Tkeshiro Oyakata and others, of Loochoo, reverently make the following petition, Ibis the natural instinct of man, when in great distress, to pray for relief cit to heaven or his parents, We are in this state of tre and as our own power is ineffectual to relieve us, we make the following prayer from our hearts, in hopes that you may take pity upon ne and hear it.
The kingdom of Loochoo is a group of islands lying to the southward of Japan, weak of itself to preserve ite inde: pendence, having neither army nor navy, Neither does the island produce a sufficient amount of food and articles of daily uso to enable it to support ite people without assistance from. larger nations. The i ful for all the compassion the countries on which ended, and their earnest course of action which this into question, From the king down to the commoners allure taught the precepts of propriety, These atend us in the stead of army and navy, food and furniture, and to them we owe it that our country has been preserved to us, There islands, bei ated between Great Japan and Gr dependen 1dth year of Keicho 14 China since the Sth year of Kobu of the Ming dynasty (A. D. 1872.) This is written in our chronicles, and known to all, Since the Restoration and the establishment of the new Government in Japan, we have received increased protection and all classes from the king down to the commoners, tude, and hope observance of truth and propriety may secure to us the privilege of this protection.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.