KIOTO--AUDIENCE OF THE MIKADO
ON March 19 the whole legation crossed to Ozaka in H.M.S. "Adventure." I
left my Japanese escort behind, as they would have been in the way at
Kiôto, and probably, being Tokugawa retainers, in fear of their lives
the whole time. Our party slept at the vice-consulate, and next day we
rode up to Fushimi, escorted by Komatsu and a couple of Hizen officers,
one of whom named Nakamuta was the commander of the "Eugénie," a steamer
recently acquired by Nabéshima. The party on horseback consisted of Sir
Harry, Lieutenant Bradshaw and myself, with the legation mounted escort.
We went nearly the whole way at a foot's pace, the road being in fairly
good condition, but the bridges at Yodo having been burnt during the
recent fighting we had some difficulty in getting across the Kidzukawa,
which falls into the river there. We got to Fushimi about six o'clock,
and found comfortable quarters prepared for us in the guest rooms of a
Buddhist monastery, where we were well looked after by some Hizen
officers. The rest of our party, together with the infantry guard of the
2/ix, were to come up in boats, starting at three o'clock in the
afternoon, and travelling through the night. They gradually reached
Fushimi next morning, and we managed to make a start about ten o'clock.
The first half of the way we were escorted by Hizen men, who were then
joined by Owari troops, and here we were met by Gotô and our cheery
little friend Nakai. The streets were crowded with spectators, who
observed perfect order. Chi-on-in, a very fine Buddhist monastery at the
foot of Higashi-yama, had been prepared for our accommodation, and
guards were posted consisting of Higo, Awa and Owari troops. We found
the Owari officials who were in charge to attend to our comforts very
dilatory people, and as yet quite unacquainted with foreigners and their
requirements. The apartments assigned to us were magnificently
decorated, altogether in the style of a feudal noble's palace, such as
we had seen at Tokushima the previous year. Shimadzu Osumi no Kami
(father of the Prince of Satsuma) had occupied them for some time when
he first visited Kiôto. As soon as we settled in, a grand feast of many
dishes in Japanese style was served up to us, but of course we had
brought our own cooks and utensils with us, for most of us were
unaccustomed to Japanese food. Old Yôdô of Tosa, whom Willis had been
attending, was reported to be out of danger and in a fair way of
recovery.
The 22nd March was spent by the chief in making a round of visits. It
took the Owari folk three hours to get us the necessary palanquins and
bearers. We called first on Yamashina no Miya, who was very affable and
jolly, his dirty beard shaved off, and his teeth dyed black in correct
style; he was dressed in the costume called _nôshi_, and wore the tiny
black lacquered hat as before. The conversation turned upon the
delightfulness of the occasion which had brought the British Minister to
Kiôto. Just after leaving the prince's residence we were stopped in the
road to let Ninnaji no Miya pass. He was on horseback, a stoutish,
swarthy, thick-lipped young man, with his hair just beginning to sprout;
for until recently he had been in the Buddhist priesthood. Our next
visit was to Sanjô, who had had his title of Dainagon just restored to
him, a pale effeminate-looking undersized man of thirty-three years of
age. He discoursed very formally on the happiness it gave to all the
Court people to see foreign ministers in Kiôto. From there we went
through the enclosure known as the Nine Gates, past the Imperial Palace.
It was surrounded by a finely stuccoed wall four feet thick at the base,
with gates like those of a Buddhist temple, very neatly thatched with
small shingles. Iwakura, whom we called on next, had his temporary
residence just inside and opposite the Kugé Mon gate on the west of the
palace. He was a severe-looking oldish man, but frank in speech. He told
the chief it was true that the Mikado and Court Nobles had hated
foreigners hitherto, and talked of "barbarian-expelling" (_jô-i_), while
the _Bakufu_ was all for "opening the country." But now that was
completely changed. They had specially to thank the English for having
been the first to recognize the truth that the Mikado was the sovereign.
Itô told me that after we had left the house Iwakura expressed to him a
fear that he might have given offence by speaking too frankly about the
former attitude of the Court towards foreigners. We then went to the
Hizen _yashiki_, and saw the prince, a young good-looking man of about
twenty-four years of age; he had been appointed to the department of
Foreign Affairs, but we would not discover that he had any great
aptitude for official work. Daté and Higashi-Kuzé luckily were not in
when we called. We also visited the younger Chôshiû prince, Nagato no
Kami, whom we easily recognized by his likeness to the photograph taken
when Admiral King was in Chôshiû. At the other houses we had been
accommodated with chairs, but here we had to squat on the floor in
Japanese fashion, and when we rose to leave it was with difficulty that
we could straighten our knee joints. We exchanged with him hearty
expressions of goodwill and congratulations on our ancient friendship.
On returning to Chi-on-in we found Daté and Gotô who had come to discuss
the details of the audience that was to take place on the morrow. They
expressed much anxiety lest the Mikado should find some difficulty in
making his speech to the minister, as he had not up to the present ever
spoken to any one but inmates of the Palace, and it was only ten days
since he had first shown his face to a _daimiô_. So we finally arranged
that His Majesty's speech should be written down, that he should try to
repeat it, and then hand the copy to Yamashina no Miya, who would read
it out, and hand it to Itô for translation. The document was finally to
remain in Sir Harry's possession. Then the latter would reply direct to
the Mikado through Itô acting as interpreter. The only member of the
legation staff to be admitted to the audience was Mitford, as he alone
had been presented at court in England. He was to be introduced by
Yamashina no Miya, and the Mikado would salute him with the word _kurô_,
which might be freely rendered by "Glad to see you." The _Shishinden_
where the audience was to take place was, they told us, a large hall 28
yards deep by 36 in length, with a floor of planking, with a dais and a
canopy for the Mikado, and another dais, rather lower, specially
arranged for the ministers. _Daimiôs_ who were received in audience had,
we were assured, to kneel on the bare planks. The three foreign
representatives, Roches, Sir Harry and Polsbroek were to assemble in one
room, and be thence conducted into the presence of the Mikado.
It was now our turn to suffer an assault at the hands of the fanatics of
patriotism, from which our constant advocacy of the rights of the
sovereign afforded us no protection.
It was arranged that we should start from Chi-on-in for the palace at
one o'clock on March 23. The procession was to be headed by the mounted
escort, led by Inspector Peacock and Nakai, then Sir Harry and Gotô,
myself and Lieutenant Bradshaw, the detachment of the 2/ix, followed by
Willis, J. J. Enslie, Mitford in a palanquin (being unable to ride) and
five naval officers who had come up with us. We descended the whole
length of the street called Nawaté opposite to the main gate of
Chi-on-in, but just as the last file of the mounted escort turned the
corner to the right, a couple of men sprang out from opposite sides of
the street, drew their swords, and attacked the men and horses, running
down the line and hacking wildly. Nakai observing what was passing
jumped down from his pony and engaged the fellow on the right, with whom
he had a pretty tough fight. In the struggle his feet got entangled in
his long loose trousers, and he fell on his back. His enemy tried to cut
off his head, but Nakai parried the blow, receiving only a scalp wound,
and pierced the man's breast with the point of his sword at the same
time. This sickened him, and as he was turning his back on Nakai he
received a blow on the shoulder from Gotô's sword, which prostrated him
on the ground, and Nakai jumping up hacked off his head. In the
meanwhile the troopers on the left had turned, and some of them pursued
the other villain, who rushed down the street from which Sir Harry and I
had not yet emerged. I had only just arrived at a comprehension of what
was taking place; my presence of mind had deserted me, and as he passed
my sole idea of defence was to turn my pony's head round to ward off the
blow aimed at me. It was a narrow escape, as I afterwards found, for the
animal received a slight cut on the nose, and was also wounded on the
shoulder an inch of two in front of my knee. As soon as I recovered my
equanimity I moved up to the head of the procession. There I saw Sir
Harry Parkes, in his brilliant uniform of an Envoy and Minister calmly
sitting on his horse in the middle of the cross-roads, with Inspector
Peacock close by, also on horseback, and a crowd of Japanese spectators.
The Japanese infantry, 300 men of Higo, who had led our procession had
disappeared, as had also those who had originally brought up the rear.
But our Japanese grooms stuck to us with the greatest cool pluck. Behind
me was the infantry guard of the 2/ix, facing to the left. Upon them he
hurled himself, cutting one man over the head and inflicting a severe
wound, but here his career came to an end, for one of the soldiers put
out his foot and tripped him up, and others drove their bayonets into
him. Nevertheless he managed to get to the end of the line, where being
stopped by Mitford's palanquin, he fled into the courtyard of a house,
dropping his sword outside. Here he was found by Bradshaw, who
discharged a pistol at his head, but the bullet struck the joint of the
lower jaw, and did not penetrate the bone. On this he fell down in the
yard, and became nearly insensible. Our wounded were too numerous to
admit of our proceeding to court. Nine of our escort were wounded, and
one of the 2/ix guard, besides Nakai and Sir Harry's Japanese groom. We
therefore procured bearers for the palanquins which had been abandoned
by their frightened porters, and returned to our quarters without any
further mishap. When the wounds were examined it was found that none
were in a vital part, though there had been much loss of blood. A cut
into the knee of one man, and the almost complete severance of the wrist
of another were the worst cases. It was a great piece of good fortune
that we had such an experienced surgeon as Willis with us. The captured
assailant appeared to be a Buddhist priest, at least his head was
shaven. Assisted by a retainer of Sanjô's we examined him. He expressed
great penitence, and asked that his head might be cut off and exposed
publicly to inform the Japanese nation of his crime. His wounds were
attended to by Willis, and he was carefully deposited in the guard-room.
Nakai brought the head of the other man back with him, and kept it by
his side in a bucket as a trophy; it was a ghastly sight; on the left
side of the skull a terrible triangular wound exposed the brain, and
there was a cut on the right jaw which apparently had been dealt by the
sword of one of the escort.
My diary contains no further entry until the middle of May, and letters
I wrote to my parents narrating the incidents which befel us at Kiôto
have not been preserved. A very full account of this affair, written by
Mitford to his father, was communicated to the "Times," and the despatch
of March 25 in which the chief reported the whole affair was included in
a volume of "confidential print" and has not been published. See also
"Memories" by Lord Redesdale, ii. 449. A briefer narrative based on
official documents is to be found in vol. II of "The History of Japan"
by F. O. Adams. As long as we remained at Kiôto I was so busy with
interpreting between the chief and Japanese high functionaries and in
translating documents that my journal had to be neglected, and my memory
of what occurred over fifty years ago, left unrecorded at the time, is
scarcely full enough to afford material for completing this chapter
unaided.
It will readily be comprehended that this fanatical attack on the
British Minister, who had proved himself a cordial friend of the
imperialist party, caused a feeling of utmost consternation at the Court
as soon as the news was received there about four o'clock in the
afternoon. The French Minister and the Dutch Political Agent had
punctually reached the Palace, where they were kept waiting for the
arrival of their colleague. As he failed to make his appearance their
reception was hurried through, and on leaving the audience chamber they
received the notes Sir Harry had sent off informing them of what had
happened. About six o'clock in the evening there came to him straight
from the court Tokudaiji, Echizen Saishô, Higashi-Kuzé, Daté and the
Prince of Hizen to express the deep regret of the Mikado. The minister
replied that he would leave the matter in the hands of the Mikado's
government. He considered that a graver outrage had been committed upon
the Mikado than upon himself, and he felt assured that the government
would know how to vindicate the honour of their sovereign. They
manifested a degree of feeling and concern which showed that
remonstrance from him was not needed to make them sensible of the
gravity of the offence. They reproached themselves for not having taken
better precautions for his safety, and deplored the disgrace attaching
to themselves for an outrage committed on a foreign representative
specially invited by the Mikado to Kiôto. He added that of course their
apologies would take a written form, but he recurred to arguments he had
previously addressed to various members of the government as to the
necessity of an enactment which should attach the penalty of an
ignominious death to all _samurai_ who committed murderous attacks on
foreigners instead of allowing them to die with credit by their own
hand; as in the case of the eleven men who were executed for the murder
of the French seamen at Sakai. He urged also that the Mikado's
government should make known by public proclamation that His Majesty
really desired to cultivate friendly relations with foreign powers. It
was their duty to eradicate the spirit of hostility towards foreigners
to which so many had fallen victims, and which was fostered by the
erroneous idea entertained by a certain class that in attacking
foreigners they were doing the Mikado good service. Accordingly the
written apology was delivered next day, together with a copy of the
sentence depriving the prisoner of his rank as _samurai_, and passing a
sentence of decapitation on him. Sanjô, Iwakura, Tokudaiji, Higashi-Kuzé
and other ministers called to offer their regrets, and promised that the
proclamation should be posted on the public notice-boards which were a
feature in every town and village. They offered also in case any of our
wounded should die, or be deprived of their livelihood by inability to
perform their duties, to provide suitable compensation.
This affair having been satisfactorily disposed of, the chief agreed to
have an audience of the Mikado, which took place on March 26th. Of
course we were not able to make such a show as on the 23rd, since most
of the mounted escort were incapacitated by the severity of their
wounds. On the other hand extraordinary precautions were taken for the
security of the party in passing along the streets. As had previously
been arranged, of the legation staff only Mitford was presented. The
minister and he ascended the Shishinden by steps at the north end,
entered by the door on the south, and issuing from it after the audience
descended by steps at the south end. Those of us, like Willis and
myself, and the other members of our party walked through the courtyard
past the hall of audience, and rejoined them as they came down again.
The Mikado was the first to speak, and his speech ran as follows:--
I hope your sovereign enjoys good health. I trust that the
intercourse between our respective countries will become more
and more friendly, and be permanently established. I regret
deeply that an unfortunate affair which took place as you were
proceeding to the palace on the 23rd instant has delayed this
ceremony. It gives me great pleasure therefore to see you here
to-day.
To this the minister made the following reply:--
Sire,
Her Majesty the Queen is in the enjoyment of good health. I
shall have great pleasure in reporting to my government Your
Majesty's inquiries and assurances of friendship. The condition
of the foreign relations of a state must ever be dependent upon
its internal stability and progress, and Your Majesty is taking
the best measures to place the foreign relations of Japan upon a
permanent footing by establishing a strong general government
throughout Your Majesty's dominions, and by adopting the system
of international law universally recognized by other states. I
am deeply sensible of the manner in which Your Majesty has been
pleased to notice the attack made upon me on the 23rd instant,
and I appreciate the exertions of Your Majesty's ministers on
that unfortunate occasion. The memory of it will be effaced by
the gracious reception which Your Majesty has given me this day.
The foreign representatives left Kiôto the following day. Saegusa
Shigéru, the captive of our bow and spear on the 23rd, was executed that
morning. Three supposed accomplices before the fact were sentenced to
perpetual exile, but we were never convinced of their guilt. If it had
been proved against them they ought to have suffered the same penalty,
but the chief did not care to press the point.
It was Sir Harry's wish that I should remain at Ozaka to keep up
communication with the court, but I persuaded him to leave Mitford there
for the purpose. Two motives actuated me. I wished to get back to my
newly acquired house at Yedo, and Mitford knew much more than I did
about English parliamentary institutions, which was a subject in which
the leaders of the _samurai_ class at Kiôto, and especially Gotô
Shôjirô, were greatly interested. For their hope was to base the new
government of Japan on a representative system.