On the 13th of May, the fifty days after the signing of the treaty
having nearly expired, the Powhatan and Mississippi started for
Hakodadi, leaving the storeship Supply at anchor at Simoda. Instead
of keeping in shore, the two steamers stood off and ran between _Oho
Sima_ and _Ja Sima_. The day being clear, _Foogee_ from his aerial
height was soon looking at us. We ran quite close to the southwestern
side, and had a good view of Oho Sima. The whole island appears to
have been upheaved by volcanic action from the sea. From the jaws
of a basin-shaped crater, issued white smoke and ashes. The side of
the mountain next to us was marked by large fissures, or streaked
with streams of lava. The vegetation on many of the slopes presented
a pretty picture, when contrasted with the dull-charred mass that
encompassed it. There are said to be three towns on the place. We saw
two quite plainly, but where their harbor is, or how the steep shores
are approached in rough weather, it was difficult to perceive.
After rounding Oho Sima, we stood into the land, and during the day
ran in full sight of the shores of Niphon, running northward from the
entrance of the bay of Yedo. The fields of barley, just assuming its
yellow dress, were spread out as far as the vision extended inland.
Both ships stopped at intervals to make soundings. At one time, when we
had stopped for this purpose, and got bottom, at twenty-eight fathoms,
on what is called an “over-fall,” the opposition of current and wind
made a “chow-chow” sea, which swashed over our rail, while the fine
buoyant sea-boats of Japanese fishermen around, danced dryly like ducks.
This day, I think it was, marked what may be considered a new item
in the history of typography. We had on board one of the little
engines, which from the days of Faustus have evolved more power, than
the ponderous ones, that revolved our paddles, and by its aid, in a
sea-way, an intelligent midshipman, familiar with the art preservative
of arts, “wet sheets,” and printer’s ink, caused to be struck off
copies of the commodore’s correspondence with the Japanese, and of the
surveys of Lieutenant Maury. That little press deserves a place in the
patent-office, near the one, from which came “Poor Richard’s Almanack.”
After a run of three days, standing in for the shore during the day,
and off during the night, making soundings at intervals, seeing an
occasional school of whales, and our daily observations and reckonings
showing a strong current in our favor, going to prove—what has been
advanced by many—the existence of a continuous current on the coast
of Japan, similar in character and direction to the Gulf stream on
our coast, we made the entrance to the straits of Sangar. The land
on either side was quite notable. That on the northern or island of
Yeso side, bold and sharply defined, while a singular conformation
on the Niphon or southern side, looked exactly the profile of the
Leviathans that frequent the waters in its vicinity—“wery like a
whale.” On entering we found a strong eastwardly tide running through
and against us. By sundown we had run some distance in, under the high
shores of the northern side, when it came on thick, and the heads of
both steamers were put outward. We had made during the day a point
of longitude further to the east than any, that we had reached since
leaving the United States. Soundings were made every fifteen minutes
during the night, and daylight found us enveloped in one of the dense
fogs, from which the Japanese empire in this section, according to
Golownin, is seldom free during the entire year. Both ships had to
announce their proximity for some hours, to one another, by the use
of their steam-whistles and the striking of their bells. When the fog
lifted on the morning of the 17th, we found that the tidal current
during the night, had set us in, rather than out, and holding on
westwardly for a short time, we discovered over a low peninsula nearly
ahead, described by the Russian captain Ricord, in his voyages for the
liberation of Golownin, the Macedonian, Vandalia, and Southampton,
at anchor inside of the harbor of Hakodadi. We soon rounded a high
promontory, and stood into a magnificent bay. The distance we had
run from Simoda was six hundred and nine miles. About 11 o’clock we
anchored within gun-shot of the town; it may be near the spot, where
forty-one years before lay the imperial Russian brig Diana, to procure
the release from an imprisonment in stockade cages of three years, of
her former commander and his companions, by the Japanese—after three
voyages, in which she was successful.
The temperature, on our arrival, we found very materially different
from what we had left at Simoda; the difference of latitude is about
seven degrees. The snow still lay on the mountains around, and the air
made thick boots and an overcoat comfortable.
The bay of Hakodadi is most spacious and majestic in its sweep, and
for facility of entrance and security of anchorage, it can scarcely
be surpassed by any other in the world. The width at its mouth is so
great that no two fortifications could command or protect it, yet the
curvature of the high land around is such as to afford the greatest
shelter. For all the uses of Americans it is worth fifty Simodas; here
our enterprising whalers, after being buffeted about in the rude
seas of Ochotsk and Japan in its vicinity, may ere long repair to
recruit and refit, and procure supplies of wood and water, instead of
being compelled as hitherto, to make the long stretch to the Sandwich
Islands. Besides this, a line drawn on the arc of a great circle from
California to North China, passes through the straits of Sangar and by
Hakodadi; and here, and not at Simoda, which has been mentioned as a
depot, would coal have to be placed for the use of steamers between San
Francisco and Shanghae.
It was agreed by all the old Mediterranean cruisers aboard, as we
dropped anchor, that the view around was the counterpart of Gibraltar
and its vicinity. The northern side from where we lay was the main land
of Spain; the low sandy peninsula, over which we could easily see the
water of Sangar, was the “neutral ground,” encircling Smugglers’ bay;
on our left hand lay a small fishing-village, which corresponded to the
Spanish town of Algeciras. The southern part of the hill under which
the town is, was Point Europa; the hill itself, in its high and rugged
isolation, was the frowning rock that enclosed the sulphurous engines,
while in the distance, across the straits, on the north end of Niphon,
now well discerned, or vaguely seen, as the sun shines out or the mists
vary, is the natural prototype of Ape’s hill, in Africa, whose simial
inhabitants are said to find their way most mysteriously across the
Mediterranean. To my eye, the place bore a great resemblance to Cape
Town, Cape of Good Hope, if the mount in the rear were little more
flattened on the summit, while an adjoining hill was the “Lion’s Rump.”
The city—containing about four thousand houses, in which there is an
average of four persons—is built in a convex form reaching the water’s
edge, and at the base of a very high and abrupt circular hill, called
_Hakodadi Yama_. The most prominent objects are the temples, one of
which is some two hundred feet square, whose red tile roofs reflect
the sun, and suggest the idea of a Portuguese place. The principal
streets are wide, running parallel with the water, rolled with gravel,
and very cleanly kept. Those that intersect them are narrower, and
closed with gateways of wood. From walls at either end of the place,
and entrenchments dug on other sides, it must have been the object
to fortify it. The houses of wood, and with more stories and larger
than those of Simoda, have great projecting eaves. The clap-boards
making the covering of the roof are singularly confined in their
places by a number of cobble-stones: such a place would be hard to
take by street-fighting, for every roof would furnish missiles for the
annoyance of assailants. Every precaution seems to be taken against
fire—brooms and barrels of water surmounting each house and before
every door. At some places they have primitive little fire-engines,
which appear to be stationary. The streets are thronged with the police
who are very numerous, armed with sword, and organized as military,
and any number of miserable-looking curs, called _yenos_, resembling
shouds, or dogs bred between the wolf and the dog; meaner looking than
the _cayotes_ of California.
Having no previous knowledge of our intended visit, a perfect panic
prevailed among the people of the place on the arrival of our sailing
ships in their bay, which was increased by the arrival of the two
fire-ships. The municipal authorities, it is said, were the first to
leave the place; and the women were sent after them. For several days
long lines of horses, packed with movables, could be seen leaving the
City and winding away over a long sandy plain, like a string of camels
in a desert.
The cause of all this commotion was afterward found to be a belief
among the inhabitants, that our visit was to bring them to account
for having imprisoned some American seamen who had been shipwrecked
on their coast some years ago. A number of the junks in the harbor
also left, though there were some two hundred at anchor continually
during our stay. It required some time to pacify the people; although
six weeks had elapsed since the signing of the treaty, the authorities
protested that they had heard nothing of it, and consequently nothing
of the intended visit of the squadron. They said they could not
take the responsibility of having any communication with us, except
to furnish wood and water. They represented their position as
embarrassing, and hoped that we would not come ashore until the arrival
of higher officers than themselves.
In the meantime a survey of the harbor was proceeded in; some very good
wild game was killed on the opposite shore from the town, and our seine
being hauled, yielded nice salmon and quantities of shellfish, which
were most acceptable.
The second day after our arrival, the commodore—varying from his
usual rule of only seeing the highest officer of a place, who would
have been, in this instance, Prince Matsmai Idzee-no-kami, residing
at the city of Matsmai, not far distant—granted an interview on the
Mississippi, to Matsmai Kageyu, deputy of the prince of Matsmai, or
freely translated, “Prince’s family’s great officer,” and to Yendo
Matazaymon, an officer of Hakodadi. The boats in which they came off
were like others, but were the first and only ones that I saw _rowed_
in Japan instead of sculled; and this was done by continually revolving
the oar as they pulled. The rowers, who were numerous, were dressed
in long, green gowns, and characters on the shoulders told whom they
served, like the inscription about the neck of the thrall of Cedric the
Saxon.
These officers said, not being able to divine the cause of our visit,
they had concluded it to be a predatory one; and that the people
possessed of this idea had been leaving the place with their movables,
and that the stampede still continued.
On delivering to them a letter from the commissioners, however, and
showing them the treaty, their anxiety was at once allayed. When told
that we would not be followed by their police when we came ashore for
a walk, they said very well, but that they thought that our officers
and theirs being seen in friendly intercourse, would have a good effect
with the people, and cause those who had left, to return. They said
they had nothing at Hakodadi to dispose of but fish-oil, dried fish,
and deerskins. The relative value of our currency and theirs, was
settled by weighing our dollar, which was a feather lighter than three
of their little square coins—the kana-its-evoo. The effect of this
rating was to make our dollar equal to 4,800 cash—their _its-evoo_
being estimated at 1,600 cash. This was scarcely just when it was
recollected that in China our dollar was only taken for 1,200, or at
most, 1,600 cash.
The wind blowing very fresh, these officers remained on board some
time, when they were entertained in the cabin, and shown over the ship.
When they came off they brought with them a present consisting of dried
fish, placed on a lacquered tray, and a quantity of sweet potatoes
contained in a straw-bag.
The next day the officers of the squadron visited the shore, landing
at a neat flight of stone steps, which had been set apart by the
authorities for the purpose; no doubt—as things in Japan undergo
slight changes in forty years—the same flight that Golownin descended
from his captivity. Many desirous of getting some of the _curios_
that the place possessed, indicated a most pressing propensity for
purchase, taking the shopkeepers, of a place generally dull, very much
by surprise. On this day there was exposed at the shop-fronts some of
their swords, an article forbidden to be sold out of the country by
Japanese laws; of the purchase of one or two, by some of our officers,
the authorities subsequently made complaint to the commodore, as well
as of other things not very creditable to our reputation. In doing
so, they said: “In general, when upright, cordial propriety marks
intercourse, then peace, good feeling, and harmony, are real between
the parties; but if harshness, violence, and grasping, characterize
it, then hate and distrust, with collision arise, and love will not be
found to bring the hearts of the people together. This is a rule of
heaven, concerning which, no one can have any doubt.”
“In general,” the terms of this communication are rather extreme,
but that “cordial propriety” marked the conduct of some of our
officers—conduct which was not at all calculated to make “our name
great among the heathen”—it would be untrue to say.
On landing I visited the large temple behind and above the town, having
a background of a dense grove of cypress, and very conspicuous from the
water. Its front, as we stepped it off, was eightyseven paces. The
interior exceeded in gilding, and elaborateness of unpainted carving,
anything I had yet seen in Japan. I would have taken it to be a Sintoo
temple, from a female image with an aureola, resembling the images in
catholic churches with the golden halo encircling the head, but in
another corner there was an image of a shaved-head Buddha in wood,
and brilliantly lacquered. Resembling very much some images I saw on
the British war-steamer Rattler, taken at the capture of Rangoon, I
concluded the image must have been brought to this remote point from
India, although religion is a matter upon which all persons visiting
Japan for a limited period as we did, are liable to fall into the
greatest errors.
There are two accounts of the introduction of Buddhism into Japan;
according to Siebold, in 552, Sching-ming-whang, king of Petsi—a
Corean state, then a dependant and ally of Japan—sent to the court of
the _mikado_, a bronze image of the Sakya Buddha, with flags, books,
&c.; and a letter which said, “This doctrine is the best of any.
It reveals what was a riddle and a mystery even to Kung-foo-tse. It
promises us happiness and retribution, immeasurable and boundless; and
finally makes of us an unsurpassable Buddhi. It is, to use a simile, a
treasure containing all that human heart desires; affording all that
is for our good. And this treasure possesses a twofold value, because
it so completely adapts itself to the nature of our soul. Pray or make
vows according to the disposition of your mind, you will want for
nothing. The doctrine came to us from farther India. The king of Petsi
imparts it to the realm of the _mikado_, in order that it may be there
diffused, and that which is written in the book of Buddha be fulfilled.
My doctrine shall spread toward the East.”
This temple may have been one dedicated to _Rioboo-Synsu_
worship—Sintooism blended with Buddhism—and the female image was
that of Tensio-dai-zin. Buddhism is regarded as a kind of safeguard
against expelled and detested Christianity, and the lower order are all
Buddhists.
The Sintoo and Buddhist priests or bonzes, who constitute the clergy of
Japan, are held in very little repute by the people, and this remote
regard seems to be reciprocated by the clericals. Both classes, so far
as I observed, lounge and gossip in their places of worship, attaching
little or no sanctity to it, except it may be, when immediately engaged
in their devotions. On one occasion I noticed a parcel of devotees in
a temple, with a kind of sack surplice about their shoulders, engaged
in their religious exercises, and while thus employed, some shaven-poll
junior priests were very deliberately sweeping the floor-mats in their
faces, as if giving them a practical illustration of throwing dust in
their eyes. In passing from the front of one altar to another they
invariably dropped the priests’ perquisite of copper cash in the
well-locked boxes.
The bonzes of the orders of the blind, who may be seen walking the
streets in their gauze gowns and swinging sashes, appear to be in high
favor with the populace. The history of these orders is eminently
Japaneish. The first is called _Bussatz Sato_. Centuries are nothing
in Japanese chronology, and this was instituted many centuries ago,
by one Senmimar, the junior son of a _mikado_, who was a perfect
Japanese Adonis, in commemoration of his having wept himself blind for
the loss of his princess, whose good looks were equal to his own. The
first order had existed for ages, when the second appeared. Yoritomo,
the first _ziogoon_, of whom I have previously spoken, while leading
the _mikado’s_ troops, defeated the rebel prince Feki, who fell, and
his general Kakekigo captured. He was a general of great renown, and
Yoritomo strove to gain his prisoner’s friendship, by loading him with
kindness, and finally offering him his liberty. The captive Kakekigo
replied: “I can love none but my slain master. I owe you gratitude; but
you caused Prince Feki’s death, and never 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.” He tore out his eyes, and presented them to Yoritomo
on a salver. The prince, struck with admiration, released him; and in
retirement Kakekigo founded the second order of the blind, called
after his former master, _Feki-sado_.
The ascent to the _Hakodadi Yama_, a hill rising some fifteen hundred
feet back of the town, I made through fields of black, rich soil, not
yet dry from melting snow, which, a Japanese made sign, had been breast
deep. Wild grape-vines all around were budding out. The view from the
top of this hill was very commanding: across the straits in Niphon, and
on the mountain tops around, you saw “winter lingering,” &c. Below,
long trains of pack-horses loaded with charcoal were continually
traversing the plain; the fishing villages were busy with their seines;
the town showed like a narrow strip of houses, and our ships and the
three hundred junks in the harbor, went but a little way to fill up
the great water space around. Ours were no doubt the first Anglo-Saxon
feet, that ever trod this height. We found a look-out house up there,
where the movement of every ship passing through the straits of Sangar
into the sea of Japan is noted. It was counting the whalers passing
here, and the annual increase of the number bearing the American flag,
that tended to give the Japanese an exalted opinion of the greatness
of our country, though one of the look-outs did not show it in a very
flattering way. He desired the direction of America: I gave it to
him. He then very deliberately drew a large O with the point of his
sword-case on the ground, and said “Nipong;” and then drawing a small
o he said “America;” this was very well when the “Lion played painter,”
but not admiring his geographical scale, I permitted his “Nipong” chart
to remain, and drew one for “America” many times larger, whereat he
took no more interest in the comparison.
On descending from the Yama, I spied an open gate leading into a
prison-yard enclosed by walls and stockade. The objections by the
attendant and the police to our entrance were strong, as those we
had first experienced in Simoda. They drew their finger across their
throats and held up their right thumb to show the penalty they might
undergo from the chief man, in not hindering our movements. But we had
seen enough of them not to be deterred by any such flimsiness. We knew
that, if we wished to sneeze in their territory, that they would shake
their head, hold up the chief-man finger, and say “Ni! ni!” On one
occasion two companions and myself had approached a small building with
a sliding door, to see whether it did not contain a cage. The officers
attempted to impede our progress, but on our getting close to it, they
looked horrified and shuddered; two of the party, who were smoking,
supposing that it was a powder-magazine, immediately threw away their
cigars. On sliding aside the door, there was visible an old mat in a
small vacant room. We made up our mind, in our movements to do only
what we ourselves would deem proper in our own country, and so went
ahead.
In the town there are fire-proof magazines, built at intervals by the
government, for the storage of articles, and for the protection of
things during a fire.
There are no forts in the vicinity of Hakodadi, unless a small
excavated one with two direct embrasures may be so called. This
place was without any garrison; you descended into it by an inclined
plane made with fascines. In its rear was a very well-constructed
magazine made with gabions, and covered with earth-works. The sides
were supported with stockade and fascine. The merlon was sustained by
flanking so clumsy that the range of the deep embrasures was quite
small. Its object must have been to bring ships to, but the reduced
size of the guns as shown by the houses built over them—if there were
any guns underneath—each crack being carefully stopped—would do
little damage.
Not far from here are some wayside praying machines, and a cemetery in
which several of the poor fellows of the “Vandalia” were interred. On
the occasion of their burial by their messmates, preceded by drum and
fife, the streets were lined on either side by the Japanese police, who
kept every avenue clear.
The Japanese had a bazar arranged at the place at which we landed,
where a number of purchases were made by the squadron, and the
officials saw more silver dollars than during their whole previous
lifetime.
There are supposed to be twenty thousand hairy kuriles on the island of
Yeso, though we did not see any of them, there being none in Hakodadi
during our stay. The officers of the Southampton, which vessel was sent
around to Volcano bay to make a reconnoissance, enjoyed the opportunity
of taking a look at the Orsons or Esaus.
On the last day of May, after we had entertained the Japanese
authorities aboard with the pleasant attitudinizing of “Jim Brown,” and
songs Ethiopan, the Macedonian left for Simoda, taking a look at the
Japanese penal island of Fatisisio on the way, if the weather would
permit, and the Vandalia was sent to Shanghae, China, by the way of
the Japan sea, to relieve the Plymouth, that had been looking after
American interests during the rebel-fights at that place.
The long-expected functionaries from Yedo did not reach Hakodadi until
the 1st of June. The distance they had to come, including the passage
across the straits, in a direct line, was about four hundred miles, and
yet they had been fifty days in making the journey. The next day after
their arrival it was in contemplation to have a military _function_
with sailors, music, marines, and artillery ashore, but continued rain
prevented it.
The Russians, who hitherto had no port on the eastern side of their
empire contiguous to north China, had been compelled to carry on their
teatrade by inland caravans that had been stopped by the insurgent
fights, and who could only send supplies to their posts of Sitka and
Petropaulofski, near the Ochotsk sea, by Cape Horn, had, under Count
Muravieff, boldly seized on the mouth and fine harbor of the river
Amoor, in the Tartar territory, and fortified it. As the position was
weakened by the river emptying into the channel of Tartary, Muravieff,
to make assurance doubly sure, had seized that too.
Intelligence of these doings having reached Yedo, one of the deputies
at Hakodadi, Hirayama Kenziro, was on his way to Saghalien to find out
whether the Russians were not coming the filibuster Chowstoff on them
again.
These functionaries made some of their characteristic communications to
the commodore:—
In the paper, sent his Excellency this morning, it was stated, that we
had received orders from Yedo to go to Karafto; that on the road we
heard, that your ships were at Hakodadi, and as the consultations at
Yokohama were not fully known on these distant frontier places, there
might some misunderstandings arise, and so we came here especially to
see you. If there are any points connected with the treaty, which need
deliberation and settlement, we desire that you will let us know them.
* * * * *
With regard to going through the streets and seeing shops and houses
shut, with neither women nor children in their ways, let it be here
observed, that at Yokohama this very matter was plainly spoken of by
Moriyama, the interpreter at that place. The customs of our country
are unlike yours, and the people have been unused to see persons from
foreign lands; though the authorities did what they could to pacify
them, and teach them better, they still were disinclined to believe,
and many absconded or hid themselves.
If the commodore will recall to mind, the day, when he took a ramble
at Yokohama, in which some of us accompanied him, he will recollect,
that in the villages and houses we hardly saw a woman, during the
whole walk. If he saw more of them at Simoda as he went about, it was
because there the people were gradually accustomed to the Americans,
and their fears had been allayed, so that they felt no dread.
On these remote frontiers, many hundred miles from Yedo, the usages
of the people are so fixed, that they are not easily influenced and
altered; but pray, how can the inhabitants here think of regarding
the Americans with inimical feelings? Even when they see their
officers, with the sight of whom they are not familiar, they also run
aside, and as if for fear, they seek to escape us. It is the custom
of our country, that officers should accompany visiters about; a
custom not to be so soon changed. Still the disposition of the men
here, is ingenuous, brave, upright, and good; and that of the women
retiring and modest—not gazing at men as if without bashfulness. Such
characteristics and such usages must be considered as estimable, and
we think that you also would not dislike them.
There is a spring near the town, the water of which is strongly
impregnated with sulphur, and supposed to be highly medicinal; but what
of thy various supplies, O Hakodadi! An egg, like Cæsar’s wife, should
be above suspicion. The number gotten by our mess, like the swords
of the clan of Lochiel, was “a thousand;”—the good ones, were “one.”
Hakodadi, in Japanese, is “box-eating house;” in American memory it is
questionable eggs.
On the 3d of June, the Powhatan and the Mississippi started on their
return to Simoda: we looked upon the departure from Hakodadi as the
culminating point of the cruise. When we reached the entrance to the
harbor, a sudden and dense fog settled on us—
“The mist-like banners clasp’d the air,
As clouds with clouds embrace.”
We ran a little distance, whistling for the want of sight, but at the
fog signal of one gun from the flag-ship, came to anchor. In an hour
the fog lifted like a blanket, and opened like a funnel, when both
steamers, with a stiff wind that enabled them also to make sail, ran
out of the straits.