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Ihomas Jiarnson MontQomcru {1815-1912), 
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NARRATIVE 



OF 



THE EXPEDITION OF AN AMERICAN SQUADRON 



TO 



THE CHINA SEAS AND JAPAN, 

PERFOEMED IN THE YEARS 1852, 1853, and 1854, 



UNDER THE COMMAND OP 



COMMODORE M, C. PERRY, UNITED STATES NAVY, 



BY ORDER OF THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES. 



COMPILED FROJI THE ORIGINAL NOTES AND JOURNALS OP COMMODORE PERRY AND EIS OFFICERS, AT HIS REQUEST, AND 

UNDER HIS SUPERVISION, 

By FRANCIS L. HAWKS, D. D. L. L. D. 

WITH NUMEROUS ILLUSTRATIONS. 



PUBLISHED BY ORDER OF THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES. 



WASHINGTON: 

BEVERLEY TUCKER, SENATE PRINTER. 
1856. 



PREFATORY NOTE. 



Prompted in a great degree by feelings of personal friendship for Commodore Perry, the 
compiler of the following pages yielded to his earnest request, enforced as it was by that 
of other friends, and consented to undertake the task of preparing this Narrative of the 
United States' Expedition to Japan. 

And here it is proper to mention, that among the expressed motives which induced the 
Commander of the Expedition to desire the execution of the work by other hands than hia 
own, none seemed more prominent than this consideration : that, as the facts here embodied 
were to be gathered not merely from the pages of his own journal, but from those also of 
several of his officers, as well as from their official reports to him, he thought it better to 
confide the compilation to a disinterested third party, who might weave the various mate- 
rials into a connected narrative of all the important events, uninfluenced by that partiality 
for his own words or acts, from which, owing to the infirmities of human nature, the most 
honest and best of men are not always entirely exempt. 

As the sole object on the part of the Commander was to afford to his government and 
countrymen the most ample account he could of what had been done by himself, his 
officers, and men — as in this respect he had nothing to conceal, as he wished to present 
truly all of interest that had been observed either by himself or others, and to do justice 
to the deserving officers who had so efiectually sustained him in .his plans for carrying out 
a new, delicate, and arduous work — he deemed it best to place in the hands of the compiler, 
without reserve, all the materials in his possession, whether from his own pen, or furnished 
by the labor of others, and to request nothing more than that the preparation of the 
work might be conducted in a spirit conformable to the ends and wishes just expressed. 

The materials were abundant and varied. Beside the manuscript journal of the Commo- 
dore, in three large folios, and his official correspondence ; the journals of his secretary and 
other officers, the diaries of the fleet captain and flag-lieutenants, the official reports of 
gentlemen detailed for special duties, and the public documents connected with the Expe- 



IV PEEFATORY NOTE. 

dition, were all placed ia the hands of the writer. Of these, the Commodore's journal and 
official correspondence form much the larger part.* 

The work to be performed was that of a compiler merely. With no responsibility as to 
the facts related, the writer believed his appropriate duty to be simply to weave into a 
connected narrative all of interest or importance that could be gathered from these various 
materials, and to present, in chronological order, the incidents of the Expedition. Eminently 
suggestive, as were many portions of the story, the compiler felt that it was his business 
to deal with the facts only, and spare the reader the infliction of his reflections on them. 

The book, therefore, is but little encumbered with the writer's observations or conjectures 
on the incidents related. Where a momentary digression from the story does occur, the 
remarks it embodies are generally those of the Commodore himself. In many instances, the 
language of the Narrative is a verbatim copy from his journal. Wherever it was possible 
thus to use his manuscript, it was done, as being the course most likely to avoid error. 
Every word of the work was read to the Commodore in manuscript, and received his 
correction before it went into the printer's hands ; every proof sheet also was read by him 
before it was sent back to the press. In order to expedite the preparation and publication 
of the work as much as possible, and place it, at an early period, in the hands of Con- 
gress, as the labor was that of compilation only, the present writer, with the approbation 
of Commodore Perry, availed himself of the kindness of a competent literary gentleman, f 
who assisted him in the work of comparing the various journals, documents, &c., arranging 
chronologically the incidents gathered from all sources, and presenting them in a connected 
form. Some portions of the story were also, in the first instance, sketched by this 
gentleman, and after undergoing the revision of the present writer, were incorporated by 
him into the Narrative, and then submitted to the Commodore for his corrections and 
suggestions. Some of the descriptions of scenery were thus prepared, as well as portions 
of the Narrative relating to the two vistis to Japan. By means of this valuable aid, the 
whole story was written out in less than a twelvemonth from the time its publication 
was ordered by Congress, a residt which would otherwise have been unattainable. The 



* The Commodore, unwilling to appropriate wliat may belong to others, desires here to acknowledge the use of the journals 
of the captain of the fleet, Commander Adams, of the flag-lieutenants, Mr. Contee and Mr. Bent, tliose of Purser Harris, 
Mr. Perry, (Commodore's secretary,) Mr. Bayard Taylor and Chaplain Jones ; the reports of Captains Abbot, Buchanan, 
and Adams, Commandants Boyle, Kelly, and Glasson, Chaplain Jones, Mr. Williams, Chinese interpreter, and Doctors 
Green and Fahs ; the services of Mr. Portman, Dutch interpreter, and of the artists, Mr. W. Heine and Mr. E. Brown, jr. 
In the hydrographical department he would specially acknowledge tlie accurate and laborious work of Lieutenants W. 
L. Maury and S. Bent. Nor would he pass by without notice minor contributions from any under his command ; to all 
he would render due credit and thanks. 

t Robert Tomes, Esq., M.D. 



PREFATORY NOTE, V 

compiler makes this statement, not only to acknowledge the kindness of a friend, but 
also to guard himself against the suspicion of being willing to appropriate, without 
recognition, the labors of another. 

As to the Narrative itself, the highest ambition of the writer was to tell the story, if 
he could, in such manner as would not only present a true picture, but also keep alive 
the interest of the reader ; his wish was to make a book that might furnish information 
without being wearisome. If in this he has succeeded, he has attained all to which he 
aspired. If he has not, he has only to say that he will feel more of regret than surprise. 

In some instances he may be thought to be needlessly minute, and especially in describing 
the pageantry of receptions, entertainments, &c. In this matter he felt obliged to consult 
something beside his own taste merely ; he was looking to the natural curiosity of his 
countrymen to know every particular of the story, and therefore preferred to tell too much 
rather than too little. Beside, the pageantry was often an important part of the history 
of the negotiation itself, with a people so ceremonious as the Japanese. 

Nor did the compiler hesitate to use freely the materials placed before him in the shape 
of journals, &c., even though the substance of some portions of them is already in the hands 
of the public. They were originally prepared for just such use as is here made of them ; 
the report was designed to tell the incidents of the whole story from beginning to end ; and 
the compiler was directed simply to use the materials that had been furnished him. It 
was not for him to omit facts because others had already related them. 

In but one respect did he venture to exercise any discretion. His duty required that he 
should tell all that occurred from the moment the Mississippi left the Capes of the Chesa- 
peake. As, however, the chief interest of the Expedition was to be found in events that 
occurred in China, Lew Chew, the Bonin Islands, and Japan, he endeavored to make as 
brief as duty would permit the incidents of the earlier part of the outward voyage, sensible 
that but little new remained to be said in passing over a track so often traversed and so 
well known by intelligent Europeans and Americans. Still he believes he has omitted 
nothing, which his materials furnished, that is likely to interest the general reader. 

Distance from the press has occasioned some typographical errors, which the intelligent 
reader will readily correct. for himself; there are probably other errors; for these the other 
duties of the compiler and the circumstances of his position will, he hopes, be accepted as 
an apology.* 



* This volume will be followed by three others, as soon as the labors of the government press can produce them. 
They are prepared. Appendix, vol. 1, will contain the Natural History and Illustrations, with various reports ; vol. 2 will 
embrace the Astronomical Observations; and vol. .3 the Hydrography of the Expedition. 



Vi AUTHENTICATION OF THE NARRATIVE, 

Tlie Narrative here presented of the Japan Expedition has been prepared under my 

supervision and at my request, from materials furnished by me, and is authentic. I 

present it as my official report^ and am alone responsible for the statement of facts it 

contains. 

M. C. PERRY, Late Commander-in-cJiief 

of the United States Expedition to the China Seas and Japan. 

New York, January 1, 1856. 



CONTENTS. 



Page. 
Ijjtkoduction 3 74 

CHAPTER I. 

Probabilities of a successful mission from the United States to Japan. — Such a mission proposed to the Govern- 
ment by Commodore Perry. — Expedition resolved on. — Vessels selected for the squadron. — Vexatious delay 
in their equipment. — Commodore Perry sent in the Mississippi to the Gulf of St. Lawi-ence. — Applications 
of scientific men to join the expedition refused. — Causes of such refusal. — Dr. Von Siebold. — Visit of the 
President and Secretary of the Navy to Annapolis to take leave of the expedition. — Failure of the machinery 
of the steamship Princeton on the passage down Chesapeake Bay. — Substitution of steamer Powhatan in 
place of the Princeton. — Final departure of Commodore Perry on the mission with the Mississippi alone.. 75 — SO 

CHAPTER II. 

Voyage from the capes of the Chesapeake to Madeira. — View of the island. — Funchal. — Hospitality of the in- 
habitants. — Salubrity of the climate. — Exports of the island. — Novel mode of conveyance. — Departure from 
Madeira and arrival at the Canaries. — Early failure of northeast trades. — Extraordinary swell from the 
northwest. — General order as to private journals and communications to public prints. — General order as 
to scientific Investigations by officers. — The " Harmattan," consideration of hypotheses as to its origin. — 
Southeast trades. — Ship steered for St. Helena. — Observations on the currents. — Chaplain's observations on 
the zodiacal lights. — Ai-rival at St. Helena. — Description of the island. — Jamestown. — Longwood. — Tomb 
of Napoleon. — The calculating hospitality of the inhabitants of the island. — Adventure of Lieutenant 

. — Fortifications of the island. — Their sufficiency against sailing vessels. — Probable insufficiency 

against an approach fi-om the west by steam. — Departure from St. Helena 81 — 96 

CHAPTER HI. 

Passage to the cape. — Fuel for steamers. — Table rock and Cape Town. — Description of Cape Town. — Climate. — 
Annoyance from dust. — Violence of winds and difficulty of holding to anchorage. — Supplies at the cape. — ■ 
Caft're war and its effects. — Mode of transporting produce on land. — Vineyards of Constantia. — Effects of 
emancipation of slaves on agricultural labor. — Mode of cultivating the vine. — Population of Cape Colony. — 
Bushmen. — Tlie Caffres. — Physical characteristics. — Fingoes. — Military organization of Caftres. — Condition 
of the emancipated slaves. — Departure from Table Bay. — Passage to, and arrival at, Mauritius. — Harbor of 
Port Louis. — Dangers of the harbor. — SkUl of port officers in mooring vessels 97 — 106 

CHAPTER IV. 

Mauritius, its discovery. — Geological formation and physical aspect. — Production of sugar. — Effect on agricid- 
ture of the abolition of slavery. — Coolies. — Population of the island. — State of feeling between English 
and French residents. — Hospitable treatment of the expedition. — Description of Port Louis. — Grand Port. — 
Paul and Virginia. — Facts on which St. Pierre founded his story. — Tombs of Paul and Virginia, — Built by 
an eccenti-ic Frenchman. — Cyclones. — ^Their probable causes. — Interest felt in them at Mauritius. — Depart- 
ure of the Mississippi from Port Louis. — Her com-se thence to Point de Galle, island of Ceylon. — Reasons 
for taking it. — Point de Galle, description of. — Great rendezvous of steamers. — Difficulty of procuring fuel 
there. — American consul. — ^Thoughts on consular system. — Early knowledge of Ceylon. — Its several Euro- 
pean possessors. — Clima' j. — Salubrity. — Causes of its diminished prosperity. — Productions. — Value of cocoa- 
nut palm. — Pearl fishery. — Immense numbers of elephants. — Great slaughter of them. — Boa constrictor. — ■ 
Population of Ceylon. — Physique of Cingalese, Malabars, and Mahomedans in the island. — Religious con- 
dition. — Buddhism. — Pilgrimage to the temples. — Intercourse with a Siamese naval officer at Ceylon. — 
Commodore's letter to the second king of Siam. — Departure from Ceylon. — Passage through the Straits of 
Malacca. — Arrival at Singapore 107 — 124 



VIU CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER V. 



Page, 



Singapore. — Its great commerce. — Population. — Rapid increase. — Hospitality of a wealthy Chinese merchant. — 
Importance of Singapore to England. — Coal depot at Smgapore. — Physical aspect of the country. — Agricul- 
tural products. — Animals. — Ferocity of the tiger. — "Water huffalo. — Passage from Singapore to Hong Kong. — 
Currents, rocks, tides. — Chinese fishing boats. — Airival at Hong Kong. — Finding there sloops-of-war Sara- 
toga and PljTnouth and store-ship Supply. — Susquehanna gone to Shanghai. — Disappointment of the Com- 
modore. — Condition and prosperity of Hong Kong. — Run to Macao, thence to "Whampoa on Canton river. — 
Navigation of the river. — First impressions made by the city. — Disappointed expectations. — Hospitality of 
American consul at Canton. — The hongs or factories. — Streets in Canton. — Proper name of the city. — Bocca 
Tigi-is. — Chinese forts. — Pirates on the river. — Attempt to rob one of the officers. — Canton market place. — 
Ti-ade of Canton -with Europe and America 125 — 138 

CHAPTER VI. 

Hospitable treatment at Macao. — Usages of the foreign merchants toward visitors. — Depressed condition of 
Macao. — Description of the place. — Tanka boats, and girls who manage them. — Cave of Camoens. — De- 
parture of Mississippi from Macao. — Saratoga left to bring Mr. Williams, the interpreter. — Difficulties of 
navigation from Hong Kong to the mouth of Yang-tse-keang. — Entrance of the river dangerous. — Susque- 
hanna, Plymouth, and Supply all agroimd. — Mississippi saved by the power of her engines only. — Descrip- 
tion of Shanghai. — Its immense trade. — Cultivation of the country. — Population of the city. — Visit of the 
Commodore to the governor of the city. — Chinese rebellion. — Its effects. — Plymouth left at Shanghai to 
protect American interests. — Departure for Great Lew Chew. — Arrival of the squadron at the capital, Na- 
pha, the Saratoga having joined at the entrance to the harbor - - 139—150 

CHAPTER VII. 

Number and position of islands of Lew Chew. — Their supposed political relations to Japan and China. — Descrip- 
tion of the island of Great Lew Chew, as seen on the first approach to it. — Visit of officials to the Susque- 
hanna. — Visit of Dr. Bettelheim. — Refusal of presents, and consequent mortification of the Lew Chewans. — 
Exploration of the island resolved on by the Commodore. — Daguerreotyping on shore. — Coral insect and its 
formations. — Second visit of the authorities of Lew Chew. — Regent of the island received by the Commo- 
dore, — Friendly nature of the interview. — Surprise of the Lew Chewans at sight of the steam-engine. — 
Commodore announces to them his intention of returning the visit at the palace of Shui. — Their e\'ident 
embarrassment thereat. — Leave to go on shore. — Description of Napha and its viciuity, by one of the offi- 
cers. — ^Exploring party sets out, placed under the command of the chaplain, Mr. Jones. — Mr. Bayard Taylor 
attached to it, with orders to take notes and furnish a detailed report of the journey. — Negotiations with 
the Lew Chew authorities to obtain a house on shore. — Tlieir manifest opposition. — Commodore persists 
and succeeds. — Officers, when on shore, continually watched by spies. — Captain Basil Hall's account of the 
Lew Chewans somewhat exaggerated. — Impressions made on the officers as to the character of the natives. — 
Hydrographic surveys. — Boat exercise of the crews, and drillmg on land of the marines 151 — 161 

CHAPTER VIII. 
Report of an inland exploration of Great Lew Chew, by a party fi-om the squadron, under the command of 

Commodore Perry 1C2— 186 

CHAPTER rs. 
Efforts of authorities of Lew Chew to prevent a visit to the palace. — All unsuccessful. — Landing for the visit. — 
Procession. — Appearance of the country. — Reception at the palace. — Embarrassment of the regent. — Enter- 
tainment at the regent's house. — Saki. — New dishes. — Commodore invites authorities to a dinner on board 
the Susquehanna. — General impressions produced by the visit. — Espionage still kept up. — Daily exercise of 
sailors and marines. — Settlement of accounts with Lew Chew authorities. — Mississippi and Supply remain 
at Lew Chew. — Susquehanna and Saratoga leave for the Bonin islands. — Death of an opium smoker on the 
passage. — Inhimianity of Chinese. — Sunday on board. — Arrival at Port Lloyd 187 — 19G 

CHAPTER X. 
Situation of Bonin islands. — First discovery of them. — Europeans have no claim as the discoverers. — Mixed 
character of present settlers. — External appearance of Peel island. — Geological formation. — Harbor of Port 
Lloyd. — Productions of the island, animal and vegetable. — Resort of whalers. — Condition of present in- 
habitants. — Commodore causes the island to be explored. — Reports of exploring parties. — Kanakas. — Ex- 
amination of Stapleton island, and report thereon. — Survey of harbor of Port Lloyd. — Land purchased for 
a coal depot. — Departure from Bonin islands on the return to Lew Chew. — Disappointment island.- — Its 
true position.— Borodinos. — Arrival at Napha 197 — 214 



CONTENTS. IX 

Page. 

CHAPTER XI, 

Changes at Napha.^New regent. — Banquet on board of the Susquehanna. — Excessive dignity of the new re- 
gent. — Stateliness of Lew Chewans thawed out by the dinner. — Guests sent home. — Bamboo village. — In- 
terior of Lew Chew houses. — Men indolent. — Go.ssipping at Lew Chew. — Lew Chew loom. — Different classes 
of the people. — Their fear of spies. — Slavery of peasants. — Causes of degradation. — Excellence of agricul- 
tural cultivation. — Origin of population of Lew Chew. — Former kingdoms on the island. — Relation of Lew 
Chew to China and Japan, respectively. — Education in Lew Chew. — Religion of the inhabitants. — Christian 
mission in Lew Chew. — Distinctions of dress. — People sell themselves as slaves. — Clanship. — Coin in Lew 
Chew. — Sugar making. — Natural products of the island 215 — 227 

CHAPTER Xn. 

Departure from Napha for Japan. — Course of the ships. — Oho-Sima. — Island seen by Commander Glynn, probably 
Oho-Sima. — Cleopatra islands. — Currents. — Fourth of July on board. — Approach to Cape Idzu. — Squadron, 
led by the Susquehanna, enters the bay of Yedo. — Rock island. — Hazy atmosphere of Japan. — Surprise of 
the Japanese at sight of the steamers moving against wind and tide. — Bay of Sagami. — Appearance of the 
coast and country inland. — Fu.si-Jama. — .Ships made ready for action. — Fleet of Japanese boats put off from 
the shore. — Left behind by squadron. — Bay of Uraga. — Opposite coast of Awa. — Japanese forts. — Squadron 
comes to anchor m the bay of Uraga. — Soundings on approaching the anchorage. — Japanese guard-boats 
put off. — No one permitted to come on board the ships. — Appearance of guard-boats and crews. — Skill of 
the Japanese in managing their boats. — Guard-boat comes alongside of the Mississippi, and Japanese 
functionary demands to come on board. — Not permitted. — Notice in the French language, ordering the 
ships away, held up to be read. — Interpreters directed to inform the Japanese that the Commodore would 
confer with no one but the highest official in Uraga. — Japanese replied that they had the vice governor on 
board. — This officer and his interpreter allowed to come on board the Susquehanna. — Not permitted to see 
the Commodore. — Conference with Lieutenant Contee, who explains that the Americans have come on a 
friendly mission, and that the Commodore bears a letter from the President of the United States to the 
■Emperor. — Desires the appointment of an officer of suitable rank to receive it from the Commodore. — 
Commodore refuses to go to Nagasaki. — Informs the Japanese officials that if the guard-boats are not 
immediately removed he will disperse them by force. — The boats are withdrawn. — Vice governor returns to 
the shore, promising further communication on the morrow. — Policy resolved on by the Commodore. — • 
Meteorological phenomenon. — Visit on the next day from the governor of Uraga. — Conference between him 
and Commanders Buchanan and Adams. — Second refusal of the Commodore to go to Nagasaki. — Deter- 
mination expressed to deliver the letter there, and, if necessary, in the city of Tedo itself — Governor 
proposes to refer the matter to Yedo. — Commodore assents and allows three days for an answer. — Survey 
by the squadron's boats of the bay of Uraga, and ultimately of the bay of Tedo 228 — 242 

CHAPTER Xni. 

Reply from the court at Yedo. — Efforts of the Japanese to get the squadron out of the bay of Yedo. — Commo- 
dore's firm refusal to leave Uraga. — Agreement of the Emperor to receive, through a commissioner, the 
President's letter. — High breeding of the Japanese gentlemen; not ill-informed. — Survey of the bay of 
Yedo. — Fogs of Japan. — Second visit from the governor of Uraga. — He brings a letter from the Emperor, 
authorizing a prince of the empire to receive, in his name, the President's letter. — Arrangements made for 
the Commodore's reception on shore to deliver the letter. — Minute attention of the Japanese to etiquette 
and ceremonials. — Preparations in the squadron for the visit on shore at the reception. — Ships brought near 
the land, so as to command the place of meeting. — Landing and reception, and delivery of the letter and 
other documents. — Princes of Idsu and Iwama. — Contents of President's letter. — Commodore's letter of 
credence, and liis letters to the Emperor. — Receipt given by the Japanese for the papers. — Return to the 
ships 243— 26r 

CHAPTER XIV. 

Concessions of the Japanese. — Relaxation of their restrictive laws. — Satisfaction of both Japanese and Americans 
at the result of the visit on shore and delivery of the President's letter. — Visit of Keyama Yezaimen to the 
ships. — Impudence of the interpreter Saboroske. — The squadron goes further up the bay towards the 
capital. — Policy of this movement. — Alarm of the Japanese gradually quieted. — Beautiful scenery up the 
bay. — Survey of the bay continued. — Conviviality on board. — Surveying boats enter a small river. — Cordial 
greeting of the inhabitants. — Crowd dispersed by a Japanese official. — Commodore transfers his pennant 
from the Susquehanna to the Mississippi. — The last-named vessel goes up in sight of the shipping place of 
Yedo. — Sinagawa. — Yedo about ten miles distant from the point where the ships turned about. — Good 
depth of water in Yedo bay, probably almost up to the city. — Tlic bay pretty thoroughly explored and 



CONTENTS, 



Page. 



sounded by the surveying parties. — Interchange of presents with the Japanese officers. — Avowed sorrow of 
Japanese officials on bidding farewell to the Americans. — Commodore's reasons for not waiting for a reply 
to the President's letter. — Leaves Tedo bay declaring his intention to return in the ensuing spring. — ^The 
Saratoga sent to Shanghai to look after American interests. — The Plymouth ordered to Lew Chew.— 
Oho-Sima. — Ships encounter a storm. — General results of the first visit of the squadron to the bay of Yedo. 2G'2^273 

CHAPTER XV 

Amaliirima islands. — State of feeling in Lew Chew. — Commodore's measures for permanent arrangements with 
the authorities. — Coal depot. — Protest against espionage. — Trade in open market.— Letter to the regent. — • 
Interview with the regent — Entertainments of the Commodore. — During dinner the regent's answer Is 
brought. — Unsatisfactory to the Commodore. — ^Letter handed back to the regent, and the Commodore 
prepares to leave the house. — Informs the regent that he miift have a satisfivctory answer on the next day, 
otiierwise he will land and take possession of the palace at Shui and retain it until matters are adjusted. — 
Probable efi'ects of bunting up the old sedan cliair on shore — Commodore's propositions all accepted. — 
Coal depot built. — A'isit to the c.istle of Tima-Gusko. — Purchases in the bazaar. — Departure from Napba for 
China. — Plymouth left behind with orders to visit Bonin islands and make further surveys. — Captain Kelly's 
report of the visit and surveys. — Form of government and constitution of the settlers on Peel island. — 
General effect of this last visit to Lew Chew. — Arrival of the Vandalia ; of the Powhatan. — Overhauling 
of the vessels of the sq.uadron at Hong Kong 274 — 28$ 

CHAPTER XVI. 

Alarm of Americans in China. — Request to Commodore that he would send a ship to Canton. — Supply sent. — 
The rest of the squadron at Cum-sing-moon. — Hospital established and house taken at Macao. — Sickness 
in the squadron. — Work kept up in all departments, notwithstanding. — He;ilthines6 of Canton. — Gluttony 
of the Chinese. — Chinese servants- — C'hinese English, or "pigeon." — JIale dressmakers, chamber servants^ 
etc. — Chinese female feet. — Chinese guilds. — Beggars. — Charitable institutions. — Tlideves. — Boatmen. — 
Laboring classes. — Domestic servants. — Polygamy and its moral results. — Decadence of Macao. — Humbled 
condition of the Portuguese. — Harbor of Macoa. — Commodore establishes his depot for the squadron at 
Hong Kong. — Pleasant society of Macao- — Powhatan stationed at Whampoa to relieve the Susqueliarma. — 
Supply still at Canton. — Chinese peaceable towards foreigners. — Steamer "Queen" chartered to protect 
American interests in China while the squadron should go to Yedo. — Suspicions movements of Russians and 
French induce the Commodore to hasten his return to Japan. — Lexington arrives. — Tlie squadron ordered 
to rendezvous at Napha, Lew Chew. — Orders received, just as the- squackon leaves Cliina, to detach a 
steamer for the use of Mr. McL;i.ne, Ameriam Commissiorter to ChiiEi. — Embarrassment of the' Commodore 
in consequence. — HLs mode of proceeding to accomplish both the objects of the government. — Correspond- 
ence with Sir George Bonham touching the Bonin islands. — Courtesy of the English Admiral Pellew. — 
Squadron assembles at Naplui _ 287 — 3J8 

CHAPTER XYII. 

Increased cordi;ility and friendly intercourse on the part of the Lew Chewans. — Second visit of the- Commodore- 
to the i>alace at Shui. ^Entertainment by the regent. — No metallic coin of Lew Chew to be obtained. — 
Eev. Mr. Jones' .second exploration in search of coal. — Finds it at Shah bay. — The mineral not valued by 
the natives. — Additional geological observations in Lew Chew. — ^Remarkable salubrity of the island. — 
Tenure of lands. — ^Agriculture. — Rice, potatoes, sugar, cotton, wheat, barley, millet, sago, beans, peas, 
tobacco, edible roots, fruits, trees, flowers, etc. — Sugar miills. — Grain mills and granaries. — Population. — 
Ethnology. — Costume. — Politeness of manner. — General intelligence. — Architecture. — Rude attempts in 
painting and sculpture. — Amusements. — Government. — Religion. — Fimeral rites. — Japtvuese spies in Lew 
Chew.— Departure for the bay of Y'edo - 309—329 

CHAPTER XVm. 

letter from Dutch Ciovemor General of India announcing the death of the Japmese Emperor. — Commodore's 
reply. — Enumeration of the several objects in view. — Prospects of their attainment by the mission. — Officers 
and men left in Lew Chew. — Arrival of the Saratoga. — Run to Yedo bay. — Oho-Sima. — Cleopatra Lsles. — 
Mijako-Bima. — All belong to Lew Chew group. — Entrance of gulf or outer bay of Yedo. — Jajxinese charts 
of little value; made for nicre coasting. — ^Vintry aspect of Japan. — Macedonian aground. — Hauled off by 
the Mississippi. — Friendly offers of the Japanese to assist the Macedonian. — Squadron proceeds np the bay 
and anchors at the "American anchorage." — J.apanese officials come alongside. — Received by Captain 
Adams on the Powhatan, pursuant to the Commodore's orders. — Tliey attempt to prevail on the Commo- 
dore to return to Uraga, stating that the high Japanese functionaries were there awaiting his arrival, by 
appomtment of the Emperor. — Commodore declines on account of ssifety of the sliii^s. — Visit on the nex:* 



CONTENTS. Xi 

day from the; officials, wlio reiterate tlieir request, witli an assurauee that tlie commissioners were ordereil 
to receive tlie Commodore at Uraga with distiuguislietl cousideratiou. — Commodore again declines. — 
Japanese ask that an officer may be sent to Uraga to confer with the commissioners as to a place of meeting. — 
Commodore consents that Cai>tain Adams may hold such a conference, but that the commissioners must 
come there to hold it. — Japanese become alarmed as to tlie friendly feelings of the Americans. — Their fears 
allayed. — Survey of the baj' resumed without interruption by the Japanese. — Our boats forbidden by the 
Commodore to land. — Japanese persist for several days in desiring the Commodore to go to Uraga with the 
ships. — Commodore invariably refuses. — At length the Japanese are informed that the Commodore will 
allow Captain Adams to meet a commissioner on shore near the ships, or that he will proceed up the bay 
to Yedo. — Note from the commissioners to the Commodore. — His reply. — Captain Adams sent down to 
Uraga to communicate to the commissioners the Commodore's reasons for declining to take the ships to 
Uraga. — Some of the Japanese accompany him in the Vandalia. — Interview of Cai)tain Ailanis with the 
commissioners at Uraga. — Visit to Captain Adams fronr Yezaiman on board the Vandalia. — Assures Captain 
Adams of the friendly disposition of the Emperor. — Vandalia returns, and perceives ahe.id the squadron 
standing up the bay toward Yedo. — The Japanese no longer urge going to Uraga. but suddenly propose 
Yoku-Hama, where the ships then were, about eight miles from Yedo. — Commodore immediately assents. — 
Buildings constructed at Yoku-Hama. — A Japanese seaman in the squadron sends a letter to his family 
ashore, by Yezaiman. — Yezaiman desires an interview with him. — The interview. — Ceremonials settled as 
to the conferences on shore for negotiation 321 — 342 

CHAPTER XIX. 

Ships anchored in Yoku-Hama bay so as to command the shore. — Kanagawa "treaty house." — Imperial barge. — 
Landing of the Commodore. — Description of the Jap.anese commissioners. — Interpreters. — Servility to 
superiors. — Negotiations commenced. — Commodore submits a copy of the treaty of the United States with 
China for consideration. — Death of one of_our men. — Commodore propo.ses to buy a burial ground for 
Americans. — Commissioners propose to send the body of the deceased to Nagasaki for interment. — Commo- 
dore refuses, aud proposes to bury the dead on Webster's island. — Commissioners consent to the interment 
at Yoku-Hama. — The burial by Chaplain Jones. — Interest of the Japanese in the ceremony. — They after- 
wards perform their own rites over the covered grave. — The Japanese build an enclosure around the spot. — 
Japanese artists attempt the portraits of our officers. — Answer to the President's letter. — Informal confer- 
ence between Captain Adams and Yenoske. — Landing and delivery of the presents. — Japanese workmen 
assist the Americans in preparing for their exhibition. — Negotiations continued. — Surprise and delight of 
the Japanese at the telegraph and railroad. — Curiosity of the Japanese in examining mechanism. — Passion 
for buttons. — Note-taking of everything strange to them — Love of pictures. — Drawings. — Common people 
disposed to social intercourse with the Americans. — Excitement on Chaplain Bittinger's attempt to reach 
Yedo by land. — Written reply of commissioners, declining to make a treaty like that of the United States 
with China. — Further negotiations. — Accuracy of the Japanese in noting all the discussions. — Ports of 
Simoda and Hakodadi agreed to, but with great difficulty on the part of the Japanese 343 — 365 

CHAPTER XX. 

Cordiality between Japanese and Americans. — Presents from the Japanese. — Coins. — Singular custom of includ- 
ing rice, charcoal, aud dogs, in a royal Japanese present. — Japanese wrestlers. — Their immense size and 
strength. — Exhibition in the ring. — Contrast in the exhibition of the telegraph and locomotive. — Parade 
of the marines. — Ycno.ske visits the flag-ship, and seeks to draw the Commodore out. — Failure. — Entertain- 
ment of the Chinese commissioners on board the flag-ship. — Great cordiality. — Peformance on ship-board of 
"Ethiopian minstrels," to the great amusement of the Japanese. — Negotiations continued. —Japanese 
object to the immediate opening of the ports. — Finally concede the point to a certain extent. — Absolute 
and persistent refusal to allow Americans permanently to abide in Japan. — Reluctant consent, after much 
discussion, to allow one consul to reside at Simoda. — Treaty finally agreed on and signed. — Presents by 
Commodore to the commissioners, that to the chief being the American flag. — Entertainment of the Com- 
modore aud his officers by the commissioners. — Peculiarities of the mission to Japan. — ^Obstacles to making 
any treaty at all. — Disposition of the Japanese shown in the conferences. — Particular refusal to make a 
treaty allowing American families or females to live in Japan. — Analysis of the treaty. — Commodore care- 
ful to secure for the United States all privileges that might thereafter be granted by treaty to other 
nations. — Case of the American schooner Foote 3fi7— 392 

CHAPTER XXI. 

Departure of Commander Adams for the United States, with the treaty. — Visits of the Commodore aud officers 
on shore. — Imperturbable composure of Yenoske when charged with falsehood. — Call upon the Mayor of 
Yoku-Hama. — The ladies of his household. — Disgusting fiishion of dyeing their teeth. — Use of rouge. — En- 



Xll CONTENTS. 

tertainment of the Commodore. — ^The Mayor's baby. — ^The common people very comfortable. — Field labors 
shared by the women. — Straw great-coat for rainy weather. — Paper umbrellas. — People not indisposed to 
intercourse with foreigners. — Respectful treatment of the female sex. — Japanese un-oriental in this re- 
spect. — Polygamy not practised. — Japanese women naturally good-looking. — Some strikingly handsome.— 
Girls have great vivacity, yet dignified and modest. — Social habits. — Visits. — Tea parties. — Squadron, after 
notice to the Japanese authorities, proceeds up the bay with some of the officials on board. — Powhatan and 
Mississippi go within sight of the capital. — Its immense size. — Sea front protected by high palisades. — - 
Change of Japanese policy on the second visit to Tedo. — All show of military resistance studiouslj' avoided. — 
The Commodore assures the Japanese officials that he will not anchor the steamers near the city, and, after 
a glance, at their request, returns. — Great joy of the officials thereat. — Preparations for departure. — Mace- 
donian ordered to Peel island. — Southampton, Supply, Vandalia, and Lexington sent to Simoda. — Webster 
island. — Departure of the Commodore for Simoda. — Harlx)r examined. — The town and adjacent country. — • 
Shops and dwellings. — Public baths. — Food. — Mode of cultivation. — Buddhist temples. — Grave-yards and 
tombs. — Statues of Buddha. — Offerings of flowers on the graves. — Epitaphs or inscriptions. — Charms for 
keeping away fom the dead malignant demons. — A temple appropriated for the occupancy of our officers. — 
A Sintoo temple. — -Mariner's temple. — Salubrity of Simoda. — Made an imperial city since the treaty 3U3 — 414 

CHAPTEE XXn. 

Survey and description of the harbor of Simoda. — Discipline in the squadron. — Intercourse with the authorities 
of Simoda. — Kura-kawa-kahei, the prefect. — His disposition to produce trouble. — Treatment of the Ameri- 
can officers. — Eemonstrances of the Commodore. — Equivocation of the prefect. — He is frightened into pro- 
priety. — Efforts of two Japanese gentlemen clandestinely to leave their country in the squadron. — Commo- 
dore's conduct. — Buddhist temples at Simoda. — Prefect again shows bis petty hostility. — His prevarications 
and falsehoods. — ^Funeral of an American on shore. — ^Insult offered to American officers on shore. — Pre- 
fect's further falsehoods. — Compelled to apologize, and informed that his insolence would not be borne in 
future. — Friendly intercourse with the people. — Departure for Hakodadi. — Volcano of Oho-Sima. — Tlie 
Kuro-siwo, or Japanese " gulf stream. " — Straits of Sangar. — Fogs. — Harbor of Hakodadi. — Directions for 
entering - 415—432 

CHAPTER XXHI. 

Visit from tlie authorities at Hakodadi. — Tlicir ignorance that a treaty had been made. — Visit to authorities 
and explanation of affiiirs to tlie Japanese. — Answer of the officials at Hakodadi. — Their friendliness and 
courtesy. — Visit-; and rambles of the Americans on shore. — Houses allotted for their temporary accommo- 
dation. — Description of Hakodadi. — Resemblance to Gibraltar. — Cleanliness of streets. — Pavements and 
sewers. — Division into districts under Ottonas. — Pack-horses used; no wheel-carriages. — ^Town very thriv- 
ing. — Buildings described. — Preparations against fires in the city. — Skill of carpenters and house-joiners. — 
Shops, their construction and goods. — Carvings in wood. — Furniture. — Cliairs and tables. — Fashion in eat- 
ing. — Tea, how prepared; fire for boiling the kettle. — Kitchens, stables, and gardens. — Fire-proof ware- 
houses. — Ti'affic at the shops. — Buddhist temples. — Grave-yards. — Praying by machinery. — Inscriptions on 
tombs. — Sintoo temples. — Shrines by the way-side. — Gateways on the roads. — Prospects for Christianity in 
Japan. — Weak military defences of Hakokadi. — Surrounding country. — Look-out for ships approaching. — 
Japanese telescope. — Geology of the country. — Mineral spring. — ^Natural cave. — Culinary vegetables. — 
Commerce and fisheries. — Japanese junks. — Ship-yards. — Few birds. — Fish abundant. — Wild quadrupeds. — ■ ■> 

Fox considered as the devil. — Horses much used. — Kagos. — Climate of Hakodadi. — PopiUation and physical 
characteristics of the people. — Ainos or hairy kuriles. — Mechanical skill of the Japanese. — Carpentry and 
masonry. — Coopers. — Iron ore workers. — Blacksmiths, their bellows. — Copper much used in junk building. 
— Spinning and weaving. — Dyed cottons. — Silk iiibrics. — Lacquered ware. — Printing, drawing, and paint- 
ing. — Sculpture. — Architecture. — General intelligence. — Information, derived through the Dutcli at Na- 
gasald, from European publications. — Japanese game of chess. — Cards. — Loto. — Ball and jackstraws among 
the children - 433 — 466 

CHAPTER XXIV. 

Interview between the Commodore and the representative of the prince of Matsmai. — Southampton sent to ex- 
plore Volcano bay, including Endermo harbor. — Report of the survey- — Poverty of the region around the 
bay. — ^Eruption of a volcano at midnight. — Ainos. — Boundaries of Americans at Hakodadi left to be settled 
with the imperial commissioners. — Good understanding between the Americans and people of Hakodadi. — 
Japanese delighted with the exhibition of the "Ethiopian minstrels" on board ship. — Squadron theatricals. 
— Interest of Japanese in the machinery and fire-arms of the ships. — Answer of Hakodadi authorities to 
Commodore's inquiries as to European or American vessels wrecked in Japan during the last ten years. — 
Answer of the imperial commissioners to similar inquiries. — Macedonian sails for Simoda. — Vandalia des- 



CONTENTS. Xni 

Page, 
patched for China by the western passage. — Japanese officers desire a conference witli tlie Commodore. — 

Flag-lieutenant sent ashore to bring them on board. — Disrespectful conduct of the officers. — Flag-lieuten- 
ant returns without tliem. — Japanese officers finally come off in their own boat. — Not allowed to see the 
Commodore until they apologize for their behavior. — Apology accepted. — Conference results in nothing 
but a further illustration of Japanese finesse. — Burials of Americans at Hakodadi. — Respect shown for the 
ceremonies by the Japanese. — Buddhist priest performs his funeral ceremonies after the Americans retire. — 
Services in a Buddhist temple. — Japanese erect a fence around the American graves. — Sailor's epitaph com- 
posed by his shipmates. — Block of granite presented by the Japanese at Halcodadi for the Wasliington 
monument. — Volcano of Olio-Sima. — Arrival at Simoda. — Meeting with the commissioners. — Boundaries at 
Hakodadi settled. — Appointment of pilots and harbor-master agreed on. — Value of Japanese and Ameri- 
can money respectively fixed. — ^Additional regulations between the commissioners and Commodore agreed 
to and signed. — Coal supplied at Simoda. — Its comparative quality and value. — Cost of various articles 
furnished to the .ships. — Another block of stone for the Washington monument presented by the imperial 
commissioners at Simoda. — Japanese present of dogs to the President. — Sam Patch lias an interview with 
the officials of his country. — Refuses to go on shore or leave the ship. — Praiseworthy conduct of a marine 
towards Sam. — "Dan Ketch." — Japanese punishment of crucifixion. — Practice of the "Hari-kari" or "Hap- 
py-despatch." — Departure from Simoda. — Macedonian and supply sent to Formosa and Philippines. — Eed- 
field rocks. — Party sent on shore for observation of Oho-Sima. — Arrival at Lew Chew. — Southampton or- 
dered to Hong Kong. — Powliatan and Mississippi come to anchor at Napha 467 — 490 

CHAPTER XXV. 

Preparations for final departure from the Japanese waters. — Macedonian and Supply ordered to Formosa. — In- 
structions to Captain Abbot, of the Macedonian, to toucli at the Philippines on his way from Formosa to 
China. — Mississippi, Powhatan, and Southampton proceed to Lew Chew. — State of affairs in Lew Chew. — 
Supposed murder of an American by Lew Chewans. — Trial of Lew Chewans for murder by their own au- 
thorities on the Commodore's demand. — Description of a Lew Chew court of justice. — Accused made to 
plead by punches in the ribs. — Accused convicted and In'ought to the Commodore for punishment. — He 
hands them over to their own authorities. — They are banished. — New Tear's customs. — Coal removed from 
the depot to the ships. — Compact or treaty made witli Lew Chew. — Present from the Lew Chewans to the 
Commodore. — A stoue for the Washington monument. — Eifort of a Japanese to come off in the squadron 
to the United States. — Parting entertainment to Lew Cliew authorities. — Departure of the squadron for 
China. — Macedonian's visit to Formosa. — Unavailing search for Americans supposed to have been wrecked 
on the island. — Explorations by Chaplain Jones for coal. — Found in abundance and of good quality. — 
Survey of the harbor of Kelung. — Lying and cunning of the Formosans. — Run to Manilla. — Very stormy 
passage. — Marine volcanoes in the neighborhood of Formosa. — Inquiries at Manilla into tlie murder of 
certain Americans. — Satisfactory conduct of the Spanish authorities in the matter. — Delivery by Captain 
Abbot to the Governor of six Sillibalioos that had been picked up at sea by Lieutenant Commanding Boyle, 
of the Southampton, floating in an open lioat. — Remarkable distance that they had drifted. — Physical appear- 
ance of the Sillibaboos. — Voyage of Macedonian to Hong Kong. — Captain Kelly's handling of tlie Chinese 
pirates and imperial troops; forces them to make reparation. — Chastisement of the Chinese by the joint 
action of the officers and men of the Plymouth and of those of her Britannic Majesty's ships Encounter 
and Grecian. — The Commodore, by leave from the Navy Department, turns over the command to Captain 
Abbot, and returns home by the overland route. — On the arrival of the Mississippi in New York, on the 
23d of April, the Commodore repairs on board, and formally hauling down his flag, terminates the expedi- 
tion - - 491—508 

SUPPLEMENTARY CHAPTER. 

Commander Adams arrives in the United States witli the treatj'. — Submitted by the President and ratified by 
the Senate. — Commander Adams sent back with authority to exchange ratifications. — Arrives at Simoda 
after an absence of little more than nine months. — Altered aspect of the place from the effects of an earth- 
quake. — Japanese account of the calamity. — Loss of Russian ship-of-war Diana. — Russians make a treaty 
exactly like ours, with a substitution merely of Nagasalvi for Napha as one of the tliree ports. — French 
ship brings in two shipwrecked Japanese. — Authorities refuse to receive them except from under our flag, 
having no treaty with France. — Men taken on board the Powhatan, and then received by their country- 
men. — Energy of Japanese in rebuilding Simoda. — Freedom of intercourse with the people. — No more 
espionage. — Brisk traffic at the shops. — Delivery to Captain Adams of some religious tracts left at Simoda 
by Mr. Bittinger. — Japanese had learned to manage the locomotive, but not the telegraph. — Moryama 
Yenoske promoted. — Message from the commissioners to Commodore Perry. — Ratifications cxelianged 509 — 512 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 



LITHOGRAPHS. 

PHgn. 

"Mississippi" passing Point Atristow Heine & Brown KI 

Loo Roclt and Pontinha, Madeira Heine & Brown 82 

Fiinchal, Madeira, fiom the Curral Heine & Brown 84 

Jamestown, St. Helena - Heine & Brown 90 

Valley of the Tomb, near Longwood Heine & Brown 92 

Longwood, from the gate - Heine & Brown 94 

Cape Town and Table mountain - ..Heine & Brown 98 

Mauritius, from the "Pouce" Heine & Brown 105 

Hindoo ablutions, Mauritius - Heine & Brown 112 

Light-house, Point de Galle, Ceylon Heine & Brown 114 

Buddhist temple, Ceylon Heine & Brown 120 

Eajah of Jahorc, Singapore — from life Brown 129 

River Jnrong, Singapore Heine & Brown 130 

View of Hong Kong from East Point ..Heine & Brown 1.3.3 

Chinese temple, Hong Kong. Heine & Brown 134 

Whampoa Pagoda and anchorage Heine & Brown 135 

Fish market. Canton .Heine 138 

Chinese temple, Macao Heine 144 

Chief magistrate, Napha — from a daguerreotype Brown 155 

Street in Napha, Lew Chew Heine _ 156 

Napha, from Bamboo village Heine 164 

Ancient castle, Nagagusko, Lew Chew Heine & Brown 170 

Village near Napha, Iiew Chew Heine & Brown 173 

Ancient castle, Nagagusko, Lew Chew Heine & Brown 174 

Lew Chew exploring party. Heine & BRO^VN 176 

Tshandicoosah, Lew Chew Heine & Brown ^^. 182 

Bridge and causeway, Machinatoo, Lew Chew Heine & Brown 184 

Commodore Perry's visit to Shui, Lew Chew. Heine 189 

Reception at the castle, Shui, Lew Chew Heine 190 

Dinner at the Regent's, Lew Chew Heine 191 

Court interpreter. Shin, Lew Chew — from a daguerreotype Brown ,. 192 

Temple at Tumai, Lew Chew Heine & Brown 194 

Kanaka village, Bonin Islands Heine & Brown 204 

Regent of Lew Chew — from a daguerreotype Brown 215 

Afternoon gossip. Lew Chew — from a daguerreotype Brown 219 

Lew Chew costumes, middle class — from a daguerreotype Brown 226 

View of Uraga, Yedo bay Heine 233 

First landing at Gorahama Heine 256 

Delivery of the President's letter Heine 261 

Torig.asaki, Yedo bay Heine 268 

Inner harbor and ruins, Timagusko. Heine & Brown 281 

China girl, sycee head-dress — from a daguerreotype Brown 296 

Macao, from Penha Hill Heine 298 

Jesuit convent, Macao Hei.ne 300 

Napha, from the sea Heine 309 

Market-place in Napha Heine 317 

Bay of Wodowara Heine & Walke 325 

Commodore meeting commissioners at Yokuhama Peters 346 

Tenoske and Takojuro, interpreters. Brown 348 

View from Webster island. ^ Heine 353 

Temple at Yokuhama Heine 355 



XVI ILLUSTRATIONS. 

Page. 

Delivery of presents Peters 357 

Japanese soldiers, Yokuhama Heine 359 

Wrestlers at Yokuhama - Peters 371 

Dinner on board the Powhatan - Heine 375 

Siinoda, from A'andalia Bluff Heine 401 

Bridge of cut-stone, &c., Simoda Heine _ 403 

Japanese woman, Simoda Brown 404 

Mother and child, Simoda — daguerreotype Brown 405 

Temple of Hat-clii-man-ya-chu-ro Heine 406 

Devotions in great temple, Simoda Heine 407 

Buddhist priest, Simoda, in costume Brown 408 

Buddhist priest, Simoda — likeness - Bbown 409 

Bell-house, Simoda — daguerreotype Brown 410 

Mariner's temple, Simoda — Heine _ 411 

Japanese rice-mill, Simoda - Kellogg 414 

Kura-Kawa-Kakei, prefect of Simoda — daguerreotype Brown _ 417 

Japanese women — daguerreotype Brown 418 

Simoda, from the American grave yard Heine 425 

Japanese funeral, Simoda - Heine , 426 

Hakodadi, from Snow Peak _ Heine 430 

Prefect of Hakodadi — daguerreotype Brown 433 

Chief temple, Hakodadi - Heine _ 442 

Street in Hakodadi - -. Heine 443 

Entrance to a temple, Hakodadi - Brown 445 

Hakodadi, from Telegraph Hill Helve ._ 447 

Japanese junk, section _ - -Kellogg 448 

Japanese junk, cross-section Kellogg 449 

Japanese boat - - - - Kellogg 450 

Japanese junk, view complete Meffert ^. 451 

Fire company's house and engine Heint; 459 

Fac simile, Japanese painting 462 

Japanese painting — crossing the Oho-e-ga-wa 462 

Deputy of Prince of Matsmai — daguerreotype Brown 468 

Conference-room, Hakodadi - Heine 470 

Governor of Simoda — daguerreotype - Brown 477 

Tatsnoske, second interpreter — daguerreotype Brown 485 

Faiewell visit at Simoda - Heine 486 

Japanese fac simile, crucifixion -. 487 

WOOD-CUTS. 

View of Funchal, Madeira Heine & Brown 82 

Funchal Cathedral, Madeira - - Heine & Brown - 83 

Ox sledge, Madeira - Heine - 84 

Old house, Longwood, St. Helena Heine & Brown 93 

Travellers in South Africa - Heine - 100 

Kaffir chief and Fingo woman C. Town, artist 102 

Kaffir chief " Seyolo" and wife — from life E. Brown - 102 

Port Louis, Mauritius Heine & Beown 108 

Costumes of Mauritius - Heine 110 

Public square, Port Louis Heine 111 

Pointde galle, Ceylon Heine - 115 

Buddhist temple near Point de galle, Ceylon Heine 121 

Mississippi saluted by an English frigate, straits of Malacca E. Bro-»tn 123 

Malay Proa - E. Brown 126 

Mosque in Singapore Pobtman 127 

Malay tombs near Singapore - - Heine 131 

Barber boy. Hong Kong Heine 134 

View of Old China street. Canton Heine 137 

Tanka boat, Macao E. Brown 141 

Tanka boat girl E. Brown 141 

Chinese woman and child E. Brown 141 



ILLUSTRATIONS. XVU 

Page . 

Oamoen's cave, Macao, (front) Heixe - 142 

Do. do. (rear) .- Heixe - Ii3 

American consulate and Port of Shanghai Hei.n'e - - - 14.') 

Lew Chew peasant — daguerreotype _E. Brown - 157 

Lew Chew merchant — daguerreotype E. Bkown Kil 

Night camp of exploring party, Lew Chew Heixe l(><i 

Banner Kocls, Lew Chew Heixe 16S 

Tombs in Lew Chew Heine 1G9 

Ground plan of Nagagusko, Lew Chew Heixe - 170 

Nagagusko interior _ Heine 171 

Euins of Nagagusko north Heine ._ .- 172 

Eice-houses in the valley of On-na, Lew Chew E,\y.\rd Tatlok __ 178 

Kung-Kwa of On-na Heixe & Brown 180 

Cave at Port Lloyd, Benin - - - Heine 201 

Valley near Southeast bay, Peel island Bayard Taylor 207 

Southeast bay, Peel island Heine - 208 

Stapleton island Heine __ 210 

Dinner to tlie Eegent of Lew Chew on board U. S. S. Susquehanna Heine _ - 21fi 

Sugar mill. Lew Chew Heine 227 

China girl showing head-dress — daguerreotype Brown 291 

Chinese beggar, Macao — daguerreotype Brown _ _ 29.3 

Chinese fruit-seller — daguerreotype - - - Brown _. 295 

Dress of Chinese lady of rank — daguerreotj'pe. Bkown 296 

Chinese barber, Macao — daguerreotype - -Brown _ 297 

Protestant gi'ave yard, Macao - _ -Heine _ 300 

Salt flats, Napha - Heine 317 

Americans landing at Uraga - _ Heixt; _ __ 334 

Imperial barge, Tokuhama. _ Heixe _ 345 

Buddhist priest, full dress _ Brown 354 

Namoura, third interpreter Brown 373 

Farm yard, Yokuliama Heine 384 

Japanese women — daguerreotype Brown 397 

Mia at Yokuhama Heine 400 

Simoda, from the creek Heine -- 400 

Landing place, Simoda Heine 402 

Street and entrance to great temple, Simoda Heine _. 403 

Grave yard of chief temple, Simoda -. Heine _ 407 

A'alley above Simoda. _ Heine - 412 

Japanese women, Simoda .Brown - - -- 418 

Hakodadi from the bay Heine - 43 1 

Kitchen at Hakodadi _ Heine 441 

Fishing at Hakodadi Heine 451 

Japanese Kago Brown - 452 

Sub-prefect, Hakodadi Brown 453 

Water boats and junks, Hakodadi ,. Heine 454 

Japanese cooper Brown _ 455 

Blacksmitlis' shop Heine 456 

Ship yard Heixe. 457 

Spinning and weaving Heixe _ _ 458 

Fac similes of horses, Japanese drawing 459, 4C0, 461 

Japanese wonien Brown _ 474 

Boat with Sillibaboos _ __ Brown 502 

Chinese rice-hulliug machine _ Heixe _ 507 

Cotton whipping. Hong Kong Heine _. 508 

Temple of Ben-Ting, Simoda _ _ _ __ _Heixe 510 

[.Vll the initial letters and tail-pieces of tlie several chapters are from tlie pencil of Mr. Heixe.] 
C J 



EREATA. 



Page 264, 4th paragraph : "while" for "with." 
308, 1st line : "Hong Kong" for "Canton." 

325, 2d paragraj)h, 4th line : "infer that these" for "infer that this." 
357, (List of presents:) " ship's breakers" for "bealiers." 

415, 1st paragraph, 9th line : omit "lower " or " gulf of," and read "of the bay of Yedo.' 
461, 1st line : illustration referred to not published. 



LETTER 



THE SECEETARY OF THE NAVY, 

COMMnNICATING, 

IN COMPLIANCE WITH A EESOLUTION OF THE SENATE, 



EEPORT or COMMODORE M. C. PERRY, 

OF THE 

NAVAL EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 



January 22, 1855. — Ordered to be printed, and tliat 5,000 additional copies be printed ; five hundred of which for the use 

of Commodore Perry. 

January 29, 1855. — Ordered, That 500 copies be for the use of the Navy Department. 



Navy Depaktment, August 28, 1855. 

Sir : In compliance witli the resolution of the Senate of the United States, passed on the 

22d January last, calling upon the Secretary of the Navy " to communicate to the Senate a copy 

of the report of Commodore Perry of the Naval Expedition to Japan," I have the honor to 

enclose herewith a coj^y of the letter of Commodore Perry to the Department transmitting the 

manuscript, &c., of said report. 

I am sir, very respectfully. 

Your obedient servant, 
AsBURT DicKiNS, Esq., J. C. DOBBIN. 

Secretary of the Senate of the United States, Washington, D. C. 



New Tore, August 27, 1855. 

Sir : In compliance with a resolution of the United States Senate, bearing date January 22, 

1855, calling upon the Secretary of the Navy "to communicate to the Senate a copy of the 

report of Commodore Perry of the Naval Expedition to Japan, and that the same, with the 

maps, charts and drawings^ be printed," I have now the honor of transmitting the manuscript 

of said report, together with drawings, maps, charts, &c., illustrative of the same. 

With great respect, I am, sir. 

Tour most obedient servant, 
Hon. J. C. Dobbin, M. C. PEKRY. 

Secretary of the Navy, Washington, D. C. 



INTRODUCTION. 




v-^ lEWED in any of its aspects, the Empire of Japan has long 

presented to the thoughtful mind an object of uncommon 

:^ interest. And this interest has been greatly increased by 

>- the mystery with which, for the last two centuries, an 

_ exclusive policy has sought to surround the institutions of 

this remarkable country. The curiosity of Christendom 

has been on the alert ; and the several votaries of various 

pursuits have naturally longed to add more to the little 

that is known of this self-isolated Kingdom. 

The political inquirer, for instance, has wished to study 
in detail the form of government, the administration of 
laws, and the domestic institutions, under which a nation 
systematically prohibiting intercourse with the rest of the 
world has attained to a state of civilization, refinement, and intelligence, the mere glimpses of 
which so strongly invite further investigation. 

The student of physical geography, aware how much national characteristics are formed or 
modified by peculiarities of physical structure in every country, would fain know more of the 
lands and the seas, the mountains and the rivers^ the forests and the fields, which fall within 
the limits of this almost tery-a incognita. 

The naturalist asks, what is its geology, what are its flora and fauna ? 

The navigator seeks to find out its rocks and shoals, its winds and currents, its coasts and 
harbors. 

The man of commerce asks to be told of its products and its trade, its skill in manufac- 
tures, the commodities it needs, and the returns it can sujiply. 

The ethnologist is curious to pry into the jshysical appearance of its inhabitants ; to dio- 
if possible, from its language the fossil remains of long buried history ; and in the affiliation 
of its people to supply, perchance, a gap in the story of man's early wanderings over the 
globe. 

The scholar asks to be introduced to its literature that he may contemplate in historians 
poets, and dramatists, (fur Japan has them all,) a picture of the national mind. 

The Christian desires to know the varied phases of their superstition and idolatry ; and 
longs for the dawn of that day when a purer faith and more enliiihtened worship shall bring 
them within the circle of Christendom. 



4 INTRODUCTION. 

Amid sucli a diversity of pursuits as we have enumerated, a common interest unites all in 
a common sympathy ; and lience, the divine and the philosopher, the navigator and the natu- 
ralist, the man of business and the man of letters, have alike joined in a desire for the thorough 
exploration of a field at once so extensive and so inviting. 

With so much to allure, it is not at all wonderful that the attempt to explore should have 
been repeatedly made. Scarce a maritime nation in the civilized world has been wanting in 
effort. The Portuguese, Spaniai'ds, Dutch, English, French, and Kussians have, each in turn, 
sought to establish commercial relations with Japan. The Portuguese and English have both 
so far succeeded, that, but for themselves, they might permanently have retained their posi- 
tions. The first were expelled ; the latter voluntarily abandoned the field. The Dutch alone, 
of all Christian nations, were allowed to remain for purposes of traffic, and they purchased the 
privilege at the price of national humiliation and personal imprisonment, for which all the 
profits ■■>'' gainlul barter offer but an inadequate compensation. 

Limited, however, as have been their sources of information, it is to the Dutch chiefly that 
the world, until within a very recent period, has been indebted for the knowledge it has had of 
the Japanese. Nor is that knowledge quite as circumscribed as has sometimes been supposed. 
Kpempfer, Thunberg, Titsingh, Doeff, Fischer, Meylan, Siebold, and others, have. certainly 
told us something about Japan. But they could not tell us all it is desirable to know. All 
were connected with the factory at Dezima, and were watched, of course, with suspicious jeal- 
ousy. Their only opportunities for seeing anything beyond the town of Nagasaki were afforded 
at their periodical visits to the court ; and Kfempfer, the first in the list, has so fully related 
all that an European could learn from this source, that very little has been added to our stock 
of knowledge by his successors, with the single exception of Siebold. He has collected new 
facts and materials, and the result of his observations and researches has been given to the 
world in his "Nippon, Archiv sur Beschreibicng von Japan," (Nippon, an Archive toward the 
Description of Japan.) While, therefore, it is not quite correct to say that the civilized world 
knows nothing of Japan, it may truly be asserted that what is known is very much less than 
what is unknown. 

Notwithstanding, however, the national efforts at exploration to which we have alluded, it 
was reserved for our own, the youngest of the nations, to break down at last the barriers with 
which this singular people had surrounded themselves ; and to be the first, in modern times, 
to establish with them a treaty of friendship and trade which (already copied as far as was 
possible by other governments) is to form, as we hope, the initiatory step in the introduc- 
tion of Japan into the circle of commercial nations. 

May we not be permitted here to add that it seems not altogether inappropriate that the 
United States should be the instrument of breaking down these barriers, and of opening Japan 
to the rest of the world. 

When, in 1295, Marco Polo returned to Venice from his long sojourn in Asia, he spake to Euro- 
peans, among other marvels which shocked their credulity, but which have since been fully verified, 
of the existence of a large island oS the coast of Cathay, (China,) which he called Zqxingu. That 
island is the modern Nippon of the Japanese Kingdom. He told, also, the story of the indomit- 
able courage of the people of Zipangu, and related how they had successfully resisted the armies 
of the powerful Kublai Khan, the conquerors, at that day, of all Asia, and the terror of Europe. 
He laid before them the ma^.;; which he had made and brought home, with an inscription written 



INTRODUCTION. 

upon the shore-line of the Yellow sea : " There is a great island to the east." Years rolled on ; 
Marco Polo's written story and maps had found their way to Genoa, and probably had been 
forgotten. At length, in the sixteenth century, they fell into the hands of a man who did not 
cast them idly by; that man was Christopher Columbus, whose strong mind was then travelling 
to the overruling conviction of his lite that there must be, to the westward of Europe, great 
bodies of land at that time utterly unknown. It was Marco Polo's map, and his statements 
concerning Zipangu particularly, which confirmed his conjectures ; and when he sailed, it was 
Zipangu, or, as the Italian manuscript of Marco Polo had it, Cipango, on which he hoped and 
expected to find the termination of his voyage. Accordingly, (as we know,) when he landed 
on Cuba he believed that he had reached the goal of his long cherished hopes. He knew not 
that a continent barred his way between Europe and Zipangu;. nor that, still further westward, 
beyond that continent a mighty ocean rolled its waters^ which must be traversed before Zipangu 
could be reached. 

But though not destined himself to find and open Japan to Christendom, it has so hajipened, 
in the order of Providence, that on the continent which he discovered, and which barred his 
way to the land he sought, has grown up a nation which has performed a part of his contem- 
plated work, and fulfilled a portion, at least, of the plan which lured him westward ; a nation 
which, if it did not discover Zipangu, has, we trust, been the instrument of bringing it into full 
and free communication with the rest of the world ; a nation which has, as it were, taken the 
end of the thread which, on the shores of America, broke in the hands of Columbus, and fastening 
it again to the ball of destiny, has rolled it onward until, as it has unwound itself, it has led 
the native and civilized inhabitants of the land discovered by the great Genoese to plant their 
feet on the far distant region of his search, and thus fulfil his wish to bring Zipangu within 
the influence of European civilization. 

It is the story of the American entrance into Japan that we propose to relate ; and it is 
hoped it will aid in the better understanding of the narrative, as well as show what additions, if 
any, have been made to our previous knowledge, briefly to present^ in a rapid sketch, the out- 
lines of such information as the world possessed before the American expedition left our shores. 
On this work we now enter. 



SECTION I. 

NAME, EXTENT, AND GEOGRAPHY. 

There can be no doubt that Japan was unknown to the Greeks and Eomans, and that it 
was first brought to the knowledge of the European world by the celebrated traveller, Marco 
Polo. His family was Venetian, and devoted to commercial pursuits. In the year 1275, at 
the age of eighteen, he accompanied his fathei' and uncle into Asia on mercantile business ; and 
there, mastering the languages of Tartary, on the return of his relatives to Europe, he remained, 
and entered into the service of Kublai Khan, the then reigning monarch. In this situation he 
continued for seventeen years. Possessed of a good mind, he was a close observer of what he 
saw around him, and rendered the most important services, both military and diplomatic, to the 



6 INTRODUCTION. 

monarcli, with whom he hecame not merely a favorite, but in some degree a necessity. At 
length, in 1295, after an absence of some twenty years, he returned to Venice, and was the first 
European traveller who made known the existence of Japan to the inhabitants of the west. He 
had not visited it in person, (as he is carelul to state,) but he had traversed the greater part of 
China, and had there heard what he related concerning Japan. We may remark, in passing, 
that his statements of what he had seen and heard so far surpassed the experience and knowledge 
of his countrymen that he shared the fate of some modern travellers, and was not believed. 
Nothing, however, is more sure than that modern research has impressed with the character of 
truth all that he related on his personal observation, and much of that which he gathered from 
the statements of others. He, as we have already said, called Japan Zipaiuju; it was the name 
which he had heard in China. The Japanese themselves call their country Dai Nippon, which 
means ' ' Great Nippon. " As to the origin of the latter word, it is a compound of two others ; nitsu, 
" the sun," and pon or foil, " origin ;" these, accordmg to the Japanese rule of combination, 
become Nippon or Nifon, signifying " origin of the sun ;" in other words, the East. In the 
Chinese language, Nippon, by the usual change of pronunciation, becomes Jih-pun, to which 
Koue is added, meaning " country" or " Kingdom." The whole Chinese word, Jih-pun-hme, 
therefore, is, in English, " Kingdom of the origin of the sun," or " Eastern Kingdom." The 
reader will readily perceive how, on the lips of an European, the name would become Zi-pan-gu. 
We thus have the derivation, Nippon, Jih-pun, Japan. 

As to the extent of the Kingdom : it consists of a great number of islands, said to be 3,850, 
lying off the eastern coast of Asia, and spread over that part of the ocean which extends from 
the 129th to the 146th degree of east longitude from Greenwich, and is between the 31st and 
46th degrees of north latitude. The chain to which they belong may be traced on the map from 
the Loo-Choo islands to the southern extremity of Kamtschatka, and from this latter peninsula, 
through the Kurile islands, to the promontory of Alaska, on our own continent. They are in 
the line of that immense circle of volcanic development which surrounds the shores of the Pacific 
from Tierra del Fuego around to the Moluccas. 

The Kingdom is divided into Japan proper and the dependent islands. The first named 
division consists of the three large islands, Kiu-siu, Sitkokf, and Nippon, and the whole Empire 
contains about 160,000 square miles. Of many of the islands we know nothing. Their coasts 
are so difficult of access, and shallow seas and channels, with sunken rocks and dangerous whirl- 
pools, added to winds as variable as they are violent, have interposed most serious obstacles to 
nautical exploration, so that we have yet much to learn of the navigation of the waters around 
the islands of Japan. 

Those of which we have as yet most information are Kiu-siu, Nippon, and Yesso, or Jesso. 
On the first of these is the town of Nagasaki, and this is the port to which the Dutch have been 
most rigorously confined, in all their commercial transactions, for two hundred years. Indeed, 
they have not been permitted to live within the town itself, but have been literally imprisoned 
on a very small island in the harbor, called Dezima, where they have been most closely watched, 
and many rigid restrictions have been imposed on their intercourse with the people. Under 
certain circumstances, they have been at times jiermitted to go into the town, but not to remain 
for any long period, nor have they ever been allowed to explore the island. Their ojjijortuni- 
ties, therefore, except in the case of Siebold, have been very limited for acquiring, from personal 
observation, a knowledge of anything on the island of Kiu-siu beyond what they could see from 
their prison. 



INTRODUCTION. 7 

As to Nippon, ou which is Ycddo^ tlie capital of the Kingdom, they have had the oppor- 
tunity of seeing more. This has resulted from the fact that periodical visits, with presents, 
have heen made to the Emperor at the capital hy the cliief Dutch commissioner at the factory on 
Dezima ; and on these visits he has heen accompanied hy his physician and a small numher of 
his suhordinate officers. It is, therefore, to the chief commissioners and their medical attendants 
that we have been indebted for all we have been told since the establishment of commercial rela- 
tions with the Dutch. Titsingh, Doeff, Fischer, Meylan, were all chiefs of the factory, while 
Kasmpfer, Thunberg, and Siebold have all been the physicians. Tiiese visits were formerly 
annual, latterly they have heen less frequent, and a more jealous surveillance has been exercised 
over the European travellers. Still they have evaded restrictions as far as was possible, have seen 
all they could, and told all they saw. But they were, of necessity, obliged to gather miich of 
wliat they relate from the information of the Japanese ; how far it is to be considered as in all 
respects accurate neither they nor we are able to say. Yet the Dutch residents undoubtedly 
knew for themselves more about the island of Nippon than they did concerning Kiu-siu, in one 
of the harbors of which was their prison. 

As to Yesso, or Jesso, it is confessedly very imperfectly known. One of its ports is Matsmai, 
and here Captain Grolownin, of the Kussian navy, was kept as a prisoner for two years. In an 
effort which he made to escape he wandered over a part of the island ; but as he was not seeking 
on this excursion materials for description, nor studying at his leisure the habits of the people, 
his statements are, as might be expected, altogether unsatisfactory, and yet we have none better 
from an European eye-witness. Kajmpfer, Thunberg, and Siebold are our most valuable sources 
of information since the days of the Dutch commerce. 

At an earlier period, and before Japanese jealousy of foreign influence had prompted them 
to adopt their system of exclusion, the opportunity was far more favorable for the acquisition of 
information by the personal observation of strangers . The Portuguese missionaries and some 
early English navigators, therefore, afford us on some points a knowledge such as no European 
during the last two hundred years could possibly have procured. 

Of the physical aspect of these principal islands former writers give different accounts. 
Thunberg represents them as composed of a succession of mountains, hills, and valleys, while 
Kffimpfer says that he travelled over several plains of considerable extent. The country is un- 
doubtedly very hilly, and in general the hills come down near to the seashore, leaving but 
narrow strijjs of land between the water and their bases ; it is, however, not improbable that level 
plains of some extent may be found in the interior. The hills, however, are not sterile • and 
covered, as most of them seem to he, with the fruits of cultivation up to their summits bear 
witness alike to the numbers and industry of the population. Mountains, however are to he 
found as well as hills, nor is it surprising that some of them should he volcanic. 

Westward of the bay of Yeddo rises to the height of some twelve thousand feet the Fudsi 
Jamma, with its summit whitened by perpetual snow ; it was once an active volcano. The 
northern part of Nippon also is known to he traversed by a chain of mountains, from which rise 
several isolated peaks, the craters, in some instances, of extinct volcanoes, while others still 
burning, are to be seen on the islands scattered in the gulfs of Corea and Yeddo. 

In such a country the rivers cannot probably be long ; while the rapidity of their currents 
indicates that their sources must be considerably elevated. It is said that over some of them no 
bridges can be built, as none would resist the force of the stream fed by the waters of the 



8 INTRODUCTION. 

mountain torrents. Some of the rivers, however, are navigable by small boats for several miles 
from the sea into the interior. The Japanese, from the nature and position of their country, 
ought to be a maritime people ; they can have but few natural facilities for inland trade. Their 
ingenuity and industry have, however, been taxed to open modes of communication with the 
interior ; roads and bridges have been constructed, and in some instances canals have been made 
to unite their rivers and lakes. 

Of the climate of Japan it is not possible to speak with much certainty. In the southern 
part of the Kingdom it is said to be not unlike that of England. Some winters are remarkably 
mild, without any frost or snow, though generally such is not the case ; when however these 
occur, they last but for a few days. The heat in summer is said to average 98° of Fahrenheit 
at Nagasaki. This, which would otherwise be excessive, is much moderated by the breeze 
which, in the day time, blows from the south, and at night from the east. There is what the 
Japanese call satkasi, or the rainy season, in June and July ; by this, however, it is only meant 
that the rains are then most abundant ; for, in point of fact, they are frequent all the year round, 
and the weather appears to be variable. No part of the ocean is subject to heavier gales than 
the sea around Japan, and the hurricanes are terrific ; fogs also are, as might be expected, very 
prevalent, thunder storms are common, and earthquakes have more than once destroyed a great 
part of the most populous towns. Kfempfer remarked, also, that water-spouts were of very 
frequent occurrence in the seas around Japan. Yet, notwithstanding all these things, the 
country cannot^ we think, be deemed insalubrious ; for the Japanese are in general a healthful 
people^ and the country is very thickly inhabited. 



SECTION IT. 



ORIGIN OF THE JAPANESE PEOPLE. 



An opinion has been expressed by several writers that Japan was colonized by the Chinese. 
Such an opinion, founded on very superficial observation, was advanced long before comparative 
philology had been resorted to by the learned, as one of the safest and best tests of truth in 
tracing the relationship of nations. But since the application of this test, no one, competent to 
speak instructively on the subject, has ventured to deduce the Japanese from a Chinese origin. 
The structure of the languages of the two people is essentially different. It is true that certain 
Chinese words, the names of objects, introduced by the Chinese, may be heard from the lips of a 
Japanese, modified however in the pronunciation ; it is also true that the Chinese dialect of the 
Mandarins forms a species of universal language among the learned, a sort of latin in the 
extreme east that is understood by the highly educated, not only in China, but in Corea, at 
Tonquin, and other parts, and also in Japan ; but so little is the affinity between the primitive 
language of Japan and that of China, that the common people of the two countries, neighbors 
as they are, cannot understand each other without the aid of an interpreter. 

Probably those Europeans who too hastily adopted in former times the conclusion of a 
Chinese origin for the Japanese, may, in their ignorance of the languages, have been misled by. 
observing among the Japanese the occasional use of the idiographic cypher of the Chinese iu 



INTRODUCTION. 9 

some of the Japanese writings. It was introduced into Japan A. D. 290, but the Japanese have 
an alphabet^ or rather a syllahariura of their own, constructed on a principle entirely difi'erent 
from the Chinese idiograph. Each of these Chinese characters is in Japan pronounced in two 
distinct manners. The one, as among the Chinese, with a sliglit variation in the Japanese 
pronunciation. This idiom is called /iTo/ze, which means simply '' a Chinese sound or luord ;" 
the other mode of pronouncing is Japanese, and is called Yomi, which signifies "interpretation;" 
the meaning of the Koye ivord. An example will illustrate. The words (according to Japanese 
pronunciation) tin, chi, nin, all Chinese, are Koye, and mean respectively heaven, earth, man : 
the words ame, tsoutsi,fito, are the Yomi (pure Japanese) of those Koye words, and have, in the 
proper language of Japan, the same meaning as the three Chinese words above named. 

Hence, among the Japanese, there are three dialects ; the first is pure Yomi, without any 
admixture of the Koye. This is the primitive langviage of the country, and is at this day used 
in poetry and works of light literature. The second is pure Koye, and is employed by the 
bonzes in their religious books. 

The third is a mixture of the two, and constitutes the common language of the Empire. 

But the construction of sentences in the Chinese and Japanese, as to the collocation of words, 
is entirely different, as is also the pronunciation by a Chinaman and a native of Japan. That 
of the last is neat, articulate, distinct, and rarely is there heard a syllable composed of more than 
two or three letters of our alphabet; while the speech of the former is little better than a con- 
fused sing-song monotone, unpleasant to the ear, in which constantly occurs a disagreeable 
crowding together of consonants. If an analysis of the sounds of our letters be made, a Chi- 
nese pronounces our aspirate H very plainly, while a Japanese never sounds it, but invariably 
substitutes for it F ; while, on the other hand, our E and D, which are sounded by a Japanese 
with a distinctness equal to our own, always become L in the mouth of a Chinese. But without 
dwelling longer on this pointy it is sufficient to say that an examination of grammatical struc- 
ture conclusively settles, on the testimony of language, that the original inhabitants of Japan 
were not Chinese. 

But the question still remains to be answered, "whence came the primitive occujiants of 
Japan ?" On this subject a diversity of opinion is to be found. Kamrpfer brings them from the 
plains of Shinar, at the dispersion. He supposes them to have passed from Mesojiotamia to the 
shores of the Caspian, thence through the valleys of the Yenisi, Silinga, and parallel rivers to 
the lake of Argueen ; then following the river of that name, which arises from the lake, he 
thinks they reached the Amoor, following the valley of which they would find themselves in 
the then uninhabited peninsula of Corea, on the eastern shore of Asia. The passage thence to 
Japan, especially in the summer season, would not be difficult. He supposes that this migration 
occupied a long time ; that they stojjped when they found a pleasant region, and then resumed 
their march when they were pressed on their rear, or annoyed by other nomadic tribes. It was 
easy for them to make a home wherever they could find water and pasture for their flocks and 
herds. From the jnirity of the primitive language of Japan^ (the intermixture of Chinese 
words is within the historic period and easily accounted for^.) he supposes that the original stock 
could not, in its migration, have remained very long in any one inhabited place, or mingled 
much with any people then existing, of whose language we at this day have any knowledge ; 
otherwise words from such language would have been found incorporated in the primitive 
Japanese tongue. 
2 J 



10 INTRODUCTION. 

This, if not satisfactory, is at least ingenious. Modern ethnologists, however, turn to 
language as the best evidence of origin. Dr. Pickering, of the United States exploring expe- 
dition, seems disposed, from an observation of some Japanese whom he encountered at the 
Hawaiian islands, to assign to them a Malay origin. Others, judging from language, consider 
them of the Mongol stock. Very close affinities cannot probably be found between the Japanese 
and any other Asiatic language ; but in its grammatical structure the Yomi of Japan is by 
some thought to be most analogous to the languages of the Tartar family. Siebold found, as 
he supposed, analogies between it and the idioms of the Coreans, and the Kurilians, who occupy 
the islands of Jesso and Tarakai or Karafto. He has described the coast of Tartary opposite to 
this last island, (called improperly by Europeans Sakhalian,) and thinks he finds a resemblance 
in citstoms ; but Klaproth has shown that the language of the Tartary coast (Sandan) is a 
Tungusian dialect;, and says that the language of Japan bears no decided marks of affinity either 
with it or with any other of the idionas named by Siebold. It is clearly not Tungusian. Kla- 
proth's vocabularies of some of the idioms of Asia, particularly of the Mongolian, the Finnish, 
and some Indian dialects, show a very considerable number of simple and original words which 
belong also to the Japanese. In the present state of our information, the more commonly 
received opinion seems to be that the Japanese are of the Tartar family. But they certainly do 
not all have the Tartar complexion or physiognomy. The common people, according to Thim- 
berg, are of a yellowish color all over, sometimes bordering on brown and sometimes on white. 
The laboring classes, who in summer expose the upper parts of their bodies, are always brown. 
Their eyes are not round, but oblong, small and sunk deep in the head. In color they are 
generally dark brown or rather black, and the eyelids form in the great angle of the eye a deep 
furrow, which gives them the appearance of being sharp or keen sighted. Their heads are 
large and their necks short, their hair black, thick, and from their use of oil, glossy. Their 
noses, although not flat, are yet rather thick and short. 

The inhabitants of the coast of Kiu-siu, according to Siebold, differ in physical aspect, as 
well as in other respects, from those in the interior of the island. Their hair is most freq^uently 
black, in some cases crisped, the facial angle is strongly marked, the lips puffed, the nose 
small, slightly aquiline and depressed at the root. In the interior the people, mostly agricul- 
turists, are a larger race, with broad and flattened countenances, prominent cheek bones, large 
space between the inner angles of the eyes, broad and very flat noses, with large mouths and a 
reddish brown skin. 

But beside these, Thunberg also tells us that the descendants of the eldest and noblest 
families, of the princes and lords of the Empire, are somewhat majestic in their shape and 
countenance, being more like Europeans, and that ladies of distinction, who seldom go out into 
the open air without being covered, are perfectly white. Siebold also, speaking of the inhab- 
itants of Kiu-siu, informs us that "the women who protect themselves from the influences of 
the atmosphere have generally a fine and white skin, and the cheeks of the young girls display 
a blooming carnation." 

These facts, as Dr. Latham has said, do not necessarily involve the assumption of a double 
source of population, while, at the same time, such a second source is not an ethnological 
improbability. The darker race, he intimates, may have come from Formosa. 



INTRODUCTION. 11 



SECTION III. 



GOVERNMENT. 

Japan jiresents the singular feature of having tivo Emperors at the same time, the one 
secxilar, the other ecclesiastical ; hut it is a mistake to suppose that this duplicate sovereignty 
was estahlishcd from the beginning, as one of the original elements of her civil polity ; it has 
resulted from historical events that occurred long after Japan had a system of government. 
The Japanese, like many other people, claim for their nation an immense antiquity ; hut the 
authentic history of the Kingdom commences with Zin-mu-ten-woo, (whoso name signifies "the 
divine conqueror,") about the year 660 B. C. Klaproth thinks he was a Chinese warrior and 
invader ; he tliis however as it may, he conquered Nippon, and built a temple palace, dedicated 
to the sun-goddess, and properly called a dairi ; his own appropriate title was Mikado, though 
the two terms are frequently confounded by European writers. He was the founder of the 
sovereignty of the Mikados, and from liim, even to this day, the Mikados descend. 

He was sole sovereign, both secular and spiritual, and claimed to rule by divine riglit. His 
successors, asserting the same right, added to it that of inheritance also, and their government 
was a despotism. By degrees these monarchs ceased to lead their own armies, and entrusted 
the military command to sons and kinsmen, though the supreme power still was theirs. This 
jjower, however, appears gradually to have been weakened by a custom which prevailed, of 
abdication by the Mikados, at so early an age, that the sovereignty descended upon their sons 
while they were yet children, the abdicating monarch frequently governing for the young king. 
The cause of these abdications was the desire to escape from the grievous burden of monotonous 
ceremonies, and complete isolation from intercourse without, which made the occupant of the 
throne little better than a royal prisoner. 

At length it happened that the reigning Mikado, who had married the daughter of a 
powerful prince, abdicated in favor of iiis son, a child three years old, while the regency passed 
into the hands of the grandfather of the infant monarch. The regent placed tlie abdicated 
monarch in confinement, and this produced a civil war. Yorifomo, one of the most distinguished 
characters in Japanese history, espoused the cause of the imprisoned king, and after a war of 
several years was triumphant, when he released the captive and made him regent. But his 
regency conferred a nominal autliority only ; the real power resided in the hands of Yoritomo, 
who was created Sio i dai Ziogoon, or " genei'alissimo fighting against the barbarians." Ujjon 
the death of the ex-Mikado, Yoritomo, as lieutenant of the sovereign, virtually ruled for twenty 
years ; and when he died, liis title and authority devolved upon Iris son. Tliis was the com- 
mencement of the power of the Ziogoons, or temporal sovereigns. 

Time contributed to strengthen it under the successive reigns of infant Mikados, until it 
became recognized as hereditary. But, though a very important, and indeed dangerous power, 
was tlius vested in the Ziogoons, yet the Mikado was looked on as possessing the royal authority, 
and to him it belonged to appoint the Ziogoon, wlio was, intrutii^ vice regent, but did not ojienly 
aspire to coequal rights of sovereigntj'. 

Tliis condition of things remained until tbe latter half of the sixteentli century. The 
Emperor (Mikado) was an autocrat who had a sovereign deputy, (Ziogoon,) tlie efficient and 
active ruler. During this long period, however, the power of the Ziogoons was silently and 



12 INTRODUCTION, 

imperceptibly increasing ; until, at last, that happened which it requires hut little sagacity to 
perceive could not but be, in the end, the unavoidable result. Men invested with power are 
more apt to encourage its growth than to keep it stationary or diminish it ; more especially when 
those whose interest it is to check their ambition are known to be imbecile. 

It was about the middle of the sixteenth century that two brothers, descendants from Yori- 
tomo, became rivals for the office of Ziogoon. The princes of the Empire took part with the one or 
the other, domestic strife raged, and the end of the contest was the death of both the rival brothers. 
The mightiest prince of that day was the prince of Owari, who, on the death of the brothers, 
immediately set up for himself as Ziogoon. One of the most sagacious as well as bravest of his 
adherents was an obscure man named Hide-yosi or Fide-yosi. His station was so lowly that, 
even in his own times, his parentage was matter of doubt ; but his zeal and talents commended 
him to the notice of his master, and he became the trusted friend and confidential adviser of the 
prince of Owari, who, by his aid, succeeded in being appointed Ziogoon. Men's minds had been 
wrought to such excitement by the civil strife, that when the prince triumphed over his oppo- 
nents, the reigning Mil:ado did not dare to breast popular opinion, and therefore conferred on 
him the office. The new Ziogoon, of course, rewarded his faithful ally, and conferred on Fidc- 
yosi a high military appointment. Presently, the j)rince of Owari was murdered by one who 
usurped his office ; he, in his turn, shared a like fate ; and now the hour had come for Fide-yosi. 
When all was in confusion, he seized upon the office for himself; and so well known were his 
talents and power, that the frightened Mikado, at once, without hesitation, approved and con- 
firmed him in the office, and he took the name of Tayko-sama, (the Lord Tayko.) With his 
title thus legitimated, in the confidence of his abilities, he trusted to himself for the rest, and 
has left behind him a name among the most celebrated in the history of Japan. 

He was a statesman and a soldier, and displayed on the throne all the energy and ability 
which had contributed to place him there. He put an end at once to the civil commotions, by 
giving to the opposing princes of the Empire work to do in the invasion and conquest of Corea. 
He was about marching to subdue China, when death arrested him, in the year 1598, at the age 
of sixty-three. The Japanese, to this day, consider him as one of the ablest men their country has 
X>roduced. During his reign he made large progress in the work of reducing the sovereignty of 
the 3Iikado almost to a shadow ; and inthralling him by more and more burdensome ceremonials, 
and a most rigorous seclusion, all under the seemingly loyal pretext of profound deference and 
respect for his heaven-born authority, he quietly left him to " wield a barren sceptre." 

Tayko-sama left an only son, six years old. To secure him in the succession, his father, on 
his death bed, caused him to njarry the granddaughter of one of his own most particular friends 
and counsellors, lyeyas, prince of Micava, from whom he obtained a most solemn promise that 
when the boy should have attained his fifteenth year he would have him recognized as Ziogoon. 

lyeyas proved unfaithful, became Ziogoon himself, and his descendants to this day hold the 
office, while a veil of mystery covers ujj the fate of the wronged son of Tayko. As to the Mikado, 
lyeyas jmrsued the policy of his predecessor, and depriving him even of the little power which 
Tayko had left to him in temporals, he reduced the once absolute autocrasy which he represented 
to a mere ecclesiastical supremacy, and brought him down to the utter heljdessness and depend- 
ence which at this day mark liis condition. And tliis is, in brief, the liistory of events by which 
Japan has come to present that singular and unique feature in government of one empire simul- 
taneously under tivo sovereigns. 



INTRODUCTION. 13 

The residence of the Mikado is at Miako ; that of the Ziogoon is at Yeddo ; each is sur- 
rounded with imperial splendor ; the one is monarch dejure, the other is Emperor de facto. But 
however ahsolute may have been the usurped authority of the Ziogoon in the beginning, it has 
been subsequently very much modified ; and certain it is that at tliis day tlie rule of the Ziogoon 
is by no means arbitrary. He cannot do just what he pleases. The laws of the Empire reach 
him as much as they do the meanest subject. These laws are unalterable, and are exceedingly 
minute in detail, controlling almost every action of life. The Emperors, both spiritual and 
secular, are just as much enthralled by them as the humblest man in the Kingdom. In times of 
usurpation or political trouble they may, in some few instances, have been set at naught, but 
these are exceptional cases. 

There are two prominent features in the Japanese system of government: the one elemental, 
the other practical ; and the two serving as the bases of almost everything else in their polity. 
The first is feudalism, or something very similar to it ; and the second, exhibited in the practical 
administration of the government, is a system of checks and balances, founded on an all-pervad- 
ing secret espionage, ramifying through all classes of society, from the highest to the lowest. 

To explain this we must briefly advert to the several grades of society. We have already 
spoken of the two Emperors. The Mikado is supreme in rank and nominally recognized as such ; 
but he has not a particle of political power ; is not allowed to have troops, and is literally, from 
birth to death, shut up at Miako, in his little principality of Kioto, with the revenues of which, 
and the rich presents sent him by the Ziogoon, he must be content. Even in his own principality 
he is governed for, as an independent prince, by some grandee of his court, so that never lived 
there sovereign with less of sovereign attributes allowed him. But for the tenacity with which the 
Japanese cling to their ancient usages and laws, the Mihados would, doubtless, have long .since 
ceased to form a part of the cumbrous and complicated machinery of government. Formerly it 
belonged to them to name or appoint the Ziogoon; they may, indeed, still nominally have this 
power ; but it is without any real value, as the office of Ziogoon has for a long time been heredi- 
tary. 

But politically insignificant as the Mikado is, he is venerated with a respect little, if at all, 
inferior to that rendered to the gods themselves. Living in mysterious, though, for the mo.st 
part, indolent seclusion, he is venerated because he is inaccessible ; and is, in truth, a prisoner 
who must find, if he find at all, solace for his confinement in the golden chains and ornamental 
prison-house of his captivity. No wonder that the abdication of a Mikado is common in Japanese 
history. As to the Ziogoon, he commands the revenues of the country, has at his disposal an 
army, and is anything but a prisoner. Once in seven years he makes a visit, surrounded with 
royal pomp, to the court of his brother sovereign, whom he takes care to keep, at all times, 
under the surveillance of unsuspected secret spies. He sends, too, in the intervals between his 
visits, embassies with rich presents to the shadow king of the holy court, and receives in turn 
what he probably deems a valueless bundle of blessings and jirayers. 

The hereditary classes in society are said to be eight in number ; and, except under very 
peculiar circumstances, no one can leave, through life, the class in which he was born without a 
forfeiture of respectability. 

Class I. These are the hereditary vassal princes of the Empire. 

Class II. These are hereditary nobility, below the rank of ^jrtnces. They hold their lands as 
fiefs, subject to knight service or the rendition of military service to some one of the hereditary 



14 INTEODDCTION. 

princes. If tliey belong to one of the imperial cities, tlieir military service is clue directly to 
the Ziogoon himself. The number of armed vassals required of them is regulated by the extent 
of their respective domains. These hereditary nobles have generally sub-vassals on their lands, 
who are bound to furnish their several quotas of fighting men. Out of tliis class, governors of 
provinces, generals, and officers of State are selected. 

Class III. This includes all the priests of the Kingdom— seemingly, those of the ancient 
religion of Japan, Sintoo, as well as of Buddhism. 

Class IV. This is composed of the vassal soldiers, furnished by the nobility of Class II. 
These four classes are the higher orders of Japanese society, and enjoy certain privileges of 
dress. They carry two swords, and wear a species of loose petticoat trowsers, which none of 
lower rank dare to put on. 

Class V. These constitute the higher portion of the middle classes, such as medical men, 
government clerks, and other professional men and employes. 

Class VI. Merchants and shopkeepers, who rank low in Japan, no matter what may be 
their wealth. Any one of the classes above this would be disgraced forever should he engage 
in any trade or traffic. The richest men in the Empire belong to this class ; and yet they are 
not permitted to expend their money in a luxurious or ostentatious style of living. Sumptuary 
laws impose restraints which they dare not violate. They are not allowed to wear even the 
single sword, imless they purchase the privilege, by becoming the menial followers of some great 
lord, at the price of a considerable sum of money. 

Class VII. This is composed of retail dealers, little shopkeepers, pedlars, mechanics, and 
artisans of all descriptions, save one, to be mentioned presently. Painters and other artists 
belong to this class. 

Class VIII. This consists of sailors, fishermen, peasants, and agricultural and day laborers 
of all kinds. The peasants seem to be a species of serfs, attached to the soil, like the ancient 
villein of feudal times, and belong to the land-owner. Sometimes the land is hired, and worked 
"on shares," the agriculturist paying the proprietor a certain proportion of the crops. 

Tlie exception alluded to among mechanics, in Class VII, is one which is supposed to have 
originated in one of the superstitions of the Sintoo religion, which tabooed all who had defiled 
themselves by coming in contact with a dead body. Whether this be the origin of the excep- 
tion, we know not ; but the fact is well established, that the tanners, curriers, leather dressers, 
and, in short, every one in any way connected with the making or vending of leather is placed 
under ban or interdict. Those of this proscribed class cannot dwell in the towns or villages 
that are occupied by the other classes ; they are not even numbered in the census of the popula- 
tion. They dare not enter an inn, tea-house, or any public place of entertainment. If they 
are travelling, and want food or drink, they must wait outside of the wall of the house, and 
there be served in their own bowl or platter ; for no Japanese, not of their own class, would 
ever touch or use the vessel out of which they had taken food. Out of this class come the 
public executioners and gaolers throughout the Empire. In short, they are shunned like the 
leper of old. 

Before we proceed to speak of the singular system by which these various classes are governed, 
it is proper to premise that originally the Kingdom was sub-divided into sixty-six or sixty-eight 
principalities. These had been previously independent kingdoms, and were continued, as prin- 
cipalities, under the rule of their resi^ective princes, subject, liowever, to a forfeiture of the 



INTRODUCTION. 15 

rights of the governing family, in case of rebellion or treason. This penalty of forfeiture was 
incurred by many of the reigning princes, and advantage was taken of the circumstance, as 
often as it occurred, to split the forfeited principalities into fragments ; so that, instead of the 
original number, there are now no less than six hundred and four distinct administrations, in- 
cluding therein principalities, lordships, imperial provinces, and imperial towns, of which last 
the Ziogoon himself is the ruling head. 

1. There is under the Emperor, {Ziogoon,) a grand council of state, consisting of thirteen, 
which governs in the Emperor's name. Of these thirteen, five councillors are taken from the 
first class we have named, the hereditary princes and vassals of the Empire ; the remainino- 
eight are taken from the second class, the old nobility, below the rank of princes. There seems 
to be among these a head councillor of state^ whose powers and functions are not unlike those of 
a grand vizier in Turkey. He is called " Governor of the Empire," and all the other council- 
lors are subordinate to him. He decides upon all afiairs of moment ; has the universal appoint- 
ing power ; receives returns from all the authorities of the Empire ; may, on appeal, sanction 
or reverse every sentence of death passed ; and, in short, acts for the lay Emperor in all these 
and some other exercises of sovereignty. To this grand council, too, belongs the very important 
power of dethroning the Ziogoon. Important resolutions of the council are always laid before 
the Emperor, who generally assents without delay or investigation. Should he, however, dis- 
sent, a mode of proceeding is pursued, which we will describe presently. It is doubtful whether 
all these high offices are not hereditary ; and under these are — 

2. Inferior state functionaries, in regular and interminable gradation, consisting of lords, 
guardians of the temples, commissioners of foreign affairs, governors, ministers of jjolice, 
superintendents of agriculture, &c. No relative of the spiritual sovereign, however, is ever jiut 
into any of these offices. 

3. The vassal princes still govern the principalities or such fragments of them as may be 
left to them, with an outward show of their former sovereignty ; but it is show only. The 
princes themselves can do nothing without the consent of the Ziogoon and council. And here 
we find in full development that system of espionage of which we have spoken. The prince 
himself, beside being surrounded with a multitude of private sjjies, unknown to him, who 
watch his domestic as well as public business and doings^ has also tioo official spies ajjpointed 
by the chief of the grand council, and these, in truth, conduct the administration of the prin- 
cipality. These are known as secretaries, and both are never permitted to reside in the pro- 
vince at the same time. They alternate yearly. The families of both secretaries reside con- 
stantly in Yeddo. The secretary who is in the principality therefore leaves his family behind 
him in the capital as a hostage for his fidelity. When his year expires he may rejoin them, 
and his colleague then, bidding adieu to his household for a year, takes his place. Each sec- 
retary, therefore, is a check upon the doings of the other ; it is the interest of each to report 
any misfeasance in the official conduct of the other ; in short, they are spies on each other. But 
the jealous suspicion of the government is not satisfied with even these ^precautions. The 
family of the prince himself is made to reside at Yeddo, and he must spgnd each alternate year 
there near the Ziogoon. 

And this feature of making officials serve in pairs, as spies ujjon each other, we may here 
remark, once for all, pervades the entire polity of Japan. Every body is watched. No man 
knows who are the secret spies around him, even though he may be, and is, acquainted witli 



16 INTRODUCTION. 

those that are official. The Emperors themselves are not exempt ; vizier, graml councillors, 
vassal princes, provincial secretaries, all are under the eye of an everlasting unknown police. 
The wretched system is even extended to the humblest of the citizens. Every city or town is 
divided into collections of five families, and every member of such a division is personally 
responsible for the conduct of the others ; everything, therefore, which occurs in one of these 
ftimilies, out of the usual course, is instantly reported to the authorities by the other four to 
save themselves from censure. It has well been said that the government of Japan is a 
"government of spies." 

We have said that the Emperors are not exempt. The Ziogoon has his minions about the 
Ifihado, and the grand council have theirs about the Ziogoon. And the cowardice engendered 
by such ceaseless distrust necessarily leads to cruelty in penalties. Take as an illustration the 
case of a measure submitted by the grand council to the Ziogoon ; to which, contrary to his 
usual custom, he does not at once assent without examination. Suppose he should disapprove, 
the measure is referred immediately to the arbitration of the three princes of the blood who 
are the nearest kinsmen of the Ziogoon, and their decision is final. If they do not agree in 
opinion with the monarch, he must instantly relinquish the throne to his son or to some other 
heir. He is not allowed even the poor privilege of revising or retracting an opinion. Should 
the three princes concur in the Ziogoon's opinion_, then the member of the council who proposed 
the obnoxious measure thus rejected must die; and those who voted with him are often required 
to die also. Sometimes the whole council, with the " Governor of the Empire" at their head, 
have in this way been obliged to atone for a mere mistake in national policy by putting them- 
selves to death. 

4. As to the government of lordshijjs, which are only smaller principalities, the rule is the 
same ; a duality of governors, an alternation in the discharge of official duties, and a separation 
every other year from all domestic enjoyment. 

5. In the imperial provinces and imperial cities the Ziogoon, or rather the vizier and grand 
council for him, select two governors from the nobility, and surround them with the usual appa- 
ratus of secretaries and under secretaries, police officers, spies, and all other officials. 

As to the spies themselves, they are of every rank in life below that of the hereditary princes. 
The highest nobility dare not shrink from the occupation, and even stoop to disguise themselves, 
the more efiectually to perform the degrading office. The fact is, if directed to act as spies, they 
must either do it or adopt as the alternative, death ! Doubtless many of those who jicrform this 
dishonorable work would gladly, were it j)0ssible, escape from the degradation ; while there are 
some, ambitious of succeeding to those whom they denounce, tg whom the occupation is congenial 
enough. 

A story is told by the writers on Japan which illustrates this. Complaints were sent to the 
grand council of the governor of the town of Matsmai ; the council resorted to its usual plan of 
employing a spy. In a little while the offending governor was removed. To the amazement of 
the people, they recognized in his successor a man whom they had known as a journeyman 
tobacco-cutter in the town, who, a short time before the displacement of the old governor, had 
suddenly disappeared from his master's shop. The journeyman was a disguised nobleman, who 
had acted the part of a spy by order of the court. 

A very singular custom of self-punishment, even unto death, prevails among all the officials of 
Japan. When one has offended, or even when in his department there has been any violation 



INTRODUCTION. 17 

of law, altliougli 'beyond liis power of prevention, so sure is he of tlic punishment of death that 
he anticipates it by ripping up his own body, disembowelling himself, rather than to be delivered 
over to the executioner. In fact, he is encouraged to do so, inasmuch as by his self-destruction 
he saves his property from forfeiture and his family from death with him. With many of the 
high officials it is a point of honor thus to kill themselves on any failure in their departments ; 
it is construed into an acknowledgment that they deserve to be put to death by the Emperor, and 
their sons are often promoted to high positions, as a sort of reward for the fother's ingenuous 
acknowledgment of guilt. 

It is easy to see, from what has been said, why the laws and customs of Japan are so obsti- 
nately unalterable. Every man is afraid of proposing an innovation, however wise or necessary, 
because the penalty is so fearful should it not be approved . He who in the grand council offers 
a measure which is disapproved by the tribunal of final resort pays for his act with his life. A 
governor, or lord, or prince, knows that if he attempt any alteration, no matter how salutary, he 
will be instantly denounced by his colleague, or secretary, a spy upon his conduct, as a violator 
of the established usages of the Empire, and the certain consequence is death. So, too, with the 
common people ; broken up into their little sections of five families, they dare not depart in the 
slightest degree from what is prescribed, for they are quite sure that the authorities will be 
informed of it, and the penalty inevitably follows. There cannot, under such a system, be 
anything like judicious legislation, founded on inquiry, and adapted to the ever varying circum- 
stances of life. All must proceed exactly as it has done for centuries ; progress is rendered 
imjjossible, and hence, in some degree, the difficulty, so long experienced in all Christendom, of 
bringing the Japanese into communication with other nations. As a remedy for an existing 
evil, they saw fit, centuries ago, to interdict entirely all such communication ; and though the 
fact admits of proof that many of their wisest men would gladly have seen the interdict removed 
or modified, as being no longer necessary in their altered circumstances, yet no man dared to 
propose any alteration. 

We may venture to hope that, even in the partial communication with strangers allowed to 
the Japanese by the late treaty with our country, the first step has been taken in breaking down 
their long prevalent system of unalterable laws and unchangeable customs. But among a people 
so sensitive and suspicious considerable time must elapse before much progress is made in a better 
direction. And in the first exercise of our rights under the treaty, it is to be hoped the greatest 
care will be taken by our countrymen to avoid everything which can alarm the sleepless Japanese 
jealousy of strangers ; if there be not, there is danger lest in their apprehensions, or perchance 
in mere caprice, they may seek to undo all that they have thus far done. It is obvious that a 
great deal depends now on the fairness, good sense, and good temper of our consular representa- 
tives. One rash man may overturn all that has been accomplished. 

The system of espionage to which we have alluded explains also what all the writers on 
Japan, and all the officers of our late expedition, represent as a prominent characteristic. We 
allude to the systematic falsehood and duplicity exhibited, and often without shame, by the high 
Japanese officials and public functionaries in their negotiations and intercourse with strangers. 
We do not mean to say that these bad traits belong to the people generally. On the contrary, 
almost every writer describes them as naturally frank in manner, communicative and open in 
speech on ordinary topics, and possessed of a very high sense of honor. They are a people of 
very ingenious and lively minds, possessed of shrewdness, of great personal bravery, as their 
3 J 



18 INTRODUCTION. 

history shows, and far superior (at least in our opinion) to any other civilized eastern nation. 
But the officials are placed in a false position by the -wretched system of spies, and dare not act 
openly and frankly. As government functionaries they lie and practice artifice to save themselves 
from condemnation by the higher powers; it is their vocation; as private gentlemen, they are 
frank, truthful, and hospitable. MacFarlane, who speaks of this official deception, says he has 
observed precisely the same thing among the Turks. Nearly every Turk, unconnected with 
government, may be described as being in his private intercourse a frank, truth-loving, honorable 
man ; while nearly every one holding a government office may be considered as exactly the 
reverse. These facts present a seeming anomaly, and yet we are not sure that something very 
like it, and differing in degree only, may not be found nearer to home than Japan. 

The severity of the Japanese laws is excessive. The code is probably the bloodiest in the 
world. Death is the prescribed punishment for most offences. The Japanese seem to proceed 
on the principle that he who will violate one law will violate any other, and that the wilful 
violator is unworthy to live ; he cannot be trusted in society. Their laws are very short and 
intelligible, and are duly made public in more modes than one, so that no man can truly plead 
ignorance ; and the proceedings under them are as simple as the laws themselves. There are 
no professional lawyers in the kingdom ; every man is deemed competent to be his own pleader. 
If a party is aggrieved, be immediately appeals to the magistrate, before whom the other party is 
soon made to appear. The case is stated by the complainant in his own way, and the accused is 
heard in reply. The magistrate examines the witnesses, and it is said that this officer generally 
displays great acuteness in detecting falsehood. He passes sentence, and it is carried into 
execution histanter ; and so ends an ordinary lawsuit. If the matter in controversy be of great 
importance, the magistrate may refer it to the Emperor in council ; but if he sees fit to decide it 
himself there is no appeal. Sometimes, in trifling cases, he orders the parties to go and settle 
the matter privately with the aid of friends, and it is well understood that it 7nust be thus settled, 
or unpleasant consequences will result. Sometimes, when both plaintiff and defendant are in 
fault, he awards censure to both, as they may deserve it, and sends them about their business. 
"We have said their code is bloody in principle, and very often it is sanguinary in practice. Still 
the relentings of humanity have forced the administrators of justice to some modification of tlie 
theory which prescribes indiscriminate severity. 

The magistrate may sentence to death, but he is not obliged to do so, except in cases of murder. 
He may, therefore, exercise a large discretion. He may imprison in a raya or cage. In this 
case, the prisoner is allowed a fair projiortion of wholesome food, and provision is made for 
cleanliness and ventilation. But there is another prison, commonly a dungeon in the governor's 
house, known by the significant name of gokuya, hell. Into this more are thrust than it will 
conveniently hold ; the door is never opened except to admit or release a prisoner ; the food is 
passed within through a hole in the wall, and there is neither light or ventilation except through 
a small grated hole or window at the top. Books, pipes, and every sjiecies of recreation are 
prohibited ; no beds are allowed, and the prisoner is subjected to what he considers the deep 
degradation of being made to wear a rope of straw around his waist instead of the usual silk or 
linen girdle. The diet is limited and very poor ; but if a rich man is confined, he may buy 
better food, on condition that he will share it equally with all his fellow j^risoners. The Japanese 
doctrine is that, if a man of wealth or influence is a criminal, he has no right to fare any better 
than the poorest man in the Kingdom who commits a crime, therefore all shall be treated alike. 



INTRODUCTION. 19 

We Have already alluded to the well known, yet remarkable feature of Japanese polity, wliicli 
lias for so long a time induced the government rigorously to interdict all communication between 
its subjects and foreigners, with the single exception of the Dutch and Chinese. This exclusive 
system did not always prevail. We shall have occasion, presently, to give the history of its 
origin, and to place before the reader a statement of the means whereby the Dutch succeeded iu 
the establishment of their commercial factory at Dezima, in the port of Nagasaki. It is only 
necessary now to remark that, prior to the visit of the United States' expedition, no other port 
but Nagasaki was open to a European ship, and, except at that spot, no Japanese was permitted 
to buy from or sell to a western stranger. The Chinese had some few privileges of trade, but 
these were hedged around with jealous restrictions that hampered their commercial relations and 
intercourse quite as much as those of the Europeans. With this general, and necessarily brief 
view of the leading features of the Japanese government and policy, we pass on to another topic. 



SECTION IV. 



RELIGION. 

StJCH are the contradictions among the several writers on Japan upon the subject of the religion 
of the country that it is not easy to discover what is the precise truth. Nor is this discrepancy 
much to be wondered at, for, since the extirpation of Christianity from the Kingdom, there is, 
probably, no topic on which a Christian would find it more difficult to obtain from a Japanese 
accurate information than on the subject of religion. There are, however, certain particulars in 
which all agree, and which are doubtless correct. 

The original national religion of Japan is called Sin-syu, (from sin, the gods, and syu, faith,) 
and its followers are called Sintoos. Such, at least, is the statement made by some writers ; but 
Siebold says the proper Japanese name is Kami-no-mitsi , which means " the way of the Kami," 
or gods ; this the Chinese have translated into Sliin-tao ; and the Japanese have modified the 
Chinese into Sinfoo. 

It is said that the only object ot worship among the Sintoos is the sun-goddess, Ten-sio-dai-zin, 
who is deemed the patron divinity of Japan. But there are thousands of inferior deities, called 
Kami, of whom the greater number are canonized or deified men. It is through these and the 
Mikado, as mediators, that prayers are made to the sun-goddess, who is too great and holy to 
allow of an independent approach to her in prayer. The Mikado is supposed to be her lineal 
descendant. But with all these divinities the Sintoos are not idolaters. They have no idols in 
their temples ; there are images indeed of their Kami, but, as it is alleged, not for purposes of 
worship. This statement, however, is very questionable. The only decorations of the old temples 
were a mirror, the emblem of purity of soul, and many strips of white paper formed into what 
is called a goJiei, also an emblem of purity. Siebold thinks the image of the Kami, introduced 
into the temples, is a foreign innovation, and never existed before the introduction of Buddhism. 
The numerous Kami he considers as analogous to the saints of the Komanist. MacFarlane 
looks on the Sintoo worship at this day as thoroughly permeated with Buddhism. Meylan 



20 INTRODUCTION. 

would make the original religion of Japan a pure theism. It is not easy to say what it was or 
is. As to the Sintoo creed, its leading features, according to Siebold, are some A'ague notion 
of the immortality of the soul, of a future state of existence, of rewards and punishments, a 
paradise and a hell. Its five great duties are : 1st. Preservation of pure fire as an emblem of 
purity and instrument of purification. 2d. Purity of soul, heart, and body to be cherished, 
the first by obeying the dictates of reason and the laws, the last by abstaining from whatever 
defiles. 3d. Observance of festival days, which are numerous. 4th. Pilgrimages, which at 
certain times in the year are imposing and costly ; and 5tli. The worship of the Kami, both in 
the temples and in private habitations. Impurity may be contracted in various ways : By 
associating with the impure, by hearing obscene or wicked language, by eating certain meats, 
and by coming in contact with blood, or with a dead body. For all these there are the prescribed 
modes of purification. 

The festivals all begin with a visit to the temple. There the votary performs his ablutions at 
a reservoir provided for the purpose ; he then kneels in the verandah, opposite to a grated 
window, through which he gazes at the mirror, and then offers up his prayers, with his sacrifice 
of rice, fruit, tea, or the like. This done, he drops his coin in the money-box, and retires. 
This is the usual form of Kami worship at the temples. The moneys contributed are applied 
to the support of the Kaminusi, as they are called. These are the priests of the temple, and 
their name or title means, literally, the landlords of the gods. These priests live in houses 
within the grounds of their respective temples, and are hospitable to strangers. Siebold says 
that they marry, and that their wives are priestesses, who have prescribed religious duties ; 
though we have been told by an intelligent Japanese, in reply to our inquiries, that the Sintoo 
priests do not marry. 

Pilgrimage, however, is the great religious duty of the Sintooites. There are two-and-twenty 
shrines in the Kingdom commanding such homage ; but the great and most sacred one is that 
of the sun-goddess, Ten-sio-dai-sin, at Isye. To make at least one pilgrimage to this shrine is 
incumbent upon everybody of the Sintoo faith. The very pious go annually. Even the 
Buddhists (with the exception of the Bonzes or priests) perform this pilgrimage. The Ziogoon 
is permitted to perform this religious duty vicariously, and annually sends an embassy of 
pilgrims to Isye. 

The Kaminusi are the regular clergy of the Sintoo religion in Japan ; but the European 
writers on the subject mention two institutions or religious orders, if they may be so called, 
composed entirely of the blind, and constituting a quasi clergy. The Japanese tell romantic 
stories about their origin. One of the fraternities they say was founded many centuries ago by 
Senmimar, a prince of the Empire, and the younger son of the then reigning Mikado. The 
prince was one of the handsomest men in the Kingdom, and loved a princess whose beauty was 
a match for his own. She died, and such was his grief, that he wept himself blind. He then 
founded this order. The other association had a different, but not less remarkable origin. In 
the times of Yoritomo, of whom we have spoken in the last section, there was a general named 
Kakekigo, who commanded a part of the troops of Prince Feki. In battle with Yoritomo, 
Prince Feki was slain, and Kakekigo was taken prisoner. So great was the renown of the 
prisoner, throughout Japan, that Yoritomo strove most earnestly to gain his friendship ; he 
loaded him with kindnesses and finally offered him his liberty. Kakekigo replied : "I can love 
none but my slain master. I owe you gratitude ; hut you caused Prince Feki's death, and never 



INTRODUCTION.. 21 

can I look upon you without wishing to kill you. My best way to avoid such ingratitude, and to 
reconcile my conflicting duties, is never to see you more; and thus do I insure it." With these 
words, he tore out his eyes, and presented them to Yoritomo on a salver. The prince, struck 
with admiration, released him, when Kakekigo withdrew into retirement and founded this 
second order of the blind, which is called, after Prince Feki, the Feldsado. 

There are two sects among the Sin-syu : the Yuitz and the Riohoo-Sintoo. The first are the 
rigidly orthodox, who will allow of no innovation. They are few in number, and consist mostly 
of the Kaminusi or priests. The other sect, which comprises the great body of the Sintoos, is 
eclectic, and has introduced a great deal of Buddhism into the system. 

Buddhism is the most widely diifused of all false creeds. Its followers amount to three hundred 
and twenty millions, while those of Mohammed fall short of this number by fifty millions. The 
founder of this religion was a man called Sal-ija-Sinha, (Syaka in Japan,) who, by his virtues 
and austerity, attained to divine honors, and after death was deified under the name of Buddha, 
or "the Sage." It is impossible to say when he was born. The earliest period named is 2,420 
years before the Christian era ; the latest is but 543 years prior to that event. Neither can it 
be said with certainty when Buddhism was introduced into Japan. Klaproth and Siebold, both 
of whom profess to follow Japanese writers, differ as to dates. The probability is that it was 
brought in from India or Corea near the close of the sixth century of our era. 

The leading features of this system of religion are the metempsychosis, whence arises the 
dogma that prohibits the taking of animal life ; the worship of a countless host of idols ; that 
the grand Lama, or high-priest King, never dies ; that their priests constitute a distinct order in 
the State, and that they are bound to celibacy. The chief commandments of Buddhism are five 
in number, and constitute a code which is called the Gokai, or five laws. They are these : not 
to kill, not to steal, to live chastely, not to lie, and to abstain from strong drink. The Sika'i, 
or ten counsels, contain the division and application of these laws to particular cases. Buddhism 
made its way in Japan by degrees, although the government tolerated it from the beginning. 
Indeed, no feature is more striking among the institutions of the Empire than its enlarged spirit 
of religious toleration. It was extended to Christianity on its first promulgation by the Portu- 
guese ; and was not withdrawn until the Japanese supposed that intolerance and treason lurked 
under the new religion. Christianity was driven from Japan on political, not on religious 
grounds. Such is the liberality of the government on the subject of religion that, at this 
moment, may be found in Japan no less than thirty-four sects, all quite distinct from Buddhism, 
(which is the faith of a majority of the Kingdom,) perfectly unmolested. The truth is, that the 
Japanese government exhibits now, as it always has done, a very remarkable indifference to 
mere doctrinal points, so long as they interfere not with the public tranquility. "When the 
priests of the Japanese sects joined, centuries ago, in a petition to the Emperor that he would 
banish the Jesuits and the Komish monks, annoyed by their importunities, he asked them how 
many different religions there were then in Jajjan ? They answered "thirty-five." "Well," 
said the Emperor, ' ' when thirty-five religions can be tolerated we can easily bear with thirty- 
six ; leave the strangers in peace." 

The Buddhism of Japan, at this day, has probably much of the old Sintoo mixed up with it ; 
but there is reason to think that no creed in the Kingdom has a very strong hold on the popular 
mind. Christianity, however, is viewed with suspicion by all, and at present is not, in any 
degree, tolerated. 



22 .INTRODUCTION. 

The idolatry of the common people, who are Buddhists, is exceedingly gross, while among the 
learned the religion assumes the character of a high mystic creed, not wanting in some features 
that are pure enough. 

There is a third sect, called by some writers religious, though Kcempfer more properly speaks 
of it as a school of philosophers. It is known by the name of Siutoo, which means "the way 
of philosophers." It inculcates no particular faith, and can accommodate itself to any, whether 
true or false. In some of its features it borders closely on Pantheism. It is supposed, and we 
presume correctly, to be an importation from China, compounded of most of the moral precepts of 
Confucius, and some high, mystic Buddhist notions. It has no religious rites or ceremonies of 
its own. There are five great points which characterize it. They call them Dsin, Gi, Be, Td, 
Sin. Dsin teaches them to live virtuously ; Gi to do right and act justly with everybody; Re 
to be civil and polite ; Tsi sets forth the rules for a good and prudent government ; and Sin 
treats of a free conscience and upright heart. Nearly all the early European writers say that 
by far the larger number of the learned men of Japan belong to this school, which is remarkable 
for its scorn of the Buddhist idolatry. When Christianity was driven from Japan, the Siufooists 
were suspected of a tendency toward that faith, and thenceforth every Japanese was required 
to have in his house an idol of some kind. 

Meylan, the Dutch official at Dezima, speaks of a fourth religion, which co-existed with 
these three prior to the introduction of Christianity. His story is, that about A. D. 50, a Brah- 
minical sect was introduced into Japan, wliich taught as doctrines the redemption of the world 
by the son of a virgin, who died to expiate human sin, thus insuring to man a joyful resur- 
rection. It also taught a trinity of immaterial persons constituting one eternal, omnipotent 
God, the maker of all things, who was to be adored as the source of all good. 

Some have hence in mated what certainly is not impossible, that Christianity may have thus 
early reached Jajjan thro gh India. But there is probably some mistake in this statement of 
the doctrines held. No wrier but Meylan has mentioned the story, and both the Buddhist and 
Brahminical systems afford materials which an over zealous and i;ninformed spirit of Christianity 
may easily convert into seemingly Christian doctrines. Thus, the old Spanish ecclesiastics who 
first came to America were quite convinced that the gospel had been brought to our continent 
by St. Thomas, long before their arrival. 



SECTION V. 
GENERAL VIEW OF THE PAST RELATIONS OP THE EMPIRE WITH THE WESTERN CIVILIZED NATIONS. 

THE POKTUGUESE. 

Ferdinand Mendez Pinto has been immortalized by Cervantes, but unfortunately for his 
reputation it is, to use the phrase of Shakspeare, as a "measureless liar." Like Marco Polo, 
when he told strange things that had befallen him in his wanderings, the men of his generation 
refused to believe him. But like Polo, he related a great deal that has since been found to be 
true ; and we arc inclined to think that, when telling what he professed to have seen himself, 



INTRODUCTION. 23 

he interspersed his narrative with as few lies as some of his more accredited successors of modei'n 
times. 

Pinto was a good representative of the Portuguese discoverer of the sixteenth century. In 
his day Portugal was a power. In less than two centuries she had traversed the Atlantic, 
conquered Madeira, tlie Cape de Verds, tire coast of Guinea and Congo ; liad planted herself on 
the shores of India, and ohtained a foothold in China. She had founded in her wealtliy 
metropolis of Goa what has heen called "the Kome of India." She possessed Macao, and was 
among the first of European maritime powers in the east. Alhuquerque had laid for her the 
foundations of a magnificent oriental empire, which it needed a man like Alhuquerque to 
consolidate and retain. The man was wanting, and the empire never grew to maturity. But 
this her prosperous day produced for her many a hardy sailor, half hero, half adventurer ; now 
exhibiting a toucli of chivalry and now a touch of trafiic ; a soldier on land to-day and a corsair 
of the seas to-morrow; exceedingly devout or surpassingly profane, according to circumstances; 
hut always ready to encounter fatigue, privation or peril, to promote the gain of himself and 
the grandeur of his country, which on most occasions he felicitously contrived to reconcile and 
blend into one common end. Of this class Pinto was a type. 

He visited Jajmn, and has told us the story of his adventures ; and the better authorities of 
this day believe that he was an eye-witness and actor in such scenes as he relates of personal 
incidents. 

There is, however, some room for discussion on the subject of dates ; for if we may credit the 
Japanese annals, it would seem that about the same time there must have been two visits of 
Europeans to Japan ; but if there were^ both were made by natives of Portugal, so that to them 
unquestionably belongs the honor of having first landed on the Japanese soil, and of having 
brought that country into communication with Europe. The discovery, indeed, was acci- 
dental in both cases, if two there were, but that does not alter the fact that it was made by the 
Portuguese. 

We incline to think, however, that there was but one visit. Tlie annals of Japan record the 
arrival of the first Europeans, and substantially they agree with Pinto's story. So remarkable 
was the event, and so strange the appearance of the new comers, that the Japanese preserved 
portraits of them. Tlie date assigned in the annals would correspond with our October, in the year 
1543. Pinto makes the date of his arrival in 1545. Still the details given by Pinto, and confirmed 
by the annals, force us to believe that both are telling the story of the same event. Whether it 
were in the one year or the other of those named above, the story is, that a Portuguese shiji or 
Chinese corsair, (we know not which,) on board of which was Pinto, after great stress of weather, 
was driven to the shores of Japan, and anchored at last in the harbor of Bun go, on the island 
of Kiu-siu. The Japanese at that time, though vigilant, yet manifested no reluctance to admit 
the strangers and hold communication with them. They extended courtesy and kindness to 
them, and no obstacle was interposed to a free trade with the inhabitants. The names of those 
who first landed are said by various writers, from Mafleius ujj to Thunberg, to have been 
Antonio Mota, Francisco Zeimoto, and Antonio Peixoto. Fraissinet, however, thinks that the 
names have been disfigured or altered, and that the individuals meant were Fernan Mendez Pinto, 
Diego Zeimoto, and Cliristoval Borallo. The Japanese annals speak of two under the names of 
Moura Siouksia and Krista Mota, and Fraissinet suggests tliat Siouksia may be the Jajmnese 
pronunciation of Zeimoto, and Krista their nearest approach to Christoval. The natives and 



24 INTRODUCTION. 

strangers were so well pleased with each other that, hy an arrangement with the viceroy or 
prince of Bungo, (the rulers of the principalities were then probably more independent of the 
Emperor than they are now,) a Portuguese ship was to be sent annually to the island of Kiu-siu 
laden with woollen cloths, furs, manufactured silks, taffetas, and other commodities needed by 
the Japanese. This ship was to be dispatched probably from Macao, or, it may be, from Goa. 
The returns were to be made in gold, silver, and copper, of the last of which there is undoubted 
abundance in Japan, and probably no small quantity of the first. 

But with this introduction of commercial relations^ the Portuguese soon introduced also priests 
of the religion they professed. In 1549, seven years only after the discovery, Hansiro, a young 
Japanese of some rank, had found it necessary to fly from his country, on account of a homicide, 
and had gone to the Portuguese settlement of Goa, on the Malabar coast. Here he encountered 
ecclesiastics of the church of Kome, by whom he was converted to the Christian faith and baptized. 
He was enterprising and shrewd, and soon convinced the Portuguese merchants of Goa that 
they might establish a profitable trade with Japan, and assured the Jesuits that they also might 
find a rich harvest of souls in the Empire. 

The Portuguese hastened to act on both his suggestions ; a ship was loaded with goods and 
presents and sent to establish a permanent trade with Japan ; while, for the accomplishment of the 
second object, some of the Jesuit priests were ready enough to embark. Among them was that 
remarkable man, Francis Xavier, who possessed in an eminent degree many of the most 
important qualifications of the Christian missionary. To talents of a very high order he added a 
zeal and enthusiasm rarely equalled, and a courage never surpassed. The thought of the perils 
attending the mission, so far from disheartening him, served only to strengthen his resolve to 
undertake It. On board the ship returned the young Japanese convert who had suggested the 
undertaking. •On arriving at the province of Bimgo all were received with open arms, and not 
the slightest opposition was made to the Introduction of either trade or religion. No system of 
exclusion then existed, and such was the spirit of toleration that the government made no 
objection to the preaching of Christianity. Indeed the Portuguese were freely permitted to go 
where they pleased In the Emijlre, and to travel, by land or sea, from one end of it to the other. 
The people bought the goods of the merchants and listened to the teachings of the missionaries. 
The labors of the last were very successful, for it Is but justice to Xavier and the first missionaries 
to say that they were most exemplary men — humble, virtuous, disinterested^ and very benevolent. 
Possessed of some medical skill, they used it kindly and gratuitously among the sick, and 
were deservedly viewed by the people as friendly and superior men, whose lives were devoted to 
doing good. They meddled with no public affairs ; unmolested by the government, they troubled 
not themselves about Its administration ; and imitating the example of the devoted Xavier, they 
modestly and unceasingly pursued the appropriate duties of their holy calling only. In fact, 
they loved the Japanese. With one voice the early missionaries speak In terms of strong 
affection when they describe the docile and good disposition of the Japanese. Xavier says : "I 
know not when to cease in speaking of the Japanese. They are truly the delight of my heart." 

This eminent man went from Japan to China In 1551, and in 1552 died at Shan Shan, on the 
Canton river, not far from Macao. He left behind him, however, among his beloved Islanders, 
some very able and excellent men, and churches were built and converts made by thousands. 

Nor were the commercial relations of the new comers less prosperous. They could readily 
obtain the commodities they wished for the Japanese market from their establishments at Macao 



INTRODUCTION. 25 

and Goa. The profits tliey made on their European mercliandise were commonly one himdred 
per cent. ; so tliat, as Kfempfer has said, if their commercial prosperity had contimied but 
twenty years longer, Macao would have been so enriched from Japan that it would have surpassed 
all that was accumulated in Jerusalem during the reign of Solomon. As one of the old writers 
expresses it, the Portuguese obtained " the golden marrow" of Japan. In fact they had but to 
proceed prudently and they would ere long have been the dominant race in Japan. Many of 
them had married the daughters of the wealthiest Christian Japanese, and no other nation of 
Europe could have driven them from their strong position. 

It was about the year 1566 that the Portuguese first called the attention of the reigning prince 
of Omura to the superiority of the harbor of Nagasaki over the ports they were accustomed to 
frequent ; and it was at their siiggestion that a settlement was formed there. Bungo, Firando, 
(Firato,) and Nagasaki were the principal places of commercial business. 

But all this prosperity was destined to have an end, and we are sorry to say it was occasioned 
by the ecclesiastics themselves. Had the work begun by Xavier and his companions been left 
in the hands of men like themselves, we very much doubt whether the severe Japanese laws 
prohibiting Cliristianity in the Empire would ever have existed. But these prudent, inoffensive , 
and laborious men were soon outnumbered by swarms of Dominican, Augustinian, and Fran- 
ciscan friars from Goa and Macao, who were attracted by the flattering accounts of the remarkable 
success of the Jesuits. They had not labored in making the harvest, they were ready enough 
to go and reap it. The Franciscans and Dominicans quarrelled with each other, and all the 
orders quarrelled with the Jesuits. In vain did the latter implore them to profit by their 
experience, to be discreet and suppress their strife, to respect the laws and usages of the country . 
In vain did they represent that their conduct would prove fatal, not merely to their own hopes 
and purposes, but even to the progress, possibly to the continuance in Japan of Christianity 
itself. All was of no avail. To the Japanese convert was presented the strange spectacle of 
one ecclesiastic quarrelling with another, of one body of priests intriguing with heathens 
to defeat another ; while even the poor native Christian labored to reconcile the feuds and 
rivalries of these consecrated belligerents. 

The quarrels of these Eoman monastic orders may, therefore, be accounted as one cause of the 
expulsion of Christianity from Japan. 

But this was not all. The pride, avarice, and extortions of the Portuguese laity had become 
excessive about the close of the sixteenth century, and disgusted the Japanese. Very many of 
the clergy, forgetful of the spirit of their office, instead of rebuking these sins, rather gave their 
countenance to their wealthy countrymen, and often sustained their acts without inquiring into 
their propriety. Indeed, their own pride quite equalled that of the laity ; and even the native 
Christians are said to have been both sliocked and disgusted when they saw that their spiritual 
instructors were quite as diligent in the effort to acquire their property as in the endeavor to 
save their souls. The Japanese traditions, to this day, represent the downfall of Christianity 
in the Empire as having been, in part at least, produced by the avarice, sensuality, and pride of 
the ecclesiastics. They treated with open contempt the institutions and customs of the country, 
and insulted the highest officials of the government by studied indignities. A circumstance is 
related as having occurred in 1596, which is said to have been the immediate cause of the great 
persecution. A Portuguese bishop was met on the high road by one of the highest officers of 
the State on his way to court. Each was in his sedan. Tlie usage of the country required that, 
4 J 



26 INTRODUCTION. 

in such case, the conveyance of the bishop shoukl be stopped, and that he shonhl alight and pay 
his respects to the nobleman. Instead of conforming to this established act of courtesy, tlie 
bishop took not the least notice of the Japanese dignitary, but, turning his head away from him, 
ordered his bearers to carry him on. The insult, evidently intended, was so gross that the 
grandee took mortal offence, and confounding the Portuguese generally with their haughty 
clergy, he conceived toward all an implacable resentment. He forthwith presented his grievance 
to the Emperor, and touched his sense of dignity and national pride by a strong picture of the 
vanity and insolence of the Portuguese. Taiko, of whom we have already spoken, was at that 
time Emperor, and he was the last man to permit the laws and customs of his Empire to be 
treated with contempt by a set of presumptuous foreigners, who had neither good feeling nor 
good sense enough to repay the kindness they had received with the decency of common civility. 
With the Emperor's kind sentiments thus alienated the end was certain ; it involved a question 
of time only ; and such was the infatuation of these inflated ecclesiastics that this stupid act of 
episcojDal insolence was perpetrated at a time when the Portuguese, by their pride and avarice, 
had already lost the best part of the favor they had once possessed. 

At length a Portuguese ship, on its way from the East to Lisbon, was captured by the Dutch, 
and among other matters found on board were certain treasonable letters, written by Moro, a 
native Japanese, to the King of Portugal. Moro was a zealous Komanist, a warm friend of the 
Jesuits, and one of the chief agents and friends of the Portuguese in Japan. From these letters 
it appeared that the Japanese Christians, in conjunction with the Portuguese, were plotting the 
overthrow of the throne ; and all they wanted was a supply of ships and soldiers from Portugal. 
It may be difScult to ascertain, with certainty, all the details of the conspiracy ; but of the 
consp iracy itself there can be no doubt. 

The Dutch, who were the sworn foes of the Portuguese, lost no time in communicating the 
intercepted letters to the authorities of Japan, and the result was that in 1637 an imperial 
proclamation decreed that " the whole race of the Portuguese, with their mothers, nurses, and 
whatever belongs to them, shall be banished forever." The same proclamation forbade, under 
penalty of death to those concerned, any Japanese ship, or native of Japan, to depart from the 
country. It directed that any Japanese returning home from a foreign country should be put 
to death; that any person presuming to bring a letter from abroad should die; that no 
nobleman or soldier should purchase anything from a foreigner ; that any person propagating 
Christian doctrines, or even bearing the title of Christian, should suffer ; and a reward was 
offered for the discovery of every priest, as well as of every native Christian. Under these 
severe edicts some of the Portuguese were at once frightened out of the country. Others, 
however, lingered, cooped up in their factory at Dezima, hoping that the tempest would 
presently pass over, and that they might resume their traflSc. But the Emperor was firmly 
resolved to root them out forever, and forbade them ever to import even the goods of their own 
country ; and so ended the trade of the Portuguese with Japan, and the toleration of the 
Christian religion in the Empire. 

The writers of the church of Eome assert that it was owing to the malice and misrepresenta- 
tions of the heretical Dutch that the missionaries and early Japanese converts were exposed to 
the persecutions, which afterward resulted in the expulsion of Christianity. An examination 
of dates, however, will show that this statement is entirely erroneous. The Portuguese, clerical 
and lay, must blame theinselves only for their final expulsion. Doubtless, the Dutch, as we shall 



INTRODUCTION. 27 

see jiresently, were ready enough to give increased impetus, whenever they could, to the tide 
of calamity which ultimately overwhelmed their rivals, hut that tide had commenced its flow, in 
the form of persecution of Christianity, fully three years before a Dutchman set foot in Japan. 
It began, as we have said, in the quarrels of the monastic orders themselves. 

It would be wrong to leave this brief sketch of the Portuguese relations with Japan without 
bearing witness to the noble constancy of the thousands of native Christians who were put to death 
for their religion. The history of Christianity's persecutions contains no more touching chapter 
than that which records the cruel torments and heroic Christian courage of men, women, and 
even children, as they bore testimony to the sincerity of their Christian convictions. 

THE DUTCH. 

It is to an Englishman that the Hollanders are indebted for an introduction to Japan, and 
for the establishment of their earliest commercial relations. After the grant by the Pope of all 
the western and about half the eastern hemisphere to the Spaniards and Portuguese, these 
people, who were then not without naval strength, were unwilling to allow any share of trade 
to the other powers of Europe ; and, whenever they could, they seized their unarmed vessels as 
contraband, if they found them within the imaginary limits of their Papal grant, confiscated 
their cargoes, and treated their crews as sea-thieves and smugglers. 

The Dutch and English, who had no respect for the Pope's geography, and as little faith in 
his religion, denied his title to the ownership of the whole earth, and profanely likened him 
to Satan when he ofiered to our Lord whole kingdoms, in which he had not title in fee to a 
single square foot. But as Spain and Portugal were, in the assertion of their title, as much 
in the habit of relying on powder and ball as on men's conscientious submission to the decrees 
of the holy father, the Dutch and English rarely sent out their ships, and especially to the 
"south seas," without taking care to arm them ; and commonly they dispatched them in squad- 
rons. Thus, cruising in company, they went wherever they thought they could find a profit- 
able trade ; and deemed it a religious duty (which they scrupulously performed) to seize and 
plunder, whenever they could, any Spanish or Portuguese ship, and to make a descent on 
their coasts, and burn their colonial towns and villages. Whoever would read the story of their 
wild, exciting, and often romantic adventures, may find them in Esquemeling's or Burnet's 
histories of the buccaneers. The hatred between Spain and Portugal on the one side, and the 
Dutch and English on the other, was intense. Differing in religion, the first named had no 
gentler epithets to apply to their enemies than "vile Lutherans," "schismatics," "accursed 
heretics ; " while the latter repaid them, by applying the equally mild terms of "lying Papists," 
"foul idolaters," " worshippers of wood and rotten bones." This state of embittered feeling 
prevailed all through the reigns of Elizabeth, James I., and Charles I. of England, and ceased 
only in the time of William III., when the peace of Kyswick allowed, on the part of Spain and 
Portugal, a little freedom of commerce to other nations, who, by the way, were becoming more 
powerful than the Spaniards and Portuguese on the Pacific and the eastern waters. 

It was during this period of national animosity, in the latter part of the reign of Elizabeth, 
that the Dutch made their way to Japan. A fleet of five sail of Dutch ships, under the com- 
mand of Jaques Mahu, left the Texel on the 24th of June, 1598. It was sent out by the Indian 
Company of Holland ; and on board of the admiral's ship was William Adams, as pilot. Adams 



28 INTEODUCTION. 

has told his own story with captivating simplicity ; and it has heen preserved in the pages of 
that worthy compiler, honest old Purchas. He tells us as follows: "Your worships will 
understand that I am a Kentish man, Lorn in a town called Grillingham, two English miles from 
Eochester, and one mile from Chatham, where the queen's ships do lie." After stating that he 
was regularly apprenticed and bred a seaman, he thus proceeds : "I have served in the i)lace of 
master and pilot in her Majesty's ships, and about eleven or twelve years served the worshipful 
company of the Barhary merchants, until the Indian traffic from Holland began; in which 
Indian traffic I was desirous to make a little experience of the small knowledge which God 
has given me. So, in the year of our Lord God 1598, 1 hired myself for chief pilot of a fleet of 
five sail of Hollanders," &c. 

But the " little experience" of our English pilot proved both long and sad. Sickness broke 
out in the ships, the admiral and a great many of the men died ; after divers calamities they 
reached the Straits of Magellan in April, 1599 ; they were forced, not by any fault of Adams 
but by the folly of the commander, to winter in the Straits, remaining in them nearly six 
months, until provisions were exhausted and some of the men actually died of hunger. At 
length, after getting into the Pacific, storms dispersed the fleet ; some were lost, some captured ; 
the savages on the islands where they landed in search of food and water, in more than one 
instance, lay in ambush and murdered the men ; and finally, after great suifering, it was 
resolved, on Adams' advice, to make for Japan. Of the five ships that had left Holland 
together there remained but the one of which Adams was pilot. But he kept a stout heart, 
and at last, on the 11th of April, ICOO, he saw the high lands of Japan in the province of 
Bungo, and on the 12th came to anchor, when there were actually but five men of the whole 
ship's company able to go about and do duty. They were hospitably received, soldiers were 
placed on board to prevent a robbery of their goods, a house was provided for the sick, and 
their bodily wants were all supplied by the prince of Bungo, who sent word to the Emperor of 
their arrival. 

The Portuguese, it will be remembered, were already established in Japan, and one of their 
commercial depots was at Nagasaki. Five or six days after the arrival of the Dutch, there 
came from that place a Portuguese Jesuit, with some of his countrymen and some Japanese 
Christians. The former of these immediately denounced the Hollanders as pirates, denying 
that they had come for any purposes of trade, as they alleged, though their ship had a full 
cargo of merchandize on board. This created a prejudice against them in the minds of the 
Japanese, and the poor Hollanders lived in daily expectation of being put to death. This was 
precisely what the Portuguese would have been glad to see, influenced by the double motive of 
hatred of heretics and the wish to monopolize trade. But the case having been submitted to 
the Emperor, who was then at Osaca, he ordered tliat Adams and one of the Dutch sailors 
should be sent to him. He was sent accordingly, and furnishes a long and interesting account 
of his interview with the monarch, (conducted through the medium of a Portuguese interpreter,) 
in the course of which Adams had an ojiportunity of showing the Emperor samples of the 
merchandize he had brought with him, and of begging that he and his companions might have 
liberty to trade, as the Portuguese had. An answer was returned in Japanese, but Adams did 
not understand it, and he was carried to prison, but his comforts seem to have been duly 
regarded. He remained in prison forty-one days, during all which time, as he subsequently 
discovered, the Jesuits and Portuguese residents spared no eftorts to induce the Emperor to put 



INTRODUCTION. 29 

all the Dutch ship's company to death as pirates. At last the Emperor answered their appli- 
cation with equal justice and good sense, by telling them that, as yet, the Dutch had done no 
hurt to him or any of his people, and that therefore he had no just cause to take their lives ; nor 
could he find any sufficient reason for such severity as they desired in the fact that wars existed 
between Portugal and Holland, with which he had nothing to do. 

At length he summoned Adams before him again, and asked of him a great many questions. 
Finally, he enquired of him whether he would like to go to his ship again to see his companions ? 
Upon his answering affirmatively he bade him go, and this was the first intimation Adams had 
that the ship had been brought by the Emperor's order to Osaca, and that his companions were 
alive. Everything was now taken out of the vessel, which was ordered to a spot nearer to Jeddo, 
whither the Emperor had gone. Tlie whole ship's company were liberally provided for at the 
expense of the government. Presently, they petitioned that they might be permitted to take 
their vessel and depart, but the Emperor would not consent. Finally, at the expiration of two 
years, during which time they had been at liberty and mingled freely with the Japanese, they 
were informed that they could not have their ship any more, and that they must make up their 
minds to live, for the rest of their days, happily and peacefully in Japan. Hereupon the 
Dutchmen dispersed themselves, going where they pleased, and living comfortably enough upon 
the daily allowance made them by the Emperor. Adams, however, remained about the court, 
and, by his ingenuity and good qualities, soon made friends, and gradually rose in the esteem of 
the Emperor until he attained to a high position of honor in the country. He taught his 
majesty some of the principles of mathematics, and built for him two vessels. These things 
gave to him such commanding influence, that even the Jesuits and Portuguese, who, for the 
reasons already mentioned, were gradually losing favor, were glad to secure his friendly inter- 
position with the Emperor for their benefit. 

At length, in 1609, two armed Dutch ships came to Japan. Their object was to intercept 
and make prize of the large Portuguese carrack which made the yearly voyage from Macao to 
Japan with merchandize for the established trade. They were, however, a few days too late for 
her capture, and so they put in at Firando, and the commanders went thence to the court of the 
Emperor. Here William Adams, being the chief negotiator for them, they were kindly received, 
and obtained the Emperor's free pass, and permission for their nation to send annually a ship or 
two for purposes of trade ; and this was the beginning of the Dutch commerce with Japan. 

Adams, as we have said, rose to high distinction. He thus describes his situation: "Now 
for my service which I have done and daily do, being employed in the Emperor's service, he 
hath given me a living like unto a lordship in England, with eighty or ninety husbandmen, 
who are as my servants and slaves. The precedent was never done before. Thus, God hath 
provided for me after my great misery ; to his name be the praise forever. Amen." 

But, with all this external prosperity, poor Adams had a heartsore that could not be healed 
in Japan. He had left a young wife and two children in England, whom he tenderly loved. 
Some of the most affecting passages he has written are those in which he alludes to his family, 
and expresses the dreadful apprehension that he should never see them again. There are such 
honest, natural outpourings of a true and faithful heart in these passages, that it is impossible 
to read them without the deepest sympathy. The Emperor was not willing he should go at all. 
Had he been willing, Adams could not have gone in the Portuguese ships, which were, at first, 
the only vessels that came annually for trade ; birt when he liad successfully negotiated for the 



30 INTKODUCTION. 

Dutcli, his hopes of once more seeing his family hegan to revive. He thought that in some of 
their vessels God might at last provide a way for his return to England. But, though thus 
saddened at heart, he never lost his self-j)ossession and prudence. He thought that, should he 
never he ahle to go himself, he might at least let his beloved family know where he was, and 
assure them of his unabated affection. From the Dutch ship which came in 1611, he for the 
first time learned that his countrymen, the English, were carrying on considerable trade in the 
East Indies, and had made a humble beginning, in the way of factories, on the Malabar coast. 
He, of course, knew not who of his countrymen might be there, or elsewhere in the east, but 
whoever or wherever they might be, they were English, and through them he might tell the 
sad story of his thirteen long years of separation from home and wife and children. He accord- 
ingly wrote two long letters, the one addressed to his wife, the other endorsed as follows : "To 
my unknown friends and countrymen, desiring this letter, by your good means or the news or 
copy of this letter, may come to the hands of one or many of my acquaintance in Limehouse or 
elsewhere, or in Kent, in Gillingham by Eochester." The last sentence in this is in these 
words : 

" Thus, in short, I am constrained to write, hoping that by one means or other, in process 
of time, I shall hear of my wife and children ; and so with patience I wait the good will and 
pleasure of God Almighty, desiring all those to whom this my letter shall come to use the 
means to acquaint my good friends with it, that so my wife and children may hear of me ; by 
which means there may be hope that I may hear of my wife and children before my death ; the 
which the Lord grant to his glory and my comfort. Amen. 

"Done in Japan, the two and twentieth of October, 1611, by your unworthy friend and 

servant to command in what I can, 

"WILLIAM ADAMS." 

In both these letters Adams related the principal occurrences that had befallen him since he 
left the Texel, and from these we have drawn the facts previously related. The letters did 
reach England, but whether they found his wife and children living, or whether he ever heard 
from them we cannot tell. As to himself, he might have sadly appropriated the words of the poet : 

" Nor wife nor children more shall he behold, 
Nor friends nor sacred home." 

He died at Eirando, in Japan, in 1619 or 1620, after having resided there from the year 1600; 
and we have dwelt the longer on his personal history, not merely on account of its melancholy 
interest, but because when we come to speak of the doings of his own countrymen in Japan, 
these letters will be necessary to elucidate our narrative. 

Leaving now these letters, we proceed with the history of the Dutch commerce. The first 
factory of the Hollanders was at Eirando, and was on an humble scale. That of the Portuguese 
was at Nagasaki, on the island Dezima, which is now occupied by the Dutch. The rivalry 
between the two establishments was, of course, very great, and each sought to injure the other 
as much as possible with the Japanese authorities. At length, before the close of 1639, the 
Portuguese were totally expelled the country ; and then occurred an act on the part of the Dutch 
in Japan too clearly proved to admit of denial, and too wicked and infamous to allow of 
palliation. It was no better than cold blooded murder, prompted by no higher motive than the 
base love of commercial gain. The facts were these : Though no Portuguese Christian remained 
in Japan, yet tlie native Christians were not all extirpated. Tliese poor creatures, deprived of 



INTRODUCTION. 31 

their European teachers, persevered in their faith, though threatened with imprisonment, 
torture, and death. Oppression presently drove them into open rebellion, and they took refuge 
and made a stand against the imperial forces in Simabara. The Japanese authorities called on 
the Dutch to assist them in making war against these Christians, and the Dutch did it. Kocke- 
hecker was then director of the Dutch trade and nation in Japan. The native Christians had 
endeavored to fortify themselves in an old town, which the troops of the Emperor could not take. 
A Dutch ship was lying at Firando, and on board of this Kockebecker repaired to Simabara, and 
battered the old town with the ship's guns as well as from a battery he had erected on shore. After 
a fortnight of this work the Japanese were satisfied to discharge the Dutch director ; for though the 
Christians had not surrendered, yet they had lost so many of their number and the place was so 
weakened that it was obvious it could not hold out much longer. Eequiring, therefore, of the 
Dutch director that he should land six more guns for the use of the Emperor, they dismissed 
him. The place was finally taken, after a very large number of the besieged had perished by 
famine, and a total massacre of men, women and children followed ; not one was spared. 

We have spoken of this act as perpetrated by the Dutch in Japan, for we cannot deem it fair 
to involve every Hollander in an indiscriminate censure. There were other Dutch ships at 
Firando beside that which was employed in the bombardment ; but the commanders of these, 
either suspecting, or having.intimation that the Japanese would demand aid at their hands, quietly 
left their anchorage, and went to sea before the demand was made, and thus escaped participation 
in this atrocious wickedness. To us it seems that the infamy must rest chiefly on the Dutch 
director, and that M. Kockebecker deliberately preferred this most foul murder of the innocent to 
the loss or interruption of the Dutch trade. Be this as it may, i\efact is distinctly admitted by 
all the Dutch writers on Japan from the middle of the seventeenth century up to Fischer's work, 
published in 1833. It is true, one says, that the Dutch were compelled to do it ; another states, 
that the Dutch only supplied cannon, powder, and ball, taught the Japanese artillery practice, and 
sent ammunition, arms, and troops in their ships to the scene of action ; but old Ksempfer, who, 
though in the Dutch service as a physician, was by birth a German, afSrms positively that the 
Dutch were active as belligerents. Fraissinet (a recent French writer) endeavors to give a 
different coloring to the fact, but, as we think, in vain. He represents the case as one of 
political rebellion, in which the native Christians took sides with the rebels ; and is pleased to 
consider the Dutch as allies merely of the Emperor, carrying on a lawful war as allies ; and he 
says that the archives of the Dutch factory at Dezima, as well as the relations of natives of 
respectability, acquit the Hollanders of all blame. What the archives of the Dezima factory 
may now state, we have not the means of knowing, and we are not furnished by the French 
apologist with their language ; but it is certainly very remarkable, if they do contain exculpatory 
evidence, that the Dutch writers, all of whom were officials at Dezima, and many of whom lived 
much nearer to the time of the transaction than an author of this day, should have overlooked 
this evidence ; particularly when some of them seek to palliate the act itself. Surely the Dezima 
records were open to Fischer, the last Dutch writer on the subject, (1833 ;) why, then, instead 
of producing them, does he admit the fact, and urge in extenuation compidsion of the Dutch by 
the Japanese? As to the relations of respectable natives, we can only say we have never seen, 
in any work on Japan, such relations as M. Fraissinet has named. But there is one fact which, 
as it seems to us, conclusively negatives the supposition that it was a mere political insurrection 
which the Dutch assisted in suppressing. Over the vast common grave in which these unhappy 



32 INTRODUCTION. 

Cliristians were Ijuriecl at Simabara was Bet up, by imperial order, the following impious 
inscription : "So long as the sun shall warm the earth, let no Christian he so hold as to come to 
Japan ; and let all know that the King of Spain himself, or the Christian's God, or the great 
God of all, if he violate this command, shall pay for it with his head." 

And now, as to what respectable natives really did say about this sad transaction, let us hear 
one who was on the spot, honest old Kasmpfer. He was the physician in the Dutch service, and 
thus writes : " By this submissive readiness to assist the Emperor in the execution of his designs, 
with regard to the final destruction of Christianity in his dominions, it is true, indeed, that we 
stood our ground so far as to maintain ourselves in the country, and to be permitted to carry on 
our trade, although the court had then some thoughts of a total exclusion of all foreigners 
whatsoever. But many generous and noble persons at court, and in the country, judged 
unfavorably of our conduct. It seemed to them inconsistent with reason that the Dutch should 
ever be expected to he faithful to a foreign monarch, and one, too, whom they looked upon as a 
heathen, while they showed so much forwardness to assist him in the destruction of a people 
with whom they agreed in the most essential parts of their faith, (as the Japanese had been 
well informed by the Portuguese monks,) and to sacrifice to their own worldly interest those 
who followed Christ in the very same way, and hoped to enter the Kingdom of Heaven through 
the same gate. These are expressions which I often heard from the natives when the conversation 
happened to turn upon this m/)urnful subject. In short, by our humble complaisance and connivance, 
we were so far from bringing this proud and jealous nation to any greater confidence, or more 
intimate friendship, that, on the contrary, their jealousy and mistrust seemed to increase from 
that time. They both hated and despised us for what we had done." This, then, is the 
testimony as to the opinion of the natives who knew something of the occurrences ; and it is a 
sad reflection, that, in the work of exchiding Christianity from Japan, Komanists and Protestants 
alike bore their part. Neither can, with justice, reproach the other. If the worldliness and pride 
of the Portuguese Christian prompted him to conspiracy, and drove him and his companions 
from the Empire, the avarice and cruelty of the Dutch professed believer finished the work, and 
extirpated the last remnant of the faith in the destruction of the native followers of Christ. 
True Christianity indignantly disowns both. 

In 1641, the Dutch were ordered to remove their factory from Firando_, where they were 
comfortable and unrestrained, and to confine themselves to the now forsaken station of the 
Portuguese at Dezima, a miserable little island in the port of Nagasaki, " more like a prison 
than a factory," says Ktempfer. Here they were placed imder a surveillance the most rigid, 
and subjected to many a humiliating degradation . "So great' ' (says our honest old German) ' ' was 
the covetousness of the Dutch, and so strong the alluring power of the Japanese gold, that rather 
than quit the prospect of a trade, (indeed, most advantageous^) they willingly underwent an 
almost perpetual imprisonment, for such, in fact, is our residence at Dezima, and chose to sufler 
many hardships in a foreign and heathen country ; to be remiss in performing divine service on 
Sundays and solemn festivals ; to leave off praying and singing of psalms ; entirely to avoid the sign 
of the cross, the calling upon the name of Christ in the presence of the natives, and all the 
outer signs of Christianity ; and, lastly,' patiently and submissively to bear the abusive and 
injurious behavior of these proud infidels towards us, than which nothing can be offered more 
shocking to a noble and generous mind." And to such humiliation have they submitted even 
to this day. Dezima is shaped like a fan ; and the island is, for the most part, of artificial 



INTRODUCTION. 33 

construction. Its greatest length is about COO feet, and its greatest breadth about 240. A 
small stone bridge connects it with the town of Nagasaki ; at the end of this bridge there is 
always stationed a strong Japanese guard, and no one passes either to or from the island without 
license. The whole island is surrounded with a high fence, on the top of which are jjlaced iron 
spikes. Two water gates, on the north side of the island, are opened to let in the Dutch ships 
when they arrive, and are at all times kept shut save at the ingress and egress of these vessels. 
The Dutch are not permitted to build a house of stone on the island, and their miserable 
habitations are of fir wood and bamboo. The island has on it, at all times, Japanese spies, in 
the situations of interpreters, clerks, servants, &c., whom the Dutch are obliged to pay ; and is 
beside subject at any moment to the intrusion of the police of Nagasaki. In short, a more 
annoying and thorough system of imprisonment and espionage was never devised. 

When a ship arrives, the first act is to take out of her all her guns and ammunition. She is 
then searched in every part, and an exact list is made of the goods and everything else she has 
on board. The crew are then permitted to land on Dezima, where they are kept, as long as the 
ship remains, under the inspection of guards. Every Japanese official, whose business is with 
the Dutch at the factory, is bound twice or thrice in a year to take a solemn oath of renunciation 
and hatred of the Christian religion, and is made to trample under his feet crosses and crucifixes. 
It is not true, however, as has been stated, that the Dutch also are required to perform this act ; 
but they dare not say openly that they are Christians. A story is told of one who, in the time 
of the great persecution at Nagasaki, being asked by the Japanese poliqe "if he were a 
Christian," replied : "No! I am a Dutchman." With such an exhibition of Christianity, who 
wonders that the Japanese despise it. 

Formerly the chief of the factory, with the physician and some other officials at Dezima, 
visited the Emperor at Jeddo annually, and made to him costly presents. The visit is now 
quadrennial. On these occasions the Europeans had an opportunity of seeing and knowing 
something of Japan ; and almost all they have published to the world has been gathered in 
these periodical journeys to the capital. The story, however, is so uniform that we are 
constrained to believe there is a well defined class of objects and subjects with which alone the 
strangers are permitted to come into communication. 

Kfempfer says that in his time (1690-'92) the Dutch were allowed, while the ships were away, 
once or twice in the year, to walk into the country in the neighborhood of Nagasaki ; but they 
were always objects of suspicion and surrounded by spies. At present, (as we learn from 
Siebold,) if a member of the factory wishes such recreation, he must petition the governor of 
Nagasaki twenty-four hours beforehand ; leave is granted, but the Dutchman is accompanied by 
a swarm of interpreters, policemen, (banyoos, as they are called,) and other official spies to the 
number of some twenty-five or thirty persons. Each of these, too, may invite as many of his 
acquaintance as he pleases, and the unfortunate Dutchman must entertain them all. This heavy 
expense is doubtless designed by the Japanese to prevent the members of the factory from leaving 
Dezima. Nothing is more obvious than that the Japanese, as a people, have but little respect 
for the Dutch. Thus, when one of the factory goes out on leave, the boys follow him in a crowd, 
hooting and shouting, Holanda! Eolanda! or, as they pronounce it, Eoranda! Horanda! The 
gentleman, in pursuit of pleasure and the picturesque, is not allowed to enter any private 
residence during his ramble, and he must be back at Dezima by sunset. If a Dutchman, at any 
time, wishes to visit a private acquaintance, or is invited by an inhabitant of Nagasaki to 
5 J 



34 INTRODUCTION. 

partake of his hospitality, he must present a petition to the governor, and obtain sj)ecial 
permission to go ; while on the visit, he is surrounded by spies as usual. And to all this 
humiliation, the Dutch have submitted, for more than two hundred years, for the purpose of 
securing the monopoly of the Japanese trade I 

THE ENGLISH. 

We must now remind the reader of the letters written by William Adams, one of which was 
addressed to any of his countrymen in the east into whose hands Providence might cause it to 
fall. Adams was, in truth, the founder of the English as he had been of the Dutch trade. The 
letters he wrote reached Batavia, and were thence sent to London, where they were submitted to 
a corporation then known as the " Worshipful Fellowship of the Merchants of London, trading 
into the East Indies," but in later times by the far more celebrated name of the " Honorabla 
East India Company." No time was lost by the corporation in dispatching a ship for Japan, 
and Purchas has preserved for us the history of the voyage. The vessel was called the Clove, 
and was commanded by Captain John Saris, who had already made several voyages to the east. 
Taking on board such a cargo as was deemed suitable, and furnished with a letter from King 
James I. to the Prince of Firando, and one also, with presents, to the Emperor, Saris left Eng- 
land on the 18th of April^ 1611, and stopping and trading at various places on the way, reached 
Firando on the lltli of June, 1613, when the English met with a most iriendly reception from 
the natives. 

Saris found on his arrival that Adams was at Jeddo, nearly 900 miles distant, and imme- 
diately put himself in communication with him, desiring him to repair at once to Firando. 
Until he came he carried on his conferences with the Japanese, by means of a native of the 
country whom he had picked up at Bantam, and who spoke the Malay language, which Saris 
understood. Saris delivered the King's letter to the Prince of Firando, Foyne Sama, who 
received it with pride, but would not open it until Adams (whom they called Ange) should arrive 
to interpret it. The Prince also sent intelligence to the Emperor of the arrival of the Clove. 

On the 29th of July Adams arrived, and Saris conferred with him on the subject of trade ; 
and let us hope he had also something to tell him of his wife and children. Early in August 
Saris left Firando for Jeddo, having in his company Adams and ten other Englishmen. The 
purpose of the visit was to offer to the Emperor the presents of the English King, and to nego- 
tiate a treaty. The Prince of Firando furnished the party with one of his own galleys of fifty 
oars. Saris gives us the particulars of his journey, which are not without interest, especially as it 
respects the manners and customs of the people, which (as there were then no restrictions on the 
intercourse with foreigners, and as he had Adams for a companion) he had ample opportunity 
of seeing imder the most favorable circumstances. At length he had an interview with the 
Emperor, by whom he was graciously received, and from whom, after some little negotiation 
between Saris and the Emperor's secretary, he obtained privileges of trade, as follows : 

" 1 . We give free license to the subjects of the King of Great Britain, viz : Sir Thomas Smith, 
governor, and the company of the East Indian merchants and adventurers, forever safely to 
come into any of our ports of our Empire of Japan, with their ships and merchandise, without 
any hindrance to them or their goods ; and to abide, buy, sell, and barter, according to their 
own manner with all nations ; to tarry here as long as they think good, and to depart at their 
pleasure. 



INTRODUCTION. 35 

"2. We grant unto them freedom of custom for all such merchandises as either now they 
have hrought, or hereafter shall bring into our Kingdoms, or shall from hence transport to any 
foreign part ; and do authorize those ships that hereafter shall arrive and come from England 
to proceed to present sale of their commodities, without further coming or sending up to our 
court. 

" 3. If any of their ships shall happen to be in danger of shipwreck, we will our subjects not 
only to assist them, hut that such part of ship and goods as shall be saved be returned to their 
captain or cape merchant, or their assigns. And that they shall or may build one house or more 
for themselves in any part of our Empire where they shall think fittest, and at their departure 
to make sale thereof at their pleasure. 

" 4. If any of the English merchants or others shall depart this life within our dominions, the 
goods of the deceased shall remain at the dispose of the cape merchant ; and that all offences 
committed by them shall be punished by the said cape merchant, according to his discretion ; 
and our laws to take no hold of their persons or goods. 

"5. We will that ye our subjects trading with them for any of their commodities pay them 
for the same, according to agreement, without delay, or return of their wares again unto them. 
" 6. For such commodities as they have now brought^ or shall hereafter bring, fitting for our 
service and proper use, we will that no arrest be made thereof; but that the price be made with 
the cape merchant, according as they may sell to others, and present payment upon the 
delivery of the goods. 

" 7. If in discovery of other countries for trade, and return of their ships they shall need 
men or victuals, we will that ye our subjects furnish them for their money as their need shall 
require. 

"8. And that, without other passport, they shall and may set out upon the discovery of 
Jesso or any other jjart in or about our Empire." 

These certainly were privileges of the most liberal kind, and conclusively show that the 
original policy of Japan was not at all one of exclusion ; and that Europeans may thank 
themselves for the introduction of that rigorous system which has so long shut her ports 
against the commerce of nearly all the civilized world. The Japanese, when they discovered 
that foreigners were conspiring to take their country from them, did not choose to permit it ; 
and, as the shortest mode of preventing it, sent out such foreigners as were in the country, and 
forbade any more to come in. Now, whatever doubts may be entertained as to the wisdom or 
expediency of such a remedy, no sane man will question the right, or find fault with the desire, 
of the Japanese to keep Japan for themselves. If, ixnfortunately, some of the conspirators were 
European ecclesiastics, they justly paid the penalty of expulsion from the kingdom for making 
their religion a part of their politics. The blunder was their own, not that of the Japanese. 

The Emperor also sent by Captain Saris the following letter to the King of England : 
" To the King of Great Britain : 

"Your Majesty's kind letter sent me by your servant, Captain John Saris, (who is the first 
that I have known to arrive in any part of my dominions,) I heartily embrace, being not a 
little glad to understand of your great wisdom and i^ower, as having three plentiful and 
mighty kingdoms under your powerful command. I acknowledge your Majesty's great bounty 
in sending me so undeserved a present of many rare things, such as my land affordeth not, 
neither have I ever before seen, which I receive not as from a stranger, but as from your 



36 INTRODUCTION. 

Majesty, whom I esteem as myself. Desiring the continuance of friendship with your highness — 
and that it may stand with your good liking to send your subjects to any jmrt or port of my 
dominions, where they shall be most heartily welcome, applauding much their worthiness in 
the admirable knowledge of navigation, having with much facility discovered a country so 
remote, being no whit amazed with the distance of so mighty a gulf, nor greatnes.s of such 
infinite clouds and storms, from jirosecuting honorable enterprises of discoveries and merchan- 
dizing — wherein they shall find me to further them according to their desires. I return unto 
your Majesty a small token of my love, (by your said subject,) desiring you to accept thereof, as 
from him that much rejoiceth in your friendship. And whereas your Majesty's subjects have 
desired certain privileges for trade, and settling of a factory in my dominions, I have not only 
granted what they demanded, biit have confirmed the same unto them under my broad seal for 
better establishing thereof. 

" From my castle in Surunga, this fourth day of the ninth month, in the eighteenth year of 
our Dairi, according to our computation. Eesting your Majesty's friend. The highest 
commander in this Kingdom of Japan. 

"MINNA, MONTTONO. Yd, ye, yeas." 

[lyeyas.] 
Three years after this, in 1616, a slight modification was made in the grant of privileges, 
without, however, injuriously affecting the commercial interests of England. The ships were 
directed, upon arriving on the coast, to repair to Firando, and carry on all their trade 
at their factory there. They might, however, in case of opposing winds or bad weather, 
enter and stay in any harbor of the Kingdom without paying anchorage duties, and though 
they could not sell, they might freely buy any necessaries their ships required. "When Saris 
returned to England, he left in charge of the factory he had established at Firando Mr. Kichard 
Cockes, who had under his direction eight Englishmen, three Japanese interpreters, and two 
native servants. Among the Englishmen was Adams, whom the company were very glad to 
employ at a liberal salary. The Protestant factories — Dutch and English — were thus neighbors 
at Firando, while the Portuguese were at Dezima, in the harbor of Nagasaki, and bore them no 
good will. 

The English, however, soon gained the friendship and confidence of the natives, and Cockes 
paid more than one visit to the Emperor at Jeddo. He remained in the country many years, 
and, as it would appear from his letters, (printed in Purchas,) had ultimately trouble with his 
Dutch neighbors, who seem to us, at least, to have systematically acted, from the first hour of 
obtaining foothold in Japan, upon the policy of driving away all European traders but them- 
selves. It is a policy from which (notwithstanding their profes.sions) we think they have never 
swerved. 

The English company, it is probable, made an injudicious selection of merchandise for 
shipment to Japan ; at any rate, from this or some other cause, certain it is that the business 
did not prove remunerative ; and, discouraged by this and some other circumstances, the company, 
in 1623, after an expenditure of £40,000, voluntarily closed their factory at Firando, and 
withdrew from the country. But they left with an unstained reputation, and departed with the 
esteem of the higher classes and the regrets of the more humble. It is useless to indulge in 
conjecture as to what might have been the present condition of Japan had they remained. 
Possibly, long ere this, she might have had commercial relations established with the rest of the 



INTRODUCTION, 37 

world. The departure of tlie English took place before the bloody persecution of the Christians 
reached its height. They left native Christians in Japan ; we are not prepared to believe they 
would ever have deliberately assisted in their extermination. It was, perhaps, fortunate for 
them that they were out of the Kingdom before the bombardment of Simabara. 

Thirteen years after the abandonment of their factory, the English were disposed to make 
a new attempt. Acccordingly, four vessels were dispatched, but they were ungraciously received 
at Nagasaki, the only port then open to foreigners, and occupied by the Dutch, and they returned 
without accomplishing their object. The Dutch were now becoming all-powerful in the east ; 
established on the ruins of the Portuguese dominion at Amboyna and Timor, fortified in Batavia, 
masters of the Moluccas, Ceylon, tlie coasts of Malabar and Coromandel, they were not likely to 
admit a rival among them, and to them the English, without doubt justly, attributed the failure 
of this attempt to re-establish themselves in Japan. 

But they deemed it best, for a time, to keep still ; dark days were coming upon England ; 
the country had to pass through the civil wars that marked the reign of the first Charles. It 
was no time to undertake bold commercial enterprises. The East India Company consequently 
did but little more for many years than keep up an intercourse with Bantam. They wanted 
a time of peace and a firmly settled government before they made further efforts. 

At length, in 1673, the company renewed its efforts to re-enter Japan. It had received a fresb 
and much enlarged grant of powers from the King, and was in fact made little less than a 
sovereign power in the east. The ship that was now sent was called the "Return." A journal, 
as yet unpublished, was kept of the voyage ; and Fraissinet says it is now in the possession of 
the Southwell family at Loudon. He has had access to it, and furnishes us with many interesting 
extracts ; observing very justly that it strikingly illustrates three particulars — the remarkable 
circumspection of the Japanese, their extreme opposition to the introduction of any strangers 
among them, and, above all, their unappeasable hatred of the Portuguese. 

Charles II, it will be remembered, had married a princess of Braganza, and was therefore 
allied to the royal family of Portugal ; and the Dutch were by no means backward in commu- 
nicating this fact to the Japanese. Accordingly, on the appearance of the English ship in the 
Japanese waters, she was, from this cause alone, viewed with unusual suspicion. We give 
from the journal alluded to above, or rather from the French version of it, some of the 
conversations between the English and the Japanese ofiicials. 

"Are you English?" 

"Yes. We have come here with the permission of our sovereign, the King of England, to 
carry on trade for the East India Company, and re-establish the commerce which our countrymen 
commenced with you and left fifty years ago. We have letters from our King, and from the 
company, to his Majesty the Emperor of Japan;" and with this was handed to the Japanese 
commissioner a copy of the privileges of trade already set before the reader. This was written 
in the Japanese character. 

The governor next charged the interpreter to ask ' ' if England was at peace with Portugal 
and Spain ; if our King had been long married to the daughter of the King of Portugal ; 
whether there were any children of the marriage; what was our religion, and what sort of 
merchandize we had?" 

We answered that just now we are at peace with all the world ; that our King had been 
married eleven years ; that the Queen had no children ; that we were Christians as the Dutch 
were, but not papists. As to our merchandize, the cargo of the ship was a general one. 



38 INTRODUCTION. 

At the next interview, the governor said, "it is fifty years since the English were here; we 
shouhi like to know the reason of your long ahsence." The civil wars of England, two wars 
with Holland, and the expense and danger of so long a voyage were assigned as reasons and 
seemed to be satisfactory. The questioning then proceeded : 

"Have you none among you who have been in this country before ?" 
"Not one." 

" How, then, were you able to find your way here?" 
"By means of marine charts which guided us." 

"What is the religion of the Portuguese? is it not called Koman Catholic? have they not the 
image of a woman whom they call Santa Maria, and of a man named Santo Christo? do not 
they worship these images? and how many other saints have they?" 

"We cannot answer the last question, not knowing enough of the Eoman religion to do so." 
" What is your own worship ? Have you also images like the Portuguese?" 
"No. We are of the reformed religion, which is like that of the Dutch. We offer our 
prayers to none but to Almighty God, the creator of heaven and earth, who fills all things with 
his presence. We never make any image or figure to represent him." 

"Can you tell me who is that Santo Christo, and who is that Santa Maria?" 
"We call the first the son of God, and the last the Virgin Mary; but we never offer prayers 
to the Virgin." 

"How do the Dutch worship God?" 
"I have told you, as we do." 
"What do they call him?" 
"They call him God." 
"And the Christ?" 
"They call him Christ?" 

"What name do you Dutch and English give to the religion of the Portuguese?" 
"We give the name of the 'Eoman Catholic religion.' " 
"And what to those who profess it?" 
"We call them papists, Eomans, Koman Catholics." 
"What do the Portuguese call you?" 
"Sereyes in their language, in ours heretics." 

Just at this moment the British flag was hoisted, when instantly the question was put : 
"Why do you hoist your flag to-day, and why have you not done it every day since you 
came in?" 

"To-day is our Sabbath, and it is our custom always to hoist our flag on the return of the 

seventh day." 

"At what times in the day do you pray ?" 

"Every morning and evening." 

"And the Dutch, do they the same?" 

"Certainly." 

But the St. George's cross in the flag troubled the Japanese, and they made it the subject of 
many inquiries, desiring to know why it was there. 

"We do not carry the cross in our colors from superstition, nor does it have any religious 
meaning there. It is nothing more than our distinctive sign. Beside, our flag and cross and 
those of the Portuguese are very different." 



INTRODUCTION. 39 

"Have you ever been under the dominion of Portugal or Spain ?" 

"Never. Our sovereign is King of three great States. He is a prince much more powerful 
than the King of Portugal." 

"Is it not then from either of these nations that you have received your cross?" 

"We have had it from time immemorial ; for six centuries at least." 

Notwithstanding all these explanations, however, the Japanese officers, not by command, but 
23rivately and as friends, advised the English not to hoist the flag with the cross, as a o-reat 
many of the people mistook it for the Portuguese standard. At length the answer came from 
the Emperor, to whom had been referred the English application for a renewal of trade. 

"We have received letters from the Emperor. Your request, as well as the reasons by which 
you enforced it, have been duly considered. But you cannot be allowed to trade here, because 
your King has married the daughter of the King of Portugal. That is the only reason why 
your request is refused. The Emperor orders that you depart and come back no more. Such is 
his will, and we cannot change it in any particular. You will therefore make sail with the first 
favorable wind, and at the latest within twenty days." 

"It is impossible for us to leave before the trade winds change." 

"■'In that case, how much time do you wish us to grant you?" 

"Forty-five days ; for in that time I suppose we shall have a change." 

The English asked permission at least to sell their cargo before going. 

" The Emperor forbids it ; we dare not disobey. It is your unfortunate alliance with Portugal 
which stands in your way." 

And thus ended this attempt to revive the English trade. It may be that other causes beside 
the Portuguese marriage operated ; and of these the Dutch, it cannot be doubted, would gladly 
avail themselves ; but if there were no other, then it is quite certain that the Hollanders, by 
communicating this unpropitious fact to the Japanese, were the sole cause of the exclusion of the 
English. And such was the opinion of all on board the "Eeturn." 

More than a century elapsed, after this unsuccessful experiment, before the English made 
another attempt ; but in 1791, the "Argonaut," which was employed in the fur trade, on the 
northwestern coast of America, made an effort to barter with the Japanese. On the arrival of 
the vessel, however, she was immediately surrounded, according to the usual custom, by lines 
of boats, and no communication was allowed between the ship and the shore. All that was 
obtained was wood and water, and with these the "Argonaut" took her departure. 

In 1803 the "Frederick," an English inerchantman, was sent from Calcutta with a cargo to 
Japan, but was refused admittance to the harbor, and was ordered to dej^art within twenty-four 
hours. This unceremonious treatment of the English was, undoubtedly, owing to the Dutch. 
England had made great conquests in India, and securely established her power in the east ; 
some of these conquests, too, were made at the expense of the Dutch. Under Clive and Warren 
Hastings all the fond anticipations the Hollanders had formed of a foothold in India had been 
dissipated. They could not accomplish their wishes, but they could use the very triumphs of 
their rivals as an instrument in defeating the English efforts to increase their trade. This was 
to be effected by awakening the jealousy and alarming the apprehensions of the Japanese. 
These last were uncommonly well informed of the progress of events in India, from the time 
of Clive downward. Where could they have learned them but from the Dutch? The Hol- 
landers told the story with such coloring as suited them ; whitewashing their own disgraces and 



40 INTRODUCTION. 

defeats, and covering with blackness the acts of their successful rivals. They thus taught the 
Japanese to form an idea of the English character and ambition perfectly fatal to the establish- 
ment of friendly relations. And, unfortunately, in many instances, (one of which, in Japan, 
we shall detail directly,) the English were furnishing them, from time to time, with abundant 
material. We do not mean to apologize for England's misdoings in the east ; but we do mean 
to impute to the Dutch the seeming pursuit, from the very beginning, of a uniform system of 
policy, which, whether it be so or not, appears, at least, to have sought the exclusion of 
Portuguese, English, Americans, and every other commercial nation in Christendom, from any 
participation in the trade with Japan, of which, at the price of a servility utterly unworthy 
of the noble deeds of Holland's past history, she had procured the monopoly. 

The next English visit we have to record is that of an armed ship-of-war, in 1808. In 
October of that year an European vessel, with Dutch colors, appeared off Nagasaki. It was the 
time when the usual Dutch trader was expected, and M. Doeff was then director of the factory 
at Dezima. Supposing it to be the expected annual trader from Batavia, two of the employes 
of the factory, one of whom was a book-keeper, named G-ozeman, put off to the ship ; according 
to Doeff's account, the native interpreters, who never went on board, reported on their return 
that the shijj's boat put off on the approach of the boat containing the two Dutch clerks, as if 
to meet them ; and that the crew of the ship's boat had weapons concealed on their persons. 
The Japanese boat, with the interpreters, was astern of that from the factory. As the boats 
approached that of the Dutchmen was boarded from the other and the two employes were forcibly 
carried, as prisoners, on board the ship. Be this as it may, certain it is that Gozeman and his 
companion did not return, and that they were detained on board of the strange vessel. The 
Japanese could not conceal their astonishment, nor understand how Hollanders, in that part of 
the Kingdom where they were permitted to be, and lawfully employed, too, could be thus treated 
by men sailing under the Dutch flag. Doeff, however, instantly suspected that the vessel was 
English, and he knew that war then existed between his own country and England. 

The governor of Nagasaki, enraged beyond measure, had driven the Japanese interpreters 
from his presence, and bade them not dare appear before him again without Gozeman and his 
companion ; and instantly set about making preparations for repelling a warlike attack. But, 
to his horror, he discovered that, at a strong point on the harbor, where there should have been 
a garrison of a thousand men, nearly all were absent without leave ; the commander was away, 
and not more than sixty or seventy soldiers could be mustered. Though it was not the 
governor's duty to command this point in person, yet to him belonged its oversight ; and from 
the moment he discovered its condition he considered himself as a dead man. 

At eleven o'clock that night, Doeff received a note in the hand-writing of one of the detained 
Dutchmen, in these words : " The ship has come from Bengal. The captain's name is Pellew ; 
he wants water and provisions." The vessel was H. M. S. Photon, belonging to the squadron 
of Admiral Drury, cruising in the eastern seas. As we have said, England was at war with 
Holland, which at that time was a mere dependency of France. The admiral had ordered 
Captain Fleetwood Pellew to cruise off the Japanese islands, for the purpose of intercepting the 
Dutch traders to Nagasaki. Captain Pellew, after cruising for a month, supposed that the 
Dutch vessels might have reached the harbor of Nagasaki, and jjut in to that port in the hope 
of finding them there. 

Doeff did not dare to send off water and provisions without the concurrence of the Japanese 



INTRODUCTION. 41 

governor ; and when tlie latter asked his advice ahout acceding to the request^ he declined 
giving it, and said he conld give no support to anj^ request made by one whom he now knew to 
he the enemy of his country. 

In the midst of the embarrassment and confusion of the poor governor, his first secretary 
made his appearance to submit a proposition, strikingly characteristic of some of the traits of 
Japanese character : ' ' This, ' ' said he, " is my plan . The foreign ship has entrapped the Dutchmen 
by treachery ; therefore, all means are lawful to punish the treachery. I will contrive, then, 
to go on board alone under the guise of friendly professions. I will demand of the captain the 
two Dutchmen ; if he will not surrender them, I will strike him dead, and then immediately 
kill myself with a dagger which I will conceal in my bosom. I know that assassination is 
repugnant to our national character ; but the English commander, who has thus dishonorably 
invaded our country to attack those whose flag he has usurped for his protection, is worthy of 
no better fate. In short, to punish him, I am quite willing to sacrifice my life." 

M. Doeif, however, represented to him that the consequence of this plan would certainly be 
his own death, and jirobably that of the two Dutchmen on board the ship ; and the governor 
concurring in this view, the secretary abandoned his desperate scheme. 

The plan next considered, was to detain the ship on one pretext or another, until the forces 
of the neighboring princes could be collected for an attack. In the course of the day, how- 
ever, G-ozeman was sent on shore with a note, as follows : "I have ordered my own boat to set 
Gozeman on shore to procure me water and provisions. If he does not return before evening, 
I will enter the harbor early to-morrow morning, and burn the Japanese and Chinese vessels 
that may be there." 

Gozeman 's story was, that when he was taken on board, he demanded to see the commander, 
whereujjon he was carried before a youth, seemingly some eighteen or nineteen years old, who, 
taking him into the cabin, asked him whether there were any Dutch ships in Japan, threat- 
ening him with the severest punishment if he should deceive him. G-ozeman told him truly, 
that the Dutch ships had not arrived that year. The commander, however, pretended to know 
better ; accused the Dutchman of having spoken untruly, and said he would enter the harbor, and 
see for himself, and, in case he found any, Gozeman might consider himself a dead man. 
Accordingly, he did enter in his boat, and made examination, and on his return, told Gozeman 
it was fortunate for him that his statement had been found true. He then sent him on shore 
with the note given above, instructing him to return, whether he obtained the supplies or 
not, and informing him that if he did not come back, his companion, who was kejit on board, 
should be hanged. 

The governor was transported with rage when he heard this story, but was finally induced 
by what Doeff said to him to send off water and iirovisions by Gozeman. Soon after the two 
Dutchmen were sent on shore in safety. And now the Japanese governor employed himself in 
taking measures to detain the ship (as was his duty) until the pleasure of the government 
could be known. But how to do this was a question not very easy of solution. Doeff was 
again consulted, when he did not conceal the difficulty, not to say the impossibility, of the 
capture by the Japanese of a British frigate, in a perfect state of warlike equipment. One plan 
was suggested by the prince of Omura, who promised to take the lead in its execution, and the 
Japanese by no means lacked the courage necessary to attempt it. They are a brave race. 
The plan was to man three hundred boats loaded with reeds and straw and other combustibles, 
6 J 



42 INTRODUCTION. 

to siiiTuund the frigate aud Lurii lier. The calculation was that if the English destroyed two 
hundred of the boats, enough would still he left to effect the object. The rowers were to save 
themselves by swimming. 

But Doeff advised another course. He recommended to the governor to amuse the com- 
mander of the ship by promises of water the next day, so as to detain him as long as possible, 
and to improve the time by causing a number of native boats to go with stones and throw them 
into the narrow channel by which alone the ship could pass out to the open sea. This he hoped 
could be done, without discovery by the English, in the course of tlie next day and night ; and 
the work was ordered ; but before anything was accomplished, a favorable wind sprung up, and 
the Phaiton stood out to sea. 

MacFarlane thinks that, anywhere but in Japan, the whole affair, having terminated blood- 
lessly, would have been laughed at as a clever ruse de guer-i-e ; but it was no matter for mirtli to 
the unfortunate Japanese officials. The law of the Kingdom had been broken, and the 
consequence was inevitable. In half an hour after the ship made sail, the governor of Nagasaki 
was dead by his own hand ; he had followed the custom of the country and disembowelled 
himself. The officers of the neglected garrison did the same thing ; the interpreters were 
ordered to Jeddo, and never were seen again in Nagasaki ; nor could the Dutch ever learn their 
fate; and this "laughable" ruse cost no less than thirteen Japanese lives. The governor of 
the jjrovince (Fizen) was the officer who had supreme command of the troops that belonged to 
the garrison ; and was, at the time of the Phaeton's arrival, residing, compulsorily, in the 
distant capital, (Jeddo,) yet was he punished by an imprisonment of one hundred days for the 
delinquency of his subordinate officers. The visit of the British frigate therefore brought in 
its train very sad consequences, creating very strong prejudices against the English, and to 
this hour it is remembered in Japan with embittered feelings. 

Five years had elapsed after the visit of the English frigate before another attempt was 
made. During that period the wars -of Europe bad cut off the Dutch at Dezima, not only 
from communication with Holland aud her colonies, but with all the rest of the world. They 
were in profound ignorance of all that had passed in this interval outside of Japan. 

In July, 1813, they heard with joy that two European ships under the Dutch flag were off 
the port. They showed also the private Dutch signal, so that M. Doeff had no doubt they 
were the long expected vessels that had come from Batavia for the annual trade. Letters also 
were sent on shore to the factory, from which he learned that M. Waardenar, formerly 
president of the factory, and under whose patronage and friendship M. Doeff had commenced 
his career as an employ^ at Dezima, was on board one of the ships in the capacity of commissary 
of the government, with his secretary and physician ; and that on board the other was M. 
Cassa, accompanied by three assistants, and charged to replace M. Doeff. 

Immediately the storekeeper, Blomhoff, with another of the Dezima officials, (they had but 
three left in the whole factory,) put off to meet the ships ; and, on their return, Blomhoff told 
Doeff that M. "Waardenar was indeed on board, and that the Dutch captain, Voorman, who 
had often been to Dezima before, commanded ; " but," added he, " everything aboard wore a 
strange aspect ; and the commissary, instead of confiding to me, as usual, the papers from the 
government, said he woiild deliver them to you in person." Presently the vessels came into 
harbor ; and as all the crew spoke English, the Japanese, who had been accustomed to hear 
that language since 179.5, concluded that the vessels were American, and that they had been 



INTRODUCTION. 43 

hired at Batavia by tlio Dutch, wlio they knew had sometimes sought to carry on their 
commerce, without risk of capture, under the flag of the United States. To ascertain the 
truth, M. Doeff himself went on board, when M. Waardenar met him with evident embarrass- 
ment, and handed him a letter. The Dutch director saw that there was something not yet 
intelligible to him, and prudently declined opening the letter until he should reach the factory, 
whither he soon returned accompanied by Waardenar and his secretary. 

When they reached Dezima, Doeff opened the letter in the presence of Blomhoff and of 
Waardenar and his secretary. It was signed "Raffles, Lieutenant Governor of Java and its 
Dependencies," and announced that M. Waardenar was appointed commissary in Japan, with 
supreme power over the factory. The poor director was utterly bewildered. In his long isola- 
tion great events, and among them the utter absorption of his own nation into that of France, 
and the subjugation of all the Dutch colonies, had occurred; and he asked in amazement, "Who 
is Eaffles?" Then was opened to him the last five years of European history, and he learned 
that Holland no longer had an independent national existence, and that Java belonged to Eng- 
land ; that Sir Stamford Eaffles, who ruled there, had appointed Waardenar and Dr. Ainslie, an 
Englishman, as commissioners in Japan, and required of him a surrender of everything into 
their hands. It was an ingenious but most hazardous attempt on the part of Eaffles to transfer 
the trade which the Dutch had so long monopolized to the hands of the English. . 

Doeff instantly refused compliance, on the ground that Japan was no dependency of Java, and 
could not be affected by any capitulation the Dutch might have made on the surrender of that 
island ; and further, that if Java was now an English island, then the order to him came from 
an authority to which he, as a Dutchman, acknowledging no allegiance to England, certainly 
owed no obedience. Doeff, who was exceedingly shrewd, saw also in an instant that the ships 
and crews were completely at his mercy. He had but to tell the Japanese the facts he had 
just learned, and, exasperated as they were by the affair of the Phaeton, the destruction of the 
ships and their crews would inevitably follow. He saw his advantage, and shaped his course 
accordingly. Fraissinet (who in his work on Japan is very much of an apologist for the Dutch 
in all cases) represents this conduct on the part of M. Doeff as an example of exalted humanity 
and patriotism ; while MacFarlane intimates that, such was the hatred of Doeff to the English, 
he would probably have denounced the ships to the Jaj^anese but for the fact that M. Waardenar 
was his countryman, his friend, and early benefactor. We cannot undertake to arbitrate between 
these conflicting views, our business is to record the fact that, in the exercise either of loyalty, 
or friendship, or humanity, as the case may be, he contrived to preserve, in all its purity, the 
high reputation of the Dutch for taking care of their commercial interests in Japan, at any 
expense, particularly when such expense could be made to fall upon others. 

The Dutch factory had for five years been without its annual supplies from Batavia, and had 
consequently been obliged to contract a large debt to the Japanese for their support during this 
long period. M. Doeff, after working upon the fears of Waardenar and Ainslie by a threat of 
exposure to the Japanese, induced them to enter into an arrangement with him, and to bind 
themselves in writing to the fulfilment of the contract, which was in substance this : In the first 
place, the ships were to be passed off as being American, employed by the Dutch, for the sake 
of obtaining the protection of the neutral flag of the United States. Secondly, the presence of M. 
Waardenar, well known to the JajDanese as a Dutchman, and formerly President of Dezima, was 
to give countenance to this view. Thirdly, M. Doeff" demanded as the price of holding his 



44 INTRODUCTION, 

tongue, tliat is, as tlie price of saving the lives of Waardenar and the English, that the cargoes 
of the two ships should he delivered to him, as Dutch factor, in the usual manner ; that he 
should disjjose of them, and out of the proceeds pay first all that Holland owed the Japanese for 
the supplies of the last five years. The surplus was to he applied to the purchase of copper, to 
load the ships as f;xr as possible, tliough the copper was to he estimated at more tlian the usual 
price to the English purchasers. Finally, it was provided that when the ships reached Batavia 
and sold the copper, twenty-five thousand rix dollars were to he placed to the personal credit of 
M. Doeff. On these terms the Dutch director connived at the imposition of a deception upon 
the Japanese, and successfully managed to secure the silence of such of the interpreters as he 
could not help trusting with the secret. The ships were loaded and disjiatched as soon as 
possible, and they certainly encountered no small risk while they remained at Dezima ; for the 
son of that governor of Nagasaki who killed himself about the affair of the Phaeton was now a 
man of office and influence at Jcddo, and would undoubtedly have availed himself of the oppor- 
tunity, had he known it existed, to avenge his father's death. 

Sir Stamford Kaffles is generally supposed by his best friends to have made a mistake in 
sending these ships. If Doeff had surrendered the factory, the probability is that as soon as 
the Japanese discovered it to be transferred, and that, too, without consulting them, they would 
have destroyed Dezima, and put all the English there to death. 

In 1814, however, Eaffies sent Cassa back in one of the ships, (Waardenar was probably too 
wise to put his neck into the halter again,) when the same stratagem was resorted to, the same 
commercial profit was secured by the wily Dutchman, and Cassa failed entirely in superseding 
M. Doeif as director of Dezima. The latter was more than a match for him in the game of 
cunning and trickery by which each sought to countermine the stratagems of the other. Doeff 
kept Dezima ; and for a time the flag of Holland floated nowhere else in the world but on that 
distant spot, where it was unfurled by sufferance only. At last, after the restoration of the house 
of Orange, and the return of Java to»the Dutch, the old trade was resumed, and Doefi" was 
succeeded by a new director. 

In 1818, another attempt was made in a little vessel of sixty-five tons, that was commanded 
by Captain Gordon, of the British navy. She entered the bay of Jeddo, and was immediately 
surrounded with the usual line of boats. Her rudder was unshipped, and all her arms and 
ammunition were taken ashore. The interpreters, one of whom spoke Dutch, and one Kussian, 
and both some English, inquired if the Dutch and English were now friends, and if the vessel 
belonged to the East India Company? They were c^uite civil, but utterly refused all presents 
and trade. The last English visit, prior to the time of the United States expedition under 
Commodore Perry, was in May, 1849. This was made by H. M. S. "Mariner," under Com- 
mander Matheson. She went to Oragawa, about twenty -"five miles from Jeddo, but nothing of 
importance resulted from the visit. 

THE RUSSIANS. 

The efforts of Eussia to obtain foothold in Jajmn commenced in the latter part of the last 
century. Her possessions in Asia, her seizure and occupation of some of the Kurile 
islands which belonged to Japan, and her small portion of territory in America, in the colony 
at Sitka, have placed her on every side of the Japanese Empire but the south. She has pursued 
her policy noiselessly ; possibly meaning at the proper time to make her communications as com- 



INTRODUCTION. 45 

plete as circumstances will allow lietwcen lier Asiatic and American possessions. "VVitli Corea, 
Japan, and the Aleutian islands, stretching over to the promontory of Alaska on our northwest 
coast, and with a strong point at Sitka, she might be in a situation to show the world that her plans 
of extension were by no means confined to the limits of the Eastern hemisphere. With harbors on 
the coasts of Eastern Asia and Western America, opening on a sea which must bo the seat of an 
immense and lucrative commerce, she might aim to be a great maritime power, and to rule 
mistress of the Pacific. If she possessed Japan, she would have an abundance of harbors, 
unrivalled in the world for excellency, and with her resources would control the commerce of 
the Pacific. It is not, therefore, the interest of any part of the commercial world that "Russia 
should ever own Jajjan; but Kussia has, doubtless, long seen the importance to her of its acqui- 
sition. If she aims at being a commercial nation, the possession of Japan would make her 
eminently so. 

Some seventy or eighty years ago, a Japanese vessel was wrecked on one of the Aleutian 
islands belonging to Russia. The crew was rescued, and was carried to the Eussian port of 
Okotsk, or Irkutzk. Bat, instead of being sent hoem at once, they were detained in Rtissia ten years. 
The object undoubtedly was, that the Japanese and Russians might learn each others' languages. 
It seemed to be a small matter, but it had a specific end. At last, the discovery was made that 
it would be humane to attempt, at least, the return of these poor shipwrecked Japanese to their 
country. Russia, probably, was ignorant that they would be refused admission. Had they 
been sent ten years before, the consequences would have been the same ; but Russia did not know 
this ; and beside, her later efibrt deprives her of any apology for her tardy humanity. 

Tlie Empress Catharine, however, directed the governor of Siberia to send them back, and to 
endeavor, through their instrumentality, to establish such mutual relations as might tend to the 
benefit of both nations. He was ordered to dispatch an envoy, in his own name, with credentials 
and suitable presents ; and was expressly forbidden to permit any Englishman or Dutchman to 
be employed in the work. A Russian lieutenant, named Laxman, was the agent employed, and 
in the autumn of 1792, he sailed from Okotsk, in a transport ship called the " Catharine." He 
soon made a harbor on the northern coast of the island of Jesso, and there wintered ; in the 
succeeding summer he went round to the southern coast of the same island and entered the 
harbor of Hakodadi. The Japanese were polite, but refused to take back their countrymen, 
informing Laxman that it was against their laws. They also told liim that he had sulyected 
himself and his crew, as being foreigners, to perpetual imprisonment for landing anywhere in 
the Kingdom except at the appointed port of Nagasaki ; yet, in consideration of the Russian 
ignorance of this law, and of tlieir kindness to the shipwrecked Japanese, they would not enforce 
the law, provided Lieutenant Laxman would promise for himself and his countrymen to return 
immediately to his own country, and never again come to any part of Japan but Nagasaki. 

Laxman left without landing the Japanese, and the Empress Catharine made no further 
attempt during her reign. In 1804, her grandson, the Emperor Alexander, renewed the effort. 
A government ship, commanded by Krusenstern, was sent to Nagasaki, having on board 
Resanoff, sent as special ambassador to Japan. He had hardly arrived, however, before he 
furnished abundant evidence of liis unfitness for the delicate mission with which he was intrusted. 
He commenced his intercourse with the Japanese oflicials by a dispute on a ridiculous point of 
etiquette, viz : whether he should make a bow to the Emperor's representatives. Next he 
positively refused to surrender the arms of the ship, according to the usual custom, though it 



46 INTRODUCTION. 

■was perfectly useless to retain them, as he had given up all the ammunition to the Japanese. 
He then very foolishly contrived to convince the inmates of the Dutch factory at Dezima, to whom 
he hrought letters, that he suspected them of secretly intriguing to defeat his pirrposes with the 
Japanese ; while, in point of fact, the sagacious Dutchman, Doeff, who had charge of Dezima, 
was exercising all his ingenuity to pursue such a nicely balanced system of non-committal, that, 
let the mission terminate as it would, he might he ahle to exclaim, "thou canst not say, /did 
it," and to turn events to the advantage of himself and his countrymen. But, at last, the 
ship was broTight into safe anchorage, within the harbor ; and after a great deal of negotiation 
and delay, consent was given that the Eussian ambassador might live on land until an answer 
to his message was received from the Emperor at Jeddo. An old fish warehouse was cleaned 
out and prepared for his reception, and surrounded with a high fence of bamboos. At last, 
when he was summoned to go to Nagasaki to hear the Emperor's answer to his application, 
curtains were hung before the houses on each side of the street through which he passed, and 
the inhabitants were all ordered to keep out of sight, so that he saw nothing of the place. 
Indeed, as we read the account of Eesanoff's mission, it is liard to resist the belief, that the 
Japanese took pleasure in mortifying the ambassador, and in overwhelming him, at the 
same time, with an "affectation of great personal politeness. They kept him waiting, too, 
until 1805 for his answer ; when it came, it was peremptory enough. " Order from the Emperor 
of Japan to the Eussian ambassador." "Formerly, our Empire had communication with 
several nations ; but experience caused us to adopt, as safe, the opposite principle. It is not 
permitted to the Japanese to trade abroad ; nor to foreigners to enter our country." * * * 
"As to Eussia, we have never had any relations with her. Ten years ago, you sent certain 
shipwrecked Japanese to Matsmai, and you then made us propositions of alliance and commerce. 
At this time you have come back to Nagasaki, to renew these propositions. This proves that 
Eussia has a strong inclination for Japan. It is long since we discontinued all relations with 
foreigners generally. Although we desire to live in peace with all neighboring States, the 
difference between them and us, in manners and character, forbids entirely treaties of alliance. 
Yourvoyagesandyourlaborsare, therefore, useless." * * * " All commimications 
between you and us are impossible, and it is my imperial pleasure that, henceforth, you no more 
bring your ships into our waters." 

Eesanofi" departed, the Japanese paying all the expenses of the embassy while it was in Japan. 
It is easy to understand how the indignant Eussian envoy immediately resolved to be revenged 
for the treatment he had received. He gave 'way to his angry feelings, and proceeding to 
Kamtschatka, directed two Eussian naval officers, Chwostoff and Davidoff, who happened to be 
there in the temporary command of two armed merchantmen that traded between Asia and the 
northwest coast of America, to make a hostile landing upon the most northern Japanese islands, 
or their dependencies. He, himself, started for St. Petersburg, and died on the way. 

The Eussian officers did make a descent upon one of the southern Kurile islands that belonged 
to Japan. That Empire had once owned the whole Kurile archipelago ; but Eussia had contrived, 
by some means, to possess herself of the northern islands ; and it was doubtful to the Dutch 
whether this appropriation of territory was even known at Jeddo. It is said not to he unlikely 
that the prince of these islands, (thus taken by Eussia,) and his spy secretaries, deemed it 
expedient to conceal from the Emperor this loss of a territory, of but little value, rather than 
make known an event which would be deemed disgraceful to Japan, and subject them to 



INTRODUCTION. 47 

puuislimcnt. If this be so, they had, of course, to buy up the spies of government. The 
isLinds were of but little value except from ^Msition. It was precisely on account of their position 
that Russia desired them. On the southern Kuriles, however, their officers landed, and wreaked 
their vengeance on the unoffending inhabitants, by plundering their villages, killing some of 
the peoj)le, and carrying off others in their vessels. This was in 1807. 

The news of these events filled the Japanese court with surprise and indignation ; and they 
sought, through the medium of the Dutch, to find out whether they had been authorized by 
the Emperor of Russia. Some time after, in May, 1811, Captain Golownin, of the Russian 
navy, was sent in the sloop-of-war " Diana," ostensibly to make a survey of the Kurile group, 
though it was suspected (not proved) that he had ulterior objects, and was instructed once more 
to attempt the establishment of commercial relations. When he came to the island Eeterpoo 
(which Siebold calls letorop) he landed, supposing he would find Kuriles only ; but he was met 
by a Japanese officer and soldiers, who asked him if the Russians meant to treat them as Chwostoff 
and Davidoff had treated another island some few years before? Golownin, on this, thought it 
best to get away as soon as he could. He then went to an island called Kunaschier, and 
here the Diana was fired ujjon. Golownin, however, strove to show them that his purposes 
were friendly, and was finally, by the cunning of the Japanese, tempted to land with only a 
midshipman, pilot, four Russian seamen, and a Kurile interpreter. All were made prisoners, 
and passed through various adventures, which Golownin has recorded. They were kept prisoners 
for a long time, avowedly in retaliation for the injuries that had been committed to gratify the 
angry feelings of Resanofi'; nor would the Japanese release them until they were satisfied that 
these injuries had not been ordered by the Russian Emperor. When Golownin left he was 
furnished with a document warning the Russians no more to attempt the impossibility of 
establishing trade with Japan. It is but just to the Japanese to add that Golownin, notwith- 
standing all his sufferings, unavoidable in a state of imprisonment, gives to the people of Japan 
a high character for generosity and benevolence. 

Thus ended the efforts of Russia, until within a very recent period, of which we shall speak 
presently. 

THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 

The attempts of our own country are all recent, and need not detain us long. In the year 
1831 a Japanese junk was blown off the coast, and, after drifting about for some time in the 
Pacific, at length went ashore on the western coast of America, near the mouth of the Columbia 
river. Kindness was shown to the shipwrecked Japanese, and finally they were carried to 
Macao, where they received the protection and care of the American and English residents. It 
was determined, after a time, to return the poor creatures to their home. Either their benevolent 
friends were ignorant of the Japanese law which prohibited the return of natives to Japan, or, 
if they knew it, they supposed that, at any rate, those who went to Japan on such an errand of 
mercy would not be molested for entering one of the hai'bors of the Emj)ire. Accordingly the 
'' Morrison," an American merchantman, was fitted out by the American house of King for the 
voyage to Japan ; and the more effectually to manifest her purely pacific purposes, all her guns 
and armanent were taken out. In 1837 she made the voyage, notes of which have been published 
by Mr. C. W. King, an American merchant of great respectability, who sailed in the "Morrison." 
The ship reached the bay of Jeddo, and the Japanese very soon found out that she was entirely 



48 INTRODUCTION. 

unarmed and defenceless. The official visitors soon showed their contempt after making this 
discovery, and early the next day the vessel was fired at with shotted guns. She immediately 
weighed anchor and ran to Kagosima, the principal town of the island of Kiu-siu, where she 
again came to anchor. After a while preparations were made here, also, to fire upon the vessel, 
and hefore she could remove^ a battery opened upon her. The ship then returned to Macao with 
the Japanese on board. 

In 184:6 an expedition was sent from the government of the United States to Japan ; its business 
was, if possible, to open negotiations with the Empire. The ships consisted of the "Columbus," 
of ninety guns, and the corvette " Vincennes." Commodore Biddle commanded the expedition. 
In July the vessels reached the bay of Jeddo, and were, as usual, immediately surrounded by 
the lines of guard boats. On this occasion they numbered about four hundred. Some of the' 
Japanese went on board the " Vincennes," and one of them placed a stick with some sort of a 
symbol carved on it at the head of the vessel and another of similar kind at the stern. The 
act was not perfectly understood by the Americans, but they construed it to mean taking 
possession of the ship, and ordered the sticks to be taken away. The Japanese complied 
immediately without making any objection. The ships remained ten days, but no one belonging 
to them landed, nor was anything accomplished. The answer of the Emperor to the application 
for license to trade was very short : "No trade can be allowed with any foreign nation except 
Holland." 

In February of the year 1849 the United States ship Preble, under Commander Glynn, formed 
part of the American squadron in the China seas, when information was received, by way of 
Batavia, of the detention and imprisonment, in Japan, of sixteen American seamen, who had 
been shipwrecked on the coast of some of the Japanese islands. The Preble was immediately 
dispatched to demand their release. As the ship neared the coast of Japan, signal guns were 
fired from the prominent headlands to give warning of the approach of a strange vessel ; and 
when she entered the harbor of Nagasaki, she was met by a number of large boats which ordered 
her off, and indeed attempted to oppose further ingress. But the ship steadily standing on with 
a firm breeze soon broke their ranks, and came to anchor in a desirable position. 

Fleets of boats, crowded with soldiers, shortly afterward began to arrive, and from that time 
until the Preble's departure, they poured in, in one constant stream, day and night. The troops 
they brought were encamped on the elevated shores surrounding the anchorage of the Preble. 
From these heights also were unmasked, at intervals, batteries of heavy artillery, numbering in 
all sixty guns, which were trained upon the Preble's decks. 

Commander Glynn forthwith commenced negotiations for the release of the American seamen, 
who had been imprisoned for nearly seventeen months, and been treated with great cruelty and 
inhumanity. When they were first confined, they were made to trample on the crucifix, and 
were told that it was the "devil of Japan," and that if they refused to trample on it their 
lives should be taken. When Commander Glynn first demanded the release of the prisoners, 
the Japanese officials treated the demand with a well affected, haughty indifference ; finding, 
however, that this would not answer, they resorted to evasive diplomacy ; when the captain of 
the Preble, with the rough bluntness of a sailor, peremptorily told them, in most unmistakeable 
language, that they must immediately give up the men, or means would be found to compel 
them to do so, as the government to which they belonged had both the power and the will to 
protect its citizens. This very soon changed their tone, and deprecating any angry feeling, a 



INTRODUCTION 



49 



promise was immediately made that the men should he sent on hoard in two days from that time. 
This promise having been fulfilled to the letter, the Preble returned to join the squadron on the 
coast of China. The next effort made by the government of the United States was that of 
which the story is told in the subsequent pages of this work. 

We have thus laid before the reader the chief features of the principal attempts made by 
civilized nations to open commerce with Japan ; and, in the following tabular view, these may 
he seen at a glance, and thus, by showing what efforts were simultaneous, we may facilitate, 
perhaps, the understanding of the subject as a whole. 



YEAR. 


PORTUGUESE. 


DUTCH. 


ENGLISH. 


RCSSIAN. 


UNITED STATES. 


1543- '45 












1550 


Christianity intro- 
duced ..•>••.■••. 














1597 


Persecution of Chris- 














1600 










1609 












1613 






Saris reaches Firando 
























1623 










1636 






Futile attempt to 








Expelled ftom Japan. 


Assist in persecuting 
native Christians.. 




1639 












1641 


Sent to Dezima . • • • > 








1673 






Attempt again to re- 














1791 


'^Jlrgonaut's*^ futile 














1792 








1803 






" Frederick's " at- 














1804 






1807 








Descent on Kuriles. , .,,,, .,,, 


1808 






^^Phcetons^^ visit un- 














1811 




Captivity of Captain 








Defeat Raffles' at- 


Sir S. Raffles' at- 




1813 












1814 


Defeat Raffles' at- 
tempt 




i 










1818 






1 


1837 












1846 












1849 










Glynn, in the Preble. 
Com. Perry's visit .. 


1852 





















Tj 



50 INTRODUCTION 



SECTION VI. 



PROGRESS IN INDUSTRIAL ARTS, AND EXTENT OF CIVILIZATION IN JAPAN. 

The Japanese are an exceedingly industrious and ingenious people, and in certain manufac- 
tures are surpassed by no nation. 

Metals. — They work well in iron, copper, gold, and silver, and, indeed, in all the metals they 
have. Of iron, it is supposed the supply afforded by their country is not large ; still they have 
extracted the metal from such ores as they possess, and wrought it into shape. Copper is very 
abundant, and they understand perfectly well the mode of treating the ore, and preparing the 
metal for market or for manufactures. Gold also exists, and probably to an extent as yet un- 
developed ; the deposits are likely, we think, to prove large on fiirther and scientific exploration. 
At any rate, there does not seem now to be any scarcity of it for the purposes to which they 
apply it. They have silver mines which they work. They know, too, how to make some com- 
binations of metals which produce a beautiful effect. Thunberg tells us that they work witli 
great skill in what they call soivas. This is a mixture of gold and copper, which they color 
with tousche, or ink, making it a fine blue or black, by an art imknown among Europeans. 
They make steel, and temper their sword blades admirably. Clocks and watches are also made 
by them, but in these they are not entitled to the merit of invention ; they have copied from 
European models. The same may be said of their astronomical instruments ; they make very 
well the metallic portion of telescopes, &c., and buy mirror glasses from the Dutch, which they 
grind into suitable lenses. They also manufacture excellent metallic mirrors ; and Golownin 
says, he saw carpenters' and cabinet-makers' tools, particularly saws, made in Japan, quite 
equal to any English tools of a similar kind. They are exceedingly quick in observing any 
improvement brought in among them by foreigners, soon make themselves masters of it, and 
copy it with great skill and exactness. They are very expert in carving metal, and can cast 
metal statues. Their copper coinage is well stamped, for they are good die-sinkers ; and several 
of their operations in metal are carried on in very large and well-ordered manufactories. 

Wood. — No people work better than they can in wood and bamboo, and they jjossess one art 
in which they excell the world. This is in lacquering wood work. Other nations have 
attempted for years, but without success, to equal them in this department. In this operation 
they select the finest wood of fir or cedar to be covered with varnish. They get the gum from 
which they prepare the varnish from the rhus vernix — a tree that is abundant in many parts of 
their coTmtry. On puncturing the tree the gum oozes out, of a light color, and of the con- 
sistence of cream, but on exposure to the air grows thicker and blacker. It is so transparent, 
that when laid unmixed on wood, the grain and every mark on the wood may be seen through 
it. They obviate this, however, where it is desirable, by placing beneath the varnish a dark 
ground, one element in the composition of which is the fine sludge caught in the trough under 
a grindstone. They also use for the purpose minutely pulverized charcoal, and sometimes leaf 
gold ground very fine. Tliey then ornament the varnish with figures and flowers of gold and 
silver. They make, and thus varnish, screens, desks, caskets, cabinets, and other articles, 



INTRODUCTION. 51 

exceedingly beautiful, and of wliicli specimens may from time to time be seen in Europe and in 
this country. It is, said, however, that the best samples never are sent out of the Kingdom. 

Glass. — They know how to make this article, and can manufacture it now for any purpose, 
both colored and uncolored. Formerly they did not know how to make the flat pane for window 
glass ; and probably what they make is an inferior article, as they still purchase thick mirror 
glass from the Dutch to grind into lenses. 

Porcelain. — This they make, and some say in greater perfection than the Chinese can. At 
any rate, specimens we have seen of Japanese porcelain are very delicate and beautiful ; though 
some writers tell us, that, owing to the exhaustion of the best clay, they cannot now manufac- 
ture such as they once could. 

Paper. — Of this they make an abundance, as well for writing and printing, as for tapestry, 
handkerchiefs, packing cloths for goods, &c. It is of different qualities, and some of it is as 
soft and flexible as our cotton cloth. Indeed, that used for handkerchiefs might be mistaken for 
cloth, so far as toughness and flexibility are concerned. The material of which it is made is 
the bark of the mulberry, (morus papyri/era,) and the process is described as follows : In 
December, after the tree has shed its leaves, they cut ofi"the branches about three feet in length, 
and tie them up in bundles. They are then boiled in a ley of ashes in a covered kettle till the 
bark is so shrunk that half an iuch of the wood may be seen projecting at either end of the 
branch. When they have become cool, the bark is stripped off and soaked in water three or 
four hours until it becomes soft, when the fine black skin is scraped off with a knife. The 
coarse bark is then separated from the fine ; the new branches make the finest paper. The 
bark is then boiled again in fresh ley, continually stirred with a stick, and fi-esh water from 
time to time is added. It is then put in a sieve and taken to a brook, and here the bark is 
incessantly stirred until it becomes a fine pulp. It is then thrown into water and sej^arates in 
the form of meal. This is put into a small vessel with a decoction of rice and a species of 
Hibiscus, and stirred until it has attained a tolerable consistence. It is then poured into a larger 
vessel, from whence it is taken and put in the form of sheets on mats or layers of grass straw ; 
these sheets are laid one upon another with straw between, and pressed to force the water out. 
After this they are spread upon boards in the sun, dried, cut, and gathered into bundles for sale. 
This paper will better endure folding, and last longer than ours. 

Woven fabrics. — Tliey make silk, the best of which is superior to that of China. The best 
silks are woven by criminals of high rank, who are confined upon a small, rocky, unproductive 
island, deprived of their j)i'operty, and made to support themselves by their labor. The 
exportation of these silks, it is said, is prohibited. 

They have but small skill in producing cotton fabrics, though such are made. For many 
purposes to which we apply cloth of cotton, they use the coarse spongy paper to which we have 
alluded. They require woollen cloths, for the winters are cold ; but, we believe, they make 
none. Indeed, they have no sheeii or goats, and therefore lack materials from whicli to make 
woollen cloths. 

Leather. — They convert the skins of certain animals into this article ; but, as we have stated 
on a previous page, all those who have anything to do with the making or vending of leather 
are outcasts from all the rest of the population and universally proscribed. They never apply 
the article, as we do, to making shoes, or other coverings for the feet. They hardly ever wear 
shoes or slippers that are not made of plaited straw. Thunberg says the shoes are always the 



52 INTRODUCTION. 

shabbiest part of the dress of the Japanese. As they are of straw, they consequently last but a 
little time. But they are made in immense numbers, cost but a trifle, and may be bought in 
every town and village in the Empire. The pedestrian, therefore, throws away the old ^mir by 
the road side, and buys new ones as he goes along ; while the more provident man takes two or 
three pairs with him on starting. Immense numbers of these discarded shoes may be found on 
the sides of all the roads. In wet weather they wear under the shoe a wooden clog, which is 
attached to the foot by ties of plaited straw. Dignitaries sometimes wear slijipers made of fine 
rattan slips neatly plaited. 

Agriculture. — Japan is very mountainous, as we have already stated ; but with the exception 
of that portion of the ground covered by the roads, and by the woods left to supjily timber and 
charcoal, nearly every foot of ground, to the very tops of the mountains, is cultivated. Of 
animals to assist in culture they have the horse, ox, and a large species of buffalo, which they 
train to draw carts and carry heavy goods on the back. They plough with both the ox and cow. 
Of milk and butter they make no use. When they cannot use cattle to plough, as on the steep 
sides of hills, men are substituted ; and sometimes the plough is laid aside and all the labor in 
preparing the earth is done by hand. Generally, their soil is rather poor ; but by means of the 
immense labor they bestow upon it, by irrigation, and, especially, by the use of manures, which 
they understand well, they make very large crops. 

Their chief grain is rice, of which they are said to produce the best in all Asia. They also 
make barley and wheat. The first is used for feeding the cattle ; the other is not much valued, 
and is chiefly used for cakes and soy. This last is made by fermenting, under ground, wheat 
with a peculiar kind of bean and salt. 

Next to rice, in imjjortance, is the tea plant. This was not cultivated in Japan before the 
beginning of the ninth century, when it was introduced from China. Immense quantities of it 
are now produced, for its use is universal. Beside the plantations devoted to it, the hedges 
on the farms are all of the tea plant. Siebold says the finer kinds require great care and skill 
in the cultivation. The plantations are situated, as far as they conveniently can be, from all 
other crops and from human habitations, lest the delicacy of the tea should be impaired by 
smoke or any other impurity. They manure the plants with dried anchovies, and with the 
juice pressed out of mustard seed. The harvesting is a process of great nicety. Dr. Siebold 
thinks that the green and black tea are from the same plant, and differ only in the mode of 
preparation ; though others have said the plants themselves differ. Neither, however, is ever 
dried on copper, but both are dried in an iron pan. 

Beans of various kinds are produced, and some other vegetables. Several edible roots are 
carefully cultivated. They grow the mulberry tree in large quantities for the sake of the silk 
worm, and also for making paper. In Loo-Choo they make a coarse sugar from the cane ; in 
Nippon they manufacture it from the sap of a tree. Our farmers deem it a part of their business 
to rear such animals as we use for food ; but the Japanese farmer is most frequently a Buddhist 
and cares nothing for animal food. The Dutch, a great while ago, introduced some sheep and 
goats, and some few may, possibly, still be found in the Kingdom. If attended to they would 
thrive very well ; but the religion of the natives forbids them to eat the flesh, and they do not 
know how to manufacture the wool and hair ; hence the animals are little valued. They have, 
also, a few hogs, which were originally brought from China. Some of the country people near 
the coast keep them, but not to eat. They sell them to the Chinese junks which are allowed to 



INTRODUCTION. 53 

come over to trade. The Chinese sailor lias a passion for pork. The hog thrives well and 
becomes very fat in Japan. 

Horticulture. — In this department the Japanese are very skillful. They possess the art, in a 
wonderful degree, either of dwarfing, or of unnaturally enlarging all natural productions. As 
an evidence of the first, may be seen, in the miniature gardens of the towns, perfectly mature 
trees, of various kinds, not more than three feet high, and with heads about three feet in 
diameter. These dwarfed trees are often placed in flower pots. Fischer says that he saw In a 
box four inches long, one and a half wide, and six in height, a bamboo, a fir, and a jjlum tree, 
all thriving, and the latter in full blossom. As proofs of the last, Meylan tells us that he saw 
plum trees covered with blossoms, each of which was four times the size of the cabbage rose ; it 
produced no fruit, however. He also saw radishes weighing from fifty to sixty pounds ; and 
those of fifteen pounds were not at all uncommon. The fir trees are represented as being forced 
to an enormous size ; we are told that the branches, at the height of seven or eight feet from the 
ground, are led out, sometimes over ponds, and supported upon props, so that they give a shade 
around the tree three hundred feet in diameter. The cedar, also, is a tree which reaches a great 
size. 

Navigation. — Formerly the Japanese made voyages, in vessels of their own construction, to 
Corea, China, Java, Formosa, and other places at some distance from their own islands ; but 
when the Portuguese were expelled a decree was made that the natives should not leave the 
country ; bence navigation declined. Still, short coasting voyages are made witliin the bound- 
aries of the Kingdom ; and fishing-smacks go to sea, but not very far from the coast. This 
coasting trade, however, is large ; and the Japanese use fish for food so extensively that the 
number is immense of these trading boats and fishing smacks. The Japanese have the compass ; 
not divided, however, into as many points as ours. The construction of their vessels, as to 
model, is very clumsy ; and, as they have seen and examined many European ships, it may 
seem strange that a people so skilful and ingenious should not, ere this, have improved in naval 
architecture. The fault is not theirs ; the fact is that they have, in more than one instance, 
built very good vessels after European models ; but the law has interposed, for a special reason, 
and retarded improvement among a people wbose insular position would have made them sailors, 
and whose quick perceptions would have made them good ones if left to themselves. Their 
craft are, by law, made with the stern open, so that they cannot weather an open and heavy sea. 
The smaller ones never, if they can help it, go out of sight of laud, and upon any threatening 
appearance of rough weather they instantly run in to make a harbor. The object of this law of 
construction is to keep the natives at home. 

Internal trade hy land and icater. — This is large, resulting from the variety of produce aflbrded 
by the variety of climate, and from the immense population. In many places, town joins on to 
town, and village to village, for miles, so that the road looks like a continued street. Kajmpfer 
thus speaks of the population: "The country is indeed populous beyond expression, and one 
would scarcely think it possible that, being no greater than it is, it should, nevertheless, 
maintain and support such a vast number of inhabitants. The highways are almost one con- 
tinued line of villages and boroughs. You scarce come out of one, but you enter another ; and 
you may travel many miles, as it were, in one street, without knowing it to be composed of 
many villages, save by the diflering names that were formerly given them, and which tliey after 
retained, though joined to one another. It hatli many towns, the chief whereof may, of a 



54 INTRODUCTION. 

certainty, vie with the most considerable in the world for largeness, magnificence, and numher 
of inhabitants." Kasmpfer says of Jeddo, that he was one whole day, riding at a moderate 
pace, "from Sinagawa, where the suburb begins, along the main street, which goes across, 
a little irregularly indeed, to the end of the city." 

As to the variety of climate and produce, the southern part of the Kingdom, reaching down as 
low as the twenty-fourth degree of north latitude, produces the sugar cane and the tropical fruits ; 
while the northern, extending as high up as fifty degrees, yields the products of the temperate 
zones. The mineral wealth of the country is very great, the manufactures numerous, and, 
under such circumstances, the internal trade among so many people is necessarily active. Of 
the facilities for carrying it on, we remark that goods are conveyed by land on pack-horses and 
pack-oxen, and that the roads are excellent, and kept in admirable order. In the rugged and 
mountainous parts of the country where the road must pass, they make it zigzag on the side of 
the mountain, and, where necessary, cut steps in the rocks. Indeed, the roads must be kept in 
order otherwise they could not accomplish what they do by their postal arrangements. As 
among the ancient Mexicans and Peruvians, the post is pedestrian, and very expeditious. Every 
carrier is accompanied by a partner to take his place in case of accident. The men run at their 
utmost speed, and as they approach the end of their stage, find the relay waiting, to whom, as 
soon as they are near enough, they toss the package of letters, when the new runners set off 
before the coming ones have stopped. Nothing must be interposed to delay them a moment on 
the road. The highest prince of the Empire, with all his train, must make way for the post- 
men if he meet them on the road. Where necessary and practicable on their roads, the 
Japanese make good bridges, often of stone ; but they do not seem to have arrived at the art of 
tunnel-making. Some principles of civil engineering they understand and apply, but of 
military engineering they know nothing. But beside their roads, they use their rivers and 
inland lakes for internal trade wherever it is possible ; and in those parts of the Kingdom 
nearest the sea, probably the greater part of the inland trade is carried on by the rivers, which, 
though short, are navigable for some miles into the interior. On the roads, in all parts of the 
Empire, stables, inns, tea-shops, and other resting places occur at intervals, and the distances 
are regularly marked. 

Scientific knoiuledge and its applications. -^'We'haNein^&i &aa^ that the Japanese possess some 
knowledge of the principles of civil engineering. They know something of mathematics, 
mechanics, and trigonometry. Thus, they have constructed very good maps of their country ; 
they have measured the height of some of their mountains by the barometer ; they have made some 
very good canals ; they have constructed water-mills, and lathes moved by water power. They 
make clocks, and herein, by the way, they have shown remarkable ingenuity and skill. Meylan 
o-ives the following account of a clock which they made, and exhibited to the Dutch, while he 
was an inmate of Dezima. " The clock," says he, " is contained in a frame three feet high by 
five feet long, and presents a fair landscape at noon-tide. Plum and cherry trees in full blossom, 
with other plants, adorn the foreground. The back-ground consists of a hill, from which falls 
a cascade, skilfully imitated in glass, that forms a softly flowing river, first winding round 
rocks placed here and there, then running across the middle of the landscape till lost in a wood of 
fir trees. A golden sun hangs aloft in the sky, and, turning upon a pivot, indicates the striking 
of the hours. On tlie frame below, the twelve hours of day and night are marked, where a 
slowly creeping tortoise serves as a hand. A bird, perched upon the branch of a plum tree, by 



INTRODUCTION. 55 

its song and the clapping of its wings, announces the moment when the hour expires ; and as the 
song ceases, a hell is heard to strike the hour — during which operation, a mouse comes out of a 
grotto and runs over the hill. * * * * Every separate part was nicely executed ; hut the 
hird was too large for the tree, and the sun for the sky, while the mouse scaled the mountain 
in a moment of time." Whatever may have heeu the defects of taste, the ingenuity and skill 
in this piece of mechanism are very apparent. 

Fischer also tells us a story of the ingenuity of a Japanese fisherman, of which, perhaps, the 
specimen may now he found among ourselves. The Japanese, like many other people of lively 
temperaments, have a passion for things that are strange and odd, and rather prefer sometimes 
to he gulled. This fisherman, availing himself of this passion, contrived to unite the upper 
half of a monkey to the lower half of a fish, so neatly as to defy ordinary inspection. He then 
announced that he had caught a strange animal alive in his net, but that the creature had soon 
died when taken out of the water, and invited his countrymen to come, and, for a consideration, 
to see the curiosity. After he had put money in his purse to some considerable extent by this 
bold reliance on human credulity, he improved on the original story, and said that during the 
few moments of its life the strange creature had spoken to him, (whether in the language of 
Japan or in that of the Fee-jee islands, he did not say,) and had jDredicted a certain number of 
years of great fertility, to be followed or accompanied by a most fatal epidemic ; and that 
against this last the only remedy would be the possession of a likeness of the marine nondescript, 
half human half fish. Pictures of the mermaid were forthwith in demand, and the sale was 
immense. Presently, as the affair had well nigh had its run in Japan, this mermaid, or one 
made like it, was sold to the Dutch factory at Dezima, and was sent off in the next ship to 
Batavia. Here one of our speculating brethren of the "universal Yankee nation" contrived to 
get it, and forthwith repaired to Europe, where he very successfully played the part of proprietor 
and showman of a veritable mermaid, during the years 1822-'23, thus settling a disputed qiiestion 
in natural history and filling his pockets at the same time. We are inclined to think that this 
is the identical mermaid which graces the collection at the New York Museum ; if it be not, 
then our Japan fisherman furnished the parent, (so ingeniously made as to elude detection,) 
from which was born the Fee-jee prodigy. 

But another more remarkable and far more creditable instance of the ingenuity and talent of 
a Japanese fisherman is related in the Dutch annals of Dezima. It occurred during the 
presidency of M. Doeif. The Dutch at Batavia, during the war, feared the English cruisers too 
much to send one of their own ships on the annual voyage to Japan. They therefore more than 
once hired American vessels. One of these having taken in at Dezima the usual cargo of copper 
and camphor, as she set sail in the night, struck upon a rock in the harbor, filled and sunk. 
The crew reached the shore in boats, and the authorities of Nagasaki, the Dutch factory, and the 
American captain, were all alike concerned to devise means of raising the vessel. Japanese 
divers were sent down to fetch up the copper, but the camphor had dissolved, and the efiliivia 
thus disengaged cost two of the divers their lives. The idea of unloading her was then aban- 
doned. Efforts were then made to raise her as she was, but without success. A simple 
fisherman named Kiyemon, who now perhaps for the first time in his life saw an European built 
ship, for he did not live in Nagasaki, promised to raise the ship, provided his mere expenses in 
doing it were paid; if he did not succeed he asked nothing. He was laughed at by the people 
for his presumption, but, as the case was hopeless, those interested permitted him to make the 



56 INTRODUCTION. 

attempt. At low tide lie fastened on eitlier side of tlie vessel fifteen or seventeen boats, sucli as 
those by whicb the Dutch ships are towed in, and connected them all together firmly by props 
and stays. He then waited for a spring tide, when he came in a Japanese coasting vessel, 
which he attached firmly to the stern of the sunken ship, and at the moment when the tide was 
highest, he set every sail of every boat. The sunken vessel was lifted, disengaged herself from 
the rock, and was towed by the ^fisherman to the strand, where she could be unloaded and 
repaired. Fraissinet says he was handsomely rewarded for this. The reader will be amused to 
learn that his reward consisted in being allowed to wear two sabres, (which is the badge of 
elevated rank,) and to bear as his coat of arms a Dutch hat and two Butch tobacco pipes. "We 
have never read in any narrative of the circumstance that he received any money with which to 
support his rank. The Dutchmen and the American captain should have furnished that. If 
the circumstances had been changed, and either Hollander or Yankee had raised the vessel for 
the Japanese, it would have been very soon intimated to the natives that two swords with a 
picture of a Dutch hat and two tobacco pipes afforded very inadequate compensation for such 
a valuable service. We think it would scarcely have satisfied the Japanese mermaid maker, 
had he been the fortunate fisherman instead of the modest Kiyemon. 

Iledicine. — All the writers on Japan agree in the statement that on the visit of the Dutch 
president to Jeddo, his European physician, who accompanies him, is always visited by the 
native physicians, and closely questioned on points jjurely professional. Their object is to gain 
information. But they already know something. They have not, however, availed themselves 
at all of j)Ost mortem examinations, either to investigate disease or to study anatomy. We 
cannot suppose they are without opportunities of thus acquiring knowledge,, for we read that 
after a criminal is executed it is not uncommon for his body to be hacked in pieces by the young 
nobility, that they may try the temper and edge of their sword blades. But superstition is in 
the way. To come into contact with death is deemed pollution. Without such examinations, it 
is obvious that the knowledge of the physician and surgeon must be but imperfect at best. 

There are, however, in Japan, original medical works constantly appearing, and translations 
are also made of all such as they can obtain in the Dutch language, which they best understand. 
The European medical gentlemen, who have come in contact with their professional brethren of 
Japan, report favorably of them ; and Dr. Siebold speaks with high praise of the zeal with 
which the native physicians thronged around him, from all parts of the Empire, seeking to 
enlarge the stores of their knowledge. He bears testimony also to their intelligence, as evinced by 
the questions they asked. Acupuncture and moa^a burning are both used in Japan and are native 
inventions. They have an original treatise on the first, and the proper cases for its use. Their 
drugs are mostly animal and vegetable ; they are too little acquainted with chemistry to venture upon 
mineral remedies. They study medical botany, however, with great attention, and their remedies 
are said to be generally efficacious. Some of their medicinal preparations are very remarkable, 
producing most singular effects. Of these there is one spoken of by Titsingh, who saw its 
application and its consequences ; and from some of the oflicers of our own expedition we have 
heard of this preparation, of which, we believe, they have brought home specimens. Titsingh thus 
writes : ' ' Instead of enclosing the bodies of the dead in coffins of a length and breadth proportionate 
to the stature and bulk of the deceased, they place the body in a tub, tliree feet high, two feet and 
a half in diameter at the top, and two feet at bottom. It is difficult to conceive how the body of 
a grown person can be compressed into so small a space, when the limbs, rendered rigid by 



INTRODUCTION. 57 

death, cannot be bent in any way. The Japanese to whom I made this observation tohl me 
that they produced the result by means of a particular powder called Dosia, which they introduce 
into the ears, nostrils, and mouth of the deceased, after M'hich, the limbs, all at once, acquire 
astonishing flexibility. As they promised to perform the experiment in my presence, I could 
not do otherwise than suspend my judgment, lest I should condemn, as an absurd fiction, a fact 
wliich, indeed, surpasses our conceiitions, but may yet be susceptible of a plausible explanation, 
especially by galvanism, the recently discovered effects of which also appeared at first to exceed 
the bounds of credulity. The experiment accordingly took place in the month of October, 1783, 
when the cold was pretty severe. A young Dutchman having died in our factory at Dezima, I 
directed the physician to cause the body to be washed and left all night exposed to the air, on a 
table placed near an open window, in order that it might become completely stiff. Next 
morning, several Japanese, some of the officers of our factory, and myself, went to examine the 
corpse, which was as hard as a piece of wood. One of the interpreters, named Zenby, drew from 
his bosom a santock, or pocket-book, and took out of it an oblong paper, filled with a coarse 
powder resembling sand. This was the famous Dosm powder. He put a pinch into the ears, 
another pinch into the nostrils, and a third into the mouth ; and presently, whether from the 
effect of this drug, or of some trick which I could not detect, the arms, which had before been 
crossed over the breast, dropped of themselves, and in less than twenty minutes by the watch, 
the body recovered all its flexibility. 

"I attributed this phenomenon to the action of some subtle poison, but was assured that the 
Dosia powder, so far from being poisonous, was a most excellent medicine in child-bearing, for 
diseases of the eyes, and for other maladies. An infusion of this powder, taken even in perfect 
health, is said to have virtues which cause it to be in great request among the Japanese of all 
classes. It cheers the spirits and refreshes- the body. It is carefully tied up in a white cloth 
and dried, after being used, as it will serve a great number of times before losing its virtues. 

" The same infusion is given to people of quality when at the point of death ; if it does not 
prolong life, it prevents rigidity of the limbs ; and the body is not exposed to the rude handling 
of professional persons, a circumstance of some consequence in a country where resjiect for the 
dead is carried to excess. I had the curiosity to procure some of this powder, for which I was 
obliged to send to Kidjo, or the nine provinces, to the temples of the Sintoos, which enjoy the 
exclusive sale of it, because they practice the doctrine of Kobou-Daysi, its inventor. The 
quantity obtained in consequence of my first application was very small, and even this was a 
special favor of the priests, who otherwise never part with more than a single pinch at a time." 

Titsingh, however, obtained a considerable quantity afterward, whicli he carried home with 
him in 1784. It has the appearance of sand, and when it is fully perfected for use is as white 
as snow. It is obtained on the mountain of Kongosen orKinbensen in the province of Yamatto, 
where there are many mines of gold and silver. The process by which it is prepared is the 
secret of the priests. Their knowledge is doubtless the result of accidental exjierience ; for 
their acquaintance with chemistry is so slight that we may safely conclude they do not under- 
stand the rationale of its preparation. 

Astronomy. — In this science they have made very considerable proficiency. They understand 

the use of European instnmients, and have caused many of them to be very successfully imitated 

by native workmen. Meylan says he saw good telescopes, chronometers, thermometers, and 

barometers, made by Japanese mechanics. They calculate eclipses accurately, and yearly 

8 J 



58 INTRODUCTION. 

almanacs are prepared in the Jeddo and Dairi colleges. Lalande's treatises and other astro- 
nnmical works have been translated from Dutch into Japanese, and are studied with great 
ardor. They have in their division of time a cjcla of sixty years, calculated out of their zodiac, 
which, like ours, has twelve signs, differing from ours in their names only. But this is not the 
place to consider minutely their astronomical system. We cannot leave it, however, without 
the remark that, on a comparison of it with that of the Muiscas, an ancient, semi-civilized, and 
now extinct race, that once inhabited the plains of Bogota, in New G-ranada, the resemblances 
were so striking that they produced on our mind a conviction that the astronomical systems of 
the two people were substantially the same. 



SECTION VII. 



LITERATURE AND THE FINE ARTS. 
Paper was made by the Japanese as early as the beginning of the seventh century, and 
printing from blocks, after the Chinese fashion, was introduced in the year 1206 of our era. 
The city of the Mikado appears to be the great metropolis of literature in Japan. A great 
many books are there made, and a great many reside there whose occupation is that of letters. 
Seminaries of learning of different grades have existed in the country ever since Eurojieans 
knew anything about it. Xavier says that in his day there were four "academies" in or near 
Miako, each having between three and four thousand pupils ; and he adds that much larger 
numbers were taught at an institution near the city of Bandone, and that such seminaries were 
universal throughout the Empire. Beside the colleges or higher institutions at the city of 
Miako, we know of similar ones at Jeddo, and of one at Nagasaki. How many there may be in 
the Kingdom we cannot say ; but education, such as it is, is by no means neglected in Japan. 
There would seem to be something like a common school system, for Meylan states that children 
of both sexes and of all ranks are invariably sent to rudimentary schools ; whether supported 
by the State or not he does not say. Here the pupils are all taught to read and write, and are 
initiated into some knowledge of the history of their own country. Thus much the meanest 
peasant child is expected to learn. There are immense numbers of cheap, easy books continually 
issuing from the Japanese press, which are designed for the instr^^ction of children or poor people ; 
so it will be seen they have their " cheaji literature." Books innumerable of a higher order 
are provided for the rich, and all, of both kinds, are profusely illustrated with wood-cuts, 
engraved on the same block with the tj'pe. Some of these books, which we have examined, 
show also that an art but recently introduced in Europe and America is very old in Jajiau, viz : 
that of printing in olors. So that in our modern inventions of stereotyping and printing in 
colors, and in our manufacture of cheap literature for the people generally, Japan has antici- 
pated us by centuries. Their books consist of works of science, history, biography, geography, 
travels, moral philosophy, natural history, poetry, the drama, and encyclopjedias. Beading is 
a favorite occupation with both sexes ; and it is said to be common in Japan to sec, when the 
weather permits, a group of ladies and gentlemen seated by a cool running stream, or in a 
shady grove, each with a book. 



INTRODUCTION. 59 

Of the merits of the Japanese hooks it is impossible for us to si)eak with much confidence. 
Very few Europeans or Americans know anything of the language ; it is not the easiest of acqui-. 
sition; and yet, all we have of the Japanese hooks is in translation. We doubt if any western 
scholar has ever yet mastered it thoroughly, for opportunity has been wanting ; and very sure 
we are that Klaproth accuses Titsingh of ignorance, and Siebold and Hoffman similarly accuse 
Klaproth, while a Japanese at our side informs us that all are mistaken. Now, without a 
thorough understanding of the language, no translation can convey a correct idea of the 
sentiments expressed, much less of tlie spirit embodied in the original. An ex cathedra critical 
opinion on the Japanese literature is, therefore, premature. Let us hope that, ere long, both 
Europeans and Americans will master the language completely ; and then let them speak. 

J§(.s/c. — The Japanese music, of which, by the way, the natives are passionately fond, has 
nothing in it to recommend it to the ears of Europeans or Americans. The principal instrument 
is the samsic or guitar, and every young female of the upper classes is taught to play upon it. 
It is the invariable accompaniment of ladies when they go to parties ; and on these occasions the 
female guests sing and play by turns. They have, besides, various other instruments, but little 
can be said in commendation of their music. 

Arts of design, paintings, prints, &c.- — In this department they have made some progress, 
and in certain branches have attained to no small skill. Of anatomy, as we have already said, 
they know nothing, and consequently are no sculptors ; neither are they portrait painters. 
They are ignorant of perspective, and, therefore, cannot paint a landscape ; but in the repre- 
sentation of a single object, their accuracy of detail and truthful adherence to nature cannot be 
surpassed. Their deficiency is in composition. Nothing is more beautiful than their delineations 
of a flower, or a fruit,^nd especially of birds. The drawing is accurate and the coloring perfect. 
They make, too, colors which European artists pronounce to be unrivalled ; and some of which 
excel any we can produce. The Japanese are very fond of painting, and are eager collectors of 
pictures. They sketch boldly with charcoal or ink ; and of an isolated object the drawing, as 
we have said, is apt to be good. They do not paint in oil at all ; all their specimens are in 
water colors, the management of which they certainly understand very well. 

They have prints in great abundance ; all, however, are made from wood cuts, and very often 
are printed in colors. Engraving on copper has but recently been introduced among them, and 
as it has been adopted with great eagerness, it will probably be prosecuted with success. 

We have already said that they make castings in metal of vases and images, and the sides of 
their bells are adorned with bas-reliefs. 

They cannot be said to understand architecture as an art, though they cut stone and lay it 
skilfully enough ; nor have they any skill in the work of the lapidary. The country produces 
precious stones, but they do not know how to cut or polish them. Hence there is very little 
jewelry worn by either sex. But they have a substitute for jewels, such as we cannot make. 
This is called syaJcfdo, in which various metals are so blended and combined that they produce 
an efiect resembling, very much, fine enamel. This is used, instead of precious stones, for 
girdle clasps, sword hilts, boxes, and other ornamental work. 



60 INTRODUCTION 



SECTION VIII. 

NATURAL PRODUCTIONS. 

Mineral luealth. — Kajmpfer, whom we believe to be as accurate as any writer on Japan, remarks 
that, "the greatest riches of the Japanese soil, and those in which this Empire exceeds most 
known countries, consist in all sorts of minerals and metals, jDarticularly in gold, silver, and 
copper." The gold is found in many parts of the Empire. Sometimes it is obtained from its 
own ore, sometimes from the washings of the earth or sand, and sometimes it is mixed witl%the 
copper. The quantity in the country is undoubtedly great. An old S2)anish writer of the 
seventeenth century tells us that, in his day, the jjalace of the Empei'or at Jeddo, as well as 
many houses of the nobility, were literally covered with plates of gold. In the beginning 
of the Dutch trade, the annual export was £840,000 sterling ; and in the course of sixty years 
the amount sent out of the Kingdom, through the Dutch alone, was from twenty-five to fifty 
millions sterling. 

Silver mines are quite as numerous as those of gold. In one year, the Portuguese, while they 
had the trade, exported in silver, £58*7,500 sterling. 

Copper abounds through the whole Jai)anese group, and some of it is said to be not surj^assed 
by any in the world. The natives refine it and cast it into cylinders about a foot long and an 
inch thick. The coarser kinds they cast into round lumps or cakes. 

Quicksilver is said to be abundant, but this, so far as we know, has neyer been an article of 
export. 

Lead, also, is found to be plentiful, but, like quicksilver, it has not been sent out of the 
Kingdom. 

Tm has also been discovered in small quantities, and of a quality so fine and white that it 
almost equals silver ; but of the extent of this mineral little is known, as the Japanese do not 
attach much value to it, and therefore have not sought for it. 

Iron is found in three of the provinces, and probably exists in others. The Japanese know 
how to reduce the ore, and the metal they obtain is of superior quality, of which they make 
steel imsurpassed in excellency. 

Coal. — "They have no want of coals in Japan," says Kaempfer, "they being dug up in great 
quantities in the province of Sikusen and in most of the northern provinces." Dr. Siebold also 
speaks of coal as being in common use throughout the country ; and on visiting one of the mines 
he saw enough to convince him that it was skillfully worked. For domestic purposes they 
convert the coal into coke. Viewed in the light of commercial intercourse between the two 
hemispheres, this coal is worth more than all the metallic deposits we have enumerated. 

Native sulphur. — In a region so volcanic, this is, as might be expected, an abundant mineral. 
In some places it lies in broad deep beds, and may be dug up and removed with as much ease as 
sand. A considerable revenue is derived by the government from sulphur. 

Fr-ecious stones. — No diamonds have been found, but agates, carnelians, and jaspers are met with, 
some of them of great beauty. But the wealth of "the kingdom in precious stones is imperfectly 
known, as the Japanese are not lapidaries. 



INTRODUCTION. 61 

Pearls. — These are fislied up on nearly all jiarts of the coast, and are frequently large and 
beautiful. The Chinese taught the natives their value, by offering them very high prices for 
the linest qualities. 

Mother of pearl, corals, ambergris and uaptha are also to be enumerated among tlie articles 
of export. 

Forest and fruit trees. — The most common forest trees are the fir and the cypress; and so 
sensible are the Japanese of the necessity of preserving their timber trees, that neither of those 
above named can be cut but by permission of the local magistrate ; and the law requires that for 
every full grown tree that is felled a young one must be planted. The cedar grows to an 
immense size ; sometimes more than eighteen feet in circumference. An English ship at Nao-asaki 
within a recent period, wanted some small Spars ; they were furnished ; all were cedar, about 
ninety-six feet long. This tree would, no doubt, prove a very valuable article of export. 

There are two varieties of oak, both good and both diiferent from the oaks of Europe. The 
acorns of one kind are boiled and eaten for food, and are said to be both jialatable and nutritious. 

The mulberry grows wild in great abundance ; but it is so useful that the people transplant 
and cultivate it. Of the varnish tree we have already spoken. 

The camphor tree is valuable and lives to a great age. Siebold visited one which Charlevoix 
had described as having been seen by him one hundred and thirty-five years before. It was 
healthy and covered with foliage, with a circumference of fifty feet. The country people make 
the camphor by a decoction of the root and stems cut into small pieces. 

The chestnut and walnut are both found, and the former yields excellent fruit. There is also 
the pepper tree, or a tree which bears a species of pepper. 

Of fruit trees, there are the orange, the lemon, the fig, the plum, the cherry, and the apricot. 
The plum and cherry, however, are not cultivated as much for their fruit as for their flowers. 
The vine is very little cultivated; and of the tea plant we have already spoken. 

Having thus endeavored to furnish the reader with a condensed view of the leading features 
that characterize the past progress and present condition of Japan, we would at once proceed to 
the narrative of the expedition ; but there is a duty which we owe to our country and which 
we will now endeavor to perform. 

Of certain events which have transpired since the successful expedition under Commodore 
Perry, or occurred during its progress, it is due to the claims of truth that something should be 
said. It had been more gratifying to us to be silent on the topics to which we are about to 
allude ; but official publications by other nations, as well as by some individuals, have been put 
forth, the obvious purpose of which is to deprive our country and her officers of whatever merit 
may attach to the fact that the United States were the first, by peaceful negotiations, to cause an 
alter tion in the policy of excluding foreigners hitherto pursued by Japan. 

On the 24th of November, 1852, Commodore Perry left our shores on his mission to Japan. 
Taat such a mission had been resolved on by our government was announced to the world some 
twelve months before the time of its leaving, and had formed the subject of comment in more than 
one country of Europe. The general opinion abroad was that the mission would, like the many 
others that had been attempted by various powers, pi'ove fruitless. Dr. Von Siebold, in jiar- 
ticular, whose long residence in Japan was supposed to give great importance to his opinions, 
thus wrote to a friend concerning it: " My mind accompanies the expedition. That it will be 
successful by peaceful means I doubt very much. If / could only inspire Commodore Perry, he 



62 INTRODUCTION. 

would triumpli," &c. The progress of the expedition was, of course, watched by foreign powers 
with great interest. 

Commodore Perry cast anchor in the bay of Jeddo, the commercial capital of Japan, on the 
8th of July, 1853. On the 22d of August, 1853, a Eussian squadron, under the command of 
Admiral Pontiatine, anchored in the bay of Nagasaki. We know not precisely of what vessels 
this expedition was composed ; but we believe that, beside the frigate Pallas and the steamer 
Vostoclc, the Aurora, of 48 guns, and the corvette Navarino, of 22, were sent, the one to the 
Paciiic, and the other ostensibly to Kamtschatka, while it is quite certain that not long after a 
Eussian squadron of several vessels-of-war was at Copenhagen, the officers of which said tliat 
they were destined to remain five years in the waters of the Japanese archipelago. An unusually 
large Russian naval force was therefore collected m the Pacific, and in the vicinity of Japan, to 
be there on the expected visit of Commodore Perry. There were not wanting those who sus- 
pected that Eussia was silently pursuing her own system of policy. If Commodore Perry unfor- 
tunately should fail in his peaceful attempts, and be brought into forcible collision with the 
Japanese, Russia was on the spot, not to mediate, but to tender to Japan her aid as an ally in 
the conflict, and if successful, to avail herself of the moment of confidence quietly to get a foot- 
hold in some part of the Kingdom, with the intention, at the proper time, of absorbing all. 
There is no power in the other hemisphere to which the possession of Japan, or the control of its 
affairs, is as important as it is to Eussia. She is on one side of the islands, the United States 
on the other. The Pacific ocean is destined to be the theatre of immense commercial under- 
takings. Eussia is, in a gi-eat degree, shut out by local position from easy access to the Atlantic ; 
but with such liarbors on the Pacific as Japan would give her, she might hope to become the 
controlling maritime power of the world. Our friendly relations and influence with the Japanese, 
therefore, might interfere materially with the ulterior plans of Eussia. Hence she was first 
in the field to watch all our movements. Thus, we say, some interpreted her conduct. We do 
not mean to say that they interpreted it correctly, or that such was the policy Eussia had resolved 
on. But the fact is, as we have stated, that simultaneously with our expedition she did largely 
increase her naval armament in the waters of Japan. Commodore Perry was at some loss to 
understand precisely the policy of Eussia. In a letter of November 12th, 1853, the Eussian 
admiral made a distinct proposition of joining his forces to, and entering into full co-operation 
with, the American squadron. Tliis may have been prompted by. an expectation of our success 
and a doubt of his own. At any rate, the Commodore civilly, but decidedly, declined the 
proposal, and, in a letter to the Secretary of the Navy, assigned most satisfactory reasons 
for so doing. He stated that it was "inconsistent with our policy of abstaining from all 
alliances with foreign powers ; and for the reason, also, tliat his co-operation cannot advance 
the interest of the United States, however it might benefit the objects of the Eussian Emperor, 
of the nature of whose designs I (says the Commodore) am utterly ignorant." But whatever 
were her secret purposes to promote her own, or throw obstacles in the way of our success, 
if she had any, one thing is certain, for that success we are not indebted in the slightest degree 
to Eussia, by any direct act of hers to that end. Indirectly, however, she may have furthered 
tlie object. We ai-e in possession of very recent information from Japan tending to show that 
the imperial government seems to be distrustful of the purposes of Eussia. The movements 
of that nation on tlie Amour river have been viewed with so much apprehension that the Emperor 
some time ago dispatched a special agent to discover, if possible, their ulterior jmrposes. The 



INTRODUCTION. 63 

Japanese have resolved that tlicy will raise an efficient army, and eqnip a navy, not composed 
of junks, hut of vessels huilt after the European model. The restrictions on ship-building have 
been removed, and already, since our treaty was signed, one vessel for commercial purposes has 
been built and rigged like ours. The Japanese have heard, too, of the war in which Kussia is 
at present engaged. The ini'ormation jiroduced intense excitement, and it was resolved by the 
imperial council that treaties similar to that made with the United States should be made with 
all nations seeking them. This opens Japan to the trade of the loorld. They knew, too, that 
the British Admiral Stirling was seeking the Kussian vessels in the neighborhood of Japan, and 
they were hence the more willing to make treaties with all, as the means of securing Japan from 
aggression by any, and of enabling her to preserve, as she wishes, a strict neutrality. 

The visit of Eussia, however, led to no treaty. The squadron left Nagasaki on the 23d of 
November, 1853, and returned to it early in 1854. It left again, after several fruitless interviews 
with the Japanese authorities, on the 5th of February, and was absent until the 20th of April, 
when it reappeared at Nagasaki, but remained until the 26th only, when it took its final departure. 

But other foreign powers have contributed as little to the success of our negotiations as Kussia 
has. On the Yth of September, 1854, Admiral Stirling, in command of the English squadron, 
arrived at Nagasaki, one purpose of his visit being to make a treaty, in which lie succeeded. 
But the English never pretended that they facilitated our negotiations ; they may f)0ssibly have 
indirectly derived some benefit from our success ; but we will not undertake to assert that they 
did. We think that they are more indebted to the Japanese apprehension of Eussia's designs, 
and to the fact of the war in which she is now engaged, than to anything else. We may, 
indeed, by having induced the first departure from the long established rule to exclude all 
foreigners but the Dutch and Chinese, have made it more easy to commence negotiation, but our 
aid goes not beyond this accidental assistance. Of the precise terms of the English treaty it is 
not here necessary to speak. One of the officers of Admiral Stirling thus speaks of it in a public 
communication through the English newspapers: "The treaty now made with Japan contains 
nothing about commerce, yet it ojiens the way and jirepares for future negotiation on this 
important point." "It is highly probable that what has been done by Sir James Stirling 
at Nagasaki may exceed in durability and value the work done at Yeddo by the Americans, 
although that cost a special mission, and was heralded to the world with a very loud flourish of 
trumpets indeed." 

To this pert outbreak of transparent envy, we have only to say we earnestly hope that when a 
treaty is made which does say something '^ about commerce," it may prove both durable and 
valuable to England ; and to add that we should be sorry to think such flippant impertinence as 
is here exhibited is a common characteristic of British naval officers. From the brave we look 
for "liigh thoughts seated in a heart of courtesy."* 

But the Dutch have claimed, and that by an official document, that they, in effect, did most 
of our work for us. It is strange that a nation of which all Christendom has, for more than two 
hundred years, supposed that it has sought uniformly to secure to itself a monopoly in the trade 
of Japan, should venture, when their monopoly is destroyed, to stand fortli and say, in 
substance, that they always lamented its existence and labored for its demolition. Has Christ- 
endom been so long deceived? We fear the world will ask embarrassing questions. It will 
say: "Did not the Dutch do what they could to drive out the Portuguese? Did not they assist 

•Since the above was written, intelligence has been received of a commercial treaty between England and Japan. 



G4 INTRODUCTION. 

in the bombardment at Simabara, and contribute to the extirjiation of the native Christians, who 
were siqiposed to sympathize with the Portuguese? Did they not manifest liostility toward 
their Protestant neighbors of the English factory at Firando, established by Saris and conducted 
by Cockes, until the English left? When, in the reign of Charles II, the English sought to 
renew tlie trade with Japan, was it not the Dutch who hastened to inform the imperial 
government that the wife of Charles was the daughter of the King of Portugal, thus arraying 
the deep-seated and ancient Japanese hatred of the Portuguese against the English? When 
the 'PhfBton,' iinder Pellew, visited Nagasaki, in 1808, was it not M. Doeif, the Dutch chief 
at Dezima, who devised and counselled the plan whereby the English were to have been 
murdered to a man? When Java was in possession of the English, and Holland, for a time, 
had been blotted from the list of nations, was it not the same M. Doeff, who, to the craft of the 
trader added the cunning of the dii)lomatist, and, by treachery to the Japanese in the bribery of 
their officials, contrived, at one and the same time, to pay the debts of Dezima and enrich 
himself personally, out of the two expeditions sent by Sir Stamford Raflies?" 

And noio, when the United States have, without seeing a Dutchman, or using a Dutch 
document, successfully negotiated a treaty, Holland stands forth, and by a formal official report 
from her minister of colonies, declares that she will now "perform the agreeable task of showing 
the persevering and disinterested efforts which the Dutch government has made' ' to cause Japan 
to open her ports to the commerce of the United States. A brief notice of this extraordinary 
document is called for by a regard to the truth of history. 

The statement of the Dutch "minister of colonies," when condensed, is substantially this: 
That in the year 1844, about the time of Commodore Biddle's visit to Japan, the then King of 
Holland, William II, wrote a letter to the Emperor of Japan, in which attention was called to 
the introduction of steam in navigation, the consequent increased development of commerce in 
the Japanese seas, and the danger likely to result to Japan from her rigid system of excluding 
foreigners from the Kingdom. It recommended friendly and commercial relations as the surest 
means of avoiding collisions ; and finally, from a grateful sense of the long continued favor 
shown to the Dutch by the Japanese, it tendered to the latter the "disinterested counsel to 
relax the laws against foreigners," and offered to send an envoy to give fuller explanations to 
Japan of what she should do, provided the Emperor desired it. This letter, the Dutch 
document states, contains the principles which have formed the basis of all Holland's subsequent 
action, so far as other powers are concerned. 

In 1845, the Emperor caused an answer to be sent to the letter, in which it was politely, but 
very decidedly, announced that Japan had no wish to alter her ancient laws with rcsiject to 
foreigners. 

With this the Dutch remained content ; and, so far from pressing the subject in any way, in 
1846 they became the medium of announcing to the civilized world an edict of Japan forbidding 
foreigners to make charts and drawings of the Japanese waters and coasts, and forbidding ship- 
wrecked Japanese sailors to return to their country in any ships hut those of the Netherlands and 
China. 

Presently, when, in 1852, it became certain that an expedition was to be sent from the United 
States, under Commodore Perry, the Dutch forthwith sent out orders to their governor general 
in the Indies to address the governor of Nagasaki, requesting that he would appoint a confi- 
dential agent to enter into negotiations with the Dutch chief at Dezima, "about the means that 



INTRODUCTION. 65 

the latter should indicate in order to preserve Japan against the dangers that threatened her ." 
And at the end of the governor general's letter was an intimation to the Nagasaki authorities 
that the Dutch might be forced to abandon Japan entirely if hostile collisions with other nations 
should be the result of perseverance in her system of exclusion. This, it is claimed, was a 
renewal of the effort to open Japan on the princij^les set forth in the letter of William II, in 
1844. From 1844 to 1852 the Dutch made no effort at all, on the ground, as the document 
alleges, that it was expedient to wait a more favorable opportunity. 

In 1852, the Dezima chief was furnished, by the governor general, with instructions to urge 
upon the Japanese government a change in its policy of exclusion, not particularly with reference 
to the Americans, but in favor oi all nations who hitherto had lived in peace with Japan. At the 
same time powers to negotiate with Japan were sent to the Dezima cliief, and the draft of a 
treaty was furnished him by his government. He was also ordered to conform to the instruc- 
tions of the governor general and the draft of the treaty, if he should be consulted "in the 
Japanese American affairs." The draft of the treaty was substantially this : 

Article I. The relations now existing between Japan and the Netherlands to be confirmed. 

Article IT. The port of Nagasaki to be opened to other nations beside the Dutch for the 
following purposes, viz: to procure provisions and navy stores ; to repair vessels; and to take 
care of sick seamen. 

Article III. Other nations beside the Dutch may "even be admitted to trade :" provided they 
conclude a treaty u-ifh Japan on the bases expressed in the next article. 

Article IV. (a) Trade to be limited to the j^ort of Nagasaki. 

(6) Every nation admitted to trade to have its own consul. 

(c) Japanese government to indicate to foreign merchants a quarter in Nagasaki for their 
residence. 

(d) Trade to be carried on with the privileged Japanese merchants of the five imperial cities, 
Teddo, Miako, Ohosaka, Sahai, and Nagasaki, and placed under the care of the governor of 
Nagasaki. 

(e) Agents of the Japanese princes allowed to buy foreign wares, and to pay for them with 
the products of their principalities. 

(/) Japanese government to make regulations as to the manner of carrying on traffic ; such 
regulations to be enforced by the police of Nagasaki. 

(g) Japanese government to issue notes, payable at the imj^erial treasury, to facilitate trade 
with foreigners. 

(A) Foreign traders allowed to pay out and receive the Japanese copper coin, in the matter of 
daily household expenses. 

(t) Eight reserved to the Japanese government of imposing a moderate tariff of duties on 
foreign importations. 

(/) All differences arising in trade to be settled by the consul of the foreign trader and the 
governor of Nagasaki, or his proxy. 

{k) Crimes committed by a foreigner to he tried and punished by tlie nation to which the 
criminal belongs. 

(I) The Japanese government to indicate two places where the foreign nations, admitted to 
trade, may establish depots for coal. One shall be in the bay of "Good Hope," in Jesso, in 
the northern part of the Empire ; and the other in the southern part, on one of the islands 
of the Linschop archipelago. 
9 J 



66 INTRODUCTION. 

Article V. The stipulations above mentioned shall he suhmitted to every foreign poiver that 
desires to make a treaty with Jajian, and shall form the bases of such treaty. 

Article VI. In case treaties are made with foreign powers on tlie foregoing bases, the Dutch 
shall have all the privileges granted to the most favored nation. 

This draft was accompanied by a document from his Majesty the King of the Netherlands, 
entitled "Explanatory note to the draft of the treaty to be concluded between his Majesty the 
King of the Netherlands and his Majesty the Emperor of Japan." 

This commences with the declaration that "his Majesty appreciates the difficulties which 
exist in the Japanese institutions, in satisfying the demands of foreign powers for entering into 
commercial negotiations with that Empire, and foresees the dangers to which Japan is inevitably 
exposed, if the government of that Empire does not listen to reasonable demands of that kind," 
It then proceeds to state that "his Majesty, by the communications of his subjects, who have 
long navigated to Japan, and are well acquainted with the aifairs of that Emjjire, esteems 
himself, indeed, better able than any other firince to make propositions to the sovereign of that 
Empire, in order to mitigate the severe laws against foreigners." "Therefore, the King has 
taken the resolution to cause to be drawn up and presented a treaty between their Majesties the 
King of the Netherlands and the Emperor of Japan, in which, in respecting the laws and the ancient 
customs of the Empire of Japan, is indicated the way, by means of which, for the future, may 
be maintained, not only friendly commercial relations with the subjects of his Majesty the King 
of the Netherlands, but also with those maritime nations who desire commerce with Japan, or 
who, having peaceful purposes, are thrown by accident on the coasts of the Empire." "For 
the elucidation of a treaty drawn up in that spirit, his Majesty causes the following lines to be 
written." Then follows a separate comment on each of the articles of the treaty, and particu- 
larly on each of the bases enumerated under Art. IV, recommending and enforcing them all. 

These documents were all prepared and placed in the hands of the Dutch officials as soon as 
possible after the government of the Netherlands became certain that an expedition would sail 
from the United States, and some months before Commodore Perry left our shores. 

In anticipation of the contemplated enterprize, the government of the United States, in July, 
1862, (at which time the Dutch draft of a treaty had been sent out on its way to Dezima,) 
applied respectfully to the government of the Netherlands, announcing officially that the 
American squadron would be sent, that its visit was meant to be friendly, and that its object 
was, if possible, to obtain from Japan some mitigation of her system of exclusion ; it asked, 
also, that instructions might be given to the Dezima chief to afford, if it should be desired by us, 
his official co-operation in furthering the accomplishment of our object. This request was 
answered by a promise that such instructions should be given ; and, by request, copies were 
furnished to the United States of the letter of William II, of 1844, and of the Emperor's answer 
to it of 1845 ; but of the draft of a Dutch treaty then on its way to Japan, or of any 
accompanying instructions to the Dutch officials in the east, the United States, of course, 
heard and knew nothing. 

Thus affairs stood when our squadron sailed on the 24th of November, 1852. Long before it 
arrived in the Japanese waters, the Dutch chief at Dezima had been endeavoring to carry out 
his instructions, and negotiate loith the Japanese the treaty of tc?iich the draft had been sent to him. 
But the authorities of Japan persisted in their refusal to appoint a person of consideration as 
their confidential agent to negotiate any treaty at all. In this state of affairs, the Dezima chief, 
" rightly resolving not to sacrifice the business to a more matter of form," as the Dutch document 



INTRODUCTION. 67 

expresses it, at once addressed the governor of Nagasaki, and attempted to open a negotiation 
Avith liim. He laid before liini the several items in the draft of the treaty witli whicli he had 
been furnished, accompanying them with explanations, and set forth what he deemed the prin- 
ciples which were for the Japanese interest, and which should predominate in the negotiations 
ivhich he thought might result from the anticipated propositions of the United States ; for both he 
and the Japanese knew that our squadron was on its way. He concluded his letter as follows : 
" His Majesty, the King of the Netherlands, expects that the peace of the Japanese Empire can 
be preserved, if the government of Japan will answer the propositions of the United States in 
the manner indicated;" that is, on the bases set forth in the Dutch draft of a treaty. But 
the Japanese treated this attempt as they had all the previous ones from the Dezima chief; and 
its only effect was to quicken their native shrewdness, and prompt to more numerous demands 
for explanation, and more thorough investigations into the subject. 

At length, in June, 1853, the American squadron, purposely avoiding Nagasaki, made its 
appearance in tlie bay of Jeddo, and thus was in Japan before the Dutch were able to anticipate 
the American commissioner in making a treaty. The American squadron never was at Nagasaki, 
and our representative never had the least communication with the Dutch chief at Dezima. 

The Russian squadron soon after entered the port of Nagasaki, and the result of that visit 
has already been stated. Russia made no treaty with Jupan. 

Commodore Perry signed the treaty with Japan on the last day of March, 1854 ; and the 
Dutch government dispatched their war steamer Soemhing from Batavia for Japan on the 25tli 
of July, 1854. This was deemed a measure of expediency, as the sight of the American and 
Russian steamers had excited the liveliest interest in the Japanese. The Soemhing, during her 
stay, was visited by men of the highest rank, and, in fact, was made a school of instruction for 
a large number of Japanese. Finally, the English squadron, under Admiral Stirling, came in 
on the 7th of September, 1854, and deepened the impres.sion which had been made in Jajjan by 
the spectacle of so many armed ships of different nations. 

The document before us ooncludes by claiming great merit for the Dutch, in having opened 
Japan to the world. It thus speaks : " The Netherlands have understood their mission when, in 
consequence of the course of events, they placed themselves at the head to oiserate, in the interest 
of all, a mitigation of the system of exclusion that existed relative to foreign nations in Japan. 
The letter of his Majesty, the late William II, is thereof an irrefragable proof." " The United 
States of North America have obtained, by treaty, the opening to their flag of two ports in the 
Japanese Emjiire ; and one other power seems to have succeeded in a similar manner. In the 
face of such results, we cannot deny or undervalue the impression and effect produced by the 
presence of powerful fleets, or the influence exerted by the simultaneous and serious attempts of 
diSerent nations. But we wish to see acknowledged the part that the Netherlands had in it by 
their advice and persuasion. Indeed, these fleets realized the predictions of your Majesty's royal 
father, and served to procure a more ready acceptance of his disinterested advice. The draft 
of a treaty of 1852 — the letter of the chief at Dezima of the 2d of November, 1852 — the com- 
munication of the governor of Nagasaki of the 9th of November, 1853 — finally, the comparing 
of the said draft of a treaty with the convention concluded by the United States — all this 
jrresents the undeniable fact, that the measures taken, in consequence of your Majesty's orders, 
have powerfully contributed to the results obtained hy other nations." 

"In fact, the Netherlands have always desired an opening of Japanese ports, in the general 
interest, and in favor of commerce. Attached disinterestedly to that jiolicy, the Netherlands 



68 INTRODUCTION. 

have sought no privileges for themselves in Japan ; hut they have, in equity, desired and ohtained 
treatment similar to that of others, when to these favors were granted." 

These are the facts as set forth hy the Dutch, and this the extent of their claims ; nor would 
we in the slightest degree detract from what may be justly their due. We confess, however, that, 
to us, the importance as well as effects of Dutch co-operation in our treaty seem to be somewhat 
exaggerated. It sometimes happens that men and nations cannot work to the production of 
their own particular ends without thereby contributing, whether they wish it or not, to the 
accomplishment of similar ends sought hy others. The success, however, of others, which they 
never sought, and which is but an accident resulting from their efforts to another end, can scarcely 
he claimed as a ground of merit, or demand very loud acknowledgments from those who may 
have been thus casually benefitted. The basis of a claim, quanhcm meruit, is some benefit 
purposely done by one to another, or some loss purposely sustained for his advantage. We 
readily concede that the Dezima chief, with the draft of the Dutch treaty in his possession, 
strove faithfully and judiciously, as became him, to induce the Japanese authorities to accede 
to the terms of that treaty and sign it, before our ambassador could reach Japan. Of this we 
have no right to complain. We concede also that his proceedings brought to the knowledge of 
the Japanese what the nature of a commercial treaty was, and furnished them also with some 
valuable hints as to some of its provisions,which afforded them topics of reflection and investigation, 
and prepared them for the consideration of our treaty when it should be proposed; but it will 
scarcely be pretended that the Dutch action was prompted by the direct design of aiding the 
United States; and still less, that it induced the Japanese government to depart from its long 
established policy of exclusion. The Dutch were themselves endeavoring to negotiate a treaty ; 
and such a departure must be pre-supposed before it was expedient to present the terms of a 
treaty at all. 

But further, as to this point of departing from their settled policy, it is on the record, that the 
letter of the King of Holland himself on this very subject, written in 1844, was answered by the 
Japanese government in 1845, with a most explicit declaration that they would not abandon 
their ancient policy and usage. At this time then (1845) the Dutch seem to have accomplished 
nothing ; and it is not on the record that they ever renewed their effort from this time forward 
until 1852, when they kneiu the American expedition would certainly be sent; and the mode of 
renewal was to offer to Japan a treaty which they had prepared to suit themselves, and which was 
for their own benefit. For it will be remembered that by that treaty no foreign nation was to 
be allowed by treaty to trade with Japan, but on certain bases, laid down in the 4th article of 
the Dutch draft. Now suppose Japan had signed the treaty proposed to her hy Holland, 
what would have necessarily resulted? The following consequences, vi^;: 

1. That the Dutch should alone dictate what kind of treaties all other foreign nations might 
make with Japan. 

2. That Japan, an independent power, should preclude herself from the right of making any 
treaty but such as Holland should approve. 

3. That as Holland was to be placed on the footing of the most favored nations in any treaty 
Japan might make, the Dutch, in addition to the privileges they already possessed in Japan, 
and in addition to any others they might obtain by future negotiation, should have also every 
privilege of every kind that any nation might chance to get by treaty. 

Had the Dezima chief succeeded in negotiating his treaty before Commodore Perry's arrival, 
would it have benefitted the United States? 



INTRODUCTION. 69 

But this is not all. We are constrained, from public documents of the Dutch themselves, to 
believe that they never cordially furthered our efforts to effect a treaty which should open Japan. 
In a letter from the Dutch governor general of the Indies, written from Java on the 22d 
September, 1852, addressed to Commodore Perry, (then on liis way to Japan,) the commodore 
is informed that a dispatch for the Dezima chief is enclosed, which the commodore may 
transmit to him, in case he wishes his co-operation. Now, at this very time, the governor general 
well knew that the Dezima chief had the draft of a treaty, and instructions to have it ratified 
if possible ; and every effort was being made to have it thus ratified before Commodore Perry 
could arrive. Had it been thus ratified, we have seen above what sort of co-operation the Dezima 
chief would have rendered ; it would have been to allow Japan to negotiate just such a treaty 
as Holland had seen fit to make for her and for us. But further still — the last clause of the 
governor general's letter to Commodore Perry is suggestive of a fact pregnant with evidence as 
to the cordiality with which Holland seconded our efforts. "I beg to remark, in view of the 
object at present contemplated by both our governments, that in case the Netherlands chief of 
the factory at Dezima should have succeeded in opening negotiations witli the government of 
Japan, it is not unlikely that any proof of co-operation between America and Holland would 
prejudice these negotiations, as you are aware that the American expedition to Japan has not always 
been represented to he of a icholly friendly and peaceful character." Of course, these latter words, 
to have any meaning, must imply that the Japanese had doubts of the friendly nature of our 
visit. Noio, who told the Japanese that it was unfriendly? The Dutch were the only Europeans 
with whom they had any intercourse, or from whom they could hear anything about it. And 
from the Dutch they did hear it ; for, in anticipation of the American movements, instructions 
were sent by the Netherlands to their governor general in Batavia to write to Jajjan and invite 
negotiation about the means that should be adopted ' ' to preserve Japan from the dangers that 
threatened her." The Dutch, therefore, told the Japanese to look for danger from our visit. 

Commodore Perry never invoked the aid of the Dutch, from the beginning to the end of his 
mission, but purposely avoided them ; and the treaty which he made is essentially different 
from that which the Dutch had provided. The draft from the Hague made Nagasaki the only 
port open to foreign ships for obtaining supplies, repairing vessels, and recruiting the sick ; and 
provided that foreigners might " even be admitted to trade," after they had made a treaty on 
the Dutch basis. 

The two ports of Simoda and Hakodadi, with a considerable space around each, are, by the 
American treaty, thrown open for trade ; and in case of distress, or when driven by stress of 
weather, all the ports in Japan are open to ships of the United States ; and as, when Holland 
shall succeed in making a commercial treaty with Japan, we cannot but hope and believe she 
will be admitted to like favors with ourselves, we have been inclined to think that the Dutch 
are far more indebted to us for releasing them from their imprisonment of two centuries and a 
half at Dezima, than we are for any aid they have rendered us, directly or indirectly, in 
negotiating our treaty with Japan. That Holland should seek to advance her own interest is 
both natural and proper ; when other nations succeed in promoting theirs, it is scarcely graceful 
or dignified to deny to them the modicum of merit which may attach to their success. 

It only remains to say a word about the singular statements of Dr. Von Siebold. This individual 
was the physician employed by the Dutch at Dezima, and has published, more largely than all 
his predecessors combined, the result of his observations during his residence. Of the value of 
his publications we have already spoken. During liis continuance in the Empire, however, a 



70 - INTRODUCTION. 

circumstance is said to liave occurred involving a very melanclioly cataf5trop'he, in •wliicli Von 
Siebold was an unwilling actor. The story is thus related by a modern writer on Japan. 
Sieboid had been with Colonel Van Sturler, the Dezima chief, to Jeddo ; the Japanese astronomer, 
Takahasi Lakusaimon, had, in violation of the law, furnished him with a copy of a recently 
made map of Japan. The draughtsman who made the copy having become, from some cause, 
offended with the astronomer, dMiounced him to the authorities. An investigation followed, 
Sieboid' s correspondence with Takahasi was demanded, and the topographical and geographical 
information contained therein, added to the fact that Sieboid was not by birth a Hollander, led 
to the suspicion that the physician of Dezima was a Russian spy. This caused the investigation 
to become more rigorous still, and severe measures were threatened. All who were known to 
be friends and corre.spondents of Sieboid, with a single exception, were thrown into prison. The 
excepted individual was made a witness for the government. He broke his oath in the cause of 
friendship, and privately informed Sieboid of what was designed against him. Tliis warning 
enabled him to place his most valuable documents in security, and to prepare copies for the use 
of the government commissioners, before his papers were seized and his person arrested at 
Dezima. Sieboid was repeatedly examined by the governor of Nagasaki, and steadily refused 
to name any of his Japanese accomplices ; and requested to be permitted to pass the residue of 
his life in a Japanese prison, as a hostage, for the innocence of his friends, and as a penalty for 
the consequences of his transgressions. The investigation lasted nearly a year. Sieboid was 
hanished from Japan ; and Takahasi and the draughtsman who accused him both committed 
suicide. Whether this story be true or not, in every particular, it was, at least, circulated on the 
continent of Europe, and in this form it had reached the United States before our expedition sailed. 
After Commodore Perry had been designated as commander, Sieboid applied for employ- 
ment as a member of the expedition, and so anxious was he to go, that he caused great and 
unusual influence to be exerted for the accomplishment of his wishes. Commodore Perry, 
for several reasons, and particularly from a desire not to compromit himself, or hazard the 
success of his mission by taking back to Japan a man generally believed to have been banished, 
resisted all influences, even the highest, and persisted in his positive refusal to have Sieboid in 
any vessel of the squadron. 

At length, our treaty was made, and the fact was announced to the world. Within a few 
months, and since such announcement, has appeared a pamphlet, by Sieboid, published at Bonn, 
and bearino- the following title : ' ' Authentic account of the efforts of the Netherlands and of Russia 
toward the opening of Japan to the navigation and commerce of all nations." We regret its 
publication for the author's sake. It subserves no scientific end, nor does it add a single fact 
concerning Japan to what the author has already communicated in his previous valuable 
writings. It is evidently the product of mortified and irritated vanity, and has two objects in 
view which are perfectly obvious. The one is to glorify the author, the other to disparage 
the United States and its Japan expedition. Appreciating, as we sincerely do, the voluminous 
writings of Dr. Von Sieboid concerning Japan, we regret exceedingly the egotism, vanity, and 
self-importance exhibited in the pursuit of the one object ; while we are not disposed to overlook, 
without rebuke, the misiepresentations and impertinence displayed in the accomplishment of tlie 
other. The text and spirit of the whole work may be found at the commencement, on the third 
page of the book, in the following statement : "We have noiu to thank the Rtissians, and not the 
Americans, for the opening of Japan." When we remember that, up to a very late period, the 
Russians had effected iio treaty at all loith Ja^an, the reader may possilily incline to tlie belief, 



INTRODUCTION. 71 

that the shrewd Japanese were not far from the truth, when they suspected Von Siebold to ho a 
Eussian spy, and banished him. 

Of his intimate connexion with Kussia there can be no doubt ; the pamphlet itself shows it ; 
and though in the revelations it makes, its purpose is to glorify the author and show his great 
political importance, yet his boasts of services rendered to Kussia, his published extracts from the 
flattering letter of a Russian official of high rank, his acknowledgment of a summons and visit 
to St. Petersburgh, and his declaration that Japan knows Russia to be the most powerful nation 
in the world, are all facts indicative of the author's close and interested relation to the great 
northern power. Indeed, it has been said by some, that by his advice the Russian squadron 
was sent to checkmate us in our attempt to open Japan. If this be so, then, his extreme desire 
to go in our squadron may have been produced by his entire conviction, nay, assured knowledge, 
that his presence alone would have proved fatal to the success of our mission. 

Of the inordinate conceit and self-importance of Von Siebold there is, unfortunately, abundant 
evidence. Thus, he informs us, that he it was who induced King William II, in 1844, to write 
to the Emperor of Japan ; and states that the original of the King's letter was deposited with 
him and is still in his possession. He dwells, at length, upon the vast amount of valuable 
information he had acquired in Japan, upon the admirable opportunities he enjoyed for tliat 
purpose, and more than insinuating that all the rest of the world, compared with liim, is in 
almost entire ignorance, he contrives to make the pamphlet an advertisement of his really 
valuable works, of which he retains, we b&lieve, the sale in his own hands ; at least we know 
that it was not to be obtained in the book stores of Europe, and that the copy procured for the 
Astor library was purchased by the accomplished superintendent from Von Siebold himself. 

So, too, the services he has rendered to Russia lose nothing of their value and importance in 
his representations ; and we are furnished with an extract of a letter from a distinguished 
Russian statesman, addressed to our author, the publication of which by Von Siebold proves that 
the noble correspondent of whom he boasts could not have enumerated modesty among the 
personal qualities for which he commends the learned physician. 

We are also told of his intimacy with some of the Japanese nobility, though he dared not 
show his face in Japan, nor was he at liberty even to address to them a letter. 

A letter from M. Von Siebold, addressed to one of the gentlemen of the expedition, whom he 
ostentatiously calls in his pamphlet, " my correspondent on board of the Mississippi," is now 
lying before us. A single extract will illustrate the weakness of which we have spoken : 

"I see with much pleasure that Commodore Perry knows how to a^^preciate my profound 
knowledge and long experience of Japanese aifairs. I was very sorry not to have been called 
upon to trace a programme for the American expedition to Japan. I would have produced a 
plan to open the Japanese Empire to the world, under the watchwords ' humanity and patience.' 
I do not transgress the bounds of modesty when I say that I, only, am able to trace such a plan. 
The Netherland government knows my views, and has undertaken to support the peaceful 
intentions of the President of the United States toward the Japanese government." 

" Probably all overtures will be declined, or they will try to delay, as long as possible, giving 
a final answer. The Japanese government understands perfectly the art of protracting diplo- 
matic negotiations, to exhaust patience ; of spinning out endlessly the thread of objections against 
overtures for a commercial treaty. They will recall constantly the unalterable nature of their 
laws ; will urge the danger of breaches of etiquette or courtesy, the want of articles for exporta- 
tion, the great influx of foreigners. It will also be pretended that the Siogun is not allowed to 



72 INTRODUCTION. 

enter into negotiations witli foreign nations (other than the Hollanders) without the co-operation 
of the Mikado ; and it is easy to understand that the Mikado will decide for or against a treaty 
according to the will of the Council of State. All these are only pretexts, and the sole reason 
why the Japanese ohject to more intimate relations with foreigners is the fear that Christianity 
may be introduced into the country, and so the Siogun dynasty, which consolidated itself hy the 
extermination of Christianity, may he put in jeopardy. The fanatic Gutzlaif and Father For- 
cade, (now in Heaven, I hope,) the narrow-minded missionaries, have, by their conduct of late, 
contributed to excite afresh the fears of the Japanese government, who saw in these two mission- 
aries the whole of Christendom marching against Japan. 

" It shows a want of caution, in that the letter of the honorable President states that the mes- 
sengers whom he has sent to the Emperor of Japan are not missionaries. Why insert this 
assurance, calculated to excite distrust ? It is a matter of course that an ambassador is not a 
missionary ; and what guarantee can be given to the Japanese government that there prevails 
no intention to propagate Christianity in Japan ? No maritime power but Holland enjoys her 
confidence. Holland only can make a movement to open Japan to the commerce of the world. 
Holland has not listened to my advice, and will repent it." 

" Please to pray Commodore Perry not to allow his jjatience to be exhausted, to receive quietly 
the objections of the Japanese government ; but then he must declare decidedly that America 
will not trouble herself about the present religion and politics of Japan. America leaves these 
untouched, but insists on a commercial treaty to be effected by peaceful negotiation. Probably 
the proposals will not be listened to ; but beg Commodore Perry not to make hostile demonstra- 
tions against the good, faithful, innocent people of Japan, but to intimate to the Japanese gov- 
ernment that it is in his power to destroy their cities, ships, and men, but that to do so would give 
him pain ; that he will therefore give them a year to consider his proposals, because he would not 
by force of arms seek to obtain conditions which might as well be secured by friendly measures." 

" Then, if notice is given to me in proper time, I would still be willing to submit a plan by 
which the United States government may attain its purposes." 

With reference to this letter, in the pamphlet before us M. Von Siebold states that by means 
of his " correspondent on board the Mississijipi" he did not fail " to advise Commodore Perry to 
follow a peaceful plan, which counsel seems to have borne good fruit." 

It is very remarkable how strikingly facts in the history of our negotiation have contradicted 
the confident predictions of this gentleman, who professed such "profound knowledge and long 
experience of Japanese affairs." 

The Dutch, he states, were the only people who could establish a commercial treaty with Japan, 
and they had undertaken to sustain our effort. The facts are, that they were not able to make 
a treaty for themselves until long after ours was consummated ; that their support of our efforts 
consisted, as we have shown, in the attempt to make a treaty for themselves before our arrival, 
committing the Japanese to agree to no treaty with any foreign power but such as they 
prescribed ; and that from the arrival to the dei^arture of our ships in no mode, either directly 
or indirectly, did they have any communication with the Dutch, nor was the aid of the latter 
either invoked or employed in the slightest degree in the negotiation of our treaty. 

M. Von Siebold predicted that our overtures would be declined, or that a final answer would 
be delayed as long as ijossible. The facts are, that our overtures were not declined, and that, 
under the circumstances of the death of the Emperor and other events, the delay was not unrea- 
sonably long. The squadron returned to Yeddo bay on the 13th of February, and all tha 



INTRODUCTION. 73 

terms of the treaty were substantially agreed on by the 23d of March, and it was formally signed 
on the 31st of that month. So that about six weeks elapsed from the commencement of the 
negotiation to its close in a treaty. 

M. Von Siebold predicted that various pretexts would be resorted to by the Japanese to pro- 
tract the negotiation. Singularly enough, the fact is, that of the six anticipated objections 
specified by Von Siebold not one was urged in the negotiation as insurmountable, and five were 
not mentioned at all. The only one named was the unalterable nature of the Japianese laws. 

And as to the complacency with which M. Von Siebold congratulates himself on the "good 
fruit" resulting from his counsel, we have only to remark that we are very sorry his good advice 
did not arrive in time to afibrd the Commodore any aid, inasmuch as his course had been fully 
decided on and in part followed without the slightest reference to it. In fact, Commodore Perry 
never saio M. Von Siebold' s letter at all. 

Of the disposition to disparage the United States and its expedition to Japan, the proofs are 
quite as unequivocal as those we have given above of self-conceit and arrogance. Our country 
is more than once brought into disadvantageous comparison with Russia ; is accused of being 
influenced by the most selfish motives ; of seeking her own advantage without the slightest 
regard to those of Japan or of the rest of the civilized world ; and in this respect her conduct is 
contrasted with that of Holland, which is afiirmed to have been always prompted by a most 
liberal desire to open Japan to the commerce of the world. Russia, also, is said to be bene- 
volently pursuing the same end, and also to be seeking the free exercise of Christian worship for 
all Russian subjects in Japan. With Russia's zeal for the protection of Christians in Japan we 
have nothing to do ; we may remark, however, it is a little curious that Russia should not be 
warned to avoid the subject of Christianity in Japan, while Commodore Perry is so decidedly 
advised, by M. Von Siebold, carefully to proclaim that he is no Christian missionary ; and is 
informed that the dread of the introduction of Christianity is the only real obstacle to his success. 

The chief magistrate of our country is also rebuked for a want of the usual diplomatic form, 
and of the dignified tone, so necessary to be used toward the sovereign of a country so much 
accustomed to etiquette. 

Piqued at Commodore Perry's success in the bay of Tedo, when M. Von Siebold had predicted 
that he would be obliged to go to Nagasaki, and that his proposals would not be listened to 
anywhere else, if, indeed, they would be listened to at all, he sneeringly attributes his success 
to what he imputes as a, fault, viz : that Commodore Perry informed the Japanese that the mere 
request to go to Nagasaki would, if repeated, be construed into an insult to the United States. 
And, finally, though we have succeeded, it is to be of but little value to lis, inasmuch as Russia 
and the Netherlands can better supply Japan's wants than we can, and their political and com- 
mercial regulations are such as the Siogoon can sympathize with, while ours are not. 

Of the selfishness of our motives we readily admit that we sought commercial intercourse with 
Japan, because we supposed it would be advantageous. Such, we suppose, is the motive of all 
intelligent nations in establishing friendly relations with others. We can only smile at the 
simplicity of those who expect to deceive the world by professions of pure, disinterested friend- 
ship from one nation toward another, irrespective of all considerations of national benefit. We 
think that every nation which has sought intercourse with Japan has supposed that such inter- 
course would prove advantageous to the seeker ; nor are we aware that there is anything very 
criminal or selfish in the desire that advantage may result from the communication. But it is 
quite possible to believe that benefit to both nations may result from the intercourse we would 
10 J 



74 INTRODUCTION. 

establish, and such henefit may he honestly desired, even while we seek our own interest. This 
is not selfishness. But further, we heg distinctly to state the fact that Commodore Perry did 
express to the Japanese commissioners the desire that other nations might have the benefits of 
our treaty, or of one similar to it, and received for reply that there were many commercial 
nations on the globe ; and that if they wished to have a treaty they should do as we had done, 
visit Japan and seek to make one. 

That our late President (Mr. Fillmore) should have been wanting in the courtly proprieties of 
diplomatic etiquette, and prove himself ignorant of the dignified language in which it became him 
to address a sovereign, is certainly very lamentable. But we are comforted by the reflection that 
his Japanese majesty was not offended by the manly, yet respectful, frankness of our republican 
chief; that the Emperor seems perfectly to have understood what he said, (which is something 
unusual in diplomacy ;) and that, through his commissioners, he responded in a very friendly 
and cordial manner to the propositions made by our President. At all events, we made a treaty 
with Japan satisfactory to hath governments. Our rude ignorance of propriety was thus kindly 
overlooked ; and we, therefore, hope that M. Von Siebold, the self-constituted court chamberlain 
of Japan, will henceforth generously forbear to speak of the shortcomings of such a semi-civilized 
people and government as ours. It may indicate our barbarism, but we would rather be clowns 
than calumniators. 

We plead guilty, too, to the charge that Commodore Perry went to the bay of Yedo and 
refused to go to Nagasaki ; and that he added to this enormity the very plain declaration that 
' ' the Americans will never submit to the restrictions which have been imposed upon the Dutch 
and Chinese, and any further allusion to such restraints will be considered ofiensive ;" to which 
we will add that the Japanese commissioners put in writing, as one of the points agreed upon 
between them and Commodore Perry, that "the citizens of the United States will not submit to 
degradations like those imposed upon the Dutch and Chinese." And Commodore Perry's coun- 
trymen expected him to say precisely what he did say, and are quite satisfied with the result. 

It only remains to be added that, until since the return of our expedition, neither the Dutch 
nor Eussians were able to effect a treaty. England and the United States alone succeeded ; and 
England readily admits that, in point of time, ours was the first. This is all we have ever 
said ; and we conclude with the wish that all the powers of Europe, seeking commercial treaties 
with Japan, may succeed as well as England and ourselves, and that most interesting Empire 
thus be opened to, and enriched by, free communication with the civilized world. 



.e^.^^i^■.^■sic 



CHAPTER I. 



PROBABILITIES OF A SUCCESSFUL MISSION FROM THE UNITED STATES TO JAPAN. SUCH A MISSION PROPOSED TO THE GOVERN- 
MENT BY COMMODORE PERRY. EXPEDITION RESOLVED ON. VESSELS SELECTED FOR THE SQUADRON. VEXATIOUS DELAY 

IN THEIR EQUIPMENT.— COMMODORE PERRY SENT IN THE MISSISSIPPI TO THE GULF OF ST. LAWRENCE. APPLICATIONS OF 

SCIENTIFIC MEN TO JOIN THE EXPEDITION REFUSED. CAUSES OF SUCH REFUSAL. DR. TON SIEBOLD. VISIT OF THE 

PRESIDENT AND SECRETARY OF THE NAVY TO ANNAPOLIS TO TAKE LEAVE OF THE EXPEDITION. FAILURE OF THE 

MACHINERY OF THE STEAMSHIP PRINCETON ON THE PASSAGE DOWN CHESAPEAKE BAY. SUBSTITUTION OF STEAMER POW- 
HATAN IN PLACE OF THE PRINCETON. FINAL DEPARTURE OF COMMODORE PERRY ON THE MISSION WITH THE UISSISSIPFI 

ALONE. 

/ isIM 

HE treaty which closed the war of the United States with 

Mexico transferred to the former the territory of California. 
Its position on the Pacific could not but suggest the thought 
of an extended field for commercial enterprise ; and with our 
territory spreading from ocean to ocean, and placed midway 
%i^ "^ between Europe and Asia, it seemed that we might with 
'r^^, "^^ propriety apply to ourselves the name by which China had 
' Xj,^ J^ loved to designate herself, and deem that we were, in truth, 
£f"the Middle Kingdom." If the shortest route between 
Eastern Asia and Western Europe be (in this age of steam) 
gS^ across our continent, then was it obvious enough that our 
^& continent must, in some degree at least, become a highway 
for the world. And when, soon after our acquisition of 
California, it was discovered that the harvest there was gold, nothing was more natural than 
that such discovery should give additional interest to the obvious reflections suggested by our 
geographical position. 

Direct trade from our western coast with Asia became, therefore, a familiar thought ; the 
agency of steam was, of course, involved, and fuel for its production was indispensable. Hence 
aro.se inquiries for that great mineral agent of civilization, coal. Where was it to be obtained 
on the long route from California to Asia? Another inquiry presented itself: With what far- 
distant eastern nations should we trade? China was in some measure opened to us ; but 
there was, beside, a terra incognita in Japan which, while it stimulated curiosity, held out 
also temptations which invited commercial enterprise. True, we knew not much about its 




76 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 

internal regulations ; we knew that it had, for centuries, isolated itself, as it were, fi-om the 
world, and persisted in a system of excluding foreigners from intercourse ; that but one European 
nation was allowed to approach for purposes of trade, and that repeated efforts made by others 
for a similar privilege had uniformly failed of success. But we knew, too, that it possessed 
valuable productions, and ought to be brought into communication with the rest of the world. 
By some, indeed, the proposition was boldly avowed that Japan had no right thus to cut herself 
off from the community of nations; and that what she would not yield to national comity should 
be wrested from her by force. 

It was, perhaps, but natural that the minds of our naval officers should be drawn strongly to 
a consideration of the subject of intercourse with Japan. Not simply to the desirableness or 
probable advantages of such intercourse, for on those points all men's minds readily reached the 
same conclusion ; but on the means by which the wished for end might be best attained. And 
this part of the subject required some study and calm reflection, aided by such experience and 
knowledge of men of all latitudes as a naval officer would be apt to acquire in many j'ears 
of active service on shipboard. 

Commodore Perry, in common with other members of his profession and with the rest of his 
countrymen, had his thoughts directed to the subject, with especial reference to the probabilities of 
accomplishing the end in view. He knew that there miist be causes for a state of things 
so singular as was presented in the complete voluntary isolation of a whole people ; and his first 
object was, therefore, to obtain a correct history of the past career of Japan. For this purpose 
he mastered all that he could derive from books, and found that the exclusive system of Japan 
was not the result of any national idiosyncracy, but was caused by peculiar circumstances, long 
since passed, and was^ in fact, in direct opposition to what history proved to be the natural 
temperament and disjiosition of the Japanese people. He also found, in a careful examination of 
the repeated efforts of other nations to break down the barrier that shut them out, what he 
supposed to be the secret of their failures. Peculiar circumstances in the then political condition 
of the power seeking admission ; the rivalry of different nations striving to thwart each other ; 
the indiscretion, not to say arrogance, of some of those entrusted with the mis,sion, who sought 
to bully a brave people into acquiescence with their wishes ; a misconcej^tion of the true char- 
acter of the Japanese, who readily distinguish between obsequious servility and a manly spirit 
of conciliation, founded on the principle of doing what is kind and just, but submitting, not for 
an instant, to what is insulting or wrong ; all these seemed to him to be elements of failure 
clearly to be traced, in a greater or less degree, in the efforts that had been made. Beside, a 
disadvantage under which the European nations labored was that Japan had known something 
concerning all of them for many years, and, indeed, had been more or less brought into contact 
with them. Thus Portugal had given early and unpardonable offence in encouraging domestic 
treason ; England (who once had foothold) had abandoned it ; one of her kings had married a 
Portuguese princess ; one of her officers (Pellew) had committed what they deemed an insolent 
outrage in her waters ; Russia had taken possession of some of lier islands, had excited sus- 
picions of ulterior designs by fortifying on another "annexed" territory, at the mouth of the 
Amour, and, as the Japanese Emperor said, "had an inclination for Japan ;" while Holland had 
so quietly submitted to degradation, imprisonment and insult for two hundred years, tliat the 
Japanese unquestionably formed their ojnnion of European foreigners, in some measure, from 
the Dutch. 



MISSION TO JAPAN PROPOSED BY COMMODORE PERRY. 77 

The United States occupied a different position from all the above named powers, for they 
had not been brought into such contact with Jajjan as awakened unpleasant associations. The 
only effort we had made toward opening friendly relations, (and it scarcely deserves the name,) 
was in sending two ships under Commodore Biddle, which remained at anchor some eight or 
ten days, accomplished nothing, and quietly left when the Japanese desired it. 

Commodore Perry, after careful examination, believed that, under all the circumstances, there 
was a favorable opportunity for our country to establish commercial relations with Japan, and 
avowed his belief to several of his brother officers, as well as to some of the dignitaries of the 
government, and eminent citizens, long before the subject was publicly discussed, and the 
expedition resolved on. There were doubtless others (and among them probably some of high 
station in the government) whose minds had been led to a similar conclusion, and who, like 
Commodore Perry, anticipated popular opinion on the subject of an expedition. Indeed, 
instructions had been sent out to Commodore Aulick, then on the East India station, directing 
him to proceed to Japan ; and the State Department, -then under the charge of Mr. Webster, 
had sought information concerning Japan from the officer who commanded the Preble on her 
visit. Commander Glynn, who very strongly felt and urged the importance of establishing, 
if possible, a friendly communication between that Kingdom and our own country. We believe, 
however, we do no wrong to any one, when we say that the thought of making an immediate 
effort was urged by Commodore Perry ; and, at all events, on the recal of Commodore Aulick, 
he formally proposed to the government of the United States the expedition, which was finally 
sent. The proposition was favorably received, and it was determined that a squadron should be 
dispatched, under his command, on the peaceful mission of endeavoring to open a friendly 
commercial intercourse with the Japanese.* 

The expedition having been resolved on, the following vessels were selected to compose the 
squadron, viz : The Mississippi steamer, which had been the flag ship of Commodore Perry in 
the Gulf during the Mexican war, and was deservedly his favorite vessel; the Princeton and 
Alleghany steamers ; the Vermont, 74 ; and the sloops-of-war Vandalia and Macedonian. The 
steamship Susquehanna, and sloops-of-war Saratoga and Plymouth were already on the East 
India station, and were to form part of the squadron. The armed storeships Sujsply, Lexington, 
and Southampton, were also attached to the exjiedition. The liveliest interest in the under- 
taking was manifested by the President, (Mr. Fillmore,) by Mr. Webster, and his successors in 
the State Department, (Messrs. Conrad and Everett,) by the Secretary of the Navy, (Mr. 
Kennedy,) and indeed by all the members of the Cabinet. The most liberal equipment was 
authorized, and the commander of the expedition was invested with extraordinary powers, 
diplomatic as well as naval, because much was necessarily confided to his prudence and discretion. 
The instructions from the department designated the East India and China seas and Japan as 
the field of service ; but the great objects of the expedition were to procure friendly admission 
to Jajjan for purposes of trade, and to establish, at proper points, permanent depots of coal for 
. our steamers crossing the Pacific. 

Orders were given to fit the squadron for sea with as little delay as possible ; yet such was 
the mismanagement in the equipment of the vessels, that more than once the public were led to 



* The subject of establishing commercial relations with the East occupied tlie minds of so many of our countrymen, that it 
is, of course, impossible to say, with certainty, with whom its discussion originated. It is, however, due to one gentleman, 
(Aaron H. Palmer, esq., of New York,) to say that he was, at least, among the earliest to call attention to its importance. 



78 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 

supjDose tliat the enterprise had been abandoned simply from the delay in its departure. More 
than nine months had passed beyond the time when the chief of the Bureau of Construction 
and Equipment had promised that the Princeton should be ready, before that vessel was reported 
as completed; and when thus reported, she was found, on trial, to be utterly inefficient for the 
intended service, owing to the imperfection of her boilers. Some new, and in this country 
untried, plan had been adopted in their construction or arrangement, and the experiment cost 
the expedition the loss of a year. The Princeton never formed part of the squadron, as the 
Powhatan was substituted for her. 

Amid these vexatious delays, however, the Commodore was not idle. While he was waiting 
for the completion of the Princeton, the misunderstanding arose concerning the fisheries in the 
Gulf of St. Lawrence, and it became necessary to dispatch an armed vessel to that region. The 
Mississippi was ready for sea, and Commodore Perry was ordered to repair in her to the fishing 
grounds, and assist in amicably adjusting the respective rights of the English and American 
fishermen. Having performed this duty satisfactorily to the government, he returned to New 
York, earnestly hoping that he should find removed all obstacles to his speedy departure on his 
mission to the East. 

As soon as it was publicly announced that the United States had resolved on sending an 
expedition to Japan, applications came from all quarters of the civilized world for permission to 
take part in the service. Literary and scientific men, European as well as native, and travellers 
by profession, eagerly sought to accompany the expedition; and extraordinary infiuences, in 
some instances, were brought to bear upon our government inducing it to second some of the 
applications thus made ; but Commodore Perry resolutely persisted in an unqualified refusal to 
all such requests. 

And here it may be well to explain the grounds of sucli refusal. The duties confided to the 
commander were of a peculiar nature, and required the most prudent and delicate management 
on his part. He had his own views of what he had to accomplish and of the best mode of 
doing it ; and an essential element to success was the possession of absolute authority for the 
time being. It was indispensable that the most exact order and discipline should be main- 
tained. To effect this, strict military control would be necessary; but civilians could not be 
expected to submit patiently to the restraints of naval discipline, to the confinement on ship 
board, and to the sanitary regulations necessary to preserve health in crowded ships. 

But, further, after the accommodation of the proper officers of the vessels there would be but 
little room left for that of scientific men, who were accustomed to the comforts and conveniem es 
of life on shore, with abundant space for their books and instruments ; and beside, they would 
severely feel the disappointment of not being able to go and come at their pleasure, when 
curiosity and their scientific researches might make it desirable, to say nothing of the embar- 
rassments they might cause to the commander when they did land, by collisions with the 
people, arising from inadvertence or experience. 

But paramount as a ground of refusal was the fact that the object of the expedition was not 
scientific, but naval and diplomatic ; to attempt both would probably be to succeed in neither. 
If one, the last named, were prosecuted to a favorable result, the door would then be opened for 
success in the other. At any rate, the commander thought it would be best to do one thing at 
a time, and that the one thing confided to him for performance, must take precedence of every 
thing else. 



DR. VON SIEBOLD'S REJECTION. 79 

Another matter, of no little delicacy in its adjustment, was likely to arise from the presence 
of scientific gentlemen not subject to the strict discipline of the navy. The Commodore's 
instructions required of him to prohibit those under his command from making any communi- 
cations to the newspapers and other public prints touching the movements of the squadron or 
the discipline and internal regulations of the vessels composing it ; and even private letters to 
friends were to avoid these topics. All journals and private notes kept by members of the 
expedition were to be considered as belonging to the government until permission should be 
given from the Navy Department to publish them. The object of these regulations was to 
withhold information from other powers which, if communicated, might jeopard the success of 
our mission. It was known that other nations, particularly Kussia, had ordered ships to Japan 
as soon as it was known that the United States had sent there a squadron. Now, the cor- 
respondence of scientific gentlempn with their friends and families was a delicate subject to be 
discussed between them and the commander. The latter would neither demand to see their 
letters nor prescribe the topics on which they might write. It was, therefore, best to avoid 
embarrassment by preventing the possibility of its occurrence. 

Some professional feeling also influenced the determination of the Commodore. He supposed 
that it was desirable to cherish a taste for scientific observation and study among the officers of 
the navy, many of whom are already not without reputation in science. If an opportunity 
were afforded them, and facilities furnished for observation, it would make them students of 
science ; and though they might not always, in their early efforts, be able to account 
philosophically for what they saw, yet they could record facts which others might explain ; and, 
as they would never forget the facts or the explanations, they would thus be adding to their 
stores of scientific knowledge. Many of the officers of our army are scientific men ; there is 
no reason why our naval officers should not be so also. 

These were the general causes which led the Commodore to the determination we have 
mentioned, without reference to persons. It is proper, however, to add, that, with respect to 
one individual, who manifested extraordinary desire to be of the expedition, and who has 
published untruths concerning it since its return, (Dr. Von Siebold,) Commodore Perry refused 
on f)ersonal grounds. From information received from abroad, he suspected him of being a 
Russian spy, and he knew that he had been banished from Japan, where, by a violation of 
law, he had forfeited his life. 

On the Commodore's return from the Gulf of St. Lawrence, he found that the vessels under 
his command were by no means ready for sea ; and, leaving New York, he proceeded in the 
Mississippi to Annapolis. He was not long in making the discovery that, unless he sailed 
alone and trusted to the chances of being joined at uncertain periods by the vessels assigned to 
his command, and then under equipment, he might be detained in the ynited States several 
months longer. He therefore, with the approbation of the Navy Department, determined to 
proceed on his voyage in the Mississippi without further delay ; with the understanding that he 
should be followed, as soon as possible, by the other vessels of the squadron. 

Before leaving Annapolis, President Fillmore, with the Secretary of the Navy and many 
other persons of distinction, both ladies and gentlemen, visited the ship and bade farewell to 
the Commodore and his officers. As the Mississippi and Princeton steamed down the 
Chesapeake bay, the discovery was made of the entire unfitness of the last named vessel to make 
the contemplated voyage. Her machinery failed, and it was on the arrival at Norfolk that 



80 



EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 



the Powliatan (which had then just arrived from the West Indies) ^was substituted for the 
Princeton. 

The Commodore, tired of delays, was not disposed to wait any longer for a consort, and, 
accordingly, on the 24th of November, 1852, the Mississippi alone took her departure from 
Norfolk, on the mission to Japan, with the intention of touching on the outward passage, 
for supplies of coal and refreshments, at Madeira, the Cape of Good Hope, Mauritius, and 
Singapore. 

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VOYAGE FROM THE CHESAPEAKE TO MADEIRA. 



81 



CHAPTER IL 



VOYAGE FROM THE CAPES OF THE CHESAPEAKE TO MADEIRA. VIEW OF THE ISLAKD. FtTMCHAL. HOSPITALITY OF THE INHAB- 
ITANTS. SALUBRITY OF THE CLIMATE. EXPORTS OF THE ISLAND. NOVEL MODE OF CONVEYANCE. DEPARTURE FROM 

MADEIRA AND ARRIVAL AT THE CANARIES. EARLY FAILURE OF NORTHEAST TRADES EXTRAORDINARY SWELL FROM THE 

NORTHWEST. GENERAL ORDER AS TO PRIVATE JOURNALS AND COMMUNICATIONS TO PUBLIC PRINTS. GENERAL ORDER AS 

TO SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATIONS BY OFFICERS. THE "HARMATTAN," CONSIDERATION OF HYPOTHESES AS TO ITS ORIGIN. 

SOUTHEAST TRADES. SHIP STEERED FOR ST. HELENA. OBSERVATIONS ON THE CURRENTS. CHAPLAIn's OBSERVATIONS ON 

THE ZODIACAL LIGHTS. ARRIVAL AT ST. HELENA. DESCRIPTION OF THE ISLAND. JAMESTOWN. LONGWOOD. TOMB OP 

NAPOLEON. THE CALCULATING HOSPITALITY OF THE INHABITANTS OF THE ISLAND.' — ADVENTURE OF LIEUTENANT ■. 

FORTIFICATIONS OF THE ISLAND. THEIR SUFFICIENCY AGAINST SAILING VESSELS. PROBABLE INSUFFICIENCY AGAINST AN 

APPROACH FROM THE WEST BY STEAM. DEPARTURE FROM ST. HELENA. 




N leaving the capes of the Chesapeake, the wind for ten 
days was strong from the southward ; it then changed 
to N.N.E., making a heavy "wallowing" sea; and then, 
hauling to the westward, blew with such violence as to render 
the ship uncomfortable. She, however, sustained the high 
opinion the Commodore entertained of her good qualities, 
behaving (as she always had done) most admirably, and 
averaging more than seven knots during the whole passage. 
Though unusually deep in the water, but eight of her twelve 
furnaces were put in requisition, and her daily consumption 
of Cumberland coal was about twenty-six tons. 

After crossing the Gulf stream a southwestern current 
of about a knot per hour was experienced ; and this continued until the ship was within a 
thousand miles of Madeira, when it ceased entirely. No other current was observed during the 
remainder of the passage to the island. 

The land was made on the evening of December 11th, seventeen days after leaving Norfolk. 
On making the northern extremity of the island, "Point Atristow," the wind was blowing a 
gale from the W.S.W., which occasioned a heavy "rolling" sea. The ship was, therefore, 
run along the northern end of the island with the view of finding smoother water, the more 
conveniently to bend the cables. 

In coasting the island, several very pretty villages were observed occupying sheltered nooks, 
usually at the bottom of some ravine, and near an indentation of the coast, which offered 
11 J 



82 



EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 



indifferent anchorage to the small vessels employed in transporting the produce of the island to 
the shipping port, "Funchal." 

What added to the heauty of the scenery and roused the admiration and enthusiasm of the 
artists of the expedition was, that, as the rainy season had just passed, the torrents could be 
seen from the ship rushing down the sides of the mountains and forming in their descent many 
heautifiil cascades. 




i/lU'V^^J' 



View of Funchal, Madeira. 

Knowing that the wind, for the last few days, must have thrown into the bay of Funchal a 
heavy swell, rendering anchorage there unsafe, it was determined to run under the lee of the 
" Deserters," and there wait a favorable moment for anchoring in the roads. But on rounding 
the southeastern point of the island it was found that the wind had considerably abated, and 
had hauled to the northward of west, making it safe to proceed immediately to the anchorage ; 
and accordingly, just at dark, on the 12th, the ship came to anchor in thirty-three fathoms, 
the castle back of the town just open with the Loo rock. 

The vice consul of the United States, Mr. Beyman, with several coal agents were soon along- 
side, and arrangements were promptly made to send on hoard all the coal and water that might 
be required, so that the vessel would be ready to sail on the next Wednesday night. Accord- 
ingly, at daylight the next morning, (Monday, the IStli,) lighters containing coal and water 
were seen coming off, and by Wednesday, at four o'clock, p. m., between four and five hundred 
tons of coal, and ten thousand gallons of water, with many other articles, had been received on 
board. It may here be remarked, that the coal agents were very desirous that the vessel should 
be anchored much nearer the town, in about ten fathoms, and in a position where she would be 



HOSPITALITY OF THE INHABITANTS. 



83 



sheltered from the westerly winds by the Loo rock ; but upon an observation of the locality, 
the Commodore was satisfied that in blowing weatlier it would be difficult even for a steamer to 
get safely out from such an anchorage, and he therefore j^ositively forbade the removal of the 
vessel to the spot indicated. The anchoi'age anywhere in Funchal bay is unsafe in the winter 
season, and vessels lying in the road, when expecting a gale from S.E. around to W.S.W. 
generally put to sea, and remain out until the return of fine weather. In fact, Funchal, which 
lies on the south side of the island, has only an open roadstead, with a very rocky and uneven 
anchorage. The whole island is a mass of basalt. From November to February gales prevail 
from the southeast and southwest, rendering the roadstead very dangerous. 




Funchal Cathedral, Madeira. 

Funchal still retains its character for hospitality, and by no one was this virtue more 
gracefully exercised towards the members of the expedition than by Mr. J. H. March, who for more 
than thirty years has filled the ofiice of consul of the United States, and in the enjoyment of 



84 



EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 



his large fortune takes delight in making welcome to liis houses, both in town and country, 
such of his countrymen as are deserving of his attentions. 

The town consists of a wide street along the sea shore, containing several good buildings. 
From this, nmnerous small streets extend hack at right angles, for a considerable distance up the 
slope of the hill. The population amounts to some twenty thousand. The commerce of the 
island is considerable, and most of it is with England. Its exports have been said to amount 
to the value of £500,000 per annum. Wine is the principal commodity. When the island 
was first settled by the Portuguese, sugar was cultivated to a considerable extent, but this was 
discontinued after the West Indies were brought under culture, and wine became the staple. 

The salubrity of the climate has made Funchal a resort for invalids, and hence it is not 
difficult to find in it agreeable and refined society. The greater number of those who visit the 
island are English, and the known love of Englishmen for exercise in the open air has led to 
the introduction of some novel modes of affording to invalids the benefit of locomotion. 

As the streets of the city are paved in 
such manner as to forbid the use of wheel 
carriages, sedan chairs and hammocks 
were, imtil very recently, used not only 
for invalids, but by all persons making 
visits. The inconvenience of these ve- 
il icles has led to a substitute, which con- 
sists of nothing more than the ordinary 
sledge used for transporting casks of wine 
and other heavy articles through the 
streets, surmounted by a gaily decorated 
caniage on sie,i. Carriage body, and drawn by a yoke of 

oxen. This is now the fashionable conveyance, and in such an one did the Commodore, with 
his flag captain and aid, make all his official visits. There are stands in the streets, as for our 
cabs and carriages, where these vehicles may be found with the oxen yoked, and all things 
prepared for immediate transportation. 

It must not, however, be supposed that there are no other modes of conveyance ; horseback 
riding may be seen, and the fair equestrian makes her appearance without an attendant cavalier 
or groom, but with a footman, who keeps pace with the easy gait of the horse, and protects him 
from the annoyance of flies and other insects. Asses are common, and are probably the best 
beasts of burden on such roads as the island possesses. 

While the ship was at Madeira, the Commodore, who had reflected much and anxiously on 
the important mission with which he had been entrusted, thought it best to bring distinctly 
before the department the views he entertained of the steps he ought to undertake, more 
particularly as so much was necessarily confided to his discretion. He accordingly addressed to 
the Secretary of the Navy an official communication, which is here presented, not only as 
affording a record of his matured opinions on the important work before him, but also as 
furnishing the reader with the means of ascertaining, as he proceeds in the narrative, how for 
the Commodore's anticipations were fulfilled, and how nearly he was enabled to follow out his 
original intentions. 




VIEWS OF COMMODORE PERRY ON THE MISSION. 85 

Commodore Perry to the Secretary of the Navy. 

United States Steam Frigate Mississippi, 

Madeira, December 14, 1852. 

Sir: Since leaving the United States I have had leisure to reflect more fully upon the 
probable result of my visit to Japan, and though there is still some doubt in my mind as to the 
chances of immediate success in bringing that strange government to any practicable negotia- 
tion, yet I feel confident that in the end the great object in view will be efiected. 

As a preliminary step, and one of easy accomplishment, one or more ports of refuge and 
supply to our whaling and other shijjs must at once be secured ; and should the Japanese 
government object to the granting of such ports upon the main land, and if they cannot be 
occupied without resort to force and bloodshed, then it will be desirable in the beginning, and 
indeed, necessary, that the squadron should establish places of rendezvous at one or two of the 
islands south of Japan, having a good harbor, and possessing facilities for obtaining water and 
supplies, and seek by kindness and gentle treatment to conciliate the inhabitants so as to bring 
about their friendly intercourse. 

The islands called the Lew Chew grouj:! are said to be dependencies of Japan, as conquered 
by that power centuries ago, but their actual sovereignty is disputed by the government of 
China. 

These islands come within the jurisdiction of the prince of Satsuma, the most powerful of the 
princes of the Empire, and the same who caused the unarmed American ship Morrison, on a visit 
of mercy, to be decoyed into one of his ports and then fired upon from the batteries hastily 
erected. He exercises his rights more from the influence of the fear of the simple islanders than 
from any power to coerce their obedience ; disarmed, as they long have been, from motives of 
policy, they have no mean^, even if they had the inclination, to rebel against the grinding 
oppression of their rulers. 

Now, it strikes me, that the occupation of the principal ports of those islands for the accom- 
modation of our ships of war, and for the safe resort of merchant vessels of whatever nation, 
would be a measure not only justified by the strictest rules of moral law, but what is also to be 
considered, by the laws of stern necessity ; and the argument may be further strengthened by the 
certain consequences of the amelioration of the condition of the natives, although the vices 
attendant upon civilization may be entailed upon them. 

In my former commands uj)on the coast of Africa and in the Gulf of Mexico, where it fell to 
my lot to subjugate many towns and communities, I found no difficulty in conciliating the good 
will and confidence of the conquered people, by administering the unrestricted power I held 
rather to their comfort and protection than to their annoyance ; and when the naval forces left, 
they carried with them the gratitude and good wishes of their former enemies ; and so I believe 
that the people of the islands spoken of, if treated with strict justice and gentle kindness, will 
render confidence for confidence, and after a while the Japanese will learn to consider us their 
friends. 

In establishing those ports of refuge it will be desirable to provide the means of supply to the 
vessels that may resort to them, and hence the necessity of encouraging the natives in the 
cultivation of fruits, vegetables, &c. ; and to carry out, in part, this object, garden seeds have 
been provided ; but to pursue the purpose still further, I have thought that if a few of the more 
simjile agricultural implements of our own country were sent to me for use, and for presents. 



86 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 

they would contribute most essentially to the end in view ; such, for instance, as the common 
cultivator, the plough and harrow, spades, hoes of various kinds, the threshing and winnowing 
machines, and especially those inventions for separating the cotton from its seed, and rice from 
its husks. 

And with reference, also, to the suhject of my letter to Mr. Folsome, charge at the Hague, a 
C023y of which has been enclosed to the Department of State, it would be good policy to 
counteract the discreditable machinations of the Dutch, by circulating printed publications 
representing the true condition of the various governments of the world, and especially to set 
forth the extraordinary prosperity of the United States under their genial laws. 

To effect this object, I am already jirovided with works for presentation, descriptive of the 
civil and political condition of the United States, such as the census tables, post-office and 
railroad reports, reports of the Indian and Land offices, military and naval registers, also with 
the magnificent publications of the State of New York, &c. 

And I have thought that a small printing press, with type and materials, would go far to 
facilitate our plans, by giving us the means of putting forth information calculated to disabuse 
the Japanese of the misrepresentations of the Dutch. 

The government of Japan keeps in employment linguists in all modern languages ; and such 
is their curiosity, that these publications, if admitted at all, will soon be translated. 

Having thus, at least in anticipation, established liarbors of resort, and organized certain 
rules of equity to govern our intercourse with the natives in the payment for labor, supplies, 
&c., and having depots of provisions and coal near at hand, we shall be able to act with 
more effect in bringing about some friendly understanding with the imperial govepnment. 
At all events, steamers, or whatever vessels that may be passing to and from California and 
China, will find safe harbors in their way, and it may reasonably be exfiected that in the course 
of time the intercourse thus brought about will lead to a better understanding of our pacific 
intentions. 

It may be said that my anticipations are too sanguine. Perhaps they are, but I feel a 
strong confidence of success. Indeed, success may be commanded by our government, and it 
should be, under whatever circumstances, accomplished. The honor of the nation calls for it, 
and the interest of commerce demands it. When we look at the possessions in the east of our 
great maritime rival, England, and of the constant and rapid increase of tlieir fortified ports, 
we should be admonished of the necessity of prompt measures on our part. 

By reference to the map of the world, it will be seen that Great Britain is already in posses- 
sion of the most important points in the East India and China seas, and especially with reference 
to the China seas. 

With Singapore commanding the southwestern, while Hong Kong covers the northeastern 
entrance, and witli the island of Labuan on the eastern coast of Borneo, an intermediate point, 
she will have the power of shutting up at will and controlling the enormous trade of those 
seas, amounting, it is said, in value to 300,000 tons of shipping, carrying cargoes certainly not 
under £15,000,000 sterling.* 

Fortunately the Ja})anese and many other islands of the Pacific are still left untouched by 
this " annexing" government ; and, as some of them lay in the route of a commerce wliicli is 
destined to become of great importance to the United States, no time sliould bo lost in adopting 

» See Governor Crawford's opinion, in " Tlie E.xpedition to Borneo by Her Majesty's Sliip Piiln," cliaptcr 24, pnljlislied by 
Uiiipor Brolliers, New York, l«4ti. 



ARRIVAL AT THE CANARIES. 87 

active measures to secure a sufficient number of ports of refuge. And hence I shall look with 
mucli anxiety for the arrival of the Powhatan and the other vessels to be sent to me. 

I have thus exhibited, in this crude and informal communication, my views upon a subject 
which is exciting extraordinary attention throughout the world, and I trust the department 
will approve the course I propose to pursue. 

With great respect, I am, sir, your most obedient servant, 

M. C. PEKRY, 

Commanding East India Squadron. 
Hon. John P. Kennedy, 

Secretary of the Navy, Washington. 

The answer to this communication did not, of course, reach the Commodore for many months ; 
but as it preserves the continuity of the transaction, as well as shows the spirit of the govern- 
ment, and its confidence in the Commodore, it is inserted in the note below.* 

On the evening of Wednesday, December 15, the Mississippi weighed anchor and proceeded 
to sea, under steam, shaping her course to pass to the westward of Palma, one of the Canaries. 
This island was made at daylight on the morning of the 17th, and after reaching the lee of 
Hierro or Ferro, the southwesternmost of the group, the immersed floats or paddle boards on 
each side of the vessel were removed, the fires were extinguished and the ship left entirely 
dependent upon her sails. 

This change was made from an expectation that the ship would soon be under the impulse of 
the northeast trade winds. At the time the floats were removed there was a moderate breeze 
from E.S.E., which it was sujjposed would gradually settle into the northeast trades ; but, much 
to the surprise of the ofiicers of the ship, it hauled more to the southward, and eventually 
came from the S.S.W. Such was the obscurity of the weather at the Canaries that Teneriffe 
was not seen at all, and but an indistinct view was obtained of Gomera. This was the more 



* Jl/r. Everett to Commodore Perry. 

Department of State, Washington, February 15, 1853. 

Sir : Your dispatch of the 14th of December has been referred by the Secretary of the Navy to this department, and by me 
submitted to the President. 

The President concurs with you in the opinion that it is highly desirable, probably necessary for the safety of the expedition 
under your command, that you should secure one or more ports of refuge of easy access. If you find that these cannot be 
obtained in the Japanese islands without resort to force, it wiU be necessary that you should seek them elsewhere. The 
President agrees with you in thinking that you are most likely to succeed in this object in the Lew Chew islands. They are 
from their position, well adapted to the purpose ; and the friendly and peaceful character of the natives encourages the hope 
that your visit will be welcomed by them. 

In establishing yourself at one or two convenient points in those islands, with the consent of the natives, you will yourself 
pursue tiie most friendly and conciliatory course, and enjoin the same conduct on all under your command. Take no supplies 
from them except by fair purchase, for a satisfaclory consideration. Forbid, and at all hazards prevent plunder and acts of 
violence on the part of your men toward these simple and unwarlike people, for such they are described to be. Let them from 
the first see that your coming among them is a benefit, and not an evil to them. Make no use of force, except in the last resort 
for defence, if attacked, and self-[ reservation. 

The President approves tlie idea suggested by you of encouraging the natives to turn their attention to agriculture, and has 
given orders to ha%'e the implements of husbandry mentioned by you sent out by the Vermont. He has also directed a small 
printing press, with type and materials for printing of all kinds, to be sent out by the Vermont. 

The President is gratified to perceive that you are impressed with the importance of the enterprise confided to your direction, 
the success of which will mainly depend upon your prudence and address. It will attract a large sharj of the attention of the 
civilized world : and the President feels great confidence that the measures adopted by you will reflect credit on your own 
wisdom and discretion, and do honor to your country. 

I am, sir, respectfully, your obedient servant, 

EDWARD EVERETT. 
Commodore M. C Perrv, 

Commnndhig the United Slates naval fones in Me China seas. 



88 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 

remarkable, because, as Baron Humboldt has remarked, althougb the peak of Teneriffe is 
seldom seen at a great distance in the warm, dry months of July and August, yet in January 
and February, when the sky is slightly clouded, and immediately before or after a heavy rain, it 
is seen at very extraordinary distances. This arises from the fact that when a certain quantity 
of water is uniformly diffused through the atmosphere its transparency is thereby greatly 
increased. 

There was a circumstance which the Commodore had observed ever since the ship left 
Norfolk, a month before, and which surprised him not a little. He found an extraordinary 
swell coming from the northwest, and which never intermitted for a moment until the ship was 
fairly within the trades ; and even then its influence could be felt in the disturbance of the 
usually regular sea produced by the periodical winds, and by the production of a disagreeable 
cross movement of the waves. It was difficult to account for this swell so long continued ; it 
was quite certain the ship had experienced no violence of wind sufficient to produce it in the 
region which she had traversed, and since the 18th the winds had been quite moderate. The 
conjecture of the Commodore was that there must have been in the higher latitudes a succession 
of northwesterly gales, which had prevailed long enough to set in motion an ocean wave which 
was never subdued until it came in contact with the steady, though more quiet, tropical swell. 

This swell, too, possibly had an effect in throwing further south than usual the northern 
boundary of the trades. From the time of removing the floats up to the 20th the wind 
continued from the southward and westward ; it then hauled to the northward and westward, 
and finally into the northeast ; and it was not until about this period, about 8 p. m. of the 
20th, in latitude 25° 44' north, longitude 20° 23' west, that the ship could be considered fairly 
to have entered the trades. This is a point unusually far south for the northern boundary of 
these winds at this season ; for it is not to be forgotten that the northern and southern boundaries 
of the zone of the trade winds are variable. The southeast has its northern boundary furthest 
to the north during our summer ; the northeast is then weakest. In our winter this state of 
things is exactly reversed. In our autumn the zone of the trades reaches its greatest northern 
declination ; and in our spring it is at its utmost southern limit. 

On the 22d of December, the Commodore issued a general order, promulgating the directions 
of the Secretary of the Navy forbidding communications to the jjublic prints at home touching 
the movements of the squadron, and prohibiting also such infomation through the medium of 
private letters to friends. The Secretary also required that private notes and journals kept by 
any members of the expedition should be considered as belonging to the government until their 
publication should be expressly permitted by the Navy Department. 

A second general order, issued the next day, was as follows : 

" Entertaining the opinion that the talents and acquirements of the officers of the squadron, 
if properlj 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 to the employ- 
ment of persons drawn from civil life to conduct those departments more immediately connected 
with science. 

"Therefore I have to request and direct, that each officer of the respective ships will employ 
such portions of his time as can be spared from his regular duties and proper hours of relaxation, 
in contributing to the general mass of information which it is desirable to collect ; and in order 



THE "HARM ATT AN." 89 

to simplify and methodise these researches, a paper is subjoined particularising the various 
departments in reference to which information is more especially wanted ; so that each officer 
may select one or more of those departments most congenial to his tastes and inclinations. 

"All captains and commanders are required to render every facility consistent with the proper 
duties of their respective vessels to those officers who may manifest a zealous co-operation in the 
pursuits herein specified ; and it is to be plainly understood that I do not officially require the 
officers to perform any involuntary duty. I shall exact that only which may come within the 
legitimate sphere of my authority, leaving to the officers themselves to engage, as far as they 
may see fit only, in those investigations which, in an official point of view, may be considered 
as on their parts gratuitous. 

"It will always give me the greatest pleasure to bring to notice the labors of each and every 
individual who may contribute to the general work." * 

During the 21st, 22d, and 23d of December, the wind continued from the northward and 
eastward ; about noon of the 23d it inclined to the southward of east, hauling around at night, 
however, more to the north ; and on the 24th, when the ship was abreast of Brava and Fogo, 
it stood at E.N.E. 

The haze, however, was such that nothing more than a glimpse could be obtained of Fogo ; 
and the winds are thus particularly referred to above because of their possible connexion, at 
this time, with the haze. They are physical facts, and therefore ought to be recorded. This 
haze is common to these latitudes, and is by many supposed to be caused by what is called the 
"Harmattan." This is the name given to a wind which, passing over Africa, takes up in its 
sweep, as is supposed, an impalpable dust, and carries it far away to the westward. The 
Commodore himself had remarked the haze or dust, on former cruises, more than five hundred 
miles west of the Cape de Verd islands. When commanding a squadron, in 1844, on the 
western coast of Africa, he had carefully noted several facts connected with this wind, certainly 
the most remarkable on that coast. A thousand incredible stories are told of its singular effects. 
It is said, for instance, that its dry and subtle properties will check or cure various diseases, 
heal up the most inveterate ulcers, destroy cabinet work, break window glass, and stop the 
motion of timepieces. But apart from these strange stories, it must still be said that the efiects 
of this wind are extraordinary. In some respects it resembles the Sirocco, and also the 
Levanter of the Grecian archijielago. 

It commences about the middle of December, and continues until the latter end of March. 
Like the Sirocco, it has been supposed to take its rise in the deserts of Africa ; but, unlike the 
Sirocco, instead of producing a burning and oppressive temperature, it is a chilling wind. Its 
direction is always from the land, and it sometimes increases to a strong breeze ; it does not, 
however, blow steadily during its season, but frequently intermits, when land or sea breezes 
take its place. 

At the Cape de Verds and the Gambia, the "■ Harmattan ' ' appears to form a junction with 
the northeast trades prevailing there at a certain season, and to blow with little interruption 
from January until April. 

*The subjects suggested by the Commodore, in his order, embraced hydrography, meteorology, naval architecture in its 
adaptation to war and commerce, military affairs, geology, geography, terrestrial magnetism, philology and ethnology, artistic 
matters, costumes, &c., religions, diseases and sanitary laws, agriculture, statistics of supplies, botany, entomology, 
ornithology, zoology, conchology, ichthiology, and the magnetic telegraph ; and we trust the appendices to this narrative will 
show that the commander did not misjudge either as to the attainments or zeal of his officers. 

12 J 



90 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 

The hypothesis of some is, that in passing over the deserts and lands of Africa the 
"Harmattan" takes up an immense quantity of sand and dust, sufficient to form a floating 
mass, producing an atmosphere so hazy as frequently to obscure the sun, and prevent a sight of 
the land at the distance of five miles only. There is no doubt of the wind, the dust, and the 
hazy atmosphere, and possibly the latter may be occasioned entirely by the dust. At the season 
of the "Harmattan" this peculiar atmosphere may always be seen at the Cape de Verd islands, 
four hundred miles from the continent, and is constantly falling in quantities sufficient to cover 
the sails, rigging, and deck of a ship. It is also said to have been met with seven hundred 
miles further westward. 

Kecent investigations, however, certainly create some doubt as to the source whence the 
dust is derived. It was natural enough, as it was foimd on the coast of Africa, to refer its origin 
to the nearest known desert land; but the microscope, in the hands of Ehrenberg, would seem 
to intimate the possibility of a more distant origin. This dust, from the Cape de Verds, is 
found, upon examination, to consist of infusoria and organisms, the habitat of which is not 
Africa, but Smith America, and in the southeast trade wind region of that country. It is, 
therefore, possible that the southeast trades may have brought the dust, great as is the distance, 
from South America. But if such be the fact, it must be confessed that there are agencies in 
the philosophy of the winds, producing atmospheric phenomena, which are not yet sufficiently 
understood by us to justify positive assertion. A greater accumulation of facts is wanted. 
That stated by Ehrenberg is very important, and quite sufficient to create doubt of the correct- 
ness of the ordinary hypothesis. 

Until the 30th of December the northeast trades continued, the ship having then reached 
6° 8' north latitude, and 16° 34' west longitude, when, in a squall from the eastward, the wind 
changed to the southward, and so continued, though somewhat variable, until January 2, 1853, 
in latitude 1° 44' north, and longitude 11° 37' west, when the southeast trade was met, bringing 
with it a swell, which retarded the ship's progress considerably. Before this, however, on the 
29th of December, as the northeast trades had become light and unsteady, with occasional 
calms, the floats were replaced on the wheels, and the ship was put under steam, using the two 
after boilers only. With light winds and a smooth sea, these proved sufficient to make a 
progress of seven knots an hour ; but when the southeast trades fairly set in, accompanied as 
they were by a head sea, the speed was diminished to four and a half or five knots. The use 
of two additional boilers, however, soon brought the ship up to seven, at a daily consumption 
of twenty-six tons of coal. 

It had been the purpose of the Commodore, on leaving Madeira, to make the entire run to the 
Cape of Good Hope without stopping ; as it was supposed that with a proper use of the sails, 
and the supply of coal on board, this might readily be done ; but the northeast trades having 
ceased at a point much further north than usual at this season, and the southeast winds having 
also set in at a correspondingly early period, he ordered the ship so to be steered as that she 
might touch at St. Helena, should it be deemed desirable so to do, as a measure of prudence, to 
procure an additional supply of coal. 

In the observations made upon the currents since leaving Norfolk, the Commodore was of 
opinion that such as he encountered were caused merely by the winds acting on the surface of 
the ocean ; and as a general rule, though not perhaps universally true, it may be remarked 
that the current will be found setting in the direction of the prevailing winds; at least 



en 

■-a 
o 







ARRIVAL AT ST. HELENA. 91 

such has been the opinion formed from the long observation and experience at sea of the 
Commodore. There may be, however, and probably are, currents other than those partial ones 
created on the surface by the winds. These are caused by a difference in the specific gravity of 
the sea water at different places and depths. This difference disturbs the equilibrium, and the 
effort of the water to regain it must cause a current. 

There is, consequently, on and under the surface a system of currents and counter currents 
constantly operating in a greater or less degree. They are far from being yet perfectly known 
and understood, but the principle on which they must exist is the law of hydrostatics, that when 
two fluids on the same level differ in specific gravity, the one will not balance the other, both 
must move ; that motion is a current. 

Various interesting exijeriments have been made on the subject of submarine currents, counter 
to those on the surface, and their existence would seem to be conclusively proved ; their direction, 
however, cannot always be ascertained. Practical seamen have also endeavored to find out the 
depth of surface currents; this depth is not always the same, but there is, if not impossibility, 
yet great difficulty, at times, in ascertaining the depth with accuracy. 

On Monday, January 3, 1853, the ship crossed the equator in longitude 11° 01' west, and 
from that time up to the Tth had a moderately freeh breeze directly ahead. The effect of this 
wind, instead of affording refreshment by the motion of the vessel meeting it, (her course was 
due south,) was to render the officers' apartments, especially the cabin, and, indeed, all the after 
part of the shiji, particidarly uncomfortable, as the wind brought much of the heat and smoke 
directly aft. The toind, however, does not always retard the jirogress of the vessel, though it 
may be directly ahead ; for it must be remembered that, in a steamer, motion is not so much 
retarded by adverse winds as by the head sea which the wind produces. Indeed, a steamer will 
sometimes go faster against a moderately fresh breeze, provided she be on a smooth sea, for the 
wind drawing from forward increases the draught of the ftirnaces. 

After crossing the equator a current of about one and a half mile per hour was observed, 
setting in the direction of the wind, north 30° west. 

The chaplain, the Rev. Mr. Jones, employed himself with great care and assiduity, while 
passing through the equatorial latitudes, in observing and noting the zodiacal lights. They 
were very brilliant, and so remarkable that they proved an object of great interest to all on 
board. He preserved with great care the result of all his observations, in the hope of their 
future usefulness to the cause of science. 

On the 10th of January, at noon, the ship arrived at Jamestown, island of St. Helena. 

Here, as a measure rather of prudence than necessity, she took on board an additional supply 
of coal. Water and fresh provisions for the crew were also procured. 

St. Helena was discovered in 1502 by the Portuguese. It was afterwards taken possession of 
by the Dutch, who, in 1651, abandoned it for the Cape of Good Hope. The English East India 
Company then took possession of it, and it became a stopping place for their ships between 
England and India. The Dutch took it from the comj)any in 1772, but it again fell into their 
hands in the following year. From that time up to 1833 it remained in the company's 
possession, when it was transferred to the crown. The base of the island is basalt, and lava 
and scoria are scattered about its surface. It is evidently volcanic, and seen from a distance it 
ajipears like a pile of barren rocks rising from the ocean in the form of a pyramid. 

On a nearer approach tlie island is seen to be encompassed by rugged and almost perpen- 



92 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 

dicular cliffs from six to twelve hundred feet high. These are broken in several places by 
chasms which open to the sea shore, and form narrow valleys winding np to the table land 
above. In the centre of the island is an elevation known as Diana's peak, 2,693 feet above the 
sea level. A calcareous ridge runs across the island from east to west, and divides it into two 
unequal parts, the larger and better of which is on the north side, containing, among other 
spots of interest, Jamestown, Longwood, the Briars and Plantation house, the governor's 
summer's residence. Tlie whole circumference of the island is about twenty-eight miles. At 
the termination of James' valley on the sea stands Jamestown, the only town and port of the 
island, with a population of about twenty-five hundred. It is built on both sides of a well 
paved street which runs nearly a mile up the valley. A strong water battery commands the 
bay. Ascending James' valley, the traveller arrives on the plain or table land of Longwood, 
which consists of fifteen hundred acres of good land, elevated about 2,000 feet above the sea, and 
slopes gently toward the southeast. Though the island looks so barren from the sea, yet the 
interior is covered with a rich verdure, and is watered by numerous springs which irrigate a 
very fertile soil. The fruits and flowers of Europe and Asia are successfully cultivated, while 
horned cattle, sheep, and goats thrive on the rich pastures. Barley, oats, Indian corn, 
potatoes, and most of the common vegetables are easily produced. Fresh beef, mutton and 
poultry may at all times be procured, and fish are abundant. 

The climate is one of the most salubrious under the tropics. At Plantation house the 
thermometer ranges from 61° to 73° within doors, and sometimes, between June and Septem- 
ber, (the winter season,) falls to 52° in the open air. At Longwood the thermometer is 
generally a little lower, and at Jamestown a little higher, than it is at Plantation house. The 
summer rains fall in January or February, and the winter rains in July or August. 

The East India Company, while in possession of the island, constructed excellent roads, 
which are kept in admirable order by the present government ; they are inclined planes, 
adapted as well for wheel carriages and artillery as for horses and foot passengers ; and as one 
rides through the country the appearance of the cultivated fields, kept constantly green by the 
rains which fall in light showers from the clouds, driven over the island by the southeast 
trades, forms a striking and agreeable contrast to the barren cliffs which shelter the valleys. 
During the winter months, indeed, the raiirs are commonly very copiuus, and sometimes fall in 
such torrents as seriously to injure the cultivated grounds, and make for a time the roads 
impassable. 

It will thus be seen that, so far as physical comfort is involved, St. Helena is not the worst of 
prisons ; and if it provoked indignant remonstrance from tlie illustrious captive who laid his 
bones there, his complaints were prompted not so much by the asjiects of nature around, which 
never insulted him, as by the petty indignities offered him by little minds, and the irksomeness 
of restraint to a chafed spirit, whicli, in its isolation, felt deeply the contrast between its now 
enforced solitude and its former mingling and ruling in the crowd of men, wielding as if by 
magic the destinies of Europe. To him a hemisphere for his theatre and nations for his play- 
things had become in some sort a necessity. His own spirit forged his heaviest chains on St. 
Helena. 

But it was the memory of that captive that gave to the ofiicers of the ship the chief interest 
of the island, and every one accordingly made it his first object to visit Longwood and the spot 
where the ashes of Napoleon h( d once rested. 



LONG WOOD. — TOMB OF NAPOLEON. 



93 



In viewing tlie miserable building where, for more than five years, this extraordinary man 
resided, and where he ])reathed his last, it is difficult to sujipress a deep feeling of the 
instability of earthly glory. The palaces of France and the farm house of Longwood, Napoleon 
in his splendor and Napoleon on his death bed, are suggestive of reflections which will tempt the 
thoughtful silently to moralize. But, humble as was this residence of the dethroned Emperor, 
it had been the abode of fallen greatness, and that should have protected it from desecration. 
Longwood has been permitted to fall into decay, and the apartments which the Emperor once 
occupied are now but a common stable. The property has been rented by the crown to a 
farmer of the island, and he seems to have been permitted to make what use he pleased of the 
tenements upon it. 




Old House, Longwood, St. Helena. 

Without here questioning the necessity, as a measure of state policy, for confining the great 
and ambitious disturber of the peace of Europe in a place whence escape was impossible ; 
admitting the force of all the arguments by which the act at the time was justified to the 
world, yet one cannot look on Longwood without feeling that there was more of annoyance and 
insult in executing the purjioses of the Engli.sh government than was necessary, or than the 
government probably intended. At this day there are many Englishmen who think that 
England was singularly unfortunate in the choice of her jailors. 

A view of the grounds forcibly suggests this thought. Surrounded as the pre.scribed limits 
were by successive lines of sentinels, with a regiment encamped within musket shot of the 
dwelling, with every avenue to it closely guarded by pickets of soldiers, and with the clifis 
which bound the ground toward the sea perfectly inaccessible, it is impossible not to see at a 



94 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN, 

glance, that there was not the remotest chance of escape. Miglit there not then have been 
some relaxation of minute and indelicate personal supervision, at least in the day time, when 
the island was surrounded by British cruisers, and the numerous forts fully garrisoned ? Was 
it necessary for security to make the captive fed incessantly that he was watched ? 

The British ministry had enjoined the safe custody of the prisoner ; unfortunately they left 
it to the jailors to settle all the details of the mode of keeping him. 

The tomh in which Na}>oleon was placed has lost some of its interest from the removal of his 
body to France. He died on the 1st of May, 1821. On the 4th of October, 1840, his remains 
were embarked on the French frigate Belle Poule, which had been sent, under the command of 
the Prince de Joinville, for the purpose of transporting them to France. 

The inhabitants of St. Helena seem to be industrious, but the general opinion of the officers 
of the ship, founded on their experience, was, that in their rambles over the world, they had 
never met with more polite and unscrupulous extortioners. It is said to be the practice of 
householders to entertain unsuspecting strangers with great seeming kindness, and then to 
mulct them most unmercifully for the supposed hospitality. This may be slander, but an 
incident occurred while the ship was at Jamestown, which leaves no doubt that proffered 
favors are sometimes done with the expectation of receiving for them — a "consideration." One 
of the lieutenants of the ship was the victim of excessive civility. Contemplating a visit to 
Longwood, he had engaged a horse at the livery stable, which, on landings he found saddled 
and waiting for him according to appointment. He was about mounting, when a citizen of 
Jamestown, whom he had casually met the day before, stepped up and told him that he had a 
horse, much superior to that he was about to mount, which was altogether at his service, and 
that he would send for it. Consequently the hired horse was dismissed, with a compensation 
to the disappointed attendant, and that of the polite friend was acce^jted, unfortunately, 
however, proving to be inferior to the one dismissed. However, he was used for a few hours, 
and returned with a douceur to the servant who received him. 

The same evening the owner of the horse visited the ship, when the lieutenant was profuse 
of civility and thanks, and after entertaining him, jjressed upon him the acceptance of some 
little presents, quite equal in value to the hire of the horse. These gifts were received in such 
manner as induced the officer to think there was still something more wanting, when he said, 
"Will you allow me to pay for the use of your horse?" and was answered: "Well, I am glad 
you were pleased with the animal, and you need only pay me the usual charge of three dollars." 
It was immediately handed to him, when he coolly offered his services at any future time, and 
said, with a peculiarly knowing look : "If, when you again visit the island, you will place yourself 
under my guidance, I will put you through all charges at half price." Then politely wishing 
a good voyage to all on board, he j^assed into the boat, with the neck of a wine bottle protruding 
from one pocket, and a liberal supply of Havanas filling the other, the offerings of his grateful 
friend, the lieutenant. 

At the time of Bonaparte's residence, the island was strongly fortified and fiilly garrisoned, 
and indeed was deemed impregnable. But this was before the introduction of armed steamers 
into the navies of the world. Tlie island is strongly fortified on the north side, while the south, 
exposed to the whole strength of tlie trade winds, is on that account almost inaccessible. But 
the batteries were constructed to prevent the approach of sailing vessels, and this they might 
probably accomplish, as they are on the high cliffs commanding the only ways by which sailing 
vessels can approach. 






.J>^JrM^-^ 




, — ,.^.. 










"N." 



.% 



ST. HELENA. — INSUFFIENCT OF ITS DEFENCES. 95 

Sailing vessels approaching the Jamestown anchorage are obliged, by reason of the lee currents, 
to pass to the easfiuard of the island, and haul close around Sugar-loaf point; and as soon as 
they luff under the lee of this they become partially becalmed, and are at once exposed to the 
guns of a very heavy battery, called "Prince Kupert's Line;" and from thence all the way to 
the anchorage is a succession of forts, well provided with heavy artillery. On the westward, 
the fortifications are less strong, because, as the current is constantly setting in tliat direction, 
it is exceedingly difficult, and at times impossible, for a sailing vessel to beat up to the town ; 
hence there are but two small batteries on that side, which it would not be difficult to silence. 
But it is easy to see how, with the aid of steam, a moderate land and naval force might now 
attack the island with strong probabilities of success. But the approach should be from the 
west. Just under the lee of "West Point," the western extremity of the island, the water is 
always smooth, and by the aid of steam, the forces might all be concentrated there. 

A close line of battle ahead might be formed, securing the armed sailing vessels as closely as 
possible to the steamers, the armed ships in tow, and the troop ships lashed to the port quarters 
of the steamers. The land troops might be formed into two divisions, and supplied with light 
artillery, for forcing the gates of the town, and for covering the advance of the attacking columns 
up the steep roads which lead into the coimtry and to the rear of the batteries on the cliffs. The 
boats should be lowered and secured to the port sides of the troop ships, ready for receiving and 
landing the soldiers, the two divisions of which should be destined for different points. 

These arrangements having been made, and the ships cleared for action, with springs from 
both quarters, so as to spring to starboard or port, as might be necessary, the whole flotilla 
might be moved close to West Point, and thence trace the shore along at the distance of about 
a quarter of a mile, avoiding the shoal called "Long Ledge" on the charts, and keej^ing as 
close as possible under "Ladder Hill," on which there is a heavy battery, until it opened the 
town and anchored with springs in line of battle, and extending along the whole front of the 
road. On giving the starboard broadside, the ships might be sprung to port or starboard, as 
winds' or currents made necessary, remembering, however, that vessels do not always swing to 
the wind in this road. 

Meantime one division of the troops might keep to the eastward, and land at the quay, and 
thence marching along the causeway, force the gates with their artillery ; while the other, 
avoiding the line of fire of the ships, might pass to the westward of it, and tracing the shore 
under "Ladder Hill," land at the west flank of the water battery which covers the town front. 
The town once gained, the troops might at once secure the summits of the roads leading into the 
country, as guns temporarily mounted on the adjoining hills would effectually command the 
town and harbor. 

The only real obstacle to a force thus approaching from the luest, by steam, would be the strong 
water battery, commanding the whole extent of the little bay which forms the harbor. This, 
of course, would have to be silenced before there would be any chance of capturing the place; 
but, then, it must be remembered that the fire of the whole attacking force could be concentrated 
on this spot, if it approached from the west by steam. In such an approach, it could keep close 
to the shore, which is bold ; and such is the elevated position of the principal forts, that their 
guns could not be sufficiently depressed to bear upon steamers coming from the westward. 

These remarks were made by the Commodore, simply as illustrating the great changes 
wrought by the introduction of steam into naval warfare. In the absence of a resisting naval 



96 



EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 



force, tlie capture of fhe island, in the mode above indicated, would certainly not be very 
difficult. When the island was fortified, engineering skill accomplished all that was required 
in the existing condition of things. To a force ajjproaching by sailing vessels, it probably 
would now prove impregnable, for wind and tide were valuable auxiliaries, which were taken 
into account in planning the works ; but a new motive power makes its appearance, which is 
quite regardless of these natural auxiliaries, and new systems of defence are at once made 
necessary. This is bvit one of the changes wrought by this mighty agent, which seems destined 
to do so much in revolutionizing the condition of the world. 

On Tuesday, January 11th, at 6 p. m., the Mississij^pi weighed anchor and took her departure 
from Jamestown. 




The Briars, St. llilclia. 



PASSAGE TO THE CAPE. FUEL FOR STEAMERS. 



97 



CHAPTER III 



PASSAGE TO THE CAPE. FUEL FOR STEAMERS. TABLE ROCK AND CAPE TOWN. DESCRIPTION OF CAPE TOWN. CLIMATE. 

ANNOYANCE FROM DUST. VIOLENCE OF WINDS AND DIFFICULTY OF HOLDING TO ANCHORAGE. SUPPLIES AT THE CAPE. 

CAFFRE WAR AND ITS EFFECTS. MODE OF TR.4NSP0RTING PRODUCE ON LAND. VINEYARDS OF CONSTANTIA. EFFECTS OF 

EMANCIPATION OP SLAVES ON AGRICULTURAL LABOR. MODE OF CULTIVATING THE VINE. POPULATION OF CAPE COLONY. 

BUSHMEN. THE CAFFRES. PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS. FINGOES. MILITARY ORGANIZATION OF CAFFRES. CONDITION 

OF THE EMANCIPATED SLAVES. DEPARTURE FROM TABLE BAY. PASSAGE TO, AND ARRIVAL AT, MAURITIUS. HARBOR OF 

PORT LOUIS. DANGERS OF THE HARBOR.. — SKILL OF PORT OFFICERS IN MOORING VESSELS. 

r' ■ '-"' FTER leaving St. Helena the ship was put on her course for 

' s the Cape of Good Hope. Prudential considerations alone 

induced the Commodore to touch at St. Helena. His 
opinion was that the best and most expeditious route for 
a steamer, going from Madeira to the Cape, (provided she 
can carry a sufficiency of coal,) is to he found by steering 
from the Cape de Verd islands direct toward Cape Palmas 
on the coast of Africa, and thence tracing the shore down 
to Table Bay. 

On leaving Jamestown the ship encountered the trade, 
deviating very little from the southeast, and blowing alter- 
nately moderate and fresh. It was observable^ however, 
that it was always stronger at night than in the day time, and brought with it a short head 
sea, which greatly retarded the progress of the vessel. It would have been easy to increase 
the steam power ; but experience had shown that about twenty-six tons of coal per diem 
enabled the ship to accomplish the greatest distance with the most economical expenditure ; 
and considering the extreme difficulty of procuring fuel in that region^ its enormous cost, and 
the labor and delay incident to its shipment, the Commodore deemed it most expedient rather 
to protract the passage than allow extravagance in the use of an article so essential to the 
movements of the vessel. A current of one and a quarter knots was found setting in the 
direction of the wind^ and this, as a retarding cause, was to be added to the force of the trade. 
As to the possibility of obtaining a supjjly of fuel in this part of the world, it may be 
remarked that at St. Paul de Loango the English maintain a dej)ot of coal for the accommo- 
dation of the African steam cruisers, and this would be a convenient point to which to send 
a coal vessel from the United States. Within a few years a depot of coal has been established 
13 J 




98 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 

by an English company at Port Grand, Island of St. Vincent, of the Cape de Verde group, 
and it is said that a reasonable supply can always be obtained there by transient steamers. 

Steamers from the United States might proceed direct to St. Vincent's, provided there be 
certainty of obtaining coal at that place, and thence proceed to the Cape by Cape Palmas, via 
Loango ; but it is much better that cargoes of coal should be sent ahead of steamers leaving 
the United States, as the only security for a certain supply. 

As to the route from England, that which is prescribed for her mail steamers bound round 
the Cape of Good Hope, is to touch at St. Vincent, and thence proceed to the Cape, via 
Ascension Island, replenishing their coal at all their stopping places. In pursuing this route, 
(which they are compelled to do to leave a mail at Ascension for the African squadron,) they 
are obliged to contend with the entire range of the southeast trades, which are directly ahead, 
blowing most of the time quite strongly, and always producing a lee current of from one to 
one and a quarter knots. By taking the route along the African coast a steamer has the 
advantage of the sea and land breezes, and the favorable current usually setting to the south. 

On the 24th of January, at nine in the morning, the ship made the land in the vicinity of 
Saldanha bay, and at two p. m. Table Mountain was in sight. After passing outside of Dassen 
Island, and through the channel between the main land and Kobben's Island, at half past 
eight p. m. the ship came to anchor in Table Bay in seven fathoms, and the following day 
moved further in toward the town. 

This port is easy of access either by night or day, if the two lights can be distinctly seen, 
so that the distance from Green Point can be accurately estimated. This is important, as by 
bordering upon that point too closely there is danger of a ledge of rocks near the Cape shore, 
and by keeping too far to the northward, the Whale Rock, at the southern end of Eobben's 
Island, may bring a vessel up. Particular instructions for entering Table Bay at night will be 
found in the Appendix. 

The Cape of Good Hope was first discovered by Bartholomew Diaz, a Portuguese, in 1493. 
During an exploration of the Atlantic coast of Africa, this navigator was driven out to sea by 
a storm, and the first land he made, after the subsidence of the gale, was Algoa Bay ; he 
having thus doubled the Cape without his knowledge. Diaz gave the name of Cabo 
Tormentoso (the Cape of Storms) to the Cape, which was afterwards changed to that of Good 
Hope by the king of Portugal, as he rightly thought the discovery auspicious of a favorable 
result to the great prospect entertained by the Portuguese navigators of reaching India. In 
149 T, Vasco de Gama, another Portuguese navigator, doubled the Cape on his voyage to the 
Indian seas. 

The Cape of Good Hope forms the southern extremity of a narrow peninsula about thirty 
miles in length, with the Atlantic ocean on the west. False Bay on the east, and Table Bay on 
the north. Cape Town is situated on Table Bay, and was originally founded by the Dutch in 
1650, but fell into the hands of the English in 1795 ; and, it having been restored to its original 
possessors after the peace of Amiens, was finally retaken by the British in 1806, in whose 
possession it now remains. 

The town is well built with substantial houses of stone and brick, and wide, regular streets. 
The general aspect of the place, with its well constructed public buildings and private resi- 
dences, and its park, in the neighborhood of the government house, shaded by oaks of magnifi- 
cent growth, is exceedingly agreeable. 



O 
CD 



O 





■* li'i'K''; ' -ivv*Kf(i i^ 



CAPEOPGOODHOPE. 99 

The heat, however, in consequence of the position of the town, which is faced by the noonday 
sun and walled in behind by naked mountains, is excessive. Tliis, added to the dust, caused 
those who went on shore to keeji much within doors, so that Cape Town was found by the 
officers of the expedition but a dull and stupid place. The streets are unpaved, and, conse- 
quently, when the southeast gales, which prevail in midsummer, blow, the dust is raised in 
clouds and deposited in drifts of sand along the sidewalks several inches in depth, which keeps 
the street sweepers in constant occupation, who may be seen continually at work collecting the 
dirt in heaps, to be carried away by the dirt carts. So general is the experience of this 
nuisance from the dust that the male, as well as the female inhabitants, of all classes, are in the 
practice of wearing veils attached to their hats. The northeastern winds, which prove in 
raising the dust of such discomfort to the residents of Cape Town, prevail during midsummer, 
and their approach is always indicated by the appearance of a dense white cloud, which settles 
upon the summit of Table Mountain, therefore called the Table Cloth, and remains there until 
the gale subsides. These winds blow with great violence, sweeping along the land east of Table 
Mountain. If it were not for the perfect smoothness of the water in Table Bay, vessels would 
not be able to hold to their anchors during these southeasterly gales, of which two were experienced 
in the course of seven days, while the Mississippi was lying at Cape Town. Such is the severity 
of these winds that all business in the harbor is suspended during their height. 

The town seemed to be in a highly prosperous condition, business of every kind was flourish- 
ing, and there was a general appearance of affluence among the government oflicials, and the 
high rents, among other indications, show the prosperous condition of trade. Handsome 
equipages are constantly seen in the streets, and the prosperity is so universal that even the 
lowest classes are hardly known to suffer from want. The Cape of G-ood Hope is of great 
commercial importance to Great Britain as a convenient rendezvous for her cruisers stationed in 
the neighborhood, and as a stopping place for vessels bound to and from the Indian Ocean. 
Excellent water, fresh provisions, fruit and other necessaries can be obtained in any quantity 
and at reasonable prices. Wood is scarce, but almost every description of article usually needed 
by vessels may be procured from the numerous well stocked stores and warehouses at Cape 
Town. Live stock can be readily obtained, bullocks at £6 per head and sheep at 15 shillings. 
The Mississippi was supplied with twelve of the former and eighteen of the latter at these prices. 

Since the abolition of slavery in the British colonies the agricultural interests of the Cape 
have suffered, and although the commerce of some few of the colonial ports continues thriving, 
as, for examjjle, that of Cape Town, the interior of the country has declined in prosperity, there 
being at present but few examples of prosperous farming, in consequence of a want of laborers. 
The agricultural condition of the country has also suffered from the effects of the war carried 
on between the British colonists and the Caffres, which, although it has enriched the merchants 
and tradesmen by the large expenditure of public money, has impoverished the farmers by 
depriving them of the necessary laborers, and by unsettling the tranquillity of the country. 
The consequence has been that many of the farms have been allowed to run to waste, and though 
the soil is capable of producing Indian corn, wheat, barley, oats, and several other descriptions 
of grain, such has been the unfavorable influence of the cause alluded to that the home 
consumption of these products is not fully provided for. There are, however, some articles 
produced for exportation, among which may be enumerated wine, hides, tallow and wool. The 
farming is chiefly of a grazing character, and vast herds of cattle, .sheep, horses and mules are 



100 



EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 



raisetl. At Cape Town horses can be obtained at a price varying from thirty to one hundred 
and fifty dollars, and mules from thirty to seventy-five dollars. The cattle, which are indi- 
genous to the country, somev\'hat resemble the bufi'alo in appearance, and the sheep are of the 
broad tailed species, which are highly esteemed for the excellence of their meat. The large 
teams of oxen passing to and from the city are characteristic objects at Cape Town. These teams 
are composed olten of seven, eight, or even nine yoke, and are guided by two teamsters, one seated in 
front of a wagon, not unlike the wagons generally in use in Pennsylvania, where he urges the 
animals along by his voice and a long lash, while the other precedes the team, holding a halter 
fastened to the horns of the two leaders, with which he guides them. The arrangement of the 
team for an excursion of greater length is somewhat different, as then horsemen accompany it. 
The wagon, however, is the same. The ox of the Cape is a serviceable animal, which has a 
good deal of the general aspect of the buffalo, with long horns, a compact body and tapering 
rump. 




TiaAtUeiS m Pouili Africa. 



The Commodore, accompanied by some of liis officers, took occasion to visit one of the cele- 
hrated vineyards of Constantia, having provided himself with a barouche drawn by four 
beautiful stallions, driven four-in-hand by a negro boy, who evinced much skill in handling the 
reins. The drive was through a picturesque country, with pretty villas scattered about, and 
approached by beautiful avenues formed of the oak and the fir, Mdiich trees are raised from the 
seed^ and generally cultivated in the colony, not only for ornamental purposes, but for fuel. 
Substantial hedges were also observed, formed of the rouiig oak, of onlv three year's growth 



HOTTENTOT S — C A F F E E S — F I N G E S . 101 

from the acorn. The vineyard visited was of limited extent and the culture of a character that 
somewhat disappointed the expectations of the visitors. 

The proprietor accounted for the inferior condition of his vineyard on the score of being 
unable to provide himself with the necessary supply of laborers, and remarked that he should 
be obliged to abandon the cultivation of the grape altogether had he not supplied himself with 
an American cultivator, which he had recently imported from the United States, and which 
simple plough, as he stated, drawn by a single horse, actually accomjdished the labor of fifty 
men, according to the usual mode of working and cultivating the vine with a hoe. The grape 
is cultivated at Constantia, as in Sicily, by trimming the vine close to the ground, and not 
permitting it to grow higher than a gooseberry bush. The richness of the wine is dependent 
upon the condition of the grape when it goes to the press. Although the grape begins to ripen 
in the early part of February, it is not gathered until the middle of March, when the fruit has 
assumed almost the appearance of the dried raisin, in which condition it is pressed. The prices 
of these Constantia wines vary from two to six dollars a gallon, according to their qualitv. 

The census of 1848 gives 200,546 as the jjopulation of Cape Colony. Of these 76,827 whites 
and 101,176 colored inhabitants make up the whole number of the inhabitants of the various 
parts of the colony, with the exception of Cape Town, which contains a poj)ulation of 22,543. 
There are but few of the aboriginal Hottentots of pure race to be found, as their blood has been 
intermingled with that of the Dutch, the Negro, or the Malay. The first European discoverer 
of the southern promontory of Africa found it tolerably well peopled, and the natives, in some 
respects, in better condition than many of the more northern tribes. They were in possession 
of herds of cattle and sheep, and led a pastoral life. They were a comparatively happy people, 
divided into tribes under a patriarchal government, and wandered about with their flocks and 
herds, taking with them their moveable huts, constructed of boughs and poles, which were 
conveyed from pasture to pasture on the backs of oxen. Their tribes, however, have been 
mostly exterminated by the cruelty of the Europeans, although a wretched remnant have 
survived and live as miserable outcasts in the fastnesses of the desert and the forest, and are 
known as Bushmen. They are still savage in character, and disgusting in their persons and 
habits, having received but little benefit from the civilization of their white conquerors, who 
have always pursued them with a cruel wantonness, "though we, as Americans," remarks 
Commodore Perry, " have no right to rail at other nations for the wrong they have inflicted 
upon the aborigines of countries seized upon by them, for though hardly equal to the English 
in the disgusting hypocrisy with which they excuse their acts, we are not far behind them in 
the frauds and cruelties committed upon our native tribes." 

The warlike CafFres still retain their characteristic wildness, and pursue their predatory life. 
They are in many respects inferior to the ordinary African, and have some of the p)eculiarities 
of the Egyptian races. They are of greater height and strength than the inferior negro ; their 
color is browner, and though their hair is black and woolly they have fuller beards. Their 
noses are more prominent, but they have the thick negro lip, and with the prominent cheek bone 
of the Hottentots they possess the high European forehead. The Fingoes, though traced in 
origin to some scattered tribes of the Caffres, differ from them in some degree, and althouoh 
spirited and brave in battle, are of a less savage nature, and have the character of being a 
comparatively good natured people. The Fingoes are pastoral like the CafFres, but more given 



102 



EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 



to the culture of the land, in which the men engage as well as the women, although this kind 
of labor is confined among the Cafires to the females alone. On the return of the Commodore 




Caffre Chief. 







Fingo woman. 



from Constantia, he stopped to pay a visit to a captive chief and his wife, whom the fortune of 
war had thrown into the hands of the Europeans. The chief was confined in a sort of country 
jail, at no great distance from the town. The keeper of the prison very civilly allowed free 
communication with the prince, a remarkably fine looking negro, about twenty-five years of age, 
who had been accompanied to imprisonment by his favorite wife and confidential lieutenant, 
who also had a similar companion to cheer his captivity. These women wex-e counterparts of the 
men in good looks. Subsequently, Mr. Brown, one of the artists of the expedition, visited the 
prison and secured excellent likenesses of the prince and his wife. 




.African Clilpf, Soyolo. 



Wif J of Soyolo. 



CAFFRE WAR. 103 

The war carried on by the English with the Hottentots and Caffres^ which has continued so 
long, costing an immense amount of blood and treasure, is still prolonged by the obstinacy of 
the blacks. The whole frontier has been already devastated^ and although there is some hope 
of bringing about a peace, no one believes that any treaty that may be made will be respected 
longer by the negroes than may suit their convenience. In the last battle^ at the date of the 
visit of the Mississippi, in which the English force, headed by General Cathcart himself, was 
victorious, it is said that the Caflfre chief brought into action six thousand foot and two thousand 
horse. These numbers are jirobably exaggerated_, but it is well known that the blacks have 
acquired a tolerable organization, and that they are well supplied with arms and ammunition. 
They have hitherto had an abundance of provision, obtained from their own herds or from 
those stolen from the whites, but report says that, owing to the carelessness and waste always 
attendant upon the military movements of savages, the supply of food is running short with 
them. The English declare that the Caffres have been instructed in the art of war by numerous 
deserters from the British army and by a French missionary settled among them^ who passed 
his early life in the army. Allusion has already been made to the disastrous effects of the war 
upon the agricultural and other resources of the country. 

The principal white inhabitants of Cape Town are the government officials, army officers, and 
merchants and tradesmen. The laboring class is composed of the mixed races, the Malays, 
Coolies, and the negroes. The emancipated negroes and their descendants are very much in 
character and condition like the free blacks in the United States, though by no means as intelli- 
gent and good looking. They are perfectly independent of all restraint, so long as they do not 
violate the laws. They work when it suits them, and at their own prices, and break off from 
their labor if spoken to in a manner which they deem offensive. Their ordinary charge for 
labor is §1 25 for a day often hours. 

The Mississippi having taken on board from the ship Faneuil Hall a suj^ply of coal, and 
a good supply of bullocks and sheep, and having filled the water tanks^ left Table Bay at 
eleven o'clock, a. m., on the 3d February. On getting fairly out of the harbor, the wind was 
found to be blowing strong from the westward, with a heavy swell setting in from that quarter. 
In seven hours after leaving Table Bay the steamer was off the pitch of the Cape, whence, 
having Cape Hanglip full in sight, her course was directed southeast^ in order to reach the 
parallel of thirty-seven degrees of latitude, to avoid the southeast gales which prevail near the 
Cape, and cause a strong current to the northward and westward, and to meet the variables 
which are found south of the border of the southeast trades. 

For the first three days after leaving the Cape the wind blew from the northAvest to the south- 
west imtil the steamer reached the latitude of 36° 16' S., and the longitude of 23° 40' E., when 
it changed to the northward and eastward, rather northwardly, and so remained to the latitude 
of 35° 06', and longitude 44° 03'. At this latter point the wind gradually hauled to the south- 
ward, allowing the course of the ship to be inclined more to the northward, until the southeast 
trades were met. The Commodore, however, fearing that the wind might back again to the 
eastward, was careful not to make too much northing, lest he might fall to the leeward of Mau- 
ritius, thus losing the benefit of a fair wind, which not only increases the rate of going of a 
steamer, as of a sailing vessel, but also saves the fuel of the former. From the 11th to the 14th 
of February, inclusive, the wind continued from the southward and eastward, and at the latter 
date the ship reached latitude 29° 34', and longitude 55° 22, from which period to her arrival 



104 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 

at Port Louis on the 18th the wind hung to the northward and eastward, the trades having 
entirely failed. The weather throughout the passage was fine^ the harometer varying from 
-/-^ 80' to 29° 95', the thermometer from 74° to 84°, the currents setting with the wind, and 
running at ahout three-quarters of a knot per hour. 

There is no reason to douht the correctness of the opinion of Horshurgh, to the effect that 
the hest route for a sailing ship hound from the Cape of Good Hope to Mauritius is that in 
which nearly the whole, if not all, the easting is made hetween the parallels of 35° and 38° of 
latitude, and the southeast trades are struck hetween the latitude of 21° and the longitude of 
55° or 57°. This course hrings vessels well to the windward, and enahles them to fetch the 
island of Mauritius without difficulty, provided the trade winds do not haul north of E. hy N. 
In the passage of the Mississippi the wind actually hauled as far as N.N.E., an occurrence not 
usual at the season, when northerly and northwesterly winds frequently prevail from Madagascar 
toward and heyond the island of Bourhon, (or, as it is now termed, Keunion,) and Mauritius. 

The question has been agitated as to whether it is advisable for steamers to make this curve 
in their route to Mauritius, or to steam directly from the Cape to the island, passing close round 
Cape Aghilus. The Commodore is decidedly of the opinion that, unless the steamer be one of 
first-rate speed, it would be ixnwise to take the direct route, in which she would have to contend 
against a strong trade wind and its consequent current. The difference between the two routes 
is about 240 miles, which would hardly seem to compensate for the loss occasioned by head 
winds and currents, leaving out of consideration the advantage of the cooler and more agree- 
able weather of the southern passage. The mail, and indeed all the European steamers, have 
usually taken the latter route ; and the Susquehanna, which attempted the direct course, 
although a faster steamer than the Mississippi, had a passage of seventeen days, while the 
Mississippi, of inferior powers and speed, made the run by the other course in fifteen days. 

The Mississippi, in doubling the Cape of Good Hope in midsummer, escaped any very heavy 
blow, although hardly a week passes without a gale from some quarter. Horshurgh remarks, 
in regard to the weather, that " in the storms off the Cape Bank and to the eastward, the sea 
is turbulent, and then generally accompanied with a black overcast sky ; when they are about 
to commence, and during their continuance, numbers of albatross, petrels, and other oceanic 
birds, are seen flying about, although in moderate weather few are perceived, for at this time 
they rest on the surface of the sea to fish, which they cannot do in a storm." 

Nothing was observed of a remarkable character in a meteorological point of view. The 
temperature of the air and water gave similar indications to those in corresponding northern 
latitudes. The barometer gave due notice of all the various changes of weather, and proved of 
great utility. There is a peculiarity in the action of this instrument in the neighborhood of the 
Cape, and in that part of the route across the Indian Ocean as far as the Equator, of which 
Horshurgh thus remarks : "In the vicinity of the Cape Bank, and in most parts of the 
southern hemisphere, the mercury rises with northerly and falls with southerly winds ; these 
latter proceeding from a warmer atmosphere are much rarefied, consequently the mercury falls 
in the barometer, whereas northerly winds coming from the frozen regions near the pole are 
more dense, and cause the mercury to rise. This ought to be kept in remembrance, for, when 
the wind is from southeast," continues Horshurgh, " I have several times observed the mercury 
to fall considerably before it changed to the north, and expected a gale, but the fall resulted 
only from the warmer air coming in contact with and repelling the former." 




s«T^ 



.'N»^r'^-;-"".^-f:''-*\ i" 




o 



X 
H 






P 
< 



-*uL 



ROUTE FROM THE CAPE TO MAURITIUS. 105 

In the conrse of the passage the Mississippi spoke her Britannic Majesty's steamer Styx, 
thirteen days from Simon's Bay, bound to Mauritius. She was under sail, her engine having 
been disconnected, and tlie wheels, with all their buckets, allowed to revolve by the movement 
of the vessel through the water. She made tolerable way, but drifted niucli to leeward. The 
English war steamers frequently, by a simple arrangement, disconnect their engines for the 
purpose of saving fuel. This process of connecting and disconnecting is accomplished in a few 
minutes. In American naval steamers it is almost impossible to disconnect the engines, and 
the only practicable mode of using the sails exclusively is by the removal of the immersed floats- 
This requires moderate weather for its accomplishment, and the time necessary for doing it is 
about two hours, and double that time is required for the readjustment of the floats or buckets. 

It must be acknowledged with mortification tliat our navy is in many respects very backward 
in availing itself of some of those improvements in steam vessels which have been already 
adopted by other nations, and even by private enterprise. Since the construction of the 
Mississippi and the Missouri, the two first ocean war steamers introduced into our naval service, 
and for a time esteemed the finest in the world, there has been less progress in the building of 
such vessels than our position as a nation would seem to demand. Most of the maritime 
powers of Europe and many companies, and even private individuals, have put afloat such vessels 
as it must be acknowledged but few of our steamers could fairly compete with in excellence ot 
' construction and equipment. The San Jacinto, Saranac, Fulton, and the Princeton, may be 
pointed to in illustration of these remarks. 

At half-past nine o'clock, on the morning of the 18th of February, the Mauritius was first 
seen from the deck, bearing N.N.E., and at noon the Mississippi was nearly abreast of Cape 
Bravant, having passed in sight of Grand Port, the scene of the memorable action in August, 
1810, between an English squadron, under the command of Captains Pyne and Willoughby, 
and a French force, under Commodore Duperie. In this engagement the English were worsted, 
having lost nearly all their vessels. The battle was fought within the coral shoals which form 
the harbor of Grand Port, the batteries on the shore taking part in the action, which was 
prolonged several days. 

Early in the evening, the pilot having boarded the Mississippi near the mouth of the harbor, 
anchored and secured the steamer for the night at the outer, which are termed the Admiral's 
moorings. Next morning the pilot returned to the ship, bringing with him several launches, 
manned by natives of Malabar^ who, with the assistance of the crew of the Mississippi, 
completed her moorings, which was a process requiring much time and labor. All vessels 
entering the harbor of Port Louis are secured by frigates' chains attached to mooring 
anchors, and brought on board, one at each bow and one at each quarter. This operation 
is entirely under the direction of the pilots, who with their launches, warjjs, and numerous 
hands, are constantly occupied in mooring and unmooring the various vessels as they enter or 
leave the harbor. Vessels are moored head and stern, with their bows to the southeast, the 
direction from which the hurricanes usually come. As these generally blow directly out of the 
harbor, they are accompanied with very little sea ; but such is often the violence of the wind, 
that the strong moorings give way, and the most destructive results ensue, the vessels being 
dashed against each other, and the shores strewn with wrecks. It is rarely that these gales 
blow into the harbor, but when they do, a tremendous sea is thrown into the little port, and 
the strongest moored and best found vessels can hardly escape disaster. 
14 J 



106 



EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 



Every possible precaution has been taken by the government to provide against the destructive 
effects of these furious storms, and the authorities are vigorously seconded in their efforts by 
the intelligence and indefatigable attention of Lieutenant Edward Kelly, of the royal navy, 
the harbor master, who is ever on the alert to meet the wants of vessels, giving warning of the 
appearance of an approaching gale, and suggesting such measures as may the better guard 
them against accident. Such was the favorable impression made upon the Commodore by the 
perfect state of the port regulations, that he was induced to address a note to Lieutenant Kelly, 
expressing his satisfaction, and thanking him for the facilities which had been rendered to the 
Mississippi. 

Our Light-house Board might gather from the example of these excellent regulations some 
useful hints ; but it is feared that that branch of administration, like too many others, is so 
much exposed to ignorant legislation, that any disposition it may have toward reform and 
progress would be hindered by unwise interference. 




Cape of Good Hope. 



MAURITIUS, ITS DISCOVERY. 



107 



CHAPTER IV 



MAURITIUS, ITS DISCOVERT. GEOLOGICAL FORMATION AND PHYSICAL ASPECT. PRODUCTION OF SUGAR. EFFECT ON AGRICULTURE 

OF THE ABOLITION OF SLAVERY. COOLIES. POPULATION OF THE ISLAND. STATE OF FEELING BETWEEN ENGLISH AND 

FRENCH RESIDENTS. HOSPITABLE TREATMENT OF THE EXPEDITION. DESCRIPTION OF PORT LOUIS. GRAND PORT PAUL 

AND VIRGINIA. FACTS ON WHICH ST. PIERRE FOUNDED HIS STORY. TOMBS OF PAUL AND VIRGINIA. BUILT BY AN ECCENTRIC 

FRENCHMAN. CYCLONES. THEIR PROBABLE CAUSES. INTEREST FELT IN THEM AT MAURITIUS. DEPARTURE OF THE 

MISSISSIPPI FROM PORT LOUIS. HER COURSE THENCE TO POINT DE GALLE, ISLAND OF CEYLON. REASONS FOR TAKING IT. 

POINT DE GALLE, DESCRIPTION OF. GREAT RE.NDEZVOUS OF STEAMERS.— DIFFICULTY OF PROCURING FUEL THERE. AMERICAN 

CONSUL. THOUGHTS ON CONSULAR SYSTEM. — EARLY KNOWLEDGE OF CEYLON. ITS SEVERAL EUROPEAN POSSESSORS. 

CLIMATE. SALUBRITY. CAUSES OF ITS DIMINISHED PROSPERITY. PRODUCTIONS. VALUE OF COCOA-NUT PALM. — PEARL 

FISHERY. IMMENSE NUMBERS OF ELEPHANTS. GREAT SLAUGHTER OF THEM. BOA CONSTRICTOR, POPULATION OF CEYLON. 

PHYSIQUE OF CINGALESE, MALABARS, AND MAHOMMEDANS IN THE ISLAND. RELIGIOUS CONDITION. BUDDHISM. PILGRIMAGE 

TO THE TEMPLES. INTERCOURSE WITH A SIAMESE NAVAL OFFICER AT CEYLON. COMMODORe's LETTER TO THE SECOND KING 

OF SIAM. DEPARTURE FROM CEYLON. PASSAGE THROUGH THE STRAITS OF MALACCA. ARRIVAL AT SINGAPORE. 

ACARENHAs, a Por- 
tuguese comman- 
der, discovered 
Mauritius, with 
its neighboring 
island of Bourbon, 
in 1505, and the 
\— whole group was 
then named the 
i:^ Mascarenhas islands. Tliu Portuguese took formal possession of 
Mauritius in 1545, but appear to have formed no settlement. In 1598, 
the Dutch surveyed it and gave to it its present name, in honor of Maurice, the Stadtholder 
of the Netherlands. They, however, did not settle the island until after they had formed an 
establishment at the Cape in 1640 ; and then they fixed themselves on the shore at Port Grand. 
In 1708, from causes not now known, they abandoned the island, and from this time up to 
1715 its only inhabitants were a few negroes, who had been brought there by the Dutch as 
slaves, and who, having escaped from their masters, concealed themselves in the mountain 
forests. In the year last named (ITIS) the French took possession and formed a settlement 
at Port St. Louis, giving to the island the new name of the "Isle of France." They kept 
undisturbed possession until 1810, when it was taken from them by the British ; and since the 
peace of 1814, these last have retained it. 




108 



EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 



The island is, without doubt, volcanic in its structure, and is surrounded by a coral reef, 
which generally runs parallel to the shores, at a short distance from them, and is mostly left 
dry at low water. There are, however, in this reef eleven breaks or openings, through most of 
which vessels of considerable burden may pass. The interior of the island consists of a great 
number of lofty hills, mostly isolated, though in one or two instances they form small chains. 
The Brabant mountains and the Bamboo ridge are the greatest elevations, and these are about 
three thousand feet above the sea level. 




Port Louis, Miiiiritins. 

The soil is generally shallow and not very productive. This is owing to its dryness. The mean 
annual heat is about 1Q° of Fahrenheit. It is true they have rains, and in June, July, and 
August showers are frequent, but of very short duration. The average fall of rain throughout 
the year would appear, from observation, to be about thirty-eight inches. The rainy season 
lasts from November to March or April, and then the water descends in torrents, accompanied 
with heavy gusts of wind, and not unfrequently with thunder and lightning. This region 
is subject also to hurricanes quite as violent as any encountered in the West Indies; 
there is, however, no regularity in these, though five years rarely elapse without their 
appearance. The island is traversed by numerous water courses, which diverge in all directions 
from the centre ; these, however, are filled with water in the rainy season only, and then they 
form numerous cascades and cataracts. In the dry season the water rapidly evaporates. 

The island was once well wooded, and a considerable part of the native forest still remains. 
The cocoa-nut palm, and sago, are common, as are also tamarind trees, mangroves, and bamboos. 



POPULATION OF MAURITIUS. 109 

Yams, cassava, Indian corn;, plantains, bananas, and melons are all cultivated as articles of 
food, as well as some of our vegetables, as spinach, asparagus, artichokes, cabbage, and peas. 
Wheat and rice are also produced, but in small quantities. Of fruits there are mangoes, 
shaddocks, and pine apples ; but oranges, grapes, peaches, and apples are inferior. The 
French introduced the spice trees of the Indian islands; none, however, succeeded but the clove. 
The chief article of cultivation, since the British obtained possession, is sugar ; not more, 
however, than three-eighths of the island is cultivated at all. The sugar cane is planted in the 
usual manner, though the fields present one peculiarity. The surface of the ground, in its 
original state, was covered with loose rocks and stones. These have been formed into parallel 
ridges about three or four feet apart, and between these the cane is planted. The cultivators 
are of opinion that these ridges, instead of being injurious to the cane, are rather advantageous ; 
they retard the growth of weeds, shade and protect the young cane from violent winds, and 
retain moisture which reaches the roots of the cane. 

Before the introduction of guano as a fertilizer the product was from 2,000 to 2,500 French 
pounds of sugar to the arpent or French acre ; but the increase since the application of the 
guano has been so extraordinary as to be scarcely credible. In ordinary seasons the product has 
been from six to seven thousand pounds, and, under peculiarly favorable circumstances, it has 
even reached eight thousand pounds to the acre. Official returns show a gradual increase in 
the amount of sugar exported from the year 1812 up to the present time. Thus, in that year, 
it was but 969,200 French pounds ; in 1851 it amounted to 137,373,519 pounds, and the 
estimated crop of this year (1852) is 140,000,000 pounds. The land would produce cotton and 
tobacco, but the entire thoughts of the agriculturists of the island are directed to sugar. The 
proportion of guano used is about one-fourth of a pound to a cane, and the French arpent or 
acre is estimated to contain about two thousand plants. 

The general abolition of slavery by the English government caused here, as it did in the other 
English slaveholding colonies, much agricultural distress ; but after a time the introduction of 
laborers, chiefly from the Malabar coast, under certain prescribed regulations, enabled the 
planters not only to dispense with the services of the freed negroes, but to obtain labor on 
cheaper terms than before. The free blacks here, as elsewhere, seemed to think emancipation 
meant an exemption from all labor; they were consequently indisposed generally to work at all, 
even for fair wages, and capriciously left their labor just when they pleased. The imported 
laborers, known under the name of coolies, perform nearly all the agricultural work of the 
island, as well as load and unload all the ships. On the sugar estates large communities of them 
are to be found. Comfortable houses are provided for them and their families, and exclusive of 
house rent and provisions, which are furnished to them, they receive from two to three dollars a 
month as wages. This is cheaper to the planter than slave labor was. The municipal laws 
for the protection and government of the coolies are judicious and sufficently minute, yet these 
people pay but little regard to any bargain they may make with their employers ; they go and 
come very much as they please, and are tolerated in the exercise of a much larger liberty than 
is accorded to laboring men in either England or the United States. Notwithstanding all these 
disadvantages, however, the planter makes large profits from their labor. 

The population of the whole island is about 180,000. Of these nearly 100,000 are negroes 
from Madagascar and the eastern coast of Africa, who were once slaves. Beside these, are 
Malays, fishermen from Malabar, Lascars and Chinese. Some of these latter have been 



110 



EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 



imported for agricultural labor. The white population is nine or ten thousand. Of these the 
larger part are Creoles of French origin, and speak the French language. They also form the 
wealthier portion of the white population. The English in Mauritius having, for the most 
part, a connexion, direct or indirect, with the colonial government, are somewhat exclusive in 




Costumes, Mauritius. 



their social relations. The French are not less tenacious, and hence, though there are no open 
dissensions between them, yet to the impartial stranger, who mingles freely with both, it is 
quite apparent that there is little real harmony between them, and a feeling of nationality 
exists which would probably induce the majority to hail with pleasure a return to the dominion 
of France. As in most countries which, like Mauritius, have involuntarily changed their 
nationality, the females indulge, in a greater degree than the other sex, the prejudices of 
country; perhaps because they mix less with the new comers. 

Both classes of the population, however, English and French, were exceedingly kind and 
hospitable to the members of the expedition. On arriving in an armed United States vessel at 
any of the English colonial settlements, great hospitality is usually extended to our officers, 
and visits of ceremony, with a constant interchange of dinner parties and other courtesies, 
commonly leave to the commander but little opportunity for quiet observation of that which 
may characterize the people generally. In fact, he is for a time unavoidably subjected to the 
bondage of official restraint, and is sometimes made a prisoner even by the friendly tyranny of 
kindness and hospitality. 



DESCRIPTION OF PORT LOUIS. 



Ill 



During the brief stay of the shiji at Mauritius the English officials and merchants exhibited 
the most profuse hospitality toward the Commodore and his officers, while the French popula- 
tion were no whit behind them in the unostentatious display of their kindness. These last 
evinced the most friendly feelings and no small share of intelligence, and while both classes 
were equally hospitable^ the only difference was that the Englishman was^ perhaps, a little the 
more stately, and the Frenchman a little the less ceremonious. Nothing could be kinder than 
the treatment of both. 

Port Louis, the capital of the island, is situated near its northwestern extremity, on a small bay, 
which is but a narrow inlet of the sea, somewhat more than a mile long, and about five hundred 
yards broad. At the extreme southwestern corner the town is built. The streets are straight, 
but not paved. The principal street runs parallel to the shore of the bay. The houses are chiefly 
of wood, and of but a single story. The popiilation is^ perhaps, from twenty-five to thirty 
thousand, of whicli from four to five thousand are white. The residue are for the most part 
blacks. Grand Port, on the southeastern side of the island, is sufficiently capacious, and is 
more convenient for shipping the sugar, of which large quantities are grown in the neighbor- 
hood ; but apart from the intricacies of its entrance, it is open to the southeast, from which 
quarter the hurricanes blow most furiously. 




Public Square, Port Louis. 



It is not to be supposed that among those who read at all there are many who are unacquainted 
■with the beautiful story of Paul and Virginia, by Bernardin St. Pierre. The accomplished 
author was an officer of the garrison of Mauritius in 1744, and at that time a melancholy catas- 



112 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 

trophe which happened on one of the coral reefs surrounding the island furnished a hasis of facts 
on which he reared his interesting fiction. 

One is rather reluctant to destroy the illusion produced hy the romantic narrative of St. 
Pierre ; hut, in soher truth, he was indebted to his imagination for the picture of the storm, and 
the brave and generous Paul is but a myth. The facts are these : On the night of the 18th of 
August, 1744;, the French ship St. G^van was wrecked on one of the reefs on the northeastern 
coast of the island. On board the ship were two young ladies, by name Mallet and Caillon, 
(who were returning as passengers from France, whither they had been sent for education,) 
both of whom were lost. The depositions taken at the time by the French officials, and from 
which these facts are gathered, state that Mademoiselle Caillon was last seen upon the top-gallant 
forecastle of the wrecked vessel^, with a gentleman. Monsieur Longchamps de Montendre, who 
was at the time endeavoring to persuade her to trust herself to his efforts to save her. To 
enable him, however, to accomplish the object, it was necessary for her to disencumber herself 
of some portion of her clothing, and this, from a sense of modesty, she declined doing, and so 
perished with Monsieur Montendre and the larger part of the crew of the ill-fated vessel. It 
was conjectured that Monsieur Montendre was the lover of Mademoiselle Caillon, as, after 
lowering himself down the ship's side to throw himself into the sea, he returned and earnestly 
endeavored to prevail on the young lady to leave the vessel with him, and on her refusal would 
not again leave her. 

Mademoiselle Mallet was on the quarter deck with Monsieur de Peramont, who never left her 
for a moment. On these facts as a basis St. Pierre framed his story. The celebrity given to it 
has always awakened the interest of strangers visiting the island, who have naturally desired 
to look upon scenes consecrated by the pen of genius^ and associated in their minds with 
incidents which, if not literally true, have at least deeply touched their sensibilities. The 
officers of the ship were^ therefore^ glad to land^, and among other objects visited, strange to say, 
they were conducted to what the islanders are pleased to call the graves of Paul and Virginia. 
The history of these resting places of the imaginary dead is this : An eccentric French gentleman 
having a country residence about eight miles from St. Louis, and possibly near the supposed 
graves of some of the lost, erected in his garden two monuments to the memory of the unfortu- 
nate fictitious Paul and Virginia, (Mademoiselle Caillon and Monsieur Montendre.) The object 
was simply to add the stimulus of curiosity to the other attractions of his residence, and thus 
draw around him a more numerous circle, to whom he might extend that hospitality for which 
he, in common with the French of his day, was famous, and thus enjoy the pleasures of society. 
This benevolent and eccentric being has been long dead, but the tombs are still standing, 
though in a state of dilapidation, and still attract strangers. Alas 1 no hospitable greeting now 
awaits the visitor. His money is demanded at the garden gate, all sentiment evaporates, and 
he walks in to see the show. This custom of demanding payment from visitors to places of 
public interest is almost peculiar to the English, and its existence is to many of the people of 
England themselves a source of mortification and annoyance. There are certain places in which 
payment is perfectly proper, but there are others in which, though regularly exacted, it should 
not be asked. The sight of Long wood and a glance at Napoleon's tomb were both paid for by 
the gentlemen of the expedition at St. Helena ; but the custom alluded to is one which may be 
found throughout the extent of her Majesty's dominions. 

So much was said at Mauritius of the hurricanes, or cyclones, common to this part of the 



I — I 

o 
o 



o 



!33 







THE CYCLONES. 113 

Indian ocean^ that the Commodore scarcely entertained a hope of escaping from this region 
without encountering one. These hurricanes^ at the season of their occurrence, (from December 
to April,) form the great topic of interest and discussion to the Mauritians. In fact, they talk 
of little else at that period. Meteorological instruments of every kind are kept in use and under 
the most watchful observation. Nor is this great solicitude without reason, for these cyclones, 
when they do come, are but too ajit to bring ruin and desolation to tlie merchant and planter. 

The immediate cause of these atmospherical phenomena has been supposed to be a disturbance 
of the equilibrium in the air that takes place at the change of the monsoons. This period 
of strife lasts about a month, and then the hurricanes rage with terrific violence. Kedfield and 
Eeed, and others, have explained the laws by which they suppose them to be governed ; and 
their hypothesis in pei'fectly well known and understood by the Mauritians. The islands of 
Mauritius, Bourbon, and Roderique, lie directly in their ordinary track, and if either of them 
happens to fall within the vortex of one of these hurricanes, the consequences to life and 
property are terrible indeed. 

The natural interest felt in the subject, as well as its great practical importance, have given 
rise to many discussions as to the best means to be adopted, should a vessel unfortunately find 
herself within their sweeping influence or in their proximity ; and though these discussions may, 
and doubtless will, result in a better understanding of the laws which govern tliesc winds, yet 
it must bo confessed that some of them have rather a tendency to confuse the simjjle minded 
and practical seaman, who, if caught in one of these storms, should undertake then to find 
rules for his guidance. He can spare no time from the handling of his vessel, and however 
plain abstract principles may be to him who is at leisure quietly to master them on shore, the 
cabin of a ship in a storm is a poor school of philosophy. This, however, only shows the 
necessity there is that the seaman who would understand his profession should study and master 
all that science has brought to light, when he can do so on shore, and before he is caught in a 
storm which demands its immediate application. However, the instructions given by the earlier 
writers on these hurricanes are now more generally imderstood than they were, by the well 
informed seaman, particularly since they have been further explained and simplified by the 
more recent publication of Piddington. 

Of those residing at Mauritius who have earnestly studied and discussed the laws which 
govern these storms, may be mentioned Dr. Thom, whose writings are well known. Lieutenant 
Fryers, of the royal engineers, and Mr. Sedgewick, who has published a little work, which he 
calls "The True Principle," and which has been reviewed by Dr. Thom; and, lastly, a Creole 
gentleman attached to the observatory at Mauritius, Mr. Bosquett. 

This last named gentleman, who has translated into French Piddington's Horn book, with 
annotations of his own, claims to be able, by careful and constant meteorological observations, 
to foretell the existence of hurricanes in the Indian ocean, and to describe the course they 
will take. The day before the Mississippi left Mauritius, he informed the Commodore that a 
cyclone was then blowing in a direction E. by N. from the island, and that it would pass to the 
southward and eastward. 

By reference to the chart in Piddington's Horn book it will be seen that these cyclones 

never extend to the northward of 10° or 12° south latitude, in the meridian of Mauritius. 

Therefore, vessels leaving tlie island in the hurricane season, for any part of India, should steer 

to the northward, passing well to the westward of the Cargados, a most dangerous group, thus 

1.5 .T 



114 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 

keeping a clear sea open to the westward that there may be nothing in the way should it be 
desirable to run to the northward and westward, which would be the true course to take in case 
of encountering the southwestern or northwestern quadrants of a cyclone, (which, in the 
hurricane season, a vessel from Mauritius is in danger of,) and this course she should keep until 
she is sufficiently far north to be beyond its influence. Steamers, of course, have superior means 
of avoiding these storms, as they have the power of steering the most judicious course to escape 
from their greatest fury. 

Following the advice of several experienced seamen, when the Mississippi left, she took the 
circuitous route (the distance from Mauritius to Ceylon being thereby made 150 miles greater) 
and pa ssed to the westward of the Cargados and between the island Galega and Laya de Mahla 
Bank ; thence, doubling -the northern extremity of that bank the ship was steered to the 
eastward for Pona Moluque, the southernmost of the Maldives ; after passing this the course 
was direct for Point de Galle in Ceylon. 

Before leaving the United States, Messrs. Howland & Aspinwall, of New York, at the 
suggestion of the Commodore, had dispatched two ships laden with coal, one to the Cape of ■ 
Good Hope, and the other to Mauritius. The prudence of this precaution was proved by the 
result ; but i'or these two cargoes the Mississippi, as well as the other steamers of the squadron 
which were to follow her — the Powhatan and Alleghany — woiild have had the greatest 
difficulty in procuring fuel. In the case of both cargoes, they arrived at their respective places 
of destination a few days before the Mississippi^ so that both at the Cape and Mauritius the 
ship was enabled at once to take in fresh fuel, and leave a supply for the steamers that were to 
come after.* 

Having taken on board about five hundred tons of this coal, with such other supplies as were 
needed, the Mississippi left St. Louis on the morning of the 28th of February, intending to 
touch for a further supply of fuel either at Point de Galle or Singapore, if it should appear pos- 
sible to reach the latter named place with the coal taken on board at Mauritius. The course 
was that already indicated above, and on the evening of the 10th of March the light was made 
on Point de Galle, island of Ceylon, after a passage of thirteen days. 

The port of Point de Galle is the general rendezvous of the English India mail steamers^ not 
only of those which ply to and fropa the Red sea, but of those which double the Cape of Good 
Hope, bound to India or the China seas. Large quantities of coal and patent fuel are brought 
from England and deposited there ; and though the quantity would seem to be enormous, yet 
so great is the consumption of the numerous steamers, of which there are about ten each month 
touching at the port, that there is sometimes an apprehension felt of the supply of fuel falling 
short. The Oriental Steam Navigation Company have consequently given positive orders not 
to supply a single ton to any foreign vessel-of-war, and consequently the Mississippi could 
obtain only a limited supply from the Bengal government. 

The town of Galle is situated upon a peninsula, the inner curve of which forms the harbor. 
Thick walls of considerable height enclose the town within a space of about fifteen acres. The 

• " To the zealous and energetic services of Messrs. Howland & Aspinwall, in the faithful fulfilment of their engagements 
with the Navy Department, I am greatly indebted ; had it not been for their prompt and effectual agency, I should have found 
myself seriously embarrassed in controllirg the movements of the steamers of ray command. The ample provision thus placed 
at my disposal not only relieved me from care upon the score of fuel, without which side-wheel steamers are worse than useless, 
but enabled me to exercise a most gratifying courtesy in furnishing to several foreign war steamers supplies of this essential 
article, which could not be obtained at the time from any other source." — Extractfrom tke Commodore's Journal. 




J.. 



rn 






m 



POINT DE GALLE. 



115 



inhabitants are thus shut up within a close fortress, from which the sea breezes are almost 
entirely excluded, and must suffer vejy much from the heat, which cannot be otherwise than 
excessive, in a latitude almost under the equator. The heat, however, is not so intense as on 
the neighboring coast of India. During the stay of the Mississippi th3 highest range of the 
thermometer (Fahrenheit) was 85°, and the lowest was 82°. The ordinary range at Point de 
Galle, however, is set down at from "70° to 87°. 




Point (le GiiUe, Ct-yluu. 

Fresh supplies of food of almost every description can be readily obtained at this port; bul- 
locks, pigs, fruit, and vegetables, abound. The fish are abundant and good. Wood is plentiful 
and tolerably good. Water can be obtained in reasonable quantities, but it is bad. 

The population of the town is composed of English officials and merchants, and a motley 
collection of tradesmen and laborers of all varieties of color, from negro black to dingy brown. 

The Commodore and his officers were not a little mortified, as well as somewhat embarrassed, 
by finding, on their arrival at Point de Galle, the United States commercial agent, a native of 
Scotland, confined to his premises under an execution for debt. Various accounts of the circum- 
stances connected with this unfortunate position of affairs were communicated to the Commo- 
dore, but he studiously avoided any interference with the matter. It was no part of his business 
or duty to interpose; and humiliating as was this state of things, he could not but feel that the 
fault was in the former consular system of the United States. Our country had no right to 
expect our consuls and commercial agents, many of whom were unfitted in every respect for 
their stations, either to represent or sustain the commercial interests of the nation so long as the 



116 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 

system then existing was followed. The fees at many of the i^laces where our consular agents 
were accredited, it was notorious would scarce suffice to clothe them, and, accordingly, to eke out 
a scanty living, they were often ohliged to resort to some sort of business, often not of the most 
dignified character. Of course, there were always honorable exceptions to this unfavorable state 
of things. Many of our consuls have been and are men of high position, who have not failed 
to exercise a strong influence upon the local governments within which they may have resided. 
But for this they have been less indebted to the consular office than to their deservedly high 
commercial standing; at the same time it may be true, that possessing such high personal 
characters as they do, in their cases, the consular office, worthily bestowed, may add somewhat 
to their influence. The recent action of Congress has shown the sense entertained by that body 
of the correctness of these views and of the need of reform ; and it is hoped the measures 
adopted will guarantee for the future a dignified representative of our commercial interests 
wherever we have a consul. 

Ceylon has been long known to Europe. The first accounts were received from two of the 
commanders of the fleet dispatched by Alexander the Great from the Indus to the Persian 
Gulf. A description of the island may be found recorded by ancient authors ; both Pliny and 
Ptolomeus have left accounts of its character and condition. It is supposed that the Persians 
had formed a Christian establishment on the coast before the sixth century ; and in the 
thirteenth the celebrated traveller, Marco Polo, visited Ceylon, of which he has left a glowing 
description, having been so much struck with its beauty and richness that in his enthusiasm 
he has termed it the finest island in the world. Sir John Mandeville, the English traveller, 
also visited it some fifty years later. 

The Portuguese, however, were the first among the Europeans to establish intimate relations 
with Ceylon. When they found their way to India, by the Cape of Good Hope, they were 
welcomed by the king, whose dominions at the time were a prey to intestine war. The 
Europeans taking advantage of the civil dissensions which prevailed, and offering themselves 
as mediators, succeeded in establishing a foothold in the country, which they took care to 
maintain. In 1520, the Portuguese strongly fortified themselves at Colombo, and held a 
controlling influence over the natives, until they were dispersed by the latter, aided by the 
Dutch, who, in their turn, changed tlieir relation of friends to that of masters of the people. 
The war with the Portuguese lasted more than twenty years, and they were not finally 
expelled the island until 1656. The various fortified positions at Batticolo, Point de Galle, 
Negombo, and Colombo fell into the hands of the Dutch, who thus controlled the maritime 
provinces. 

During the European wars at the end of the eighteenth century, the French got possession 
of Trincomalee, but they were ejected by the British, who in their turn were forced to yield 
it up to the former possessors, and it finally was restored to the Dutch, who continued to hold 
it, together with the sea coast, until they were wrested from them, in 1796, by the British, 
who were formally acknowledged as the possessors by the treaty of Amiens. English history 
records that the whole island, by the invitation of the natives, was taken possession of, in 
1815, by the British crown, under the sovereignty of which Ceylon still remains. It is 
difficult to say who, of the successive masters of the poor Cingalese, have been the most cruel 
and oppressive, and, in fact, it is feared that but little can be said in palliation of the fraud 
and perfidy of either of them. 



ISLAND OF CEYLON. 117 

In olden time, before its occupation by the Europeans, Ceylon was one of tbe richest and 
most productive of the kingdoms of the east. The natives, at a very early period, showed 
great skill in the development of the resources of the island, and increased the fertility of the 
soil by ingenious modes of artificial irrigation ; and numerous vestiges of imposing works, 
constructed for this purpose, remain to this day. 

The climate of Ceylon is very much influenced by the monsoons. The northeast prevails 
from November to February, and the southwest from April to September ; but there are certain 
local causes which influence these winds and modify their temperature. There is a great 
difi"erence between the climate of the northern and southern portions of the island, and a 
curious effect results therefrom ; for not seldom on one side of a mountain the rain is falling 
abundantly, while on the other it is so dry that the herbage is parched and withered ; and 
thus while the inhabitants of the former are doing their utmost to protect their lands from the 
flood, those of the latter are striving to obviate the consequences of the drought by availing 
themselves of the scant reservoirs of water which may have been left from iirevious rains. 

The island is comparatively healthy, as is indicated by the rate of mortality, which, being 
less than three per cent., shows a remarkable salubrity for an eastern country. As the 
clearing of the jungles and the draining of the marshes proceed, a still higher degree of 
health may be reasonably expected. 

Ceylon did not appear as flourishing a colony as the Mauritius, though it possesses superior 
geographical advantages. Lying, as it does, as a sort of outpost to the principal possessions 
of the English in the east, and oifering, in its port of Galle, a point for the distribution of 
intelligence throughout India and China, it is much resorted to. 

With all its natural advantages, however, the island at present is far less flourishing than 
might have been expected. The exports are limited in comparison with the acknowledged 
fertility of the island, to the productive power of which there would hardly seem to be any 
limit. Labor may be obtained, too, for twelve cents a day, and yet the agricultural interests 
are not as promising as, under such favorable circumstances, they should be. The natives, too, 
are said not to be wanting in industry, but their needs are so few, living, as they do, upon 
fish, rice, and cocoa-nuts, that they are never forced by necessity to labor hard for their 
subsistence. 

Of the productions of the island the cocoa-nut is probably the most valuable to the natives. 
Everywhere in Ceylon, as far as the eye can reach, extensive plantations of this tree are to be seen, 
and the numerous roads throughout the island are bordered with it. The weary and heated 
traveller finds not only protection from the sun in its shade, but refreshment from the milk of 
the fruit, which is both agreeable to the taste and wholesome. The cocoa-nut palm has a great 
variety of uses. The green fruit, with its delicate albuminous meat and its refreshing milk, is a 
favorite article of food. When ripe, the kernel of the nut is dried, forming what the natives 
term copperal, and an oil of great value is expressed from it, while the residuum forms an 
excellent oil-cake for the fattening of animals. Even the husk of the nut is useful ; its fibres are 
wrought into the coir rojje, of which large quantities are annually exported, and the shells are 
manufactured into various domestic utensils. From the sap of the tree a drink is obtained 
which is called "toddy," and made into arrack by distillation. The leaves afibrd a good 
material for the thatching of the native huts, and are moreover given as food to the elephants. 
The Palmyra palm, which also abounds in the island, shares with the cocoa-nut tree in many 
of its advantages. 



118 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 

The other staples of Ceylon are cinnamon, coffee, sugar, rice, arica nut, precious stones, 
plumbago, (probably the best in the world,) and other vegetable and mineral productions. 
The pearl fisheries, for which the island was once famous, have very much diminished in their 
yield. The natives account for the diminution by declaring that the pearl-oyster has the power 
of locomotion, and has shifted its former quarters to some new ground not yet discovered. The 
scarcity is probably owing to the fact that the pearls have been disturbed before they have 
reached their full development, which is said to require a period of seven years. At one time 
the fishery was a source of handsome revenue to the government ; in 1797 the sum of £140,000 
was derived from it. Since that period the proceeds have gradually fallen off, until at 
present they amount to almost nothing. Diving for the pearl-oyster is a favorite occupation 
among the natives of Ceylon, as a skilful diver can earn ten times the wages of a farm laborer, 
and the employment is not, as has been stated, unfavorable to health, but, on the contrary, - 
conducive to strength and vigor of body. 

Ceylon abounds in a rich vegetation and many trees of a vigorous growth, among which, in 
addition to the cocoa-nut and Palmyra palm, there is the kettal tree, from the sap of which is 
produced a coarse sugar, and from its fruit, when dried and reduced to powder, a substitute for 
rice flour. The talipot, with its immense foliage, is one of the wonders of the island ; a single 
leaf of this tree is sufficient to cover beneath its shade several persons, and it supplies, when 
softened by boiling, a substitute for paper, upon which the natives are in the habit of writing, 
and find in it a most durable material. The cinnamon, with its beautiful white blossom and its 
red tipped leaves, and other odoriferous trees, are among the native products of Ceylon ; but the 
stories of the fragrance of the aroma exhaled from these trees and the plants, and which 
voyagers have described as sensible at a distance from the land, are gross exaggerations. No 
fragrance was observed equal to that of the magnolia or of the delightful perfume of the 
newly-mown grass of our own country, or in any degree approaching the delicious odor of the 
heliotrope and geranium hedges of Madeira. The cultivated flowers that were seen at Ceylon 
and at Mauritius were, in fact, remarkable for their want of fragrance. Rich woods of various 
kinds, as the rose, the ebony, the satin, and lime, grow in abundance on the island, and are 
used for many purposes of utility and ornament. 

Within the forests and in the jungles of Ceylon are found a great variety of wild animals — 
the elephant, the hyena, tiger-cat, the bear, the deer, and the monkey, are among the most 
abundant. The number of elephants is incredibly great, and, issuing in troops from their lairs, 
they come crushing down the cultivated fields and plantations and devouring the crops, with 
great loss to the proprietors. They are found in all the uncultivated parts of the island, but 
their favorite haunts are near to the farms, to which they prove so destructive that the colonial 
government pays a reward of 7s. 6d. (about $1 85) for every tail of the animal which is brought 
to the authorities. Mr. Talbot, the government agent at Galle, stated, surprising as it may 
seem, that he had paid during the preceding year two hundred pounds sterling for tails, which 
would give six hundred as the number of eleiihants destroyed. 

An army officer, as was stated to the Commodore, actually killed, during his residence on 
the island, no less than six hundred of these gigantic animals. Within a few months of the 
arrival of the Mississippi, two officers of the garrison, one of whom (Lieutenant Lennox) 
became personally known to the Commodore, destroyed no less than forty elephants in the 
course of a sporting visit of six weeks to the jungle. They are ordinarily shot with a rifle ; 



PEOPLE OF CEYLON. 119 

the sportsman approaches his game in front, or perhaps, as the sailors would say, on the 
quarter, that he may aim at either of the only two vital parts upon which a rifle hall will have 
any effect, one heing directly in the forehead, through which the brain is penetrated, and the 
other behind the ear. If the hunter chance to come up to his elephant in the rear, he raises a 
shout or makes a noise, by which the huge animal is attracted, and, throwing forward its ears, 
exposes the vital spot, at which his ruthless enemy aims the deadly ball and brings down his 
huge victim. The elephants of Ceylon are not so large as those of other parts of India, and 
but a small proportion of them have tusks. 

Of serpents, there are but twenty species_, four only of which are venomous, the cobra and 
tic prolango being the most deadly. The latter is said to be endowed with great cunning, and 
to lie in wait for the purpose of attacking the passing traveller. The stories which are told of 
the anaconda, boa constrictor or python, seizing upon cattle and horses, and even horsemen, 
must be received as fabulous. There is, however, a species of boa peculiar to the island, which 
is capable of swallowing a deer whole, and after they have indulged in venison to that degree, 
and become surfeited with so substantial a meal, they fall readily a prey to the captor. This 
is believed to be the extent of the powers of deglutition of the Ceylon boas ; those enormous 
serpents, which are said to swallow an entire ox, horns and all, being unknown in that region. 
It may not be amiss to refer here to a remedy for venomous bites, for which popular opinion in 
the east claims considerable efficacy, this is a paste made by moistening the powder of ipeca- 
chuana with water, and applying it to the external injury. Some wonderful effects have been 
reported from the use of this simple means in various cases, of not only bites from venomous 
serpents, but of stings by the scorpion and various poisonous fish. 

The population of Ceylon is estimated at about 1,442,062, of whom 8,275 are whites, 
1,413,486 colored persons, and 20,431 aliens and resident strangers. The inhabitants are 
composed of the natives, termed Cingalese, of a small proportion of Europeans, principally 
government officials, military officers and merchants with their families, and of negroes, Malays, 
and Chinese. The Cingalese were less ugly in appearance than was expected, many of the men, 
in fact, (as for the women few were seen, and none of the better class,) have expressive and even 
handsome faces, and their forms are not without symmetry. They seem to be amiable in dispo- 
sition and are remarkable for their eifeminate habits. So similar is the costume of the two 
sexes that it is difficult often for the casual observer to distinguish the man from the woman. 
The males allow their hair to grow to a great length, which they foster with much care, and 
fasten to the tops of their heads with large tortoise shell combs, such as our ladies at home 
might not be ashamed to wear. 

The common dress of the better class of the Cingalese is a jacket, worn next to the skin, and 
from the waist downward a colored petticoat, wrapped in graceful folds round the limbs and 
falling to the feet. The head, well protected as it is with the superabundant hair, is generally 
bare of any artificial covering. Some of the common people, however, wrap a cloth turban-wise 
around their brows, which they shift to their body when mingling with the crowds, and thus 
eke out their scanty drapery, which ordinarily consists only of a petticoat. Some of the abori- 
gines, who live in a rude condition within the fastnesses of the great forests, confine themselves 
in dress to the simple wardrobe of nature. 

In addition to the Cingalese, who are doubtless descendants of the aborigines of the island, 
there are the Malabars, whom tradition traces to the neighboring shores of India, and whose 



120 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 

religion and social cliaracteristics would seem to connect tliem with that country. They are 
Hindoos and preserve their religion and system of caste, together with the costumes of their 
original country, as well as their language, somewhat modified, however, hy their relation with 
the Cingalese. The neighboring islands and continents supply a population of Mahommedans 
or Moors to Ceylon, and they abound in several parts of the country, where, in the various 
orders into which their law of caste divides them, they carry on a prosperous business as 
weavers, fishermen, merchants, and bakers. They are among the most enterprising and 
thriving of the population, and their well known skill and industry have secured them much of 
the commercial wealth and influence of the island. 

The native language of the aborigines is peculiar to themselves, but their writings are in 
Sanscrit or Pali. A provincial dialect of Portuguese is, however, generally spoken by those 
natives who have passed their lives in the European portions of the island. 

The Christian religion was introduced at a very early period into Ceylon. It has been 
supposed that the apostle Saint Thomas preached there ; however this may be, there is but 
little doubt that the Nestorians accompanied the Persian merchants, many years ago, to the 
island and made converts there and established Christianity. On the arrival, however, of the 
Portuguese navigators there were no remnants of those chiirches which are said to have existed 
in Ceylon in the sixth century. The zealous Francis Xavier, the Koman Catholic missionary, 
however, was the first, by his earnest preaching and proselyting energies, to establish the 
Christian religion permanently on the island, and most of that faith are, accordingly, 
Komanists. The Church of England is, of course, sustained in accordance with the religious 
opinions of the British authorities ; and the various other Protestant churches have their 
members among the European residents. There are missionaries of various sects engaged in 
efl'orts to evangelize the native heathen, but with what success did not appear. Among these 
there are no less than eleven Americans ; and the different churches are represented in the 
proportion of thirty-four Komanist missionaries, twenty Wesleyan, fourteen of the English 
church, and thirteen Baptists. The predominant religion among the Cingalese is the Buddhist, 
which was at one time maintained by the British government, a heathen inheritance derived 
from the succession to the native kings. The tooth of Buddha, the relic so highly revered by 
his followers, was taken under the especial protection of English orthodoxy, and the ecclesiastical 
patronage of the Buddhist establishment was exercised by England, in accordance with the not 
very scrupulous views of political expediency. The guardianship of the tooth of Buddha, and 
the dispensation of Buddhist church patronage, have been, of late years, properly delegated by 
a Christian nation to a heathen priesthood. 

There are numerous Buddhist temples in Ceylon, some of which present an impressive aspect; 
and there is one of great antiquity and so much venerated as to attract votaries from various 
parts of India. On the arrival of the Mississippi there was a Siamese sloop-of-war in the harbor, 
which had brought a number of Buddhist priests on a pilgrimage to this temple. 

An interesting incident occurred in connexion with the presence of the Siamese man-of-war. 
For many reasons the Commodore was desirous of showing some marked attention to the 
commander of this vessel, who, on acquaintance, was found to be a young man of much intelli- 
gence and possessing some knowledge of the English language. The Commodore, therefore, 
dispatched his aid. Lieutenant Contee, to offer to him his services and to invite him on board 
the Mississippi. The Siamese commander seemed pleased with the compliment and came on 



INTERVIEW WITH A SIAMESE OFFICER. 



121 



board the Mississippi the following day, where he was received with due honors. He was 
accompanied by two of the Buddhist priests who had come from Siam in his vessel on a 
pilgrimage to the famous temple. It was learned, on inquiry, that Prince Phar-Pen-Clow- 
Chow-You-Hon, who was so civil to Mr. Roberts and the officers of the Peacock on the occasion 




Buddhist Temple, near Point de Galle, Ceylon. 

of their visit to Siam, in 1836, was the second in rank in his kingdom, or second king, as it is 
termed. The Commodore, therefore, being desirous of renewing the good understanding which 
formerly subsisted between him and our officers, which, however^ had been somewhat disturbed 
by the visit of Mr. Ballastier, sent him a beautiful pistol, of Coifs patent, and addressed to him 
the following letter : 

United States Ship Mississippi. 
Point de Galle, Island of Ceylon, March 14, 1853. 

Most Exalted Pri\ce : I have been most happy to meet at this port a vessel-of-war belong- 
ing to the kingdom of Siam, one of beautiful form and construction, and commanded by an 
officer of skill and merit. 

In remembrance of the kindness you extended to the late Mr. Roberts and the officers of the 
United States ship Peacock, in ISSR, I beg your acceptance of a curious pistol which has been 
entrusted to my charge, to be presented to some high functionary who has sufficient acquaintance 
with the arts to understand its mechanism and use. 
16 J 



122 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 

The renown which your Highness has acquired in America, for your attainments in every 
branch of science, induces me to jjlace at your disposal this trifling gift of Mr. Colt. 

I hope that you will send one of your ships of Siam to America, where I can promise the 
officers a friendly and honorable welcome. 

It will, at all times, give me the greatest pleasure to render to all vessels under the Siamese 
flag whatever aid or assistance it may be in my power to command. 

With profound respect I have the honor to be your most obedient servant, 

M. C. PERRY, Commander-in-chief 
of all the U. S. naval forces in the East India, China, and Japan seas. 
To his Royal Highness Phar-Pen-Clow-Chow-Yon-Hon. 

The Commodore was induced thus to take the initiative in endeavoring to open communica- 
tions with Siam, in the hope that he might possibly be able to revive the treaty between that 
kingdom and the United States, made on our part by Mr. Roberts. This had virtually become 
a dead letter and altogether inoperative, as had, indeed, also that made by England with the 
same people. Sir John Davis and Sir James Brooke, on behalf of England, and Mr. Ballastier, 
on the part of the United States, had made subsequent efforts and been politely repulsed ; but 
the Commodore hoped that possibly another attempt might result more successfully ; and as he 
had been entrusted by the government with several blank letters of credence, he was prepared 
to act on the authority of one of them should he find a favorable opening. Both the kings of 
Siam, and many of their officers, understand the English language, and one object of the 
Commodore was to induce the monarch to send one of his ships to the United States (they are 
all vessels, at once, both of war and commerce) to examine into our institutions, resources, &c. , 
and thus lead to friendly commercial relations. 

The Commodore subsequently received a courteous answer to his letter, and from that and 
private information which he had taken pains to get of his probable reception, he would have 
gone to Siam had not uncontrollable circumstances prevented. 

The Commodore also j^resented to Mun-Clow-Sar-Coun, captain of the Siamese sloop-of-war, 
a service sword and a copy of "Bowditch's Navigator." 

The Mississippi left Galle on the morning of the 15th of March, and after getting clear of 
the harbor, shaped her course for Great Nicobar Island, the southernmost of the group of that 
name, with the intention of passing between it and Paloway, a small island or rock lying off 
the northern extremity of Sumatra. On the 20th, Great Nicobar was made, and the proposed 
course having been taken, the steamer entered the straits of Malacca, steering for the Malay 
shore, on which side the weather is represented as being more settled and the sky less obscured. 
Fortunately, the weather was favorable during the passage through the straits, and it was 
found necessary to anchor once only during the night, at the entrance between the North and 
South Sands, within sight of the Aroa islands. The navigation of the straits did not appear to 
the Commodore as dangerous as an examination of the chart had led him to expect ; yet it is 
somewhat intricate and certainly not free from danger. 

A vessel has, however, the advantage of being always able to anchor, though, in some parts 
of the channel, necessarily in rather deep water. The two most dangerous passages are tliose 
termed the East and We.st Channel ; and the narrow one between Formosa bank and the 
Pyramids lying opposite, and the northern end of the middle bank. A light vessel recently 
anchored on "Two-and-a-half fathom bank" renders tlie former passage more safe ; while the 



PASSAGE THROUGH THE STRAITS OF MALACCA. 



123 



latter is made more secure by the high hind of Cape Formosa, the bearings of and distance from 
which will, in clear weather, indicate the mid-channel. 

Pilots may be procured for vessels, when bound toward the China seas, at Penang, and at 
Singapore when their course is in an opposite direction. The Mississippi took no pilot, as time 
could not be spared for communicating with Penang; and, in fact, with good charts and a 
careful look out, together with pioper precautions in anchoring when necessary, a pilot is of 
little further service than to identify the names of headlands and islands, and to explain the 
tides and currents. Indeed, by trusting too much to the pilots, who are mostly irresponsible 
natives, ships may fall into dangers which the experience and prudence of their captains, if left 
to their own judgments, would avdid. In passing through the straits, the Mississippi met 
H. B. M. ship Cleopatra, towed by a small war steamer, bound in an opposite direction. The 
senior English ship, on coming near, honored the broad pendant of the Commodore with a 
salute ; which compliment was promptly rcsj^onded to by an equal number of gims. 




Mississippi saluted by an English Frigate in the Straits of Malacca. 

It is a fact worthy of remark, that the usual vertical rise and fall of the tides in the Straits of 
Malacca is from twelve to fourteen feet, while in other parts of the world, in the same latitude, 
there is scarcely any variation. The tides at Singapore correspond, in this respect, witli those 
in the Straits. 

On entering from the Straits of Malacca into what is called the Straits of Singapore, the 
islands became numerous and the passages oonsequently various and intricate ; but tlie directions 



124 



EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 



given by Horsburgh are so full and explicit, that by a strict observance of tbem, together with 
proper vigilance and judgment, the lead being kept in constant use and the anchor always in 
readiness, there is no very great danger of touching. 

With a judicious regard to these precautions, the Mississippi made her way securely through 
all the intricacies of the course, and finally, on the 25th of March, came to anchor in the port 
of Singapore. 




SINGAPORE, 



■ITS GREAT COMMERCE. 



125 



CHAPTER V. 



SINGAPORE. ITS GREAT COMMERCE. POPULATION. RAPID INCREASE. HOSPITALITY OF A WEALTHY CHINESE MERCHANT. 

IMPORTANCE OF SINGAPORE TO ENGLAND. COAL DEPOT AT SINGAPORE. PHYSICAL ASPECT OF THE COUNTRY. 

AGRICOLTBRAL PRODUCTS. ANIMALS. FEROCITY OF THE TIGER WATER BUFFALO. PASSAGE FROM SINGAPORE TO HONG 

KONG. CURRENTS, ROCKS, TIDES. CHINESE FISHING BOATS. ARRIVAL AT HONG KONG. FINDING THERE SLOOPS-OF-WAR 

SARATOGA AND PLYMOUTH AND STORE SHIP SUPPLY. SUSQUEHANNA GONE TO SHANGHAE. DISAPPOINTMENT OF THE 

COMMODORE. CONDITION AND PROSPERITY OF HONG KONG. RUN TO MACAO, THENCE TO WHAMPOA ON CANTON RIVER. 

NAVIGATION OF THE RIVER. FIRST IMPRESSIONS MADE BY THE CITY. DISAPPOINTED EXPECTATIONS. HOSPITALITY OF 

AMERICAN CONSUL AT CANTON. THE HONGS OR FACTORIES. STREETS IN CANTON. PROPER NAME OF THE CITY. BOCCA 

TIGRIS. CHINESE FORTS. PIRATES ON THE RIVER. ATTEMPT TO ROB ONE OF THE OFFICERS. CANTON MARKET PLACE. 

TRADE OF CANTON WITH EUROPE AND AMERICA. 

HE port of Singapore is a great re!3ort for shijis of all 
nations. Vessels from China, Siam, Malaya, Sumatra, 
and the various commercial countries of Europe and 
America, are to be seen anchored together at the same 
time. The products of these different parts of the world 
t are all to he found in Singapore, brought thither for 
5 reciprocal exchange. The policy which has made Singa- 
pore a free port has been fully justified by the prosperous 
result. Its commerce, being entirely unshackled, flour- 
ishes even beyond the most sanguine anticipations of 
those enlightened and enterprising men who but a few years ago established Singapore as a 
free port. 

Notwithstanding the restricted productions of the place, which could do no more than supply 
business for the scant trade of a few vessels, Singapore has been, by the liberal policy pursued, 
elevated to the imposing position of a great commercial mart. Its trade embraces China, 
India and the archipelagos of the oriental seas, Australia, Europe, and America. Nearly the 
whole world of commerce seeks, in a greater or less degree, its ever crowded harbor. 

The commerce with China is very considerable, and is carried on by means of Chinese 
vessels. The junks come down from the China seas with the northeast monsoon, and remain 
in port, retailing their cargoes of teas, silks, and other products, until the southwest monsoon 
is fairly set in, when they return to prepare for another voyage, and thus keep up a succession 
of periodical trading visits. They bring large numbers of enterprising Chinese emigrants, 
together with abundant supplies of dollars, teas, silks, chinaware, tobacco, cassia, nankeen.s. 




126 



EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 



gold thread, and the thousand " nicknackeries" of cunning invention for which Chinefse 
ingenuity is famous. They take hack the pernicious opium, edihle birds' nests, and various 
articles of European manufacture. 

The town of Singapore is huilt upon an island, separated from the Malay peninsula by a 
narrow and scarcely navigable strait. The ancient capitol of the Malayan kingdom, or, as it 
was sometimes called,, the kingdom of Malacca, formerly stood upon the site of the present 
town. This old city was built in the twelfth century, and conquered by a chief from Java, who 
transferred the royal residence to Malacca. From that period its population and wealth 
gradually declined, so that in 1819, when the English took possession, there were but few 
vestiges of the former city, which indeed had become but a haunt for pirates, where, as well as 
in the neighboring islands and passages, they found a secure retreat from the vessels of the 
English and the Dutch sent in pursuit of them. The natives still offer for sale models of the 
various descriptions of the Malay war, pirate, and sailing proas ; and most of them present 
exceedingly beautiful specimens of graceful form. So much was the Commodore struck with 
the beauty of the model of the sailing proa that he purposed sending one home to the New 
York yacht club. 




Malay Proa. 



The town bears all the appearance of being in a most prosperous condition ; its port, as we 
have said, is always crowded with shipping, and its traders are thriving and wealthy. Marine 
storehouses are seen throughout the place, but chiefly along the front of the harbor and upon 
the quay. The principal merchants occupy commodious and tasteful residences, built fronting 



SINGAPORE. 



127 



the bay. There is a striking contrast in the dwellings of those who have settled in this 
thriving place, between the elegant and convenient town and country houses of the colonial 
officials and merchants and the ill ventilated and filthy domiciles of the Chinese, or the frail 
tenements of the Malays. The latter ordinarily select some marshy ground in the suburbs, 
near a road or pathway, and rear upon piles their wooden houses, the only entrance to' which 
is by means of temporary bridges, often constructed of a single plank. 

The prosperity of Singapore, so apparent even to the casual observer, is mainly to be attrib- 
uted to the sagacious and energetic Sir Stamford Raffles, who pursued with untiring zeal, 
in spite of the opposition of many in higher authority, his determined purpose of carrying out 
his favorite projects of policy in the administration of the colony. 

The population at the period of the Mississippi's visit was estimated at eighty thousand, a 
number which shows a very rapid increase since it fell into the possession of the British, at 
which time there were scarce two hundred on the whole island of Singapore. The inhabitants 
are made up of Jews, Chinese, Arabs, Malays, and natives of the neighboring countries. Tlie 
Europeans count the least, and the Chinese the largest number ; of these last it was stated that 
there are no less than sixty thousand, who are the artisans, fishermen, laborers, and small 
dealers of the place ; an industrious class, to which the colony is indebted for much of its trading 
activity. 




Mosque in Singapore. 



These various people who inhabit Singapore retain their national habits and customs, and 
their peculiar modes of worship. The Chinese lets grow his tail, smokes his opium, and offers 
incense to Jos ; the Arab sports his turban, invokes the name of the prophet, and prostrates 
himself within the mosque, while the European shaves his beard, drinks London porter, and 



128 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 

takes his seat in the church pew. Most of the different nations have their places of worship ; 
there are Chinese temples and Mahommedan mosques, as well as Christian churches. A curious 
confusion of religions seems to have resulted from the intermingling of sects, as may he inferred 
from what was seen hy the Commodore on a visit to a Chinese temple. In one of the recesses 
of the place the devil was represented in human form, but of exceedingly hideous physiognomy, 
Avhile in front of him was placed an image of the virgin and child. This was certainly a 
very strange assortment of company, and naturally set the Commodore to conjecturing as to 
what could possibly have brought together such very opposite characters ; whether the intention 
was to represent the mother and child as at the mercy of the devil, or the reverse, was not very 
clear, although, from the decidedly uncomfortable expression of his satanic majesty's face, it 
might be inferred that he was less at his ease than any of the company, and quite out of his 
element. It was, however, concluded that the bringing of Christian personages into a Chinese 
temple was in some way connected with the early introduction of the Eomish religion by the 
Portuguese missionaries. 

The stay of the Mississippi at Singapore was so short that there was but little opportunity to see 
much of the European society. Visits and salutes were exchanged with the acting governor and 
with the commander of the niilitary forces ; these, together with some official business transacted 
with the United States consul, were the extent of the Commodore's intercourse with the 
European residents. With, however, a Chinese merchant, who seemed to be imbued with the 
true spirit of hospitality, many of the officers of the ship formed an agreeable acquaintance^ and 
were hospitably entertained at his house. This gentleman's name is Whamj^oa, a man of 
courteous bearing and great intelligence, and who had made considerable progress in the English 
language, which he sjioke with some fluency. His country residence was the most beautiful on 
the island. The house was large, commodious, and tastefully furnished, and its rooms were 
filled with objects of curiosity and vertu. Surrounding the dwelling were extensive pleasure 
grounds and plantations, on which the various productions of the island, the useful as well as 
ornamental, were cultivated to great perfection. There were collections of animals and rare 
birds, among which were the cassowary and crowned pigeon from New Guinea, and a singular 
breed of perfectly white pea-fowl. The residence of the hospitable Whampoa, where the 
Commodore dined and spent the night, was surrounded by all that could delight the eye, or add 
to the enjoyment of life. Among other luxurious appanages of the establishment, there was a 
beautiful white Arabian horse, kept by Whampoa for his own especial use under the saddle, 
and the Commodore was very much struck by its symmetry of form, purity of color, and 
excellence of temper, for it was as docile as a lamb. 

In a military and geographical point of view, Singapore is of vast importance to England. 
By means of it, and with an effective naval force, this entrance to the China seas may be 
commanded. Its position is vastly advantageous in a commercial point of view, from which it 
has become an entrepot for the neighboring kingdoms of Sumatra, Borneo, Siam, Cambodia, 
and Cochin China. 

To Sir Stamford Baffles, who proved himself a master spirit in every enterprise he undertook, 
the British government and the East India Company are indebted for this valuable acquisition, 
and there was, it must be confessed, some show of equity in his mode of proceeding. Baffles 
actually purchased from the Bajah of Jahore and Singapore the right of sovereignty over the 
island and its dependencies for a stipulated sum and an annual pensimi, and it is believed that 




^^^ 



s.% 



f 



From hfe U E hrcn. .),■ 



RAJAH OF JAHORE [SINGAPORE 



/;//( ol' SAHn.VY Sc /-. Yr^ya.li 



SINGAPORE. 129 

the payments liave been regularly made. This is an example which has been very rare among 
the European governments, -who have generally seized violently upon the finest countries 
without scruple^ and subjected the inhabitants to political, if not to social, servitude. The Eajah 
had reason to pride himself upon his bargain with Baffles, when he reflected how much better 
he had been treated than his royal ancestors, who had been driven from their homes and 
despoiled of their possessions by the former European invaders. 

The present Eajah, with his numerous wives and children, occupy a native village about a 
mile from the English town. The Commodore did not see him, but his son, a fine intelligent 
youth, came on board the ship to pay his respects. His father probably thought his dignity 
called for the first visit from the Commodore, which, however, was prevented by reason of 
engagements. 

As a stopping place and depot for coal Singapore, is of great importance to the English mail- 
steamers. The wealthy and enterprising Oriental Steam Navigation Company have erected at 
New Harbor, about two and a half miles from the town, a magnificent depot, comprising 
wharves, coal-.sheds, storehouses, workshops, and other buildings, such as would do credit to any 
English colonial establishment ; and this is no slight praise. Singapore is in the course of the 
regular mail route between India, China, Australia, and Europe. There is a constant postal 
communication, by means of the English and one or more Dutch steamers, with Hong Kong, 
Penang, Batavia, Shanghai, Calcutta, Madras, Bengal, Bombay, Ceylon, the Mauritius, Cape 
of Good Hope, and, by the Bed Sea, with Europe and America. 

Supplies of most kinds required by vessels can be obtained at fair prices in the port of Singa- 
pore. The water is good, and is supplied from tanks, under the supervision of an official of the 
place, the master attendant. There was not a pound of coal, however, to be purchased at 
Singapore, and there was reason to fear that the Mississippi would be deprived of her necessary 
supplies. It was not practicable to make any arrangement with the Labuan Company, for the 
whole produce of the mines under their control was exhausted by the Oriental and Pacific Com- 
pany, with which a contract existed for a supply of one thousand tons per month. Fortunately 
for the Mississippi, however, the stock of the last named company at Hong Kong was falling 
short, and, as it was difficult to procure vessels to transport an additional supply, the agent of 
the company at Singapore agreed to lend the Commodore two hundred and thirty tons, provided 
it would be returned at Hong Kong. By this arrangement both parties were accommodated, 
the Mississippi obtaining her necessary supply at Singapore, and the company securing what 
they wanted at their principal Chinese depot, without the expense of its conveyance. 

The chief articles of export from Singapore are tin, nutmegs, sugar, drugs, tortoise shell, and 
some minor commodities, the product of the neighboring countries. The British settlement of 
Singapore embraces not only the island of that name, but a number of smaller ones scattered about 
in the neighboring seas. The main i.sland, Singapore, is about twenty-five miles long, and fifteen 
in breadth, containing an estimated area of two hundred and seventy-five square miles. Inland, 
the surface of the country is diversified with low hills and shallow valleys, while the sea shore 
is low and overgrown with mangroves, and occasionally broken by the entrances of salt 
creeks, which, penetrating sometimes to the extent of six or seven miles, overflow their banks, 
and convert the neighboring soil into marsh. The artists of the expedition have supplied a 
view of the river Durong, which will give an idea of the characteristic scenery. 

When the English first obtained possession of Singapore the island was covered with a forest, 
17 J 



130 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 

and entirely without cultivation. Now, in the neighborhood of the town, and extending more 
or less into the interior, there are considerable plantations, which have been chiefly cultivated 
by the industrious immigrants from China. Kice, coffee, sugar, and other agricultural produc- 
tions of the warmer latitudes are obtained, but the supjily is not sufficient for the consumption 
of the island. The tropical fruits grow readily, among which the mangusteen reaches great 
perfection^ although its taste did not equal the anticipations formed from the boasted delicious- 
ness of its flavor. The fruit, however, was not in full season during the ship's stay, and it 
may possibly not have reached the height of its excellence. The nutmeg is cultivated with 
considerable success, as well as the cocoa-nut, orange, and other tropical fruits. 

Various European animals have been introduced into the island. The horse in use is a 
stumpy, fiery little creature, wonderfully strong for its size. It is generally harnessed to a light 
carriage which is in common use on the island, and may be hired in the streets of the town at 
a moderate price for the day. The driver seldom takes his seat upon the box, but runs at the 
head of his horse, and keeps up a speed in company with the animal of six and sometimes even 
seven or eight miles an hour. This plan suggests a good hint for the prevention of cruelty to 
animals, as it has the effect of securing a humane consideration for the beast, which is not likely 
to be over driven, when for every step it takes its driver takes two, and is thus forcibly reminded 
of a fellow feeling which cannot fail to make him "wondrous kind." 

The native animals are generally the same as those of the adjacent peninsula, from 
which many of them migrate. The tigers especially entertain a great partiality for Singa- 
pore, and resort there in great numbers by swimming across the strait which separates the 
main land from the island. These are the genuine animals, which have no hesitation in 
pouncing upon a passing traveller, or snatching up and making a meal of any unfortunate 
Chinaman or native who may happen to be in the jungle, busy in cutting wood, clearing land 
for the rice plantations, or otherwise occupied. It was stated on the best authority that not a 
day passes without the destruction of one human being at least by these ferocious beasts. The 
Commodore was at first somewhat disposed to be incredulous of this statement, but as the acting 
governor and commander of the forces both confirmed it, he could no longer hesitate to accept 
it as truth. He was told by them that so much of an every day occurrence was this fatality, 
that many of the cases were not reported, in order to avoid the trouble and expense of a 
coroner's inquest, which the laws require. "Death by tiger," however, is a verdict that 
might be rendered daily were the legal formalities complied with. 

It is said, and probably with truth, that the tiger, after he has once tasted of human flesh, 
becomes so fond of it that he prefers its flavor to that of his ordinary venison or wild boar, and 
will make every effort to obtain a supply of his favorite food. It is this intense longing for 
human flesh which makes the tiger so very dangerous to the inhabitants of Singapore, especially 
to the poor Malay or Chinese who may be obliged to expose himself in the jungle and the 
forest. It was said, too, that the animal showed decided preference for a Chinaman. 

Nor do these stories of the tiger seem very wonderful, when the fact is well established that 
those savages who are addicted to cannibalism become passionately fond of their horribly 
unnatural food. There is a tribe of Malays, called Battas, who, like their fellow Malay tigers, 
are said by Sir Stamford Rafiles to eat one another, and to prefer such food to any other. Nor 
are they to be classed entirely among barbarians, for these Battas can read and write, and have 
codes of laws of great antiquity ; and yet, according to the authority just named, not less than 
from sixty to a hundred Battas are eaten annually, even during a time of peace. 



SINGAPORE. 



131 



In addition to the tigers there are deer and wikl boars found upon tlie island^ and several 
varieties of smaller animals, the monkey, the wild hog or peccary, the jjorcupine and the sloth. 
Birds abound, and among them are some of great beauty. Serpents are not very numerous, but 
among them is the venomous cobra. A singular animal, called the water buffalo, was more 
particularly observed at Singapore. It apjjroaches in size to the ox of our country, and like it 
is used as an animal for draught, being harnessed to the shafts of a cart and guided by a driver, 
who holds a rope which is fastened to a ring or thong passed through the cartilage which 
divides the nostrils of the animal. The skin of this beast is rough and not unlike that of 
the rhinoceros, and though the water buffalo has somewhat the general appearance of the ox, 
its head is altogether different. Notwithstanding the seeming thickness and toughness of its 
hide, it suffers greatly from the flies, and to avoid them keeps, except during feeding time, in 
the water ; hence, probably, its name. 

Inquiries were made about two remarkable inhabitants of the waters about Malacca and 
Sumatra, described by Kaffles : the sailing fish, called by tlie natives ikan layer, and the duyong, 
mentioned by Valentin, and so long talked of as the mermaid; but the Commodore was told by 
the inhabitants of Singapore that these fish had become very scarce, if not entirely extinct. 




Malay Tombs, Xear Singapore. 

Shells collected upon the adjacent coasts and along the Straits of Malacca are brought in large 
quantities to Singapore for sale, and some excellent specimens were obtained. 

The various people who inhabit Sumatra, the Malayan peninsula, and the numerous islands in 
tlie adjacent seas, are all of the JIalay family. This race is widely distributed, not only over 



132 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 

the Indian archijielago, but throughout the South Sea islands, as it is generally conceded that 
the natives of the latter are of the same origin as the former. Analogous physical character- 
istics, customs and languages would seem to prove this relationship. 

The Mississippi having taken on hoard the necessary supplies of fuel, left Singapore on the 
29th of March. The ship proceeded through the middle channel, passing near a light-house 
erected on the rock called "Pedra Branca." This course was taken with the view of running 
up on the Cochin China and Hainan shores. It is not necessary to say much in regard to the 
navigation of the China sea, since so much has already been published on the subject. It may, 
however, be stated in general terms, that nearly the whole expanse of sea fronj Borneo and 
Palawan across to Cochin China is rendered dangerous by numerous coral reefs, banks and 
islands. Many of these banks and reefs are below the surface of the sea, and although the 
hydrograpical surveys may have truthfully stated their depths when they were taken, and 
reported a sufficiency of water for vessels to pass, it must not be forgotten that such is the 
rapidity with which those little architects, the coral zoophites, build up these foundations of 
future islands, that the work of a few years may materially change the character and dejjth 
of the soundings. With such obstructions the China sea cannot be navigated without danger, 
and especially in stormy weather. Notwithstanding, thousands of vessels go annually through 
its various passages in safety, while a disaster occurs now and then only. 

The surface currents are influenced by the prevailing winds, but the tides, as in other parts 
of the world, are governed by some mysterious laws which the wisdom of man has not yet 
entirely fathomed. The vertical rise and fall of the tide upon the coast of Cochin China varies 
from six to fourteen feet, and the periods and duration of the ebb and flood are by no means 
regular. In latitude 12°, on the same shore, there is but one tide in the course of twenty-four 
hours. It has been said that the tides in the tropics rise and fall very little. Although it is 
granted that in high latitudes the perpendicular flow and ebb is generally greater than in low, 
still there are many examples of considerable tides in the latter. At the head of the Gulf of 
Cambay, in latitude 22°, Horsburgh states that the perpendicular depth of the rise and fall of 
the tides is from thirty to thirty-six feet at the full and change of the moon. So also, according 
to the same authority, in Surat road, it is from twenty to twenty-one feet, and from fifteen to 
seventeen in Bombay harbor. Again, in the Gulf of Martaban, which is far within the tropics, 
the rise and fall of the tide, at the full and change of the moon is twenty-three and twenty-four 
feet, and off Kangoon bar about twenty or twenty-one feet. In Caspar straits, within 2J° of 
the equator, there is occasionally, from local causes, a rise and fall of sixteen or seventeen feet 
on the spring tide, but this is rare in places so near the equator. These instances, all from 
Horsburgh, show that very considerable tides occur within the tropics. 

The observation of the Commodore in regard to the single tide in twenty-four hours, on the 
shore of Cochin China, is paralleled by analogous instances, also reported by Horsburgh, who 
remarks : " Although in most places the tide ebbs and flows twice in every twenty-four hours, 
this is not universally the case within the tropics ; for among several of the eastern islands the 
tide flows only once in twenty-four hours." In many places, far beyond the tropics, the tide 
likewise flows only once in twenty-four hours, particularly on the southern coast of Van 
Dieman's land ; but at Port Dalrymple, on the north coast, the tide flows twice in twenty-four 
hours. The zodiacal lights glowed in brilliant radiations almost every morning and evening 
during the time the Mississippi was in the equatorial latitudes ; and the chaplain, (Mr. Jones,) 



I 







pel 



o 

I 
CD 



'^ 



NAVIGATION OF THE CHINA SEA. 133 

who made this matter a subject of especial notice and study, had a good opportunity of 
continuing his observations upon the phenomena of this remarkable appearance. 

On the morning of the Gth of April, as the ship was proceeding on her course, vast numbers 
of fishing boats were descried as far as the eye could reach. No less than two hundred and 
sixty-nine of these little craft were counted, at one time, from the poop. They were sailing in 
couples, about ninety fathoms apart, before the wind, with a net extended between each two. 
They were curiously rigged, having square sails set upon two or three masts, which had, at a 
distance, somewhat the appearance of courses and topsails, which they hoisted and lowered as 
they desired to graduate the rate of sailing, in order to keep way with their consorts. These 
vessels were engaged in taking a small fish similar to the sardine of the Mediterranean, and the 
same mode of netting them is pursued in both localities. 

The appearance of these craft was a sure indication of the proximity of land, and accordingly, 
at half past ten in the morning, it was sighted. The ship continuing her course toward the 
roadstead of Macao, was anchored at dark under the Ladrones. On the following morning she 
proceeded to Macao roads, and after a commimication with the shore, the course was continued 
on to Hong Kong, where she finally came to anchor about sunset of the same day. 

Here were found the sloops-of-war Plymouth and Saratoga, and the store-ship Supply ; the 
two former of which, as the Mississippi let go her anchor, fired the usual salute, which was duly 
returned from the guns of the Mississippi ; the Susquehanna, however, was nowhere to be seen. 
This vessel had been designated by the government as the flag-ship of the Commodore, who, 
much to his surprise and disappointment, found that she had sailed a fortnight previously for 
Shanghai, having on board the United States commissioner to China, the Honorable Mr. 
Mar.shall, as well as Dr. Parker, the secretary of legation, and Mr. Forbes, the United States 
consul at Canton, all of whom the Commodore desired particularly to see, before sailing for 
Japan. No other course was left to him therefore, but to dispatch the Plymouth to the same 
port, with instructions to Commander Buchanan of the Susquehanna to await there the 
Commodore's arrival in the Mississippi, which he meant should follow the Susquehanna as soon 
as she could be prepared for the northern cruise ; and fortunately Shanghai was at no great 
distance out of the route to Japan. 

On the following day the customary interchange of salutes was made with the forts and the 
foreign vessels of war in port, and this was succeeded by an exchange of personal courtesies 
among the officers of the various nations represented. With Commodore Eoquemausel, of the 
French navy, particularly, who had his pennant on board the frigate Capricieuse, the Commo- 
dore enjoyed a very agreeable intercourse, both official and personal. The English admiral, 
Sir F. Pellew, was absent. It is unnecessary to note, on every occasion, the courtesies that 
American officers invariably receive from the British authorities abroad, civil, naval, and 
military. "In no instance," remarks the Commodore, "during a long service in foreign 
countries, have I experienced any want of hospitable attention ; and, in fact, the governments 
of all nations, with the exception of that of the United States, furnish the means for public 
entertainments by ample allowance of ' table money,' and it thus becomes a duty, as it is 
doubtless the pleasure, of these ofiicials to expend it hospitably." 

The stay of the Mississippi was but short at Hong Kong; long enough, liowever, to make 
apparent every sign of commercial prosperity, although the place is not very attractive to 
visitors. There is no picturesque beauty in the appearance of the town, albeit some travellers 



134 



EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 



have described it in glowing colors. It is a jncture of busy activity ; the shore is lined 
■with Chinese boats, the harbor is crowded with the shipping of all nations, and the toiling 
Chinese are kept at work in the roads, or in other labors required by this progressive place. 
When the English took possession of the island of Hong Kong, in 1841, there was but a bleak 
and barren hill-side where there now stands the city of Victoria. The population of the place 
now amounts to no less than 14,671, and while its commercial warehouses, its docks and piers, 
and its fleet of traders, give evidence of its material prosperity, its social, intellectual, and 




Barber Boy, Hong Kong. 



religious progress are proved by its club-houses, reading-rooms, schools, and churches. 
Heathenism has also its visible signs. The Chinese have three temples, and the Mahommedans 
a mosque at Hong Kong. 

The island rises at the north in a range of mountains, the base of which terminates near the 
sea, leaving a narrow edge, along which the town of Victoria extends for two or three miles. 



DO 

t?d 

§ 
en 

CD 

:^ 





~^=5^C*ft'- 



'^. 



V-5?^jjcii55-^a^}i^-< V^r^. 



WHAMF'OA PACOrA R: ANCHORAGE 



HONG KONG. 135 

There is a large trade in opium between India and Hong Kong, it being imported into tbe 
latter place, and thence smuggled into China along the coast. 

There is no very extensive agricultural culture at Hong Kong, as the land for the most part 
is rocky, and of little fertility. On the southern part of the island, however, the soil is some- 
what more favorable than that on the northern, and it contains a single valley which is 
tolerably productive. There is an abundance of excellent water. The climate is hot, and as 
the alternations of rain and heat keep up an active decomposition in the marshy districts of 
the island, they render it quite unwholesome. The southern side of Hong Kong is the more 
healthful, as it is refreshed and purified by the southwestern monsoon, but being destitute of 
good harbors, the English were obliged to fix their settlement on the north. 

The laboring class and the small traders are chiefly Chinese, who are ever on the alert for 
gain. Their bazaars invite the passing stranger on every street, and the itinerant artizans go 
busily tramping in their daily routine. There are many striking figures among them, with 
their peculiar costumes and novel implements of labor. Our artist caught a vivid impression 
of the Hong Kong barber boy. 

On leaving Hong Kong the Mississippi went to Macao, and thence to Whampoa, on the 
Canton river, where she anchored. In this river there are certain bars, audit is necessary not 
only to take a pilot, but to employ small Chinese boats, which are stationed at the sides of the 
crooked channel, and on the bars alluded to, as guides. As the boats receive a dollar each for 
this service, they are called "dollar boats." Whampoa, which is the anchorage for all large 
vessels whose business is with Canton, is on the river, about twelve miles from that city. The 
pagoda here is a marked object, and however it may be venerated by the Chinese, on religious 
grounds, is no less regarded for its usefulness as a land mark by foreign vessels, for they steer 
and anchor by its bearings. 

The passage to Canton is made in boats, and is by no means very agreeable. The 
Commodore was sadly disappointed in the appearance of the stream, which he describes as 
muddy and shallow, with scarcely a hut upon its banks until the city is nearly reached ; and 
then swarms of floating habitations are seen moored to the banks, five or six tiers deep, and 
occupied by a wretched half clad people. Through these two lines of receptacles of poverty and 
filth which thus border the stream you pass to the mercantile factory, the residence of most of 
the foreign merchants, and the spot where the stranger lands. Hence he is conducted to the 
houses of those to whom he bears letters of introduction, where he is hospitably received and 
takes up his lodging, as there are no comfortable places of public entertainment in this quarter. 

The first impression made by Canton was one of decided disappointment. Perhaps too much 
had been anticipated, but, from the glowing descriptions the Commodore had read of the place, 
he had imagined that it would be more striking to a stranger than in his case it proved to be. 
He expected to behold myriads of boats, decked with gay banners, and moving with cheerful 
activity in all directions. His fancy had sketched a pleasing picture of beautiful floating 
domiciles, moored under the banks of the river, and inhabited by a hundred thousand people in 
variegated costume ; he recalled to memory the stories of the lofty pagodas lifting roof above 
roof, the delightful residences expanding their spacious quarters from terrace to terrace, and 
the snug cottages with the picturesque bridges and the comfortable Chinaman under the shade 
of a willow, with nothing to do but fish, of all which we have been accustomed to read, and 
pictures of which served to amuse us in our childhood. 



136 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 

But the sketches of imaginative boyhood were, in this as in so many other instances, disiDclled 
by the sober realities of maturer years. There was nothing of all this beautiful picture of 
crowded and happy life. There were, indeed, boats and people, pagodas and cottages, bridges 
and trees ; but there were also filth and noise, poverty and misery, lying and roguery, and, in 
short, anything but a picture of quiet content and Arcadian simplicity. 

On the visit of the Commodore to Canton, he, together with several of his officers, was accom- 
modated at the house of Mr. Forbes, the consul of the United States and head of the firm of 
Kussell & Co. Mr. Forbes was absent at the time, but the hospitalities of his establishment were 
most freely dispensed by one of his partners, Mr. Spooner. So well known was this establishment, 
and so highly appreciated were its proprietors by the Chinese, that all that was necessary in 
making a purchase in the city was simply to direct the shopkeeper to send the article to the 
house of Mr. Forbes, and there never was any hesitation in assenting at once. The same may 
be said indeed of all the American houses, with resj)ect both to hospitality and the confidence 
of the Chinese. 

The comparatively small space occupied by the foreigners on the river side is, notwithstanding 
its limited extent, quite a pleasant spot. The whole quarter contains but about four acres. 
The foreign merchants occupy the large buildings in the rear as places of business and abode, 
while the front, which includes a half of the whole area, is beautifully laid out as a garden, 
with an English church in the centre, and the flags of diflerent nations floating from tall poles 
planted in various spots. The grounds are arranged with walks and ornamented with shrubbery 
and flowering plants, presenting a delightful resort in the freshness of the morning or the cool 
of the evening. The stranger is struck with the peculiar aspect of the place, when on one side, 
in proximity to low, dingy, Chinese houses, buildings of European structure rise to the height 
of three or four stories, while on the other, the river is densely populous with the inhabited 
boats. The foreigners term their residences and places of business factories, but the natives 
designate them as Hongs, which is the usual Chinese word for a commercial establishment or 
warehouse. 

Although there are but few of the larger or public buildings in the foreign quarter, which is 
but a suburb of the city, there are all the ordinary varieties of streets, houses, and bazaars. 
Foreigners generally confine their visits to that part adjacent to the garden before mentioned, 
through which Old and New China streets run. 

The only hotel in the place frequented by Europeans and Americans is near the latter street, 
and is quite inferior. It is (as has been intimated) the hospitable practice of the foreign 
merchants to invite strangers to their princely establishments, where a generous proftision and 
a warm welcome are extended to the visitor. In addition to Old and New China streets, there 
is, hard by, a narrow^ filthy alley, not inappropriately called Hog lane, and filled with the 
most abandoned portion of the people^ who minister to the vicious appetites of the foreign 
sailors, supplying them with wretched grog and other dangerous stimulants. 

There are no drives or walks leading directly into the country from the foreign quarter ; the 
residents are, therefore, limited to the river, where, in the evening, they exercise themselves in 
rowing their swift little boats. On the opposite side of the river, however, on the island of 
Honan, there is a walk extending a mile or more to a Buddhist temple ; but there is little that 
is attractive in the surroimding country, and nothing peculiar about the temple, which is 
similar to the other joss houses. On a visit which was made to this spot by one of the officers 



CANTON. 



137 



of the expedition, a drove of sacred pigs were seen in their sacred styes, and they seemed to 
flourish exceedingly, for they were so fat that they could not stand. It was something of a 
curiosity (though somewhat saddening in the reflections it occasioned) to hehold this sanctified 
pork, and tlie reverence with which it was worshipped. 

Canton is the capital of the province of Kuan-tong, from which the name given to the city by 
Europeans has been corrupted. It is falsely applied, for it is the name of the province only, as we 
havejust said ; that of the city is Kuang-chow-foo. The city is built on two rivers, the Choo-Keang, 
or Pearl, and the Pi-Keang, which is a branch of the former. The mouth of the Choo-Kcang, 




\k-w ur old China t^trcL'l, CiiiUun. 

Pearl, or Canton river, is called the Bocca Tigris. It derives this name from the supposed 

resemblance of the hill tops, on Great Tiger Island, to the outline of a tiger's head. 

Although the resemblance is not at first very striking, it becomes quite obvious after 

examination. The river is guarded at its mouth, and at several points on its banks, by 

Chinese forts, which, with their white-washed walls and general pacific aspect, do not appear 

very formidable. The view, however, is pleasing, particularly at the Bocca Tigris, where 

the forts could be seen stretching their long white walls from the base to the summits of the 

hills. On one side is seen the "Dragon's Cave," and on the other the "Girl's Shoe," and 

various other fortifications with fanciful names ; and though some of them are admirably 

situated, they are all of a structure which prove them to be more remarkable for show than 

for solid utility. 

The river swarms with jiirates, the fishermen occasionally becoming their allies, and they 

18 J 



138 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 

carry on fheir depredations unchecked in the very teeth of the forts. When the pirates fail 
of falling in with strangers whom they dare venture to roh, they fall out with each other, and 
murder and plunder their friends with as little compunction as if they were strangers. Ih the 
passage of flie Mississippi from Macao to Whampoa, the anchorage on the Canton river, one 
of the two Chinese hoats in tow was swamped hy had steering, whereupon the other, in fear 
of a similar catastrophe, cast off and attempted to proceed up the river. The owner, who 
happened to he on hoard the steamer, expressed his fears that she would he overhauled hy 
pirates before her arrival at Whampoa ; nor were his fears groundless ; she was hoarded and 
rohhed a few hours only after she had lost sight of the Mississippi. While the steamer was at 
Hong Kong several piracies were committed almost under the guns of the vessels-of-war. As 
for the land pirates, they are to the full as expert at picking and stealing as the most 
accomplished thieves and pickpockets of New York or London. One of the lieutenants of the 
Mississippi, at early twilight one evening, just as he was stej^ping into a hired boat to return 
to the ship, was seized amid a crowd of people, and an attempt was made to pull his watch 
from his fob ; fortunately his Pickwickian rotundity of form saved the watch, but the chain 
was carried off in triumph. 

From the mouth of the river to Canton the distance is about thirty-two miles, but the 
large vessels do not proceed further than the anchorage at Whampoa, ten miles below the 
foreign quarter of the city, with which communication is kept up by boats. The country 
adjacent to Canton is intersected with rivers and creeks, in which fish abound, and a plentiful 
market is daily open in the city. 

The alluvial ground south of the city is highly cultivated with rice fields and gardens. The 
higher ground to the north and east is wooded with firs and other trees. A wall encloses a 
portion of the city, which is subdivided by another wall running from east to west. North of 
the latter is that part called the inner or old city, which is inhabited chiefly by the dominant 
Tartar families, while to the south we find the new or outer city, where the inhabitants are 
mostly composed of the descendants of the original Chinese population. The streets are narrow^ 
tortuous, and winding, like a corkscrew, but thronged by an immense population, and so very 
contracted that there is often barely room for two sedan chairs, the only vehicles allowed, to 
pass each other. 

The great importance of Canton results from its being the emporium of the great trade of 
Europe and America with China ; the annual amount of which was, some years ago, estimated 
at eighty millions of dollars, the principal part of which is under the control of the merchants 
of England and the United States. 




Cuslom-house, Mouth of Cantou Kiver. 



HOSPITABLE TREATMENT AT MACAO. 



139 



CHAPTER VI. 



HOSPITABLE TREATMENT AT MACAO. USAGES OP THE FOREIGN MERCHANTS TOWARD VISITORS. DEPRESSED CONDITION OF 

MACAO. DESCRIPTION OF THE PLACE. TAHEA BOATS, AND GIRLS WHO MANAGE THEM. CAVE OF CAMOENS. DEPARTURE 

OF MISSISSIPPI FROM MACAO. SARATOGA LEFT TO BRING MR. WILLIAMS, THE INTERPRETER — -DIFFICULTIES OF NAVIGATION 

FROM HONG KONG TO THE MODTH OF YANG-TSE-KEANG. ENTRANCE OF THE RIVER DANGEROUS. SUSQUEHANNA, PLYMOUTH, 

AND SUPPLY ALL AGROUND. MISSISSIPPI SAVED BY THE POWER OF HER ENGINES ONLY. DESCRIPTION OF SHANGHAI. 

ITS IMMENSE TRADE. CULTIVATION OF THE COUNTRY.- — POPULATION OF THE CITY VISIT OF THE COMMODORE TO THE 

GOVERNOR OF THE CITY. CHINESE REBELLION. ITS EFFECTS. PLYMOUTH LEFT AT SHANGHAI TO PROTECT AMERICAN 

INTERESTS. ^DEPARTURE FOR GREAT LEW CHEW. ARRIVAL OF THE SQUADRON AT THE CAPITAL, NAPHA, THE SARATOGA 

HAVING JOINED AT THE ENTRANCE TO THE HARBOR. 

N leaving Canton, Mr. Spooner, of the house of Kussell 
& Co., offered the Commodore the use of the magnificent 
residence at Macao belonging to that firm ; accordingly 
he, together with three of his ofiicers, took up his quar- 
ters in their sumptuous dwelling. The Commodore and 
his company, thinking that they were to he their own 
jjroviders, their caterer, one of the officers of the squadron, 
was very particular in ordering the head servant in charge 
of the establishment to procure this and that, and no 
sooner was a wish expressed than it was promptly at- 
tended to. Great, then, was the surprise, on the comple- 
tion of the visit, to find that not a penny would be received 
beyond the ordinary gratuity by that prince of major-domos. He said that liis employers 
were always happy to have their house occupied by their friends, and he expressed a hope 
that the Commodore and liis companions would not think of going elsewhere on their next visit 
to Macao. 

When a guest is once received into one of these hospitable mansions he finds himself quite at 
home, in the enjoyment of the most agreeable society ; for it is a custom of the merchants of 
the East to extend to strangers of respectability a hospitality that is quite unreserved. Such, 
indeed, is the freedom of the guest that he has only to order whatever he may require and his 
demand is complied with at once. The master does not trouble himself about the matter, but 




140 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 

lie is, for the most part of the time, away ahout his business ; and the whole concern of the 
household devolves upon the major-domo, whose duty it is to satisfy every want. There is a 
very convenient official of these establishments, termed a comprador, whose vocation it is to pay 
all the bills accruing from the purchases and incidental expenses of the guests, who, however, 
of course, refund what has been paid. 

While enjoying the luxury of these oriental establishments, one, in fact, might fancy himself 
in a well-organized French hotel, as he has only to express a wish to have it gratified, were it 
not that he has nothing to pay in the former beyond the usual gratuities to servants, while in 
the latter he is mulcted roundly for every convenience. 

There is not much at present to interest the visitor at Macao, as it is but a ghost of its former 
self. There is almost a complete absence of trade or commerce. The harbor is deserted, and 
the sumptuous dwellings and storehouses of the old merchants are comparatively emjity, while 
the Portuguese who inhabit the place are but rarely seen, and seem listless and unoccupied. 
An occasional Parsee, in high crowned cap and snowy robe, a venerable merchant, and here 
and there a Jesuit priest, with his flock of youthful disciples, may be seen, but they are only as 
the decaying monuments of the past. 

At one time, however, the town of Macao was one of the most flourishing marts of the East. 
When the Portuguese obtained possession, in the latter part of the sixteenth century, they soon 
established it as the centre of a wide commerce with China and other oriental countries. Its 
origin is attributed to a few Portuguese merchants belonging to Lampa§ao, who were allowed 
to resort there and establish some temporary huts for shelter and the drying of damaged goods. 
Hue, the Chinese traveller, gives a different account ; he states that the Portuguese were allowed 
to settle by the Emperor, in return for the signal service of capturing a famous pirate who had 
long ravaged the coasts. From an humble beginning, the settlement gradually arose to an 
imposing jiosition as a commercial place, for which it was greatly indebted to the monopoly it 
enjoyed of eastern commerce. It has, however, declined, and is now a place of very inconsiderable 
importance and trade. The town is situated upon a peninsula at the southward of the island 
of Macao. 

It is sufficiently picturesque in appearance, built as it is upon the acclivities of the 
rising ground about the harbor, with its gay looking white houses, which overhang the terraces 
that bound the shore and look out upon the sea. The houses of the old merchants, though 
they now bear some appearance of neglect, yet attest, by the spaciousness of the apartments, 
and the luxuriousness of their appointments, the former opulence of the Portuguese traders. 
The pleasant walks about the circuit of the neighboring hills and the Praya invite the visitor 
to strengthen himself in cheerful exercise. The dull look of the place is somewhat relieved 
in the summer time, when the foreign residents of Canton and Hong Kong resort there to 
bathe in the waters of Bishop's Bay, and to recreate in the enjoyment of the healthful sea air 
of the place. 

The harbor is not suitable for large vessels, which anchor in Macao roads, several miles from 
the town. It is, however, though destitute of every appearance of commercial activity, always 
enlivened by the fleet of Tanka boats which pass, conveying passengers to and fro, between the 
land and the Canton and Hong Kong steamers. The Chinese damsels, in gay costume, as 
they scull their light craft upon the smooth and gently swelling surface of tlie bay, 2)rcsent a 
lively aspect, and as they ar^ looked upon in the distance, from the verandahs above the Praya, 



TANK A BOAT, ETC., MACAO. 



141 



which command a view of the hay, have a fairy-like appearance^ which a nearer approach 
serves^ however, to change into a more suhstantial and coarse reality. 




Tai.ku Coilt Hill- 



Clih.Lii; Won. an ninl CliiM, Mjicao. 



142 



EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 



The Cave of Camoens^ where the Portuguese poet is supposed to have written a portion 
of his Lusiad^ is a place of universal interest and resort at Macao. It is picturesquely situated 
upon the summit of a small hill, on the margin of the inner harbor. Large granite rocks are 
here gathered in a confused cluster, which form a natural cave^ from the entrance of which 




Camoens' Cave, Macao. 

there is a wide prospect of the surrounding country. The banians^ the pagoda, and other 
oriental trees unite their foliage and form a grove in which the rocky cave is embowered. 
Surrounding it are grounds cultivated with trees, creeping vines, and flowering shrubs, charm- 
ingly arranged by the borders of winding paths, and upon the sides of the hills. Artificial 
terraces, ingeniously disposed, invite the visitor to the enjoyment of the view or to rest beneath 
the shade. 

Above the cave rises a rotunda, from which there is an enchanting prospect, and a marble 
monument, with a bronze bust and an inscription, hero record the features, the genius, and 
virtue of Camoens, the poet. 



CAMOENS' CAVE. 



143 



Camoens' visit to Macao was during his banishment from Portugal^ in consequence of his 
pertinacious courtship of a hxdy of rank, whose parents did not affect an alliance with the poet, 
who, although of a respectable family, was poor, and looked upon as an uncertain adventurer. 
In 1551, he proceeded to Goa^ in India, where he again involved himself in trouble by writing 




Camoens' Cave, Macao — Rear View. 

his "Absurdities of India," and was banished to the Moluccas, and in the course of his exile 
he resorted frequently to Macao, which was a favorite residence of the poet. The cave was his 
chosen spot of retirement, where, in its "sweet retired solitude," he meditated his great work^ 
the Lusiad. Camoens returned to Portugal, but only to live in misery and die in an hospital. 
The interior of the island of Macao, which is exclusively cultivated by the Chinese, yields a 
variety of vegetable productions, with which the town is supplied. Tlie wliole population is 
about 20,000, and of these 13,000 belong to the peninsula and town, whereof more than one-half 
the inhabitants are Chinese, and in the interior of the island this race compose the whole. The 



144 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 

government of the town is in the hands of the Portuguese. The Portuguese have a college, 
churches and various educational, henevolent, and ecclesiastical institutions in the town, where 
the Chinese also have their peculiar establishments and a temple. 

On the evening of April 28th, the Mississippi was again under weigh, leaving the Saratoga 
at Macao to await the arrival of Dr. S. W. Williams, of Canton, who had been appointed 
interpreter to the expedition. The course was now directed for Shanghai. 

The navigation of the coast of China, from Hong Kong to the mouth of the Yang-tse-Keang, 
is, at most seasons, difficult and perplexing. The frequent fogs and irregular tides and currents 
make it very annoj'iug to those who are strangers to the navigation, when close in with the 
coast. Fortunately, however, vessels are always, when near the land, on anchoring ground, 
and although they are sometimes obliged to bring to, in situations exposed to winds from the 
sea, it is better to resort to the anchor than to drift blindly among groups of islands and reefs. 
If the weather be moderately clear, vessels may run from island to island, and thus navigate 
the coast with perfect safety and convenience, but the fogs which prevail at certain seasons 
scarcely allow of this advantage. During the passages of the Susquehanna and Mississippi from 
Hong Kong to Shanghai neither had a meridian observation of the sun. 

The entrance to the Yang-tse-Keang, which leads to the commercial city of Shanghai, is 
obstructed on either side by shoals, which make it dangerous for vessels not having pilots. On 
the north side is a shoal called the North Sand, extending some six leagues westward from the 
main land, and on the south side is a parallel shoal, called the South Sand, projecting nearly 
as far from the shore on that side. The outer extremities of these shoals are beyond sight of 
the main land. The channel between the two shoals may be estimated at about two miles in 
width, and there are no light-houses, boats, beacons, or buoys to indicate to strangers the 
entrance. A small islet called Gutzlaff island is the only indication, for the bearings of whicb, 
and other directions for entering the channel, the nautical reader is referred to the Appendix. 

The rise and fall in the Yang-tse-Keang averages about ten feet, and vessels are obliged to 
find their way haj)-hazard into the channel, or perchance run iij)on one of the sister sands. 
Numbers of vessels resorting to Shanghai are lost, and still nothing has been done to remedy 
the evil. The Commodore was convinced, on visiting this river with the Mississippi, that until 
proper landmarks and beacons are established to indicate the entrance, it must be an unfit resort 
for any but the smaller vessels of a squadron, and consequently, an unfit i^lace for a naval 
depot. The Susquehanna, the Plymouth, and the Supply, all grounded on going in, and the 
last remained thumping on the North Sand twenty-two hours, and was only saved from total 
loss by a providential change of wind. The Mississippi was carried, in the confusion of her 
pilot, out of the channel, but by good fortune did not stop, tliough she ran into nineteen feet 
water, one foot less than her draft, on the South Sand, but the power of the engines jjroved her 
salvation. The wealthy foreign merchants established at Shanghai, who are gathering a 
plentiful harvest from the increasing trade of the place, should contribute some of their thousands 
toward rendering the navigation less dangerous. It is but justice to say that a willingness has 
been expressed by some of these gentlemen to subscribe liberally toward the accomplishment of 
the desired object, and, in fact, a boat had been ordered to be built in the United States, for the 
purpose of towing vessels up and down the river, 

Shanghai is built upon the left bank of the river Wampon, a branch of the Yang-tse-Kiang. 
Near the mouth of the Wampon is the village Woosung, the station where the foreign merchants 









o 














YANG-TSE-KEANG — SHANGHAI. 



145 



formerly established their receiving ships, and the trading vessels their anchorage. Nothing 
can be less picturesque than the scenery of the banks of the Wampon in the approach to 
Shanghai. Monotonous flats of alluvial grounds stretch their wide expanse on either side of 
the tortuous river. The fertile fields, rich with an abundant harvest of rice and grain, are 
encouraging prospects to the eye of the agriculturist, but the poetical observer is sadly disap- 
pointed in a view which presents a dead level of landscape, without a mountain, a hill-side, or 
even a tree to relieve the monotony. 

In front of the city of Shanghai quays have been built out, and along them extend the store- 
houses and sumptuous residences of the foreign merchants, which have been constructed since 
the termination of the opium war with Great Britain. Here are to be found wide and well 
graded streets, beautiful gardens, and all the comforts and conveniences that are to be found in 
any part of the world. Two Grothic churches, one belonging to the English, and the other to 
the American Protestant Episcopal mission, show an encouraging success of missionary effort, 
and excite the hopes of the Christian, for the progress of his faith. 




American Consulate, and Port of Shanghai. 

The Commodore was a guest, while at Shanghai, ot the American firm of Russell & Co., in 
whose splendid establishment, as at Macao, every want was satisfied. So complete are the 
conveniences of these residences, and so perfect every appointment, that the stranger finds 
himself surrounded with all the necessaries and luxuries of his own home. A trifling incident 
will illustrate the effectiveness with whicli the most insignificant demands of tlie guest are 
complied with. The Commodore was asked if he liked soda water, to which polite request he 

^9 .1 



146 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 

responded that the only mineral water he cared for was that from the Congress spring in 
Saratoga ; the next morning the servant entered his room with a hottle of it. During the stay of 
the ships at Shanghai there was a constant succession of dinners and halls, and the officers 
were entertained everywhere with the most generous hospitality. 

The native city is a great contrast to that part of the siihurhs inhahited hy the foreign 
residents, although the portion of the latter occupied hy the natives is miserahle enough. 
Shanghai, proper^ is enclosed within a wall, and has the appearance of most of the Chinese . 
cities. The place is quite large, and very populous. Its streets are narrow, like most of 
those of the native cities, not being much more than eight or ten feet in width, and are 
intersected hy dirty alleys, which lead to the rear of the small and contracted dwellings of the 
Chinese, who live in the midst of foul air and all kinds of filth. The filthiness of Shanghai 
gives no favorable idea of the domestic habits of the people ; a slight glance at the men and 
women usually met in the streets was quite convincing enough of their want of reverence for 
what the proverb says is " next to godliness." During the stay of the Commodore at Shanghai, 
the shops had been emptied of their contents and carried into places of safety, in expectation of 
an attack upon the city by the rebels, consequently, the bazaars had a dull look, and but few 
of the native fabrics could be seen. 

The domestic trade of the city has been immense for a long time, being carried on in all 
directions with the vast interior of China. A multitudinous population swarms in that part of the 
country which stretches back of Shanghai, and the commercial intercourse with the large cities 
of Nankin and others, with their millions of inhabitants, and incessant trading activity, was 
constant, until interrupted by the Chinese rebellion. The trade of Shanghai has been stated to 
be as large ts that of any part of the world, not excepting even London. 

The immediate neighborhood of Shanghai is highly cultivated, and fertile fields stretch in all 
directions as far as the eye can reach, rich with their harvests of cotton, rice, wheat, barley, 
beans and potatoes. The markets of the town are well supplied, and at moderate prices, with 
beef, mutton, poultry, game, fish and vegetables of all varieties. Among the different kinds of 
game, the pheasant, woodcock, and snipe abound, and of the fish, the shad is common during its 
season, of good size and flavor ; some, indeed, larger than are seen in the United States, though in 
taste inferior to those caught in our rivers. Fruit is scarce, and of inferior quality, as the 
Chinese pay but little attention to its cultivation ; some cherries, however, were tasted, which 
proved to be tolerably good, and it was said that the peaches were also good. All the varieties 
of Chinese manufactured articles can ordinarily be obtained at Shanghai, and especially a silk 
of famous fabric, woven at Su-Chau, a neighboring city. But the intestine disturbances 
prevailing deprived the Commodore of any but a hearsay knowledge of many of these articles, 
which, however, are said to be obtained, in pacific times, more easily at Shanghai than at Canton. 
The foreign commerce has greatly increased since the termination of the war witli Great 
Britain, and tlie general belief is entertained that Shanghai, with its superior advantages, will 
monopolize most of the foreign trade with China. 

The population of the place was estimated at two hundred and eiglity thousand, and the 
Chinese who composed it seemed to be of a better class than those at Canton and Hong Kong. 
Like all their countrymen, they arc indefatigable in labor and untiring in trading activity, for 
which they have, undoubtedly, a natural instinct. 

The Commodore, while at Shanghai, made an interesting return visit to the Taou-tai or 



VISIT OF THE COMMODORE TO THE TAOU-TAI, SHANGHAI. 147 

governor and commaader of the city, who first called upon him at the American consulate, and 
afterward visited the ship. The Taou-tai has a lucrative, hut hy no means easy office. 
Among his other duties, he has to watch, especially, the interests and conduct of the foreign 
residents, and what with the cajirices of strangers, the sometimes inordinate claims of their 
representatives, and the arbitrary retxuirements of his imperial master, he must have hard work 
to keep up a fair balance between his duties to his government on the one hand and the 
foreigners on the other. This high ofiicial has also to sustain the responsibility of a secure 
transport of the taxes of the province, and to fulfil the by no means sinecure duty of protecting 
the commerce of Shanghai against the pirates who swarm the coasts. His highness makes his 
official visits with a pomp and circumstance suitable to his dignified station. The ringing 
sounds of gongs herald his approach, and he comes seated grandly in his chair of state attended 
by his suite of subordinate mandarins. The office, in common with the general practice of 
China, is bestowed ordinarily upon him who has earned one of the topmost of the nine colored 
buttons, which, worn above the official cap, serve, by their vari-colored grades, to distinguish the 
mandarins. As literary eminence is the passport to office, the Taou-tai is ordinarily well up in 
Chinese literature, and can quote whole passages of Confucius or Mencius with the utmost 
volubility. 

In the Commodore's visit to the Taou-tai he was accompanied by twenty of his officers and 
the American consul, who were all, with due regard to the importance of the occasion, dressed up 
in full uniform. The party, thus adorned, and duly seated in sedan chairs, were conveyed from 
the consular residence to the government house, situated in the centre of the city, within the 
walls. On arrival at the entrance, the Commodore and his suite were saluted with the usual 
salvo of three guns (the extent, with the Chinese, of honorable ammunition on such occasions) 
and the music of a band. The Taou-tai was at the threshold to meet his visitors, and as the 
Commodore alighted from his sedan chair his higlmess escorted him into the hall of audience, 
while the rest of the company followed in respectful sequence. The Commodore was placed, in 
accordance with Chinese ceremony, at the side of the Taou-tai, on a platform raised a little 
above the floor. 

On entering and departing from the government house, the party passed through an open 
apartment, adorned with a bold representation of a gigantic Chinese deity on the wall, and 
furnished with large wooden chairs, stuffed with red cloth cushions, which were ranged along 
the sides. A table standing in the apartment, and holding the vessel containing the pieces of 
bamboo which are thrown by the hand of the Chinese judge to the executioner, to indicate the 
number of strokes to be applied to the convicted criminal, showed the ordinary purposes of the 
chamber, which was that of a hall of justice. 

Refreshments, consisting of teas, liquors, (including champagne,) cake, and so forth, were 
handed round to the visitors in succession; and, after a stay of an hour, the commodore and 
Lis party returned in the same manner as they came. Entering again tlieir sedan chairs, and 
traversing the narrow streets of Shanghai in long procession, and jostling every one who 
obstructed the way, they finally reached the American consulate. 

While Commodore Perry was at Shanghai, the revolution, which is still in progress, had 
made great headway. Although new developments have taken place since, which have altered 
very much the position of aifairs, it may not be amiss to give the results of the Commodore's 
observations of a civil commotion, which naturally excited his deepest interest. He writes on 



148 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 

the spot, at the date of May, 1853: "The political condition of China at the present time is 
very unsettled; the whole empire seems to he in a state of agitation arguing some mighty 
revolution ; one-half of the country is in occupation of an insurgent force, which claims to 
represent the old Chinese, who were dispossessed a long time since hy the present ruling 
dynasty. At the head of the rebel force is a very sagacious man, who, from disappointment, or 
some imaginary wrong, growing out of his examination for literary honors, (so highly prized 
hy the Chinese,) became disgusted, and at once showed his disaffection, and finally raised the 
flag of open rebellion. At first he had only a few followers, but in the course of time 
multitudes flocked to his standard ; and now, after over-running a great many provinces, he is 
quietly in possession of the great city of Nanking. 

"This man denounces the j^revailing religion, and has caused to be destroyed numerous 
Buddhist temples. He professes a faith somewhat similar to that of the Mormons in America, 
and gives forth that he has constant communion with God, and has been acknowledged as his 
Son. His ignorant and lawless followers profess to believe in his pretended revelations, and 
with them he has acquired great power by his religious devices. He pretends to fraternize 
with Christians, and argues that all Christian nations, by reason of similar faith, should aid 
him in driving out of the empire the present usurping family, and putting upon the celestial 
throne a true son of heaven, a believer of the decalogue, and a scion of the old Chinese 
monarchs. He does not pretend to any claims himself to the imperial diadem; but it may be 
well imagined, from his professed dogmas of religion^ that when the time comes he will turn out 
to be the proposed great Celestial on Earth." 

In the state of agitation produced by these civil disturbances it was natural that the foreign 
merchants who had large interests at stake should be anxious about the security of their prop- 
erty ; accordingly, the American commercial houses established at Shanghai addressed a letter 
to the Hon. Humphrey Marshall, minister of the United States to China, in which they stated 
that the amount of their property, at a fair valuation, then at risk in the port of Shanghai, was 
$1,200,000, and that they considered it fairly entitled to protection, which the rumored with- 
drawal of the naval force would seem to deprive them of. Commodore Perry, regarding the 
interests of American citizens in China, and at the same time not forgetting the great purpose 
of his expedition, resolved to leave the Plymouth to protect his countrymen and their property, 
but not otherwise to interfere with his own mission or the affairs of China. The request of the 
American commissioner to have a vessel of war to convey him to the mouth of the Peiho, in 
order to secure a recognition on the part of the Chinese government of his ofiicial presence, was 
not complied with by the Commodore, who declined not only on the score of policy, but from 
the necessity of concentrating all the naval force he could on the expedition to Japan. 

The Mississippi had arrived at Shanghai on the 4th of May, and the interval between that 
date and the 17th of the same month, was chiefly employed in transferring the Commodore to the 
Susquehanna, which then became his flag-ship, and in taking in the usual supplies of coal and 
provisions for the voyage. "No less than jive toiis of Chinese " cash,"* to be dispensed in the 
Lew-Chew islands, was rather an unusual addition to the ship's stores. 

On Monday morning. May 16, 1853, the Mississippi moved down the river and was followed 
the next day by the Commodore in the Susquehanna, while the Plymouth was left behind, for 

• The " casli" is but a small sum. about the twelve-hundreth part of a dollar 



DEPARTURE FROM CHINA FOR LEW CHEW. 149 

a sliort time, to await the course of events in the rebel camp, her commander having orders to 
follow as soon as he could do so consistently with the safety of American interests at Shanghai. 
The day of departure was unusually clear, and the cultivated banks of the river, with their 
orchards and fields of grain, never appeared more beautifully green. With the fine day, wliich 
gave a bright, cheerful aspect to every object, the inspiriting music of the band, which struck up 
a succession of lively airs, the crowds of spectators on the shore, and the natural enthusiasm of all 
on the prospect of carrying out the enterprise which was the great object of the expedition, the 
departure from Shanghai was in a high degree animating. 

The Mississippi had preceded, as we have seen, the Susquehanna, to which the Commodore 
had now transferred his flag, and joined the Supply, which, after having grounded on the 
North Sand, succeeded fortunately in getting off without damage. The squadron, which now 
prepared to sail for Lew Chew, was composed of the Susquehanna, the Mississippi, the Supply, 
and the Caprice, which was discovered standing in, as the other ships were standing out, 
and was ordered to follow. The Plymouth was, as has just been stated, left at Shanghai, as a 
guard of American property and interests, and the Saratoga remained at Macao, to await the 
arrival of Dr. Williams, the interpreter. These vessels were expected to follow, and join the 
rendezvous at Lew Chew. 

The Susquehanna, on reaching the mouth of the Tang-tse-Kiang, came to anchor and 
remained there for three days. The Mississippi and Supply took up their positions on either 
side. The junk belonging to Kussell & Co., the American merchants, which had been hired 
to carry a cargo of coal to the mouth of the river to be put on board the Mississippi, was, while 
under the charge of its own commander and officers, lost on the North Sand. From the 
anchorage of the Mississippi, Gutzlaff's island could be seen some six miles distant, and 
beyond it stretched the long uneven outline of Buggies' islands. The weather was alternately 
clear and rainy, and when the sun did not shine the scene was particularly gloomy and 
oppressive to the spirits. The muddy waters of the Yang-tse-Kiang, looking more muddy still 
in the yellow light of a foggy atmosphere, and the dull constraint of a tedious anchorage, 
presented a sad prospect to the eye, and a wearisome sensation to the feelings, which made all 
anxious for departure. 

The naturalists had an opportunity of gratifying their tastes in observing a flock of small 
birds from the land, which hovered in and about the ship. Mr. Heine, the artist, succeeded in 
obtaining several specimens, which had somewhat the appearance of the starling. He also 
caught a graceful dove, of a light brownish color. A beautiful king-fisher was brought on 
board, which had been caught by some of the sailors of the Mississippi. Its plumage was 
exceedingly rich and charmingly variegated ; its long bill was of a bright red ; its wings were 
black ; its body was of a rich blue color, and its flossy neck was of a whitish cream tint. 

The Susquehanna got under way at one o'clock on the 23d of May, followed by the 
Mississippi with the Supply in tow, all bound for Napha, the principal port of the Great Lew 
Chew island. In the course of the evening, about six o'clock, the low range of islands known 
as the Saddles, and inhabited by a sparse population of fishermen, was passed, the ships 
directing their course to the north of them, where there is an open channel free from shoals. 
The night was clear, with a full moon, and the weather was mild and agreeable. The 
Susquehanna moved on at a moderate rate, keeping about a mile in advance of the Mississippi, 
■while the Caprice, gently fanned by the southwestern monsoon, managed to keep also in sight, 
though further in the distance, until she was lost in the darkness of the niglit. 



150 



EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 



It was found that the Mississippi, with the aid of topsails, although she had the Supply in 
tow, rapidly gained upon the Susquehanna ; accordingly a foretopsail was set upon the latter, 
the good effect of which was soon shown, by "her leaving her competitor so far astern that it was 
necessary to wait until the Mississippi could come up again. The Susquehanna's engines were 
only worked at half speed with the consumption, to which she was restricted, of one ton of coal 
per hour, hut notwithstanding, with the aid of the regular breeze of the monsoon, she succeeded 
in making seven and a lialf knots an hour. As the course was southerly, the weather became 
every moment warmer, and the sea was as smooth as a lake. During the passage the crew were 
regularly called to quarters and exercised in all the usual manoeuvres necessary for preparation 
for action, and on the morning of the 25th of May, after quarters, general orders 11 and 12 were 
read ; the former related to the discipline to be observed on board ship during the visit to the 
Lew Chew Islands, and the latter enjoined the necessity of keeping uj) the most friendly relations 
with the Japanese inhabitants wherever found, and also stated that the expedition was ordered 
to use all possible friendly means, and not to resort to force but from the sternest necessity. In 
the evening the signal of land in sight was made by the Mississippi, and subsequently was 
reported by the man at the fore-topmast head of the Susquehanna. During the night the steamers 
were kept at slow speed, standing off and on ; the Supply had been previously cast off from the 
Mississippi, and left to make her own way under sail. At half-past seven o'clock in the morning 
of May 26th the land was again made at a distance of nearly twenty miles, and as the steamers 
moved on, it was distinctly descried as a long island elevated gradually from the sea to a cliff at 
its northern extremity, and with a steep headland at the south. Beyond the island, which was 
passed, and its green foliage distinctly seen, was other land to which the Susquehanna was now 
headed, followed closely by the Mississippi, while the Supply was quite out of sight. Kapha 
was reached in the evening, and entered in company with the Saratoga, from Macao, which ship 
the steamers had fallen in with off the harbor. It is due to Lieutenant Bent, an officer on 
board the Mississippi, to acknowledge that the Commodore availed himself of that gentleman's 
former experiences in a visit in the Preble to pilot the ships as they entered Napha. 




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ISLANDS OF LEW CHEW. 



151 



CHAPTER VII. 



NUMBER AND POSITION OF ISLANDS OF LEW CHEW. — THEIR 8DPF0SED POLITICAL RELATIONS TO JAPAN AND CHINA. — DESCRIP- 
TION OF THE ISLAND OF GREAT LEW CHEW, AS SEEN ON THE FIRST APPROACH TO IT, VISIT OF OFFICIALS TO THE 

SUSQUEHANNA. VISIT OP DR. BETTELHEIM. REFUSAL OF PRESENTS, AND CONSEQUENT MORTIFICATION OP THE LEW 

CHEWANS. EXPLORATION OF THE ISLAND RESOLVED ON BY THE COMMODORE. DAGUERREOTTPING ON SHORE. CORAL 

INSECT AND ITS FORMATIONS. SECOND VISIT OF THE AUTHORITIES OF LEW CHEW. REGENT OF THE ISLAND RECEIVED 

BY THE COMMODORE. FRIENDLY NATURE OF THE INTERVIEW. SURPRISE OF THE LEW CHEWANS AT SIGHT OF THE 

STEAM ENGINE. COMMODORE ANNOUNCES TO THEM HIS INTENTION OF RETURNING THE VISIT AT THE PALACE OP 

9HTI. THEIR EVIDENT EMBARRASSMENT THEREAT. LEAVE TO GO ON SHORE. DESCRIPTION OF NAPHA AND ITS 

VICINITY, BY ONE OF THE OFFICERS. EXPLORING PARTY SETS OUT, PLACED UNDER THE COMMAND OP THE CHAPLAIN, 

MR. JONES. MR. BAYARD TAYLOR ATTACHED TO IT, WITH ORDERS TO TAKE NOTES AND FURNISH A DETAILED REPORT OF 

THE JOURNEY. NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE LEW CHEW AUTHORITIES TO OBTAIN A HOUSE ON SHORE. THEIR MANIFEST 

OPPOSITION. COMMODORE PERSISTS AND SUCCEEDS. OFFICERS, WHEN ON SHORE, CONTINUALLY WATCHED BY SPIES. 

CAPTAIN BASIL HALl's ACCOUNT OF THE LEW CHEWANS SOMEWHAT EXAGGERATED. IMPRESSIONS MADE ON THE 

OFFICERS AS TO THE CHARACTER OF THE NATIVES. HYDROGRAPHIC SURVEYS. BOAT EXERCISE OF THE CREWS, AND 

DRILLING ON LAND OF THE MARINES. 

^g; N Thursday, the 2r)th of May, the sqiiadron found 

^^Wss^^^ itself quietly anchored in the harbor of Napha, the 

principal j)ort of the Great Lew Chew island, and 
ai^ the first jDoint where the exi^edition touched on 
Japanese territory, if Lew Chew (or, as the natives 
call it, Doo Choo) be indeed a dependency of 
Japan. The group of islands known as the Lieou 
Kieou, or Lew Chew, is said to be in number 
thirty-six, at considerable distances from each 
other, and lying between the islands of Kioosioo 
and Formosa; they are between 24° 10' and 28° 
40' north latitude and 127° and 129° east longi- 
tude from Greenwich. 

It is a question yet discussed to what power Lew Chew belongs. By some it is said to 
be a dependency of the Prince of Satziima, of Japan; others suppose it to belong to Cliina. 
The probabilities, however, are all on the side of the dependence, more or less absolute, of Lew 
Chew on Japan, and probably, also^, of some qualified subordination to China, as they undoubt- 
edly send tribute to that country. Language, customs, laws, dress, virtues, vices, and com- 
mercial intercourse, all are corroborative of such an opinion. But of this more will be said 
hereafter. 




152 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 

The Great Lew Chew was seen from the ships, as they approached, at the distance of more 
than twenty miles, and, when near enough to render objects distinguishable, presented a very 
inviting appearance. It is thus graphically described by the pen of one of the officers of the 
expedition: * 

"The shores of the island were green and beautiful from the water, diversified with groves 
and fields of the freshest verdure. The rain had brightened the colors of the landscape^ which 
recalled to my mind the richest English scenery. The swelling hills, which rose immediately 
from the water's edge, increased in height towards the centre of the island, and were 
picturesquely broken by abrupt rocks and crags, which, rising here and there, gave evidence of 
volcanic action. Woods^ apparently of cedar or pine, ran along the crests of the hills, while 
their slopes were covered with gardens and fields of grain. To the northward, the hills were 
higher, and the coast jutted out in two projecting headlands, showing that there were deep bays 
or indentations between." "By three o'clock we were so near that the town of Napha was 
distinctly visible, at the bottom of the bay. The cape, called Abbey Point, projected in front of 
it, covered with foliage, and the extremity crowned with an isolated group of crags, whose 
mossy turrets and buttresses evidently suggested the name of the point. The hills were dotted in 
various jjlaces with white specks, which I at first took to be dwellings, but which were tombs of 
limestone rock."t 

As the ships entered, the British ensign was seen suddenly to rise on a flag-stafi", placed near 
a house, which was perched on a curious overhanging point of rock, north of the town ; this 
house was the residence of the missionary, Mr. Bettelheim, a convert from Judaism, who 
married in England, and had, for some five or six years, been resident on the island, under the 
auspices of an association of pious English gentlemen, officers of the British navy^ very much, 
however, against the inclinations of the Lew Chewans. On passing Abbey Point, the mouth of 
the inner harbor became visible, and within it was a number of large Japanese junks, riding at 

* The well known traveller, Bayard Taylor, who joined the Susquehanna in China. The circumstances under which this 
gentleman joined the expedition are thus detailed by the Commodore : 

"On my arrival at Shanghai I found there Mr. Bayard Taylor, who had a letter of introduction to me from an esteemed 
friend in New York. He had been a long time, as I understood, exceedingly anxious to join the squadron, that he might visit 
Japan, which he could reach in no other way. 

" On presenting the letter referred to, he at once made a request to accompany me, but to tliis application I strongly objected, 
intimating to him the determination I had made at the commencement of the cruise to admit no civilians, and explaining how 
the few who were in the squadron had, by signing the shipping articles, subjected themselves to all the restraints and penalties 
of naval law; that there were no suitable accommodations for him, and that, should he join the expedition, he would be 
obliged to suffer, with the other civilians, many discomforts and privations, and would moreover be restricted, under a general 
order of the Navy Department, from communicating any information to the public prints, or privately to his friends; that all 
the notes or general observations made by him during the cruise would belong to the government, and therefore must be 
deposited with me. Notwithstanding this, Iiowever, with a full knowledge of all the difficulties and inconveniences which 
would attend his joining the squadron, he still urged his application. 

"Being thus importuned, and withal very favorably impressed with his gentlemanlike and unassuming manners, I at last 
reluctantly consented, and he joined the mess of Messrs. Heine and Brown, on board the Susquehanna. During the short time 
he remained in the squadron he gained the respect and esteem of all, and, by his habits of observation, aided by his ready pen, 
became quite useful in preparing notes descriptive of various incidents that transpired during our first brief visit to Japan and 
the islands. It was the only service he could render, and it was afforded cheerfully. These notes have been used in the 
preparation of my report, and due credit has, I trust, been given to him. 

"Some of the incidents illustrative of the events mentioned in my official communications were, u-ilh my cnnseni, written out 
by Mr. Taylor, and sent home by him for publication in the United States. Tliese he has used in his late work. His original 
journals were honorably deposited in my hands. His reports, like those of every other individual detailed fur tlie performance 
of a special duty, were, of course, delivered to me, and became part of the official records of the expedition." 

f Extracted from the manuscript journal of Mr. Taylor, which, with those of other officers, pursuant to the orders of the 
Hon. Secretary, was placed in the hands of the Coinmodure. 



EXPLORATION OF LEW CHEW RESOLVED ON. 153 

anchor. Two persons were seen watching the movements of the squadron from the foot of the 
flagstaff; and, through a telescoiae, numhers coukl be seen leaving the town under white 
umbrellas. 

The ships had not been at anchor two hours, before, notwithstanding the rain, a boat came off 
with two officials. On reaching the deck, tliey made many profound salutations, and presented 
a folded red card of Japanese paper, about a yard long. The jirincipal personage wore a loose 
salmon-colored robe of very fine grass cloth, while the dress of the other was of similar fashion, 
but of a blue color. On their heads were oblong caps of bright yellow; they liad blue sashes 
tied around their waists, and white sandals ujion their feet. Their beards were long and black, 
though thin, and their ages were, seemingly, some thirty-five or forty years. Tliey had the 
Japanese cast of countenance, and in complexion were a dusky olive. Who they were, or what 
the purpose of their visit, was not immediately known, as there happened to be no interpreter, at 
tlie time of their visit, on board the Susquelianna, to which ship they came ; but one of the 
Commodore's Chinese servants was summoned, who understood the characters on tlieir card 
sufficiently to explain that tlie visit was merely a cliin-chin, or complimentary salutation on 
arrival. The Commodore, however, acting on his previously determined plan, declined seeing 
them, or receiving any other than one of the principal dignitaries of the island; and they 
accordingly returned to the shore. They had, no doubt, been sent to make observations, and, 
without committal, to ascertain what they could of the strangers, that the policy and treatment 
of the authorities of the island might be shaped according to circumstances. 

Scarcely had they gone before Dr. Bettelheim came on board hi a native boat; and such were 
the relations in which he stood to the islanders that he hailed the arrival of the squadron with 
delight, and manifested no little excitement of manner. He was conducted to the Commodore's 
cabin, where he remained for two or three hours ; and in the course of the interview it appeared 
that he had never heard even of the intended American expedition ; that a year and a half had 
elapsed since any foreign vessel had been at Napha, and that he was almost beside himself with 
joy. Grog and biscuit were given to his boatmen, and in their exhilaration, when they started 
for the shore, they contrived to carry the missionary some three miles up the coast. 

The next day, the 2'7th, the shores looked, if possible, more brilliantly green and beautiful 
than ever, and all on board were struck with the loveliness of their appearance. About seven 
o'clock, four boats came off, bringing presents for the ship; in one of these were the two visitors 
of the day before, wlio brought another card, seemingly a list of the presents. He of the sal- 
mon-colored robe had given his name, on his first visit, as Whang-clia-ching ; jDrobably the Lew 
Chew pronunciation of Whang-ta-zliin, or "his excellency, Whang." The presents brought 
consisted of a bullock, several l>igs, a white goat, some fowls, vegetables, and eggs. These were 
peremptorily refused, nor were those who brought them permitted to come on board. After 
waiting a short time, tliey returned to the town, with an evident expression of anxiety and 
uneasiness on their countenances. At this time it was observed in the squadron that several of 
the junks put out from the inner harbor and sailed to the northward, as it was conjectured, for 
Japan. Some of them passed quite near to the ships, to gratify their curiosity by a closer 
inspection of such large vessels. The junks were somewhat like those of the Chinese, and, like 
them, had two great eyes inserted in the bows, as if to see the way. Undoubtedly, the presence 
of the squadron had created great alarm among the junks; for no force, half as large, had ever 
20 J 



154 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 

been seen at Naplia before, and probably some of the junks bad been dispatched to Japan witb 
the news of the squadron's appearance at Lew Chew. 

A boat was sent off for Dr. Bettelheim, and he, with the Eev. Mr. Jones, chaphiin of the 
Mississippi, and Mr. Wells Williams, the interpreter, breakfasted with the Commodore. An 
exploration of the island was resolved on by the chief. It was to consist of three parties, two 
by sea, and one into the interior. The former were to survey, respectively, the eastern and 
western coasts ; the latter to make a thorough examination of the interior, and to collect speci- 
mens of its animals, minerals, and vegetables. The Commodore also resolved to procure a house 
on shore, and gave notice to Mr. Brown, the artist in charge of tlie daguerreotype apparatus, 
that he must prepare his materials, occupy the building, and commence the practice of his art. 

On the 27th, the Commodore gave permission to the masters' mates to take the gig and pull 
about in the harbor, with a prohibition, however, of landing or communicating with the natives. 
Mr. Bayard Taylor was of the party, and we prefer to give our narrative in his own words, per- 
fectly satisfied that we shall thus most gratify the reader.* 

"The crew were Chinamen, wholly ignorant of the use of oars, and our trip would have been 
of little avail, had not the sea been perfectly calm. With a little trouble we succeeded in making 
them keep stroke, and made for the coral reef which separates the northern from the oar-chan- 
nel. The tide was nearly out, and the water was very shoal on all the approaches to the reef. 
We found, however, a narrow channel, winding between the groves of mimic foliage, and landed 
on the spongy rock, which rose about a foot above the water. Here the little pools which seamed 
the surface were alive with crabs, snails, star-fish, sea-prickles, and numbers of small fish of the 
intensest blue color. We found several handsome shells clinging to the coral, but all our efforts 
to secure one of the fish failed. The tide was ebbing so fast that we were obliged to return for 
fear of grounding the boat. We hung for some time over the coral banks, enraptured with the 
beautiful forms and colors exhibited by this wonderful vegetation of the sea. The coral grew in 
rounded banks, with clear, deep spaces of water between, resembling, in miniature, ranges of 
hills covered with autumnal forests. The loveliest tints of blue, violet, pale green, yellow, and 
white gleamed through the waves, and all the varied forms of vegetable life were grouped 
together, along the edges of cliffs and precipices, hanging over the chasms worn by currents 
below. Through those paths, and between the stems of the coral groves, the blue fish shot 
hither and thither, like arrows of the purest lapis-lazuli ; and others of a dazzling emerald color, 
with tails and fins tipped with gold, eluded our chase like the green bird in the Arabian story. 
Far down below, in the dusky depth of the waters, we saw, now and then, some large brown 
fish, hovering stealthily about the entrances to the coral groves, as if lying in wait for their 
bright little inhabitants. The water was so clear that the eye was deceived as to its depth, and 
we seemed, now to rest on the branching tops of some climbing forest, now to hang suspended 
as in mid-air, between the crests of two opposing ones. Of all the Avonders of the sea which 
have furnished food for poetry and fable this was assuredly the most beautiful." 

"We succeeded in obtaining a number of fine specimens of coral. The tips of the branches 
were soft and glutinous, and the odor exhaling from them was exceedingly offensive." 



*It is due to Mr. Taylor here to state that we draw the principal part of the story of the first visit to Lew Chew from his 
journal, and are glad often to adopt liis language, as we can frame none better. Commodore Ferry lias desired that we sliould 
do so. His own journal is less full in some particulars of this part of the voyage, because he relied on Mr. Taylor's, (winch he 
knew would be accurate and careful,) to amplify topics on which he made but brief notes. The Commodore has particularly 
directed this statement to be made that justice may bo done to Mr. Taylor for the services he rendered. 






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CHIEF MAGISTR^TF d'' NAl'HA 
Lew Clu'''- 



VISIT OF THE LEW CHEW DIGNITARIES ON BOARD. 155 

On the 30th, it was rumored on board that some of the principal authorities on shore intended 
on that day to visit the Susquehannah. Mr. Williams, the interpreter, came on board and 
took up permanently his qiiarters in the ship, and a boat was dispatched for Dr. Bettelheim, 
to be present on the occasion. 

On the preceding day, Lieutenant Contee and Mr. Williams went on shore to pay a visit to 
the then supposed governor of Napha, since asertained to be the mayor. They were received 
in a very polite and friendly manner ; though the mayor expressed his deep sense of mortifica- 
tion that his presents had been refused. Lieutenant Contee explained that it was the uniform 
practice of our government not to accept such presents for her ships, and tliat (in consequence 
of our custom) the offering of them not unfrequently subjected the commander and officers to 
mortification, as their refusal seemed like an ungrateful return for ofiered courtesy ; and that in 
this case no disrespect was intended. 

About one o'clock, a very ordinary native barge, containing the Lew Chew dignitaries, came 
alongside. The marines were in uniform, and every preparation had been made on board to 
show them respect and produce impressive effect. One of the inferior officers came first up the 
gangway with the card of his superior, which Mr. Williams, the interjireter, received and read; 
the officer then returned, and the regent of the kingdom of Lew Chew, a venerable old man, in 
a few minutes appeared, supported by two of his officers. Captains Buchanan and Adams 
received him at the gangway, and were saluted by the regent after the fashion of his country. 
His hands were joined upon his breast, wliile his body and knees were bent very profoundly, and 
his head was slightly turned away from the person he addressed. The prince, it was said, was 
a lad of eleven years old, and was represented to be ill. The old gentleman acted as regent for 
him. Six or eight other officers and some dozen subordinates followed tlie regent to the deck. 
A salute of three guns was then fired, which so startled some of the Lew Chew officers that they 
dropped upon their knees. 

One of the most striking features in tlie visitors was their general imperturbable gravity. It 
VFas indeed plain that they had intense curiosity, not unmingled with considerable alarm ; but 
they were careful to preserve the most dignified demeanor. They were conducted to the 
captain's cabin, and thence shown over the ship. They observed every thing with great gravity; 
but when they reached the ponderous engine, their assumed indifierence was fairly overcome, 
and it was evident that they were conscious of having encountered in it something very far 
beyond their comprehension. They were much quicker of perception, however, than the Chinese, 
as well as more agreeable in features, and much more neat and tidy in apparel. 

Up to this time they had not seen the Commodore. He had remained secluded in solitary 
dignity, in his own cabin. It was not meet that he should be made too common to the eyes of 
the vulgar. All this, of course, was mere matter of policy for the time being, as the Commodore 
was no very unusual sight to the officers anl men of the squadron. The visitors were, however, 
informed that they were now to be conducted into his presence, and were accordingly taken to 
his cabin. Just as the regent reached the head of the steps the band struck up a lively air ; 
but the dignified old man passed on without even casting an eye on the musicians. To him it 
was doubtless a solemn occasion. The Commodore received and entertained his guests most 
handsomely, and during the interview of an hour and a half between himself and the regent, 
assurances of amity and good will were exchanged between the parties. On the retirement of 
the regent he was escorted with great respect to the ship's side, and on his departure received 
honors similar to those that had been tendered on his arrival. 



156 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 

Among otlier matters that occurred at the meetins; between the regent and the Commodore, 
the latter informed his guest that he should do himself the honor to return his visit, (d the jMlace, 
in the city of Sheudi or Shui, on the following Monday week, (June 6th.) This informa- 
tion caused some consultation and discussion between the regent and his counsellors ; but the 
Commodore put an end to it by stating that he had fully made a determination to go to the 
palace on that day, and should surely execute it. He further added that he should expect such a 
reception as became his rank and position as commander of the squadron and diplomatic repre- 
sentative of the United States in those regions ; and with a distinct understandings if not acqui- 
escence, on the part of the regent, to this effect, he took his departure. 

One result of the visit was very agreeable to the officers, for permission was immediately 
given them to go on shore, accompanied with a request that they would in no case intrude them- 
selves where their presence might seem to be disagreeable to the natives. They very soon 
availed themselves of the privilege, and a party (of which Mr. Taylor was one) landed at the 
foot of the rock upon which Dr. Bettelheim had erected his flagstaif. They found the shore to 
be coral rock covered with a dense and luxurious vegetation ; and about the distance of twenty 
yards from flood tide mark, the gardens of the natives commenced, divided from each other by 
coral walls and bristling hedges of yucca and cactus. Mr. Taylor thus describes this his first 
landing on Lew Chew : "Several groups of Lew Chewans watched our landing, but slowly 
retired as we approached them. The more respectable, distinguished by the silver pins in 
their hair, made to us profound salutations. The lower classes wore a single garment of brown 
cotton or grass-cloth, and the children were entirely naked. Even in the humblest dwellings 
there was an air of great neatness and order. Most of them were enclosed within high coral 
walls, in the midst of a small plot of garden land, some of which contained thriving patches of 
tobacco, maize, and sweet potatoes. 

" Threading the winding lanes of the suburb for a short distance, we came into the broad paved 
road which leads from Napha to Sheudi. It is an admirable thoroughfare, almost equal to the 
macadamized roads of England. The walls on either hand of coral rock are jointed together 
with great precision. No mortar is used in their construction, but the stones are so well fitted, 
(very much in the manner of the cyclopean walls of Italy,) that the whole appears, at a little 
distance, to be one mass. We here came upon parties from the Mississippi and Saratoga. The 
natives collected in crowds to see us pass, falling back as we approached, and closing behind us. 
They were under the authority of several persons, who had evidently received a special appoint- 
ment to watch us. Among them were many fine, venerable figures — -old men with flowing 
beards and aspects of great dignity and serenity ; but no sooner were any of these addressed than 
they retreated with great haste. The houses were all closed, and not a female was to be seen. 
The roofs were of red tiles, of excellent manufacture, and this, with the dark-green foliage of 
the trees which studded the city, the walls topped with cactus, and the occasional appearance 
of a palm or banana, reminded me of the towns in Sicily. 

"As we entered the thickly inhabited portion of Napha, the road passed over the foot of a low 
hill, by regularly graded steps, and then descended to the inner harbor, where the Japanese 
junks lay at anchor. From this harbor a creek, or estuary, almost dry at low water, extends 
eastward into the island. The market-place is in this portion of the town. It was deserted, 
like the streets, except by the inhabitants of two or three large tents, which were closed, except 
a narrow aperture. On our asking (by signs) for water, the people went to these tents and 



Co 

to 













■ /-;:. j^i«»^?-^>^:— \^ „:_!.., — _r ■:- — 



APPEARANCE OF NAPHA. 



157 



procured some in a square wooden ladle, exactly similar to those used by the Turcomans, in Asia 
Minor. I did not go down to look at the Japanese junks, but, with some others, followed the 
course of the creek. Two of the police officers — as we took them to be — stuck to us, and when- 
ever we paused motioned to us to take the road which would have led us back to the beach. 




•>t:«SA'5NSi>S»" 



Lew Cliew Peasant. 



For this very reason I was desirous of proceeding further. All of the town which we had seen 
was completely clo.sed, the shops .shut, and the stalls of vendors of small wares, in the streets, 
deserted with such haste, in some instances, that the articles remained exposed. We walked for 
about half a mile up the creek, and finally reached another road which appeared to be one of the 
principal thoroughfares. The appearance of the interior of the island was exceedingly beautiful. 
The land rose in bold hills, crowned witli groves, of a variety of pine which was new to me, 
resembling the cedar of Lebanon in its physiognomy. The sides of the hills were covered with 
fields of brilliant green, spotted, here and there, by the white-washed sepidchres of former gene- 



158 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 

rations. In the vegetation there was a mixture of the growths of tropical and temperate 
climates, and in no part of the world have I seen a greater richness or variety. A stone bridge, 
of rough hut substantial workmanship, crosses the creek near its head. I noticed several of tlie 
natives riding over it into the country, on the Lew Chew ponies — shaggy, little animals, pro- 
bably descended from the Chinese stock. 

"We strolled into a temple, from the walls of which several persons, probably females, had 
been watching us. They disappeared with great rapidity as we entered the door. The court- 
yard of the temple was shaded with fine trees, but we discovered nothing of interest except two 
long, narrow boats, of the kind called 'centipede' at Hong Kong, designed for public festivals. 
While we sat down upon them to rest, quite a crowd of natives gathered about lis, and soon 
became familiar, though respectful in their demeanour. They were very neatly dressed in grass- 
cloth robes of a blue or salmon color, and (perhaps by contrast with the filthy Chinese) seemed 
to me the cleanest persons I had ever seen. The street vendors had not had time to get out of 
our way, and they sat beside their piles of coarse cheese-cakes. There were some women among 
them, but they were all old and hideously ugly. The costume of the female does not difi'er from 
that of the males, but they are distinguished by having a single instead of a double hair-pin." 

On the 30th of May, the party ordered to explore the interior of the island, and its eastern 
coast, set out for the performance of that duty. It consisted of twelve persons — four officers, 
four of the crew, and four Chinese coolies. From the Susquehanna were sent Mr. Taylor and 
Mr. Heine; and from the Mississippi the Kev. Mr. Jones, chaplain, and Dr. Lynah, assistant 
surgeon. The command of the expedition was given to Mr. Jones, who was directed particularly 
to observe the geology of the island ; as^ if it contained coal, it was a most imi^ortant character- 
istic. Mr. Taylor was ordered to take notes, and write out a detailed account of the journey. 
It was supposed the duty would occupy five or six days, and accordingly the expedition was 
furnished with provisions for that period, and with a tent. The men were armed with cutlasses 
and carbin«B, and ten rounds of ball cartridges each. It was not, however, supposed that 
there would he need of a resort to force on any occasion; still, it was deemed prudent to let 
the natives see the power of the party to defend itself; and beside^ guns and aniunition were 
required for the purpose of procuring birds and animals. 

On this day, also, the Commodore sent two of the officers of the squadron ashore, with the 
interpreter, to make arrangements with the authorities for procuring a house. On landing, they 
proceeded to a building which seemed to be what we should call, in the United States, a "town 
hall." It was the place, in the village of Tumai, where common strangers were received, and 
contained some thirty mats on the floor for sleeping ; waiters were also in attendance with tea 
and pipes. The purposes to which the building is applied seemed, however, to be various. Tlie 
literati meet there to converse and interchange opinions ; and any one of them may sjiend the 
night there upon any unoccupied mat. Our officers, on reaching this buildings sent for one of 
the principal men, who, after an hour's delay, made his appearance, and was most profound in 
his obeisance. Tea and pipes (the never failing preliminary) having been disposed of, the gen- 
tlemen made known their business to the Japanese ofiicial. He promptly declared that it would 
be utterly impossible for the Americans to occupy a house on shore. But, as Captain Hall, of 
the British navy, had, after much delay, at last obtained a house on shore, and our officers knew 
it, they reminded the Lew Chewans of the fact, and simply told him that they must have a house. 
He was very ingenious in arguments to show that the difiiculties in the way were insurmountable. 



NAPHA OFFICIAL DEVICES. 159 

He was then asked if some two or tliree of the Americans might not sleep in the house for that 
night, and rejilied that no American must sleep in a house on shore. Ujion being pressed 
furtlier he seemed to become somewliat impatient, and, rising from his seat, he crossed over to wliere 
the officers sat, and dispensing with the aid of the interpreter, (through whom all communications 
had thus far been made,) to the surprise of our gentlemen, said: " Gentlemen, Doo Choo man very 
small, American man not very small. I have read of America in books of Washington — very 
good man, very good. Doo Choo good friend American. Doo Choo man give America all 
provision he wants. American no can have house on shore." These were nearly his exact 
words ; and the officers concluded that he had probably learned from Dr. Bettelheim what he 
knew of the English language. 

When they insisted that two or three of their company should stay in the house, at least for 
the night, he begged permission to go and confer with the mayor of Napha. He was gone for 
some time, and probably went three miles beyond Napha, to the palace of Shui^ to confer with 
the regent. "Well," (said one of the officers, on his return,) "we can sleep here to night?" — 
with a polite bow and marked emphasis, he replied "you cannot." But our officers had been 
ordej-ed to procure a house, and resolved to obey; so they left one of their number with the inter- 
preter to sleep there, unless they should be sent for by the Commodore, while they returned to 
the flag-ship to report what they had done. The officer and interpreter occupied two of the mats 
that night, and the islanders slept on the rest. There was no forcible taking possession of a 
building, as some have represented. Two meQ slept in the town-house for one night, surrounded 
by the natives, and this was all that was exacted or taken. The nest day the Commodore 
sent a sick officer_, with his servant, to the place, and those who slept there on the previous 
night came on board. * 

• We have before us an original note from the regent of Lew Chew, addressed to the Commodore, with a translation of the 
same, made by Mr. Williams. We insert the latter as affording a specimen of the Lew Chew epistolary style, premising that 
to represent themselves as very poor and obscure, and indeed unworthy almost of notice, was the uniform practice of the officials 
of the island, in all their communications witli our officers. It seems to be part of their settled policy ; for we find the same 
humble and depreciatory representations of tliemselves pervading their letters to the British officers, on the visit of the Bishop 
of Victoria. The communication below relates to the two subjects of the Commodore's visit to the palace at Sliui, and granting 
a house for the use of the squadron on shore; both of which events they strove hard, by various artifices, to prevent. 

A prepared petition. Shang Ta-mu, regent of Lew Chew, &c., &c., hereby urgently petitions upon important matters. On 
the 21st day of the present month (this, of course, is a translation of their mode of expressing time into ours) I received your 
excellency's verbal orders that on the 30th day of the present month, at 10 o'clock, you had concluded to come to the capital to 
return your respects. Also, on the 2Gth instant, Ching Changlieh, the mayor of Napha, received your excellency's communi- 
cation saying, that on the 30th instant, at 10 o'clock, it was decided to go up to Shui, the capital, to return the visit of the 
regent at the palace, and wished this to be distinctly stated in the proper way. 

Now, it is plain to all that the capital and towns of this little country are quite different from the provincial capitals of China ; 
here there is only a palace for the king, and no halls, official residences, markets, or sliops ; and, up to this time, no envoy from 
a foreign country has ever entered into the palace. In February, of last year, an English general came here, bearing a public 
letter, and was strenuous to enter tlie palace, there to deliver it; the high officers repeatedly requested that it might be given 
them elsewhere, but he refused, and forced himself into the palace. At that time, from the young prince and queen dowao-er down 
to the lowest officers and people, all were alarmed and fearful, hardly keeping soul and body together ; and tlie queen dowao-er 
has been dangerously sick even to this day, the physicians giving her broths and medicines for her alarming ailments which are 
not yet removed. All the officers in the country are really troubled and grieved on this account ; and having heard that the 
ruler of your country is endued with great kindness and vast compassion, and highly prizes humanity and benevolence, they 
urgently beg of your excellency, that respectfully embodying the humanity and benevolence of your sovereign, and his great 
love for men, you will take the case of the queen dowager, and her severe indisposition, into your favorable consideration, and 
cease from going into the palace to return thanks. If you deem it necessary to make this compliment, please go to the residence 
of the prince, there to make your respects in person. Respecting the matter of renting a house for residing, it has been stated 
by the mayor of Napha that, on the 24th instant, he had clearly shown forth the circumstances ; and, on the 26th, had received 
your excellency's reply, in which it was remarked — "that, whenever the officers and men from the ships were on shore, rambling 
about, they had no place of resort, and that, as there were no inns in the country, if they were overtaken by rain or had weather, 



160 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 

There was evident opposition on tte part of the authorities, at first, to visits on shore from 
the ships. This was expected, for the narratives of all who had visited the island had prepared 
the squadron for this. Notwithstanding, however, our officers did go on shore and wander over 
the town of Kapha and its suburbs, objects of no little interest and curiosity to the natives, 
who followed them in crowds, and were very polite, bowing low to them as they passed. But, 
despite all this courtesy, our ofiicers were quite sensible that the eyes of spies were upon them 
continually, and that every movement was watched. The women and children were taught by 
these oflicials to run away, as if affrighted, on the approach of the Americans, and, in short, a 
polite suspicion characterized the intercourse on the part of the Lew Chewans. The sick ofiicer, 
however, on shore at Tumai, seemed to be on the best possible terms with the natives, and they 
certainly were kind. The inhabitants appear to be naturally not unamiable, but the experience of 
our ofiicers does not altogether sustain the glowing accounts of the simplicity, friendliness and 
contentment of the people. Either Captain Basil Hall was mistaken, or the national traits have 
changed since the time of his visit. He represents them as without arms, ignorant even of money, 
docile, tractable and honest, scrupulously obedient to their rulers and their laws, and, in fact, 
as loving one another too well wilfullj' to harm or wrong each other. Many of the ofiicers of 
the squadron went to the island, exjjecting to find these beautiful traits of character ; but gra- 
dually and painfully undeceived in many particulars, they were constrained to acknowledge that 
human nature in Lew Chew was very much the same as it is elsewhere. 

The system of government, of which secret espionage forms a distinguishing feature, must 
beget in the inferior classes cunning and falsehood, and these our officers certainly found. The 
Lew Chewans pretend ignorance of offensive weapons, and of such no ojjen display is made by 
the people, but Dr. Bett'elheim says that he has seen fire-arms in their possession, though they 
seek to conceal them from strangers ; and they are doubtless, by nature, a pacific people. As 
to money, they know the value of gold and silver very well, and they traffic for the Chinese 
"cash," of which from twelve to fourteen Imndred are equivalent to the Spanish dollar. They 
are an eminently shrewd people, and proved themselves to be somewhat "smart" in the matter 
of exchange, when the disbursing officers of the squadron came to settle with them the value of 
the "cash." They showed no reluctance to take our eagles and half-eagles, though Captain 
Hall says they would not, in his day, touch the British gold coins. They have, on the whole, 
many excellent natural traits, and their worst vices are probably the result, in a great measure, 
of the wretched system of government under which they live. 

or were detained so that they were unable to return on board before night, there was no place to rest at, unless they abruptly 
entered the houses of the people ; that, as the men on board ship were ignorant of the Lew Chewan language, if they wanted 
only a cup of water they could not get it ; for these reasons, one or two houses were required, and if they were wanted for other 
purposes, these were all of a peaceable and friendly nature, but it was indispensible to have one. The mayor (of Napha) having 
intimated that the building already occupied by the sailors was a kung-kxcan, or public hall, if the officers would designate 
another building, they would remove to it according to their wishes." I find that the building now occupied is a public house, 
for the deliberations of officers and police, and meetings on public business; but having sought out a place which can be used, 
I find that the Shing-hien-sz' , or Holy Manifesting monastery, for preserving the anchorage of ships, can be obtained for a 
residence ; and I beg that orders for removal to this place, as a temporary residence, may be given. Then will the prince and 
authorities, one and all, be greatly obliged by this great kindness. An important petition. 
Hien fung, 3d year, 4th moon, 27th day, (June 3d, 1853.) 

This building might readily have been granted on the first application. It was, we believe, the same used by the English, on 
Captain Hall's visit. As to the young prince, the reader will be surprised to learn that there were the strongest reasons in the 
minds of many for suspecting him to be an imaginary personage. No one believed a syllable of the story about the queen 
dowager's illness ; indeed, there was no evidence to the Americans that there was a queen dowager. 



LEW CHEW MERCHANT. 



161 



The officers of the squadron were, during the period of the visit, most usefully and diligently- 
employed in making hydrographic surveys, and the results are all embodied in the charts which 
form part of the records of the expedition. Boat exercise in the harbor formed also part of the 



% 



£^0 



.e^^^;^ 




Lew Chew Merchant. 



occupation of the several crews ; while the marines were on shore, drilling under the charge of their 
officers. These things indicated that the Commodore was determined to have every department 
in the highest state of discipline, that he might be prepared for any event. 

On Saturday, the 4th of June, the party that had heen sent to explore the interior of the 
island returned in safety, and the result of their labors will be found in the following chapter. 




21 J 



Dr. BGtteIhpiin'3 roBidencp in T ^w ri;«w. 



162 



EXPKDITION TO JAPAN. 



CHAPTER VIII 



REPORT OF AN INLAND EXPLORATION OF GREAT LEW CHEW, BY A PARTY FROM THE SQUADRON, UNDER THE COMMAND OF 

COMMODORE FERRY. 




f!OaERTS.SC 



ONDAY, the 30th of May, says 
the report, was the day fixed 
upon by Commodore Perry 
for our departure. We were 
ordered to cross the island to 
the eastern shore, follow the 
line of coast northward, and 
return throiigh the interior, 
pushing our course as far as 
Itracticable, under our instructions to return within six days. All the 
stores having been procured, and packed in convenient parcels, 
together with portfolios and drawing materials, implements for pre- 
paring birds, &c., we landed about 10 o'clock, and proceeded to the house of the missionary, 
Dr. Bettelheim, which had been chosen as the rendezvous. The authorities had not been 
previously informed of our intention ; and, as it was evident that we should not be allowed to 
advance far without an escort, or espionage of some kind, Dr. Bettelheim sent to request that a 
proper officer should accompany us as guide. After waiting about an hour, and no person 
appearing, we decided to set out, believing that our guide would be forthcoming before we left 
the city. In fact, we had no sooner reached the main street, communicating with the road to 
Sheudi, than a portly personage, with a long white beard, and two younger officers, with black 
beards and swarthy complexions, joined us. A crowd of curious natives had also collected, and 
followed us until we left the city. 

"Each of the men carried a haversack, in addition to his arms, leaving about 120 pounds 
weight of baggage to be divided among the four coolies. The men, Terry and Mitchell, 
marched in advance, the former carrying the flag, while the other men. Smith and Davis, 
remained m the rear of the baggage ; this order was preserved during the whole expedition. 
We had not proceeded half a mile before our coolies showed signs of breaking down under their 
loads, and, even though we might force them to keep up for some time longer, it was evident 
that we could not make much progress without further help ; Mr. Jones, therefore, requested 



EXPLORATION OF LEW CHEW. 163 

tlie portly old officer, who seemed to have special charge over us, to supply us with four more 
coolies, promising that tliey should he jiaid on our return. After waiting half an hour at the 
northern end of the city, four spare young natives cauie uj) witli hamhoo poles, and relieved the 
Chinamen of half their load. We now took the high road to Shcudi, passing the salt creek 
which comes up from the village of Tume, hy a bridge of one arch ; the crowd turned back at 
this point, leaving us about a dozen followers, -svho seemed to be attendants oi* subordinates of 
the princiijal officers. 

Beyond the bridge we passed over a meadow, studded with singular broken rocks, of 
secondary limestone, covered with clumps of pine trees. The road then passed around the base 
of a hill, the front of which was occupied by a temple of massive stone masonry. It was shaded 
with large trees, resembling in foliage the Indian fig or sycamore. Paths, over which the 
hedges of bamboo formed complete arches, ran up the sides of the hill. On our right were 
meadows of bearded rice, a variety which Dr. Lynah declared to be unknown in the southern 
States. The country now became open and undulating, and covered with the richest vegeta- 
tion; not only was all the low land planted with rice, but the hills were in many places 
terraced nearly to the top, and the water carefully conducted from field to field by artificial 
channels. The streams were lined with thick hedges of banana, and the knolls which dotted 
the landscape were crowned with groves of the Lew Chew pine, a beautiful tree, strongly 
resembling the cedar of Lebanon in its flat horizontal layers of foliage ; it is probably a new 
species. There was something in the forms of the landscape which reminded me of the richest 
English scenery, mixed with the superb vegetation of the tropics. The views on each side 
increased in beauty as we approached Sheudi, the capital city of the island, which is scattered 
along the southwest slope of a group of hills. The houses are half buried in foliage, and stretch 
over an extent of a mile, the citadel, or residence of the viceroy, occupying an elevated central 
position. 

The day was dark and cloudy, threatening rain, and fresh wind blew in our faces as we 
climbed the heights. Near the summit we passed through a high wooden gate, upon which 
were inscribed two Chinese characters, signifying "the central hill," or "jalace of authority,") 
and entered the main street of the city, which is broad, handsomely- paved, and lined with high 
walls, behind which, and the foliage of their gardens, the princiiial dwellings are mostly 
concealed. As we reached the gate, the flag was unrolled, and fastened upon the end of a 
musket. A fine grove of old trees, with crooked trunks, gnarled boughs, and thick, dark-green 
foliage, attracted my attention on entering. We had not proceeded fifty paces before the officers 
attending us beckoned to us to enter a doorway on the right side of the street. We made a 
halt, and, leaving men and coolies outside, went in. It proved to be a Cung-qiid, or resting 
place for travellers, or rather for officers of government, since in Lew Chew there are no other 
travellers. The Cumj-qud corresponds very nearly to the Turkish khan, except that, being used 
only by persons of some consideration, it is far more neat and elegant in every respect. The 
house into which we were ushered resembled a private dwelling of the better class. The 
principal apartment was carpeted with very fine soft mats, and surrounded on three sides by an 
open verandah. Adjoining the building were kitchens and out-houses for servants, and in front 
a small yard planted with sago palms and a tree resemliling the Inocmjms. We were politely 
received by a gentleman in a gray robe, who performed the ho-tow towards us in the most 
approved style. Seats were brought, and tea, prepared after the Chinese fashion, served in 



164 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 

small cups. The attendant was directed, by signs, to wait first upon Mr. Jones, who was 
thenceforth recognized as the head of the party. The former served us on his knees, both when 
he offered and when he took away the cups. We remained but a few minutes, and took our 
leave, evidently to the surprise and perjilexity of our conductors, who did not as yet comprehend 
our object. 

On leaving Napha, we had noticed an expression of doubt and anxiety upon the faces of the 
natives, and this rather increased as we proceeded. No remonstrance whatever was made to us, 
but our movements were suspiciously scrutinized. When, therefore, we left the Cung-qua, and, 
instead of returning, took our course directly onward through the city, the faces of our convoy 
became clouded, and an expression of alarm communicated itself to those of the natives whose 
curiosity had attracted them around us. We soon reached the gate of the citadel, at the foot ol 
the massive walls, which, rising through groves of trees, dominate over the city. The gate was 
closed, but had it been open, we should not have presumed to enter. The northern and eastern 
elope of the hill is covered with splendid old trees, divided by winding, shaded avenues, on the 
sides of which many natives were sitting, with fans in their hands. The sun, which shone out 
hot and clear for an instant, chequered this rich, park-like scenery with strong contrasts of light 
and shadow, and down through the depths of the trees illuminated the face of a pool of water, so 
completely covered with the floating leaves of a species of lily as to appear like a patch of green 
sward. We passed around the base of the citadel to its eastern side, and, after some delibera- 
tion, took a paved road which led through the suburbs of the city in an E.S.E. direction. 
Wherever we turned we could see scouts running in advance, and driving the inhabitants away 
from our path, so that a silence and desertion, like that which follows pestilence, took place 
wherever we moved. All with whom we accidentally came in contact saluted us politely, but 
with a settled air of melancholy, which I ascribed to the surveillance exercised over them by an 
unnatural government, rather than any ill-will towards us. 

The northern side of Sheudi is a wilderness of rich vegetation. Tlie appearance of a flourish- 
ing cocoa-palm, now and then, showed that the climate is entirely tropical. The eastern suburb 
of the capital is composed principally of bamboo huts, thatched with rice sti-aw. The inhabi- 
tants were all hidden away out of sight, and blinds of split bamboo let down before the doors. 
We took a road which led along the hills towards the southeast, and after issuing from the 
capital, gained a ridge whence we could see a long line of the western coast, with the squadron 
riding at anchor in the harbor of Napha. From this point the interest of the journey properly 
commenced, as we were entering upon ground which no one before us had ever explored. The 
limit of the excursions made by others was Sheudi, and very few succeeded in entering that capi- 
tal. We were, therefore, greatly enlivened by the prospect before us, and pursued our way with 
more alacrity than comported with the comfort of our disheartened conductors. 

About a mile from Sheudi, the road turned more to the east, and after passing through a 
dense wood, came out upon a hill, whence we caught a glimpse of the sea on the eastern side. 
A temple, apparently erected during the past year, (for it was destitute of either altar or god,) 
stood in the shade of a clump of pines, and as it was now one o'clock we halted for refreshment. 
Some of the natives brought water, while the men picked up sufiicient dead wood to boil our 
kettle, and in the course of time we were regaled with tea and ship's biscuit. We offered the 
former to the ofiicers, but they did not appear to relish it. The Lew Chew coolies, however, ate 
heartily of the biscuit, which they had better earned than our vagabond Chinese. They gave 




< 

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O 
O 
CQ 
S 
•< 
CQ 

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Oh 
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EXPLORATION OF LEW CHEW. 165 

the name of the place as Pino. Mr. Heine took a sketch of it, and astonished the natives, some 
forty or fifty of whom had collected to look at us, by firing at a mark with his rifle. Immediately 
after leaving Pino, whence we started at 3 p. m., the paved road ceased, and the way became 
deep and miry. The soil was a lead-colored, stifi" clay, the disintegration of shale rock, which 
here appeared for the first time. We had not proceeded more than half a mile before we reached 
the dividing ridge or crest of the island, and a magnificent panorama opened below us to the 
eastward. The sea-line of the Pacific formed the horizon, and a spacious sheet of water between 
two headlands which made out from the island led us to suppose that we were lookino- upon 
Barrow's Bay. Between us and the sea lay an amphitheatre of hills, cultivated to their very 
tops and clothed with the greenest verdure. Their sides were carefully terraced, and every 
advantage taken of the inclination of the soil, so as to collect the rains for irrigation. The 
cultivation was quite as patient and thorough as that of China. The picturesque formation of 
the hills gave a great variety of outline to the landscape, which embraced a compass of perhaps 
twenty miles. Towards the west we overlooked all the country we had passed, as far as a 
headland in the northwest, which I took to be Cape Broughton. Mr. Heine took a sketch of the 
view, looking eastward, while I attempted to take the western side. 

Resuming our march, we descended the ridge, which was about 600 feet above the sea-level. 
The clayey path leading down was very wet and slippery, and the coolies fell and rolled over 
several times with the baggage. Passing through gaps between the lower hills, we reached a 
semi-circular plain, nearly two miles in breadth, extending around the head of the bay. On 
either side was a village of thatched huts, buried in trees. The scouts had already been before 
us, and the natives lay concealed in their habitations. The former supposed that we would take 
a road leading to a large village at the head of the bay, but as we turned abruptly to the 
northward, we soon saw them running across the fields to regain the road ahead of us. There 
were a number of villages at the base of the hills, on our left, but so thickly studded with trees 
tliat they were almost concealed from view. I collected a number of plants, one of them a 
species of althasa, with a splendid scarlet blossom. The road which we took led through the rice 
fields and was very deep and muddy. While stopping to rest on a bridge over one of the irrigating 
streams, our old conductor came up with his two assistants, and intimated to us by signs that 
it was time we should return to the ships. The sun would soon set, they said, and we sliould 
have no place to sleep. We replied, (also by signs,) that instead of returning we were going 
northward, and would not reach the ships again for five or six days. They appeared greatly 
surprised at this and a little troubled, since it was part of their duty not to lose sight of 
us. The old fellow, who, in his haste to keep up, had slipped down in the muddy road 
and soiled the hinder part of his robe, laughed heartily at the accident, and finally became 
resigned to the prospect of the long tramp before him. They then pointed to the west, sayino- 
that there was a Cung-qua in that direction, where we could spend the night. Our course 
however, was nearly northeast, and about half past five, having reached a hill oyerlookin"- the 
bay, on the summit of which was an open space surrounded with young pines, we determined to 
encamp there. The people objected to our cutting down the trees, and we made tent poles by 
fastening together the bamboo staves used by the coolies. There was a village on the slope of 
the hill below us, and after some delay, caused by the difficulty of interpreting our wants to the 
native officials, we obtained four fowls, forty eggs, and two bundles of firewood. One of our 
Chinamen, "A-shing," professed to speak the Lew Chew language, but we soon found him as 



166 



EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 



miserably deficient in this as he was in all other useful qualities. His comrade, however, who 
spoke no English, could write Chinese, and the message having been thus communicated and 
written, was finally read by the old Pe-ching. The latter refused to accept either cash or dollars, 
saying that they were of no use to the people whatever, but that everything we needed would be 
furnished us. The Chinese suggested — probably on their own account — that we should pay the 
people in ship's biscuit, but we had scarcely enough for our own wants. It was at length 
decided that we should take what we required and settle for its value with the Pe-ching on our 
return. 

The people were tardy in bringing our firewood, and we were obliged to eat our supper by the 
light of our camp fire. I succeeded in getting a sketch of the bay, while daylight remained. It 
is deep and spacious, and protected by reefs across the mouth, but, judging from the appearance 
of the water, too shallow to be made available for naval purposes. A large village lies at its 
bead, and several fishing junks were at anchor before it. At night the plain sparkled with 
lights, some of them moving to and fro — probably lanterns carried by persons passing from one 
village to another. The officers determined to remain with us at all hazards, and ^i their 




Kxplorcrs. — Lew Chew. — Night Camp. 

command the people brought up bamboo poles and matting, out of which they erected a tempo- 
rary structure beside our tent. They were perfectly good-humored in their demeanor, and 
submitted with great patience to what they could not avoid. Before going to sleep we arranged 
four watches of two hours each, from 9 p. m. until 5 a. m., and the subordinate native policemen 
kindled a fire and kept a counter-watch. We were all somewhat fatigued with our first march 



EXPLORATION OF LEW CHEW. 167 

often miles, bnt the mosquitoes were so terribly annoying that few of us slept more than half an 
hour (lurint;; the whole night. 

Wo rose at dawn, and found the natives already stirring. The morning gave promise of fair 
weather. The Pe-ching and his associates came up and saluted us gravely as soon as we arose. 
It required about two hours to cook and eat breakfast, strike the tent, and pack the baggage for 
carrying. Wlien we were all ready we found eight native coolies on hand, those whom we took 
from Kapha having returned the evening previous. Leaving Camp Perry (as we named the 
spot) we took a path leading up a steep hill to the north. Winding around its brow, we 
descended into a valley, surrounded by abrupt, scarped hills. A stream flowing at the bottom 
of a deep gully, overhung with large banana trees, made its way out of this broad cul-de-sac 
towards the sea. We crossed the valley on the ridges of swampy grass, between the flooded 
rice-fields, and climbed a long and toilsome ridge, by wet, slippery paths, leading up through 
copses of young pine. We had now gained the spinal ridge of the island, and turned north- 
westward, over alternate hills and meadows, along its summit. The wood was principally pine, 
but I observed several new varieties of shrubs, not in flower. Now and then we passed the huts 
of the natives, generally in clusters of two and three, but even in this secluded region notice of 
our coming had reached them, and the inhabitants were hidden. I looked into some, and found 
the interiors to consist of a single room, smoke-blackened, and furnished with the rudest utensils. 
Two of them had a grating of bamboo, raised, like a floor, about six inches above the ground, 
and the thick mats which serve the Lew Chewans as beds were spread upon this. 

Mr. Jones left the camp before us, and we had not yet found him. Coming to a deep, wooded 
gorge, with a stream flowing westward, we discovered that our true course lay further to the 
east, and retraced our steps through the pine woods, and over upland rice-meadows to an open, 
grassy height, whence we saw Mr. Jones, surrounded by a group of natives, about half a mile 
to the south of us. In a shoi't time we again reached the summit ridge, overlooking the bay, 
and enjoyed the view of a superb landscape. The dividing ridge of the island, as we had already 
noticed, is nearest the eastern shore, to which the descent is much more abrupt than on the 
western. The cultivation on this side is also more thorough, and the crops more luxuriant. 
The knees of the mountains below us were feathered with beautiful groves of the Lew Ciiew pine, 
intermingled with terraced fields of grain and vegetables, while the plain below, through its 
whole sweep of fifteen miles, was brown with its harvest of rice. We counted a dozen villages, 
some of them of considerable size, dotting its expanse. To the northward extended a long head- 
land, far beyond what we had supposed to be the extremity of the bay, and projecting from the 
island in a southeasterly direction. It was now plain that we had not yet reached Barrow's 
Bay, of which this headland formed the southern boundary. While halting to rest our coolies, 
in the shade of a clump of pines, Mr. Heine shot a raven, with a beak much broader than the 
European species. There was a very large tomb, of a shape nearly circular, on the northern 
side of the ridge. About two miles further, the road swerving a little to the west, we came upon 
a singular rock, rising high out of a forest of pines. The summit, which was very sharp and 
jagged, was seventy or eighty feet above the crest of the ridge, and being composed of secondary 
limestone, honeycombed by the weather, it was an exceedingly striking and picturesque object. 
While Mr. Heine stopped to sketch it, and Mr. Jones to examine its geology, I climbed to tlie 
summit, which was so sharp as to make it a most uneasy seat. Finding that it was the highest 
peak in that part of the island, commanding a view which embraced a considerable reach of both 



168 



EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 



shores, I ordered the flag to be brought, and unfurled it from the top of the rock, while the men 
fired a salute from the base and hailed it with three hearty cheers. We bestowed upon it the 
name of "Banner Kock." The natives looked on, unable how to understand our proceedings, 




Bauner Kock. 



hut not in the least troubled by them. A little to the north of where we were the island 
narrowed suddenly, between the head of the eastern bay and a deep bight, which makes in on 
the western side, between Cape Broughton and the headland bounding Port Melville on the 
west. I judged its breadth, at this point, to be about four miles, in a straight line. To the 
southwest I could see the position of Sheudi, eight or ten miles distant. The landscape was 
rich and varied, all the hills being coated with groves of pine. We found on the rock the 
"Wax plant" of our greenhouses, in full bloom, the splendid scarlet Altluea, and a variety of 
the Malva, with a large yellow blossom. 

Continuing our march along the summit ridge, we came gradually upon a wilder and more 
broken region. Huge fragments of the same dark limestone rock overhung our path, or lay 
tumbled along the slopes below us, as if hurled there by some violent natural convulsion. As 
the hill curved eastward, we saw on its southern side a series of immense square masses, 
separated by deep fissures, reaching down the side nearly to its base. They were apparently 
fifty feet high, and at least a hundred feet square, and their tops were covered with a thick 
growth of trees and shrubbery. In the absence of any traces of volcanic action, it is difiicult to 
conceive how these detached masses were distributed with such regularity, and carried to such a 
distance from their original place. The eastern front of the crags under which we passed was 



EXPLORATION OF LEW CHEW. 



169 



studded with tombs, some of them built against the rock and whitewashed, like the tombs of 
the present inhabitants, but others excavated within it, and evidently of great age. Looking 







Tombs in Lew Chew. 



down upon the bay it was easy to see that the greater part of it was shallow, and in some places 
the little fishing junks could not approach within half a mile of the shore. The rice-fields were 
brought square down to the water's edge, which was banked up to prevent the tide from over- 
flowing them, and I noticed many triangular stone dykes, stretching some distance into the 
water, and no doubt intended as weirs for fish. 

In less than an hour after leaving Banner Rock we were surprised by the discovery of an 
ancient fortress, occupying a commanding position upon the summit of one of the spurs of the 
central ridge. Its outline was irregular, but with a general direction from northeast to south- 
west; and while some parts of it were in perfect preservation, other portions were overgrown 
with vines and shrubbery, and hardly to be distinguished from the natural rock upon which it 
was based. Passing through an arched gateway, the road led to a terrace, overgrown with trees, 
upon which stood a structure of masonry resembling a cenotaph. A flight of stone steps con- 
ducted us to another gateway, after passing which, and a spacious vestibule, we entered the 
interior of the fortress. The space was occupied by a luxuriant grove of trees, and at the further 
end was a private dwelling of respectable appearance. Our Pe-ching was already there, and 
the master (whom our Chinese coolies designated the "Japanese Consul") respectfully invited 
us to enter. The day was oppressively hot, and we found two or three cups of Lew Chew tea an 
agreeable refreshment. Returning to the terrace, at the base of the outer wall, we halted in the 
22 J 



170 



EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 



shade to allow the men their mid-day rest and meal. A flight of steep steps, cut in the rock, 
led downward on the northern side to a grotto under the foundation of the castle, at the bottom 
of which was a pool of cold, sweet water. The place was completely overhung by dense foliage, 
and inaccessible to the beams of the sun. 

While our meal was preparing, Mr. Jones traced out a rough plan of the fortress, and the 
men took measurements. The following are its dimensions, ascertained with tolerable accuracy: 




Length 



GrouDd'Plan of Nagagusko. 



_..--------- 235 paces. 

Breadth - - - - TO " 

Thickness of walls at bottom - - - - 6 to 12" 

Thickness of walls at top ---------- 12 feet. 

Greatest height of outer wall, measuring along the slope - - - - - 66 " 

Height of wall, from inside ---------- 12" 

Angle of outer wall ----------- 60 



EXPLORATION OF LEW CHEW. 



lYl 



The material was limestone, and the masonry of admirable construction. The stones, some 
of which were cubes of four feet square, were so carefully hewn and jointed that tlie absence of 
any mortar or cement did not seem to impair the durability of the work. There were two 
remarkable points about the work. The arches were double, tlie lower course being formed of 




^-^^^tyrlTr'J'o 



NagagusUo — Interior. 



two stones hewn into almost a parabolic curve, and meeting in the centre, over which was 
regular Egyptian arch, with its key-stone, as represented in the annexed outline, No. 1. 



the 







The other peculiarity was, that in jjlace of bastions, 
there were square projections of masonry, presenting a 
concave front, (No. 2,) which would catcliand concen- 
trate the force of a cannon ball, rather than ward it 
off. But this fortress must have been erected many 
centuries before the use of fire-arms of any kind could 
have been known to the Lew Chewans. Our Chinese 
pretended to give the name of the place as Ching-King, 
which arc Chinese words, signifying the chief or capital 
citadel. 



172 



EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 



We resumed our march at half past one o'clock. The old Pe-ching, "Chang- Yuen," who 
had hecome a little fatigued by this time, took a ka-goo, or Lew Chew chair, and followed in 
our rear, leaving the particular charge of us to his subordinates. The scouts were sent ahead, 
as usual, for our path descended again to the populous plain at the base of the hills. We 
already perceived indications of a fixed system in the espionage to which we were subjected. 




Rums of N-igagusko — North. 

Chang- Yuen and his two secondary officers were depiited to accompany us during the whole 
journey, while their dozen or more attendants and helpers were changed as we passed from one 
district of the island into another. Nothing could exceed the vigilance with which they watched 
us. We might separate into as many divisions as there were men, and yet each of us would still 
retain his native convoy. We could neither tire them down, nor run away from them. When, 
by chance, we suddenly changed our course, we still found them before us. And though this 
was the result of a jealous and exclusive system, yet they managed to give it the appearance of 
being done through respect for us. 

I was curious to obtain some information regarding the domestic life of the natives^ and 
frequently entered their huts unawares, in the hope of finding them at their avocations within. 
In most cases I found the huts deserted, but in some others caught the merest glimpses of Lew Chew 
life, in its more humble aspects. Near the castle^ while our convoy was passing around a village, 
I slipped into one of the alleys and entered a bamboo enclosure, within which were five neat 
dwellings. The mats were let down before the doors, but the people were all hidden behind 
screens and in lofts under the thatch, for on looking in I found no one but a child and an old 




r_j> 






isT"'*^ 



EXPLORATION OF LEW CHEW. 17 

man, wlao immediately knelt down and knocked his forehead on the floor before me. In another 
hilt, in a village on the plain, I found an old woman and a girl of about twelve years of age, 
both of whom fell on their knees, and held up their hands with an expression which was at once 
imploring and reverential. A few words of friendly greeting, though in English, encouraged 
them, and I should no doubt have been able to inspect the interior of the hut, had not one of 
the spies come up at that moment and driven them away. 

In the rich rice plains to which we descended we found sugar-cane for the first time, sorghum, 
or millet, and three varieties of the grain known in the United States as "broom-corn." The 
road struck out into the swampy rice fields, and we made for a green headland covered with 
pines. A village, almost completely buried in bowers and arcades of bamboo, lay at its foot. 
As we were about entering, we came upon two curious stones planted in the earth. The largest 
was about four feet high, and from its peculiar form struck me at once as a lingam, or emblem 
of the Phallic worship. The same idea occurred to Mr. Heine, who made a sketch of it. It was 
a very hard, dark-colored stone, resembling porphyry, and the only thing we could learn from 
the natives respecting it was, that they called it " ishee." There is no trace of this feature of 
the Hindoo religion existing either in Japan, China, or Lew Chew. The discovery of this 
stone, if it should prove to be a Phallic emblem, is therefore exceedingly curious. In the course 
of the afternoon we found two more, one of which was prostrate and broken. In conjunction 
with these remains, the face of the hill behind, for a distance of two miles, is almost entirely 
covered with excavated tombs, resembling the simpler forms of the rock tombs of Egypt and 
Syria. Our native conductors, when interrogated respecting them, called them " the houses of 
the devil's men," and seemed amused at our taking notice of them. This fact, in a country 
where ancestral tombs are considered sacred, as among the Chinese, seems to point to the 
existence of another race on the island, in ancient times — a race who may have received the 
worship of the Lingam from Java, or other islands where memorials of it exist. 

After an unavailing attempt to sh"oot a couple of herons in a rice field, we kept a course nearly 
due north, passing through several beautiful villages. The houses were surrounded with 
banana trees, and the alleys completely overarched with bamboo. In one of the houses I found 
a woman weaving grass-cloth, in a loom of primitive construction. She ceased from work as I 
approached the door, but commenced again, in obedience to my gestures. The shuttle was a 
little longer than the breadth of the stuff, and thrown by hand. At the foot of the hill Dr. 
Lynah found a piece of lignite, which resembles coal, but is unfortunately no indication of its 
presence. We had a long and toilsome ascent up a barren hill which brought us again upon a 
cultivated upland. There were three or four cattle grazing here, the first we had noticed since 
leaving Napha. We saw a horse now and then, but this animal appeared to be scarce. The 
dividing ridge between the bays was about three miles in advance, and though the afternoon 
was nigh spent, and the whole party was considerably fatigued, we determined to get sight of 
Barrow's Bay before encamping. At last we reached a large village on the western slope of the 
ridge. It was surrounded with plantations of banana^ and a tall pine grove towered over it. 
Through a deep road gate, cut in the crest of the hill, a fine picture of Barrow's Bay and the 
mountains beyond presented itself to our view. The southern shore of the bay was about three 
miles distant, and a singular range of rocks, rising in detached square masses like the walls and 
towers of a ruined city, intervened. The landscape was more richly wooded than those on the 
southern bay, and the outlines of the hills were rounder and more gently undulating. We 



174 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 

seemed to have reached a region of a different geological character. We were ahout to pitch 
our tent at this place, when the native officers gave us to understand that there was a Cung-qud 
a short distance further, and urged us so strongly to go on that we shouldered our muskets and 
haversacks and started again. But we had a rough tramp of nearly three miles further, and 
finally came, with bruised feet and aching shoulders, upon tlie last descent to Barrow's Bay. 
Picturesque crags studded the hillside, and a large village, completely covered with thickets of 
hanana and hamhoo, lay before us. Over it towered a tall crag, rent through the centre and 
surmounted with a square rock, like a ruined tower. We threaded the village by shaded alleys, 
and at the further end, on a spot commanding a fine view of the bay, found a handsome Cung-qud, 
in an enclosure planted with trees. A dignitary of some kind welcomed us, and we were at 
once served with small cups of excellent tea. The soft, thick mats, the shelter and comfort of 
the building, were well worth tlie fatigue of our forced marcli. Fresh water in earthen jars, 
with a square wooden ladle floating on the top, stood ready for us, and there was a kitchen in 
the rear where our men could cook conveniently. The Pe-ching came in after sunset and greeted 
us with much cordiality. Eggs and fowls were immediately furnished, and, as at our former 
camp, all payment was refused. The utmost curiosity appeared to prevail in the village 
respecting us, and, as it grew dark, the circle of heads peering over the wall enclosins the 
Cung-qua increased rapidly, till there could not have been less than two or three hundred. Fires 
were kindled all around us, and the ruddy glow thrown up by them and by the torches carried 
back and forth flickered brilliantly over the dusky foliage of the trees. 

A watch was set as before, and the mosquitoes being less annoying we all enjoyed a tolerable 
rest. The Chinamen were, or feigned to be, completely spent, and for the greater part of the 
day the baggage had been carried by Lew Chew coolies. The patience, good humor, and 
endurance of the latter, quite put to shame the worthless and deceitful creatures whom we had 
been indiscreet enough to bring 4vitli us. The natives kept their counter-watch, and on rising 
before sunrise the next morning, we found that fifty or sixty of them had passed the night at 
their camp fires. The object of the officers in having a watch kept seemed to be both to prevent 
any of us from stealing a march upon them during the night, and to hinder any of the natives 
from annoying us. 

Mr. Jones made application for a boat to carry us across the bay, but there was none to be 
Lad. The name of the village to which the Cung-qua belonged was "Missikya." We set our 
little file in motion and proceeded, by a pleasant path, over level land, a mile or two inland. 
The cultivation was thorough, but confined mostly to beans and sweet potatoes. The villages 
were so hidden away behind their alleys of tall, arched bamboo that the police scouts had little 
need to precede us. A native guide ran ahead ; but as he constantly took the left-hand road, 
leading into the middle of the island, evidently with a view of conducting us back to Sheudi, we 
finally halted at the foot of an isolated hill, covered with wood, and held a consultation. The 
wild mountain-range north of Barrow's Bay now appeared on our right, and it was plain that 
our course was leading us away from the head of the bay, which we desired to reacli. We, 
therefore, turned, in spite of the protestations of the guide and the native officers, and passed 
around the eastern brow of the hill, whereon we found two grottoes of soft limestone rock. The 
scenery here was a charming mixture of pine forest and cultivated field ; and both in its features 
and its prevailing hue of dark-green resembled the landscapes of southern Germany. 

In the bottom of the valley was a stream lined with bristling ranks of the pandanus, or false 



EXPLORATION OF LEW CHEW. 175 

pine apple. We were obliged to pull off our Loots and wade. We here found a shrub with 
sraall white blossoms and bright-green milky leaves ; another with yellow berries of a powerful 
aromatic taste ; and a liliaceous plant, with a racine of flowers resembling those of the snap- 
dragon, but white in hue, with a fringed lip of the richest orange. At one of the villages on 
the plain I noticed tlie plum and the orange, and a new variety of the banyan, with very small 
glossy leaves. Beyond the stream we struck into fragrant pine woods, and finally into a dense 
forest, where the path was still wet and slippery from the rains, and the branches, meeting 
overhead, made a perpetual shade. There were few flowers, and still fewer birds, in this 
wilderness. In fact, the scarcity of birds all over the island, considering that they are not 
destroyed by the natives, is rather singular. The day was very clear and hot, and the trees, 
while they shaded us, quite shut off the sea breeze. The foliage was almost tropical, consisting 
of dense glossy-leaved shrubs and luxuriant ferns, overtopped by woods of pine. Smaller paths 
branched off here and there to the distant huts of the woodmen. After ascending for more than 
two miles, we crossed a ridge and the path became gradually more open, exposing a view to the 
west, over high hills, covered entirely with copscwood and patches of pine forest. The country 
resembled the wild lands of America. There were swamps in the hollows, and we began to 
look out for the wild boars which are said to exist in this part of the island. Catching anotlier 
view to the eastward, we found ourselves near the head of Barrow's Bay, and after a half hour's 
halt, to rest the coolies, set out again. Our official escort came up during the halt, much 
fatigued, but as cordial and good humored as ever. Indeed, considering that all their trouble and 
fatigue were caused by ourselves, we had every reason to admire the unshaken patience with 
which they submitted to our ajiparently wayward course. 

Crossing another hill, we passed down broad, well-trodden paths, shaded by magnificent 
arches of foliage, through a neat village. The houses were larger than usual, and there was an 
aspect of greater wealth. Among the trees was one fifteen feet high, covered with cream-colored 
blossoms, which exhaled the fragrance of nutmeg. An avenue of pines led /lown from this 
lovely spot to a narrow plain at the head of Barrow's Bay. The rice growing in these parts 
was very scanty and not yet in head. A large village, buried in trees, extended for half a mile 
inland from the sea shore. We took a path leading down to the beach ; but Mr. Jones, who 
was in advance, entered the village, where he was very courteously received and twice presented 
with tea and pipes. The exhibition of his watch^ and a pocket microscope, excited the 
unbounded wonder of the natives. The village was named "Isitza." 

We forded a salt creek and pitched our noonday camp on a piny knoll, at the foot of the hills. 
As Mr. Jones had not arrived, we fastened our flag to the top of a tree and fired signals. I 
took a bath in the sea, with the men, while our kettle was boiling. The water was excessively 
saline, and the fine white particles of salt covered my face like dust as it became dry. At this 
point Mr. Jones found a stratum of gneiss, for the first time, at the water's edge. Our native 
friends drank three cups of our tea and asked for some biscuits, which they seemed to relish. 
Before starting again we had a talk with them about the route. We wished to reach a point on 
the coast north of Barrow's Bay, marked as "Kaneja" on our copy of the Japanese chart of 
Lew Chew. The officers did not seem to recognize any such place, though they spoke of 
"Kannah," where there was a Cung-qua, 30 U, or ten miles distant, and we decided to reach 
it, if possible. 

We left at half-past one, taking one of the natives as a guide. The path followed the line ot 



176 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 

the bay, and we walked, for two hours, in deep sand and crushqd shells, around curve and head- 
land. It was very toilsome work, especially as the glare of the sand struck directly in our 
faces. The beach was narrow and bordered with thick hedges of the pandanus, the fruit of 
which resembles that of the pine apple. The mountains on our left were wild and uncultivated. 
There were occasional paths striking up their sides ; but, although the compass told us that the 
shore-path led us out of our true course, the guide refused to take any of them. At the end of 
two hours we reached a large village, where the guide, who had followed us from "Isitza," 
levied a substitute and turned back. A two-masted junk, of thirty or forty tons burden, lay at 
anchor in a cove near this place. We were now approaching the northern extremity of Barrow's 
Bay, and had a full view of the long headland south of it, and the four islands which lie, like a 
breakwater, across its mouth. The bay appeared to be extremely shallow, except near the 
entrance ; and I doubt whether it would be of much value, as a harbor, for shij^ping of large size. 
The path, finally, turned off to the north, up a steep hill, which brought us upon a rolling 
upland, covered with abundance of wood. The mountains we had passed exhibited an outline 
similar to the Catskills, and there was nothing in the scenery to remind us of the vicinity of the 
tropics. We i^resently entered a fine, broad avenue of pines, at the extremity of which appeared 
a handsome house, with a tiled roof. Our native conductors passed on into some bamboo arches, 
which denoted a village beyond ; but I slipped suddenly into the open entrance and found a 
spacious house in the midst of a garden, with a small Buddhist temple beside it. Quick as my 
motions had been, the mats were already let down before all the doors, and nobody was to be 
seen. Before the house was a plant about ten feet high^ with large scarlet panicles of flowers. 
I had barely time to break off a cluster when one of our officers came hurrying up and urged 
me, by signs and words, to leave, saying that the Bunyo, or Governor, as he designated Mr. 
Jones, had gone on. I, therefore, followed him through the village to a Cung-qua, which was 
larger and finer than any we had yet seen. It was like an elegant jjrivate residence; having a 
garden, enclosed by a squarO;, clipped hedge of jessamine, and a separate establishment for 
servants and attendants. There were rows of chrysanthemums (a flower much esteemed by the 
Japanese) and two peach trees in the garden, besides a stout camellia, clipped into a fanciful 
shape. We installed ourselves in the chief apartment, on the soft matting, while the Pe-ching 
and his train took the other building. The only supplies we could procure were raw salt fish and 
sweet potatoes, with some roots of a native onion, pickled in salt. Neither fowls nor eggs could 
be found. The natives gave the name of the village as "Ching," which, being a Chinese word, 
is evidently incorrect ; but we could get no other. The paper screens between the rooms were 
removed on our arrival, tea was brought in_, and the natives busied themselves to make us com- 
fortable; but the same unrelaxing espionage, as at "Missikya," was kept up through the whole 
night. Again camp-fires were kindled and guards posted around us, while crowds of curious 
natives peeped from behind the bushes and walls to gratify their desire of seeing us. Mr. 
Heine, who had the first watch, went out to the camp fire, showed the people his watch, and 
other curiosities, and soon had a large crowd of villagers gathered about him ; but one of the 
officers making his appearance, a single word of command scattered them in all directions, and 
they did not return again. In the evening I offered a handful of cash to one of the boys who 
had accompanied us from Napha. He refused it very earnestly, as there were two other boys 
standing near ; but, watching an opportunity, when he was alone, I offered it again, when he 
immediately accepted it, with gestures expressive of his thanks. 




i^^_ 



EXPLORATION OF LEW CHEW. 177 

The Pe-cliing, who had fallen in the rear, came up after dark, and immediately sought us, to 
make his salutations. "We found that he and his associates had been keeping a journal of our 
proceedings, and had already filled a roll of paper several yards in length with their remarks. 
We had but few mosquitoes, and slept so well that I had some difficulty in rising for tbe 
mid- watch. After much search, two tough old hens were found for our breakfast, which we 
ate under the scrutiny of an hundred eyes, continually peering at us over walls, or popping out 
from behind bushes. Whenever we noticed any of them the heads disap})eared, but they 
returned again as soon as our gaze was removed. 

We were now commencing our fourth day, and it was time to think of turning back shortly. 
After some consultation, it was determined to follow the coast for a short distance further, then 
strike across the island in the direction of Port Melville, and reach in the evening a point on 
the western shore corresponding to the latitude of our present camp. On starting, the native 
officers were very urgent in requesting us to take a road leading westward. We kept, however, 
a course nearly due north, and soon reached a hill, whence there was an excellent view of the 
country on all sides. The northern headland of Barrow's Bay lay behind us. The general 
direction of the coast in advance was N.E., stretching away to a distant promontory. A si)inal 
ridge of mountains, covered with a wilderness of forests, ran parallel with the coast, leaving a 
narrow strip of cultivated land next the sea. A column of smoke ascended from one of the 
northern peaks, which we judged (and rightly, as it afterwards proved) to be a fire in the 
woods. 

Mr. Jones decided to make for a gorge between two peaks, about six miles distant, and 
rather to the east of north. We crossed a deep valley, with a salt creek at its bottom, and, 
after following the coast for some time, took a road which, after ascending a long barren ridge, 
plunged into the woods. The further we advanced, the more dense became the wilderness. 
The only jjersons we met were woodmen, whom we saw occasionally felling trees with their 
rude axes. The path was narrow, wet, and slippery, and for two or three miles a continual 
ascent. At length we reached a conical peak covered with trees. The ascent was very difficult, 
and I halted with the coolies at the base, while Mr. Jones, Dr. Lynah, and Mr. Heine, went up 
to obtain a view. By climbing the trees and cutting away some of the limbs, they opened 
epace for a grand central panorama of the island, which Mr. Heine set about sketching from the 
tree-top. The path, which by this time had dwindled almost out of sight, passed directly over 
the summit. We found the ascent like a staircase, and were obliged to use hands and feet to 
reach the top. The Lew Chew coolies who carried our baggage made their way up with great 
difficulty. As we were all suffering from thirst, I started in advance, with the seaman Mitchell, 
tbe Chinamen, and the coolies. The path, which was now a faint woodman's trail^ did not 
appear to have been travelled for months. It was shut in by a species of small bamboo, so 
dense as almost to exclude light, and a large, red, hairy spider had woven innumerable webs 
across it. Now ascending, now descending, we pushed ourselves or crept through the almost 
impervious copse wood, for nearly two miles, till the path became more open, and a partial 
look-out to the westward showed us the China sea. On the side of the nearest peak to the 
northward, we distinctly saw the woods on fire and a bare space of about ten acres studded with 
charred trunks. The descent was very slippery, but becoming more and more open, I at length 
recognized our position. We were approaching the head of the deep bight south of Port 
Melville, and separated from it by an arm of the island, which stretches out to the northwest, 
23 J 



178 



EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 



at right angles to the main body. The curious peaked island called the "Sugar Loaf," off the 
point of this promontory, was in view before us. The western slope of the island at this point 
is covered almost entirely with forests, the cultivation being confined to the bottoms of valleys 
and ravines opening upon the sea. 

The path led across the top of a narrow ledge about a yard wide, with chasms more than a 
hundred feet deep on each side, and then dropped to the bottom of the glen, where we found a 
stream of deliciously cool and sweet water. We all drank to excess, and then climbed a little 
ridge beyond, where the air blew fresh, and sat down to await the rest of the party. Mr. 
Jones found granite of fine quality in the ravine, and we afterwards met with another broad 
stratum in a rocky gateway further below. Our only path made for a village on the shore, 
whither we repaired for our mid-day halt. The houses were lined with luxuriant bananas, in 
blossom, and the lanes between them hedged with the glossy inocarpus, forming walls of foliage 
twenty feet in height, outside of which were neat wicker fences of split bamboo. Near the 
village were three structures raised upon timber frames, and covered with thatched roofs 




Valley and Rice Houses. 

They appeared to he storehouses, elevated in this manner to preserve the grain from the 
moisture of the earth. Beneath them were wooden platforms, oifering us shade and convenience 
for our halt. The people brought us sweet potatoes, a small pan of salt fish, and a pumpkin, 
which was all they could supjily. Even these w*e refused us until the arrival of the Pe-ching^ 
to whose authority all the others deferred. The rapidity of our march had left him in the rear, 



EXPLORATION OF LEW CHEW. 179 

but he came up after an hour, and set himself to work with great good humor to supply our 
wants. In order to shield themselves from the heat of the sun, some of his attendants had tied 
hanana leaves around their heads, and they all complained of fatigue. 

We left Ny-komma, as the village was called, about half past two. At this, the most 
northern point we reached, we could not have been more than eight or nine miles distant from 
Port Melville. The intervening land was low, and another day would have enabled us to 
reach the head of that harbor. The native officials explained to us by signs, and by tracing 
lines on the sand, that the I'oad to Sheudi lay along the beach, and that there was a Cung-qua 
about 20 li distant. We tramped along sandy beaches and over stony headlands, following the 
general course of the shore, and never diverging far from it. The bay, or bight, marked with 
numerous abrupt indentations, presented some fine bold outlines of shore. Off the taany 
inferiol' promontories lay rocky islets, covered with rich vegetation. The wooded mountains on 
our left were the same which we had skirted the day previous on the northern side of Barrow's 
Bay. The lower slopes on this side were partially cultivated, but the principal thoroughfare of 
the island, which we were following, kept near the sea, and often ran for half a mile through 
deep sand and shells. The scenery was extremely picturesque, reminding me of the coast of 
Sicily. Inside of the Sugar Loaf we espied two small boats, with lug-sails of white canvass, 
which the men declared were our ship's boats; but this has since proved to be a mistake. 

Notwithstanding the sultry heat of the afternoon, the Lew Chew coolies kept pace with us, 
under their heavy loads, while our lazy and complaining Chinamen lagged behind. These 
coolies were mostly boys, from twelve to sixteen years of age. I noticed as a curious fact that, 
in spite of the heavy loads they carried, and the rough by-ways we frequently obliged them to 
take, they never perspired in the least, nor partook of a drop of water, even in the greatest 
heat. They were models of cheerfulness, alacrity, and endurance, alwaj's in readiness, and 
never, by look or word, evincing the least dissatisfaction. Our official conductors drank but 
two or three times of water during the whole journey. Tea appears to be the universal 
beverage of refreshment. It was always brought to us whenever we halted, and frequently 
offered to Mr. Jones, as the head of the party, in passing through villages. Once, at an 
humble fisherman's village, when we asked for mid, which signifies cold water, they brought 
us a pot of hot water, which they call yii, and were much sui-prised when we refused to drink it. 

After a march of ten miles along the picturesque shore, we reached one of the loveliest spots 
on the island. It was a village perched on a bold promontory, overgrown with the pine, banyan 
and sago palm, at the mouth of a charming valley which opened up between the hills to the 
base of the lofty peak behind Barrow's Bay. A stream of sweet water threaded the valley, which 
was covered with the freshest verdure, and overhung with beautiful groves of pine. It was a 
picture of pastoral loveliness, such as is rarely found in any country. Nothing struck me more 
during the journey than the great variety of scenery which the island encloses in its narrow 
compass. We passed through, at least, four different districts, which bore but the slightest 
resemblance to each other, either in features or character. We had both the o-roves of the 
tropics and the wild woods of the north ; the valleys of Germany and the warm shores of the 
Mediterranean. 

The village was large, thriving, and as neatly laid out and hedged in as an English garden. 
The scrupulous neatness and regularity of the Lew Chew villages was doubly refreshing to one 
familiar with the squalor and filth of China. The sight of the Cung-qua, which occupied the 



180 



EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 



place of honor at the top of the promontory, completed our raptures. Its roof of red tiles 
glittered in the sun; a row of feathery sago palms threw their brilliant leaves over the wall of 
the enclosure ; the whitest and softest of mats covered the floor ; the garden blazed with a 
profusion of scarlet flowers; and stone basins, seated on pedestals, contained fresh water for our 
use. Its aspect of comfort and repose was a balm to travellers as weary as ourselves, and I 
directed Terry at once to hoist the stars and stripes upon the roof. I hastened back to make a 
sketch of the beautiful valley before sunset, while Mr. Heine occupied himself with a view of the 
Cung-qua. A venerable old man, with a snowy beard reaching nearly to his knees, approached 
the bank where I sat, but upon noticing me, made a profound yet dignified reverence and retired. 
The village was named Un-na. We had not yet reached the region of fowls, but the people 
sent us two small fresh fish, witli a pumpkin and some cucumbers. Our own stores were quite 
low, both sugar and pork having been exhausted, so that we had nothing left but tea, coffee and 
ship biscuit. 




Kung-Kwa near On-na, Lew Chew. 

The natives kindleil a fire inside the grounds of tlie Cung-qua, and half a dozen of them sat 
around it all night. The morning was dull, and a cap of mist on the moiintain threatened rain. 
A bath in the sea before sunrise refreshed us for the day's march. For our breakfast, there were 
sent two long, eel-like fish, resembling the gar, a few young egg-plants, two gourds and a 
basket of sweet potatoes. So much time was occupied in cooking and consuming these delicacies, 
that we did not get under way before 8 o'clock. Another consultation was held with our 
attendants, who declared that Sheudi was 00 /)' distant, and that it would require three days for 



EXPLORATION OF LEW CHEW. 181 

US to reacli Naplia; this did not correspond with our own ideas of oiir position, and we deter- 
mined to attempt reaching Napha the next evening', as we had been ordered. 

We passed through the village of Uii-fla, and over the headland to a deep hay. The tide was 
running out, and instead of wading through the sand around its entire curve, we made a straight 
line for the opposite shore, tramping through water two or three inches deep over beds of 
decomposing coral. We had proceeded along the shore for an hour and a half, when A-shing, 
one of the Chinese coolies, fell sick in consequence, as it afterwards appeared, of drinking 
sackee, and eating green peaches. His load was given to the Lew Chew coolies, and he obtained 
a temporary relief by punching his throat, in three places, so violently as to produce an extra- 
vasation of blood. Counter irritation is the usual Chinese remedy for all ailments, and it is 
frequently very efficacious. We were near a fishing village, and Mr. Jones endeavored to obtain 
a canoe, in which to send both our Chinamen back to the vessel. The Pe-ching begged him to 
give up the idea, since one of the native officers would be obliged to accompany them, and they 
all feared to trust themselves in the frail craft. They brought a Jcagoo, or rude sedan, in which 
they offered to have the man conveyed to Napha, but he was better by this time and declared 
himself able to proceed on foot. The officers expressed the greatest satisfaction when they found 
that none of them would be required to return in the canoe. 

In the meantime the rest of us had pushed forward with the baggage. The morning was 
very hot, the glare from the white beach-sand struck in our faces^ and we began to tire of an 
endless tramp around cove after cove, and headland after headland. We were now^ as we 
calculated, opposite the head of Barrow's Bay, and Sheudi was almost in a due southerly direc- 
tion ; yet the road still clung to the coast, as if intent on carrying us to the extreme point of 
Cape Broughton, thus greatly lengthening our journey, besides which, our orders were to return 
through the centre of the island. In answer to all our inquiries, the native officers and guides 
pointed along the shore, and were extremely anxious to prevent our taking any inland paths. 
This excited our suspicion, and we imagined their object to be to prevent our seeing the interior. 
Finally, coming to a well-trodden path, which struck off up the hills, we shut our ears to all 
remonstrance and took it. In a short time it brought us to a handsome village, shaded not 
only with bamboo, but with splendid banyan trees. Beyond it there was a deep ravine, with a 
faintly marked foot-path leading to some svater at the bottom. Again the natives entreated us 
to take a path which plainly led to the shore. They pointed to the gorge, crying "mizi," 
intimating that the path went no further than the water. Nevertheless, seeing traces of a path 
on the opposite side, we descended, followed by the unwilling officers and coolies. The pool of 
water which supplied the village was shaded by the largest pines I saw on the island. They 
were 70 or 80 feet in height, whereas the average is not more than 40 feet. 

Our suspicions did injustice to the natives, for we soon found that they had our convenience 
in view. Our path struck into a side-branch of the ravine, which, though not more than twenty 
feet wide, was a rice-swamp at the bottom. The sides were nearly perpendicular walls of earth 
and loose rocks, so that we were obliged to plunge up to the knees in mud. One of the men, 
Smith, sank so deep that it required the strength of three natives to extricate him. When, at 
last we reached the top of the hill, we found it covered with waste thickets, and no path to be 
seen except one on an opposite height, which we reached with some trouble. The path, an old 
and unused one, led us back to the beach, which it now seemed impossible to leave. The coolies, 
who had had a hard tug to get through the rice-swamp, took the whole matter very good 
humeredly, and the officers laughed, as I thought, with a sort of malicious pleasure at our dis- 



182 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 

comfiture. The walk over tlae white sand was doubly fatiguing after this, and on the arrival of 
Mr. Jones we determined again to make for the interior, especially as we had reached the head 
of the last cove, whence the coast appeared to run almost due westwardly to Cape Broughton. 

Mr. Jones and Dr. Lynah, with the men Davis and Smith, took a foot-path leading southward 
into the mountains, and after proceeding a little further along the coast I followed them with 
the seaman Mitchell. Mr. Heine, with Terry and the Lew Chew coolies, still kept the shore. 
We (Mitchell and I) reached with great difficulty the path taken by the first party. It ascended 
steeply through pine forests, alternating with dense copsewood, for about two miles, till we 
gained the summit of the ridge. The whole expanse of Barrow's Bay came full into view to the 
eastward, while to the south we looked beyond the promontory we had been doubling so tediously, 
and saw the same deep cove we had beheld three days before from the top of Banner Eock. But 
all the interior of the island was still a wilderness, and for ten miles in advance stretched an 
unbroken forest. Our path did not appear to have been much travelled — other small paths 
branched from it, but the party in advance had broken off boughs and left them as guides for us. 
I was much spent with the heat and the exertion of climbing so rapidly, and after drinking out 
of a muddy hole filled with leaves, felt an attack of mingled heat and cold, with an oppression 
of the heart, which took away all my strength. We saw the other party on the top of a high 
peak ahead of us. The path crossed a ledge as narrow as a wall, with deep gulfs on each side, 
and then ascended a rocky ladder, the steepness of which took away what little strength I had 
remaining — I was obliged to lie down for some time before I could proceed further. A rain- 
cloud coming up rapidly over Barrow's Bay admonished us to leave our lofty look-out. The path 
kept on southward through miles of wilderness, but the natives who had accompanied us pointed 
to another^ which led back almost the way we came, and which they said would bring us to a 
Cung-qua. As there were no signs of the baggage, we were thus under the necessity of retracing 
our steps almost to the shore. On our way we passed through a singular gorge, which was 
closed up, in its narrowest part, by fragments hurled from above by some convulsion of nature. 
The stream flowing at the bottom disappeared for about fifty yards, when it again issued to the 
light through a cavernous opening. 

A rain now came on^ which continued for two or three hours, and made the road slippery and 
toilsome. We passed through a village, romantically situated in a wooded glen, and over 
uplands, covered with groves of pine^ the path gradually swerving to the south, till it finally 
struck directly across th : promontory. A great part of the way was a waste of wild thickets, 
with marshy hollows between the hills. We saw, several times, the tracks of wild boar, which 
the natives assured us were abundant ; but we were not so fortunate as to get a sight of one. 
There were no traces of our baggage until we found the Pe-ching, and two other natives, 
crouching under a bush to keep out of the rain and smoking their pipes. Finally, about half- 
past two, we heard the report of fire-arms, and soon after reached the Cung-qua of "Ohanda- 
kosa," where M. Heine and the coolies had already been waiting some time for us. We were 
uncertain whether the building was a lonafide Cung-qua or the residence of a hunyo, or officer, 
for it was occupied, when Mr. Heine arrived, by a personage of some kind with his attendants, 
but immediately given up for our use. There was a crowd of at least a hundred natives collected 
within the enclosure and looking on, with great astonishment, while Mr. Heine fired at a mark. 
What seemed most to interest them, next to the accuracy of his aim, was the fact of the piece 
exploding without the application of fire, (nothing but Japanese matchlocks ever being seen on 
the island,) and its being loaded at the breech. They appeared familiar with the nature of 






> 

CD 

CO 



c^ 







EXPLORATION OF LEW CUEW. 183 

gunpowder, and tlie use of our cutlasses ; but during our journey we never saw a single weapon 
of any kind. There is said to be a small garrison of Japanese soldiers, both at Kapha and 
Sheudi ; but^ if so, they were carefully kept out of the way. 

The Pe-ching, who soon afterwards came up, informed us that we had come 30 li, and that 
Sheudi was still 60 li distant, and we could not reach it on the following day. Learning, 
however, that there was another Cung-qua. 20 U further, we decided to rest an hour or two, and 
push on to it the same evening. The people brought two fowls, with abundance of eggs and 
cucumbers, and, hungry and tired as we were, we made a most palatable meal. 

We left again at half-past four. The road was broad, well beaten, and shaded by a double 
road of pine trees. It ran in a southeastern direction, parallel with the coast, and about two 
miles inland. The country continued open, sliglitly undulating, and pleasantly diversified with 
groves of pine for four miles, when we came suddenly upon a deep glen, traversed by much the 
largest stream we had seen upon the island. The road crossed by a massive stone bridge, of 
three arches, remarkable for the size and rude strength of the piers, each of which had, on the 
inner side, in order to protect it from floods, a triangular abutment, projecting ten or twelve 
feet. The sides of the glen were nearly perpendicular, and covered with wild and luxuriant 
vegetation. Towards the sea, under a range of broken limestone crags that hung high over the 
stream, were several ancient excavated tombs. A spring of excellent water gushed out from the 
foot of one of these crags. Mr. Heine took a sketch of the place, which was remarkable for its 
seclusion and picturesque beauty. The natives called the stream the ''Fi-ija." 

On reaching a height overlooking the sea, we were agreeably surprised with the sight of the 
squadron, lying off the furthest point to the southwest, and between fifteen and twenty miles 
distant, in a straight line. This encouraged us to believe that we could reach Napha at the 
time ajjpointed, and we pushed on rapidly and cheerily, for it was now growing dark, and no 
appearance of the Cung-qra. The road approached the shore, and became a raised causeway, 
passing through rich rice swamps. The natives whom we met in the dusk of the evening took 
to flight on seeing us. At last, at half-past seven, weary and spent with a tramjD of twenty- 
seven miles, the native herald who ran before us turned into a gateway, over which towered a 
magnificent banyan tree. We followed, and discharged our pieces in a general feu-de-joie, on 
seeing a Cung-qua with the lamps lighted, attendants waiting with their trays of tea-cups, and 
a polite old gentleman standing in the verandah to receive us. The Lew Chew mats were never 
so soft, nor the cups of unsugared native tea so refreshing, as on that evening. Eggs, cucum- 
bers, rice, and fowls were immediately forthcoming, and our men concocted a soup which, to our 
minds, could not have been improved. The old Pe-ching made his appearance at a late hour, 
nearly as fatigued as ourselves, but overflowing with cordiality and good humor. A company 
of native guards kindled a fire under the banyan tree, and prepared to spend the night there. 
Our men were so fatigued that, in anticipation of another hard journey on the morrow, we dis- 
pensed with the usual watch. It was the less important, as we had found the native guard 
exceedingly vigilant in keeping away all stragglers from our vicinity. The light of the ruddy 
camp-fire, playing over the spreading boughs of the banyan-tree, brought into strong relief the 
groups of swarthy faces clustered around it, and presented a i)icture so fantastic and peculiar 
that I sat looking at it long after I ought to have been asleep. 

The sound of rain upon the tiles of our Cung-qua awoke us frequently during the night, and 
when we arose at daybreak the sky was overcast, the roads flooded, and a steady dismal storm 
had set in. The Pe-ching and his associates wished us to stay at "Pi-ko," as the Cung-qua 



184 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 

was called, until the next day, slapping their legs to indicate how tired they were^ and making 
signs of slipping up and falling down in the mud. But we were inexorable, and they sent for 
a new set of coolies to carry our baggage. We had another discussion about the distance, which 
ended in their declaring that Sheudi was 65 li and Napha 30 li distant. This was absurd, and 
probably oiight to be attributed to the ignorance of the Chinese, through whom we communicated 
with them. The coolies prepared themselves for the rain by putting on shaggy jackets of grass, 
resembling the sheep-skin garments of the Eoman herdsmen. Our men had their pea-jackets, 
and we were partially protected by ponchos of gutta-percha and oilcloth. We were dela^^ed in 
getting breakfast, and did not break up our camp until half-past nine, when we set out, every- 
body stiff and sore from the previous day's travel. The rain was still falling, though not so 
heavily as at first, and the road was an alternation of water and stiff mud, through which we 
trudged with difficulty, and at the risk of leaving our boots behind us. After rounding the 
head of the bight, we struck off over the hills to the southwest, and in an hour and a half came 
upon another deep glen, in the bottom of which were two massive bridges over a stream so 
broad and deep that it was doubtless a frith of the sea. We stopped an hour to rest and enable 
Mr. Heine to take a sketch of the place. I noticed that the heavy triangular abutments to the 
piers were here placed on the side next the sea. The natives gave the glen, or river, the name 
of "Machinatoo." 

The rain had ceased by this time, excejit an occasional sprinkle, and the road improved. 
After another hour the roads branched, that on the left striking off up the hills to Sheudi. We 
kept on over the hills towards Napha, the scenery gradually assuming a familiar appearance, 
till finally, from a height covered with pine trees, we looked down upon the harbor and the 
American squadron. After fording a broad salt creek, and crossing another ridge, we descended 
to the village of Tum6, opposite Napha. We reached our starting point, the house of Dr. 
Bettelheim, at 2 p. m., and there took leave of our worthy Pe-ching and his two assistants, 
after having appointed a time to meet them again, and endeavor to return some compensation 
for the provision furnished during the journey. 

The distance we travelled during the six days was 108 miles, as nearly as we could calculate. 
Our trip embraced a little more than half the island, leaving the extremity south of Napha, 
(which is of limited extent,) and that part north of the head of Port Melville, and lying on both 
sides of that harbor, for future exploration."* 

On the return of the party Mr. Jones submitted the following report to the Commodore 
of his observations : 

"Before describing the ancient royal castle of Chun-Ching, which we discovered in our recent 
exploration of Lew Chew, it may be well to say a few words about the geology of the island, as 
the two are connected with each other. 

Going northward from Napha we find the general surface-rock to be argillaceous, either 
compact or shaly, which is intersected, at frequent intervals, by dykes or ridges of secondary 
limestone, of a very remarkable character. When we get as high up as Barrow's Bay the 
argillaceous rock ceases, and is succeeded by talcose slate, in which, however, the same limestone 
dykes occur. At the most northern point reached by us, that is, at the village of Nacumma, on 
the west side of the island, say forty-two miles north of Napha, we reached granite, rising there 



•This report is from the pen of Mr. Bayard Taylor, who, it will be remembered, was directed by Commodore Perry to keep 
a journal of the incidents of the exploration, and make the report. 



CO 

3 
::> 

I 



PC 




GEOLOGY OF LEW CHEW. 185 

into a hill of some elevation, but so soft as easily to be cut by a hatchet. This granite is of a 
grey color, sometimes almost white ; and its mica, which is black, lies scattered about in the 
mass in beautiful six-sided crystals, giving it often a handsome appearance. 

The talcose slate has a strike of S. 10° W., and a dip to the W. of 60°. It is mixed with 
quartz and other foreign ingredients of a hard character, and comes to the surface in sharp, 
jagged edges ; very severe upon the feet. 

The argillaceous rock gives some marked features to the island. The rounded hills south of 
Barrow's Bay are all of this. Being soft, it yields readily to foreign agencies, and is often 
broken into bare faces, with perpendicular sides ; and thus, at the head of their valleys, some- 
times presents us with beautiful cascades. It also forms the chief ingredient in the soil of the 
island — in wet weather a very adhesive clay. 

But the limestone dykes are the distinguishing feature of, at least, this portion of Lew Chew. 
They cross the island in ranges of N. 50° E. and N. G0° E., rising up into peaks and castellated 
forms, often so much like ruins of ancient buildings as to make a near examination necessary in 
order to undeceive ourselves. The rock is highly granular, but still has in it, not unfrequent 
remains of marine animals. Sometimes it is sufficiently compact ; but, though always hard, it 
is generally so vesicular as, when weather-stained, to have exactly the appearance of lava, for 
which, indeed, it is often mistaken. Its vesicular character opens it to the action of foreign 
agencies, and, in consequence, along the sea and bay shores it is often undermined by the waves, 
or, if harder pebbles find their way there, is by their friction worked into kettle-shaped holes, 
with ragged, knife-shaped edges between. Where the roads in Lew Chew are paved it is with 
this vesicular rock ; and the pavement can be exceeded, in discomfort to the traveller, only by 
the sticky mud, from which it is intended to be a protection. 

On the second day of our journey (Tuesday) we were, towards noon, travelling on the summit 
of one of these limestone ridges, with precipitous sides descending on either hand. I was ahead 
of the party and saw before me, by and by, a something, which I took, at first, to be the natural 
rock crossing my road ; till, presently, I saw what looked like a window, or some such opening, 
at its top. A nearer approach showed it, to my great surprise, to be this old deserted castle of 
Chun-Ching. 

The builders had taken advantage of a spot where the two perpendicular faces of the ridges 
approached each other sufficiently near ; and here, on the edges of the natural rock, had erected 
their walls, giving to the sides of their castle a great additional height ; one end, also, was in 
part protected by a similar bold face of the rock. The road by which I came was conducted along 
outside of the main castle, though it was still carried through the fortifications, which it entered 
and left through gateways in very thick walls. The walls themselves were in the style so com- 
mon in Lew Chew, called in architecture the Cyclopean style, though the stones employed here 
are much smaller than their architypes in the old Cyclopean walls of Greece. The builders of 
Chun-Ching contrived also to give their walls that inward curve which seems to have been the 
fashion in Lew Chew castellated buildings, and which we see also in the royal castle in Sheudi. 
Since our return I have learnt, through Dr. Bettelheim, that Chun-Ching was once a royal 
residence. There were, in early times, seven kingdoms in Lew Chew, each with its royal castle 
or capitol, and Chun-Ching was one of them. The number was afterwards reduced to three, 
then to one, as it at present remains. 

What I have marked as places for burning incense (a, a, &c.) are little oven-like buildings, 
which are common, also, to their temples and hung-laoas, and which Dr. B. tells me are for 
24 J 



186 



EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 



burning paper. The Lew Chewans have a regard, somewhat like that of Mohomedans, for any 
paper with a sacred name upon it ; and lest such may he trodden under foot, and so desecrated, 
they burn them in the little edifices alluded to. 

Before dismissing the geology of Lew Chew, I ought to say that, just south of Nacumma, we 
crossed, along the shore, numerous patches of recently formed rocks. The rolled pebbles of the 
shore, together with fragments of coral, and anything else that may happen to come in, are 
agglutinized by carbonate of lime, (probably the washings of coral reefs,) and are formed into a 
firm compact rock. This rock is only about a foot thick, and lies in table-like fragments upon 
the sands, where it was formed. I saw a similar recently made rock, of fine sandstone, on the 
beach, just west of Point de Galle, in Ceylon. 




The Lew Chew Islands. 



T 



Ee Island, 

*PSoo^ci"^ -. or Su^arloaf '^.'^ 













r3 



^c/'<ft«6«eJtt' -, 



IPUntt 




Harrow Ssly 



Kamajo'v ". 



J 



-tlKjitsm-darln 



.Wfl / ( /i r ir i- ^ai 



./"jTaJi^ni 



S L A N 1) 

OF 



CHKAT M;W CHKW 

St-rtl^ II. N«i.f Miles 



lBa'E»»t of Oretuiwi«fc 



i -A?-' -JJiM i ttfi ? 7; J.' rr jui» .1.; .V> 



LEW CHEW STEATAGEMS. 



187 



CHAPTER IX 




EFFORTS OF AVTHORITIES OF LEW CHEW TO PREVENT A VISIT TO THE PALACE. ALL UNSUCCESSFUL. LANDING FOR THE VISIT. 

PROCESSION. APPEARANCE OF THE COUNTRY. RECEPTION AT THE PALACE. EMBARRASSMENT OF THE REGENT. ENTER- 
TAINMENT AT THE regent's HOUSE. SAKI. NEW DISHES. COMMODORE INVITES AUTHORITIES TO A DINNER ON BOARD THE 

SUSQUEHANNA. GENERAL IMPRESSIONS PRODUCED BY THE VISIT. ESPIONAGE STILL KEPT UP. DAILY EXERCISE OF SAILORS 

AND MARINES. SETTLEMENT OF ACCOUNTS WITH LEW CHEW AUTHORITIES. MISSISSIPPI AND SUPPLY REMAIN AT LEW CHEW. 

SUSQUEHANNA AND SARATOGA LEAVE FOR THE BONIN ISLANDS. DEATH OF AN OPIUM SMOKER ON THE PASSAGE. INHUMANITY 

OF CHINESE. SUNDAY ON BOARD. ARRIVAL AT PORT LLOYD. 

HE determination of the Commodore to return the visit of 
the regent, at the palace, and nowhere else, had heen seem- 
ingly acquiesced in hy the Lew Chew dignitary ; but, in 
truth, he had hut yielded to a necessity. The Commodore 
liad power to carry out his determination, and the regent 
deemed it most prudent to concur, with the semblance of 
politeness, in that which he coxild not prevent. 

This, however, did not induce that functionary and his 
subordinate officers to spare their efforts in the attempt to 
escape the much dreaded visit to the palace. Accordingly, 
they resorted to divers devices and stratagems, too clumsy, however, to he deemed either inge- 
nious or cunning. In the first place, they begged that the Commodore would return the visit 
at Napha instead of Shui ; then the effort was made to entrap the commander into a meeting 
with the regent, which would have been considered a return of the latter's visit. In pursuance 
of this scheme, the mayor of Napha made a great feast, some days before that named by the 
Commodore for his visit, and invited him to be present, with the intention of having the regent 
attend and preside. The invitation was politely declined, on the ground that the storeship, 
Caprice, was about to be dispatched on the appointed day to Shanghai, and the Commodore 
would necessarily be occupied. When the Lew Chewans found that the Commodore did not 
attend, they were determined that he should not, at any rate, lose the feast that had been pre- 
pared for him, and accordingly sent off to the ship numerous dishes of the intended banquet. 
These, as a matter of courtesy, were allowed to come on board, and very soon the quarter-deck 
exhibited various preparations of poultry, fish, vegetables, and fruits. The Commodore, how- 
ever, from considerations of policy, thought it best to be invisible. 

The next device was to appeal to the humanity of the Commodore, and the request was pre- 
ferred that he would make his visit to the palace of the prince instead of at the royal residence. 



188 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 

The reason assigned was, that the queen dowager was sick, and had been for a year, in conse- 
quence of the shosk received on the visit of a British naval officer, who persisted in entering 
the royal residenc}, to present a letter from Lord Palmerston to the Lew Chew government; 
and it was intimated that a repetition of such desecration of the palace would add to the malady 
of the queen, if, indeed, it did not jjroduce a fatal termination. 

The Commodore, who did not believe one word of the queen dowager's illness, and who was 
quite convinced also that all this manoeuvring and trickery were designed merely to satisfy the 
spies kept about the Lew Chewans by the Japanese government, replied to this affecting appeal, 
that it was his duty to go where an officer of the Queen of England had been before him to have 
an audience ; and that, if the queen dowager did not see fit to remove to the palace of her son 
during his intended visit, he thought that the pageantry, music, &c., attending it (purely 
peaceful) might divert her mind, and tend rather to amuse her ; while, if she wished, his learned 
physicians, who would accompany him, would be most happy to exercise their skill for her bene- 
fit, and assist in restoring her to health. 

At last, all devices having utterly failed to move the Commodore from liis purpose, the day 
came which he had designated for his visit to the regent. It was matter of policy to make a 
show of it, and hence some extra pains were taken to offer an imposing spectacle. The day 
opened cloudily with a brisk wind stirring, and did not at first seem to promise a propitious 
season ; but after a morning shower the sky came out bright and blue, and until evening the 
aspect of nature was as fresh and beautiful as could have been desired. 

The hour of departure had been fixed at 9 o'clock. Presently the signal was made from the 
flag-ship, and all the boats of the other ships pushed off at the same time, and as they pulled to 
the land presented a very lively appearance. The point selected for landing was the little village 
of Tumai, about two miles from the palace of Shui. After all the other boats had gone^ the 
Commodore set out in his barge, and on his arrival the marines were found, under arms, and in 
line, under a grove of trees by the road-side, near the landing. Groups of officers in uniform 
were gathered in little knots under the shade of the trees; the boats' crews rested on their oars, 
looking with interest on the proceedings, while the natives to the number of hundreds (many of 
them of the better class) stood around, evidently not a little moved and excited by the scene 
before them. 

The Commodore, with the captain of the fleet and Commanders Buchanan, Lee, and Walker, 
then passed down the line of the marines and artillerymen, when the procession was immediately 
formed. First came two field-pieces, under the command of Lieutenant Bent, each having above 
it the American ensign, and immediately preceded by the master of the Susquehanna, (Mr. 
Bennett,) with Mr. Williams and Dr. Bettelheim, the interpreters. Next followed the band of 
the Mississippi with a company of marines, under command of Major Zeilin. The Commodore 
followed then in a sedan chair, which had been manufactured for the nonce, by the carpenter on 
board the ship. It was emphatically a dignified vehicle, as became the occasion, large and 
stately, deeply indebted to paint and putty, not quite as polished as a turnout from Newark or 
Longacre, but, on the whole, decidedly a feature in the procession, though its hangings of red 
and blue were not of the finest. At all events, it was the most imposing sedan the Lew Chewans 
ever saw. It was borne by eight Chinese coolies, four relieving each other alternately. On each 
side of it marched a marine as body guard, while a handsome boy had been selected as a page, 
who, with a Chinese steward, were the immediate personal attendants. 



APPEARANCE OF THE COUNTRY. 189 

Captain Adams, Lieutenant Contee, and Mr. Perry, followed the sedan. Next appeared six 
coolies bearing the presents designed for the prince and qneen dowager, and guarded by a file 
of marines. Then came the officers of the expedition, headed by Captains Buchanan, Lee, and 
Sinclair, followed by their servants. Next were the band of the Susquehanna, and a company 
of marines closed the procession, wliich in numbers amounted to some two hundred or more. 

The whole procession was well arranged and picturesque in effect; while the beauty of the 
day, the verdure of the hills and fields, and the cheerful music of the bands gave life and spirit 
to the occasion. The natives clustered thickly on the sides of the road to gaze on the glittering 
novelty, while crowds of tliem hung in the rear of the cortege. Tliey did not manifest the 
smallest apprehension, notwitlistanding the presence of tlie marines under arms, and evidently 
were pleasantly excited by the spectacle before them. When the procession passed through any 
narrow lane the natives nearest to them knelt, the rank behind stooped down^ and the rear 
remained erect, that all might have an opportunity of seeing. Very soon the procession emerged 
from the village, and came out upon the open undi;lating country south of Sheudi. The picture 
here was perfect. The fields of upland rice were gracefully bending like waves before the wind ; 
the groves and hill sides were dark with the deep-green foliage, so suggestive of cool shady 
retreats, while, in the distance, the roof-tops of Sheudi, glittering in the sun, revealed, here 
and there, a spot of dazzling brightness amid the thick leafy covering of the trees in which the 
city was embosomed. LTnder clumps of the Lew Chew pine the pleased natives were gathered 
in groups, while others might be seen running along the ridges that divided the rice fields, that 
they might head the procession, and tlius gain another view; wliile over all the music from the 
bands floated far around, and added to the pleasurable excitement of the march. As the pro- 
cession ascended the hill of Shui the officers and men, who had been so long confined to the 
monotony of ship-board life, gazed around with delight, perfectly charmed with the rich culti- 
vated landscape that stretched away to the southward and westward. 

The officer designated to receive the Commodore at the landing, and conduct him to the capital, 
was the Pe-ching who had been, in the previous week, with the exploring party into the interior. 
Wlien the procession arrived at the gate of Shui, it was met by a crowd of native dignitaries, 
with their attendants, all in their best robes of grass cloth, and with the red and yellow hatchee- 
matchees, or peculiar Lew Chew cap, on their heads. The old regent and his three venerable 
coadjutors here appeared, and after salutations, turned and accompanied the procession into the 
city. It passed on without halting, through the central arch, and marched up the principal 
street. A large train of attendants was in the retinue of the regent and chiefs ; some carried 
umbrellas, others bore cliow-choio , or refreshment boxes, cases for cups, and other articles. 
There was an inscription in Chinese characters over the central arch, which was translated by 
Mr. Williams to signify "The place of authority;" under this arch the common people were 
not allowed to pass. 

The main street showed, on either side, high walls, with occasional alleys branching from it 
on both sides. The native officers kept the streets clear of spectators, except at one spot, where 
an alley branched off to the left. Here was a dense crowd, and here also was exhibited the final 
device to prevent the Commodore from going to the palace. The regent's own residence was not 
far from the entrance of the street thus crowded, and here that dignitary requested, through the 
interpreter, that the procession should at once go to his house and partake of the refreshments 
he had provided. Mr. Williams, who saw at once the object of the request, paid no attention 



190 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 

to it, but marclied straight on to the palace gate. It was obvious that the regent had anticipated 
that his stratagem would prove successful, for the gate of the palace was closed. A messenger, 
however, was dispatched, at full speed, to cause it to be opened, and make preparations for the 
Commodore's reception. On arriving at the entrance, the artillery and marines were drawn up 
in line, and the Commodore and his suite walked past them into the castle or palace; the troops 
presented arms, the ensigns were lowered, and the band plaj-ed "Hail Columbia." 

On entering the first gateway, a second wall and portal were seen above, (for the edifice stood 
on a cliff or elevation of rock, which formed, indeed, part of its foundation,) and this second 
gateway formed the entrance to the outer court of the palace, which crowned the height. This 
court was surrounded by houses, which seemed to be designed for servants and others belonging 
to the royal household. On the eastern side, however, was another gateway, resembling the 
Chinese portals of honor. This consisted of hco arches, and the Commodore was conducted, as 
a mark of honor and respect due to his rank, through that on the right hand, into what 
appeared to be the central court of the palace. It was about eighty feet square, with very plain 
wooden buildings, of one story only, on its sides, and was paved with gravel and large tiles, 
arranged in alternate lozenges. The hall of reception was on the north side. All the other 
buildino's, on the other sides, were protected by screens from the view of those in the court. 

The Commodore was conducted into the hall of audience, and placed in a chair at the head 
of the room, on the right hand side; the officers followed, and were ranged in chairs on a single 
line, next to the Commodore, according to rank. These chairs were of some dark wood, 
lacquered, and were like our camp stools. There was also a double line of members of the 
Commodore's retinue across the bottom of the room. On the left side of the apartment sat the 
reo-ent, with his three principal councillors, and a double rank of attendants stood behind them. 
The interpreters stood at the head of the room, near the Commodore, but between him and the 
reo-ent All having been thus accommodated, time was afforded for looking around. On the 
wall was a large red tablet, inscribed with Chinese characters, which signify, in English, "The 
elevated inclosure of fragrant festivities;" an inscription, by the way, which seems more appro- 
priate to a place of feasting than to a hall of diplomacy or state receptions, where there is 
ordinarily little fragrance and less festivity. 

The queen dowager, who had been so pathetically represented as being sick, did not, of 
course, make her appearance; nor did the boy prince, for whom the regent governed. After 
mutual salutations, tables were brought, and cups of very weak tea were presented to the 
guests. Smoking boxes were also distributed around the room, and twists of very tough ginger- 
bread were placed on the table. In short, it was obvious that the visit at the palace was 
unexpected ; it had been supposed, probably, that the stratagem of the regent to prevent it, by 
taking the Commodore to his own house, would succeed ; and, consequently, no preparations 
had been made for the reception of the company at the palace. Presently the Commodore invited 
the regent and his three colleagues to visit him on board the Susquehanna. He stated that he 
intended leaving Napha in a day or two, but that, after ten days, he should return again, and 
would receive them at any time they might choose to appoint, either before his departure or after 
his return. They replied that they would leave the time of the visit to be named by the 
Commodore, and he stated that he would prefer it should be made after his return. To this they 
assented with seeming satisfaction. The next step in the ceremonies consisted in the regent's 
taking several large red cards, similar to those used on state occasions in China, when he 



ENTERTAINMENT AT THE REGENT 's HOUSE. 191 

and his three companions rose, advanced a few steps, and hewed profoundly. The Commodore 
and all the officers rose and howed in return, hut without precisely understanding what the 
homage of the Lew Chewans particularly meant ; they wei'e determined, however, not to he 
outdone in the outward symbols of civility. 

The Commodore then tendered to the regent such articles as he might need or desired to 
possess, provided he had them on hoard any of the ships, adding that it would give him pleasure 
to supply them. Hereupon, the four dignitaries rose again, advanced, and howed as hefore. 
The interview was becoming rather uninteresting, and it was quite plain that the magnates of 
Lew Chew were, from some cause or other, not quite at their ease. 

After about an hour the regent rose and proposed that the Commodore should visit him now, 
at his own house. This was alike intelligible and agreeable, and the procession was formed and 
marched to the street where it had been invited to enter on its way to the palace. The house of 
the regent was spacious, consisting of a central hall, with wings open to the court-yard, from 
which it was separated by a narrow verandah only. The floor was covered with fine matting. 
It was at once apparent that most hospitable preparations had here been made for the entertain- 
ment of the American visitors. Four tables were set in the central apartment, and three in 
each of the wings, and these were covered with a most bountiful collation. Immediately on 
entering the guests were desired to seat themselves, the Commodore, with Captains Buchanan 
and Adams, occupying the highest table on the right hand, and the regent and his associates 
the one opposite on the left. A pair of chop-sticks was placed at each corner of every table ; in 
the centre was an earthen pot filled with saJcee, (the intoxicating drink made by the Lew 
Chewans,) surrounded with four acorn cups, four large, coarse China cups, with clumsy spoons 
of the same material, and four teacups. On each table were dishes to the number of some 
twenty, of various sizes and shapes, and the exact basis of some of which no American knoweth 
to this day; possibly it was pig. Of the dishes, however, which were familiar to western appre- 
hension there were sliced boiled eggs, which had been dyed crimson, fish made into rolls and 
boiled in fat, pieces of cold baked fish, slices of hog's liver, sugar candy, cucumbers, mustard, 
salted raddish tops, and fragments of lean pork, fried. Cups of tea were first handed round ; 
these were followed by very small cups of sakee, which had the taste of French liqueur. Small 
bamboo sticks, sharpened at one end, and which some of the guests mistook for toothpicks, were 
furnished, to be used as forks in taking balls of meat and dough from the soup, which made the 
first course. Soup constituted also the next seven courses of the twelve, whereof the repast 
consisted. The other four were gingerbread, salad made of bean sprouts and young onion tops, 
a basket of what appeared to be some dark red fruit, but proved to be artificial balls composed 
of a thin dough rind covering a sugary pulp, and a delicious mixture compounded of beaten eggs 
and a slender white root with an aromatic taste. 

Novel as was this hill of fare, the gentlemen of the expedition endeavored, with true courtesy, 
to do honor to the repast, and at the end of the twelfth course respectfully took leave, though they 
were assured there were twelve more to come. The number of the courses indicated the desire 
to do our countrymen a double share of honor, inasmuch as twelve is the prescribed number for 
a royal entertainment. The Lew Chewans, far removed as they are from the conventionalities 
of western civilization, seemed, notwithstanding, to understand very well the habit of drinking 
toasts and giving sentiments, and, indeed, were ready enough to drink on private account, 
without any stately formality, as the sakee circulated freely during the eight courses of soup. 



192 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 

When the Commodore supposed the solids were about to appear, he rose and proposed as a toast 
the health of the queen mother and the young viceroy, adding, "Prosperity to the Lew 
Chewans, and may they and the Americans always be friends." This, having been translated 
to the regent, appeared greatly to gratify him, and was drunk standing, with Lew Chew honors, 
which consist of draining the small cup of sakee, holding a teasjDoon full, at one gulp, and 
turning the vessel bottom upward. The Commodore afterward proposed the health of the regent 
and his associates, which the latter returned by proposing the health of the Commodore and the 
ofiScers of the squadron. By this time the embarrassment and anxious looks of the Japanese 
officials had entirely vanished ; from what cavise they had proceeded our officers could not learn, 
but most probably from the consciousness that the}' were under espionage, and that all they said 
or did would be reported to those above them. The entertainment, however, proceeded and 
terminated with the best possible feeling on both sides. 

The interpreter of the regent was a young native, named Ichirazichi, who had been educated 
at Pekin, where he remained three years. He could speak a little English, but the Chinese was 
the language of communication. This youth had some knowledge both of the LTnited States 
history and geography. He was not unacquainted with the character and conduct of Wash- 
ington, and called him " a very great mandarin." Where is it that the honored name of the 
Father of our country, this man for all time, this man, whose peerless pi:rity is the proud 
heritao'e of a common humanity the world over, has not reached? It is heard in the Arab tent, 
and in the Chinese village, under the shades of Lew Chew, and in the cities of Japan, in 
southern Asia, and on the shores of the Arctic ; all western Christendom knows it, all honors it. 

At leno-th the feast was over, and the American guests took their departure, the procession 
formino" ia the same order as before. The subordinate Japanese officials escorted it to the gate, 
and the old Pe-ching again took his station in advance. On starting down the hill, four little 
ponies, which had gone up without finding riders, were now led by the grooms to the rear of 
the procession, and some of the younger officers determined to try their mettle in a ride down. 
They were very small animals, of bay color, but exceedingly spirited; and, kicking and 
pluno'ing with untiring vivacity, and somewhat of temper, treated, at first, with sublime 
contempt all efibrts to reduce them to a gravity befitting the occasion, and indignantly resisted 
every attempt to induce them, with the rational sobriety of discreet brutes, to take their places 
in the rear, and march understandingly, as became them. Like ill-bred ponies, as they were, 
they kicked up their heels, and endeavored to do much as they jiileased. This, however, merely 
afforded more fun to the officers than if the wiry little creatures had behaved themselves 
discreetly as part of the American procession. 

The descent of the hill was rather warm, as it was not far from noon, and the sun shone full 
in the faces of the procession; but, on reaching the wooded slopes, it was met by the grateful 
sea-breeze, and the boats were seen quietly resting on the waters of the bay, while their crews 
were scattered in groups under the trees, watching the coming on of the procession, and waiting 
to know whether due honor had been shown to the United States in the person of their "Old 
Commodore." Each boat had the American colors flying, and Jack was made happy by the 
assurance that all possible respect had been paid to his flag. By half-past two, the whole 
procession was again on board the ships, without any accident or untoward incident having 
occurred to mar either the pleasure or success of the trip ; and thus ended the grand official 
visit to the palace. It was a judicious determination on the part of the Commodore to make it; 




COUIT INTERPRETER SHIN 
Lew Chew. 



GENERAL IMPRESSIONS PRODUCED BY THE VISIT. 193 

and, having announced such determination to the Lew Chewans, it was especially wise to carry 
it through to the letter. The moral influence produced hy such a steadfast adherence to his 
avowed purposes very soon exhibited itself. It was part of the Commodore's deliberately formed 
plan, in all his intercourse with these orientals, to consider carefully before he announced his 
resolution to do any act; but, having announced it, he soon taught them to know tliat he would 
do jirecisely what he had said he would. To this single circumstance much of liis success is to 
be attributed. He never deceived tliem l)y anj^ falsehood, nor ever gave them reason to suppose 
that his purposes could l)e altered by their lies and stratagems. They, of course, saw at once 
that he was resolute, and that it was dangerous to trifle with him. His whole diplomatic 
jiolicy was simply to stick to the truth in everything — to mean just what he said, and do just 
what he promised. Of course, it triumphed over a system which admitted of no truth, but for 
purposes of decejition. 

Several little circumstances connected with the excursion attracted the notice of the Commo- 
dore, and, as illustrative of maimers and customs, deserve a j^assing notice. The first was the 
exceeding cleanliness of the Lew Chewans, and their striking contrast to the Chinese in this 
particular. The Commodore, speaking of Shui, says: "Never have I seen a city or town 
exhibiting a greater degree of cleanliness; not a particle of dirt, or even dust, could be seen, so 
different is it from the filthiness of all Chinese cities." 

The road over which the procession passed was remarkably well constructed. It was elabor- 
ately paved with coral rock, very neatlj^ fitted together, and the upjier surface rendered smooth, 
either by artificial means or the constant attrition of travel. 

The peasantry who hung upon the edges of the procession seemed to be of the lowest orders 
seen in Lew Chew, and exhibited a squalid and rather miserable appearance ; many of them were 
naked, with the exception of a small piece of cloth about the loins ; and among the thousands 
of these people attracted by the novelty of the spectacle, singular as it may appear, not a woman 
was to be seen. The great population of the island may, therefore, fairly be inferred from the 
large multitudes assembled, composed of but one half of the common people. These men wlio 
were seen probably comi^ose the laboring class^, receiving for their daily toil scanty food and 
harsh treatment. The idlers are the priests, and the hordes of spies and policemen who throng 
the highways, and who are watching everything by day and night. 

On the whole, the Commodore was pleased with the suavity and politeness of the higher 
classes, and with the seeming cordiality of the hospitality which had been shown him ; if the 
Lew Chewans were not sincere they were, at least, very good actors. As to the culinary skill 
that had been employed in preparing the regent's feast, there were certainly dishes of the compo- 
sition of which the guests were ignorant, but still they were, in general, savory and very good ; 
much more so than those presented by Chinese cookery. Whenever a fresh course was brought 
in at the regent's feast^ the host and his brother dignitaries rose and emptied their small cups of 
sakee to the health of the guests ; and the regent always gave a signal to the Commodore when 
to commence on a new course. 

At the recejition in the palace, though the queen did not appear, yet the Commodore was 
quite satisfied that the story he had been told about her desperate illness, by the regent, was all 
fiction ; and, in fact, if she were not, as some suspected, a myth, he thought it not improbable 
that she and her attendant ladies were behind the screen looking through some crevice at the 
western strangers, possibly not a little amused at the novel show. At any rate, he was so 
25 J 



194 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 

certain that she would survive his visit that he caused to he sent to the palace a present for her 
of a handsome mirror, and a quantity of French perfumery ; and left there also the gifts which 
he designed for the prince, the regent, the mayor of Napha, and other dignitaries. 

The expected ahsence from the island, to which the Commodore had alluded on his visit to 
the palace, was to be occasioned by an intended examination of the Bonin Islands, a group lying 
to the eastward, in tlie neighborhood of 141° of longitude, and presenting some points of 
interest for investigation. Before our departure for tliese islands, however, the story of which 
will he told in its place, we must finish the narrative of events on this the first visit to Lew 
Chew. The old Pe-ching, who received the Commodore on his landing to go to Shui, was, as 
we have already mentioned, the same that with such exemplary patience and good nature 
accompanied (as chief spy, doubtless) the exploring party in their tedious excursion of a week 
over tlie island. Mr. Jones, the chaplain, accompanied by Mr. Taylor and Mr. Heine, having 
procured presents for the old man by the Commodore's order, and added thereto some pieces of 
Canton silk handkerchiefs of their own, went on shore and met the Pe-ching at Dr. Bettelheim's, 
when matters were satisfactorily adjusted. But on this visits as on all previous ones, the 
system of incessant watching was kept up. Five individuals, in gray dresses, followed the 
American gentlemen, and sent forward a scout to warn the people to keep out of the way^ and 
they accordingly fled in all directions on the approach of the strangers. There seemed to be 
special apprehension of their women being seen ; but in the few instances when accidentally 
they became visible, they were found to be strikingly unhandsome. 

During the period of stay at Lew Chew all military and naval drills and exercises were 
regularly performed daily, and the harbor of Napha was made lively, on two days, by a general 
boat inspection. Seventeen boats, fully manned and equipped, and five of them carrying twelve 
and twenty-four pounders, drew up oif the Susquehanna, and were reviewed by the fleet officers. 
It was a fine spectacle, and was gazed on with lively interest by the Lew Chewans. They had 
never seen any thing of the kind before within their quiet harbor. 

The pursers were sent on shore, before the squadron's departure, to settle accounts with the 
treasurers of the island, and pay for such supplies as had been furnished. By the Commodore's 
order Lieutenant Contee and Mr. Williams, the interpreter, accompanied them, carrying a 
number of presents, chiefly American cotton goods. According to their past usage the Lew 
Chewans demurred to receiving any compensation for supplies ; but they were given to under- 
stand that this could not possibly be allowed; and that American ships of war always paid the 
people of all nations from whom they received supplies. After some persuasion they induced 
the native treasurers to take compensation for all that had been furnished to the ships, and also 
to receive the presents. The Commodore thought it was a point gained of some importance, 
that they had thus, for the first time, as it is believed, broke through their ancient custom of 
not receiving pay for provisions furnished to vessels. Henceforth visitors and their hosts will 
stand on terms of equality, and no superiority can be claimed, nor any exclusive policy practised 
on the ground of favors done to strangers. 

The daguerreotypists, Messrs. Brown and Draper, were settled on shore in a house outside of 
the village of Tumai, and some of the embellishments of this volume are illustrative of the 
results of their very useful labors. Mr. Scott, of the Saratoga, (an invalid,) occupied another 
house, and enjoyed an agreeable intercourse with the natives, finding no difiiculty in procuring 
from them abundant supplies. A tide-staff was planted, and Midshipman Boardman, with two 



DEATH OF AN OPIUM SMOKER. 195 

men, were encamped under a tent near it to make regular observations. The rise and fall of 
the tide during the stay of the vessels had averaged about six feet. 

All arrangements having been finally made for a temporary absence, on the morning of the 
9th of June the Susquehanna got under way for the Bonin Islands, having the Saratoga in tow. 

The Mississippi and Supply were left at Napha, and the Commodore enjoined on Commander 
Lee, the senior officer, to cultivate the most friendly relations with the islanders, exer- 
cising all possible forbearance and kindness in his intercourse with the authorities and people, 
and to be careful to permit none but the most orderly persons to go on shore, lest some untoward 
event should mar the harmony then happily subsisting. 

Passing through the southern channel the Susquehanna rounded Abbey Point, and took a 
Bouthern course around the extremity of the island. This end of the island, though hilly and 
picturesque, did not appear to be either so fertile or so well cultivated as the eastern and 
western shores. In the course of the afternoon Lew Chew sank beneath the horizon, and the 
ship held on her course, east by north, at the rate of eight knots an hour. At first she had a 
light wind from the southwest, which soon died away ; but presently she came within the influ- 
ence of the monsoon, which filled her sails; the drawing sails of both ships were set, and though 
the steamer had the Saratoga in tow, and used but three of her boilers, she made nine and a 
half knots. 

The southwest monsoon still continuing, good progress was made, notwithstanding a strong 
current from the eastward ; and nothing occurred to interrupt the uniformity of sea life on 
board, save an event which interrupts the current of life itself alike on ship and shore. There 
was a death on board the Susquehanna. When Mr. Williams came from China to join the 
squadron, at Lew Chew, as interpreter, he brought with him an old Chinaman who had been 
his teacher, and who, it was supposed, might be useful in future operations ; but it was very 
soon apparent that the old man's race was nearly run. He was a victim to the habit of opium 
smoking, which he was attempting to abandon. The consequences of this effort, and the eifects 
of sea sickness on board the Saratoga, jirostrated him so completely that no medicines had any 
effect, and he sank into a state of nervelessness and emaciation painful to look upon. For a 
week before his death his condition had been most pitiable : every joint in his skeleton frame 
seemed to be in perpetual motion ; his face was a ghastly yellow ; his cheeks sunken on the 
bones; the eyes wild and glassy; and his mind in a state of semi-madness. Death, when it 
came, was a relief to the poor old man, as well as to those who saw him die. On the day after 
his decease the ship presented that striking picture, a funeral at sea. The Commodore and 
other officers stood around, with a large part of the crew, while the chaplain committed his 
body to the deep until the day come when "the earth and the sea shall give up their dead." 

A more frightful example of the terrible effects of the use of opium it would be difficult to 
find. It exceeded in horror all the loathsome and repulsive results of the use of intoxicatino- 
drinks. Delirium tremens is horrible enough, but the last scene of this old opium smoker was 
more horrible still. There was something revolting also in the conduct of the Chinese on board 
the ship. They manifested not the least sympathy with their dying countryman. For a day 
or two before he died, not one of them, with the exception of one of the Commodore's servants 
would go near him; and on the last night of his life, when two of the deck coolies had been 
ordered by the captain to remain in the room, and were obliged to obey, they squatted down in 
the corner most remote from him, and never once approached him. Some of the quartermasters 
gave him what he needed, and were with him when he died. 



196 



EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 



During the run to tlie Bonin Islands, the crews were occasionally heat to quarters hy way 
of exercise, and on one occasion after dark. Night signals were made to the Saratoga hy means 
of lanterns and hlue lights, and to those who were not " old salts" enough to have seen such 
sights hefore, the effect was alike novel and exciting. The blue lights illuminating the hroad 
sails, at their full tension under the influence of the monsoon, the men at their several stations, 
all brought out in the glare of an artificial light, which, though bright as daylight, yet was of 
unearthly aspect, gave to the scene somewhat of a startling effect^ and forcibly impressed the 
imagination with the peculiar features of a night engagement. The next morning after this 
exhibition (Sunday) was fresh and cool, and it was pleasant, as the vessels held on their pros- 
perous way over a smooth sea, to see the crews all newly washed, clean, and dressed in their 
suits of snowy duck with broad blue collars, while everything about the vessel wore a trim, 
holiday air, and those not on duty were waiting for five bells to gather around the cbaijlain's 
temporary pulpit — the capstan — and join in the services of the day, so peculiarly appropriate 
from men "who go down to the sea in ships, and whose path is in the great waters." The 
favoring circumstances all continuing, on the 14th of June, at 10 a. m., the ships found them- 
selves off the entrance of Port Lloyd, on Peel Island, one of the Bonins. The Saratoga had 
been previously cast off, and was now ordered to go ahead. Two vessels, apparently whalers, 
hove in sight, one on either quarter. The one to the northward showed American colors, and 
began to beat down toward the Susquehanna, anxious probably to know the meaning of 
such a strange event as the appearance of one of her country's large armed steamers in that 
remote spot. The three islands called Peel, Buckland, and Stapleton, constitute the principal 
part of that group, and lie close together. They are high, bold, and rocky, and, though not 
so beautiful and green as Lew Chew, are yet exceedingly picturesque. Pilots put off from th < 
island to both ships, and soon both were safely anchored in the harbor of Port Lloyd, 




liaiiitjoo Village, Lew Chew. 



a°East ofGrccnwich 



OFTHE 

BONINGROUPofISLANDS. 



.5 
i i y Stapleton I. 



27° 



BOM IN 



^; 



p,a^^;. Auckland I. 



Port Lit jcl 



PEELI. 



m 



FlttonRay 



27' 



Z>evilj/iocti,- 



Net4^ort 
Plymouth ^ 




^( Hillsborough I. 

DSILAMDS 



PerryI.^) ^**' Kelly I. 



'I'll! 



50' >*.CRW HX J42 



I I I I I I I 



SITUATION OF THE BONIN ISLANDS. 



197 



CHAP TEE X. 



SITrATION OF BONIN ISLANDS.— FIRST DISCOVERY OF THEM. — EUROPEANS HAVE NO CLAIM AS THE DISCOVERERS. — MIXED 

CHARACTER OF PRESENT SETTLERS. EXTERNAL APPEARANCE OF PEEL ISLAND. GEOLOGICAL FORMATION. HARBOR OP 

PORT LLOTD. PRODUCTIONS OF THE ISLAND, ANIMAL AND VEGETABLE. RESORT OF WHALERS. CONDITION OF PRESENT 

INHABITANTS. COMMODORE CADSES THE ISLAND TO BE E.XPLORED. REPORTS OP EXPLORING PARTIES. KANAKAS. 

EXAMINATION OF STAPLETON ISLAND, AND REPORT THEREON. SURVEY OF HARBOR OF PORT LLOYD. LAND PURCHASED FOR 

A COAL DEPOT. DEPARTURE FROM BONIN ISLANDS ON THE RETURN TO LEW CHEW. DISAPPOINTMENT ISLAND- ITS TRUE 

POSITION. BORODINOS.— ARRIVAL AT NAPHA. 




HE BoBin Islands, lying in tlie Japanese sea, extend in a 

^^ direction nearly north and soutli, between the latitudes of 

^ 26° 30' and 27° 45' north, the centre line of the group being 

J in longitude about 142° 15' east. The islands were visited 

ft, by Captain Beechey in 1827, and, with the proverbial modesty 

"^^ ^ and justice of English surveyors, named by him, as if they 



had been then first observed. The northern cluster he called 
Parry's Group; the middle cluster, consisting of three larger 
^^^^ islands, respectively Peel, Buckland, and Stapleton; and the 
i= southern cluster was named by him Bailey's, utterly regardless 
^p of the fact thus stated by himself: "The southern cluster is 
that on which a whale ship, commanded by a Mr. Coffin, 
anchored in 1823, who was first to communicate its position to 
this country, and who bestowed his name upon the port. As the cluster was, however, left 
without any distinguishing appellation, I named it after Francis Bailey, esq., late President of 
the Astronomical Society." * To the principal port of Peel I.sland he gave the name of Port 
Lloyd. 

This was a pretty liberal distribution of honors by an accidental visitor in 1827, to a group 
of islands that had been known, and of which we have authentic accounts as early as the 
seventeenth century. According to Kasmpfer, these islands were known to the Japanese at a 
period as far back as 1675, and were described by them under the name of Buna Sima, signifying 
an island without people. According to the account of this traveller, whose words we quote, 
the Japanese accidentally, about the year 1675, discovered a very large island, one of their 



Findlay's Directory of the Pacific Ocean. 



198 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 

barques having been forced, in a storm, from the island Fatscyo, from which place they computed 
it to be three hundred Japanese miles distant, toward the east. They met with no inhabitants, 
but found it to be a very pleasant and fruitful country, well supplied with fresh water, and 
fiirnished w^th plenty of plants and trees, particularly the arrack tree, which, however, might 
give room to the conjecture that the island lay rather to the south of Japan than to the east, as 
these trees grow only in hot countries. The Japanese marked it as an uninhabited place, but 
they found upon its shores an incredible quantity of fish and crabs, ''some of which were from 
four to six feet long." The description of Ktempfer, as well as that of an original Japanese 
writer, given in the note below, was found by Commodore Perry to correspond exactly with the 
present appearance of the island. The arrack, or areca tree, alluded to in the extract, is found 
upon Peel Island.* 



* Extract from Klaprotli's translation of San Kokp Tsoir Ran To Sits. 

" The original name of these islands is O-gasa-wara-sima, but they are commonly called Mon-nin-sima, (in Chinese, Wu-jin- 
ton,) or the islands without people, and this is the name which I have adopted in my work. That of O-gasa-wSra-sima, or the 
O-gasa-wara islands, was given to them afler the navigator who first visited them, and who prepared a map of them. In the 
same manner has the southern part of the New World been called Magalania, (Magellan,) who first discovered it some two 
hundred j'ears since. 

" The Bonin islands are found 270 ri to the southeasterly of the province of Idsu. From Simoda, in that principality, it is 13 
ri to the island of Myake; from thence to Sin-sima or New island, seven ri; from Sin-sima to Mikoura, five ri; from thence to 
Fatsicio or Fatiho, (Fatsisio,) 41 ri; and, lastly, from this to the most northern of the uninhabited islands, it is reckoned to be 
180 ri; and to the most southerly 200 ri. 

" This archipelago lies in the 27th degree of north latitude. The climate is warm, and makes the valleys lying between the 
high mountains, watered by rivulets, to be very fertile, so that they produce beans, wheat, millet, grain of all kinds, and sugar 
cane. The tree called Nankin, faze or tallow tree (Stillingia sebifera) grows there, and likewise the wax tree. The fishery is 
good, and might be made very productive. 

" Many plants and trees grow in these islands, but there are very few quadrupeds. There are trees so large that a man can- 
not embrace them with his arms, and which are frequently thirty Chinese fathoms in height, (or 240 feet.) Their wood is hard 
and beautiful. There are also some very high trees resembling tlie siou-ro-tsoung-liu, or chamarops excelsa, cocoa nuts, areca 
palms, that tree whose nuts are called pe-eouan-tsy in Chinese, the katsirau, the red sandal wood, the tou-mou, the camphor, 
tub figs of the mountains, a high tree whose leaves resemble those of the ground ivy, the cinnamon tree, mulberry, and some 
others. 

" Among the plants the smilax China, (or China root,) called san-ke-rei, the to-ke, a medicinal herb called assa-ghion-keva, 
and others are to be reckoned. 

" Among birds there are different species of parokeets, cormorants, partridges, and some resembling white sea-mews, but 
more than three feet long. All these birds have so little wildness that they can be taken with the hand. 

" The chief productions of the mineral kingdom in this archipelago are alum, green vitriol, stones of different colors, petri- 
factions, &c. 

"Whales are found in the sea, also huge crawfish, enormous shells, and echini, which are called 'gall of the sea.' The 
ocean here is unusually rich in various products. 

"]n the third year of the reign Ghen-Fo, (1675,) Simaye Sagheraon, Biso Saghemon, and Simaye Dairo Saghemon, three 
inhabitants of Nagasaki, took a sea voyage to the principality of Idsu. They were embarked in a large junk, built by a skillful 
Chinese carpenter. These three men were well acquainted with astronomy and geograph}', and accompanied by Fatobe, tlie 
chief sliip-carpenter of the port of Yedo, who dwelt in the lane of nets. The vessel was xuanaged by thirty sailors. Having 
obtained a passport from the imperial marine, tliey left the harbor of Simoda, the 5th day of tiie 4th moon, and steered for the 
island of Fatsio. From thence they sailed towards the southeast and discovered a group of eighty islands. They drew up a 
map and an e.\act account of them, in which are some curious details respecting the situation, climate, and productions of this 
archipelago. They returned the 20th day of the 6th moon, in the same year, to Simoda, where Simaye published an account of 
his voyage. 

"It is singular that this writer makes no mention of the swift current, kuro-se-gaw, which is experienced between the islands 
of Mikura and Fatsio. Its breadth exceeds twenty matze, (about half a ri,)and it flows with great swiftness from east to west,(o) 
about one hundred ri. This omission would be inexplicable if this current was not much less rapid in summer and autumn than 
it is in winter and spring. Simaye, in his passage to the Bonin islands, passed it in the first part of the intercalary month, 
which succeeds the fourth moon ; on his return, the latter part of the sixth moon, he should have found the currents less rapid, 
and thus his attention was not called to this dangerous passage." 

" The largest of the eighty islands is fifteen ri in circuit, and thus is a little less than Iki island in size. Another is ten ri in 
circumference, and about the size of Amakusa island. Besides these two there are eight others which are from two to six and 

(ri) The writer In deecrtbing the direction of the omTent Ii miBtalcen. 



FIRST DISCOVERY OF BONIN ISLANDS. 199 

The green turtles which abound in the island were probably mistaken for crabs, which may 
account for the gigantic size attributed by Kajmpfer to these animals. Other accounts give a 
much earlier date for the discovery by the Japanese than that of 1675, stated by the authority 
just quoted. At any rate, the English have not a particle of claim to priority of discovery. 
In illustration of the discovery of the Bonins by the accidental visit of a Japanese junk, it may 
be stated that the Commodore was informed by Mr. Savory, an American resident, that a 
Japanese vessel of about forty tons burden came into Port Lloyd thirteen years before, having 
been driven by stress of weather from the coast of Japan. After remaining during the winter 
she sailed on her return home in the spring, and, as she had brought with her nothing but a 
small supply of dried fish, was jsrovided gratuitously by the settlers with provisions. On 
another occasion, some eight years subsequently, a French ship, cruizing off Stapleton island, 
discovered a fire ashore, and on sending a boat to the spot found the wreck of a Japanese junk and 
five of its crew, the only survivors, in a most heljiless plight. They were then taken on board 
and carried to Port Lloyd^ and thence subsequently removed by the humane Frenchmen with 
the intention of landing them on one of the Japanese islands. In confirmation of this statement 
we have the fact that a jjarty of ofiicers from the Susquehanna, on a visit to Stajileton Island, 
accidentally saw the wreck of this same vessel. The remains of the junk were found in a little 
bay where they landed, the wreck being still partially kept together by large nails of copper 
and portions of sheets of this metal. From these materials and other indications;, it was inferred 
that it was a Japanese junk, and as the edges of the planks were but little rubbed or decayed, 
it was concluded that the wreck could not be very old. 

Captain Coffin, whose nationality is not mentioned, but who, from his name, was probably an 
American, and if so, doubtless from Nantucket, visited and gave his name to that part of the group 
so singularly appropriated and modestly christened by Beechey as the Bailey Islands. They are 
spoken of by the inhabitants as the southern islands, and were always regarded by them as 
belonging to the Benin group. They are about twenty miles to the south of Port Lloyd. It was 
not until 1827 that Captain Beechey, commanding the English surveying vessel, the Blossom, 
visited the islands, and taking formal possession in the name of the British king, gave English 
titles to them. The inhabitants j)ractically disown the paternity of the English sovereign, and do 
not recognize the names given in his self-assumed sponsorship by the English captain. For 
example, the very dignified appellations of Buckland and Stapleton, with which Beechey has 
honored two islands of the northern group, are quite ignored by the inhabitants, who speak of these 



seven ri around. These ten islands have flat plateaux which could be made habitable, and where grain would grow very well. 
The climate is warm and favorable to cultivation, as one might infer from their geographical position. They afford various valu- 
able productions. The remaining seventy islets are only mere steep rocks, and produce nothing." 

" A colony of condemned criminals has been sent to these islands, there to labor ; they have tilled the earth and planted some 
patches. They are collected in villages, and have brought together the same things found in other provinces of the empire. 
One can visit these islands, and bring back its products in the same year. In this way a trade would easily spring up, and the 
benefit to be drawn from it would be considerable. This must be plain to all." 

" In the reign .\u-Yei (from 1771 to 1780) I was sent on a commission into the province of Fisen, where I became acquainted 
with a Dutchman named Aarend Werle Veit, who showed me a geography, in which mention was made of some islands Ivin" 
200 ri to the southeast of Japan, called Woest eiland by the author. The word ]foest means desert, and eiland (or yeirand, as 
the original reads) island. He remarks, that these islands are not inhabited, but that many sorts of herbs and trees are found 
there. The Japanese miglit establish a colony on one of these islands on which grain and other productions would thrive. • In 
spite of the length of the voyage thither, the establishment would be useful to them for these purposes. The Dutch company 
would derive very little advantage from the possession of these islands, they being too small and too remote for their use." 

" I have thought proper to repeat these words, which deserve to be borne in mind, and withthera 1 bring to a conclusion all 
that I have to say respecting the Benin Islands." 



200 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 

places respectively as Goat and Hog islands. When the English visited and took possession of the 
Bonins, the date of the visit and the act of approjjriation were duly engraved upon a copper 
plate which was nailed to a tree, but the plate and the tree are no longer there, and the only 
evidence of British possession is the occasional hoisting of the English flag on one of the 
neighboring hills, a duty that was originally delegated to a wandering Englishman who chanced 
to be on the spot. It is now considered merely a signal to be hoisted on the arrival of a vessel. 
No government is recognized by the inhabitants, who declare that they have no need of any 
foreign control, as they can take good care of themselves. 

In the year following the visit of Captain Beechey, a Captain Lutke of the Kussian navy 
arrived and went through very much the same ceremony of taking jJossession and of otherwise 
aj)proj)riating as his English predecessor. 

It is quite clear that the Japanese were the first discoverers of these islands. They probably 
settled and then subsequently abandoned them. It is possible that the early Spanish, Portuguese, 
and Dutch navigators may have been acquainted with the Bonins, and in later years they have 
been visited occasionally by the Americans, English, and Russians. The fact of a Spanish visit 
would seem to be proved by the name of Arzobispo or Archbishop, by which the islands are 
sometimes distinguished. One of the inhabitants reported that he recollected, on his arrival on 
the spot, that there was a board on a tree which recorded the first Russian visit. Neither of the 
European nations have as yet made any attempt at colonization. 

In 1830, several Americans and Europeans came to the Bonins from the Sandwich Islands, 
accompanied by various natives — men and women — of that country. 

The leaders of this adventure were five men, two originally from the United States — 
Nathaniel Savory and Aldin B. Chapin, of Massachusetts — one from England of the name of 
Richard Mildtchamp, one Charles Johnson, of Denmark, and the fifth a Genoese known as 
Mattheo Mazara. The only one of these remaining on the island during the visit of 
Commodore Perry was Nathaniel Savory, an American. Mildtchamp still survives, but has 
taken up his residence at Guam, one of the Ladrone islands. The Genoese, Mazara, is dead, 
and Savory has married his widow, a jjretty and young native of Guam, by whom he has 
offspring. Savory occupies himself with the culture of a little farm, which is tolerably 
productive. He also carries on a trade in sweet potatoes of his own raising and in a rum of 
his own distillation from sugar cane, with the whaling ships which frequent the place ; and he 
had prosecuted his business with such success as to accumulate, at one time, several thousands 
of dollars. These he deposited in the ground, when, some three or four years since, a schooner 
arrived under the American flag, bringing a few worthless scoundrels, who ingratiated 
themselves, under the pretence of great friendship, with the old man, who was thus induced 
to make them the confidants of his success, and of its proof which he had stored away. These 
villains, after living for several months on terms of great intimacy and confidence with Savory, 
left the island, having first robbed their benefactor of all his money, despoiled his household 
of a couple of young women, whom they took away with them, carried off his journal, and 
wantonly injured his property. Fortunately for justice, the guilty party were afterwards 
arrested at Honolulu, but the captive women expressed themselves quite contented with their 
lot, and declared tliat they had no desire to return. As for the money, it was not learned 
whether that was ever recovered or not. 

The islands of Benin are high, bold^ and rocky, and are evidently of volcanic formation. 



GEOLOGICAL FORMATION. 



201 



They are green with verdure and a full growth of tropical vegetation, which crowds np the 
acclivities of the hills, from the very borders of the shore, whicli is, here and there, edged with 
coral reefs. The headlands and detached rocks have been thrown by former convulsions of 
nature into various grotesque forms, which assume to the eye the shape of castle and tower, 
and strange animals, of monstrous size and hideous form. Numerous canal-like passages were 
observed opening in the sides of the rocky cliifs, which had almost the appearance of being 
hewn out witli the chisel, but which were evidently formed in the course of volcanic changes, 
when the rock flowed in liquid lava, and found issue in these channels, which the torrents that 
come down the sides of the mountains in the rainy season toward the sea have worn smooth by 
constant attrition. Some of tliese dykes, or canal-like passages, less affected by time and the 
washing of the water, still retain their irregular formation, which has so much the appearance 
of steps that the observer^ as he looks upon them, might fancy they had been cut by tlie hand 
of man in the solid rock, for the purpose of climbing the mountain. On the Southern Head, as 
it is called, within the harbor of Port Lloyd, there is a very curious natural cave or tunnel, 
which passes through the basaltic rock, from the Southern Head to the beach on the other side. 
The entrance has a width of about fifteen feet, and a height of thirty, but the roof within soon 
rises to forty or fifty feet, where it has so much the appearance of artificial structure, that it 
maybe likened to a builder's arch, in whicli even the keystone is observable. There is sufficient 




Natural Tutinel, Port Lloyd, Bjnin I.~lands. 

water for a boat to pass from one end to the other. There are several other caves or tunnels. 
one of which is at least fifty yards in length, and passes througli a headland bounding the 
harbor. This is constantly traversed br the canoes of the inhabitants. 

2f. J 



202 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 

The geological formation of the island is trappean, with its various configurations and 
mineralogical peculiarities; columnar basalt appears, and hornblende and chalcedony are found. 
There are all the indications of past volcanic action, and the oldest resident of Peel Island stated 
that two or three tremblings of the earthy, giving evidence of a liability to earthquake, are 
experienced annually even now. 

The harbor of Port Lloyd (as Beechey named it) is on the western side, and nearly in the 
centre of Peel Island. It is easy of ingress and egress, and may be considered as safe and 
commodious, though of deep ancliorage. Vessels usually anchor in from eighteen to twenty- 
two fathoms. The port is laid down on Beechey's chart as in latitude 2T° 5' 35" north, and 
142° 11' 30" east longitude. This position, however, is believed to be erroneous, for, according 
to two sets of observations, made by the master of the Susquehanna, the longitude was found 
to be 142° 16' 30" east; five miles more to the eastward than Beechey makes it. The safest 
anchorage is to be found as high up the harbor as a ship can conveniently go, having regard to 
depth and room for swinging and veering cable. Beechey's directions for entering the port aro 
sufficiently correct, and these, together with the Commodore's own observations, will be found 
in the Appendix. 

AVood and water can be procured in abundance, though the former must be cut by the crew, 
and taken on board the ship green. The water is obtained from running streams, and is of 
good quality. Timber for building purposes is rather scarce, and would soon be exhausted if 
any increase of population were to render the erection of many houses necessary. The best 
kinds of wood are the jamana and wild mulberry, the former of which is very like the red wood 
of Brazil and Mexico, and is very enduring. 

The harbor of Port Lloyd and the neighboring waters abound with excellent fish, which may 
be taken by the hook or net, although the places for hauling the seine are few, owing to the 
coral which in many parts lines the shores. The best place for this purpose is upon the beach 
which borders "Ten Fathom Hole," a deep portion of the bay which is close to the coral reef 
that extends out from the shore. The varieties offish are not numerous; among those taken in 
the seine belonging to the Susquehanna there were but five observed: the mullet, which 
seemed to be the most abundant, two varieties of perch, the gar, and the common ray. Sharks 
are very numerous, and, when quite small, frequent the shallow places among the coral rocks, 
and are there pursued by the dogs, seized upon and dragged on shore. 

There is an abundance of excellent green turtle, of which the ships obtained large supplies ; 
there are also plenty of cray fish. The varieties of the testacea are numerous, but none 
that was observed of any rarity, and none edible except the chama gigas, which, however, is 
very tough and indigestible. The family of the Crustacea is very extensive, of which the land 
crab forms the chief part, and which exists in every variety of size, form, and color; one of the 
most abounding is that which is commonly known as the "pirate." This animal can be seen 
in every direction near the shore, travelling about with its odd-looking domicil upon its back, 
which it seems to have got possession of rather by chance than from choice. The "pirate" has 
no home of its own, but appropriates, whence its name, that which belongs to others. It has a 
decided preference for the shells of the buccina, murex, and bulla, which have the comfortable 
proportions of an inch and a half or so in length ; but if such desirable quarters should, by any 
mischance, happen to be scarce, the "pirate" readily turns into the next most suitable dwelling 
of some neighbor at hand. It is necessary that the animal should have some snug corner 



ANIMAL AND VEGETABLE PRODUCTIONS. 203 

wherein, if not to lay its head, at an}' rate to put its tail, for the latter is soft and requires 
constant protection. Thus, when the "pirate" moves about, his head and claws are always 
protruded, but his rear is covered with his borrowed shell. It is still an unsettled question 
whether this animal appropriates the domicils of others by first rudely ejecting their living 
occupants, or more considerately waits until a natural death or some fatality vacates the 
quarters, and then takes possession. The "pirate" is a voracious creature, and seizes with 
great avidity upon anything eatable that comes in its way. 

The scarcity of birds, both of sea and land species, struck every one as singular. There were 
not more than four or five varieties of the latter, the largest of which were the crow and the 
pigeon, the others being of small size. There were but few gulls or other sea-birds; on 
approaching the islands, some petrel were observed, of unusually large size and of singularly 
brilliant plumage. 

Among the quadrupeds there were found sheep, deer, hogs, and goats, with an infinite 
number of cats and dogs. The cats and dogs, having lost some of their quiet domestic virtues, 
had strayed into the jungle, and were dignified by the inhabitants with the title of wild 
animals, and were accordingly hunted with dogs. On Stapleton Island, the goats, which were 
placed there by some of the early settlers, have increased prodigiously, as have also these 
animals, together with the hogs, put iipon the other islands. Commodore Perry left on shore 
on the north side of Peel Island, with a view to their increase, two bulls and two cows, and on 
North Island five Shanghai broad-tailed sheep, of which two were rams, and six goats. 

Peel Island is the only one of the Bonin group inhabited, and it contained on the visit of the 
Commodore only thirty-one inhabitants, all told : of these, three or four were native Americans, 
about the same number Englishmen, one a Portuguese, and the remainder Sandwich islanders 
and children born on the island. The settlers have cultivated patches of land of some extent, 
and raise a considerable quantity of sweet potatoes, Indian corn, pumpkins, onions, taro, and 
several kinds of fruit, the most abundant of which are water-melons, bananas, and pine-apples. 
These productions, together with the few pigs and poultry that are raised, find a ready sale to 
the whale ships constantly touching at the port for water and other supplies. During the few 
days the Susquehanna was at anchor in the harbor, three whalers, two American and one 
English, communicated by means of their boats with the settlement and carried away a o-ood 
stock of supjjlies. These are obtained ordinarily in exchange for other articles from on board 
the ships, of which ardent spirits is to some of the settlers the most accejitable. Were it not for 
the scarcity of labor a much greater extent of land would be cultivated. At present there cannot 
be more than a hundred and fifty acres throughout the whole island under cultivation, and this 
is in detached spots, generally at the seaward termination of the ravines through which the 
mountain streams flow and thus supply an abundance of fresh water, or upon plateaux of land 
near the harbor. The soil is of excellent quality and resembles very much that of Madeira and 
the Canary islands, which are in the same parallel of latitude. It is admirably adapted for the 
cultivation of the vine, and for the raising of wheat, tobacco, sugar-cane, and many other 
valuable plants. In fact, the settlers already produce enough sugar and tobacco for their own 
consumption. 

The few people who live on Peel Island seem happy and contented. Those of European orio-in 
have succeeded in surrounding themselves with some of the comforts and appliances of 
civilization. In one of the cottages there was observed several compartments, and what with 



204 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 

hangings from the walls of Chinese matting, a chair or two, a table, a plentiful distribution of 
b'ne paint, and some gaudily colored lithographs, there seemed not only on the part of the 
proprietor a desire for comfoi't, hut even a taste for luxury. 

The Sandwich islanders, or Kanakas, as they are now familiarly known to sailors and traders, 
live very much as they do in their native islands, and have grouped together their 23alm thatched 
huts which liave very much the appearance of one of their native villages. The inhabitants, 
living a quiet and easy life in a climate which is genial and wholesome, and upon a land whose 
fertility supplies them, in return for but little labor, with all they want to eat and drink, do not 
care to change their condition. The Americans and Europeans have taken to themselves wives 
from amdng the good natured and substantial Kanaka women. 

Commodore Perry being desirous of obtaining as full information as possible of Peel Island 
during his short visit, determined to send parties of exploration into the interior. He accordingly 
detailed certain officers and men for the purpose, who were divided into two companies, one of 
which was headed by Mr. Bayard Taylor, and the other by Dr. Fahs, assistant surgeon. 

These gentlemen, having been duly armed and equipped, started early on the morning of the 
15th of June, with the view of devoting the day to the proposed exploration. The party headed 
by Mr. Taylor, whose steps we shall first follow in the narrative, and whose report as submitted 
to the Commodore we shall freely use, was composed of eight : Mr. Bayard Taylor, Mr. Heine, 
the artist_,Mr. Boardman, midshipman, Mr. Lawrence, assistant engineer, Mr. Hampton, purser's 
steward, Smith, a marine, Dennis Terry, seaman, and a Chinese coolie. As Peel Island is only 
six miles in length, it was thought that one day was quite sufficient time for two parties properly 
distributed to explore so small a space. The northern part of the island, which is that which 
stretches immediately around the harbor, was the field of operation appropriated to the doctor's 
party, while the southern half fell to the duty of the explorers whose steps we are now about to 
follow. 

At early sunrise the party left the Susquehanna and were rowed ashore to the watering place 
at the head of the bay. On reaching this point the rations and ammunition were distributed 
to each, so that all might, as far as possible, be equally burdened. A Kanaka, who was met 
at the landing, was urged to accompany the party as a guide, but he was not disposed to 
comply, although he pointed out a small footpath, which he stated led over the hills to a Kanaka 
settlement about three miles distant. This direction was at once followed, which led them by 
a steep and slippery path through a wilderness of tropical growth. Palm trees, among which 
was the sago palm, that produces the sago of commerce, abounded ; parasitic plants hung in 
festoons from branch to branch, and by their close net work, interwoven with the trees, hindered 
the progress at every step, wlule the dew which dripped in the early morning from the thick 
foliage of the overgrown thicket wetted each one to the skin. The soil was observed to be that 
which is common about Port Lloyd and other parts of the island, and seemed composed of the 
detritus of trap rock and the decomposed refuse of the plants and trees. Kock of trap formation 
protruded frequently in rough crags from the steep sides of the hills, and in the crevices grew 
ii beautiful variety of the hibiscus, with its large flowers of a dull orange, whose petals were 
tipped with yellow of a lighter shade. A shower of white blossoms, which had fallen from a 
large tree of thirty feet in height, strewed here and there the ground. 

The course was up the ridge of the hill, and as it continued to the summit the vegetation 
became more and more profuse, until the expanding tops of the palm, the crowding together of 



EXPLORATION OF PEEL ISLAND. 205 

the trunks of the trees, and the dense net work of the hanging vines, so shrouded the sun that 
the path was covered with a deep shade, through the darkness of which the eye could hardly 
penetrate to a greater distance, in any direction, than twenty or thirty feet. It was difficult at 
tinaes to trace the path. When the party had reached the water-courses of the streams which 
flowed down the other side of the ridge they were ascending, multitudes of the land crabs 
pattered away in every direction, frightened out of their coverts by the approaching footsteps. 

The ridge at its summit widened into an undulating surface of a mile and a half or so in 
breadth, and was furrowed with deep gullies. The declivity on the otlier side of the ridge, 
below which opened a deep ravine, was so steep that the men were obliged to let themselves 
down by swinging from tree to tree. This ravine between the steep mountains, which, with 
the exception of the bared rock here and there, were profusely covered with vegetation, 
presented a wild aspect, with a stream of water flowing over a rocky bed through thickets of 
undergrowth and masses of tropical vegetation spreading over the rocky cliffs and doAvn the 
hills on all sides. 

The party now crossed the stream, and coming upon a field of the taro plant, which was of 
remarkably luxuriant growth, struck directly through it and reached the forest beyond. 
Finding it impossible, however, to make their way in that direction, they turned back through 
the taro and regained the stream. The path was now recovered, which was found to lead 
through a valley which bore signs of habitation. Cultivated patches of ground showed 
themselves here and there with flourishing crops of sweet potatoes, taro, tobacco, sugar-cane, 
pumpkin, and the sida or Indian gooseberry, which seemed to grow with wonderful luxuriance. 
In the centre of the valley two palm thatched huts were observed, but the party, upon coming 
up to them and entering, found they were uninhabited, although there were signs of their 
having been occupied that morning. Guns were then fired to attract the attention of any 
inhabitants who might be within hearing, and a good result was soon apparent by the 
answering signal of a shout, which was immediately followed by the appearance of a South Sea 
islander, with a face tattooed of a light blue and clothed in coarse cotton shirt and trowsers. 
He introduced himself under the dignified title of "Judge," and professed to be a native of 
Nukahwa in the Marquesas islands. This Marquesite seemed to be in very flourishing 
condition. He had a hut to live in, a plantation to cultivate, and made a fair show of live 
stock with his dogs and four pigs. The "Judge" was very affable, and in a very friendly 
manner gave freely all the information at his command. He pointed out to his visitors how 
the valley turned round the spur of the mountain and opened westward to the sea. The 
stream was here only a creek in appearance, but was of sufficient dejjth to float canoes, in one 
of which the "Judge" had just arrived from a turtle hunt, and had brought with him a fine 
animal, which he busied himself with cutting up in the wishful company of his four dogs, who 
were licking their chops with a hopeful anticipation of their share of the feast. 

The " Judge" was requested to guide the party to the southern end of the island, which he 
stated to be about three or four miles distant, without, however, any pathway to it. His 
companion, however, who knew tlie way, was sent for, and a copper colored Otaheitan, who 
hardly spoke English, soon presented himself. He acknowledged that he was acquainted with 
the route, and familiar with the wild boar haunts, but refused to go with the i^arty unless 
joined by the " Judge," who, after some hesitation, consented, with the understanding that he 



20(3 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 

should be allowed to stow away his turtle flesh before starting. This, of course, was readily 
conceded. 

The valley in which the explorers found themselves was estimated to be about a mile in 
length, and its widest part was a quarter of a mile in breadth. The main branch of the valley 
was not that which had been entered, but took an easterly direction, through which a stream 
flowed ; the southern part seemed to be impassable, from being walled up with rocks heaped one 
above the other. From the "Judge's" hut the sea was said to be about half a mile distant. 
The soil of the valley is of a rich loam, and, judging by the flourishing appearance of the vege- 
tables and crops grown by the settlers, exceedingly fertile. The tobacco was particularly 
vio-orous in growth, being five feet in height. The water of the stream is sweet and pure, and 
the supply constant. Some lemons, which the "Judge" had stored away in his hat, he said 
came from the north of the valley. 

The party, now under the guidance of the "Judge" and his companion, took an E.S.E. 
course, following through the ravine the stream. The bed of the stream was in various places 
crowded with large boulders of trap rock, heaped confusedly one upon another. The vegetation 
presented the usual tropical profusion of trees, parasite plants, and under growth. From the 
denseness of the woods and the greasy, slippery nature of the soil, the progress of every step was 
toilsome and painful. Two of the party in the rear, while those in advance awaited upon a cliff 
their coming up, started a wild boar, and fired at him a passing shot, but without efiect. The 
dogs which belonged to the settlers were not of much use, for they kept clinging to the heels of 
their masters, instead of ranging the forest and beating up the game from its cover. 

On leaving the water-course the explorers climbed the southern side of the ravine, which they 
could only do by clinging to the roots or to the tough vines which hung from the trees. In the 
deep shadow and turnings of the wood, through which there was no path, the members of the 
party became scattered, and the leaders were again obliged to await at the summit of the ridge 
the coming of those who lagged behind. Among the various palms, which grow abundantly, 
some specimens of the palma latina were observed at this spot, with immensely broad leaves and 
stems nearly eight feet in length, the jagged edges of which wounded the travellers' hands as 
they struggled through the forest. The pandanus was also seen, with its shoots, sometimes 
twenty or thirty in number, sticking down and outwards from the lower part of its straight 
trunk, and rooting themselves in the ground, until they formed a pyramidal base, from which 
the tree rose in a slender column, covered with a graceful capital of foliage. 

While some of the party were resting upon the ridge, waiting for their companions who had 
fallen behind, a great barking of dogs rose from a neighboring ravine, at which two of the party 
started off at once. Several shots from the company were soon heard, and Mr. Taylor, the 
leader, followed, making for the direction of the sound, and, after plunging through an almost 
impenetrable thicket, in the course of which he came upon the lair of a wild boar, arrived at the 
bed of a brook, where the hunters were grouped about a young boar. He was not over a year 
old, and, with his long snout and the dirty, dark grey color of his bristling hide, looked some- 
what like the Chinese hog. Mr. Hampton, one of the party who had been left behind upon the 
ridge, was now sent for; but the "Judge," who had gone in search of him, soon returned, 
stating that he was sick, and unable to come up. Mr. Hampton, however, in a short time 
gathered strength enough to follow, and succeeded in reaching the party, although evidently, 
much overcome with fatigue. As the Otaheitan guide, however, said that it was only two miles 



EXPLORATION OF PEEL ISLAND. 



207 



to tlie soutliern end of the island, Mr. Hampton resolved to continue with his companions, 
instead of returning, as had been proposed, with the "Judge" to the valley. The explorers 
having taken with them the liver and the kidneys of the wild hoar, hung up his carcase 
upon a tree to remain until their return, and then continued their course. 

In about a half hour afterward the ridge which divides the island was crossed and the top of the 
slope of the southern side reached. From this poiiit the sea was seen and a view obtained of 
Bailly's Island, rising from the surface in the distance, a little west of south. It was newfound 
necessary to alter the coui'se of the route, for the guide had taken the party too far to the right 
and led them to the brink of a steep precipice which it was impracticable to descend. There was 
some difficulty now in retracing their steps, for they had got so near to the precipice that they 
were forced to creep along with great caution, clinging to the strong grass and shrubs which 
grew upon the brink. By this mode of procedure, for the extent of two hundred yards or so, 
they succeeded in reaching a place where the precipice terminated ; but where the descent was 
still so steep that it was found necessary for each man, as he descended, to place himself upon 
his back and thus slide down the declivity, taking care to check his speed by occasionally 
clenching the earth or some projecting bush. Finally, the ravine below was reached, but there 
was considerable disappointment on finding that the worst was not yet over ; for, instead of 




Valley near South East Bay, Peel Island, Bonin Group. 



coming upon a water-course, as was expected, which might lead gently to the sea side, it was 
discovered that there was a succession of rocky steps, varying from ten to fifty feet, down which 
it was necessary to clamber. At last the beach was reached ; and as those in advance looked 



208 



EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 



up to their remaining companions, some standing upon tlie edge of the cliffs, and others letting 
themselves down their precipitous sides, the undertaking just accomplished seemed a marvellous 
feat of labor, difficulty, and danger. 

The party now found themselves in what the guide called the South East Bay, which was 
said to be frequently visited by the whalers ; some of whom had left evidence of their visits in 
the stump of a tree, which showed marks of having been smoothly cut with a large axe. There 
was also a neglected bed of tomatoes, overgrown with weeds, seen stretched along the banks of 
the stream, which had certainly been planted there by the hand of man. On the gathering of 
all the company, who were almost worn out, and suffered much from the excessive heat, a fire 
was lighted, and the boar's liver and kidneys being duly cooked, a very excellent extemporaneous 
feast, with the addition of the pork and other rations brought with them^ was prepared and 
voraciously discussed. The party being refreshed by their banquet and the rest they had 
enjoyed, and it being as late as two o'clock, determined to return. When the guides announced 
that it was necessary to go back the way they came, the resumption of the labors, and the expo- 
sure to the dangers which had just been undergone, seemed quite appalling. There was, 
however, no alternative, and the party was forced to retrace their steps, but succeeded, finally, 
with a renewed experience of their former troubles, and after excessive fatigue, in reaching the 
valley whence they had set out with the "Judge" and his Otaheitan companion. 




South En«t Ii;,y, lVi-1 Waiirt. 

It was six o'clock in the evening when they arrived at the "Judge's" quarters, so tliey 
spared themselves but little time for repose, but soon continued their journeying. One of t';e 
party was so wearied with fatigue as to be obliged to proceed to the Kanaka settlement, at tlje 



EXPLORATION OP PEEL ISLAND. 209 

south end of Port Lloyd, by the way of the sea, in a canoe, piloted by the Otaheitan. The rest 
went by land, attempting to return by the same route as that they had come. The path was 
not easily found, however, and the explorers suffered another hard experience in the forest and 
over the rough crags, where they were nearly lost among the entangled undergrowth and much 
battered by the irregularity of the ground. Another member of the party gave out, but was 
brought along by main force, and having been deposited in a safe place on the summit of the 
ridge, under the care of one of the men, the rest pushed on ; and having reached the Kanaka 
settlement, at the south end of Port Lloyd, took their station on a clifl' whicli over]o(dved the bay, 
and whence the great hull of the Susquehanna could be barely discovered in the surrounding 
darkness. Firing a volley with their guns, as a signal, they were soon answered by the arrival 
of the ship's cutter, and having sent back for the tired member of the party, they all pulled 
ofi'for the steamer, where they arrived at ten o'clock at night, sorely bruised and fatigued bj^ the 
hard day's work. The other party, under the command of the assistant surgeon, returned about 
the same time, and tlie result of the observations, as reported by Dr. Fahs, is now recorded. 

The volcanic origin of the island was clearly manifest from the existence of ancient craters. Trap 
rock, intermingled with amygdaloid and green stone, formed the basis of the island, as it did the 
loftiest peaks of the hills ; basaltic dykes were observed to pass through beds of sand, scoria, and 
cinders, and strata of old lava were traced along the seacoast and in other parts where deep 
sections of rock were exposed. A sulphur spring, characterized by the usual strong odor and 
taste of sulphuretted hydrogen gas, was discovered issuing from one of the ravines, and iron 
pyrites abounded in many places. The vegetation, too, was not such as is generally found in 
volcanic countries of the same latitude as the Benin Islands. It would appear that Port Lloyd 
was at one time the crater of an active volcano, from which the surrounding hills had been 
thrown up, while the present entrance to the harbor was formed by a deep fissure in the side of 
the cone, through which a torrent of lava had poured into tlie sea, leaving, after its subsidence, 
a space into which the waters subsequently were emptied, bringing with them their usual 
deposits^ which, together with the coral formation, now forms the bottom and sides of the harbor. 

The surface of the island is varied. Plains extend from the basis of the hills toward the sea- 
shore, and are composed of a dark vegetable mould, sometimes five or six feet deep, intermixed 
with the shells of marine animals and the detritus of trap rock, and spread upon a founda- 
tion of coral. These plains are highly fertile, and those now cultivated produce a rich harvest 
of sweet potatoes of immense size, Indian corn^ sugar-cane of wonderfully vigorous growth and 
excellent quality, yams, taro, melons, and the ordinary products of a kitchen garden. The 
Irish potato has been tried, but not sufficiently long to form an estimate of its probable success. 
The plains on the bay only have been cultivated as yet, but there is every reason to believe that the 
others are equally fertile, and might be made to yield sufficientlj^ to support a large population. 

The hills rise in some places by a gentle slope from the plains, and in others abruptly by 
steep ascents, which give them the appearance of terraces rising one above the other. At tlie 
head of the bay two prominent peaks rise, which are known by the name of the Paps, one of 
which reaches the elevation of a thousand feet, and the other eleven hundred. They are clearly 
seen on entering the harbor, and are important guides to the navigator. Tlie springs in the 
northern half of the island, which was the fiehl of survey now reviewed, are few, two only of 
which run constantly with a supply of pure drinking water. In the valleys there are several 
others, but they are so brackish or so frequently dry that they cannot be relied upon as sources 
27 J 



210 



EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 



of supply. Tlirougli the ravines which intersect the valleys streams pour down into the sea 
during the rainy season, but their beds, crowded here and there with large boulders of trap 
rock, are hardly moist during the dry weather. 

The flora of the island is tropical, and was observed to be as beautiftil as can be found in any 
similar latitude. In the valleys and along the sea beach a tree of large size, called by the 
people living on the island the Crumeiw, was seen in abundance. It had a thick and short 
trunk, with a gray bark, a very dense foliage, with large oval leaves of smooth surface and 
bright green color, arrayed in clusters around the branches, from the ends of which grew tufts 
of beautiful whit« flowers. 

Dense forests of palm crowded up the hill-sides and into the ravines, and were of such close 
growth that their full development was hindered and other vegetation prevented. The fan- 
palm was the most abundant of the six species observed. Among the various trees was noticed 
a variety of the beech of considerable size, a large tree growing in abundance on the mountains, 
which somewhat resembled the dog-wood, and an immense mulberry with an occasional girth 
of thirteen or fourteen feet. Of smaller trees and plants, there were the laureL the juniper, the 
box-wood tree, fern^ banana, orange, pine-apple, and whortleberry. Lichens, mosses, and 




,NrtnNK«"'>*'^"'-^'" 



Stapleton Island. 



various parasitic plants were abundant. Tliere were but few kinds ot grasses, and most of thom 
unfit for pasturage. The jungle weed, in the uncultivated tracts, is so dense that it crowds out 
almost everything else of its kind. 



EXAMINATION OF STAPLE TON ISLAND. 211 

The animals on the island were mostly imported hut had become-wild in their habits from 
straying in the woods. Pigeons, finches, crows, and sandpipers, were found among the native 
birds, and the tortoise, the iguana, and a small lizard were the principal indigenous animals 
seen. 

In addition to the two surveys of Peel Island, the interesting results of which have been just 
recorded, the Commodore dispatched an officer to report on the general aspect and character 
of the island of Stapleton, from whose statement some valuable facts are derived. Stapleton 
Island, like the rest of the Bonin group, is of volcanic origin, and has a varied surface of plain, 
hill, and valley, with large tracts of fertile land. A small bay was found on the western side 
with apparently deep water, and surrounded by rocks and mountains varying from 800 to 1,500 
feet in height, which protect it from the S.E. typhoons. 

A small promontory and coral reef were observed to divide this bay, and on the land border- 
ing the northern section was a spring of cool, well-tasting water, coming out of a rock and giving 
a supply of nearly three gallons per minute. Tlie indigenous productions of Stapleton were the 
same as those on the other islands, but the goats which had been introduced there had increased 
marvellously, to the extent, it was supposed, of several thousands, and had become very wild in 
the course of their undisturbed wanderings through the secluded ravines and over the savage 
rocks of the island. 

The Commodore, having been long satisfied of the importance of these islands to commerce, 
was induced to visit them, chiefly by a desire of examining them himself and recommending 
Peel Island as a stopping place for the line of steamers whicli, sooner or later, must be estab- 
lished between California and China. To this end he caused tlie island to be explored, the 
harbor to be surveyed, and a few animals to be placed upon two of the groujjs of islands, as the 
commencement of a provision for future wants. Garden seeds of every description were also 
distributed among the present settlers, and hopes were held out to them by the Commodore of a 
future supjjly of implements of husbandry and a greater number of animals. A suitable spot 
too was selected for the erection of ofiices, wharves, coal-sheds, and other buildings necessary for 
a depot for steamers. A title was obtained to a piece of land which is admirably adapted to the 
desired purpose. It is situated on the northern side of the bay, near its head, with a front on 
the water of 1,000 yards and a good dejith near the shore for the length of 500 yards, it might, 
by the building of a pier extending out fifty feet, be conveniently approached by the largest 
vessel afloat. 

In a letter addressed to the Navy Department Commodore Perry has given at length his 
views of the conveniences of Peel Island for the establishment of a depot for steamers. In this 
communication he says : 

"As my instructions direct me to seek out and establish ports of refuge and refreshment for 
vessels traversing these distant seas, I have, from the commencement of the cruise, kept con- 
stantly in view the port in which we are now at anchor,* and the principal harbor of the Bonin 
Islands, as well for general convenience of resort as to furnish connecting links, or suitable 
stopping places, for a line of mail steamers, which I trust may soon be established between 
some one of our Pacific ports and China, an event so mi:ch to be desired, and, if accomplished, 
one that will be distinguished, even in the history of these remarkable times, as of the highest 
importance to the commerce of the United States and of the world. 

* The Commodore is writing from Napha , in Lew Chow. 



212 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 

"The mails from the United States and Euroije, by the way of Egypt, the Red sea, and 
Indian ocean, arrive regularly at Hong Kong, almost to a day, twice a week in each month. 
From Hong Kong to Shanghai, five days may he allowed for the passage. To this point the 
British government would doubtless extend its mail if it were taken up by us and continued on 
to California. 

''Its transportation, by steam, from Shanghai to San Francisco, via the Bonin and Sandwich 
Islands, would occupy thirty days, allowing three days for stopping for coal, etc. Tlius, the 
distance from San Francisco to Honolulu, in the Sandwich Islands, is roughly estimated at 
2,003 miles; from Honolulu to Peel Island, 3,301 miles; and from Peel Island to the mouth of 
the Yang-tzse-Keang, or Shanghai river, 1,081 miles; in all, 6,475 miles; and allowing 240 
miles per day, the time at sea would be twenty-seven, and the time in port three days; from 
San Francisco to New York twenty-two days would be required, making from Shanghai to 
New York fifty-two days. 

"The usual time occupied in transporting the mail from England to Hong Kong, via 
Marseilles, (the shortest route,) is from forty-five to forty-eight days; add to that two days' 
detention at Hong Kong, and five more to Shanghai, would make the time required to reach 
the latter place from fifty-two -to fifty-five days. 

"Shanghai might be considered the terminus of the English and the commencement of the 
American mail; and thus an original letter could be sent west by way of Europe, and its 
duplicate east by way of California, the first arriving at Liverpool about the time its duplicate 
reaches New York. 

"But apart from the advantages, and, I may add, the glory of perfecting a scheme so mag- 
nificent, this line of steamers would contribute largely to the benefit of commerce. Already 
many thousands of Chinamen are annually embarking for California, paying for their passages 
each ,$50, and finding themselves in everything, excepting Avater and fuel for cooking their food. 

"These provident people are the most patient and enduring laborers, and must, by their 
orderly habits, add greatly to the agricultural interests of California. 

"But Shanghai is now becoming the great commercial mart of China; already does it outrival 
Canton in its trade with the United States, and when it shall be considered that the fine teas and 
silks, and other rare and valuable commodities of that part of China, can be conveyed by means 
of steam to California in five, and to New York in eight weeks, it is impossible to estimate 
in anticipation the advantages that may grow out of an intercourse so rapid and so certain."* 

* The importance of the Bonin Islnnds to the advancement of commercial interests in the east is so great that the suhject hag 
more or less occupied the mind of the Commodore since his return ; and this importance is best shown by the following 
document which has been placed in the hands of the compiler by Commodore Perry since this chapter was written : 

J^'oles u'illi respect to the Bonin Islands. 

My visit to the Bonin Islands forcibly impressed me with the idea of their importance as a point of rendezvous for vessels 
navigating that part of the Pacific ocean in which they lie, and especially as offering a port of refuge and supply for whaling 
ships resorting to those regions, as well as a depot for coal for a line of steamers which, ere long, must unquestionably be 
established between California and China, via Japan. 

Whales of several varieties abound in those parts of the ocean lying between the Bonins and the coast of Asia, and are in 
greater numbers in the neighborhood of Japan. Until the establishment of a treaty with that singular empire the masters of 
whaling vessels were cautious not to approach near to its shores, under a well-founded apprehension of falling into the hands of 
the J.ipanese, and sutfering, as a consetjuence, imprisonment and cruel treatment. These fears should no longer exist, as the 
stipulations of the treaty make provision and offer guaranties not only for kind treatment to those .Americans who may approach 
the coast, or be thrown by accident upon its liiiherto inhospitable shores, but allow all American vessels under press of weather 
to enter any of its ports lor temporary refitment ; and t!ie ports of llaUodadi and Si;noda are open for all purposes uf repair or 
supplies. 



ADVANTAGES OP PORT LLOYD, 213 

After a stay of four days at the Bonln Islands, the Susquehanna weighed anchor, and talcing 
the Saratoga in tow sailed on the morning of Saturday the ISth of June, on the return, 
voyage to Lew Chew. After clearing the luirhor of Port Lloyd, the course was steered toward 
Disaj)pointment Island. On tlie passage from Levv' Chew to the Bonin Islands the Commodore 
had desired to sight and determine the position of this island, hut, although it had been made 
hy the Susquehanna which stood directly for it on the day previous to her arrival at Port Lloyd, 
there was no opportunity, in consequence of the apjiroaching darkness, to make any observation 
but an ajiproximation by means of computation. The Commodore, therefore, on his return 
voyage, was particularly desirous of seeing the island of DisapiDointment and determining 
with precision its position, about which so much has been said and written. Accordingly, as 
the island was made directly ahead a short period after noon, and passed at a distance of only 
three or four miles, its exact position was accurately determined by data derived from the 
noon-day observation. 

It is a low island, with two detached rocks extending a cable or two in length from its extreme 

point, and lies in latitude 27° 15' north, and in longitude 140° 56' 30" east from Greenwich. 

*It is jjresumed that Disappointment and Kosario are one and the same i.sland. In addition 

to the nautical observation of the officers of the ship, the artist made a drawing of the 

appearance of the island, which will be found in the Appendix. 



As, therefore, tlie obstacle-^ to a free navigation of the Japan seas no longer present themselves, our whaling ships may cruise 
in safety and without interruption as near to the shores as may be convenient, or in the seas lying more to the eastward. But 
to render this part of the ocean in all respects convenient to our whaling ships sonietiiing more is wanted, and that is a port 
of resort, which shall be in all respects free for tiiem to enter and depart without the restraints of exclusive laws and national 
prejudices; for though, as before remarked, tlie ports of Hakodadi and Simoda, in Japan, to which we may add Napha, in 
great Lew Chew, are by treaty open to American vessels, a long lime may elapse before the people of those ports will probably 
divest themselves of the jealousies ivhich tiiey have hitherto entertained against strangers, and it is ivell known that the crews 
of whaling vessels visiting the ports of the Pacific are not remarkable for their orderly behavior or conciliatory deportment, 
hence my argument in favor of an establishment at the Bonin Islands is strengthened. My plan is to establisii a colony at Port 
l^loyd, Peei Island, the principal of the Bonin group, leaving the question of sovereignty to be discussed hereafter. I have 
already in tlie narrative described these islands, and shall now proceed to set forth my plan for building up a thrifty settlement 
whicli shall extend over the entire group of islands. 

First, then, a company of merchants, in connexion with a few artisans, should form a joint stock company for the purpose of 
cstablislung a colony on Peel Island. The experiment need not involve any very great outlay. Two vessels, each of three or 
four hundred tons, suitably equipped for whaling, should be em'ployed first in transporting to the island materials for the 
construction of a storehouse and a few small dwellings, and the necessary supplies for furnishing a store with chandlery, naval 
stores groceries, and all such articles as are usually needed by whaling and other ships. After landing tlie passengers and 
cargo, these vessels might proceed to cruise in the neighborliood and in the Japan seas in pursuit of wliales — returning occa- 
sionally to the settlement for refreshment, &c. ; when these two vessels shall have jointly secured enough of oil to load one of 
them, that one should be sent home to be again refitted and freighted with additional colonists and fresh supplies for the store- 
house and for the settlers ; and so the two vessels might alternate in their voyages to the United States. Thus in a short 
time a colony could be built up, and the results prove profitable to all parties concerned. Whaling vessels, .\merican, English, 
and French, would resort in greater numbers to the port for refreshment and supplies, becoming customers in the purchase of 
needful articles for their vessfls, and giving employment to the artisans and farmers of the colony. If mjnev should be wanted 
by the whalemen visiting the port, to make payment for laborer supplies, oil at just prices would betaken in lieu thereof. There 
should be sent out by the company none but young married people, quarters for whom cjuld be obtained in the houses of the 
present settlers till dwellings could be erected for their exclusive occupation. Thus the settlement would, in all probability, form 
the nucleus of a religious and happy community, and here a missionary station might be formed without obstacle, from whence 
missionaries at a proper season might be sent to Japan, Formosa, and other benighted countries in that quarter of the globe. 
At the present time whaling vessels cruising in the seas lying between the Sandivich Islands and Japan are frequently oblio-ed 
to resort either to those islands or to Hong Kong for refitment and supplies, a distance from some of their whaling grounds of 
several thousands of miles ; in such a voyage, and in the unavoidable delay in port, much time is occupied ; and apart from the 
enormous charges made at those ports, which make it necessary to draw heavily upon the owners at home, the crews become 
sickly and demoralized by their indulgence in dissipation. Now, a depot established at Peel Island would be central, and would 
probably be wanting, for a length of years, at least, in the meansfor improper indulgence, for which the ports before mentioned 
are notorious. The right of sovereignty undoubtedly belongs to Japan, as the earliest known occupant of the islands; beyond 
this claim the present settlers have unqtiestionably priority of right of jurisdiction. 



214 



EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 



From Disappointment Island the conrse of the ship was steered directly for the Borodinos as 
laid down in the ordinary charts. They were made on the 22d of June directly ahead, and 
were found to he two in numher, situated five miles apart, and lying in a N.N.E. and S.S.W. 
direction. They appeared to he of coral formation hut of great antiquity, as trees of con- 
siderahle size crowned the uplands, the most elevated part of which may have heen forty feet 
ahove the level of the sea. The navigation in the immediate neighborhood seemed free of 
danger, but no indentations were seen in the surrounding shore which might afford safe 
anchoring places. No signs of people were discovered, and it is presumed that the islands are 
tminhahited. The position of the extremity at the south of the southern island was estimated 
to he in latitude 25° 4*7', and in longitude 131° 19' east. 

As during the return voyage moderate breezes from S.S.W. to S.W. prevailed with warm 
weather, and as, in fact, the wind ever since the first de^jarture from Napha had continued 
from the southward and westward, it may be inferred that the southwest monsoon extends as 
far north as the parallels of latitude in which the course of the ships laid. The Susquehanna 
and Saratoga reached, in the evening of June 23d, their anchorage in the hay of Napha, 
where they found the Mississippi, the Plymouth, and the Supply. 




Port Lloyd and Boniu Islanda 




Hhil'il'iNT Hi' l,K,W CIIKW 



CHANGES AT N A P U A, NEW REGENT. 



215 



CHAPTEU XI. 



CHANGES AT KAPHA, NEW REGENT. BANQUET ON BOARD OF THE SUSQUEHANNA. EXCESSIVE DIGNITY OF THE NEW REGENT. 

STATELINESS OF LEW CHEWANS THAWED OUT BY THE DINNER. GUESTS SENT HOME. BAMBOO VILLAGE. INTERIOR OF LEW 

CHEW HOUSES. MEN INDOLENT. GOSSIFPING AT LEW CHEW. LEW CHEW LOOM. DIFFERENT CLASSES OF THE PEOPLE. 

THEIR FEAR OF SPIES. SLAVERY OF PEASANTS. CAUSES OF DEGRADATION. EXCELLENCE OF AGRICULTURAL CULTIVATION. 

ORIGIN OF POPULATION OF LEW CHEW. FORMER KINGDOMS ON THE ISLAND. RELATION OF LEW CHEW TO CHINA AND JAPAN, 

RESPECTIVELY. EDUCATION IN LEW CHEW. RELIGION OF THE INHABITANTS. CHRISTIAN MISSION IN LEW CHEW. DISTINC- 
TIONS OF DRESS. PEOPLE SELL THEMSELVES AS SLAVES. CLANSHIP. COIN IN LEW CHEW SUGAR MAKING. NATURAL 

PRODUCTS OF THE ISLAND. 

HEN the squadron returned to Naplia, on tlie 23d of June, it was 
found that a new regent had been installed. The old occupant, 
who had so pertinaciously striven to prevent the Commodore's 
visit to Shui, and who had also so bountifully entertained our 
countrymen at his own habitation, had, it was said, been deposed. 
It was difficult to ascertain with certainty the causes of this 
degradation, but it was not to be doubted that, if true, it was in 
some mode connected with the presence of our ships at Najjha, 
and probably resulted from the admission of the Commodore and 
his suite into the royal residence at Shui. It was not a j^leasant 
reflection to the officers that they should have been, however 
innocently, the cause of the poor old man's degradation; and it seemed hard to understand wliy 
their visit should have led to more serious consequences than those produced by that of the 
officers of H. B. M. ship Sphynx to the same place. At first, it was rumored that the old 
regent had been obliged to perform the Jiara-hiri, or disembowelling operation; but the jjainful 
feelings produced by this intelligence were happily relieved by the sight of the old man in his 
house at Shui, by two of the officers of the Susquehanna. Dr. Bettelheim (who did not seem 
to feel any pity for the degraded dignitary) stated that he would probably be banished, with his 
family, to one of the smaller islands. 

The Commodore, who was quite satisfied with the conciliatory measures that had been pursued 
during his absence, now renewed his invitation to the regent and trea.surer to dine on board the 
Susquehanna, on Tuesday, the 28th of June, offering to send boats for them. Tliis invitation 
was accepted; and the Commodore had reason to doubt the whole story of tlie old regent's 
degradation, from the fact that the new regent. Sluing Hung Hiun, a member of the family of 
his predecessor, and a much younger man, did not hesitate to accept an invitation to the dinner, 




216 



EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 



but went even furtlier in his courtesies and attentions than the ohl regent had ever done. As 
far as he could ascertain the facts, the Commodore believed that the old man had voluntarily- 
resigned in favor of the young one. 

On the appointed day of the feast, three of the ship's boats were sent off to the creek at 
Tumai to bring on board the invited guests. On their arrival, and after the usual presentation 
of crimson cards, they came on board in robes of the finest and cleanest grass-cloth, and with 
hafchee mafchees of showy color on their heads. Captain Buchanan received them at the gang- 
way, and conducted them through the various parts of the ship. The day was oppressively 
warm, and the visitors found it so sultry between decks, and especially in the engine room, that 
they were glad once more to stand u})on the upper deck. The marines were under arms, and 
the band played to give honor to their reception. When dinner was announced they were 
ushered into the Commodore's cabin, and immediately sat down to the table. The entertainment 
was, of course, entirely in accordance with European and American customs. The Commodore 
took the centre of the table, with the regent on his right hand and the chief treasurer on his 
left, while the mayor of Naplia and one of the other treasurers were seated near the ends of the 
table, where they were taken in charge by the commanders of the different vessels of the squadron . 
Mr. Williams and Dr. Bettelheim were present as guests and interpreters ; while at a smaller 




l>iiiut-r to the il< 



table were Messrs. 0. H. Perry, Portman, Taylor, and Heine. None ot the regent's suite wore 
allowed to sit at table with him, but remained in attendance. His interpreter, Ichirazichi, the 
same whom we have already presented to our readers, stood behind him. 



BANQUET ON BOARD OP THE SUSQUEHANNA. 217 

The new-regent was a small man, apparently about forty-five years old, of more swarthy 
complexion than any of his suite, and with a slight cast in his left eye. He was remarkably 
grave and taciturn, seemed to be perpetually awake to the novelty of his position, having at 
times a restless and uneasy expression of countenance, and never spoke except when he was 
particularly addressed. It was very evident that he was less at his ease than any person present. 
This, perhaps, arose from his newly acquired rank, to which he had not yet become accustomed, 
and possibly some embarrasment may have been caused by the apprehension that he should be 
wanting in some of the i)roprieties of etiquette at an American dinner table. Perhaps, too, he 
was not without his fears that, surrounded as he knew himself to be by spies, his visit might 
bring in its train some unpleasant political consequences. His dress consisted of a dark purple 
or violet-colored robe and a cap of crimson. The treasurers, both old men with wrinkled faces 
and scanty grey beards, wore similar caps, while their robes were yellow. The mayor was 
attired in a robe of pearl-white grass cloth, and had on his head a crimson cap. The hair of all 
was put up with massive gold pins, and their girdles were of rich Chinese silk. These various 
dresses were presumed to be official, and in their diversity of color indicative of difierence of 
rank. The inferior attendants who stood behind these dignitaries were dressed in blue and 
yellow with scarlet caps. 

Knives and forks were placed, in our usual fashion, for each guest. The first seemed to be 
very much in the way of the Lew Chewans ; with the last they did better, and showed some 
dexterity in making them answer the purpose of chop sticks. This, however, was a matter of 
but little moment, as, be the implements used what they may, hungry men will contrive in some 
mode to convey food to their mouths, and the Lew Chewans, like sensible men, manifested no inten- 
tion of avoiding awkwardness at such a heavy jjrice as the loss of a good dinner ; and the dinner 
was very good. Turtle soup, goose, kid curry, and various other delicacies formed part of the feast 
which was spread with bountiful profusion. To the soup the mayor and treasurer did ample 
justice, and in their apijreciation of its excellence were not unworthy rivals of a London Alder- 
man. The cabin was sultry, and as the feast proceeded the guests grew warmer, (for they were 
very much in earnest,) until finally they asked permission to remove their caps, and this having 
been done, the attendant of each, standing behind, vigorously fanned the uncovered head of his 
master. Punch followed the soup and furnished tliem with a new gustatory enjoyment. They 
had given the Commodore some of their saki, and he was now resolved to give them a taste of 
the saki made in all other parts of the world. So there were French and German wines, Scotch 
and American whiskey, madeira and sherry, and the gin of Holland, winding up with the sweet, 
smooth, strong maraschino, which decidedly, in their estimation, bore away the jialm. They 
smacked their lips and shut their eyes at each siji of the limpid delicacy, and, in short, showed 
but a very sorry appreciation of the virtue of temperance. And while they were thus almost 
equalling Christendom in genteel dissipation, Mr. Heine, at the small table, was making a sketch 
of the group, and Mr. Portman was taking a portrait of the regent. 

After feeding heartily on tlie .substantials, they asked leave to smoke their jiii^es ; it was of 
course accorded, and the chief treasurer, after a few whiSs, presented his^ with the embroidered 
tobacco pouch attached, to the Commodore. The mayor and other treasurers followed his 
example by handing theirs to Captains Buchanan and Adams. There seemed to be no end to 
the cajmcity of stomach in some of these officials. Preserved oysters and other articles of food 
sealed up in America, excited an admiration as boundless as their appetites. Part of the dessert 
28 .1 



218 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 

consisted of melons and bananas brought from the Bonin Islands. These took them completely 
captive and they begged that they might carry some home to their wives. They were^ of course, 
told to do so, and forthwith the loose folds of each one's robe above his girdle was converted 
into a pocket and loaded yrith what it would hold. 

When things had reached this stage, there was but too much reason to fear that "the tide of 
wine and wassail was fast gaining on the dry land of sober judgment." All reserve was now 
fully thawed out. The quiet repose of a calm contentment sat enthroned on the shining faoe of 
the jolly old mayor of Napha. The wrinkled visages of the two withered old treasurers flushed 
and exj^anled into rubicund fullness. The regent alone preserved Ms silent, anxious demeanor, 
and all he drank was neutralized in its effects by his excessive dignity. He appeared cordial and 
friendly but once, and that was when the Commodore offered him an assortment of American 
garden seed and vegetables. These he promised to plant and carefully cultivate. The Commo- 
dore had previously landed, as a present, cattle and buifaloes; these he also promised should be 
carefully looked to and their offspring preserved. 

The band had been playing on the deck while the guests were feasting, and when the 
weightier part of the festival was over the Commodore ordered down some of the more expert 
performers, to play solos on the flageolet, hautboy, clarionet, and cornet-a-piston. The regent 
listened attentively, but the mayor and treasurers were too busy in stowing away the epular 
fragments to be moved by any "concord of sweet sounds." Coifee was offered them, under the 
name of "American tea." They did not relish it, and resorted once more to their pipes. The 
attendants had not been forgotten. They had enjoyed an abttudance of meat and drink in the 
steward's pantry, and relished it quite as much as their masters. But all earthly enjoyment 
must have an end, and the feast at last was over. The guests were jjut on shore at Tumai, 
leaving the ship under a salute of three guns ; and so ended the dinner given to the regent on 
on board the Susquehanna. 

The return to Lew Chew aflbrded to some of the officers an oj^portunity of making further 
examinations as to the external aspect of the island, and of catching further glimpses of the 
habits and pursuits of the inhabitants. One of the gentlemen attached to the Saratoga thus 
describes the result of one of his explorations : 

" Rambled over the hill this afternoon to a most remarkable village. Approaching toward 
the spot, it appeared to be a thick swamp of green brushwood. Not a house nor anything of 
the kind was to be seen. It looked like one of those long, low, marshy thickets, in which I 
hunted for blackbirds' eggs, in my boyhood. But on reaching it, after crossing a wide, clear 
field of grass, we passed into and through one of the sweetest little villages I ever entered, 
completely embowered with thickly matted tops of the tall and swaying bamboo, artistically 
laid off in squares, with level streets of red sandy soil, overarched Avith the branches of the 
bamboo, that formed hedges on either side, through which, at regular distances, were oi^enings 
into the gardens surrounding the dwellings of the inhabitants, highly cultivated with a variety 
of vegetables. I had neither read of nor seen a town like this." 

In the course of his ramble, the officer from whose journal this extract is made entered 
several of the dwellings, for the purpose of gratifying his curiosity concerning the domestic 
arrangements. He found the floors invariably covered with thick mats, of regular width and 
length, laid side by side, as a carpet. These he found constituted the sleeping place at night, 
and to preserve them from dirt, the inhabitants always step on them with the feet bare, or 



'.•is « 




GOSSIPPING AT LEW CHEW. 219 

covered with stockings only ; when thoy enter from without, tliey slip off their loose straw 
sandals at the door. In every instance where he entered, our informant found that the men were 
the drones of the hive, and the women the workers. From three to half a dozen of the former 
were invariahly to he seen, seated upon their crossed ankles, in a circle, with a cup of live coals, 
a little box of fine cut tobacco, and a spittoon, in the centre. Thus seated, in dreamy indolence, 
they would draw forth their little pipes from their belts, unsheath them, take a mere pinch of 
the tobacco from the box, and place it in the little metallic bowl of the pipe, which was not 
more than half the size of a young girl's thimble, light it, and after two or three long whiffs, 
they would retain the smoke for a minute or more, and then, with a strong impulse, send it 
through the nostrils, as the opium smoker does. This ended the enjoyment for that occasion. 
The pipes were then returned to their sheaths, when a little tea-pot, holding less than half a 
jiint, with half a dozen cups, each of about the capacity of three teaspoons, was brought by a 
servant, and a general sipping took the place of smoking. The tea disposed of, the pipes were 
again resorted to, and thus did they alternate between tobacco and tea. Before rising to 
separate, the said was introduced and circulated, sometimes beyond the limits of prudence and 
discretion. These were the occupations of the "lords of creation;" the poor women, mean- 
while, might be seen, half naked, delving with the hoe or the spade, in the adjacent gardens, 
under a scorching sun. Sometimes this idle gossipping over tea and the pipe is carried on in 
the open air, under the shade of some spreading tree . 

When the poor females are not thus employed in the cultivation of the earth, there is still 
found work enough for them of some other kind, for their destiny is labor. In every house may 
be seen the loom for weaving grass cloth, and it is quite a curiosity in its way. It is small, not 
more than two feet high, and generally is placed in the corner of the room. The shuttle is two 
or three feet long, so that before it leaves one hand of the weaver it may be grasped by the 
other. It is but a rude implement, and yet the fine, glossy fiihric wrought by its agency is 
exceedingly beautiful. 

What has here been said must be understood as applying to the men who are not of the very 
lowest class. According to the best observations the Commodore could make, he classified the 
inhabitants into four grades : these were, first, the high officers of state ; secondly, the priesthood 
and literary men ; thirdly, the under officers and spies; and lastly the laboring class, (including 
particularly the fishermen,) by the toil of which last all the rest live ; for it was never seen that 
any of the classes above named, except the last, ever appeared to have any thing to do, save the 
spies, and they might be met at every step. These infest every corner and every thi'eshold. If 
the officers walked the streets, these fellows might be seen preceding or following them, directing 
all doors to be closed, and the women to keep out of sight. The people, indeed, whenever they 
were sure of not being seen by some of these vermin, manifested no indisposition to communica- 
tion and intercourse, and gladly received from the strangers little gratuities and presents, which 
were taken with a trembling hand and instantly concealed, while their eyes glanced rapidly and 
furtively from side to side to see that they were unobserved. The Commodore was deeply 
moved, as indeed were all the gentlemen of the expedition, by the tyranny exercised toward the 
mass of the people. " God pity these poor creatures !" says the former in his journal : "I have 
seen much of the world, have observed savage life in many of its conditions ; but never, unless I 
may except the miserable jjeons in Mexico, have I looked upon such an amount of apparent 
wretchedness as these squalid slaves would seem to suffer." "The poor, naked creatures, who 



220 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 

toil from morning till nigHt, know not the relaxation of a Sabbath, nor the rest of an occasional 
holiday, generally granted by even the most cruel taskmasters. The wages of a field laborer is 
from three to eight cents per diem ; the mechanic may receive ten. Out of this, he has to 
provide food, clothing, and shelter for a family, witli which most of the common people are 
burdened, and it is surprising to see how soon the boys, for we see but little of the girls, are 
made to labor. In looking into a blacksmith's shop at Napha, I observed a father and two sons 
making nails ; the elder son, probably ten j'ears old, was using the hammer, while the younger, 
not more than five, was blowing the bellows, or rather moving the piston of a sort of air jiump, 
which required some amount of physical exertion. When we entered the shop, neither of the 
three took the slightest notice of us, but went on with their labor ; even the little boy scarcely 
lifted his eyes ; and this seeming indifierence, it may be remarked, was the case with laborers 
and all others whom we met, when they supposed that the eye of a spy was upon them." 
"Whatever progress we may make in conciliating the higher classes, and we have made 
considerable, the lower orders of the people dare not, even by a look, evince the slightest emotion ; 
their stolid and impassive features express nothing but toil and care, and are a sufficient index of 
their abject condition." " I can conceive of no greater act of humanity than it would be to 
rescue, if ijossible, these miserable beings from the oppression of their tyrannical rulers." 
"These poor creatures are the people who have been represented by Captain Basil Hall as so 
innocent and so happy ! ' ' Well disposed, peaceful^ and naturally amiable, our gentlemen generally 
believed them to be ; but they were ignorant, and had been long obliged to resort to the weapons of 
the weak ; they were, therefore, cunning and insincere. Under proper treatment, something might 
be made of them, but at present, they want the essential element of self-respect. Another 
obstacle in the way of their improvement is the impossibility of their ever procuring a vested 
right of ownership in the land. As far as the Commodore could gather information on the 
subject, it would appear that the soil is held by the government, and its agents are employed to 
collect and consume its produce. According to the best accounts that could be obtained, the 
actual cultivator receives not more than two-tenths of the produce. Of the remainder, six- 
tenths go to the lord of the soil, or ruler, and two-tenths for the expense of supervision of the 
land, costs of collection, &c. The peasant has thus no stimulus to exertion. Wretched, 
however, as this system is, and degraded as is the condition of the operative, it is astonishing to 
see the large returns from agricultural labor. Nowhere do the people better understand the art 
of producing the largest crops of which the land cultivated is capable ; no matter what may be 
the character and condition of the soil, or the relative position of the field cultivated. The same 
is said to be true of all the cultivated portions of the neighboring groups of islands. Every 
advantage is taken of circumstances, and irrigation is both understood and practised with skill 
and success. With such a soil and climate as Lew Chew possesses, if all parts of it that might 
be cultivated were made fields of agricultural labor, it would support a very large population. 

One of the subjects to which the attention of the Commodore was drawn, was the origin of 
the population of Lew Chew. Want of sufficient material has not enabled ethnology as yet 
conclusively to settle this question ; and, of course, the gentlemen of the expedition who attended 
to this particular had to find their way as best they might. Many speculations have been 
hazarded on the subject, founded on the very limited observations of the few Europeans who 
have visited the islands. Of Captain Hall we have already spoken. " The description of 
Captain Basil Hall," says the Commodore, " is a mere romance ; the production of the inventive 



ORIGIN OF POPULATION OF LEW CHEW. 221 

brain of a writer not very scrupulous of historical truth ; and the account of Doctor McLeod, of 
the Alceste, is not much nearer to accuracy. Captains Beechey and Belcher, surveying officers 
of the British navy, have visited Great Lew Chew since those just named, and their statements 
may be considered as much more worthy of confidence ; but, after all, such are the difficulties in 
the way, that they had not much, if any, better means of acquiring a knowledge of the history, 
laws, and civil institutions of this singular people, than had those who preceded them. 
Difficulties have also beset us in our investigations, and all the facts we may learn are but 
contributions on a subject yet open to, and demanding more thorough investigation. We throw 
what we can gather into the common heap." 

As far as the Lew Chewans themselves bear testimony to their origin, they claim, like the 
Chinese, to have their descent from a divine source. According to Chow-Hwang, a Chinese 
writer, who was sent to Lew Chew in 1757, as an envoy from China, and who on his return 
jiublished an account of the island, " the islanders declare that the original progenitors of the 
Lew Chewans were two, a man and a woman. They had five children ; the oldest was a son, 
named Teen-Sun, (Offspring of Heaven,) who was the first master or ruler of the nation; the 
second son acted the part of his minister, and the third constituted the people. The older 
daughter, for the protection of the country, took the place of the God of Heaven, and the 
younger personified the God of the Sea. Teen-Sun and his descendants having maintained the 
government for 17,802 years, were at length succeeded by Shunteen, a branch of the then ruling 
family of Japan. This occurred about A. D. 1200, when the Ming dynasty arose in China. 
Three kings ruled in Lew Chew; one was styled ' King of the Central Hills ;' the second ' King 
of the Southern Hills ;' and the third ' King of the Northern Hills.' All were tributary, and 
reigned by permission of 'the Son of Heaven.' At length the first became master of the 
whole country, which has ever since remained under one king, always acknowledging himself a 
tributary of the Chinese empire."* 

Klaproth, professing to follow Chinese and Japanese annals, gives an account agreeing pretty 
well with the foregoing by Chow-Hwang, and says further, that the race of kings reigning in 
Lew Chew is related to the imperial family of Japan ; that both China and Japan claim the 
sovereignty, and that the Lew Chewans pay tribute to both. 

As to the three kings of the "central," "northern," and "southern" hills, respectively, 
there is something in the discoveries of our exploring parties that may seem to give countenance 
to the truth of that portion of the story. It will be remembered by the reader that the explorers 
reported the discovery of the ruins of a castle or palace at Nagagusko ; the ruins of another 
were afterwards found, of which an account will be given on a future page, and these were no 
doubt the residences of the northern and southern kings, while the third at Shui, perfect, and 
still used as the royal residence, was the palace of the " King of the Central Hills." The tradi- 
tions of Lew Chew even to this day (as our officers found) preserve the memory of the former 
existence of distinct sovereignties on the island. 

Chow-Hwang claims, as we have seen, sovereignty over the island at this day for the Chinese 

Emperor ; and one of the points which appeared difficult to determine was the precise relation 

' which Lew Chew bore to China and Japan respectively. Tliat a tribute was sent in Chinese 

junks to China annually from Lew Chew seemed to be an established fact, yet the officials of 

'Chinese Repository for July, 1837, vol. VI. 



222 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 

Lew Ctew did not appear to be Chinese, and the common language of the country is not that 
of the celestial empire, though Chinese is understood and spoken by some of the Lew Chewans 
who are educated. As to any rights Japan may have, all we can say is, that the Japanese 
commissioners informed Commodore Perry at a subsequent period, when he met them in con- 
ference on the proposed points of a treaty, "that Lew Chew was a distant dependency, over which 
the crown [of Japan] had limited control." It is also certain that most of the trade to Lew Chew 
is carried on by Japanese junks. The testimony of the Lew Chewans themselves is contained in 
the following extract of a letter addressed to Commodore Perry by the officials of Napha : ' ' Since 
the days of the Ming dynasty it has been our great pride to be ranked as one of the outer depen- 
dencies of China, and she has for ages given our king his investiture, and we have returned 
whatever we could prepare for tribute ; nothing of great importance to our nation has trans- 
pired but it has been made known to the Emperor. Whenever the time came for us to send up 
the tribute, we there [in China] jjurchased silk and pongee to make suitable official robes and 
caps for ourselves, and selected medicines and other things for the use of the state ; and if they 
were not enough for our own use, then through the island of Tuchara we have intercourse 
with a friendly and near nation, and exchange for our productions, as black sugar, saki, grass- 
cloth, and other articles, things which we send to China as tribute." The friendly and near 
nation alluded to is Japan. 

Dr. Bettelheim, who lived some years in Lew Chew, believed, for several good reasons, that 
" the country, though independent to a certain extent, (its ruler being permitted, for a good 
contribution to Pekin, to assume the high-sounding title of king,) yet is, to all ends and pur- 
poses, an integral part of Japan." His reasons were briefly these : 

1. "There is a Japanese garrison quartered in Napha." It must not, however, be under- 
stood that they show themselves openly, for the Lew Chewans pretend that they are an unwar- 
like people, without military arms or accoutrements ; but Dr. Bettelheim accidentally came 
upon a part of the garrison employed in cleaning their arms. 

2. The trade of Lew Cliew is entirely with Japan. If the island were a Chinese dependency 
this would not be so. Japan sends annually thirty or forty junks to Lew Chew, of about four 
hundred and fifty tons each ; only one Lew Chewan junk goes annually to China, and every 
alternate year one more, said to carry tribute, but not a single Chinese junk is ever allowed to 
enter Napha. 

3. The Japanese are to be found in numbers in Lew Chew, and stroll about as uninterruptedly 
as the natives ; they intermarry with the Lew Chewans, cultivate lands, build houses in Napha, 
and, in short, seem to be perfectly at home. But a Chinaman is as much hunted and spied 
after, and pelted, and insulted as any other foreigner. This is strikingly confirmed by the 
journal of one of our officers, who remarks, from facts that he was witness to : " They [the Lew 
Chewans] are evidently quite as much opposed to intercourse with China as with all other nations, 
notwithstanding the similarity, if not the identihj, of their religion, literature, and many of their 
manners and customs. Indeed, they are de facto and de jure a part of Japan, and their motto 
is, 'uncompromising non-intercourse with all the world.' " 

4. In all Dr. Bettelheim's intercourse with the Lew Chew authorities there were always 
present, at least, two individuals, who, it was obvious, had the management of the meeting and 
controlled the Lew Chew officials. These he conjectured to be Japanese inspectors. 

5. The language, dress, customs, virtues, and vices of Lew Chew correspond to those of Japan, 



EDUCATION IN LEW CHEW. 223 

thus establishing a ^jWma/acie relationsliip. Of these the language is to the ethnologist the 
most satisfactory proof, and of the researches of some of our gentlemen, on this point, we shall 
speak more particularly in its appropriate place, on a future page. 

The English Bishop of Victoria, who, in the discharge of his official duties, visited Lew Chew 
in 1850, thus speaks on this subject: "On the whole, it seems far the most probable opinion 
that Lew Chew was peopled by a colony from Japan, to which people their physiognomy, 
language, and customs have a close affinity ; and that to China they owe the far more important 
debt of their partial civilization and literature. The government of the country appears to 
consist in a grievous oligarchy of literati immediately dependent upon Japan. They stand in 
great fear of the latter country, and look to it, and not to China, for protection in time of need. 
They have an historical tradition that a few hundred years ago, during the Ming dynasty, a 
war broke out between China and Japan, during which the former, wanting to detach Lew 
Chew from the latter^ raised it to the dignity of a separate kingdom. In token of vassalage, 
every new king receives a formal investiture from a Chinese officer, specially deputed and sent 
for that purpose from Foo Chow ; to which city, also, a biennial tribute-junk is sent from Lew 
Chew. At the Tartar invasion of China, and the commencement of the present foreign dynasty, 
above two hundred years ago, about thirty-six Chinese families, unwilling to conform to the 
Tartar changes of costume and rule, emigrated to Lew Chew, the descendants of whom have 
become, generally, the schoolmasters of the country, and amalgamated with the people." The 
Commodore, from such observation as he could make, thought that the Lew Chewans were a 
mixture, made up possibly of Japanese, (who preponderated,) Chinese, Formosans, and, perhaps, 
Malays ; and that the island, commencing its population at a very early period, from some 
accident, such as shipwreck, had, from time to time, added to its inhabitants from the adjacent 
regions, until the whole was fused into the present stock. In personal appearance the Lew 
Chewans did not seem to him to be unequivocally either Chinese or Japanese in aspect. They 
are not a handsome people, nor yet can they be called decidedly ugly. Their complexion is 
rather Chinese, and they have black eyes and hair ; the latter of which, by the way, they do 
not dress after the Chinese fashion ; for, instead, of long plaited tails hanging down behind, it 
is gathered, with great care and neatness, into a knot on the top of the head, and there fastened 
with a pin of silver or other metal — the nature of the metal used indicating the rank of the 
wearer. 

As to education, the opportunity afforded of acquiring information was necessarily limited, 
and the best account the Commodore could obtain on that subject was fi'om Dr. Bettelheim, who 
had been for some years resident on the island. "In Shui," says he, "I have seen a building 
with an inscription, perhaps well rendered, 'University,' on the door. In Napha is a school 
for proficients in Confucian lore. But in general, learning — as far as it goes, i. c. a mere 
knowledge of Chinese characters and of some of their classical books — is diffused by the elder 
instructing the younger ; a kind of Lancasterian system, carried on in the whole country, in 
almost every house. Still, there are schools beside, and ^likewise the Kung-Kwas, government 
houses in Napha, as well as Tumai, serve as schools. In the Kung-Kwas, however, no teacher 
is appointed ; but in the out-buildings usually added to every Confucian temple, I found often 
children assembled under the superintendance of a master, who seems to have the benefit of free 
residence and the adjoining grounds for salary." "Aping China in everything, Lew Chew has 
also its three yearly examinations, which, for the time being, make quite a stir in the learned 



224 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 

world, tut hold out no prospect for higli station, as in China. At most, the fortunate candidate 
gets, beside a good fill of honor, a rice pension or a schoolmastership. The Samuns are also 
delegated, hy turns, to teach in the country schools. By all these means the knowledge of the 
Chinese character is pretty widely diffused among the peojile, the women, only, being entirely 
without any literary culture." 

As to what is taught, all the books, as well as learning, in Lew Chew come from China, 
whither, yearly, some of the native youths of the higher class are sent for education. The 
Chinese character is in general use in Lew Chew ; but the inhabitants have also (says Dr. 
Bettelheim) a running hand of their own, which, he thinks, is the real ancient Chinese hiero- 
glyphic, "awfully crippled." In some manuscripts which he saw in this writing, every Lew 
Chew character had opposite to it the modern legible Chinese sign ; and many Lew Chewans do 
not understand the character at all. They are, however, verj' proud of it, and say it is a 
"language" of their own ; though^ as far as could be ascertained, the signs used do not at all 
express the sounds of the spoken Lew Chew language, which is, undoubtedly, a dialect of 
Japanese. Neither is this writing, as has been said, identical with the Japanese Mrakana. 
Most of the books seen in Lew Chew were in the ordinary Chinese character. The Japanese 
character, however, is ixnderstood ; for writings were seen, made by Lew Chewans, in the 
Katalmna. With such apparatus for learning it may well be supposed that the attainments of 
the masses, except in those matters which are communicated orally, must be limited. The Lew 
Chewans have no literature of their own, nor has any author, so far as we know, ever ajipeared 
among them. The Confucian classics of China are the text books, and these, says the Bishop 
of Victoria, "consist more in an apparently mechanical repetition of sounds than in any mental 
recreation from the sentiments contained in those literary monuments of a venerable antiquity." 

The reader will probably be somewhat interested to know something of the religious opinions 
of these distant islanders, and of the circumstances under which Dr. Bettelheim became a 
resident among them. As to the first, it maybe said, in general terms, that the religion of the 
natives seems to he a mixture of Confucianism and Buddliism. But it is best to let them on 
this head speak for themselves. When the Bishop of Victoria was at the island, in 1850, the 
captain of H. B. M. steamer, the Reynard, received two communications from the native 
authorities, written in Chinese, in the latter of which they thiis speak: "Now, as to the 
religion of the Lord of Heaven," [tliis is the phrase by which they designate Christianity,] "we 
have, from ancient times, attended to the doctrines of Confucius, and found therein principles 
wherewith to cultivate personal morality, and to regulate our families, each according to our 
circumstances and condition in life. We endeavor, also, to carry out the government of the 
country according to the rules and maxims which have been handed down to us by the sages, 
and are calculated to secure lasting peace and tranquility. Besides, our gentry, as well as the 
common people, are without natural capacity ; and, although they have attended exclusively to 
Confucianism, they have as yet been unable to arrive at jierfection in it. If they should now, 
also, have to study, in addition, the religion of the Lord of Heaven, such an attempt would 
surpass our ability, and the heart does not incline to it." 

On the compound of Confucianism and Buddhism many superstitions have been grafted. 
Filial reverence here, as in Cliina, is the chief of virtues, and, theoretically, at least, underlies as 
a basis the system of government, which is professedly patriarchal. This, as the Bishop of 
Victoria has well remarked, is the great source of slavery, and opens a wide door for the 



CHRISTIAN MISSION IN LEW CHEW. 225 

grossest tyranny on the part of the so-called paternal rulers. How far these poor and oppressed 
beings are in a condition to be impressed by the truths of Christianity it would be difficult to 
say ; but, from the early experience of Dr. Bettelheim, there is reason to think that the common 
people, if left to themselves, would be willing listeners to the Christian teacher ; and the 
benevolence of gospel principles would probably contrast so strongly and advantageously with 
the cruelty and oppression under which they groan, that we cannot but believe tliere are few 
spots of paganism where, under God's blessing, efforts to Christianize would probably be more 
successful than in Lew Chew, were the people left to freedom of thought and action. 

As to the establishment of Dr. Bettelheim as a missionary in the island, its history, as we 
gather from the Bishop of Victoria, is briefly this: Not many years ago, certain pious officers 
of the British navy, (among whom was prominent Lieutenant Clifford, who, we believe, visited 
the island with Captain Basil Hall,) formed an association among themselves, under the name 
of the " Lew Chew Naval Mission," for the purpose of sending Christian missionaries to the 
island. The missionary whom they first sent was Dr. Bettelheim, a converted Jew, and by 
birth a Hungarian, not, however, in holy orders, but a christian layman. He had become a 
British subject by naturalization, and the husband of an English woman. He possessed many 
qualifications for his work. He was a physician, a good linguist, with great energy of mind and 
activity of body, and most indefatigable perseverance. He possessed, also, a boldness of nature, 
which caused him fearlessly to assert his rights as a British subject, and, perhaps, not always with 
discretion. Two missionaries of the Koman church were, at first, in Lew Chew with him, one of 
whom was made titular bishop of Samos and vicar general of Japan ; but these, in utter despair of 
success, abandoned their mission, and left the island, while Dr. Bettelheim still abode at his post, 
and never relaxed his labors. Commodore Perry found him at Napha, as we have already related, 
and he had been there since May, 1846. The opposition to Dr. Bettelheim's labors did not 
come from the common people. At first his communications with them were freely allowed, 
and they seemed well disposed to be taught. But the authorities soon took the alarm, and, as 
there is reason to think, on political grounds merely. They were afraid of their Japanese 
masters, who, as they well knew, would tolerate no show of Christianity in the kingdom, and 
would look upon its introduction into Lew Chew as the first step toward breaking down the 
exclusive system of Japan. At first, therefore, the authorities at Napha used mild persuasion 
with Dr. Bettelheim to prevail upon him to leave the island ; then followed less equivocal 
marks of opposition — the people were forbidden to go near him or to remain with him if he 
came among them ; and, finally, a system of insult, annoyance, ceaseless espionage, and 
intimidation, was adopted, in the hope of driving him away. But all these means were in vain. 
The missionary stayed in Lew Chew, and at the time of the Commodore's arrival, he and the 
inhabitants were living in a condition of undisguised hostility toward each other. It was soon 
but too apparent that the presence of the missionary, however meritorious he might be, seemed 
to promise but little for the extension of Christianity in the island at that period. 

A renewed opportunity of observation on this second visit enabled the gentlemen of the 
expedition to catch some additional features of social life, as well as to obtain further insight 
into manners and customs. There is a gradation in the rank of officers analogous to that 
existing in China, and here, as there, manifested by some peculiarity of dress. The great 
distinctive mark, however, between the higher classes and the general population consists in 
the hair-pin. The crown of the head, to the extent of two or three inches, is shaved, and into 
the vacant space the residue of the hair is all drawn, and plaited somewhat into the form of a 
29 J 



226 



EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 



circular comb. A free use is made of oil and lamp-black in arranging it. Two large hair-pins 
are then passed through the mass, to keep it in place, and the front end of the lower pin is 
finished with a head in the form of a star. The different metals of which the pins are made 
indicate the rank of the wearer. They are of gold, silver, brass, lead, and pewter. The lower 
class generally wear brass, though the very poorest use sometimes the metals last named. 
The literati or dignitaries use gold and silver. The pin, therefore, tells the rank at once. 
The lowest order of the people consists of the public slaves, (oo-hang,) who have no civil rights 
nor personal freedom, and must obey the slightest beck of the literati. Their condition is one 
of utter degradation. The intermediate class next above these is composed of the peasants 
or field laborers, (Ha-koo-shoo.) These farm the country, paying to the government one-half 
of the products in lieu of taxes, and paying also an exorbitant rent. We have already stated 
that two-tenths is all the laborer gets of the results of his toil. By this toil the literary class, 
which never works at all, is supported. The highest grade in the lower class is made up of 
the messengers, spies, menial oflicers, &c., in the service of government, and includes also the 
small traders and mechanics. This caste is known by the name of We-dae-o-gang . When 
doing duty for the government these receive no wages, nothing but their food, and the distant 
hope of promotion to the honor of substituting for the brass pin one of silver. The rich some- 







Tombs in Lew Clujw. 



times purchase from a poor man his services for life, (a system of slavery,) but more generally 
for a term of years. The price of a common slave of this kind is from two to ten dollars. 

Great respect is shown for the dead, and tombs elaborate and costly attest this feeling. They 
are constructed of stone, and often form a conspicuous feature in the landscape. Indeed, upon 



iAi 




i kk t-.'-m^i 



■^^^ 



Jag -JCJi'dfc.'.t:'. .. biDwnJ^Licd'hyrteicE 



LEW CHEW COSTUMES, MIDDLE CLASS 



CLANSHIP. COIN IN LEW CHEW. 227 

the first approach of the squadron, their size, color, and position on the hill-sides caused them, 
at a distance, to be mistaken for dwellings. 

A sort of clanship seems to obtain in each district, and the people of one village seldom 
marry with the inhabitants of another. The agriculturists, and indeed the common people 
generally, appear to know but few physical wants. They have sweet potatoes in abundance, 
and these, with a miserable hut to sleep in, seem to bound their very limited desires. Many of 
the poor are fishermen, but the larger number is composed of mechanics, emjjloyed chiefly in 
turning wooden implements and covering them with lacquer. The women commonly perform 
this latter branch, except as to the painting ; this is done by men. The shops are few, and the 
articles sold are chiefly paper, rice, tea, sweetmeats, and clothing. The Lew Chewans always 
insisted that they had no current coin, and that their trade was always in a barter of specific 
objects. This may be in the main correct, as they appear to have but little metallic currency, 
and the Commodore endeavored in vain to procure from the authorities some of their coin in 
exchange for ours. They solemnly assured him they had no national currency; and, though 
they are very much in the habit, from motives of supposed policy, of exaggerating their poverty^ 
this statement is probably true. They know, however, very well the value of the Chinese coin, 
and received it from our pursers in the settlement of accounts. 

The vegetable and animal productions of Lew Chew are abundant enough. The sugar-cane 
thrives, and they have a rude mode of making sugar. 

They export of this, as well as of saki, an intoxicating liquor distilled from rice, and very 
strong ; they make also tobacco in considerable quantities, and smoking is a universal habit. 
Some cotton is also grown, and indigo is raised in the island. They also make salt by evapora- 
tion ; and, were the island in other hands, its agricultural productions would support a large 
population, and furnish a surplus for exportation. Fowls, ducks, geese, pigs, goats, and a 
small species of black ox, are all very abundant. There is a small but active and tough breed 
of horses, and the wild boar is found in the forests. The general impression left on the minds 
of the gentlemen of the expedition was, that Lew Chew was a beautiful island, abundantly sup- 
plied, and needed but a good government to form, so far as bodily comfort is concerned, as 
pleasant a residence as could be desired. 




Tombs in Lew Chew. 



228 



EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 



CHAPTER XII. 



DEPARTURE FROM NAPHA FOR JAPAV. ^COURSE OF THE SHIPS. OHO-SIMA. ISLAND SEE>f BY COMMAJfDER GLTNN, PROBABLT 

OHO-SIMA. CLEOPATRA ISLANDS. CURRENTS. FOURTH OF JULT ON BOARD —APPROACH TO CAPE IDZU. SQUADRON, LED 

BT THE SUSaUEHANN.!, ENTERS THE BAT OF TEDO. ROCK ISLAND. HAZT ATMOSPHERE OF JAPAN, SDRPRISE OF THE 

JAPANESE AT SIGHT OF THE STEAMERS MOVING AGAINST WIND AND TIDE. BAT OF SAGAMI. — APPEARANCE OF THE COAST 

AND COUNTRY INLAND. FUSI-JAMA. SHIPS MADE READY FOR ACTION. FLEET OF JAPANESE BOATS PUT OFF FROM THE 

SHORE. LEPT BEHIND BY SQUADRON. BAY OF DRAGA.— ^OPPOSITE COAST OF AWA. JAPAVESE FORTS. SQUADRON COMES TO 

ANCHOR IN THE BAY OF URAGA. SOUNDINGS ON APPUOACHING THE ANCHORAGE. JAPANESE GUARD-BOATS PUT OFF.- — NO ONE 

PERMITTED TO COME ON BOARD THE SHIPS. APPEARANCE OF GUARD-BOATS AND CREWS. SKILL OF THE JAPANESE IN 

MANAGING THEIR BOATS. — ^GUVRD-EOAT COMES ALONGSIDE OF THE MISSISSIPPI, AND JAPANESE FUNCTIONARY DEMANDS TO 

COME ON BOARD. NOT PERMITTED. — NOTICE IN THE FRENCH LANGUAGE, ORDERING THE SHIPS AWAY, HELD UP TO BE 

READ. INTERPRETERS DIRECTED TO INFORM THE JAP.ANESE THAT THE COMMODORE WOULD CONFER WITH NO ONE BUT 

THE HIGHEST OFFICIAL IN URAGA. JAPANESE REPLIED THAT THEY HAD THE VICE GOVERNOR ON BOARD. THIS OFFICER 

AND HIS INTERPRETER ALLOWED TO COME ON BOARD THE SUSQUEHANNA. NOT PERMITTED TO SEE THE COMMODORE. 

CONFERENCE WITH LIEUTENANT CONTEE, WHO EXPLAINS THAT THE AMERICANS HAVE COME ON A FRIENDLY MISSION AND 

THAT THE COMMODORE BEARS A LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES TO THE EMPEROR. DESIRES THE 

APPOINTMENT OF .\N OFFICER OF SUITABLE RANK TO RECEIVE IT FROM THE COMMODORE. COMMODORE REFUSES TO GO 

TO NAGASAKI. INFORMS THE JAPANESE OFFICIALS THAT IF THE GUARD-BOATS ARE NOT IMMEDIATELY REMOVED HE WILL 

DISPERSE THEM BY FORCE.— THE BOATS ARE WITHDRAWN. VICE GOVERNOR RETURNS TO THE SHORE, PROMISING FURTHER 

COMMUNICATION ON THE MORROW. POLICY RESOLVED ON BY THE COMMODORE. METEOROLOGICAL PHENOMENON.— VISIT 

ON THE NEXT DAY FROM THE GOVERNOR OF URAGA. CONFERENCE BETWEEN IIIM AND COMMANDERS BUCHANAN AND 

ADAMS. SECOND REFUSAL OF THE COMMODORE TO GO TO NAGASAKI. DETERMINATION EXPRESSED TO DELIVER THE LETTER 

THERE, AND, IF NECESSARY, IN THE CITY OF YEDO ITSELF.- — GOVERNOR PROPOSES TO REFER THE HATTER TO YEDO. 

COMMODORE ASSENTS AND ALLOWS THREE DATS FOR AN ANSWER. SURVEY BY THE SQUADROn's BOATS OF THE BAY OF 

URAGA, AND ULTIMATELY OF THE BAY OF YEUO. 




when they might be 



I AKLY on the morning of the 2d of July, 1853, 
i after many unforeseen delays, the Commodore 
departed from Napha with four vessels only, the 
two steamers, the Susquehanna, his flag-ship, 
and the Mississippi, the Saratoga, and the 
Plymouth sloops-of-war. The Supply was left 
behind, and the Caprice dispatched to Shanghai. 
Tiiis was but a poor show of ships, in comparison 
J with the more imposing squadron of twelve 
vessels which had been so repeatedly promised. 
But as none of these additional vessels had 
arrived, and as no calculation could be made as to 
looked for, the Commodore resolved to sail with the inferior force, which he 



COURSE OF THE SHIPS. OHO-SIMA. 229 

trusted would so far answer his necessities as not to interfere seriously with the great ohject of 
the expedition, now fairly set out for Japan. The advantages of steam were fully appreciated in 
the opportunity it gave of making a uniformly steady and direct course of ascertained speed — 
advantages in which the sailing vessels were made to participate ; for the Saratoga was taken 
in tow hy the Susquehanna, as the Plymouth was by the Mississippi. The Commodore's ship 
led the van out of Napha and awaited, some five miles away, between the gi'oup of islands 
situated off the harbor and the southwestern extremity of the island, the coming up of her 
consort^ as did the Mississijjpi for hers. Hawsers then being passed from the steamers to tlie 
two sloops-of-war, they were respectively taken in tow, the squadron fairly started and began 
the voyage to Yedo. 

All seemed very well satisfied to get away from Lew Chew. The picturesque interests of the 
island were, for the time being, thoroughly exhausted, and the dull realities of life began to 
weigh rather heavily uj)on the visitors. Beside, the great object of the expedition was still before 
them, and anticipation naturally begat impatience. The weather, too, had become sultry and 
excessively oppressive, for the heat had reached the high degree of 88° Fahrenheit in the coolest 
part of the Susquehanna while she lay at anchor in the harbor. The people of Lew Chew, 
moreover, had not apparently been very much won over by the blandishments of their courteous 
visitors. The supplies with which they at first furnished the squadron had been gradually 
falling off, and their consent to receive payment for them seemed to be the principal change in 
their policy effected by the long sojourn of six weeks. Still some progress had been made. 
Their system of espionage had become less public and intrusive, although some suspected that 
it was as alert as ever though more concealed. 

On getting clear of the harbor and stretching beyond the shelter of the southeastern extremity 
of the island, a strong wind was encountered from the east, and as the steamers were deep, it 
was thought advisable to stand off on the port tack in order to get well clear of the land, for the 
vessels in tow were dragging them to leeward notwithstanding the power of the engines. In 
the course of the day, as there was every prospect of weathering the eastern part of the island, 
the ships were put on the other tack^ and their course directed for Japan. 

The track taken by the squadron east of the chain of islands which stretch from Formosa to 
Lew Chew, and thence to Japan, (very properly called by Blunt the "'Southern," " Middle," 
and "Northern" groups,) has been very rarely traversed by the ships of modern nations ; while 
the islands on the eastern side of the chain are unknown to our present navigators. 

The French admiral, Cecille, in 18-4G, employed one or more of his squadron in the exploration 
of the islands about Lew Chew, and along the western side of the northern group; but according 
to the best authorities, to which Von Siebold, among others, adds his testimony, the eastern 
side of the latter islands has never been visited by any modern navigator. The principal island 
of the northern group is called by the Japanese Oho-sima, and by the Chinese Tatao ; these 
words meaning in their respective languages, " great island." It is about the size, includino- 
one or two adjoining islands in the estimate, of Great Lew Chew, and is probably governed by 
similar laws. It has one chief city and several towns, and the country is supposed to be highly 
cultivated. Von Siebokl states that the island contains several good harbors, and it is 
undoubtedly, in every respect, of sufficient interest to claim an investigation. The Commodore 
resolved, at some subsequent period, to send some vessel of the squadron to make a proper 
survey. 



230 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 

The Susquehanna and the accompanying ships were prohahly the first either of European or 
American vessels that ever passed along the entire extent of the northern group. Von Siebold 
asserts that Broughton saw the northeast point, and that Captain Gruerin, of the French corvette 
Sabine, traced the western shore in 1848. It was probably Oho-sima, the principal island of the 
group, that was seen by Commander Glynn in 184:8, and which he supposed to be a new 
discovery. The islets which he sperks of having seen, bearing N.N.W., were the Cleopatra 
islands, examined two years before by one of the vessels of Admiral Cecille's squadron. 

Von Siebold's charts, appended to his great work on Japan, and compiled by him, show these 
islands pretty accurately laid down, and it was found that the observations made on board the 
Susquehanna gave such bearings of the principal headlands of Oho-sima as correspond tolerably 
well with the position as given by Von Siebold. A current is said to be continually setting 
from these islands to the northward and eastward; or, as the islanders say, it always goes to 
Japan and never comes back. This was, however, found to be of no great strength during the 
passage of the Susquehanna, although it must be acknowledged to be a matter of difficulty to 
estimate in a steamer the rapidity and direction of currents, as they are generally over-logged, 
or in other words, siirpassed in speed by the rate of going of the vessel. There is, moreover, 
another difficulty in consequence of the backward movement given to the water by the evolution 
of the paddle-wheels of a steamship. 

The third day of the voyage, being the fourth day of July, 1853, brought with it a lively remem- 
brance of home, as it was the seventy-seventh anniversary of our national holiday. The day 
opened fresh and pleasant, and the men were prepared to get up some amateur theatricals, and 
otherwise to celebrate the occasion ; but the weather becoming unfavorable, and other circum- 
stances interfering, it was deemed advisable, much to the disappointment of the sailors, to 
dispense with the show by which they had intended to give exhibition to their patriotism. The 
occasion, however, was duly honored by the firing of a salute of seventeen guns from each vessel 
of the squadron, and by the serving of an additional ration of grog to Jack, while the officers 
brought to bear also the resources of their various messes, to give due enjoyment and impres- 
siveness to the day. All on board were allowed to feel that it was a holiday, in a respite from 
the usual muster at general quarters and exercises at the great guns and small arms, which had 
been kept up during the passage with great strictness and regularity, in order that the squadron 
might be prepared for any event on its arrival at Japan. 

The weather, although generally warm, varied, and thus, while some days were excessively 
hot and oppressive, others were tolerably cool and pleasant. The winds occasionally blew with 
considerable freshness, and mostly from the east, but frequently there was hardly a breath of air 
to be felt, and, consequently, with a temperature which reached 88° in the coolest place on deck, 
all on board sufi'ered greatly from the intense heat. And, indeed, the still heat and clear 
atmosphere which were experienced, even on a close approach to the shores of Japan, did not 
seem to confirm what has been said, and what was expected, of the cool and foggy climate of 
that country. 

At sunset on Thursday, the 7th of July, the squadron was, according to observation, about 
forty miles from Cape Negatsuo, or Idsu, as it is otherwise called. In consequence of this 
proximity, the heads of the ships were put off shore from midnight until four o'clock next 
morning, when, not only the cape was seen from the masthead, but several of the islands to 
the eastward, called by Von Siebold Goebroken Eilander, (the Broken islands,) as well as the 



APPROACH TO CAPE IDZU. 231 

larger two of the group, bearing the Japanese names of Tosi-sima and Likine-sima. The 
morning was fine, though the atmosphere was so hazy that there was but an indistinct view of 
the outline of the precipitous coast. Through the mist, however, the bold promontory of Idsu 
could be seen rising loftily out of the sea, and stretching back to the interior of Nippon in a 
crowd of mountainous elevations. The Susquehanna's course, as the leading ship, was laid 
directly for the entrance to the bay of Yedo, and as she passed the precipitous land of Cape Idsu 
she came up with a low, barren, and apparently uninhabited islet of about three-fourths of a 
mile in length, known as Rock island. There is a passage between this and the promontory 
which bounds the main land, and, although broken with several rocky islets, it is navigable. 
The United States ship-of-the-line Columbus took that course, although the other, on the outer 
side of Rock island, the one pursued by the Morrison, was preferred, and was accordingly taken 
by the Commodore, who passed within a mile and a half of the island. As the squadron sailed 
up the coast some eight or ten junks hove in sight, and two or three of them wei"e observed soon 
to change their course and to turn back toward the shore, as if to announce the arrival of 
strangers. 

The morning seemed to confirm the reputed character of the Japanese climate, for the 
atmosphere was so thick and hazy that the extent of view was unfortunately very much 
restricted^ and it was not possible to get a distinct outline of the shore until the squadron 
came to anchor off the city of Uraga. The steamer, in spite of a wind, moved on with 
all sails furled, at the rate of eight or nine knots, much to the astonishment of the crews of the 
Japanese fishing junks gathered along the shore or scattered over the surface of the mouth of 
the bay, who stood up in their boats, and were evidently expressing the liveliest surprise at the 
sight of the first steamer ever beheld in Japanese waters. 

As the day advanced the sun came out with a brighter lustre, glistening upon the broad sails 
of the junks within view, and dispelling the mist, through the openings of which the lofty 
summits and steep lava-scarred sides of the promontory of Idzu and its mountain chains, now 
left rapidly behind, could occasionally be discovered. Crossing the mouth of the bay of Sagami, 
with Vries' island, or Oo-sima, as it is called, on the starboard, the ships moved in toward 
Cape Sagami. The Great Fusi, now, as the fog occasionally lifted, rose to view behind the 
head of the bay of Sagami, and its cone-like summit was disclosed, rising to an enormous height, 
far inland, and covered with a white cap, but whether of snow or of fleecy clouds it was 
impossible to distinguish. The boats showed themselves more cautiously as the vessels entered 
the bay ; but one was overtaken by the steamers, and those on board seemed in a terrible state 
of excitement, letting drop its broad sails, and taking to their oars, which they used with all 
tlieir might, as they were evidently anxious to give a wide berth to the squadron. 

As the ships neared the bay, signals were made from the Commodore, and instantly the decks 
were cleared for action, the guns placed in position and shotted, the ammunition arranged, the 
small arms made ready, sentinels and men at their posts, and, in short, all the preparations 
made, usual before meeting an enemy. About noon Cape Sagami was reached, when the 
squadron came too, for about ten minutes, and a signal was made for all captains to go on 
board the flag-ship and receive their orders from the Commodore. This done, the vessels now 
continued their course and soon came up with the peninsula of Sagami, at the south end of 
which a town was observed. When the squadron liad approached within two miles of the land 
a fleet of large boats, amounting to more than a dozen, pushed off in the direction of the shipSj 



232 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 

with the seeming intention of visiting them. They were, however, not waited for, and were 
soon left behind, much puzzled, doubtless, by the rajiid progress of the steamers against the 
wind. The boats appeared to be fully manned, but did not seem to be armed, although each 
of them bore a large banner with certain characters inscribed on it, which led to the conjecture 
that they were government vessels of some kind. The coasting vessels increased in numbers 
within the bay, and wei-e sometimes so near that their construction and rig could be plainly 
made out. Their hulls rose forward in a high beaked prow, and aft, in a lofty ])oop, while a 
single mast, secured by fore and back stays, rose from the centre of the vessel and was rigged 
with a large square sail made of canvas ; there were three other smaller sails, two at the bow 
and one at the stern. 

On passing Cape Sagami, at the entrance of the bay, the shores were observed to rise in 
precipitous cliffs, which connected landward with undulating hills. Deep ravines, green with 
rich verdure, divided the steep slopes and opened into small expanses of alluvial land, washed 
by the waters of the bay into the form of inlets, about the borders of which were grouped various 
Japanese villages. The uplands were beautifully varied with cultivated fields and tufted woods, 
while far behind rose the mountains, height upon height, in the inland distance. The entrance 
to the bay seemed well fortified, and the hills and projecting headlands of Sagami were 
formidable with forts, the guns of which, however, wore silent, notwithstanding the threatening 
entrance of the strange ships. The distant shores of the province of Awa, on the east, rising 
opposite to Sagami in a lofty peak, and stretching beyond in picturesque summits, was still 
more mountainous and bore fewer marks of cultivation and a less formidable appearance, being 
apparently destitute of fortifications. As the squadron passed through the straits into the inner 
bay of Uraga the numerous fishing boats hurried out of the way, and their crews, when they 
fancied themselves at a sufiiciently safe distance, rested upon their oars and gazed with an 
anxious look at the strangers. 

At about five o'clock in the afternoon the squadron came to anchor off the city of Uraga, on 
the western side of the bay of Yedo, the sloops-of-war (the wind being favorable) having been 
cast loose a little while previous, and the four vessels took up their positions, as had been 
directed, opposite the shore. Just before letting go the anchors the weather cleared up, and 
the lofty cone of Fusi was more distinctly visible, showing high above the accompan)'ing range 
of mountains which extend inland. It was estimated to be eight or ten thousand feet in height, 
and its position W. ^ N. from Uraga, at a distance of fifty or sixty miles. As the ships proceeded 
to their anchorage the lead was kept going every moment, and as a constant depth of twenty- 
five fathoms was found the vessels kept on their headway, rounding, at moderate speed, the 
elevation or cliff, within which is situated the bight of Uraga. They continued sounding and 
moving on slowly and cautiously until the squadron had nearly reached within a mile and a 
half of the promontory guarding the inner entrance of the bay of Yedo, at a distance of a mile 
further than any foreign vessel had ever advanced, when two guns were fired from a neigh- 
boring fort, and a ball of smoke in the air showed that a rocket had been discharged. Tlie 
order was at once given to let go the anchor ; but as the depth of twenty-five fathoms was still 
found, the steamers first closed in a littlemore with the shore and then anchored. 

Previous to anchoring, a number of Japanese guard-boats had been observed coming off from 
the land in pursuit, but the Commodore had given express orders, both by word and signal, 
forbidding the admission of any one on board either of the ships 1 ut his own; and even as to 



ANCHORAGE IN THE BAY OF DRAGA. 233 

the flag-sliip, lie had commanded that not more than three persons, at one time, and those having 
business, shouM be allowed to come on boaftl. It had heretofore been the practice of ships-of-war 
to admit these jjcople indiscriminately to their decks. When the Columbus was in the bay of 
Yedo, there were many hundred Japanese on board of her at one time, who partook of the 
hospitalities of the officers without hesitation, and made themselves quite at home ; but when 
they were spoken to about going on shore, answered by signs that it was impossible. The 
Commodore had, therefore, pre-determined to exercise an equal degree of exclusiveness with 
themselves, and to permit the Japanese functionaries to communicate only and directly with 
the Susquehanna. Several of the commanders in the Japanese boats signified by signs some 
dissatisfaction at not being permitted to come on board the ships; but the Commodore's orders 
were strictly obeyed. 

On dropping the anchor^ another gun was heard from one of the forts on shore, and when the 
squadron had assumed its line of anchorage, commanding with its guns the entire ranges of 
batteries and two considerable towns, a large number of the guard-boats came from all 
directions, evidently prepared to take their stations around the ships, as the Japanese crews 
had a supply of provisions, water, clothing, sleeping mats^ and other requisites for a 
long stay. The Commodore, however, had fully determined beforehand that they should not 
thus surround the ships. They made several attempts to get alongside and on board of the 
Saratoga; their tow-lines, with which they made fast to any part of the shi]^, were unceremo- 
niously cast off. They attempted to climb up by the chains, but the crew was ordered to prevent 
them, and the sight of jiikes, cutlasses, and pistols, checked them, and when they found that 
our officers and men were very much in earnest, they desisted from their attempts to board. 

These guard-boats struck every one with admiration of the beauty of their models, which, by 
the way, resembled in a remarkable degree that of the yacht America. They were constructed 
of unpainted wood, with very shai-p bows, a broad beam, a slightly tapering stern, and a clean 
run. They were propelled with great swiftness through, or rather over, the water, for they 
seemed to skim upon its surface rather than to divide it. The crews, numbering in some of the 
larger boats thirty or more, were tall and muscular men, whose tawny frames were naked, 
with the exception of a cloth about their waists. Toward niglit, however, the men clothed 
themselves with loose gowns, some of red and others of blue, with hanging sleeves, upon which 
were white stripes meeting in an angle at the shoulders. On their backs were emblazoned 
coats of arms, or some insignia, in black and other colors. Most of them were bareheaded and 
showed the hair to have been shaved on the crown, while that on the sides had been allowed 
to grow long and was worn plastered with some species of ointment and fastened up into a knot 
on the bald spot upon the top of the head. A few, however, wore caps of bamboo, in shape like 
a shallow basin inverted, and reminding one of Mambrino's helmet. In some of the boats the 
men bore tall poles, surmounted by a cruciform ornament, which seemed to indicate some 
military office. The men in authority, wore light lacquered hats, with a coat of arms in 
front, probably signifying their official rank and position. The rowers stood to their oars, 
which worked on pivots upon the sides of the boat near the stern, and thej^ handled them 
with such skill and effect that they approached the ships very rapidly, shouting loudly as 
they came. At the stern of each boat was a small flag, with three horizontal stripes in it, a 
white one on either side, and a black one in the middle, while in many of the boats there was, 
beside, an additional flag, with symbols upon it. One or two persons, armed each with two 
swords at their sides^ stood in the boats, and were evidently men of rank and authority. 
30 J 



234 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 

One of the boats came alongside of tlie flag-ship, and it was observed tliat a person on board 
bad a scroll of paper in bis band, wbicb tbe officer of the Susquehanna refused to receive, bait 
which was held iip to be read alongside of the Mississippi, when it was found to be a document 
in the French language, which conveyed an order to the effect that the ships should go away, 
and not anchor at their peril. The chief functionary, as his boat reached the side of the 
Susquehanna, made signs for the gangway ladder to be let down. This was refused, but Mr. 
Williams, the Chinese interjjreter, and Mr. Portman, the Dutch, were directed to state to him 
that the Commodore would not receive any one but a functionary of the highest rank, and that 
he might return on shore. As there seemed to be some difficulty in making progress in the 
Japanese language, one on board the boat alongside said, in very good English, "I can speak 
Dutch." Mr. Portman then commenced a conversation with him in that language, as his 
English seemed to have been exhausted in the first sentence. He appeared to be perfectly 
familiar with the Dutch, however, and commenced a very brisk volley of questions, many of 
which were not responded to. He asked if the ships came from America, and seemed to have 
expected them. He was very pertinacious in urging to be allowed to come on board, but was 
constantly refused j^ermission, and was told that the commander of the squadron was of the 
highest rank, in the service to which he belonged, in the United States, and could confer 
only with the highest in rank at Uraga. He then stated that the vice-governor of Uraga 
was in the boat, and pointed to one of those in authority at his side, who, he said, held 
the highest position in the city, and was the proj)er person to be received. He was now 
asked why the governor himself did not come off, to which he replied that he was prevented 
by the laws from going on board ships in the roads ; and proposed that the Commodore 
should appoint an officer of corresponding rank with the vice-governor to confer with him, 
as he was desirous of communicating to the government the object of the squadron's visit. 
The Commodore, after some intentional delay, consented to this request, and appointed his 
aid, Lieutenant Contee, to receive him. The gangway-ladder was accordingly lowered, and 
the vice-governor, Nagazima Saboroske, accompanied by his interprerer, Hori Tatsnoske, who 
spoke Dutch, came on board, and was received in the captain's cabin, where a conference was 
held, in fact, with the Commodore, who, however, studiously kept himself secluded in his own 
cabin, and communicated with the Japanese through his aid only. 

It was directed that the dignitary should be informed that the Commodore, who had been 
sent by his country on a friendly mission to Japan, had brought a letter from the President of 
the United States, addressed to tbe Emperor, and that he wished a suitable officer might 
be sent on board his ship to receive a copy of the same, in order that a day might 
be appointed for the Commodore formally to deliver the original. To this he replied that 
Nagasaki was the only place, according to the laws of Japan, for negotiating foreign business, 
and it would be necessary for the squadron to go there. In answer to this he was told that the 
Commodore had come purposely to Uraga because it was near to Yedo, and that he sJiouId not 
go to Nagasaki ; that he expected the letter to be duly and properly received where he then 
was ; that his intentions were perfectly friendly, but that he would allow of no indignity ; and 
would not permit the guard-boats which were collecting around the shijis to remain where they 
were, and if they were not immediately removed, the Commodore declared that he would 
disperse them by force. When this was interpreted to him, the functionary suddenly left his 
seat, went to the gangway, and gave an order which caused most of the boats to return to the 
shore ; but a few of them still remaining in clusters, an armed boat was sent frorn the ship to 



DISPERSION OF THE JAPANESE GUARD-BOATS. 235 

warn them away by gestures, and at the same time to show their arms ; this had the desired 
efi'ect, as all of them disappeared, and nothing more was seen of them near the ships during the 
stay of the squadron. This, as says the Commodore, was the first important point gained. 
The vice-governor shortly afterward took his leave, saying, as he departed, that he had no 
authority to promise any thing respecting the reception of the President's letter, but in the 
morning an officer of higher rank would come from the city, who might probably furnish some 
further information. 

The policy of the Commodore, it will be seen, was to assume a resolute attitude toward the 
Japanese government. He had determined, before reaching the coast, to carry out strictly this 
course in all his official relations, as he believed it the best to ensure a successful issue to the 
delicate mission with which he had been charged. He was resolved to adopt a course entirely 
contrary to that of all others who had hitherto visited Japan on a similar errand — to demand 
as a right, and not to solicit as a favor, those acts of courtesy which are due from one civilized 
nation to another ; to allow of none of those petty annoyances which had been unsparingly 
visited upon those who had preceded him, and to disregard the acts as well as the threats of the 
authorities, if they in the least conflicted with his own sense of what was due to the dignity of 
the American flag. 

The question of landing by force was left to be decided by the development of succeeding 
events ; it was, of course, the very last measure to be resorted to, and the last that was desired ; 
but in order to be prepared for the worst, the Commodore caused the ships constantly to be kept 
in perfect readiness^ and the crews to be drilled as thoroughly as they are in time of active war. 
He was prepared, also, to meet the Japanese on their own ground, and exhibit toward them a 
little of their own exclusive policy; if they stood on their dignity and assumed superiority, that 
was a game at which he could play as well as they. It was well to let them know that other 
people had dignity also, which they knew how to protect, and that they did not acknowledge 
the Japanese to be their superiors. Hence he forbade the admission of a single Jajjanese on 
board any of the ships, except those officers who might have business with him; and the visits 
even of such were to be confined to the flag-ship, to which they were admitted only on the 
declaration of their rank and business. The Commodore, also, was well aware that the more 
exclusive he should make himself, and the more unyielding he might be in adhering to his 
declared intentions, the more respect these people of forms and ceremonies would be disposed to 
award him ; therefore it was that he deliberately resolved to confer personally with no one but 
a functionary of tlie highest rank in the empire. He would have been ashamed, in the indul- 
gence of a contemptible pride founded on mere official rank, to assume a superiority, and afiect 
a dignity, too lofty to stoop to the level of men below him in station. As a man, he did not 
deem himself too elevated to hold communication with any of his brethren in the common 
heritage of humanity ; but in Japan, as the representative of his country, and the accredited 
guardian of the honor of that flag which floated over him, he felt that it was well to teach the 
Japanese, in the mode most intelligible to them, by stately and dignified reserve, joined to 
perfect equity in all he asked or did, to respect the country from which he came, and to suspend 
for a time their accustomed arrogance and incivility toward strangers. The Japanese so well 
understood him that they learned the lesson at once. It was this feeling, and this only, which 
prompted him to refuse to see the vice-governor of Uraga, and to refer him to his aid for 
conference. He saw him often enough afterward, when matters had been arranged between the 
governments, on terms of friendship and equality. And we have been thus particular, not for 



236 EXPEDITION rO JAPAN. 

the information of our countrymen, wlio know Commodore Perry, but for strangers who may 
read our story and, without this word of explanation, misapprehend the character of the man. 
No man is more easily approached by his fellow-men, or assumes less on account of the honoi'able 
position he fills in the service of his country. 

The best proof that he judged wisely in determining on his course is in the results. The 
squadron was left free of all annoyance or interference on the part of the authorities during the 
whole period of its stay ; an event unprecedented in the intercourse of Japan with foreign ships 
for more than two centuries. We have said there was no annoyance to the ships, but the 
Japanese were as yet too suspicious of foreigners not to resort to their favorite system of 
espionage : and, therefore, though the guard-vessels were withdrawn, as we have seen, there 
might still be observed floating here and there a boat in the distance, seemingly with the object 
of quietly watching the movements of the strangers ; but they never came near the squadron, 
and were not by any act of the authorities forced upon the recognition of them, by the Americans, 
as guard-boats. That a watchful eye was kept upon the squadron was probable. Three or four 
rockets were shot up from the opposite land during the afternoon, which were supposed to be 
signals of some purpose or other. When night came on, the presence of the ships in their waters 
was evidently keeping up a very lively apprehension on the part of the Japanese on shore. 
Beacon fires were lighted upon every hill-top, and along the shores on either side as far as the 
eye could reach, and during the whole night the watchers on deck could hear the tolling of a 
great bell which was at first supposed to be that of a temple, but was probably an alarum or 
signal of some kind. The bay was otherwise as quiet as an inland lake, and nothing occurred 
to disturb the tranquillity of the night. When, however, the nine o'clock gun of the flag-ship, a 
sixty-four-pounder, was fired, the report reverberated loudly through the hills on the western side 
of the bay, and apparently created something of a commotion on shore, for here and there the 
fires were observed to be immediately extinguished. There seemed, however, no reason to 
expect any interference, although every precaution had been taken ; the ships had quite a warlike 
aspect, with sentinels stationed fore and aft and upon the gangways at the sides, with a pile of 
round shot and four stands of grape at each gun, muskets stacked on the quarter-deck, and boats 
provided with carbines, pistols, cutlasses and other necessaries for service. 

An interesting meteorological phenomenon was observed in the course of the night by 
Lieutenant Duer, in command of the watch, who describes it as a remarkable meteor seen from 
midnight until four o'clock in the morning. It made its appearance in the southward and 
westward and illuminated the whole atmosphere. The spars, sails, and hulls of the ships 
reflected its glare as distinctly as though a blue light were burning from each vessel at the 
same time. From the southward and westward, and about fifteen degrees above the horizon, it 
pursued a northeastwardly course in a direct line for a long distance, when it fell gradually 
toward the sea and disappeared. Its form was that of a large blue sphere with a red, wedge- 
shaped tail, which it could easily be observed was formed of ignited particles which resembled 
the sparks of a rocket as they appear upon its explosion. " The ancients" remarks the 
Commodore "would have construed this remarkable appearance of the heavens as a favorable 
omen for any enterprize they had undertaken," and adds " it may be so construed by us, as we 
pray God that our present attempt to bring a singvdar and isolated people into the family 
of civilized nations may succeed without resort to bloodshed." 

As the sun rose next morning, gradually lifting the mist which had been spread during the 
night upon the surface of the bay, and still curtained, here and there, the land with its fleecy 



VISIT OF THE GOVERNOR OF URAGA. 237 

festoons^ a beautiful view -was disclosed. A bold shore, occasionally broken by steep escarpments 
of bare gray rock, extended along the western or Sagami side of the bay, with an undulating 
surface brightly green with verdure, tufts of undergrowth, and scattered groups of trees. Fui'ther 
inland the earth rose in a range of gently swelling hills, the sides of which were covered with 
vegetation. Two miles below the anchorage, the shore was less abrupt, and seemed more 
cultivated. From Uraga to the entrance of the inner bay of Yedo, marked by a promontory a 
mile and a half distant, innumerable towns and villages were grouped along the shores on either 
side. Uraga embraces two of these towns, separated from each other by a cliff ; through the 
larger one of which a river passes and empties into the harbor, where floated a great number 
of small boats and several junks. As most of the vessels bound up the bay were seen 
to stop in their course at Uraga, that place was supposed to be an entrepot where certain 
custom dues had to be paid. Forts could be seen on the headlands here and there 
commanding the harbor, and as they were examined through the glass, some of them 
were found to be in an iinfinished state, and in progress of construction or alteration. Some 
were mounted with cannon, though apparently of no great calibre, while others were without a 
gun. A length of screens had been stretched for a distance of several rods upon posts in front 
of the breastworks, as well as inside the forts behind the embrasures, and along parts of the 
shore. In the distance these screens seemed to be composed of cloth, and were marked with 
white and black stripes. Their purpose was not very obvious, although it was surmised that 
they were got up with the intention of making a false show of concealed force. The Japanese 
probably had not calculated upon the exactness of view afforded by a Dolland's telescope or a 
French opera glass. Companies of soldiers, in glaring scarlet uniforms, were seen to pass from 
garrison to garrison, some bearing flags with various insignia, and others large lanterns upon 
tall poles. The shore was lined with a formidable sliow of the same sort of government boats 
as had surrounded the ships on their arrival. They seemed to be picketed off from the town by 
two red flags which had been planted on the shore between them and the houses on the land. 

The first approach to the Susquehanna from the shore was that of a boat at early sunrise next 
morning, (July 9th,) apparently containing a corps of artists, who came close to the shijD's side, 
but making no attempt to come on board, busied themselves in taking sketches of the strange 
vessels. The important visit of the day, however, came off at seven o'clock, when two large 
boats rowed alongside, one of which contained a half dozen officials, whose presence was 
indicated by the three-striped flag at the stern. The interpreter who spoke Dutch was with 
them, and announced that the i^ersonage of highest authority in the city was present, and 
desired to come on board. The arrival of Keyamon Yezaimen, (for such was his name,) who 
presented himself as the governor and greatest functionary of Uraga, thus plainly contradicting 
the declaration of the vice-governor of the day before, was then duly announced to the Commo- 
dore, who ordered that his highness should be received by Commanders Buchanan and Adams 
and Lieutenant Contee, the Commodore himself still refusing, in accordance with his policy, to 
receive any one but a counsellor of the Empire. The governor was attired, in character with his 
high position, as a noble of tlie third rank. He wore a rich silk robe of an embroidered imttern 
resembling the feathers of a peacock, with borders of gold and silver. He was duly received by 
the officers we have named, and immediately commenced with them a conference, which, how- 
ever, was in reality with the Commodore, though he still preserved his seclusion. The governor, 
after a long discussion, in which he more than once declared that the Japanese laws made it 
impossible that the President's letter should be received at Uraga, and that, even if it were, the 



238 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 

answer -would he sent to Nagai3aki, added also that the squadron must preceed thither. In 
answer to this he was most distinctly told that the Commodore would never consent to such an 
arrangement, and would persist in delivering the letter where he was ; and, moreover, that if 
the Japanese government did not see fit to appoint a suitable person to receive the documents 
in his possession addressed to the Emperor that he, the Commodore, whose duty it was to 
deliver them, would go on shore with a sufficient force and deliver them in person, be the 
consequences what they might. 

In answer to this, the governor said that he would return to the city and send a communi- 
cation to Yedo, asking for further instructions, and he added that it would take fo2ir days to 
obtain a reply. One hour's steaming would have taken the ships in sight of Yedo, and so the 
governor was informed that the Commodore would wait three days only, (until Tuesday, the 
12th,) when a definite answer would be expected. 

A boat had been sent at daylight from each ship of the squadron to survey the bay and 
harbor of Uraga. The governor, on observing these boats, inquired what they were doing, and 
when he was told that they were surveying the harbor, he said it was against the Japanese 
laws to allow of such examinations ; to' which he received for reply, that the American laws 
command them, and that Americans were as much bound to obey the American as he was the 
Japanese laws. "^^ This," remarks the Commodore, " was a second and most important point 
gained." During all the questions and answers the interjireter had out his tablets, and was 
busy taking notes^ and if all the importunate inquiries of the governor had been responded to, 
his reporter would have enjoyed no sinecure. 

At the interview, the original letter of the President, together with the Commodore's letter 
of credence, encased in the magnificent boxes which had been prepared in Washington, were 
shown to his excellency, who was evidently greatly impressed with their exquisite workmanship 
and costliness ; and he made an offer for the first time of water and refreshments, but was told 
that the squadron was in no need of anything. The governor was made to understand perfectly 
that there would be no necessity for any further discussion until the time appointed for the 
delivery of the answer from the Japanese government should arrive ; and he left the ship fully 
impressed with this understanding. 

During the conference, the governor and his interpreter were requested to use the same 
designation in speaking of the President of the United States as that by which they 
distinguished the Emperor. They complied with this request, although, previous to it, they 
had used difl"erent terms for the two dignitaries. In a country like Japan, so governed by 
ceremonials of all kinds, it was necessary to guard with the strictest etiquette even the forms 
of speech ; and it was found that by a diligent attention to the minutest and apparently most 
insignificant details of word and action, the desired impression was made upon Japanese 
diplomacy ; which, as a smooth surface requires one equally smooth to touch it at every point, 
can only be fully reached and met by the nicest adjustment of the most polished formality. 

The surveying boats, which seemed to give so much uneasiness to the governor, had been well 
manned and armed, and Lieutenant Bent, of the Mississippi, who was in command, was 
instructed not to go beyond the range of the ships' guns, while a good look-out was kept upon 
the surveying party, in order that assistance might be sent to them should they be attacked. 
In addition to the usual boat ensigns at the stern, white flags, indicative of their peaceful 
intentions, were borne on the bows. They spread themselves out toward the ojiposite shore as 
they pulled away, sounding at every boat's length, and had reached about two miles further up 



SURVEY OF THE BAY OP DRAGA. 239 

tlie bay than the' anchorage of the sqnadron, when they were recalled by a signal gnn. On 
their return they were sent out again, with orders to keep nearer to the western shore. In the 
afternoon all the boats returned, coming alongside at about three o'clock p. m. 

The hydrographic reports were of the most favorable character, as deep water was found as 
far up as four miles toward the head of the bay, which was the extent of the first survey. The 
soundings varied from twenty-nine to forty-three fathoms, and at the height of the ebb tide a 
current was observed running at the rate of two or three knots. The examination of the harbor 
of Uraga, which was carried to within a few feet of the shore, gave five fathoms at about a cable's 
length distance, while within that space from the land several reefs were found to extend out. 
As the boats approached the shores there was a good view of the fortifications, which did not 
seem to be of a very formidable character. Their construction did not exliibit much strength 
or art. Their position and armament were such as to expose them to an easy assault ; their 
parapets were in earthwork, while many of the buildings, the barracks and magazines, appeared 
to be of wood. They mounted but few guns, and those of small calibre, while their embrasures 
were so wide that the cannon were greatly exposed. 

On the first approach of the survey boats the soldiers showed themselves in considerable force, 
and were observed to be fully armed. They presented quite a bristling front with their spears 
and match-locks, while their lacquered caps and shields flashed brightly in the sun. They did 
not seem disposed, however, to make any very decided stand, for they retreated within the walls 
of the fortification as soon as the boats made in closer with the land. One of the ofiicers in 
command of a ship's boat approached to within a hundred yards of the shore, and observing 
three persons, seemingly of authority, standing out upon an embankment, levelled his glass at 
them, whereat they disappeared on the instant, evidently much discomposed at being sighted 
with an instrument which they (though not unfamiliar with the telescope) might have supposed 
to be a weapon unknown to them, and capable of projecting something more deadly than the 
glance of an eye. The Japanese soldiers in the boats along shore beckoned to our officer to 
keep ofi", while he, in response, made a sign to show the direction in which he was going. The 
Japanese then put off and approached so rajsidly that it appeared as if their intention was to 
intercept the ship's boat, and the officer in command accordingly gave orders to his men to rest 
upon their oars and adjust the caps to their carbines. There was, however, no attempt directly 
to interfere with this or any other of the ship's cutters, although they were followed by numbers 
of Japanese boats, which, however, on seeing our men well armed, did not venture to molest 
them. The artist who accompanied the surveying party had an excellent opportunity, which 
was well improved, of making sketches of the land, the forts, and various other objects on shore. 

Everything seemed propitious, as the action of the Commodore had so far been crowned with 
success. He had gained his purpose in clearing the squadron of the presence of the o-uard- 
boats ; he had compelled the visit of the first in authority at Uraga ; he had surveyed the 
harbor ; he had refused to go to Nagasaki, and kept his position in the bay of Yedo ; and this 
last he determined to retain until he had some definite answer as to the reception of the 
President's letter by a person of proper rank and authority. 

The weather added its smiles to the occasion, for nothing could be more propitious. The 
heat, which was not excessive, for tlie thermometer hardly ranged above 78°, was tempered 
by cool sea breezes, and the atmosphere was so clear that every object appeared with great 
distinctness, and there was a jiicturesque view disclosed to the eye on all sides. The peaked 
summit of Fusi rose, with great distinctness, above the high land on the western coast, and ten 



240 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 

miles aliead the bold cliff, whicli guards both sides of the entrance to the inner harbor leading 
to Yedo, were readily discernible. Nearer, the hovrses of Uraga could be so plainly seen that 
their peculiar forms and construction could be made out, and they were perceived to be built of 
wood, with roofs of various forms — pointed, square, and pyramidal. Most of the buildings 
were of the natural color of the wood, somewhat discolored, however, by time, while some few 
were painted white. The Japanese boats and junks, to the number of several hundreds, 
extending from the headland, off which the Susquehanna was anchored, to the harbor, were so 
distinctly visible as to be readily counted. Nearer still, the eye could minutely distinguish the 
parts of the unfinished forts that were in the process of construction on the heights opposite to 
the ship. 

The next day was Sunday, (July 10th,) and, as usual, divine service was held on board 
the ships and, in accordance with proper reverence for the day, no communication was held 
with the Japanese authorities. During the day, however, a boat came off with a striped 
flag, which indicated the high rank of the three or four Japanese sitting beneath its awning 
and languidly using their fans. They were evidently persons of distinction, and had the 
same intelligent expression and the remarkably courtly manners which were uniformly 
observed in all those of the better class. On coming alongside they, through their interpreter 
whom they had brought, requested permission to come on board. They were asked if they 
had any business with the Commodore, and answering that they had none, but merely wished 
to have a talk, were politely informed that, by his orders, they could not be received. 
Through the day, preparations were observed to be still proceeding on the land ; the soldiers 
moved busily, with their glistening shields and long spears, about the batteries in sight, 
and some seemed to be engaged in removing the sham forts of striped canvas, and in training 
more guns upon the squadron. The reverberations of the report of a cannon, fired off 
apparently some distance up the bay, echoed through the hills, and were distinctly heard 
on board the ships. At night, the beacon-fires, though fewer in number than on the previous 
evening, again blazed, while the deep-toned bell tolled as usual until morning. Everything, 
however, remained on board the ships tranquil and without interruption, as befitted the 
Christian day of rest. 

On the next morning early (Monday) the surveying boats were dispatched higher up the 
bay, and Commander Lee, of the steamer Mississippi, was directed to get his ship under way to 
protect them, if necessary. The governor of Uraga, on seeing the Mississippi going higher 
up, came on board, although he had been told that there would be no necessity for further 
communication or discussion until the reply from Yedo was received. 

The Commodore had sent the Mississippi and the boats on the service, in part for effect, 
being satisfied that the very circumstance of approaching nearer to Yedo with a powerful 
ship would alarm the authorities, and induce them to give a more favorable answer to his 
demands. It happened as was expected. The governor pretended that his visit to the ship 
was simply for the purpose of bringing the information that it was very probable the letters 
(meaning, as was then supposed, the translations of the originals) would be received on the 
following day, and forwarded to Yedo. His evident object in coming on board, however, was 
to ascertain for what purpose the Mississippi and the surveying boats had ascended the bay, 
and he accordingly put the question. 

The Commodore, anticipating the inquiry, directed that the governor should be informed 
that, unless the business which had brought the squadron to the bay of Y'edo was arranged 



SURVEY OF THE BAY OF YEDO. 241 

during the present visit, lie, the Commodore, would be obliged to return in the ensuing 
spring with a larger force ; and, as the anchorage in front of Uraga was not convenient or 
safe, he was desirous of seeking a more favorable situation nearer to Yedo, which would 
facilitate his communication with that city. 

The surveying party, as on the previous occasion, was composed of boats from each ship 
of the squadron, under the command of Lieutenant Bent. They were sent out with general 
directions from the Commodore to go as far uji the bay toward Yedo as possible^ without 
getting out of signal distance from the squadron, and to avoid giving any occasion of conflict 
with the people of the country. Their departure was watched with considerable anxiety by 
those on board the Susquehanna. Thirty fathoms of her cable had been taken in, and the 
remainder was all ready to slip, while steam was got up, to be in readiness for any 
emergency. The movements on shore were quite lively : in the distance, on the eastern 
shore, large numbers of soldiers — as- many apparently as a thousand — were seen to march 
down from the higher ground to the beach, and there embark in boats, which put off 
immediately in the direction of the surveying party. And, during the whole time, the 
various batteries were busy with the movements of the troops, who seemed to be either 
preparing for hostilities, or attempting to make a formidable show of force. 

The boats proceeded from ten to twelve miles further toward Yedo than the anchorage of 
the squadron. In proceeding up the bay, numbers of government vessels appeared, waving 
off the intruders, and some thirty-five put off in a direction fronting the course of the 
surveying boats, as if intending to intercept them. Lieutenant Bent, who was in advance, 
ordered his men to rest on their oars, and to affix their bayonets to their muskets, but this 
proceeding did not seem to have the eflect he had hoped for, of stopping the Japanese boats. 
They still came on. The lieutenant, anxious to avoid a rupture, then changed his course 
somewhat, to prevent an immediate collision, and dispatched a boat for the Mississippi, 
which was about two miles astern. The desired effect was soon produced by the approach 
of the steamer, and there was no apparent disposition shown afterward to interfere with the 
party, which continued the exploration. Deep soundings were found the whole distance, 
with a soft bottom of mud. A channel seemed to exist at the furthest point reached ; in 
the centre the lead gave a depth of twenty fathoms, while on the sides it struck upon banks 
of mud at not more than five fathoms It was inferred that there were deep soundings still 
further, and that the squadron might readily push on with safety to within a few miles of 
Yedo itself. At the extreme distance of the boats' passage there was a smaller bay, cut out, 
as it were, from the larger, which^ it was supposed, woirld probably afford an excellent 
anchorage. On either side the shores were abrupt, and extended back into lofty hills, and 
from the position of the boats at this point a town was observed on the right side of the 
bay of Yedo. The Mississippi had disappeared for some time from the view of those on 
board the other .ships ; but, just as the signal gun was about to be fired for her recall, she 
shot round the promontory, some two or three miles up the bay, which had concealed her 
from sight, came steaming down, with the boats in tow, and was soon quietly settled at her 
old anchorage, passing on her way between the Susquehanna and the Uraga shore, and 
attracting the attention of numbers of soldiers on the latter, who came out to see her pass. 

The bay was covered all day, as usual, with the Japanese junks, sailing up or down, 
apparently carrying on a brisk commerce, and not at all disturbed by the presence of the 
squadron. Some of the fishing smack.s and other boats would, indeed, at times approach 
31 J 



242 



EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 



pretty near to the ships, hut oljTiously merely to gratify curiosity, as their crews would 
stand up and gaze intently, hut gave no sign either of alarm or hostility. The trading 
vessels were ohserved to stop at a town on the opposite side in coming down, and at 
Uraga in going up, in accordance, prohahly, as has already heen intimated, with some 
regulation of the customs. Everything passed tranquilly, and the next day, Avhich was to 
bring some reply or other to the Commodore's demands, was looked forward to with deep 
solicitude and interest by every man on hoard the ships. 




In the Bay of Yedo. 




lal 






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t'nj)u*(l I'rom voii Siebohls ^ritli slight addihous Scctinvcliinis , 

bv tliP I'. S. Jaj^aitExpedilion and ntlier authorities, 
I'lnipilpdhv order of 

coMMODoHi'; \r. r. perry, r. s.x. 

by 

J^iiMil'^ "W. L. .Nfaurv ami Silas Bnil . 
18 5 5. 



REPLY PROM THE COURT AT YEDO. 



243 



CHAPTER XIII. 



REPLY FROM THE COtTRT AT YEDO. EFFORTS OF THE JAPANESE TO GET THE SQUADROV OCT OF THE BAY OP YEDO. COMMODORE 8 

FIRM REFUSAL TO LEAVE URAGA. AGREEMENT OF THE EMPEROR TO RECEIVE, THROUGH A COMMISSIONER, THE PRESIDENT'S 

LETTER. HIGH BREEDING OF THE JAPANESE GENTLEMEN; NOT ILL INFORMED. SURVEY OF THE BAY OF YEDO. — FOGS OF 

JAPAN. SECOND VISIT FROM THE GOVERNOR OF URAGA. HE BRINGS A LETTER FROM THE EMPEROR, AUTHORIZING A PRINCE 

OF THE EMPIRE TO RECEIVE, IN HIS NAME, THE PRESIDENT'S LETTER. ARRANGEMENTS MADE FOR THE COMMODORe's RECEP- 
TION ON SHORE TO DELIVER THE LETTER. MINUTE ATTENTION OF THE JAPANESE TO ETIQUETTE AND CEREMONIALS. 

PREPARATIONS IN THE SQUADRON FOR THE VISIT ON SHORE AT THE RECEPTION. SHIPS BROUGHT NEAR THE LAND, SO AS TO 

COMMAND THE PLACE OF MEETING. LANDING AND RECEPTION, AND DELIVERY OF THE LETTER AND OTHER DOCUMENTS. 

PRINCES OF IDSU AND IWAMA. CONTENTS OF PRESIDENT'S LETTER. COHMODORe's LETTER OF CREDENCE, AND HIS LETTERS 

TO THE EMPEROR. RECEIPT GIVEN BY THE JAPANESE FOR THE PAPERS. RETURN TO THE SHIPS. 



HE day appointed for the reception of a reply from 
Yedo (Tuesday, July 12) had now arrived. Accordingly, 
at about half past nine o'clock in the morning, three 
boats were seen to approach the steamer Susquehanna 
from the shores of Uraga. These were different from 
the usual government craft, and seemod, unlike the 
iithers, to be built after an European model; the rowers 
sat to their oars, and moved them as our boatmen do, 
B though somewhat awkwardly, instead of standing and 
i sculling at the sides, in accordance with the usual 
' Japanese practice. The construction of the boats waa 
C" evidently very strong, and their models fair. Their 
masts, sails, and rigging were of the ordinary Japanese 
fashion. The crews were numerous, there being thirty in the largest boat, and thirteen in each 
of the others, and their great swarthy frames were clothed in the usual uniform of loose blue 
dresses slashed with white stripes. 

The boat in advance was distinguished, in addition to the government mark of a horizontal 
black stripe across her broad sail, by the black and white flag, which indicated the presence of 
some officers of distinction, and such in fact were now on board of her. As she approached 
nearer to the ship, the governor, Kayama Yezaiman, in his rich silken robes, was recognised, 
seated on mats spread in the centre of the deck of the vessel, and surrounded by his interpreters 
and suite. 




244 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 

The advance boat now came alongside, leaving the other two floating at some distance from 
the Susquehanna. His highness, Kayama Yezaiman, with his two interpreters, Hori Tatsnoske, 
the principal, and Fatcisko Tokushumo, his second, were admitted at once on hoard, and liaving 
been received with due formality, were ushered into the presence of Captains Buchanan and 
Adams, who were prepared to communicate with them. 

The Commodore had, previously to the arrival of the governor, written the following letter to 
the Emperor : 

"United States Steam Frigate Susquehanna, 

Uraga, July 12, 1853. 
"The Commander-in-chief of the United States naval forces in these seas, being invested with 
full powers to negotiate treaties, is desirous of conferring with one of the highest officers of the 
Empire of Japan, in view of making arrangements for the presentation of the original of his 
letter of credence, as also the original of a letter with which he is charged, addressed to his 
Imperial Majesty by the President of the United States. 

"It is hoped that an early day will be appointed for the proposed interview. 
"To his Imperial Majesty the Emperor op Japan." 

The governor's first statement was to the effect that there had been a misapprehension as to 
the delivery of the translations of the papers before the originals had been received. Although 
the Commodore was certain that there had been no such misunderstanding, nevertheless he, on 
the second interview in the course of the afternoon, consented, after much discussion, to deliver 
the translations and originals, as also a letter from himself to the Emperor^ at the same time, 
provided the latter should appoint a suitable officer to receive them directly from the hands of 
the Commodore, who repeated that he would consent to present them to no other than a Japanese 
dignitary of the highest rank. The governor then said that a building would be erected on 
shore for the reception of the Commodore and his suite, and that a high official personage, 
specially appointed by the Emperor, would he in attendance to receive the letters. He, however, 
added that no answer would he given in the bay of Yedo, but that it would be transmitted to 
Nagasaki, through the Dutch or Chinese superintendents. This being reported to the Commo- 
dore, he wrote the following memorandum and directed it to be translated into Dutch, and fully 
explained to the governer. 

• "The Commander-in-chief will not go to Nagasaki, and will receive no communication 
through the Dutch or Chinese. 

" He has a letter from the President of the United States to deliver to the Emperor of Japan, 
or to his secretary of foreign aifairs, and he will deliver the original to none other: — if this 
friendly letter of the President to the Emperor is not received and duly replied to, he will 
consider his country insulted, and will not hold himself accountable for the consequences. , 

" He expects a reply of some sort in a few days, and he will receive such reply nowhere but 
in this neighborhood." [Bay of Uraga.] 

When this was communicated to the governor, he took his departure, probably to consult 
some higher authority, as doubtless there was more than one high officer of the court at Uraga, 
secretly directing the negotiations. The interview had lasted three hours, and it was fully one 
o'clock before the governor left the ship. All passed in the most quiet way without any 
interruption to the usual courtesies of friendly negotiation. The shore showed every indication 



CONVERSATION WITH THE GOVERNOR OF URAGA 245 

of tranquillity, and no movement was observed on the part of the fortresses, or the many 
government boats along the shore. 

The governor, in accordance with his promise on leaving in the morning, returned in the 
afternoon accompanied, as usual, by his interpreters and suite. He came off, however, in one of 
the ordinary Japanese boats, and not, as earlier in the day, in the vessel built after the European 
model. Captains Buchanan and Adams were in readiness to receive the party, and resumed 
the renewed conference witli the same form and ceremony as before ; the Commodore still 
preserving his seclusion and communicating with the Japanese only through others. The 
conversation is here given verbatim as reported. 

CONVERSATION. 

Present Captains Buchanan and Adams, Lieutenant Contee, Flag Lieutenant, and Yezaiman, 
governor of Uraga, and interpreters. 

Yezaiman. As it will take a great deal of time to send up the copies of the letters first, and 
the originals afterward, I propose that the originals and the copies be delivered together, when 
the high officer comes. The governor and the high officer will do their best to entertain the 
Admiral and give him a suitable reception. 

Copt. Buchanan. That is not the object of the Commodore : he wishes these communications 
to go because there is among them a letter to the Emperor from himself, which he desires to 
send to Yedo with the copies. The reply to the President's letter is not of so much consequence 
just now. We want a reply to the Commodore's letter which is in the package. 

Yezaiman. If you send the original letter we will reply to it as soon as possible. We are 
here for the purpose of receiving the letter from the President to the Emperor, but now you 
speak of a letter from the Admiral to the Emperor. 

Capt. B. The letter from the Admiral is in the package containing the copies of the 
President's letter. It states that he has in his possession the original letter of the President, 
and is empowered by the President to deliver it in person to the Emperor, or to a high officer of 
equal rank with himself, appointed by the Emjieror. 

Yezaiman. We are very sorry that you separate the two ; it would be better to send the 
originals at once with the copies. 

Capt. B. That is impossible. The letter of the Admiral states that he has the original letter 
of the President, and is empowered to deliver it^ either in person or to an officer of his own 
rank ; when the Emperor is aware of the fact that the Admiral has the letter, then he will 
appoint an officer of the same rank to receive the original, and the Admiral will return at some 
future day to receive the answer. 

Yezaiman. Can you not contrive to manage it in such a way that the original letter may be 
sept with the copies ? 

Capt. B. It cannot be done. 

Yezaiman. When the ships first came it was not mentioned that the copies must be sent first, 
and not the original letters ; and now you mention it. 

Capt. B. During the first visit you made here, you were shown the original letters, and 
also the copies, and the same statement was then made by us as now. — (.After a pause Captain 
B. resumed.) — Will the high officer who will come here be accredited by the Emperor to receive 
the letters from the Admiral? 



246 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 

Yezaiman. He haa the authorization of the Emperor. 

Copt. B. Will he have any proof to show that he is thus authorized? 

Yezaiman. Yes, he can prove it. 

Capt. B. One of the letters is from the President, informing the Emperor of Japan that 
Commodore Perry is sent as a high officer appointed by himself, and Commodore Perry will 
expect similar credentials on the part of the officer appointed to speak with him. 

Yezaiman. He will receive the letter, but cannot enter into any negotiations. 

Capt. B. What is the rank and official title of the officer who is appointed? — {While the 
interpreter is toriting the title of the officer in question, in Chinese characters, Captains Buchanan 
and Adams retire to consult ivith the Commodore.} 

Lieutenant Contee. When will the high officers be ready to receive the letter? 

Interpreter. To-morrow or the day after. 

Lieut. C. Where is the house? 

Interpreter. On the shore. 

Lieut. C. Can you point it out from here? 

Interpreter. It cannot be seen. 

Lieut. C, {repealing his last question.') Can you point it out from here? 

Interpreter. It is on the other side of the hills — you can see it from another position. 

Lieut. C. What was the name of the officer who came on board on the day of our arrival? 

Interpreter. Nagazhima Saberoske. 

{Captains B^ichanan and Adains now returned.) 

Captain Buchanan. Captain Adams and I have just had a conversation with the Admiral.* 
He says that, since you appear to have wholly misunderstood the matter about the letter, if you 
can show proof that an officer of the proper rank is appointed to receive them, he will waive the 
matter in dispute, and deliver the original at the same time with the copies. But he requires 
strict evidence that the officer who shall meet him shall be of the necessary rank, and that he 
has been specially appointed for the purpose by the Emperor. 

Yezaiman. Nagasaki is the proper place to receive letters from foreign nations, and because 
Uraga is not an appropriate place, the officer will not be allowed to converse, but only to 
receive the letters. 

Capt. B. He is only desired to receive the letters. Will he come on board, or will the letters 
be delivered on shore? 

Yezaiman. He will not come on board, but will receive them on shore. 

Capt. B. Before the letters are delivered, the credentials of the officer must be translated 
into Dutch, signed with the proper signatures, and sent on board the Admiral. 

Yezaiman. He will be accredited to receive the letter, but cannot speak. 

Capt. B. He will not be desired to speak, but he must have a paper signed by the Emperor, 
stating that he is empowered to receive the letters. 

Yezaiman. He will have a document properly signed. 

[Captain Buchanan noiu directed Mr. Portman to write in Dutch the declaration he had made, 
and to give it to the interpreter. The following is the English version : " There has been a 

* "It is proper to remark that the title of Admiral was necessarily used at these interviews, to designate your rank, as we 
found Vezaiman's interpreters were familiar with it, and were entirely unacquainted with that of Commodore." — Extract from 
Captain Adams' official report to Commodore Perry. 



CONVERSATION WITH THE GOVERNOR OF URAGA. 247 

great deal of misunderstanding about receiving the original letter and the translated copies, 
whether to be received together or separately. The Admiral now is willing to meet with a high 
officer of Yedo, holding rank in Japan corresponding to the rank of Admiral in the United 
States. This officer shall be accredited, viz: possess a writing properly signed by the Emperor, 
authorizing him to receive the said letters. Of this writing or letter of credence shall be made 
a copy, translated into Dutch, and the same copy be transmitted to the Admiral before the 
interview takes place. 

" At this interview there shall be no discussions whatever ; no more than an exchange of 
civilities and compliments. 

" The Admiral does not insist upon receiving an answer to the original letter of the President 
immediately, but will come back for that purpose after some months."] 

Yezaiman. The high officer will not be allowed to speak on the matter ; only to make and 
return compliments. 

Capt. B. That is all that is necessary. 

Yezaiman. The high officer will be here the day after to-morrow, to receive the letter on 
shore. , 

Capt. B. At what hour? 

Yezaiman. At eight o'clock in the morning. As soon as we see the flag hoisted we will come 
on board the ship. 

Capt. B. Will the high officer bring the copy of the letter empowering him to act, properly 
certiiied ? 

Yezaiman. He will bring it. 

Interpreter. The governor is very grateful for his kind reception on board. 

Capt. B. We are very happy to see him. Where is the place of reception? 

Interpreter. I can point out the place, but the house cannot be seen. 

Yezaiman. Will the Admiral await the Emperor's answer to the President's letter ? 

Capt. B. No ; the Admiral will not now wait for it. 

Yezaiman. When will he come for a reply? 

Capt. B. He will return in a few months to receive the Emperor's reply. 

Yezaiman. I would desire a statement in writing to that effect. [There being no satisfactory 
answer to this, Yezaiman continued.] The high officer who receives the letter of the President 
will give a receipt for it, as an assurance that it has been received. 

Capt. B. Can you not appoint a place nearer the ship ? The distance is very great for the 
men to pull in a boat. The Admiral will be satisfied to meet the high officer in a tent, or in 
one of the forts nearer the ships. The interview will not be long. 

Interpreter. The house is not far off ; it is less than a Japanese mile. 

Capt. B. Can you not arrange to have it nearer the ships ? 

'Interp^-eter. The governor says he will endeavor to arrange it. 

Capt. B. Can you let us know to-morrow morning ? 

Interpreter. Yes. 

The conference here ended. 

Kayama Yezaiman and his companions seemed to be in the highest good humor, and readily 
availed themselves of the proffered courtesies of the officers of the Susquehanna, which were 
accepted and responded to in a manner indicating the most polished good breeding. In 



248 EXPEDITIONTOJAPAN. 

receiving the hospitalities of their hosts, it may be remarked that they partook freely, and ' 
seemed to relish particularly the whiskey and brandy which formed part of the entertainment. 
The governor especially appeared to ajjpreciate the foreign liquors, particularly when mixed 
with sugar, and smacked his lips with great gusto, as he drained his glass to its last sweetened 
dregs. His interpreters, in the growing freedom of convivial enjoyment, made merry over his 
highness' bacchanalian proclivity, and laughingly expressing their alarm lest Yezaiman should 
take a drop too much, remarked, " his face is already growing red." 

Though always preserving a certain gentlemanly aplomb and that self-cultivated manner 
which bespeaks high breeding, these Japanese dignitaries were disposed to be quite social, and 
shared freely and gaily in conversation. Nor did their knowledge and general information fall 
short of their elegance of manners and amiability of disposition. They were not only well-bred, 
but not ill-educated, as they were jiroficients in the Dutch, Chinese, and Japanese languages, 
and not unacquainted with the general principles of science and of the facts of the geography of 
the world. When a terrestrial globe was placed before them, and their attention was called to 
the delineation on it of the United States^, they immediately placed their fingers on Washington 
and New York, as if perfectly familiar with the fact that one was the capital, and the other the 
commercial metropolis of our country. They also, with equal promptitude, pointed out England, 
France, Denmark, and other kingdoms of Europe. Their inquiries in reference to the United 
States showed them not to be entirely ignorant of the facts connected with the material progress 
of our country ; thus, when they asked if roads were not cut through our mountains, they were 
referring (as was supposed) to tunnels on our railroads. And this supposition was confirmed 
on the interpreter's asking, as they examined the ship's engine, whether it was not a similar 
machine, although smaller, which was used for travelling on the American roads. They also 
inquired whether the canal across the isthmus was yet finished, alluding probably to the 
Panama railroad which was then in progress of construction. They knew, at any rate, that 
labor was being performed to connect the two oceans, and called it by the name of something 
they had seen, a canal. 

After refreshments and conversation in the cabin, Yezaiman and his interpreters were invited 
to inspect the ship, an offer which they accepted with great politeness, and as they came upon 
deck, notwithstanding there were crowds of officers and men around who could scarce repress 
the manifestation of their curiosity, the Japanese never for a moment lost their self-possession, 
but showed the utmost composure and quiet dignity of manner. They evinced an intelligent 
interest in all the various arrangements of the vessel, observed the big gun and rightly styled it 
a "Paixhan," exhibited none of that surprise which would naturally be expected from those 
who were beholding for the first time the wonderful art and mechanism of a perfected steamship. 
The engine evidently was an object of great interest to them, but the interpreters showed that 
they were not entirely unacquainted with its principles. Much of this cool but not unobservant 
composure may have been afi'ected, in accordance with a studied policy, but yet, there can be no 
doubt, that however backward the Japanese themselves may be in practical science, the best 
educated among them are tolerably well informed of its progress among more civilized or rather 
cultivated nations. 

On leaving the cabin, the Japanese dignitaries had left their swords behind, two of which are 
always worn by those of certain rank in the empire. This gave an opportunity for inspection, 
on the part of the curious, of these badges of authority, which seemed to be, in accordance with 



HIGH B U E E D IN G OP THE JAPANESE GENTLEMEN. 249 

their purpose, more suited for show than servicj. The blades, liowever, were apparently of 
good steel and temper, and highly polished, although their shape as well as that of their hilts, 
■without a guard, was awkwardly constructed for use. The mountings were of pure gold, and 
the scabbards of shark's skin, remarkably well manufactured. The visit of the governor was 
prolonged into the evening, and it was seven o'clock before he took his departure, when he aiul 
his interpreters left the ship with their usual graceful courtesies, bowing at ever\' step, and 
smiling in au amiable yet dignified manner. They M'ere evidently favorably impressed with 
their reception and all they had seen. The studied politeness which marked their intercourse 
with our officers was evidently not assumed for the occasion, for it is so habitual with them 
that in their ordinary relations with each other they preserve the same stately courtesy ; and it 
was observed^ that no sooner had Yezaiman and his interpreters entered their boat alongside the 
Susquehanna, that they commenced saluting each other as formally as if they had met for the 
first time and were jiassing through the ceremonials of a personal introduction. While these 
scenes were in transaction on boai"d, the boats of the squadron sent out by the Cjmmodore were 
kept busy all day sounding and observing as on previous occasions. 

The next day was Wednesday, (July 13th,) and the visit of the governor was naturally 
expected at an early hour, in fulfilment of his promise. There was, however, no indication 
through the morning of his coming, and every thing remained in a state of tranquil expectation. 
There seemed to be some little movement on the part of the authorities, as far as could be 
gathered from an observation of the neighboring laud. From the opposite shores numerous 
vessels, loaded with soldiers, crossed to the Uraga side, and a large junk with the usual 
government flag and insignia put into the harbor. The brisk trade of the bay was carried on 
as usual^ and Japanese boats, both large and small, were moving up and down in constant 
circulation. The various towns and villages grouped about the bay were thus interchanging 
their elements of life and, stimulated into commercial activity by the throb from the busy heart 
of the great city, poured into Yedo their overflowing abundance. There were no less than sixty- 
seven junks counted as passing up the bay during the single day. 

The weather continued warm, with the thermometer indicating as high a point as 87°, but 
the heat was tempered by an agreeable sea breeze. The view of the shores was much obscured 
at times by the haze which is said to be so prevalent on the Japanese coast : but in the 
experience of the squadron the weather hitherto had been remarkably clear, and this day was 
the foggiest that had been seen since the ships arrived in the bay. Nothing could be seen of 
the great land-mark — the lofty peak of Fusi — which, by the way, was generally more plainly 
visible toward the evening than during the day, and was often observed beautifully distinct at 
sunset, when its summits would glow with a rich halo of crimson light. 

The expected visit of the governor occurred at last, at about four o'clock in the afternoon. 
His highness Kayama Yezaiman, accompanied, as usual, by his first and second interpreters, 
presented himself, with a thousand apologies for not having come earlier, as the high officer 
from Yedo had but just arrived. The apologies having been made, the governor exhibited the 
original order of the Emperor, addressed to the functionary who had been appointed to receive 
the Commodore. The Emperor's letter was short, and was certified by a large seal attached to 
it. This imperial epistle, which was wrapped in velvet, and enclosed in a box luade of 
sandal-wood, was treated by the governor with such reverence that he would allow no one to 
touch it. A copy of it in Dutch, and a certificate verifying the authenticity of the document. 



250 EXPEDITION TOJ A PAN. 

and of the Emperor's seal attached thereto, given under the hand of Kayaraa Yezaiman, the 
governor, were also presented. The translations were as follows : 

Translation of letter of credence given by the Emperor of Japan to his liigJiness, Toda, Prince 

of Idzu. 

"I send you to Uraga to receive the letter of the President of the United States to me, 
which letter has recently been brought to Uraga by the Admiral, upon receiving wliicli you 
will jjroceed to Yedo, and take the same to me. 

[Here is the Emperor's seal.] 

" Sixth month in 1853." 

Trarvslation of certificate of Kayama Yezaiman^ governor of Uraga, verifying the authenticity 

of the Emperor's letter and seal. 

' ' You can rest assured that the high officer who has been accredited by the Emperor of 
Japan himself, and who consequently comes here to Uraga from Yedo for the purpose of 
receiving the original and translated letters,, is cf very high rank, equal to that of the Lord 
Admiral. I do assure that. 

"KAYAMA YEZAIMAN." 

The governor, in tlie course of the conference, took care to state that the person appointed 
by the Emperor had no authority to enter into discussions with the Commodore, but was merely 
empowered to receive the papers and convey them to his sovereign. He also stated that he had 
made inquiry as to the practicability of changing the place of meeting, and said that, as a 
suitable building had already been erected, it would be inconvenient to change. The 
Commodore was prepared for this reply, and as he could not know whether any treachery 
was intended or not, he had determined to provide, as far as he could, against every contingency, 
and had therefore ordered the surveying party to examine the little bay at the head of which 
the building bad been erected for his reception. The officer sent upon this service promptly 
performed the duty, and reported that the ships could be brought within gun-shot of the place, 
where great numbers of the people had been observed employed in the completion of the 
building, in transporting furniture, and in otherwise preparing for the occasion. 

The governor offered to accompany a boat to the place appointed for the reception, but this 
was declined, and he was informed that, as it did not befit the dignity of the Commodore to 
proceed a long distance in a small boat, the squadron would be removed to a position nearer the 
building designed for the reception. It was then agreed that the Commodore and his party 
should leave rtie ships between eight and nine o'clock the next day, (Thursday,) although the 
Japanese seemed particularly anxious that the interview should take place at an earlier hour, 
assigning as a reason that the heat of the day might thus be avoided. 

The question was now asked as to how many officers would accompany the Commodore on 
the occasion, to which they received the answer that he would be followed by a large retinue, 
since it was the cu.stom of the United States that when an officer of high rank bears a 
communication from the President to the sovereign of another country, for him to go with 
such an attendance as will be respectful to the power to which he is sent. Accordingly, tlie 
governor was informed that all the officers who could be spared from the squadron would 
accompany the Commodore, as the greater number would imply the greater compliment. 



PREPARATIONS IN THE SQUADRON FOR THE RECEPTION. 251 

In the course of the conference, the Japanese dignitaries showed their great regard for 
ceremony hy adverting to various minute points of etiquette in reference to the approaching 
reception. Tliey announced that all the Japanese officers would he clothed in full official 
costume, and nob in the dresses worn on ordinary occasions. They seemed to be considerably 
troubled because they would not be able to seat their visitors, on the morrow, in the same kind 
of arm chair as that then occupied by themselves in the cabin, and apologized for not having 
any such. They were no less anxious on the score of the wines and brandies, and begged that 
they might be excused for not offering tlie same as they had been regaled with, since the 
country did not possess them. They were told to dismiss their solicitude on these points ; that, 
as the practice of hospitality, and manners and customs, neces.sarily differed in different 
countries, it was not reasonable to expect to find American habits prevailing in Japan; and 
that the Commodore would be satisfied to be seated in the same manner as the dignitary 
appointed to meet him, wliile the other American officers would content themselves with such 
seats as were provided for their equals in rank among the Japanese. 

They then made some inquiries in regard to the minute details of the approaching ceremony, 
as to whether the Commodore would present the President's letter directly from his own hand 
into that of the Japanese commissioner, whose name and title, ])y the way, were now 
announced as Toda-Idzu-no-Kami, First Counsellor of the Empire. 

It was asked whether the Commodore would immediately return to his sliip after delivering 
the letter, and also when he would come back to Japan to receive an answer. The Chinese 
interpreter^ Mr. Williams, showed them a map or plan of Yedo, which they said must have 
been drawn some seventy years ago, as the capital had changed much since the plan was made, 
having greatly increased in size, and much improved. They, however, recognized on the plan 
various conspicuous places, and pointed them out very readily, as if politely willing to gratify 
the natural curiosity of their companj'. 

The wliole conference had lasted about two hours and a half, and when the Japanese 
functionaries rose to depart it was already evening. They left the ship with the usual polite 
courtesies, bowing, as usual, at every step; and the chief interpreter, Hori Tatznoske, who had 
evidently a great aptitude for the acquisition of foreign languages, mustered English enough to 
say very distinctly as he departed, "Want to go home." 

The Commodore, in preparation for the coming event of the next morning, summoned his 
captains, from the several vessels of the squadron, on board the flag-ship. Orders were then 
given that the vessels should be removed, early in the morning, to an anchorage in line, 
covering the whole bay, in front of the place of reception,* as the Commodore was resolved to be 
prepared against any possible treachery or duplicity on the part of the people with whom he 
had to deal, and as the object of the Japanese in the selection of this place of meeting was not 
very apparent to his mind. It was also ordered that all the officers who could possibly leave 
the ships .should appear in full uniform, and accompany the Commodore to the reception_, in 
order that he might present as imposing a retinue as practicable. The surveying boats had 
been kept busy during the day, completing their observations, and were allowed to proceed with 
their work without any molestation from the native authorities. 

The Japanese seemed no less busy in active preparation for the morning's ceremony than the 

• Marked on the chart as " Reception Bay." 



■ibJ. E X P E Ti I T I N T (I J A P A N . 

Americans. Various government vessels sailed down the baj', and a large fleet of small boats 
arrived on the Uraga shore from the opposite coast, evidently preparatory to the approaching 
occasion. A constant sound of hammers, intermingled with the noisy, voices of Japanese 
laborers, arising as was supposed from the quarter where the building was in progress, disturbed 
the quiet of tlic night and was prolonged into the morning watches. All was busy preparation 
for the coming day. 

Thursday, (July 14) opened witli a sun that was somewhat obscured at early dawn, but which 
soon came out brightly and dispelled the fogs and clouds which overhung the laud and seemed 
to give an inauspicious aspect to the occasion. As the atmosphere cleared and the shores were 
disclosed to view, the steady labors of the Japanese during the night were revealed in the showy 
effect on the Uraga shore. Ornamental screens of cloth had been so arranged as to give a more 
distinct prominence, as well as the aj^pearance of greater size to the bastions and forts ; and two 
tents had been spread among the trees. The screens were stretched tightly in the usual way 
upon posts of wood, and each interval between the posts was thus distinctly marked, and had, in 
the distance, the appearance of panelling. Upon these seeming panels were emblazoned the 
imperial arms, alternating with the device of a scarlet flower bearing large heart-shaped leaves. 
Flags and streamers, upon which were various designs represented in gay colors, hung from the 
several angles of the screens, while behind them thronged crowds of soldiers, arrayed in a 
costume which had not been before observed, and whiclr was supposed to belong to higli occasions 
only. The main portion of the dress was a species of frock of a dark color, with short skirts, 
the waists of which were gathered in with a sash, and which was without sleeves, the arms of 
the wearers being bare. 

All on board the ships were alert from the earliest hour, making the necessary preparations. 
Steam was got up and the anchors were weighed that the ships might be moved to a position 
where their guns would command the place of reception. The sailing vessels, however, because 
of a calm, were unable to get into position. The oflicers, seamen, and marines who were to 
accompany the Commodore were selected, and as large a number of them mustered as could 
possibly be spared from the whole squadron. All, of course, were eager to bear a part in the 
ceremonies of the day, but all could not possibly go, as a sufficient number must be left to do 
ships' duty. Many of the oflicers and men were selected by lot, and when the full complement, 
which amounted to nearly three hundred, was filled up, each one busied himself in getting his 
person ready for the occasion. The oflicers, as had been ordered, were in full official dress, while 
the sailors and marines were in their naval and military uniforms of blue and white. 

Before eight bells in the morning watch had struck, the Susquehanna and Mississippi moved 
slowly down the liay. Simultaneously with this movement of our ships, six Japanese boats 
were observed to sail in the same direction, but more within the land. The government striped 
flag distinguished two of them, showing the presence of some high officials, while the others 
carried red banners, and were supposed to have on board a retinue or guard of soldiers. On 
doubling the head-land which separated tlie former anchorage from the bay below, the prepara- 
tions of the Japanese on the shore came suddenly into view. The land bordering the head of 
the bay was gay with a long stretch of painted screens of cloth, upon which was emblazoned the 
arms of the Emperor. Nine tall standards stood in the centre of an immense number of banners 
of divers lively colors, which were arranged on either side, until the whole formed a crescent of 
variously tinted flags, which fluttered brightly in the rays of the morning sun. From the tall 



SHIPS BROUGHT NEAR THE LAND. 253 

standards were suspended broad pennons of rich scarlet which swept the ground -nith their- 
flowing length. On the beach in front of this display were ranged regiments of soldiers, who 
stood in fixed order, evidently arrayed to give an appearance of martial force, that the Ameri- 
cans might be duly impressed with tlie military power of the Japanese. 

As the beholder fixced the liay, he saw on the left of the village of Gori-Hama a straggling 
group of jieakcd-roofed houses, built between the beach and the base of the high ground which 
ran in green acclivities behind, and ascended from height to height to the distant mountains. 
A luxuriant valley or gorge, walled in with richly wooded hills, opened at the head of the bay, 
and breaking the uniformity of the curve of the shore gave a beautiful variety to the landscape. 
On the right some hundred Japanese boats, or more, were arranged in parallel lines along the 
margin of the shore, with a red flag flying at the stern of each. The whole effect, though not 
startling, was novel and cheerful, and every thing combined to give a pleasing aspect to the 
picture. The day was bright, with a clear stmlight wliich seemed to give fresh vitality alike to 
the verdant hill-sides, and the gay banners, and the glittering soldiery. Back from the beach, 
opposite the centre of the curved shore of the bay, the building, just constructed for the recep- 
tion, rose in three pyramidal shaped roofs, high above the surrounding houses. It was covered 
in front by striped cloth, which was extended in screens to either side. It had a new, fresh 
look, indicative of its recent erection, and with its peaked summits was not unlike, in the 
distance, a group of very large ricks of grain. 

Two boats approached as the steamers neared the opening of the bay, and when the anchors 
were dropped they came alongside the Susquehanna. Kayama Yezaiman, with his two 
interpreters, came on board, followed immediately by Nagazima Saboi'oske and an officer in 
attendance, who had come in the second boat. They were duly received at the gangway and 
conducted to seats on the quarter deck. All were dressed in full official costume, somewhat 
different from their ordinary garments. Their gowns, though of the usual shape, were much 
more elaborately adorned. The material was of very rich silk brocade of gay colors, turned up 
with yellow velvet, and the whole dress was highly embroidered with gold lace in various 
figures, among which was conspicuously displayed on the back, sleeves, and breast the arms of 
the wearer. 8aboroske, the sub-governor of Uraga, wore a pair of very broad but very short 
trowsers, which, when his legs (which was not often the case) stood still and together, looked very 
much like a slit petticoat, while below, his netlier limbs were partly naked and partly covered 
by Ijlack woollen socks. Saboroske, in spite of his elaborate toilette and his finery, all bedizened 
with gold thread, glossy silk, and gay colors, did not produce a very impressive effect; but by 
his comical appearance provoked mirth rather than admiration. He had, in fact, very much 
the appearance of an unusually brilliant knave of trumps. 

A signal was now hoisted from the Susquehanna as a summons for the boats from the other 
ships, and in the course of half an hour they had all pulled alongside with their various officers 
sailors, and marines, detailed for the day's ceremonies. The launches and cutters numbered no 
less than fifteen, and presented quite an imposing array ; and with all on board them, in proper 
imiform, a picturesque effect was not wanting. Captain Buchanan, having taken his place in 
his barge, led the way, flanked on either side by the two Japanese boats containing the 
governor and vice-governor of Uraga with their respective suites ; and these dignitaries acted as 
masters of ceremony and pointed out the course to the American flotilla. The rest of the ships' 
boats followed after in order, with the cutters containing the two bands of the steamers, who 
enlivened the occasion with their cliecrful music. 



254 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 

The boats skimmed briskly over the smooth waters ; for such was the skill and consequent 
rapidity of the Japanese scullers that our sturdy oarsmen were put to their mettle to keep up 
M'ith their guides. When the boats had reached halfway to the shore the thirteen guns of the 
Susquehanna began to boom away and re-echo among the hills. This announced the departure 
of the Commodore who^ stepping into his barge, was rowed off to the land. 

The guides in the Japanese boats pointed to the landing place toward the centre of the curved 
shore, where a temporary wharf had been built out from the beach by means of bags of sand 
and straw. The advance boat soon touched the spot, and Captain Buchanan, who commanded 
the party, sjirang ashore, being the first of the Americans who landed in the Kingdom of 
Japan. He was immediately followed by Major Zeilin, of the marines. The rest of the boats 
now pulled in and disembarked their respective loads. The marines (one hundred) marched 
up the wharf and formed into line on either side, facing the sea ; then came the hundred 
sailors, who were also ranged in rank and file as they advanced, while the two bands brought 
up the rear. The whole number of Americans, including sailors, marines, musicians, and 
officers, amounted to nearly three hundred ; no very formidable array, but still c^uite enough 
for a peaceful occasion, and composed of very vigorous, able-bodied men, who contrasted 
strongly with the smaller and more effeminate looking Japanese. These latter had mustered 
in great force, the amount of which the governor of Uraga stated to be five thousand ; but, 
seemingly, they far outnumbered that. Their line extended around the whole circuit of the 
beach, from the further extremity of the village to the abrupt acclivity of the hill which 
bounded the bay on the northern side ; while an immense number of the soldiers thronged in, 
behind and under cover of the cloth screens which stretched along the rear. The loose order of 
this Japanese army did not betoken any very great degree of discipline. The soldiers were 
tolerably well armed and equipped. Their uniform was very much like the ordinary Japanese 
dress. Their arms were swords, spears, and match-locks. Those in front were all infantry, 
archers and lancers ; but large bodies of cavalry were seen behind, somewhat in the distance, 
as if held in reserve. The horses of these seemed of a fine breed, hardy, of good bottom, and 
brisk in action ; and these troopers, with their rich caparisons, presented at least a showy 
cavalcade. Along the base of the rising ground which ascended behind the village, and 
entirely in the rear of the soldiers, was a large number of the inhabitants, among whom there 
was quite an assemblage of women, who gazed with intense curiosity, through the openings in 
the line of the military, upon the stranger visitors from another hemisi^here. 

On the arrival of the Commodore, his suite of officers formed a double line along the landing 
place, and as he passed up between, they fell into order behind him. The procession was then 
formed and took up its march toward the house of reception, the route to which was pointed out 
by Kayama Yezaiman and his interpreter, Avho preceded the party. The marines led the way, 
and the sailors following, the Commodore was duly escorted up the beach. The United States 
flag and the broad pennant were borne by two athletic seamen, who had been selected from the 
crews of the squadron on account of their stalwart jjroportions. Two boys, dressed for the 
ceremony, preceded the Commodore, bearing in an envelope of scarlet cloth the boxes which 
contained his credentials and the President's letter. These documents, of folio size, were 
beautifully written on vellum, and not folded, but bound in blue silk velvet. Each seal, 
attached by cords of interwoven gold and silk with pendant gold tassels, was encased in a 
circular box si$ inches in diameter and three in depth, wrought of pure gold. Each of the 



MEETING WITH THE JAPANESE COMMISSIONERS. 255 

documents together with its seal, was placed in a box of rosewood about a foot long, with lock, 
hinges, and mountings, all of gold. On either side of the Commodore marched a tall, 
well-formed negro, who, armed to the teeth, acted as his personal guard. These blacks, selected 
for the occasion, were two of the best looking fellows of their color that the squadron could 
furnish. All this, of course, was but for effect. 

The procession was obliged to make a somewhat circular movement to reach the entrance of 
the house of reception. This gave a good opportunity for the display of the escort. The 
building, which was but a short distance from the landing, was soon reached. In front of the 
entrance were two small brass cannon which were old and apparently of European manufacture; 
on either side were grouped a rather straggling company of Japanese guards, whose costume 
was diflerent from that of the other soldiers. Those on the right were dressed in tunics, 
gathered in at the waist with broad sashes, and in full trowsers of a grey color, the capacious 
width of which was drawn in at the knees, while their heads were bound with a white cloth in 
the form of a turban. They were armed with muskets upon which bayonets and flint-locks were 
observed. The guards on the left were dressed in a rather dingy, brown-colored uniform turned 
up with yellow, and carried old-fashioned match-locks. 

The Commodore having been escorted to the door of the house of reception, entered with his 
suite. The building showed marks of hasty erection, and the timbers and boards of pine wood 
were numbered, as if they had been fashioned previously and brought to the spot all ready to be 
put together. The first portion of the structure entered was a kind of tent, principally 
constructed of painted canvas, upon which in various places the imperial arms were painted. 
Its area enclosed a space of nearly forty feet square. Beyond this entrance hall was an inner 
apartment to which a carpeted path led. The floor of the outer room was generally covered with 
white cloth, but through its centre passed a slip of red-colored carpet, which showed the direction 
to the interior chamber. This latter was entirely carpeted with red cloth, and was the state 
apartment of the building where the reception was to take place. Its floor was somewhat raised, 
like a dais, above the general level, and was handsomely adorned for the occasion. Violet- 
colored hangings of silk and fine cotton, with the imperial coat of arms embroidered in white, 
hung from the walls which enclosed the inner room, on three sides, while the front was left open 
to the antechamber or outer room. 

As the Commodore and his suite ascended to the reception room, the two dignitaries who were 
seated on the left arose and bowed, and the Commodore and suite were conducted to the arm 
chairs which had been provided for them on the right. The interjjreters announced the names 
and titles of the high Japanese functionaries as Toda-Idzu-no-hami, Toda, prince of Idzu, and 
Ido-Iwami-ma-kami, Ido, prince of Iwami. They were both men of advanced years, the former 
apparently about fifty, and the latter some ten or fifteen years older. Prince Toda was the 
better looking man of the two, and the intellectual expression of his large forehead and amiable 
look of his regular features contrasted very favorably with the more wrinkled and contracted, 
and less intelligent face of his associate, the prince of Iwami. They were both very richly 
dressed, their garments being of heavy silk brocade interwoven with elaborately wrought figures 
in gold and silver. 

From the beginning, the two princes had assumed an air of statuesque formality which they 
preserved during the whole interview, as they never spoke a word, and rose from their seats only 
at the entrance and exit of the Commodore, when they made a grave and formal bow. Yezaiman 



256 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN, 

and his interpreters acted as masters of ceremony during the occasion. On entering, they took 
their positions at the upper end of the room, kneeling down beside a large lacquered box of 
scarlet color, supported by feet, gilt or of brass. 

For some time after the Commodore and his suite had taken their seats there was a pause of 
some minutes, not a word being uttered on either side. Tatznoske, the principal interpreter, 
was the first to break silence, which he did by asking Mr. Portman, the Dutch interpreter, 
whether the letters were ready for delivery, and stating that the prince Toda was prepared to 
receive them ; and that the scarlet box at the upper end of the room was prepared as the 
receptacle for them. The Commodore, upon this being communicated to him, beckoned to the 
boys who stood in the lower hall to advance, when they immediately obeyed his summons and 
came forward, bearing the handsome boxes which contained the President's letter and other 
documents. The two stalwart negroes followed immediately in rear of the boys, and marching 
up to tlie scarlet receptacle, received the boxes from the hands of the bearers, opened them, took 
out the letters and, displaying the writing and seals, laid them upon the lid of the Japanese 
■box — all in perfect silence. The President's letter, the Commodore's letter of credence, and 
two communications from the Commodore to the Emperor, are here given. A third letter from 
him has already been presented on a previous page. All these, however, accompanied the letter 
from the President and were delivered at the same time with it. 

JIXLLARD FILLMORE, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, TO HIS IMPERIAL MAJESTY, THE 

EMPEROR OP JAPAN. 

Great and good Friend : I send you this public letter by Commodore Matthew C. Perry, an 
officer of the highest rank in the navy of the United States, and commander of the squadron 
now visiting your imperial majesty's dominions. 

I have directed Commodore Perry to assure your imperial majesty that I entertain the kindest 
feelings toward your majesty's person and government, and that I have no other object in 
sending him to Japan but to propose to your imperial majesty that the United States and Japan 
should live in friendship and have commercial intercourse with each other. 

The Constitution and laws of the United States forbid all interference with the religious or 
political concerns of other nations. I have particularly charged Commodore Perry to abstain 
from every act which could possibly disturb the tranquility of your imperial majesty's 
dominions. 

The United States of America reach from ocean to ocean, and our Territory of Oregon and 
State of California lie directly opposite to the dominions of your imperial majesty. Our 
steamships can go from California to Japan in eighteen days. 

Our great State of California produces about sixty millions of dollars in gold every year, 
besides silver, quicksilver, precious stones, and many other valuable articles. Japan is also a 
rich and fertile country, and produces many very valuable articles. Your imperial majesty's 
subjects are skilled in many of the arts. I am desirous that our two countries should trade with 
each other, for the benefit both of Japan and the United States. 

We know that the ancient laws of your imperial majesty's government do not allow of foreign 
trade, except with the Chinese and the Dutch ; but as the state of the world changes and new 
governments are formed, it seems to be wise, from time to time, to make new laws. There was 
a time when the ancient laws of your imperial majesty's government were first made. 



president's letter to the emperor. 257 

About the same time America^ which is sometimes called the New World, was first discovered 
and settled by the Europeans. For a long time there were hut a few people, and they were poor. 
They have now become quite numerous ; their commerce is very extensive ; and they think that 
if your imperial majesty were so far to change the ancient laws as to allow a free trade between 
the two countries it would be extremely beneficial to both. 

If your imperial majesty is not satisfied that it would be safe altogether to abrogate the 
ancient laws which forbid foreign trade, they might be suspended for five or ten years, so as to 
try the exjieriment. If it does not prove as beneficial as was hoped, the ancient laws can be 
restored. The United States often limit their treaties with foreign States to a few years, and 
then renew them or not, as they please. 

I have directed Commodore Perry to mention another thing to your imperial majesty. Many 
of our ships pass every year from California to China ; and great numbers of our people pursue 
tlie whale fishery near the shores of Japan. It sometimes happens^ in stormy weather, that one 
of our ships is wrecked on your imperial majesty's shores. In all such cases we ask, and expect, 
that our unfortunate people should be treated with kindness, and that their property should be 
protected, till we can send a vessel and bring them away. We are very much in earnest in 
this. 

Commodore Perry is also directed by me to represent to your imperial majesty that we 
understand there is a great abundance of coal and jjrovisions in the Empire of Japan. Our 
steamships, in crossing the great ocean, burn a great deal of coal, and it is not convenient to 
bring it all the way from America. We wish that our steamships and other vessels should be 
allowed to stop in Japan and supply themselves with coal, provisions, and water. They will 
pay for them in money, or anything else your imperial majesty's subjects may prefer ; and we 
request your imperial majesty to apj)oint a convenient port, in the southern part of the Empire, 
where our vessels may stop for this purpose. We are very desirous of this. 

These are the only objects for which I have sent Commodore Perry^ with a powerful squadron, 
to pay a visit to your imperial majesty's renowned city of Tedo : friendship, commerce, a sujDply 
of coal and provisions, and protection for our shipwrecked people. 

We have directed Commodore Perry to beg your imperial majesty's acceptance of a few 
presents. They are of no great value in themselves ; hut some of them may serve as specimens 
of the articles manufactured in the United States, and they are intended as tokens of our sincere 
and respectful friendship. 

May the Almighty have your imperial majesty in His great and holy keeping ! 
In witness whereof, I have caused the great seal of the United States to be hereunto affixed, 
and have subscribed the same with my name, at the city of Washington, in America, the seat 
of my government, on the thirteenth day of the month of November, in the year one thousand 
eight hundred and fifty-two. 
[Seal attached.] Tour good friend, 

MILLARD FILLMORE. 
By the President : 

EDWARD EVERETT, 

Secretary of State. 
33 J 



258 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 



Commodore Perry to the Emperor. 

United States Steam Frigate Susquehanna, 

Off the coast of Japan, July 1, 1853. 

The undersigned, commander-in-chief of all the naval forces of the United States of America 
stationed in the East India, China and Japan seas, has been sent by his government to this 
country, on a friendly mission, with ample powers to negotiate with the government of Japan, 
touching certain matters which have been fully set forth in the letter of the President of the 
United States, copies of which, together with copies of the letter of credence of the undersigned, 
in the English, Dutch, and Chinese languages, are herewith transmitted. 

The original of the President's letter, and of the letter of credence, prepared in a manner 
suited to the exalted station of your imperial majesty, will be presented by the undersigned in 
person, when it may please your majesty to appoint a day for his reception. 

The undersigned has been commanded to state that the President entertains the most friendly 
feelings toward Japan, but has been surprised and grieved to learn that when any of the people 
of the United States go, of their own accord, or are thrown by the perils of the sea, within the 
dominions of your imperial majesty, tliey are treated as if they were your worst enemies. 

The undersigned refers to the cases of the American ships Morrison, Lagoda, and Lawrence. 

With the Americans, as indeed with all Christian people, it is considered a sacred duty to 
receive with kindness, and to succor and protect all, of whatever nation, who may be cast upon 
their shores, and such has been the course of the Americans with respect to all Japanese subjects 
who have fallen under their protection. 

The government of the United States desires to obtain from that of Japan some positive 
assurance that persons who may hereafter be shipwrecked on the coast of Japan, or driven by 
stress of weather into her ports, shall be treated with humanity. 

The undersigned is commanded to explain to the Japanese that the United States are connected 
with no government in Europe, and that their laws do not interfere with the religion of their 
own citizens, much less with that of other nations. 

That they inhabit a great country which lies directly between Japan and Europe, and which 
was discovered by the nations of Europe about the same time that Japan herself was first visited 
by Europeans ; that the portion of the American continent lying nearest to Europe was first 
settled by emigrants from that part of the world ; that its population has rapidly spread through 
the country, until it has reached the shores of the Pacific ocean ; that we have now large cities, 
from which, with the aid of steam-vessels, we can reach Japan in eighteen or twenty days; that 
our commerce with all this region of the globe is rapidly increasing, and the Japan seas will 
soon be covered with our vessels. 

Therefore, as the United States and Japan are becoming every day nearer and nearer to each 
other, the President desires to live in peace and friendship with your imperial majesty, but no 
friendship can long exist, unless Japan ceases to act toward Americans as if they were her 
enemies. 

However wise this policy may originally have been, it is unwise and impracticable now that 
the intercourse between the two countries is so much more easy and rapid than it formerly was. 

The undersigned holds out all these arguments in the hope that the Japanese government 



commodore's letters to the emperor. 259 

■will see the necessity of averting unfriendly collision between the two nations, by responding 
favorably to the joropositions of amity, which are now made in all sincerity. 

Many of the large ships-of-war destined to visit Jajnxn have not yet arrived in these seas, 
though they are hourly expected; and the undersigned, as an evidence of his friendly intentions, 
has brought but four of the smaller ones, designing, should it become necessary, to return to 
Yedo in the ensuing spring with a much larger force. 

But it is expected that the government of your imperial majesty will render such return 
unnecessary, by acceding at once to the very reasonable and pacific overtures contained in the 
President's letter, and which will be further explained by the undersigned on the first fitting 
occasion. 

With the most profound respect for your imperial majesty, and entertaining a sincere hope 
that you may long live to enjoy health and happiness, the undersigned subscribes himself, 

M. C. PERKY, 

* Commander-in-cJdef of the United States Naval Forces 

in tJie East India, China, and Japan seas* 

To His Impekial Majesty, 

the Emperor of Japan. 



Commodore Perry to the Emperor. 

" United States Steam Frigate Susquehanna, 

" Uraga, Yedo Bay, July 14, 1853. 
"It having been represented to the undersigned that the propositions submitted through him 
to the government of Japan are of so much importance, and involve so many momentous 
questions, that much time will be required to deliberate and decide upon their several bearings : 
"The undersigned, in consideration thereof, declares himself willing to await a reply to these 
propositions until his return to Yedo Bay in the ensuing spring, when he confidently hopes 
that all matters will be amicably arranged, and to the satisfaction of the two nations. 

"With profound resjiect, 

"M. C. PERRY, 
"Commander-in-chief of the United States Naval Forces 

"in the East India, China, and Japan seas. 
"To His Imperial Majesty, 

"the Emperor of Japan." 



Letter of credence to Commodore Perry. 

MILLARD FILLMORE, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, TO HIS IMPERIAL MAJESTY THE 

EJIPEROR of JAPAN. 

Reposing special trust and confidence in the integrity, prudence, and ability of Matthew C. 
Perry, a captain in the navy of the United States, I have invested him with full power, for and 
in the name of the said United States, to meet and confer with any person or persons furnished 
with like powers on the part of your imperial majesty, and with him or them to negotiate, 

* It should be remarked that the Commodore framed this letter on his letter of instructions from the authorities of the United 
States. 



260 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 

conclude, and sign a convention or conventions, treaty or treaties, of and concerning tlie friend- 
ship, commerce, and navigation of the two countries ; and all matters and subjects connected 
therewith which may be interesting to the two nations, submitting the same to the President of 
the United States for his final ratification, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate of 
the United States. 

In testimony whereof, I have caused the seal of the United States to be hereunto affixed. 

Given under my hand, at the city of Washington, the thirteenth day of November, in the 

year one thousand eight hundred and fifty-two, and of the independence of the United States of 

America the seventy-seventh. 

MILLAED FILLMORE. 
By the President : 

EDWAED EVERETT. 

[Seal attached.] Secretary of State. 

Accompanying the letters were translations of the same into the Chinese and Dutch 
languages. After the documents had been laid upon the lid of the imperial box, made as 
their receptacle, Mr. Portman, Dutch interpreter, by the Commodore's direction, indicated to 
Tatznoske, the Japanese interpreter, the characters of the various documents, upon which Tatz- 
noske and Keyama Tezaimen, still kneeling, both bowed their heads. The latter, now rising, 
approaclied the Prince of Iwami, and prostrating himself on his knees before him, received from 
his hands a roll of papers, with which lie crossed over to the Commodore, and again falling 
upon his knees, delivered it to him. The Dutch interpreter now asked "what those papers 
were?" to which it was answered, "they are the imperial receipt." The translation of it is 
as follows: 

[Translation of receipt given uy the Princes of Idzu and Iwami to Commodore Perry.] 

"The letter of the President of the United States of North America, and copy, are hereby 
received and delivered to the Emperor. Many times it has been communicated that business 
relating to foreign countries cannot be transacted here in Uraga, but in Nagasaki. Now it has 
been observed that the Admiral, in his quality of ambassador of the President, would be insulted 
by it ; the justice of this has been acknowledged ; consequently, the above mentioned letter is 
hereby received, in opposition to the Japanese law. 

"Because the place is not designed to treat of anything from foreigners, so neither can con- 
ference nor entertainment take iilace. The letter being received you will leave here." 

[Here follow fac similes of signatures in Japanese.] 

"The nixtii of the sixth month." 

The above is a literal translation from the Dutch, in which language the conferences were 
held, and into which the receipt of the chief counsellors, the princes of Idzu and Iwami, was, 
doubtless, badly translated from the Japanese by their interpreter. 

The following would probably be the correct translation from the Japanese: 

"The letter of the President of the United States of North America, and copy, are hereby 
eceived, and will be delivered to the Emperor. 

' ' It has been many times intimated that business relating to foreign countries cannot be 
transacted here in Uraga, but at Nagasaki ; nevertheless, as it has been observed that the Admiral, 
in his quality of ambassador of the President, would feel himself insulted by a refusal to receive 
the letter at this place, the justice of which has been acknowledged, the above mentioned letter 
is hereby received, in opposition to the Japanese law. 



TERMINATION OF THE CONFERENCE. 261 

"As this is not a place wherein to negotiate with foreigners, so neither can conferences nor 
entertainment be held. Therefore, as the letter has been received you can depart." 

After a silence of some few minutes, the Commodore directed his interpreters to inform the 
Japanese that he would leave, with the squadron, for Lew Chew and Canton in two or three 
days, and to offer to the government his services, if it wished to send any dis])atches or 
messages to those places. The Commodore also stated that it was his intention to return to 
Japan in the approaching spring, jierhaps in April or May. Tatznoske then asked the Dutch 
interpreter to repeat what he had said about the Commodore's leaving and returniuL'', which 
he did, using tlie same words as before. Then the question was asked " whether the 
Commodore would return with all four vessels?" " All of them," answered the Commodore, 
" and jirobably more, as these are only a portion of the squadron." Allusion had been made 
to the revolution in China, and the interpreter asked its cause, without however translating to 
the Japanese princes, to which the Commodore dictated the reply, that " it was on account 
of the government." 

Yezaimen and Tatznoske now bowed, and, rising from their knees, drew the fastenings 
around the scarlet box, and informing the Commodore's interpreter that there was nothing 
more to be done, passed out of the apartment, bowing to those on either side as they went. 
The Commodore now rose to take leave, and, as he departed, the two princes, still preserving 
absolute silence, also arose and stood until the strangers had passed from their presence. 

The Commodore and his suite were detained a short time at the entrance of the building 
waiting for their barge, whereupon Yezaimen and his interpreter returned and asked some of 
the party what they were waiting for; to which they received the reply, "For the Commodore's 
boat." Nothing further was said. The whole interview had not occupied more than from 
twenty to thirty minutes, and had been conducted with the greatest formality, though with 
the most perfect courtesy in every respect. 

The procession re-formed as before, and the Commodore was escorted to his barge, and, 
embarking, was rowed off toward his ship, followed by the other American and the two 
Japanese boats which contained the governor of Uraga and his attendants, the bands 
meanwhile playing our national airs with great spirit as the boats pulled off to the shijis. 
While there was some little delay in embarking all the party, in consequence of the smallness 
of the landing place, which was now flanked by some sixty or seventy Japanese government 
boats, the soldiers took occasion to crowd in from various parts of the shore, either to satisfy 
their curiosity, or to show a more formidable front ; and it must be confessed that, had such 
been the disposition of the Japanese, there would have been no diificultyj with their large 
force, in completely hemming in the Americans. 




262 



EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 



CHAPTER XIV. 



CONCESSIONS OF THE JAPANESE. RELAXATION OF THEIR RESTRICTIVE LAWS. SATISFACTION OF BOTH JAPANESE AND AMERICANS 

AT THE RESULT OF THE VISIT ON SHORE AND DELIVERY OF THE PRESIDENT'S LETTER. VISIT OF KEYAMA YEZAIMEN TO TBE 

SHIPS. IMPUDENCE OF THE INTERPRETER 5AB0ROSKE. THE StlUADRON GOES FURTHER UP THE BAY TOWARD THE CAPITAL. — ' 

POLICY OF THIS MOVEMENT. ALARM OF THE JAPANESE GRADUALLY QUIETED. BEAUTIFUL SCENERY UP THE BAY. SURVEY OP 

THE BAY CONTINUED. CONVIVIALITY ON BOARD. SURVEYING BOATS ENTER A SMALL RIVER. CORDIAL GREETING OF TH8 

INHABITANTS. — CROWD DISPERSED BY A JAPANESE OFFICIAL. COMMODORE TRANSFERS HIS PENNANT FROM THE SUSQUEHANNA 

TO THE MISSISSIPPI. THE LAST-NAMED VESSEL GOES UP IN SIGHT OF THE SHIPPING PLACE OF YEDO. SINAGAWA. YEDO 

ABOUT TEN MILES DISTANT FROM THE POINT WHERE THE SHIPS TURNED ABOUT. GOOD DEPTH OF WATER IN YEDO BAT, 

PROBABLY ALMOST UP TO THE CITY. THE BAY PRETTY THOROUGHLY EXPLORED AND SOUNDED BY THE SURVEYING PARTIES. 

INTERCHANGE OF PRESENTS WITH THE JAPANESE OFFICERS. AVOWED SORROW OF JAPANESE OFFICIALS ON BIDDING FAREWELL 

TO THE AMERICANS. COMMODORe's REASONS FOR NOT WAITING FOR A REPLY TO THE PRESIDENT'S LETTER. LEAVES YEDO 

BAY DECLARING HIS INTENTION TO RETURN IN THE ENSUING SPRING. THE SARATOGA SENT TO SHANGHAI TO LOOK AFTER 

AMERICAN INTERESTS. THE PLYMOUTH ORDERED TO LEW CHEW. OHO-SIMA. SHIPS ENCOUNTER A STORM. GENERAL 

RESULTS OF THE FIRST VISIT OF THE SQUADRON TO THE BAY OF YEDO. 

HE Commodore had, previous to setting out on the 
expedition ashore, placed his two steamers in such a 
position as to command the little hay, and had given 
orders that the decks should he cleared and everything 
got ready for action. Howitzers were placed in hoats 
[alongside, in readiness to he dispatched at a moment's 
I notice, in case any trouble should occur on land, and 
[the ship's guns were prepared to send their halls and 
, shells in showers upon all the line of Japanese troops 
' which thronged the shore, had they commenced hostil- 
ities. There was, however, no serious apprehension 
felt of any warlike termination to the ceremonies of 
the day, although every precaution was properly taken to provide against the least untoward 
occurrence. When the reception was over, there was a general feeling of satisfaction on the part 
of every man in the squadron at the successful result. Judged hy the ordinary relations of 
civilized nations, there was not much ground for congratulation, hut when considered in refer- 
ence to the exclusive policy of Japan, there was every reason for a proud self-satisfaction on the 
part of each American who had shared in the event of the day. 

The justice of the Commodore's demand to he received as befitted the envoy of a great nation, 
was acknowledged in the remarkable document received from the imperial government, and 
confirmed in the most impressive manner by the proceedings of the day, when two of the chief 




COMMODORE PREPARES TO ASCEND THE BAT. 263 

princes of the Empire, acting as the immediate representatives of the highest authority, had so 
far raised the iron-like mask of Japanese reserve as to show themselves face to face to the 
Americans, and receive from the hands of an American ambassador an urgent invitation to 
share in the comity of nations. "As it has been observed tliat the Admiral, in his quality of 
ambassador of the President, would feel himself insulted by a refusal to receive the letter at this 
place, the justice of which has been acknowledged, the above mentioned letter is hereby received 
in opposition to the Japanese laws." Such are the remarkable words of the Japanese docu- 
ment, and thus, in this striking phrase, " iii opijosition to the Japanese laios," has Japan herself 
emphatically recorded the American triumph, as slie has, perliaps, foretold her own regenera- 
tion. The vigorous grasp of the hand of America which was proffered in a friendly spirit, but 
thrust forward with an energy that jiroved the power to strike, as well as the disposition to 
embrace, had stirred Japanese isolation into a sensibility of its relationship to the rest of the 
world. Japan had broken its own code of selfish exclusiveness to obey the universal law of 
hospitality. 

The concession to the demands of the Commodore, though great for the Jaj^anese, was yet 
very far from all that was to be reasonably demanded on the score of the usual comity of 
nations. The communication from the government of Japan, remarkable as it was for its 
breaking through the Japanese law of exclusion, was still marked with traces of their 
restrictive policy, and contained these words: "Therefore, as the letter has been received, you 
can depart." The Commodore, to show how little he regarded the order of the princes to 
depart, had no sooner reached his ship, after the interview on shore, than he ordered the whole 
squadron to get under way. This was not to leave the bay, as the princes doubtless expected, 
but to go higher up. The Commodore determined to examine the channel toward Yedo, being 
satisfied that the employment of so large a force in surveying service, and in so near a 
neighborhood to the capital, would produce a decided influence upon the pride and conceit of the 
government, and cause a more favorable consideration of the President's letter. 

The Governor of Uraga, Yezaimen, and Saboroske, with the interpreters, had accompanied 
the party on the return to the ships, and, on going on board of the Susquehanna, were received 
by the captains and the Commodore's aid in the upper cabin, where the following conversation 
ensued : 

Tezaimen. We are happy to state that everything has passed off well and favorably. 

Captain Buchanan. We hope that Japan and the United States will always be friends. 

Yezaimen. When do you intend to go away? 

Capt. B. In the course of two or three days. The Commodore is going to take a sail up the 
bay to see the anchorage. He does not like his first place of anchorage. 

Yezaimen. Will you anchor there? 

Capt. B. Only for two or three days, until we get ready to go to sea. 

Yezaimen. We desire to take leave officially to-day, that it may not be necessary for us to 
return before you go. 

Capit. B. We hope to have the pleasure of seeing you again before many months. 
Commodore Perry did not bring this time with him the presents intended for the Emperor of 
Japan, but when he comes again he will bring them. Among them is a steara engine or 
locomotive, for railroads. 

lAeut. Contee. There is also among them a telegraph long enough to reach from Uraga to Yedo, 
by means of which you can speak from one place to another in a single second. 



264 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 

Yezaimen. How many miles can you make in an hour with your steam engine ? 

Lieut. C. Eight Japanese or thirteen American miles, with steam only and without wind. 
In the United States, there are some very light steamers on the river which can go eighteen 
miles an hour. 

Yezaimen. Where were steamers first invented ? 

Lieut. C. In America : an American named Fulton first invented them in New York. 

Yezaimen having heen urged to remain and ohserve the engine in motion, his curiosity 
prompted him to do so, and his hoat and that of Saboroske being taken in tow, these two 
officials and their interpreters, while the anchors were weighing and the steamers were 
proceeding to their old anchorage, partook freely of the hospitalities of the officers, and busied 
themselves in gratifying their natural desire of seeing all that was to be seen on board the ship. 

These Japanese officials, evincing as they always did a certain reserved curiosity, yet showed an 
intelli'^ent interest in the structure of the steamer and all that pertained to its appointments. 
While the engines were in motion they minutely inspected every part, but exhibited no fear, 
nor any of that startled surprise that would be expected of those who were entirely ignorant of 
its mechanism. They seemed to acquire rapidly some insight into the nature of steam, and into 
the mode with which it was applied to put into action the great engine and move by its power 
the wheels of the steamers. Tlieir questions were of the most intelligent character, and they 
asked ao-ain by whom steamers were first discovered, and to what speed they could be propelled 
through the water. They examined with marked interest various engravings which were shown 
them of American river and sea steam vessels, and also some views of New York, New Orleans, 
and San Francisco, which happened to be on board. Yezaimen^ having observed the revolvers 
in the belts of some of the American officers, expressed a desire to examine the construction and 
see one let oif. His curiosity was accordingly gratified by one of the captains, who fired off a 
revolver from the qiiarter deck, and he watched the repeated discharges of the six barrels with 
very evident astonishment but no alarm. 

There was a marked contrast observed between the bearing of the two officials. While 
Yezaimen always exhibited a modest reserve of manner, Saboroske was bold and pushing. The 
former evinced an intelligent curiosity, but the latter showed an importunate inquisitiveness. 
Yezaimen was always the quiet, courteous, and reserved gentleman, but Saboroske was perpetually 
bustling, rude^ and intrusive. The latter was continually peering his bold and impudent face 
into every nook and corner, whether invited or not, and appeared more desirous of acting the 
spy than of gratifying the interest of a liberal curiosity. 

A shrill blast of the steam whistle now announced the arrival of the steamers ofi" Uraga, 
and startled the Japanese to their feet, as the time of their departure had arrived. The engines 
were stopped for a few minutes while the Japanese boats were brought alongside from the stern, 
where they had been in tow. Yezaimen and his party were evidently disappointed that their 
visit was brought so soon to a close, and expressed some reluctance at leaving before they 
had fully gratified their curiosity. 

The whole squadron now got in position, the steamers having been joined by the two sloops- 
of-war, the Plymouth and Saratoga, and all four ships presented a formidable array as they 
stood ofi" in a line abreast of each other and advanced with running lines of soundings up the 
bay. The course was now directed toward the eastern shore, leaving on the west the promontory 
of Uraga and a beautiful bay beyond, which disclosed to the view its surrounding hills of the 



ASCENT OF THE BAY OF YEDO. 265 

ricliest verdure with numerous villages at their base, as the squadron moved along in a 
diagonal line. 

As the land on the west was approached to within three miles, it was seen to rise gradually 
from the undulating slopes, near the waters of the hay, to steep mountains in the distance. 
Fertile fields, expanding parks, bounded with plantations, and varied here and there with 
carefully arranged clumps of trees of advanced but vigorous growth, terraces lifting their 
smooth surfaces one above the other, in the richest and greenest of verdure, and retired 
groves of deep shade, showed upon the acclivities of tlie nearer range of hills all the marks 
of a long and most perfect cultivation, and presented a beauty of landscape unrivalled even 
by the garden-like scenery of England when clothed in the fresh charms of a verdant spring. 
The distant hills were rugged and bare, and apparently witliout cultivation, but gave, by their 
contrasting barrenness and rudeness of aspect, a heightened beauty to the rich culture of the 
land which gradually undulated from their base to the waters of the bay. As the squadron 
advanced toward the north the shore became more level, and a stretch of sand was observed 
to extend for three or four miles into the bay, and to arise near its termination into two 
considerable elevations, upon which forts with ten guns each were erected, and there the Japanese 
troops had been seen to gather. 

The ships now directed their course toward the proposed place for anchoring, which had 
been surveyed by Lieutenant Bent on the previous surveying expedition. Keeping in view a 
bold headland, which bounded the upper part of the bay, to which the squadron was tending, 
the ships steered toward the western shore, and finally dropjwd their anchors in the afternoon 
in a place which the Commodore then named the American Anchorage. This was about ten 
miles distant from the first anchorage off Uraga, and a mile and a half from the shore, in a 
depth of water which gave full thirteen fathoms. Within the bay in which the ships were 
anchored were two beautiful islands, covered with a green growtli of herbage and scattered 
groves. The coast which bounded the anchorage was composed of a succession of steep 
cliffs of white rock, the summits of which were covered with a fertile soil, which produced 
a rich vegetation that hung over from above in heavy festoons of green shrubbery and 
trailing vines and plants, while the sea had washed the base of the cliffs here and there into 
caverns where the water flowed in and out. The headland at the north was about six miles 
distant and descended in green sloj^es to the bay, and from the thick growth of trees which 
covered them a white smoke was observed to wind through the close foliage, and was supposed 
to indicate the presence of some encampment. A great number of the usual government boats, 
distinguished by red banners, lined a long stretch of the shore of nearly a mile in length, and 
the fortresses had extended their usual cotton cloth batteries or screens, which were now, on 
longer experience, supposed to be rather military emblems, like the flag and banners, than 
sham exhibitions of force and intended evidences of hostility. 

Immediately on anchoring the Commodore ordered the boats out upon a surveying 
expedition, and although this seemed to bring out the soldiers in numbers about the battery 
which lay opposite to the ships, as well as some of the government boats which were moored 
along the shore, there was no direct interference with the surveying party. The Japanese 
boats, however, moved backward and forward, as if watching the movement of the ship's 
cutters, but seemed indisposed to do more than show themselves in force and on the alert. 
Soon, however, Tezaimen, with his interpreters, were seen to approach the Susquehanna, in 
their usual boat, which the Japanese oajsmen were sculling with all their might, and at once 
34 J 



266 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 

dashed up alongside the steamer. Tezaimen and his companions hurried up the companion 
way, and were evidently much ruffled, and in a state of great anxiety. They were at once 
ushered into the cabin, where they were received as usual by the captains, who were coolly 
prepared to listen to what they had to say. Tatznoske at once burst out with the question, 
" Why do your ships anchor here ?" He was answered that as they had been already informed 
by the Commodore, the ships had advanced up the bay in order to obtain a more secure 
anchorage. The interpreter then stated that that part of the Japanese waters had always been 
hitherto respected by strangers, and that the squadron must not go any further. He then 
asted whether the Commodore intended to go beyond, and if not, how long he intended to 
remain where he then was ? He was told that the Commodore intended to remain three or 
four days longer for the purpose of finding out a good anchorage, as he was to return in the 
ensuing spring with many more shijis and men, and that it was desirable that the most secure 
place should be found for mooring his vessels, and that for this purpose it was necessary to 
survey the bay. Uraga had been tried, but it was found insecure, as the water was rough, and 
the winds occasionally blew there with great force. Upon the interpreter Tatznoske asserting 
that the Commodore had promised to leave the bay immediately on the reception of the 
President's letter by the princes, he was reminded that the Commodore had only promised to 
leave the shore, but had distinctly stated that it was his intention to advance further up the 
bay with his ships. The interpreter continued by declaring that if the surveying boats should 
approach any nearer to the land that there would be trouble, as the people were already under 
considerable excitement from observing the close neighborhood of the strangers. He was then 
told that there was no need for any anxiety, as the boats should not land, and the Americans 
would not interfere with the Japanese unless they were first disturbed by them. Yezaimen 
still persisted through his interpreters upon the squadron leaving, and courteously expressed 
his assurance that the Japanese government was favorably disposed toward the Americans, 
and that as the President's letter had been received it would undoubtedly be considered with 
a favorable disposition. He concluded by expressing the hope that on the next visit of the 
Commodore he would not advance any further up the bay than Uraga, as that place oifered 
every convenience for the proposed negotiation. Yezaimen was now assured that the 
Americans came as friends, and that therefore it was quite unreasonable that any opposition 
should be made to their ships seeking a suitable anchorage. They were moreover told that it 
was the custom in the United States to afford every facility to foreigners in that respect, and 
that if the Japanese came to the United States they would find the navigable waters of 
the country free to them, and that they would not be debarred even from the rich gold fields of 
California. 

Yezaimen had nothing more to say, and, whether persuaded or not, had the courtesy to refrain 
from pushing his demands any further. He and his companions, upon being invited to partake 
of some refreshments, readily complied, and were soon engaged in discussing with a vigorous 
appetite the collation that was spread before them. Another government boat was at this 
juncture announced as being alongside, when immediately the Japanese ofiicials who were on 
board of it were invited to share in the hospitalities of the cabin. Quite a convivial scene 
ensued, in the course of which abundant supplies of ham, ship's biscuit, and other stores, 
washed down by plentiful draughts of whiskey, quickly disappeared. The cheer seemed to be 
much relished, and the interpreters were so exceedingly delighted that they desired to bear 
away some substantial mementos of the pleasant feast, and, accordingly, not satisfied with well- 



INTERCOURSE WITH INHABITANTS ON SHORE. 267 

filled paunches, they carried ofi"in tlieir capacious sleeves pieces of the bread and ham, where- 
with to refresh their memories and their future appetites. As the night approached, the 
Japanese took their departure, full of courteous expressions of satisfaction at the hospitality of 
the ships. 

The following morning (July 15th) a surveying party was again, at a very early hour, 
dispatched by the Commodore to sound further up the bay. Three of the boats pulled round 
to the other side of the battery which shut out a part of the country inland from the view of 
those on board ship. Here they found an inlet and a beautiful surrounding country watered 
by a stream, upon the fertile borders of which were groujied a great number of picturesque 
Japanese villages, while fertile fields and highly cultivated gardens stretched out beyond them. 
The officers ordered their boats up tlie river and were met as they advanced by crowds of the 
inhabitants, gathering upon the shores to satisfy their curiosity in a look at the strangers. 
Some of the people greeted the boats with every indication of welcome, and readily supplied 
those on board with water and some excelleni peaches. There were a few government boats 
lying near, and the officers on board gladly welcomed our people to a visit, in the course of 
which such a mutual friendliness sprung up that the Americans joined the Japanese in a social 
pipe or two of tobacco. Our officers, in returu for their hospitable entertainment, amused their 
newly-found hosts with an exhibition of their revolvers and fired them oft', to the intense sur- 
prise and delight of the Japanese. In the midst of this enjoyment of social intercourse^, where 
the greatest harmony prevailed, and in which the Japanese seemed remarkably genial in manner 
and expansive in hospitality, down came some severe official and beckoned oft' his countrymen, 
who rapidly scattered away, like so many children caught in the very act of some awful 
disobedience. 

On the return of the ships' boats from sounding, all the officers and men were in raptures 
with the kindly disposition of the Japanese and the beauty of their country. In fact, nothing 
could be more picturesque than the landscapes wherever the eye was directed, and even those 
on board ship never tired of looking at the surrounding shores. The high cultivation of the 
land everywhere, the deep, rich green of all the vegetation, the innumerable thrifty villages 
embowered in groves of trees at the heads of the inlets which broke the uniformity of the bay, 
and the rivulets flowing down the green slopes of the hills and calmly winding through the 
meadows, combined to present a scene of beauty, abundance, and happiness, which every one 
delighted to contemplate. 

In the course of the afternoon the Commodore transferred his pennant from the Susquehanna 
to the Mississippi. He then proceeded some ten miles further up the bay toward Yedo, and 
reached a point estimated to be distant twenty miles from the anchorage at Uraga. The port 
or shipping place of Yedo was distinctly seen on the southern side of the capital, but not the 
capital itself, which, being composed of low houses, like those of China, was completely hidden 
behind a projecting point, beyond which the bay took an easterly direction, and was bounded by 
a shore of low alluvial land. The town observed was probably Sinagawa, a suburb of Yedo. 
On the western side of the bay a view was obtained of Kanagawa and Konazaki, two populous 
places. Some four miles beyond the extreme point reached by the Mississippi there was a cape 
formed by a projecting point of land, and marked by a white tower, which resembled in 
appearance a light-house ; it was some three or four miles still further where the shipping and 
supposed port of Yedo appeared to the view. The Commodore thus supposed that he had taken 
his ship within ten miles of Yedo, and as the lead gave twenty fathoms where he put about he 



268 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 

concluded tliat lie could readily have gone still higher up. He was apprehensive, however, of 
causing too much alarm, and thus throwing some obstacle in the way of a favorable reception at 
court of the President's letter, that had only been delivered the day before, and which was 
probably then under consideration. The Commodore thus thinking that he had done enough, 
without going further, caused the ship to rejoin the squadron at the "American Anchorage." 

During the passage of the Mississippi, there was no show of opposition to her movements, 
although there was a considerable display of troops about the batteries, loosely grouped, as if 
gathered for curiosity and not for martial manifestation, and an occasional government boat put 
out from the shore with the apparent design of watching the steamer. While the Commodore 
was absent on his expedition up the bay, Yezaimen and his interpreters came alongside the 
Susquehanna, bringing some boxes containing presents, but neither they nor their presents were 
received, as the Commodore had given orders that no one from the shore should be admitted on 
board the ship without his special permission. Upon being told this, the Japanese first 
expressed a wish to wait, but finally pushed ofi", saying that they would return another time. 
All the boats which could be spared from the several ships, amounting to twelve, were busily 
engasred during the whole dav in surveying the western shore of the bav above Uraga. 

At daylight next morning (Saturday, 16th July,) the ships were moved to a bay about five 
miles from Uraga, which the Commodore named "Susquehanna Bay," and in the survey of 
which the boats were kept diligently occupied, and without interference or, in fact, any expressed 
objection. The squadron was now anchored much closer to the shore than before, at a distance of 
less than a mile, and from the ship's deck a distant view was had of the land on the west, which 
was singularly green with vegetation and beautiful in aspect. The present anchorage was 
completely land-locked. On one side was the charming little island named "Perry Island," 
by Lieutenant Bent, who was in command of the surveying party which first examined its 
neighboring waters. Out of the trees which grew to the summit of the rising land peered, with 
a suspicious look, a Japanese battery. Below, some miles to the south, the promontory which 
extends out into the bay beyond Uraga closed in the ships which were moored so far under the 
cover of its lofty flank, that the view of the eastern shore for a considerable extent was 
entirely blotted out. Two villages, of the name of Orsa and Togirasaki, nestled among the 
trees within the curve of the bay, and presented to the eye a charming aspect of repose and rural 
delight. 

Yezaimen, the governor of Uraga, was again alongside the Susquehanna before she had 
anchored. He came to renew his assurance of the favorable reception of the President's letter, 
and as nothing was said now of sending the answer to Nagasaki, it seemed that the nearer the 
Commodore approached the imperial city of the Japanese the more conciliating and friendly 
they became. The governor had brought with him some presents, consisting of some pieces o* 
silk, some fans, lacquered tea-cups and tobacco pipes. These objects were interesting as 
specimens of Japanese manufacture, and though not very valuable, were creditable evidences of 
mechanical skill. The cups were made of a very light wood, neatly executed and beautifully 
polished in surface with the famous Jajianese lacquer. The silks were of fine texture, richly 
interwoven with braids of gold and silver, elaborately wrought into various ornamental figures. 
The fans were covered with those "dragons and chimeras dire" in which the grotesque fimcyof 
Japanese art seems especially to delight, and the pipes were small and like what had been 
previously observed in use among the Lew Chewans. 



O 
•pa 

i 

en 

> 



CD 
CD 




PRESENTS EXCHANGED. 269 

Yezaimcn was informed, by the orders of the Commodore, that the presents which he had 
brought could not be received unless others from the Commodore were accei)ted in return. To 
this Yezaimen at first demurred by interposing the invariable plea that the Japanese law- 
forbade it. He was now answered that American laws enjoined a reciprocity, and that 
his presents could not be otherwise received. Finding the Commodore resolute upon this, 
as upon all other points of ceremony, Yezaimen consented at last to receive in return 
whatever, with the exception of arms, there was a disposition to give him. Accordingly, some 
few articles of more value than those brought by the Japanese were sent on deck ; but when 
Yezaimen saw them he declared that they were of too much value, and that he dared not take 
on shore anything but what he and his interpreter could conceal about their persons. He was 
then informed that if he could not receive the articles openly, and without concealment^ that 
those which he had brought with him would be put back into his boat. He then departed, 
carrying with him all the Commodore's presents, with the exception of three swords, which 
he was permitted to leave. 

In the afternoon, Yezaimen and his interpreters came on board again, with a trifling present 
of some fowls in wicker cages and several boxes of eggs. They seemed in very good humor, 
as there had been no objection iirged on shore to their retaining the presents they had 
received from the Commodore in the morning. The Commodore, on receiving the fowls and 
eggs, sent presents to the wives of the Japanese officials, as he was determined to be under 
no obligation to them. Another important point had been gained in persuading the Japanese 
to consent to an exchange of presents, a concession which had hitherto been unjjreccdented in 
all their previous relations with foreign nations. 

Among the articles given to Yezaimen was a large box containing a variety of American 
seeds and some, if not equally useful, not less acceptable, cases of wine. The governor 
had showed his appreciation of the latter article by the gusto with which he shared in the 
conviviality on board which marked his last visit. Yezaimen and his interjireters, Tatznoske 
and Toksaro, evidently lingered with pleasure on board the ship and were loth to say the final 
good-bye. Over the board which was spread to refresh and to do honor to them they became 
remarkably jovial and communicative. Yezaimen's disposition was naturally genial, and it 
became still more expansive in its bonhommie under the by no means restricted draughts of 
champagne. His affection towards his American friends was liberally acknowledged^ and he 
confessed such a yearning for them tliat he declared he would not be able to restrain his tears 
on their departure. The interpreters, though less bibulous and more reserved than their 
superior, were evidently in a very joyous mood and disposed to be confidential. Tatznoske, 
with a knowing look, hinted in a low, whispering tone of voice, that the President's letter had 
a very fair chance of a satisfactory answer, and that Yezaimen had a good prospect of promotion 
from the governorship of Uraga to some higher grade of official distinction. 

The Japanese, however, were always on the alert to gain a point in diplomacy, and despite 
their convivial freedom did not forget their official duties. Captain Buchanan had informed 
Tatznoske of the intention of the Commodore to leave Yedo Bay next day, whereupon that 
shrewd gentleman put down his glass of champagne, and showing his usual eager attention to 
business, even in the midst of pleasure, asked the captain for a declaration in writing of what 
he had said in words about the squadron's departure. Tliis was refused with an expression of 
cold reserve on the part of Captain Buchanan, as it would seem to imply a doubt of his word. 



270 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 

The Japanese officials now prepared to depart, and finally, after expressing in the most 
courteous terms their thanks for the treatment they had received, and their regret on leaving 
their American friends, shook all the officers warmly by the hand, and went bowing and 
smiling over the side of the ship into their boat. No sooner were they seated on their mats, 
than Yezaimen showed his appreciation of the present of wine by ordering one of the cases to 
be immediately opened, and taking the first bottle that came, impatiently knocked off its neck, 
and without more ado commenced imbibing its contents, probably desiring, with his usual 
courtesy, to drink a parting health to his American friends. His boat soon pulled out of sight 
behind the projecting promontory of Uraga, and nothing more was seen of the courteous 
Yezaimen and his worthy and learned associates Tatznoske and Toksaro. 

The survey of the west side of the magnificent bay having been completed from Uraga to a 
point about fourteen miles below Yedo, and the steamer Mississippi having ascended with the 
boats and sounded six miles nearer to that capital, the Commodore believed that a sufficient 
knowledge was obtained of the navigation of the bay to conduct the man-of-war, the Vermont, 
which was to join his squadron on his next visit, to the American anchorage, or even higher if 
necessary. 

The governor of Uraga, as will have been observed, had evinced a great anxiety, during the 
several conferences on board the Susquehanna, to learn how long the Commodore intended to 
remain on the coast. On these occasions Yezaimen always took care to remark that it was the 
custom of the Japanese government to be very slow in deciding upon matters having reference 
to foreign countries. In consequence of these representations, and knowing that the propo- 
sitions contained in the President's letter were of such importance as to require time for 
deliberation, overturning, as they would, if acceded to, many of the fundamental laws of the 
Empire, the Commodore deemed it advisable not to wait for a reply. To these were added 
other reasons of importance. The Commodore had not provisions or water sufficient to allow of 
his remaining on the coast more than a month longer, and he well knew that the Japanese 
authorities could easily, and with every apparent show of reason, defer any satisfactory reply to 
a period beyond the time when it would be absolutely necessary for him to leave. They woidd 
be prepared, as an excuse for delay, to allege the necessity of calling together and conferring 
with the princes of the Empire, as also of consulting the Dairi or Ecclesiastical Emperor, and 
thus the Commodore might be put off from day to day, and ultimately be obliged to sail without 
any satisfaction whatever. Such a result would have been construed into a triumph by the 
Japanese, and would have caused, as the Commodore believed, a serious injury to the success of 
his mission. 

The Commodore, moreover, was glad to have a good excuse for waiting until the ensuing 
spring for the final answer from the Japanese government, because he knew that some of his 
ships were required to protect American interests on the coast of China, then somewhat 
endangered in consequence of the disturbed state of that country. He could not spare any of 
the squadron while he remained in Japan, for the vessels promised by the Navy Department 
had not yet followed him as he had expected. He was also unprepared to respond with becoming 
courtesy to any concession or act of friendliness on the part of the Japanese government, in 
consequence of not having received the presents from the United States that were expected in 
the Vermont, and which it was essential to have ready upon the reception of a favorable answer 
to the President's letter. 



CAUSES OF commodore's leaving japan. 271 

The Commodore preferred, tlien, to wait until the ensuing spring, when he would be able to 
concentrate his whole force, and be prepared with store and coal vessels, and all other con- 
veniences for remaining an indefinite time to secure whatever concessions the Japanese should 
be disposed to make. His policy, though in conformity with the exigencies of his position, was 
at the same time a courteous concession to the deliberate ceremoniousness of Japanese diplomacy, 
and was crowned by the happiest result. A letter signifying his intention to leave immediately 
and return the ensuing spring for an answer to the President's letter, had been, it will be 
recollected, delivered with that letter on the occasion of the Commodore's reception on shore. 

The squadron left the anchorage in Susquehanna Bay on Sunday morning, (July IT.) With 
the steamer Susquehanna towing the Saratoga, and the Mississippi the Plymouth, the four 
vessels began their voyage and started away rapidly without a yard of canvas set. The morning 
was fine, and as the departure of the Americans was a great event, and the appearance of the 
four ships moving off in stately procession, succeeding each other in regular line, was imposing 
and novel to the Japanese unfamiliar with the power of steam, crowds of people gathered upon 
the land to behold the sight. As the promontory of Uraga was doubled the soldiers thronged 
out of the batteries, and hurrying to the loftiest summits eagerly looked at the passing ships. 
The course of the squadron was down the centre of the bay, and the inhabitants on both shores 
could, in the clearness of the day, equally gratify their curiosity. Many were not content with 
the distant view, and crowding into boats had pushed off in the stream in such multitudes that 
the waters were covered with many himdreds of them. 

As the squadron steamed out of the bay a parting look was obtained of the lofty summit of 
Mount Fusi, both behind and in advance ; as the ships took an easterly course, the mountainous 
coast of the province of Awa, at the northern entrance to the lower bay of Yedo, rose to the 
view. Vries' Island, or, as it is otherwise called, Oo-Sima, was left to the south ; and, though 
partly obscured with clouds, the convex outline of the lower part of its mountainous elevation 
could be distinctly traced. The course of the ships was now directed toward the south, when 
the various islands which extend in a line from the mouth of the bay of Yedo were gradually 
approached and observed. They mostly were marked with the usual features of volcanic origin, 
having a rounded contour, with their summits rising into cones, their steep sides scarred with the 
burning currents of lava, and their bases surrounded with irregular shaped detached rocks. A 
rich vegetation, as is common in such latitudes, had thrown its green mantle over the sides of 
some of the islands, which presented a striking contrast of verdant beauty with the bared ribs and 
fire-blasted surface of others. Vulcan Island was conspicuous among the rest with its volcanic 
summit and its acclivities of cooled lava. Fatsicio, the penal island of Japan, was in the 
distance at the south ; but as the shades of evening gathered as the ships approached, it was not 
come up with before it was too dark to obtain a good view. As several of the islands were not 
laid down in any of the charts in possession of the Commodore, he took the usual privilege of 
American and European discoverers and gave names to some of the chain. One was called, 
after the steamer, the Mississippi Island ; a cluster of rocks, described as resembling somewhat 
the basaltic formation of the Giant's Causeway, was called after the Susquehanna ; and the 
other ships, the Plymouth and Saratoga, each came in for the honor of giving her name to a rock 
or an island. The whole chain was compcsed of a great number of islands or islets, as many as 
eight being in view at one time. . They showed no marks of habitation ; but from their proximity 
to the Japanese coast they were probably utilised for some purpose and peopled more or less. 
Fatsicio, it is known, is used as a penal settlement, and it is probable some of the other islands 



272 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 

may be also forced into some service by the Japanese people, who seem ever on the alert to 
make any available use of their territory. 

On the next day, after the departure of the squadron from Yedo bay, the wind, which had 
been steadily blowing from east to E.S.E., began to increase with such force as made it 
necessary to cast off the two sloops-of-war, the commanders of which, having been ordered by 
signal to proceed to the duty previously assigned them, then parted company. Commander 
Walker, in the Saratoga, had received written instructions from the Commodore to make the 
best of his way to Shanghai to protect American life and property and to look after the general 
interests of the United States in that vicinity. Commander Kelly, in the Plymouth, was 
instructed to proceed to Lew Chew, and on his way to examine the western shores of Oho-Sima. 
It was the intention of the Commodore to have surveyed the eastern shores of this island, but 
he was prevented by the weather. 

After the Plymouth and Saratoga had been cast off, the wind gradually increased to a strong 
gale. The two steamers were now hove to on the port tack. The wind being at east by souAh, 
beating up an ugly sea, the Susquehanna rolled very deeply, but otherwise made tolerable 
weather. The Mississippi apparently was doing better, but nevertheless lost two of her boats 
during the gale. The storm did not begin to abate until the third day, when the Commodore 
continued his course, without delay, for Napha. During the passage to and from Yedo bay, 
the current set invariably with more or less strength, according to the wind, to the north and 
east, while in the bay of Yedo itself, the tides were regular and set up and down the channel 
opposite Uraga at the rate of two and a half knots. 

At the close of a c