388 MATTHEW C. PERRY. 



after a voyage of five days arrived off the Bay of 

 Jeddo. The next morning the three steamers, the 

 Powhatan, Mississippi, and Susquehanna, having 

 in tow the ships Lexington, Yandalia, and Mace- 

 donian, proceeded up the magnificent bay and ap- 

 proached their former anchorage above the city of 

 Uraga. The vessels presented a formidable appear- 

 ance, and produced a. .powerful impression on the 

 Japanese ; who beheld with mingled feelings of won- 

 der and apprehension this strange and bold squa- 

 dron approaching within an hour's sail of their very 

 capital. 



In a short time Japanese officers of high rank 

 were conveyed by state-barges on board the Ame- 

 rican ships. Their object was, if possible, to induce 

 the commodore to withdraw his squadron at least 

 as far in the rear as the city of Uraga. In this 

 effort they failed; for Commodore Perry adhered to 

 his original purpose of acting with great indepen- 

 dence, and again threatened that, if the imperial 

 commissioners would not treat with him at Uraga, 

 ne should immediately push his squadron up to the 

 gates of Jeddo. This decisive threat appeared for 

 a time to suspend all further intercourse. After 

 waiting in vain for some days for further communi- 

 cation from the Japanese, Commodore Perry began 

 to put his threat into execution, and sailed so far up 



