MATTHEW C. PERRY. 391 



tions by stating that it was the Japanese custom on 

 euch occasions to speak slowly. He then handed 

 the commodore a long roll of paper. It proved to 

 be the answer of the imperial government to the 

 Better of the President. This letter stated that, at 

 the former visit of his excellency the commander 

 of the American squadron, the late Emperor of 

 Japan was sick, and was then dead; that subse- 

 quently his majesty the present emperor ascended 

 the throne; that many important interests of the 

 empire had since his accession occupied his at- 

 tention ; that the new emperor, at his accession, 

 promised to the princes and high officers of the 

 empire to observe the existing laws ; and that the 

 usages of their ancestors absolutely forbade any 

 sudden changes to be made in the administration 

 of the laws or the government of the empire ; that, 

 nevertheless, the spirit of the age required that 

 some concessions should be made to it; and that 

 consequently his imperial majesty had determined 

 to accede to some of the requests contained in the 

 letter of his majesty the President of the United 

 States, and to ordain that a harbor should be ap- 

 propriated for American ships, in order that they 

 might there be supplied with coal, wood, water, 

 provisions, and other necessaries ; and that all the 

 various productions of the empire which misjht 



