VISIT TO KAGOSHIMA AND UWAJIMA
A FEW days after I had assumed my new duties, and had settled down, as I
thought, for a period of uninterrupted study, Sir Harry informed me that
he contemplated sending me down to Nagasaki in the "Princess Royal,"
which was about to proceed thither through the inland sea, to collect
political information at Hiôgo and elsewhere. I was to return in the
"Argus" by way of Kagoshima and Uwajima. The Tycoon had recently died,
and had been succeeded by his cousin Shitotsubashi, whose position,
however, was not very clearly defined. Before his elevation to the
headship of the Tokugawa family he had been regarded as a partisan of
the "return to the ancient régime," now so much in men's mouths, and it
was desirable to learn as much as possible of his probable line of
policy. In Yedo we were too far away from the political centre to learn
much. I was greatly pleased at the prospect of visiting Nagasaki, but
took care not to seem too desirous of being sent on the proposed
mission, lest over-eagerness should defeat itself. Next day I got a note
from Sir Harry, who resided chiefly at Yokohama, telling me that he had
not yet seen the Admiral, but that he still thought I should have to go.
So I packed up some clothes in a wicker basket such as the Japanese use
when travelling, and went down to Yokohama in the gunboat which was our
principal means of conveyance between the two places. In the evening I
learnt that the matter had been arranged, and that the "Princess Royal"
would sail the next day but one. I wrote to Willis for his teacher
Hayashi, whom I intended to put ashore at Hiôgo to collect news, and for
a tin box containing some stationery, and a little money, but neither
arrived in time. In despair I borrowed a few hundred _ichibus_ from
Foster, bought a box of cheroots, wrapped a few sheets of foolscap in a
newspaper, and got on board on the 12th December just in time.
We had fine weather for our start, but encountered a strong westerly
wind outside, which prevented our passing between Vries Island and the
mainland. For four days I lay in my cot, utterly unable to eat, but
consoling myself with reference to previous experiences of the same
kind. At last I was revived by a plateful of greasy beefsteak pudding
that Admiral King sent me, and a glass of champagne. The gale had not
abated, and the huge two decker rolled terribly. At one time the betting
was strong on Hongkong as our first port of anchorage, and Hiôgo was
given up as quite unattainable. Hakodaté, Yokohama and Nagasaki rose by
turns to the position of favourite. We were blown right out of the chart
of Japan, and at last, after many days of tossing to and fro, tacking
and wearing, we sighted the Linschoten Islands, where we turned to the
north, and steaming as fast as 400 horse power will carry a vessel of
3500 tons, got into Nagasaki on the evening of the 23rd.
The appearance of the town and foreign settlement, lighted up by
innumerable lamps dotted all over the hillsides, reminded me of
Gibraltar as I had seen it from the deck of the "Indus" a little more
than five years previously.
At Nagasaki I made the acquaintance of some retainers of Uwajima, the
most important of whom was Iséki Sayemon, afterwards prefect of Yokohama
in the first years of the Mikado's rule. He came to call on me, and said
that the proposed assemblage of a council of _daimiôs_ at Kiôto had been
put off for the present. But it was sure to take place eventually, and
one of the first topics of discussion would be the position of Chôshiû.
About half of Shi-koku was in favour of Hiôgo being opened to foreign
trade, but the Kiûshiû people opposed it, on account of the anticipated
decline of Nagasaki. He thought that the visit of the Admiral and Sir
Harry Parkes in the "Princess Royal" to Uwajima had done immense good,
by familiarizing the common people with the appearance of foreigners,
and their ingenuity in the construction of ships and warlike appliances.
The _daimiô_ of Uwajima and his brother the _ex-daimiô_ (who was the
leading spirit of the clan) had excused themselves on the ground of
sickness from attending the council at Kiôto. Shitotsubashi had not yet
been invested with the office of Shôgun and its attendant court titles,
and the probability was that they would be withheld until he had settled
the Chôshiû difficulty, which would doubtless give him a good deal of
trouble. When I met him again on the following day the conversation
turned upon our relations with Chôshiû. I told him that the British
Government had stationed a man-of-war at Shimonoséki to prevent merchant
vessels frequenting the straits during the continuance of hostilities
between Chôshiû and the Tycoon; we did not wish to interfere in any of
the civil quarrels of the Japanese. We were at peace with Chôshiû, who
had agreed to let foreign vessels pass without molestation, and had
undertaken to let them purchase wood, water, and other necessaries,
while promising to build no more batteries.
The Tycoon's government had undertaken to pay the indemnity imposed upon
the Prince of Chôshiû. The powers, however, did not care for the money,
and would be willing at any time to abandon the indemnity if their doing
so would tend to the improvement of relations with Japan. The Tycoon's
people had asked for delay in making payment of the remaining
instalments, and in consenting to this, the foreign ministers had
obtained in return the concession of permission for Japanese to travel
in foreign countries. It was to be supposed, however, that the nation
was desirous of having the ancient prohibition removed, and the
government would have had, therefore, no excuse for maintaining it.
Hiôgo would certainly be opened on the 1st of January 1868 in accordance
with the undertaking entered into by the Tycoon; the intention of the
Powers was to uphold the treaties in their entirety and get them carried
out. We could not ask for the opening of Shimonoséki under the present
treaties, as the Tycoon's authority did not extend so far. It would
require a separate treaty with Chôshiû. As long as the present treaties
remained unchanged, no ports could be opened in _daimiôs_' territories.
At Hiôgo we had discussed matters with the Tycoon's Council, who, we now
learnt, had deceived us by concealing the Mikado's injunction to them to
negotiate for the abandonment of Ozaka and Hiôgo as seats of foreign
commerce. It was a pity we had not thrown them over, and negotiated
direct with the Mikado's court, from which we heard that a noble had
been deputed to visit the foreign representatives.
During my stay at Nagasaki I made the acquaintance of officers from Tosa
and Higo. One of the latter said that there never would be another
Shôgun, but that the Mikado would be restored to the throne. Here was a
clear glimpse into the future. My instructions from Sir Harry were to
proceed from Nagasaki to Kagoshima and Uwajima, and call in at Hiôgo on
my way back. I embarked, therefore, on the 1st January 1867 in the
"Argus," Commander Round, with my two servants, Noguchi Tomizô and Yasu.
The former was a young _samurai_ of Aidzu, who had left his home and
attached himself to Vyse, our consul at Hakodaté, in order to study
English. In the autumn of 1865 he came to live with me, to carry on his
studies, and on the present occasion he had accompanied me to Nagasaki,
whence he was to have gone to England as cabin-servant to Alexander
Buller, the Commander of the flagship. But whether it was the tossing
about on the way down, or the disagreeable servant's position, he now
changed his mind, and begged me to take him back to Yedo. Buller
expressed himself as somewhat annoyed, but I could not help it. Noguchi
eventually went with me in 1869 to England, where I paid for his
schooling during a couple of years. After my return to Japan he stayed
on awhile in London at the expense of the Japanese government, and
eventually came back to Tôkiô, where he obtained a minor appointment in
a public office. In spite of his then comparatively elevated position,
he never gave himself airs, or forgot that I had befriended him, and it
was with great regret that I heard of his death about the beginning of
1885. He was honest and faithful to the end. Yasu was a young monkey
belonging to the lower classes, and I don't remember that he had any
virtues.
Round did not treat me very well, and made me sleep in the cockpit, a
sort of common den in the bottom of the ship, where the midshipmen keep
their chests and sling their hammocks. There was no privacy, and we were
crowded together in a most uncomfortable manner. I got a cot to sleep
in, but no mattress or pillow, and was forced to borrow a cushion off a
bunk in the captain's cabin and roll up my greatcoat for a pillow.
We reached Kagoshima next day early in the afternoon. As soon as we
dropped our anchor, some officers pulled off from the shore, bringing a
flag for us to hoist while firing the salute in answer to theirs.
Matsuoka Jiûdaiyu came on board to explain that the prince and his
father were in retirement owing to the recent death of the latter's
mother. As neither was able to receive visitors, the duty of receiving
the Admiral's letter, of which we were the bearers, would be performed
by the prince's second brother and two councillors. This was a letter
thanking him for kindness shown to shipwrecked sailors. Sir Harry and
the Admiral on their visit in the previous summer had seen and conversed
with both the prince and his father Shimadzu Saburô, but I do not
suppose that my being unable to meet them made much difference to the
result of my visit, as the conduct of affairs was to a great extent in
the hands of the principal retainers. I went ashore to stay at the
factory with three Englishmen named Sutcliffe, Harrison and
Shillingford. The last of these, an engineer by profession, had been
engaged by the _daimiô_ in connection with some cotton mills which he
was erecting, the other two had come to Kagoshima in search of
employment.
On the 3rd, Round came on shore with a party of officers to deliver the
Admiral's letter, and I accompanied him to interpret. We were met at the
landing-place by some high officials, who conducted us through the town
for half a mile to the house, where we were received by Shimadzu Dzusho,
a handsome youth, the second son of Shimadzu Saburô, Niiro Giôbu, a
councillor who had been in England, and Shimadzu Isé, also a councillor.
It was a house set apart for the reception of visitors. The prince's
brother, 29 years years of age, seemed a perfect child as far as
intelligence went. All the talking was done by the high officials who
sat on his right hand. I interpreted the contents of the letter, which
was then handed to Shimadzu Dzusho, the whole ceremony not occupying
more than five minutes. We then sat down to an entertainment, which
opened with a few courses of Japanese cookery with _saké_, but consisted
in the main of an interminable succession of European dishes, moistened
with sherry, champagne and brandy. I took my revenge upon Round by
keeping up a lively conversation in Japanese, and translating none of
it, so the poor man was driven to count the oranges in a dish which
stood near, in order to keep off ennui. After the banquet, the officers
dispersed themselves through the town, while I remained behind to assist
in making a translation of the Admiral's letter. Niiro also stopped. We
talked about the proposed meeting of _daimiôs_, which had been postponed
_sine die_. Then I praised the composition of a letter which had been
addressed to the Mikado in the name of the Prince of Satsuma some months
back.
"Did you see it? What a stupid document it was," said Niiro.
"Not at all," I replied. "I thought it excellent, and the style was
worthy of all praise."
"Had it not reference to Hiôgo?"
"No. I mean the memorial objecting to sending Satsuma troops to
co-operate with those of the Tycoon against Chôshiû."
"Oh, yes. Shimadzu Isé, who sat next to me to-day, was the writer of
that letter. He was in Kiôto at the time."
"How is the Chôshiû business getting on," I asked. "I hear the Tycoon
has withdrawn the greater part of his troops."
"Chôshiû is very strong," he replied, "and he has right on his side.
None of the _daimiôs_ will support the Tycoon, and the latter has now no
chance of beating him."
"Well, I think that if he had put his best troops into the field, and
attacked Chôshiû energetically at first, he must have conquered him."
"No, never. He had not right on his side."
"You appear to be very friendly with Chôshiû," I remarked.
"No," said he, "not friendly, but we have a natural fellow-feeling for
one of our own class."
Niiro's reference to the letter of the Prince of Satsuma, which he
supposed I had seen, revealed the important fact that the Satsuma clan
were opposed to the opening of Hiôgo, and in fact it was the
presentation of this letter or memorial to the Mikado during the visit
of the foreign representatives in November 1865 which had encouraged the
Mikado to make it a condition of giving his sanction to the treaties
that the Tycoon should arrange for that port being given up. It was
necessary, therefore, to impress on Niiro's mind, for the benefit of his
fellow clansmen, that the foreign Powers would not for a moment
entertain the idea of giving up Hiôgo or any other part of the treaties.
At this moment there was lying in the bay a little steamer named the
"Otentosama," belonging to Chôshiû. She had brought down the leading man
of that clan, Katsura Kogorô, afterwards known during the year of the
revolution as Kido Junichirô. I said to Niiro that I should like to call
on him to inquire after some of my Shimonoséki friends. Niiro replied
that Katsura was to have an interview with Shimadzu Saburô at ten
o'clock the same evening, and a meeting afterwards with some of the
Satsuma councillors at three in the morning. If I wished particularly to
see him, I might go and sleep at his lodgings, and wait till he turned
up. I declined the invitation, preferring a European bed, for at that
time I was not so accustomed to Japanese ways as I afterwards became. It
was weak on my part. But what Niiro said rendered it perfectly clear
that an understanding was being negotiated between the two most powerful
of the western clans, and that they would henceforth be united against
the Tycoon. Fortunate for us that they were on friendly terms with us,
and fortunate also for the general interest of foreign Powers, between
whom and the revolutionary government of 1868 the British Legation acted
as mediators. The French Legation on the other hand supported the
Tycoon. M. Roches was projecting the foundation of the arsenal at
Yokosuka, which would place the military organization of the Tokugawa
family on a new and superior footing, and he had procured a
distinguished staff of French officers to drill the Tycoon's troops. It
was even rumoured that he had made, or was contemplating making, offers
of material assistance to Shitotsubashi. And this policy he pursued
until the logic of facts at last demonstrated its folly, being followed
by the North German Chargé d' Affaires, Herr von Brandt, and the Italian
Minister, Count La Tour. The Netherlands Political Agent, however,
adhered to Sir Harry, while the new American Minister, General van
Valkenburg, was neutral.
We had felt the pulse of the Japanese people more carefully and
diagnosed the political condition better than our rivals, so that the
prestige of the British Minister in the years 1868 and 1869 was
completely in the ascendant.
On the 4th January the prince's reply was to have been delivered on
board the "Argus," but at noon Niiro presented himself to say that it
was not yet ready. We therefore landed and inspected the glass factory,
shot and shell foundry, gun foundry and pot and kettle foundry near the
prince's garden at Iso. The letter now arrived in charge of Matsuoka,
and after its formal delivery, we sat down once more to a banquet in
European style. It was shorter than that of the previous day, and the
dishes better cooked, but it was politeness rather than gastronomic
satisfaction that caused us to praise it. For in truth the dinner was
bad and ill-arranged.
About five o'clock I started off with Sutcliffe to call on Niiro, who
had not been seen since the morning. After an hour's walking, we arrived
at his house, darkness having already set in. Niiro received us very
cordially, and entertained us with tea, oranges, beer, cakes and
conversation for an hour and a half. He told me that in passing through
Hiôgo lately he had heard that the French Minister was shortly expected
there with a letter from the Emperor Napoleon III, and that there was to
be a general gathering of foreign representatives. Shitotsubashi had
disappointed his friends by accepting the succession to the headship of
the Tokugawa family, and was suspected of wishing to establish his power
as Tycoon with the aid of foreigners.
He gave me to understand that they regarded the French with dislike and
distrust, and seemed to be all the more friendly with us because they
had learnt to appreciate the value of our enmity. The Satsuma people
seemed to be making great progress in the civilized arts, and gave me
the impression of great courage and straightforwardness. I thought they
would soon be far ahead of the rest of Japan.
Tycoon, as I have said before, was the title given in the treaties to
the temporal sovereign. The Japanese, however, never used it. Sei-i-tai
Shôgun, or "Generalissimo for the subjugation of barbarians," was his
official designation, which delicacy prevented his ministers from
employing in their official communications with the foreign
representatives, while the common people spoke of him as _Kubô sama_.
The "opposition" _daimiôs_, however, had adopted the term _Baku-fu_,
which most closely might be rendered by "military establishment," and it
was this term that my friends and I used in conversation. In like
manner, for the honorific designation _Gorôjiû_ (noble old men) applied
in the east of Japan to the Tycoon's council of ministers, the
expression _Kaku-rô_ (old ones) was substituted. The opposition refused
to recognize that the government which they wished to upset was entitled
to any mark of respect.
On the 5th January we left Kagoshima and anchored in Uwajima Bay at
eleven o'clock on the following day.
The beautiful bay is completely landlocked, and surrounded by hills of
varying height up to 2000 feet. Close behind the town, on its east side,
rises a high peak known as Oni-ga-jô, the "demon's castle." The prince's
fortress was a conspicuous object to the right of the town; it stood on
a low, wooded hill, close to the seashore, and consisted of a
three-storied keep, surrounded by a double wall of stonework surmounted
by white plastered walls, almost hidden by the trees. South of this lay
the official quarter, the citizens' quarter being to the east and north,
stretching for some distance along the shore, as the hills behind leave
the town no room to expand. Close in shore the water is very shallow,
and advantage had been taken of this to construct salterns and reclaim
rice fields by building a dyke. There was a small battery on each side
of the bay, more for show than for defensive use.
About an hour and a half after we anchored, a boat was noticed hovering
about the stern, with a person in the stern-sheets busily engaged in
examining the ship through an opera glass. Finding out that it was the
prince, Commander Round sent a gig at once to invite him on board. He
explained his curious behaviour by saying that he had wished to remain
_incognito._ The Admiral's letter wishing him a happy new year was
produced, and after I had translated its contents, he took possession of
it. He was aged 32, of about middle height, and had an aristocratic cast
of countenance, with a slightly aquiline nose, on the whole a handsome
man. As a matter of course he was shown over the ship. In the meantime I
had some conversation with a gentleman-like young man of about twenty
years of age named Matsuné Kura, son of the principal _karô_. He said
that Satsuma and Uwajima were on very friendly terms, which was natural,
as the ex-_daimiô_ and Shimadzu Saburô had been amongst the little band
of princes who were disgraced for their opposition to the elevation of
the lately deceased Tycoon. Shitotsubashi had not been appointed Shôgun,
and perhaps never would be.
When the prince returned on shore I accompanied him in the gig, and
found a number of his women waiting for him on the bank with his
children, the eldest of whom was a little boy of seven years of age. The
others were mostly babies in arms, and each was attended by an
undernurse bearing a small sword wrapped in gold brocade. The Japanese
_samurai_ was accustomed to the companionship of his weapon from his
very infancy. The prince was extremely affable, and promised to repeat
his visit on the following day, and to bring the _in-kio_ or _ex-daimiô_
with him. I said good-bye, and went into the town, where I met three
officers from the ship engaged in "curio" hunting. An immense crowd
followed us everywhere, examining our clothes and asking all manner of
questions, but behaving with the utmost civility. I felt my heart warm
more and more to the Japanese.
On the 7th January it rained violently and blew hard all day, but the
weather did not prevent the _daimiô_ and the _in-kio_ from coming on
board. The latter was a tall man with strongly marked features and a big
nose, and reputed to be one of the most intelligent of his class,
imperious in manner, and 49 years of age. He was not a born _Daté_ (that
was the surname of the Uwajima _daimiôs_), but had been adopted from a
_hatamoto_ family in Yedo. After his adoption the present _daimiô_ was
born, and the relationship between them was that of brothers by
adoption. But still the adopted son could not be set aside, and he
eventually succeeded to the title and fief, but by way of compensation
to the younger brother who had lost his birthright, he adopted him as
his son. Consequently, when the prince was disgraced in 1858 the real
heir succeeded. _In-kio_ (living retired) is a common term for the head
of a family, whether noble or commoner, who has given up the active
headship and the management of the estate to his son, a not unusual
thing in "Old Japan" for a father who had reached the sixties. Here the
_in-kio_ was manifestly the ruling spirit, and it was touching to
observe the immense respect paid to him by the titular prince, who
always addressed him as father, while he on his part used the
depreciatory term _sengaré_ (my youngster) in speaking of the _daimiô_.
They stopped for a couple of hours talking and drinking some Moselle
with which I had provided myself at Nagasaki.
The _in-kio_ began to talk eagerly to me about the very suspicious
intimacy that existed between the Tycoon's government (_baku-fu_) and
the French Legation, but as soon as old Matsuné, the principal
councillor, perceived that his master was becoming indiscreet, he
hurried him away on the pretext that it would be too late to fire the
salute. So away they went, amid the thunder of seventeen guns, which was
returned from one of the batteries. After he left the wives and families
of the two princes flocked on board. They were not in the least afraid
of us, and conversed with as much ease and readiness as European ladies.
There was a Japanese officer on board, afterwards Admiral Hayashi Kenzô.
Noguchi, who had been ashore to have a hot bath and get shaved, had
brought me an invitation to dine with Iriyé, the captain of the battery.
So I took a boat and went off in spite of the wind and rain. My host had
not yet returned from his duties, but his wife asked me to come in, and
in about a quarter of an hour he made his appearance. Soon afterwards
another artillery officer named Mori came in, and then two more juniors.
Dinner was at once ordered. It consisted of innumerable courses of fish
and soup, and lasted from six o'clock till eleven. We talked, drank hot
_saké_, and sang by turns, and I had to answer a multitude of questions
on all possible subjects. This gave me numerous opportunities of
uttering appropriate wise saws and proverbial sayings, which gave my
hearers unbounded delight, and inspired them with no small amount of
respect for the philosophy of the western peoples. At half-past eleven
the last guest retired, and after we had eaten a little rice, we went to
bed in Japanese fashion. I was surprised to find that one could sleep
comfortably without sheets.
On the following morning, after a good breakfast _à la Japonaise_, I
rejoined the ship, and started in company with Round, and Wright and
Dunn of the ixth regiment, who as I have hitherto neglected to mention,
had come on board at Nagasaki, for the rifle range, in accordance with
an engagement made on the previous day. A guard of honour of 25 men
received us at the landing-place, and we were escorted by an officer of
the Uwajima navy. Half-way we found another guard, which fell in and
led us up a pretty stiff hill to the ranges. Some of our small-arms men
were landed to exhibit their skill. We had to walk a short distance and
climb the hills. There is not sufficient flat ground in Uwajima for a
proper rifle range, so the butts were placed on the side of another hill
separated from us by a valley about 700 yards wide. Here we found tents
set us, and the _in-kio_, his own son, and the prince awaiting our
arrival. Our men, who were not accustomed to shooting across a chasm of
unknown depth and width, showed themselves less skilful than the Uwajima
marksmen, who had the advantage of knowing their ground.
We got the shooting over by half-past one, and the whole party then
proceeded to the _goten_ or palace, which was outside the castle. It was
an old building, dating from about 500 years back, but without
pretensions to architectural style. We were not received at the great
entrance, but at some temporary steps erected for the occasion which led
up at once from the garden into the verandah. Here old Matsuné met us
and conducted us into a long room, which was shut off on all sides by
handsome folding screens covered with gold leaf. At one end of the room
was a particularly large screen, which the prince said was a present to
his ancestor from the great Taikô-sama. A table was placed down the
middle of the room, with armchairs on the right side for the _in-kio_,
the prince, and Matsuné, while on the left were seated Round and his
officers. I sat at the head of the table to facilitate conversation.
The dinner was beautifully got up, every separate dish prettily arranged
and decorated, but the most tasteful of all was a wild duck with all its
plumage perfect, and the roasted meat cut up small and laid on the back
between the wings, elevated in such a way as to convey the idea that the
bird was swimming and flying at the same time. Other dishes consisted of
huge crayfish, and there was a large baked tai, as required by
etiquette, for each person. Each of us had a large porcelain cup to
drink from, and the warm liquor was handed round in pewter vessels with
long spouts, like flat teapots. The ex-prince exchanged cups with Round,
myself, and the two redcoats in turn, and the same ceremony was aftwards
gone through with the prince and his minister, old Matsuné.
There was a good deal of eating and saké drinking, and the _in-kio_
presented me with a large shallow cup of red lacquer which I had first
to empty. My companions left early, while at the _in-kio's_ request I
remained behind for some conversation on politics. He began by speaking
of Hiôgo, as to which he had expressed his opinion to Sir Harry Parkes
in July last. But he was now in favour of opening the place to foreign
trade, and so was Shitotsubashi. He had heard that negotiations were
proceeding with the French for its being opened next September, but he
would prefer that the arrangements should be made with us rather than
with the French, whom he did not like. I replied that I believed the
French policy was based upon the belief that the country needed a
recognized head, and that as they had a treaty with the Shôgun, who
apparently was the most powerful political personage, they thought it
would be better to strengthen him as far as possible. The English policy
was different. We regarded our treaty as having been made with Japan,
and not with the Shôgun in particular. If with the latter, then as there
was no actual Shôgun at the moment, our treaty would have to be regarded
as being in abeyance. We did not wish to interfere, and were quite
content that the Japanese should settle their internal disputes among
themselves.
"But," said _In-kio_, "if civil war becomes chronic, your trade will
suffer, and you will have to put an end to it for your own sakes."
"No," I replied, "for if we interfered and took a side, matters would
become ten times more difficult, and the foreign trade would come
altogether to an end."
The _in-kio_ then remarked that his idea was for Japan to become a
confederated empire, with the Mikado for its head, and that this idea
was favoured by Satsuma and Chôshiû. I said I thought there was no other
way out of the difficulty, and I had written an article in a Yokohama
newspaper to that effect. "Oh," said the _in-kio_, "I have read it,"
meaning the translation which has been already mentioned. At last the
ex-prince said, "Let us send for the women and have some music. The
captain will be jealous if he hears that I produced them to you after he
had left, so don't tell him, but if he hears of it, you may say I was
drunk."
Here the conversation was interrupted by the entrance of the ladies of
the harem, such a bevy of pretty women, some wives and some not. All the
children came in too. I had to drink _saké_ with all of the ladies, till
I began to fear my head might give way. Musical instruments were brought
in, and a great deal of _saké_ was drunk, greatly to the increase of
friendliness and conviviality, but not to the advantage of the
interchange of political views. In fact the _in-kio_ gave himself up to
enjoyment and would talk no more. He afterwards said in a casual sort of
way: "You must not let it appear in the newspapers that I went on board
the "Argus," for I have declined attending the meeting at Kiôto on the
ground of sickness, and I should not wish the government to hear of it.
I should not like to be at Kiôto just now." After the music had begun, I
looked round and saw one of the officers of the "Argus," who had come in
after the captain's departure, performing a Japanese dance. I proposed
to him to dance a hornpipe, which he at once did, and the ex-prince, a
man of the sober age of 49, got up, placed himself opposite, and tried
to imitate the steps, holding up his loose trousers with both hands. The
fun infected two of the ministers, who joined him in a three-handed
reel.
After drinking a great deal of _saké_ with the two princes and their
ladies, I was carried off--no, led--to his own house by old Matsuné,
where more _saké_ was produced, and I was made acquainted with the rest
of his family. After about an hour's conversation, I was glad to get to
bed, for the fumes of the hot _saké_ were beginning to have some effect
on my head. Hayashi, young Matsuné, another Japanese and myself, slept
in one room. Next morning I was roused before daylight by the report of
a signal gun fired from the "Argus" to announce that she was ready to
leave. I dressed hastily and went on board with young Matsuné, to whom I
presented my opera glass as a souvenir. Noguchi and my boy Yasu, who had
also been sleeping on shore, had not yet made their appearance, but
Round refused to wait for them. So I begged Matsuné to send them somehow
to Yokohama, and advance them any money which they might ask for, to be
repaid to the Uwajima agent in Yedo. At half-past six we weighed anchor,
and steamed out of the bay, full of regrets at being obliged to part
from our kind, hospitable friends.
We reached Hiôgo about noon on the 11th of January, after visiting one
or two unimportant places in the inland sea. I went on shore to inquire
whether we could get coals, beef and vegetables. After arranging with
the local officials to send some supplies on board, I walked about the
town, and found the people quite accustomed to the sight of a foreigner.
I met some two-sworded men, who protested that they were determined to
prevent the opening of Hiôgo to foreign trade, but they were evidently
joking. A Hizen man whom I came across declared that I was an old
acquaintance, though I had never set eyes on him before. Afterwards
Hayashi Kenzô and I went on board a Satsuma steamer that was lying in
port, and made the acquaintance of her captain, Inouyé Shinzayemon. She
had brought up from Kagoshima one of the leading Satsuma men named
Komatsu Tatéwaki; he had gone up to Ozaka to meet Saigô, the greatest of
all the Satsuma leaders. I immediately proposed to go up to Ozaka and
see them, and letters were written by Inouyé and Hayashi to Godai
Saisuké (our captive of 1863 at Kagoshima) to make the necessary
arrangements. Next day, however, I heard that Saigô was himself probably
coming to Hiôgo, and in the meantime Hayashi took me ashore to have a
hot bath and some luncheon _à la Japonaise_.
Here for the first time I learnt how to put on a cotton gown (_yukata_)
after the bath, and enjoy the sensation of gradually cooling down. We
had just sat down to eat when it was announced that Saigô had arrived,
and hastily swallowing our rice, we sallied forth to the other
house-of-call of the Satsuma men. Saigô, as I had all along suspected,
turned out to be identical with the man introduced to me as Shimadzu
Sachiû in November 1865, and he laughed heartily when I reminded him of
his alias. After exchanging the usual compliments, I began to feel
rather at a loss, the man looked so stolid, and would not make
conversation. But he had an eye that sparkled like a big black diamond,
and his smile when he spoke was so friendly. I began about the
employment of foreigners in Satsuma and the difficulties which might,
under certain circumstances, arise from the residence of British
subjects outside the treaty limits and beyond the jurisdiction of the
consular authorities. But this did not produce much in the way of
response. So I bethought myself of another subject which was more likely
to draw him, and inquired if Shitotsubashi had not lately received in
person a letter addressed to him by the Emperor of the French. He
replied "Yes." A short time ago he memorialized the Mikado to the effect
that there was a letter from the French Emperor addressed to the Shôgun,
the reception of which had been delayed owing to the late Tycoon's
detention at Kiôto in connexion with the expedition against Chôshiû;
that he now intended to summon all the foreign representatives to Ozaka,
and would profit by the occasion to receive the letter in question.
Shitotsubashi would accordingly come down to Ozaka on the 17th of the
Japanese month (22nd January), and expected the representatives to
arrive shortly afterwards. We (the Satsuma people) sent up a copy of the
memorial to Sir Harry Parkes by the hands of Yoshii Kôsuké, but he had
replied that he was uncertain whether he would accept the Tycoon's
invitation, not having yet heard anything direct about the matter.
"But," I asked, "how can Shitotsubashi receive a letter addressed to the
Shôgun. He is not Shôgun, is he?"
"Yes; he received his commission the day before yesterday."
"Well," I replied, "that is very unexpected. I thought he had to settle
Chôshiû's affair first. But his influence must have increased immensely
for him to have been able to manage this."
"Yes, indeed"--(emphatically)--"A man who was yesterday no better than a
beggarly _rônin daimiô_ is to-day _Sei-i-tai-shôgun_."
"Who," I asked, "contrived it."
"Itakura Suwô no Kami" (a newly appointed member of the council).
"Shitotsubashi is in great favour now with the Mikado, and he could
become _Kwambaku_ (grand vizier) if he chose. He has made his brother
Mimbutayu, a younger scion of the Mito house, head of the Shimidzu
family, which had become extinct, and he is going to send him as
ambassador to France."
"On what business?"
"We have not the least idea."
"And for what is Shitotsubashi going to summon the foreign
representatives to Ozaka?"
"We have not the slightest idea of that either," said Saigô.
"How odd that he should be able to do these things without consulting
the _daimiôs_."
"The _daimiôs_ ought to have been consulted, as we expected they would
be henceforth on all political matters. The _Baku-fu_ have got on so
badly of late years that my prince is of opinion that they should not be
left to ruin the country as they please. And when certain of the
_daimiôs_ were summoned by the Mikado to Kiôto, they expected to have a
share in the government. Now they perceive that such is not the
intention of the _Baku-fu_, and they don't intend to be made fools of.
So they have one and all refused to attend. Echizen stopped there as
long as he could, but went away at last."
"Then everything is over for the present?" I said.
"Well, we shall be able to find him out in the next three years, I
suppose."
"Three years is a long time. But this council at Kiôto, was it not
connected with the latter part of the decree giving power to the Shôgun
to conclude treaties, where the Mikado says, 'There are points in the
existing treaties which I wish you to rectify in concert with the
_daimiôs_?'"
"Oh no!" said Saigô, "you are quite wrong there. It was intended, as I
have said before, that the _daimiôs_ should consult with the _Baku-fu_
about government reforms."
"I suppose," I said, "that among other questions for discussion the
Chôshiû affair and the opening of Hiôgo were included. What is the
position with regard to Chôshiû? We foreigners cannot comprehend it?"
"It is indeed incomprehensible," Saigô replied. "The _Baku-fu_ commenced
the war without justification, and they have stopped it equally without
reason."
"Is it peace, or what?"
"No. Simply that hostilities have ceased, and the troops have been
withdrawn. There the matter rests."
"For us foreigners it is a great puzzle why the _Baku-fu_ attacked
Chôshiû at all. It was certainly not because he had fired on foreign
ships. If he really had offended the Mikado, surely your prince, with
his profound affection for the 'Son of Heaven,' could have lent
assistance."
"I believe the _Baku-fu_ hated Chôshiû all along," replied Saigô.
"It is a great pity the council did not take place, because it is of the
highest importance that the affairs of the country should come to a
settlement within this year. We have a treaty with Japan, not with any
particular person, and we don't intend to interfere with you in the
settlement of your domestic disputes. Whether Japan is governed by the
Mikado or the _Baku-fu_, or becomes a confederation of separate states
is a matter of indifference to us, but we want to know who is the real
head. I confess to you that we have serious doubts about the _Baku-fu_.
We saw that they are not supreme, or rather not omnipotent when they
asked us to let them off the opening of Hiôgo. Then the murder of
Richardson and the impotence of the _Baku-fu_ to punish his murderers
showed us that their authority did not extend as far as Satsuma. Then
when ships-of-war belonging to friendly nations were fired on by
Chôshiû, we had to go and punish him because the _Baku-fu_ could not do
it. And we see now that Chôshiû has got the best of the late war. These
things make us doubt the supremacy of the _Baku-fu_ throughout the
country, and we had hoped that the council would settle the difficulty.
The _Baku-fu_ will again be in a difficult position next year when, as
we intend to do, we demand the opening of Hiôgo, if the _daimiôs_ oppose
it."
"My master does not oppose the opening of Hiôgo, but objects to its
being opened after the fashion of other ports. We want it to be opened
so as to be a benefit to Japan, and not solely for the private advantage
of the _Baku-fu_."
"But how would you have it opened?" I asked.
"By placing all questions regarding Hiôgo in the hands of a committee of
five or six _daimiôs_, who would be able to prevent the _Baku-fu_ from
acting exclusively for its own selfish interests. Hiôgo is very
important to us. We all owe money to the Ozaka merchants, and we have to
send the productions of our provinces to them every year in payment of
our debts. Our affairs will be much thrown out of order if the place is
opened on the same plan as Yokohama."
"I see now why you attach so much importance to Hiôgo. It is your last
card. It is a great pity you cannot settle all your internal
difficulties before the port is opened."
"When we sent Yoshii up to see Sir Harry Parkes, he told him if he came
to Ozaka to ask for us. We could not go to call on him for fear of
incurring suspicion. And Sir Harry replied that he would ask not only to
see the Prince of Satsuma, but all the other _daimiôs_ as well."
_Saké_ and _sakana_ (_i.e._ its accompaniments) were now introduced, and
we were waited on by a good-looking girl who was said to be a sweetheart
of Godai's. Saigô excused himself and retired for a few moments with my
companion Hayashi, who was apparently a confidential agent of the
Satsuma people. After the second course, as he seemed in a hurry to get
away, I rose to go, but he would not hear of my leaving so early. I
begged him not to stand on ceremony, but to leave whenever he chose, as
I knew he had a long way to go. After a few minutes more, he rose, and
saying, "In case Sir Harry wants to communicate anything to us, he has
only to send a message to our house at Yedo, and we will despatch anyone
he likes from Kiôto to see him," he took his departure. I thanked him
very warmly for coming so far to see me, and we bade each other
farewell. The feast was resumed, and after numerous courses, Hayashi and
I went back on board the "Argus" by half-past seven. Next day we left
for Yokohama. During our stay at Hiôgo we had walked freely about the
town, and found the people perfectly civil. They were evidently becoming
accustomed to the sight of foreigners, and scarcely took any notice of
us as we passed through the streets.
[Illustration: CHOSHIU COUNCILLORS
Katsura Kogorû and Kikkawa Kemmotsu]
[Illustration: DAIMIÔ OF CHÔ-SHIU AND HIS HEIR
Môri Daizen and Môri Nagato]