was ordered to depart within twenty-four hours. This unceremonious treatment
of the English was, undoubtedly, owing to the Dutch. England had
made great conquests in India, and securely established her power in the
east; some of these conquests, too, were made at the expense of the Dutch.
Under Clive and Warren Hastings all the fond anticipations the Hollanders
had formed of a foothold in India had been dissipated. They could not accomplish
their wishes, but they could use the very triumphs of their rivals
as an instrument in defeating the English eiforts to increase their trade.
This was to he effected by awakening the jealousy and alarming the apprehensions
of the Japanese. These last were uncommonly well informed of
the progress of events in India, from the time of Clive downward. Where
could they have learned them hut from the Dutch ? The Hollanders told
the story with such coloring as suited them; whitewashing their own disgraces
and defeats, and covering with blackness the acts of their successful rivals.
They thus taught the Japanese to form an idea of the English character and
ambition perfectly fatal to the establishment of friendly relations. And, unfortunately,
in many instances, (one of which, in Japan, we shall detail directly,)
the English were furnishing them, from time to time, with abundant
material We do not mean to apologise for England’s misdoings in the east;
but we do mean to impute to the Dutch the seeming pursuit, from the very beginning,
of a uniform system of policy which, whether it he so or not, appears,
at least, to have sought the exclusion of Portuguese, English, Americans, and
every other commercial nation in Christendom, from any participation in the
trade with Japan, of which, at the price of a servility utterly unworthy of the
noble deeds of Holland’s past history, she had procured the monopoly.
The next English visit we have to record is that of an armed ‘ship-of-war,
in 1808. In October of that year an European vessel, with Dutch colors,
appeared off Nagasaki. I t was the time when the usual Dutch trader was
expected, and M. Doeff was then director of the factory at Dezima. Supposing
it to he the expected annual trader from Batavia, two of the employes
of the factory, one of whom was a book-keeper, named Gozeman, put off to
the ship; according to DoefPs account, the native interpreters, who never
went on board, reported on their return that the ship’s boat put off on the
approach of the boat containing the two Dutch clerks, as if to meet them ;
and that the crew of the ship’s boat had weapons concealed on their persons.
The Japanese boat, with the interpreters, was astern of that from the factory.
As the boats approached, that of the Dutchmen was boarded from the other,
and the two employes were forcibly carried, as prisoners, on board the ship.
Be this as it may, certain it is that Gozeman and his companion did not return,
and that they were detained on board of the strange vessel. The Japanese
could not conceal their astonishment, nor understand how Hollanders, in
that part of the Kingdom where they were permitted to be, and lawfully
employed, too, could be thus treated by men sailing under the Dutch flag.
Doeff, however, instantly, suspected that the vessel was English, and he knew
that war then existed between his own country and England.
The governor of Nagasaki, enraged beyond measure, had driven the Japanese
interpreters from his presence, and bade them not dare appear before
him again without Gozeman and his companion; and instantly set about
making preparations for repelling a warlike attack. But, to his horror, he
discovered that, at a strong point on the harbor, where there should have
been a garrison of a thousand men, nearly all were absent without leave; the
commander was away, and not more than sixty or seventy soldiers could be
mustered. Though it was not the governor’s duty to command this point in
person, yet to him belonged its oversight; and from the moment he discovered
its condition he considered himself as a dead man.
At eleven o’olock that night, Doeff received a note in the hand-writing
of one of the detained Dutchmen, in these words: “ The ship has come from
Bengal. The captain’s name is Pellew; he wants water and provisions.”
The vessel was H. M. S. Phaeton, belonging to the squadron of Admiral
Drury, cruising in the eastern seas. As we have said, England was at war
with Holland, which at that time was a mere dependency of France. The
Admiral had ordered Captain Fleetwood Pellew to cruise off the Japanese
islands, for the purpose of intercepting the Dutch traders of Nagasaki. Captain
Pellew, after cruising for a month, supposed that the Dutch vessels
might have reached the harbor of Nagasaki, and put in to that port in the
hope of finding them there.
Doeff did not dare to. send off water and provisions without the concurrence
of the Japanese, governor; and when the latter asked his advice about acceding
to the request, he declined giving it, and said he could give no support
to any request made by one whom he now knew to be the enemy of his
country.
In the midst of the embarrassment and confusion of the poor governor,
his first secretary made his appearance to submit a proposition, strikingly
characteristic of some of the traits of Japanese character : “ This,” said he,
“ is my plan. The foreign ship has entrapped the Dutchmen by treachery;
therefore, all means are lawful to punish the treachery. I will contrive, then,
to go on board alone under the guise of friendly professions. I will demand
of the captain the two Dutchmen; if he will not surrender them, I will strike
him dead, and then immediately kill myself with a dagger which I will conceal
in my bosom. I know that assassination is repugnant to our national
character ; but the English commander, who has thus dishonorably invaded
our country to attack those whose flag he has usurped for his protection, is
worthy of no better fate. In short, to punish him, I am quite willing to
sacrifice my life.”
M. Doeff, however, represented to him that the consequence of this plan
would certainly be his own death, and probably that of the two Dutchmen