Page images
PDF
EPUB

sound in their ears as their song did in ours, for it was more like the roaring of lions with bad colds than anything else I can compare it to.

marines on shore; and about noon Commodore Perry accompanied by his suite, landed, according to our authority,

The regalement seems to have been much the same as that which in China generally precedes the transaction of business with foreign officials. Several native artists were present, taking sketch

At once, therefore, the reserved and stately Under a salute of 17 guns from the MacedoJapanese, like the Chinese, fell in with the nian, the men in the boats standing up, and the European customs. "They took their liquor officers on shore being uncovered. The procesfreely (we are told by another authority), sion then moved forward, the band playing “ Hail, especially champagne and liqueurs, greatly Columbia!" and the " President's March." On entering the hall. the Commodore was received admiring the glassware that contained them; by four Commissioners appointed for the purand expressed a hope that the time was at pose. They were:-First-Hayashi, with the hand when they would be at liberty to visit title of Doigaku no Kama, or Prince Councillor. foreign countries in steamers and ships of three Second-Ido, Prince of Tsus-sima (the group of masts." During this interval, too, "an officer islands lying between Corea and Japan). Third of the squadron approached Yedo, and if he Idzuma, Prince of Mimaaski (a Principality did not actually enter it, at least was near lying west of Miaco.) Fourth-Udono, second enough to judge of its appearance, and to as-assistant of the Board of Revenue. The party certain that close to the shore there is five being seated, the flag of Japan was run up on fathoms water, so that it can be approached from the launches, after which another salute of board the Powhatan, and saluted with 21 guns by large ships. The city is in the form of a 17 guns was given to the Japanese High Comcrescent, and stands on an extensive plain with missioner, who through his interpreter presented a magnificent background of mountains and his compliments and welcome to the Commowooded country; but it seems to possess no dore and his officers, and particularly inquired striking public buildings, while the dwelling- about the health of the former. At a sign given, houses are generally of one story, and there- the servants in attendance brought in lacquered fore present nothing imposing in their appear-stands with tea and saki, sweetmeats and other ance, except their vast numbers, and the space conserves, and placed one beside each officer. they occupy. The population of the capital has been greatly exaggerated, for though it is certainly great, the Japanese officers them selves placed Yedo third among the cities of the world; London, they said, being the first, The refreshment being over, the Commodore and Paris the second." Doing all things in and his personal staff were conducted by the Jaorder, the Japanese prepared with great celer-panese Commissioners into another room in the ity a hall for the interview, 50 feet long, 40 rear, the entrance to which was covered with wide, and 12 high. "It was surrounded by purple crape. The interview lasted three hours, magnificent japonicas, some of them 30 feet and, as to the principal matter, was highly satis in height, and in full bloom. Seats and tables factory. A very favorable answer was given to about two feet high, covered with red cloth, lish, Dutch, Chinese, and Japanese, was put into the President's letter. A draft treaty, in Engextending the whole length of the apartment. the hands of the Japanese Commissioners, who The floor was covered with white mats, about said that it would receive due consideration; but three feet long by two wide; and the place the old Emperor had died since Commodore was heated by highly ornamented braziers Perry was there last year, and his successor was placed on beautiful Japan stands. The pillars a young man, who would require to consult his supporting the erection were ornamented with Council before coming to a determination; and purple crape, and the walls were richly the Commodore was reminded that Japanese did adorned with paintings of birds and flowers. not act with the same rapidity as Americans did; The hall was situated about 500 yards from the landing-place, and was commanded by the ships, which lay with their broadsides to it." From the shore to the hall a screen was erected, so as to exclude the Japanese public from all view of the proceedings; but, before landing, Commodore Perry, with good tact we think, requested the screen to be removed; and the deference shown to him induced the Japanese authorities to comply with his request.

On the 8th March-henceforth a memorable day in the history of Japan, and, perhaps, of civilization - the interview between the American and Japanese negotiators took place in this hall. Twenty-nine boats of the squadron, manned with armed seamen, conveyed the

es of the strangers.

which was thus illustrated :-Should several Japanese meet together, desiring to visit the American ships, one would say, "It is a beautiful morning! to which another would add, "How pleasant it is!" Then a third would remark, There is not then a wave to be seen upon the water;" at length a fourth would suggest,

[ocr errors]

Come, let us go and see the ships." That the preliminaries of a treaty would be settled during the present visit was, however, more than proba ble. Its leading provisions, it is said, will be the opening of three or more of the ports of Jasecuring supplies of coals for the steamers of that pan to the commerce of the United States, and country. In other respects the treaty, concluded or proposed, is understood to be nearly a coun terpart of that with China, except, it is said, that the Japanese objected to a clause admitting all

other countries to the same privileges as Amer-officers, and the other the body and escort. Upica; not like the Chinese, from whom, and not on reaching the shore the party was met by from Sir Henry Pottinger, as is generally sup- several Japanese officials, ready to conduct them posed, the privileges of the English treaty were to the grave. The escort landed first, and reextended to all foreign countries. ceived the body with the usual honors. The little procession was then formed; first the escort, The final conclusion of the affair is not followed by the music (drum and fife); next the known, as the Susquehanna left the place on body borne on the shoulders of four messmates; the day the treaty was to be considered, but and then the chaplain with the other officers, and no doubt is entertained by persons on the spot In this order, with the music playing a Dead a few sailors from the boats bringing up the rear. that it was concluded. The China Mail of March, the party moved to the grave, winding April 6th, from which we have borrowed all the through the streets of a village a distance of interesting particulars we have laid before our nearly half a mile. On either side of the road, readers, says, speaking confidently:-"Noth- and on the surrounding hills, at the foot of one ing could have been better or more fortunate of which the grave had been made, thousands of than the course pursued by Commodore Perry. Indeed we feel pretty certain that the most skilful diplomatist in Europe could not have brought matters to so speedy, pacific, and successful an issue. Commodore Perry was known as a brave as well as accomplished seaman, but it was thought he had rather a propensity for fighting, which indeed, with such means at his disposal, and such people to deal with as the Japanese were ignorantly presumed to be, was deemed inevitable by most people, though, as our pages show, not by every one. Here, however, he has disappointed the world, and perhaps not a few in his squadron; but he has done what he did not do in China, and it was not expected any one could accomplish in Japan - he has peacefully and amicably opened it to the intercourse of his countrymen, without firing a shot or using an angry word." We must subjoin from the China Mail some further very interesting particulars:

people, men, women, and children could be seen,
all manifesting eager curiosity to witness a sight
The church
so entirely novel in their land.
burial service ended, the escort fired three volleys
there would have been some commotion among
over the grave. I had expected that on this
the crowd, but I noticed only, at the first dis-
charge, that for a moment there was a slight
movement as of surprise, and then all were again
quiet and attentive observers. Having now com-
mitted to the earth, with all due honor, the re-
mains of our deceased shipmate, the procession
was re-formed, and with music to the front, again
passed through the village and the thousands of
spectators to our boats on the beach. Here we
took leave of the officials, who throughout the
entire ceremony had conducted themselves with
great propriety, and extended to us every civility.

Before the interview broke up, the Commodore mentioned that he proposed to give his officers leave to go on shore for recreation. To this no great objection was made, and we believe that within a few days afterwards several of the officers were taking exercise on shore. The Rev. During the conference on the 8th, Commodore Mr. Bittinger, the chaplain, made several excurPerry mentioned that one of the marines had sions among the villages and corn-fields, which died, and he was desirous to have a piece of last he found in high cultivation. The houses ground pointed out where this man and any sort were covered with tiles, having yards and were generally thatched, but those of the better others of the squadron that might die in Japan small gardens within enclosures. The following could be buried. The Commissioners first suggested Nangasaki, and next Uraga, but on both day, the same gentleman, finding the people being objected to, a spot near the place of meet and having obtained leave to go on shore, deterneither unfriendly nor indisposed to receive him, ing was fixed upon. Before the funeral took place the Japanese officials came on board to called Kanagawa and Kasacca, and with that mined to visit two large cities some miles off, view the body, for which purpose the coffin was view, crossed an arm of the bay, which shortenopened; and after the burial one of them re-ed the distance by several miles. He then promarked that, according to the inscription on the lid, the man was a native of Ireland, not of America; but the explanation that followed proved quite satisfactory. In the course of the arrangements for the funeral the prudence of President Fillmore's and Secretary Webster's assurance on the subject of religion was shown. The Japanese said they had observed it with pleasure-and quite understood the distinction between Protestants and Roman Catholics.

from one to two hundred thousand inhabitants; ceeded through Kanagawa, supposed to contain and from the immense crowds that poured out doubt of the population being very great. The everywhere to see the stranger, there can be no crowds, however, caused no inconvenience or impediment, for on a wave of the hand from the Japanese officials who accompanied Mr. Bittinger, the people cleared a passage; and afterwards, a messenger having been sent forward for the sides of the houses, and left the centre of the purpose, the people packed themselves at the streets clear for the stranger. He entered some of the houses, which he found primitive in their furniture and arrangements, but, compared with Two boats left the ship; one containing the other Oriental dwellings of the same class, neat,

The funeral, which is thus described, must have been intensely interesting to the Japan

ese:

The writer in the Times says:

clean, and comfortable. In some of them he | The telegraph still more astonished them, but observed clocks of Japanese manufacture. He also they will speedily understand it, and may posvisited several temples, which, though smaller than sibly by this time be laying down wires for in China, have more gilding on their walls, and themselves. ornaments on their idols, and generally are in better order. The priests as well as the people were distinguished for their courtesy. The cities thus visited were not only very extensive (esti- We also set up a mile of magnetic telegraph, mated to be six miles long), but with wide, well-which succeeded in spelling Japanese sounds, formed streets. Kasacca is from fifteen to twenty from one end to the other, of course making miles distant by land from the ships; and Mr. them to see that it could be done, but they Bittinger being thus necessarily long absent, evidently did not comprehend nor fully besome anxiety was felt about him. As he was lieve it. returning, a Japanese officer put into his hands an order from the Commodore for all officers to return on board, and shortly afterwards, a courier mounted on a splendid black horse, delivered a THE TRANSITION FROM ANIMALS TO PLANTS. similar despatch, and finding it was understood-It has been long asserted by Bory de St. Vinand acted on, turned round and galloped back cent and others, that there exist in nature organagain to report the approach of the American ized bodies, which are animal at one period of officer, who concluded his journey by torch-light, their lives, and vegetable at another! This, if and found on his arrival that everything that had true, would for ever put an end to the possibility occurred had been noted, even to the number of of distinguishing the two kingdoms when they buttons on his coat being recorded. shall each have arrived at their lowest forms. Its truth has, however, been denied. On the contrary, Kützing, in his recent magnificent work on Algae, insists that it happens in his Ulothrix zonata. He asserts that in the cells of that plant there are found minute animalcules

Four days after the interview, the presents were interchanged, time having been required to erect places for their reception. Those for the Emperor consisted of, among other things, a railway with steam engine-an electric telegraph -a surf boat-a life boat-a printing press-a with a red eyepoint and a transparent mouthfine lorgnette-a set of Audubon's American Or- place; that they are not, in fact, distinguishable nithology, splendidly bound-plates of American from Ehrenberg's Microglena monadina; these Indians-maps of different States of Ameri- bodies, however, are animals only for a time; at ca-agricultural implements, with all the mod- least, they grow into vegetable threads, the lowern improvements a piece of cloth-a bale of est joint of which still exhibits the red eye-point. cotton-a stove-rifles, pistols, and swords. This phenomenon, which Kützing assures us he champagne, cordials, and American whiskey. has ascertained beyond all possibility of doubt, And for the Empress (presuming there is one), puts an end to the question of whether animals a telescope-a lorgnette in a gilded case-a la- and plants can be distinguished at the limits of dy's toilet-box, gilded- a scarlet velvet dress-a their two kingdoms, and sufficiently accounts for changeable silk dress flowered-a splendid robe the conflicting opinions that naturalists entertain -Audubon's Illustrated Works-a handsome as to the nature of many of the simpler forms of set of china-a mantlepiece clock-a parlor organization.-Jameson's Journal. stove-a box of fine wines-a box of perfumery -a box of fancy soaps. Among other presents, perhaps the one most valued, was a copy of GOOD ADVICE TO READERS.-If you measure Webster's Complete Dictionary to the Imperial the value of study by the insight you get into interpreter. To the high officers were given subjects, not by the power of saying you have books, rifles, pistols, swords, wines, cloths, maps, read many books, you will soon perceive that no stoves, clocks, and cordials, the last of which time is so badly saved, as that which is saved by they fully appreciated, and, as regards clocks, getting through a book in a hurry. For if, to when it was proposed to bring an engineer from the time you have given, you added a little more, shipboard to set them agoing, the Japanese said the subject would have been fixed on your mind, there was no occasion for that, for they had clock and the whole time profitably employed; wheremakers in Yedo who understood them perfectly. as, upon your present arrangement, because you They were curious to know, however, about would not give a little more, you have lost all. Ericsson's caloric engine, of which they had Besides, this is overlooked by rapid and superheard, but, from the Commodore at any rate, we ficial readers-that the best way of reading books suspect they would not receive a very favorable with rapidity is to acquire that habit of severe opinion of its practical utility. Whatever may attention to what they contain, that perpetually be thought of some of the other presents, the confines the mind to the single object it has in railway and telegraph, at which the world at the view. When you have read enough to have actime was disposed to laugh, were happy hits. quired the habit of reading without suffering The rail is only about three hundred yards in your mind to wander, and when you can bring all, but being formed in a circle, the carriage can to bear upon your subject a great share of prebe driven at the rate of forty miles or more. vious knowledge, you may then read with rapidJust at first the Japanese, were chary of venturing ity before that, as you have taken the wrong into the car, but after a single trial there was road, the faster you proceed the more you will much good-humored competition for places. be sure to err.-Sidney Smith.

[graphic][ocr errors]
« PreviousContinue »