Japan and the Japanese

PHILIPP FRANZ VON SIEBOLD. 489
follow out his object, keeping up, through means of the interpreters,
a correspondence with his Jedo friends. In the course of five years he
had not only made large collections for the government of specimens
in natural history, but also, on his own account, of Japanese books
and other curiosities, besides acquiring a considerable knowledge of
the language.
His collections in natural history had been shipped
to Batavia ; he was preparing himself to follow, when an unlucky
disclosure took place. The imperial astronomer, notwithstanding
the law to the contrary, had secretly sent him a copy of a new map
of Japan, lately constructed on European principles. One of the
draftsmen employed in making it having quarrelled with the astron-
omer, informed against him, in consequence of which the astrono-
mer, his servants, the interpreters, several of Siebold's pupils, and
other Japanese suspected of being concerned in this affair, were
arrested and subjected to a strict examination. Siebold himself
was called upon to give up the map ; and, when he hesitated about
it, underwent a domiciliary visit, followed by an order to consider
himself under arrest, and a prohibition to leave Japan until the
investigation was terminated. Finding thus not only the fruits
of his own labor, but the lives of his Japanese friends, in
danger,
he made a full confession as to the map, endeavoring thus to
remove suspicions and to preserve some other documents in his possession,
of which the Japanese yet had no knowledge, and which
might have compromised other persons not yet suspected. Studiously
concealing the connection of the Dutch government with his mission,
he thought it best to represent himself as simply a private inquirer,
whose researches into natural history and the physical sciences
might be no less useful to the Japanese than they were interesting
to himself. Of the particulars of this affair no account has ever
been published. It is said that some of his Japanese friends found
it necessary to cut themselves open, but Siebold himself was
speedily released, with his entire collections, which he brought with
him to Holland, and by means of which he converted his residence
at Leyden into a very curious Japanese museum.
The fruits of his researches, so far as zoology is concerned, and
of those of Dr. Burgev., left behind as his successor, have been published
by the labors of some distinguished naturalists, and under
the patronage of the king of Holland, in a very splendid and ex