Japan and the Japanese

VOYAGES OF THE SARAMANG AND MERCATOR. 495
narbor of Nagasaki. As she approached she was surrounded by
numerous guard-boats, from one of which a letter was handed, in
Dutch and French, directing her to anchor oft the entrance, all
visited by the authorities. The Japanese officers who came on
board, stated that they had been apprized of this intended visit by
the Dutch, and that they were acquainted with the recent visit of
the Saramang to the Lew Chew and other islands, and of her oper-
ations there.
With great difficulty permission was obtained to land, in order
to make some astronomical observations, but the officers earnestly
begged that this might not be repeated till they could consult their
superiors ; nor were they willing that the vessel should leave till such
consultation had taken place. They asked, for this purpose, a stay
of two days. The captain offered to wait four days, if they would
allow his observations to be continued; but this they declined, urging,
as a reason, their own danger of punishment. The vessel was
freely supplied with such provisions as she needed, and the British
officers were strongly impressed with the demeanor of the Japanese,
as at once dignified and respectful.
That same year, the American whale-ship Mercator, Captain
Cooper, while cruising among the northern islands of the Japanese
group, fell in with a sinking junk, from which she took eleven
Japanese sailors, and as many more from a rock, to which they had
escaped. Captain Cooper proceeded with these rescued men to the
bay of Jedo, and, on anchoring there, was surrounded by near four
hundred armed boats, which took the ship in tow, took all the arms
out of her, and carried her in front of a neighboring town, probably
Odawara. Here she was guarded for three days, being all the
while an object of curiosity to great crowds. Orders presently
came from Jedo, in these words :
"I am informed, by the mouths of some shipwrecked persons of our country,
that they have been brought home by your ship, and that they have
been well treated. But, according to our laws, they must not be brought
home, except by the Chinese or Dutch. Nevertheless, in the present case,
we shall make an exception, because the return of these men by you must be
attributed tc your ignorance of these laws. In future, Japanese subjects
will not be received in like circumstances, and will have to be treated rigorously
when returned. You are hereby advised of this, and that you must
make it known to others.