about their waists. Toward night, however, the men clothed themselves
with loose gowns, some of red and others of blue, with hanging sleeves,
upon which were white stripes meeting in an angle at the shoulders. On
their backs were emblazoned coats of arms, or some insignia, in black and
other colors. Most of them were bareheaded and showed the hair to have
been shaved on the crown, while that on the sides had been allowed to grow
long and was worn plastered with some species of ointment and fastened up
into a knot on the bald spot upon the top of the head. A few, however,
wore caps of bamboo, in shape like a shallow basin inverted, and reminding
one of Mambrino’s helmet. In some of the boats the men bore tall poles,
surmounted by a cruciform ornament, which seemed to indicate some military
office. The men in authority, wore light lacquered hats, with a coat
of arms in front, probably signifying their official rank and position. The
rowers stood to their oars, which worked on pivots upon the sides of the
boat near the stern, and they handled them with such skill and effect that
they approached the ships very rapidly, shouting loudly as they came. At
the stern of eaoh boat was a small flag, with three horizontal stripes in it, a
white one on either side, and a black one in the middle, while in many of
the boats there was, beside, an additional flag, with symbols upon it. One
or two persons, armed each with two swords at their sides, stood in the
boats, and were evidently men of rank and authority.
One of the boats came alongside of the flag-ship, and it was observed
that a person on board had a scroll of paper in his hand, which the officer
of the Susquehanna refused to receive, but which was held up to be read
alongside of the Mississippi, when it was found to be a document in the
French language, which conveyed an order to the effect that the ships should
go away, and not anchor at their peril. The chief functionary, as his boat
reached the side of the Susquehanna, made signs for the gangway ladder to
be let down. This was refused, but Mr. Williams, the Chinese interpreter,
and Mr. Portman, the Dutch, were directed to state to him that the Commodore
would not receive any one but a functionary of the highest rank,
and that he might return on shore. As there seemed to be some difficulty
in making progress in the Japanese language, one on board the boat alongside
said, in very good English, “ I can speak Dutch.” Mr. Portman then
commenced a conversation with him in that language, as his English seemed
to have been exhausted in the first sentence. He appeared to be perfectly
familiar with the Dutch, however, and commenced a very brisk volley of
questions, many of which were not responded to. He asked if the ships
came from America, and seemed to have expected them. He was very pertinacious
in urging to be allowed to come on board, but was constantly refused
permission, and was told that the commander of the squadron was of
the highest rank, in the service to which he belonged, in the United States,
and could confer only with the highest in rank at Uraga. He then stated that
the vice-governor of Uraga was in the boat, and pointed to one of those in
authority at his side, who, he said, held the highest position in the city, and
was the proper person to be received. He was now asked why the gover-
nor himself did not come off, to which he replied that he was prevented by
the laws from going on board ships in the roads; and proposed that the
Commodore should appoint an officer of corresponding rank with the vice-
governor to confer with him, as he was desirous of communicating to the
government the object of the squadron’s visit. The Commodore, after some
intentional delay, consented to this request, and appointed his aid, Lieutenant
Contee, to receive him. The gangway-ladder was accordingly lowered,
and the vice-governor, Nagazima Saboroske, accompanied by his interpreter,
Hori Tatsnoske, who spoke Dutch, came on board, and was received
in the captain’s cabin, where a conference was held, in fact, with the Commodore,
who, however, studiously kept himself seoluded in his own cabin,
and communicated with the Japanese through his aid only.
I t was directed that the dignitary should be informed that the Commodore,
who had been sent by his country on a friendly mission to Japan, had
brought a letter from the President of the United States, addressed to the
Emperor, and that he wished a suitable officer might be sent on board his
ship to receive a copy of the same, in order that a day might be appointed
for the Commodore formally to deliver the original. To this be replied
that Nagasaki was the only place, according to the laws of Japan, for negotiating
foreign business, and it would be necessary for the squadron to go
there. In answer to this he was told that the Commodore had come purposely
to Uraga because it was near to Tedo, and that he should not go to
Nagasaki ; that he expected the letter to be duly and properly received
where he then was; that his intentions were perfectly friendly, but that he
would allow of no indignity ; and would not permit the guard-boats which
were collecting around the ships to remain where they were, and if they
were not immediately removed, the Commodore declared that he would disperse
them by force. When this was interpreted to him, the functionary
suddenly left his seat, went to the gangway, and gave an order which caused
most of the boats to return to the shore; but a few of them still remaining
in clusters, an armed boat was sent from the Bhip to warn them away by
gestures, and at the same time to show their arms; this had the desired effect,
as all of them disappeared, and nothing more was seen u f them near
the ships during the stay of the squadron. This, as says the Commodore,
was the first important point gained. The vice-governor shortly afterward
took his leave, saying, as he departed, that he had no authority to promise
any thing respecting the reception of the President’s letter, but in the
morning an officer of higher rank would come from the city, who might
probably furnish some further information.
The policy of the Commodore, it will be seen, was to assume a resolute