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340 HONDA THE SAMURAI.
exchanged for what men brought from the United
States and Europe in their ships. Hundreds of
Japanese merchants were already in a high state
of glee because they thought they would now in-
deed make their fortunes which they had so long
expected. Already in their dreams the treasure-
ships, with big sails bent, were coming from afar.
Great as was the commercial enterprise at Yokohama
the political innovation in Yedo was startling ;
for in the very heart of the great city was estab-
lished, on the seventh of July, the legation of the
United States of America, and the flag of the stars
and stripes was hoisted over it. Soon also the flags
of Great Britain, of France, and of Holland showed
that the hated foreigner had established himself in
the Holy Country. There was also a great deal of
business done between the government offices, for
already difficulties concerning the exchange of native
and foreign coins had emerged. Japan's cur-
rency and metallic money was in a condition interesting to the
very
curator of a museum or a collector
of curiosities, but hardly suited to quick and
accurate business. There were forty-nine different
coins in circulation ; twenty-three in gold, nineteen
in silver, five in copper, and two in iron. In shape
they were round, oval, square, oblong, bullet-shaped,
and with or without a hole cut or molded in the
center. Besides the various coins which, even when
honest, varied in weight and purity, there were the
issues of paper money from no fewer than twentythree
provinces, or fiefs of daimios. With coin de-