INTRODUCTION. 61 



Pearls. — These are fislied up on nearly all jiarts of the coast, and are frequently large and 

 beautiful. The Chinese taught the natives their value, by offering them very high prices for 

 the linest qualities. 



Mother of pearl, corals, ambergris and uaptha are also to be enumerated among tlie articles 

 of export. 



Forest and fruit trees. — The most common forest trees are the fir and the cypress; and so 

 sensible are the Japanese of the necessity of preserving their timber trees, that neither of those 

 above named can be cut but by permission of the local magistrate ; and the law requires that for 

 every full grown tree that is felled a young one must be planted. The cedar grows to an 

 immense size ; sometimes more than eighteen feet in circumference. An English ship at Nao-asaki 

 within a recent period, wanted some small Spars ; they were furnished ; all were cedar, about 

 ninety-six feet long. This tree would, no doubt, prove a very valuable article of export. 



There are two varieties of oak, both good and both diiferent from the oaks of Europe. The 

 acorns of one kind are boiled and eaten for food, and are said to be both jialatable and nutritious. 



The mulberry grows wild in great abundance ; but it is so useful that the people transplant 

 and cultivate it. Of the varnish tree we have already spoken. 



The camphor tree is valuable and lives to a great age. Siebold visited one which Charlevoix 

 had described as having been seen by him one hundred and thirty-five years before. It was 

 healthy and covered with foliage, with a circumference of fifty feet. The country people make 

 the camphor by a decoction of the root and stems cut into small pieces. 



The chestnut and walnut are both found, and the former yields excellent fruit. There is also 

 the pepper tree, or a tree which bears a species of pepper. 



Of fruit trees, there are the orange, the lemon, the fig, the plum, the cherry, and the apricot. 

 The plum and cherry, however, are not cultivated as much for their fruit as for their flowers. 

 The vine is very little cultivated; and of the tea plant we have already spoken. 



Having thus endeavored to furnish the reader with a condensed view of the leading features 

 that characterize the past progress and present condition of Japan, we would at once proceed to 

 the narrative of the expedition ; but there is a duty which we owe to our country and which 

 we will now endeavor to perform. 



Of certain events which have transpired since the successful expedition under Commodore 

 Perry, or occurred during its progress, it is due to the claims of truth that something should be 

 said. It had been more gratifying to us to be silent on the topics to which we are about to 

 allude ; but official publications by other nations, as well as by some individuals, have been put 

 forth, the obvious purpose of which is to deprive our country and her officers of whatever merit 

 may attach to the fact that the United States were the first, by peaceful negotiations, to cause an 

 alter tion in the policy of excluding foreigners hitherto pursued by Japan. 



On the 24th of November, 1852, Commodore Perry left our shores on his mission to Japan. 

 Taat such a mission had been resolved on by our government was announced to the world some 

 twelve months before the time of its leaving, and had formed the subject of comment in more than 

 one country of Europe. The general opinion abroad was that the mission would, like the many 

 others that had been attempted by various powers, pi'ove fruitless. Dr. Von Siebold, in jiar- 

 ticular, whose long residence in Japan was supposed to give great importance to his opinions, 

 thus wrote to a friend concerning it: " My mind accompanies the expedition. That it will be 

 successful by peaceful means I doubt very much. If / could only inspire Commodore Perry, he 



