164 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 



small cups. The attendant was directed, by signs, to wait first upon Mr. Jones, who was 

 thenceforth recognized as the head of the party. The former served us on his knees, both when 

 he offered and when he took away the cups. We remained but a few minutes, and took our 

 leave, evidently to the surprise and perjilexity of our conductors, who did not as yet comprehend 

 our object. 



On leaving Napha, we had noticed an expression of doubt and anxiety upon the faces of the 

 natives, and this rather increased as we proceeded. No remonstrance whatever was made to us, 

 but our movements were suspiciously scrutinized. When, therefore, we left the Cung-qua, and, 

 instead of returning, took our course directly onward through the city, the faces of our convoy 

 became clouded, and an expression of alarm communicated itself to those of the natives whose 

 curiosity had attracted them around us. We soon reached the gate of the citadel, at the foot ol 

 the massive walls, which, rising through groves of trees, dominate over the city. The gate was 

 closed, but had it been open, we should not have presumed to enter. The northern and eastern 

 elope of the hill is covered with splendid old trees, divided by winding, shaded avenues, on the 

 sides of which many natives were sitting, with fans in their hands. The sun, which shone out 

 hot and clear for an instant, chequered this rich, park-like scenery with strong contrasts of light 

 and shadow, and down through the depths of the trees illuminated the face of a pool of water, so 

 completely covered with the floating leaves of a species of lily as to appear like a patch of green 

 sward. We passed around the base of the citadel to its eastern side, and, after some delibera- 

 tion, took a paved road which led through the suburbs of the city in an E.S.E. direction. 

 Wherever we turned we could see scouts running in advance, and driving the inhabitants away 

 from our path, so that a silence and desertion, like that which follows pestilence, took place 

 wherever we moved. All with whom we accidentally came in contact saluted us politely, but 

 with a settled air of melancholy, which I ascribed to the surveillance exercised over them by an 

 unnatural government, rather than any ill-will towards us. 



The northern side of Sheudi is a wilderness of rich vegetation. Tlie appearance of a flourish- 

 ing cocoa-palm, now and then, showed that the climate is entirely tropical. The eastern suburb 

 of the capital is composed principally of bamboo huts, thatched with rice sti-aw. The inhabi- 

 tants were all hidden away out of sight, and blinds of split bamboo let down before the doors. 

 We took a road which led along the hills towards the southeast, and after issuing from the 

 capital, gained a ridge whence we could see a long line of the western coast, with the squadron 

 riding at anchor in the harbor of Napha. From this point the interest of the journey properly 

 commenced, as we were entering upon ground which no one before us had ever explored. The 

 limit of the excursions made by others was Sheudi, and very few succeeded in entering that capi- 

 tal. We were, therefore, greatly enlivened by the prospect before us, and pursued our way with 

 more alacrity than comported with the comfort of our disheartened conductors. 



About a mile from Sheudi, the road turned more to the east, and after passing through a 

 dense wood, came out upon a hill, whence we caught a glimpse of the sea on the eastern side. 

 A temple, apparently erected during the past year, (for it was destitute of either altar or god,) 

 stood in the shade of a clump of pines, and as it was now one o'clock we halted for refreshment. 

 Some of the natives brought water, while the men picked up sufiicient dead wood to boil our 

 kettle, and in the course of time we were regaled with tea and ship's biscuit. We offered the 

 former to the ofiicers, but they did not appear to relish it. The Lew Chew coolies, however, ate 

 heartily of the biscuit, which they had better earned than our vagabond Chinese. They gave 



