Japan and the Japanese
Japan and the Japanese Japan and the Japanese
498 JAPAN. A. D. 18171850. " In conclusion, we have to say that the emperor positively refuses the permission you desire. He earnestly advises you to depart immediately, and to consult your own safety in not appearing again upon our coast." This paper, which had neither address, signature nor date, was enclosed in an open envelope, on which was written, " Explanatory Edict." With respect to the delivery of it, the following circum- stance occurred, which will best be stated in the words of the com- modore's despatch : " I must now communicate an occurrence of an unpleasant char- acter. On the morning that the officer came down in the junk with the emperor's letter, I was requested to go on board the junk to receive it. I refused, and informed the interpreter that the officer must deliver on board this ship any letter that had been entrusted him for me. To this the officer assented ; but added, that my letter having been delivered on board the American ship, he thought the emperor's letter should be delivered on board the Japanese vessel. As the Japanese officer, though attaching importance to his own proposal, had withdrawn it as soon as I objected to it, I concluded that it might be well for me to gratify him, and I informed the interpreter that I would go on board the junk, and there receive the letter. The interpreter then went on board the junk, and in an hour afterwards I went alongside in the ship's boat, in my uniform. At the moment that I was stepping on board, a Japanese on the deck of the junk gave me a blow or push, which threw me back into the boat. I immediately called to the interpreter to have the man seized, and then returned to the ship." The interpreter and a number of Japanese followed, who expressed great concern at what had happened, and who succeeded in convincing the commodore that his intention of coming on board had not been understood. They offered to inflict any punishment he chose on the offender ; but as to that matter he referred them to the laws of Japan ; and being satisfied that it was an individual act, without authority from the officers, he concluded to be satisfied.* What interpre- * His instructions cautioned him not to do anything " to excite a hostile feeling, or distrust of the United States." The official papers relating to this expedition, and to the subsequent one of the Preble, will be found in Senate Documents, 18511852, vol. ix. [Ex. Doc. No. 59.]
CAPTIVE SEAMEN. 499 ition was put upon his conduct by the Japanese will presently appear. At the very moment that these ships were thus unceremoniously sent away, eight American sailors were imprisoned in Japan, though possibly the fact was not then known at Jedo. They had escaped from the wreck of the whale-ship Lawrence, to one of the Japanese Kuriles, where they had landed early in June. After an imprisonment of several months, they were taken to Matsmai, and finally to Nagasaki. One of them, in an attempt to escape, was killed. At last, after seventeen months' confinement, they were given up to the Dutch at Desima, and sent to Batavia in the ship of 1847. Ac- cording to an account signed by the mate, and published in the Serampore Free Press, their usage had been very hard. On the 28th of July, the day preceding the departure of the two American ships from the buy of Jedo, two French ships of war, the frigate Cleopatra, commanded by Admiral Cecille, and a corvette, on a surveying expedition, entered the harbor of Nagasaki, for the purpose, as the admiral stated, of letting the Japanese know that the French, too, hud great ships of war ; but being surrounded by boats and refused all intercourse with the shore, they departed within, twenty-four hours. In consequence of these visits the Dutch at length communicated to the French and American governments, copies of the edict of 1843, concerning the return of shipwrecked Japanese, and surveys of the Japanese coast, already given. In September, 1848, fifteen foreign seamen arrived at Nagasaki, forwarded from Matstnai in a Japanese junk, from which they were carried in close kangos to a temple prepared for their residence, and iround which a high palisade was erected, no communication with them being allowed. Indeed, it was not without a good deal of difficulty that the director of the Dutch factory obtained leave to send them some articles of food and clothing. As none of the sailors understood Dutch, the Japanese officers who had them in charge found it difficult to communicate with them, to aid in which, the Dutch director was finally called in. Eight of the men, according to their own account, were Americans, all quite young, and seven of them Sandwich-Islanders. They stated themselves to have escaped from the wreck of the American whaler, Ladoga which, according to their account, had struck a shoai in the Sea of
- Page 455 and 456: INGENUITY OF A JAPANESE FISHERMAN.
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498 JAPAN. A. D. 18171850.<br />
" In conclusion, we have to say that <strong>the</strong> emperor positively refuses <strong>the</strong><br />
permission you desire. He earnestly advises you to depart immediately,<br />
<strong>and</strong> to consult your own safety in not appearing again upon our coast."<br />
This paper, which had nei<strong>the</strong>r address, signature nor date, was<br />
enclosed in an open envelope, on which was written, " Explanatory<br />
Edict." With respect to <strong>the</strong> delivery of it, <strong>the</strong> following circum-<br />
stance occurred, which will best be stated in <strong>the</strong> words of <strong>the</strong> com-<br />
modore's despatch :<br />
" I must now communicate an occurrence of an unpleasant char-<br />
acter. On <strong>the</strong> morning that <strong>the</strong> officer came down in <strong>the</strong> junk with<br />
<strong>the</strong> emperor's letter, I was requested to go on board <strong>the</strong> junk to<br />
receive it. I refused, <strong>and</strong> informed <strong>the</strong> interpreter that <strong>the</strong> officer<br />
must deliver on board this ship any letter that had been entrusted<br />
him for me. To this <strong>the</strong> officer assented ; but added, that my letter<br />
having been delivered on board <strong>the</strong> American ship, he thought <strong>the</strong><br />
emperor's letter should be delivered on board <strong>the</strong> <strong>Japan</strong>ese vessel.<br />
As <strong>the</strong> <strong>Japan</strong>ese officer, though attaching importance to his own<br />
proposal, had withdrawn it as soon as I objected to it, I concluded<br />
that it might be well for me to gratify him, <strong>and</strong> I informed <strong>the</strong><br />
interpreter that I would go on board <strong>the</strong> junk, <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong>re receive<br />
<strong>the</strong> letter. The interpreter <strong>the</strong>n went on board <strong>the</strong> junk, <strong>and</strong> in an<br />
hour afterwards I went alongside in <strong>the</strong> ship's boat, in my uniform.<br />
At <strong>the</strong> moment that I was stepping on board, a <strong>Japan</strong>ese on <strong>the</strong><br />
deck of <strong>the</strong> junk gave me a blow or push, which threw me back<br />
into <strong>the</strong> boat. I immediately called to <strong>the</strong> interpreter to have <strong>the</strong><br />
man seized, <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong>n returned to <strong>the</strong> ship." The interpreter <strong>and</strong> a<br />
number of <strong>Japan</strong>ese followed, who expressed great concern at what<br />
had happened, <strong>and</strong> who succeeded in convincing <strong>the</strong> commodore<br />
that his intention of coming on board had not been understood.<br />
They offered to inflict any punishment he chose on <strong>the</strong> offender ;<br />
but as to that matter he referred <strong>the</strong>m to <strong>the</strong> laws of <strong>Japan</strong> ; <strong>and</strong><br />
being satisfied that it was an individual act, without authority<br />
from <strong>the</strong> officers, he concluded to be satisfied.* What interpre-<br />
* His instructions cautioned him not to do anything " to excite a hostile<br />
feeling, or distrust of <strong>the</strong> United States." The official papers relating to<br />
this expedition, <strong>and</strong> to <strong>the</strong> subsequent one of <strong>the</strong> Preble, will be found in<br />
Senate Documents, 18511852, vol. ix. [Ex. Doc. No. 59.]