any rate, he was so certain she would survive his visit, that he caused to
be sent to the palace a present for her of a handsome mirror, and a quantity
of French perfumery; and left there also the gifts which he designed for
the prince, the regent, the mayor of Kapha, and other dignitaries.
The expeoted absence from the island, to which the Commodore had
alluded on his visit to the palace, was to be occasioned by an intended examination
of the Bonin Islands, a group lying to the eastward, in the neighborhood
of 141° of longitude, and presenting some points of interest for
investigation. Before our departure for these islands, however, the story of
which will be told in its place, we must finish the narrative of events on
this the first visit to Lew Chew. The old Pe-ching, who received the
Commodore on his landing to go to Shui, was, as we have already mentioned,
the same that with such exemplary patience and good nature accompanied
(as chief spy, doubtless) the exploring party in their tedious excursion of a
week over the island. Mr. Jones, the chaplain, accompanied by Mr. Taylor
and Mr Heine, having procured presents for the old man by the Commodore’s
order, and added thereto some pieces of Canton silk handkerchiefs of then-
own, went on shore and met the Pe-ching at Dr. Bettelheim’s, when matters
were satisfactorily adjusted. But on this visit, as on all previous ones, the
system of incessant watching was kept up. Five individuals, in gray
dresses, followed the American gentlemen, and sent forward a scout to warn
the people to keep out of the way, and they accordingly fled in all directions
on the approach of the strangers. There seemed to be special apprehension
of their women being seen; but in the few instances when accidentally they
became visible, they were found to be strikingly unhandsome.
During the period of stay at Lew Chew all military and naval drills
and exercises were regularly performed daily, and the harbor of Kapha was
made lively, on two days, by a general boat inspection. Seventeen boats,
fully manned and equipped, and five of them carrying twelve and twenty-
four pounders, drew up off the Susquehanna, and were reviewed by the
fleet officers. I t was a fine spectacle, and was gazed on with lively interest
by the Lew Chewans. They had never seen any thing of the kind before
within their quiet harbor.
The pursers were sent on shore, before the squadron’s departure, to settle
accounts with the treasurers of the island, and pay for such supplies as had
been furnished. By the Commodore’s order Lieutenant Contee and Mr.
Williams, the interpreter, accompanied them, carrying a number of presents,
chiefly American cotton goods. According to their past usage, the Lew
Chewans demurred to receiving any compensation for supplies; but they
were given to understand that this could not possibly be allowed; and that
American ships of war always paid the people of all nations from whom they
received supplies. After some persuasion they induced the native treasurers
to take compensation for all that had been furnished to the ships, and also
to receive the presents. The Commodore thought it was a point gained of
some importance, that they had thus, for the first time, as it is believed,
broke through their ancient custom of not receiving pay for provisions furnished
to vessels. Henceforth visitors and their hosts will stand on terms of
equality, and no superiority can be claimed, nor any exclusive policy
practised on the ground of favors done to strangers.
The daguerreotypists, Messrs. Brown and Draper, were settled on shore
in a house outside of the village of Tumai, and some of the embellishments
of this volume are illustrative of the results of their very useful labors.
Mr. Scott, of the Saratoga, (an invalid,) occupied another house, and
enjoyed an agreeable intercourse with the natives, finding no difficulty in
procuring from them abundant supplies. A tide-staff was planted, and
Midshipman Boardman, with two men, were encamped under a tent near it
to make regular observations. The rise and fall of the tide during the stay
of the vessels had averaged about six feet.
All arrangements having been finally made for a temporary absence, on
the morning of the 9th of June the Susquehanna got under way for the
Bonin Islands, having the Saratoga in tow.
The Mississippi and Supply were left at Kapha, and the Commodore
enjoined on Commander Lee, the senior officer, to cultivate the most friendly
relations with the islanders, exercising all possible forbearance and kindness
in his intercourse with the authorities and people, and to be careful to
permit none but the most orderly persons to go on shore, lest some untoward
event should mar the harmony then happily subsisting.
Passing through the southern channel the Susquehanna rounded Abbey
Point, and took a southern course around the extremity of the island. This
end of the island, though hilly and picturesque, did not appear to be either
so fertile or so well cultivated as the eastern and western shores. In the
course of the afternoon Lew Chew sank beneath the horizon, and the ship
held on her course, east by north, at the rate, of eight knots an hour. At
first she had a light wind from the southwest, which soon died away; but
presently she came within the influence of the monsoon, which filled her
sails; the drawing sails of both ships were set, and though the steamer had
the Saratoga in tow, and used but three of her boilers, she made nine and a
half knots.
The southwest monsoon still continuing, good progress was made, not-
withstanding a strong current from the eastward; and nothing occurred to
interrupt the uniformity of sea life on board, save an event which interrupts
the current of life itself alike on ship and shore. There was a death on
board the Susquehanna. When Mr. Williams came from China to join the
squadron, at Lew Chew, as interpreter, he brought with him an old Chinaman
who had been his teacher, and who, it was supposed, might be useful in
future operations; but it was verjr soon apparent that the old man’s race