CAS THE VOYAGE OF THE VEGA. [chap. 



if health or the wish to prosecute researches be given as the 

 reason, it being possible perhaps to include common love of 

 travelling under the latter head. Commercial travelling is not 

 yet jDcrmitted in the interior, nor is the right of settling for the pur- 

 pose of carrying on business granted to Europeans, The foreign 

 ambassadors have often entered into negotiations in order to bring 

 about a change on this point, but hitherto without success, be- 

 cause the Government, as a condition for the complete opening 

 of the country, require the abrogation of the unreasonable " extra- 

 territorial" arrangement which is in force, and by which the 

 foreigner is not subject to the common laws and courts of Japan, 

 but to the laws of his own country, administered by consular 

 courts. An alteration in this point may however be brought 

 about in a short time, as Japan will soon be sufficiently powerful 

 to be able to abrogate all the injurious paragraphs in her treaties 

 with the civilised countries of Europe. Now, besides, the 

 ambassadors of the foreign j)owers, who in former times all acted 

 together, have divided into two parties, of which one — Russia 

 and America — wishes, or at least feigns to wish, gradually to free 

 Japan from all tutelage and to place it on an equality with other 

 civilised countries ; the other again — England, Germany, Holland, 

 and France — wishes still to retain the guardianship, which 

 was established by violence, and confirmed by treaty several 

 years ago. 



Shortly before our arrival a quarrel took j)lace between Japan 

 and the European powers about, as the Japanese themselves said, 

 a breach of international law, which caused much irritation in 

 the country. A German vessel coming from Nagasaki, where 

 the cholera was racjingr on the advice of the German minister 

 broke the quarantine prescribed by the Government, and without 

 further precautions discharged her cargo in the harbour of 

 Yokohama. That the cholera in this town was thereby 77iade worse 

 is indeed not only unproved but also undoubtedly incorrect, 

 though many Japanese in their irritation positively affirmed that 

 this was the case ; but the words that were uttered by Japan's 

 feted guest, ex-President General Grant,^ that the Japanese 

 Government had the right without more ado to sink the vessel, 

 have left a memory in the minds both of the Government and of 

 the people, which may in the future lead them to a perhaps 

 unwise but fully justified exertion of their strength were such 

 a deed to be repeated. 



The first impression of the Japanese, both men and women, 

 is exceedingly pleasant, but many Europeans who have lived 

 a considerable time in the country say that this impression is not 

 maintained, a circumstance which in my belief depends more on 



^ General Grant, as is well known, visited Japan in the autumn of 1879. 

 He left Yokohama the day after the Vega anchored in its harbour. 



