and saki, which are drunk from porcelain cups. No 
 sofa, chair, table, sideboard or other furniture is to be 
 found in the rooms. In the bedrooms some chests or 
 cabinets contain their clothes, arms, books, etc., etc. 
 The walls are sometimes decorated with paper hang- 
 ings, with trees, flowers, storks, etc., drawn on them, but 
 generally they are the plain wood or simple figured 
 paper. Their wardrobe is always a small one, as the 
 quantity of clothes required or rather allowed by their 
 sumptuary laws is limited. I do not think the world con- 
 tains a people so truly frugal and plain in matters of diet 
 and dress as the Japanese. No jewelry is ever seen on a 
 man. Gold is chiefly used to decorate their swords. In 
 some particular cases, gold brocades are used with scar- 
 let or yellow, but these are rare cases. They form the 
 exception and not the rule. The colors of the dress are 
 either black or gray; the material for the nobles is of 
 silk, [for] all others it is cotton. They are a people of 
 but few wants. 
 
 Sunday, March 8, 1857. A cannon from the Signal 
 Hill announced a foreign ship at noon to-day, and caused 
 emotions of sincere pleasure. On ascending a height 
 near the Consulate I saw the blessed Stars and Stripes 
 
 33o 
 
flying from a barque, which was standing towards the 
 inner harbor, having a signal for a pilot flying, and the 
 pilot was seen pulling off to her, but as the pilot neared 
 her she filled away, stood off until she was fairly in Yedo 
 Bay, and then stood southward. 
 
 What does it mean? It was like the Flying Dutch- 
 man. 
 
 Monday, March Q, 1857. At nine this morning the 
 barque again made her appearance and anchored in the 
 outer harbor. Mr. Heusken went on board, and when he 
 returned he brought with him Captain Homer of the 
 Barque Messenger Bird, from Boston via the Sand- 
 wich Islands and Guam. Mr. Edward F. Hall, the 
 supra-cargo, presented a letter of introduction writ- 
 ten by the Hon. David L. Gregg, U. S. Commissioner 
 to the Sandwich Islands. 401 Captain Homer has his wife 
 and two children on board — one an infant born at sea 
 off the Caroline Islands. 
 
 Mr. Hall having come via San Francisco, I got news- 
 papers up to the 8th of November, or six months later 
 than my last dates. So, Mr. Buchanan is President. 
 When I last saw him in London on the 31st of October 
 last, I told him that I had no doubt he would be the 
 next President. 402 I am glad to hear it, and trust that 
 under his administration peace and quiet will settle on 
 
 401 Mr. David L. Gregg had been consulted by Messrs. Reed and Dougherty 
 (who, it will be remembered, had sailed for Japan from Honolulu on Feb. 
 I3> X855 ) and had expressed his opinion that they were quite within the terms 
 of the Perry Treaty in trying to establish themselves at Hakodate. 
 
 402 Townsend Harris had visited James Buchanan, then Minister to London, 
 on Oct. 31, 1855, when, on his way back to the Far East as Consul General to 
 Japan, he had gone to the American Legation to have his passport vised. 
 (See note 16.) 
 
 331 
 
the land; as the newspapers were only from the 20th 
 of October to the 8th of November, there is a large 
 hiatus in details, and Mr. Hall being only eighteen years 
 of age could not give me many particulars. Mr. Hall 
 informs me that he has an assorted cargo and wishes to 
 trade here, and that he shall then proceed to Hakodate 
 and thence to the Amur River, at which last place he 
 is to establish himself in business as a ship chandler. I 
 told him that I was still negotiating with the Japanese 
 about the currency, and told him he could depend on not 
 losing over six per cent, on the money he should ex- 
 pend here, which gave him great satisfaction. 
 
 Sent word to the Governors that I wished to see them 
 to-morrow. 
 
 Tuesday, March 10, 1857. Met the Governors. Told 
 them the arrival of a ship required a settlement of the 
 currency question. They stuck at the six, and I at the 
 five per cent. I proposed that this ship should settle at 
 the six per cent, but that it should not be used as a 
 precedent. 
 
 They said they required ten days to settle the cur- 
 rency question, as they must send to Yedo. They then 
 opened on ground that even astonished me, used as I am 
 to Japanese falsehood. They roundly declared the 
 Dutch Convention did not exist, that it was a false re- 
 port. I told them with some sternness that I had seen it 
 with my own eyes, on board the Dutch Frigate Diana 
 [Medusa] in October last. They then said it had not 
 been ratified. This I also stopped by saying that it did 
 bear the ratification of the Japanese Government. This 
 
 332 
 
point was asserted and re-asserted by them time and 
 again and as often met by a plain statement of the 
 truth by me. 403 
 
 Now came a new turn. They said the 12th and 
 13th Articles had been stricken out of the Japanese 
 copy. 
 
 In reply I asked, if that was so, how was it that they 
 gave me a correct version of the 12th and 13th Articles 
 from their copy? Bingo-no-Kami said he got a copy 
 made for himself when at Yedo before it was acted on 
 by the Government. I asked to see his copy, when 
 lo! it was a printed, and not a manuscript copy! I 
 called their attention to this fact, but they made no 
 reply. 404 
 
 I then said that the evidence of the authenticity of 
 my version was quite satisfactory to me, and that it 
 would be so to my Government, who would act on it as 
 authentic. 
 
 They then repeated that those two Articles never went 
 into operation, etc., etc. I told them that Captain Fabius 
 of the Dutch Navy had informed me that the buildings 
 at Deshima had been sold to the Dutch, and the ground 
 
 403 See above, Journal, Feb. 26, 1857, and the discussion in the notes on this 
 moot point, especially note 391. 
 
 404 The document in the hands of the Governors of Shimoda must have been 
 a printed copy of the first Dutch Treaty — that of Nov. 9, 1855. Therefore, the 
 text of Art. XII and XIII was bound to be the same as that in the copy which 
 Townsend Harris had received from Captain Fabius. The Japanese naturally 
 made no reply, because the only reply possible under the circumstances would 
 have revealed the existence of the second Dutch Treaty, in which (as was 
 justly maintained by the Japanese) the privileges granted in Art. XII and XIII 
 of the first treaty had been withdrawn. 
 
 (Articles XII and XIII of the Dutch Treaty of Nov. 9, 1855, became Art. 
 XII of the Treaty of Jan. 30, 1856.) 
 
 333 
 
leased to them. They vehemently denied the truth of that 
 statement. 
 
 I told them that negative proof was nothing against 
 credible, positive testimony. It was now past four, and I 
 closed a very stormy interview with an appointment for 
 the next day. 
 
 Wednesday, March II, 1857- I went yesterday on 
 board the Messenger Bird, and saw Mrs. Homer, a nice 
 person indeed, with a bouncing baby in her arms. This 
 home sight almost made me homesick. 
 
 At the Goyoshi at half-past eleven. The Governors 
 again wished to open the currency question. I told them 
 if they would give me satisfaction on the other unsettled 
 points, I would satisfy them in the matter of the cur- 
 rency. After a great deal of debate, in which, however, 
 they did not repeat the barefaced assertions of yester- 
 day, they requested me to put the two claims of residence 
 of Americans and consular rights on paper, and give 
 them time to consider about it, as it was a matter of much 
 gravity, etc., etc. I assented to this and so closed our busi- 
 ness for the present. Again visited the barque, and after 
 chatting for an hour went home. 
 
 Captain and Mrs. Homer and Mr. Hall are to break- 
 fast with me on Friday noon. 
 
 Friday, March 1 3, 1 8 57. Breakfast party as above. 
 Walk to a place where [we] can see Oho Sima. 405 Day 
 fine, and pass it most agreeably. Company leave at five 
 P.M. 
 
 In the evening write letter to the Governors on the two 
 
 405 Oshirna. 
 
 334 
 
points, which I support with a few of the strongest argu- 
 ments (see private letter book) . 406 
 
 Saturday, March 14, 1857. Mr. Heusken has trans- 
 lated Mr. Hall's lists of merchandise and goes with him 
 to assist as his interpreter. 
 
 Sunday, March 1$, 1857. I have never been so ill 
 for seven years as I am to-day; vomited a quantity of 
 fresh blood. 
 
 Monday, March 16, 1857. Gave Captain Homer a 
 list of some supplies I wish to purchase from him. 407 
 
 Thursday, March IQ, 1857. I have been and still am 
 very ill. Earthquake at ten P. M. Heavy rumbling sound ; 
 house rattles. Comes from S. S. E. and goes N. N. W. 
 Lasts about three seconds. 
 
 Saturday, March 21, 1857. Better to-day. Weather 
 fine. Wheat grows beautifully. Japanese busy in plant- 
 ing potatoes, etc. I have a camellia tree in my yard 
 which is some twenty feet high. It is now in full flower, 
 and has perhaps thousands of flowers out — the finest 
 
 406 See above, Journal, Feb. 27, 1857, and note 396. This very long letter 
 ends with the following threat (L. B., vol. 2, p. 3) : 
 
 "Your Excellencies will bear witness of [to] my anxious efforts to secure 
 the present friendly relations between Japan and the United States, and 
 how carefully I have avoided giving offence myself, or allowing any mem- 
 ber of my family to do so. It is my earnest hope that, after a careful ex- 
 amination of what I now communicate, you will give an evidence of your 
 wish to preserve the friendly relations between the two countries. 
 
 "At the same time candor compels me to say, as I now say to Your Excel- 
 lency [sicj, that a refusal of these two points will endanger the good feeling 
 now happily existing and may lead to results that I am sure Your Excellen- 
 cies would deplore as deeply as I should lament." 
 
 On this day, ratification of Townsend Harris's Treaty with Siam was advised 
 by the Senate with Amendment (S. Ex. J'l, vol. 10, p. 256). 
 
 407 On this day, Townsend Harris's Treaty with Siam was ratified by the 
 President. 
 
 335 
 
sight of the kind I ever saw. It commenced blooming 
 about the 5th [of] January, and is now in full flower. 
 
 Monday [Sunday], March 22, 1857. Mr. Hall can- 
 not sell anything to the Japanese, and no wonder, for 
 his prices are most exorbitant. 
 
 Tuesday, March 24, 1857. Mr. Hall has completed 
 his purchases. Instead of over three thousand three hun- 
 dred dollars which they would have demanded under 
 the old rates, he paid them about one thousand one hun- 
 dred and fifty dollars; this saving of over two thousand 
 dollars is owing to my action. 
 
 Wednesday, March 2$, 1857. Get a portion only of 
 my supplies from the Messenger Bird, the remainder is 
 stowed either quite forward or quite below a large 
 quantity of cargo. This is bad management. A vessel on 
 such a voyage should have her cargo so stowed that any 
 portion of it may easily be got at, so as to be ready for 
 trade, however small, at any port. 408 
 
 Thursday, March 26, 1857. Pa Y m Y bil1 10 Mr - Hal1 
 in silver at very high prices, and in return he wished 
 to pay me in gold, which entails a loss of seventy-five 
 per cent, to me here in Japan, as their ratio of gold as 
 to silver is only three and one seventh to one, instead of 
 sixteen to one, as with us. It takes a New England man to 
 do such things. 
 
 Saturday, March 28, 1857. Moriama called and 
 wished to discuss the two points, which I decline. In an- 
 swer to my questions as to the state of public opinion at 
 
 408 Here Townsend Harris is speaking from personal experience. See 
 Introduction. 
 
 33<> 
 
Yedo regarding intercourse with foreigners, he says that, 
 taking ten persons in authority, three would be in favor 
 of opening the country at once, two would be in favor 
 but with delay, three would refuse so long as force is 
 not used, but would yield to such a demonstration with- 
 out fighting, and two would fight to the last. Moriama 
 says the Prince of Shinano wishes to call on me to- 
 morrow. I request the Prince to excuse me on Sunday, 
 but that I shall be very happy to see him on any other day 
 of the week. 409 
 
 Sunday, March 2Q, 1857. The Barque Messenger 
 Bird went to sea early this morning, bound to Hakodate 
 and the River Amur. 
 
 Monday, March SO, 185J. The Prince of Shinano 
 visited me to-day. He was attended by a very large 
 train, but only a Vice-Governor and the interpreters 
 were admitted to my private rooms. I have completely 
 broken up the system of having a cloud of secretaries and 
 spies crowding into my private rooms. All are delighted 
 except the writers and spies. Gave the Prince a Colt's 
 revolver, one of three that was put into the case of arms 
 I purchased for the Kings of Siam in lieu of discount. 
 
 Tuesday, March 31, 185J. This has been a fine 
 
 409 This reservation of Sunday is quite in keeping with Townsend Harris's 
 early expressed resolve to keep holy the Sabbath Day. (See Journal, entries 
 for Aug. 22, 24, 31, Dec. 5, 1856, and Feb. 15, 1858.) 
 
 On this day, Townsend Harris wrote to the Governors of Shimoda, acknowl- 
 edging receipt of their letter of Mar. 26th (?). He expresses surprise that 
 they must needs refer to Yedo the two points which he had raised by letter 
 of Mar. 13, 1857; and states his belief that they are simply trying to procrasti- 
 nate. Such delay he considers tantamount to a denial of the points raised. He 
 closes with the statement that he is daily expecting the arrival of an American 
 man-of-war, by which he will have to send reports to the United States 
 (L. B., vol. 2, pp. 4-5). 
 
 337 
 
month. The mean of the thermometer was 51 6/10; 
 highest, 63 ° ; lowest, 38 . Had rain on five days, showers 
 on four, cloudy two, clear twenty. 
 
 This month the wind sometimes had southing, the first 
 time for sixty-four days. 
 
 Wednesday, April I, 1857. Dispatch letter dated 
 March 28th to Council of State in reply to their letter 
 received February 25th (see private letter book). 410 I 
 have delayed writing this letter so long in the hope of 
 bringing things to a quiet close here. 411 
 
 Friday, April 3, 1857. Busy putting seeds in my 
 little garden; have doubts about their vitality. Gover- 
 nors wish to see me. Go to Goyoshi at two P. M. They 
 
 410 L. B., vol. 2, pp. 5-9. On Feb. 25, 1857, Townsend Harris received from 
 the Council of State a letter in reply to two of his — namely, to those dated 
 Oct. 25, 1856, and Jan. 8, 1857. In his reply of Mar. 28, 1857, Townsend Harris 
 repeats the arguments of his two former communications (see Journal, entries 
 for those two dates, and notes 313 and 369) ; points out the great discourtesy 
 of the Japanese Government in insisting on receiving the President's letter 
 through the Governors of Shimoda — a discourtesy which he forgives on account 
 of their ignorance of Western procedure; says that he cannot make communi- 
 cations through the Governors of Shimoda, because they have not been given 
 full powers; and that he will reveal his knowledge of the intentions of the 
 British Government only at Yedo. 
 
 He again closes (as in his letter of even date to the Governors of Shimoda, 
 note 409) with a statement designed to bear pressure — namely, that he is 
 daily expecting the arrival of an American man-of-war, by which he will have 
 to send reports home. 
 
 411 0f this date, also, are the following routine reports: 
 
 1) To Hon. James Guthrie, Secretary of the Treasury: 
 
 Dispatch No. 3: L. B., vol. 2, p. 11 
 " No A.' u " " u u u 
 
 No. 5: « " " " pp. 14-15 
 
 2) To Hon. William L. Marcy: 
 
 Dispatch No. 25: L. B., vol. 2, pp. 12-13 
 No. 26:" " " " p. 15 
 
 3) To Baring Bros., of London: L. B., vol. 2, p. 13. 
 
 These dispatches transmitted reports for the quarter ending Mar. 31, 1857; 
 that to Baring Bros, was a draft for his salary for the same quarter — 
 £258. 5. 3. 
 
 338 
 
wish to know the contents of my letter to Council of 
 State. Sorry, but it would be improper in me to disclose 
 it. They ask the meaning of certain words in [the] 12th 
 Article of [the] American Treaty. 412 I ask for a piece 
 of ground for a garden, which is promised. 
 
 Saturday, April 4, 1857. Busy enclosing duplicates 
 of dispatches to Department of State, also returns of 
 fees to Secretary of Treasury for quarters ending 31st 
 December 413 and March 31st. Send to Secretary of State 
 my accounts of contingent fund for the same quarters. 
 
 Monday, April 6, 1857. Moriama calls about garden 
 spot. Have given me the piece asked for, about one 
 eighth of an acre. Rent six ichibus per annum, or two 
 dollars and ninety-seven cents. 
 
 Tuesday, April J, l8$J. Moriama again. Brings 
 me a gardener, the occupant of the land I have hired. 
 Have a chat with Moriama as he is quite alone and there- 
 fore more communicative. He says that I will soon have 
 an answer to the two points, and that it will be satis- 
 factory to me; 414 that I must not hurry them too much; 
 
 412 Art. XII of the Perry Treaty is the last Article, and deals with the man- 
 ner of ratifying the Treaty itself. 
 
 413 For the reports for the quarter ending Dec. 31, 1856, see Journal, Jan. 1, 
 1857, and note 365. 
 
 414 The long letter in which Townsend Harris presented his "two points" 
 to the Governors of Shimoda was dated Mar. 13, 1857 (L. B., vol. 1, pp. 182-88 ; 
 and vol. 2, pp. 1-3). The "two points" were: first, that American citizens should 
 be allowed to lease ground, buy, build, repair, or erect buildings for their 
 use at Shimoda and Hakodate (Townsend Harris basing his claim on what 
 he at this time supposed to be the ratified Treaty concluded with the Dutch 
 on Nov. 9, 1855) ; and, second, that the American Consul General should be 
 allowed to make purchases anywhere in Japan and without the intervention 
 of Japanese officers. 
 
 Compare Townsend Harris's reference to these "two points" in Journal, 
 Apr. 20, 1857. Also, see above, Journal, Feb. 27, 1857, notes 393, 394, 396; 
 and Mar. 13, 1857, note 406, where the closing vigorous paragraphs of this 
 long letter are quoted. 
 
 339 
 
that but a short time need elapse before a commercial 
 treaty can be negotiated, etc., etc. He says the letter to 
 me was signed by the whole of the High Council of 
 Regents, 415 the power next [to] the Ziogoon; that there 
 is another council of five to seven persons who are under 
 the Regents. The Regents are not hereditary officers, they 
 are appointed by the Ziogoon and hold office during his 
 pleasure alone ; that the story of an appeal lying to [rest- 
 ing with] the Princes of the Empire when there is a 
 difference of opinion between the Ziogoon and his 
 Regents (when the defeated party, if a Regent, per- 
 forms the hara-kiri; if the Ziogoon, he resigns), is not 
 true; no appeal from the Ziogoon exists, — his veto is 
 final. If a Regent proposes a measure which is nega- 
 tived by the Ziogoon, no harm arises ; but if he renews 
 the recommendation and it is again rejected, then the 
 Regent does perform the hara-kiri. 
 
 No reports of the Treasury, War, Marine or Com- 
 merce. The results are only known to the Ziogoon and 
 Regents and the heads of each department. Moriama 
 says "it would be considered impolite for a person to 
 make any inquiries concerning a department with which 
 he is not connected." The English of it is that he dare 
 not make such inquiries. I put down the information I 
 get from time to time from [the] Japanese. I know there 
 is much falsehood, but I cannot at the time separate the 
 true from the false. 
 
 415 This was the letter which Townsend Harris received on Feb. 25, 1857. 
 See note 410. 
 
 340 
 
Simonoski, one of the interpreters, told Mr. Heusken 
 that all the buildings at Deshima had been sold to the 
 Dutch. 416 
 
 Wednesday, April 8, 1857. Plant four rows of Irish 
 potatoes in my new garden. The seed grew at Hakodate. 
 A peach tree in my compound just begins to bloom. The 
 blossom is very double, and of the color and size of the 
 "Cinnamon Rose" of the United States. Cherry trees in 
 full bloom, but no fruit comes from the peach or cherry 
 blooms. Why, I cannot say. My grand camellia is still 
 in fine bloom. Busy filing papers and making out my re- 
 maining quarterly reports. Men employed to recover 
 the mats that have become worn or soiled. These mats 
 may properly be called mattresses. They are made on a 
 frame and composed of layers of mats, the coarsest at the 
 bottom, until they are about two inches thick. The ordi- 
 nary exterior cover has quite the appearance of Chinese 
 matting. They make a very good bed. 
 
 Easter Sunday, April 12, 1857. I have kept a very 
 good account of the festivals of the church since my 
 arrival here. It has served to bring up many pleasant 
 recollections and association of ideas in my mind. The 
 day is a lovely one; the fields around me are green with 
 the waving wheat, or finely decorated with flowers. An 
 
 416 The significance of this remark is that it served to confirm Townsend 
 Harris in his wrong opinion of the status quo of the Treaty concluded with 
 the Dutch at Nagasaki, on Nov. 9, 1855, and particularly in his belief in the 
 concessions supposedly made by Art. XII and XIII thereof. (See above, Journal, 
 Feb. 26, 1857, and notes 387-391, 393.) The concessions which Townsend 
 Harris assumed had been granted to the Dutch by those two Articles are in- 
 cluded in the "two points" he himself was now seeking to obtain from the 
 Japanese. 
 
 341 
 
abundance of violets grows about here. Thermometer, 
 6 9 °. 
 
 Monday, April 1 3, 1857. A strong wind and driv- 
 ing rain from the S. W. serve to inaugurate Easter Mon- 
 day at Shimoda. 
 
 Moriama calls on me, nominally to see me, but in 
 reality to settle the wages of my two Japanese boys, 
 which is at last settled at six ichibus per month, or about 
 two dollars. The Vice-Governor last December wanted 
 me to pay them sixteen dollars per month. 
 
 Moriama tells me as a most profound state secret 
 that the Prince of Satsuma is father-in-law to the 
 Ziogoon. I knew this last October. Moriama says that, 
 although the Ziogoon has the supreme power to ap- 
 point or displace the members of the High Council, yet 
 he is influenced by a cabal of six persons or families, to 
 wit: three princes of the blood, and three powerful 
 nobles; among the latter is the Prince of Satsuma. In 
 other words, that an oligarchy governs Japan. Moriama 
 says that Japan will be opened to foreigners within the 
 year. 
 
 He admits that the Japanese are now negotiating a 
 commercial treaty with the Dutch, 417 but I should 
 greatly distrust the provisions of a treaty so made. The 
 Dutch are altogether too fond of monopolies to make a 
 treaty suited to the present wants of the commercial 
 world. 
 
 Moriama informs me that the guns presented to the 
 
 417 In his Journal for Apr. 15, 1857, Townsend Harris states that Moriyama 
 said that the Japanese were not negotiating a commercial treaty with the 
 Dutch. 
 
 342 
 
Japanese (fifty-two in number) 418 have been taken to 
 Yedo ; that eight or nine of them are to be mounted on a 
 corvette they have built on the Western model. The 
 corvette is 120 feet keel. 
 
 Tuesday, April 14, 1857. The chief of the Goyoshi 
 came to see me to-day. At last they have brought me my 
 accounts for seven months. The total looks alarming, as 
 it is 2,087,009 of their coins, but luckily that is fully 
 liquidated with the sum of $447. My servants (/. e., the 
 Chinese) are the heaviest item of my expenses here, as 
 their wages amount to more than $700 per annum, that 
 is for four men, and I also give them their food and lodg- 
 ing, while for five Japanese I pay $132 per annum and 
 they board themselves. 
 
 The Goyoshi man also brought me a Japanese dic- 
 tionary and promises in a few days to bring me some 
 school books, works of fiction and history. In my account 
 for the last seven months are many things that I shall not 
 have to renew, such as furniture, norimon, horse, etc., 
 etc., all of which amount to $144, — so that leaves about 
 $300 as my expenses for seven months. But my bread, 
 tea, sugar, spices, pickles, coffee, etc., etc., are all brought 
 here and are a very considerable item. I think however 
 that $2,000 per annum will cover all my expenses; but, 
 had I not brought them to terms about the currency, I 
 should have found my salary insufficient for my sup- 
 port. 
 
 418 These were the guns that had been removed from the crippled Russian 
 Frigate Diana before she set sail from the Harbor of Shimoda for that of 
 Toda (or, Hey-da), whither she was going for repairs. (See note 325. For the 
 caliber and names of these guns, etc., cf. Journal, Nov. 22, 1856.) 
 
 343 
 
Wednesday, April IS, l857- Moriama visited the 
 Consulate to-day. I had proposed to the Governors that, 
 when the next American man-of-war came here, salutes 
 should be exchanged after our fashion. 
 
 Moriama says the Governor would be much pleased 
 by such a mark of friendship as would be indicated by a 
 salute of the Flag of Japan, but proposed to return it in 
 the Japanese manner, — i. e., after the salute, to send a 
 high officer dressed in his camissimo, or robes of cere- 
 mony, to return thanks for the salute. I told him that 
 would hardly be satisfactory; that our custom was to 
 give gun for gun, the ship being a visitor to salute first, 
 and then to have it returned from the land. 
 
 I told him that I was anxious that the Japanese should 
 take their place among the civilized nations of the 
 world, and that all these small things were so many steps 
 in that direction. I then entered at large into the system 
 of salutes, and explained the manner in which they were 
 given and returned. 
 
 The Governors having expressed a wish for books on 
 all branches of military and naval science, as taught 
 at West Point and at the Naval School, I sent them word 
 that, if they would address me a letter on the subject, I 
 would at once forward it to the Secretary of State, and 
 that I had no doubt the books would be at once sent. 
 Moriama then said that he wished to ask me a question, 
 and that he wanted me to consider it as a dream, — i. e., to 
 forget it. The query was: "Suppose the Governors of 
 Shimoda should wish to make a commercial treaty with 
 you, what would you do?" I replied that I should first 
 
 344 
 
ask to see their full powers, and if those were satisfac- 
 tory, that I would then show them mine, and after that 
 we would go to work at a treaty at once. He said if that 
 was so, that they had misunderstood me, that they sup- 
 posed that I would only negotiate at Yedo and with the 
 High Council. 
 
 I told him that they had confounded two things; that 
 what I had to say confidentially as from my Government 
 could only be said at Yedo, so also the President's letter 
 could only be delivered by me at Yedo and in the im- 
 perial presence, etc. 
 
 That negotiations were a different thing; that I was 
 ready to negotiate with any person of proper rank who 
 could show me the requisite full powers, etc., etc. He de- 
 clared that they were not negotiating with the Dutch 
 a commercial treaty; that, as soon as they were ready 
 to negotiate on that point, they would negotiate with 
 me. 
 
 Moriama says that almost all the books of Japan are 
 simple reprints of Chinese classics, such as Confucius, 
 Mencius, etc., etc.; but that I shall have copies of such 
 purely Japanese works as they have. My young pigeons 
 fly from the parent nest and "sit up for themselves," be- 
 ing thirty-six days old. 
 
 Moriama says that firearms were first introduced into 
 Japan 300 years ago; that they were first introduced in 
 the South, at the Island of Tanagasima; 419 that a pistol 
 to this day is called Tanagasima by the Japanese. The 
 place and date both serve to support the assertion of 
 
 419 Tanegashima, an island south of Kyushu. 
 
 345 
 
Mendez Pinto that he first taught the Japanese the use 
 of firearms. 
 
 Saturday, April 18, 1857. I have been overlooking 
 my accounts from the Japanese, which they have now 
 rendered to me for the first time. Although they charge 
 me double prices for everything they furnish to me, yet 
 my bills to them for food, fuel, lights, etc., etc., will not 
 exceed $500 per annum. My servants are the heaviest 
 charge, as I am compelled to pay three times the wages 
 to my Chinese servants that they receive in China. My 
 servants cost me nearly $700 per annum. To this I must 
 add, for my full expenses, the cost of flour, tea, sugar, 
 hams, butter, lard, bacon, salt, beef, pickles, spices, etc., 
 etc., etc., which will amount to some $500 per annum 
 more. But Mr. Heusken pays me $365 per annum for 
 his board, washing, etc., which reduces my expenses to 
 less than $1,500 per annum. Clothing, books, and the 
 wine I must use when I have guests will probably leave 
 the full outlay about $1,750 per annum. 420 
 
 My servants consist of a butler, cook and his mate, 
 washman, two house boys, one water carrier, one sweep- 
 er, one gardener, one groom, — in all ten persons, and not 
 one that I can do without. 
 
 I am well supplied with fine pheasants at about six- 
 teen cents each, and so large that one makes an ample 
 dinner for Mr. Heusken and myself. 
 
 420 The attention to financial matters both here and in the entry for Apr. 
 14th was doubtless due to the numerous reports Townsend Harris had had 
 to prepare on matters financial, both for Secretary of State Marcy and for 
 Secretary of the Treasury Guthrie, for the quarter ending Mar. 31, 1857 
 (see above). 
 
 346 
 
The day is a lovely one. How I wish my dear friends 
 in New York were here to enjoy it with me. 
 
 I am much concerned at the non-arrival of the San 
 Jacinto. Commodore Armstrong promised to be here in 
 March, and now more than one half of April has slipped 
 away.My last letters from the United States were dated 
 March 17, 1856. More than thirteen months ago. How 
 much may have happened in that time. My health is not 
 good. On the 16th I had a violent attack of cholera 
 morbus and I have an almost constant relax. 
 
 I wish the frigate would arrive that I could have some 
 medical advice. 
 
 Monday, April 20, l8$J. A miserable wet day. Send 
 word to the Governors that I wish to meet them at the 
 Goyoshi to-morrow at noon. I wish to engross the 
 Articles already settled with them, and have them make 
 their translation, as the last is always a work of much 
 time, and thus I shall be able to expedite the whole mat- 
 ter the more promptly when I get a decision on the "two 
 points." My hen pigeon that has just raised a pair of 
 young, commenced hatching a new nest to-day. Sharp 
 work, as her last brood came out of the shell on the 
 1 2th of March, or thirty-nine days ago. In my previous 
 statements of my expenses of living here, I have en- 
 tirely omitted rent. As yet I have not paid any, but when 
 I shall occupy a house specially built for me, I shall of 
 course have to pay it. This item will probably bring the 
 total to a little over two thousand dollars per annum. 
 
 Tuesday, April 21, iSff. Met the Governors at 
 noon at the Goyoshi. Agreed to settle the wording of the 
 
 347 
 
points already agreed on. Told them I should write 
 them a formal letter requesting them to give me their 
 version of the seventh Article of the Treaty of Kana- 
 gawa, as, when Lieutenant Rodgers was here (May, 
 1 855 ) , they had interpolated the words "Such as may be 
 necessary for them" after the words "agreeing to 
 trade." 421 I told them I should also ask them for an ex- 
 planation of the sending away of Reed and Dougherty 
 from Shimoda and refusing them permission to land at 
 Hakodate in 1855. 422 
 
 I inquired when I was to receive an answer on the 
 "two points"? They could only repeat that they were 
 anxiously looking for it to arrive here from Yedo. I 
 found the matter of salutes, mentioned to Moriama on 
 the 15th, is a perplexing matter to them, so I let it rest 
 where it is for the present. I requested the Governors to 
 order the Goyoshi officers to answer certain questions 
 which I had received from my Government concerning 
 cotton, its production in Japan, etc., etc., which they 
 promised should be done. I called their attention to the 
 breakwater of the jetty now erecting at Kakizaki ; that 
 it is so short, that at low water of spring tides it will not 
 give any protection to boats. 423 I left at two P. M. After 
 
 421 Townsend Harris is quoting Art. VII of the Perry Treaty loosely. The 
 only place where the quoted words could be interpolated is after the words 
 "for other articles of goods." (See also Journal, Mar. 7, 1857.) 
 
 422 For the story of the unsuccessful venture of Messrs. Reed and Dougherty, 
 see notes 325 and 400. 
 
 423 It will be remembered that the hurricane which swept over Shimoda on 
 Monday, Sept. 22, 1856, had totally destroyed the landing-jetty and breakwater 
 at Kakizaki. Townsend Harris had appealed to the Additional Regulations 
 concluded by Commodore Perry, and had, on Dec. 2, 1856, insisted with the 
 
 348 
 
my return home wrote the letter to the Governors as 
 referred to in the beginning of this entry, and settled the 
 wording of the Articles. 
 
 Wednesday, April 22, 185J. The seeds I brought 
 from the United States will, as I fear, prove to be a total 
 failure. I put eighteen sorts in the ground on the 3rd 
 inst., but only some few peas have as yet come up. It 
 will be a sad drawback to my comforts if they should 
 fail. To-day put in the ground a few grains of corn, 
 watermelons, cucumbers and eggplant seeds procured 
 from the Japanese. Twenty grains of corn and seven 
 watermelon seeds were all I could procure! They said 
 all their seeds were planted. 
 
 My canary has hatched a new brood of young. 
 
 Friday, April 24, 1857. My canary has again 
 abandoned her nest. I cannot account for her unnatural 
 conduct. I separated her and the male the moment she 
 commenced to incubate, and have not only kept him 
 out of sight but out of hearing. I can only suppose I have 
 fed her too high. She had yolk of egg every day. 
 
 Saturday, April 25, 185J. I have given some lessons 
 in English to the Imperial Surgeon, who attends the 
 Governors here. I did this at their request. I found him 
 very apt. He has been absent for some weeks to visit his 
 sick father at Yedo, and to-day came to renew his les- 
 sons. I did not give him anything but a letter to the Gov- 
 ernors, in which I told them that I should be very happy 
 to give instruction in English, after I had been per- 
 
 Third Governor, or Governor of Kakizaki, that this boat-landing be re- 
 paired, receiving from him the promise that it would be immediately attended 
 to. (See notes 300, 347, 349.) 
 
 349 
 
mitted the full exercise of my rights as Consul, but, so 
 long as I was denied any of those rights, I must decline 
 the lessons. 424 I cannot see what it is that keeps away 
 Commodore Armstrong. If I had a vessel of war here, 
 I should have speedy answers to my demands on the 
 two points, but I feel sure they will not be settled so 
 long as no ship-of-war comes here. 
 
 The Commodore promised to be here in March, yet 
 April has nearly passed away and no ship has come. 425 
 
 My last letters from the Department of State were 
 dated in October, 1855, 426 more than eighteen months 
 ago. It is too long a period to leave me here alone, and 
 some order should be given to ensure more frequent 
 communication with me. 
 
 Monday, April 2J, 1 8 57. The rhododendron, althea, 
 is now in beautiful flower, colors chiefly pink. I have 
 planted some of them in the cemetery where the four 
 Americans are buried. 
 
 Flowers of the peony, — China poppy, flowered peony 
 and "Tree Peony" — brought me to-day. Very splendid. 
 
 424 L. B., vol. 2, p. 17. 
 
 425 Aside from the natural desire to see his countrymen — a desire rendered 
 more acute by his isolation — Townsend Harris must have felt real diplomatic 
 concern at the long delay in the arrival of the San Jacinto. He had held the 
 threat of its arrival over the heads of the Japanese in two recent letters — 
 both written on Mar. 28, 1857: one, to the Governors of Shimoda, in connection 
 with the "two points"; the other, to the Council of State at Yedo (see notes 
 409 and 410). 
 
 If, after he had thus brought pressure to bear, no American man-of-war 
 should appear to give added weight to his words, Townsend Harris would 
 soon have "lost face" with the Japanese negotiators. It was not until Tuesday, 
 Sept. 8, 1857, that a vessel of the United States Navy finally appeared at 
 Shimoda — the sloop-of-war Portsmouth, Captain Andrew Hull Foote. 
 
 426 This was the Letter of Special Instructions, dated at the Department of 
 State, Oct. 4, 1855, which enclosed the necessary documents referring to the 
 Reed and Dougherty case. (See note 399.) 
 
 3SO 
 
Moriama calls for verbal explanations about the 
 wording of the Articles already agreed on. Find it is a 
 cunning attempt to interpolate words of different mean- 
 ing. Moriama says very coolly that "it is a very different 
 thing to say a thing or to write it." In other words, they 
 are always at liberty to deny anything they have said or 
 promised, so long as it is not in writing. 
 
 Tuesday, April 28, 1857. Plant some more po- 
 tatoes of the seed procured from Hakodate. Those 
 planted on the 8th inst. are coming up. The Japanese say 
 the season is unusually backward and the weather colder 
 than they ever knew in April. The thermometer aver- 
 ages much lower than I expected for this month in the 
 latitude of 35 north. All the winds from the northward 
 are quite chilly. The Seville orange trees in front of 
 my house do not show a single leaf as yet. 
 
 Busy to-day in making indexes of the correspondence 
 and documents of the Consulate. Have now got all my 
 papers in perfect order, and only await the arrival of a 
 ship to dispatch a large amount of correspondence. I 
 feel sure that what I have accomplished will give satis- 
 faction. I have settled the currency so that one dollar 
 goes as far almost as three did when Commodore Perry 
 left the question. I have opened the Port of Nagasaki 
 to American ships wanting supplies. 
 
 Americans are only to be amenable to American 
 authority for offences committed in Japan. 
 
 American ships in distress and who have no money can 
 pay for all necessary supplies by barter. 
 
 The great point of residence of Americans is still 
 
 35i 
 
pending; and, although it may not now be admitted, yet 
 I have placed it on a footing which must ultimately 
 secure it. The consular rights and franchises stand on the 
 same ground as the rights of residence. 
 
 I have fought the battles ; and, although / may not re- 
 ceive the victory, yet victory will come and will be owing 
 to my labors. 427 
 
 Wednesday, April 2Q, 1857. Moriama visits me and 
 brings the Dutch version of the Articles agreed on. I find 
 it correct at last. One would think the translation of a 
 paper to be a simple process, but it is not so with the 
 Japanese ; for, besides their duplicity and constant efforts 
 to vary the substance, they are so absurd as to wish to 
 have every word placed in the Dutch version exactly in 
 the order it stands in the Japanese. It is very difficult to 
 explain to them the idioms of language, or the gram- 
 matical structure of it, or to get them to see that, although 
 the placing of the words does not correspond with theirs, 
 yet the meaning is the same. Their knowledge of Dutch 
 is imperfect. They have learned the language as spoken 
 by traders and sailors, and the Dutch they use is not 
 only that of two hundred and fifty years ago, but it is 
 limited to the subjects above referred to; hence we have 
 great difficulty in conveying an abstract idea to them, 
 and it is almost impossible to speak figuratively to 
 them. 
 
 The Japanese have fixed days for their change of 
 clothing. The law settles the matter beforehand, and 
 
 42T In this entry, Townsend Harris outlines the Convention signed two months 
 later at Shimoda — on June 17, 1857. 
 
 352 
 
no inclemency of weather can postpone the change. 
 
 The following are the periods and changes of their 
 dress for our year 1 857 : 
 
 On the first day of the fourth month, April 24th, they 
 threw off their wadded clothes and put on unwadded 
 ones, but of thick materials. 
 
 On the fifth day of the fifth month, May 23rd, they 
 will put on their summer clothing. 
 
 On the first day of the ninth month, October 18th, 
 they will resume the same clothing as that put on on the 
 24th of April. 
 
 On the ninth day of the ninth month, October 26th, 
 they will put on their winter clothing. This is made 
 of the same material as the previous change, only it is 
 thickly wadded with cotton or silk wadding. 
 
 As a specimen of the cool mendacity of the Japanese, 
 even about things that are tangible to the sight, I note 
 the following: the Island of Oho Sima is in plain sight 
 of Shimoda and some twelve or fifteen miles distant 
 from us, so that it comes within the limits of seven ri, or 
 sixteen and five-eighths miles as settled for the Ameri- 
 cans. Yet the Governors coolly tell me that Oho Sima is 
 twenty-five ri, or fifty-nine and three-eighths miles 
 distant from Shimoda ! ! 
 
 Kaempfer speaks of a superior fish, said to be taken 
 in Yesso, which the Japanese call sukee, but he could 
 not find out what kind of fish it was. I have discovered 
 that it is salmon. 
 
 Thursday, April 30, 1857. The thermometer this 
 morning at daylight was as low as it has been at any 
 
 353 
 
time this month, — about 43 . The temperature has been 
 very low for such a latitude. 
 
 My health is very unsatisfactory. I am unable to cure 
 my acid stomach arising from indigestion. I have re- 
 duced my food to bread, rice and the flesh meat we get 
 here, having left off butter, oil, fruit, and all vegetables 
 except potatoes. Still my indisposition continues and I 
 am constantly growing thinner and thinner. I walk every 
 day from six to eight miles. Perhaps the machine is wear- 
 ing out, and these are premonitions of the approaching 
 end. I have slept comparatively well for the last ten 
 days. 
 
 The thermometer has stood as follows : mean for the 
 month, 57 2/10 ; highest, 67 ; lowest, 43 ° ; rain on four 
 days, showers two days, cloudy three days, and fine 
 twenty-one days. Light earthquake on the fourteenth of 
 April. 
 
 Friday, May 1, 1857. May Day! A fine day indeed. 
 Thermometer, 69 . Mr. Heusken brought me a bunch 
 of violets which gave out a fine fragrance. Generally the 
 flowers here have but little perfume. Moriama brings a 
 letter from the Governors in answer to mine of [the] 
 22nd of April. 428 It is anything but what I expected, and 
 quite different from what they said to me at our con- 
 
 428 There is no mention of such a letter in Journal, Wednesday, Apr. 22, 1857. 
 The entry, however, for Tuesday, Apr. 21st, does speak of such a letter. 
 Townsend Harris had wrongly dated the latter entry "Tuesday, April 22nd," 
 correcting it later to "April 21st." In other words, the reference in the entry 
 for May 1, 1857, was made back to the earlier date before Townsend Harris 
 corrected the earlier date from the 22nd to the 21st. 
 
 The text of this letter to the Governors is not found; but its contents are 
 pretty well indicated in Journal, Apr. 21, 1857. The answer of the Governors 
 (undated) was received May 1, 1857 (cf. also Townsend Harris's letter to 
 Shinano-no-Kami, dated June 3, 1857: L. B., vol. 2, p. 18). 
 
 354 
 
versations on the subject in February last. It is all of a 
 piece with their falsehood and duplicity. I do not think 
 that any Japanese ever tells the truth, if it can possibly 
 be avoided. He prefers using falsehood when the simple 
 truth would answer just as well. 
 
 The Japanese cycle consists of twelve years which are 
 named as follows : 
 
 I St 
 
 Year 
 
 Ne 
 
 or 
 
 the Rat 
 
 2nd 
 
 u 
 
 Oo-s 
 
 << 
 
 u 
 
 Bullock 
 
 3rd 
 
 a 
 
 Tora 
 
 a 
 
 it 
 
 Tiger 
 
 4th 
 
 a 
 
 Uh! 
 
 a 
 
 a 
 
 Hare 
 
 5th 
 
 a 
 
 Tat's 
 
 u 
 
 it 
 
 Dragon 
 
 6th 
 
 a 
 
 Mi 
 
 a 
 
 u 
 
 Serpent (1857) 
 
 7th 
 
 u 
 
 Um-ma 
 
 n 
 
 a 
 
 Horse 
 
 8th 
 
 a 
 
 He-'tsu-zi 
 
 u 
 
 it 
 
 Sheep 
 
 9th 
 
 11 
 
 Sarru 
 
 a 
 
 a 
 
 Monkey 
 
 oth 
 
 a 
 
 Tory 
 
 a 
 
 a 
 
 Cock 
 
 ith 
 
 a 
 
 E-noo 
 
 it 
 
 it 
 
 Dog 
 
 2th 
 
 a 
 
 E 
 
 a 
 
 a 
 
 Boar 
 
 The Japanese divide the day into two parts, each six 
 hours long, — the day is six hours and the night six 
 hours, — but, as the length of the day and night is con- 
 stantly changing, so the Japanese hours vary in the num- 
 ber of our minutes which they contain. Thus, at the 
 Equinoxes, the hour in Japan both night and day is 
 120 minutes ; but, on the twentieth of June, the day hour 
 at Shimoda is 143 minutes long, and the night hour is 
 97 minutes. On the twentieth of December, the length 
 of the hours is reversed from what it was in June, as 
 the day hour is 97 minutes and the night hour becomes 
 
 355 
 
143 minutes. They have a mode of equalizing this 
 monstrous difference between the Equinoxes and the 
 longest and shortest days, but it is very inexact. The hours 
 begin to count from the meridian, or twelve o'clock 
 noon, or midnight, so that six o'clock of our time be- 
 comes the sixth hour with them. The following is the 
 name they give to divisions of time, corresponding with 
 our hours: 
 
 2 o'clock 
 
 with 
 
 us i 
 
 s the Japanese 9th hour 
 
 I " 
 
 u 
 
 a c 
 
 i u a 
 
 W 
 
 11 
 
 2 " 
 
 a 
 
 a ( 
 
 i a u 
 
 8 
 
 a 
 
 3 " 
 
 a 
 
 a i 
 
 1 a u 
 
 7^ 
 
 a 
 
 it 
 
 a 
 
 a < 
 
 i a a 
 
 
 a 
 
 4 
 
 
 
 
 7 
 
 
 5 " 
 
 a 
 
 a i 
 
 i u a 
 
 by 2 
 
 a 
 
 6 " 
 
 a 
 
 a ( 
 
 i a a 
 
 6 
 
 a 
 
 7 " 
 
 a 
 
 a i 
 
 1 u a 
 
 5/ 2 
 
 a 
 
 8 " 
 
 a 
 
 a i 
 
 t u a 
 
 5 
 
 a 
 
 9 " 
 
 a 
 
 U i 
 
 t u a 
 
 4^ 
 
 a 
 
 o " 
 
 a 
 
 a t 
 
 i a it 
 
 4 
 
 a 
 
 i " 
 
 a 
 
 a i 
 
 1 a u 
 
 3K 
 
 a 
 
 And from 3 J /> hours it rises at once to 9 hours, so that 
 there is no 1, 2, or 3 o'clock with them. The Japanese 
 have no names for the signs of the zodiac, nor do they 
 designate or distinguish days by any particular name; 
 nor do any number of days receive any distinctive 
 terms, — e. g., "a week," etc. 
 
 They say the "fifth day of the 10th month of the year 
 of the Dragon." Our "Friday, May 1, 1857," would read 
 in Japanese "the seventh day of the fourth month of the 
 year of the Serpent." 
 
 356 
 
Saturday, May 2, 1857. I have made another trial 
 of some of my garden seeds by putting them in a most 
 favorable position for sprouting, and afterwards they 
 can be transplanted if they germinate. 
 
 A most lovely day. Thermometer, 70 . 
 
 Tuesday, May 5, 1857. It is now eight months and 
 three days since the San Jacinto left here. 429 Commo- 
 dore Armstrong promised me he would be here again 
 in six months. I am a prey to unceasing anxiety. I have 
 not heard a word from Washington since I left the 
 United States, say October, 1855. 430 
 
 What can be the cause of this prolonged absence of an 
 American man-of-war? Where are the English? Where 
 the French? And, above all, where is the Russian Con- 
 sul? He should have been here before this. I am only 
 nine days distant from Hongkong, yet I am more isolated 
 than any American official in any part of the world. 
 
 I have important intelligence to send to my Govern- 
 ment — intelligence that will give an immediate spur 
 to our trade with Japan; yet here it remains, month 
 after month, without my being able to communicate it to 
 my Government, or enabling my countrymen to benefit 
 by it. The absence of a man-of-war also tends to weaken 
 my influence with the Japanese. They have yielded noth- 
 ing except from fear, and any future ameliorations of 
 
 429 The San Jacinto had left Shiraoda for China on Thursday, Sept. 4, 1856 
 {cf. Journal), and had arrived at Shanghai one week later — Sept. nth. (See 
 letter by Commissioner Peter Parker to Consul Caleb Jones, Shanghai, Sept. 
 13, 1856, in 35-2, S. Ex. Doc, no. 22, part 2 — in Serial no. 983 — p. 963; cf. 
 p. 1206.) 
 
 430 See note 425. 
 
 357 
 
our intercourse will only take place after a demonstra- 
 tion of force on our part. 
 
 I will not suppose this apparent neglect arises from 
 indifference or idleness on the part of our naval com- 
 manders out here. I, therefore, am left a prey to all sorts 
 of imaginations as to the detaining causes. 431 
 
 Wednesday, May 7 [6], 1857. My young fowls 
 have commenced laying eggs at the age of eighteen 
 weeks. I do not know how soon they usually begin the 
 great business of their lives "to increase and multiply," 
 but it appears to me that this is a tender age to take up 
 the "cares of maternity." 
 
 I have the greatest difficulty in breeding fowls, pig- 
 eons and birds. For enemies I have the cats, the rats, 
 the foxes, the weasels, the itats (a ferocious brute of the 
 weasel tribe) , hawks, owls and crows. 
 
 Out of three nests my pigeons have only raised one, — 
 i. e., one pair. I had a fine nest of thirteen eggs, which 
 would have been hatched in three days, when the brood 
 hen was almost murdered by a rascally tomcat; so the 
 poor thing refused to go back to the "post of danger," 
 and gave me another lesson on the folly of "counting 
 our chickens before the eggs are hatched." 
 
 I have recorded the shortcomings of my canary, and 
 how she cruelly abandoned two nests of her callow 
 young. She is now incubating a third nest of eggs, and 
 I have put her on a low diet, and separated her from her 
 mate, hoping by these measures to keep the "devil of 
 
 431 Not only the American men-of-war, but also those of the allies, were wag- 
 ing the so-called Second Opium War in China. For a few details of the Ameri- 
 can participation in these hostilities, see note 311. 
 
 358 
 
concupiscence" out of her little body, until her young 
 can feed themselves. The cat in Japan is from the Indian 
 Archipelago, as is proved by its having the preposterous 
 screw tail that peculiarly marks the cats of that part of 
 the world. They are capital mousers and are afraid of 
 nothing in the shape of a quadruped. 
 
 Saturday, May Q, 185J. We have had six days of 
 the most unpleasant weather I have experienced since 
 I arrived here. It has either rained or been cloudy for 
 a week. 
 
 Moriama brought me to-day $283.50, American gold, 
 which was paid to the Japanese by the purser of the 
 San Jacinto. I redeemed it (as he promised to do) by 
 giving them silver for it; but, instead of paying them 
 a silver dollar for each gold dollar, I give them a silver 
 ichibu for each dollar of gold. 
 
 I have called on the Governors of Shimoda to redeem 
 the promise they made me before I landed, — that "all 
 my supplies should be furnished at the same rates as 
 were charged to the Japanese." I am satisfied that I have 
 been constantly and systematically overcharged, and I 
 sent to the Governor a list of prices at which I am 
 charged, and against these I placed the prices that I 
 have obtained from time to time from Japanese who 
 are not connected with the Government. 
 
 The difference is very great. 432 
 
 For the last few weeks I have seen the only attempt 
 
 432 There is extant a memorandum in Townsend Harris's hand (a Dutch 
 translation of which was sent to the Governors) of his objections to the prices 
 he had been charged. The memorandum is dated May 2, 1857, an ^ was sent 
 the same day (L. & P., vol. 1, no. 65). 
 
 359 
 
of Japanese boys at amusement of any kind. They have 
 no games, no plays, do not congregate together, have 
 no hoops, no skip ropes, no marbles, no tops, and, I 
 fear, nothing else; but I have been relieved by the 
 sight and sound of kites lately. I say sound of kites ; they 
 affix some thin slips of bamboo on the back of the kite, 
 which give out a sound like the iEolian harp ; and, the 
 kite being made to plunge violently, gives out the sound 
 constantly. 
 
 Monday, May II, 1857. Went over to the Goyoshi 
 to select some articles for Mrs. S. N. Spooner, 433 who 
 gave me seventy-five dollars in August last to invest for 
 her. I was not pleased with the articles offered to me. 
 I think we have overrated the habit of the Japanese in 
 making elaborately fine articles of any kind. The genius 
 of their government seems to forbid any exercise of in- 
 genuity in producing articles for the gratification of 
 wealth and luxury. 
 
 Sumptuary laws rigidly enforce the form, color, 
 material and time of changing the dress of all; so, as 
 to luxury of furniture, the thing is unknown in Japan. 
 I do not hesitate to say that the house of a Prince of the 
 Empire does not contain half the value of furniture that 
 you will find in the house of a sober, steady mechanic in 
 America. 
 
 Simplicity and frugality is the great maxim of this 
 country, and it is enforced in a most surprising manner. 
 It would be an endless task to attempt to put down all 
 
 433 See note 240. 
 
 360 
 
the acts of a Japanese that are regulated by authority. 
 This is no country for modistes, tailors, jewelers and the 
 whole army that batten on the imaginary wants of the 
 West. 
 
 I have said nothing about my health lately. I have 
 left off the use of tobacco, and have come down to plain 
 boiled rice, fish and chicken, — but all is of no avail. I 
 use a great deal of exercise, but it cannot reach my liver, 
 and that is the source of my trouble. Oh, for a foreign 
 ship to come here with a good doctor!! 434 
 
 Saw the first land crab to-day since last October. I 
 suppose I may put this down as a proof that the summer 
 has now actually commenced. 
 
 The large Camellia Japonica in my compound, which 
 first showed its blossoms on the 5th of January, is now 
 going out of bloom. It has been a splendid sight and has, 
 I have no doubt, produced some thousands of roses! 
 
 Wednesday, May 1 3, 1857. For the purpose of as- 
 certaining whether gold is really as cheap in Japan as 
 the Japanese pretend, I ordered two mustard spoons to 
 be made of pure, unalloyed gold. They wished me to 
 give them coin to make the spoons from. This I de- 
 clined, as it would defeat the object I have in view. 
 
 After some days, a formal message was sent to me 
 by the Governors, stating that, by the laws of Japan, 
 gold could only be used to ornament their swords, and 
 that its use by the people in any other form was ab- 
 
 434 This worry concerning his personal health was a very weighty reason 
 to be added to the diplomatic concern that he felt over the long delay of the 
 San Jacinto (see note 425). 
 
 361 
 
solutely prohibited. 435 A greater falsehood was never 
 uttered. It is true that the Japanese use but few orna- 
 ments, or indeed articles of luxury of any kind ; but gold 
 is used in weaving brocades, in decorating saddles, in 
 making a small chain which secures a small basket which 
 contains a cloth with which they wipe perspiration from 
 their faces, and for women's ornaments. 
 
 I told the messenger to say to the Governors that I 
 knew that gold was used for many purposes besides 
 swords ; but, even if that was not the case, it was nothing 
 to me, as I was not a Japanese, nor bound by Japanese 
 law. 
 
 Moriama comes to say that Bingo-no-Kami has re- 
 ceived orders to go to Yedo and that he is to leave early 
 to-morrow morning; that he is unable to call in person 
 to take leave of me, and begs me to excuse his apparent 
 neglect. I send him messages wishing him a pleasant 
 journey to Yedo and a favorable reception on his 
 arrival. 
 
 Thursday, May 14, 1857. I have received a circular 
 from the United States Patent Office asking for a great 
 variety of information about cotton, the whole being 
 put in the form of twenty-seven questions. These I had 
 translated and gave them to the Japanese, requesting 
 them to give me the desired information. To-day I have 
 their return. It is a beautiful specimen of Japanese craft, 
 cunning and falsehood. Their great object appears to be 
 to permit as little to be learned about their country as 
 
 435 W. E. Griffis quotes the following extract from a Japanese source: "The 
 use of gold or silver in making utensils of all kinds was prohibited" — in 1855. 
 {Towns end Harris, p. 155, note.) 
 
 362 
 
possible ; and, to that end, all fraud, deceit, falsehood and 
 even violence, is justifiable in their eyes. It is true that 
 this is the most difficult country in the world to get in- 
 formation; no statistics exist; no publications are made 
 on any subject connected with industry. No man makes 
 experiments to improve his implements, or to increase 
 the product of his lands by new modes of culture. As 
 his father sowed and reaped, so does he; and if the crop 
 is large, it is his good fortune; if it be poor, it is his 
 misfortune. As in everything else in Japan, the motto 
 is Quieta non movere; the cultivator never measures 
 his produce to see how it compares with that of his 
 neighbor, or with his own on previous years. He is en- 
 tirely ignorant of the mode of culture or crops produced 
 at places not twenty miles distant from him. The great 
 mass of the people are literally tied to the spot on which 
 they were born. Of course, government officials, priests, 
 pilgrims, etc., are exceptions. It may be that some few 
 of the traders may go from place to place in pursuit of 
 their calling, but such men, in Japan, have no eyes for 
 anything but their traffic. 
 
 Saturday, May 16, 1857. I ordered a small bel- 
 vedere to be erected on the top of a hill near the Con- 
 sulate, so that I might enjoy the cool air during the hot 
 season, and also have a view over the whole of the 
 harbor. To-day they brought me some plans and ele- 
 vations very neatly done, with estimates of the cost of 
 the work. It seems to be a most important matter to 
 them, as they have been a number of days about it and 
 many persons were engaged on it. I was satisfied with 
 
 363 
 
their plans and accepted them. The price is fifteen 
 dollars. 
 
 I am collecting specimens of natural history, 486 but 
 they are but meagre, as the Japanese will not bring me 
 one, on the national principle of concealing everything. 
 
 Tuesday, May ig, 1857. To-day I paid the Japa- 
 nese for the gold I received from them on the 9th inst., 
 as well as for a draft on me from Purser Bradford of the 
 San Jacinto. In this case I paid them one ichibu for each 
 dollar of the account, and my dollars were weight 
 against silver ichibus, deducting five per cent, for re- 
 coining. This made my ichibus cost me thirty-three and 
 eighty-three one-hundredth cents each. The allowance 
 of five per cent, is not a fixed one. I offer them five per 
 cent., they ask six. When the Messenger Bird settled her 
 bills, she paid at the rate of six per cent. 437 1 am to settle 
 all my bills since my arrival here at five per cent. The 
 next settlement is to be at six, and so on, five and six at 
 each alternate payment, until the matter is finally closed. 
 The amount of the accounts settled to-day was $452.50, 
 but I paid it with $153.50, thus saving $299!! The 
 wheat in the vicinity begins to assume a golden hue, and 
 will soon be ready for harvesting. I find that the Jap- 
 anese do use a few incense sticks in their temples. They 
 
 436 In collecting these specimens, Townsend Harris must have had in mind 
 his best friend, Mr. Sandwith Drinker, then in China, who was a member 
 of The Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. In fact, in a letter dated 
 Hongkong, Apr. 3 and 4, 1857 (but which was received only on Oct. 20, 
 1857), Mr. Drinker asks Townsend Harris for some specimens of Japanese 
 ferns, etc., that he may send to the Academy (L. & P., vol. 1, no. 62). 
 
 437 The Messenger Bird left on Sunday, Mar. 29, 1857 {q.v.). For the terms 
 of the settlement, see Journal, Mar. 9, 1857. 
 
 364 
 
are made of some fragrant material, but are far inferior 
 to those of China; and, as to number, what a contrast 
 with China! There one may say truly that hundreds of 
 thousands are burned every day in a city like Canton. 
 
 They are kept up night and day, and the perfume is 
 as obvious as possible the moment you approach a Chi- 
 nese town. 
 
 Thursday, May 21, l8$J. Nine mollis to-day since 
 I arrived in Japan, and I am still without any communi- 
 cation with home. Where is Commodore Armstrong? 438 
 
 The Japanese brought a horse for Mr. Heusken to- 
 day. It is dearer than mine, although not so good looking, 
 but this is Japanese custom, always advance the price, 
 but never lower it. 
 
 Saturday, May 23, 1857. The weather is very bad 
 indeed, almost constant rain and a raw unpleasant wind 
 from the northeast. 
 
 The Japanese say that "the oldest inhabitant" does not 
 recollect such a miserable May as this is. We have, how- 
 ever, enjoyed eight months of as fine weather as anyone 
 could wish for, so we may put up with the present with- 
 out grumbling. 
 
 Tuesday, May 26, 1857. To-day I have a reply from 
 the Governors about the prices charged to me by the 
 Goyoshi people. 439 
 
 438 See above, May 5, 1857, and note 429. 
 
 439 See above, May 9, 1857, and note 432. The letter of the Governors, written 
 in Dutch, is L. & P., vol. 2, no. 68. In his reply to the Governors, dated Monday, 
 June 1, 1857, Townsend Harris takes note of their refusal to alter the prices 
 to conform to those paid by the Japanese (as promised) ; and he gives notice 
 that he will demand from the supreme Government of Japan repayment of 
 all overcharges ( L. B., vol. z, pp. 17-18). 
 
 36s 
 
It is plainly and unequivocally a full support of the 
 Goyoshi rascality in all of its ramifications. 
 
 They do not regard the promise they gave me last 
 August as worth the breath it cost them to utter it. How- 
 ever, to lie is, for a Japanese, simply to speak. 
 
 Wednesday, May 2J, l8$J. To-day being the fifth 
 day of the fifth month is a great festival among the 
 Japanese, and is attended to by abstaining from labor, 
 putting on their best clothes, and by flying their musical 
 kites, which sometimes remind you of a distant organ. 
 
 I do not see any special religious attendance. I must 
 say that I never was in a country so abounding with 
 priests, temples, mias, statues, etc., etc., where there was 
 so great indifference on religious subjects as there is in 
 Japan. I believe all the higher classes are in reality 
 atheists. 
 
 These festivals are kept on the first day of the first 
 month, the third day of the third month, and on the fifth 
 day of the fifth month. These (I think) are the principal 
 festivals of the Japanese except those of the new and full 
 moons, neither of which is observed by abstaining from 
 labor. 
 
 My canary left her nest, leaving her eggs unhatched, 
 although she had set for twenty days. On breaking the 
 eggs I could not discover any sign of young in them; 
 apparently the eggs were not impregnated by the cock 
 bird. 
 
 Friday, May 2Q, 1857. The wheat harvest is now 
 being actively carried on. On counting the grains I find 
 from five to sixty grains in one head. 
 
 366 
 
Moriama informs me that Bingo-no-Kami is not to 
 return to Shimoda, having been appointed "Superin- 
 tendent of Repairs" at Yedo. His successor is not a Kami, 
 but will be made one before he comes here. He is said 
 to be a mild and amiable man. If so, I am glad to change 
 Bingo-no-Kami for him, as the former is anything but 
 a friend to foreigners, and besides he is the most in- 
 veterate liar I ever met with. 
 
 At a temple on one of the hills near the Consulate, 
 the Japanese mariners make an ex voto offering of the 
 tuft of hair which completes their headdress. This is in 
 consequence of some vow made in a moment of peril, 
 and when he arrives safely he cuts off the hair and hangs 
 it up, although it is a great sacrifice to a Japanese to 
 cut it off. 
 
 Sunday, May 31, 1857. I have walked this month, 
 for exercise, over three hundred and fifty miles. I have 
 entirely quit the use of tobacco in all its forms. I have 
 brought down my diet to plain boiled rice and a little 
 fowl. I tried fish for some days, but that was worse than 
 the fowls. I cannot eat bread, either fresh or of the 
 American biscuit. I have taken any quantity of blue 
 pill, but all is of no avail. I suffer horribly from acid 
 stomach and am getting leaner day by day. What is very 
 singular is that my appetite is uncommonly good; but, 
 my digestion being so much out of order, my food does 
 not do me much good. The weather this month has not 
 been as pleasant as on the previous ones. The mean tem- 
 perature was 64 ; highest, 73 ; lowest, 55 . Had rain 
 eleven days, showers two days, cloudy six days, fair 
 
 367 
 
twelve. We had an earthquake at 8 130 A. M. on the 2nd 
 of May. 
 
 Where, oh, where is Commodore Armstrong? I am 
 sick and weary of looking out for him. 
 
 Monday, June I, 1857. The Japanese have said that 
 strawberries grew around here, and that, as soon as they 
 were ripe, I should have a good supply of them. At last 
 they brought me some itsigo, or strawberries. They prove 
 to be a kind of raspberry, of a pale straw color and of an 
 insipid taste, quite without aroma or flavor; and these 
 are their promised strawberries. 
 
 I have found in the woods a fruit of the size, shape, 
 color, leaf, etc., etc., of the real strawberry, but the fruit 
 is not edible, having a decidedly unpleasant flavor. I 
 saw the same fruit in the north of China, during my 
 wanderings there in 1853. The varieties of the laurel 
 family here are almost innumerable. I am sure a botanist 
 would find many new things here to repay his trouble. 
 How often do I regret my ignorance of botany. Gener- 
 ally speaking, however, wild flowers are not abundant 
 here, and scarcely none are cultivated, and but few have 
 any scent. 
 
 How much I miss that Queen of Flowers, the Rose 
 that is now in full bloom in New York; I should not be 
 sorry to have a few sprigs of champacka from Penang, 
 the tuberose from Macao, or the jessamine from Cal- 
 cutta, to please my sense of smell. 
 
 Tuesday, June 2, 1857. Moriama brings me Mr. 
 Portman's Dutch version of the Treaty of Kanagawa, 
 as well as their Dutch version made from the Japa- 
 
 368 
 
nese. 440 1 wish to have a copy to save the trouble of con- 
 stant reference by means of letters asking for copies 
 of parts of Articles. Moriama says that in reality Bingo- 
 no-Kami is in disgrace, as his new appointment is two 
 grades lower than the post of Governor; that his salary 
 is a mere trifle compared with what he enjoyed here, 
 and that he is now excluded from all knowledge of for- 
 eign affairs, nor can he even have interviews with the 
 members of the High Council. The causes of this dis- 
 grace are said to be various; but the chief one was that 
 he did not agree better with me, the Government ap- 
 parently holding him responsible for all my complaints, 
 and for my recalcitrations against their various attempts 
 to restrain me and deprive me of my just rights. Bingo- 
 no-Kami did not carry his honors meekly. He was (to 
 the Japanese) haughty and overbearing, and did not 
 practice the usual Japanese suaviter in modo — hence 
 he had made many small enemies, who no doubt did all 
 in their power to prejudice him with the Government 
 at Yedo. 
 
 The only real outcasts in Japan are tanners, who also 
 make all work that has any leather about it. They live 
 in villages by themselves ; they cannot intermarry with 
 any other class, nor can they enter the house, eat or 
 drink, even with the poorest Japanese. Voluntary 
 beggars are outcasts while they continue beggars, but 
 
 440 Mr. A. L. C. Portman, a native of Holland, had been Dutch interpreter 
 for the Perry Expedition. Later, he was of great service on the occasion of 
 the visit of the first Japanese Embassy to Washington, in May, i860; and, 
 after Mr. Heusken had been slain by the Japanese (Jan. 15, 1861), he became 
 the Dutch interpreter for Townsend Harris at Yedo. 
 
 369 
 
they can restore themselves to society whenever they 
 please. Of course religious mendicants are not outcasts. 
 Public executioners are not outcasts. They are of the 
 body of the soldiery, and associate with their equals in 
 rank, without reference to their calling. 
 
 Malformations and distortions of the spine, etc., etc., 
 are known in Japan. Infants malformed are not put to 
 death; on the contrary, the poor rickety child appears 
 to receive a double portion of affection from its mother. 
 
 As a general principle a Japanese may follow any 
 calling he likes, as he is not compelled to follow the 
 trade of his father, although he generally does so. Jap- 
 anese cannot remove from their district to another, ex- 
 cept on special permission from the Government, and 
 those permissions are rarely granted. A man wishing 
 to perform a pilgrimage must procure a passport for 
 that purpose, which runs from one to eight months, ac- 
 cording to distance. 
 
 Merchants trading from city to city must also obtain 
 passports. There are no internal octroi, or transit duties 
 in Japan. 
 
 Oasaca, Oaxaka or Oasaka is, according to Moriama, 
 a fine town of from five hundred thousand to eight hun- 
 dred thousand inhabitants. It has a large and secure 
 harbor and enjoys a large commerce. It communicates 
 with Miako by means of a river which is navigable with 
 boats 60 (sixty) feet long. 
 
 The thin porcelain so much admired by foreigners 
 is only made in Fizen. There are three places in this 
 island celebrated for this fabric, the most noted of which 
 
 37o 
 
are Imari and Firando. The first named is the best. 
 Mikado is the only title of the Spiritual Sovereign. 
 Dai-ri means "Spiritual residence," — i. e., residence of 
 the Mikado, who is "brother to the sun and father of 
 the moon." 
 
 Ziogoon is the only title of the political ruler of Japan. 
 It means "General of the Kingdom, Lieutenant General, 
 or Generalissimo of the whole Empire." 
 
 Tuesday, June 2, 185J (continued) . Took a walk 
 to the southwest of Shimoda towards Cape Idzu. It is 
 of the same character as the other parts seen. Every pos- 
 sible spot is cultivated, and as many inhabitants as can 
 be, supported. I find that what I considered as jungle on 
 the steep hillsides, is actually all planted. Trees, bam- 
 boos, rushes, etc., etc. All are renewed as they are cut 
 off for use. No spot is neglected. I have never seen a 
 person that had the appearance of want marked on his 
 countenance. The children all have faces like "full 
 moons," and the men and women are quite fleshy 
 enough. No one can for a moment suppose (after see- 
 ing the people) that they are not well fed. 
 
 Every day increases my regret that I have no know- 
 ledge of botany. I am sure there are many curious 
 plants here, and have no doubt that many are quite 
 new. 
 
 I saw to-day a peach tree nine inches high which had 
 some full grown fruit on it. The peaches are not ripe, 
 therefore I cannot speak as to their quality; but the ap- 
 pearance of them is not in their favor. The Japanese, 
 like the Chinese, pluck and eat the fruit before it ripens. 
 
 37i 
 
Wednesday, June 3, 1857. Walked up the valley of 
 Shimoda towards Matsusaki. 441 Visited a new hot 
 spring. It is arranged as a bath house like those before 
 described, but the water is much warmer and more 
 strongly impregnated with sulphur. I found a woman in 
 the bath with her child. She was not in the least dis- 
 composed, but gave me the usual "Ohio" (good-morn- 
 ing) with a smiling face. Her skin was very fair, nearly 
 as white as a Circassian. On my return homewards I 
 called on the Prince of Shinano and passed a very agree- 
 able hour with him. He presented me with some superior 
 tobacco from Yedo, but, happily, I do not now use it. 
 On my walk home I picked up (on the beach) some 
 pure white fuci. I find nothing in my books analogous 
 to this. It was not an isolated specimen, as abundance of 
 it was found. It is quite as white as the best quality of the 
 celebrated "Edible Bird's Nests." 
 
 The quantity of edible seaweed (fuci) that is col- 
 lected at Shimoda is quite large, and it appears to form 
 one of their articles of export to Yedo. 
 
 The trees about Shimoda are chiefly laurels, arbutus, 
 and the varieties of the pine family. 
 
 Saturday, June 6, 1857. To-day I paid the Jap- 
 anese my account for my household expenses, including 
 some articles of furniture, a horse, saddle, etc., etc., a 
 norimon, together with the Government bill for my 
 flagstaff material, 442 the accounts of my Chinese ser- 
 
 441 Matsuzaki. 
 
 442 For the "First Consular Flag" ever raised in Japan, see Journal, Sept. 
 4, 1856. 
 
 372 
 
vants, and also for seventy-five dollars of lacquer articles 
 purchased for Mrs. S. N. Spooner. The accounts begin 
 about the 30th August, 1856, and end May 22, 1857. 
 The total presents the alarming amount of 3,476,594. 
 But these are Japanese seni, and I settled the whole for 
 $699. 
 
 Had I paid the accounts on the basis admitted by Com- 
 modore Perry, the amount would have been $2,173, 
 so that $1,474 was saved by my arrangement of the 
 currency with the Japanese. 
 
 Monday, June 8, l8$T. I omitted to enter the ar- 
 rival here of the new Governor, who comes in place of 
 Shinano-no-Kami. His name is Nakamora Dewa-no- 
 Kami, or Nakamora, Prince of Dewa. I have at last 
 carried every point triumphantly with the Japanese, and 
 have got everything conceded that I have been negotiat- 
 ing for since last September. Among my papers will be 
 found a copy of the Convention 443 which contains the 
 following provisions : 
 
 1st Opens the Port of Nagasaki to American ships; 
 2nd Gives the right of permanent residence to Americans 
 
 at Shimoda and Hakodate, and the right to appoint 
 
 a Vice-Consul at the latter port ; 
 3rd Settles the currency, so that where we paid $100 we 
 
 now pay only $34.50; 
 4th Americans to be exclusively under the control of their 
 
 Consuls and to be tried by American law; 
 5th Concedes the right of the Consul General to go where 
 
 he pleases in Japan, and to be furnished with Japanese 
 
 money to enable him in person, or by his servants, to 
 
 make his purchases without the intervention of any 
 
 443 The text of this Convention of Shimoda will be found in Appendix IV. 
 
 373 
 
Japanese official. This is even more than I was in-* 
 structed to ask for by my special instructions dated 
 October 4, 1855. 444 No class of Americans is named 
 in the second Article, so that missionaries may actually 
 come and reside in Japan. 
 
 Am I elated by this success? Not a whit. I know my 
 dear countrymen but too well to expect any praise for 
 what I have done, and I shall esteem myself lucky if 
 I am not removed from office, not for what I have done, 
 but because I have not made a commercial treaty that 
 would open Japan as freely as England is open to us. 
 
 Besides, it is so easy to criticize, and so agreeable to 
 condemn. It is much more pleasant to write imbecile, 
 ass or fool, than to say able, discreet and competent. 
 
 Wednesday, June 10, 1857. The rice is now being 
 rapidly transplanted, and, as the crop begins to be har- 
 vested in October, it gives about four months for the 
 growth of the rice crop from the time of transplanting, 
 or five months from the time the paddy is placed in the 
 sprouting grounds. 
 
 Wednesday, June 17, 1857. To-day we signed the 
 Convention, 445 having been some nine days in settling 
 
 444 See notes 399 and 426. 
 
 445 0nly two days before this, on June 15, 1857, the ratifications of Town- 
 send Harris's Treaty with Siarn had been exchanged at Bangkok, by Charles 
 Wm. Bradley, Sr., who bore credentials signed by President James Buchanan. 
 For this, and for the letter written (in English) by the First King of Siam 
 to accompany the ratified Treaty, see Wood, Fankiuei, pp. 236-40; for former 
 Consul Charles W. Bradley, Sr., see notes 55 and 210. 
 
 Returning to the Convention of Shimoda, it should be noted at once that when 
 the Shogun later informed the Emperor at Kyoto of what he had done, the 
 latter was pleased to accord his consent, and it is so stated in the Shogun's 
 address to the Emperor delivered in Nov., 1865 (Francis O. Adams, The His- 
 tory of Japan, vol. 2, p. 25), even though the Choshiu clan rightly complained 
 that the Shogunate had not received the sanction of the Emperor beforehand 
 (Gubbins, The Progress of Japan, p. 169). 
 
 374 
 
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 TOWNSEND HARRIS S MANUSCRIPT JOURNAL, VOL. 4, P. 52 
 
 This illustration shows his comment on having concluded the Convention of 
 Shimoda: June 17, 1857. 
 
UFWARV 
 
 Of THE 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS 
 
the wording of the Articles, which by the way is a work 
 of much difficulty, as the Dutch of the Japanese inter- 
 preters is that of the ship captains and traders used some 
 two hundred and fifty years ago. They have not been 
 taught a single new word in the interim, so they are quite 
 ignorant of all the terms used in treaties, conventions, 
 etc., etc. This, joined to their excessive jealousy and fear 
 of being cheated, makes it excessively difficult to manage 
 such a matter as the present one. They even wanted the 
 words in the Dutch version to stand in the exact order 
 they stood in the Japanese!! Owing to the difference of 
 grammatical structure this would have rendered it per- 
 fect gibberish. 
 
 Monday, June 22, 1857. I nave been in correspond- 
 ence with the "Council of State" since October 25, 1856, 
 concerning a letter from the President of which I am 
 the bearer, 440 and I have had a great many interviews 
 with the Governors of Shimoda of late, concerning the 
 manner in which that letter should be delivered, as well 
 as certain communications which I wrote them I was 
 charged with should be made. They wished the letter to 
 be delivered here in Shimoda and the communications 
 made to the Governors, while I demanded to go to Yedo, 
 have an audience of the Ziogoon, and there deliver the 
 letter, and afterwards make the communications to the 
 
 446 Townsend Harris's letters to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, up to this 
 point, were dated Oct. 25, 1856; Jan. 8, 1857; an d Mar. 28, 1857; for the first 
 two, see those entries in the Journal and notes 313, 369; for the letter of Mar. 
 28, 1857, however, see entry for Apr. 1, 1857, and note 410. 
 
 On June 18, 1857, Townsend Harris wrote Dispatch No. 7 to the Secretary 
 of State, by which he forwarded copy of the Convention of Shimoda, with 
 a lengthy discussion of its various Articles: L. B., vol. 2, pp. 29-35. 
 
 375 
 
proper Minister. I have not heretofore, nor shall I now 
 enter these matters at large in my Journal, but my private 
 letter book contains copies of all my official letters; and 
 there, and in my files of papers, full details of these 
 matters will be found. 
 
 The Governors now produce an imperial mandate 
 under the "Seal and Signature Royal/' commanding 
 them to receive the President's letter and bring it to 
 Yedo, and they are quite dumbfounded that I refuse to 
 yield to the mandate. 
 
 Tuesday, June 2%, 1 8 57. To-day I received an 
 official and also a private letter from Mr. a E. E. Rice, 
 U. S. Commercial Agent at Hakodate," announcing his 
 arrival at that place, and that he had "hoisted his flag." 
 His private letter to me is a curiosity in composition and 
 orthography. It will be found in my files under date of 
 May 17, 1857. 447 He writes me that two ships under the 
 American Flag are there from Hongkong, and that the 
 supercargo Mr. Luhdorf 448 has some things for me, 
 
 447 This letter of Mr. Rice is not to be found among the Letters and Papers of 
 Townsend Harris. The earliest extant letter by Mr. Elisha E. Rice is one 
 written in Aug., 1857 (L. & P., vol. 1, no. 68), in answer to the two letters 
 written to him by Townsend Harris on July 6, 1857. 
 
 Mr. Harris is very charitable when he styles Mr. Rice's letter "a curiosity 
 in composition and orthography." The bare and unpleasant fact is that all 
 of Mr. Rice's letters have a sentence and paragraph structure, a grammar, 
 capitalization, punctuation, and spelling that are absolutely impossible and 
 appalling, and that are as difficult to decipher as a text in palaeography. 
 
 448 We have already spoken of Mr. Luhdorf as supercargo of the Greta (see 
 note 325). Since that time, when he had been an actor in the famous cases 
 of the shipwrecked Russian Frigate Diana and of the rebuffed Americans, 
 Messrs. Reed and Dougherty, he had been appointed supercargo of the Ameri- 
 can ship Esperanza, which had brought papers, letters, and stores from 
 Hongkong to Hakodate, where she stopped on her way to the Amur 
 River. It was the Esperanza that brought to Hakodate all the letters which 
 Townsend Harris finally received on Oct. 20, 1857. Mr. Luhdorf left Hakodate 
 June 10, 1857. (L. & P., vol. 1, nos. 62, 68, and 70.) 
 
 376 
 
which Mr. Rice promises to forward to me, if they are 
 landed at Hakodate, but he does not say one word about 
 letters. 
 
 This is most tantalizing. I am now more than ten 
 months in Japan, and have not as yet received a single 
 letter from the United States. As no direct communica- 
 tion is allowed by sea between Shimoda and Hakodate 
 by Japanese junks, my supplies might as well be at 
 Hongkong as there. I have been out of flour, bread, 
 butter, lard, bacon, hams, sweet oil, and in fact out of 
 every kind of foreign supply for more than two months. 
 I am living on rice, fish and very poor poultry, as no 
 game of any kind has been brought to me for the last 
 three months. 
 
 My health is miserable, my appetite is gone, and 
 I am so shrunk away that I look as though a "Vice- 
 Consul had been cut out of me." Where, oh! where is 
 Commodore Armstrong? 449 
 
 449 In his Dispatch No. 7 to the Secretary of State (L. B., vol. 2, pp. 29-35, 
 dated June 18, 1857), Townsend Harris again gives vent to his feeling of 
 isolation (ib. t p. 35) : 
 
 ". . . In this connection I beg to remark that I have not received any 
 dispatches from the Department since I left the United States (October, 
 
 1855). 
 
 "When at the Department of State in September, 1855, I was informed 
 that a man-of-war would visit Shimoda every three months. Commodore 
 Armstrong informed me that he had not received any orders directing him 
 to revisit Japan, but that he would either come here, or send a ship in March, 
 1857. What the causes are that have prevented the dispatch of a ship I do 
 not know. 
 
 "I need not point out the importance of my having the means of communi- 
 cating with you as often as three times a year. The voyage from Hongkong 
 to this port is only ten days, and from Shanghai seven days. 
 
 "The occasional presence of a man-of-war here would be of benefit to our 
 interests, even if she only remained a week." 
 
 When Lord Elgin and Mr. Laurence Oliphant visited Townsend Harris — 
 on Tuesday, Aug. 10, 1858 — the latter speaks thus of Townsend Harris's iso- 
 
 377 
 
Tuesday, June 30., 1857. Only one earthquake this 
 month and that was on the tenth. 
 
 The report of the weather is as follows : thermometer, 
 highest, 8o°; lowest, 59 ; mean, 70.8 ; extreme daily 
 range, io°. Rain seven days, showers six days, cloudy 
 three days, fine fourteen days. 
 
 Saturday, July 4, 1857. I never felt more miserable 
 and wretched than on this day. Ill in health and in want 
 of everything but low spirits, of which I have an abun- 
 dant supply. I had a national salute of twenty-one guns 
 fired in honor of the day by the Japanese, — I paying 
 the expense, which was less than two dollars. Dear New 
 York! How I wish I could pass the day there among 
 my friends. 
 
 Monday, July 6, 185J. I have now abandoned all 
 
 lation {Narrative of the Earl of Elgin's Mission to China and Japan, New 
 York, i860, p. 345) : 
 
 "For disciples of Zimmerman, notwithstanding, or lovers in a Petrarchian 
 state, Japan offers greater attractions, probably, than any other country 
 in the globe, but neither Mr. Harris nor Mr. Heusken seemed altogether 
 to appreciate them. A well-stored library, and a few rooms comfortably 
 fitted up, gave an agreeable air of civilization to the establishment; but 
 what can compensate for two years of almost entire isolation and banish- 
 ment from communion with one's fellow-men? Except upon the rare occa- 
 sions of Shimoda being visited by some foreign vessel, these two gentlemen 
 had not seen a creature with whom they could exchange an idea. They had 
 been for eighteen months without receiving a letter or a newspaper, and 
 two years without tasting mutton — sheep being an animal unknown in Japan. 
 Still, this exile had not the effect of disgusting them with the country of 
 their banishment. Mr. Harris spoke in terms even more eulogistic than those 
 universally employed by the Dutch of the Japanese people. His residence 
 among them, under circumstances which compelled him to form intimate 
 relations with them — for they were his only companions — only served to 
 increase his high opinion of their amiable qualities and charming natural 
 dispositions. He told us numerous anecdotes illustrative of this. . . ." 
 
 On June 27, 1857, Townsend Harris received a copy of a letter of the 
 Shogun addressed to Inouye, Shinano-no-Kami and Nakamura, Dewa-no- 
 Kami, investing them with full powers to negotiate with Townsend Harris 
 at Shimoda: L. & P., vol. 2, no. 69, dated "5th year of Ansei, Mi, 5th month." 
 
 378 
 
hopes of seeing Commodore Armstrong, and I accord- 
 ingly have made an effort to send some letters through 
 the Japanese to Hakodate, hoping Mr. Rice may be able 
 to forward them. I wrote to the Secretary of State, N. 
 Dougherty, and to Commodore Armstrong, S. Drinker, 
 and Armstrong & Lawrence. My letters were very short 
 and very guarded, as I do not doubt the Japanese will 
 open them. Although the distance from here to 
 Hakodate is under six hundred miles by land, yet the 
 Japanese consume thirty-five days in conveying a letter 
 there. My letters to Mr. Dougherty, General Wetmore, 
 and to my private friends in New York are not copied, 
 nor are those to S. Drinker at Hongkong, or any other 
 purely private letters. 450 
 
 450 Among the Letters and Papers of Townsend Harris, the following letters 
 referring to this general period have been found: 
 
 i) To Shinano-no-Kami: June 3, 1857, protesting against the opinion of 
 the Governors of Shimoda that the expulsion of Messrs. Reed and 
 Dougherty was justified (L. B., vol. 2, pp. 18-19). 
 
 2) To the Governors of Shimoda: June 29, 1857, pointing out that the 
 "full powers" which they had received from Yedo were not sufficiently 
 comprehensive to warrant his entering upon negotiations for a treaty 
 (ib., p. 20). 
 
 3) To the Secretary of State, Dispatch No. 8: June 30, 1857, sending mail 
 via Hakodate and complaining of his isolation (ib., p. 36). 
 
 4, 5) To the Secretary of State, Dispatches Nos. 6 and 7: July 1, 1857, being 
 routine reports on shipping and fees received for previous quarter (ib., 
 p. 38). f 
 6) To Baring Bros., of London: July 1, 1857, advising them of his draft 
 for salary (ib., p. 21). 
 7, 8) To the Secretary of State, Dispatches Nos. 9 and 10: July 1, 1857, 
 being routine reports on the funds in his charge (ib., pp. 37-38). 
 9) To Commodore Armstrong: July 6, 1857, praying for the arrival of 
 a ship (ib., pp. 25-26). 
 10, n ) To E. E. Rice: July 6, 1857, giving him general information and in- 
 structions (ib., pp. 21-25). 
 
 12) To Mr. Liihdorf: July 6, 1857, at Hakodate, urging him to touch at 
 Shimoda on his way back from the Amur River to Hongkong (ib., 
 p. 27). 
 
 13) To Armstrong & Lawrence: July 6, 1857, asking them to send things 
 hereafter direct to Shimoda, etc. (ib., pp. 27-28). 
 
 379 
 
Wednesday, July 8, 1857. Shinano-no-Kami started 
 to-day for Yedo for the purpose of reporting my refusal 
 to deliver the letter of the President anywhere but at 
 Yedo, or to anyone but the Emperor. They assure me 
 that it is quite preposterous to even think of an audience 
 of His Majesty, as the laws of Japan forbid it. As it 
 happens, they also told me that the Council of State 
 could not write to any foreigners (the laws forbidding 
 it) ; and, as the Council has written to me, I am shrewdly 
 inclined to think that they will be found equally pliable 
 in the matter of an audience. 
 
 Tuesday, July 14, 1857. This has really been a 
 shocking day — to make a poor pun. We had twelve 
 shocks of earthquake — the first and sharpest one oc- 
 curred at two A. M. and lasted about two minutes. It 
 shook my bed so violently that it made it creak. Happily 
 but little damage was done. Eleven shocks followed at 
 intervals during the day, the last occurring at seven and 
 a half P. M. 
 
 I could not perceive any sensible effect on the barom- 
 eter or thermometer, nor did an ordinary pocket com- 
 pass show any particular perturbation, beyond what 
 would be produced by a jar of similar force produced 
 
 14) To Charles Huffnagle, U. S. Consul General for British India, resid- 
 ing at Calcutta: July 6, 1857, sending him a copy of the Convention 
 of Shimoda, and explaining his adjustment of the currency question 
 (&.,p. 39). 
 15, 16, 17, 18) To Charles C. Currier, U. S. Consul at Penang; 
 
 To Charles W. Bradley, " " " Singapore; 
 
 To John Black " " " Point-de-Galle,Cey- 
 
 lon; 
 To U. S. Consul at Hongkong: these four are exact copies of 
 the letter to Mr. Huffnagle (ib., p. 39). 
 19) To Hon. Peter Parker, U.S. Commissioner for China: July 6, 18571 
 same as above (ib., p. 40). 
 
 380 
 
by any other means. I do not make any entries of my 
 walks and wanderings. In fact, I am too miserable to go 
 out. I have a horse, but I do not use him, as it is im- 
 possible for any but a Japanese to use their saddles, and 
 mine is snugly lying at Hakodate, thanks to Commodore 
 Armstrong. 
 
 Thursday, July 23, l857- The cannon from the look- 
 out hill was fired at noon to-day, and it caused such joy 
 as only can be felt by those who have been living isolated, 
 as I have been, for the last eleven months. Mr. Heusken 
 ran like a deer to the top of the signal hill, and came 
 back breathless and streaming with sweat, to say that 
 there was a ship in sight, about ten miles south of the 
 harbor; that as the wind was not very fresh she would 
 not come in for some time. He started again for Van- 
 dalia Point (the most southern point) to watch her ap- 
 proach. At four P. M. he returned quite down-hearted. 
 The ship had disappeared in the blue haze at a little after 
 one o'clock and had not reappeared ; she appeared to be 
 standing about northeast. We are now in doubt what 
 it can mean, but think she must be bound here, else why 
 approach so near? 
 
 Friday, July 24, 1857. Up at daylight and off to the 
 east hills that command a view of the Bay of Yedo and 
 the South Pacific. 
 
 Alas ! No ship could be seen ; whoever she was, it was 
 clear she was not bound to Shimoda. I never had any- 
 thing to try my philosophy so hardly as this. 
 
 I am inclined to think she was not the Flying Dutch- 
 man (as suggested nationally by Mr. Heusken) but 
 
 381 
 
simply a whaler, fishing along the coast. I wish the 
 "blubber hunter" had kept a few miles further from 
 land and spared us the excitement of hope and the bitter 
 disappointment that followed. 
 
 Monday, July 2J, 1857. Made a present of my third 
 and last revolver 451 to Dewa-no-Kami. I am sorry to hear 
 of the death of Abe Ise-no-Kami at Yedo. He was the 
 second member of the Council of State and very 
 influential. 
 
 He was always represented to me as a man of great 
 intelligence, and one that fully understood the power 
 of the United States and other Western nations, and 
 above all was convinced that the time had arrived when 
 Japan must abandon her exclusive policy, or be plunged 
 into the miseries of war. He is a great loss to the liberal 
 party of Japan. 452 
 
 Friday, July 31, 1857. Weather report this month : 
 
 Thermometer, highest, 84 ; lowest, 66° ; mean, 76. i°. 
 Extreme daily range, 7 . 
 
 451 The first revolver had been number 9 of the presents made to the First 
 King of Siam ; and the second had been number 5 of those to the Second King 
 of Siam: See Appendices II and III. 
 
 452 Abe, Ise-no-Kami, was succeeded as Prime Minister (or Head of the 
 Council of State) by Hotta, Bitchiu-no-Kami. This succession was a very for- 
 tunate one for Townsend Harris, because Lord Hotta was in favor of opening 
 the country. One of his first acts was to address a letter to the Daimyo, in 
 which he stated (Shunkichi Akimoto, Lord li Naosuke and New Japan, 1909, 
 pp. 142-43): 
 
 "I presume the opening [of] the country for foreign trade is one scheme 
 very eminently fitted to increasing wealth and armaments on the profits of 
 foreign trade in the prevailing circumstances." 
 
 Indeed, he faced the issue even more squarely when he put this question to 
 the clan lords: 
 
 "Whether our intercourse with foreign nations should be conducted with 
 neighborly feeling of good will or with that of enmity, regarding them as 
 our enemies?" 
 
 382 
 
Rain five days, showers five days, cloudy three days, 
 fine eighteen days. 
 
 Earthquakes on the 3rd, 14th, 26th and 30th, — to- 
 gether, sixteen shocks. 
 
 Saturday, August 1 5, 1857. Mr. Heusken, having 
 extemporized a saddle and bridle, has been riding for 
 some time past. As he is somewhat inexperienced in 
 riding, he has laid his horse up with a sore back and I 
 lent him mine until he should recover. The second time 
 he rode out with him a difference of opinion arose be- 
 tween Mr. Heusken and the horse, — the latter wishing 
 to return and Mr. Heusken to go on. Then ensued a 
 trial of force vs. obstinacy, which ended in the horse 
 slipping his shoulder and thus disqualifying himself 
 from ever being mounted again. I ordered the poor 
 brute killed, but no one would perform the butcher's 
 part. As I had parted with my last revolver, I could not 
 shoot him, and I could not bring myself to cut his throat 
 like a butcher. At last by great good luck I succeeded in 
 giving him away!! 
 
 Think of that! Ye Knackers of London and Masters of 
 the Abbatoir at Montmartre and manufacturers of "real 
 bologna" sausages in Germany ! What a country it is for 
 you, where it is considered a favor to accept a horse as a 
 gift with full privilege to "look in his mouth." 
 
 Friday, August 21, 1857. Happy day! I get a pack- 
 age with a dozen newspapers and some China letters 
 from Mr. Rice. He writes me that he will forward my 
 packages about October next by a Japanese schooner 
 (American model), which will leave about that time. 
 
 383 
 
What a relief to have this slight glimpse of the outer 
 world, although I do not get any American letters. This 
 day is the anniversary of my arrival in Japan. One year 
 here, and not a single letter from America. My last 
 letters were dated February, 1856. Eighteen months 
 ago! How much may have happened in the meantime, 
 whom among my old friends has death removed? 
 
 I suppose my letters must be packed up in a box which 
 was not known to Mr. Rice, or he would have sent 
 letters in place of newspapers. What has become of the 
 American men-of-war of the East India Squadron? 453 
 
 Thursday, August 2J, 1857. The Japanese inform 
 me that all the American ships left Hakodate in June, 
 so my letters sent there cannot go by them. I have made 
 duplicates of all those letters and sent them to Nagasaki, 
 writing to Mr. H. Donker Curtius, requesting him to 
 forward them by one of his ships. 454 1 placed them under 
 cover addressed to the U. S. Consuls at Batavia, Shang- 
 
 453 For the answer to this question, see Journal for Sept. 8, 1857. 
 
 454 The letter to Mr. Curtius is L. B., vol. 2, pp. 41-43. Townsend Harris 
 begged him to send the enclosed letters to Mr. Alfred A. Reed, U.S. Commer- 
 cial Agent at Batavia, if a Dutch ship were going there; otherwise, to any 
 port in China by the first opportunity. Townsend Harris enclosed for Mr. 
 Curtius also a copy of the Convention of Shimoda. 
 
 Some of the letters written by Townsend Harris on this day and sent to 
 Mr. Curtius to be forwarded are: 
 
 1) L. B., vol. 2, p. 41 : to the Secretary of State, Dispatch No. 11, to the effect 
 that he is sending the present dispatch (enclosing copy of Dispatch 
 No. 8) by way of Nagasaki and Batavia; and complains that he has 
 received no letters from the Department. 
 
 2) L. B., vol. 2, pp. 43-44: to Commodore Armstrong at Hongkong, en- 
 closing copy of letter of July 6, 1857; and again lamenting the fact 
 that he has received no letters from either the United States or China 
 since the San Jacinto left. 
 
 3) L. B., vol. 2, pp. 44-45: to Mr. Alfred A. Reed, begging him to for- 
 ward the enclosed five letters (of which the above were two) via 
 Singapore. 
 
 384 
 
hai, or Hongkong, requesting Mr. Curtius to send them 
 to China if any one of his ships was bound there. 
 
 The Prince of Shinano returned from Yedo on the 
 14th, and I have had many interviews with the Gov- 
 ernors on the subject of the President's letter. 
 
 See my letter book for full details of these inter- 
 
 views. 455 
 
 Monday, August 31, 1857. Health wretched. I 
 weigh about 130 pounds. Weather report: thermometer, 
 highest, 87 ; lowest, 67 ; mean, 77.7 . Extreme daily 
 range, io°. 
 
 Rain four days, showers four days, cloudy none, fine 
 twenty-three days. 
 
 Warmest day was the 7th. Mean temperature, 
 
 83.25 " 6 
 
 Monday, September J, 1857. At noon to-day the 
 signal cannon again gave us the joyful news that a for- 
 
 455 Shinano-no-Kami had left for Yedo on July 8, 1857, to confer on the 
 matter of the delivery of the President's letter {L. B., vol. 2, p. 78). On the 
 very day of Shinano's return to Shimoda, Aug. 14th, Townsend Harris had 
 an interview with the two Governors, at which Shinano suggested that Town- 
 send Harris should at once, and at Shimoda, make the communications he 
 had previously referred to, and that he should then proceed to Yedo, be re- 
 ceived by the Council of State, and deliver the President's letter to Hotta, 
 Bitchiu-no-Kami. These proposals were rejected by Townsend Harris [ib. t 
 pp. 79-8o). 
 
 Of the "many interviews" mentioned in the text, there is reference to one 
 on Aug. 27th, in the course of which Townsend Harris referred to Father 
 Valignani, etc. (Wagener, Aus dem Tagebuche, etc., p. 378. An outline of these 
 negotiations, beginning with Jan., 1857, * s to De found in Townsend Harris's 
 long Dispatch No. 13 to Secretary Lewis Cass, dated Sept. 11, 1857: L. B., 
 vol. 2, pp. 73-85). At the conference of Aug. 28th, Townsend Harris submitted 
 to Shinano-no-Kami a list of the Dutch Superintendents of the Factory at 
 Deshima that had been received in audience by the Shogun in ancient times. 
 Other conferences were held on Aug. 31st, and on Sept. 1st, 2nd, and 4th. 
 (Wagener, op. cit., pp. 378-79; and L. B., vol. 2, pp. 45-46.) 
 
 456 A weather table for the period from January 1 to Aug. 31, 1857, is given 
 in L. B., vol 3, p. 148. 
 
 385 
 
eign ship was in sight. Mr. Heusken went over his old 
 ground, and on his return informed me that a heavy 
 ship was standing in for the harbor; that, as the wind 
 blew the colors end on, he could not make them out. It 
 was a comfort to think that she was coming here, al- 
 though we did not know what flag she wore, — at all 
 events she was from a civilized land. 
 
 It was now one year and four days since I was left 
 here by the San Jacinto? 57 and full six months had run 
 beyond the time that Commodore Armstrong had prom- 
 ised to visit me. That it was not the Commodore was 
 clear, as it was a sailing ship. The wind fell provok- 
 ingly light, and at seven P. M. the boom of a heavy gun 
 came from the ship. Mr. Heusken volunteered to go 
 to her, although she was some ten miles off. He accord- 
 ingly started and did not get back until 
 
 457 See Journal, Sept. 4, 1856. 
 
 What a really "joyful" week this must have been for Townsend Harris! 
 The arrival of the Portsmouth and the following days of poignant excitement 
 made him forget to enter in his Journal quite the most important step won thus 
 far in his long drawn out negotiations with the Japanese. We quote from the 
 long Dispatch No. 13 to Secretary Cass (L. B., vol. 2, p. 82) : 
 
 "On the 7th of the present month, the Governors requested me to meet 
 them, and at this interview, to my agreeable surprise, they yielded every 
 point they had so strongly contested for eight months. They said they were 
 ordered to inform me that I was to proceed to Yedo with every honor; that 
 on my arrival I was to have an immediate interview with the Prime Min- 
 ister; and, on the first ensuing fortunate day, I should have a public 
 audience of the Ziogoon, and, at that audience, I should deliver the Presi- 
 dent's letter." 
 
 This complete success was won on Monday, the 7th; on Tuesday, Sept. 8th, 
 the Portsmouth anchored in the Harbor of Shimoda, and Townsend Harris, 
 for the first time since Sept. 4, 1856, beheld the countenances of his fellow 
 countrymen and heard news of his own land. The lonely exile who, for "one 
 year and four days," had truly been a man without a country, at last enjoyed 
 the communion of his people. His state of mind must almost have been a refu- 
 tation of the Horatian 
 
 ". . . nihil est ab omni 
 Parte beatum." 
 
 386 
 
Tuesday, September 8, 1857, at one A - M - The ship 
 proves to be the United States Sloop-of-war Ports- 
 mouth, Captain A. H. Foote, 408 eighteen days from 
 Shanghai, where he left Commodore Armstrong in the 
 San Jacinto, and where he has been nearly three months, 
 at the distance of seven days steaming from me. The 
 Portsmouth did not expect to visit Japan when she left 
 Hongkong, so that all my letters from home that have 
 been received since April last 459 are still at Hongkong. 
 She brought me letters from Captain Bell and the 
 officers of the San Jacinto only. 460 I was up all night 
 eagerly reading the newspapers and the few letters she 
 brought to me. The ship came up at noon and at two 
 P. M. the Captain came to see me. 4G1 He was much pleased 
 when I showed him the Convention of June 17th, and 
 said that all would be surprised at my success. He told 
 me that he had great difficulty in getting the Commo- 
 dore's consent to come here, and I believe it was only 
 obtained by some medical ruse, by which the ship was 
 
 458 This was Captain (later Rear-Admiral) Andrew Hull Foote. He had 
 brought Charles William Bradley, Sr., to Bangkok to exchange the ratifica- 
 tions of Townsend Harris's Treaty with Siam (Paullin, Proceedings of the 
 United States Naval Institute, vol. 37, p. 417; see above, note 445 ; and Journal, 
 Sept. 10, 1857) ; and in Oct. and Nov., 1856, he had taken a very prominent 
 part in the storming of the Barrier Forts at Canton (see above, note 311). 
 
 459 It was in Apr. 1857, that the Esperanza, one of Pustan's ships, had sailed 
 from Hongkong for Hakodate, having on board letters, papers, and supplies 
 for Townsend Harris (L. & P., vol. 1, no. 70). These were the letters and 
 newspapers which were so long detained at Hakodate by Mr. Rice, and a few 
 of which Townsend Harris so joyfully received on Friday, Aug. 21, 1857. 
 (See Journal, Aug. 21, 1857; and June 23, 1857, and note 448.) 
 
 460 The letter from Captain Bell was, very likely, L. & P., vol. 1, no. 71, dated 
 Shanghai, Aug. 21, 1857. 
 
 461 Writing in the Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, vol. 1, p. 130, Captain 
 Foote says: " Mr. Harris, our Consul General, welcomed us with that emotion, 
 which the seclusion, for a year, from one's countrymen naturally inspires." 
 
 387 
 
ordered here for the health of the crew. Captain Foote 
 told me he had the most stringent orders not to enter 
 the harbor of Shimoda; that he was to stay the shortest 
 possible time here, and an ungracious addendum was 
 made, — that he would probably have to bring me away. 
 
 It appears that Commodore Armstrong has been oc- 
 cupied from December to June in protecting the British 
 Colony of Hongkong, thus enabling Admiral Seymour 
 to employ more of his force in active hostilities against 
 the Chinese. He found himself able to send a ship to 
 Manila to inquire about some Americans who are im- 
 prisoned there under a charge of murder, and he was 
 also able to send another to Singapore to inquire into, — 
 what? A case of salvage!!! However, let him pass with 
 this addition. I informed Captain Foote that all my 
 dispatches from the Government were at Hakodate, 
 where they had remained since last May, 462 and that, as 
 he was going there, I asked him to touch here on his 
 return and give me my letters. It would seem as though 
 the Commodore had foreseen this request, for he posi- 
 tively ordered Captain Foote on leaving Hakodate to 
 stretch out one hundred and fifty miles from land, while 
 his direct route would have carried him about twenty- 
 five miles south of Shimoda. 
 
 Captain Foote invited me to visit his ship to-morrow 
 to receive a salute and to dine with him. He then went 
 over to the Goyoshi to look at the lacquer ware, Mr. 
 Heusken attending him as his interpreter. Employed 
 
 462 Again Townsend Harris refers to the mail brought to Hakodate by the 
 Esperanza (see notes 448 and 459). 
 
 388 
 
until a late hour of the night on my correspondence. 
 
 Wednesday, September Q, 1857. The Purser of the 
 Portsmouth has brought me $1,000 from Purser Brad- 
 ford, which I lent to the ship September 1, 1856, and 
 which I have sadly wanted since. 463 Captain Foote 
 kindly offers to advance me as much money as I may 
 want, taking my draft on my agents at Hongkong, which 
 is a great favor to me, and I gladly accepted $500., giv- 
 ing my draft on Russell & Co., Hongkong, to whom I 
 have sent my money in lieu of Armstrong & Lawrence, 
 with whose conduct I am much displeased. 464 The Purser 
 will also exchange the gold I took from the Japanese, 
 which had been paid to them by the Purser of the San 
 Jacinto. 465 
 
 I told Captain Foote and his officers that I was deeply 
 mortified that I could not invite them to dine with me, 
 as in reality all I had to offer them was rice, fish and 
 tough chickens. They begged me not to mention it, as 
 they had been fully prepared to find me suffering from 
 privations, owing to the manner in which I had been 
 neglected. Went on board at two P. M., and had my salute 
 of thirteen guns from the heavy sixty-eight pounders, 
 which were loaded with full charges and not with the 
 
 463 There is no mention of this loan in the Journal entry for that date. 
 
 464 Some of the details of these financial matters may be learned from the 
 letters which Townsend Harris wrote (on Sept. 10, 1857) to Messrs. Russell 
 & Co., of Hongkong (L. B., vol. 2, pp. 55-56), and to Messrs. Davis & Law- 
 rence, likewise of Hongkong (ib., p. 57) ; and on Sept. 11, 1857, t0 Messrs. 
 I. Hunt & Co. (ib., p. 112). 
 
 465 This transaction consisted in redeeming from the Japanese the sum of 
 $283.50 in gold which Purser Bradford of the San Jacinto had given them 
 (L. B., vol. 2, pp. 49-51, Townsend Harris to Mr. Bradford, dated Sept. 11, 
 1857, and written in answer to one from him that had been brought to Shimoda 
 by the Portsmouth). 
 
 389 
 
usual reduced charge which is used for saluting. A 
 pleasant dinner in the cabin, with Captain Foote and his 
 First Lieutenant Mr. Macomb, son of Major General 
 Macomb, of Plattsburg memory. 
 
 I am to go with Captain Foote and his officers to visit 
 the Governor to-morrow, and afterwards dine in the 
 ward room. Returned home at five P. M., and went to 
 work and wrote to a very late hour. 
 
 Thursday, September 10, 1857. To the Goyoshi at 
 eleven A. M. and had a pleasant visit, which lasted about 
 an hour. 466 Captain Foote and his officers are very busy 
 in making purchases, and they are delighted at only 
 paying thirty-four and a half cents for what cost the 
 San Jacinto officers one dollar. Mr. Heusken is con- 
 stantly occupied with them, which retards my writing 
 sadly. Went on board ship at one P. M. and remained un- 
 til five, having dined in the ward room. The Portsmouth 
 appears to be a very happy ship. I learn from Captain 
 Foote that he took Mr. C. W. Bradley with the Siamese 
 Treaty to Bangkok, and that the ratifications were ex- 
 changed. The Senate struck out the fifth Article, 467 
 
 466 We have a description of this visit by the pen of Captain Foote himself 
 (Paullin, Proceedings of the United States Naval Institute, vol. 37, pp. 
 396-97) : 
 
 "We were received with great courtesy and apparent cordiality. They 
 enquired with a good deal of interest how the President and Government 
 of the United States regarded Japan; about the war in China, its cause 
 and probable result; and expressed the hope that, at some future period, 
 the Japanese would visit America for the purpose of education and obtain- 
 ing a knowledge of many things in which they acknowledged their deficiency. 
 I stated to the governors that our men-of-war in future would no doubt 
 visit Japan more frequently, as the occupation of the squadron in looking 
 out for our interests in China had prevented a vessel being in Shimoda 
 and Hakodate during the past year." 
 
 467 At the meeting of the Senate of Wednesday, Dec. 17, 1856, Mr. James M. 
 Mason, of Virginia, moved that the Siam Treaty be referred to the Committee 
 
 390 
 
which nearly lost the Treaty; but the Consul, Mr. Mat- 
 toon, accepted all the provisions of the Article (which 
 related to passports) as a police regulation. I am pleased 
 to learn that the Treaty is working admirably. Ships 
 have already loaded for New York and San Francisco, 
 and a large quantity of American tonnage is employed 
 in the trade between Siam and China. Many of the finest 
 American clippers have loaded in this manner at the 
 Menam. Captain Foote has kindly permitted the Purser 
 to supply me with flour, butter and pork from the ship's 
 stores, I paying for them, and a great favor it is, in two 
 senses : first, to be able to get them at all ; and second, the 
 price is only about half what they would have been at 
 Hongkong. I cannot find words to express my thanks to 
 Captain Foote and the officers of the Portsmouth for 
 the generous manner in which they have divided their 
 own private stores to help me in my distressed situation. 
 Captain Foote supplied me with a quarter box of 
 superior tea, two jars of lard, and a bag of prepared 
 hominy. From the ward room I received half a dozen 
 fine Virginia hams and five smoked tongues. I had 
 nothing to give them in return but barren thanks. 468 
 
 on Foreign Relations, and printed (34-3, Sen. Ex. J'l, vol. 10, p. 163). On 
 Jan. 16, 1857, Mr. John Slidell, of Louisiana, reported it without amendment 
 [ib., p. 175). On Mar. 9, 1857, the Treaty was again referred to the Committee 
 on Foreign Relations (35, Special Session, Sen. Ex. J'l, vol. 10, p. 227). On 
 the nth, Mr. Mason reported it with an amendment (ib. p. 237), and finally, 
 on Mar. 13, 1857, Mr. Mason moved that the Senate advise and consent to 
 the ratification of the Treaty after striking out the original Art. V (quoted in 
 full, ib., p. 256). On Mar. 16, 1857, tn e Treaty was ratified by the President. 
 
 468 Townsend Harris expressed his sincere thanks to Captain Foote in a 
 letter written on the day of the Portsmouth's departure, Sept. 12, 1857. This 
 letter is in the Ford Collection of manuscript letters in the New York Public 
 Library. 
 
 In this letter Townsend Harris also gives Captain Foote important infor- 
 
 39i 
 
Mr. Heusken will be employed until noon to-morrow 
 with them at the Goyoshi, in settling their accounts ; and, 
 as the ship must leave at daylight on Saturday morning, 
 I have but very little time to get my letters ready. I re- 
 turned home at five P. M. and worked until a very late 
 hour writing. 
 
 Friday, September II, 1 '8 57. Captain Foote visits 
 me this morning. I gave him my pet dog Yedo, as he 
 could not get one of the kind here. 469 I sent a fine Japa- 
 nese sword to Captain Bell and some crepes to Commo- 
 dore Armstrong. Captain Foote had several orders for 
 Captain Bell, which I was anxious to pay for, but Cap- 
 tain Foote would not permit it. I have some Japanese 
 blades that are now being mounted, and I promised to 
 send one to Captain Foote. I also gave him some trifling 
 articles, and I much regret that I had nothing for him 
 or his officers that was worthy of their acceptance. 
 
 Mr. Heusken returned at noon and we went to work 
 on our correspondence, and continued so occupied until 
 midnight' 
 
 470 
 
 mation on the coal available at both Shimoda and Hakodate, and begs him to 
 take on board the Portsmouth the letters and packages for Townsend Harris 
 which had so long remained at Hakodate (see notes 448, 459, and 462). 
 
 469 For Townsend Harris's two dogs, Yedo and Miako, see note 330. 
 
 470 On this day Townsend Harris wrote two dispatches to Secretary Cass 
 and a private letter to Mr. Rice : 
 
 1) L. B., vol. 2, p. 64: Dispatch No. 12, enclosing duplicate of former Dis- 
 patch No. 11 that had been sent by the doubtful and uncertain route 
 of Nagasaki-Batavia (see Journal, Aug. 27, 1857, and note 454). 
 
 2) L. B., vol. 2, pp. 73-85: Dispatch No. 13, in which Townsend Harris, 
 taking advantage of the certainty of the delivery of the letter by the 
 Portsmouth, not merely tells of the various avenues by which he had 
 tried to communicate with Washington, but gives a careful outline of 
 his negotiations with the Japanese, beginning with Jan., 1857. 
 
 3) L. B., vol. 2, pp. 57-61: to Mr. E. E. Rice, at Hakodate. 
 
 392 
 
Saturday, September 12, 1857. Mr. Heusken fin- 
 ished his copying at four A. M. and, having made up our 
 mail, 471 he went on board the Portsmouth at five A. M. 
 
 The wind being light, the ship did not get clear of 
 the south point until three P. M. 
 
 The visit of the ship has thrown me into a state of 
 intense excitement, as may well be imagined. I have not 
 had three hours of consecutive sleep since the signal 
 was fired announcing her approach. 
 
 Before the Portsmouth sailed I sent on board a coop 
 of twenty fowls for the ward room and two pigs, one for 
 the cabin and one for the ward room. I put on board the 
 Portsmouth a fine lacquered tea tray, and a coop of six 
 fine pet fowls for Lieutenant H. H. Lewis of the San 
 Jacinto.* 72 
 
 Thursday, September 17, 1857. I have been wretch- 
 edly ill ever since the departure of the Portsmouth, but 
 am now a little better. I received to-day, through the 
 Japanese, some newspapers from Mr. H. Donker Cur- 
 tius, the Dutch Superintendent at Nagasaki. The en- 
 velope was marked August 28, 1857, or one day after 
 I wrote to him. These papers were, therefore, only 
 twenty days en route from Nagasaki, while thirty-five 
 days is the usual time employed. 
 
 Monday, September 21, 1857. Wrote to Mr. Cur- 
 
 471 The copious correspondence that went by the Portsmouth has been noted 
 above, passim. There remains only to refer to L. B., vol. 2, pp. 53-54, to 
 Messrs. Russell & Co., of Shanghai, thanking them for their kind offer to ad- 
 vance him funds. 
 
 472 Lieutenant Henry H. Lewis: Midshipman, May 1, 1828; Passed Mid- 
 shipman, June 23, 1838; Lieutenant, Oct. 28, 1842; dismissed, Apr. 20, 1861. 
 (Callahan, List; Hamersly, General Register.) 
 
 393 
 
tius, thanking him for his papers. 473 I am much better 
 in health. The Governors request me to meet them to- 
 morrow at the Goyoshi. 
 
 Tuesday, September 22, 1857. At the Goyoshi this 
 morning at eleven o'clock. The Governors informed me 
 that they had received letters from Yedo relating to the 
 President's letter; that after many anxious consultations 
 it was finally settled that I am to go to Yedo, in the most 
 honorable manner; and, after my arrival, I am to have 
 an audience of the Ziogoon, and then present the letter 
 of the President! 474 I expected that something would 
 follow this, some objectionable proposition that I could 
 not accept, which would throw the responsibility of the 
 
 473 This letter is L. B., vol. 2, pp. 68-71. The Singapore newspapers thus 
 received from Mr. Curtius for the first time informed Townsend Harris of 
 the great Sepoy Rebellion in India. In return, Townsend Harris informs 
 Curtius that a steamship company has been formed to ply between San Fran- 
 cisco and China, stopping at Nagasaki; congratulates him on the Dutch Treaty 
 concluded with the Japanese on Jan. 30, 1856; tells him that he (Townsend 
 Harris) has written to Yedo for a copy, and hopes that Curtius will send him a 
 copy too. He concludes by saying that he will keep Curtius informed of all 
 that transpires. 
 
 In his letter to the Council of State (also dated Sept. 21, 1857: L. B., vol 2, 
 pp. 65-67), Townsend Harris frankly tells them that he has learned from 
 the European papers brought him by the Portsmouth, that the Japanese had 
 concluded a second Treaty with the Dutch, and asks for a copy. He adds that 
 the communications from Yedo do not close with the customary expressions 
 of friendliness and respect; and concludes with the statement that, if they 
 do not see fit to employ such phrases, he too will be obliged to omit them 
 in the future. 
 
 This was still another of the many instances of well-nigh endless patience 
 on the part of Townsend Harris, coupled with a goodly portion of firmness 
 and dignity. 
 
 * 74 There is an irreconcilable contradiction in this entry. The Journal here 
 distinctly says that this information was given to Townsend Harris on Sept. 
 22, 1857; whereas the subject-matter of this entry is already fully discussed 
 in Dispatch No. 13 to Secretary Cass, dated Sept. 11, 1857, where the historic 
 interview is clearly assigned to Sept. 7, 1857. (See Journal under this date, and 
 note 457. Heusken's Diary assigns the event to Sept. 23rd: Wagener, op. cit., 
 p. 380.) Unfortunately, this very historic letter — the first ever sent for such 
 a purpose by the Shogunate — is not to be found among the extant Letters and 
 Papers of Townsend Harris. 
 
 394 
 
non-delivery of the letter on me, but nothing of the kind 
 occurred. They wished me to agree to start and stop at 
 certain hours and at certain places, saying that accom- 
 modations suitable for me could only be found at such 
 places, etc., etc. I informed them that I should be willing 
 to agree to such hours as might prove best, and to stop 
 where I could be best accommodated, but I could not 
 bind myself beforehand to any hour or march; that I 
 must not only be free in my action, but that the escort 
 attending me must be under my command, exclusively; 
 that they would find me, as a reasonable man, quite 
 ready to adopt any proper suggestions on those points 
 on the road, but I could not be bound up to comply with 
 their regulations before I knew what might occur, etc., 
 etc. To which they at once assented. The manner in 
 which I am to salute the Ziogoon is to be the same as in 
 the courts of Europe, — i. e., three bows. They made a 
 faint request that I would prostrate myself and "knock- 
 head," but I told them the mentioning such a thing was 
 offensive to me. The Governors informed me that 
 Shinano-no-Kami was ordered to Yedo for the purpose 
 of assisting in the arrangements to be made for my visit. 
 They said that a great deal was to be done in the way 
 of preparations, and that it would probably require 
 some two months to complete the arrangements. In the 
 meantime, they will consult with me in preparing my 
 retinue, etc., etc. 
 
 Monday, September 28, 1857. Shinano-no-Kami, 
 with Moriama Yenosky, started yesterday for Yedo. The 
 Commissary of Shimoda came to-day to take orders for 
 
 395 
 
procuring the men I shall want, and preparing their 
 dresses. 
 
 I shall not take any of my Chinese with me, as the 
 Japanese have a great dislike to the Chinese, and I do 
 not wish to be associated in their minds with the Chinese 
 or any other people. I shall, therefore, only be accom- 
 panied by Mr. Heusken and my two Japanese house 
 servants from my family. My own train will consist of 
 some forty porters bearing my luggage, cooking utensils, 
 bedding, etc., etc., and by the following, who will all 
 have the arms of the United States on their dresses, as 
 the coat-of-arms is worn by the Japanese, — viz., 
 
 20 
 
 norimon bearers 
 
 1 sword 
 
 
 12 
 
 guardsmen 
 
 2 swords 
 
 
 2 
 
 standard bearers 
 
 2 swords 
 
 
 2 
 
 shoe and fan bearers 
 
 2 swords 
 
 
 2 
 
 grooms 
 
 1 sword 
 
 
 2 
 
 quinine, 475 or commanders of the 
 
 foregoing. 
 
 All except the grooms and norimon bearers are to have 
 silk dresses. 
 
 I am to be attended by the Vice-Governor of Shimoda, 
 the Mayor of Kakizaki, the Commissary of Shimoda, 
 and by the private secretary of Dewa-no-Kami. They 
 will have, together, a tail of some one hundred and 
 fifty or more men, so that the whole train will form a 
 body of not far from two hundred and fifty. 
 
 Wednesday, September 30, 1857. My health is much 
 improved. I attribute this to my improved diet, as I am 
 
 475 That is: Gokenin. 
 
 396 
 
now well supplied with delicate China pork, my sow T 
 having littered thirteen pigs on the fifth of August last. 
 I have no doubt that the agreeable termination of the 
 vexed question of the reception of the President's letter 
 has also been of great service to me, as it has removed an 
 immense pressure from my mind. I cannot help hoping 
 that I shall be able to do something satisfactory in the 
 way of a commercial treaty before I leave Yedo. 
 
 The weather report for the month is as follows : 476 
 
 Thermometer: highest, 85 ; lowest, 62 ; mean, 75.4 . 
 Extreme daily range, 12 . Rain four days, showers three 
 days, cloudy two days, fair twenty-one days. 
 
 The report for the twelve months beginning October 
 1, 1856, and ending September 30, 1857, is as follows : 
 
 Thermometer: highest, 87 ; lowest, 32 ; mean, 61. 2 . 
 Hottest month, August; mean, 77.7 . Coldest month, 
 January; mean, 45. i°. Coldest day, February 2nd; 
 mean, 36. 25 . Hottest day, August 7th; mean, 83. 25 . 
 
 Rain fifty-one days, showers forty-one days, cloudy 
 thirty-three days, fine 240 days. 
 
 Wind, Northerly and Easterly 107 Showing wind with a Northerly board 184 times 
 
 " " Westerly 77 " " " " Southerly " 142 
 
 Southerly " Easterly 19 " " " Easterly " 126 
 
 " Westerly 123 ** " " " Westerly " 200 " 
 
 Calm 39 
 
 365 
 
 4r6 The Wind Table for the period Jan. i to Sept. 30, 1857, is given in L. B., 
 vol. 3, p. 149. This table Townsend Harris sent to the Rev. E. W. Syle (L. B., 
 vol. 4, p. 172), a missionary at Shanghai of the Presbyterian Episcopal Church, 
 and the first person later to be invited by the Japanese to go to Japan as a 
 teacher of the "American" language (L. & P., vol. 1 no. 102, dated Nagasaki, 
 Oct. 6, 1858). 
 
 On Oct. 1st, Townsend Harris wrote the usual routine reports: Dispatches 
 Nos. 14 and 15 to Secretary Cass (L. B., vol. 2, pp. 72 and 98) ; Dispatch No. 
 10 to Hon. Howell Cobb, of the Treasury (ib., p. 72) ; and the customary 
 draft notification to Baring Bros., of London (ib., p. 64). 
 
 397 
 
Sunday, October 4, 1857. My birthday. 477 I am 
 fifty-three years old. My lease is rapidly running to its 
 close. God grant that the short remainder of it may be 
 usefully and honorably employed. My health is better 
 than it was a month ago, but far, very far from being as 
 good as it was this time last year. Shall I ever see New 
 York and my dear American friends again? Doubtful, 
 but God's will be done, I can say truly and heartily. 
 
 Monday, October 5, 18^7- I have got a new horse, 
 and to-day got on horseback for the first time in Japan, 
 having extemporized a saddle, bridle, etc., etc. I was 
 pleased with the exercise but, alas! Shimoda is no place 
 for equestrian exercises. It is all up and down ; no roads, 
 but mere footpaths ; and, in a great many places, these are 
 so steep that a regular staircase is made of stone steps, 
 and at a giddy angle, particularly when you look down. 
 
 When the Portsmouth was here, Mr. Heusken got 
 his horse shod by a smith that was on board. This pro- 
 ceeding produced a great sensation among the Japanese. 
 They never saw anything of the kind before. They put 
 a straw sandal on the hoof; and, as this seldom lasts 
 an hour, the groom that follows on foot always carries a 
 quantity of new ones to replace those that give out. 478 
 The Japanese are no horsemen; both hands are em- 
 ployed in holding the reins; they have no martingale, 
 the horse therefore carries his head very high with his 
 nose stuck out straight. They therefore have no com- 
 mand over him. Usually the groom leads the horse by a 
 
 477 See note 304. 
 
 478 For an interesting anecdote regarding the "great sensation" caused by 
 horses so properly shod, see Journal, Dec. 20, 1856, and note 362. 
 
 398 
 
third rein put on for that purpose. The Governors were 
 very fearful for my safety; they assured me that the 
 Japanese horses were so vicious, that my life would be in 
 danger if I attempted to ride in any different manner 
 from their mode. They said their horses all would bite 
 and kick. No wonder, when one knows the manner in 
 which they use the poor brutes. Every month the horse 
 is burned in his belly in a quincunx, — i. e., as the spots 
 are placed to mark five on dice; then he is burned in the 
 roof of his mouth in the same manner. Can we wonder 
 that this monthly application of red hot iron should spoil 
 the temper of a horse? 
 
 Mr. Heusken's performances on horseback, and my 
 riding, have raised us to a pinnacle of glory among the 
 Japanese. In 1848 Lieutenant-Colonel May, of the 
 U. S. Horse Artillery, rode his horse up the stone steps 
 and into the hall of Barnum's Hotel [at] Baltimore, and 
 then rode him down again. The feat was considered so 
 wonderful that it was glorified in the newspapers from 
 the Rio Grande to the St. Croix. If Colonel May could 
 see the staircase I ride up and down, he would decline 
 hearing his exploit mentioned again. 479 
 
 Saturday, October 10, 1857. I am every day called 
 on to see something the Japanese are preparing for my 
 journey, or to give some new directions. 
 
 Saturday, October IJ, 1857. I have selected a 
 variety of such things as I have that will probably be 
 acceptable as presents to the Ziogoon and the Ministers 
 
 479 0n this day, Townsend Harris wrote to Curtius, at Nagasaki, expressing 
 his gratification that Curtius would open a correspondence with him (L. B. t 
 vol. 2, pp. 92-93)- 
 
 399 
 
at Yedo. They consist of champagne and sherry, wines, 
 cordials and cherry brandy; books of natural history, 
 richly illustrated; telescope; barometer; rich astral 
 lamp; richly cut decanters; preserved fruits, etc., etc. 
 I am having these carefully packed up, and the Japanese 
 prove to be very handy at such work. I have been almost 
 daily occupied in seeing to clothing, etc., etc., preparing 
 for my people. The coat-of-arms is very neatly done, 
 and the motto E pluribus unum, the eagle, arrows, and 
 olive branch quite perfect. I am informed that the news 
 of my visit has spread like wildfire over the country and, 
 as they express it, "millions will go to Yedo to see the 
 grand entry of the American Ambassador." They will 
 call me that name instead of Plenipotentiary, as the 
 former has the grandest sound to their ears. They tell me 
 that printed accounts of me, illustrated by drawings, are 
 circulated by thousands. 480 These are not in the form 
 of newspapers, but are analogous to the "broad sheets 
 and little books" that preceded that mighty engine, — 
 the newspaper. 
 
 Tuesday, October 20, 1857. At last, and fourteen 
 months after my arrival in Japan, I have received my 
 letters and supplies from Hakodate, from which place 
 they were conveyed in a schooner to Yedo, and from 
 thence were sent to me in a Japanese junk. Thank God 
 for them. I find letters from my kind and sincere friend 
 N. Dougherty of the following dates : July 22nd, August 
 
 480 Griffis, Towns end Harris, p. 176, note: "These were the nishiki-ye or 
 'brocade pictures,' drawn on and printed from wooden blocks, and gaily 
 colored, being xylographs. These pictures are usually made in three parts, 
 which are pasted together, making one piece." 
 
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LIBKARV 
 
 OF THE 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS 
 
i6th, September 22nd, October 15th, November 12th, 
 November 26th, all 1856, and March 18, 1857. From 
 my other dear and valued friend, General Wetmore, I 
 have letters dated June 9th, July 21st, and November 
 10th, 1856. 
 
 I received in all twenty-eight letters, 481 but not one 
 word from the Department of State 482 about my Treaty 
 with Siam, 483 or one word in answer to some of mine 
 that it was important to me to receive answers. 
 
 All the letters from the Department were printed 
 circulars, 484 except one dated August, 1856, and relating 
 
 * 81 Not one of these seven letters from Mr. Nathaniel Dougherty and of the 
 three from General Prosper M. Wetmore has been found. It will be remem- 
 bered that Townsend Harris himself informed us that his letters to Mr. 
 Dougherty, General Wetmore, and other private friends in New York and 
 elsewhere were not copied into his Letter Books {Journal, July 6, 1857). 
 Similarly, not all the letters received from his friends are to be found in 
 his Letters and Papers. There are extant, however, a great many of the let- 
 ters included in this total of twenty-eight. 
 
 482 From the Department of State, Townsend Harris received Secretary 
 Cass's dispatch dated Mar. 6, 1857, which informed him of the appointment 
 of Mr. Cass to the office of Secretary of State. In acknowledging receipt of 
 this communication, Townsend Harris concludes with the familiar cry: "Your 
 letter is the first that I have received since I arrived in Japan" (L. B., vol. 2, 
 pp. 98-99, dated Oct. 20, 1857). 
 
 On the same day, and together with the communication from Secretary 
 Cass, Townsend Harris received also the second copy of his Commission as 
 Consul General for Japan, signed by President Franklin Pierce and Secretary 
 William L. Marcy, and dated July 31, 1856. 
 
 This second copy of his Commission has the title "Consul General" printed 
 in full in the body of the text, and the wording differs here and there from 
 that in the first copy of the Commission, dated Aug. 4, 1855, and signed by 
 President Pierce and by W. Hunter, the Acting Secretary of State. The second 
 copy was issued to Townsend Harris because his appointment as Consul Gen- 
 eral was confirmed by the Senate on July 31, 1856 (S. Ex. J'l, vol. 10, p. 131). 
 Both originals of these Commissions are now in the possession of The College 
 of the City of New York. 
 
 483 See note 467. 
 
 484 In his Dispatch No. 19 to Secretary Cass, dated Oct. 20, 1857 (L. B., vol. 
 2, p. 100), Townsend Harris acknowledges receipt that day of the following 
 circulars from the Department: 
 
 1) Statutes at Large for 1855-56. 
 
 4OI 
 
to a debt contracted by two Americans, Reed and 
 Dougherty, with the Japanese. 485 Nor am I more for- 
 tunate in receiving answers to my letters [which] I 
 wrote to Henry Grinnell and Joseph Evans. 486 
 
 Saturday, October 24, 1857. I And that the President 
 was strongly inclined to reward my services in making 
 a commercial treaty with Siam, by removing me from 
 my office of Consul General at Japan. It appears that 
 the Treaty reached Washington on the 17th of Sep- 
 tember, 1856, and on the same day the New York Times 
 published what it said was the actual Treaty. The Pres- 
 ident held that it was I and I alone that communicated 
 it to the Times, and was for my instant removal. This 
 was only prevented by the friendship of Governor 
 Marcy and the untiring labors of my kind friend Gen- 
 eral Wetmore. 
 
 The President appeared to think the best mode of 
 proceeding would be to punish me first, and then call 
 
 2) Act to regulate the Diplomatic and Consular Departments, Aug. 18, 
 1856. 
 
 3) Regulations for Consular Officers, 1856. 
 
 4) List of fees chargeable by American Consuls. 
 
 485 This letter from the State Department was dated Aug. 19, 1856; it was 
 numbered 34; was signed by Secretary William L. Marcy; and authorized 
 a special credit on bankers for $3,000 to cover the debt incurred by Messrs. 
 Reed and Dougherty. (For a copy of this letter, see L. & P., vol. 2, no. 65; cf., 
 L. B., vol. 4, p. 38; for the Reed and Dougherty affair, see above, notes 325 
 and 400; and Mar. 7, 1857, and notes.) 
 
 486 0n this day Townsend Harris wrote to Secretary Cass acknowledging 
 receipt of Circular No. 16, dated Nov. 8, 1856; and stating that he had duly 
 filled in the enclosed bond for $10,000, which he was therewith sending to his 
 agent in New York, Mr. Nathaniel Dougherty (Dispatch No. 18: L. B., vol. 2, 
 p. 99). In his letter to Mr. Dougherty, of even date, Townsend Harris requests 
 him to attend to all the details as soon as possible (L. B., vol. 2, p. 106). 
 
 On Oct. 21, 1857, he wrote Dispatch No. 20 to Secretary Cass (L. B., vol. 2, 
 pp. 100-01) ; and on the 22nd Dispatch No. 21 (ib., pp. 101-02). For Joseph 
 Evans, see note 52 ; to Henry Grinnell, Townsend Harris had written on 
 June 8, 1856: see Journal, July 23, 1856. 
 
 402 
 
on me for my defence. This mode of procedure is quite 
 common among Oriental despots, but I am inclined to 
 think that the Western rule is to hold every man innocent 
 until he is proved to be guilty. Had the President, in 
 his ardent desire to punish the guilty, given orders to 
 compare the publication in the Times with the official 
 copy in the State Department, he would at once have 
 seen that the Times's version could not have emanated 
 from me, nor from anyone who had an opportunity of 
 copying the Treaty ! I ! 
 
 The Times uses the words "American subjects" in 
 twenty places ; the Treaty reads, "American citizens." 
 
 The Preamble is entirely omitted. 
 
 Article i. The last clause is not in the Treaty, and 
 omits a very important provision. 
 
 Article 2. Omits a reference to the Treaty made by 
 Mr. Roberts in 1833. 
 
 Article 3. The closing paragraph is not in the Treaty. 
 
 Article 8. Omits an important provision regarding the 
 prohibition of the export of rice, besides also 
 omitting a reference to the Treaty of 1833. 
 
 Article 9. The closing paragraph not in the Treaty. 
 
 Article 12. Alters the sense of the original entirely, 
 as the Treaty went into operation the moment it 
 was signed. The Regulations of Trade, which form 
 an integral part of the Treaty and consist of six 
 articles, are omitted. 
 
 Various verbal alterations run through the whole 
 Treaty as published in the Times. I wonder the Times 
 correspondent was so inexact, as he could easily have 
 procured an accurate copy. 
 
 403 
 
After I had engrossed the English version of the 
 Treaty, the Siamese asked to have it for the purpose of 
 comparing it with their version ; and, as they were bound 
 to accept the English version (see Regulations, Article 
 6) as the original, their request was reasonable and 
 could not be refused. It was some days in their posses- 
 sion, and their chief interpreter showed it freely to all 
 who desired to see it, and I was told it was seen by 
 Americans, English, French and Portuguese residents, 
 and a single tical would have purchased the right to 
 copy it. Everyone who has had anything to do with 
 Oriental Courts knows that the idea of secrecy as at- 
 tached to negotiations is absurd. The thing is unknown 
 and is impracticable. Monsieur Montigny, 487 the 
 French Plenipotentiary, succeeded me at Bangkok 
 about two months after my departure. He set out with 
 a full determination to keep his negotiations and the 
 results a profound secret, and how did he succeed? 
 
 Mr. Mattoon, U. S. Consul at Bangkok, wrote to me 
 under date September 15, 1856, as follows: 
 
 "There was an attempt made on the part of the French to 
 have everything secret, utterly refusing to discuss any ques- 
 tion in the presence of others than French and Siamese. The 
 attempt was perfectly futile in such a place [as] this, even 
 had there been any reasonable motive for secrecy. The 
 Treaty was on its way to Washington and London nearly, 
 or quite, as soon as to Paris." 
 
 487 He concluded a Treaty with Siam on July 8, 1856. It was on his nomi- 
 nation that Townsend Harris, on Sept. 23, 1859, was elected a member of 
 the Societe Imperiale Zoologique d'Acclimatation of Paris (L. & P., vol. 1, 
 no. 233). Mr. Mattoon's letter, from which Townsend Harris quotes in this 
 entry and which he had received only four days before (Oct. 20, 1857), is 
 L. & P., vol 1, no. 99. 
 
 404 
 
Wednesday, October 28, 1857. Moriama appeared 
 at my house this morning, having just returned from 
 Yedo. He brought a message from Dewa-no-Kami, re- 
 questing to meet me at the Goyoshi at noon to-day. 
 Moriama brought me a box containing files of the Singa- 
 pore Free Press, Illustrated London News, and Java 
 Bode, which were forwarded to me from Nagasaki on 
 the 14th of August by Mr. H. Donker Curtius by sea, 
 and had (of course) passed by Shimoda and been taken 
 to Yedo. Moriama informed [me] that it was true that 
 publications had been made concerning my visit, and 
 added that the Government had suppressed them, as 
 they contained so many mis-statements. On going to the 
 Goyoshi, Dewa-no-Kami showed me various ground 
 plans of the buildings where my audience was to take 
 place, and explained their views of the ceremonies to 
 be had, etc., etc. I accepted the whole program with 
 one exception. They proposed that, after my audience 
 was over and I had retired, I should return to the 
 Audience Chamber, not as the representative of the 
 President, but in my private capacity; that, instead of 
 proceeding to the place I formerly occupied, I should 
 stop at the place where I made my first bow; that the 
 Ziogoon would then address me, to which I was not to 
 reply, but simply bow and retire. 
 
 It struck me that there was some petty scheme of glori- 
 fying themselves at my expense in this proposition, and I 
 avoided it by saying that I could not divest myself of 
 my character of Plenipotentiary which had been con- 
 ferred on me by the President, and that, so long as the 
 
 405 
 
President pleased, I must maintain that character. They 
 were evidently chagrined at this and tried to persuade 
 me to alter my decision, assuring me that it was meant 
 as a personal honor to me, etc., etc. I replied that I was 
 gratified for the intention; and that, if the Ziogoon 
 wished to see me at a private audience, I would cheer- 
 fully attend him, .but that it must always be in my official 
 character. 
 
 To-day I am told that Ziogoon is not the proper ap- 
 pellation of their ruler, but that it is Tykoon. Ziogoon is 
 literally "Generalissimo," while Tykoon means "Great 
 Ruler." The genius of the people shines out in this. For 
 more than a year I have spoken and written Ziogoon 
 when referring to their ruler, and they never gave me 
 any explanation; but now, when I am on the eve of 
 starting for Yedo, they give me the real word. 
 
 My departure is fixed for Monday, November 23rd. 
 They proposed Friday, November 20th, but as that 
 would cause me to pass Sunday among the hills, I de- 
 clined it and fixed on Monday, which will cause me to 
 pass my Sunday at Kawasaki, a town about fifteen miles 
 from Yedo, on the banks of the river that brought up 
 Mr. Bittinger, Chaplain of the Susquehanna, when he 
 made his dash at Yedo in 1854/ 
 
 488 
 
 488 It was on Mar. 14, 1854, that Mr. Bittinger had been prompted by his 
 curiosity to see more of Japan and to walk beyond the usual four or five 
 miles permitted by the Japanese authorities to the men of Perry's squadron. 
 He had pushed on from Yokohama to Kanagawa, and then to Kamasaki (or, 
 Kawasaki), where he was overtaken by a messenger from Commodore Perry 
 ordering him back to his ship immediately. (Perry, Narrative, in 33-2, H. Ex. 
 Doc, no. 97, vol. 1, pp. 359-60.) On Oct. 28, 1857, Townsend Harris wrote 
 Dispatch No. 24 to Secretary Cass: L. B., vol. 3, pp. 5-6. 
 
 406 
 
Friday, October $0, 185J. To-day is the anniversary 
 of the first visit paid to me by the Governors of Shimoda ; 
 and, according to appointment, Dewa-no-Kami, or the 
 Prince of Dewa, visited me attended by one of the Vice- 
 Governors, the Mayor or Prefect of Kakizaki, the Com- 
 missary of Shimoda and his private secretary, besides 
 a large train of officers, guards, etc., etc., but the above 
 were all that were admitted into my private rooms. 
 After an hour of pleasant chat we sat down to a very 
 good dinner provided in our style, and they did full 
 honor to my cheer, both solids and fluids. 
 
 As soon as this was done, the dishes were removed and 
 I gave them a second one in Japanese style. Still they ate, 
 but nature has its limits; they did what they could, but 
 fell far short of their first performance. They left me at 
 five P. M., full of fun and good cheer. Their conduct at 
 table would have passed in any society of New York, 
 Paris or London. 
 
 An enormous umbrella has been added to the para- 
 phernalia of my tail for Yedo. 
 
 Saturday, October 31, 1857. I am truly grateful for 
 improved health. I begin to recover a little of my lost 
 flesh. 
 
 Weather report for the month : 
 
 Thermometer : highest, 79 ° ; lowest, 54 ; mean, 65. 8°. 
 Extreme daily range, 14 . Rain one day, showers six 
 days, cloudy two days, fine twenty-two days. Last year 
 October was: thermometer, highest, 77°; lowest, 51 ; 
 mean, 64.3 . Extreme daily range, 15 . Rain three days, 
 showers five, cloudy five days. Fine eighteen days. 
 
 407 
 
Monday, November 2, 1857 . Moriama gave me the 
 following as the prices at which copper and camphor 
 are sold to the Dutch at Nagasaki, with the mode of cal- 
 culating the money. The seni and ichibu are real coins, 
 the others are mere imaginary Chinese coins and are 
 only used in the accounts of the Dutch. 
 
 10 seni make i candereen; 10 candereen make i mas; 
 10 mas make i tael; 16 mas i ichibu, but in account 
 with the Dutch, the tael is reckoned n mas, and the 
 ichibu at i tael 5 mas. 
 
 Copper per picul in a/c , 8 ichibus & 50 seni 
 " " " silver, 4 " " 25 " 
 
 Camphor " " " a/c ,0 " " 600 " 
 " " " silver, o " " 300 " 
 
 It strikes me that there must be some misunderstand- 
 ing in the above. Either the picul is short weight, or the 
 price is erroneous. 
 
 Moriama says the copper costs the Government ten 
 kobangs per picul, — that is Macoto, day-nigh, or a 
 great [?] 
 
 Tuesday, November J, 1857. The poor despised 
 porgy of New York here becomes a capital boiling fish, 
 weighing frequently seven to ten pounds. The same char- 
 acter attends him in the South Pacific, in Australia, New 
 Zealand and other parts. He is called a "snapper," in 
 Australia. 
 
 Wednesday, November 4, 1857. A beautiful day. 
 Thermometer, 70 . Rode down towards Cape Idsu as 
 far as was possible on horseback, and over roads that 
 would startle any English steeplechaser. The country 
 
 408 
 
looks far more beautiful than it did at this time last 
 year, as the typhoon of September 22, 1856, destroyed 
 nearly all [the] vegetation. Rice crop is about one-third 
 harvested and looks very well. Buckwheat in full bloom. 
 
 Saturday, November 7, l8$7- I paid my bills to the 
 Goyoshi for my bills with them for four months, amount- 
 ing to 754 ichibus, or $260; but this covers a good deal 
 of carpenter's work and other extras. My bills with the 
 Japanese for supplies will be about $700 per annum. To 
 this add supplies from Hongkong, say $500, servants 
 $650, gives a total of $1,850 per annum, less $365 per 
 annum paid by Mr. Heusken as his share of household 
 expenses, — leaving my outlay about $1,500 per annum. 
 But, at the rate of exchange against the United States, 
 which varies from thirty to forty-five per cent., I can 
 remit to New York some $6,000 per annum as my sav- 
 ings out of a salary of $5,000! Besides, I have made a 
 little sum of about $2,500 by taking from the Japanese 
 foreign gold at the rate at which they took it, — i. e., 34^2 
 cents per dollar. This I send to Hongkong to be disposed 
 of by remittance to New York or for sale, as may be 
 most for my interest. 
 
 Wednesday, November 18, 1 8 57. I have got every- 
 thing packed up and ready for my journey to Yedo, 489 
 
 489 Among other things, Townsend Harris had prepared two letters of 
 Instructions which were to be used during his absence from Shimoda: one 
 addressed to any United States Naval Commander that should visit Shimoda 
 (L. B., vol. 2, pp. 86-89) ; the other to any merchant captain (ib., pp. 89-90). 
 He had, furthermore, issued a warrant to the Japanese authorities for the ar- 
 rest of any of his Chinese servants that might attempt to leave Shimoda while 
 he was away at Yedo (L. B., vol. 3. pp. 6-7, dated Nov. 3, 1857), and had, 
 in a covering letter to Dewa-no-Kami, provided for the comfort and security 
 of the American Consulate {ib., p. 7). 
 
 409 
 
which is to begin on Monday next, the 23rd. Visited 
 the Prince of Dewa at Nakamura to take leave of him 
 before my setting out, according to Japanese custom. 
 The Governor gave me a copy of a Treaty made with the 
 Dutch in January, 1856. It is only a recapitulation of 
 the substance of the Dutch Convention of November, 
 1855, except it withdraws the right of the Dutch to 
 lease the grounds and buy the buildings at Deshima. 490 
 Friday, November 20, 1857. Went to the Goyoshi 
 at the special request of the Governor, who gave me 
 copies of Additional Articles made with the Dutch, 
 October 16, 1857, and with the Russians on the 24th of 
 the same month. 491 The only points of importance in 
 these Articles are those contained in my Convention of 
 June 17th. A curious Article is inserted in the Dutch 
 papers, — viz., "The Dutch shall have the right to exer- 
 cise their own, or the Christian religion, in the build- 
 ings occupied by them at Deshima." It would appear 
 from this Article that the "Dutch religion" is not the 
 Christian religion. 492 
 
 490 See notes 387-391, inclusive, and 393. 
 
 491 For the Additional Articles to the Dutch Treaty, and for other material 
 connected with the ratifications that were exchanged on Oct. 16, 1857, see 
 Gubbins, The Progress of Japan, pp. 255-66. 
 
 For the Supplementary Treaty with Russia signed at Nagasaki, see ib., 
 pp. 239-45. The full text of this Supplementary Treaty, written in the Dutch 
 language, is to be found in L. & P., vol. 2, no. 70. Admiral C. E. Poutiatine, 
 who had negotiated the Russian Supplementary Treaty, sailed from Deshima 
 for Shanghai on Tuesday, Oct. 27, 1857 (L. & P., vol. 1, no. 74). On November 
 20th, Townsend Harris wrote Dispatch No. 25 to Secretary Cass, forwarding 
 copies of these Treaties and discussing their contents: L. B. t vol. 3, pp. 22-24. 
 
 492 Additional Articles, Art. XXXIII (Gubbins, op. cit., p. 262): "The 
 Netherlanders are at liberty to practise their own or the Christian religion 
 within their buildings and at the burying-places appointed for them." 
 
 It seems to us that the phrase "or the Christian religion," instead of being 
 (as Townsend Harris says) an alternative to the phrase "their own [religion]," 
 
 4IO 
 
Sunday, November 22, 1857. This morning I re- 
 ceived a package from Mr. J. H. Donker Curtius, Dutch 
 Commissioner at Nagasaki, in answer to my letter of 
 August 27th. He sends me copies of the Dutch and Rus- 
 sian negotiations of October last, and a copy of the Over- 
 land Mail of August 10th. All of which are very ac- 
 ceptable. 493 
 
 Monday, November 23, 1857. At eight this morn- 
 ing I start on my journey to Yedo. I went on horseback ; 
 the morning was very fine, and the idea of the im- 
 portance of my journey and the success that had 
 crowned my efforts to reach Yedo, gave me a fine flow 
 of spirits. The American Flag was borne before me, and 
 I felt an honest pride in displaying it in this hitherto 
 secluded country. 494 
 
 At Nakamura (about one mile from my house) I 
 joined the main cavalcade, and we started in the follow- 
 ing order. My avant courier was Keekoona, 495 a mili- 
 
 is in apposition to it and explains its meaning. We feel sure that the Dutch 
 so meant it. Indeed, in the postscript to a letter dated Deshima, Nov. 6, 1857 
 (L. & P., vol. 1, no. 76), Curtius says to Townsend Harris: "The Japanese 
 have agreed, too, to abolish the custom of trampling the cross of our Lord." 
 Occurring as it does in a letter which speaks of the recently concluded Addi- 
 tional Articles, this postscript sounds very much like a commentary on Art. 
 XXXIII, and we think it fair so to consider it. Townsend Harris received 
 Curtius's letter on Nov. 27, 1857, when he had reached Odawara on his jour- 
 ney to Yedo; but, in spite of this postscript, he had not changed his mind on 
 the meaning of the phrase in question by Jan. 25, 1858, q.v. 
 
 Before passing on, it should be emphasized that the words of Curtius 
 quoted above constitute the first authentic statement of the abolition of the 
 odious custom of trampling on the Cross — the Fumi-ye; and, further, that 
 this important statement appears in a brief postscript: Servus servorum Dei! 
 
 493 See letter by Curtius to Townsend Harris, Nov. 6, 1857: L. & P., vol. 1, 
 no. 76. 
 
 494 For the history and significance of this flag, see Appendix V. 
 495 The Japanese words in this entry should be written: Kikuna; Shi-ta-ni- 
 iro; Kago, Kabi-ya. (Griffis, Towns end Harris, ad he.) 
 
 411 
 
tary officer with a rank corresponding to captain. He 
 had his horse and norimon and the usual bearers and 
 attendants, but before him went three lads each bear- 
 ing a wand of bamboo with strips of paper attached to 
 the top; they cried out, alternately, Stanee-hiro, that 
 is, "Sit down," "Sit down." They kept some four hun- 
 dred yards in advance, and their cry sounded quite 
 musical. 
 
 Next to Keekoona came the American Flag guarded 
 by two of my guards. Then I came on horseback with 
 six guards, next my norimon with its twelve bearers and 
 their headman; bearers of my shoes, etc., etc. Then Mr. 
 Heusken on horseback with two guards, then his nori- 
 mon, bearers, etc., etc. Next followed a long retinue 
 bearing packages containing my bedding, chairs, food, 
 trunks, and packages containing presents; my cook, and 
 his following. The Vice-Governor of Shimoda fol- 
 lowed, with his train, then the Mayor of Kakizaki, and 
 lastly the private secretary of the Governor of Shimoda. 
 A Dutch interpreter was carried in a cango in Mr. 
 Heusken's rear. The whole train numbered some three 
 hundred and fifty persons. 
 
 All the bearers of luggage, etc., etc., were changed 
 every two ri, or about five miles, and I was glad to see 
 that these men were all paid for their labor. 
 
 My "standard bearer" was clothed in a long kabyya, 
 or gown made of brown and white calico, of a particular 
 pattern, and open at the sides like a herald's coat, from 
 the hip downward. 
 
 My guards were clothed in silk dresses, and had the 
 
 412 
 
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 50 
 
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 UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS 
 
arms of the United States on the right and left breast 
 of their upper garment; each man wore two swords. 
 The norimon of Japan appears to have been made after 
 the model of the iron cages said to have been invented 
 by Cardinal Balue, in the reign of Louis XI of France. 
 They are so low that you cannot stand upright in them, 
 and so short that you cannot lie down at full length. To 
 one who has not been accustomed to sit with his legs 
 folded under him, and the whole weight of his body 
 pressing on his heels, the posture is more painful than 
 can be easily imagined. I previously had a norimon 
 made for me, which was six and a half feet long (like the 
 palanquin of India) , which enabled me to avoid the tor- 
 ture of the Japanese norimon. 
 
 The packages containing my bedding, clothing, etc., 
 were covered with black cotton cloth with the arms of 
 the United States neatly put on them. The other pack- 
 ages were neatly put up and had a little pennon with the 
 United States arms flying from a short bamboo, which 
 was placed upright on each package. 
 
 My norimon bearers were dressed in dark blue, with 
 the arms of the United States on the back. These were 
 picked men (twelve for me and eight for Mr. Heusken) , 
 and very tall for Japanese. My men wore a peculiar 
 ornament, which is prohibited to any below the bearers 
 of princes. It is made of cotton cloth, gummed very 
 stiffly and folded back and forth in folds about three 
 inches wide. It is about thirty inches long, and has one 
 end stuck in the girdle at an angle below the right 
 shoulder, with the upper end projecting a little beyond 
 
 4i3 
 
the right side of the body. Across the upper end two 
 white stripes run diagonally across all the folds. 
 
 The motion of the body causes the folds to open and 
 close, something like the action of a fan, and is con- 
 sidered as being very beautiful by the Japanese. My 
 route to-day was only fifteen miles; it continued along 
 the river of Shimoda, the ground gradually rising and 
 the river diminishing to a mere thread of water, until we 
 crossed a hill some four hundred feet high which sepa- 
 rates the watershed of Shimoda from the Valley of 
 Nasimoto. 496 Our midday halt was at Mitskoesi. 497 The 
 last part of the ride gave us the sight of some noble 
 cypress and camphor trees, — one of the latter was of 
 enormous bulk, and the Japanese said it was many hun- 
 dred years old. Nasimoto is a small village of about one 
 hundred houses, very prettily situated. My quarters for 
 the night were in a temple which commanded a most 
 beautiful view of the hills and valley, and of the village 
 which lay some one hundred and fifty feet abruptly be- 
 low us. 
 
 I have remarked that throughout the Catholic and 
 Pagan world, the most picturesque positions are always 
 selected for churches and temples. I found that much 
 attention had been paid to the path (for it cannot be 
 called a road) over which I passed to-day. Bridges had 
 been built over every stream, the pathway mended, and 
 all the bushes cut away so as to leave the path clear. At 
 the temple I found that a bathroom and water closet had 
 
 496 Nashimoto. 
 
 497 Mitsukuri (Griffis, Townsend Harris, p. 185). 
 
 414 
 
been built for my special use, and every attention paid 
 to my comfort. 
 
 Tuesday, November 24, 1857. Started at eight A. M. 
 Our route to-day was over the mountain Amagi, which is 
 some 3,500 feet above the level of the sea. The path was 
 very difficult, — so much so that I was compelled to leave 
 my horse and enter my norimon; and it was no easy mat- 
 ter to carry that, even with eight men bearing it, as the 
 road was sometimes at an angle of 35 , while the zigzags 
 were some of them not so long as the pole or beam of 
 my norimon, which is twenty-two feet long. Amagi is 
 clothed with noble trees, consisting of cypress, pine, 
 camphor and others of the laurel family, besides many 
 of whose names I am ignorant. The orchidea were 
 numerous, and offer a rich harvest to the experienced 
 botanist. We halted on the top of Amagi, whence we 
 had a fine view of Shimoda, Oho Sima and its volcano, 
 with the Bay of Suruga, the Gulf of Yedo, etc., etc. The 
 descent is not quite so abrupt as the ascent was, and 
 about two-thirds of the way down I mounted my horse 
 once more. As I descended, the valley opened and gave 
 some beautiful views; on the south side of Amagi I saw 
 a very pretty cascade. 
 
 Passing through a village, I saw some camellias which 
 were already in full bloom, both white and red, but the 
 flowers were all single. 
 
 Passing through the village of Yugasima 498 to go to 
 my quarters at a temple, I turned to the right from the 
 
 498Yugashiraa. 
 
 41s 
 
road and in a few moments I had my first view of the 
 Mountain Fusi Yama. 499 
 
 It is grand beyond description ; viewed from this place 
 the mountain is entirely isolated and appears to shoot 
 up in a perfect and glorious cone, some ten thousand feet 
 high; while its actual height is exaggerated by the ab- 
 sence of any neighboring hills by which to contrast its 
 altitude. It was covered with snow, and in the bright 
 sun (about four P. M.) it appeared like frosted silver. In 
 its majestic solitude it appeared even more striking to me 
 than the celebrated Dwhalgiri of the Himalayas, which 
 I saw in January, 1855. 1 found the temple at Yugasima 
 prepared for me in the same manner as that at Nasimoto. 
 
 Wednesday, November 2$, 1857. Left Yugasima at 
 eight A. M. and, as our road lay over a plain, I mounted 
 on horseback. 
 
 As I proceeded the plain widened, until in many 
 places it was three miles across it. The scene was very 
 pleasing. The plain was covered with a heavy crop of 
 rice, of which the harvest had just commenced; and it 
 reminded me of the golden wheat fields of old Ontario. 
 The houses of the people, the mode of cultivation, the 
 dress of the people, and all minor particulars were ex- 
 actly like Shimoda. We halted at noon at a hamlet called 
 Ogiso; 500 and when I mounted my horse I pushed 
 on in company with Keekoona and Mr. Heusken more 
 rapidly than my attendants could do. This brought me to 
 
 499 Fujiyama. 
 500 Ohito. 
 
 416 
 
the town of Missima 501 at three P. M. This town is on the 
 Tokido,™ 2 or great road of Japan, and is the route trav- 
 elled by the Dutch when they go to Yedo. I may here 
 remark that the Dutch have not been to Yedo for the last 
 ten years, their tribute having been delivered at Naga- 
 saki to the Japanese. The Dutch thus avoided the great 
 expense of the journey; but this has not relieved them 
 from the presents they made on the occasion of those 
 visits, as they are regularly demanded and given at 
 Nagasaki. 
 
 Missima contains about nine hundred houses, and the 
 description of it by Kaempfer in 1696, after making due 
 allowance for high coloring, will apply to it now. It had 
 a fine temple situated in a fine square and surrounded 
 by noble trees, but it was totally destroyed by the great 
 earthquake of December, 1855. I went to see its ruins; 
 and, in my walk, I was surprised at the numbers of the 
 people, which were apparently far more numerous than 
 the whole population of the place. On asking for an 
 explanation, I was told that the time of my arrival was 
 known many days ago, and that all those who could pro- 
 cure permission had come to Missima to see me; that 
 some had come more than one hundred miles. The people 
 were perfectly well behaved, no crowding on me, no 
 shouting or noise of any kind. As I passed, all knelt and 
 cast their eyes down (as though they were not worthy 
 even to look at me) . Only those of a certain rank were 
 
 501 Mishima. 
 5( > 2 Tokaido. 
 
 417 
 
allowed to salute me, which was done by "knocking 
 head" or bringing the forehead actually to the ground. 
 In the temple grounds are some fine tanks swarming 
 with fish. A small pagoda of three stories was so much 
 shaken by the earthquake that it totters to its fall. Even 
 the bridges leading over the small canals of the temple 
 grounds, with the stone wall which surrounded the en- 
 closure, have all been overturned. 
 
 My rest place to-night was at a honjin, or rest house 
 for persons of the highest rank, such as the princes, 
 etc. Even the Vice-Governor of Shimoda could not 
 stop here. There are two or three classes of houses of 
 entertainment for persons of rank and government of- 
 ficers, and these are distinct from the public hotels, which 
 are also of various grades, but all are open to those who 
 have money to pay the higher prices. I found myself very 
 comfortable. In the rear was a garden, with dwarf trees, 
 miniature mountains and other rock work; diminutive 
 ponds with bridges over which nothing grosser than a 
 fairy could walk, etc., etc. 
 
 In criticizing Kaempfer's description I must bear in 
 mind the difference there is in the standards of splendor, 
 etc., as they existed in 1 696 and in 1 857. What was splen- 
 dor when he left Holland about 1685 would not be en- 
 titled to any adjective of praise in 1857. 
 
 So, when he speaks of stately castles, noble palaces, 
 and magnificent temples, we should remember what 
 class of buildings elicited those terms of praise one hun- 
 dred and seventy years ago. I have had Fusi Yama in 
 view all day, but alas! like many other things in this 
 
 418 
 
world, the nearer approach does not add to its beauty 
 or grandeur. 
 
 It is now connected with a range of hills, one of 
 which, Hakone, is some forty-five hundred feet high, 
 which takes away the air of solitary majesty which the 
 view from Yugasima has. " 'Tis distance lends enchant- 
 ment to the view." To-morrow I have to cross over the 
 mountain Hakone, 503 and, as the road is very bad for 
 horses, I shall proceed in my norimon. Dignity (even if 
 health permitted) forbids my going on foot, which I 
 should prefer to riding in my norimon. 
 
 Thursday, November 26, 185J. As our march to- 
 day is a weary one, I start at half-past seven. I stop in 
 the suburbs to visit a temple. It is approached by a 
 noble flight of eighty-five stone steps. There was nothing 
 to mark the difference between this and a Chinese Bud- 
 dhist Temple except that the Japanese affair was less 
 gaudy and much cleaner than its Chinese fellow.We were 
 now on the great road of Japan ; it is from thirty to forty 
 feet wide and is bordered by very noble cypress, pine, fir 
 and camphor trees. Many of the cypresses are of extraor- 
 dinary size. The typhoon of September 22, 1856 (see my 
 Journal of that date) 504 made sad ravages among these 
 fine trees. I found marks of its effects almost every hun- 
 dred yards. We soon began to ascend the spurs of 
 Hakone. The road up the mountain is paved with flat 
 stones ; and, from the total absence of wheel carriages, or 
 
 503 Not to be confused with Hikone. 
 
 504 The reference to this typhoon actually occurs in the entry for Sept. 23, 
 1856; cf. note 300. 
 
 419 
 
of horses that are shod with iron, the stones are quite 
 polished and so slippery that it is dangerous riding a 
 horse over them. The ascent is bad, but not so vile as 
 that over Mount Amagi. Near the top of the mountain I 
 was taken to a temple built by Yeyas, 505 the founder of 
 the present dynasty of Tykoons. From the top of Ha- 
 kone we had a fine view of the City and Bay of Suruga. 
 Fusiyama was quite near, and altogether a different 
 affair from the glorious view at Yugasima. A short dis- 
 tance on the north side of Hakone, and about one mile 
 from the top, stands the village of that name. Here is the 
 celebrated pass into the Yedo district, and a rigid search 
 is made of every norimon, and each person is examined 
 as to his passport. 
 
 Here the Vice-Governor of Shimoda, after a vast 
 deal of circumlocution, informed me that, when the 
 great Princes of the Empire passed here, the door of the 
 norimon was opened and an officer looked into it, with- 
 out stopping the bearers; that it was a mere ceremony, 
 but the ancient laws required it, etc., etc. 
 
 I replied that, as I was not a Japanese subject, and 
 being as I was the diplomatic representative of the 
 United States, I was free from any such search; that 
 they knew what was in my norimon, and could inform 
 the officers at the pass that there was nothing forbidden 
 in it. The Vice-Governor tried for some time to change 
 my determination, and at last proposed that I should 
 ride through on horseback, and then permit the search 
 of the empty norimon, I decidedly declined this, telling 
 
 505 Iyeyasu Tokugawa. 
 
 420 
 
him that it was the search under any form that I ob- 
 jected to. He then said that we must stop until he could 
 send to Yedo for instructions, which would only take 
 five days. I told him I should not wait five days nor 
 five hours; that if the search was insisted on I should 
 at once return to Shimoda. The poor Vice-Governor 
 was in great tribulation and finally went to the guard 
 house, and after a delay of two hours returned with word 
 that it was all settled and that I should pass unmolested. 
 The honjin where I stopped was on the bank of a pretty 
 lake about two miles long, but it is notorious for its 
 insalubrity. The water here is very bad, and the cold 
 winds that rush down the sides of Fusi Yama are well 
 calculated to produce sickness. Directly north of the 
 "Gate of the Pass" is a temple which contains in its 
 court some noble and colossal copper figures of Buddh. 
 About two thirds of the way down the mountain I 
 stopped at a perfect little bijou of a "rest house.'* 
 Everything was in miniature. The house was new and 
 nothing could exceed its cleanliness. A miniature gar- 
 den adorned the rear, and from a wall of rocks some 
 tiny cascades tumbled down like threads of silver, with a 
 pleasing murmur. The trees were dwarfed into the 
 smallest of possible sizes and into the queerest of forms. 
 Some tiny canals were filled with water of crystal clear- 
 ness, and the bottoms were paved with white pebbles. In 
 these canals some enormous gold and silver fish were 
 swimming. One of them was more than two feet long. A 
 carp of some thirty inches long was the patriarch of 
 this finny family. A number of small tortoise (the Jap- 
 
 421 
 
anese emblem of longevity) lazily crawled on some tiny 
 rock work and over bridges of some eighteen inches' 
 span. 
 
 Among other refreshments served to me were living 
 fish and tea leaves made up with sugar as bonbons. The 
 sweetmeats were in great variety and of excellent 
 quality. Owing to the loss of time I did not reach 
 Odowara 506 until long after dark, but I was not sorry 
 for the delay, as the effect of my train with an immense 
 number of flambeaux made from bamboos presented 
 a curious and novel appearance, as it wound and turned 
 in the descents of the mountain, making a figure like 
 the tail of an imaginary fiery dragon. Beyond the walls 
 of the town I was met by the officials, with an army of 
 lanterns of all imaginable sizes, shapes and colors, all 
 decorated with the arms of the owner. For nearly a mile 
 before reaching the place I heard occasionally a hearty 
 booming sound, the cause of which I could not divine. 
 After reaching my resting place, these sounds increased 
 in frequency and were now attended with a sensible jar 
 which caused the sliding doors and windows to rattle 
 sharply. I was told it was the surf breaking on the beach, 
 and such I found it to be afterwards. The Gulf of Yedo 
 is bifurcated by Cape Sagami, and the Bay of Odowara 
 extends westerly and northerly, while the Gulf con- 
 tinues its course nearly north by east.The ground swell of 
 the Pacific Ocean rolls in full majesty up the Bay of 
 Odowara and breaks heavily on its beach. It was so late 
 when I arrived that I could not see much of the town. I 
 
 506 Odawara. 
 
 422 
 
was told it contains 700 houses, while Kaempfer gave it 
 1,000 in 1696. If his account was correct, the town has 
 lost three-tenths of its houses during the last 160 years. I 
 should here remark that the principality of Idsu ends 
 at Missima. Idsu, in which Shimoda is situated, is one of 
 the poorest provinces of the Empire. It is so mountain- 
 ous that only a very small portion of it can be culti- 
 vated, and it has no resources to support any large 
 population. It has no town of 10,000 inhabitants, and 
 the mountain Amagi cuts off the rest of the world from 
 it, except by a painful and troublesome journey over it. 
 The Japanese showed their astuteness in getting Com- 
 modore Perry to accept Shimoda for the Americans, as 
 they were completely isolated by land, and they could 
 easily keep away any undue number of Japanese craft. 
 In fact, since I have been at Shimoda, I have never seen 
 1 50 vessels at one time in that harbor, while the Japanese 
 assured me that a short time before my arrival it was 
 not unusual to see 300 to 400 at a time, and that, during 
 a gale of some days, 700 vessels had been there at one 
 time. 
 
 Friday, November 2J, 1857. Left Odowara at half- 
 past eight, and at noon halted at Ohiso. 507 We were fer- 
 ried over the river Banyugawa, 508 which is now some 200 
 yards wide, but in the rains of May and June it is over 
 one mile wide. The land on either side is a mere bed of 
 sand, and the river is filled with quicksands. These sands 
 [and] the great width of the river during the floods, 
 
 507 Oiso. 
 
 508 Banriugawa (Griffis, Townsend Harris, p. 193), 
 
 423 
 
joined to the very low banks, render the bridging of the 
 stream very difficult. This river with the broad sands 
 and low banks reminded me of the River Sone 509 in 
 India. Reached Fusisawa 510 at six P. M. From Odowara 
 to Fusisawa it is almost one continuous village, as the 
 hamlets are only separated a few hundred yards from 
 each other. Kaempfer speaks of the crowds of travellers, 
 priests, pilgrims, nuns and beggars which thronged the 
 Tokido when he was in Japan. Nothing of the kind was 
 seen by me. I have not as yet seen a dozen travellers on 
 the road, nor met any of the great trains that attend the 
 princes when they travel. In the towns and villages the 
 shops are all closed except the cookshops. The people 
 are collected in large numbers in front of their houses 
 and are silent and motionless as I pass. The authorities 
 of each village conduct me to the bounds of their village, 
 where they are relieved by those of the next. They salute 
 me on leaving by a prostration, which is also made by 
 my new conductors. The road has not only been repaired 
 and put in order for my reception, but it is actually 
 swept only a few hours before I pass over it. 511 The 
 
 sosSon. 
 
 510 Fujisawa. 
 
 511 Happily, we know to-day far more than Townsend Harris himself could 
 know of the careful preparations made by the Japanese to do him honor on 
 his journey to Yedo. The series of Japanese documents containing the necessary 
 instructions was entitled: "Visit of the American Ambassador to the Castle of 
 Yedo in the loth month of the 4th year of Ansei (1857)." 
 
 The original Japanese version of these documents was obtained by the 
 American Dr. David Murray (who was then serving Japan as educational 
 adviser) from the successor of Hotta, Bitchiu-no-Kami. Lord Hotta, in 1857, 
 had been Chief of the Great Council, or Gorogio. Dr. Murray presented the 
 documents to Mr. D. W. Stevens, Secretary of the U. S. Legation, who caused 
 them to be translated into English by Mr. Thompson, interpreter of the Lega- 
 
 424 
 
crossroads and paths leading to the Tokido are closed 
 by ropes stretched across them. At the entrance of each 
 village small cones formed of earth are erected, each 
 having a small green sprig in the top of it. This is in 
 honor of me. It reminds me of the "Shiva Lingas" of 
 India. 512 
 
 All the people I see are clad in their holiday costume, 
 but, as noted at Missima, it is only those of rank that 
 salute me. All below that rank kneel and avert their eyes 
 from me. At each place where I halt, the front of the 
 house is decorated with long cloths festooned over the 
 gates and doors and with the Imperial colors, — i. e., 
 
 tion. In the letter forwarding the translations to the Hon. William M. Evarts, 
 Secretary of State, and dated Mar. 25, 1879, Mr. Stevens says: 
 
 "It is understood that the literary executors of Mr. Harris are engaged 
 in collecting material for his biography. I have no doubt that they would 
 find facts worthy of notice in this account of his first visit to Yedo." 
 
 The account referred to is given in 46-2, H. Ex. Doc, no. 1, pt. 1, pp. 621-36, 
 in Serial no. 1902. To give an idea of how thoroughly everything was antici- 
 pated, we shall outline some of the documents reported: 
 
 1) Notification to Honda, Mino-no-Kami, that the Shogun will grant an 
 audience to Townsend Harris at an early date. 
 
 2) Appointment of six Commissioners to take charge of Townsend Harris's 
 journey to Yedo, directing them to make all the necessary preparations. 
 
 3) A special notification to the officials in charge, emphasizing the fact 
 that, inasmuch as Townsend Harris's visit will be the first, it will 
 necessarily serve as a precedent, and hence the need of special care! 
 
 4) Notices to the Ometsukes regarding the care of the roads, houses, and 
 people; and to the inspectors of roads. 
 
 5) A careful plan of the route to be followed on arriving at Yedo; on en- 
 tering the Shogun's Castle ; on going to the house of Lord Hotta. 
 
 6) A notice to the overseer of the Buddhist and Shinto Temples in Yedo, 
 to be ready to provide new quarters in case anything (presumably fire) 
 should happen to Townsend Harris's abode. 
 
 7) A notice to Inouye, Shinano-no-Kami, ordering him to Shimoda to con- 
 sult with Governor Nakamura, Dewa-no-Kami, relative to the ap- 
 proaching visit to Yedo. 
 
 8) A notice from Lord Hotta to Lord Honda, asking him to notify Yedo 
 when Townsend Harris was ready to leave Shimoda. 
 
 5X2 Linga, a Sanskrit word for the phallic symbol, which represents one of 
 the aspects under which the god Siva is worshipped in India. 
 
 42s 
 
black and white stripes; and a stake is always found 
 placed to which my flagstaff can be attached. As I 
 mounted my horse after being ferried over the Banyu- 
 gawa, my vicious brute of a horse both bit and kicked me. 
 The little finger of my left hand was very painful and I 
 ordered some leeches to be applied. The doctor ap- 
 proached with great trepidation, while large drops of 
 perspiration stood on his forehead. I asked what ailed 
 him; he said that he had never approached any person 
 of such exalted rank before, and he was terrified at the 
 idea of drawing blood from me. He was told to forget all 
 about rank, and to apply his remedy as quickly as pos- 
 sible. The leeches are very small and of course not very 
 efficient. Excellent leeches are found in every part of the 
 tropical East. A tank like those of Pulo Penang would 
 be a pretty fortune to a man if he had it in New York. 
 I have known the bites of those leeches to bleed for 
 twenty-four hours. The doctors of Japan are of two 
 classes : the one following the European mode so far as 
 they understand it; the other continues the old Chinese 
 practice. Their medicines are generally of a simple 
 kind. No violent chemicals are used, and calomel is un- 
 known. Rhubarb and gentian are their chief internal 
 remedies, while the moxa or cautery with scarification, 
 is applied externally in local inflammations, rheuma- 
 tism, etc. Tropical bleeding by leeching and cupping is 
 also used. Vaccine matter was introduced by the Dutch 
 a few years ago. I was informed that about one-tenth 
 of the population have been vaccinated. They do not 
 inoculate the smallpox. Still the ignorance of the Jap- 
 
 426 
 
anese of the true mode of treating the diseases of chil- 
 dren in particular is shown in the frightful statement 
 made to me by the Prince of Shinano, that out of ioo 
 children born no more than 30 reach the age of twenty 
 years. My surgeon, having finished his labor, retired a 
 proud and happy man; happy that he had pleased me, 
 and proud that he had been called on to attend a person 
 occupying my position. 513 
 
 Saturday, November 28, 1 8 57. Left Fusisawa at 
 seven A. M. The road is very pleasant, as the plain gradu- 
 ally widens as we approach Yedo. The Tokido from 
 Odowara runs quite near the shore, except where it 
 crosses the Peninsula of Sagami. See many marks of the 
 typhoon of September, 1856, along the road. Fusi Yama 
 begins to improve in appearance as we recede from it. 
 The villages are larger and more closely connected than 
 on yesterday's route. The people, all in holiday costume, 
 are kneeling on mats in front of their houses, as I pass. 
 
 At noon stop at Kanagawa, at a pretty konjin placed 
 at the water side. This is an interesting spot to me as 
 it was the scene of Commodore Perry's negotiations. 
 From my house I look across the bay to Yokohama, the 
 place where his fleet was anchored. I was much sur- 
 prised by the sight of three ships of European build and 
 rig, which with two schooners were lying about mid- 
 way between Kanagawa and Yokohama. 
 
 513 The Western, or Dutch, learning found its way gradually into Japan 
 through the small Dutch window at Deshima. A splendid picture of this 
 scientific infiltration in the fields of mathematics, geography, medicine, etc., 
 is presented in Osada's Life of Takano Nagahide, translated and edited with 
 an introduction by D. C. Greene, D.D., in Transactions of The Asiatic Society 
 of Japan, vol. XLI, part III, Aug., 1913, pp. 379-492. 
 
 427 
 
These ships have been purchased from the Dutch by 
 the Japanese, as the beginning of a navy. To the north- 
 east from Kanagawa I saw the steamer which the Dutch 
 presented to the Japanese. 5133 Kanagawa has the air of a 
 flourishing town and has much increased since Kaempf er 
 described it. It is the nearest harbor to Yedo, and must 
 become a place of great importance whenever Yedo shall 
 be opened to foreign commerce. I left Kanagawa with 
 regret and pursued my road to Kawasaki, where I shall 
 pass Sunday. Ever since I have been in this country I 
 have refused to transact any business on that day or even 
 to receive a message from the Japanese. 
 
 They now fully understand my motives, and they re- 
 spect me for them. The village authorities are now 
 preceded by a body of policemen, each bearing an iron 
 rod some half an inch thick and six feet long. Four or 
 five iron rings are attached by eyes to the top of the rod, 
 which make a loud jingling noise as the foot of the rod is 
 struck on the ground by the policeman at each two or 
 three steps. They alternate the time of striking the rod 
 on the ground by a regular measure, and this, with the 
 different tones of the rings, makes a species of music. 
 The number of people seen increases. They are all fat, 
 well clad and happy looking, but there is an equal ab- 
 sence of any appearance of wealth or of poverty, — a 
 state of things that may perhaps constitute the real hap- 
 
 518a This was the steam paddle-wheel corvette of six guns, the Soembing, 
 presented to the Bakufu by the King of The Netherlands in 1855, and renamed 
 the Kanho. She was possibly the first ship to hoist the Hinomaru — the Red Sun 
 on a white ground — which was at this time adopted as the national flag 
 (Murdoch, A History of Japan, vol. 3, p. 616 and note 1). 
 
 428 
 
piness of a people. I sometimes doubt whether the open- 
 ing of Japan to foreign influences will promote the gen- 
 eral happiness of this people. It is more like the golden 
 age of simplicity and honesty than I have ever seen in 
 any other country. 
 
 Security for person and property, universal frugality 
 and contentment seem to be the apparent condition of 
 Japan at present. Reached Kawasaki at half-past four 
 P. M. The honjin prepared for my reception I found to 
 be in a sadly dilapidated condition. Doors and windows 
 would not close, the paper in many places broken, so 
 that the wind played freely through the rooms, while an 
 air of dirty slovenliness reigned over the whole. This 
 was the first instance of a dirty house I had ever seen in 
 Japan, and it struck me all the more forcibly as I was to 
 pass Sunday here; the condition of the house became a 
 serious matter, and I soon determined to have better 
 lodgings if they could be found in the place, as the idea 
 of lodging in a honjin would not protect me from the 
 actual discomfort of the place; so, after much grave 
 remonstrance on the part of the Vice-Governor, Mr. 
 Heusken sallied out to look at the hotels of the place. 
 He soon returned with word that he had found a house 
 pleasantly situated and that it was neat, clean and com- 
 fortable. I decided at once to accept it. The Vice-Gov- 
 ernor implored me not to think of going to a tavern, but, 
 rather than I should do so, he would give up his quar- 
 ters and go to the tavern himself. I told him I could not 
 think of disturbing him; and, as to my dignity, that was 
 my affair, and I would take good care of it. So to the 
 
 429 
 
hotel Mannenya, or "the felicity of ten thousand years," 
 I went, and a very good change it was, for I had a bright, 
 clean and comfortable house in place of the dark, dirty 
 and uncomfortable honjin. Among other reasons ad- 
 vanced by the Governor why I ought not to go to the 
 Mannenya was the very grave fact that at all the honjins 
 the floor of the room occupied by me was raised some 
 three inches higher than the other rooms; that to place 
 me on a floor of the same level as the others was to 
 derogate from the respect due to me; that the most 
 positive orders had been issued by the Tykoon that I 
 should receive all the marks of honor in my journey that 
 were bestowed on persons of the most exalted rank in 
 Japan, and for that reason I had always been lodged in 
 honjins on a raised floor which was covered with mats 
 of the finest quality, and bordered with a binding of a 
 particular pattern, etc., etc. I answered him that what 
 he said was no doubt very true and very proper, but he 
 had forgotten that I sat on chairs that raised me much 
 higher than even the favored floor of the honjin, and 
 that, as to the "mats and binding," my being a foreigner 
 would allow me to dispense with those considerations 
 while I was at Kawasaki, and so that matter ended after 
 consuming nearly three hours. 
 
 My cook served me up some very delicate teal and 
 delicious quail for my dinner. I had this man (who 
 is a Japanese cook) instructed in the Western manner of 
 cooking for some five weeks before I left Shimoda. His 
 cookery is inferior to Delmonico's, but much more to my 
 taste than the Japanese cuisine. 
 
 43o 
 
I pay for my food and lodgings (and for the hire of 
 my guards and bearers, grooms, etc., etc.) while on my 
 journey. 
 
 The Government furnishes all the coolies that are em- 
 ployed to transport my luggage, etc., etc. 
 
 I am informed that on my arrival at Yedo I am to be 
 considered as the guest of the Tykoon, and that my lodg- 
 ings and table will be furnished by him. This Kawasaki 
 is the place that "brought up" Chaplain Bittinger, the 
 Chaplain of the U. S. Steamer Susquehanna, when he 
 made his dash to see Yedo, as the Japanese refused to 
 ferry him over the River Logo, which runs on the north 
 side of the town. 514 
 
 The Japanese say that the reverend gentleman made 
 all sorts of efforts to cross the river, and finally drew his 
 sword, which he was flourishing with considerable en- 
 ergy, when Commodore Perry's positive order to him 
 to rejoin his ship immediately reached him. The Jap- 
 anese slyly added that they presumed he only flourished 
 his sword "for amusement." It is rather a novel thing 
 for an American clergyman to resort to his "carnal 
 weapon" instead of relying on the "sword of the spirit." 
 
 The policemen are dressed in a uniform; the back 
 and breast of the jacket is frequently red, sometimes 
 blue, but in all cases it is covered with characters which 
 look vastly like the cabalistic signs which used to 
 decorate the robe of the astrologer. The Fire Depart- 
 ment is an important one in Japan, and each village has 
 one or more stations for their engines. These might be 
 
 514 See note 488. 
 
 431 
 
better named a good sized squirt. They are made entirely 
 of bamboo and wood, and by means of arms projecting 
 beyond the ends of the machine, they are carried by two 
 men on a brisk trot to the place of conflagration. 515 
 
 Sunday, November 2Q, 1857. The first Sunday in 
 Advent. I read the whole service for this day with Mr. 
 Heusken as my clerk and congregation. I experienced 
 some peculiar feelings on this occasion. It was beyond 
 doubt the first time that ever a Christian service on the 
 Sabbath was read audibly in this place, which is only 
 thirteen miles from Yedo, and this, too, while the law 
 punishing such an act with death is still in force! 516 
 
 My rooms look out on a pretty garden filled with the 
 usual miniature pieces of water, tiny bridges, and rock 
 work with the invariable dwarfed trees. I occupy a 
 
 515 It has several times been told to the writer that Townsend Harris in 
 his younger days belonged to the New York City Fire Department, which, as 
 everyone knows, was chiefly composed of volunteer organizations in the 
 early 'forties. No proof of this fact has yet come to our notice. If it be true, 
 then this and other entries of his Journal (e. g., Nov. 29, 1857) ta ^ e on a more 
 sympathetic coloring. 
 
 816 The earliest of these dreaded and oft-repeated edicts on the subject of 
 Christianity in Japan was aimed against the Portuguese, Shogun Iyemitsu 
 saying in June, 1636: "The whole race of the Portuguese, with their mothers, 
 nurses and whatever belongs to them, shall be banished to Macao" (Lewis and 
 Murakami, Ranald MacDonald, p. 127, note 137; Hildreth, Japan, p. 192, 
 citing Kaempfer). 
 
 The decree of death instead of expulsion seems to have been issued in 1639. 
 And when, in defiance thereof, a Portuguese ship from Macao arrived at 
 Nagasaki in 1640, the entire crew (with the exception of thirteen) was killed. 
 The survivors returned to Macao with the following written message: 
 
 "So long as the sun warms the earth, any Christian bold enough to come 
 to Japan, even if he be King Philip himself, or the God of the Christians, 
 shall pay for it with his head." 
 
 See Robert P. Porter, Japan, The Rise of a Modern Power, The Clarendon 
 Press, 1918, p. 77; compare Captain Sir Edward Belcher, Narrative of the 
 Voyage of H.M.S. Samarang, etc., p. 42; and Kenneth Saunders, Foreign Mis- 
 sions in Japan, in Japan for Aug., 1923, p. 22. 
 
 432 
 
pavilion detached from the main house, and it is only 
 occupied by me and my immediate attendants. 
 
 Kaempfer and all other writers on Japan state that 
 their rooms were invariably in the rear of the house, 
 and they all add their belief that this was done merely to 
 prevent their seeing anything of the people, etc. Had 
 these writers better understood Japanese customs they 
 would have drawn very different conclusions from the 
 same facts. 
 
 The Japanese houses of the best class are all built 
 entre cour et jardin, as the French say. The buildings 
 fronting on the street are used as offices and for the 
 servants. A large gateway opens in the center of these 
 buildings, and discloses a court of greater or less ex- 
 tent, according to the size of the house. 
 
 It is some fifteen to forty yards from the gate to the 
 door of the real residence of the occupant, and the most 
 honorable rooms are in the rear, where they open into 
 or overlook the garden. Now, in Japan the higher the 
 rank the greater is the seclusion in which the individual 
 lives. This is a great and fundamental principle with 
 them, and it therefore follows that they would of course 
 occupy the most secluded rooms of the house, for that 
 follows as a necessity from the principle. 
 
 I now learn, beyond doubt, that the solitude of the 
 great road is caused by positive orders issued by the 
 Government, prohibiting any travel over the road dur- 
 ing my journey; and, as my route for each day was fixed 
 some time before, they could make their arrangements, 
 and by my punctuality the stoppage of traffic was only 
 
 433 
 
for one day on each day's route. 517 In the afternoon I 
 went out for a little exercise, and visited a very noble 
 temple situated about one and one-quarter miles from 
 the Tokido, towards the bay. The roof is of copper (the 
 first I have seen in Japan). There is some little gild- 
 ing on the ends of the rafters and beams which project 
 some eight feet beyond the walls and form a pent house 
 on every side. (This is also the manner of building the 
 roof for all kinds of edifices.) 
 
 In the temple were a multitude of lanterns, some 
 of which were fully ten feet in diameter, and all were 
 prettily decorated with Chinese and Japanese characters 
 in various [colors]. I found some very good castings 
 of copper, among the rest a shrine in the vestibule of the 
 temple showed much merit. It was supported by figures 
 of demons, the varied expression of whose faces was 
 capital. On the outside of the shrine the zodiacal signs 
 (Japanese) were well done in bas-relief. The altar shone 
 resplendently with an infinite number of objects all 
 in fine brass and as bright as gold. I was told they 
 were a present from the late Tykoon. 518 The High Priest 
 was clad in purple silk, with an embroidered alb about 
 his neck. The attending priests were all in yellow. The 
 temple and everything pertaining to it was exquisitely 
 clean. The consoles and ends of the rafters and beams 
 
 517 See note 511. 
 
 518 Iyeyoshi, the twelfth of the Tokugawa dynasty, who died Aug. 25, 1853 — 
 in other words, soon after Commodore Perry had sailed away from Yedo for 
 the first time. The coincidence of the Shogun's death and of the visit of the 
 American squadron was duly noted both by those who favored the opening 
 up of Japan, and by those who fought against it might and main — not to 
 speak of the significance which the Shogun's death bore for the superstitious. 
 
 434 
 
were carved into grotesque masks and heads, which 
 were executed in a spirited manner. 
 
 In the courtyard in front, an enormous bronze bell was 
 suspended. The tone of the Japanese bells is in gen- 
 eral very fine ; they are struck with a wooden pole some 
 ten feet long and from three to six inches in diameter. 
 The pole is suspended in a horizontal position, and the 
 bell is struck by simply pulling back the pole and then 
 letting it fall by its own motion against the outside of the 
 bell. 
 
 In Commodore Perry's journal of the first night he 
 passed in Japan, he speaks of the bells that were struck 
 during the night, and he supposed them to be alarm or 
 signal bells. They are still struck in the same manner, 
 not only during the night, but the day also, and are simply 
 to note the hour. 519 
 
 On my return I saw a number of the largest storks I 
 ever met with. The tameness of all kinds of wild animals 
 
 519 Townsend Harris was not in a position to know exactly what took place 
 when Perry's Squadron entered the Bay of Yedo, about 5 p. M. of July 8, 
 1853. In tne pages of Inazo Nitobe (who undoubtedly used Japanese sources) 
 we have a very vivid description of the terror that seized the inhabitants of 
 Yedo {The Intercourse between the United States and Japan, The Johns 
 Hopkins Press, 1891, p. 46) : 
 
 "No sooner had 'the black ships of the evil mien' made their entry into 
 the Bay, than the signal guns were fired, followed by the discharge of 
 rockets; then were seen on the shore companies of soldiers moving from 
 garrison to garrison. The popular commotion in Yedo at the news of 'a 
 foreign invasion,' was beyond description. The whole city was in an uproar. 
 In all directions were seen mothers flying with children in their arms, and 
 men with mothers on their backs. Rumors of an immediate action, exagger- 
 ated each time they were communicated from mouth to mouth, added horror 
 to the horrorstricken. The tramp of war-horses, the clatter of armed war- 
 riors, the noise of carts, the parade of firemen, the incessant tolling of bells, 
 the shrieks of women, the cries of children, dinning all the streets of a city 
 of more than a million souls, made confusion worse confounded." 
 
 The italics in the above quotation are ours. We cannot help feeling that 
 Nitobe's words are a description of what must have actually taken place. 
 
 435 
 
(even including the cautious crow) in Japan is surpris- 
 ing and proves that the Japanese boys are not so given to 
 destructive habits as the Caucasian races. The stork re- 
 mains here all the year round, and the wild goose 
 takes up his winter quarters here, both of which facts 
 establish the mildness of the climate. The weather has 
 been very fine, for not a drop of rain has fallen or a 
 cloud obscured the sun for the last twelve days. 
 
 I passed by some gardens which had a good show of 
 artemisias, and some curiously trained pear trees. About 
 six feet from the ground the branches are tied down to a 
 horizontal frame. The new wood that grows during the 
 summer is of course upright, but the next winter so much 
 as is required is tied down to the frames, and the re- 
 mainder cut off. In a short time this makes a verdant 
 room, quite impervious to the sun's rays, and forms a 
 pleasant retreat in the hot weather. The Japanese pear 
 is not a nice fruit, in fact I cannot eat it until it has been 
 preserved. It is from two and one-half inches to four 
 inches in diameter, and shaped and colored exactly 
 [like] the russet apple. 
 
 In the towns and villages I have passed through, 
 wooden tubs filled with water are placed at short dis- 
 tances from each other, to use in case of fire. Here these 
 tubs are made of copper. The firemen wear helmets; 
 these and their hooks and ladders quite put me in mind 
 of dear old inflammable New York 520 
 
 Monday, November $0, 1857. To-day I am to enter 
 Yedo. It will form an important epoch in my life, and a 
 
 520 See note 515. 
 
 436 
 
still more important one in the history of Japan. I am 
 the first diplomatic representative that has ever been re- 
 ceived in this city; and, whether I succeed or fail in 
 my intended negotiations, it is a great fact that will 
 always remain, showing that at last I have forced this 
 singular people to acknowledge the rights of embassy. 
 I feel no little pride, too, in carrying the American Flag 
 through that part of Japan, between the extremity of 
 Cape Idsu and into the very castle of the City of Yedo. 
 
 I left Kawasaki a little before eight A. M., and was 
 ferried over the River Logo, 521 which even now is both 
 broad and deep. I proceeded to-day, after much de- 
 liberation, in my norimon. My wish was to go into Yedo 
 on horseback, and the Vice-Governor eagerly en- 
 couraged that idea. This excited my suspicions; and, 
 after much difficulty, I discovered that none but the 
 Daimyo, or Princes of the highest rank, can enter Yedo 
 in their norimons; all below.that rank enter the city on 
 horseback or on foot. This fact, coupled with the Jap- 
 anese idea of seclusion and respectability being equiva- 
 lent terms, determined me very reluctantly to proceed 
 in my norimon. 
 
 The distance from Kawasaki to Sinagawa 522 is seven 
 and one-half English miles, and the houses form almost 
 a continuous street the whole way. Just before entering 
 Sinagawa I was shown the execution ground, which is 
 at the water's edge. Kaempfer describes the sight as a 
 very revolting one as seen by him, with human bodies 
 
 521 Rokugo (Griffis, Tovjnsend Harris, p. 200) . 
 522 Shinagawa ? 
 
 437 
 
lying about on the bloodstained ground, while dogs, kites 
 and crows 
 
 Held o'er the dead their carnival. 
 
 Nothing of the kind was seen by me, and the only in- 
 dication of the place was an unusual number of kites 
 and crows, but those congregate in a similar manner 
 about the places for burning the dead in India, Burmah 
 and Siam. 
 
 The honjin of Sinagawa was not pleasantly placed. It 
 was at the bottom of a deep court, and, as its garden was 
 surrounded by the blank walls of buildings, we had 
 no prospect whatever. I was much disappointed as I ex- 
 pected to have found it on the water side. We remained 
 at Sinagawa more than an hour, and at last started on 
 the final stage of our journey. 
 
 Sinagawa is defended by seven batteries, four on the 
 land and three built up on shoals. The latter are placed 
 at three hundred to eight hundred yards from the shore. 
 I am led to think that the guns of those batteries are not 
 of heavy calibers. From here I again saw the steamer. 
 She was about five miles in an E. S. E. direction from 
 Sinagawa. The channel after passing Kanagawa 
 gradually trends to N. N. E. to N. E. and by N., so that 
 a ship of large burden cannot approach either Kawasaki 
 or Sinagawa nearer than about five miles, as the flats 
 extend fully that distance from the shore. This renders 
 the batteries of Sinagawa of no avail, as her guns can- 
 not reach to the channel. When they were first erected, 
 the channel was near Sinagawa, and Kawasaki was a 
 
 43 8 
 
port of entry, but at present large ships cannot proceed 
 with any advantage above Kanagawa, as that is the last 
 harbor up the bay. Had the boats of Commodore Perry 
 sounded the bay two miles further up they would have 
 struck the flat that may be said to fill up the whole 
 upper part of the bay, and thus prevents the approach 
 of large vessels nearer than some six miles to Yedo. 
 
 I did not discover the "noble palaces" or "stately 
 castles" of Sinagawa mentioned by Kaempfer. The 
 buildings form one continuous street from Sinagawa to 
 Yedo, and no one can tell where the former ends and 
 the latter begins unless it be specially pointed out to 
 him. 
 
 At Sinagawa our procession was reformed. The Vice- 
 Governor now led the way, and all my coolies, etc., etc., 
 were kept in line, and the whole cavalcade was nearly 
 half a mile long. We proceeded with a slow and stately 
 step along an unpaved street, some forty to fifty feet wide 
 and bordered with wooden houses, none more than two 
 stories high and mostly covered with tiles. Every Jap- 
 anese town is divided into streets of one hundred and 
 twenty yards long, and this district is responsible for the 
 conduct of all in it. It has a captain called the Ottono, 52 * 
 and he has policemen under him. From Sinagawa I 
 found that these divisions were marked in an unmistak- 
 able manner, a strong stockade is erected each one hun- 
 dred and twenty yards across the street and has a pair of 
 wide and strong gates. These gates are shut at a certain 
 hour in the evening, and a wicket of some two feet square 
 
 523 0-tono. 
 
 439 
 
is opened for the passage of those who have the right to 
 pass after the closing of the main gates. At many places 
 in Yedo this stockade is double; that is, a second one is 
 erected some fifteen yards distant from the regular one. 
 When both the stockades are closed it makes quite a 
 strong defence against anything but artillery, and is 
 admirably calculated to stop the advance of a mob, or 
 secure the arrest of criminals. Again, Yedo has between 
 eight thousand and nine thousand of these streets, so that 
 after a certain hour it is cut up into that number of little 
 forts. From Sinagawa the people no longer knelt, nor 
 did they avert their eyes. 
 
 The authorities made their prostrations as before, but 
 the people remained standing. As the authorities were 
 changed every one hundred and twenty yards, there was 
 a constant "knocking of heads." A large proportion of 
 the assemblage wore two swords, showing they were of 
 some rank, and almost all had on the camissimo or dress 
 of ceremony. The number admitted into the streets 
 through which I passed formed a rank of five deep on 
 each side of the way. Every cross-street had its stockade 
 closed to prevent too great a crowd ; and, as I looked up 
 and down those streets, they seemed a solid mass of men 
 and women. The most perfect order was maintained 
 from Sinagawa to my lodgings, — a distance of over seven 
 miles. Not a shout or a cry was heard. The silence of such 
 a vast multitude had something appalling [in] it. Lord 
 Byron called a silent woman sleeping thunder. 
 
 I calculated the number of persons that lined the street 
 from Sinagawa to my residence at one hundred and 
 
 440 
 
eighty-five thousand. I called the distance seven miles; 
 that each person occupied two feet of front in his line, 
 and that the lines were five feet deep on each side of the 
 way. This calculation excludes all those who were in the 
 cross-streets or on the tops of the houses. In front of the 
 lines of the spectators stood men about ten feet apart and 
 armed with a long white stave like the marshals' staff 
 in the courts at New York. These men wore clothes of 
 various colors, some green, some blue, black, gray, etc., 
 while the coats-of-arms were so various that it easily ap- 
 peared that they were the retainers of persons of rank, 
 who "kept the ground" in the vicinity of his residence. 
 The people all appeared clean, well clad and well fed ; 
 indeed, I have never seen a case of squalid misery since 
 I have been in Japan. 
 
 A large number of officers of police attended the pro- 
 cession. In addition to his two swords each one bore an 
 iron truncheon about two feet long and one inch in 
 diameter, — a savage and dangerous weapon in the hands 
 of a passionate or violent man ; but there was no use for 
 them nor any apparent need of the constant cry of Satu, 
 Satu, — "Keep back," "Keep back," which was constantly 
 shouted forth by the street keepers. 
 
 In this manner I went on passing over seven bridges, 
 the fifth was the Nippon Bas, or Bridge of Japan. 524 It 
 is from this bridge that all distances are reckoned in this 
 country. After passing the bridge some few hundred 
 yards, we went on in a nearly N. N. W. direction, and 
 after a while we reached a broad moat on the opposite 
 
 824 Nippon Bashi, sometimes found as Nihonbashi: Bridge of Japan, 
 
 44I 
 
[side] of which rose a stone wall varying from twenty to 
 forty feet in height according to the make of the ground. 
 The road followed this ditch for more than a mile, when 
 my bearers started on a full run, rushed through a gate- 
 way, across a court and ended by bearing me into the 
 house. 525 
 
 This was doing the matter in the most honorable Jap- 
 anese manner. Mr. Heusken had to leave his norimon at 
 the outer gate. As I got out of mine, I was warmly wel- 
 comed by my old friend the Prince of Shinano, who 
 conducted me to my rooms and pointed out the arrange- 
 ments made for my comfort. It will sound queerly when 
 I say that these consisted of a bedstead, some chairs and 
 tables, but the Japanese never use one of these articles. 
 Their rooms are destitute of a single article that we 
 would call furniture. The universal mat serves as chair, 
 couch, table and bed. Their food is served on stands or 
 trays from three to ten inches high, and is contained 
 
 525 We cannot refrain from quoting at this point some keen remarks by Tyler 
 Dennett, Americans in Eastern Asia, pp. 355-56: 
 
 "Notwithstanding the handicaps laid upon him and the obvious intentions 
 of the authorities to thwart his purpose, we see him [Townsend Harris] 
 entering the capital city of Yedo (November 30, 1857) five and a half months 
 after signing the Convention [of Shimoda], with the promise that he should 
 be permitted to deliver in person the letter from President Pierce to the 
 Shogun. It was an extraordinary achievement in which he had surrendered 
 no particle of the official dignity of his position and had won his way by 
 argument and by absolute candor. The contrast between Commissioner 
 Ward's entry into Peking and Consul General Harris's entry into Yedo 
 is striking. The honor accorded to Harris was, however, a mark of the 
 greater political astuteness of the Japanese Government as well as of the 
 finer diplomatic skill of the New York merchant. Yedo had read correctly 
 the designs of Russia, while Peking, wholly deceived, had taken the Russian 
 envoy to her bosom; the mere intimation [by Townsend Harris] of British 
 intentions in Japan had been alarming, while the destruction of the Taku 
 forts in 1858 by the allied British and French forces had been dismissed 
 by the Manchu Government with fatuous indifference." 
 
 442 
 
chiefly in wooden bowls lacquered. Porcelain is only 
 used for drinking tea and saki from. The Prince even 
 pointed out a water closet copied from mine at Shimoda. 
 The bathroom was close to my sleeping apartments. I 
 had set apart for my special [use] a bedroom, sitting 
 room and dining room. 526 Mr. Heusken's rooms ad- 
 joined mine and consisted of a bed and sitting room. In 
 addition to this I was shown my reception rooms, which 
 could be increased to any size by merely removing the 
 sliding doors. In fact, every Japanese house may in a 
 short time be converted into a single room by this simple 
 and expeditious process. The building is very large. It 
 is government property and was formerly used as a col- 
 lege. 527 It is situated within what is called "the castle"; 
 that is, it is the outer one of four circles (rather irregu- 
 lar ones) , the center one of which is the residence of the 
 Tykoon. My house runs up to the road that runs along 
 the ditch, and on the opposite side it fronts on a wide 
 street. From my rooms I see the stone wall before men- 
 
 526 When, later, the British Mission under Lord Elgin arrived at Yedo, 
 they too were surprised to see how carefully the Japanese had forestalled their 
 wants. Mr. Laurence Oliphant gives the following as the reason for the 
 Japanese knowledge of European wants {Narrative of the Earl of Elgin's 
 Mission to China and Japan, New York, Harper & Bros., i860, pp. 374-75) : 
 
 "They [the Japanese] had first been made acquainted with the require- 
 ments of Europeans in the matter of furniture through Mr. Harris. Prior 
 to that gentleman's visit [to Yedo], the government had sent privately 
 to Shimoda to have exact copies made of his furniture, so that, on reaching 
 Yedo, he found, to his astonishment, chairs, tables, and beds, in a city 
 where all such articles had been previously unknown." 
 627 Griffis, Toivnsend Harris, p. 205, note: "In this structure, originally the 
 'Office for the Examination of Barbarian Books,' *. e., from Europe and Amer- 
 ica, lay the germ of the present magnificent Imperial University of Tokio. . . . 
 The edifice in which Mr. Harris lodged was on the west side of the old Kai- 
 Sei-Jo inclosure near the Kudan, fronting the Castle moat, and not far from the 
 Shimidzu gate. Significantly, coming from Shimoda (low field), the district 
 in Yedo where he lived was named Kanda (high or divine field)." 
 
 443 
 
tioned and the buildings occupied by two of the brothers 
 of the Tykoon. It is a "court" part of the city, and none 
 but persons of rank reside in it. This over, the Prince 
 informed me that the Government had been in a fever 
 of anxiety all day for fear of some accident; that the 
 people were wild with curiosity to see my entry; and 
 that, had the Government not used the most stringent 
 measures, the people would have rushed to Yedo "by 
 millions" (those are his numbers) to see me; and finally 
 the whole of the inner gates of the city had been closed 
 ever since the previous night to keep away the crowd 
 and thus prevent accidents; that they were all much re- 
 joiced at my safe arrival, etc., etc. 
 
 He then informed me that, as I came as the representa- 
 tive of so great a nation, the Government had appointed 
 eight persons of distinguished rank as "Commissioners 
 of the Voyage of the American Ambassador to Yedo." I 
 did not exactly understand what was meant by this move. 
 I was assured that it was solely in honor of me, and that 
 nothing connected with their duties could give me any 
 umbrage, etc., etc. I told him that with this explana- 
 tion I had no objection to make at present. The Prince 
 then gave me a list of the Commissioners, which was as 
 follows: 528 
 
 No. i Toke Prince of Tamba 
 
 " 2 Hayasi Prince of Daigak 
 
 828 The names of these eight Commissioners (osetsu-gakari) were: Toke,, 
 Tamba-no-Kami; Hayashi, Daigaku-no-Kami; Tsutsu, Hizen-no-Kami; 
 Kawase, Saiyemo-no-Kami; Inouye, Shinano-no-Kami; Uyedono, Mim-bu 
 Shoyu; Nagai, Gemba-no-Kami ; Tsukagoshi, Tosuke (Griffis, Towns end Har- 
 ris, p. 206; cf. Murdoch, A History of Japan, vol. 3, p. 634). 
 
 444 
 
No. 3 Tsoetsoe Prince of Hizen 
 
 " 4 Kawasi Prince of Saiyemo 
 
 " 5 Inawouye Prince of Shinano 
 
 " 6 Woedono Mimbosioyu 
 
 " 7 Nagai Prince of Gemba 
 
 " 8 T'sukagosi Tooske 
 
 Numbers 2 and 6 were Commissioners with Com- 
 modore Perry at Kanagawa in 1854. 529 
 
 I was then informed that the next morning an Am- 
 bassador from the Tykoon would wait on me to con- 
 gratulate me on my arrival, etc., etc. 
 
 The Prince of Shinano, having been informed by me 
 that my first official step after my arrival would be to 
 write to Hotta, Prince of Bittsu, informing him of my 
 arrival at Yedo, that I was the bearer of a letter from 
 the President of the United States to His Majesty the 
 Tykoon, and asking when I could have an audience of 
 His Majesty for the purpose of delivering that letter, 
 etc., etc., now asked if I could send that letter by him 
 at once. 
 
 As the letter had been previously prepared at Shi- 
 moda and only required to be dated and sealed, that 
 matter was soon dispatched. (See private letter book for 
 copy.) 530 
 
 529 The Preamble to the Treaty concluded by Perry mentions as two of the 
 Japanese Commissioners: Hayashi, Daigaku-no-Kami; and Udono, Member 
 of the Board of Revenue. 
 
 530 This letter is L. B., vol. 2, p. 93 ; it is followed by a Dutch translation, 
 pp. 93-94. The original English version is dated "U.S. Legation, City of Yedo, 
 November 30, 1857." This is, therefore, the first American communication 
 dated from our Legation in the Capital of the Shoguns, and is, at the same 
 time, the first of a distinguished series addressed by Townsend Harris to the 
 different officers of the Shogunate. 
 
 445 
 
A sumptuous repast (after the Japanese fashion) was 
 now served to me and Mr. Heusken. Mr. Heusken's 
 stands or trays were four inches high. The trays for my 
 use were ten inches high. After the dinner was over, I 
 told the Prince that it was my wish to pay all the ex- 
 penses of my table, etc., etc., and that such was the 
 fashion of all parts of the world ; that otherwise I should 
 not feel at liberty to order such articles of food as best 
 suited me; that it would be a point of delicacy to eat 
 whatever was sent without making any remarks, etc., 
 etc. He replied that I could not be permitted to pay for 
 anything sent to me, but he thought there would not be 
 any objection to my people buying anything I might 
 wish to have prepared by my cook that I had brought 
 from Shimoda. This was just what I wished, and gave 
 me full satisfaction. At last the Prince left me to repose 
 after the fatigue and excitement of this (to me) import- 
 ant and eventful day. The distances of my route from 
 Shimoda here are as follows : 531 
 
 531 The manuscript Journal (vol. 4, p. 113) does not indicate the distances 
 in this table. We have, however, found a small scrap of very thin rice paper, 
 on which Mr. Heusken kept note of the distances — the paper having the en- 
 dorsement (in Townsend Harris's hand) : "Route from Shimoda to Yedo, 
 November, 1857." 
 
 The record is in Dutch, and reads thus (in part) : 
 
 Mitsoekoeli 
 
 Nasimoto 
 
 6Ri 
 
 Amagi 
 
 Agasima 
 
 6Y 2 
 
 Oohito 
 
 Misima 
 
 8 
 
 Hakone 
 
 Odawara 
 
 8 
 
 Ooiso 
 
 Hoezisawa 
 
 %V2 
 
 Hodogaja 
 
 Kawasaki 
 
 8 
 
 Sinagawa 
 
 Yedo 
 
 SV2 
 
 446 
 
a u 
 
 Shimoda to Nasimoto ri or English miles 
 
 Nasimoto to Yugasima 
 
 Yugasima to Missima 
 
 Missima to Odowara 
 
 Odowara to Fudsisawa 
 
 Fudsisawa to Kawasaki 
 
 Kawasaki to Sinagawa 3 
 
 Sinagawa to the Nippon Bas 2 
 
 Totals 
 
 Tuesday, December 1, 1857. The "Commissioners" 
 of my voyage to Yedo paid me a visit of ceremony 
 this morning. Their various retinues amounted (in the 
 aggregate) to some hundreds. Each one had his pikes, 
 or ensigns of his dignity, borne before him, and led 
 horses followed his norimon. The caparisons of the 
 horses bore the "coat-of-arms" of the noble owner. 
 Among others, each "following" had fan bearers, slipper 
 bearers, cane bearers, etc., etc. Each one had his 
 camissimo or dress of ceremony brought with him in 
 neat lacquered boxes, and his "portfolio" was neatly 
 wrapped up in silk and slung over the back of a par- 
 ticular bearer. After they arrived they went at once to 
 rooms where they put on their camissimos, and then 
 they proceeded to the Audience Chamber. 
 
 As soon as they were ready I was informed, and I 
 also went there attended by Mr. Heusken, the Prince 
 of Shinano and a long following of Japanese. 
 
 On my entry I found them drawn up in a line and 
 standing. I took my place in front, and then we ex- 
 changed profound bows. 
 
 447 
 
Toke, Prince of Tamba, was their spokesman. He 
 began by saying that, to do proper honor to me as the 
 representative of a great nation, His Majesty the Tykoon 
 had sent them to congratulate me on my arrival at Yedo, 
 and to inquire after my health; to this he added the 
 personal respects of himself and of his colleagues. I 
 made a suitable reply, and then each of the Commis- 
 sioners was separately presented to me. As Hayasi, 
 Prince of Daigak, and Woedono Mimbosioyu were pre- 
 sented, I was told that they were among the Commis- 
 sioners who negotiated with Commodore Perry at 
 Kanagawa. The Prince of Hizen assisted in making 
 the Russian Treaty. 532 
 
 As soon as these particular presentations were over, 
 I told them that I was happy to become acquainted with 
 persons of their distinguished merit, and that I hoped 
 our intercourse would prove mutually agreeable. They 
 returned this compliment. Then followed more stately 
 bows, and I retired attended as on my entry. The Com- 
 missioners are rather intelligent looking men taken 
 together, while some of them bear faces that are capital 
 introductions to your respect. The Prince of Shinano in- 
 formed me that the arrival of the "Ambassador" of 
 the Tykoon was delayed by the wish of His Majesty 
 to examine personally the present, which, by the laws 
 of etiquette of Japan, was to be presented to me by the 
 Tykoon; and he then added that, after it had been ex- 
 
 532 The Russian Treaty referred to is the one signed at Shiraoda, on Feb. 7, 
 1855 (Russian style, Jan. 26th), by Admiral C. E. Poutiatine; Tsoutsoui- 
 Khizenno-Kami (Tsutsui, Hizen-no-Karai) ; and Kavadzi-Saiemonno-Dzio 
 (Kawaji, Sayeraon-no-jo) : Gubbins, The Progress of Japan, pp. 237-39. 
 
 448 
 
amined in the Palace, it had to be taken to the Great 
 Council for their examination. In answer to my in- 
 quiries, I was told that the Tykoon cannot make or re- 
 ceive the smallest present until they have been exam- 
 ined and approved by the Council of State!!! That 
 single statement convinced me that the Tykoon was a 
 mere "lay figure" of government, and that he did not 
 possess a single particle of political power. He is even 
 more restricted than was the Doge of Venice by the 
 "Council of Ten." Before the Ambassador arrives I 
 will explain a particular part of the Audience Chamber. 
 
 In all Japanese houses the upper end of one or more 
 of the best rooms has an alcove running across. The al- 
 cove is about three feet deep and has a floor raised about 
 four inches. It is divided into unequal parts — say in the 
 proportions of four to five or four-ninths and five- 
 ninths. The smaller portion contains two shelves — the 
 upper one of which is closed with little sliding doors; 
 the lower one is in two parts, one part being lower than 
 the other by some six inches, thus - = — The ends 
 are fastened to the wall and partition, and the centers 
 are fancifully connected by a hanging scroll. 
 
 The larger alcove is called the toko, and in private 
 houses contains the shrine of the lares or domestic deities. 
 In a building like the one I occupy it is vacant. It is a 
 place of honor, and seats in the room are more or less 
 honorable as they are in close or distant proximity to it. 
 
 A little after midday I was told of the arrival of the 
 "Ambassador"; and, on entering the Room of Au- 
 dience, I found him to be Toke, Prince of Tamba, who 
 
 449 
 
is a person occupying a high position at Court, and, so 
 far as I could understand the matter, somewhat 
 analogous to the office of chamberlain at the Courts in 
 the Western world. In the toko, and placed on a tray of 
 white wood, stood a box some three feet high which 
 was tied with a broad, green, silk braid. 533 I took my 
 place near the toko, while Toke stood opposite. We then 
 saluted each other, and the Prince said that His Maj- 
 esty, knowing that I had come from a far distant land, 
 had sent him to inquire after my health and whether 
 I had made my long journey without accident. He then 
 added that His Majesty had sent "a small present" for 
 my acceptance. This ended, the Prince went three steps 
 down the room and from that place paid his personal 
 compliments to me and made inquiries after my health. 
 This over, he returned to his first standing, and I made 
 a proper reply to the kind message of His Majesty and 
 returned my thanks for this mark of his kindness. As 
 I spoke of the present I turned towards the box and 
 bowed. 
 
 When I began to thank the Prince for his personal 
 civilities, he again retreated the three steps, so that he 
 might occupy a lower position when hearing what I said 
 in relation to himself than the one he stood in while hear- 
 ing what I said in relation to the Tykoon. 
 
 533 We have already described the series of Japanese documents referring 
 to Townsend Harris's visit to Yedo (see note 511). One of those documents 
 was addressed to the Ometski, Toke, Prince of Tamba, and directed him to 
 deliver this very cedar chest or box of bon-bons (46-2, H. Ex. Doc, no. 1, 
 pt. 1, p. 624, in Serial no. 1902). The same story is related by Townsend Harris 
 in a letter dated July 3, 1858, and addressed to "My dear [N. Dougherty]": 
 reprinted from the Washington Union of Jan. 15, 1859, * n LfrtelFs Living Age, 
 vol. 60, Feb. 26, 1859, pp. 567-71. 
 
 450 
 
As soon as the interpretation of what I last said was 
 finished, he again returned to his original place, and we 
 exchanged bows and thus the ceremony ended. 
 
 When I reached my private apartments the present 
 was brought in. On opening it, it was found to contain 
 four trays of Japanese bon-bons made of sugar, rice 
 flour, fruit, nuts, etc. They were arranged in the trays 
 in a beautiful manner, and the forms, colors and decora- 
 tions were all very neat. The quantity was about seventy 
 pounds of weight. I am very sorry I cannot send them 
 to the United States, but they will not keep for so long 
 a voyage. 
 
 In my conversations with the Prince of Shinano to- 
 day, he enlarged on the difficulties that he had over- 
 come and the great labor he had performed to enable 
 me to come to Yedo. He spoke of his anxious days and 
 sleepless nights; that care and anxiety had taken away 
 his appetite, so that he had become lean in his person; 
 and that his blood had frequently gushed from his nose 
 from his great agitation; that he had done all this 
 from his friendship for me, etc., etc. Something of this 
 had been before hinted at, but never so fully expressed 
 as now. I replied that I was duly grateful to him for his 
 friendship for me; but, as he appeared to be under a 
 great error as it regarded my visit to Yedo, I must now 
 fully explain myself on that point. I told him that I 
 came to Yedo as the representative of the United States 
 and not in my private capacity; that the United States 
 did not ask anything from the Government of Japan 
 as a favor; that it only demanded its rights, and that 
 
 45i 
 
nothing would be accepted on the ground of favor ; that 
 my mission had for its object the good of the Japanese 
 Empire ; and that it was no favor to me or to my country 
 that they should listen to my advice, but that it was the 
 Japanese who should feel grateful to the President for 
 the friendship he had shown to Japan by the messages 
 with which I was entrusted. 
 
 That for myself, individually, I had no wish to come 
 to Yedo, and that I only came here because my official 
 duty required it; that I hoped he now fully understood 
 not only my object in visiting Yedo, but that he would 
 clearly see that it was not any favor to me either in 
 my private or in my official capacity to receive me at 
 Yedo. 
 
 The Prince was quite chapfallen at this, as it was 
 the evident wish of the Japanese that I should look on 
 my reception here as an unprecedented favor to me, both 
 personally and officially, and thus they would establish 
 a claim on my gratitude, which might be of great use 
 to them in the negotiations that might be commenced 
 here. 
 
 However, the Prince confessed that my view of the 
 matter was a just one, and that he had only looked at the 
 question from one point of view, and that point was on 
 the Japanese side. 
 
 I omitted in my journal of November 30th to state 
 that we halted to rest our bearers three miles from Ka- 
 wasaki at a village called Oomoorie. 634 1 was taken to a 
 
 534 Omori. 
 
 . 452 
 
very pretty tea house, situated in a fine garden of plum 
 trees. These trees are grown, not for the fruit, but for 
 the flowers, which are considered as very beautiful by 
 the Japanese, and sometimes are immensely large. The 
 petals of these flowers are preserved in various ways, 
 with sugar, salt, etc., and are made up as conserves, or 
 drunk as tea. 
 
 The garden had the usual little ponds, canals, tiny 
 bridges, rock work, etc. It also had a very pretty minia- 
 ture temple. I was shown what to me was a very great 
 vegetable curiosity, — that is, bamboos that were per- 
 fectly square. I never saw anything of the kind before, 
 and at first supposed it was the result of artificial means, 
 but I was assured that it was simply a natural production 
 and that art had nothing to do with it. I saw some 
 mallards with very beautiful plumage, almost as fine as 
 the "Mandarin Duck" of China. They were swimming 
 about in one of the tiny ponds of the garden. 
 
 The name of the place is Bay-reen-kiu-sabro, or 
 "plum tree house," and is a favorite resort in the flower 
 season for the Yedo people. 
 
 After entering Yedo, I observed some high structures 
 of framework, having a platform on the upper part and 
 a large bell hung there, exactly like the fire "lookouts" 
 of New York, and on inquiry I found they were erected 
 for that very purpose. 
 
 I have mentioned that, some time after passing the 
 Nippon Bas, I struck one of the moats of the castle, 
 and that, turning to the right, my road ran along the 
 banks of this moat for more than one mile. 
 
 453 
 
In this part of my route I passed a number of open 
 spaces bordered with trees and quickset hedges. These 
 are called ba-ba, or "horse course," and are for the 
 purpose of military exercises of various kinds. 
 
 Wednesday, December 2, 1857. This morning at 
 half-past ten A. M. I felt a smart shock of earthquake, 
 not severe enough, however, to do any damage. In the 
 afternoon I received a letter from Hotta, Prince of 
 Bittsu, Minister for Foreign Affairs, informing me that 
 he had received my letter and communicated its con- 
 tents to his master the Tykoon, and that His Majesty 
 had fixed on Monday next, the 7th inst., for my public 
 audience. 5343 
 
 The Prince of Shinano is considered as my host (I do 
 not know but keeper would be a more correct term), 
 and he visits me daily. To-day he informs me that the 
 Great Council of State has heretofore consisted of five 
 members, but, since it had been determined to receive me 
 at Yedo, the number had been increased to six, and that 
 the Prince of Bittsu, in addition to his position of first 
 member of the Council, is now created "Minister of For- 
 eign Affairs," and that all correspondence with foreign 
 envoys will be conducted in his name. It appears that 
 there remain eighteen of the great landed Princes of the 
 Empire, who date from before the establishment of the 
 present dynasty, — say about 1605; that after Yeyas, the 
 
 534a Hotta's letter, dated the 16th day of the ioth month (Dec. 2, 1857), 
 was in answer to Townsend Harris's, dated the 14th day of the ioth month 
 (Nov. 30, 1857). The day fixed for the audience was the 21st day of the ioth 
 month. The text of Hotta's letter is given in 46-2, H. Ex. Doc, no. 1, pt. 1, 
 p. 624, in Serial no. 1902. 
 
 454 
 
founder of the dynasty, had suppressed the rebellion 
 that broke out during his reign, he created over three 
 hundred territorial princes, whose lands consisted, in 
 part, of the forfeited estates of the revolted princes, and 
 in part of the Imperial domains; that all the landed 
 princes form that class of nobility which are called 
 Daimyo; and that from the class last created (i. e., the 
 three hundred) the Council of State is chosen. None of 
 the original eighteen Princes are eligible to that office, 
 nor any of the Kami or titular Princes. The Kami form 
 the next rank, and from them are selected the Governors 
 of Imperial cities, provinces and all the high offices 
 about the Court. These men do not possess either hered- 
 itary rank or estates. Nominally the Tykoon appoints 
 the Council of State, Governors, etc., but in reality (as 
 far as I understand it) Japan is ruled by an oligarchy 
 composed of the Daimyo or landed hereditary Princes. 
 But these again are ruled by the rigid and hitherto un- 
 alterable law of Japan. The families of all the Daimyo, 
 all the Kami and of some ranks of officers, must reside 
 in Yedo and form the hostages for the good conduct 
 of those classes. The Daimyo only visit their domains at 
 certain short periods; the remainder of their time is 
 spent at Yedo. The Kami who are appointed to office 
 out of Yedo pass from six to twelve months at the place 
 of their appointment, and then return to pass a corre- 
 sponding period of time at Yedo. None of the Daimyo, 
 Kami or other officers are allowed to take any of their 
 females with them, nor may they form any connection 
 or have any intercourse with women while away from 
 
 455 
 
Yedo. Hence the search and examination at Hakone. 535 
 Thursday, December J, l857- Wrote to the Min- 
 ister of Foreign Affairs enclosing copy and translation 
 of the President's letter to the Tykoon. I also wrote him 
 that I would pay him a visit of ceremony whenever he 
 should be ready to receive me. 536 In the evening I re- 
 ceived an answer to my letter, and he wrote that [he] 
 would be happy to receive my visit to-morrow. (See my 
 private letter book.) 537 Had my usual visit from Shi- 
 nano-no-Kami, and a good deal of conversation ensued. 
 He was very anxious to have me make promises not to 
 visit about the city, saying that Yedo contained a great 
 many bad people who might insult and maltreat me, 
 and thus the Government would be plunged into serious 
 difficulties with that of the United States. 
 
 I replied that I could not make any promises that 
 would circumscribe my undoubted rights under the laws 
 
 535 On the system of government here described, consult Gubbins, The 
 feudal system in Japan under the Tokugaiva Shoguns, in Transactions of The 
 Asiatic Society of Japan, vol. XV, pt. 2 (Sept., 1887), pp. 131-42; and cf. pp. 
 VII-VIII at the end of pt. 2. 
 
 536 See L. B., vol. 3, pp. 9-10. 
 
 537 This parenthesis by Townsend Harris refers only to the letter which 
 he wrote to Hotta (see preceding note). Hotta's reply is dated the 17th day 
 of the 10th month, and is found in 46-2, H. Ex. Doc, no. 1, p. 624. It contains 
 more than is reported in this entry of the Journal. He acknowledges receipt 
 not only of the Japanese and the Dutch translations of the President's letter, 
 but also of the address to the Tycoon which Townsend Harris intended to 
 deliver at the audience ; and it concludes with the appointment for the next 
 day — the 18th day of the 10th month, or Dec. 4, 1857. It should be noted, in 
 passing, that the President's letter was not addressed to the Tycoon, but to 
 the Emperor of Japan. 
 
 Two important dates were now fixed — Dec. 4th for the visit to Hotta, and 
 Dec. 7th for the audience. Accordingly, we find in the collection of Japanese 
 documents pertaining to this visit, the necessary memorandum to this effect; 
 and also an order issued by Lord Hotta to the Ometskis that everything con- 
 nected with the Audience should be ready by 9 a. m, (46-2, H. Ex. Doc., no. 1, 
 pt. 1, p. 624, in Serial no. 1902). 
 
 456 
 
of nations; that I had no fears for my personal safety, 
 as I had gone boldly and freely through many cities of 
 the East where the population was of a much worse 
 character than that of Yedo, and where I had no official 
 character to protect me ; that they must and might rely on 
 my age and discretion that I should not do anything 
 to cause them any embarrassment, but I must be left 
 free to act in all respects according to the dictates of 
 that discretion; and that I could not give them any 
 pledge or promise of any kind that might afterwards 
 be used by them to limit me in my freedom of action, 
 etc., etc. I also told him that exercise in the open air 
 was the daily practice of all Western people, and was 
 necessary to the preservation of health ; that I wished the 
 Government to point out some place, either in the wide 
 streets or in a ba-ba, where Mr. Heusken and I could 
 take the requisite exercise. This appeared to cause much 
 trouble, but it was so just and reasonable that he could 
 not urge anything against my demand, except his fears 
 of the populace. I told him he might remember that, 
 when I demanded the removal of the guards from my 
 residence at Shimoda, he had told me that the people 
 of Shimoda were the worst in Japan and that the pres- 
 ence of the Japanese officers at my house was absolutely 
 indispensable to protect me from outrage by day and 
 robbery at night; that, notwithstanding his remon- 
 strances on that occasion, I had insisted, and the guards 
 were removed fully eleven months ago, and that he well 
 knew that nothing unpleasant had occurred since; that 
 I had no doubt his fears about the conduct of the good 
 
 457 
 
people of Yedo were equally unfounded. Poor Shinano 
 looked confused when I referred to the Shimoda affair; 
 and in his reply said that what he then told me was by 
 express orders of the Government, but that I might rely 
 on the truth of what he now stated about the people of 
 Yedo. He concluded by saying he would report my 
 wishes to the Government and hoped to have the matter 
 arranged to my satisfaction. 538 
 
 Friday, December 4, 1 #57. I start on my visit to the 
 Prime Minister at ten A. M., the Prince of Shinano act- 
 ing as my escort. My retinue is composed in the same 
 manner as it was on my entry into Yedo, excepting my 
 luggage, cook, etc., etc. 
 
 I went southwardly over the same road that I came 
 on my entry for about one mile, when we crossed the 
 moat on a new bridge about one hundred feet long and 
 passed through a gate into a square of some fifty or sixty 
 feet formed by stone walls about twenty-five feet high. 
 A gate in the wall running at right angles with the gate 
 of entrance gave us exit from the quadrangle, and we 
 entered into the third enclosure of the castle by a broad 
 street, having the outer wall on our left and a line of 
 houses on our right. After a short time we turned to our 
 right (or westward) still proceeding through fine 
 streets lined with the houses of the Daimyo and Kami, 
 etc. These houses were all built of wood, roofed with 
 tiles, and correspond to the description of a Japanese 
 
 538 The dangers which threatened the life of Townsend Harris during this, 
 the first visit to Yedo of an accredited representative from a foreign country, 
 were very real and very serious. They will be spoken of below, under the 
 entry for Jan. 25, 1858. 
 
 458 
 
house given under date November 29, 1857. The streets 
 were unpaved and scrupulously clean. The streets' 
 keepers were the retainers of the Princes and each wore 
 the arms of his master ; the crowd was not so great as in 
 passing through the city, — still, vast numbers were col- 
 lected, especially when we came to the frequent open 
 spaces or squares. The observers were the servants and 
 retainers of the nobles and gave a lively idea of the mag- 
 nitude of the households of those personages. The build- 
 ings on the street have projecting windows, like the 
 houses at Cairo and Alexandria. Through the grass 
 screens to these openings we saw plenty of fair faces, 
 and it would appear that Mother Eve's failing is fully 
 inherited by her daughters in Yedo. Every possible part 
 of the window, from its sill to the top, was plastered with 
 a female face; as no part of their dresses could be seen, 
 I am unable to describe them. After a while our road 
 turned again to the westward, and then again to the 
 south. We passed by a causeway and short bridge over 
 a canal. Here the water had a fall of about six feet and 
 appears to prove that the city is built on ground that 
 rises gradually from the shore of the bay. At length we 
 entered a street running westwardly which brought me 
 to a second moat and stone wall ; this we crossed by a 
 bridge about one hundred and fifty feet long, into a 
 quadrangle exactly like the previous one, and through 
 a gate placed at right angles to the first we entered into 
 the second circle or enclosure of the Castle. Our route 
 was now westward, now southward, again westward un- 
 til we reached a third moat. Our route was southward 
 
 459 
 
along the banks of this moat until we reached the house 
 of Hotta, Bittsu-no-Kami, or Hotta, Prince of Bittsu. 
 Measuring the distance by time, I made it more than one 
 mile from the first bridge to the Minister's house, and 
 less than one mile from the same bridge to my residence, 
 — or in other words, it was about two English miles 
 between my starting place and the residence of His Ex- 
 cellency the Minister. All the norimons, except mine, 
 were stopped at the outer gate. My bearers mended their 
 pace at some hundred and fifty yards from the gate, and 
 by the time they reached it they were at a full trot, dashed 
 through the gate across the court, and plumped me 
 down close to the edge of some clean mats that had been 
 placed there for my reception. On getting out of my 
 norimon, my "shoe bearer" gave me a new pair of un- 
 soiled patent leather shoes which I put on. The Jap- 
 anese of all ranks enter a house in their stockings alone, 
 leaving their straw sandals outside. And there is a good 
 reason for this ; for, as I have before noted, the mat serves 
 as chair, couch, table and bed. In the vestibule some 
 thirty persons, dressed in camissimos, were seated in 
 Japanese fashion, and saluted me by bringing the fore- 
 head down to the mat. I passed to the right and soon met 
 the "Commissioners of my Voyage," who saluted me, 
 and through Toke, Prince of Tamba, inquired after my 
 health, etc., etc. I was now conducted into a room where 
 I found chairs made after our pattern for Mr. Heusken 
 and myself, with comfortable braziers rilled with burn- 
 ing charcoal. In a few moments two tables were 
 brought in on which were placed pipes, tobacco and fire. 
 
 460 
 
Soon afterwards the Japanese great tea luxury was 
 served to me. 539 It is made of very fine tea reduced to a 
 powder, on which boiling water is poured and forms 
 what may be called a tea gruel, — the taste was much 
 better than the looks. 
 
 As soon as I had drunk my tea I was asked if I would 
 then see the Minister; and, on my replying in the 
 affirmative, the sliding doors were opened, and here I 
 met the Minister. We saluted each other in silence, and 
 he then led the way into a fourth room where I found 
 two chairs on one side and ten black lacquered stools on 
 the other. We again saluted each other, when the Min- 
 ister courteously motioned to me to be seated, and, wait- 
 ing until I was seated, he sat down himself. The Com- 
 missioners of my Voyage now entered the room and 
 again saluted me, after which they also took their seats 
 on the black stools. 
 
 The Minister courteously inquired about my health; 
 and, after my reply and the requisite counter inquiry, 
 he expressed much admiration at the long voyage I had 
 made through so many different countries (for he per- 
 fectly understood what is called the overland route to 
 India). I made the proper answer, adding that I con- 
 sidered myself as a fortunate person, as I was the first 
 foreigner who had ever visited the great city of Yedo 
 in a diplomatic capacity. Tables were now brought in 
 by servants who carried them elevated as high as pos- 
 sible and marching with a stately step and with a meas- 
 
 539 Again the cha-no-yu: see Journal, Tuesday, Feb. 24, 1857 — the day when 
 Townsend Harris first entered the private residence of the Governors of 
 Shimoda; and note 376. 
 
 461 
 
ured cadence. Then followed pipes and tobacco, tea 
 and trays of refreshments. The trays of the Minister and 
 myself were of the same height, both being some inches 
 higher than those served to the others. The Minister 
 courteously urged me to partake of his refreshments, 
 and begged me to excuse his not smoking, as he never 
 used tobacco. He afterwards said he did not offer me 
 saki, as he understood I did not drink wine or saki when 
 I could avoid it. 
 
 After some little conversation I presented him with a 
 copy of my intended address to the Tykoon on the day of 
 my audience, adding that I had made it very short so 
 that no unnecessary topics should be introduced. 540 The 
 Minister requested leave to withdraw for a short time in 
 order to have the paper translated. He accordingly left 
 me with Shinano-no-Kami, — the Commissioners of my 
 Voyage going with the Minister. The interior of this 
 house exactly corresponds with the one I occupy. The 
 posts, plafond and crossbeams in which the sliding doors 
 run are all of unpainted wood. The windows of white 
 paper and the sliding doors or movable partitions are 
 covered with paper hangings of the Greek scroll pattern 
 in ultramarine blue and white patterns. 
 
 The agitation of the Japanese interpreter is beyond 
 anything I ever saw, — he trembled all over his body as 
 though he had an ague fit, while large drops of perspira- 
 tion stood like beads on his forehead. 
 
 540 In the letter to his friend Nathaniel Dougherty, Townsend Harris states 
 (on p. 569) that Hotta on this occasion gave him a copy of the answering 
 speech which the Shogun would deliver at the audience. (See note 533, and 
 also the text below.) 
 
 462 
 
My seat was placed nearest the toko, and I was 
 warmed by a lacquer and copper brazier. In place of 
 ashes, the brazier contained pulverized spar of a snowy 
 whiteness neatly formed into a representation of the 
 celebrated Fusi Yama, the top being opened like the 
 crater of a volcano to admit the coals. 
 
 In about half an hour the Minister returned and told 
 me that my address was quite satisfactory and at the 
 same time he handed me the Tykoon's reply! 541 showing 
 clearly that His Majesty would utter exactly what the 
 Council should dictate. The Minister informed me that, 
 as the interpreters could not be admitted into the Im- 
 perial Presence, he had furnished me with a copy of the 
 reply so that, by having it translated, the presence of 
 the interpreter would not be required. My business be- 
 ing ended I rose and we again bowed, the Minister fol- 
 lowing me to the same spot where he first met [me], 
 where we again bowed; beyond that I found my 
 Commissioners, who again saluted me. The two who had 
 made the Treaty with Commodore Perry inquired very 
 kindly after him, and requested me to inform him of the 
 
 541 The Tycoon's reply (handed on this occasion to Townsend Harris) must 
 have been written either in Japanese or in Dutch. When Townsend Harris 
 returned home, he set Mr. Heusken to work upon its translation. The original 
 half sheet of paper upon which Mr. Heusken wrote the English version is 
 still extant (L. & P., vol. i, no. 78), and reads: 
 
 "Pleased with a letter sent with the embassador [sic] of a far distant coun- 
 try, and likewise so with his discourse. Intercourse shall be continued for 
 ever. 
 
 A true translation 
 H. C. J. Heusken." 
 
 This version differs in only very minor details from that given by Townsend 
 Harris in Journal for Dec. 7, 1857. The original manuscript by Heusken is 
 endorsed by Townsend Harris: "Speech of the Tycoon of Japan. Received 
 November 4, 1857." The date is, of course, a slip for Dec. 4, 1857. 
 
 463 
 
fact whenever I might write to him. 542 In the vestibule 
 I found the same persons seated who salaamed to me as 
 on my entry, and from thence I once more entered my 
 norimon. 
 
 The Minister 543 is about thirty-five years old, short 
 in stature, of a pleasant and intelligent countenance; his 
 voice is low and rather musical. I returned by the same 
 route, and have nothing to add except that there was 
 not the least attempt at military display of any kind. 
 At the gateway («. e., in the quadrangle) was a small 
 building in front of which some half dozen spears were 
 placed, and from three to five persons were seated on the 
 mats. The great gates have a strong look with their 
 heavy hinges and the broad-headed bolts that half cover 
 them; but a very slight examination shows that it is all 
 show and no substance. The doors are made of pine or 
 cypress. The hinges, instead of having their sockets in 
 stone, are merely driven into pine posts, and the broad- 
 headed studs are merely shams in form, having a little 
 tack on the under side to hold them to the gate. A six- 
 pound howitzer charged with powder alone would de- 
 stroy any one of these gates. The bridges over the two 
 great moats were both new. They are neatly built of 
 wood, and the posts are crowned with copper caps. 
 There is nothing about them worthy of remark. I was 
 told at Shimoda that new bridges were being built on 
 account of my visit, but I supposed it was only a Jap- 
 anese ... to excuse delay. The exterior walls and 
 
 B42 See note 529. 
 
 543 Hotta Bitchiu-no-Kami. 
 
 464 
 
fences of [the] Japanese are all blackened with sepia, 
 of which fish enormous quantities are taken in Japan. 
 The second story is made of wattles covered with clay, 
 and this is whitened. 
 
 The tiles on the roof have a number of white stripes 
 which are regulated by the rank of the owner. I have 
 not as yet learned the rule that regulates them. 
 
 The enceinte or third wall of the Castle is nearly pear 
 shaped, the length running north and south. My house is 
 over against the northern and stem-end of the pear. 
 
 Saturday, November [December] 5, I&57' To-day 
 we have rain and snow. The first stormy day since the 
 20th of November. Yedo is about 5 colder than Shi- 
 moda, but it has a most delightful climate. Nothing in 
 Italy equals it. 
 
 Sunday, December 6, 1857. This is the second Sun- 
 day in Advent. Assisted by Mr. Heusken I read the full 
 service in an audible voice, and with the paper doors 
 of the houses here our voices could be heard in every 
 part of the building. 544 
 
 This was beyond doubt the first time that the Eng- 
 lish version of the Bible was ever read, or the American 
 Protestant Episcopal Service ever repeated in this city. 
 What a host of thoughts rush upon me as I reflect on this 
 event. Two hundred and thirty years ago a law was 
 promulgated in Japan inflicting death on anyone who 
 should use any of the rites of the Christian religion in 
 Japan; that law is still unrepealed, and yet here have I 
 
 544 According to Townsend Harris's own prayer-book, this service consisted 
 of: for the morning, First Lesson, Isaiah, 5; Second Lesson, Luke, ? , v. 39; 
 for the afternoon, First Lesson, Isaiah, 24; Second Lesson, Rom., 12. 
 
 465 
 
boldly and openly done the very acts that the Japanese 
 law punishes so severely! 545 
 
 What is my protection? The American name alone, 
 — that name so powerful and potent now cannot be said 
 to have had an existence then, for in all the wide lands 
 that now form the United States there were not at that 
 time five thousand men of Anglo-Saxon origin. 
 
 The first blow is now struck against the cruel per- 
 secution of Christianity by the Japanese; and, by the 
 blessing of God, if I succeed in establishing negotiations 
 at this time with the Japanese, I mean to boldly demand 
 for Americans the free exercise of their religion in 
 Japan with the right to build churches, and I will also 
 demand the abolition of the custom of trampling on the 
 cross or crucifix, which the Dutch have basely witnessed 
 for two hundred and thirty years without a word of 
 remonstrance. 546 This custom has been confined to 
 
 545 See note 516. 
 
 546 Griffis, Toivnsend Harris, p. 224, note: 
 
 "This custom of trampling (fumi) on a ye (engraved copper plate with 
 representation of the crucifix) was abolished by the Japanese government 
 in 1853, tne y ear before Perry's second arrival. As the Kindai Geppio states, 
 'From this year, the practice of fumi-ye at Nagasaki was abolished.' Most 
 of the American sailors shipwrecked on the Japan coasts, and cared for 
 by the government until shipped away, seem to have had no compunctions 
 about treading on the copper plate, thereby proving they were not Portu- 
 guese." 
 
 This practice had continued for more than two centuries, and it was not 
 abolished at one stroke. Towards the end of 1853, lt was quietly allowed to 
 lapse, no official action being taken in regard to it. In April, 1856, however, 
 "official orders were at last formally issued to discontinue the enforcing of 
 the annual Fumi-ye. . . " (Murdoch, A History of Japan, vol. 3, pp. 616-17). 
 
 The clearest case of this Fumi-ye by Americans which occurs to the author 
 is that of the mutinous sailors of the New Bedford whaler Lagoda. When 
 finally released by the Japanese, they testified, on April 30, 1849, t0 Commander 
 James Glynn, of the U.S.S. Preble, as follows: 
 
 Robert McCoy: "They made me trample upon it, and they made all 
 the others trample upon it — first putting the left foot on the cross, and then 
 
 466 
 
Nagasaki; had it been attempted at Shimoda, I would 
 have remonstrated in a manner that would have com- 
 pelled the Japanese to listen to me. 
 
 I shall be both proud and happy if I can be the humble 
 
 the right foot. We were afterwards told that, if we had refused to do this, 
 we would have been put into a small iron house, from which we would 
 never get away." 
 
 Jacob Boyd: ". . . and told us that in going into the door of the town- 
 house, he wanted us to step on something. We inquired what it was; and 
 he said an image, or an iron plate. In going in, they pointed it out to me 
 on the gravelled walk, and I perceived that it was a crucifix. Seeing I was 
 not willing to step on it, two of the Japanese took hold of me and forced 
 me to tread on it. First I merely trod on one edge, but they pulled me 
 back, and made me trample on it with both feet." 
 
 John Martin: "That at Nagasaki we were taken into the town-house, 
 and on entering the door we found there had been placed on the floor a 
 metal plate with the figure of our Saviour upon it. This they compelled us 
 to step upon, both feet together. I saw John Bull, who was right before 
 me, put one foot on it, and they hauled him back and made him put both 
 feet on together." 
 
 Melcher Biffar: ". . . on going into the town-house at Nagasaki, there 
 was a crucifix in the way, and we were told to step on it. We disliked to do 
 it. They then told us that it was no harm; but if we did not do so, they 
 would think we were Portuguese, and it would be told to the governor. 
 We tried to avoid stepping on the crucifix, but a man having hold of each 
 of our arms, forced us to trample on it." 
 
 For this and other testimony, which surely reveals a goodly degree of com- 
 punction, see 32-1, S. Ex. Doc, no. 59 — in Serial no. 620 — pp. 9, 20, 22, 24. 
 
 We think it fair, after quoting these passages, to add one more clear state- 
 ment on this subject, from the pen of the missionary Guido Fridolin Verbeck 
 (GrifBs, Verbeck of Japan, p. 129) : 
 
 "Herewith inclosed you will please find a picture of a crucifix, and one of 
 Christ with the crown of thorns. They are exact copies of the two pieces 
 that for about two hundred years have been used in the annual 'Ceremony 
 of trampling on the Cross' in the vicinity of this place. It will be something 
 to show in addresses on missions, etc. The ceremony is mentioned in nearly 
 every book on Japan, as you know; but I think writers on Japan have much 
 mistaken the object of the shameful wicked act. It was not so much, if at 
 all, to abuse and disgrace the Saviour, as to find out who were Christians 
 and who not. It was known that no good Christian would trample on the 
 image of Christ; therefore, at the annual census of the people, these images 
 were produced to discover secret Christians." 
 
 Considering, however, the penalty in store for those who refused, we are 
 of the opinion that even some "good Christian" might have been forced to 
 commit the act of Fumi-ye — unless, indeed, he were of the stuff that martyrs 
 are made of. 
 
 467 
 
means of once more opening Japan to the blessed rule 
 of Christianity. 
 
 My Bible and Prayer Book are priceless mementos 
 of this event, and when (after many or few years) Japan 
 shall be once more opened to Christianity, the events of 
 this day at Yedo will ever be of interest. 
 
 Monday, December 7, 1857. I started for my audi- 
 ence about ten, with the same escort as on my visit to the 
 Minister, but my guards all wore camissimos and 
 breeches which only covered half the thigh, leaving all 
 the rest of the leg bare. My dress was a coat embroidered 
 with gold after the pattern furnished by the State De- 
 partment: blue pantaloons with a broad gold band run- 
 ning down each leg, cocked hat with gold tassels and a 
 pearl handled dress-sword. 547 
 
 Mr. Heusken's dress was the undress navy uniform, 
 regulation sword and cocked hat. Our route was by the 
 same street that I have mentioned on my visit to the 
 Minister, but we crossed the moat by a bridge that was 
 about half a mile from my house. The gateway with the 
 quadrangular building was precisely like those de- 
 scribed in my Journal of the 4th inst. ; so also the appear- 
 ance of the streets, buildings, people, etc., was exactly 
 the same. On arriving at the second moat all were re- 
 quired to leave their norimons except the Prince of 
 Shinano and myself. We crossed the bridge, passed the 
 gate and quadrangle, and pursued our course, and every- 
 thing was so exactly like what I then saw that nothing 
 
 547 L. & P., vol. 2, no. 7, is a scrap of notepaper, written in Townsend 
 Harris's own hand and having the "Regulations as to the Uniform to be 
 Worn." 
 
 468 
 
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 TOWNSEND HARRIS S FULL POWERS, 
 OR LETTER OF CREDENCE (Page i) 
 Dated, Washington, D. C, September 8, 1856. 
 

 ? 
 
 
 TOWNSEND HARRIS S kk FULL POWERS (Page 2) 
 
but the assurances of Shinano could convince me that 
 I was in a different quarter. When we arrived within 
 about three hundred yards of the last bridge, Shinano 
 also left his norimon; and our horses, his spears, etc., 
 etc., with the ordinary attendants, all remained. I was car- 
 ried up to the bridge itself ( and, as they say, further than 
 any Japanese was ever carried before), and here I dis- 
 mounted, giving the President's letter, which I had 
 brought in my norimon, to Mr. Heusken to carry. We 
 crossed this bridge through the same quadrangle as be- 
 fore ; and, at some one hundred and fifty to two hundred 
 yards from the gate, I entered the Audience Hall. Before 
 entering, however, I put on the new shoes I had worn on 
 my visit to the Minister, and the Japanese did not even 
 ask me to go in my stocking feet. As I entered the vesti- 
 bule I was met by two officers of the household. We 
 stopped, faced each other and then bowed. They then 
 led me along a hall to a room where, on entering, I found 
 the "two chairs" and a comfortable brazier. I should 
 here note that tobacco is not served among the refresh- 
 ments of the Palace. I again drank the "tea gruel." The 
 room in which I was seated was different from any I had 
 seen before. The ceiling or plafond was divided into 
 square compartments of some thirty inches, the ribs or 
 divisions being about two inches wide and the same in 
 thickness. It was either painted or covered with paper, 
 — I could not determine which. The ground was a fine 
 ultramarine, on which arabesque figures were drawn of 
 various colors; the posts and beams were of unpainted 
 wood ; the usual height of Japanese rooms is from eleven 
 
 469 
 
to twelve feet. I thought these to be about thirteen to 
 fourteen feet. I have already mentioned that a Japanese 
 house is cut up into rooms by sliding doors or screens, 
 and that in a short time a whole building may be con- 
 verted into a single room by the removal of the screens ; 
 by this process what was hall becomes part or parts of 
 the rooms. The height of these doors varies from five 
 feet six inches to six feet six inches. Transverse beams 
 are placed in those positions which are to serve as the 
 division wall or partition of a room; a series of grooves 
 is deeply cut in the under side of the beam [and] corre- 
 sponds with shallow grooves cut in a beam of the floor 
 placed directly under it. 
 
 When it is desired to remove a partition, the parts are 
 lifted up until the foot is clear of the floor groove. It is 
 then carried forward or back until the angle it forms 
 will allow the upper part to be removed from the upper 
 beam. 
 
 To construct a room the above process is simply re- 
 versed. The sliding doors are from four to four and a 
 half feet wide, and they always slide past each other, so 
 that of necessity there must be as many grooves as there 
 are parts of the screen, — four is the usual number. The 
 part between the upper beam and the plafond is variously 
 filled. Sometimes it is with frames resembling our win- 
 dow sashes on which paper is pasted, and it looks exactly 
 like a sash that is glazed with rough ground glass. An- 
 other, and the most usual mode, is to fill the space with 
 light and neatly made lattice work. At the Palace I saw 
 another mode of filling this space. It was (apparently) 
 
 470 
 
carved openwork representing birds, fruits, flowers, and 
 arabesque ornaments, all very highly colored and pro- 
 ducing a tawdry effect, which was the more remark- 
 able as the Japanese do not greatly affect violent con- 
 trasts or gaudy colors. They apparently prefer the 
 neutral tints and have a good eye for the harmony of 
 colors. The partitions, doors or screens, were painted 
 with passable drawings of their favorite fir tree. This 
 description is exact for every part of the Palace which I 
 saw, and which was equal to some seven or eight of 
 their ordinary rooms, but on this occasion a number of 
 rooms were thrown into one. I was now conducted to an- 
 other part of the Palace. As I passed along I saw some 
 three hundred to four hundred of the Daimyo and high 
 nobles sitting in exact rows, all facing in one direction. 
 They were all clad in Court dresses, of which more 
 anon. 
 
 The room to which I was conducted was a large one 
 (but [the] screen [was] made of gilt paper; I have 
 never seen a single expensive screen made of lacquered 
 ormolu and mother-of-pearl since I have been in 
 Japan; I think they were only made by the express 
 orders of the Dutch) ; and here some of my Commis- 
 sioners came to pay their respects to me in an informal 
 manner, and some cheerful conversation passed between 
 us. I should describe the Court dress, but to convey an 
 intelligible idea of it is beyond the power of mere words. 
 Drawings are indispensable to a clear understanding of 
 it. The camissimo, or upper garment, differs from the 
 ordinary one by coming down quite to the hips. The 
 
 47i 
 
breeches are the great feature of the dress. They are made 
 of yellow silk, and the legs are some six to seven feet 
 long! Consequently, when the wearer walks, they stream 
 out behind him and give him the appearance of walk- 
 ing on his knees, an illusion which is helped out by the 
 short stature of the Japanese and the great width over 
 the shoulders of their camissimos. The cap is also a 
 great curiosity and defies description. It is made of a 
 black varnished material and looks like a Scotch Kil- 
 marnock cap which has been opened only some three 
 inches wide, and is fantastically perched on the very 
 apex of the head. The front comes just to the top edge of 
 the forehead, but the back projects some distance be- 
 hind the head. This extraordinary affair is kept in place 
 by a light colored silk cord which, passing over the top 
 of the "Coronet," passes down over the temples and is 
 tied under the chin; a lashing runs horizontally across 
 the forehead, and, being attached to the perpendicular 
 cord, passes behind the head, where it is tied. The camis- 
 simo is without sleeves and is worn over the other gar- 
 ments. It is made of some highly gummed material 
 which makes it quite stiff. Imagine a Van Dyke [collar] 
 of two half diamonds or lozenges. The acute points 
 project over each shoulder; from thence the line of its 
 shape runs so as to strike the waist or girdle. The front 
 and back are composed of box pleats, and the whole is 
 secured by the waist girdle. 
 
 My description cannot be very intelligible, but it is 
 the best I can give. 
 
 My friend Shinano was very anxious to have me enter 
 
 472 
 
the Audience Chamber and rehearse my part. This I de- 
 clined as gently as I could, telling him that the general 
 customs of all Courts were so similar that I had no fear 
 of making any mistakes, particularly as he had kindly 
 explained their part of the ceremony, while my part was 
 to be done after our Western fashion. I really believe he 
 was anxious that I should perform my part in such a 
 manner as to make a favorable impression on those who 
 would see me for the first time. I discovered, also, that I 
 had purposely been brought to the Palace a good hour 
 before the time, so that he might get through his re- 
 hearsal before the time for my actual audience. Finding 
 I declined the rehearsal, I was again taken to the room 
 that I first entered, which was comfortably warm and 
 had chairs to sit on. Tea was again served to me. The 
 servants in the Palace wore black dresses, and their 
 heads are entirely shaved. They are either priests, or 
 wear the dress of priests. 
 
 I here discovered that one of my Commissioners, 
 Kawasi, Prince of Saiyemo, 548 is brother of the Prince of 
 Shinano, my host or keeper. He is a lively, cheerful per- 
 son and was vastly pleased when I told [him] he looked 
 younger than Shinano, although he is four years his 
 senior. 
 
 He is the head of all the governors of cities and prov- 
 inces, and all business from or to them passes through 
 his office. At last I was informed that the time had 
 arrived for my audience, and I passed down by the 
 poor Daimyo who were still seated like so many statues 
 
 548 See Journal, Nov. 30, 1857, and note 528. 
 
 473 
 
in the same place; but, when I had got as far as their 
 front rank, I passed in front of their line and halted on 
 their right flank, towards which I faced. Shinano here 
 threw himself on his hands and knees. I stood behind 
 him, and Mr. Heusken was just behind me. On look- 
 ing out I saw a small courtyard surrounded with wooden 
 buildings one story high and covered with tiles. The 
 audience chamber faced in the same manner as the room 
 in which the great audience was seated, but separated 
 from it by the usual sliding doors, so that, although they 
 could see me pass and hear all that was said at the audi- 
 ence, they could not see into the chamber. At length, on a 
 signal being made, the Prince of Shinano began to crawl 
 along on his hands and knees ; and when I half turned to 
 the right and entered the audience chamber, a chamber- 
 lain called out in a loud voice, "Embassador Merrican !" 
 I halted about six feet from the door and bowed, then 
 proceeded nearly to the middle of the room, where I 
 again halted and bowed; again proceeding, I stopped 
 about ten feet from the end of the room exactly opposite 
 to the Prince of Bittsu on my right hand, where he and 
 the other five members of the Great Council were pros- 
 trate on their faces. 549 On my left hand were three broth- 
 ers of the Tykoon, prostrated in the same manner, and all 
 of them being nearly "end on" towards me. After a pause 
 of a few seconds I addressed the Tykoon as follows : 
 
 549 The American Dr. David Murray (who later was adviser to the Japanese 
 Minister of Education) tells us that he saw the original of the Japanese 
 memorandum, showing not only the arrangement of the rooms through which 
 Townsend Harris was to pass, but also the spot where he was to stand during 
 the delivery of his congratulatory remarks to the Shogun: The Story of Japan 
 (in The Story of the Nations series), p. 327, note 2. 
 
 474 
 
THE JAPANESE TEXT OF THE SHOGUN S SPEECH 
 
 This speech was delivered at the First Audience granted to Townsend Harris, 
 December 7, 1857. It is the earliest official and personal expression uttered by 
 the Shoguns of friendly relations between the United States and Japan. See 
 page 475. 
 
OF THE 
 UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS 
 
May it please Your Majesty: 
 
 In presenting my letters of credence 550 from the President 
 of the United States, I am directed to express to Your 
 Majesty the sincere wishes of the President for your health 
 and happiness and for the prosperity of your dominions. I 
 consider it a great honor that I have been selected to fill the 
 high and important place of Plenipotentiary of the United 
 States at the Court of Your Majesty; and, as my earnest 
 wishes are to unite the two countries more closely in the ties 
 of enduring friendship, my constant exertions shall be directed 
 to the attainment of that happy end. 551 
 
 Here I stopped and bowed. After a short silence the 
 Tykoon began to jerk his head backward over his left 
 shoulder, at the same time stamping with his right foot. 
 This was repeated three or four times. After this he spoke 
 audibly and in a pleasant and firm voice, what was inter- 
 preted as follows: 
 
 Pleased with the letter sent with the Ambassador from a 
 far distant country, and likewise pleased with his discourse. 
 Intercourse shall be continued forever. 552 
 
 For continuation, see Journal No. 5, page 60. 553 
 
 55op or t he text of Townsend Harris's Letter of Credence (or "Full Powers") 
 signed by President Pierce and Secretary of State Marcy, see Appendix VI. 
 The original document is the property of The College of the City of New 
 York. The Dutch translation of it is given in L. B., vol. 2, pp. 94-95. 
 
 551 The English and the Dutch texts of this address by Townsend Harris are 
 given also in L. B., vol. 2, p. 97. The English version of both these speeches 
 was transmitted to Secretary Cass in Dispatch No. 26, dated Yedo, Dec. 10, 
 1857. (L. B., vol. 3, pp. 49-56, esp. p. 55.) 
 
 552 See Journal, Dec. 4, 1857, an d note 541. For the Shogun's speech, as ren- 
 dered into Dutch by the Japanese interpreter Moriyama, see Wagener, Aus 
 dem Tagebuche, etc., p. 382. 
 
 563 Townsend Harris had, for some unexplained reason, broken off his 
 entries in vol. 1 of the manuscript Journal, on page 60, with the entry for 
 Monday, Apr. 14, 1856. There he had noted: "For Continuation of Journal 
 in the order of dates, see Journal No. 2." The present note, therefore, sends 
 us back to vol. 1, pp. 60-144, of which contain the rest of the extant Journal, 
 beginning with the statement: "Monday, December 7, 1857 (continued from 
 Journal No. 4)." 
 
 475 
 
[Journal No. 5 
 
 Commencing December 7, 1857 
 Ending February 27, 1858] 
 
 Monday, December 7, 1857 (continued from Jour- 
 nal No. 4) . Mr. Heusken, who had been standing at the 
 door of the Audience Chamber, now advanced with the 
 President's letter, bowing three times. As he ap- 
 proached, the Minister for Foreign Affairs rose to his 
 feet and stood by me. I removed the silk cover over the 
 box, opened it, also raised the cover of the letter so that 
 the Minister could see the writing. I then closed the box, 
 replaced the silk covering (made of red and white 
 stripes, six and seven), and handed the same to the 
 Minister, who received it with both hands and placed it 
 on a handsome lacquered stand which was placed a 
 little above him. 554 He then lay down again, and I turned 
 towards the Tykoon, who gave me to understand my 
 audience was at an end by making me a courteous bow. 
 I bowed, retreated backward, halted, bowed, again re- 
 treated, again halted, and bowed again and for the last 
 time. So ended my audience, when I was reconducted to 
 my original room and served with more tea gruel. In 
 
 554 For the text of President Pierce's Letter to the Emperor of Japan, dated 
 Washington, Sept. 12, 1855, see Appendix VII. The text there given is taken 
 from a copy of the letter found among Townsend Harris's papers (L. & P., 
 vol. 2, no. 15). The Dutch translation of it is given in L. B., vol. 2, pp. 95-96. 
 
 477 
 
order to see as much as I could, I asked to be shown to 
 a water closet. On leaving the room I found myself in a 
 small court surrounded by wooden buildings exactly like 
 those described on the opposite side of the house. A good 
 deal of negotiation had been used by the Japanese to get 
 me to eat a dinner at the Palace, alone or with Mr. Heus- 
 ken only. This I declined doing. I offered to partake of 
 it provided one of the Royal Family or the Prime Min- 
 ister would eat with me. I was told that their customs for- 
 bade either from doing so. I replied that the customs 
 of my country forbade anyone to eat in a house where 
 the host or his representative did not sit down to table 
 with him. At last the matter was arranged by ordering 
 the dinner to be sent to my lodgings. I had not been long 
 in the room last mentioned before I was requested to 
 meet the Council of State. I found them in the place 
 where the Daimyo had been seated, but who had now left 
 the room. Hotta, Prince of Bittsu, spoke and in the name 
 of the Council congratulated me on my arrival and audi- 
 ence, and then said His Majesty had ordered a present 
 to be offered to me, which was then in the room, at the 
 same time pointing to three large trays each holding five 
 silk kabyas 555 thickly wadded with silk wadding. I 
 thanked the Council for their kind inquiries and desired 
 them to return my thanks to His Majesty for his present. 
 After this, bows were exchanged and I turned and left 
 the room going towards the vestibule; but a few yards 
 from it I halted and turned, when the Council of State 
 again formed line and took leave of me by a deep bow. At 
 
 555 Kabiyas (Griffis, Tozvnsend Harris, p. 231). 
 
 478 
 
the vestibule I met the two officers who had first received 
 me, and I exchanged bows with them, and then left the 
 Palace, and proceeded to my norimon and returned 
 home by the same route I had come by. 
 
 The Tykoon was seated in a chair placed on a plat- 
 form raised about two feet from the floor, and from the 
 ceiling in front of him a grass curtain was hung. When 
 unrolled it would reach the floor, but it was now rolled 
 up, and was kept in its place by large silk cords with 
 heavy tassels. By an error in their calculation the cur- 
 tain was not rolled up high enough to enable me to see 
 his headdress, as the roll formed by the curtain cut 
 through the centre of his forehead, so that I cannot fully 
 describe his "crown," as the Japanese call it. I was after- 
 wards told that this mistake arose from their not mak- 
 ing a proper allowance for my height, as, had my eyes 
 been three inches lower, I could have seen the whole of 
 his headdress. This may, or may not be so. 556 The dress of 
 the Tykoon was made of silk, and the material had some 
 little gold woven in with it. But it was as distant from 
 anything like regal splendor as could be conceived. No 
 rich jewels, no elaborate gold ornaments, no diamond 
 hiked weapon appeared, and I can safely say that my 
 dress was far more costly than his. The Japanese told me 
 his crown is a black lacquered cap, of an inverted bell 
 shape. The dress of the Tykoon was differently shaped 
 from those of his courtiers and appeared like loose robes, 
 while his breeches were of a reasonable length. The 
 
 556 Surely another reason is that, whereas Townsend Harris stood during 
 the audience, all who had ever before been granted an audience had been 
 obliged to approach the Shogun on their knees. 
 
 479 
 
material was far inferior to the glorious "kincabs" of the 
 Benares looms. 557 
 
 I did not see any gilding in any part, and all the 
 wooden columns were unpainted. 
 
 Not an article of any kind appeared in any of the 
 rooms, except the braziers and the chairs and tables 
 brought for my use. At the right side of the last gate I 
 entered, a square pagoda or tower of three stories was 
 erected. There was the same absence of military display 
 as on my visit to the Minister. Soon after reaching my 
 quarters the dinner followed. It was very handsome ac- 
 cording to Japanese rules, and the centerpieces were 
 beautifully got up. Miniature fir trees, the tortoise and 
 stork, emblems of longevity, with tokens of welcome and 
 respect were prominently exhibited. 558 I merely looked 
 at it but was unable to eat a morsel, as I was seriously ill. 
 I had taken a violent cold; had much inflammation of 
 the lungs, 559 and now a violent ague fit attacked me. I 
 was glad to send for the doctor of the Prince of Shi- 
 nano, a very intelligent man that I had frequently seen 
 at Shimoda. Finding I had already taken cathartic medi- 
 cine, he prescribed tisanes, 560 feet in hot water, to drink 
 freely of hot cunju, or rice gruel, and to put on as many 
 clothes as I could pile on my bed, so as to promote per- 
 spiration. 
 
 557 Kincobs — India silk brocaded with flowers in silver or gold. 
 
 558 For the various courses of this dinner, see 46-2, H. Ex. Doc, no. 1, pt. 1, 
 pp. 626-27, in Serial no. 1902. 
 
 559 The record at the Greenwood Cemetery in Brooklyn (where Townsend 
 Harris is buried), reads that he died Feb. 25, 1878, of "Congestion of the 
 lungs." 
 
 660 Ptisancs. 
 
 480 
 
Tuesday, December 8, 1857. Still quite ill, al- 
 though better than yesterday. 
 
 Write to the Minister for Foreign Affairs that I have 
 some important communications to make which deeply 
 concern the interests of Japan, which I will communi- 
 cate to him, or to the whole Council of State. ( See private 
 letter book no. 3.) 561 
 
 I omitted to state yesterday that the dinner sent to me 
 was placed on some forty to fifty trays made of un- 
 painted wood. These trays were eleven inches high for 
 me and about five inches for Mr. Heusken. The dinner 
 was served in the usual lacquered cups. 
 
 I was told that the trays and other utensils, after hav- 
 ing been used by me, could never be used by any other 
 person, and therefore they were made of unvarnished 
 wood, this being the custom of Japan when presenting 
 food to persons of exalted rank, etc., etc. 
 
 The fan used at the audience differs from that used on 
 ordinary occasions. It does not open and fold like ordi- 
 nary fans, but is permanently fixed and is about three 
 inches across the top. The handle also is longer than 
 that of the ordinary fan. Gave the letter for the Minister 
 to the Prince of Shinano who came to me this afternoon, 
 after his visit to the Castle. He told me that all who were 
 
 561 L. B., vol. 3, p. 10. More fully: This letter referred to the letter of the 
 President which Townsend Harris had finally delivered at the audience of 
 the preceding day, Dec. 7, 1857. Townsend Harris tells Prince Hotta that 
 he is now ready to make confidential communications either to Hotta or to the 
 Great Council. He adds that immediate action will be needed thereafter, and 
 that he is ready to treat with duly appointed commissioners. The "confidential 
 communications" hinted at in this letter, and the "important communications" 
 hinted at in the text, both refer to the subjects discussed by Townsend Harris 
 during his interview at Hotta's house on Dec. 12, 1857: cf. L. ftf P., vol. 1, 
 no. 79. 
 
 481 
 
present at the audience yesterday were amazed at my 
 "greatness of soul" and at my bearing in presence of the 
 mighty ruler of Japan. 
 
 They had looked to see me "tremble and quake," and 
 to speak in a faltering voice. He added that the Ameri- 
 cans were a very different people from the Dutch. I in- 
 sert this because he told it to me, and I let it pass for what 
 it is worth, but I am hugely inclined to think that there 
 is some admixture of "soft sawder." 
 
 Thursday, December 10, 1857. We had a shock of 
 earthquake yesterday at nine A. M. — quite light — better 
 to-day. Show the presents I have brought for the 
 Tykoon ; they consist of the following articles : 
 
 12 quarts of champagne, 24 pints of champagne 
 12 bottles sherry, 12 bottles of assorted liqueurs 
 
 1 rich astral lamp, 3 rich cut globes, extra chim- 
 
 neys, etc., etc. 
 
 2 very rich cut-glass decanters 
 1 telescope 
 
 1 aneroid barometer 
 
 2 volumes, Museum of Natural History, 1,000 
 
 plates. 
 5 Bramah's patent locks. 562 
 
 Trays to place these articles on must be made before 
 they can be presented. 563 The Prince of Shinano tells me 
 that the person who gave maps of Japan to Von Siebold 
 did not perform the hara-kiri, but was crucified; and 
 
 562 With this rather meager and inferior list, compare the lists of official 
 presents made to the First and the Second Kings of Siam (Appendices II 
 nnd III). 
 
 563 The cost of making these stands or trays had to be met by Townsend 
 Harris, and is given in L. & P., vol. 2, no. 91. 
 
 482 
 
that a number of other persons lost their lives by their 
 conduct on that occasion. 664 
 
 Crucifixion is performed as follows: the criminal is 
 tied to a cross with his arms and legs stretched apart as 
 wide as possible; then a spear is thrust through the body 
 entering just under the bottom of the shoulder blade on 
 the left side and coming out on the right side just by the 
 armpit. Another spear is then thrust through from the 
 right to the left side in the same manner. The executioner 
 endeavors to avoid the heart in this operation. The spears 
 are thrust through in this manner until the criminal ex- 
 pires, but his sufferings are prolonged as much as pos- 
 sible. 
 
 ^Osada's Life of Takano Nagahide, translated and edited with an intro- 
 duction by D. C. Greene, D.D., in Transactions of The Asiatic Society of 
 Japan, vol. XLI, part III, Aug., 1913, pp. 408-09: 
 
 "Although the civilization of Western Europe had seemed to be swelling 
 to a full tide at Nagasaki ever since Siebold's arrival, an unforeseen calam- 
 ity came upon the Dutch community, and forced Takano to give up the 
 plans upon which he had set his heart. 
 
 "In the ninth month of the eleventh year of Bunsei (commencing October 
 9th, 1828), Siebold had completed his period of service and was planning 
 to return home. His ship drifted ashore as the result of a hurricane, and 
 this led to a re-examination of the cargo, with the result that there were 
 found in his effects certain prohibited goods. 
 
 "It seems that when Siebold went to Yedo for the first time [1823], he 
 was visited by Takahashi Sakuzaemon who had the office of Chief Librarian 
 and Astronomer under the Shogun's government; who asked him many 
 questions about foreign countries. Takahashi was widely read and far- 
 sighted, and, on learning that Siebold had Russian books and a map of New 
 Holland [Australia], he thought it would be of advantage to the country 
 if he should translate them and present them to the government; but Siebold 
 was at first unwilling to loan the books. Finally, however, he prevailed upon 
 Siebold to give them in exchange for maps of Japan and Yezo, together 
 with an account of the products of the country, and these articles were found 
 by the authorities in examining the ship. 
 
 "Accordingly Siebold was confined in Deshima, while Takahashi, the 
 interpreters Baba Hachiro, Kichio Yoshijiro, Inomata Genzaburo and more 
 than thirty others were imprisoned. The Shogun's physician, Habu Genseki, 
 was also arrested on the charge that he had given Siebold clothes with 
 the hollyhock crest, and had studied ophthalmology from him. This affair 
 caused great excitement in the medical communities of Yedo and Nagasaki." 
 
 483 
 
Shinano told me that a few years ago a very strong 
 man lived until the eleventh spear had been thrust 
 through him. 
 
 No man is put to death in Japan until he has confessed 
 his guilt. After conviction, if he asserts his innocence, he 
 is put to the torture until he confesses or dies or faints, — 
 in the last case he is removed to his prison and brought 
 to the question on another day, and this continues until he 
 either confesses his guilt or dies under the torture. Had 
 a long argument on the injustice of the torture as a means 
 of eliciting truth. 565 
 
 Saturday, December 12, 1857. Again visit the Min- 
 ister for Foreign Affairs. Everything attending this visit 
 was so exactly like my first visit that I have nothing to 
 note except what relates to the conference I had with 
 him. The Commissioners of my Voyage assisted the 
 Minister on this occasion. 
 
 My private papers on "Japan" contain an exact copy 
 of what I said on this occasion, — therefore, I do not copy 
 it here. 566 
 
 565 On the same day, Townsend Harris wrote a long Dispatch to Secretary 
 Cass (L. B., vol. 2, pp. 49-56, Dispatch No. 26), in which, after referring to 
 Dispatch No. 13, he narrates in great detail the story of his trip to Yedo, 
 his entry into the Shogun's capital, the negotiations preceding the Audience, 
 and the Audience itself. (The text of Townsend Harris's speech on that 
 occasion, and of the Tycoon's answer, are both to be found, ib., p. 55.) 
 
 566 In 46-2, H. Ex. Doc, no. 1, pp. 627-31, we find: "Statement made by 
 Townsend Harris in the house of Hotta on the 26th of 10th month of 4th 
 year" — i. e., Dec. 12, 1857. For additional details of this visit to Lord Hotta, 
 see Heusken's Diary, in Wagener, op. cit., pp. 382-83. 
 
 The manuscript source to which Townsend Harris refers is L. & P., vol. 1, 
 no. 79, which is endorsed (in Townsend Harris's hand) : "Memorandum of 
 the communications I am to make to the Council of State at Yedo, 1857." From 
 this wording it is clear that Townsend Harris had written it all out in advance, 
 probably before leaving Shimoda ; for it will be remembered that Townsend 
 
 484 
 
It related to the changed condition of the world by 
 the introduction of steam ; that Japan would be forced to 
 abandon her exclusive policy; that she might soon be- 
 come a great and powerful nation by simply permitting 
 her people to exercise their ingenuity and industry; that 
 a moderate tax on commerce would soon give her a large 
 revenue by which she might support a respectable navy ; 
 that the resources of Japan, when developed by the action 
 of free trade, would show a vast amount of exchange- 
 able values; that this production would not in any re- 
 spect interfere with the production of the necessary food 
 for the people, but would arise from the employment 
 given to the actual surplus labor of Japan, etc., etc. ; that 
 foreign nations would, one after another, send powerful 
 fleets to Japan to demand the opening of the country; 
 that Japan must either yield or suffer the miseries of 
 war; that, even if war did not ensue, the country would 
 be kept in a constant state of excitement by the presence 
 of these large foreign armaments; that to make a con- 
 cession of any value it must be made in due season; and 
 that the terms demanded by a fleet would never be as 
 moderate as those asked by a person placed as I was ; and 
 that to yield to a fleet what was refused to an ambassador 
 would humiliate the Government in the eyes of all the 
 Japanese people, and thus actually weaken its power. 
 This point was illustrated by the case of China, the war 
 of 1839 to 1 841, the events succeeding that war, and the 
 present hostilities. 
 
 Harris distinctly says (Journal, Nov. 30, 1857) that the letter which he on 
 that day sent Hotta by Shinano (L. B., vol. 2, p. 93) "had been previously 
 prepared at Shimoda and only required to be dated and sealed." 
 
 4 8 5 
 
I told him that, by negotiating with me who had pur- 
 posely come to Yedo alone and without the presence of 
 even a single man-of-war, the honor of Japan would be 
 saved ; that each point would be carefully discussed, and 
 that the country should be gradually opened. 
 
 I added that the three great points would be : ist, the 
 reception of foreign ministers to reside at Yedo; 2nd, 
 the freedom of trade with the Japanese without the inter- 
 ference of Government officers; and 3rd, the opening of 
 additional harbors. 
 
 I added that I did not ask any exclusive rights for the 
 Americans, and that a treaty that would be satisfactory 
 to the President would at once be accepted by all the 
 great Western powers. I did not fail to point out the 
 danger to Japan of having opium forced upon her, and 
 said I would be willing to prohibit the bringing it to 
 Japan. 
 
 I closed by saying that my mission was a friendly one 
 in every respect; that I had no threats to use; that the 
 President merely informed them of the dangers that 
 threatened the country, and pointed out a way by which 
 not only could those dangers be averted, but Japan made 
 a prosperous, powerful and happy nation. 
 
 My discourse lasted over two hours and was listened 
 to with the deepest attention and interest by the Minister. 
 He asked some questions occasionally when he did not 
 fully understand what was said. 
 
 When I had finished, the Minister thanked me for my 
 communication, and said it should be communicated to 
 the Tykoon and have that consideration which it merited, 
 
 486 
 
and that it was the most important matter ever brought 
 before the Government. 
 
 He added that the Japanese never acted as promptly 
 on business of importance as the Americans did, that 
 many persons had to be consulted, and therefore I must 
 give them sufficient time for those purposes. This was to 
 prepare me for the usual delay of the Japanese in every- 
 thing. 
 
 I replied I wished them to fully consider all I had 
 said, and that I should be very glad to give any explana- 
 tions of details whenever it should be asked. 
 
 The Minister kindly inquired after my health, cour- 
 teously expressing his regret at my illness. 
 
 The usual refreshments were served, and I returned 
 to my quarters about four o'clock. 
 
 Sunday, December 1 3, 185J. The second Sunday in 
 Advent. Read the service with Mr. Heusken. I have told 
 the Japanese that I performed my religious worship, in 
 order that they might not say they had no knowledge of 
 it. 
 
 Monday, December 14, 1857. I have had a long and 
 unpleasant debate about my diplomatic rights, the Jap- 
 anese insisting on their right to appoint persons to 
 guard me from insult, injury, fire, etc., etc. 
 
 I replied that I had come to Yedo alone, therefore I 
 wished the Government to place proper persons in the 
 house, but that it must be done by my request and not as 
 their right. I had in view the great importance of my 
 not doing anything that might be quoted as a precedent 
 whenever foreign ministers shall come here to reside. 
 
 487 
 
This matter has been agitated for a number of days, and 
 at last I carried my point, and the matter was settled as 
 follows: he wrote me a letter stating that the Japanese 
 Government admitted my full and complete control of 
 the premises occupied by me, and that no person could 
 enter the place without my permission. 
 
 I wrote in reply, first quoting his letter, and added 
 that I wished the Government to supply me with a 
 proper number of persons to protect me from accidents, 
 carefully adding "but in so doing I do not admit the 
 right of the Japanese Government to place any person 
 in my house under any pretence whatever without my 
 consent." (See private letter book no. 3.) 567 
 
 Wednesday, December l6, 185J. In reply to my re- 
 quest for some place where I could exercise on horse- 
 back, the Japanese offered me a piece of ground adjoin- 
 ing my house, about five yards wide and some thirty 
 yards long! 
 
 They then offered me another spot about one hundred 
 feet long by seventy-five feet wide. This was also re- 
 jected. To-day the Prince told me that they had set apart 
 
 567 The quotation here given is from L. B., vol. 3, p. 11; but this is a letter 
 addressed to Inouye, Shinano-no-Kami, dated Dec. 19, 1857, an d written in 
 reply to one from Inouye dated Dec. 18, 1857. The debate about his diplomatic 
 rights (mentioned in the beginning of this entry) must therefore have been 
 with Inouye, who likewise is the person referred to a little later by the words, 
 "He wrote me a letter stating," etc. 
 
 All the internal evidence in the letter here cited proves that the dates are 
 correct in the Letter Book. How this entire entry came to be dated Dec. 14th 
 in the Journal (which is here written in Townsend Harris's own hand) is 
 beyond comprehension. It may be that Townsend Harris made his rough copy 
 of the Journal on loose sheets, beginning each new day's entry on a separate 
 sheet; and that, because he wrote hurriedly, he misinterpreted his own hand- 
 writing, and entered under Dec. 14th the entry which rightly belonged to 
 Dec. 19th. An added consideration in favor of this solution is that the Journal 
 has no entry for Dec. 19th. 
 
 488 
 
a ba-ba not far distant from my place, and wished me to 
 send Mr. Heusken or to go myself and see it. Mr. Heus- 
 ken examined it, and reported that it was a regular mili- 
 tary ground, over three hundred yards long and from 
 fifty to seventy- five yards wide, and that it would answer 
 my purpose. On this I accepted it, and in the afternoon 
 I went to it. It is on a plateau elevated some fifty feet 
 above my residence and directly opposite to a bridge and 
 gate leading to the residence of the brothers of the 
 Tykoon. It is enclosed with a hedge and large trees. 
 Large numbers of the people collected around the hedge 
 and the streets by which I went to the place. They were 
 perfectly quiet; the only noise being that of the street 
 keepers with their eternal "Satu, satu," "Keep back, 
 keep back." To-day I sent a present of a few bottles [of] 
 wines and liqueurs to the Minister of Foreign Affairs 
 with a copy of Blunt's Coast Pilot. In my letter to him 
 (which see) I called his particular attention to the book, 
 and that it contained an accurate account of every har- 
 bor in the United States, West Indies and South 
 America; that such books were printed by private in- 
 dividuals and sold freely to all that wanted them; that 
 the Government encouraged such publications, as they 
 increased the facilities of foreign commerce, which was 
 one of the great elements of our prosperity, and that I 
 considered it as a very proper book to place in the 
 hands of the Minister for Foreign Affairs in Japan. 568 
 
 568 Here again there is a discrepancy that cannot be explained (see preceding 
 note). This entry of the Journal correctly gives the substance of L. B., vol. 3, 
 pp. 15-16, which is a letter addressed by Townsend Harris to Lord Hotta 
 and dated Dec. 24, 1857. Again, Dec. 24, 1857, must be the correct date on 
 
 489 
 
Thursday, December IJ, l8$J. A fine ride in the ba- 
 ba to-day. The Japanese wish me to agree to go to the 
 ba~ba only two days in the week, and that for a single 
 hour! as they required it every day for the exercises of 
 their soldiers. I replied that, if the place was wanted for 
 that purpose, I must of course give it up ; and, as the 
 times they named were unreasonable, I would hereafter 
 take my exercise along the street running along the moat. 
 
 This did not suit at all, and at last it was settled that 
 the ba-ba should be at my disposal from three P. M. every 
 day of the week except Sunday. I may be said to be now 
 engaged in teaching the elements of political economy 
 to the Japanese and in giving them information as to 
 the working of commercial regulations in the West. 
 
 This is attended with more labor than can be well im- 
 agined, for I not only give them ideas for which, as they 
 are new, they have no adequate terms, but the interpreter 
 does not understand the Dutch terms when he hears 
 them. Thus I am sometimes employed for hours in try- 
 ing to convey a very simple idea. It requires an in- 
 calculable amount of patience to prevent my throwing 
 the matter up in despair. But I know that every word I 
 utter, every new idea I succeed in conveying, is at once 
 carried to the Council of State, so I persevere in the 
 hope that my labors will at last produce fruit, if not for 
 me, at least for my successor. 
 
 which Townsend Harris made these presents to Hotta, and for two reasons ; 
 the first, because this date is nearer Christmas; the second, because on Jan. 4, 
 1858 (g *>.), Hotta made a return present to Townsend Harris, and in his 
 accompanying letter said that he had read Townsend Harris's letter, "sent 
 on the last 9th day" (L. & P., vol. 2, no. 67). In the Japanese calendar Dec. 
 24, 1857, was the 9th day of the nth month. 
 
 49O 
 
Friday, December 18, 1 8 57. After an incredible 
 amount of talk and difficulty, the Japanese have given 
 me a map of Yedo. I am not to give it away or suffer it 
 to be copied. 569 
 
 Sunday, December 20, 1857. The last Sunday in Ad- 
 vent. Read service as usual. Yesterday had an earth- 
 quake — not very sharp. Quite unwell these three days. 
 
 Monday, December 21, 1857. To-day the Commis- 
 sioners of my Voyage call on me for the purpose of re- 
 ceiving information. 570 
 
 The chief point of their inquiries related to the object 
 of sending Ministers to foreign countries; their duties, 
 their rights under the laws of nations. All these ques- 
 tions were as clearly answered as possible. 
 
 I added that, when a Minister gave serious offence to 
 the Court to which he was appointed, the government 
 might suspend intercourse with him and order him to 
 leave the country; that the usual mode was to complain 
 of his conduct to his own government and to request his 
 recall. The Commissioners asked questions also respect- 
 ing commerce, and what I meant by trade being carried 
 on without the interference of government officers. This 
 I also succeeded in explaining to their full satisfaction. 
 They said they were in the dark on all these points and 
 
 569 For the fate of Siebold under similar circumstances, see note 564. 
 
 570 Lord Hotta did not go himself, but sent five of the eight Commissioners 
 (for whose names see note 528). The purpose of their visit was to seek further 
 particulars on the substance of the conversation between Townsend Harris 
 and Hotta on Dec. 12, 1857. Complementary to the brief statements here 
 made, is the full and detailed account to be found in 46-2, H Ex. Doc, no, 1, 
 pt. 1, pp. 631-34, in Serial no. 1902: "Account of a conversation with Townsend 
 Harris in the Banshe Shirabejo [a kind of Foreign Office] on the 6th of the 
 nth month." This date corresponds to Monday, Dec. 21, 1857 {cf. note 527). 
 
 491 
 
therefore were like children; therefore I must have 
 patience with them. They added that they placed the 
 fullest confidence in all my statements. 
 
 I gave them a written paper containing* the basis of a 
 commercial treaty which I explained to them article by 
 article, and told them I wished that paper might be 
 taken into serious consideration. 
 
 I then gave them champagne, which they appeared 
 to understand and to like. 
 
 Friday, December 25, 1857. Merry Christmas! I 
 little thought on last Christmas to pass the present one in 
 Yedo. If I could pass one in Pekin, it would make my 
 different places of passing the day a remarkable list. 
 
 I ask every day when I may expect an answer to my 
 great communications. 
 
 The invariable reply is that a great many persons are 
 to be consulted: the brothers of the Tykoon, all the 
 Daimyo and some other great men; that letters have to 
 be written and answers received, and then the old story, 
 — "the Japanese do not decide important affairs until 
 after long deliberation." 
 
 Wrote to the Minister for Foreign Affairs transmit- 
 ting a memorandum pointing out the most obvious 
 articles that will form the elements of foreign com- 
 merce, and showing how these articles may be in- 
 creased in production, etc., etc. (See private letter book 
 no. 3.) 
 
 571 
 
 671 The letter to Hotta is L. B., vol. 3, p. 16; the Memorandum enclosed 
 therein is ib., pp. 17-19, and the "most obvious articles that will form the 
 elements" of trade between the United States and Japan are lacquerware, silks, 
 tea, and copper. The writing of these letters on Christmas Day was a rather 
 
 492 
 
Sunday, December 2], 1857. Snow and a gloomy 
 day. I cannot get one word out of the Prince of Shinano 
 as to my prospects of success, nor a hint as to the existence 
 or non-existence of any obstacles. This state of uncer- 
 tainty joined to indifferent health greatly depresses my 
 spirits. 
 
 Thursday, December 31, 1857. An earthquake to- 
 day. I have not had a visit for three days from the Prince 
 of Shinano, [which fact,] joined to the uncertainty that 
 hangs over my negotiations, causes me to pass this, the 
 last day of the year, in a melancholy manner. 
 
 I fondly hope that the year now about to commence 
 will give me more frequent opportunities of communi- 
 cating with the outer world than I enjoyed during the 
 present one. In truth I was most shamefully neglected by 
 the Navy in the East. 572 
 
 Friday, January 1, 1858. I desire to return thanks to 
 Almighty God for permitting me to see the beginning 
 of a New Year. 
 
 With my poor health, and over half a century of years, 
 I cannot promise myself that I shall see another. I am 
 thankful that I have been able to accomplish so much 
 
 prosaic occupation, and yet a good example of the saying "the better the day, 
 the better the deed." Indeed, only two days before, Townsend Harris had writ- 
 ten a long (and private) letter to Mr. E. E. Rice, American Commercial Agent 
 at Hakodate, in which, after telling of his audience and his hopes, he discusses 
 in detail not only the two Dutch Treaties with Japan (Nov. 9, 1855, and Jan. 30, 
 1856), but also the Additional Articles signed by the Dutch and the Russians 
 (L. B., vol. 3, pp. 12-15). Treaty making was verily the one task of Town- 
 send Harris's life during these busy months. 
 
 572 And in spite of his "melancholy manner," he dutifully, on this last day 
 of a long and weary year, wrote Dispatch No. 27 to Secretary Cass, transmit- 
 ting the number and the dates of all his dispatches to the Department of 
 State for the year 1857 (L. B., vol. 3, p. 35). 
 
 493 
 
as I already have done for the honor of my country dur- 
 ing the past year, and I hope that I shall be able to 
 effectually open this country before the present one 
 closes. I was visited in honor of my New Year's Day by 
 the Princes of Toke and Shinano; both came in dresses 
 of ceremony and brought me some trifling presents. Had 
 some very pleasant conversation, but nothing was said 
 on business. 573 
 
 Saturday, January 2, 1 8 $8. A very sharp shock of 
 earthquake. People much alarmed, and all ran out of 
 their houses. I am told the earthquake of December, 
 1856, killed over ten thousand persons in Yedo alone, 
 and that one-third of the houses in the city were either 
 thrown down or so much shaken that they had to be 
 taken down. To add to their afflictions, fire broke out in 
 an immense number of places among the ruins of the 
 fallen houses. A very intelligent Japanese told me the 
 motion was perpendicular and the shocks followed each 
 other almost instantly. This is the motion that is most 
 injurious. The billow or wave motion does but little in- 
 jury, comparatively. 
 
 Monday, January 4, 1858. Hotta, Prince of Bittsu, 
 sent me a present of some pretty lacquerware and some 
 fine crepes. 574 
 
 573 Townsend Harris found time on this day to write five routine dispatches 
 to Secretary Cass (L. B., vol. 3, pp. 35-36, Dispatches Nos. 1-5) ; two to the 
 Hon. Howell Cobb, Secretary of the Treasury (ib., p. 37, Dispatches Nos. 1 
 and 2) ; and one to the bankers Baring Bros., at London (ib., p. 37). 
 
 574 These presents were accompanied by a letter addressed "To His Excel- 
 lency Townsent [sic] Harris, Plenipotentiary and Consul General of the 
 United States of America, etc., etc., etc." It was dated the 20th day of the nth 
 month, Mi. A copy of the English translation of this letter (the copy being made 
 by Mr. Heusken himself) shows that the original translation into English was 
 
 494 
 
4 
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 ii 
 
 LETTER WRITTEN BY HOTTA, BITCHIU-NO-KAMI, TO 
 
 TOWNSEND HARRIS 
 
 Dated, Yedo, January 4, 1858. See Appendix VIII. 
 
OF THE 
 UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS 
 
To-day I procured some specimens of the square 
 bamboo. Earthquake to-day. 
 
 Tuesday, January 5, 1858. Earthquake. 575 
 Saturday, January Q, 1858. To-day the Prince of 
 Shinano visited me for the first time in three days. I 
 determined to bring about a crisis, and therefore began 
 by saying that it was now twenty-nine days since I had 
 made some very important communications to the Min- 
 ister of Foreign Affairs, of which no official notice had 
 since been taken; 576 that they would not even name a 
 period within which I should have a reply; that such 
 treatment could not be submitted to ; that the President 
 had sent me to Yedo on a most friendly mission, having 
 solely the benefit of Japan in view; that the United 
 States asked nothing for themselves; that the trade of 
 Japan was no object to us ; that all we cared for was that 
 our ships could make repairs and get supplies in their 
 harbors, and that we had already got that point; that 
 they must open their eyes and then they would see that I 
 
 made and signed by Moriyama Takitsiro, the interpreter. At the bottom, 
 the letter is countersigned: "A true translation, H. C. J. Heusken." (L. & P., 
 vol. 2, no. 67.) For a reproduction of this letter, see illustration; for the text 
 as given by L. & P., vol. 2, no. 67, see Appendix VIII.) 
 
 575 Though silent as far as this Journal entry is concerned, Townsend Harris 
 on this day took another forward step in his negotiations. On Dec. 12th (g. <v.) 
 he had made a long and important statement to Lord Hotta. On Dec. 21st (g. <v.) 
 he had given further explanations to the five Commissioners who had visited 
 him at his house. On the 25th (g. v.) he had actually enumerated what would 
 probably prove to be the chief objects of Japan's trade with the United States. 
 Finally, on this day (Jan. 5, 1858) he again writes to Hotta, saying that, 
 judging from the delay in receiving an answer to his propositions, he must 
 fain believe that they have not been understood. Townsend Harris therefore 
 offers to meet Hotta and give still further explanations, emphasizing the value 
 of a full and free discussion which need not (he points out) be considered 
 binding on either party (L. B., vol. 3, pp. 19-18 bis). 
 
 576 Referring to the statement made in the house of Hotta on Dec. 12, 1857 
 (q. v., and note 566). 
 
 495 
 
neither asked nor would I accept any favors from 
 Japan; that ten days ago I offered to give them explana- 
 tions on any points on which they needed informa- 
 tion ; 677 and wound up by saying that their treatment of 
 me showed that no negotiations could be carried on with 
 them unless the plenipotentiary was backed by a fleet, 
 and offered them cannon balls for arguments. I closed 
 by saying that unless something was done I should re- 
 turn to Shimoda. Poor Shinano listened in evident trepi- 
 dation, and earnestly assured me that no slight to the 
 President or insult to me was intended; that, as to- 
 morrow was my Sunday and I would not do business on 
 that day, he could not answer me before the next day, at 
 which time he told me I should be satisfied. 
 
 This was apparently a bold step on my part, but from 
 my knowledge of this people I felt that I ran no kind 
 of danger of breaking off my negotiations by what I did, 
 and that the more I yielded and acquiesced, the more 
 they would impose on me, while, by taking a bold atti- 
 tude and assuming a threatening tone, I should at once 
 bring them to terms. 
 
 Monday, January II, 1858. A visit to-day from the 
 Prince of Shinano. He began by saying that he had re- 
 ported all I had said to him at our last interview to the 
 Minister of Foreign Affairs; that the Minister ad- 
 mitted that I had just cause of complaint, but that the 
 position of the Government was most difficult; that they 
 were enlightened, and knew that what I had recom- 
 
 577 This Townsend Harris really did by letter to Hotta dated Jan. 5, 1858 
 (see note 575). 
 
 496 
 
mended was truly for the best interests of Japan, but 
 their conviction alone was not sufficient, — they had to 
 convince the brothers of the Tykoon, the Daimyo, the 
 military, and [the] literary classes of the wisdom of 
 following my advice; that the Minister and his col- 
 leagues had labored constantly night and day to secure 
 the consent of the persons referred to ; and that a brother 
 of the Tykoon was in Kyushu, and they had to write to 
 him and get his reply; and finally he said that on Fri- 
 day the 15th he would inform me the day when I should 
 have an answer. 
 
 This was much to my satisfaction, and I told the 
 Prince that, so long as I had specific days fixed, then I 
 could wait with patience. 
 
 I endeavored to draw from him some hints as to the 
 probable color of the answer I should receive, but I 
 could not elicit anything. Either he has "great powers 
 of silence," or he actually was ignorant of the matter. 
 Wednesday, January T3, l8$8. Slight shocks of 
 earthquake to-day. Mr. Heusken has been much indis- 
 posed since the 8th inst. with a bilious attack. 
 
 Wednesday, January 13, 1858. Slight shocks of 
 promise, the Prince of Shinano visited me. He said the 
 Minister of Foreign Affairs would give me an answer to- 
 morrow or at a later day, as best suited me, and as the 
 matters were of the highest importance he desired to 
 have a conference with me. 
 
 I accepted at once the day and place of conference. 
 
 Saturday, January 16, 1858. Again to the Minister's. 
 Retinue, roads and the appearances in the streets exactly 
 
 497 
 
as they were on my two previous visits to him, except 
 that there were not so many people in the streets to look 
 at the cortege as it passed. Foreigners will soon cease to 
 excite curiosity here. I was received in the usual man- 
 ner by the [Minister], except that I thought his smile 
 was warmer this morning than before ; to-day it was more 
 than skin deep. The Minister soon opened the confer- 
 ence by saying that the communication I had made 
 verbally to him, together with the written memorandums 
 I had sent to him, 578 and the information I had com- 
 municated to his Princes, had all been laid before His 
 Majesty the Tykoon. His Majesty desired first to thank 
 the President for his very kind advice and for the friend- 
 ship he had thus shown for Japan. The Minister then 
 proceeded to give me His Majesty's answer. 
 
 The demand for the residence of a Minister at Yedo 
 is admitted. 579 The place of his residence and the rights 
 he is to exercise shall be settled by negotiation. 
 
 The right of free trade is granted. Commissioners 
 shall be appointed to settle the details of trade. 
 
 Three harbors having already been opened, and as 
 Japan is a small country, the number cannot be in- 
 creased; but, as Shimoda is not found to be suitable as a 
 harbor, another shall be given in place of it, but the num- 
 ber may not be increased beyond three. After the Min- 
 ister had ended, I told him I was much concerned at 
 His Majesty's decision about harbors; 580 that it was im- 
 
 578 See Journal, Dec. 25, 1857, and note 571. 
 
 579 This later became Art. I of the Treaty concluded July 29, 1858. 
 
 580 For the question of harbors, see ib., Art. III. 
 
 498 
 
possible for me to make a satisfactory treaty under such 
 restrictions. I pointed out to him the west coast of Japan, 
 bordering on the Japan Sea. 
 
 From Hakodate to Nagasaki, following the coast line, 
 it is quite four hundred ri (one thousand miles Eng- 
 lish), yet in all that distance not a single harbor was 
 opened; that many American whale ships were in the 
 Japan Sea, and it was very important for them to have 
 a convenient harbor in that sea; that His Majesty had 
 spoken of the small size of the Empire, but an examina- 
 tion of the maps of the principal parts of the world would 
 show that Japan had a coast line far greater than the 
 average states. I therefore earnestly recommended a re- 
 consideration of that part of His Majesty's decision. 
 
 I was informed that the Commissioners to negotiate 
 with me would be appointed immediately, and that the 
 first interview should be held day after to-morrow, and 
 that the negotiations should be conducted at my quar- 
 ters. I then handed the Minister a copy and translation 
 of my full powers, 581 and pointed out to him the necessity 
 that the powers of the Japanese Commissioners should 
 specify that they were appointed to negotiate with me, 
 and not a mere general power. 
 
 I requested that a translation of the Japanese full 
 powers should be handed to me before the meeting. 
 
 I also told the Minister that, as soon as we had gone 
 through the formality of exchanging our full powers, 
 I would hand the Commissioners a draft of such a treaty 
 as would be satisfactory; that they could have it trans- 
 
 581 See note 550. 
 
 499 
 
lated into Japanese; and, after having duly con- 
 sidered it, we could then proceed with our nego- 
 tiations; that this course would greatly facilitate 
 our negotiations and thus save valuable time; adding 
 that I had nothing to conceal, no secret motives or wishes, 
 and therefore I could proceed in this frank and open 
 manner. The Minister said that my course was very 
 praiseworthy and that it gave him much satisfaction. 
 
 I have the draft of a treaty which I drew up before 
 leaving Shimoda, and I was anxious to take the initia- 
 tive in presenting a draft, as, had the Japanese presented 
 one, it would have been difficult if not impossible to re- 
 ject it entirely, and to try to amend one of their per- 
 formances would have made a piece of literary or diplo- 
 matic patchwork that would have excited the laughter 
 of all who might have the misfortune to be compelled to 
 read it. I could not learn the number or names of the? 
 intended Commissioners. I was told the Prince of Shi- 
 nano would be one, but nothing further. 582 
 
 Monday, January 18, 1858. To-day I rigged out in 
 full dress in honor of the signatures of the President and 
 Tykoon which are to be exhibited to-day. I learn to-day 
 
 682 Another account of this busy day in Townsend Harris's life is to be found 
 in 46-2, H. Ex. Doc, no. i, pt. i, pp. 635-36, in Serial no. 1902. The speakers at 
 the Prime Minister's house were Hotta, Townsend Harris, and other Japanese 
 whom the document just cited does not name. This government publication, 
 moreover, is wrong in translating "the second day of the twelfth month" as 
 "February, 1858." 
 
 At this point, one should not fail to read Gubbins, The Progress of Japan, 
 App. 16, pages 289-91, which are a quotation from the Bakumatsu Givaikodan, 
 or The Story of Foreign Relations in the last days of the Shogunate, 
 by M. Sanabe. These few pages give an admirable picture of the complicated 
 political activity that was going on behind the mirror. 
 
 Finally, see Heusken's Diary in Wagener, Aus dem Tagebuche, etc., p. 383. 
 
 500 
 
that I am to have only two Commissioners to deal with. 
 This pleases me, as it will prevent much interruption; 
 although the Commissioners will have full powers, yet 
 in reality I shall be negotiating with the whole Council 
 of State. The Commissioners will hear my arguments, 
 and then request time to consider them; they will repeat 
 what I have said to the Council, who will consider the 
 matter and then dictate what the Commissioners shall 
 say. I feel just as sure of this as though I had been told 
 it by themselves. The Commissioners are : 
 
 Inowouye, Prince of Shinano, and 
 Iwase, Prince of Hego 583 
 
 At one P. M. the Commissioners appeared. They were 
 attended by two secretaries to take down every word 
 that was uttered. 
 
 We saluted each other standing. I then gave my full 
 powers to Mr. Heusken, who handed it to the Prince of 
 Shinano who opened it, looked at the President's signa- 
 ture and the seal, and then passed it to his colleague, who 
 also examined it and then returned it to Mr. Heusken, 
 who handed it to me. The full powers of the Japanese 
 Commissioners were then given to the Vice-Governor of 
 Shimoda who handed it to me. I opened it and looked at 
 
 583 These Treaty Commissioners were Inouye, Shinano-no-Kami ; and Iwase, 
 Higo-no-Kami. In the printed copies of the Treaty (concluded July 29, 1858), 
 they appear as "their Excellencies Inoooye, Prince of Sinano, the Iwasay, 
 Prince of Hego." 
 
 Townsend Harris's belief that these Commissioners did not really possess 
 full powers, but would report everything back to the Great Council, is re- 
 peated in the letter which he wrote on July 6, 1858, to General Prosper M. 
 Wetmore. This letter appeared (without the name of the person to whom it 
 was addressed) in the Washington Union of Jan. 15, 1859, and was reprinted 
 in Littell'9 Living Age of Feb. 26, 1859, vol. 60, pp. 571-74. 
 
 501 
 
the Imperial seal and signature, and then returned it. 584 
 Those who have read Commodore Perry's account of 
 his Japanese Expedition will remember that the Jap- 
 anese would not let their full powers go out of their 
 hands, pretending the Imperial seal was so sacred it 
 could not be handled by any but a Japanese, and of them 
 only by those to whom it was specially directed. 585 
 
 The seal was in vermilion, about two and a half inches 
 in diameter, and composed of the old Chinese "Seal 
 Character." This over, I handed the Commissioners a 
 Dutch translation of my draft of a treaty. I told them 
 that, as this treaty might contain words not well under- 
 stood by their interpreters, I suggested that the work had 
 better be done in one of the rooms of the house where we 
 were, so that if any words or phrases were not under- 
 stood they could at once have recourse to Mr. Heusken 
 for explanation, and thereby not only would the transla- 
 tions be facilitated, but greater exactness would be 
 secured. They assented at once to my suggestion. They 
 added that, as soon as they had time to examine the 
 translation and consider it, they would again meet me, 
 but that it would require some days to do both. I re- 
 
 584 A copy of the Full Powers of the Japanese Commissioners is L. & P., 
 vol. i, no. 80. It is numbered 17 (of the "Japan Documents" of Townsend 
 Harris) and is endorsed in Townsend Harris's hand. 
 
 585 Perry, Narrative in 33-2, H. Ex. Doc, no. 97, vol 1, p. 249 (Wednesday, 
 July 13, 1853): 
 
 "The apologies having been made, the governor exhibited the original 
 order of the Emperor [Shogun], 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." 
 
 502 
 
quested the Commissioners not to read the Treaty piece- 
 meal as it was translated, as the various Articles had such 
 relations with each other that they must be read to- 
 gether and not separately; that to read it as it was trans- 
 lated would give very erroneous ideas, and thus perhaps 
 prejudice might arise that it would be difficult after- 
 wards to remove.They at once assented to this.The origi- 
 nal draft of the Treaty will be found among my private 
 "Japan papers." 586 
 
 Wednesday, January 20, 1858. Received a letter 
 from Mr. Rice, U. S. Commercial Agent at Hako- 
 date. 587 He wants "women and must and will have 'em." 
 
 586 This precious document is not among the extant Letters and Papers. 
 
 5g7 L. & P., vol. i, no. 72, dated Hakodate, Dec. 15, 1857. It is marked 
 "Private," and was written in answer to Townsend Harris's letter of Oct. 
 27, 1857; and was in turn answered by Townsend Harris on Feb. 1, 1858. 
 
 In addition to what is stated in the Journal, Mr. Rice says in this long letter 
 that he refuses to accept the site for a foreign settlement chosen by the Jap- 
 anese; emphasizes the importance of Hakodate as a resort for whalers; and 
 describes Russia's designs upon it. He then complains of discrimination in 
 favor of the Dutch, and appeals to Townsend Harris to remedy the situation, 
 etc., etc. 
 
 The passage referred to by Townsend Harris reads: 
 
 "The men want women and rum (and have got both in a few instances) 
 and the Japanese people are perfectly willing except [the] officials, who 
 constantly follow every American when on shore, which is very annoying 
 to our people; and I fear when a large number of ships comes here next 
 spring that serious difficulties will follow unless the government gives way 
 and complies to [with] the customs of other countries where whaleships 
 resort. Five hundred whalemen with their officers (and they would lead 
 them) would take and hold this place with perfect ease, and they swear 
 they will unless there is a change. The complaint is that the Dutch have 
 what we do not. How it will end time will tell; but one thing is certain: 
 they must adopt a more liberal policy. The trouble is entirely with the 
 officials." 
 
 We have already commented upon the downright illiteracy displayed by 
 Mr. Rice in his letters. The text as given above is a reconstruction a 
 fundamentis. 
 
 Townsend Harris replied to Mr. Rice by letter dated Feb. 1, 1858, marked 
 "Private" (L. B., vol. 3, pp. 18 bis-22), in which he states (pp. 20-21) that 
 the question put by Mr. Rice had been favorably decided by the Japanese on 
 the ground of "fear of sickness." 
 
 503 
 
Busy at the translations of the Treaty. It cannot be done 
 before Friday or Saturday. 
 
 Saturday, January 2%, 1858. To-day the translations 
 were finished. In order to be sure of the translation be- 
 ing correct, I had the Japanese translator read from 
 the Japanese copy and translate orally into Dutch to Mr. 
 Heusken, who held the Dutch version. It has been an 
 immense labor, but my great anxiety has been that the 
 Japanese should fully understand what I proposed to 
 them. 
 
 A visit from the Prince of Shinano to-day. Some time 
 ago I told him that if he saw a dog that had any white 
 hair about him, he might be sure the tip of the dog's tail 
 would be white also. This he repeated (of course) at the 
 Castle, and it appears that each of the nobles set his re- 
 tainers to search for a dog who should have some white 
 about his body while the terminal color of his tail should 
 be black, or at least not white. Many thousands of dogs 
 have been examined and as yet no exception to my rule 
 has been found. This has given me a reputation for 
 universal wisdom that is quite amusing from its sim- 
 plicity. I have omitted to note that I made presents of 
 wines, cordials, sardines, preserved salmon and lobster, 
 and Bramah locks to all the Commissioners of my Voy- 
 age. These presents exhausted all the articles I brought 
 from Shimoda. 
 
 The Tykoon was much pleased with my presents and 
 uses the astral lamp constantly. He sent me a return 
 present of a very handsome cabinet. 
 
 The Commissioners each sent me a present of a piece 
 
 504 
 
of brocade silk twenty-four inches wide and three and 
 one-quarter yards long, — the pattern of a pair of such 
 breeches as are worn by the highest ranks only. 
 
 Monday, January 2$, 1858. To-day at two P. M. we 
 fairly opened our negotiations. 
 
 In this Journal I shall confine myself to the main lead- 
 ing facts of actual transactions, omitting the intermin- 
 able discourses of the Japanese where the same proposi- 
 tion may be repeated a dozen times ; nor shall I note their 
 positive refusal of points they subsequently grant, and 
 meant to grant all the while ; nor many absurd proposals 
 made by them, without the hope, and scarcely the wish, 
 of having them accepted, — for all such proceedings are 
 according to the rule of Japanese diplomacy, and he who 
 shows the greatest absurdity in such matters is most 
 esteemed. They do not know the value of a straight- 
 forward and truthful policy, at least they do not prac- 
 tise it. They never hesitate at uttering a falsehood even 
 where the truth would serve the same purpose. 
 
 The Preamble to the Treaty was accepted as was the 
 first Article, — so far as to agree to receive a Minister 
 and Consuls. They wished the Minister to reside be- 
 tween Kanagawa and Kawasaki, and only come to Yedo 
 when he had business, nor should the Minister or Con- 
 suls travel anywhere in Japan except on actual business. 
 
 They then proceeded to read from a book what I will 
 abridge and insert, merely to remind me hereafter of 
 their mode of doing business. 
 
 Earthquake, nine A. M. 
 
 Monday, January 2$, 1858, continued. 
 
 5°5 
 
They began by saying that they had carefully con- 
 sidered the draft of the Treaty I had given them. The 
 Empire being small, it had been determined that not 
 more than three harbors should be opened ; that Shimoda 
 should be closed and a large harbor should be given in 
 place of it. The opening of any harbors to Commodore 
 Perry was a great concession and was made with much 
 difficulty. Thus far, American ships have only been fur- 
 nished with supplies and not with Japanese goods. Now, 
 in consequence of the President's letter and the very im- 
 portant and friendly communications of the plenipo- 
 tentiary, it has been determined to open trade with the 
 Americans on the same terms as were contained in the 
 Treaties just made with the Russians and Dutch!!! 588 
 (See copies of these disgraceful papers in my private 
 files on Japan.) 589 They offered Kanagawa and Yoko- 
 hama in place of Shimoda, and, after all the Daimyo are 
 satisfied with the effects of trade, another harbor should 
 be opened. Trade to be conducted as provided for in the 
 Dutch and Russian Treaties. Americans cannot be al- 
 lowed to travel in Japan, must be confined to strict 
 limits. 
 
 588 The Treaty with Russia was concluded at Shimoda, Feb. 7, 1855 (Gub- 
 bins, The Progress of Japan, pp. 235-39) ; the Supplementary Treaty, at 
 Nagasaki, Oct. 24, 1857 (ib., pp. 239-45). 
 
 The Preliminary Convention with The Netherlands was concluded at 
 Nagasaki, Nov. 9, 1855 (ib., pp. 245-50) ; the Treaty itself, at Nagasaki, 
 Jan. 30, 1856 (ib., pp. 250-55) ; the Additional Articles thereto, again at 
 Nagasaki, Oct. 16, 1857 (&•* PP- 255-64) ; and, finally, the Supplement to 
 these Additional Articles, at the same place and on the same day (ib., pp. 
 264-66). 
 
 For additional light on Townsend Harris's knowledge of (and attitude to- 
 ward) these Treaties, see above, Journal for Feb. 26, 1857, an d notes. 
 
 589 The full text (in Dutch) of the Supplementary Treaty with Russia is 
 L. & P., vol. 2, no. 70. 
 
 506 
 
They here paused, and I replied that, by the ninth 
 Article of the Treaty of Kanagawa, anything granted 
 to other nations accrued at once to the Americans, and 
 therefore did not require any treaty stipulations ; that, as 
 to those Treaties, the conditions of them were disgrace- 
 ful to all parties engaged in making them; that, so far 
 as trade was concerned, those documents were not worth 
 the paper on which they were written; that, were I to 
 sign any such conditions, the President would recall me 
 in disgrace. I then demanded that the promise of the 
 Tykoon "that freedom of trade should be granted," 
 should be made good. 590 1 added that it was mere trifling 
 to offer to me conditions that had already accrued to us 
 months ago ; that the proposition to shut out the Minister 
 from residing in Yedo, or wherever he pleased, was 
 highly offensive, and that it would be far better for 
 them to refuse to receive him than to couple his recep- 
 tion with such conditions, and that the Minister and 
 Consuls must have all the rights enjoyed by such persons 
 under the laws of nations ; that I asked nothing more for 
 them than those rights, and that I could not take any 
 less. 
 
 The Commissioners were not prepared for this. It 
 quite upset their plan so nicely prepared for them by 
 the Council of State, and they were embarrassed exceed- 
 ingly. They began to repeat the old story: "Japan has 
 been closed for more than two hundred years ; the people 
 are not prepared for such great changes as you propose ; 
 
 590 At the Audience of Dec. 7, 1857, tne Shogun had clesed his very brief 
 speech with the words "Intercourse shall be continued forever." 
 
 507 
 
they must be introduced by degrees, and, as the people 
 learn to know you better, then we can act more freely, 
 etc., etc." 
 
 I replied that, under such regulations as they pro- 
 posed, trade was impossible; that Americans might be 
 in Japan for fifty years and make no advances towards a 
 better acquaintance; that intercourse under such cir- 
 cumstances, so far from removing prejudices, would 
 increase them, — for the Japanese would learn to despise 
 the Americans as much as they do the Dutch. 
 
 That, from all I had observed in Japan, I was con- 
 vinced that the people were actually anxious to have a 
 free intercourse with us, and, if objection existed any- 
 where, it was confined to the Daimyo and the military, 
 two classes of people that in all countries were opposed 
 to any improvement in the condition of the great body of 
 the people. 
 
 The Commissioners frankly admitted that I was 
 right in my last statement, adding that a large class called 
 the Literati or expectants of office, being entirely ig- 
 norant of everything out of their own land, were also 
 opposed to opening the country. In explanation of this I 
 was told that every person who had mastered the four 
 books of Confucius and could pass the requisite examina- 
 tion, received a small pension from the Government, 
 and that as officers were wanted they were selected from 
 this class. They added that colleges were established at 
 Yedo and in each of the provinces of the Empire; that 
 the only books used were Confucius and the history of 
 China ; that no sciences, arts, history, or polite literature, 
 
 508 
 
or in fact anything but Confucius and Chinese history 
 were taught in those institutions. 
 
 The Commissioners here had a long and animated 
 conversation together. After it ended, the Prince of 
 Shinano asked me if I would hear a private and con- 
 fidential matter, which he wishes to communicate to me. 
 I replied, "Most certainly.'' He then said that of the sons 
 and brothers of military men, none enjoyed any rank 
 except the eldest son; that they all received a military 
 education, being taught the art of war, the use of 
 weapons, etc. They had no pay, nor any prospect of ad- 
 vancement in life. They were supported in idleness by 
 the head of the family, as their positions forbade their 
 devoting themselves to any useful avocations, and they 
 had no hope of honorable employment. Their only dis- 
 tinction consisted in their right to wear two swords. 
 From these habits of idleness many of them fell into bad 
 courses, became dissipated, drunken brawlers and bul- 
 lies ; and that when their conduct became too outrageous 
 they were disowned and cast off by their families. In 
 this condition they form a class called loneen, which 
 corresponds to bravo, bully, rowdy and loafer. 591 The 
 Government has just discovered a plot among these 
 loneen against the American Ambassador (what they 
 intended to do to me I could not learn) , and the Govern- 
 ment had that morning arrested three ringleaders of the 
 conspirators and had them now in prison; that it had 
 
 691 The common form in English of the word loneen is ronin — as, for in- 
 stance, the famous tale of "The Forty-Seven Ronin," in Mitford's Tales of Old 
 Japan, and in Murdoch's A History of Japan, vol. 3, ch. VI, "The Forty- 
 Seven Ronin." 
 
 509 
 
given the Government the greatest possible anxiety, for, 
 should anything happen to the Ambassador, it would be 
 the cause of serious difficulties with the United States, 
 besides disgracing the Government of Japan in the eyes 
 of all the civilized world. He then added that a large 
 body of men was now employed in patrolling around my 
 house and in all the neighborhood, and that at night they 
 would be in all the various courts and open spaces of the 
 house. He then gave me the names of these three Yedo 
 rowdies. They are as follows : 
 
 Horeye Yosi-Nosuke 
 Nobu-ta-Nee Ziu-ro 
 To-zo. 
 
 The Commissioners now resumed and said [that], 
 from what had been told me, I must see that the residence 
 of Foreign Ministers in Yedo would be certain to cause 
 disturbances, and therefore it was far better for them to 
 reside at Kawasaki or Kanagawa than in Yedo. 
 
 I thought it a most suspicious circumstance, that these 
 loneen should have remained perfectly quiet for the 
 whole fifty-five days I have been in Yedo, and should 
 only stir at the very nick of time that the question of the 
 residence of Foreign Ministers in Japan was to be agi- 
 tated, and that they should be arrested on the morning 
 of the very first day that the conferences were to be 
 opened. Therefore, I concluded that, if the whole matter 
 was not an actual "arrowsmith," it was very much like 
 one. 
 
 I replied to all this that they did not know the material 
 
 510 
 
of which foreigners were composed if they supposed that 
 the acts of three or three thousand loneen would keep 
 them away from Yedo ; that I considered it as too trifling 
 a matter to call for any serious reply. 592 
 
 592 As already remarked in note 538, the dangers which threatened the life 
 of Townsend Harris were very real and very serious. Though he could not 
 learn what these ronin intended to do to him, Shinano-no-Kami and every 
 other Japanese of that day knew, and we all know to-day, that the ronin 
 intended to kill him. The record of the events that followed the coming of 
 the foreigner and the consequent opening of the country leaves no possible 
 doubt on this score. The writer has gathered a long list of these Japanese 
 attacks on foreigners — attacks that were cruel and of none avail, but which 
 are readily understood when we recollect the excited state of politics in those 
 early days of foreign intercourse. From the point of view of the Japanese 
 themselves, some, at any rate, of these attacks were due to the exalted state 
 of their minds and to a sense of patriotism that later history proved to be 
 a mistaken one. 
 
 The list of those attacks on foreigners is really appalling. To mention only 
 a few from the earlier years, we have: 
 
 1) On Aug. 26, 1859, at Yokohama: the attack on a Russian naval lieuten- 
 ant, a sailor, and a steward, resulting in two deaths. 
 
 2) On Nov. 5, 1859, at Yokohama: the slaying of a Chinese servant in the 
 employ of M. Loureiro, the French consular agent at Yokohama. 
 
 3) On Jan. 29 (or 30), i860, at Yedo: the slaying of Dankichi, the Japanese 
 interpreter of the British Legation, who was struck down from behind 
 in broad daylight close to the home of Sir Rutherford Alcock, the 
 British Minister. 
 
 4) On Feb. 21 (or 26), i860, at Yokohama: the slaying of two Dutch 
 merchant captains. 
 
 5) In Feb., i860, at Yedo: the attack on the valet of the French Minister, 
 M. Duchesne de Bellecourt. 
 
 6) In Nov., i860: the attack on Mr. Moss. 
 
 7) On Jan. 15, 1861, at Yedo: the slaying of Mr. Heusken himself, as he 
 was returning home from the Prussian Legation of Count Friedrich 
 von Eulenburg. 
 
 These earlier attacks did not assume the tremendous importance of the later 
 murders of Richardson, or of Lieutenant Bird and Major Baldwin; but they 
 clearly show the dangerous temperament not only of the irresponsible ronin, 
 but also of men in high position. For instance, no less a personage than 
 Nariaki, Prince of Mito — a man of the highest lineage and a splendid irrecon- 
 cilable — is reported to have exclaimed in a fit of anger: "Let Bitchu [Hotta] 
 and Iga commit hara-kiri, and decapitate Harris at once" (Akimoto, Lord Ii 
 Naosuke and New Japan, p. 147). 
 
 The names of the three ringleaders on this occasion were: Horei Yoshino- 
 suke, Nobutani Tuiro, and Tozo (Griffis, Townsend Harris, p. 262). Mr. 
 Heusken's Diary (in Wagener's Aus dem Tagebuche, etc., pp. 383-84) says that 
 Townsend Harris later asked that these three prisoners be set free, but that 
 
 5H 
 
The Commissioners were again in a quandary. At my 
 suggestion they took up my draft and gave a general 
 answer on each Article. 
 
 The demand for Americans to have Japanese coin, or 
 for Japanese to receive American coin, was rejected in a 
 most decisive manner. It was emphatically declared that 
 no sales could be made except through Japanese officials. 
 In this manner they went through the Treaty, rejecting 
 everything except Article VIII. 
 
 This Article I had inserted with scarcely a hope that 
 I should obtain it. It provides for the free exercise of 
 their religion by the Americans, with the right to erect 
 suitable places of worship, and that the Japanese would 
 abolish the practice of trampling on the Cross. To my 
 surprise and delight this Article was accepted! 
 
 I am aware that the Dutch have published to the 
 world that the Japanese had signed Articles granting 
 freedom of worship and also agreeing to abolish the 
 trampling on the Cross. 
 
 It is true that the Dutch proposed the abolition, but 
 the Japanese refused to sign it. 
 
 In the Dutch Treaty of January, 1 856, an Article pro- 
 vides that "within the buildings at Deshima the Dutch 
 
 the Japanese Government refused to do so. Shortly afterwards they died in 
 prison (Nitobe, The Intercourse between the United States and Japan, p. 65). 
 This attempt on Townsend Harris's life was, then, the first in chronological 
 order — and naturally so, for he was the first "barbarian" to establish himself 
 in Japan, first at Shimoda and now in Yedo. It is this attempt on Harris's life, 
 too, which is the subject of a play that has become very popular in Japan 
 — namely, The American Messenger, by Okamoto Kido, in which the famous 
 actor Matsumoto Koshiro takes the role of Townsend Harris himself. (See 
 the illustration in the magazine Japan for Jan., 1927. It may be added that 
 the Japanese word Taishi, or Ambassador, literally means Great Messenger: 
 E. W. Clement, in the Nation, vol. 106, p. in.) 
 
 512 
 
may practise their own, or the Christian religion." The 
 extraordinary words "their own, or the Christian re- 
 ligion" are copied from the Treaty as sent to me by the 
 Dutch Commissioner, Mr. John Henry Donker Curtius, 
 from Nagasaki ; and are also in the copy of the same 
 Treaty which was furnished me by the Japanese. 593 
 
 I have copies of every Article ever made by the Jap- 
 anese with the Russians, Dutch and English, and the 
 above is the only Article that relates to religion. (See 
 my Journal for Sunday, December 6, 1857.) I told the 
 Commissioners, as we were about to adjourn at five P. M., 
 that it was useless to proceed with the further considera- 
 tion of the Treaty until they would consent to grant the 
 Minister the rights he enjoyed under the "Laws of 
 Nations." 
 
 Tuesday, January 26, 1858. Commissioners come at 
 half-past two P. M. They open the business by saying that 
 I had misunderstood them yesterday; that they did not 
 refuse the right of the Minister to reside in Yedo, but 
 only recommended Kawasaki or Kanagawa as a more 
 suitable place for his first residence. They therefore ac- 
 cepted the Article as it stood, so far as it relates to the 
 Minister. They wished, however, that the Treaty should 
 not go into effect until January 1, 1861. (It stood July 4, 
 
 593 See note 546. 
 
 The Article referred to by Townsend Harris is not part of the Treaty of 
 Commerce signed at Nagasaki on January 30, 1856. The ratifications of the 
 Treaty were exchanged at Nagasaki, Oct. 16, 1857, and on the same day 
 Additional Articles were signed. Of these Additional Articles, No. XXXIII 
 reads: "The Netherlanders are at liberty to practise their own or the Christian 
 religion within their buildings and at the burying-places appointed for them." 
 (Gubbins, The Progress of Japan, p. 262.) For comment on this Article, see 
 note 492. 
 
 513 
 
i859> m m Y draft.) I replied that to suspend a treaty for 
 three years was an unheard-of thing and showed a most 
 unfriendly spirit on their part. They hastily replied that 
 they did not mean the Treaty, only that the Minister 
 should not be sent before that time. I answered that was 
 even worse than the other; that the object of sending a 
 Minister was that he could promptly settle any small 
 difficulties that might arise, whereas, if they were 
 neglected until word could be sent to America, they 
 might grow into grave and serious matters. I added that 
 the proposition manifested a spirit quite at variance with 
 the Preamble of the Treaty. 594 They then asked me to give 
 them my secret promise that the Minister would not be 
 sent before that time. I told them such a promise was be- 
 yond my power, as it was the President and not the 
 Plenipotentiary that had that matter in his power. 
 They then requested me to write to the President, 
 making known their wishes on this head. I told 
 them I would write to the Secretary of State, who 
 would make their wishes known to the President, and 
 this satisfied them. They then insisted that the consuls 
 should not have the right to travel in Japan "except 
 on business." I pointed out to them that to accede to such 
 a clause would put every consul at once in the power of 
 each local governor, who would have the right to in- 
 quire into his business, etc. ; that if the consul wished 
 
 594 Especially with the words: 
 
 ". . . desiring to establish on firm and lasting foundations the relations 
 of peace and friendship now happily existing between the two countries, 
 and to secure the best interest of their respective citizens and subjects by 
 encouraging, facilitating, and regulating their industry and trade. . . ." 
 
 514 
 

 
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to make a journey for his health he could not do so, with 
 other objections. 
 
 They said that, as the Treaty was to be read by all the 
 Daimyo and great nobles, they did not wish to have it 
 appear that every consul had the right to travel in 
 Japan ; that the words "on business" were proposed as a 
 mere cover to conceal the extent of the rights actually 
 conceded ; and that no governor or other official should 
 ever inquire into the nature of the business on which a 
 consul might be travelling. I said that implied that 
 the consul would be willing to tell a falsehood when 
 he wished to travel and had no official business ; that such 
 conduct was not according to our customs; that a liar 
 was looked on with the greatest contempt, besides which 
 it was a sin by our religion for a man to utter a false- 
 hood. 
 
 Finding we could not agree at present on this point, 
 I requested them to lay it aside for the present and pro- 
 ceed with the other Articles, which was agreed to. 
 
 Article II provides that the President will act as the 
 mediator of the Japanese when asked to do so, and that 
 American men-of-war and consuls should assist Jap- 
 anese vessels and their crews so far as the laws of neutral- 
 ity permitted. 
 
 There is nothing in this Article that requires a treaty 
 stipulation, but I inserted it to produce an impression on 
 the Government and people, and it had that effect. This 
 Article was accepted without hesitation. 
 
 Article III, the Sebastopol of the Treaty, was now 
 taken up, and the debate continued until the hour of our 
 
 5i5 
 
adjournment. In the draft as proposed by me I claimed 
 Hakodate, Sinagawa, Oasaca, Nagasaki, another port 
 in Kyushu near the coal mines, Firato, and two ports on 
 the west coast of Nippon, making together eight har- 
 bors, and I also claimed the cities of Yedo and Miako 
 should be opened to the Americans. 
 
 They went over the old ground of objections so often 
 stated before. In answer I said that to secure the peace, 
 honor and prosperity of Japan, a satisfactory treaty must 
 be made ; that the freedom of trade was an essential part 
 of such a treaty, and without harbors it was absurd to talk 
 of any trade being done. 
 
 I repeated the remark I had made to the Minister for 
 Foreign Affairs, that there was a distance of 400 ri on 
 the west coast in which not a harbor was opened. The 
 discussion continued until dark, when the Commis- 
 sioners said that my arguments were so important they 
 must have a day to take them into consideration, and 
 therefore they could not meet me until the day after to- 
 morrow. Thus making good what I have before noted, — 
 that, in reality, I am negotiating with the whole Gov- 
 ernment and that the Commissioners can only repeat 
 what has been told them and report what I say. 
 
 The two Japanese secretaries are constantly employed 
 in taking down every word that is uttered. 
 
 Wednesday, January 2J , 1858. I was shown some 
 Japanese radishes of a wonderful sort. One was eighteen 
 inches long, fifteen inches in circumference, and weighed 
 four pound five ounces ; the other thirty-four inches long 
 and one and one-quarter inches diameter. Procured seed 
 
 516 
 
of both these sorts to send to the United States Patent 
 Office. The Japanese preserve them by drying. 
 
 Thursday, January 28, 1858. The Commissioners 
 arrive at half-past one P. M. They go to "the Castle," — 
 1. e., the Council of State, at nine A. M., and leave at one ; 
 eat a hasty meal and then are ready for business. They 
 opened proceedings by saying that half the Daimyo were 
 at Yedo and the other half in the provinces, and that, 
 when the half in the provinces returned to Yedo, the 
 other half went to the provinces also; that the Govern- 
 ment was compelled to consult the Daimyo on all im- 
 portant matters; and if the Government attempted to 
 carry any important measure against their advice, it 
 would cause "confusion," — i. e., rebellion, — therefore 
 the Government must defer to their opinions. The an- 
 swer of the Minister of Foreign Affairs on harbors was 
 final. No doubt more will be opened by and by, but not 
 at present. The merchants and common people are no 
 doubt in favor of opening the country, but the Daimyo 
 and Military oppose it. 
 
 The civilians at the head of the Government under- 
 stand these matters better. They have learned a great 
 deal since you have been in the country, 595 therefore they 
 are in favor of a treaty, which they see will make the 
 country prosper and the Government rich and powerful. 
 
 This is not a refusal to open more harbors! It is only 
 a statement of the condition of the country. Coals have 
 been discovered within three ri (seven and a half miles 
 English) of Nagasaki, so that the other harbor asked for 
 
 696 Townsend Harris is here reporting the trend of the Japanese argument. 
 
 517 
 
in the Island of Kyushu is not wanted. The Island of 
 Firato is small and poor, and only produces porcelain, 
 therefore a port in that island is not needed. Miaco is not 
 the true name of that city. It is Kyoto. The meaning of 
 Miako is Capital. 
 
 (This is another instance of the extraordinary secret- 
 iveness of the Japanese; for more than three hundred 
 years they have permitted foreigners to call it Miako, 596 
 instead of Kyoto!) 
 
 Kyoto is comparatively a poor place. The population, 
 instead of being five hundred thousand as stated by 
 Kaempfer, does not contain two hundred and fifty 
 thousand. It is merely a city of priests and temples. No 
 large manufactures are carried on, nor [is] any lacquer- 
 ware made there. Silk is not woven in more than twenty 
 houses. (They spoke almost contemptuously of the 
 Mikado, and roared with laughter when I quoted some 
 remarks concerning the veneration in which he is held 
 by the Japanese. They say he has neither money, political 
 power, nor anything else that is valued in Japan. He is 
 a mere cipher.) 597 
 
 596 Kaerapfer distinctly said that Miako meant simply the town or metropo- 
 lis: see the quotation in Thomas Rundall, Memorials of the Empire of Japan 
 in the XVI and XVII Centuries, London, The Hakluyt Soc, 1850, p. 96. 
 
 Is this not a parallel to the Roman ad urbem, and to the Stamboul ( els t^j 
 x6Xiy) of the City of Constantine? 
 
 597 Of the relations between the Mikado and the Shogun, Masaoka says (in 
 Japan to America, p. 224) : 
 
 "A long time ago, Townsend Harris, the first consular representative in 
 Japan of the United States, said, in effect, that nothing taxed his brain 
 so much as the Mikado of Dai Nippon." 
 
 An interesting study could be made of the slow, but constantly growing, 
 realization in the minds of the early diplomats to Japan as to where the 
 real power rested — whether in the Yedo Shogunate, or in the remote Emperor 
 at Kyoto. 
 
 518 
 
As to Sinagawa, it is no harbor, as no large ship can 
 come within two and a half ri (six and a half miles) of 
 it. Kanagawa is the nearest to Yedo of any harbor, and 
 that is already opened to you. Kanagawa Post House is 
 seven and a half ri from the Nippon Bas 598 (eighteen and 
 three-quarters miles English) . Osaca is fifteen ri (thirty- 
 seven and a half miles) from Kyoto. 
 
 To my surprise, after the beginning of this speech of 
 theirs, they wound up by offering me the harbor of Nee- 
 e-gata 599 in the province of Itsigo on the west coast of 
 Nippon. The city has a large river running through it 
 and contains 60,000 inhabitants. On further inquiry I 
 found that only nine feet of water was found on the bar 
 of the river, and from their charts the outer harbor is 
 more like an open roadstead than a harbor. 
 
 They assured me that no good harbors like Hako- 
 date, Nagasaki and Kanagawa could be found on the 
 west coast ; that all the harbors were so rilled up with mud 
 that vessels of large size could not enter them. They 
 added that, if a better harbor than Nee-e-gata could be 
 found on the west coast, it should be given in exchange 
 for it. On these terms I took Nee-e-gata. I then told them 
 that my way of doing business was plain and straightfor- 
 ward; and, to give them a proof of my friendly feelings 
 and to facilitate our business, I would withdraw the 
 claim to Firato, 600 one harbor on the west coast, another 
 
 598 See note 524. 
 
 599 Niigata, in the Province of Echigo. 
 
 600 Townsend Harris must have put in a claim for Hirado for sentimental 
 reasons, thinking of the olden days before the captivity at artificially built 
 Deshima in the Harbor of Nagasaki; of the days when the Japan trade was 
 free and open to all comers; of the days when at Hirado there mingled (in 
 
 519 
 
harbor in Kyushu, making three harbors withdrawn. 
 
 That to give ample time to prepare for these changes, 
 
 I would fix the opening of the various places as follows : 
 
 Yedo to be opened January i, 1863 (with Sinagawa) 
 
 Osaca " July 4 1861 
 
 Nee-e-gata " July 4 i860 
 
 Kanagawa " July 4 1859 
 
 and Shimoda should [be] closed January 1, i860 
 
 Nagasaki to be opened July 4, 1 859. 
 
 In answer to their often repeated assertion that all 
 these places would be opened by and by, I replied that 
 between nations verbal assurances had no value; that it 
 was written stipulations alone that were considered as of 
 any value; that a written promise to open a harbor in 
 four years would be far more satisfactory than a verbal 
 promise to open it in two years. 
 
 The Commissioners said they did not see how the 
 difficulties to Yedo and Osaca could be overcome. They 
 thought it impossible. They therefore required a day to 
 think of it, and would meet me on Saturday, the 30th 
 inst. 
 
 Saturday, January 30, 1858. Meet at the usual hour. 
 They promptly offer to open Yedo and Sinagawa, but 
 the Americans to reside at Kanagawa and Yokohama. 
 The Americans only to purchase articles in a small way 
 at Yedo. They have a class of large merchants called 
 toyas who keep immense establishments and are ready 
 
 not too friendly an intercourse, to be sure) the Dutch from Java and the banks 
 of the Texel, the Spanish from the Philippines, the Portuguese from Goa and 
 Macao, and the English of the famous East India Company. 
 
 520 
 
to buy anything and to any amount. These merchants 
 will open establishments at Kanagawa where the Amer- 
 icans can buy and sell what they desire. They here en- 
 tered into a long argument showing that the residence of 
 Americans in Yedo for the purposes of trade was unnec- 
 essary, and then, to my great surprise, they added that 
 the American may buy where he can best suit himself as 
 to quality and price, and sell to whom he pleases without 
 the intervention of any government officer. This is a 
 complete abandonment of the leading principle of the 
 Dutch and Russian Treaties, and is one of the chief 
 points I have so long contended for. 601 
 
 I now entered into arguments tending to show that, to 
 expect Americans to go to Yedo from Kanagawa and to 
 return the same day (thirty-seven and a half miles) and 
 to do business in Yedo, was a physical impossibility ; that 
 such a regulation would prevent their selling anything 
 in Yedo; that to limit their sales to the toy as was in fact 
 
 601 The Explanatory Article to Art. V of the Russian Treaty (signed at 
 Shimoda, Feb. 7, 1855) reads: 
 
 ". . . Les Russes, apres avoir choisi dans les boutiques les marchandises 
 et objets qui leur conviennent et etre convenus de leur prix avec les vendeurs, 
 effectueront le paiement ou Pechange des marchandises dans ledit entrepot 
 par l'entremise des employes japonais." (Gubbins, op. cit., p. 238.) 
 
 Additional Articles to the Treaty of Commerce (concluded Jan. 30, 1856) 
 between The Netherlands and Japan were signed at Nagasaki, Oct. 16, 1857. 
 Number VII states: 
 
 "After inspection of the goods for sale, the sales take place at the Treasury, 
 which receives and takes care of the purchase money unless goods are 
 received in payment by the sellers. . . ." (ib., p. 257.) 
 
 And, finally, the Treaty concluded by Townsend Harris at Yedo, on July 
 29, 1858, clearly provides (Art. Ill) that: 
 
 "Americans may freely buy from the Japanese and sell to them any articles 
 that either may have for sale, without the intervention of any Japanese 
 officers in such purchase or sale. . . ." (ib., p. 271.) 
 
 521 
 
creating a monopoly in favor of that class; that every 
 person of rank and wealth resided a part of every year 
 in Yedo, while the families of all these classes resided 
 there. 
 
 That the quantity of foreign articles sold at Yedo alone 
 would, at the beginning of the trade, be more than all the 
 rest of the Empire ; that most of the articles were not even 
 known by name to the Japanese; that they must first see 
 them, learn their use, etc. ; and after one person had pur- 
 chased a thing, it would be the means of inducing others 
 to buy of the same article ; that, to do this, the Americans 
 must bring their goods to Yedo to show them, and this, 
 of course, involved the necessity of their having their 
 warehouses and residence in Yedo. 
 
 That it was idle to think of trying the experiment of 
 free trade so long as the Americans were excluded from 
 Yedo and Osaca, — two of the greatest cities of the Em- 
 pire, etc., etc. I offered to withdraw Sinagawa as a port, 
 and that American ships should not go above the harbor 
 of Kanagawa, but for this I must have Yedo and Osaca 
 open for trade. 
 
 Monday, February I, 1858. Meet the Commis- 
 sioners at the usual hour. They open business by the fol- 
 lowing proposition : "The permanent residence of 
 Americans shall be at Kanagawa, and, after [the] first 
 of January, 1863, one street shall be opened in Yedo for 
 the temporary residence of Americans to buy and sell." 
 Nearly three hours were occupied in making, discussing 
 various propositions regarding Yedo, — the Japanese 
 making strenuous resistance to any concessions beyond 
 
 <22 
 
the above. I finally made them the following pro- 
 position: 
 
 "On the first of January, 1863, the city of Yedo shall 
 be opened to Americans for the purposes of business. 
 The place they shall occupy for their business shall be 
 settled by the American diplomatic agent and the Gov- 
 ernment of Japan." The Japanese take until to-morrow 
 to consider this proposition. 
 
 Tuesday, February 2, 1858. Meet at the usual hour. 
 The Commissioners object to the word "business" and 
 wish the word "trade" inserted in lieu of it. As this in its 
 literal sense would deprive the American of cook, clerk, 
 medical aid, and in fact of all assistance, I objected to it; 
 at the same time I told them the word used by me would 
 not justify the residence in Yedo of any persons who were 
 not either directly engaged in trade, or in the employ 
 of such persons. 
 
 After a vain attempt to come to an understanding, I 
 propose to lay Yedo aside for the present and to take 
 up Kyoto and Osaca. They produce a map of Kyoto. 
 (The map in Kaempfer is an exact copy.) They give 
 the size of the city to be thirty-six and one-half streets 
 long, or 4,380 yards, and seventeen and a half streets 
 wide, or 2,100 yards. If their measurement be correct, 
 the whole area of the city, including the ground occu- 
 pied by the Palace of the Mikado and the Castle, both 
 large enclosures, is 190 acres, each 4,840 square yards. 
 Kaempfer gives the population at 500,000, which would 
 be 2,631 souls for each acre! or less than sixteen and a 
 half square feet of ground for each living soul. 
 
 523 
 
The Commissioners said that there were insurmount- 
 able objections to opening Kyoto to the Americans as a 
 place of residence, which were connected with their re- 
 ligion ; that if it was only extremely difficult they would 
 say so, but in reality what I asked was impossible; that 
 it was no place of business, as the American Minister 
 could satisfy himself whenever he should visit the city. 
 To attempt to open the place for the permanent residence 
 of foreigners would excite a rebellion; that they were 
 sure, when I reported this to the President, that he was 
 too good a friend to Japan to insist on a thing which was 
 of no real value and would at the same time introduce 
 anarchy and bloodshed into Japan. They made the most 
 solemn asseverations that what they said was true. They 
 then offered to open Sak-kai, a town containing 150,000 
 souls, situated on the Bay of Set-tsu, and distant by land 
 only three ri (seven and a half miles) from Osaca, the 
 second city of the Empire. Osaca lies on a river, and by 
 that route it is five ri (twelve and a half miles) from the 
 bay. Ships going to Sak-kai or [to] Osaca anchor nearly 
 at the same spot ; but, owing to shoals or mud banks, ships 
 like the Americans' cannot come nearer than one and 
 one-half ri (three and three-quarter miles) to Sak-kai 
 or two ri (five miles) of the mouth of the river leading 
 up to Osaca. Osaca has never been opened to foreigners 
 as a residence, and its proximity to Kyoto renders the 
 opening of it to them very objectionable to the Japanese. 
 If I do not like Sak-kai, they offer me Hio-n'go on the 
 same bay and lying ten ri (twenty- five miles) to the 
 westward of Osaca River. It is about the same size as 
 
 524 
 
Sak-kai, but it has a bold shore and a good artificial har- 
 bor, built many hundreds of years ago at a vast expense. 
 (See next page for a rough draft of the harbor of 
 Set-tsu.) 
 
 Tuesday, February 2, 1858 (continued) . I insisted 
 on having Osaca opened for the permanent residence of 
 Americans. A long time was passed in debating a pro- 
 position of theirs that Americans should reside at Sak- 
 kai, but have the right to visit Osaca, to buy and sell 
 there, and to rent houses for that purpose, etc., but not to 
 sleep in Osaca. I strongly insisted on the unfriendly and 
 inhospitable appearance such an Article would bear, and 
 told them I could not understand why they should have 
 greater objections to opening Osaca than they had to 
 opening Yedo. I said that difficulties would constantly 
 arise under such an arrangement, and gave as an illus- 
 tration that, suppose an American late in the day should 
 be taken suddenly and violently ill and quite unable to 
 return to Sak-kai, the authorities of Osaca, acting under 
 stringent orders, would place the sick man in a norimon 
 and send him off to Sak-kai. On the road the man dies. 
 The Americans, indignant at such inhumanity, would 
 make a very strong and possibly exaggerated statement 
 of the transaction. This would be sent to the Minister, 
 and copies to the United States. A very serious difficulty 
 might thus arise between the two nations. As to the vicin- 
 ity to Kyoto, I was willing to let the lines run at the full 
 distance from that city, so that difficulty was imaginary. 
 I also told them to remember that the seventh Article 
 of the Treaty claimed, for every well conducted Amer- 
 
 525 
 
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 /'t^ 
 
 /A»**, j^^m 
 
 rln+ltJ 
 
 
 \ X3 -A^fc 
 
 526 
 
ican who had resided one year in Japan, the right to 
 travel as freely as the Japanese. The Commissioners 
 told me that the seventh Article and the opening of 
 Kyoto were two impossibilities ; that they could not be 
 granted without producing rebellion. Many other pro- 
 positions of the Treaty were excessively difficult, but still 
 might be carried into effect, but the two points were ab- 
 solutely impossible. And here they made a very sensible 
 remark. They said if foreign nations would go to war 
 with them on account of those two points they must 
 make the best they could of the calamity, but under no 
 circumstances was war from abroad so much to be feared 
 as intestine commotion. Lamps had been introduced by 
 me; and, as we had been steadily at work, the Commis- 
 sioners told me I had fairly beaten them out in my 
 powers of endurance, and they must therefore beg to be 
 excused for the evening. I urged them to reflect seriously 
 on what I had laid before them, remarking that the 
 present was the turning point of the Treaty, and that one 
 false step might utterly destroy our labors. No meeting 
 to-morrow. 
 
 Wednesday, February 3, 1858. This morning at an 
 early hour the Prince of Shinano called to have some 
 private conversation. 
 
 He said there was an intense excitement among the old 
 party at the Castle; that the concessions already made 
 had greatly exasperated them, and he feared, if I per- 
 sisted in insisting on Kyoto being opened and on the right 
 of the Americans to travel in the country, I should run 
 a great risk of losing the whole Treaty; that what had 
 
 527 
 
already been conceded excited his wonder, for when I 
 arrived at Yedo he did [not] dream that I could use any 
 arguments that would secure so much. He said better 
 secure what you have obtained than risk it for the attain- 
 ment of what is [of] but little or no value even if you do 
 get it. He said that, if we would be patient and let the 
 present Treaty work its work quietly among the people, 
 he had no doubt the two disputed points would be 
 granted without difficulty by the time named for the 
 opening of Yedo ; that the two points were not refused 
 by the Government, but merely postponed to await a 
 favorable period for carrying them into effect. He closed 
 by saying that he was very unhappy and implored me 
 to consider the wisdom of following his advice. I gave 
 him to understand that, if all the other parts of the 
 Treaty were arranged to my satisfaction, I would try 
 to suit them on the two points. 
 
 Meet at eleven A. M. A long debate on the seventh 
 Article. At last I offer to withdraw the objectionable 
 clause provided they would open Osaca as a place for the 
 permanent residence of Americans. 
 
 I also offered to limit the boundaries at Osaca in the 
 direction of Kyoto to two ri (five miles) . The Commis- 
 sioners inform me that my request to have a salute fired 
 in honor of the birth of Washington had been acceded to, 
 and that I would be conducted to the battery on the 
 twenty-second instant, when a salute of twenty-one guns 
 should be fired. 602 
 
 They added that Commodore Perry had made them a 
 
 602 See note 377. 
 
 528 
 
present of a brass howitzer gun; that they had made 
 many after that model, and that the salute should be fired 
 from their copies of the American gun. 603 
 
 Meet again at two P. M. and take up the Articles 
 seriatim. Three and four, accepted. Article V relates to 
 the currency, and contained a clause giving the Japanese 
 Government an agio of six per cent, on all foreign coin 
 paid to them, and prohibited the exportation of Jap- 
 anese coin. To my utter astonishment, they gave up the 
 six per cent, and permitted the free exportation of their 
 coin ! and also declared that all foreign coins should pass 
 freely in Japan. They did astonish me. 
 
 Article IV gives to the United States Government 
 [the right] to land stores free of duty for the use of its 
 fleet at Kanagawa, Hakodate and Nagasaki. By this I 
 have secured the choice of three good harbors for our 
 Naval Depot in the East, in a country that has the most 
 salubrious climate in the world, where the men cannot 
 desert, and with a power that is sufficiently civilized to 
 respect our rights, and above all not a power with whom 
 we might have a rupture, like England. I consider this 
 
 603 This story of the Japanese making copies of the brass howitzer given 
 them by Commodore Perry reminds us of one equally interesting. It is told 
 by L. Adams Beck {Unbroken Ways in South Japan, in Asia for Apr., 1923, 
 p. 272) : 
 
 "Here too [at Shimonoseki] was the destiny of Japan again decided when 
 the allied fleet of the United States, England, France and Holland in 1864 
 thrust the civilization of the West in the face of her repulsion. A relative 
 of my own, still living, was present. ... I stood by the swirling, dangerous 
 currents of Shimonoseki and marvelled, remembering that to the hand of 
 this man who still lives was given the first breech-loading Winchester rifle 
 turned out by Japanese workmen, with the request, proudly made, that he 
 would show it to the British Admiralty. He did this and adds: 'But I do 
 not recall that any interest was taken in the circumstance.' Admiralties 
 are not intuitive; one would think [that] that rifle might have interested 
 them a little." 
 
 529 
 
clause of immense importance, as now the depot can be 
 removed from that wretched place Hongkong, and the 
 stores out of the power of England. We finished our day's 
 work with Article V, and adjourned until the sixth inst. 
 Saturday, February 6, 1858. We take up Article III. 
 To my surprise they proposed to build a lazaretto out- 
 side the walls of Osaca for the use of any Americans that 
 might suddenly be taken sick while on a visit to Osaca 
 from Sak-kai, — and still excluded Americans from a 
 residence in the city. I was indignant. On page 1 1 6 1 have 
 noted the terms on which I agreed to withdraw the two 
 difficulties in the way of the Treaty, and it was fully un- 
 derstood that was the basis on which the matter was to be 
 arranged. 604 I told them that their proposition was so 
 very offensive that I would not consent to have it again 
 interpreted to me. I taxed them roundly with bad faith, 
 and gave them notice that I renewed the clause in the 
 seventh Article (right to travel) and also the claim for 
 Kyoto. The Commissioners stammered and boggled for 
 some time, partially admitting that the proposal was 
 none of their making, and that they would consult over 
 it (i. e., report its rejection at the Castle). They then 
 proposed to take up the Articles of the Treaty. Article 
 VI, agreed to. Article VII, postponed until Article III 
 is settled. Articles VIII to XV inclusive, all agreed to 
 with some slight verbal alterations not calling for any 
 remark. Article XVI (The family name of the Tykoon 
 is Minamote E-yea-Sada). 605 The Article provides for 
 
 604 Page 116 was the page of the manuscript Journal immediately preceding 
 the page bearing the present entry. 
 605 Minamoto Iyesada, or Iyesata. 
 
 530 
 
the exchange of ratifications, and they proposed, if I 
 was willing, to send an ambassador in their steamer to 
 Washington via California for that purpose ! I told them 
 nothing could possibly give me greater pleasure. 
 
 That, as the United States was the first power that 
 Japan ever made a treaty with, I should be much pleased 
 that the first Japanese Ambassador should be sent to the 
 United States. The Article was accordingly altered and 
 also amended so as to make the Treaty go into effect, if 
 from any unforeseen accident the ratifications should not 
 be exchanged by that time. The regulations of trade (ex- 
 cept the tariff) were informally accepted. I gave them 
 notice that I wished to introduce a clause giving the right 
 to American ships to employ Japanese as seamen on 
 board American ships, giving bonds to return the men to 
 Japan within three years, except in cases of death or 
 desertion. The Commissioners agree to meet me on Mon- 
 day at eight A. M. and to work the whole day; adjourn 
 at seven P. M. 
 
 Received a present of a very handsome round chow- 
 chow box called by the Japanese hogy. It is of rich lac- 
 quer, with handsome plates of yellow chased metal, 
 bound with a rich scarlet silk cord with heavy tassels. 
 They carefully told me that none but Daimyo were al- 
 lowed to use the hogy. It contained 260 eggs packed in 
 black beans of a very small size. 
 
 Monday, February 8, 1858. Meet according to 
 agreement at eight A. M. The Commissioners propose 
 various Articles on the subject of Osaca, and at last the 
 following is agreed on : 
 
 53i 
 
On the first of January 1863 the city of Yedo, and on 
 the . . . day of . . . 18 ... the city of Osaca shall be 
 opened to Americans for residence and trade. The special 
 place within which they may hire houses in each of these two 
 cities, and the distance they may walk, shall be settled by the 
 American Diplomatic Agent and the Government of Japan. 
 
 The Japanese showed me maps of Sak-kai and Osaca. 
 Sak-kai contains 270 streets. Osaca contains 600 streets. 
 
 Sak-kai produces twenty-two articles, among which 
 are metal works, silk stuffs, arms, rattan work, etc., 
 etc. 
 
 I inform them I wish for both Sak-kai and Hio-n'go, 
 — the latter for its good harbor, and the former from its 
 proximity to Osaca. They positively refuse both places. 
 I then claim Hio-n'go according to their original offer 
 to me of either Hio-n'go or Sak-kai. They replied that 
 offer was made by them in lieu of Osaca, and that I did 
 not include Sak-kai or Hio-n'go in my original draft. 
 After much debate, I tell them I will withdraw the 
 claim, as they will be quite willing to open Hio-n'go by 
 the time Osaca is opened. We at last fix the dates on 
 which the various places shall be opened : 
 
 Kanagawa July 4, 1859 
 
 Nagasaki the same 
 
 Nee-e-gata January 1, i860 
 
 Yedo January 1, 1862 
 
 Sak-kai January 1, 1863 
 
 Osaca January 1, 1863 
 
 Adjourned at one P. M. for their dinner, and meet 
 again at two P. M. The whole of this P. M. was spent in a 
 
 532 
 
vain attempt to fix the boundaries of the various places. 
 They were so unreasonable and so inconsistent that I 
 could not help suspecting the champagne which I sent 
 to them had not operated favorably. Adjourned at five 
 P. M. to meet to-morrow at eight A. M. 
 
 Tuesday, February Q, 1858. Meet at nine A. M. Take 
 up Articles regulating trade. In the Treaty with the Rus- 
 sians, the regulations were imperfect and oppressive. 
 
 Fines of the most outrageous character were imposed, 
 and ship and cargo both were confiscated for light of- 
 fences, and the innocent were thus punished for offences 
 in which they neither participated, nor had any know- 
 ledge of, or power of preventing. 606 1 pointed out the in- 
 justice of such laws to the Commissioners, and they ad- 
 mitted the force of my objections. They said they were 
 entirely in the dark on the subject, not having any ex- 
 perience to guide them. 
 
 They said I had evidently taken much pains in draw- 
 ing up the code now before them ; that they thanked me 
 for my kindness, and, as they had perfect confidence 
 in my integrity, they would accept them.' 
 
 607 
 
 606 Compare the Supplementary Treaty with Russia, signed at Nagasaki, 
 Oct. 12/24, 1857, Art. IV, XIV, XXI (Gubbins, op. cit., pp. 239-45). 
 
 607 There is corroborative evidence in Mr. Heusken's Diary, though the date 
 of his entry is February 2nd — exactly a week earlier than this of Townsend 
 Harris's. The weight of evidence favors the date given by Townsend Harris. 
 
 Mr. Heusken's Diary reads (Wagener, Aus dem Tagebuche, etc., p. 386, note 
 1— one of the three passages which Wagener cites in the original French era- 
 ployed by Heusken) : 
 
 "Aujourd'hui les commissaires disent que, comme M. Harris leur assure 
 que les regulations du commerce ont ete proposees dans le seul but d'assurer 
 le revenu du Japon, et qu'ils sont sur les bases de celui d'Amerique et 
 d'Angleterre, ils acceptent aveuglement." 
 
 For information on Mr. Heusken's Diary, see note 349. 
 
 533 
 
They then examined the figures of some fines that had 
 been changed at their request from kobangs to dollars, 
 and found them all right. I now took up the tariff. 
 
 I began by stating the objections to all tonnage dues, 
 and showed that they only served to check commerce, 
 were unequal in their operation, and injurious to 
 revenue. 
 
 I then stated the objections to export duties, saying 
 that it was a burden on the industry of their own people, 
 was vexatious to the merchant, led to great expense to 
 prevent smuggling, and was not of much benefit to the 
 revenue. I then quoted the example of England and the 
 United States, two of the greatest commercial nations in 
 the world, neither of which levied tonnage dues or ex- 
 port duties. I closed by saying that commerce could bear 
 a certain burden and no more, and, whether that was col- 
 lected under one or three forms, only a certain tax could 
 be paid; and concluded this branch by urging the sim- 
 plicity and economy of collecting their revenue from 
 imports alone. I then took up the tariff and explained 
 the various classes and my reasons for making different 
 rates of duties, etc., etc. They say the tariff is out of their 
 province and must be submitted to the Chamber of Ac- 
 counts They also inform me that the 14th instant is their 
 New Year, and that they cannot meet me again before 
 the 17th ; that they usually take seven days for these holi- 
 days, but on account of my long detention here they will 
 only take three. 
 
 It was agreed that clean copies of the Treaty should 
 in the interim be drawn out and the amendments and 
 
 534 
 
alterations translated into Japanese. The Commissioners 
 inform me that orders have been sent to Hakodate to 
 allow women to American sailors at that port. Adjourn 
 at half-past twelve o'clock. 
 
 Friday, February 12, 1858. The Prince of Shinano 
 visited me to-day. He said they were all very busy in 
 preparing their annual reports for the close of the year, 
 but that he would pay me a short private visit. 608 
 
 He soon afterwards introduced the boundaries of the 
 opened places, and the right of consuls to travel in the 
 country; and, from his frequent mention of the Daimyo, 
 I am prepared to have difficulties with them on those 
 subjects. 
 
 Saturday, February 1 3, 1 8 58. Busy in writing. I find 
 I have omitted any notice of the loneen since the 25th 
 of January. 
 
 On that and the following night I was much annoyed 
 by the noise kept up by the "grand rounds," who 
 patrolled every half hour. As soon as the point of the 
 residence of the Minister in Yedo was settled, the 
 rounds and noise ceased. This adds to the belief always 
 held by me that the whole matter was a mere "arrow- 
 
 608 The Japanese authorities in general, and Shinano-no-Kami in particular, 
 were very anxious for Townsend Harris's safety. Mr. Heusken tells us in his 
 Diary that the Prince of Shinano called in the afternoon, and that his chief 
 purpose was to beg Harris and Heusken not to go out on the streets on 
 February 14th — the Japanese New Year's Day (Wagener, op. cit., p. 386, 
 note 2). 
 
 The excited state of men's minds over the pending negotiations and the 
 rapidly approaching opening of the country, might easily, on such a festive 
 day, have brought about precisely those disasters that shortly afterwards 
 became so common — and only because these ordinary rules of precaution were 
 in many cases haughtily disregarded. The early foreigners and diplomats 
 who went to Japan had, unfortunately, been brought up in the far different 
 atmosphere of Canton and the other treaty ports of China. (See Journal, 
 Jan. 25, 1858, and note 592.) 
 
 535 
 
smith," got up to frighten me and, failing of its pur- 
 pose, it was then abandoned. 609 
 
 Sunday, February 14, 1858. Japanese New Year's 
 Day. The houses here are dressed up precisely in the 
 same manner as described in my Journal for January 1, 
 1857, at Shimoda. The streets are filled with the long 
 trains of the Daimyo and nobles going to the Castle to 
 pay their compliments and carry presents. 
 
 This reminds me of the New Year's festivities in 
 New York. 610 
 
 Monday, February 15, 1858. The Tykoon sends 
 presents of boiled cakes on New Year's Day to all those 
 he wishes to honor, but, hearing I did not eat those cakes, 
 he sent me a large basket of oranges from Kyushu. The 
 present came yesterday, but I declined receiving it on 
 that day — it being Sunday — and I was glad of an op- 
 portunity of showing the Japanese that not even for the 
 Tykoon would I alter my strict rule for that day. 611 I 
 receive presents of fans from Higo-no-Kami and others. 
 
 Shrove Tuesday, February 16, 1858. A snowstorm 
 to-day which fell some eight inches. The sight reminded 
 me of home and dear old New York. 612 The Prince of 
 
 609 This delusion persisted in Townsend Harris's mind; but, considering 
 the fact that he did not, and could not, know what was going on behind the 
 "mirror" and the "fan," the delusion itself was natural enough. On the present 
 occasion it was further strengthened by the unfortunate coincidence with the 
 discussion on the residence of the American Minister in Yedo. 
 
 610 Heusken, in his Diary (Wagener, op. cit., p. 386), tells us that Iwase 
 Higo-no-Kami, one of the two Treaty Commissioners, on this day brought 
 Townsend Harris several fans as New Year presents. (See entry for Feb- 
 ruary 15, 1858.) 
 
 611 See note 409. 
 
 • 12 Townsend Harris would have been cheered in the midst of these arduous 
 negotiations had he known that in far-off Washington he was the subject of 
 daily conversation. On Wednesday, Feb. 10, 1858, President Buchanan had 
 
 536 
 
Shinano sends me word he will meet me to-morrow 
 at noon. P. S. ( 18th) I was in error as to the quantity of 
 snow, — nearly twelve inches fell on the 16th instead of 
 eight inches. 
 
 Ash Wednesday, February I J, 1858. The Commis- 
 sioners, instead of meeting me at noon, as they had ap- 
 pointed, did not arrive until near five P. M. They com- 
 menced by giving a history of my negotiations from the 
 day of my audience up to the ninth inst., repeating 
 many parts three or four times and constantly referring 
 to the Daimyo and their opposition to any change in the 
 ancient customs of the land, by permitting the resi- 
 dence of foreigners in Japan, etc., etc. This lasted for 
 more than an hour, without their giving me any infor- 
 mation as to what they desired. I plainly saw that there 
 was a hitch somewhere. They then proceeded to say 
 that on the eleventh inst. the Treaty, as it then stood, had 
 been submitted to the Daimyo and instantly the whole 
 Castle was in an uproar. 
 
 Some of the most violent declared that they would 
 sacrifice then lives before they would permit such great 
 changes to be made. The Council of State had labored 
 incessantly to enlighten these men ; had pointed out to 
 them not only the policy, but necessity there was to make 
 the Treaty if they would avert the ruin of the Kingdom, 
 etc. They had brought over some, but others still re- 
 mained obstinate ; that the Government could not at once 
 
 transmitted to the Senate the Convention signed by Townsend Harris at 
 Shiraoda, June 17, 1857. The President's Message (undated) was received 
 and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations. This Committee, on 
 Feb. i6th, reported the Convention without amendment (S. Ex. J'l, vol. 10, 
 PP- 3<>3, 304, 307)- 
 
 537 
 
sign such a treaty, except at the expense of bloodshed ; 
 that they were sure the President did not wish to bring 
 any such evil on Japan, etc., etc. 613 
 
 I at last discovered that they wished to delay the 
 signing of the Treaty until a member of the Council 
 of State could proceed as "Ambassador to the Spiritual 
 Emperor" at Kyoto and get his approval; 614 that the 
 
 613 For some Japanese material on the confusion caused among the Daimyo 
 by the proposed opening of the country to the Westerners, read the extracts 
 from the Bakumatsu Givaikodan given in Gubbins, The Progress of Japan, 
 pp. 289-91. And Heusken, under date of February 12, 1858 (Diary, in 
 Wagener, op. cit., p. 386, note 2) quotes the interpreter Moriyama on the 
 wrath of the Daimyo: 
 
 "Moriyama ne pense pas qu'il y aura plus de difficultes sur les regulations. 
 Tour l'argent,' dit-til, 'il n'y a pas de difficultes. Les Daimios ne regardent 
 pas l'argent, les taxes et les douanes ; ils ne disent rien du tout. Nous ne com- 
 prenons rien au commerce, et vous qui nous assurez sur votre honneur que les 
 regulations sont pour le bien du Japon, nous devons vous croire. Mais pour 
 les grandes concessions du traite, voila des choses ou le danger est avec 
 les Daimios.' " 
 614 Gubbins, op. cit., pp. 71-72: 
 
 "There was no necessity for this reference. The supremacy of the Shogun 
 in all administrative matters is clearly laid down in the constitution, or 
 arrangement, established in 161 5. Long custom had confirmed the rule then 
 made. And before that date the Crown's concern in such matters had never 
 extended beyond a formal recognition of accomplished facts. Moreover, 
 the Treaty had not yet been signed, so reference to Kioto was in any case 
 premature. But on the occasion of Perry's first visit the Shogunate, in order 
 to conceal its embarrassment, had revived the obsolete formality of Im- 
 perial concurrence, extending at the same time its application. The same 
 course was pursued now, and the minister who had taken the most promi- 
 nent part in the negotiations, Hotta Bitchiu-no-Kami, was sent to Kioto 
 to obtain the imperial consent. Hayashi Daigaku-no-Kami had been sent 
 a month previously to explain matters, but the Court had signified its dis- 
 approval of the negotiations." 
 
 Leaving Yedo on January 25th, Hayashi had arrived in Kyoto on Feb. 5, 
 1858, accompanied by the censor Tsuda Hanzaburo as Deputy Delegate (Pay- 
 son J. Treat, The Early Diplomatic Relations between the United States and 
 Japan, 1853-1865, Baltimore, The Johns Hopkins Press, 1917, p. 98; and 
 Japan and the United States, 1853-1921, Boston and New York, Houghton 
 Mifflin Company, 1921, p. 39; Murdoch, A History of Japan, vol. 3, pp. 646- 
 
 47). 
 
 Hayashi's task was to convince the Emperor's Court of the necessity of 
 conforming to the changing spirit of the times and to gain the Emperor's con- 
 sent to the Treaty. Though a memorial had been presented to the Imperial 
 
 538 
 
moment that approval was received the Daimyo must 
 withdraw their opposition; that they were content to 
 take the Treaty substantially as it stood, having only 
 some slight verbal alterations to suggest, and solemnly 
 pledged their faith that the Treaty should be executed 
 as soon as the Ambassador returned from Miako, which 
 would require about two months. Having concluded 
 this extraordinary conversation, I asked them what they 
 would do if the Mikado refused his assent. They replied 
 in a prompt and decided manner, that the Govern- 
 ment had determined not to receive any objections from 
 the Mikado. I asked what is the use then of delaying 
 the Treaty for what appears to be a mere ceremony. 
 They replied that it was this solemn ceremony that 
 gave value to it; and, as I understood, it being known 
 that the Mikado [had been] thus gravely appealed to, 
 his decision would be final, and that all excitement 
 would subside at once. 
 
 Cabinet at Kyoto in the 12th month of the 4th year of Ansei (Jan. 14 to Feb, 
 12, 1858), the exclusion (or Mito) party at the capital had had such great 
 influence that no answer was given even as late as the first month of the 
 following (or 5th) year of Ansei (Feb. 13 to Mar. 13, 1858). He was so confi- 
 dent of success that he told the Daimyo of Echizen that ten days in Kyoto 
 would be ample time for the accomplishment of his purpose. He set out on 
 Mar. 6th, reached the Emperor's capital on Mar. 19th, and was back again 
 in Yedo on June 1st — "a very chastened and humbled man." (Murdoch, op. cit., 
 pp. 648-49, 652.) 
 
 When this first failure had been reported to Yedo, Premier Lord Hotta 
 himself was sent to Kyoto. As H. Satoh says (Agitated Japan, Tokio and New 
 York, D. Appleton & Co., 1896, p. 59) : 
 
 "Pressed on one side by Mr. Harris, the American representative, and 
 urged on the other side by his anxiety for his country, Baron Hotta now 
 went in person to the Imperial Capital. There he did his best in explaining 
 the impossibility of adhering to the old tradition, but the influence of the 
 opposing party in Kyoto was too great. The result was that he received 
 instructions to consult further with the princes of the Tokugawa Family 
 and with the Barons of the land, before again submitting the question to 
 the Imperial Cabinet." 
 
 539 
 
They proposed that we should go on with the Treaty 
 until it was completed and engrossed. 
 
 That I could amuse myself by going about, and, if I 
 wished to make a trip to Shimoda, the Government 
 would send me down and bring me back in their steamer. 
 In answer I said that what they had told me was un- 
 precedented in the history of negotiations ; that it was 
 much like the acts of children and unworthy of wise 
 statesmen like those who rule Japan; and that it was a 
 trifling with a serious matter, that would be sure to give 
 the President great concern ; and that it would have been 
 far better not to have negotiated with me at all, than to 
 refuse to sign a treaty which had cost so much labor, for 
 so very trifling a reason, etc., etc. I added that the mere 
 act of signing the Treaty might be kept as secret as they 
 chose, as I should not divulge it in Japan. They replied 
 that it was impossible to keep anything secret that passed 
 between us (and I have no doubt they spoke truly) ; 
 that they were acting in good faith, and I might rely 
 that the Treaty should be executed. I finally told them I 
 had no power to compel them to execute the Treaty; 
 that I could not then give them an answer to their propo- 
 sition, but I proposed to put that matter aside for the 
 present and proceed to complete the Treaty, but they 
 must clearly understand that I did not agree to accept the 
 delay asked for. This was agreed to, and they opened the 
 Treaty with the first Article, over which they wasted 
 time (and with an evident intent to do so) until eight 
 o'clock, when they said they were weary and begged to 
 adjourn until day after to-morrow, — Friday, 19th. Their 
 
 540 
 
plan evidently is to spin out the time, until I either 
 assent to their wish or the Ambassador has returned from 
 Kyoto. I have before noted that they had agreed to fire 
 a salute on Washington's Birthday. They now informed 
 me the salute would be fired between Sinagawa and 
 Kawasaki, some eight miles from my residence, adding 
 that was the nearest place where cannon could be fired. 
 In answer I said I could not go so far as that; that if 
 they had any objections to firing the salute, I would with- 
 draw my request; that a salute under such circumstances 
 would be anything but an honor; that I had heard how- 
 itzers fired every week since I had been in Yedo ; that I 
 was so accustomed to such sounds that I could very well 
 judge of the distance; and that the firing had frequently 
 been within sixteen streets of my residence (one mile). 
 They said that must have been the guns of the Daimyo. 
 They then said they could themselves fire the salute. I 
 replied they, of course, could fire when they pleased, but 
 I should not consider it as being fired in honor of the day. 
 They then proposed that Mr. Heusken should ride to 
 the place. I answered that he was not the representative 
 of the United States. They said the discount of six per 
 cent, was to be paid by me until the new Treaty went into 
 effect. 
 
 Thursday, February 18, 1858. I have made no en- 
 tries in my Journal of my having gone out of my house 
 for any purpose, except on official business, since De- 
 cember 17, 1857. In fact I have not gone out of the en- 
 closure of the premises but once since that date, and that 
 
 54i 
 
was on the occasion of my visit to the Minister of 
 Foreign Affairs on the 16th of last month. 
 
 My reasons for this seclusion have been twofold. I 
 have frequently referred to the fact that the Japanese 
 connect the idea of seclusion with high rank, and that 
 the one is the measure of the other. The Government 
 had proclaimed me to be, from my official position, a 
 person of exalted rank, as they termed it, and caused all 
 the ceremonies of my journey from Shimoda here to cor- 
 respond with that idea. I felt that my influence with this 
 singular people greatly depended on my maintaining 
 that opinion. I also knew that a large majority of the 
 Daimyo were violently opposed to the object of my mis- 
 sion, and that some were exceedingly violent. I appre- 
 hended that, were I to go out frequently for recreation, 
 I should meet the trains of some of these persons, and 
 that difficulties might arise from their claiming from me 
 some acknowledgment of their rank that I might not be 
 willing to concede. Or, that from my ignorance of their 
 complicated etiquette, I might unwittingly give um- 
 brage that might create much angry feeling among this 
 class, who from an esprit de corps would embrace the 
 cause of their brother Daimyo, whom they might sup- 
 pose I had wantonly insulted, thereby creating difficul- 
 ties to the object of my mission, give power to the 
 opposition, and embarrass the Government of Japan. 615 1 
 
 615 This common sense and broad-minded policy of Townsend Harris evinced 
 a world of sympathetic understanding of the tremendous difficulties which beset 
 the Government of Japan. And, as all students of Japanese history know, it 
 was precisely the non-observance of these simple rules by the newly arrived 
 Westerners that resulted in many of the murders mentioned above, among 
 the most famous of which were those of Richardson, Lieutenant Bird, and 
 
 542 
 
have taken exercise by walking some miles every day 
 in the court on which my rooms open. 
 
 I walk from three to eight miles per diem, yet my 
 health has sensibly suffered and I am become exceed- 
 ingly thin. I also feel the want of food properly pre- 
 pared, as my Japanese cook is extremely deficient in 
 many points. 
 
 The Prince of Shinano visited me to-day, and we had 
 a long talk over my business. He says that I may rely 
 that the Government is acting in good faith and is 
 anxious to make a treaty with me; that the mission to 
 Miako will be successful in obtaining the assent of the 
 Mikado; 616 and that when that assent is promulgated 
 the opposition [of] the Daimyo will instantly cease. The 
 Prince informed me that of the 18 Great Daimyo 4 
 were in favor, and 14 opposed to the Treaty; that of the 
 300 Daimyo created by Iyeyasu, 30 out of every 100 were 
 in favor, and the remainder opposed ; that the Govern- 
 ment was constantly working on these men and, when 
 they could get them to listen, they frequently convinced 
 them, but many — like the obstinate of more enlightened 
 countries — refused to listen to a word of reason, argu- 
 ment or explanation. This last class will only yield to the 
 opinion of the Mikado when it shall be promulgated. 
 
 I made the following suggestion to Shinano. Let us 
 
 Major Baldwin (see note 592). It was the same lack of understanding and 
 sympathy that at a later crisis made the foreign representatives (Sir Ruther- 
 ford Alcock and Duchesne de Bellecourt) abandon Yedo for Yokohama 
 (Kanawaga), while Townsend Harris, true to his principles and steadfast 
 in his faith in the Japanese, remained alone in Yedo — literally and splendidly 
 alone. 
 
 616 As we have already seen, even Hotta's mission was not successful in ob- 
 taining the consent of the Emperor to the Treaty. 
 
 543 
 
proceed and complete the Treaty as soon as possible and 
 have it engrossed and ready for signature. Then, let the 
 Council of State, or the Minister for Foreign Affairs, 
 write me a letter saying that the Commissioners ap- 
 pointed to negotiate with me a commercial treaty be- 
 tween the United States and Japan had completed their 
 labors, and that the Treaty was now ready for signature, 
 but, for certain important reasons, the signing of the 
 Treaty must be postponed for sixty days, on or before 
 the expiration of which time the Treaty, as it now stood, 
 should be signed. 
 
 Thereupon I would return to Shimoda to prepare 
 my dispatches for my Government; that at the end of 
 fifty days (if not before) the Government should send 
 their steamer to Shimoda for the purpose of bringing 
 me again to Yedo, for the purpose of executing the 
 Treaty. The Prince was much pleased with the idea, and 
 told me he would communicate it to the Government at 
 once and speak to me about it to-morrow. I do not see 
 what I can do better under the peculiar circumstances 
 in which I am placed. If I can get the written promise 
 of the Government, that the Treaty (not a treaty) shall 
 be signed by a certain day, I do not see but it is as bind- 
 ing on them as the signature of the Commissioners to the 
 Treaty itself. 
 
 Friday, February IQ, 1858. Toke, Prince of Tamba, 
 sent me a beautiful present of a plum tree in full bloom, 
 having more than one thousand blossoms! The stock is 
 four [inches] in diameter at the bottom, and eighteen 
 inches high. Nearly thirty grafts have been inserted in 
 
 544 
 
the stock, and these have grown up some twenty-four to 
 thirty inches high, and branching out give more than 
 fifty sprays. Not a green leaf is visible, but all the sprays 
 are covered from end to end with fragrant white blos- 
 soms. 
 
 At two P. M. the Prince of Shinano visited me and 
 brought a beautiful China pot of bulbs of the daffodil 
 family, in bloom. The Japanese name is "Happy 
 Longevity," and is a favorite New Year's gift. He tells 
 me that their laws regarding [mourning] have been 
 greatly modified during the last two hundred years. 
 Formerly, an officer, on the death of his father, resigned 
 his employments and lived retired for three years. Now 
 he does not resign, and mourns for fifty days full mourn- 
 ing, that is, does not attend to any business or shave his 
 head or beard during that time. After the fifty days are 
 expired, he resumes his duties and shaves, etc., but for 
 one year he must not attend any festivities. 
 
 The Daimyo who have sovereign rule in their do- 
 minions are seven or eight, of the original eighteen of 
 that rank. The Prince of Ca-ga (or Kaga) has the 
 largest principality and is the most powerful and wealthy 
 of any of his class. Not even the Tykoon may send a per- 
 son into the dominions of these Daimyo without their 
 consent "first had and obtained." The Japanese pre- 
 tend that any officer of the Imperial Government in- 
 truding without such leave would instantly be put to 
 death. 
 
 Did not meet the Commissioners until nearly five P. M. 
 They informed me that the proposition I made to Shi- 
 
 545 
 
nano-no-Kami yesterday was accepted by the Govern- 
 ment; and that the letter pledging the faith of the Gov- 
 ernment that the Treaty should be executed within sixty 
 days from this date would be signed by Hotta, Prince of 
 Bittsu, Minister for Foreign Affairs; and that the 
 steamer should be sent to Shimoda ten days before that 
 time to bring me to Yedo. 617 
 
 617 Fortunately there are extant both versions of this historic letter: first, 
 an original copy made by Heusken of the Dutch version sent by Hotta (L. & P., 
 vol. i, no. 81) ; and second, an original copy (also made by Heusken) of the 
 English translation thereof (L. & P., vol. i, no. 82). 
 
 This letter is so important that it merits being reproduced in full: 
 
 "To His Excellency Townsent [sic] Harris, Plenipotentiary and Consul 
 General of the United States of America, etc., etc., etc. 
 "The negotiations between you and the Commissioners of the Treaty 
 of the United States and of Japan is ended, and this Treaty is completed 
 and made ready to be signed. But from a very important cause, an embassy 
 from His Majesty the Tycoon will be sent to Kyoto to present it respectfully 
 to the consideration of His Majesty the Spiritual Emperor; thus it is im- 
 possible to sign the Treaty until the return of the Embassy, wherefore a 
 time of two months will be required, on or before which time the Treaty 
 shall be signed. 
 "Represented with respect. 
 "The 5th day of the first month of the fifth year of Ansei. 
 
 (signed) Hotta Bitsunocami. 
 "For Dutch translation: (signed) Moriyama Takitsiro. 
 "A true translation: H. C J. Heusken/' 
 
 The Japanese date is equivalent to Feb. 17, 1858. Townsend Harris endorsed 
 the letter in his own hand: "Letter from Minister of Foreign Affairs. Yedo, 
 Feb. 18, 1858. Concerning the postponing of signing the Treaty." 
 
 There is a certain amount of confusion in these dates. The substance of 
 this (then only proposed) letter was first outlined by the Japanese Commis- 
 sioners on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 17th. On the 18th, Townsend Harris agreed 
 with the Prince of Shinano that such a letter be written by the Minister of 
 Foreign Affairs, and he suggested its contents pretty definitely. On Feb. 19th, 
 at 5 p. m., the Commissioners informed Townsend Harris that his proposal 
 of the preceding day had been accepted by the Government, and that the 
 letter pledging the faith of the Government would be signed by Prince Hotta. 
 This letter is again referred to on Feb. 22nd. Just when Townsend Harris 
 received this letter, however, is not certain. We sadly miss the item "Re- 
 ceived" (with the date) which he so frequently put into the endorsements of 
 his letters. 
 
 Prince Hotta left for Kyoto some time after Feb. 17 (the date of this letter), 
 arriving at the Emperor's Capital on Mar. 19th. On Mar. 4th, Townsend 
 Harris wrote to General Cass, Secretary of State, stating that he had received 
 Hotta's letter, and enclosing for the Department of State a Dutch original 
 
 546 
 
We then took up the Treaty for final consideration, 
 and after much consideration the Preamble was ac- 
 cepted. A long debate arose on the right of "All diplo- 
 matic and consular [officers] shall have the right to 
 travel freely in any part of the Empire of Japan." 618 
 After much time wasted over it, I offered to strike out 
 the whole clause, and leave those officers to claim their 
 rights under the laws of nations. This they also objected 
 to, wishing to restrain Consuls to their consular dis- 
 tricts, which I as strongly refused to do, or to insert any 
 clause which might deprive them of a right they could 
 claim under the laws of nations. I had at one time serious 
 doubts that the whole Treaty might be wrecked on this 
 point. They went over the old ground of objections : the 
 claims of the Daimyo to exclusive jurisdiction in their 
 own principalities; their furious objections to any in- 
 fringement of their ancient rights ; and the certainty that 
 serious difficulties would arise from the clause. At last 
 they said that they would consent to insert [that] the 
 Minister and Consul General should have that right, 
 
 and an English translation thereof — in other words, L. & P., vol. i, nos. 81 
 and 82, referred to above. 
 
 The contents of Hotta's letter run closely along the lines suggested by Town- 
 send Harris on Feb. 18th, and it is therefore difficult to believe that this letter 
 was written, in its present form at least, before the 18th. We are inclined 
 to believe that the following was the sequence of events: first, that a version 
 of this letter already existed in written form on Feb. 17th, when the Japanese 
 Commissioners first hinted at the possibility of referring the matter to Kyoto; 
 that it then received slight modifications, in order to harmonize with the 
 suggestions made by Townsend Harris on the 18th; that the original date 
 (Feb. 17th) was left untouched; and that Townsend Harris received the 
 letter before Mar. 4, 1858, the date of his Dispatch No. 6 to General L. Cass, 
 Secretary of State. Indeed, if we may trust implicitly a statement made by 
 Mr. Heusken in his Diary, this letter was given to Townsend Harris by 
 Shinano-no-Kami on the evening of Mar. 2, 1858 (see Journal, Feb. 27, 1858, 
 and note 628). 
 
 618 Art. I of the Treaty. 
 
 547 
 
but to exclude other Consuls. I at last consented to accept 
 their proposition, but not to insert the words "other 
 consular officers." At last they accepted it after a struggle 
 to get the insertion of a clause requiring the Minister 
 and Consul General to give notice to the Government 
 of their intention to travel etc., etc., and also to strike 
 out the word "freely" from the connection "may freely 
 travel in any part," etc. Both propositions were rejected 
 by me, and finally the clause was accepted as above 
 amended. The counterpart for "Japanese Diplomatic 
 Agent, etc., in the United States" was made to corres- 
 pond with the grant to us. The whole Article was now 
 finally accepted. Article second: after an attempt to 
 strike out the word "request" from the first paragraph, — 
 "The President of the United States will at the request 
 of the Japanese Government act as a friendly mediator," 
 on inquiry I found they had translated the Dutch word 
 verzoek, "to beg." After an explanation of the true 
 meaning of "request," they consented to take the clause 
 as it stands in the original draft. 
 
 The Commissioners now wished to adjourn, promis- 
 ing to meet me at noon to-morrow. I am told that for- 
 merly, on the death of one of the Daimyo, numbers of his 
 domestics or officers performed the hara-kiri, — i. e., rip- 
 ping themselves up, but that custom has been abolished. 
 
 Earthquake at 1 1 130 P. M. 
 
 Saturday, February 20, 1856. Snow this morning. 
 I am told the Prince of Ca-ga "goes on" like a lunatic 
 about the Treaty. He says [that], while the Tykoon gov- 
 erns by the ancient laws, he will be his subject, but, when 
 
 548 
 
he departs from them, his allegiance ceases. (I do not 
 by any means place full faith in what the Japanese tell 
 me about these matters. I know enough of them to be 
 aware that to lie is the rule ; to tell the truth is the excep- 
 tion.) 
 
 I am told the Tykoon is in favor of the Treaty, saying 
 that he is convinced it is for the good of the country. The 
 smaller Daimyo dare not openly oppose the Govern- 
 ment, but they shield themselves under the opinions of 
 the greater Daimyo. They say that two papers will be 
 presented to the Mikado, one in favor of the proposed 
 Treaty, and the other against it; that after examining 
 both, he will approve of one, and that approval is bind- 
 ing on all ; that even those most violently opposed to the 
 Treaty will say (if he decides in favor of the Tykoon), 
 "God has spoken; I submit." This does not agree very 
 well with the almost contemptuous manner in which the 
 Japanese speak of this potentate. 
 
 I am told that large sums of money have already 
 [been] distributed among the officers of the Mikado, 
 and that still larger sums will be applied in the same 
 
 manner. 619 
 
 Meet the Commissioners at two P. M. and continue un- 
 til seven. A very discouraging meeting, the whole time 
 was passed in noting down their proposed amendments 
 to the first eight Articles. Many of these are absurd, 
 
 619 By comparing this entry with Heusken's Diary (Wagener, op. cit., 
 PP« 387-88), we are sure that the source of all this gossipy news was Mori- 
 yama, who paid Townsend Harris a morning visit. In addition to what the 
 Journal says, there was also a discussion on the relative command of the Dutch 
 language held by Moriyama and Heusken. (See also Journal for Feb. 21st.) 
 
 549 
 
others childish, and some fatal to the working of the 
 Treaty. 
 
 Sunday, February 21, 1 8 56 [1858] . The first Sunday 
 in Lent, and a lovely day. I am quite disheartened and 
 low spirited about the Treaty. I greatly fear that I shall 
 altogether fail in making a treaty that will be acceptable 
 to the President. 
 
 To add to my difficulties, their Dutch interpreter is 
 very imperfectly acquainted with the idioms of that 
 language, [while] his self-sufficiency is in the exact 
 ratio of his ignorance. The Japanese language does not 
 possess either singular or plural, has no relative pro- 
 noun, nor is the use of the antecedent known. Neither 
 has it any possessive case. These defects require the 
 constant repetition of nouns and verbs, and at all times 
 make the meaning vague and obscure. I never shall get 
 to the bottom of the deceptions of the Japanese. I now 
 learn that the "three brothers of the Tykoon" are merely 
 titular brothers. They are of the family, but the re- 
 moves by birth carry them beyond the list of parentage as 
 known by us. They are the Princes of Owaru, of Izu (or 
 Izeu), and of Mitu. These men are called the "first 
 brothers" of the Tykoon, and he also has three "second 
 brothers," who are also merely titular relations. 620 
 
 620 The reference is to Go-Sanke, the three Tokugawa houses descended from 
 three sons of Iyeyasu, and from which a successor to the Shogun had to be 
 chosen in the event of failure of issue in the direct line. The three houses were: 
 the Owari, descended from the sixth son of Iyeyasu; the Kii (or Kishu), 
 descended from the seventh son ; and the Mito, descended from the eighth son. 
 
 The three "second brothers" constituted the Go-Sankyo — three branch houses 
 that were added to the Go-Sanke, and from which an heir to the Shogunate 
 had to be chosen in case no suitable heir was furnished by the Go-Sanke. 
 These three houses were: the Tayasu, the Hitotsubashi, and the Shimizu. 
 
 550 
 
Monday, February 22, 1 858. Meet at nine A.M. Only 
 Shinano-no-Kami present. I note the proposed amend- 
 ments to the Treaty offered by him, but do not enter into 
 any discussions about the merits of them. 
 
 They are of various classes. Some are absurd, others 
 mischievous, and not one that is of the least benefit to 
 Japan by adding to her security or honor. The insertion 
 of some would make obscure what is now clear, and 
 many would excite laughter. The tone of all the amend- 
 ments is unfriendly, and haughty, and calculated to make 
 the Treaty unacceptable. 
 
 They have not as yet decided on the tariff, conse- 
 quently the subject of tonnage dues, import and export 
 duties, and fines was all passed over, they promising 
 an answer to those points on the 24th. The next meeting 
 is to be to-morrow at two P. M. when both Commissioners 
 are to be present. They promise to give me an amended 
 copy of the letter which is to be written to me by Hotta, 
 Prince of Bittsu, after the negotiations are closed. 
 
 Tuesday, February 23, 1858. Met both the Com- 
 missioners at one P. M. 
 
 I opened the discussions by saying that I had care- 
 fully considered all their proposed amendments. Some 
 were a mere change of words, others rendered the mean- 
 ing obscure, many will open the door for disputes and 
 difficulties; that the change of a word in one Article 
 sometimes required the alteration of many Articles, as 
 all must agree; that many of the amendments showed a 
 
 (David Murray, The Story of Japan, p. 277; Captain F. Brinkley, A History 
 of the Japanese People, The Encycl. Brit. Co., 1915, New York and Lon- 
 don, pp. 591-92.) 
 
 551 
 
very unfriendly spirit, and that the insertion of what they 
 proposed would cause the Treaty to be rejected. I closed 
 by saying that such amendments as were reasonable or 
 necessary should be adopted. 
 
 We then took Article VII, concerning the limits of 
 the various ports, and to my agreeable surprise they 
 accepted my proposal for Hakodate and Nagasaki. They 
 now give me Hio-n'go for Sak-kai, and the boundaries 
 are arranged. Nee-e-gata is postponed until it is deter- 
 mined whether that port, or another on the west coast of 
 Nippon, shall be accepted; and, lastly, we settled on the 
 Nagasaki boundaries. The Treaty must be referred to 
 for the particulars. 
 
 We then took up their proposals in the order in which 
 they relate to the Articles and rapidly disposed of them, 
 so that at five P. M. the Treaty was agreed on. The regula- 
 tions were then taken up. They accepted the penalties, 
 and agreed that tonnage duties should not be levied, but 
 they gave me notice that they should levy export and im- 
 port duties. I then informed them that the levying of 
 export duties would require an alteration of Article X 
 and the striking out of Article XI of the Treaty. Which 
 they assented to. 
 
 They informed me that the report on the tariff and 
 export duties could not be ready before the 25th inst., 
 — on the morning of which day they would hand me the 
 tariff as they propose it, and meet me at one P. M. Thus 
 closes this Journal with an account of the most satis- 
 factory day's business I ever had with them. They 
 seemed to be in earnest and acted promptly and reason- 
 
 552 
 
ably. 621 Two of the three theatres of Yedo were burned 
 last night (say rather one A. M.) . They stood very near 
 to each other. A number of tea houses and private dwel- 
 lings were also destroyed. The Japanese name for 
 theater is seebyya. 
 
 Wednesday, February 24, 1 8 '58. (At the City of 
 Yedo, Japan.) Do not meet the Plenipotentiaries to- 
 day. Memo, obtained from Keekoona. 622 The titular 
 brothers of the Tykoon are called, — say : 
 
 The first three are named Go-san-kio. 
 
 The second three are named Go-san-kee. 623 
 
 The whole number of Daimyo or nobles of first rank 
 is 360. 
 
 The second rank, including the Kami, [are] called 
 Shotnyo and number 8,000. All the families of these 
 two classes reside constantly in Yedo, and are never al- 
 lowed to leave it. The retainers of the eighteen Great 
 Daimyo, which are with them at Yedo, will average over 
 10,000. The average number of retainers of the second 
 class, or Shotnyo, will average 200 each. 
 
 621 It is not clear just what Townsend Harris meant by the words "Thus 
 closes this Journal." This statement appears on the cover-leaf of the manu- 
 script volume used by Townsend Harris, which page he numbered 140. It is 
 clear that he had run beyond the capacity of the blank-book. The words may 
 have been intended to mean, "Thus closes this volume of my Journal" which 
 would agree perfectly with the fact that Townsend Harris actually labelled 
 his volumes, "Journal No. 1," "Journal No. 2," etc. 
 
 Unfortunately, the Journal as a whole practically does end at this point. The 
 rest of the entry for Feb. 23rd seems to have been an afterthought, and was 
 added at the foot of that same page 140. The strange thing is that the entries 
 for Feb. 24th, 25th, and 27th are written on loose sheets of paper (numbered 
 141 to 144, inclusive), of precisely the same quality, size, etc. (though unruled) 
 as the preceding pages. Townsend Harris, therefore, must have owned an 
 additional blank-book of the same format from which he tore the additional 
 sheets. 
 
 622 For Kikuna, see Journal, Nov. 23, 1857. 
 
 623 See note 620. Townsend Harris has inverted the order of seniority of 
 the two groups. 
 
 553 
 
This would give for Yedo a population of these two 
 classes alone of: 
 
 Daimyo — 18 at 10,000 each is 180,000 
 Daimyo — 342 " 2,000 " " 684,000 
 Shomyo — 8,000 " 200 " " 1,600,000 
 
 2,464,ooo 624 
 
 Thursday, February 25, 1858. The Commissioners 
 sent me their proposition for duties. With the exception 
 of a few articles, they propose an import duty of twelve 
 and a half per cent., and an export duty of the same 
 amount on all articles exported, whether of Japanese or 
 foreign production. Such an export duty would crush 
 anything like prosperous trade. 
 
 624 On this day of comparative leisure Townsend Harris wrote a long letter 
 to Sir John Bowring, Governor of Hongkong (L. B., vol. 3, pp. 90-96). In 
 this letter (marked "strictly confidential"), Townsend Harris repeats the 
 substance of this entry of the Journal, and describes in great detail the difficul- 
 ties which attended his negotiations. The most interesting part of this letter, 
 however, is the skillful way in which Townsend Harris quoted to the Japanese 
 a passage from one of Sir John's own letters, written Mar. 18, 1857 (•£• & P-> 
 vol. 1, no. 58). Townsend Harris says that he had taken the liberty of reading 
 to the Japanese the following extract (L. B., vol. 3, pp. 90-91): 
 
 "Japan, of course, occupies much of my thoughts; and, if I had reason 
 to know that I should have a becoming reception and a disposition to give 
 me such a treaty as I could accept with propriety, and which would satisfy 
 the reasonable expectations of my country and of the world at large, I have 
 no desire to be accompanied by so great a fleet as to cause alarms and ap- 
 prehensions; but, at the same time, you must be aware that commercial 
 relations must be put on very different foundations from the present, and 
 that it is altogether for the peace, prosperity and permanent interests of 
 Japan to satisfy reasonable demands." 
 
 Townsend Harris passes his own comment on his reading of this extract: 
 
 "This extract forcibly supported one of the lines of argument I had 
 adopted, and the reading of it produced a marked sensation; they eagerly 
 asked me if the letter was signed by you. I answered that it was not only 
 signed, but the whole letter was written by you." 
 
 The mention of great fleets, alarms and apprehensions must have aroused 
 recollections (by no means vague in Japanese minds) of the "black ships" 
 of Commodore Perry in 1853 and 1854, and of the opium war in China in 1842. 
 
 554 
 
Met the Commissioners at two P. M. Stated my ob- 
 jections to their tariff. I have been anxious not to have 
 any export duties, but I am forced to abandon the idea. 
 We at last agreed on an export duty of five per cent, on 
 all articles of Japanese production exported as cargo. 
 The import duty is to be five per cent, on all articles 
 required for ships, whalers, etc., etc., and some other 
 articles, including living animals of all kinds, bread 
 and breadstuffs, and salted provisions, etc. 
 
 Intoxicating drinks of all kinds, thirty-five per cent. 
 
 All other articles (except as below) , twenty per cent. 
 
 Gold and silver, coined or uncoined, with the cloth- 
 ing, books, furniture, etc., of persons who come to re- 
 side in Japan, — duty free. 
 
 The duties are to be subject to revision, if the Japanese 
 desire it, five years after Kanagawa has been opened. 
 
 I informed them that Ministers, Consuls General, 
 etc., did not pay duty on any articles for their own use. 
 They agree to write to the Governor of Hakodate to act 
 with Mr. Rice in selecting the place where Americans 
 shall erect their buildings, etc., at that place; also, that 
 Mr. Rice is to be furnished with Japanese money. I gave 
 them Mr. Rice's complaints about high prices at Hako- 
 date, and they promise to inquire into it. 625 
 
 625 These complaints were presented by Mr. Rice in his letter of Dec. 15, 
 1857 (L. & P., vol. 1, no. 72). The letter was received by Townsend Harris 
 at Yedo, Jan. 20, 1858, and answered Feb. 1, 1858 (L. B., vol. 3, pp. 18 bis-22; 
 and note 587). 
 
 On Feb. 26th, however, and chiefly because of the negotiations that had been 
 going on during the intervening weeks, Townsend Harris wrote two more 
 letters to Mr. Rice, going into the details of the agreements reached on each of 
 his complaints, and quoting part of Art. Ill of the Treaty then being negotiated 
 (L. B., vol. 3, pp. 24-26, marked "Official"; and pp. 27-28, marked "Private"). 
 
 555 
 
They still wish me to write to my Government asking 
 that a Minister shall not be sent to Japan before Janu- 
 ary i, 1 86 1. They gave me notice they should write me 
 a letter requesting that copies of the Treaty should be 
 transmitted to the English and Russians by the Secretary 
 of State. 
 
 We made some slight verbal amendments and then 
 agreed that a fair copy should be made for examination, 
 prior to its being engrossed. 626 
 
 They still stick to the six per cent, discount on money 
 in my case, — rather small for a government that pro- 
 fesses to have such a contempt for money. 
 
 Saturday, February 2J ', 1858. Last evening gave 
 clean copy of Treaty to the Japanese. To-day the Com- 
 missioners send me word they will require until Tues- 
 day next (March 2nd) to examine with the Council of 
 State the final draft of the Treaty. If any doubt had 
 existed in my mind that I was in reality negotiating with 
 the Council, and that the Commissioners had no real 
 full powers, this significant circumstance would re- 
 move it. 
 
 They tell me it will take the steamer two days to run 
 from Kanagawa to Shimoda (not over seventy nautical 
 miles). If this be true, it must be a very poor af- 
 fair, and will hardly take their Ambassador to San 
 Francisco. 
 
 Busy yesterday and to-day in writing letters. One 
 
 626 The "fair copy" was given to the Japanese Commissioners the following 
 day: see Journal, Feb. 27, 1858. 
 
 556 
 
to Mr. Rice, one to Mr. Donker Curtius, and other 
 private letters to my friends in America. 627 
 
 Since the 16th inst, when the snow fell so deeply, the 
 weather has been remarkably cold for the latitude of 
 36 . Until to-day, the thermometer has never risen 
 above 33 , although the days have been generally fine. 
 A fresh wind from N. W., bringing the frosty air from 
 Kamchatka, has constantly blown. 628 
 
 « 27 As we have just seen, Townsend Harris wrote two letters to Mr. Rice 
 on the 26th. This reference must be to the one marked "Official." The letter 
 to Mr. Curtius is not extant. Of the private letters to his friends it will be 
 remembered that Townsend Harris did not keep copies. It is hoped that read- 
 ers of this work will be good enough to send to the writer all such material (or 
 copies thereof) as they may possess, for use in future works on the diplomatic 
 relations between the United States and Japan. 
 
 628 Here ends the Journal of Townsend Harris considered as a continuous 
 narrative. We are indebted to the scanty extracts published from the Diary 
 of Heusken (Wagener, op. cit., p. 388) for the sad information that on this 
 very day, Feb. 27th, Townsend Harris fell sick. On Mar. 2nd Townsend 
 Harris was so ill that he asked to be sent back to Shimoda by boat. In the 
 evening he signed both copies of the Treaty, retaining one and giving the 
 other to Shinano, who in his turn gave Townsend Harris a written statement 
 to the effect that the Treaty would be signed by the Government in two months. 
 (See note 617.) In spite of his illness, Townsend Harris wrote a very long 
 report to Secretary of State Cass on Mar. 4, 1858 (L. B., vol. 3, pp. 58-72), 
 which closes thus: 
 
 "Not feeling well, I shall return to Shimoda in two or three days. The 
 Japanese send me down in their steamer, which they are to send for me 
 in April next, to bring me again to this place." 
 
 Coincidences sometimes are of great importance, and sometimes are mere 
 coincidences. But we cannot resist the temptation to mention at this point the 
 fact that, at almost the same moment, Commodore Perry died of rheumatism 
 of the heart at his home in New York City, on March 5, 1858, at 2 A. M. 
 (Griffis, M. C. Perry, Boston, Cupples & Hurd, 1887, p. 390.) 
 
 On arriving at Shimoda, Townsend Harris fell very ill — so ill that there 
 was a perfect blank in his memory. The crisis came on Saturday, Mar. 13th 
 ( Heusken' s Diary, in op. cit., p. 388). On Mar. 28th he recovered sufficiently 
 to know that he was sick (Townsend Harris to Nathaniel Dougherty, July 3, 
 1858, in Littell's Living Age, vol. 60, p. 570). 
 
 This long illness is more than sufficient to explain the breaking off of the 
 Journal at this point. Neither could Mr. Heusken, his faithful secretary, spare 
 any time from his devoted nursing. It is gratifying to know that, in the course 
 of these long negotiations and in spite of diplomatic differences of opinion, 
 the Japanese authorities had become quite attached to Townsend Harris 
 personally. The Council of State wrote anxious letters; the Tycoon sent presents 
 
 557 
 
and wishes for a speedy recovery. Harris's own words, written to a friend on 
 July 8, 1858, are particularly touching: 
 
 "Two days after my return to Shiraoda, I was seized with a very dan- 
 gerous nervous fever, which soon after showed symptoms of putrid fever, 
 and I remained in a critical situation until the first of April last. 
 
 "His Majesty the Tycoon and the Council of State manifested a deep 
 concern on hearing of my illness. Two of the best of the Imperial Physicians, 
 who had been taught by the Dutch surgeons at Nagasaki, were sent at 
 once from Yedo to this place. 
 
 "The Tycoon constantly sent me very kind messages, accompanied with 
 presents of such things as he thought might aid my recovery. Daily bulletins 
 were sent by the physicians to Yedo, and on the receipt at that place of a 
 bulletin stating that my case was hopeless, the doctors received peremptory 
 orders to cure me, and that, if I died, they would themselves be in peril. 
 
 "I mention these particulars to show the kindly disposition of the Jap- 
 anese. Perhaps I might add that it proved that my three months' residence 
 in Yedo had not made an unfavorable impression on the Japanese 
 authorities." 
 
 What a world of eloquence in these simple words! To those who have 
 read this Journal and who remember not merely the political but also the 
 social isolation visited upon Townsend Harris during his first year in Japan, 
 no comment is necessary. 
 
 558 
 
Fragments 629 
 
 Tuesday, May IS, 1858. 630 Interview with Higo and 
 Shinano-No-Kami. 631 Higo has a message to me from 
 
 629 These additional entries are written in pencil on both sides of a large 
 piece of Japanese paper, 16^2 inches by 10. 
 
 It is clear that such a very methodical man as Townsend Harris was, must 
 have resumed keeping his Journal the moment his health permitted it. The 
 stray sheet of paper containing these Fragments represents, first of all, the 
 rough draft of Townsend Harris's Journal. There are many proofs in the 
 body of the Journal that Townsend Harris did not write at once in the blank- 
 books that are extant, but first made a rough draft on scrap paper of various 
 kinds. Furthermore, this stray sheet is written very much in the nature of 
 brief notes that were evidently meant to be written up more fully when finally 
 transcribed (in ink) in the blank-books of his Journal. 
 
 Just how many of these sheets there were, and why they were not transcribed 
 into blank-books is a mystery that we are not able to solve. Perhaps this is 
 the only sheet of the rough copy that in some inexplicable way remained among 
 Townsend Harris's Japan Papers, and perhaps the rest were duly transcribed. 
 If so, what has become of the missing volumes of the Journal? 
 
 The last entry in the connected narrative is for Feb. 27, 1858; Townsend 
 Harris did not leave Japan until May 8, 1862, more than four years later. 
 We are morally certain that Townsend Harris kept a Journal for the whole 
 of this time. During the years that elapsed before his departure from Japan, 
 Townsend Harris witnessed the arrival of the representatives of Great 
 Britain, France, Prussia, Russia, and The Netherlands. He witnessed, also, 
 the influx of the business men of these nations. He witnessed the growth of 
 divergent, nay, conflicting, diplomatic aims; of national and international 
 rivalries; of suspicions and hatreds. During all these latter years, which 
 contrasted so violently with the peace and isolation of his Shimoda days, 
 Townsend Harris, as dean of the diplomatic corps in Japan, could and did 
 exert a steadying influence ; could, thanks to his long experience and to his 
 maturer and sympathetic judgment, distinguish right from expediency. This 
 play of intellect upon intellect is clearly shown in his correspondence, which 
 from this period on becomes more and more voluminous. And it would have 
 been a consummation devoutly to be desired had his Journal continued up to 
 the end of his career in Japan. 
 
 Townsend Harris, the bachelor, lived the last years of his life away from 
 friends, away from relatives, in an unassuming boarding house at 263 Fourth 
 Avenue, New York City. When he died on Feb. 25, 1878, he must have been 
 surrounded by his books and papers. He was buried on Feb. 28th. What 
 happened to his belongings in those few days before and after his death? In 
 
 559 
 
Hotta, Bittsu-no-Kami. The matters at Miako are more 
 difficult t.han words can express. The throne of the 
 Tykoon has existed in full power for 300 years. During 
 that period only three embassies have been sent to Miako, 
 and heretofore they have only remained ten days until 
 this time. A conspiracy exists at Miako to murder Hotta, 
 Bittsu-no-Kami; and placards threatening his death 
 have been posted on the walls of Miako. The population 
 of Miako and the adjacent districts are in a state of great 
 excitement. 
 
 The Mikado said, "When you have got the consent of 
 the Daitnyo, I will give my consent." 632 The Tykoon and 
 the Council still adhere to the Treaty. Agree to wait the 
 action of Government for twelve days. 
 
 the general confusion, were the concluding volumes of the Journal misplaced? 
 Were the loose sheets, perhaps, lost in the general, unthinking and hasty 
 clearing-out process that so often follows such visitations? Let us hope that 
 somewhere someone may yet discover these precious "lost books" — books that 
 would throw such important light on the early history of friendly relations 
 between the United States and the Empire of Japan — a history the shaping 
 of which, providentially, lay so largely in the kindly hands of Townsend 
 Harris! 
 
 630 This date really fell on Saturday. The confusion is inexplicable. 
 
 631 After his illness was over, and though still so weak that he had to be 
 carried aboard the Japanese steamer that called for him, Townsend Harris 
 returned to Yedo. His Treaty was still unsigned. On May 20th, he gave 
 the Japanese a copy of a letter which he had written to China, asking that 
 a warship come to Kanagawa (Heusken's Diary, in Wagener, op. cit., p. 389). 
 
 632'phis was not all the Emperor had said. Akimoto {Lord Ii Naosuke and 
 New Japan, 1909, p. 153) gives the substance as follows: 
 
 "The first question Lord Ii placed on the tapis was whether the Imperial 
 message which Lord Hotta had brought back from Kyoto should be made 
 public. Much opposition was offered on the ground that the step was pre- 
 mature. Lord Ii insisted that it should be [made public] and had his way. 
 Copies of the message were then distributed among the clan lords. The 
 purport of this message was that the signing of the commercial treaty with 
 the United States being too serious an affair, the views of the clan lords 
 and nobles in general should be consulted once more. If no decision could 
 be arrived at even then, His Majesty would proceed to the Imperial shrines 
 to invoke the aid of the gods." 
 
 560 
 
Monday, June J, 1858. Interview with Shinano 
 and Higo. [They] ask delay of three months, as was to 
 be expected from my interview with the Minister of 
 Foreign Affairs on Saturday, 5th inst. 633 
 
 Wednesday, 8 m [1858].* 9 * [Their] propositions re- 
 jected. I propose two months. Letter from Council and 
 Tykoon. [I require] them not to sign any other treaty 
 until thirty days after [the] American [Treaty] is 
 signed. 
 
 Thursday, June Q, 1858.™* [They] refuse to accept 
 two months. [They] try hard to get rid of [the] thirty 
 days required by me before they are to sign any other 
 treaty. I adhere, and they give way, and I give up the 
 month, so the Treaty is to be signed on the fourth of 
 September, 1858. 
 
 633 Hotta returned from Kyoto on either June ist or 2nd, 1858. On June 4th 
 or 5th, the Lord of Hikone — Ii Kamon-no-Kami — was appointed to the position 
 of the highest responsibility in the Shogunate Government, namely, that of 
 Tairo (Akimoto, op. cit., pp. 149, 152; cf. Gubbins, The Progress of Japan, 
 p. 107). Heusken tells us {Diary, in Wagener, op. cit., p. 389) that Townsend 
 Harris insisted that the Japanese sign the Treaty now, but date it three 
 months later. 
 
 634 The original is clearly so dated. The date should be either Tuesday, 
 June 8, 1858, or Wednesday, June 9th. 
 
 635 Again: the date should be either Wednesday, June 9th, or Thursday, 
 June 10, 1858. 
 
 561 
 
APPENDICES 
 
APPENDIX I 
 
 President Pierce's Letter to the First King of Siam 
 (L. fcf P., vol. 2, no. 14) 
 
 Franklin Pierce, 
 President of the United States of America 
 
 To His Majesty, the Magnificent King of Siam. 
 Great and Good Friend : 
 
 Having long been aware of the extent of Your Majesty's dominions, 
 of the richness and variety of their productions, and of the desire of Your 
 Majesty's subjects to receive in exchange for them the production of 
 other countries, it has occurred to me that the existing Treaty between 
 the United States and Siam might be so amended as to secure greater 
 facilities for that purpose. I have accordingly made choice of Town- 
 send Harris, Esquire, the Consul General of the United States for the 
 Empire of Japan, and a citizen of this country, who is the bearer of the 
 present letter, to confer upon the subject with such Ministers or other 
 officers as Your Majesty may designate. I trust that they may agree 
 upon the terms of a treaty which will strengthen and perpetuate the 
 bonds of amity between the United States and Siam, as well as in- 
 crease the commercial intercourse between them to their mutual ad- 
 vantage. 
 
 I trust that Your Majesty will receive Mr. Harris with kindness, 
 and will place entire confidence in all the representations which he may 
 make to Your Majesty in my behalf. 
 
 I pray God to have Your Majesty in His safe and holy keeping. 
 
 To these presents I have caused the seal of the United States to be 
 affixed, and have subscribed the same with my hand, at the City of 
 
 565 
 
Washington, on the twelfth day of September, in the year of the 
 Christian Era, one thousand eight hundred and fifty-five. 
 
 Franklin Pierce. 
 By the President: 
 
 W. L. Marcy, Secretary of State. 
 
 APPENDIX II 
 
 List of Presents for the First King of Siam 
 (L. & P., vol. 2, no. 41 ) 
 
 Presents for the First King of Siam 
 
 No. 1. Two splendid mirrors, very thick plates, measuring 80 
 inches by 56 inches, with frames finely carved out of solid 
 wood and richly gilt. 
 
 No. 2. Two superior solar chandeliers, each eight lights, ormolu 
 gildings, after the premium [prize] models of the World's 
 Exhibition in 1851. 
 
 36 cut glass globes for the same. 
 36 cut glass chimneys for the same. 
 72 dozen of lampwicks for the same. 
 
 No. 3. One compound achromatic microscope of the most approved 
 form for the magnifying of minute objects, with three eye- 
 pieces of different powers. Four sets of achromatic object 
 glasses of different focuses, double mirror, moveable stage, 
 diagonal eye-piece, condenser, dissecting instruments, box 
 of objects ; and camera lucida, by which an accurate drawing 
 of any object viewed in the microscope may be taken. 
 
 No. 4. Solar microscope, by which a magnified image of an object 
 is represented on a white wall or screen ; has three rack ad- 
 justments, three-inch condensing lens, three object glasses 
 of different magnifying powers, and three objects finely pre- 
 pared. 
 
 No. 5. A small box containing twelve finely prepared objects for 
 the solar microscope. 
 
 No. 6. A small box containing twelve finely prepared objects for 
 the compound achromatic microscope. 
 
 566 
 
No. 
 
 IO. 
 
 No. 
 
 ii. 
 
 No. 
 
 12. 
 
 No. 
 
 13. 
 
 No. 
 
 14. 
 
 No. 
 
 15. 
 
 No. 7. A book descriptive of the objects most interesting for the 
 microscope, with many plates. 
 
 No. 8. One Sharpe's patent primer rifle, octagon barrel, globe sight, 
 number 32 gauge, and German silver mounted. Two thou- 
 sand of Sharpe's primers. One hundred cartridges. 
 
 No. 9. One extra-fine finished, engraved, richly gilt, ivory handle 
 Colt's five-inch pistol, in rich, brass-bound rosewood case, 
 velvet lined, with fine extra-plated flasks, moulds, wrench- 
 key, etc. ; best percussion caps, powder, balls, etc., etc., com- 
 plete. 
 
 One portrait, life size, of General Washington. 
 One portrait, life size, of President Pierce. 
 One Republican Court or Society in the Days of Washing- 
 ton, illustrated and splendidly bound, scarlet Turkey mo- 
 rocco, full gilt. 
 
 One American Scenery, or Principal Views in the United 
 States, with full description ; bound antique morocco. 
 One illustrated description of the works of art, etc., exhibited 
 at the New York Exhibition, bound Turkey morocco, gilt. 
 One Iconographic Encyclopedia, or The Arts and Sciences 
 Fully Described and Splendidly Illustrated, bound Turkey 
 morocco, gilt. 
 
 No. 16. One Webster s American Dictionary, unabridged, bound in 
 scarlet Turkey morocco, full gilt and lettered, "Presented 
 to His Majesty the King of Siam, by Franklin Pierce, Presi- 
 dent of the United States of America." 
 
 No. 17. One colored view of the City of Washington. 
 One do. do. of the City of New Orleans. 
 One do. do. of the City of New York, from St. Paul's 
 Church. 
 
 of the City of New York, from the Bay. 
 of the City of Boston, 
 of the Senate Chamber at Washington, 
 of the City of Philadelphia, 
 of West Point. 
 
 of the Crystal Palace, New York, 
 of the City of New Orleans. 
 One view of an express railway train. 
 
 No. 18. One Map of [the] United States from Atlantic to Pacific 
 Oceans, on rollers. 
 
 567 
 
 One 
 
 do. 
 
 do. 
 
 One 
 
 do. 
 
 do. 
 
 One 
 
 do. 
 
 do. 
 
 One 
 
 do. 
 
 do. 
 
 One 
 
 do. 
 
 do. 
 
 One 
 
 do. 
 
 do. 
 
 One 
 
 tinted 
 
 do. 
 
APPENDIX III 
 
 List of Presents for the Second King of Siam 
 (L. fcf P., vol. 2, no. 42) 
 
 Presents for the Second King of Siam 
 
 No. 1. One splendid oval mirror, very thick plate, with frame finely 
 carved out of solid wood and richly gilt. 
 
 No. 2. (a) An electrical machine of the latest and most approved 
 construction, and possessing extraordinary power, hav- 
 ing a thirty-inch glass plate excited by four rubbers, hav- 
 ing adjusting screws, brass conductor supported on four 
 glass pillars set in brass sockets. 
 
 (b) A spotted Leyden jar; within, the dark is singularly 
 luminous in receiving or discharging its electricity. 
 
 (c) A jointed discharging rod for taking out the electricity 
 from the Leyden jar. 
 
 (d) A set of five fine-tuned electrical bells, which are 
 arranged to be rung by the power of electricity. 
 
 (e) An insulating stool having a polished mahogany top, and 
 glass legs set in brass sockets. By standing on this stool, 
 a person can be filled with electricity from the machine 
 so that his hair will stand on end and his person will 
 give off the fire when touched by another. 
 
 (f ) The quadrant electrometer for showing the intensity of 
 the electricity by the raising of the ball. 
 
 (g) A glass cylinder containing pith balls. These are made 
 to dance rapidly up and down by the electrical influence. 
 
 (h) One dozen extra pith balls, to supply any loss from the 
 instruments requiring them. 
 
 (i) A thunder house, to illustrate the effect of lightning on 
 a house if struck by it, and to show the use of the light- 
 ning rod in buildings. 
 
 (j) The man with long hair, showing that electricity will 
 make the hair stand up. 
 
 (k) Electrical sawmill, a very curious model worked by 
 electricity. 
 
 (1) Electrical firehouse, for showing that electricity can set 
 on fire a house. 
 
 568 
 
(m) Electrical sportsman: some feathers attached to small 
 strings are fastened to a Leyden jar, the electricity causes 
 them to fly in the air, the discharge of electricity from 
 the sportsman's gun causes them to drop as if shot. 
 
 (n) Radiating feathers: several feathers attached by small 
 strings to a brass ring on a glass stand are made to fly 
 about by the electricity. 
 
 (o) Electrical orrery, or earth, moon and sun, made to 
 revolve by electricity. It is mounted on a stand having 
 a spiral within the tube, which is beautifully luminous 
 when electricity is passed through it. 
 
 The electrical spiral tube, when electricity is passed 
 through the spiral, is brilliantly illuminated, — a flash of 
 light passing from each metallic spot. 
 
 (p) The electrical rotating bellglass, showing the wonder- 
 ful power of electricity in causing the motion of bodies. 
 
 (q) Electrical eggstand, to make an egg luminous by 
 electricity. 
 
 (r) Electrical mortar, to explode hydrogen gas by an elec- 
 trical spark, and make a great noise thereby. 
 
 (s) Apparatus for firing spirits, ether, etc., by electricity. 
 
 (t) Electrical image plates, having adjusting rods; small 
 images placed between these plates and electrified will 
 dance up and down rapidly. 
 
 (u) Two pith images for using with the electrical plates. 
 
 (v) Magic picture for giving an electrical shock to a per- 
 son unexpectedly. 
 
 (w) Revolving electrical chase of six horsemen mounted in 
 a glass stand. The horsemen all move when electrified, 
 chasing one another but not overtaking one another. 
 
 (x) An electrical battery of four Leyden jars for the ac- 
 cumulation of electricity in great quantity for experi- 
 ments. 
 
 (y) One pound of amalgam for anointing the rubbers of the 
 machine. 
 
 (z) An optical experiment, — color blender, for showing 
 that the union of all colors in their proper proportion 
 will produce white. 
 No. 3. One portrait, life size, of General Washington. 
 No. 4. One portrait, life size, of President Pierce. 
 
 569 
 
No. 5. One extra-fine finished, engraved, richly gilt, ivory handle 
 Colt's five-inch pistol in rich, brass-bound rosewood case, 
 velvet lined, with five [fine] extra-plated flasks, moulds, 
 wrench-key, etc.; best percussion caps, powder, balls, etc., 
 etc., complete. 
 
 No. 6. One Sharpe's patent primer carabine, round barrel, 32 gauge, 
 globe sight, German silver mounted. Two thousand Sharpe's 
 primers. One hundred cartridges. 
 
 No. 7. One Republican Court or Society in the Days of Washing- 
 ton, illustrated and splendidly bound, scarlet Turkey mo- 
 rocco, full gilt. 
 
 No. 8. One American Scenery, or Principal Views in the United 
 States, with full description; bound antique morocco. 
 
 No. 9. One illustrated description of the works of art, etc., ex- 
 hibited at the New York Exhibition, bound Turkey morocco, 
 gilt. 
 
 No. IO. One Iconographic Encyclopedia, or The Arts and Sciences 
 Fully Described and Splendidly Illustrated, bound Turkey 
 morocco, gilt. 
 
 No. 11. One Webster s American Dictionary, unabridged, bound 
 in scarlet Turkey morocco, full gilt, and lettered, "Presented 
 to his Majesty the Second King of Siam, by Franklin Pierce, 
 President of the United States of America." 
 
 No. 12. One Map of the United States from Atlantic to Pacific 
 Oceans, on rollers. 
 
 No. 13. One colored view of the City of Washington. 
 One do. do. of the City of New Orleans. 
 One do. do. of the City of New York, from St. Paul's 
 Church. 
 
 of the City of New York, from the Bay. 
 of the City of Boston, 
 of the Senate Chamber at Washington. 
 
 One 
 
 do. 
 
 do. 
 
 One 
 
 do. 
 
 do. 
 
 One 
 
 do. 
 
 do. 
 
 570 
 
APPENDIX IV 
 
 The Convention of Shimoda Between the United 
 States and Japan 
 
 June 17, 1857: concluded. 
 
 February 10, 1858: is received by the Senate, and is referred to the 
 Committee on Foreign Relations. 
 
 February 16, 1858: is reported without amendment. 
 
 June 15, 1858: is again referred to the Committee on Foreign Rela- 
 tions. 
 
 June 15, 1858: ratification is advised by the Senate. 
 
 June 30, 1858: is ratified by the President. 
 
 June 30, 1858: is proclaimed. 
 
 Note: This Convention was executed in quintuplicate, each copy be- 
 ing written in the English, Japanese, and Dutch languages, but it was 
 agreed "that the true meaning shall be found in the Dutch version of 
 the articles." (See Arts. VIII and IX.) 
 
 For the purpose of further regulating the intercourse of Ameri- 
 can citizens within the Empire of Japan, and after due deliberation, his 
 Excellency Townsend Harris, Consul General of the United States 
 of America for the Empire of Japan, and their Excellencies Ino-oo-ye 
 [Inouye], Prince of Sinano [Shinano], and Nakamura, Prince of 
 Dewa, Governors of Simoda [Shimoda], all having full powers from 
 their respective Governments, have agreed on the following articles, 
 to wit : — 
 
 I. The port of Nangasaki [Nagasaki] , in the principality of Hizen, 
 shall be open to American vessels, where they may repair damages, 
 procure water, fuel, provisions, and other necessary articles, even coals, 
 where they are obtainable. 
 
 II. It being known that American ships coming to the ports of 
 Simoda [Shimoda] and Hakodate cannot have their wants supplied 
 by the Japanese, it is agreed that American citizens may permanently 
 reside at Simoda [Shimoda] and Hakodate, and the Government of 
 the United States may appoint a vice-consul to reside at Hakodate. 
 
 This article to go into effect on the fourth day of July, eighteen 
 hundred and fifty-eight. 
 
 III. In settlement of accounts, the value of the money brought 
 by the Americans shall be ascertained by weighing it with Japanese 
 coin (gold and silver itsebues [ichibus]), that is, gold with gold, and 
 
 571 
 
silver with silver, or weights representing Japanese coin may be used, 
 after such weights have been carefully examined and found to be 
 correct. The value of the money of the Americans having been thus 
 ascertained, the sum of six per cent, shall be allowed to the Japanese 
 for the expense of recoinage. 
 
 IV. Americans committing offences in Japan shall be tried by the 
 American Consul General or Consul, and shall be punished according 
 to American laws. Japanese committing offences against Americans 
 shall be tried by the Japanese authorities, and punished according to 
 Japanese laws. 
 
 V. American ships which may resort to the ports of Simoda, 
 [Shimoda], Hakodate, or Nangasaki [Nagasaki], for the purpose of 
 obtaining necessary supplies, or to repair damages, shall pay for them 
 in gold or silver coin ; and, if they have no money, goods shall be taken 
 in exchange. 
 
 VI. The Government of Japan admits the right of his Excellency 
 the Consul General of the United States to go beyond the limits of 
 seven ri, but has asked him to delay the use of that right, except in cases 
 of emergency, shipwreck, etc., to which he has assented. 
 
 VII. Purchases for his Excellency the Consul General, or his 
 family, may be made by him only, or by some member of his family, 
 and payment made to the seller for the same without the intervention 
 of any Japanese official, and for this purpose Japanese silver and copper 
 coin shall be supplied to his Excellency the Consul General. 
 
 VIII. As his Excellency the Consul General of the United States 
 of America has no knowledge of the Japanese language, nor their 
 Excellencies the Governors of Simoda [Shimoda] a knowledge of the 
 English language, it is agreed that the true meaning shall be found in 
 the Dutch version of the articles. 
 
 IX. All the foregoing Articles shall go into effect from the date 
 hereof, except Article II, which shall go into effect on the date in- 
 dicated in it. 
 
 Done in quintuplicate (each copy being in English, Japanese, and 
 Dutch), at the Goyoso [Goyoshi] of Simoda [Shimoda], on the 
 seventeenth day of June, in the year of the Christian Era eighteen 
 hundred and fifty-seven, and of the Independence of the United States 
 of America the eighty-first, corresponding to the fourth Japanese year 
 of Ansei, Mi, the fifth month, the twenty-sixth day ; the English ver- 
 sion being signed by his Excellency the Consul General of the United 
 
 572 
 
States of America, and the Japanese version by their Excellencies the 
 Governors of Simoda [Shimoda]. 
 
 Townsend Harris. [L. S.] 
 
 APPENDIX V 
 
 The First American Flag Made in Japan 
 
 (See Journal, November 23, 1857) 
 
 When Townsend Harris had been put ashore by the U. S. S. San 
 Jacinto, an American Flag had been given to him, and this flag had 
 been raised with due ceremony on the flagstaff at the American Con- 
 sulate at Shimoda — as described by Townsend Harris himself in the 
 Journal. But Shimoda was a windy place; and, by November, 1857, 
 the flag left by the San Jacinto had been torn to shreds. The best pos- 
 sible impression, on the other hand, had to be made on the journey to 
 Yedo and on the Tycoon himself. 
 
 In this difficulty, Townsend Harris (or perhaps Dewa-no-Kami ) 
 must have turned to the natives of Shimoda and requested them to 
 make a new flag for him. And they did. It was this new flag which 
 was proudly borne before Townsend Harris on his triumphal journey 
 to Yedo, and it is this flag of which we give a photograph, as it appeared 
 before it was framed. 
 
 Let us look at this flag, and let us dream dreams. Count its thirty- 
 one stars, and think of the United States in 1857 — before the election 
 of Lincoln, before the great trial of battle, before Bull Run, before 
 the victories of Lee and of Grant. This was the American flag that was 
 first seen in awe and wonderment by countless Japanese. Picture the 
 thoughts of those countless men, women and children, who formed a 
 rank five feet deep on each side of the way ; who peeped from the win- 
 dows and doorways of the City of Yedo for a distance of over seven 
 miles — and all in absolute silence ! Picture, if you can, the indelible im- 
 pression made by this flag upon the keen and active minds of the 
 beholders as, in the midst of the appalling silence of such a vast 
 multitude, the Stars and Stripes were carried along slowly, and in 
 front of a man whom the Japanese could not even see, hidden as he was 
 in the respectable aloofness of his norimon,. 
 
 Let us remember that Townsend Harris was the first accredited 
 
 573 
 
representative of any foreign government to be granted an audience in 
 Japan ; that his visit to Yedo was the first ever made by an accredited 
 representative of a foreign government to the capital of the Tycoon. 
 Let us emphasize the fact that the flag which was borne before him on 
 this occasion was the first American flag ever made in Japan by 
 (perhaps) a Japanese Betsy Ross who is as yet unknown, unhonored 
 and unsung; that this flag was not merely the first American flag, but 
 the first flag of any foreign nation to be seen in the interior of Japan 
 for many centuries back ; and that it was the first flag of any nation 
 officially carried into the Shogun's capital and into his very Palace. 
 Townsend Harris himself was, and with very good reason, de- 
 votedly attached to this flag. In a letter to Mr. Nathaniel Dougherty 
 dated Shimoda, July 3, 1858 (Littell's Living Age, vol. 60, pp. 567- 
 570, he says (p. 569): 
 
 "A new flag, made of Japanese crepe, was carried before me. This 
 flag is the first foreign banner that was ever carried through this 
 great city [Yedo] , and I mean to preserve it as a precious relic." 
 
 Again, in a letter dated December 23, 1857, an( i addressed to Mr. E. 
 E. Rice, U. S. Commercial Agent at Hakodate, he says (L. B., vol. 3, 
 p. 14): 
 
 "The American flag was carried before me for more than 100 
 miles through this country. I displayed it in the streets of this great 
 City, and it daily waves before my residence, so that we can say that 
 the first foreign flag ever hoisted in this City was the Stars and 
 Stripes. On the day of my audience [December 7, 1857], tne Flag 
 was borne into the great Castle and up to the gate of the Audience 
 Hall." 
 
 And, finally, in a letter dated Shimoda, July 16, 1868, and 
 addressed to Catherine A. Drinker (the late Mrs. Thomas Allibone 
 Janvier), Townsend Harris says: 
 
 "On the Monday week after my arrival, I set out for the Palace. 
 My train blazed out in new silk dresses, and a new flag made of 
 Japanese crepe was displayed — by the way, the American flag is the 
 first foreign banner that was ever 'flung to the breeze' in this great 
 city." 
 
 574 
 
This precious relic both time and fortune have spared. A most 
 precious relic it is — it would be difficult to find one more dear and 
 more significant to American hearts. The writer was for ten years 
 Director of the Townsend Harris Hall High School — the only monu- 
 ment in this country that recalls the memory of our first Ambassador 
 to Japan. At the writer's instance, this historic flag was duly and prop- 
 erly framed, thus seconding the wishes of the great man whose name 
 the school is proud to bear. The flag now adorns the north wall of the 
 Director's Office and bears the following inscription : 
 
 The Townsend Harris Flag 
 The First American Flag made in Japan 
 
 1857 
 
 Framed by the Faculty and the Students 
 
 of the 
 
 Townsend Harris Hall High School 
 
 June 1921 
 
 APPENDIX VI 
 
 Townsend Harris's Letter of Credence, or "Full 
 Powers" : Dated Washington, D. C, Septem- 
 ber, 8, 1855 
 
 Franklin Pierce 
 President of the United States of America 
 
 To all to whom these presents shall come, Greeting: 
 
 Know Ye, that, reposing special trust and confidence in the integrity, 
 prudence and ability of Townsend Harris, Consul General of the 
 United States for the Empire of Japan, I have invested him with full 
 and all manner of power and authority for and in the name of the 
 United States to meet and confer with any person or persons duly 
 authorized by His Majesty the Emperor of Japan, being invested with 
 like power and authority, and with him or them to agree, treat, consult 
 and negotiate of and concerning general commerce between the United 
 
 575 
 
States and the dominions of His Majesty the Emperor of Japan, and 
 all matters and things connected therewith ; and to conclude and sign 
 a Treaty or Treaties, Convention or Conventions, touching the 
 premises, transmitting the same to the President of the United States 
 for his ratification by and with the advice and consent of the Senate 
 thereof. 
 
 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 eighth day of 
 September, in the year of Our Lord one thousand eight hundred and 
 fifty-five and of the Independence of the United States the eightieth. 
 
 Franklin Pierce. 
 By the President: 
 
 W. L. Marcy, Secretary of State 
 
 [Seal of the United States] 
 
 APPENDIX VII 
 
 President Pierce's Letter to the Emperor of Japan : 
 Dated Washington, D. C, September 12, 1855 
 
 Franklin Pierce 
 President of the United States of America 
 
 To His Majesty The Emperor of Japan. 
 
 Great and Good Friend : 
 
 It has occurred to me that the existing Treaty between the United 
 States and Japan might be so amended as to secure greater facilities 
 for the exchange of the rich and varied productions of Your Majesty's 
 vast Empire for those of the United States. I have accordingly made 
 choice of the bearer of this letter, Townsend Harris, Esquire, a citizen 
 of this country, who has already been accredited to Your Majesty's 
 Minister for Foreign Affairs as the Consul General of the United 
 States, to confer upon the subject with such Ministers or other officers 
 as Your Majesty may designate. I trust that they may agree upon the 
 terms of a treaty which will strengthen and perpetuate the bonds of 
 
 576 
 
amity between the United States and Japan as well as increase the 
 commercial intercourse between them to their mutual advantage. 
 
 I trust that Your Majesty will receive Mr. Harris with kindness, 
 and will place entire confidence in all the representations which he 
 may make to Your Majesty in my behalf. 
 
 I pray God to have Your Majesty in His safe and holy keeping. 
 
 To these presents I have caused the seal of the United States to be 
 affixed and have subscribed the same with my hand, at the City of 
 Washington, on the twelfth day of September, in the year of the 
 Christian Era, one thousand eight hundred and fifty-five. 
 
 Franklin Pierce. 
 By the President: 
 
 W. L. Marcy, Secretary of State. 
 
 APPENDIX VIII 
 
 Letter Written by Hotta, Bitchiu-no-Kami, to 
 Townsend Harris 
 
 (L. fcf P., vol. 2, no. 67) 
 
 To His Excellency Townsent [sic] Harris, Plenipotentiary and 
 Consul General of the United States of America, etc., etc., etc. 
 
 I have to acknowledge that I have read Your Excellency's letter, 
 sent on the last 9th day, and that I have thankfully accepted Your 
 Excellency's cordial presents. 
 
 The book, exactly describing all the ports of the United States of 
 America, the West Indies and South America, is found exceedingly 
 useful. 
 
 In acknowledgment of this favor I send you herewith a trifling pres- 
 ent, as per list. Should Your Excellency wish to accept the same, it 
 shall be very agreeable to me. 
 
 Represented with consideration and respect, 
 
 the 20th day of the nth month, Mi. 
 
 (s) Hotta Bittsiunokami 
 (s) Moriyama Takitsiro 
 A true translation. 
 H. C. J. Heusken 
 
 577 
 
Note: The above is written entirely in Mr. Heusken's hand. It 
 bears the following endorsement, also in his hand: 
 
 1858. 
 
 Hotta Bittsiunocami 
 
 letter accompanying 
 
 presents. 
 
 Yedo, January 4, 1857. [sic] 
 
 Received, do do 
 
 APPENDIX IX 
 
 The Treaty of Amity and Commerce Between the 
 United States and Japan 
 
 July 29, 1858: concluded at Yedo. 
 
 December 7, 1858: date of President Buchanan's letter transmitting 
 
 the Treaty to the Senate. 
 December 13, 1858: is received by the Senate. 
 December 15, 1858: ratification is advised by the Senate. 
 April 12, i860: is ratified by the President. 
 May 22, i860: ratifications are exchanged at Washington, D. C. 
 May 23, i860: is proclaimed. 
 
 Note: "This Treaty is executed in quadruplicate, each copy being 
 written in the English, Japanese, and Dutch languages, all the ver- 
 sions having the same meaning and intention, but the Dutch version 
 shall be considered as being the original." (See Art. XIV.) 
 
 The President of the United States of America and His Majesty the 
 Ty-Coon [Tykoon] of Japan, desiring to establish on firm and lasting 
 foundations the relations of peace and friendship now happily existing 
 between the two countries, and to secure the best interest of their re- 
 spective citizens and subjects by encouraging, facilitating, and regulat- 
 ing their industry and trade, have resolved to conclude a Treaty of 
 Amity and Commerce for this purpose, and have, therefore, named as 
 their Plenipotentiaries, that is to say: the President of the United 
 States, his Excellency Townsend Harris, Consul General of the United 
 States of America for the Empire of Japan; and His Majesty the Ty- 
 Coon of Japan, their Excellencies Ino-oo-ye [Inouye], Prince of Sinano 
 [Shinano], and Iwasay [Iwase], Prince of Hego [Higo] ; who, after 
 having communicated to each other their respective full powers, and 
 found them to be in good and due form, have agreed upon and con- 
 cluded the following Articles : 
 
 578 
 
Art. I. There shall henceforth be perpetual peace and friendship 
 between the United States of America and His Majesty the Ty-Coon 
 of Japan and his successors. 
 
 The President of the United States may appoint a Diplomatic Agent 
 to reside at the City of Yedo, and Consuls or Consular Agents to reside 
 at any or all of the ports in Japan which are opened for American com- 
 merce by this Treaty. The Diplomatic Agent and Consul General of 
 the United States shall have the right to travel freely in any part of the 
 Empire of Japan from the time they enter on the discharge of their 
 official duties. 
 
 The Government of Japan may appoint a Diplomatic Agent to reside 
 at Washington, and Consuls or Consular Agents for any or all of the 
 ports of the United States. The Diplomatic Agent and Consul General 
 of Japan may travel freely in any part of the United States from the 
 time they arrive in the country. 
 
 Art. II. The President of the United States, at the request of the 
 Japanese Government, will act as a friendly mediator in such matters 
 of difference as may arise between the Government of Japan and any 
 European Power. 
 
 The ships-of-war of the United States shall render friendly aid and 
 assistance to such Japanese vessels as they may meet on the high seas, 
 so far as can be done without a breach of neutrality; and all Amer- 
 ican Consuls residing at ports visited by Japanese vessels shall also give 
 them such friendly aid as may be permitted by the laws of the respective 
 countries in which they reside. 
 
 Art. III. In addition to the ports of Simoda [Shimoda] and 
 Hakodade [Hakodate], the following ports and towns shall be opened 
 on the dates respectively appended to them, that is to say : Kanagawa, 
 on the 4th of July, 1859; Nagasaki, on the 4th of July, 1859; Nee-e- 
 gata [Niigata], on the 1st of January, i860; Hiogo [Hyogo], on the 
 1st of January, 1863. 
 
 If Nee-e-gata [Niigata] is found to be unsuitable as a harbor, an- 
 other port on the west coast of Nipon [Nippon] shall be selected by 
 the two Governments in lieu thereof. Six months after the opening 
 of Kanagawa, the port of Simoda [Shimoda] shall be closed as a place 
 of residence and trade for American citizens. In all the foregoing ports 
 and towns American citizens may permanently reside ; they shall have 
 the right to lease ground, and purchase the buildings thereon, and may 
 erect dwellings and warehouses. But no fortification or place of military 
 strength shall be erected under pretence of building dwellings or ware- 
 
 J79 
 
houses ; and, to see that this Article is observed, the Japanese authorities 
 shall have the right to inspect, from time to time, any buildings which 
 are being erected, altered, or repaired. The place which the Americans 
 shall occupy for their buildings, and the harbor regulations, shall be 
 arranged by the American Consul and the authorities of each place, 
 and, if they cannot agree, the matter shall be referred to and settled 
 by the American Diplomatic Agent and the Japanese Government. 
 
 No wall, fence, or gate shall be erected by the Japanese around the 
 place of residence of the Americans, or anything done which may pre- 
 vent a free egress and ingress to the same. 
 
 From the 1st of January, 1862, Americans shall be allowed to reside 
 in the City of Yedo; and from the 1st of January, 1863, in the City 
 of Osaca [Osaka] , for the purposes of trade only. In each of these two 
 cities a suitable place within which they may hire houses, and the 
 distance they may go, shall be arranged by the American Diplomatic 
 Agent and the Government of Japan. Americans may freely buy from 
 Japanese and sell to them any articles that either may have for sale, 
 without the intervention of any Japanese officers in such purchase or 
 sale, or in making or receiving payment for the same ; and all classes of 
 Japanese may purchase, sell, keep, or use any articles sold to them by 
 the Americans. 
 
 The Japanese Government will cause this clause to be made public 
 in every part of the Empire as soon as the ratifications of this Treaty 
 shall be exchanged. 
 
 Munitions of war shall only be sold to the Japanese Government and 
 foreigners. 
 
 No rice or wheat shall be exported from Japan as cargo, but all 
 Americans resident in Japan, and ships, for their crews and passengers, 
 shall be furnished with sufficient supplies of the same. The Japanese 
 Government will sell, from time to time at public auction, any surplus 
 quantity of copper that may be produced. Americans residing in Japan 
 shall have the right to employ Japanese as servants or in any other 
 capacity. 
 
 Art. IV. Duties shall be paid to the Government of Japan on all 
 goods landed in the country, and on all articles of Japanese production 
 that are exported as cargo, according to the tariff hereunto appended. 
 
 If the Japanese Custom House officers are dissatisfied with the value 
 placed on any goods by the owner, they may place a value thereon, and 
 offer to take the goods at that valuation. If the owner refuses to accept 
 the offer, he shall pay duty on such valuation. If the offer be accepted 
 
 580 
 
by the owner, the purchase-money shall be paid to him without delay, 
 and without any abatement or discount. 
 
 Supplies for the use of the United States navy may be landed at Kana- 
 gawa, Hakodade [Hakodate], and Nagasaki, and stored in warehouses, 
 in the custody of an officer of the American Government, without the 
 payment of any duty. But, if any such supplies are sold in Japan, the 
 purchaser shall pay the proper duty to the Japanese authorities. 
 
 The importation of opium is prohibited ; and, any American vessel 
 coming to Japan for the purposes of trade having more than three catties 
 (four pounds avoirdupois) weight of opium on board, such surplus 
 quantity shall be seized and destroyed by the Japanese authorities. All 
 goods imported into Japan, and which have paid the duty fixed by this 
 Treaty, may be transported by the Japanese into any part of the empire 
 without the payment of any tax, excise, or transit duty whatever. 
 
 No higher duties shall be paid by Americans on goods imported into 
 Japan than are fixed by this Treaty, nor shall any higher duties be paid 
 by Americans than are levied on the same description of goods if im- 
 ported in Japanese vessels, or the vessels of any other nation. 
 
 Art. V. All foreign coin shall be current in Japan and pass for its 
 corresponding weight of Japanese coin of the same description. Amer- 
 icans and Japanese may freely use foreign or Japanese coin in making 
 payments to each other. 
 
 As some time will elapse before the Japanese will be acquainted with 
 the value of foreign coin, the Japanese Government will, for the period 
 of one year after the opening of each harbor, furnish the Americans 
 with Japanese coin in exchange for theirs, equal weights being given 
 and no discount taken for re-coinage. Coins of all description (with the 
 exception of Japanese copper coin) may be exported from Japan, and 
 foreign gold and silver uncoined. 
 
 Art. VI. Americans committing offences against Japanese shall be 
 tried in American Consular courts, and, when guilty, shall be punished 
 according to American law. Japanese committing offences against Amer- 
 icans shall be tried by the Japanese authorities and punished according 
 to Japanese law. The Consular courts shall be open to Japanese cred- 
 itors, to enable them to recover their just claims against American 
 citizens; and the Japanese courts shall in like manner be open to 
 American citizens for the recovery of their just claims against 
 Japanese. 
 
 All claims for forfeitures or penalties for violations of this Treaty, 
 or of the Articles regulating trade which are appended hereunto, shall 
 
 581 
 
be sued for in the Consular courts, and all recoveries shall be delivered 
 to the* Japanese authorities. 
 
 Neither the American or Japanese Governments are [sic] to be held 
 responsible for the payment of any debt£ contracted by their respective 
 citizens or subjects. 
 
 Art. VII. In the opened harbors of Japan, Americans shall be free 
 to go where they please, within the following limits: 
 
 At Kanagawa, the River Logo [Rokugo] (which empties into the 
 Bay of Yedo between Kawasaki and Sinagawa), and 10 ri in any other 
 direction. 
 
 At Hakodade [Hakodate], 10 ri in any direction. 
 
 At Hiogo [Hyogo], 10 ri in any direction, that of Kioto [Kyoto] 
 excepted, which city shall not be approached nearer than 10 ri. The 
 crews of vessels resorting to Hiogo shall not cross the River Enagawa, 
 which empties into the Bay between Hiogo and Osaca [Osaka]. The 
 distance shall be measured inland from Goyoso [Goyoshi], or town 
 hall of each of the foregoing harbors, the ri being equal to 4,275 yards 
 American measure. 
 
 At Nagasaki, Americans may go into any part of the Imperial domain 
 in its vicinity. The boundaries of Nee-e-gata [Niigata], or the place 
 that may be substituted for it, shall be settled by the American Diplo- 
 matic Agent and the Government of Japan. Americans who have been 
 convicted of felony, or twice convicted of misdemeanors, shall not go 
 more than one Japanese ri inland from the places of their respective 
 residences, and all persons so convicted shall lose their right of per- 
 manent residence in Japan, and the Japanese authorities may require 
 them to leave the country. 
 
 A reasonable time shall be allowed to all such persons to settle their 
 affairs, and the American Consular authority shall, after an examination 
 into the circumstances of each case, determine the time to be allowed, 
 but such time shall not in any case exceed one year, to be calculated from 
 the time the person shall be free to attend to his affairs. 
 
 Art. VIII. Americans in Japan shall be allowed the free exercise 
 of their religion, and for this purpose shall have the right to erect suit- 
 able places of worship. No injury shall be done to such buildings, nor 
 any insult be offered to the religious worship of the Americans. Amer- 
 ican citizens shall not injure any Japanese temple or mia, or offer any 
 insult or injury to Japanese religious ceremonies, or to the objects of 
 their worship. 
 
 The Americans and Japanese shall not do anything that may be cal- 
 
 5 8 2 
 
culated to excite religious animosity. The Government of Japan has 
 already abolished the practice of trampling on religious emblems. 
 
 Art. IX. When requested by the American Consul, the Japanese 
 authorities will cause the arrest of all deserters and fugitives from 
 justice, receive in jail all persons held as prisoners by the Consul, and 
 give to the Consul such assistance as may be required to enable him to 
 enforce the observance of the laws by the Americans who are on land, 
 and to maintain order among the shipping. For all such service, and for 
 the support of prisoners kept in confinement, the Consul shall in all cases 
 pay a just compensation. 
 
 Art. X. The Japanese Government may purchase or construct in 
 the United States ships-of-war, steamers, merchant ships, whale ships, 
 cannon, munitions of war, and arms of all kinds, and any other things 
 it may require. It shall have the right to engage in the United States 
 scientific, naval and military men, artisans of all kinds, and mariners 
 to enter into its service. All purchases made for the Government of 
 Japan may be exported from the United States, and all persons engaged 
 for its service may freely depart from the United States : provided that 
 no articles that are contraband of war shall be exported, nor any per- 
 sons engaged to act in a naval or military capacity, while Japan shall 
 be at war with any Power in amity with the United States. 
 
 Art. XL The Articles for the regulation of trade, which are ap- 
 pended to this Treaty, shall be considered as forming a part of the 
 same, and shall be equally binding on both the Contracting Parties to 
 this Treaty, and on their citizens and subjects. 
 
 Art. XII. Such of the provisions of the Treaty made by Commo- 
 dore Perry, and signed at Kanagawa, on the 31st of March, 1854, as 
 conflict with the provisions of this Treaty are hereby revoked; and, as 
 all the provisions of a Convention executed by the Consul General of 
 the United States and the Governors of Simoda [Shimoda], on the 17th 
 of June, 1857, are incorporated in this Treaty, that Convention is also 
 revoked. 
 
 The person charged with the diplomatic relations of the United 
 States in Japan, in conjunction with such person or persons as may be 
 appointed for that purpose by the Japanese Government, shall have 
 power to make such rules and regulations as may be required to carry 
 into full and complete effect the provisions of this Treaty, and'the pro- 
 visions of the Articles regulating trade appended thereunto. 
 
 Art. XIII. After the 4th of July, 1872, upon the desire of either 
 the American or Japanese Governments, and on one year's notice given 
 
 583 
 
by either party, this Treaty, and such portions of the Treaty of Kana- 
 gawa as remain unrevoked by this Treaty, together with the regulations 
 of trade hereunto annexed, or those that may be hereafter introduced, 
 shall be subject to revision by Commissioners appointed on both sides 
 for this purpose, who will be empowered to decide on, and insert therein, 
 such amendments as experience shall prove to be desirable. 
 
 Art. XIV. This Treaty shall go into effect on the 4th of July, 1859, 
 on or before which day the ratifications of the same shall be exchanged 
 at the City of Washington; but if, from any unforeseen cause, the 
 ratifications cannot be exchanged by that time, the Treaty shall still go 
 into effect at the date above mentioned. 
 
 The act of ratification on the part of the United States shall be veri- 
 fied by the signature of the President of the United States, counter- 
 signed by the Secretary of State, and sealed with the seal of the United 
 States. 
 
 The act of ratification on the part of Japan shall be verified by the 
 name and seal of His Majesty the Ty-Coon, and by the seals and signa- 
 tures of such of his high officers as he may direct. 
 
 This Treaty is executed in quadruplicate, each copy being written 
 in the English, Japanese, and Dutch languages, all the versions having 
 the same meaning and intention, but the Dutch version shall be con- 
 sidered as being the original. 
 
 In witness whereof, the above-named Plenipotentiaries have here- 
 unto set their hands and seals, at the City of Yedo, this 29th day of 
 July, in the year of Our Lord 1858, and of the Independence of the 
 United States of America the eighty-third, corresponding to the Jap- 
 anese era, the 19th day of the 6th month of the 5th year of Ansei, Mma 
 [year oi the horse]. 
 
 [L. S.] Townsend Harris. 
 
 Regulations Under Which American Trade Is to Be 
 Conducted in Japan 
 
 Regulation i. Within 48 hours (Sundays excepted) after the 
 arrival of an" American ship in a Japanese port, the captain or com- 
 mander shall exhibit to the Japanese Custom House authorities the re- 
 ceipt of the American Consul, showing that he has deposited the ship's 
 register and other papers, as required by the laws of the United States, 
 at the American Consulate, and he shall then make an entry of his ship, 
 
 584 
 
by giving a written paper, stating the name of the ship, and the name 
 of the port from which she comes, her tonnage, the name of her captain 
 or commander, the names of her passengers (if any), and the number 
 of her crew, which paper shall be certified by the captain or commander 
 to be a true statement, and shall be signed by him ; he shall at the same 
 time deposit a written manifest of his cargo, setting forth the marks 
 and numbers of the packages and their contents, as they are described in 
 his bills of lading with the names of the person or persons to whom 
 they are consigned. A list of the stores of the ship shall be added to the 
 manifest. The captain or commander shall certify the manifest to be 
 a true account of all the cargo and stores on board the ship, and shall 
 sign his name to the same. If any error is discovered in the manifest, 
 it may be corrected within 24 hours (Sundays excepted) without the 
 payment of any fee ; but for any alteration or post entry to the manifest 
 made after that time, a fee of 15 dollars shall be paid. All goods not 
 entered on the manifest shall pay double duties on being landed. Any 
 captain or commander that shall neglect to enter his vessel at the Jap- 
 anese Custom House within the time prescribed by this regulation shall 
 pay a penalty of 60 dollars for each day that he shall so neglect to enter 
 his ship. 
 
 Regulation 2. The Japanese Government shall have the right to 
 place Custom House officers on board of any ship in their ports (men- 
 of-war excepted). All Custom House officers shall be treated with 
 civility, and such reasonable accommodation shall be allotted to them 
 as the ship affords. No goods shall be unladen from any ship between 
 the hours of sunset and sunrise, except by special permission of the 
 Custom House authorities; and the hatches, and all other places of 
 entrance into that part of the ship where the cargo is stowed, may be 
 secured by Japanese officers, between the hours of sunset and sunrise, by 
 affixing seals, locks, or other fastenings ; and if any person shall, with- 
 out due permission, open any entrance that has been so secured, or shall 
 break or remove any seal, lock, or other fastening that has been affixed 
 by the Japanese Custom House officers, every person so offending shall 
 pay a fine of 60 dollars for each offence. Any goods that shall be dis- 
 charged or attempted to be discharged from any ship, without having 
 been duly entered at the Japanese Custom House, as hereinafter pro- 
 vided, shall be liable to seizure and confiscation. 
 
 Packages of goods made up with an attempt to defraud the revenue 
 of Japan, by concealing therein articles of value which are not set forth 
 in the invoice, shall be forfeited. 
 
 585 
 
American ships that shall smuggle, or attempt to smuggle, goods 
 in any of the non-opened harbors of Japan, all such goods shall be for- 
 feited to the Japanese Government, and the ship shall pay a fine of 
 1,000 dollars for each offence. Vessels needing repairs may land their 
 cargo for that purpose without the payment of duty. All goods so landed 
 shall remain in charge of the Japanese authorities, and all just charges 
 for storage, labor, and supervision shall be paid thereon. But if any 
 portion of such cargo be sold, the regular duties shall be paid on the 
 portion so disposed of. Cargo may be transshipped to another vessel 
 in the same harbor without the payment of duty; but all transshipments 
 shall be made under the supervision of Japanese officers, and after satis- 
 factory proof has been given to the Custom House authorities of the 
 bona fide nature of the transaction, and also under a permit to be 
 granted for that purpose by such authorities. The importation of opium 
 being prohibited, if any person or persons shall smuggle or attempt to 
 smuggle, any opium, he or they shall pay a fine of 15 dollars for each 
 catty of opium so smuggled or attempted to be smuggled ; and if more 
 than one person shall be engaged in the offence, they shall collectively 
 be held responsible for the payment of the foregoing penalty. 
 
 Regulation 3. The owner or consignee of any goods, who desires 
 to land them, shall make an entry of the same at the Japanese Custom 
 House. The entry shall be in writing, and shall set forth the name 
 of the person making the entry, and the name of the ship in which the 
 goods were imported, and the marks, numbers, packages, and contents 
 thereof, with the value of each package extended separately in one 
 amount, and at the bottom of the entry shall be placed the aggregate 
 value of all the goods contained in the entry. On each entry the owner 
 or consignee shall certify, in writing, that the entry then presented ex- 
 hibits the actual cost of the goods, and that nothing has been concealed 
 whereby the Customs of Japan would be defrauded ; and the owner or 
 consignee shall sign his name to such certificate. 
 
 The original invoice or invoices of the goods so entered shall be pre- 
 sented to the Custom House authorities, and shall remain in their 
 possession until they have examined the goods contained in the entry. 
 
 The Japanese officers may examine any or all of the packages so 
 entered, and for this purpose may take them to the Custom House, but 
 such examinations shall be without expense to the importer or injury 
 to the goods; and, after examination, the Japanese shall restore the 
 goods to their original condition in the packages (so far as may be 
 
 586 
 
practicable), and which examination shall be made without any un- 
 reasonable delay. 
 
 If any owner or importer discovers that his goods have been damaged 
 on the voyage of importation before such goods have been delivered to 
 him, he may notify the Custom House authorities of such damage, and 
 he may have the damaged goods appraised by two or more competent 
 and disinterested persons, who, after due examination, shall make a 
 certificate setting forth the amount per cent, of damage on each separate 
 package, describing it by its mark and number, which certificates shall 
 be signed by the appraisers in presence of the Custom House authorities, 
 and the importer may attach the certificate to his entry, and make a 
 corresponding deduction from it. But this shall not prevent the Custom 
 House authorities from appraising the goods in the manner provided in 
 Article IV of the Treaty, to which these regulations are appended. 
 
 After the duties have been paid, the owner shall receive a permit 
 authorizing the delivery to him of the goods, whether the same are at 
 the Custom House or on shipboard. All goods intended to be exported 
 shall be entered at the Japanese Custom House before they are placed 
 on shipboard. The entry shall be in writing, and shall state the name 
 of the ship by which the goods are to be exported, with the marks and 
 numbers of the packages, and the quantity, description, and value of 
 their contents. The exporter shall certify in writing that the entry is 
 a true account of all the goods contained therein, and shall sign his 
 name thereto. Any goods that are put on board of a ship for exportation 
 before they have been entered at the Custom House, and all packages 
 which contain prohibited articles, shall be forfeited to the Japanese 
 Government. 
 
 No entry at the Custom House shall be required for supplies for the 
 use of ships, their crews, and passengers, nor for the clothing, etc., of 
 passengers. 
 
 Regulation 4. Ships wishing to clear shall give 24 hours' notice 
 at the Custom House, and at the end of that time they shall be entitled 
 to their clearance; but, if it be refused, the Custom House authorities 
 shall immediately inform the captain or consignee of the ship of the 
 reasons why the clearance is refused, and they shall also give the same 
 notice to the American Consul. 
 
 Ships-of-war of the United States shall not be required to enter or 
 clear at the Custom House, nor shall they be visited by Japanese Custom 
 House or police officers. Steamers carrying the mails of the United 
 States may enter and clear on the same day, and they shall not be re- 
 
 587 
 
quired to make a manifest, except for such passengers and goods as are 
 to be landed in Japan. But such steamers shall, in all cases, enter and 
 clear at the Custom House. 
 
 Whale ships touching for supplies, or ships in distress, shall not be 
 required to make a manifest of their cargo; but if they subsequently 
 wish to trade, they shall then deposit a manifest, as required in 
 Regulation I. 
 
 The word ship, wherever it occurs in these Regulations, or in the 
 Treaty to which they are attached, is to»be held as meaning ship, barque, 
 brig, schooner, sloop, or steamer. 
 
 Regulation 5. Any person signing a false declaration or certifi- 
 cate with the intent to defraud the revenue of Japan, shall pay a fine 
 of 125 dollars for each offence. 
 
 Regulation 6. No tonnage duties shall be levied on American 
 ships in the ports of Japan, but the following fees shall be paid to the 
 Japanese Custom House authorities : for the entry of a ship, 15 dollars ; 
 for the clearance of a ship, 7 dollars; for each permit, \y 2 dollars; for 
 each bill of health, 1^2 dollars; for any other document, ij^ dollars. 
 
 Regulation 7. Duties shall be paid to the Japanese Government 
 on all goods landed in the country according to the following tariff : 
 
 Class 1. All articles in this class shall be free of duty. 
 
 Gold and silver, coined or uncoined. 
 
 Wearing apparel in actual use. 
 
 Household furniture and printed books not intended for sale, but 
 the property of persons who come to reside in Japan. 
 Class 2. A duty of 5 per cent, shall be paid on the following articles : 
 
 All articles used for the pur- Salted provisions of all kinds. 
 
 pose of building rigging, Bread and breadstuffs. 
 
 repairing, or fitting out of Living animals of all kinds. 
 
 ships. Coals. 
 
 Whaling gear of all kinds. Zinc. 
 
 Timber for building houses. Lead. 
 
 Rice. Tin. 
 
 Paddy. Raw Silk. 
 Steam machinery. 
 
 Class 3. A duty of 35 per cent, shall be paid on all intoxicating 
 liquors, whether prepared by distillation, fermentation, or in 
 any other manner. 
 
 588 
 
Class 4. All goods not included in any of the preceding classes 
 
 shall pay a duty of 20 per cent. 
 All articles of Japanese production, which are exported as cargo, 
 shall pay a duty of 5 per cent., with the exception of gold and silver 
 coin and copper in bars. Five years after the opening of Kanagawa 
 the import and export duties shall be subject to revision if the Japanese 
 Government desires it. 
 
 [L. S.] Townsend Harris. 
 
 5 8 9 
 
INDEX 
 
INDEX 
 
 Abbott & Lawrence, 256, 257. 
 Abbreviations used in the notes, xix. 
 Ab6 Ise-no-Kami, 382 and 382 n. 
 Accounts, Harris's, 343, 346 and 346 n.; 
 
 Harris pays, 175, 37 2 ~373> 409. 
 Acknowledgments, ix, x. 
 Adams, Captain H. A., 261 n. 
 Adams, J. H., 51 n. 
 Additional Articles to Dutch Treaty 
 
 with Japan, 410 and 410 n., 411 n. 
 Address, Harris's, to the Shogun at 
 
 Yedo, 475; to King of Siam, Harris 
 
 composes, 123; to King of Siam, text 
 
 of Harris's, 134; to Second King, 
 
 text of Harris's, 135-136. 
 Aden, Harris describes, 18. 
 Adultery in Siam, 88. 
 Adventures in the Punjab, 38. 
 Age, Harris's, 240 and 240 n. 
 Agriculture, Japanese, 235-236. 
 Albatross, Harris sees, 196, 198. 
 Alcock, Sir Rutherford, 69 n. 
 Alley, M., Harris visits in Aden, 23- 
 Alsop, Wetmore & Cryder, 178 n. 
 Alton Locke, 37. 
 Amaral, Governor, 169 n. 
 Ambassador, Japanese propose to send, 
 
 to Washington, 531. 
 American Messenger, the, 512 n. 
 Americans in Eastern Asia, extract from, 
 
 on Harris's entry into Yedo, 442 n. 
 Amusements of Japanese boys, 359— 
 
 360. 
 Andrews, W. W., see Winthrop, William. 
 Animals, 61, 87, 249, 359. 
 Anna Maria, the, 73. 
 Anstey, the Honorable Chisholm, 31 
 
 and 31 n., 45, 46, 175. 
 Anti-Coningsby , 38, 40. 
 Appleton, John, Secretary of Legation, 
 
 27 n. 
 Archer, Joseph, 178 n. 
 Armstrong, James, Commodore, 68, 75, 
 
 76, 77, 78 n., 81, 93, 103, 124, 126, 130, 
 I3 1 * *33> i37> Ho n., 163, 165-166, 
 168, 172, 180, 181, 185, 187, 192, 
 193, 199 n., 205, 207, 219, 220, 224, 
 225, 270 n., 347, 350, 357, 365, 377, 
 
 379, 381, 386, 387, 388, 39 2 ; Harri s 
 makes acquaintance of, 26; career of, 
 26 n; Harris writes to, 53; private 
 visit of, to Second King, 127; Gover- 
 nor of Shimoda sends presents to, 
 203; invited to visit Governor of 
 Shimoda, 216. 
 
 Armstrong, Mr. (of Armstrong & Law- 
 rence), 165. 
 
 Armstrong & Lawrence, 46, 186, 240 n., 
 275 and 275 n., 289, 389; Harris 
 settles accounts with, 175; Harris 
 writes to, 180, 181, 185, 187, 288 n., 
 290 n. 
 
 Artemisia, 258. 
 
 Ashe, Captain's Clerk, 137. 
 
 Ashmore, the Rev. William, 107 and 
 107 n. 
 
 Ashmore, Mrs., 107 n. 
 
 Assam, Harris's butler, 182, 295. 
 
 Atlantic, the, Harris takes passage on, 
 
 23- 
 
 Atlas, Mitchell's, 229. 
 
 Auckland, the, 79, 81, 90, 107, 
 
 Audience with Shogun, date set for, 
 454; dinner served to Harris on oc- 
 casion of, 478, 481; fan used at, 481. 
 See also under Harris, Townsend, 
 Shogun, and Yedo. 
 
 Audience with King of Siam, 129-135, 
 133 n.; order of procession, 130-13 1; 
 Harris's address, 134. 
 
 Audience with Second King of Siam, 
 Harris's, 135-136; order of proces- 
 sion, 130-13 1, 135; Harris's address, 
 
 135-136. 
 Audience Chamber at Yedo, Harris 
 describes, 449. 
 
 593 
 
Ba-ba offered to Harris for horseback 
 riding, 489; Harris rides in, 490. 
 
 Bachelor's button, 249-150. 
 
 Baibarossa, 245; flesh of, sent to Harris 
 by Japanese, 242. 
 
 Baker, Captain, of the Singapore and 
 Pekin, 18,41. 
 
 Baker, Mr., 35. 
 
 Balestier, Joseph, 25 and 25 n., 79 n., 
 99 and 99 n., 107 n., 113 and 113 n., 
 116, 118; reception of, by Siamese, 
 94 and 94 n. 
 
 Bamboo house prepared for Harris by 
 Siamese, 88. 
 
 Bangkok, Harris arrives at, 79-83; Sir 
 John Bowring's house at, 83-84; 
 temperature in, 90; old saying in, 90; 
 Harris's arrival at, 93-94; weather 
 in, 123; floating houses of, 128-129; 
 Harris's departure from, 159-162. 
 
 Banka, the, 184 and 184 n.; burns, 182- 
 183; inquiry into loss of, 183-184. 
 
 Baring Brothers & Co., 23, 27, 218 n., 
 219 n., 240 n., 295 n., 397 n.; dis- 
 patches to, 338 n., 494 n. 
 
 Barracouta, the, 224 n.; captures the 
 Diana in Crimean War, 267 n. 
 
 Barrage, the, 21. 
 
 Barrington, George, notorious pick- 
 pocket, 67 and 67 n.; couplet written 
 by, 67 and 67 n. 
 
 Barstow (S. L. M. Barlow?), 14. 
 
 Batavia, Bishop of, stories told by, 46. 
 
 Bath houses in Japan, 252. 
 
 Bathing customs in Japan, 252. 
 
 Bats, 227. 
 
 Bazaar, Japanese, 205 and 205 n., 210. 
 
 Beche-de-mer, 145 and 145 n. 
 
 Beck, L. Adams, quotation from book 
 by, 529 n. 
 
 Beetles, 63. 
 
 Bell, Henry H., Captain, of the San 
 Jacinto, 26 and 26 n., 28, 75, 76, 77, 
 81, 126 n., 137, 141, 143, 154, 157, 159, 
 165, 166, 178, 180, 181, 182, 183, 187, 
 202, 205, 207, 217, 234 n., 245 n., 
 288 n., 387 and 387 n.; gives presents 
 to Japanese officers, 203. 
 
 "Bellevue," 73^ Harris describes view 
 from, 56-57. 
 
 Belvedere, Harris orders, 363. 
 
 Bells, Japanese, 435. 
 
 Bengal, Harris goes aboard the, 32; 
 
 his fellow passengers on, 32; leaves 
 for Madras, and Calcutta, 34. 
 
 Bent, Lieutenant Silas, 197 and 197 n., 
 200 n. 
 
 Bhusties, definition of, 47 n. 
 
 Bigandet, Pere, 49 and 49 n., 76-77. 
 
 Bingo-no-Kami, 300, 305, 308; goes to 
 Yedo, 362; appointed superintend- 
 ent of affairs, 367; in disgrace, 369. 
 See also Shimoda, Governors of. 
 
 Birds, 63-64, 81, 196, 198, 271, 436; 
 sent to Harris by Japanese, 275. 
 
 Birthday, Harris's, 398. 
 
 Bittinger, Mr., 406 and 406 n., 431. 
 
 Black, Captain, of the Bengal, 34. 
 
 Black, John, 34 and 34 n., 41. 
 
 Black, Mrs. John, 34, 36. 
 
 Bland, Rev. Mr., 49, 51. 
 
 Blundell, Governor, of Penang, 66-67 
 and 66 n., 77. 
 
 Boa constrictor, 62-63. 
 
 Boats, in River Menam, 100-10 1; 
 Kanyu, 95-96, 96-97. 
 
 Bobbachee, definition of, 47 n. 
 
 Bogar's Mansion House, Harris goes 
 to, 34- 
 
 Bombay, the, Harris goes aboard, 18. 
 
 Bon-bons presented to Harris on ar- 
 rival at Yedo, 450 and 450 n., 451. 
 
 Bond, Captain, 45. 
 
 Books, read by Harris on journey to 
 Penang in 1855, 35, 36, 37, 40; sent to 
 Harris by Possiet, 280 n.; in the Pali 
 character, Harris describes, 42. 
 
 Bondin, Harris visits, 145. 
 
 Boulderson, Captain, 49, 55. 
 
 Bourboulon, M., 169 n. 
 
 Bowen, M., 137, 146. 
 
 Bowring, Sir John, 31 n., 51 n., 69 and 
 69 n., 83, 106, 109, 120, 121 n., 146 
 n., 148, 151, 161, 164, 165, 166 and 
 166 n., 167 n., 175, 278 n., 288 n.; 
 describes Somdet Oong Noy, 118 n.; 
 Harris writes to, 554 n. 
 
 Bradford, T. O., Purser of the San 
 Jacinto, 75 and 75 n., 77, 364, 389 
 and 389 n. 
 
 Bradley, Charles William, 51 and 51 n., 
 55> 7°> 77 an d 77 n -> 7^ n., 128 n., 
 165, 167 and 167 n., 172, 374 n.; 
 extract from letter to Harris from, 
 77 n., 78; Harris gives passport, dis- 
 patches, and Siamese Treaty to, 173; 
 
 594 
 
starts for home, taking Treaty with 
 Siam to Washington, 177 n.; extract 
 from letter to Harris, 177 n.; takes 
 Siamese Treaty to Bangkok, 390. 
 
 Bradley, the Rev. D. B., 102 and 102 n., 
 107, 122, 131, 137 n., 153. 
 
 Bradley, Mrs., 137 n. 
 
 Bronze tablet of Harris in 1847, frontis- 
 piece. 
 
 Brooke, Sir James, 99 and 99 n. 
 
 Brown, Mr., minister of the Scotch 
 Kirk, 33. 
 
 Brown, Alexander, 49, 55, 70. 
 
 Brown, Daniel, 107 n. 
 
 Brown Brothers Co., 8. 
 
 Brown, Shipley & Co., 27. 
 
 Bruce, James, 19 and 19 n. 
 
 Bryant, Lieutenant, 137. 
 
 Bryant, Mr., 146. 
 
 Buchanan, James, 27 and 27 n., 374 
 n.; becomes President of the United 
 States, 331 and 331 n. 
 
 Burra Beebe, defined, 66 n. 
 
 Buttery, Mr., 74. 
 
 Cadiz, the, 40, 41, 45, 68. 
 
 Cambodia tributary to Siam, 86. 
 
 Camphor, 408. 
 
 Canaries, Harris's, 275, 349, 358-359, 
 366. 
 
 Canton, the, 176. 
 
 Caroline, the, 55. 
 
 Caroline E. Foote, 328 n.; carries ship- 
 wrecked Russians back to- Russia, 
 267. 
 
 Carrington, Edward, 178 n. 
 
 Carter, Lieutenant, III, 137; Harris 
 dines with, 127. 
 
 Cass, Secretary^ 397 n., 401 n., 406, 
 475 n.; extract from dispatch to, 
 386 n.; Harris sends dispatches to, 
 392 n., 484 n., 493 n., 494 n.; Harris 
 writes report to, 557 n. 
 
 Cassia oil, Captain of American clip- 
 per embalms wife in, 1 71-172. 
 
 Casuarina littorea, 97. 
 
 Cats, Japanese, 359. 
 
 Caunter, Mr., 49. 
 
 Caxtons, The, 36, 37. 
 
 Cayu-puti, 60 and 60 n. 
 
 Cemetery, Russian, in Japan, 228. 
 
 Chandler, Mr. John H.„ 107 n., 126, 131, 
 140 n., 141. 
 
 Chandler, translates Royal Commis- 
 sion, 140, 140 n., 141. 
 Chantibon, products of, 86-87. 
 Chaplain, Colonel, 34. 
 Charles I, 40. 
 Charter Day, celebration of, at The 
 
 College of the City of New York, 
 
 236 n. 
 Chau Phaya Rawe Wongee Maha Kosa 
 
 Dhipade, 79 n. 
 Cherry trees, 244. 
 Chester, Colonel, 33. 
 Chilo, the, 48. 
 Chilton, Robert, extract from letter 
 
 from Harris to, 156 n. 
 Chinese, trouble with, 270 n. 
 Cholera, in Cairo, 20. 
 Cholera morbus, Americans seized with, 
 
 at Bangkok, 104-105; Harris has 
 
 attacks of, 304, 347. 
 Christian religion, article on, in Dutch 
 
 Treaty, 512-513 and 513 n. 
 Christianity, 465-468; edicts against, 
 
 432 and 432 n. 
 Christmas Days, Harris's, 293. 
 Church of St. John, Malta, Harris 
 
 visits, 22. 
 Chusan, the, 70. 
 Cinnamon tree, 60. 
 Cisco,. John J., letter to President 
 
 Pierce from, 8-9. 
 Clarendon, Lord, 81 n. 
 Clarke, Captain, 49. 
 Clarke, Mr., Presbyterian clergyman, 
 
 34, 4 1 - 
 
 Clarke, Dr., 34, 40. 
 
 Clayton, the Hon., 94 n. 
 
 Clove tree, 60. 
 
 Coal, 285. 
 
 Coal furnished San Jacinto, poor qual- 
 ity of, 234 n., 241 n. 
 
 Coast Pilot Blunts, 489. 
 
 Coast surveys, 254-255 and 254 n. 
 
 Cobra cape I (0, 62. 
 
 Cobb, tne Hon. Howell, 397 n.; Harris 
 writes dispatches to, 494 n. 
 
 Cocoanuts, Harris receives present of, 
 from Somdet Oong Noy, 122. 
 
 Cockroaches, 233. 
 
 Coffer, 61. 
 
 College of the City of New York, The, 
 36 n.; Townsend Harris and, vii; 
 Townsend Harris material pre- 
 
 595 
 
sented to, by Miss Bessie A. Harris, 
 viii. 
 
 Commissioners, Japanese, 444-445 an d 
 445 n. 
 
 Commissioners, Siamese, 150. 
 
 Commissioners, Treaty, appointment 
 of, 499. 
 
 Commissioners of Voyage, of the Amer- 
 ican Ambassador to Yedo, 460, 484; 
 list of, 444-445, 444 n.; visit Harris, 
 
 447, 49 x ~492, 49 J n - 
 Comstock, Mr., of Heard & Co., 179 n. 
 Confucius, 53, 508-509; famous saying 
 
 of (illustration), facing vi. 
 Coningsby y 38, n., 40. 
 Constellation, the U. S. Frigate, 31. 
 Constellations, Harris comments on, 
 
 38-39- 
 
 Consul, Russian, 264. 
 
 Consul General to Japan, Harris's 
 first commission as (illustration) 24; 
 Harris nominated, 172 n.; nomination 
 as received by Senate, 175 n.; con- 
 firmation of Harris's appointment as, 
 182 n.; Harris's second commission 
 as (illustration), 400. 
 
 Consular rights, 321, 326, 339 n., 487- 
 488 and 488 n., 507, 513, 514-515, 
 S3S> 547, 548. 
 
 Consulate, U. S., at Shimoda in 1856 
 (illustration), 226. 
 
 Convention with the Japanese (Bri- 
 tish), 81 n. 
 
 Convention of Shimoda, 316 n., 317 n., 
 321 n., 352 n., 374 n., 410; provisions 
 of , 373-374; signing of, 374; com- 
 ment of Harris on conclusion of (il- 
 lustration), 374; President Buchanan 
 transmits, to Senate, 536 n., 537 n.; 
 text of, 571-573. 
 
 Cook, Captain, 301. 
 
 Cooking, Japanese, 208. 
 
 Copper, 408. 
 
 Corbit, Lieutenant, 74. 
 
 Cotton, Japanese, 249, 251, 362. 
 
 Cotton, United States Patent Office 
 asks information on Japanese, 362. 
 
 Cotton tree, 100. 
 
 Council of State, Japanese, 455; Harris 
 writes to, 338 and 338 n. 
 
 Courtship, Eurasian, 64-66. 
 
 Cowen, Staff Surgeon, 34. 
 
 Crimean War, 267 n. 
 
 Crish, Captain, 23' 
 
 Cross, Captain, 48-49. 
 
 Cross, Japanese practice of 411 n., 
 trampling on the, 466-467, 466 n., 
 467 n.; practice of trampling on the, 
 abolished, 512. 
 
 Crucifixion in Japan, 483-484. 
 
 CumshaWy 295 and 295 n. 
 
 Cunningham, Edward, 173 and 173 n. 
 
 Cunningham, Howard, 179 n. 
 
 Cunningham, Randall, death of, 178- 
 179. 
 
 Currency question, 224, 234, 238 n., 
 241 n., 266, 272 and 272 n., 273, 
 274, 281 n., 287-288, 290 n., 293- 
 2 94, 299, 311-313, 316, 322-323, 
 3 2 4"3 2 5, 3 26 -327 and 327 n., 332, 
 334, 408, 556; agreement on the, 529. 
 
 Currier, Charles C, 17, 35 n., 47, 48, 
 53, 5^> 70, 76, 170; Harris visits, on 
 return from India, 3. 
 
 Curtius, Jan Hendrik Donker, 50 n., 
 74 n., 186 n., 384 and 384 n., 394 n., 
 399 n., 41 1 n., 513; sends Harris news- 
 paper files, 393, 405; Harris receives 
 package from, 411; Harris writes to, 
 557 and 557 n. 
 
 Customs, Japanese, 329-330. 
 
 Cycle, Japanese, 355. 
 
 Daimyo, 455, 545, 547, 548, 549, 553, 
 
 554- 
 Daintree, the Rev. Mr., ^- 
 Dalhousie, Lord, 71 and 71 n., 72. 
 Danen, Captain, 45, 48. 
 Daniel Sharpe y the, 70. 
 Daniels, Dr., 131, 137. 
 Darmasalmkase Sirisoman Tisse, 42- 
 
 43-. 
 Da Silva, J., 109 n. 
 David, Dr., 188. 
 Davis & Lawrence, 47 n., 389 n. 
 De Courcy, Comte Rene, 169 and 
 
 169 n. 
 De Leon, Edwin, 31 and 31 n., 32. 
 Dennett, Tyler, quoted, on Harris's 
 
 entry into Yedo, 442 n. 
 Dent & Co., 50 n. 
 Department of State, Harris receives 
 
 letters from, 401-402 and 401 n. 
 De Quincey, Miss, 33-34. 
 Dewa-no-Kami succeeds Shinano-no- 
 
 Kami as First Governor, 373; Harris 
 
 596 
 
meets, 405, 410; visits Harris, 407. 
 
 See also Shimoda, Governor of. 
 De Witt, Rev. Dr., 50 n. 
 Diana, the, 201 n., 228, 238, 240, 265, 
 
 286, 376 n.; wreck of, 266-267 and 
 
 266-267 n.; Russians present guns of, 
 
 to Japanese, 276. 
 Dickson, Ensign, 49. 
 Diplomacy, Japanese, deceitfulness in, 
 
 .319. 
 Diseases, Japanese treatment of, 426- 
 
 Disraeli, Benjamin, 38 n. 
 
 Divorce in Siam, 87. 
 
 Dixon, Mr., sends North China Herald 
 to Harris, 173. 
 
 Doctors, Japanese, 426. 
 
 Dogs, Japanese present to Harris, 270 
 and 270 n. 
 
 Dolphin, the, 68 n. 
 
 Dougherty, Nathaniel, 35 and 35 n., 
 68, 78, 180, 186, 328 and 328 n., 462; 
 draws up memorial in behalf of Har- 
 ris, 320 n.; Harris gets letters from, 
 400-401; extract from letter from 
 Harris to, 574. See also Reed & 
 Dougherty. 
 
 Dow, Mr., 48. 
 
 Dress, Japanese, 330, 352-353. 
 
 Dress, Court, Japanese, Harris de- 
 scribes, 471-472. 
 
 Drinker, Catherine Ann, 47 n., 50, 
 169 and 169 n., 275 n., 288 n.; Harris 
 sends drawings to (illustrations), 212, 
 226; extract from letter from Harris 
 to, 574. 
 
 Drinker, Henry Sandwith, 25 n., 47 n., 
 50, 78, 166 and 166 n., 168, 179, 
 180 and 180 n., 187,282 and 282 n., 
 288 n., 364 n.; intimate friend of 
 Harris in the Far East, 4; letter to 
 Harris from, 14; Harris gets letter 
 from, 51; Harris writes to, 70, 74, 75; 
 extract from letter to Harris warning 
 him against David O. King, 102 n.; 
 extract from letter to Harris from, 
 166 n.; writes to Harris of failure of 
 Wetmore & Co., 178 n. 
 
 Drinker, Mrs., 46, 47 n., 50, 187, 241 n., 
 276 n., 282 and 282 n. 
 
 Drinker, Mrs. Susannah Budd, 241 n. 
 
 Drinker, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Sand- 
 with, children of, 47 n. 
 
 Drought, Commander, of the Auck- 
 land, 81. 
 
 Drum signals, Harris is asked about, 
 308-309. 
 
 Dunbar, Douglas L., acknowledgment 
 to, x. 
 
 Durand, Major, 32 and 32 n., 38. 
 
 Durian, 122 and 122 n. 
 
 Dutch language, Japanese knowledge 
 
 of, 35 2 - 
 Du Thune, Madame, 48. 
 Duvall, Captain, 85 and 85 n., 107. 
 
 Earthquakes, 201 and 201 n., 209 and 
 209 n., 256, 266-267 n., 33S t 354, 
 368, 378, 380-381, 383, 454, 482, 491, 
 493, 494, 495, 497, 5°5, 548. 
 
 East India Company, annexation of 
 Kingdom of Oude to, 71-72, and 71 n. 
 
 East India Squadron, 26, notes 12 and 
 
 13- 
 
 Elephants in Sumatra, 46. 
 
 Elephants, white, 87. 
 
 Elgin, Lord, 69 n., 260 n., 280 n., 377 n., 
 
 433 n. 
 Endicott, Captain J. B., 168 and 168 n., 
 
 169, 178. 
 Esperanza, the, 376 n., 387 n., 388 n. 
 Eugene Aram, 37. 
 
 Eulenburg, Count Friedrich von, 280 n. 
 Eurasians, 64-67. 
 
 Euxine, the, Harris goes aboard, 22. 
 Evans, Joseph, 50 and 50 n., 402. 
 Evarts, Hon. William N., 425 n. 
 
 Fabius, Captain, of the Medusa, 1 86, 238- 
 239, 273, 3i8, 319 n ->. 333 and 333 n. 
 
 Fan used at audience with Shogun, 481. 
 
 Farquarson, Mr., 32. 
 
 Farragut, Admiral, 26 n. 
 
 Feather bamboo, 100. 
 
 Ferns in Penang, 59. 
 
 Festival, Rak-na, Harris describes, 137- 
 138. 
 
 Festivals, Japanese, 366. 
 
 Fiery Cross, the, 51, 75; purchased by 
 Shimadzu Saburo, 51 n. 
 
 Financial matters, 389 and 389 n. 
 
 Fir trees, 204. 
 
 Fire in Yedo, 553. 
 
 Fire bell, 453. 
 
 Fire Department, Japanese, 431-432. 
 
 597 
 
Fire Department, New York City, 
 432 n. 
 
 Fire protection in Japan, 262. 
 
 Fire prevention in Japan, 436. 
 
 Firearms in Japan, 345-346. 
 
 Fireflies, 124-125. 
 
 "First Consular Flag" hoisted, 225. 
 
 Fishing boats, Japanese, 199. 
 
 Fishing stakes, 92. 
 
 Flags: king of Siam's, 85-86, 92; Siam- 
 ese, 91-92; American, on ships in 
 River Menam, 101; consular, 227- 
 228; Japanese, 253; illustration of 
 first American, made in Japan, 412, 
 
 573-575- 
 
 Flagstaff, Harris's, 223, 224, 372; find- 
 ing wood for Harris's, 214; price of, 
 217; erection of, 225; Russians help 
 to set up, 266, 267-268; illustration 
 of, 226; tree marking site of (illus- 
 tration), 514. 
 
 Flagstaff's in Bangkok, 1 29. 
 
 Fleets of Japan, 239 n. 
 
 Flowers, 244, 249, 250, 293,300,335, 341, 
 
 342, 350, 415- 
 
 Flying lizard, 62, 74. 
 
 Foote, Captain Andrew H., of the 
 Portsmouth, 76 n., 350 n., 387 and 
 387 n., 388; lands men at Canton 
 Factories, 244 n.; offers to advance 
 money to Harris, 389; divides stores 
 with Harris, 391. 
 
 Forbes, W. C, 34, 37, 40, 42, 75. 
 
 Forbes, Mrs., 37, 42. 
 
 Foreigners in Japan, list of attacks on, 
 511 n-512 n. 
 
 Fortifications, in the River Menam, 93. 
 
 Forts, in River Menam, 143. 
 
 Fortune, Robert, 292 n. 
 
 Free trade, right of, granted, 498. 
 
 Frolic, the, Commodore Armstrong 
 serves on, 26 n. 
 
 Fruits, 17, 122, 234, 237, 242, 244, 
 
 305>368,37i- 
 
 Fryer, A. H., 41. 
 
 Fuci, 372. 
 
 Fujiyama, 197 and 197 n., 236 and 
 236 n., 416, 418-419, 4^o, 421, 463. 
 
 Full Powers, 25, 137 and 137 n., 147 n. 
 575-576; Harris's, or Letter of Cred- 
 ence (illustration), 468; Harris hands 
 copy of, to Minister for Foreign Af- 
 fairs, 499; Harris's exchange of, 499, 
 
 501-502, examined by Japanese, 501; 
 Japanese examined by Harris, 501- 
 502. 
 Furniture, in Japan, 360. 
 
 Gabrielle, 103 and 103 n. 
 
 Gar fish, 81. 
 
 Garden, Harris's, 349; Harris plants, 
 
 33 8 , 34i, 35 1; Harris asks for, 339. 
 Garstin, the Rev. Mr., 34, 40, 41. 
 Gautier, M., Consul de France, 77 and 
 
 77 n. 
 General Fierce, the, 240 and 240 n. 
 George Washington, Prince, calls on 
 
 Harris, 107-108. 
 Gibraltar, Harris visits fortifications at, 
 
 22. 
 Ginkgo Tree, the famous, at Zempuku- 
 
 ji, in Tokyo (illustration), 514. 
 Glynn, Commander James, of the 
 
 Preble, 204 n., 226 n. 
 Gold, first discovery of, in Australia, 
 
 67 n.; use of, in Japan, 361-362; 
 
 Harris pays Japanese for, 364. 
 Gold spoons, Harris orders, 361. 
 Golownin, Captain, 204 n., 246 and 
 
 246 n.; extract from Memoirs of, 
 
 239 m 
 Government, Japanese, system of, 455- 
 
 456 and 456 n. 
 Governor General of India, titles of, 
 
 Goyoshi, the, 251 n., 252; Captain Foote 
 and his officers visit, 390 and 390 n. 
 
 Grampus, the, Captain Bell serves on, 
 26 n. 
 
 Grapes, given to Harris by Japanese, 280. 
 
 Great Mogul, Royal Arms of, 38. 
 
 Great Pyramid, Harris visits, 21. 
 
 Greene, Dr. Daniel Crosby, 239; 
 quotation from Osadas Life oj 
 Takano Nagahide, book edited by, 
 483 n. 
 
 Greene, Jerome D., acknowledgment 
 to, x. 
 
 Greene, Miss Maggy, Harris's god- 
 daughter, 57. 
 
 Greene, Samuel N., 35 and 35 n., $6, 
 
 73, 74, 76, 77, 170- 
 Greene, Mrs. S. N., 57. 
 Greetings, Arabic, 48 and 48 n. 
 Gregg, David L., 331 and 331 n. 
 Gregory, Mr., M. P. for Dublin, 31. 
 
 S9 8 
 
Greta, the, 376 n., carries officers and 
 men of Diana, back to Russia, 267 n. 
 
 Griffis, Dr. William Elliot, ix; quoted, 
 on Harris's residence in Yedo, 443 n.; 
 quoted, on Japanese practice of tram- 
 pling on the Cross, 466 n., 467 n. 
 
 Grinnell, Henry, 402. 
 
 Griswold, J. N. A., 51 n. 
 
 Grosbeak, 63. 
 
 Guest, Lieutenant J. N., 182 and 182 n. 
 
 Guimaraes, Governor, 169 and 169 n. 
 
 Guizot, Francois Pierre Guillaume, 40. 
 
 Gulls, 81. 
 
 Guns, Russians give, to Japanese, 276; 
 presentation of the Diana's to Jap- 
 anese, 286; from the Diana, 343 and 
 343 n. 
 
 Guthrie, the Hon. James, 295 n., 346 n.; 
 dispatch to, 338 n. 
 
 Gutzlaff, the Rev. Charles (Karl), 69 n. 
 
 Gyokusen-ji, Harris's residence at Kaki- 
 zaki, 204, 212 and 212 n.; monument 
 erected in courtyard of (illustration), 
 268. 
 
 "Half-caste," use of phrase in Penang 
 compared with use of word "convict" 
 or "transport" in Australia, 67. 
 
 Hall, Edward F., 331, 332, 335, 336. 
 
 Hara-kiri, 255, 340, 482, 549. 
 
 Harbors, 519-520, 529; opening of, 
 498, 499, 506, 515-516, 517-518. 
 
 Hargraves, Edward, 67 n. 
 
 Harris, Miss Bessie Anne, presents 
 Townsend Harris material to The 
 College of the City of New York, 
 viii; 168 and 168 n.; her editing of 
 Harris's Journal, 280 n.-28i n. 
 
 Harris, Mrs. Eliza, 168 and 168 n. 
 
 Harris, Mrs. Sarah W., 91 n. 
 
 Harris, Townsend, illustration of bronze 
 tablet of, frontispiece; illustration of 
 his seal, title-page; quotation from his 
 Journal, vi; Townsend Harris Hall 
 High School named for,v\\; Journal of , 
 viii, ix; is congratulated by S. Robert- 
 son, 2; applies for position of Ameri- 
 can Consul at Hongkong or Canton, 
 3; General Wetmore recommends 
 him to William L. Marcy for consular 
 office, 3; is nominated American Con- 
 sul, to Ningpo, China, 3; Senate 
 consents to appointment, 3; visits 
 
 Charles C. Currier on return from 
 India, 3; sails for United States after 
 appointing Rev. Dr. Daniel Jerome 
 Macgowan his Vice-Consul for 
 Ningpo, 4; reaches United States 
 from Pulo Penang in 1855, 5; his 
 qualifications for post of Consul for 
 Shimoda, 6-7; his trading expedi- 
 tions, 6; is recommended for Far 
 Eastern post by New York citizens, 
 7-8; and by John J. Cisco, in special 
 letter, 8-9; goes to Washington, 9; 
 writes to President Pierce regarding 
 his application for post of Consul 
 to Japan, 9-10; notice of appoint- 
 ment as Consul General to Japan 
 sent to, 12-13; W. H. Topping con- 
 gratulates him, 13; letter from Wil- 
 liam H. Seward to, 15-16; describes 
 Penang, 17-18; his journey home from 
 Indian travels in 1855, 17-24; illus- 
 tration of his first commission as 
 Consul General for Japan, 24; sails 
 for Liverpool in 1855, 26; arrives in 
 London in 1855, 27; goes to Paris, 
 27; his uniform at Court of Bang- 
 kok, 27-28 n.; sails from Southamp- 
 ton for Penang, 28; travels in Europe, 
 29-30; books read by, on journey to 
 Bangkok, 3^ 3 6 > 37, 4°; journey to 
 Bangkok, 30-47; describes dinner at 
 Mr. Forbes's, 37; does not bet, 40; 
 describes drive with Mr. Ronaine, 
 in Ceylon, 41: arrives at Penang, 47; 
 makes calls, 48-49; attends St. 
 George's Church, 51; on the Roman 
 Catholic Cochin-Chinese College, 52- 
 53; describes Chinese New Year, 53- 
 55; describes Charles Scott's house, 
 55; describes view from "Bellevue," 
 56-57; describes thunderstorm, 58- 
 59; on vegetation, animals, insects, 
 birds of Penang, 56-64; describes 
 Malayan-Chinese children, 64; on 
 Eurasians, 64-67; on sodomy, 70; 
 on Kingdom of Oude, 71-73; arrives 
 at Singapore, 77; his anxiety over his 
 negotiations with Siamese Court, 
 78 n.; describes trip to Bangkok, 
 and arrival, 79; extract from letter 
 to the Rev. Stephen Mattoon, 80 n.; 
 his letters to the First and Second 
 Kings of Siam, 84 n.; extract from 
 
 599 
 
a letter to E. E. Rice, 85 n.; awaits 
 summons from King of Siam, 86; 
 converses with Mr. Mattoon regard- 
 ing his mission, 86; bamboo house pre- 
 pared for, 88; his interest in slavery, 
 87 n.; has letter from Siamese Minis- 
 ter of Foreign Affairs, 88; replies, 88; 
 his presents to King of Siam, 91; 
 goes up river to Bangkok, 92-102; 
 reception of, by Siamese, 93-94, 102; 
 his house at Bangkok, 102-103; 
 American missionaries call on him, 
 106-107; finds King of Siam in un- 
 favorable mood, 107; is called on by 
 Prince George Washington, 107- 
 108; King of Siam refuses him a 
 private interview, 109; receives let- 
 ter and present from Second King of 
 Siam, 109-110; calls on Phra Klang, 
 111-112; calls on Prince Krom 
 Luang, 112-113; calls on Phra Kala- 
 hom, 113-116; is visited by Phra 
 Klang, Phra Kalahom, and Prince 
 Krom Luang, 116; calls on Somdet 
 Oong Moy, 117; calls on Somdet 
 Pia Yumarat, 117-118; visits Dr. 
 Mattoon, 118; receives present of 
 sugar from Prince Wong Sa, 118; 
 calls on French Bishop, 118; visited 
 by Somdet Oong Noy, 11 8-1 20; con- 
 verses with Mr. King on Treaty, 
 120; discusses Treaty with Prince 
 Wong Sa, 120-121; receives pres- 
 ents from Somdet Oong Noy and 
 Second King of Siam, 122; attends 
 divine service at Dr. Bradley's, 122 
 and 122 n., 139; composes address 
 to King of Siam, 123; his audience 
 with King again postponed, 123; calls 
 on Prince Wong Sa, 125; makes good 
 impression on Somdet Oong Noy, 
 125; dines at Mr. Mattoon's, 127; 
 describes wats, 127-128; his audi- 
 ences with Kings of Siam, 129-136; 
 describes festival Rak-na, 137-138; 
 writes to King of Siam, 139; invited 
 to audience with King, 140; attends 
 service at house of the Rev. Mr. 
 Smith, 140; visits wats, 141-142; 
 goes up and down the River Menam, 
 143-144; meeting with Siamese Com- 
 missioners, 146-147; offers to withdraw 
 amendments to his Treaty with Siam, 
 
 149; visits Wong Sa, 150; meeting 
 with Commissioners, 1 51-152; meets 
 Wong Sa, 152; receives present from 
 First King, 152 n.; his opinion of 
 the Siamese, 153; gives notice of 
 departure from Bangkok, 153; re- 
 quested by Wong Sa to delay his de- 
 parture from Bangkok, 154; writes 
 letter to Wong Sa, 155; informs Phra 
 Klang of Mattoon's appointment as 
 Consul, 155; settles accounts with 
 Heusken and Mattoon, 157-158 and 
 158 n.; visits Second King, 158-159; 
 his departure from Bangkok, 159- 
 162; returns to the San Jacinto, 162- 
 163; describes thunderstorm, 163; 
 returns to Hongkong, 162-165; writes 
 dispatches to Marcy, 163 n., 164 n., 
 166 n., 172 n., 175 and 175 n., 182 n., 
 185 and 185 n.; stays with General 
 Keenan, 165; letters sent by him 
 June 23, 1856, 167-168; starts for 
 Macao, 168; calls on French Legation 
 at Macao, 169; nominated Consul 
 General for Japan, 172 n.; prepares 
 to leave for Japan, 173; hires ser- 
 vants, 173, 175, 176; stays with the 
 Drinkers, 177 n.; reads book by Abbe 
 Hue, 180 and 180 n.; confirmation 
 of his appointment as Consul Gen- 
 eral for Japan, 182 n.; describes 
 voyage to Japan, 188-200; illustra- 
 tions of pages of his manuscript Jour- 
 nal, 196, 374, 527; Governor of Shi- 
 moda postpones meeting with him, 
 201; visits Kakizaki, 201-202; Temple 
 of Rioshen suggested for his residence, 
 206; meets Governor of Shimoda, 
 207-208; first real day of negotia- 
 tions with Japanese, 207-208 and 
 208 n.; has unsatisfactory interview 
 with Japanese, 209-210; refuses to 
 negotiate with Yedo official, 211; 
 accepts temporary residence at Kaki- 
 zaki, 213; requested to visit Governor 
 of Shimoda, 216; meeting with new 
 Governor and Vice-Governor of Shi- 
 moda, 219-222; his policy toward 
 Japanese, 223-224 n.; send-off on 
 leaving San Jacinto, 224; hoists 
 "First Consular Flag," in Japan, 
 225; getting settled, 226; sends pres- 
 ent to Governors of Shimoda, 226; 
 
 600 
 
insists on Japanese officials telling 
 him the truth, 231-232; complains of 
 treatment of his servants, 234-235; 
 tablet of, unveiled at Charter Day 
 celebration at The College of the 
 City of New York, 236 n.; death of, 
 240 n.; age of, 240 and 240 n., de- 
 scribes flesh of baibarossa, 242; horse 
 sent to, 242; his pigeons, 242-243, 
 
 2 73> 345> 347> 35% "> visits Shimoda 
 prison, 246; begins to learn Japanese 
 250; development of friendly rela- 
 tions with Japanese, 251 n., 253; 
 describes statues seen on walk near 
 Shimoda, 252-253; gets American 
 stove, 256; visits sulphur spring, 258; 
 visits the Olivuzza, 261; visited by 
 Russian officers, 263-265; offers ser- 
 vices of his washman to the Russian 
 officers, 265-266; dines with Heusken 
 on the Olivuzza, 268; likes Russian 
 officers, 268 and 268 n.; illustration of 
 monument dedicated to the memory 
 of, 268; receives dogs from Japanese, 
 270 and 270 n.; sends his tailor away, 
 288, 289; makes loan to Korsacoff, 
 289-290 and 290 n.; engages another 
 servant, 281; writes to Lieutenant 
 Maury on subject of meteorological 
 instruments, 284 n.; visits Possiet on 
 currency question, 287-288; com- 
 plains of guards and shopkeepers, 
 291, 295; his horse arrives, 291-292; 
 meets Governors of Shimoda, 296- 
 299; appoints Heusken Vice-Consul, 
 301 n.; visit of, to Governors of 
 Shimoda on their return from Yedo, 
 306-309; First Governor makes tea 
 for him, 307-308; meets Governors 
 of Shimoda, 310-313; receives answer 
 from Regency at Yedo to his letters, 
 311 and 311 n., 313; discusses treat- 
 ies with Governors of Shimoda, 315- 
 320; again meets Governors on Treaty 
 questions, 320-321 and 321 n.; reads 
 Secretary Marcy's letter to Gover- 
 nors, 325; meets Governors on Treaty 
 questions, 323, 325, 326; complains 
 to Governors of ordering away of 
 Reed and Dougherty from Shimoda, 
 329; describes Governors' houses, 329 
 330; meets Governors on currency 
 question, 332, 334; writes letter to 
 
 Governors, 334~33S> 33S n -» .337 n -5 
 plants his garden, 341; receives ac- 
 count from the Goyoshi, 343; his 
 anxiety over non-arrival of San Ja- 
 cinto, 347, 350 and 350 n., 357, 361 n., 
 365, 368, 377; meets Governors, 
 347-349; Moriyama brings him let- 
 ter from the Governors, 354 and 354 
 n.; Moriyama brings him American 
 gold, 359; objects to overcharges, 359 
 and 359 n.; orders belvedere erected, 
 363; collects natural history speci- 
 mens, 364 and 364 n.; visits hot 
 spring, 372; pays account, 372- 
 373; his success, 373-374; abandons 
 hope of seeing Armstrong, 379; re- 
 ceives letters from Rice, 383; gets 
 letters and newspapers by the Ports- 
 mouth, 387; dines on the Portsmouth, 
 390; gives Foote his dog Yedo, 392; 
 sends presents to Captain Bell and 
 Commodore Armstrong, 392; re- 
 ceives newspapers from Curtius, 
 393; meets Governors, 394; to visit 
 Yedo, 394-396; his birthday, 398; 
 gets new horse, 398; illustration of 
 his second Commission as Consul 
 General for Japan, 400; receives sup- 
 plies and letters from Hakodate, 
 400-401; meets First Governor (De- 
 wa-no-Kami), 405; preparations for 
 his audience with the Shogun, 405, 
 406; pays account to the Goyoshi, 
 409; receives package from Curtius, 
 41 1 ; starts on journey to Yedo, 411; 
 describes cavalcade, 411-413; his 
 journey to Yedo, 411-442; is injured 
 by his horse, 426; his entry into Yedo, 
 436-442; arrangements made for his 
 comfort at Yedo, 442-443 and 443 n.; 
 his meals at Yedo, 446; visited by 
 Commissioners, 447; dangers threat- 
 ening him on visit to Yedo, 456- 
 458 and 458 n.; explains object of 
 his visit to Yedo to Shinano, 451- 
 452; sends copy and translation of 
 President's letter to Japanese Min- 
 ister of Foreign Affairs, 456; describes 
 journey to Prime Minister's house, 
 458-459; his meeting with Prime 
 Minister of Japan, 461-464; presents 
 him with copy of intended address 
 to the Shogun, 462; Prime Minister 
 
 601 
 
hands him Shogun's reply, 463; il- 
 lustration of his "Full Powers," or 
 Letter of Credence, 468; his uniform 
 at audience with the Shogun, 468; 
 goes to audience with the Shogun, 
 468-469; describes Palace, 470-471; 
 describes Court Dress, 471-472; de- 
 clines to rehearse part at audience, 
 472-473; his audience with the Sho- 
 gun, 473-477; his address to the Sho- 
 gun, 475; the Shogun's reply to his 
 address, 475 and 475 n.; debate on his 
 diplomatic rights, 487-488 and 488 
 n.; refuses to dine at Palace after 
 audience, 478; describes Shogun's 
 appearance at audience, 479-480; 
 leaves Palace after audience, 478- 
 479; writes to Minister for Foreign 
 Affairs after audience with the Sho- 
 gun, 481; visits Minister for Foreign 
 Affairs, 484; statement made by 
 him on visit to Minister for Foreign 
 affairs after audience with the Sho- 
 gun, 484-486, 485-486 n.; teaches 
 Japanese elements of political econ- 
 omy, 490; rides horseback, 490; 
 answers questions of Commissioners 
 of the Voyage on duties and rights of 
 Ministers in foreign countries, 491- 
 492; writes Minister for Foreign 
 Affairs on foreign commerce, 492 and 
 492 n.; Japanese delay in replying 
 to his communications, 492, 495- 
 496; Japanese give reasons for delay, 
 496-497; his third visit to Minister 
 for Foreign Affairs, 497-498; answer 
 to his communications, 497-499; at- 
 tempt on his life, 512 n.; drawing of 
 harbor of Settsu by, 527; his seclusion 
 during Treaty negotiations, in Yedo 
 542-544, 542 n-543 n.; his suggestion 
 to Shinano regarding completion of 
 Treaty, 544; Harris's proposition to 
 Shinano on completion of Treaty 
 accepted, 545-546; disheartened over 
 Treaty, 550; discusses tariff with the 
 Commissioners, 554; receives tariff 
 proposition from the Commission- 
 ers, 554; serious illness of, 557 n., 
 558 n.; his last days, 559 n.; returns to 
 Yedo, 560. 
 Hayashi, Daigaku-no-Kami, 444 and 
 444 n., 445 n., 448; failure of, to 
 
 gain Emperor's consent to the 
 Treaty, 538 n-539 n. 
 
 Hazlett, Captain, 49. 
 
 Health, Harris's, 15, 27, 29, 146, 149, 
 i5 2 > 153, 241-242, 278, 280, 284, 
 285, 286, 290, 291, 296, 300, 301 
 and 301 n., 303, 304, 335, 347, 
 354, 361, 3 6 7, 378, 381, 385, 393 
 396-397, 398, 407, 480, 481, 49 x , 493, 
 543, 557 n- 
 
 Heard & Co., 179 and 179 n. 
 
 Heerjeebhoy Rustumjee, 50. 
 
 Hemp, 249. 
 
 Hen, Harris's, 290, 295. 
 
 Henna tree, 39. 
 
 Heusken, Harris's secretary, 28 n., 50 
 n., 93, 106 n., no n., in n., 116 and 
 116 n., 117 n., 130 and 130 n., 140 
 
 n-, 153, J 55, l68 , I7 2 an d 17 2 "-, 
 180, 183 and 183 n., 185, 188, 199, 
 200, 204 and 204 n., 205, 207, 209, 
 213, 214, 225, 233, 247 n., 260 n., 
 268, 279, 283 n., 284, 290 n., 294, 
 298, 30 2 , 309, 3ii, 3*3> 3^6, 331, 
 33Sy 34i, 346, 3 6 S> 378 n., 381, 383, 
 388, 39°, 39*, 393, 398, 409, 412, 
 413, 4i6, 4 2 9, 43 2 , 442, 443, 446, 
 447, 457, 460, 474, 477, 481, 489, 
 494 n.-495 n -> 497, 5 OI ,.5°4, 534 n-, 
 536 n., 542, 558; drawings by (il- 
 lustrations), 212, 226; Harris settles 
 accounts with, 158 n., arrives at 
 Macao, 170; has encounter with 
 armed Japanese, 293, 296; appointed 
 Vice-Consul, 301 n.; slain by Japan- 
 ese, 369 n.; translates reply of Shogun 
 to Harris's address, 463 n.; his uni- 
 form at Harris's audience with Sho- 
 gun, 468; slaying of, 511 n. 
 
 Higginson, J. B., 29 n. 
 
 Higo-no-Kami, 537, 561; asks delay on 
 Treaty, 561. 
 
 Hildreth, Captain, of the Sancho Panza, 
 
 Hio-n'go, Harris claims, 532. 
 
 History of the United States, Dr. Elijah 
 
 Cole Bridgman's, 310. n. 
 Hodge, J. L., 30 and 30 n. 
 Hogs, wild, 61. 
 
 Holland, King of, 239, 240 n., 264, 273. 
 Hollis, Captain, of the Chilo, 48. 
 Holograph letter from Second King of 
 
 Siam (illustration), no. 
 
 602 
 
Homer, Captain, of the Messenger Bird, 
 
 33*> 334, 335- 
 Homer, Mrs., 331, 334. 
 Hongkong, Harris returns to, in 1856, 
 
 on the San Jacinto, 162-165. 
 Hongkong Government Gazette, 81 n. 
 Horse, Harris's, 291-292, 381.; Japanese 
 
 to select, for Harris, 279; Heusken's, 
 
 365> 3*3-. 
 
 Horsemanship, Harris's and Heusken's, 
 399; Lieutenant-Colonel May's, 399; 
 Japanese, 39 8 ~399- 
 
 Horses, Japanese, 399; shoeing of in 
 Japan, 292 n. 
 
 Horseshoes, Japanese, 398 and 398 n. 
 
 Hospitality, Harris complains to Jap- 
 anese of lack of, 298-299. 
 
 Hoszuki given to Harris by Japanese, 
 271-272. 
 
 Hotta, Bitchiu-no-Kami, 81 n., 445, 
 454, 456 n., 460, 491 n., 500 n.; Harris 
 receives letter from, 454 and 454 n.; 
 created Minister of Foreign Affairs, 
 454; description of his house, 462; 
 hands Harris Emperor's reply to his 
 address, 463; Harris describes, 464; 
 at Harris's audience with the Sho- 
 gun, 474; letter written to Harris 
 by (illustration), 494; sent to Kyoto 
 to obtain Emperor's consent to the 
 Treaty, 538 n-539 n.; signer of letter 
 pledging execution of Treaty, 546 
 and 546 n.; copy of his letter prom- 
 ised to Harris, 551; conspiracy to 
 murder, 560; returns from Kyoto, 
 561 n.; letter from, to Harris, 577. 
 
 House, the Rev. Samuel R., 86 n., 113 n. 
 
 House, Harris's, at Bangkok, 102-103. 
 
 Houses, Governors', description of, 
 329-330; Japanese, 329, 433, 458- 
 459, 469-470; Japanese, furnishings 
 of, 442-443; floating, in River Me- 
 nam, 101; floating, Bangkok, 128, 
 129; raft, in River Menam, 101. 
 
 Howitzers made by Japanese, 309-310. 
 
 Hue, Abbe, Harris reads book by, 180 
 and 180 n. 
 
 Huffnagle, Charles, 29 and 29 n., 31, 
 45, 77» J 86, 187; appointments of, 
 29 m 
 
 Hunt I., & Co., 389 n. 
 
 Hunter, Governor, 68 n. 
 
 Hunter, William, 24 n., 133 n., 170; 
 
 sends Harris notice of appointment 
 as Consul General to Japan, 12-13. 
 
 Hunter, W. C, 180 and 180 n., 181. 
 
 Hunter, Mrs. 169. 
 
 Hypatia, 37. 
 
 Ianthe, the, 101. 
 
 Ibis, white (paddy bird), 92-93. 
 
 Illustrated London News, Harris re- 
 ceives files of, 405. 
 
 Imperial surgeon, Harris gives lessons 
 in English to, 349~35°- 
 
 Inazo Nitobe, extract from book by, 
 
 435 "• 
 
 Incense, 364-365. 
 
 I no, the, 80, 81. 
 
 Inouye, Prince of Shinano, see Shinano- 
 no-Kami, and Shimoda, First Gover- 
 nor of, and Shimoda, Governors of. 
 
 Insects in Penang, 62. 
 
 "Instructions to Consuls," 186. 
 
 Interpreter, Japanese, 462. 
 
 Interpreter, Portuguese, for Harris at 
 Bangkok, 103-104, and 103 n. 
 
 Invocations to Buddha, 43-44. 
 
 Ipecacuanha shrub, 61. 
 
 Isherwood, Mr., 130, 137. 
 
 Iyesada Tokugawa, Shogun, x. 
 
 Iyesato Tokugawa, His Excellency 
 Prince, acknowledgment to, x. 
 
 Iyeyoshi, 434 and 434 n. 
 
 Janvier, Thomas Allibone, 169 n. 
 
 Janvier, Mrs. Thomas Allibone, see 
 Drinker, Catherine Ann. 
 
 Japan, gratitude of, to United States, 
 16. 
 
 Japan to America, extract from, 518 n. 
 
 Japan, Emperor of, 28 n., 247 n., 313, 
 371, 456 n., President Pierce's letter 
 to, 133 n., and text of, 576-577- 
 
 Japan Expedition, the, 1, 2, 207 n. 
 
 Japan Expedition, The, extract from, 
 229 n. 
 
 Japan Society, acknowledgment to 
 officers of, ix. 
 
 Japanese, curiosity of, to see Harris's 
 entry into Yedo, 444; Harris teaches 
 them elements of political economy, 
 490; right of America to employ as 
 seamen on American ships, 531. 
 
 Java Bode, Harris receives files of, 405. 
 
 Jephcott, Sir William, 74. 
 
 603 
 
Johnson, the Rev. Mr., 165. 
 
 Jones, R. B., 31 n. 
 
 Townsend Harris's manuscript, pages 
 from (illustrations), 196, 374, 527; 
 Journal, closing of, 552, 553 n.; 
 missing volumes of, 559 n., 560 n. 
 
 Journey from the Great Wall to Canton, 
 Harris reads, 180 and 180 n. 
 
 Junks, Japanese, 198; wrecks of, de- 
 scribed by Harris, 189-193. 
 
 Kaempfer, 353, 417, 418, 423, 424, 428, 
 433, 437, 439; Harris shows his work 
 on Japan to third Governor of 
 Shimoda, 234. 
 
 Kaga, Prince of, 545. 
 
 Kakizaki, Governor of, visits Harris, 283. 
 
 Kakizaki, Harris visits, 201-202, 206; 
 Harris accepts temporary residence 
 at, 213; repairs to boat landing of, 
 283; landing stage at, 348 and 348 n. 
 
 Kami (titular Princes), 455. 
 
 Kanyu boats, 95-96, 96-97. 
 
 "Katy," see Drinker, Catherine Ann. 
 
 Kawaji, Sayemon-no-jo, 445, 448 n.,473. 
 
 Keenan, General James, 85 and 85 n., 
 165, 173, 176, 180, 185, 186; gives 
 dinner party, 172. 
 
 Key, Francis Scott, 188 n. 
 
 Khansamar, definition of, 47 n. 
 
 King, David O., Bangkok merchant, 
 101 n., 102 and 102 n., 103, 107, 109, 
 117, 126, 131; extract from letter to 
 Harris from, on the Prime Minister 
 of Siam, 113 n. 
 
 King, Mr., Harris talks on Treaty with 
 Siam with, 120; goes up river with, 143. 
 
 King & Co., 80. 
 
 Kingdom and People of Siam, The, etc., 
 69 n. 
 
 Kingsley, Charles, Harris meets with 
 works of, 37. 
 
 Kincardine, see Elgin. 
 
 Kincobs, defined, 480 n. 
 
 Kites, 360. 
 
 Kitmagars, definition of, 47 n. 
 
 Kleczkowski, Count Michel, 169 and 
 169 n. 
 
 Kolaxaltsoff, Lieutenant, 261, 263. 
 
 Koran, the, 44. 
 
 KorsacofF, Captain W. Rimsky, of the 
 Olivuzza, 260 and 260 n., 263, 264, 
 270, 272 n., 274, 282 n., 284, 288 n.; 
 
 Harris's loan to, 289-290 and 289 n. 
 
 Krom Luang, Prince, 113 n., 116, 133 n.; 
 Harris calls on, 112-113; description 
 of, 112 n. 
 
 Kyoto, 517 and 517 n.; Japanese object 
 to opening of, 524; Japanese refuse 
 to open, 526; Harris renews claim for, 
 531; difficulty of matters at, 562. 
 
 Lagoda, the, 204 n., 226 n.; testimony 
 of sailors of, on Japanese trampling 
 on the Cross, 466 m-467 n. 
 
 Langlois, Mrs., 50. 
 
 Language, Dutch, used by Japanese, 
 375; Japanese, 550; Siamese, 123. 
 
 Law, Japanese, 246-247. 
 
 Lawrence, Major H. M., 38. 
 
 Leaf insect, 6^. 
 
 Leang King Kwa, 180 n. 
 
 Leeches, 426. 
 
 Letter from Second King of Siam to 
 Harris, no; illustration of holograph 
 letter from, no. 
 
 Letter of Special Instructions, 350 and 
 350 n. 
 
 Letter from President of the United 
 States to the Emperor of Japan, 375- 
 376, 394 and 394 n., 477 n.; text of, 
 576-577. 
 
 Letters, writing of, to foreigners, by 
 Japanese, 296-297; Harris receives, 
 from Hakodate, 407 and 407 n.; 
 written by Harris, list of, 167-168; 
 list of, 218; list of, 241 and 241 n.; 
 list of, 379 n-380 n.; written by Har- 
 ris, 272 n., 274 n-275 n., 276 n., 278 
 and 278 n., 282 and 282 n., 288-289, 
 288 n., 289 n., 295, 384-385, 384 n-; 
 to Yedo, answer to Harris's, 311 and 
 
 3" n-> 3*3- 
 
 Levant, the, 165, 166 and 166 n. 
 
 Lewis, the Hon. W. T., 48, 50, 75. 
 
 Lewis, Lieutenant H. H., 76, 159, 393, 
 and 393 n. 
 
 Lewis, Miss, 50. 
 
 Lewis, Mr., 182. 
 
 Life oj Lord Metcalj , 40, 41. 
 
 Life oj Sir Harry S. Parkes, 69 n. 
 
 Life oj Takano Nagahide, Osada's, ex- 
 tract from, on Von Siebold, 483 n. 
 
 Lightning, the, 51. 
 
 Lilly, Major, 35, 37, 40, 41. 
 
 Lilly, the, 168, 172, 177, 178, 179. 
 
 604 
 
Lincoln, President, 15, 182 n. 
 
 Livingston, Schuyler, 8. 
 
 Lizards, 62, 63, 74. 
 
 Loan to Korsacoff, 289-290 and 290 n. 
 
 Lockyear, General, 32. 
 
 Loneen (ronin) 509-511, 509 n., 511 n., 
 
 535 and 535 n. 
 Loureiro, Mrs., 169. 
 Louvre, Harris visits, 28. 
 Lowera, the Rev. Mr. (Senator Walter 
 
 Lowrie), 80 and 80 n. 
 Lowrie, Senator Walter (Rev. Mr. 
 
 Lowrie), 80 and 80 n. 
 Luhdorf, 376 and 376 n. 
 
 Macao, Governor of, 180. 
 
 Macao, Harris starts for, 168. 
 
 McCoy, Robert, 226 n. 
 
 McDonald, Captain, 34, 3$, 36, 37, 
 
 40, 42, 45> 75- 
 
 McDonald, Mrs., 34, 36, 37, 40, 41. 
 
 Macedonian, the, 68, 77. 
 
 Macgowan, the Rev. Daniel Jerome, 50 
 and 50 n., 78, 166 n., 187 n.; ap- 
 pointed Vice-Consul for Ningpo, 
 China, by Harris, 4. 
 
 Mackenzie, Mr. and Mrs. K. R., 74 
 and 74 n. 
 
 Macpherson, Captain, 45. 
 
 McRae, D. K., 20 and 20 n. 
 
 Madras, the, 50. 
 
 Magellan, prophecy of, being vindi- 
 cated, xi. 
 
 Mail, bi-monthly from England to 
 Hongkong, 180. 
 
 Malabar, the, 35 n. 
 
 Malay, the, and Chinese, Harris de- 
 scribes children of, 64. 
 
 Mangoes, 122. 
 
 Mann, Captain, 49. 
 
 Manners, Japanese, Heusken reports 
 examples of, 302-303. 
 
 Map of Yedo given to Harris, 491. 
 
 Marcy, William L., Secretary of State 
 4, 10, 14, 23 n., 25 n., 50 and 50 n., 
 51 n., 68, 75 and 75 n., 78 n., 117 n., 
 133 n., 147 n., 166 n., 175, 185 n., 
 265, 272 n., 278 n., 288 n., 295 n., 
 346 n., 475 n.; General Wetmore 
 recommends Harris to, for consular 
 office, 3; letter from, to General 
 Wetmore, on Harris's appointment 
 as Consul to Japan, 11-12; Phra 
 
 Klang sends letter to, 162; Harris 
 writes dispatches to, 163 n., 164 n., 
 166 n., 172 n., 175 and 175 n., 177 
 n., 182 n., 185 and 185 n., 223-224, 
 338; recommends additional com- 
 pensation for Harris, 323 n.; his letter 
 to Seward, 325 n.; Harris reads 
 letter from to Governors of Shimoda, 
 325; Letter of special instructions 
 to Harris from, 327-328 and 327 n.- 
 328 n.; extract from Harris's dis- 
 patch to, 377 n. 
 
 Marriage in Siam, 87. 
 
 Martin, Pere N., 48 and 48 n., 49 n. 
 
 Masaoka, quoted, on relations between 
 the Mikado and the Shogun, 518 n. 
 
 Mason, John Young, 29; career of, 29 n. 
 
 Mats, Japanese, 341. 
 
 Matsudaira, Tsuneo, His Excellency 
 unveils tablet of Townsend Harris, 
 frontispiece and 236 n. 
 
 Mattoon, the Rev. Stephen, 79 n., 80 
 and 80 n., 83, 86, 88 n., 89, 95-96, 
 106 n., 107 n., 109, in, 130, 131, 
 137 n., 143, 149 and 149 n., 150, 
 153, 154 and 154 n., 155-156 and 
 156 n., 159, 160; extract from let- 
 ter from Harris to, 80 n.; translates 
 Phra Klang 's letter to Harris, 88 n., 
 90; preaches on board San Jacinto, 
 90; taken ill at Bangkok, 106; Harris 
 visits, 117, 118, 145; recommended 
 by Somdet Oong Noy for American 
 Consul, 121; calls on Harris, 123, 
 124; Harris dines with, 127; Harris 
 attends divine service at house of, 
 139; Harris dines with, 142; ap- 
 pointed American Consul for the 
 Kingdom of Siam, 155-156; ap- 
 pointment of, as American Consul 
 for the Kingdom of Siam, 157; Harris 
 settles accounts with, 157-158 and 
 158 n.; Harris eulogizes, 164 n., 
 404 n.; extract from letter to Harris 
 from, on Treaty with Siam, 404. 
 
 Maury, Lieutenant, 284 n., 288 n., 
 Harris writes to, on subject of mete- 
 orological instruments, 284 n. 
 
 May, Lieutenant-Colonel, his feat of 
 horsemanship, 399. 
 
 Medusa, the, 186, 273, 318, 319 n. 
 
 Mehemet Ali, Tomb of, Harris visits, 
 20, 32. 
 
 605 
 
Mehter, definition of, 48 n. 
 
 Memorial in behalf of Harris drawn up 
 by Nathaniel Dougherty, 320 n. 
 
 Menam, the River, Harris describes 
 scenery along, 100; Harris describes 
 return down, from Bangkok, 115— 
 116; Harris describes trip up and 
 down, I43 _I 44- 
 
 Mencius, 53. 
 
 Mendee, henna tree, 39. 
 
 Messenger Bird, the, 364 and 364 n.; 
 arrives at Shimoda, 331 ; Harris visits, 
 334; Harris's supplies from, 336; 
 leaves Shimoda, 337. 
 
 Meteorological instruments, 284 and 
 284 n. 
 
 Miako, see Kyoto. 
 
 Mikado, the, 518 and 518 n.; consent of, 
 to Treaty, 560 and 560 n., See also 
 Japan, Emperor of. 
 
 Milk tree, 60. 
 
 Miller, Mr. and Mrs., 23, 27. 
 
 Minamoto Iyesada, 531 and 531 n. 
 
 Minden, the, 187, 188. 
 
 Mines, Harris discusses, with Somdet 
 Oong Noy, 119. 
 
 Minister of Foreign Affairs (Siamese), 
 writes to Harris, 88. 
 
 Minister of Foreign Affairs (Japanese), 
 199 and 199 n. 
 
 Minister of Foreign Affairs, 208; Har- 
 ris writes to, 247 n., 300 and 300 n.; 
 Hotta, Prince of Bitchiu, created, 454; 
 Minister of Foreign Affairs, Harris 
 sends copy and translation of Presi- 
 dent's letter to, 456; Harris visits, 
 484; Minister of Foreign Affairs, re- 
 plies to Harris's speech, 486-487; 
 Harris's third visit to, 497-498. 
 
 Mirage, Harris describes, 20, 24. 
 
 Missionaries, American, call on Harris 
 at Bangkok, 106-107 and 107 n.; 
 Baptist, Harris visits, 117, 118. 
 
 Mississippi, the U. S. S., 3$ n. 
 
 Mitchell, Mr., Sr., 48. 
 
 Mitchell, T., 48. 
 
 Mitford, Judge, 32, 34, 35. 
 
 Money, Japanese, 226 and 226 n. 
 
 Monkeys, 61. 
 
 Montigny, Monsieur, 404 and 404 n. 
 
 Montravel, Commodore, 78. 
 
 Monument dedicated to the memory 
 of Townsend Harris (illustration), 268. 
 
 Moor, A. F., Portuguese Consul, calls 
 on Harris, 109; Harris calls on, 117, 
 118. 
 
 Moriyama Yenosuke, 226 and 226 n., 
 228-229, 234, 254, 255, 272, 286, 
 287, 293, 325, 336-337, 348, 351, 
 362, 370, 408, 475 n.; Harris sends 
 him an Atlas, 232 and 232 n.; prophe- 
 sies as to opening of Japan to world 
 commerce, 269; spelling of his name, 
 269 n.; visits Harris, 279, 339-340, 
 342 and 342 n., 350 n.; promotion of, 
 322; converses with Harris, on sa- 
 lutes, the Treaty, Japanese books, 
 firearms, 344-345; brings Harris 
 letter from Governors, 354 and 354 n.; 
 brings Harris American gold, 359; 
 brings Harris Dutch versions of 
 Dutch Treaty, 368-369; brings Har- 
 ris newspaper files, 405. 
 
 Mosquitoes in Japan, 225. 
 
 "Mount Ellenborough," Currier's bun- 
 galow, 76. 
 
 Mourning, Japanese laws of, 546. 
 
 "Moving Sand Pillars," Harris de- 
 scribes, 1 9-20. 
 
 Murphy, Robert C, 51 and 51 n. 
 
 Murray, Dr. David, 424 n., 474 n. 
 
 My Novel, 37. 
 
 Nagai, Prince of Gemba, 445. 
 
 Nagasaki, Port of, open to American 
 ships, 351. 
 
 Nairne, Mr., 49. 
 
 Nankin, the, 176 n. 
 
 Narrative of the Earl of Elgin's Mission 
 to China and Japan, extract from, 
 378 n. 
 
 Narrative of the Japan Expedition, ex- 
 tract from, 309 n-310 n. 
 
 Nathan Dunn & Co., 178 n. 
 
 Natural history specimens, Harris col- 
 lects, 364 and 364 n. 
 
 Nautical Almanac, Harris gives King 
 of Siam, 162. 
 
 Navy, Japanese, beginning of, 428. 
 
 Neale, Frederick Arthur, 129; his book 
 on Siam, 128 and 128 n. 
 
 Neem tree (Persian lilac), 39. 
 
 Negotiations with Japanese, first real 
 day of Harris's, 207-208 and 208 n. 
 
 Nepenthe (pitcher plant), the, 62. 
 
 Netherlands, King of the, 428 n. 
 
 606 
 
Netherlands, the, and Japan, Prelimin- 
 ary Convention between, 221 n. 
 
 New Englander and Yale Review, The, 
 extract from article by John S. Se- 
 wall in, 310. 
 
 New Year, Chinese, 53-55. 
 
 New Year, Japanese, 303, 535 n., 536. 
 
 New York Times, publishes inaccurate 
 copy of Harris's Treaty with Siam, 
 402-403. 
 
 New York Tribune, article on building 
 of Siamese steamer in, 91 n. 
 
 Newcomes, The, 36. 
 
 Nicholson, Captain W. C, of the Mis- 
 sissippi, 35 n. 
 
 Niigata, harbor of, offered to Harris, 
 519. 
 
 Nipah palm, uses of, 97, 98. 
 
 Nitobe, Dr. Inazo, x; quoted xi. 
 
 No-Kami, defined, 254. 
 
 Norimon, custom of search of, 420-421. 
 
 Norimon bearers, Harris's, 413. 
 
 Noma, the, 36, 68, 69, 70. 
 
 Norris, Captain, of the Vectis, 30. 
 
 North China Herald, sent to Harris, 
 
 Nutmeg tree, 60. 
 
 Nye, Captain, of the Pacific, 26. 
 
 Oasaca, 370. See also Osaca. 
 
 O'Halloran, J. 3$. 
 
 Oliphant, Laurence, 377 n.; quoted, on 
 Japanese arrangements for comfort 
 of Europeans and Harris, 443 n. 
 
 Olivuzza, the, 260, 284; 728, Harris goes 
 on board the, 261. 
 
 Omesaki, Cape (Cape Omaye), San 
 Jacinto sights, on voyage to Japan, 
 199 and 199 n. 
 
 Opening of places to Americans, 520. 
 
 Opium, 288 n.; extract from article on, 
 in Bowring's Treaty, 147 n.; Harris's 
 Chinese servants take from Shimoda 
 shops, 272-276. 
 
 Oriental, the, 32, 45; Harris's fellow 
 passengers on, 33-34. 
 
 Osaca, agreement on opening of, 531- 
 532; Harris insists on opening of, 
 523; Harris for opening of, 528-529. 
 
 Osada's Life of Takano Nagahide, quo- 
 tation on Von Liebold from, 483 n. 
 
 Osborne, Colonel, of the Madras Army, 
 27. 
 
 Oude, King of, 72, 73. 
 
 Oude, Kingdom of, 71-73; annexation 
 
 of, to East India Company, 71-72 
 
 and 71 n. 
 Outcasts, Japanese, 369-370. 
 Overland Mail, Harris receives copy of, 
 
 411. 
 
 Pacific, the, 29; Harris embarks on, 
 26. 
 
 Paddy bird (white ibis), 92-93. 
 
 Paknam, Governor of, 80-81. 
 
 Palace, Emperor's, Harris describes, 
 470-471. 
 
 Pallegoix, Jean Baptiste, Bishop of 
 Mallos, Harris visits, 118; sends 
 Harris his dictionary, 118 and 118 n. 
 
 Palms, 41, sSy 97, i<»» 122. 
 
 Palmer, Mrs. 48. 
 
 Palmyra palm, 122. 
 
 Pandamus spiralis, 100. 
 
 Parker, Captain, of the Daniel Sharpe, 
 48, 70. 
 
 Parker, Dr., Peter, 78 n., 166 and 166 n.; 
 letter to Wang from, 179 n. 
 
 Parkes, Mrs. Harry S., 137, n. 
 
 Parkes, Sir Harry S., 68-69, 84, 89, 
 109, 117, 137 n., 142, 146 and 146 n.; 
 discusses American Treaty with Siam 
 with Harris, 89; salute for, 89; his 
 letters annoy King of Siam, 106; 
 wearies King of Siam with his letters, 
 139; after bringing back ratified copy 
 of Bowring's Treaty, leaves Bangkok, 
 146 n. 
 
 Patron Saint of Shimoda, anniversary 
 of, 232-233. 
 
 Paul Clifford, 37. 
 
 Peacock, the, 158. 
 
 Peasantry, Siamese, houses of, 98. 
 
 Pekin, the, 18. 
 
 Pelham, 37. 
 
 Penang, Harris arrives at, on journey 
 home in 1855, 17; Harris describes, 
 17-18; Harris arrives at, 47; churches 
 in, 52; scenic effects in, 58-59; animals, 
 61-63; insects, 63; Harris describes 
 thunderstorm at, 58-59; birds- in, 
 63-64; temperature in, 70, 73-74; 
 sodomy in, 70-71. 
 
 Pentateuch, the 44. 
 
 Perry, Commodore, 14, 15, 79 n., 197 n., 
 200 n., 210 n., 309 n., 310, 406 n., 
 
 607 
 
423, 43 J > 43 8 » 463, 5° 2 and 5° 2 n -» 
 506, 528, 529 n.; quoted on refusal 
 to allow civilians to join his expedi- 
 tion to Japan, 1-2; refuses to allow 
 Townsend Harris to join Japan Expe- 
 dition, 2; recommends Harris for 
 consular post at Shimoda, 5-6; extract 
 from letter from Harris to, 164 n; 
 scene of his negotiations, 427, 434 n.; 
 his first night in Japan, 435 and 435 
 n.; death of, 557 n. For Perry Treaty, 
 see Treaty with Japan, Perry's. 
 
 Perry's Japan Expedition, 5. 
 
 Pheasant given to Harris by Japanese, 
 271 and 271 n. 
 
 Phra Kalahom, 113 n., 116, 163; in- 
 terest of, in American ships, 84-85; 
 Harris calls on, 113-116; opposes 
 Harris's Treaty, 147; advances prop- 
 osition regarding Treaty, 1 50-1 51. 
 See also Prime Minister of Japan. 
 
 Phra Klang, 106, 116, 137 n., 143, 153; 
 Parkes recommends Harris to apply 
 for house of, 89; welcomes Harris, 
 102; brings Portuguese interpreter 
 to Harris, 103-104 and 103 n.; ques- 
 tions Harris as to his mission, 104; 
 description of, in n.; Harris calls 
 on, 111-112; sends letter to Marcy 
 by Harris, 162. 
 
 Phra Nai Wai, 83 and 83 n., 91, 95, 96; 
 meets Harris at Bangkok, 94. 
 
 Pierce, President Franklin, 10, 25 and 
 25 n., 78 and 78 n., 79 n., 117 n., 147 
 n., 160, 161, 164, 247 n., 313, 475, 
 477; nominates Harris American con- 
 sul to Ningpo, China, 3; consults 
 Perry as to best man for consular 
 post at Shimoda, 5-6; letter from 
 citizens of New York, to, recommend- 
 ing Harris for post in Far East, 7-8; 
 letter from John J. Cisco to, 8-9; 
 extract from letter from, to Secre- 
 tary Marcy, 11; letter from, to King 
 of Siam, 131, 133 and 133 n.; text of, 
 565-566; nominates Harris Consul 
 General for Japan, 172 n.; wishes to 
 punish Harris for publication of 
 Treaty with Siam in New York Times , 
 402-403; letter from, to the Emperor 
 of Japan, 445 and 445 n.; text of 
 letter, 576-577. 
 
 Pigeons, Harris's, 273, 345, 347, 358. 
 
 Pilots, Japanese, 200 n. 
 
 Pique, the, 224 n. 
 
 "Plum tree house," Harris describes, 
 
 453- 
 
 Pluto, the, 70. 
 
 Poem, Cingalese, translation of, 44-45. 
 
 Point-de-Galle (Ceylon), Harris arrives 
 at, on homeward journey, 1855, 18. 
 
 Policemen, Japanese, 428, 431. 
 
 Political economy, Harris teaches Jap- 
 anese elements of, 490. 
 
 Polyandry in Ceylon, Harris on, 39-40. 
 
 Pope, Captain, John, 68 and 68 n., 70, 
 
 75- 
 
 Porcelain, Japanese, 370-371. 
 
 Porgy, the, 408. 
 
 Porter, Mr., 85, 107. 
 
 Portman, A. L. C, 368, 369 n. 
 
 Ports, Japanese, opening of, 316 and 
 316 n. 
 
 Portsmouth, the, 76 n., 350 n., 391 and 
 39 1 n -> 393 and 393 "•> 39®; arrival 
 of, at Shimoda, 386 n., 387; Purser 
 of the, brings money to Harris, 389. 
 
 Portuguese Consul, granted audience 
 with King of Siam, 146 n. 
 
 Possiet, Captain Constantine, of the 
 Olivuzza, 260 and 260 n., 263, 264, 
 265, 269, 271 n., 272 n., 276 n., 278 
 n., 279, 281 n., 282 and 282 n., 290 
 n.; brings Ratified Treaty from Rus- 
 sia to Japan, 260; Harris's exchange of 
 copies of treaties with, 262; visits 
 Harris, 266, 277, 285; is requested 
 by Governor of Shimoda to give or- 
 ders that Russian officers shall not 
 sleep on shore, 278; books given to 
 Harris by, 280 n. 
 
 Pottinger, Sir Henry, 69 n. 
 
 Poutiatine Admiral, Count Euphemius, 
 201 n., 261 n., 328 n. 
 
 Powhatan, the U. S. S., 48 n., 261 n. 
 
 Prayer Book, Harris's, 270 n. 
 
 Preble, the, 226 n. 
 
 Presents, to King of Siam, Harris's, 
 91, 92; King of Siam's to Harris, 91; 
 from Somdet Oong Noy to Harris, 
 122; from Second King of Siam to 
 Harris, 122; for Kings of Siam, 124 
 and 124 m, 125-126; Harris's to the 
 Kings of Siam, 133 n.; First King of 
 Siam sends tamarinds to Harris, 1 52 n.; 
 Harris's to King of Siam, and from 
 
 608 
 
King of Siam to Harris, 162; from 
 Second King of Siam to President 
 Pierce 170, 175 and 175 n.; to Gov- 
 ernors of Shimoda from Harris, 228; 
 from Harris to Second Governor of 
 Shimoda 256; from Governors of Shi- 
 moda to Harris, 256; Possiet to Har- 
 ris, 268; Harris to Possiet, 269-270; 
 Harris to Korsacoff, 270; Japanese 
 to Harris, 270; from Japanese to 
 Harris, 271-272, 273; Russian to 
 Harris, 274, and 274 n.; Japanese to 
 Harris, 275, 280; Possiet to Harris, 
 280 n.; Harris's to Russian officers, 
 281-282; Harris to Mrs. Patrick Ste- 
 wart, 288, 288 n., 289; Japanese to 
 Harris, 305-306 and 305 n.; from 
 five members of the Regency at Yedo 
 to Harris, 310-31 1; Harris to First 
 Governor 337; Harris to Captain Bell 
 and Commodore Armstrong, 392; 
 Harris to Emperor of Japan and Min- 
 ister at Yedo, 399-400; to Harris on 
 arrival at Yedo, 448-449, 450 and 450 
 n., 451; from Shogun to Harris, 468; 
 from Harris to Emperor of Japan, 482 
 and 482 n.; from Harris to Minister 
 for Foreign Affairs, 489 and 489 n- 
 490 n.; from Hotta to Harris, 494; 
 Princes of Toke and Shinano to Har- 
 ris, 494 and 494 n.; from Harris to 
 Commissioners of Voyage, 504; Har- 
 ris to Emperor of Japan, 504; Com- 
 missioners to Harris, 504-505; from 
 Japanese to Harris, 531; New Year, 
 to Harris, ^ an d S3^ n J Shogun to 
 Harris, 536; from Higo-no-Kami to 
 Harris, 536 and 536 n; Toke to Harris, 
 544-545; Shinano to Harris, 545; for 
 First King of Siam, list of, 566-567; 
 for Second King of Siam, list of, 
 568-570. 
 
 Priest, Japanese, Harris meets, on walk, 
 245-246. 
 
 Prime Minister of Japan, Harris visits, 
 458-459; Harris's meeting with, 461- 
 464; Harris writes to, after audience 
 at Yedo, 481-481 n. See also Phra 
 Kalahom. 
 
 Princes, Japanese, 454-455. 
 
 Prison at Shimoda, Harris visits, 246. 
 
 Proceedings of the United States Naval 
 Institute, extract from, 309 n. 
 
 Pronunciation of Japanese and Chinese, 
 
 300-301. 
 Prow, defined, 57 n. 
 Pruyn, Robert H., successor to Harris 
 
 in Japan, 15. 
 
 Quarries, 248-249. 
 
 Radishes, Harris procures seeds of, 
 
 516-517. 
 Railway, Egyptian, Harris travels on, 
 
 21-22. 
 Rak-na, Harris describes, 137-138. 
 Rattan, the, 59-60. 
 Rawle, S. B., 169 and 169 n., 180. 
 Reception of Harris by Siamese, 93- 
 
 94, 102. 
 Red Sea, Harris describes sunsets in, 
 
 3*~33> 
 
 Redfield, Heman J., 8, 175 and 175 n. 
 
 Reed, Mr., 328, 328 n. 
 
 Reed and Dougherty, 376 n.; sending 
 away of, 348; charter the Caroline E. 
 Foote, to carry supplies to American 
 ships at Hakodate, 267; ordering 
 away of, from Shimoda, 328-329 and 
 328 n. 
 
 Regency at Yedo, signatures of mem- 
 bers of, 311; Governors of Shimoda 
 question Harris on letter from, 316. 
 
 Regents, 340. 
 
 Rehearsal of part at audience with Sho- 
 gun, Harris declines, 472-473. 
 
 Reminiscences of Townsend Harris, 
 extract from, 236 n. 
 
 Rent, Harris's, 347. 
 
 Residence of American Minister in 
 Yedo, 513; demand for, of Minister 
 at Yedo, granted, 498; of American 
 Ministers in Yedo, possible dangers 
 arising from, 509-510; of Americans, 
 520-526, 530, 532; question of Harris's 
 in Japan, 209, 212-213; in Yedo, 
 Harris's, 442-444, 443 n. 
 
 Residence rights, 317, 326, 334, 351- 
 
 3S*> 
 Revenge, The, play by Dr. Young, 68. 
 Rhio, Island of Bintang, Balestier 
 
 nominated United States Consul for, 
 
 25 n. 
 Rhodes, Captain, of the Anna Maria, 
 
 73- 
 
 609 
 
Rice, E. E., 555 and 555 n.; extract 
 from letter from Harris to, 85 n;. Har- 
 ris receives letters from, 376 and 
 376 n.; Harris sends letter to, 392 n.; 
 Harris receives letter from, 503; ex- 
 tract from letter from, 503 n.; Harris 
 writes to, 557 and 557 n.; extract 
 from letter from Harris to, 574. 
 
 Rice, 249, 251, 257, 258-259, 374. 
 
 Richards, Mr., of the Spartan, 81. 
 
 Rifle, first breech-loading Winchester 
 made by Japanese, 529 n. 
 
 Rioshen, Temple, 204, 205; suggested 
 for Harris's residence, 206. 
 
 Roberts, Edmund, 79 n., 145, 152, 153, 
 178 and 178 n. 
 
 Robertson, S., congratulates Town- 
 send Harris, 2. 
 
 Rodgers, Lieutenant, 254 and 254 n., 
 328 and 328 n., 348. 
 
 Roman Catholic Cochin-Chinese Col- 
 lege, 52-53. 
 
 Ronaine, Mr., 41. 
 
 Ronin, see Loneen. 
 
 Rose, Mrs., 48. 
 
 RoseofShiraz, 61. 
 
 Route to Yedo, 453-454. 
 
 Royal Commission, 142. 
 
 Royal Commission, Siamese, Chandler 
 translates, 140. 
 
 Royal Seat Siamese Steam Force > 162. 
 
 Royal Umbrellas, 128. 
 
 Ruparell, the, 168 n. 
 
 Russell & Co., 184-185, 240, 389 n. 
 
 Russia, Supplementary Treaty with, 
 410 n. 
 
 Russian American Fur Company, 261 
 and 262 n. 
 
 Russian officers, Harris offers services 
 of his washman to, 265-266, 280- 
 281; their opinion of French and 
 English soldiers, 268-269; dine with 
 Harris, 273-274. 
 
 Rutledge, Lieutenant, 130, 137. 
 
 Sabbath, Harris's observance of the, 
 51, 122 and 122 n., 139, 140, 149, 
 206-207, 217, 270-271, 309, 337 and 
 337, n., 428, 432, 465 and 465 n., 487, 
 491, 496. 
 
 "St. Anthony's Fire," Harris has, 291. 
 
 St. George's Church, Penang, Harris 
 attends, 51. 
 
 Sak-kai, Japanese offer to open, 524- 
 525; Harris claims, 532. 
 
 Salutes, in honor of Mr. Parkes, 89- 
 90; of American Flag, at Bangkok, 
 95; in honor of Fourth of July, 378; 
 in honor of Harris, 92, 96, 135, 207- 
 208, 238, 268, 389-390; on signing of 
 American Treaty with Siam, 156; 
 on Washington's Birthday, 309-310 
 and 309 n.; Harris explains system 
 of American, 344; in honor of Wash- 
 ington's Birthday, 528, 541. 
 
 Sam WilletSy the, 173. 
 
 Samshew y defined, 54 n. 
 
 San Jacinto y the Steam Frigate, 26 and 
 26 n., 28 and 28 n., 40, 53, 68, 74 
 and 74 n., 75 and 75 n., 76 and 76 n., 
 77, 78 n., 79 and 79 n., 83, 126 and 
 126 n., 159, 162-163, T 7 2 an d 172 n., 
 173, !74, 178, 179 and 179 n., 180, 
 182 n., 185 and 185 n., 186, 187, 192, 
 199 n., 200, 233, 234 n., 301 n., 359, 
 3 6 4, 3 86 > 387> 3&9> 39°; delayed in 
 sailing for Japan, 176, 176 n.; Harris 
 leaves, 224; leaves Japan, 225-226, 
 225 n.; Harris's anxiety over non- 
 arrival of, 347, 350 and 350 n.; 357- 
 358, 357 n., 361 n., 365, 368, 377. 
 
 Sandstone, 259-260. 
 
 Saracen y the, 92 n. 
 
 Schooner given by Russia to Japan, 
 260. 
 
 Scorpion, care for bite of, 61. 
 
 Scorpions, 62. 
 
 Scott, Charles, 49, 70; Harris describes 
 house of, 55. 
 
 Scott, Walter, 49. 
 
 Seal, Townsend Harris's, title-page. 
 
 Seals, on document appointing Commis- 
 sioners to negotiate Treaty, 146 n. 
 
 Semple, Dr., 76 and 76 n., 137, 159. 
 
 Senate Square, house falls in, 181. 
 
 Sepoy Rebellion, 394 n. 
 
 Servants, Harris's Chinese, 233, 346; 
 Harris hires, 173, 175, 176; he com- 
 plains of treatment of, 234-235; re- 
 fused opium, 276; Harris's tailor, 
 288, 289; wages of, 343, 346; Harris 
 pays accounts of, 373; Harris's Jap- 
 anese, trouble in getting, 230-231, 
 232; hires another, 281; wages of, 
 281, 342, 343; requests silver ichibus 
 for presents to, 291; his cook, 430. 
 
 6lO 
 
Settsu, rough draft of harbor of (draw- 
 ing by Harris), 527. 
 
 Seward, William H., Secretary of State, 
 letter from, to Harris, 15-16; writes 
 to Marcy, 323 n. 
 
 Seymour, Sir Michael, Commander of 
 the Barracouta, 85 n., 224 n., 388; 
 captures Canton Forts, 244 n. 
 
 Shamrocky the, 179, 180. 
 
 Shanghai, high prices in, 173-174. 
 
 Shaw, Mr., 55. 
 
 Shimadzu Saburo, purchases the Fiery 
 Cross, 51 n. 
 
 Shimoda, view of, from Kakizaki (il- 
 lustration), 212; U. S Consulate at, in 
 1856 (illustration), 226; bath houses 
 in, 252; climate of, 242, 251, 275 n.; 
 harbor of, survey of, 196-197 and 
 197 n.; Harris describes, 200; Harris 
 visits prison at, 246; high prices in, 
 173-174; Japanese chronicle of Har- 
 ris's arrival at, 200 n.; laboring classes 
 at, 258; tidal wave destroys, 243- 
 244. 
 
 Shimoda, Convention of, see Conven- 
 tion of Shimoda. 
 
 Shimoda, Governor of, 199 and 199 n., 
 205, 272 and 272 n.; sends officials 
 to meet Harris, 200; postpones meet- 
 ing with Harris, 207; sends presents 
 to Commodore Armstrong 203; Har- 
 ris meets, 207-208; breaks appoint- 
 ment with Harris, 211; arranges to 
 visit the San Jacinto, 216; requests 
 Possiet to give orders that Russian 
 officers shall not sleep on shore, 278. 
 
 Shimoda, Governors of, 332, 338 n.; 
 meetings with Harris of, 219-222, 
 296-299, 310-313, 3 2 °-3 2l > 347- 
 349, 394; Harris sends present to, 
 226; visit Harris, 253-254; visit the 
 O/ivuzza 265; names of, 279 and 279 n.; 
 limit of powers of, 315; Harris 
 discusses treaties with, 315-320; Har- 
 ris writes to, 337 n.; reply to Harris's 
 letter on overcharges, 365-366, 36^ n.; 
 of anniversary of their first visit to 
 Harris, 407. 
 
 Shimoda, new Governor of, arrives, 373. 
 
 Shimoda, Third Governor of, 286, 287. 
 
 Shimoda, Vice-Governor of, 208, 209, 
 232, 429, 430, 439; receives Harris, 
 207; Harris has unsatisfactory inter- 
 
 view with, 209-210; breaks appoint- 
 ment with Harris, 211; welcomes 
 Harris to Japan, 224; visits Harris, 
 291, 295-296; attempts to search 
 Harris's norimon on journey to Yedo, 
 420-421. 
 Shinano-no-Kami, 222 and 222 n., 233, 
 427, 444 n., 445, 446, 447, 448, 458, 
 462, 472, 473, 482, 484, 488 n., 493, 
 
 559- 
 
 Shinano visits the San Jacinto, 223; 
 Harris wri tes to, on exchange of money, 
 233-234; makes tea for Harris, 307- 
 308; calls on Harris, 337; goes to 
 Yedo, 380; returns from Yedo, 385 
 and 385 n.; welcomes Harris at Yedo, 
 442; expression of his friendship for 
 Harris, 451; host to Harris, 454; visits 
 Harris, 456, 494, 495, 496, 497, 504, 
 527, 535 and 535 n., 543, 545; at Har- 
 ris's audience with Shogun, 474; com- 
 pliments Harris after audience with 
 Shogun, 481-482; his fears for 
 Treaty, 527-528; assures Harris of 
 Emperor's consent to Treaty, 543, 
 offers proposed amendments to 
 Treaty, 551; asks delay on Treaty, 
 561. See also Shimoda, Governor of, 
 and Shimoda, Governors of. 
 
 Shogun, appellations of, 406; ambas- 
 sador from, to greet Harris on arrival 
 at Yedo, 445; restricted power of, 
 448-449; date for Harris's audience 
 with, fixed, 454 and 454 n.; his reply 
 to Harris's address handed to Harris, 
 463; Harris goes to audience with, 468- 
 469; Japanese text of his speech at 
 First Audience (illustration), 474; his 
 reply to Harris's address, 475 and 
 475 n.; Harris describes his appear- 
 ance at audience, 479-480; his answer 
 to Harris, 497-499; family name of, 
 530 and 530 n.; titular brothers of, 
 550 and 550 n., ^3; concern of, over 
 Harris's illness, 558 n. 559m 
 
 Shomyo, 553, 554, ^' 
 
 Ships, Siamese, 101-102. 
 
 Shipbuilding, Dutch mechanics sent to 
 Japan to teach, 239. 
 
 Shiroyama, the mountain, 197 and 
 197 n. 
 
 Shrike, 81. 
 
 Siam, making of commercial treaty 
 
 6ll 
 
with, 25 and 25 n.; flag of, 84; tides, 
 86; Cambodia tributary to, 86; di- 
 vorce in, 87; marriage in, 87; slavery 
 in, 87-88, 89; sodomy in, 88; adultery 
 in, 88. 
 
 Siam, First King of, unfavorable mood 
 of, 107, 137 n., 138; Harris sees letters 
 of, 42; presents to Harris from, 91; 
 presents from Harris to, 90-91; full 
 name of younger brother of, 106 n.; 
 refuses private interview to Harris, 
 109; Harris's audience with, post- 
 poned, 123; Harris composes address 
 to, 123; text of Harris's address to, 
 134; Harris's audience with, 129- 
 135; conversation with Harris, 135; 
 gives festival, 137; Harris writes to, 
 139; Harris's opinion of, 145; signa- 
 ture of, 146 n.; visits forts, 157; 
 grants Harris audience of leave, 158; 
 presents to Harris from, 162; list of 
 presents for, 566-567. See also, Siam, 
 Kings of. 
 
 Siam, Second King of, no n., 137, 139 
 n., 146; sends letter and present to 
 Harris, 109-1 10;. letter to Harris, 
 no; holograph letter from (illustra- 
 tion), no; sends Harris present, 122; 
 Harris's audience with, 135-136; 
 text of Harris's address to, 135-136; 
 signature of, 146 n., visits forts in 
 River Menam, 154; extract from 
 letter to Commodore Perry from 
 156 n.-i57 n.; Harris visits, 158-159; 
 presents for, from President Pierce, 
 170; presents to President Pierce 
 from, 175 and 175 n.; list of presents 
 for, 568-570. See also Siam, Kings of. 
 
 Siam, Kings of, 84; Harris carries pres- 
 ents for, 26; presents for, 28 n.; 
 Harris's letters to, 84 n.; names of, 
 in Harris's treaty, 84 n.; Harris's 
 audiences with, 129-136. See also 
 Siam, King of, and Siam, Second 
 King of. 
 
 Siam, Prime Minister of, visits the San 
 Jacinto, 83-85. 
 
 Siamese, the, Harris's opinion of, 153. 
 
 Siamese customs, Harris describes, 143, 
 144. 
 
 Siamese ideas on reciprocity, 1 50-1 51. 
 
 Siamese Steam Fleet, The, 83. 
 
 Siamese Steam Force, The, 91, 137. 
 
 Signal Hill, ships sighted from, 330- 
 W, 3*J, 385-386. 
 
 Simonoski, 341. 
 
 Singapore, Balestier nominated United 
 States Consul for, 25 n.; Harris ar- 
 rives at, in 1856, 77. 
 
 Singapore, the, Harris goes aboard, 
 18. 
 
 Singapore Free Press, Harris receives 
 files of, 405. 
 
 Siva, 253. 
 
 Ske-zo, Heusken's servant, 234. 
 
 Slavery, in Siam, 87-88, 89; Harris's 
 interest in, 87 n. 
 
 Slidell, John, 391 n. 
 
 Smith, the Rev. Samuel J., 107, 107 
 n., Harris attends divine worship 
 at house of, 140. 
 
 Smith, William, Captain of the Levant, 
 107, 166. 
 
 Snakes, 62, 79. 
 
 Snake story told by Bishop of Batavia, 
 46. 
 
 Snipe, 63. 
 
 Sodomy in the East, 70; in Siam, 88. 
 
 Soembing, the, 428 and 428 n., 438. 
 
 Somdet Oong Noy, Harris visits, 117; 
 visits Harris, 11 8-1 20; described by 
 Sir John Bowring, 118 n.; recom- 
 mends Dr. Mattoon for American 
 Consul, 121; sends present to Har- 
 ris, 122; favorably impressed by Har- 
 ris, 125. 
 
 Somdet Phra Paramendr Maha Mong- 
 kut, Major King of Siam, 132. 
 
 Somdet Pia Yumarat, 160 and 160 n.; 
 Harris visits, 117-118. 
 
 Sonnerkalb, H., 3^, 40, 41. 
 
 Spalding, J. W., 229 and 229 n. 
 
 Spark, the, 168, 185. 
 
 Spartan, the, 92 and 92 n. 
 
 Spooner, Daniel N., 184 and 184 n. 
 
 Spooner, Mrs. E. E., 180, 184, 185. 
 
 Spooner, Mrs. S. N., 360. 
 
 Spottiswoode, Colonel Arthur Cole, 33 
 and 33 n. 
 
 Spruce trees, 204. 
 
 "Star-Spangled Banner, The," 187- 
 188 and 188 n. 
 
 State Umbrellas, 86, 132-133, 141. 
 
 Statistics of the United States, Harris 
 gives Somdet Oong Noy, 119. 
 
 Stevens, W. D., 424 n.~425 n. 
 
 6l2 
 
Stewart, Patrick, 169 and 169 n., 180, 
 276 n., 282 and 282 n. 
 
 Stewart, Mrs. Patrick, 288 n. 
 
 Stick insect, 63. 
 
 Stirling, Mr., 32. 
 
 Stirling, Mrs., 32. 
 
 Stirling, Miss, 32. 
 
 Stirling, Sir James, 81 n. 
 
 Stone, Mr., of King & Co., 80, 102. 
 
 Storks, 435~43 6 - 
 
 Stove, Harris's American, 256-257, 
 259. 
 
 Strachan, Mr., 166, 187. 
 
 Strawberries, Japanese, 368. 
 
 Sugar, Harris discusses, with Somdet 
 Oong Noy, 1 19-120. 
 
 Suite, list of Harris's, 105. 
 
 Sulphur spring near Shimoda, 258. 
 
 Susquehanna, the, 406, 431. 
 
 Sweet potatoes, in Japan, 251. 
 
 Swords, presented to Harris by Japan- 
 ese, 305-306 and 305 n. 
 
 Syces, definition of, 47 n. 
 
 Syle, the Rev. E. W., 397 n. 
 
 Tailor, Harris's Chinese, 187, 227, 236 
 n., 288, 289. 
 
 Ta-ki-so, Harris's servant, 234. 
 
 Tariff, Commissioners send Harris 
 proposition on, 554; Harris discusses, 
 with Commissioners, 555. 
 
 Tattnall, Commodore Josiah, 85 n. 
 
 Tea, 61. 
 
 Tea-making, Harris describes, 307- 
 308. 
 
 Tea ceremony, 461. 
 
 Tea gruel, 469, 477. 
 
 Telford, the Rev. Robert, 107 and 107 
 n., 152; Harris breakfasts with, 142; 
 Harris attends divine worship at 
 home of, 149. 
 
 Temples, Japanese, 414, 419, 434; 
 Harris visits, 205-206. 
 
 Tete de tnort spider, 227. 
 
 Thackeray, William Makepeace, Har- 
 ris comments on works of, 35. 
 
 Thermometer in Bangkok, 90. 
 
 Thermometer given to Harris by Cap- 
 tain Possiet, 274. 
 
 Thunderstorm, 229-230; at Penang, 
 Harris describes, 58-59; over Bang- 
 kok, Harris describes, 90. 
 
 Time, Japanese divisions of, 355-356. 
 
 Times, the London, 50 n. 
 
 Timor, Governor of, 46. 
 
 Tison, Alexander, President of the 
 Japan Society, acknowledgment to, 
 x. 
 
 Toke, Prince of Tamba, 444 and 
 444 "•; 449> 45°> anc j 45© n.; 460; 
 spokesman for "Commissioners," 448; 
 irrival of, at "visit of ceremony," 
 449-450; visits Harris on New 
 Year's Day, 494. 
 
 Toko Juro, 252. 
 
 Tokugawa, Head of the House of, 
 reproduction of scroll by, facing vi; 
 acknowledgment to, x. 
 
 Tombs, Major Sir Henry, 33 and 33 n. 
 
 Tonnage, Japanese, 287. 
 
 Topping, W. H., 4, 14; note of congrat- 
 ulation from, to Harris, 13. 
 
 Torture, in Japan, 484. 
 
 Toucan, 63. 
 
 Townsend, Isaac, 8. 
 
 Townsend Harris Endowment Fund 
 Committee, acknowledgment to mem- 
 bers of, x. 
 
 Townsend Harris, extract from, on 
 custom of trampling on the Cross, 
 486. 
 
 Townsend Harris Hall, reason for name 
 of, vii. 
 
 Townsend Harris Hall High School, 
 bronze tablet by Albert P. D'Andrea 
 unveiled at, frontispiece. 
 
 Trays, used at dinner to Harris, 481; 
 to carry presents for the Shogun, 482 
 and 482 n. 
 
 Treaties of the United States with For- 
 eign Nations, Vice-Governor of Shi- 
 moda borrows, from Harris, 246. 
 
 Treaty with Japan, Dutch, 221 n., 341 
 n., 394 n., 410, 506 and 506 n., 512, 
 521 and 521 n.; extracts from, 317 
 n., 318 n.; Dutch, dispute as to ex- 
 istence of, 318, 319 and 319 n., 332- 
 222; Additional Articles to, 410 and 
 410 n. 
 
 Treaty with Japan, Townsend Harris's, 
 74 n., 263, 288 n., 316; draft of, to 
 be handed the Commissioners, 499- 
 500; Harris hands Commissioners 
 Dutch translation of, 502; Harris's, 
 translation of, 502-503; Japanese sug- 
 gest three-year suspension of, 513- 
 
 613 
 
514; ratification of, 530-531; opening 
 of various places, dates of, 532; trade 
 regulations, 533; tariff, 534, 552; 
 Japanese wish to delay signing of, 
 538-540; Harris refuses to accept 
 delay, 540; letter pledging execution 
 of, 546 n.; final consideration of, 547; 
 Preamble of, 505, 51 4; acceptance of 
 Article II, 515; opening of negotia- 
 tions for, 505; Harris's reply to Jap- 
 anese discourse on, 507, 508; Shogun 
 favors, 549; Shinano-no-Kami offers 
 proposed amendments to, 551; Har- 
 ris agrees to adoption of reasonable 
 or necessary amendments to, 551- 
 552; agreements on, 552; Harris 
 gives clean copy of, to Japanese, 
 
 556 and 556 n.; signed by Harris, 
 
 557 n.; date fixed for signing of, 
 561. 
 
 Treaty of Amity and Commerce Be- 
 tween the United States and Japan, 
 text of, 578-589. 
 
 Treaty with Japan, Perry's, 5, 104 and 
 104 n., 209, 221 n., 261 n., 267 n., 
 278 n., 316 and 316 n., 339 and 339 
 n., 421 and 421 n., 445 n., 507; 
 a "wood and water" treaty, 7; ex- 
 tract from, 209 n.; Additional Ar- 
 ticles to, 210 and 210 n.; Additional 
 Articles to, 282 and 282 n.; Harris 
 complains of breach of, 297; extract 
 from, 317 n-318 n.; Secretary Marcy 
 suggests additional article to, 327 n.; 
 Japanese version of Article VII of, 
 328. 
 
 Treaty with Japan, Russian, 221, 260, 
 261 n., 265, 266 n., 278 n., 285, 
 286, 316 and 316 n., 321 n., 328 n., 
 448 and 448 n., 506 and 506 n.; 
 521 and 521 n.; trade regulations in, 
 533 and 533 n. 
 
 Treaty with the Japanese, Admiral 
 Stirling's, 81. 
 
 Treaty of Kanagawa, see Treaty with 
 Japan, Perry's. 
 
 Treaty with Siam, Sir John Bowring's, 
 51 n., 69 and 69 n., 78 n., 146 n., 151; 
 article on opium in, 147 n. 
 
 Treaty with Siam, French mission con- 
 cludes, 176 n. 
 
 Treaty with Siam, Harris's, 78 n., 79 
 n., 172 n.; Parkes and Harris discuss, 
 
 89; Phra Klang makes suggestion 
 regarding, no; Harris talks of, with 
 Prime Minister of Siam, 114-115; 
 Harris intends to bring leasing of 
 Siamese mines into, 119; delays over, 
 140 and 140 n.; Harris completes 
 pro forma of, 1 42-1 43; clauses in, 
 promising American aid to Siamese 
 vessels, 147 n.; substance of amend- 
 ments to, 147 and 147 n., 148 and 
 148 n.; Harris's, reason given for 
 rejection by Siamese of amendments 
 to, 148-149; Harris's, Prince Wong 
 Sa wishes to have "farrago of non- 
 sense" inserted in, 150; Phra Kal- 
 ahom advances proposition regard- 
 ing, 1 50-151; Harris's, Wong Sa 
 wants to change preamble to, 153; 
 signing of, 156; ratification of, 335 
 n., 390 and 390 n., 391 n.; ratifications 
 exchanged, 374 n.; successful work- 
 ing of, 391; inaccurate copy of, ap- 
 pears in New York Times, 402-403; 
 Siamese ask for English version of, 
 404. 
 
 Treaty with Siam, Mr. Roberts's, 148 
 and 1 48 n.; Mr. Roberts's, Americans 
 in error with regard to concessions 
 secured by, 149-150; Preamble to, 
 152 and 152 n. 
 
 Treaty of Peace between France, Eng- 
 land and Russia signed, 70. 
 
 Treaty Commissioners, 500-501 and 
 501 n.; See also Shinano-no-Kami 
 and Higo-no-Kami. 
 
 Trees, 39, 45, 55, 60, 97, 100, 202, 244, 
 250, 259, 33$, 341, 37i, 372, 414, 
 4 1 5» 4i9, 421, 4 2 7» 43 6 > 453- 
 
 Tribune, New York, 26 n. 
 
 Troplong, Mr., 169, 181. 
 
 T'sukagosi, Tooske, 445. 
 
 Tsutsu, Prince of Hizen, 444 n., 448 and 
 448 n. 
 
 Tuckerman, Charles K., 55. 
 
 Tulasi, legend of, 38. 
 
 Tutsi, sacred Hindu plant, 38. 
 
 Turner, C, 175. 
 
 Twiss, Horace, 45 and 45 n. 
 
 Twiss, Quintin William Francis, 45 n. 
 
 Twiss, Captain, R. A., 39 and 39 n., 
 
 175. 
 Tycoon, see Shogun. 
 Tykoon, see Tycoon and Shogun. 
 
 614 
 
Tyler, Lieutenant, 75, 130-131. 
 Typhoons, Harris describes, 237-138, 
 283 and 283 n., 419. 
 
 Udono, Mimbosioyu, 445 and 445 n., 
 448. 
 
 Udumber, Cingalese tree, 45. 
 
 Unbroken Ways in South Japan, quota- 
 tion from on first breech-loading Win- 
 chester rifle made by Japanese, 529 n. 
 
 Uniform, description of Harris's, at 
 Court of Bangkok, 28 n. 
 
 Uniforms, worn at audience with Sho- 
 gun, 468. 
 
 United States Surveying Expedition 
 to the North Pacific Ocean, comman- 
 der and ships of, 254 n. 
 
 Van den Heuvel, Mr., 131, 137. 
 
 Vandalia, the, 68 n. 
 
 Vanderspaar, Captain, 2 Si 4°« 
 
 Vectis, the, 30. 
 
 Verbeck 0/ Japan, extract from, on 
 
 Japanese custom of trampling on the 
 
 Cross, 467 n. 
 Vesey, William H., 29 and 29 n. 
 Victoria, Queen, 81 n., 164 n., 260 n. 
 Vincennes, the, 328 n. 
 Vixen, the, 166 n. 
 Volcano, on Oshima, 243. 
 Von Siebold, Dr. Philipp Franz, 188- 
 
 189 and 188 n., 482; quotation from 
 
 Osadas Life of Takano Nagahide 
 
 on, 483 n. 
 Vreeland, Mrs. Helen Kearny Harris, 
 
 271 n. 
 
 Walker, Judge, 56. 
 
 Walker, Mr., 46. 
 
 Walker, Mrs., 55. 
 
 Walks, Harris's, 235-237, 243-244, 245, 
 248-251, 257-258, 259, 304, 371, 372; 
 statues seen on, 252-253. 
 
 Wallace, Mrs., 48. 
 
 Wang, Viceroy of Min and Cheh Prov- 
 inces, letter from, to Commissioner 
 Parker, 179 n. 
 
 Washington, George, Japanese knowl- 
 edge of, 310 n. 
 
 Washington's Birthday, salutes on, 309- 
 310 and 309 n. 
 
 Wat, meaning of, 139. 
 
 Water mills, 249. 
 
 Wats, Harris describes, 127-128; Harris 
 visits, 141-142. 
 
 Weather, Harris's comments on, 18; 
 19, 29, 56, 79, 90, 123, 167, 168, 
 169, 171, 177, 178, 179, 181, 182, 
 184, 185, 186, 188, 189, 194, 195, 
 *$& 197, 198, 199, 200-201, 206, 
 215, 227, 228, 229, 230, 231, 232, 
 *33, 235, 2 37" 2 38, 243, 248, 256, 257, 
 265, 269, 285, 286, 290, 293, 296, 304, 
 337-338, 342, 35 1 , 354, 359, 3^5, 
 367-368, 378, 382-383, 385 and 385 n., 
 397 and 397 n., 407, 465, 557. 
 
 Webster, Mr., 13. 
 
 Weeks, Captain, of the Euxine, 22. 
 
 West, Captain, of the Atlantic, 23. 
 
 Westward Ho! 37. 
 
 Wetmore, General Prosper M., 4, 10, 
 13, 23 n., 50 and 50 n., 75, 172, 278; 
 recommends Harris to William L. 
 Marcy, for consular office, 3; Marcy 
 writes to, on Harris's appointment as 
 Consul to Japan, 11-12; Harris gets 
 letters from, 401. 
 
 Wetmore, L. Sheppard, 178 n. 
 
 Wetmore, Samuel, 178 n. 
 
 Wetmore, William S., 178 n. 
 
 Wetmore & Co., 47 n.; failure of, 178 
 and 178 n. 
 
 Wetmore, Williams & Co., 178 n. 
 
 Wheat harvest, 366. 
 
 White, Mr., 74. 
 
 White elephant, Harris presents model 
 of to Catherine Ann Drinker, 177 n. 
 
 Whiton, Mrs. Henry Devereux, 271 n. 
 
 Whittemore, Mr. and Mrs., 23, 27. 
 
 "Wildcat" brought to Harris by 
 Chinaman, 1 70-1 71. 
 
 Willamette, the, 176 and 176 n. 
 
 Williams, the Rev. Mr., 140. 
 
 Williamson, Mr., 146. 
 
 Williamson, Lieutenant, 137. 
 
 Wilson, Daniel, Lord Bishop of Cal- 
 cutta, 75-76 and 75 n. 
 
 Winchester, the, 224 n. 
 
 Wind Table, 397 n. 
 
 Winthrop, William, 30; appointments 
 of, 30 n. 
 
 Withers, R., 8. 
 
 Women, Siamese, 95. 
 
 Wong Sa, Prince, 142, 148, I49 n., 151, 
 *53» J 54, 155; Harris visits, 150; 
 sends Harris present of sugar, 118; 
 
 615 
 
Harris discusses Treaty with Siam 
 with. 120-121; Harris calls on, 125; 
 Harris dines with, 136 and 136 n. 
 
 Wood, William Maxwell, 75 and 75 n., 
 in, 113, 124, 130, 180, 190, 199, 
 220; Harris dines with, 127; quoted 
 on Harris's first visit to Japan, 204 n. 
 story told by, illustrating determina- 
 tion of Japanese authorities to pre- 
 vent avoidable intercourse with Amer- 
 icans, 215. 
 
 Worth, Captain A. J., of the Caroline 
 E. Foote, 328 n. 
 
 Wrecks of junks, see Junks. 
 
 Yacht Emperor given to Shogun by 
 Queen Victoria, 260 n. 
 
 Yeast, 37. 
 
 Yedo, Harris refuses to negotiate with 
 official from, 211; statistics of, 263; 
 Governors of Shimoda return from, 
 305; Harris receives answer to his 
 two letters to, 311; Harris to go to, 
 to present to the Shogun letter from 
 President of the United States to 
 the Emperor, 394; arrangements for 
 Harris's visit to, 395-396; prepara- 
 
 tions for Harris's visit to, 399-400, 
 preparations for Harris's journey to, 
 409-41 o; Harris starts on journey to, 
 411 n.; Harris's journey to, 411-442; 
 Dutch route to, 417; Japanese prep- 
 arations for Harris's visit to, 424 
 and 424 n. -425 n.; Japanese prepara- 
 tions for Harris's journey to, 433-434; 
 Harris's entry into, 436-442; Harris 
 welcomed at by Shinano-no-Kami, 
 442; arrangements for Harris's meals 
 at, 446; distances of Harris's route 
 to, from Shimoda, 446-447, 446 n.; 
 Harris explains object of his visit to, 
 451-452; dangers threatening Harris 
 on visit to, 456-458, and 458 n.; 
 map of, given to Harris, 491; Harris 
 passes Christmas in, 492; letter writ- 
 ten by Hotta, Bitchiu-no-Kami, 
 to Harris (illustration), 494; Jap- 
 anese offer to open, 520; Harris's 
 proposition on opening of, 523; fire 
 
 in, 553- 
 Yokushen, see Gyokusen-ji. 
 Young, Dr., 68 n. 
 
 Ziogoon, see Shogun. 
 
 616 
 
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UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS-URBANA 
 
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 THE COMPLETE JOURNAL OF TOWNSEND HARRIS 
 
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