Minister to Japan, was' then spending a few months with me, and was very anxious to accompany Commodore Perry to that country, but, us the latter was under orders to allow no one to do so who was not attached to his fleet, he was unable to go, much to his disappointment. Mr. Harris had thoroughly posted hiniself about Japan, and our conversation frequently turned upon the subject, so that I took a deep interest in the expedition that was about leaving. Its results are now a matter of history. The treaty that Commodore Perry succeeded in negotiating achieved the object the U.S. Government had in view in despatching the mission, and proved to be the thin end of the wedge which ultimately opened up that country to foreign intercourse, though no immediate results of consequence accrued from it, and for some time no step of importance was made to take advantage of it in any way. At length, however, Mr. Harris, whose attention had continued to be directed to that country, succeeded in 1856 in jetting himself appointed U.S. Consul to imoda, to which place he went, and for long time, with the exception of his own interpreter and the few Dutch who were shut up in the island of Desima at Nagasaki, was the only foreigner in Japan. There he remained, for two years or so, in a state of complete isolation, and cut off from all intercourse with the rest of the world, except on rare occasions when some passing vessel chanced to touch where he was, Meanwhile he spent his time in familiarising himself with the ways of the Japanese, and, being a man of good common-sense, with a pleasing manner, and well informed not only in regard to commercial matters but in history, politics, international law and kindred subjects as well, he soon acquired great influence with the Japanese. The war which Great Britain and France were then waging against China gave Mr, Harris an excellent opportunity to turn this influence to the dest account, and he was not slow to avail himself of it, He succeeded in convincing the Japanese Government that, having finished their war with China, the allied forces would probably turn their attention to! Japan; and that it was better for them to! take time by the forelock and make a treaty with the United States which should open the country to trade, and be prepared the Governmient part of one of the ioni to make similar treaties with other powers, thus voluntarily conceding what they otherwise might ultimately have to yield to force; and Mr. Harris surprised the world, and rendered himself famous by obtaining single-handed and by his unaided efforts, treaty which caused Japan to throw off hor shell of exclusiveness, and open her beautiful islands to the intercourse of the much out of nothing, we contrived in a "Tu 1859 fore rally be} few days a very comfortable dwelling. take advantage of the opportunity, thus a foreigners gene: nto Then, from the captain of a vessel in port, we procured a stove, some mattresses, blan-afforded, for trading with and visiting the kets, &c., and our establishment was com-country, and in the last week of that year plete. A Chinaman came up to us in the I was able to gratify a long cherished street and offered his services as cook, and desire of doing so myself, and left for ashe looked like a decent fellow, we en-Nagasaki and Yokohama in the small gaged him on the spot, and a treasure he steamer Azof, Captain Gaby. There was proved to us, for he showed himself as skil-quite a number of passengers, chiefly young ful in getting up a good dinner as had the men, going over on business or for pleasure, Japanese in improvising a dwelling, with and we had a very j make-shift utensils and materials. Indeed, The Azof at her best could do only jelly passage, indeed. we fared very well, as there was an abund-four or five knots, and I remember when ant supply of oysters, fish, eggs, chickens, the captain called out in a stentorian game, &c., and plenty of sweet oranges, voice, Full speed ahead," some one ex-while with buck-wheat flour we had excel-claiming, "Don't, Gaby, don't, you will lent cakes, which are dear to the American throw us all off our legs."" Our voyage was palate; and a propos of them I may mention therefore naturally aslow one. We spent that the Japanese of both sexes often the first of January in Nagasaki, and were visited us, without ceremony, while we delighted with the place and, the people, all visitors must necessarily be." Thea were eating, and one morning, when we were at breakfast, a very pretty girl, we resumed our trip, and going by the the daughter of one of the officials, outside route, in due course reached Yoko-came in, and, having tasted our cakes, hama. A quondam Shanghai friend put me was so much pleased with them that, up in his bungalow, which was one of the as was the native custom, she asked for only two foreign-built houses there, and, in one or two for her mother, and wrapping default of beds, Thad to make myself' as them in thin paper carried them off in comfortable as I could at night by sleeping triumph. The delight of the old lady may on the floor. be imagined by those familiar with the was the site that had been article, and who know that while there is the treaties for foreign ocennothing nicer than a buckwheat cake, hot, pation, but, as it was situated on the there is hardly anything nastier than a Tokaido—the highway to the capital—the buckwheat cake, cold.
Japanese authorities feared that collisions The first foreigners who visited Japan might occur there between foreigners and made a good speculation by purchasing the trains of the Daimios who habitually traversed that road on their way to and fod, which was then ons much lower is of value compared with silver from Yedo. To rectify this mistake on than elsewhere; and when I went there their part, the Japanese set to work to silver itzeboos had a much greater pur-gather together at Yokohama such attrac-chasing power than their equivalent weight tions as should induce foreigners to forego in Mexican dollars, and indeed few of the their treaty rights, and accept, without tradesmen would take the latter at all question, the place prepared for them, except at a heavy discount. For the osten-freets lined with attractive shops filled sible purpose, therefore, of enabling for-with the varied productions of Japanese igners to secure itzeboos enough for their art were laid out, a substantial stone pier daily needs without heavy loss, the custom and an extensive custom house were con-house, at a certain hour each day, held an structed, and, lastly, long lines of wooden exchange, to dole out the required number buildings of one storey, painted black—against Mexican dollars, At first the al-which gave a most sombre appearance to lotment was made in proportion to apthe place—were run up, to serve as dwell-plications, which were supposed to repreings and godowns for such comers as might sent the household needs of the several choose to avail themselves of the accom-applicants, but such was the anxiety to modation thus ready for their use. But secure the coveted coins that many people the several foreign representatives set began, much to the astonishment of the their faces sternly against this attempt simple-minded Japanese, to ask for milli to depart from the stipulations of the each, so that the resources of the Empire treaties, alleging that it was a device would hardly have sufficed to meet the de-on the' part of the Japanese to isolate mands of a single day. When this subtle their countrymen in Yokohama, as had artifice was discovered, a new regulation was been done with the Dutch at Nagasaki. made, whereby the Japanese themselves As foreigners continued to arrive, however, determined the amount to be allotted to and found no room for them at Kanagawa, each individual according to some rule-of-they naturally drifted to Yokohama, where thumb estimate of their own, and this was provision had been made for them. So, the state of matters when''T arrived at while the ministers protested, their coun: Yokohama, All sorts of devices were then teamen continued to occupy Yokohama, resorted to, to circumvent the officials and and, instead of backing up their represent: obtain more than the regulation supply of atives, espoused the side of the Japanese, itzebvos, and, among others, the oblicers alleging that Yokohama was a much more and men of vessels in port' would draw suitable position for trade than Kanagawa, individually the number to which each was as the latter was too far removed from the entitled, and then the purser would come in anchorage, and owing to the shallowness with a list of the ship's company and draw of the water on that side of the bay could again for the entire crew. Every day the only be approached by boats of the lightest whole foreign community collected at the draught. The opposition of the ministers custom house at the appointed time, and the therefore soon ceased, and the Japanese clamour was like that of Babel, each were allowed to have their own way, which ing out for his portion, and trying to make time has shown to have been the best. it as large as possible, catching hold of the After remaining with my host for a few interpreters and officials, and pulling them days, two or three friends clubbed together about, until, getting quite bewildered, the with' me to set up an establishment. of latter' were fain to allow whatever was our own, and, all the ready-made dwelling asked for. houses having been taken, we hired from Another queer experience at the custom house was that of passing purchases for black godowns above mentioned, and with shipment, and the trouble was often more the assistance of one of the official inter-than the things were worth; all parcels had preters named Tomi—who afterwards went, to be stamped, and to get some one to do with the first Japanese embassy to America this often involved waiting for the beat and Europe, where he became well-known 3s part of the day. There was no special Tommy"—and by the aid of mats, department or office for anything, and the ud screens, and various other devices which ely way to proceed was to wait ina the Japanese use so cleverly in making passage and seize the first interpreter
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.