on board the ship; and the governor concurring in this view, the secretary
abandoned his desperate scheme.
The plan next considered, was to detain the ship on one pretext or
another, until the forces of the neighboring princes could he collected for an
attack. In the course of the day, however, Gozeman was sent on shore with
a note, as follows | “ I have ordered my own boat to set Gozeman on shore to
prooure me water and provisions. I f he does not return before evening, I
will enter the harbor early to-morrow morning, and burn the Japanese and
Chinese vessels that may he there.”
Gozemaii's story was, that when he was taken on hoard, he demanded to
see the commander, wherenpon he was carried before a youth, seemingly
some eighteen or nineteen years old, who, taking him into the cabin, asked
him whether there were any Dutch ships in Japan, threatening him with
the severest punishment if he should deceive him. Gozeman told him
truly, that the Dutch ships had not arrived that year. The commander,
however, pretended to know better; accused the Dutohman of having
spoken untruly, and said he would enter the harbor and see for himself, and,
in case he found any, Gozeman might consider himself a dead man. Accordingly,
he did enter in his boat, and made examination, and on his return,
told Gozeman it was fortunate for him that his statement had been found
true. He then sent him on shore with the note given above, instructing him
to return, whether he obtained the supplies or not, and informing him that if
he did not come hack, his companion, who was kept on hoard, should be
hanged.
The governor was transported with rage when he heard this story, hut
was finally induced by what Doeff said to him, to send off water and provisions
by Gozeman. Soon after the two Dutchmen were sent on shore in
safety. And now the Japanese governor employed himself in taking
measures to detain the ship (as was his duty) until the pleasure of the
government could he known. But how to do this was a question not very
easy of solution. Doeff was again consulted, when he did not conceal the
difficulty, not to say the impossibility, of the capture by the Japanese of a
British frigate, in a perfect state of warlike equipment. One plan was
suggested by the prince of Omura, who promised to take the lead in its
execution, and the Japanese by no means lacked the courage necessary to
attempt it. They are a brave race. The plan was to man three hundred
boats loaded with reeds and straw and other combustibles, to surround the
frigate and burn her. The calculation was that if the English destroyed
two hundred of the boats, enough would still he left to effect the object.
The rowers were to save themselves by swimming.
But Doeff advised another course. He recommended to the governor to
amuse the commander of the ship by promises of water the next day, so as
to detain him as long as possible, and to improve the time by causing a
number of native boats to go with stones and throw them into the narrow
ohannel by which alone the ship could pass out to the open sea. This he
hoped could he done, without discovery by the English, in the course of the
next day and night; and the work was ordered; hut before anything was
accomplished, a favorable wind sprung up, and the Phaeton stood out to sea.
MaoFarlane thinks that, anywhere hut in Japan, the whole affair, having
terminated bloodlessly, would have been laughed at as a clever ruse de
guerre; hut it was no matter for mirth to the unfortunate Japanese officials.
The law of the Kingdom had been broken, and the consequence was inevitable.
In half an hour after the ship made sail, the governor of Nagasaki
was dead by his own hand; he had followed the custom of the country and
disembowelled himself. The officers of the neglected garrison did the same
thing; the interpreters were ordered to Jeddo, and never were seen again
in Nagasaki; nor could the Dutch ever learn their fate; and this “ laughable”
ruse cost no less than thirteen Japanese lives. The governor of the province
(Eizen) was the officer who had supreme command of the troops that belonged
to the garrison; and was, at the time of the Phaeton’s arrival, residing, compulsorily,
in the distant capital, (Jeddo,) yet was he punished by an
imprisonment of one hundred days for the delinquency of his subordinate
officers. The visit of the British frigate therefore brought in its train very
sad consequences, creating very strong prejudices against the English, and
to this hour it is remembered in Japan with embittered feelings.
Five years had elapsed after the visit of the English frigate before
another attempt was made. During that period the wars of Europe had
cut off the Dutch at Dezima, not only from communication with Holland
and her colonies, hut with all the rest of the world. They were in profound
ignorance of all that had passed in this interval outside of Japan.
In July, 1813, they heard with joy that two European ships under the
Dutch flag were off the port. They showed also the private Dutch signal, so
that M. Doeff had no doubt they were the long expected vessels that had
come from Batavia for the annual trade. Letters also were sent on shore
to the factory, from which he learned that M. Waardenar, formerly president
of the factory, and under whose patronage and friendship M. Doeff had commenced
his career as an employe at Dezima, was on board one of the ships in
the capacity of commissary of the government, with his secretary and physician;
and that on hoard the other was M. Cassa, accompanied by three assistants,
and charged to replace M. Doeff.
Immediately the storekeeper, Blomhoff, with another of the Dezima
officials, (they had hut three left in the whole factory,) put off to meet the
ships; and, on their return, Blomhoff told Doeff that M. Waardenar was
indeed on board, and that the Dutch captain, Yoorman, who had often been
to Dezima before commanded; “ but,” added he, “ everything aboard wore
a strange aspect; and the commissary, instead of confiding to me, as usual,