194 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 



certain that she would survive his visit that he caused to he sent to the palace a present for her 

 of a handsome mirror, and a quantity of French perfumery ; and left there also the gifts which 

 he designed for the prince, the regent, the mayor of Napha, and other dignitaries. 



The expected ahsence from the island, to which the Commodore had alluded on his visit to 

 the palace, was to be occasioned by an intended examination of the Bonin Islands, a group lying 

 to the eastward, in tlie neighborhood of 141° of longitude, and presenting some points of 

 interest for investigation. Before our departure for tliese islands, however, the story of which 

 will he told in its place, we must finish the narrative of events on this the first visit to Lew 

 Chew. The old Pe-ching, who received the Commodore on his landing to go to Shui, was, as 

 we have already mentioned, the same that with such exemplary patience and good nature 

 accompanied (as chief spy, doubtless) the exploring party in their tedious excursion of a week 

 over tlie island. Mr. Jones, the chaplain, accompanied by Mr. Taylor and Mr. Heine, having 

 procured presents for the old man by the Commodore's order, and added thereto some pieces of 

 Canton silk handkerchiefs of their own, went on shore and met the Pe-ching at Dr. Bettelheim's, 

 when matters were satisfactorily adjusted. But on this visits as on all previous ones, the 

 system of incessant watching was kept up. Five individuals, in gray dresses, followed the 

 American gentlemen, and sent forward a scout to warn the people to keep out of the way^ and 

 they accordingly fled in all directions on the approach of the strangers. There seemed to be 

 special apprehension of their women being seen ; but in the few instances when accidentally 

 they became visible, they were found to be strikingly unhandsome. 



During the period of stay at Lew Chew all military and naval drills and exercises were 

 regularly performed daily, and the harbor of Napha was made lively, on two days, by a general 

 boat inspection. Seventeen boats, fully manned and equipped, and five of them carrying twelve 

 and twenty-four pounders, drew up oif the Susquehanna, and were reviewed by the fleet officers. 

 It was a fine spectacle, and was gazed on with lively interest by the Lew Chewans. They had 

 never seen any thing of the kind before within their quiet harbor. 



The pursers were sent on shore, before the squadron's departure, to settle accounts with the 

 treasurers of the island, and pay for such supplies as had been furnished. By the Commodore's 

 order Lieutenant Contee and Mr. Williams, the interpreter, accompanied them, carrying a 

 number of presents, chiefly American cotton goods. According to their past usage the Lew 

 Chewans demurred to receiving any compensation for supplies ; but they were given to under- 

 stand that this could not possibly be allowed; and that American ships of war always paid the 

 people of all nations from whom they received supplies. After some persuasion they induced 

 the native treasurers to take compensation for all that had been furnished to the ships, and also 

 to receive the presents. The Commodore thought it was a point gained of some importance, 

 that they had thus, for the first time, as it is believed, broke through their ancient custom of 

 not receiving pay for provisions furnished to vessels. Henceforth visitors and their hosts will 

 stand on terms of equality, and no superiority can be claimed, nor any exclusive policy practised 

 on the ground of favors done to strangers. 



The daguerreotypists, Messrs. Brown and Draper, were settled on shore in a house outside of 

 the village of Tumai, and some of the embellishments of this volume are illustrative of the 

 results of their very useful labors. Mr. Scott, of the Saratoga, (an invalid,) occupied another 

 house, and enjoyed an agreeable intercourse with the natives, finding no difiiculty in procuring 

 from them abundant supplies. A tide-staff was planted, and Midshipman Boardman, with two 



