378 MATTHEW C. PERRY. 



apparently of signalizing the authorities at the 

 capital; whose extreme suburbs could be readily 

 discovered by the use of a glass in the distance. 

 An immense fleet of government boats, each carry- 

 ing a white flag at the stern, adorned with a black 

 central stripe, and with an immense tassel at the 

 bow, began to surround the vessels. These boats 

 cleaved the waters with great swiftness, being pro- 

 pelled by skilful oarsmen. One of them carried a 

 government dignitary of high rank, whose purpose 

 it was to inform the commander of the squadron 

 that it was a violation of their laws, which waa 

 utterly unheard-of and unpardonable, for foreign 

 vessels thus to approach the very capital of the Em- 

 pire ; and to demand that they should immediately 

 retire as far as Nagasaki, in the island of Kiosu, 

 which was the only place whence communications 

 would be received. 



The commodore replied that he could not comply 

 with such demands ; that he bore a letter from the 

 President of the United States to the Emperor of 

 Japan, proposing the establishment of a commercial 

 treaty between the two countries ; that if the fleet 

 of native boats did not immediately remove from 

 the vicinity of the squadron, he would disperse 

 tnem with his guns ; and that, if further objection 

 was made to his presence at Uraga, he would steam 



