Simoda—in Japanese “Lowerfield”—situated in the principality of
Idzoo, which occupies about the same latitudinal, though not isothermal
lines—as our state of North Carolina, is a place containing a
population of twenty thousand. The streets are narrow, though regularly
laid out, and at their intersections have gates, which may be easily
closed in the event of any _emeute_. At their points are also placed
stone structures, surmounted by little roofs protecting copies of the
laws and municipal regulations so conspicuously posted, that all who
run, may read. The houses, which are usually and ornamentally stuccoed
in light blue and white diamond shapes, are nearly all of one story
with parapets, and without chimneys. Between the parapets wires are
stretched to prevent the bird, which “by the hoarseness of its note
doth indicate a crow,” from alighting on the roofs. The Japanese
certainly can’t regard them as a bird of evil omen, from the great
numbers that fill their streets. Perhaps they are kept from injury,
for sanitary purposes, like one more ungainly, found in our southern
cities. There are a number of temples in and near the place, dedicated
to different deities. Behind the town stretches a lovely level valley
for some miles, through which flows a little stream—Simoda gawa,
and surrounded on either side by towering bluff-hills, that make the
resemblance very great to the scenery on the Potomac, at Harper’s
Ferry. From this stream, junks and ships are supplied with fresh water,
and on its banks are built rice and grain mills, with undershot wheels,
to turn which, the water is diverted from its course by artificial
excavations. The amphitheatre of high hills that surround the place
in other directions, is very thickly wooded, and presents a green and
lovely prospect from the water. The town has about fifteen hundred
houses, and it is wonderful to see how many people a Japanese town will
hold.
The harbor of Simoda, though of rather difficult access at times to
sailing vessels, and subject to quite a heavy swell, when the wind
blows from a southerly direction, is quite a secure one, after getting
in. The entrance is narrow between high bluffs, but on passing inside,
the water spreads into a fan-shaped bay, with a bight, on which the
principal town of Simoda is situated, on the left hand, which place
is not visible until reaching a central island. It is encompassed on
every hand by high hills, bleak and uninviting in some patches, and
others cultivated in terraced fields of rice and wheat, or clothed in
the deep verdure of the pine and other trees. Across the bay of Simoda
about half a mile round a sweep of white level-shiny beach, on which
the waves sullenly chafe, is a little fishing village, called Kakizaki,
which also has its temples. Here was a spring possessed of sulphurous
qualities; and on the beach the ship’s seines were hauled with some
success.
Having to remain at Simoda some time, a party under Lieutenant Maury
was at once set at work to make a survey of the harbor. The officers
spent their time ashore in strolls through the town, visits to the
temples, rambles into the country, occasionally taking a gun, though
there was very little to kill. The people, when we landed, appeared
glad to see us, and were always inclined to be sociable, but for the
omnipresence of their police. They would gather around and examine
the cloth of our clothes with much curiosity—particularly the old
women—and the designs on our buttons. The remarkable and unremitting
espionage of the Japanese is everywhere shown. Should you give some
peasant a button, even while apparently out of sight of any one, it
will be most singular, if one of the officers does not return it to you
before or after you are on shipboard again. At first our steps were
dogged by the police wherever we went. This did not require much effort
in the town, but when we struck into the country and climbed hills with
thick and sharp undergrowth, these officers not being as well habited
as ourselves to withstand brier and thorn, their scratched legs
usually paid the penalty. Besides this, their lazy habits had made them
very indifferent pedestrians. In a walk of any length they generally
broke down; they would rub their legs and beg us to return, but as we
were not aware of having solicited the pleasure of their company, we
declined compliance with their requests. The commodore complained to
the acting chief magistrate, Kimakawa Kahei, of this practice of spying
upon the movements of his officers, and said, that if it were not
stopped, he should recommend them each to take a stick with them, and
stop it. They contended, that it was a precaution for our protection,
the people not yet being accustomed to the sight of us. They were
answered, that we felt ourselves quite competent for our own protection.
After this, these gentry, if they attempted to follow, were driven back
at once, and if they spied upon our movements at all, it was at such
a distance, that their presence was not perceived by us. In a short
time, the officers moved as freely in the area of country granted by
the treaty—a radius of about sixteen English miles, as if they were
in the United States. The chief objects of interest ashore to visit,
are the Sintoo, Buddhist temples, and some smaller ones, dedicated to
the tutelar deities of the soldiers, and the marines. The Japanese
display great rural taste always in their locations, selecting the most
picturesque, and at times, the most elevated spots for their erection.
Attached to these temples are usually _kungwas_, or places, where the
weary traveller may rest for the night, and get some tea and eatables
from the attendant priests. A Sintoo temple just at the end of the
principal street from the landing at Simoda, was the chief place for
the holding of official interviews, and subsequently for bazars. It
stood in the midst of a cemetery overhung by large trees, and steep
boulders of granite. The spacious and level yard in front, was divided
with stone crossings smoothly cut, and in it stood alone, a tower of
cyclopean masonry, in which was hung one of their sweet-toned bells.
Their manner of striking, which is by a piece of green wood swung
horizontally on the outside of the bell, gives a delightful softness to
the sound, while the proximity to the earth increases the distance at
which it may be heard. The carving and frieze work about the columns
at the entrance to this temple are as elaborate and fantastic as can
be imagined, while the little hydras and animal images perched upon
the eaves and roof, are as numerous as on a Chinese Joss house. The
interior is very plain, and the Sintooist worships no idol. Living
here was a priest named Dosangee—his head entirely shorn. He was
quite polite to us, and in return used to expect us to give him the
pronunciation of some words in English, which he was endeavoring to
learn by the aid of an English and Dutch dictionary, which he had. He
accompanied me through the temple.
In one part of the temple, the commodore, from the initials “M. C. P.”
on some boxes there seen, seemed to have had a room set apart. The
altar, in the place of worship was very plain, and had incense burning
on it. Its only ornaments consisted of bronze castings representing
their sacred crane on the back of a tortoise, and a small gilded
elephant. There, of course, was the invariable accompaniment of Sintoo
worship—a small mirror—an emblem of the soul’s perfect purity; or,
according to some, as plainly as the votary sees his own features in
that mirror, so plainly do the mediatory spirits to whom he prays,
see his spiritual and temporal wants. Such a style of worship would
scarcely answer for the belles of our land. As the devotee enters one
of these temples he first drops a few “cash” (about the fifteenth of a
cent) into a carefully-secured box at the door, then by shaking a lot
of sleigh-looking bells hanging from a beam, attracts to his prayers
the attention of his mediatory spirits, who only number some three
thousand—these are the _kami_, confreres of the spiritual emperor or
mikado, and analogous to the saints of the catholics.
The Sintoo mythology also comprehends a god of war. On entering the
grounds where one of these temples were located, we passed through
a military barrack, where were a number of small stallions tethered
from either cheek, wrong end foremost in their stalls, who grew quite
indignant in their cavortings at our presence. On our approach they
turned out their guard—three or four stupid-looking soldiers, with
tin-basin looking hats, and the calves of their legs swathed in blue
cotton cloth, upholding the insignia of rank of their chief, which were
cruciform lances in coverings of shark-skin. In the building, we saw
on the walls, offerings of swords and bows, from those who had deemed
themselves miraculously preserved in battle.
In the Mariners’ temple we saw suspended from boards on the walls small
_queues_ of the Japanese seamen, who had undergone the imminent peril
of shipwreck, together with details of the particular storm, pictures
of foundering junks, and the names of those who escaped. The parting
with this little pig-tail of hair, the Japanese sailor thinks is one of
the greatest sacrifices that he can make to his patron divinity. The
approach to this place was over a fine balustraded bridge, and under
a noble well-planted avenue of the yew-pine tree. Another _yasiro_,
on a mountain-side, is reached by a direct and continuous flight of
over a hundred steps. Over at _Kakisaki_, in one of the temples, is an
allegorical painting of some size, the subject of which is very nearly
an embodiment of “Pilgrim’s Progress,” and the hero is as defiant as
Saint George with the Dragon. The plan of the picture is a birds’-eye
view. A horrid ogre or devil dwells deep in a cavernous recess or hell,
and his daily food is women, many of whom are confined in the gloomy
precincts of his prison. A young prince prays for power to rescue them,
which is granted, and he is provided with a potent potion. Disguised
as a pedlar he crosses dangerous chasms and descends steep cliffs; at
last, arriving at the door of the devil’s abode, he gains admittance,
and gives the devil the potion, which he drinks and becomes drunk,
when the young champion despatches him, and sets at liberty all the
unfortunate victims that he has there confined.
This explanation is from memory, and may not be entirely correct.
At the first-named temple, a party of our officers, who taking a long
tramp on a hunt, during the day, did not get back until a late hour of
the night, desired to lay on the mats in the _kunqwa_ until morning,
and threw themselves down. The Japanese strongly objected to this, and
insisted upon their going off to their ships. This, on account of the
lateness of the hour, they declined doing. The officials went off and
came back with a lot of soldiers and a number of lanterns, and were
finally guilty of the rudeness of pulling them by the feet. At this,
our officers kicked over their lanterns, and cocked and capped their
pieces, when the valiant assailants vanished at once. Tatsnoske, one
of the chief officers of the place, at four o’clock in the morning,
then went off to the flag-ship, had the commodore woke up, and desired
him to order these officers off to the ship. The commodore refused to
do any such thing; and the next morning sent the same officers and a
captain of marines to demand an apology for their conduct from Karakaha
Kahai, which was given without delay.
There being no treaty of commerce with the Japanese, preparatory to
such a result hereafter, a number of our coins had been delivered to
them before leaving the bay of Yedo, that they, might be assayed at the
capital, and the relative value, with their own, established. In the
meantime, it was no doubt intended, or thought on our side, that as
the people in the stores were willing to sell, and our officers were
continually offering to purchase little curiosities and other articles
of their handicraft that were to be found in their shops, that in this
way, things would find their level, and an impromptu trade, as it were,
spring up. This notion proved a mistaken one; things were purchased,
but they were paid for in silver dollars at the rate of twelve hundred
cash each, and not directly to the seller, but through a government
officer called _gayoshio_.
In strolling the streets of Simoda you see old crones, arranging, in
the open air, their warp for weaving. The personal pulchritude of the
cadaverous-complexioned Japanese women, is not much under the best
circumstances, but when it is remembered that on marrying, they shave
off their eyebrows, and blacken their teeth with some iron rust and
acid, as a badge of the marital state, their appearance becomes most
repulsive. The younger women, with their elaborate arrangement of
hair, who have not yet undergone this process of disfigurement, though
rather ungainly in gait, owing to the use of clogs, and wearing about
the hips an awkward compressing scarf, are quite good-looking and with
lighter complexions, have also much better-shaped eyes than the Chinese.
The only wheeled vehicle you may see is a rude hand-cart, the wheels
without tires. Should you meet a man on the back of an ox bringing to
town bundles of wood, the sight of your barbarian garments are very
apt to incense him greatly; and the rider, disturbed by his movements
dismounts, takes him by the tether, and leads him aside.
The fronts of the shops are closed with sliding screens of paper,
oiled to admit the light, and the floors raised about two feet from
the ground are covered with mat-cushions, upon which, _a-la-Turk_,
sits the shopkeeper, who has left his straw sandals at the door. You
would scarcely be expected to remove your boots at every shopdoor
you entered, but if you stepped up on the platform the shopkeeper
would intimate that your leather shoon would mar the whiteness of
his mats. The plan of purchase was mostly pantomimic. Pointing to
the article, you ask, “How mutchee?” The shopkeeper repeating your
“how mutchee?” as he makes a mental calculation, proceeds to hold up
the fingers of one or both hands before you, each finger being one
hundred cash—estimating twelve hundred to the dollar. The purchase
completed, you do not pay the seller, but the articles with your name,
and his mark are sent to the government officer, _gayoshio_, when the
imperial paw is placed upon the specie you pay, and the seller is apt
to get the amount in copper coin. By an arbitrary decision they made
their itzeboo—a square piece of silver with the government stamp,
equal to a Spanish dollar—and as they could take this dollar and coin
nearly three itzeboos from it, it became a very good operation for the
imperial treasury, at no time suffering from over-filled coffers.
The religion of the Japanese enjoins cleanliness of person upon its
votaries, but can scarcely divert the repulsive and indecent manner in
which it is obtained. At the bath-houses in Simoda the sexes of all
ages bathe indiscriminately together.
The Japanese in their intercourse with us, were always pertinacious in
assuring us, that they were not Chinese; indeed they would have been
very indignant to be thought of a kindred race. They did not take long
to find out, that we were not Dutch. They would mention derisively
the fact of the length of intercourse the Chinese had had with other
countries, and yet, that they had never built square-rigged vessels
like ours; they intimated more enterprise than this for themselves.
After the signing of the treaty with us the imperial edict preventing
the building of their vessels, without open sterns, was repealed. The
larger junks usually laid in the bay of _Sirahama_, further northward:
those who came to Simoda, ran in to make a harbor, when the weather
became threatening, or were engaged in bringing copper ore, from some
neighboring province, and carrying back charcoal and wood.
The Macedonian, after a little over two weeks absence, returned from
the Bonin islands, bringing the intelligence, that the man, that we had
previously left at Port Lloyd, had decamped from there on some whaler,
after regaling himself on Uncle Sam’s bullocks. We hailed her approach
with much gratification, as she brought sixty large sea-turtles—a
perfect God-send—an oasis in the desert of salt junk. “Soup! soup!”
resounded in the messes, louder than the “Beef! beef!” in the American
camp, that invoked the thunders of Henry.
The Lexington was sent to Loo-Choo to look after things till the
return of the other ships; carrying out the recommendation contained
in the introduction to the work of Golownin: “Provided judicious means
shall be used and a foundation laid by a progressive acquaintance
through Loo-Choo.” The Macedonian, Vandalia, and Southampton, were
despatched to Hakodade, or as it was then spelt on Russian authority,
Chackodade, in the island of Yeso. A poor fellow, killed by falling
from the topsail yard of the Powhatan, was buried without difficulty or
objection in the ground of a temple, back of Kakizaki.
On a fine sunshiny morning, in the latter part of April, I had landed,
according to previous appointment, to take a botanical tramp into the
country with the author of the “Middle Kingdom,” and with a gentleman
from South Carolina, our botanist. I reached the shore before them,
and, a number of the villagers around, stood on the glistening white
beach between Simoda and the fishing village of Kakizaki, watching the
lazy swell as it came in a roll against Centre Sima, or broke with a
low splash through its Gothic cavern, when I was approached by two
young Japanese, whose dress and address told, that they were gentlemen
in their land. They wore the rich brocade breeches; the handles of
their short and long swords were decorated with amulets, and the light
blue oval on the summit of their fresh shaven polls, shone far smoother
than “a stubble land at harvest home.” After the characteristic bended
and knee-pressing salutation, accompanied with the aspirated “Eh!”
which only a Japanese can do exactly, which I jocularly replied to with
“Abeyo!” they came quite close to me. Pointing to our different ships
in the harbor, they attempted to pronounce their names, but as they
scarcely succeeded, either in their sequence or their articulation,
particularly of Mississippi and Powhatan, I did it for them, and at
their request wrote all of their names down, with one of their camel’s
hair pencils. This done, they affected to examine with some interest
the chain attached to my “tokay,” or watch, and at the same time
slipped into the bosom of my vest an enveloped letter, which noticing,
I immediately attempted to withdraw, when they gently restrained my
hand, cast an anxious glance around, and gave a most imploring look
for secrecy. A moment’s thought, and I was willing to indulge them in
this, believing the document to have some reference to a matter which
had been mooted by the younger officers of the squadron, of which I
was one. Just after this, a couple of the resident officers came up
from the direction of Simoda, whose approach was the signal for the
scattering of the villagers, who are not permitted to stand and gaze
on a stranger. Between them and my incognito epistolary friends,
salutations were formally interchanged, when both parties moved off
in opposite directions. The examining look which accompanied these
otherwise very ordinary politenesses, on the part of those from Simoda,
caused the idea to pass through my mind that the others were from
another province.
By this time, my friends from the flag-ship having joined me, we struck
into the country to the southward, to take what in the “pigeon” dialect
of the Chinaman, is called a “look see” at the botany of Japan, which
those who have more of this pleasant information than myself, represent
as being of much interest.
Our path led through a very broken yet well-wooded and cultivated
country. We entered a small building used as a schoolhouse, and also
as a place of worship. In a room was a colossal figure of some female
deity in a sitting posture, which, not being a Buddhist representation,
must have been intended for a likeness of _Ten-sio-dai-zin_, the
especial deity of Japan. Officers who had seen it before us, looked
upon it as a fine specimen of their casting in bronze, but we found
it on examination to be of wood, painted in imitation. We had an
opportunity of seeing the little dwarfed trees which they are so
skilful in preserving; and in front of many of the houses, different
trees trained in the form of animals, with sea-shells to represent
the eyes. The cultivation, which is very close and clean, was mostly
in terraces and between hills. Occasionally we reached a level field,
which was being ploughed. This is done with a small plough, with a
single hand and beam, the share being like an iron scoop, not of much
diameter. It is drawn by an ox in traces, and with wooden saddle,
while a small boy leads him with a stick attached to a ring in the
nose, and a man holds the handle of the diminutive earth-scratcher.
Little pathway streams are turned to use by being made to fall into
wooden troughs on the end of balanced wooden levers, which filling and
precipitating at intervals, with a weight on the opposite end of the
beam, are made to pound rice in mortars. We encountered any number of
wayside shrines, mostly made by placing small stone images in little
coves: occasionally a short flight of steps led up to one. At these the
wayfarer prays.
About two o’clock in the day we came upon a large urban Buddhist
temple. The grounds around were quite extensive and well cultivated.
You entered them under a number of steep-roofed gateways, guarded by a
number of little stone-lieutenants to Buddha, who seemed to be armed
with besoms to sweep away evil spirits when they should visit the
premises at the pale glimpses of the moon. The building was larger than
any I had seen in Simoda. The interior being unsealed overhead, you
could look up through rough hewn timbers to the thatching of the roof.
The floors, brightly polished, were covered with a white dust, as if
the building was neighbor to a flour-mill. The grain of the wood of the
large unpolished columns around the altar, was very beautiful. Buddhas
in any number were around the room. Black barrel-shaped “tom-toms” were
in the middle of the floor, the beating on which, by the shiny-headed
priests, is intended to attract the attention of their divinities to
their worship, as a daguerreotypist in taking your picture first tells
you, “Now it commences.” On one side of the main entrance there was a
native inscription: “The laws are ever revolving;” on the other, “The
period of Buddha is near: remember it.” To the beams inside were pasted
a number of strips of white paper, which when blank are called _gohir_,
and intended as emblems of purity; and when written upon, according
to some, are inscribed with moral and religious sentences. Those that
I noticed were covered with Japanese characters, which I was told
were the names of those buried in an adjoining cemetery, for whom
mass had been performed. In the cemetery near by were a great number
of tombs—little square stone columns very close together, because
their dead were buried in a sitting posture. On all of these you saw
a compound character, meaning “Returned to vacuity,” and underneath
the inscription told that Leu-tah-churo, or somebody else, had gone to
nothingness, in such a year of the reign of _Tairi_.
Eight lascivious-looking priests resided at the temple, having the
receipts from the _kunqua_ attached, as a part of their revenue.
The hour of the day having arrived, when that tocsin of man’s soul, the
dinner-bell, would have been heard, if at home, we seated ourselves on
the front steps of the temple to partake of a little “chow-chow.” While
thus engaged the incidents of the morning came to my recollection, and
I handed over my epistle “_extraordinaire_,” which I had gotten from
the two Japanese, to my friend our interpreter, to get an inkling of
what it was all about, at the same time giving him my surmises as to
its contents. It was of much more import; he thought the commodore
should see it, promising to return it to me. As there were a number
around us, no doubt indulging in the Japanese espionage, I only got at
the time, the superscription, which was: “A secret communication, for
the American men-of-war ships, to go up higher.”
On leaving this place we clambered to the summit of high, bleak hills,
with a very white volcanic formation, at the top, so bright that at
a distance it might well have been taken for snow. The ascent was
anything but agreeable, as we were impeded by thick bushes, brier and
bramble. Two Japanese who attempted to play pilot, fared worst, but
upon getting up some distance had the “sava” to see that going ahead
were as well as going back. We rested at an abandoned quarry on the
summit, and from here had a fine view of the surrounding country. My
companions having filled the leaves of an old census-book with little
botanical specimens, comprising rare little plants and cosy little wild
flowers of every hue, together with what they thought were some new
specimens of the fern family, we descended into a pretty little valley
waving in wheat, and at sundown were at Simoda.
That night the officer of the mid-watch of the Mississippi heard the
words “American! American!” pronounced in a low tone from the top
of the gangway-ladder, and immediately two young Japanese descended
to the deck. They made signs to him of great fatigue, held up their
tender though blistered hands, and desired to cast off their boat from
the ship, which they were not permitted to do. An attempt was made to
comprehend them by means of a Chinese servant, who was awoke for the
purpose, but the domestic celestial insisted that they had “rice for
sale.” The commander of the Mississippi directed them to be put on
board of the flag-ship. Here it was ascertained they were from Yedo;
that they were desirous of coming to our country, and that, unable
to effect that object or have communication with us when we lay off
Yokohama, they had followed us, at much risk, in an open boat, from
the bay of Yedo to our anchorage at Simoda. Their plan was, after
getting on board of us, to permit their boat to go adrift, allowing
their swords to remain in her, which family relics the Japanese regard
as very heir-looms, not to be parted with but in the last extremity,
and by this means to produce the belief that their owners had been
drowned when the boat should be picked up. Fearing there might be some
deception in the matter, perhaps a ruse to see in what faith we were
prepared to observe their laws, which we were aware prohibited any
of their people from leaving Japan for a foreign country, they were
ordered to be put ashore in a ship’s boat at a point where they would
not be liable to observation, which was done, the hour being nearly
two in the morning. On reaching the beach they soon disappeared in the
woods.
A few days afterward, some of our officers in their strolls ashore,
ascertained that there were two Japanese confined in a cage at a little
barrack back of the town, and on going there they were found to be the
persons who had paid the midnight visit to our ships, and they also
proved to be my unfortunate friends of the letter. They did not appear
greatly down-cast by their situation, and one of them wrote in his
native character on a piece of board, and passed through the bars of
his cage, to one of our surgeons present, what follows:—
When a hero fails in his purpose, his acts are then regarded as those
of a villain and robber. In public have we been seized and pinioned,
and darkly imprisoned for many days; the village elders and headmen
treat us disdainfully, their oppressions being grievous indeed;
therefore looking up while yet we have nothing wherewith to reproach
ourselves, it must now be seen whether a hero will prove himself to be
one indeed.
Regarding the liberty of going through the sixty states (of Japan) as
not enough for our desires, we wished to make the circuit of the five
great continents; this was our heart’s wish for a long time. Suddenly
our plans are defeated, and we find ourselves in a half-sized house,
where eating, resting, sitting, and sleeping, are difficult, nor can
we find our exit from this place. Weeping we seem as fools, laughing
as rogues—alas! for us, silent we can only be.
ISAGI KÓÓDA,
KWANSUCHI MANJI.
The commodore, it is said, did not hear of their capture and
confinement, until the next morning, when he sent some officers ashore
to see what might be done in the way of intercession, but on reaching
the barrack, it was found that they had that morning been sent to the
city of Yedo, and as the attendant at the place made sign, for the
purpose of being beheaded.
The following is the translation of the letter, which the unfortunate
aspirants, for a sight of the great world, beyond their hermetic
empire, placed in the breast of my vest, the neat and sharply-defined
characters of whose original, as it lies before me, would assure even
one, who did not comprehend their language, that it had been pencilled
by men of intelligence and taste.
Two scholars of Yedo, in Japan, named Isagi Kóóda and Kwansuchi Manji,
present this letter to the high officers or others who manage affairs.
That which we have received is meager and trifling, as are our persons
insignificant, so that we are ashamed to come before distinguished
personages. We are ignorant of arms and their uses in battle, nor
do we know the rules of strategy and discipline. We have in short,
uselessly whiled away our months and years, and know nothing. We heard
a little of the customs and knowledge of the Europeans and Americans,
and have desired to travel about in the five great continents, but the
maritime prohibitions of our country are exceeding strict, so that for
the foreigners to enter the “inner land” or for natives to go to other
countries, are alike among the immutable regulations. Therefore our
desire to travel has been checked, and could only go to and fro in our
breasts, unable to find utterance, and our feet so hampered that we
could not stir.
This had been the case many years, when happily the arrival of so many
of your ships anchoring in our waters, now for several days, and our
careful and repeated observation of the kind and humane conduct of
your officers, and their love for others, has revived the cherished
desire of years, which now struggles for its exit. We have decided on
a plan, which is, very privately to take us aboard of your ships and
carry us to sea, that we may travel over the five continents, even if,
by so doing, we disregard our laws. We hope you will not regard our
humble request with disdain, but rather enable us to carry it out.
Whatever we are able to do to serve, will be considered as an order so
soon as we hear it.
When a lame man sees another walking, or a pedestrian sees another
riding, would he not be glad to be in his place? How much more to us,
who, for our whole lives, could not go beyond 30° E. and W., or 25° N.
to S., when we behold you come riding on the high wind, and careering
over the vast waves, with lightning speed coasting along the five
continents, does it appear as if the lame had a way to walk, or the
walker an opportunity to ride!
We hope you who manage affairs will condescend to grant and regard
our request, for as the restrictions of our country are not yet
removed, if this matter becomes known, we shall have no place to flee,
and doubtless will suffer the extremest penalty, which result would
greatly grieve your kind and benevolent hearts toward your fellow-men.
We trust to have our request granted, and also that you will secrete
us until you sail, so as to avoid all risk of endangering life. When
we return here at a future day, we are sure that what has passed will
not be very closely investigated. Though rude and unpractised in
speech, our desires are earnest, and we hope you will regard us in
compassion, nor doubt or oppose our request. April 11th.
An additional note enclosed, was:—
The enclosed letter contains the earnest request we have had for many
days, and which we tried in many ways to get off to you at Yokohama,
in a fishing boat by night, but the cruisers were too thick, and
none others were allowed to come alongside, so that we were in great
uncertainty what to do. Learning that the ships were coming here, we
have come to wait, intending to seize a punt and come off, but have
not succeeded. Trusting that your honors will consent, after people
are quiet to morrow night, we will be at Kakizaki in a punt, at a
place where there are no houses, near the beach. There we greatly
desire you to come and meet us, and thereby carry out our hopes to
their fruition. April 25th.
The Japanese smaller ordnance is quite defective, some of their pieces
loading at the breech, by unscrewing. Many of their gentlemen, among
their other accomplishments, study the military art. To this number,
and their artillery officers, our handsome small pieces,—Lieutenant
Dalgren’s twelve-pounder brass howitzers—without a superfluous ounce
of metal, and probably as admirable guns as are to be found in use
among any nation—were always objects of great interest. The Japanese
were presented with one of these howitzers before we left the bay of
Yedo, but none of the lock-wafers, or boxes of canister, or other fixed
ammunition for them, were given, nor any instruction as to the manner
in which they were made.
The following is a translation of a letter from a military man from
Yedo, who, for the single object of collecting information, had been
following the squadron, in the hope of meeting one of our officers. He
was a gentleman of some rank, and had influence with several men in
authority at Simoda, who visited him and never prevented his coming
aboard. The letter was written in Dutch, and as a specimen of progress
of military science in Japan, and search for other information, is not
uninteresting.
A GREAT SECRET.
The law in Japan will not allow us to speak or to write with people
of another country. Yesterday, on my return from the ship, I found
that out, and it was not pleasant—Now you’ll be on shore to day, with
friendship; I can not control (check) my desire to speak in writing,
and shall follow up the prompting of my soul.
At an early age I commenced studying the European and Chinese art of
war with the aid of my teachers at Yedo; the European is certainly
superior to the Chinese mode of warfare, I think and know more of it.
On the arrival of the American ships off Uraga, Kanagawa, Yokahama,
and Simoda, I went to and fro to those places, and on board of the
ships at every opportunity, I saw there several instruments and
machines, but don’t know enough about it. I could not speak with the
Americans for the persons who visit the ships in business, would not
allow it.
Where is the island Borin,[2] and who lives there? Tell me, if you
please, the names of some great countries.
[2] Probably Bonin island, known to the Japanese as Moninsoma.
What are _Kanaka Wich_, to what country do they belong?[3]
[3] Probably Kanaka, Sandwich island, he alludes to.
What are the implements at the disposal of an officer, who commands
ten thousand soldiers in the field?
What are the advantages of the steam-gun?
Give me a recipe to make percussion-caps.
In a Dutch book on military art I found, that for a newly-invented
gun or _musket_ the percussion-caps are attached to the cartridge by
a thread. Why don’t the Americans have such muskets, haven’t they yet
discovered how?
Why do people from other countries live in Loo-Choo?
Simoda on the horizon from the north pole in what degree? And in what
degree to the east from London? a few days ago the masters of the
Mississippi have been measuring, they must know.
If you will be kind enough to give me the information, what is the
most useful and latest invention in America for military men. I shall
be obliged to you and be always ready to oblige you in return.
It will worry your mind to read my letter and I find expressions for
what my soul suggests.
B. N. M., or (X.)
I hope you will answer my letter, I go on board of the ships in the
boats that take the water. I can not go on any other boat, and am
always in the hope that the boat will be sent to the ship where you
are.
I shall go to Yedo and be back in Simoda on the return of the ships
from Hakodade, and hope to see you then in good health.
Query. The great Mexico empire, which belongs to the powerful United
States, where is that situated?
The authorities have notified me, that I was not allowed to receive
Americans at the house and converse with them.
I therefore write this letter and shall be on board your ship
to-morrow and speak with you.
The following day he was on board, according to promise, in the suite
of some Japanese officers. There was no opportunity to answer his
questions that day, and on the return of the ships from Hakodade he did
not make his appearance, retained by _illness_ or otherwise at Yedo,
that is all. The officers heard from him, but never saw him again after
that day, and his questions remained unanswered. “Give me a recipe to
make percussion-caps.”
We noticed the number of matchlocks, that the Japanese were armed
with, when we landed first in Japan—at Gorihama. The Dutch writers
say, that they are aware of the superiority of the musket, but that a
deficiency of flints in the geological formation of their country, and
their determined aversion to dependence upon foreigners for anything
essential to their military equipment, prevents their adoption. Their
curiosity about the mode of making percussion-caps, and the “wafers”
for the howitzers, was very great at all times.
It was well enough with the Japanese, as long as they remained
secluded, but when the visit of the American ships gave their military
men an opportunity of seeing what great improvements had been made in
“——— the mortal engines,
Whose rude throats, Jove’s dread clamors conterfeit,”
the contrast showed them the defectiveness of their defences, and with
an enterprise far ahead of their Cathayan neighbors, they at once
proceeded to cudgel their brains to see how their security might be
made greater. They at first thought of fortifying Simoda, but being
told that it could never become a great commercial place, they gave
that up. Izabavo, one of their most prominent engineers, was told to
make a report as to the fortification of Uraga, because with more
sagacity than that displayed by the Americans, they know its importance
with reference to their capital. Yedo is the London—the Paris of
Japan. When it falls, the empire goes with it. They know that the
supplies for this enormous place are gotten coastwise by the junks, who
come into the bay, and that the blockading of Uraga in the bay of Yedo,
easily reached, would stop the throat of the Japanese empire.
Izabavo reported, that, as no two fortifications could protect Uraga,
and that the width and roughness of the bay at times, and the depth
of water, would make floating batteries impracticable, a gunboat
system, such as was once adopted by our own government, must be their
defence. These matters were discussed by the imperial council, as also
the reorganization of their army on the European plan, that is the
having a standing army, that would obey promptly, the behests of the
centralized government at Yedo, and quiet any refractory sentiment
of their thousands, like the _coup d’etat_ of the 2d of December
by Napoleon III., instead of each of the princes of the empire
contributing a quota of troops, as now.
We had now lain nearly a month at Simoda, seeing more of Japan than
during the two months we lay in the bay of Yedo. We had enjoyed the
walks ashore, we had enjoyed baths from a fine spring, and picknicked
in the woods of Sarahama. But we had missed Foogee Yama, which at all
other points we thought ubiquitous. I had climbed the high hills back
of Kakizaki, to get another look at the mountain, but other and higher
hills more distant, obstructed the view.
_Foogee Yama_ since our arrival in the waters of Japan, as the Howadjis
on the Nile tell of the great pyramid, seemed to follow us wherever we
went. When the cold clear morning of February found us running into
the bay of Kawatsoo, we saw over our bowsprit Foogee, looming up in
austere magnificence. When our colors were hauled down in the evening
at Yokohama, every one admired the majestic beauty of Foogee peering
like a ponderous pile of marble out of the furnace of sunset. If the
rains fell heavily during the night, when the curtain of cloud lifted
up in the morning, in patches here and there, Foogee appeared to
wear under its mantle of chilling cold, a garment of genial green; and
when the Mississippi lay at Webster island, from her hurricane-deck,
above the line of pines that covered the bold bluffs of the shore,
sometimes near, sometimes afar off, its summit clothed in fleecy clouds
of deferential beauty, grandly shone the towering mound; so now,
land-locked and our view shut in by the high hills around Simoda, we
missed Foogee Yama.
[Illustration: _LITH. OF SARONY & Co. NEW YORK._
FOOGEE YAMA.]