same stratagem was resorted to, the same commercial profit was seoured by
the wily Dutchman, and Cassa failed entirely in superseding M. Doeff as director
of Dezima. The latter was more than a match for him in the game of
cunning and trickery by whioh each sought to countermine the stratagems of
the other. Doeff kept Dezima : and for a time the flag of Holland floated
nowhere else in the world but on that distant spot, where it was unfurled by
sufferance only. At last, after the restoration of the house of Orange, and
the return of Java to the Dutch, the old trade was resumed, and Doeff was
succeeded by a new director.
In 1818, another attempt was made in a little vessel of sixty-five tons,
that was commanded by Captain Q-ordon, of the British navy. She entered
the bay of Jeddo, and was immediately surrounded with the usual line
of boats. Her rudder was unshipped, and all her arms and ammunition were
taken ashore. The interpreters, one of whom spoke Dutch, and one Russian,
and both some English, inquired if the Dutch and English were now friends,
and if the vessel belonged to the East India Company ? They were quite
civil, but utterly refused all presents and trade. The last English visit,
prior to the time of the United States expedition under Commodore Perry,
was in May, 1849. This was made by H. M. S. “ Mariner,” under Commander
Matheson. She went to Oragawa, about twenty-five miles from Jeddo,
but nothing of importance resulted from the visit.
THE RUSSIANS.
The efforts of Russia to obtain foothold in Japan commenced in the latter
part of the last century. Her possessions in Asia, her seizure and occupation
of some of the Kurile islands which belonged to Japan, and her small
portion of territory in America, in the colony at Sitka, have placed her on
every side of the Japanese Empire but the south. She has pursued her policy
noiselessly; possibly meaning at the proper time to make her communications
as complete as circumstances will allow between her Asiatic and American
possessions. With Corea, Japan, and the Aleutian islands, stretching
over to the promontory of Alaska on our northwest coast, and with a strong
point at Sitka, she might be in a situation to show the world that her plans
of extension were by no means confined to the limits of the Eastern hemisphere.
With harbors on the coast of Eastern Asia and Western America,
opening on a sea which must be the seat of an immense and lucrative commerce,
she might aim to be a great maritime power, and to rule mistress of
the Pacific. I f she possessed Japan, she would have an abundance of harbors,
unrivalled in the world for excellency, and with her resources would control the
commerce of the Pacific. I t is not, therefore, the interest of any part of the
commercial world that Russia should ever own Japan; but Russia has, doubtless,
seen the importance to her of its acquisition. I f she aims at being a
commercial nation, the possession of Japan would make her eminently so.
Some seventy or eighty years ago, a Japanese vessel was wrecked on one
of the Aleutian islands belonging to Russia. The crew was rescued, and
was carried to the Russian port of Okotsk, or Irkutzk. But, instead of
being sent home at once, they were detained in Russia ten years. The object
undoutedly was, that the Japanese and Russians might learn each others’
languages. I t seemed to be a small matter, but it had a specific end. At
last, the discovery was made that it would be humane to attempt, at least,
the return of these poor shipwrecked Japanese to their country. Russia,
probably, was ignorant that they would be refused admission. Had they
been sent ten years before, the consequences would have been the same; but
Russia did not know this; and beside, her later effort deprives her of any
apology for her tardy humanity.
The Empress Catharine, however, directed the governor of Siberia to
send them back, and to endeavor through their instrumentality, to establish
such mutual relations as might tend to the benefit of both nations. He was
ordered to dispatch an envoy, in his own name, with credentials and suitable
presents; and was expressly forbidden to permit any Englishman or Dutchman
to be employed in the work. A Russian lieutenant, named Laxman,
was the agent employed, and in the autumn of 1792, he sailed from Okotsk,
in a transport ship called the “ Catharine.” He soon made a harbor on the
northern coast of the island of Jesso, and there wintered; in the succeeding
summer he went round to the southern coast of the same island, and entered
the harbor of Hakodadi. The Japanese were polite, but refused to take
back their countrymen, informing Laxman that it was against their laws.
They also told him that he had subjected himself and his crew, as being
foreigners, to perpetual imprisonment for landing anywhere in the Kingdom
except at the appointed port of Nagasaki; yet, in consideration of the
Russian ignorance of this law, and of their kindness to the shipwrecked
Japanese, they would not enforce the law, provided Lieutenant Laxman
would , promise for himself and his countrymen to return immediately to his
own country, and never again come to any part of Japan but Nagasaki.
Laxman left without landing the Japanese, and the Empress Catharine
made no further attempt during her reign. In 1804, her grandson, the
Emperor Alexander, renewed the effort. A government ship, commanded
by Krusenstern, was sent to Nagasaki, having on board Resanoff, sent as
special ambassador to Japan. He had hardly arrived, however, before he
furnished abundant evidence of his unfitness for the delicate mission with
whioh he was intrusted. He commenced his intercourse with the Japanese
officials by a dispute on a ridiculous point of etiquette, viz: whether he
should make a bow to the Emperor’s representatives. Next he positively
refused to surrender the arms of the ship, according to the usual custom,