78 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 



supjDose tliat the enterprise had been abandoned simply from the delay in its departure. More 

 than nine months had passed beyond the time when the chief of the Bureau of Construction 

 and Equipment had promised that the Princeton should be ready, before that vessel was reported 

 as completed; and when thus reported, she was found, on trial, to be utterly inefficient for the 

 intended service, owing to the imperfection of her boilers. Some new, and in this country 

 untried, plan had been adopted in their construction or arrangement, and the experiment cost 

 the expedition the loss of a year. The Princeton never formed part of the squadron, as the 

 Powhatan was substituted for her. 



Amid these vexatious delays, however, the Commodore was not idle. While he was waiting 

 for the completion of the Princeton, the misunderstanding arose concerning the fisheries in the 

 Gulf of St. Lawrence, and it became necessary to dispatch an armed vessel to that region. The 

 Mississippi was ready for sea, and Commodore Perry was ordered to repair in her to the fishing 

 grounds, and assist in amicably adjusting the respective rights of the English and American 

 fishermen. Having performed this duty satisfactorily to the government, he returned to New 

 York, earnestly hoping that he should find removed all obstacles to his speedy departure on his 

 mission to the East. 



As soon as it was publicly announced that the United States had resolved on sending an 

 expedition to Japan, applications came from all quarters of the civilized world for permission to 

 take part in the service. Literary and scientific men, European as well as native, and travellers 

 by profession, eagerly sought to accompany the expedition; and extraordinary infiuences, in 

 some instances, were brought to bear upon our government inducing it to second some of the 

 applications thus made ; but Commodore Perry resolutely persisted in an unqualified refusal to 

 all such requests. 



And here it may be well to explain the grounds of sucli refusal. The duties confided to the 

 commander were of a peculiar nature, and required the most prudent and delicate management 

 on his part. He had his own views of what he had to accomplish and of the best mode of 

 doing it ; and an essential element to success was the possession of absolute authority for the 

 time being. It was indispensable that the most exact order and discipline should be main- 

 tained. To effect this, strict military control would be necessary; but civilians could not be 

 expected to submit patiently to the restraints of naval discipline, to the confinement on ship 

 board, and to the sanitary regulations necessary to preserve health in crowded ships. 



But, further, after the accommodation of the proper officers of the vessels there would be but 

 little room left for that of scientific men, who were accustomed to the comforts and conveniem es 

 of life on shore, with abundant space for their books and instruments ; and beside, they would 

 severely feel the disappointment of not being able to go and come at their pleasure, when 

 curiosity and their scientific researches might make it desirable, to say nothing of the embar- 

 rassments they might cause to the commander when they did land, by collisions with the 

 people, arising from inadvertence or experience. 



But paramount as a ground of refusal was the fact that the object of the expedition was not 

 scientific, but naval and diplomatic ; to attempt both would probably be to succeed in neither. 

 If one, the last named, were prosecuted to a favorable result, the door would then be opened for 

 success in the other. At any rate, the commander thought it would be best to do one thing at 

 a time, and that the one thing confided to him for performance, must take precedence of every 

 thing else. 



