dore’s first impulse, in fact, was to dispatch a guard of marines on shore to
arrest the Japanese officials who had been guilty, hut, upon reflection, he
determined to send his lieutenant to call upon the prefect and to lay before
him the facts of the outrage, and to insist upon the fullest explanation and
apology. The occurrence was simply this : three of the officers went ashore
to amuse themselves in the neighborhood of Simoda with their fowling-
pieces, and after a day’s shooting, which was prolonged to a late hour, they
betook themselves to one of the temples as a resting-place. As the evening
was too far advanced to think of returning to the ships, it was proposed
that the sportsmen should spend their night in the lodging apartment connected
with the monastery. With a view courteously to avoid any misunderstanding,
the officers first informed Tabroske, the interpreter, of their intention,
which was supposed to be in perfect conformity with the understanding
with the authorities, who had specifically declared that either of the
temples was at the disposition of the Commodore and his officers for a
resting-place. The three gentlemen had hardly, however, entered, and
prepared themselves for a night’s rest upon the soft mats of the apartment,
when a great noise at the entrance, and the subsequent thronging in of a
troop of soldiers, led by Tatsnoske and a number of Japanese officials,
disturbed their prospect of repose, and greatly aroused the indignation of the
officers. The Japanese intruded themselves unceremoniously into the sleeping
apartment, and rudely insisted on the Americans leaving on the instant
and returning to the ships.
Tatsnoske and another official, finding that their urgent appeals were
unheeded, left with the intention, as they said, of going to see the Commodore
in reference to the matter. In their absence, the remaining officials
and soldiers became still more rude and insolent, but were soon brought to a
civil silence and driven in fright from the apartment by the formidable attitude
of the three officers, who stood to their arms, and significantly cocked
their revolvers. There was no further interruption to the tranquillity of
the officers, but a guard was stationed in another part of the temple, where
they remained during the whole night.
The prefect was disposed at first to justify the conduct of his.subordinates
when the case was laid before him. He declared that the American
officers were in the wrong for not having given previous notice of their
intention to stay on shore, and because they had gone to a temple which had
not been especially designated for their use.
When the prefect was set right in regard to these false countercharges,
he shifted his ground, and urged that, as the treaty had not yet gone into
effect, the Americans could not yet claim the advantages it was supposed to
secure. This view was, of course, emphatically objected to, and the prefect,
moreover, was informed that the Commodore was not willing to discuss with
him the subject of the interpretation of the treaty, as it did not concern him.
I t was then proposed by the prefect that the matter complained of should be
submitted to the commissioners for their arbitration. This was peremptorily
declined, and an immediate apology for the outrage, or a categorical refusal,
insisted upon. The Japanese official was not yet willing to come directly
to the point, and lingered in the discussion of the minor details of the question,
in the course of which he stated that it was a Japanese custom to
appoint guards for the protection of strangers. He was then indignantly
told that the Americans required no such protection, as they were well able
to protect themselves on all occasions, and that one of the articles of the
treaty was framed for the express purpose of securing freedom from that
very surveillance alluded to. The prefect was then emphatically assured
that the Americans would never submit with impunity to such treatment, as
it was not only an infringement of the stipulations of the treaty, but a violation
of the laws of hospitality, and an outrage. The prefect now disavowed
the whole proceeding, saying that his subordinates had acted upon their own
responsibility and without his knowledge, and that he regretted its occurrence.
This apology was, of course, accepted, with a reminder, however, that for the
future the Commodore could make no distinction between the prefect’s own
acts and those of his subordinates, but that the former would be held responsible
in all cases.
The prefect then expressed a desire to restrict the stay of officers during
the night on shore to cases of necessity, but any such qualification of the
privilege was positively denied; and as the Japanese “ could not, of course,
judge of the necessity which might require the American officers to remain
on shore, they must decide that for themselves.”
All difficulty now being removed, there was no further interruption to
the friendly intercourse between the people of Simoda and their American
visitors. There were daily and most intimate relations with the authorities,
who seemed anxious to facilitate the views of the Commodore, and superintend
the supplying of his vessels with water, and all the provisions their
scant resources afforded. As the day was now approaching the 9th of May,
which had been appointed for meeting the Japanese officials at Hakodadi,
the Commodore took his departure for that place in his flag-ship, the Powhatan,
accompanied by the steamer Mississippi. The Macedonian, Yandalia,
and Southampton had sailed previously for the same port. The store-ship
Supply was left at Simoda. Previous to the Commodore’s departure, he had
offered a passage to the interpreter Tatsnoske, or any other Japanese personage
whose presence might be required at Hakodadi; this offer, however, was
declined, as, with their usual ceremonious obedience to their superiors, they
were fearful of taking any step, however trifling in itself, without being for
tided by the authority of the imperial government. The Commodore had
now been twenty-five days in the harbor of Simoda, and as much of his time
had been spent in tedious negotiation with the local authorities, who perti