358 Geographical Collections. 



stant correspondence with tliis friend of European science, and hence the origin 

 of the failure of all my eflbrts and my hopes to enrich Europe with new informa- 

 tion on Japan. 



A personal quarrel which took place between the astronomer and one of the 

 draughtsmen employed in making copies of the maps which he was to de- 

 liver to me, and a serious ofi'ence received from the astronomer, led the draughtsman 

 to revenge himself on his chief, by accusing him of delivering to a stranger, 

 copies of the imperial maps, a thing absolutely forbidden by the Japanese laws. 

 Government received this accusation ; and the consequences were equally vexa- 

 tious to the astronomer, to all who had been useful on the occasion, as well as to 

 myself. The astronomer, his servants, the interpreters, many of my pupils, and 

 other Japanese, however slightly they had been implicated in this business, were 

 put into prison, and government instituted a severe inquiry into the affair. 



The 19th of December 1828, notice was given to me to remit to government 

 the geographical maps which I had obtained ; and as I hesitated to follow these 

 directions, they proceeded to visit my house, which this time had less unfortunate 

 results for myself than for those who had been employed upon this service. 



Having been charged, by the government of the Dutch Indian possessions, by 

 virtue of an order, dated li>th April 1825, No. 20, to make all possible researches 

 into the religion, geography, government, &c. &c. of the Japanese empire, I had 

 employed, during a residence of five years, my private fortune in acquiring all 

 the objects necessary for this knowledge, so that, previous to this unfortunate 

 event, I had in my possession a complete collection of Japanese writings, which 

 were valued at 20,000 florins, and which were destined for the museum of his ma- 

 jesty, to whom I hoped to have the honour of presenting them myself. I had also 

 obtained a great number of literary and scientific works. During four months I 

 had eluded the demands of the Japanese government, and, while endeavouring 

 not openly to displease it, I had found means to preserve the most interesting 

 part of my collections, always having some hopes of keeping them from their in- 

 quisitorial vigilance, when, on the 20th of last January, these hopes were entirely 

 frustrated — the head of the Dutch factories having received formal orders not to 

 allow of my departure previous to the termination of these inquiries. 



The Japanese government put every thing in action, from the very commence- 

 ment of this affair, in order to discover the political aim of this acquisition 

 of geographical maps. I received orders to be under strict arrest the 19th of 

 last December, whilst the interpreter whom I had employed, my pupils, my pain- 

 ter, my servants, in one word, all who had had the least relation with me, were 

 placed in more or less rigorous confinement. 



I was called, as well as my assistants, several times to appear before the go- 

 vernor and judges in this affair. I was ordered to name all who had entered into 

 the plot with me ; and it was with so much more rigour that they insisted on 

 this fact, as the papers containing my correspondence with the astronomer had 

 been seized, and government fancied that it perceived a new source of suspi- 

 cion. 



As the consequences of this business were not only of a nature to make me 

 lose the fruit of my labours, but also to threaten the life of several individuals, 

 I resolved to acknowledge the truth concerning the maps and other collections, 

 protesting that my sole intention was to extend my scientific knowledge, to 

 collect all interesting objects into a museum, and to return all that it would 

 have been impossible for me to preserve. I thus hoped to drown suspicion, and 

 to keep some precious documents which we were hitherto unacquainted with, and 

 which would have compromised others not yet suspected. 



I shall avoid making our government appear interested in my scientific mis- 

 sion; my intentions were to make the Japanese feel that my researches in 

 natural history, medicine, and the physical sciences, might be as useful to them 

 as to us. 



As it was impossible to foresee all that has happened, I flatter myself that your 



