234 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 



One of the boats came alongside of tlie flag-ship, and it was observed tliat a person on board 

 bad a scroll of paper in bis band, wbicb tbe officer of the Susquehanna refused to receive, bait 

 which was held iip to be read alongside of the Mississippi, when it was found to be a document 

 in the French language, which conveyed an order to the effect that the ships should go away, 

 and not anchor at their peril. The chief functionary, as his boat reached the side of the 

 Susquehanna, made signs for the gangway ladder to be let down. This was refused, but Mr. 

 Williams, the Chinese interjjreter, and Mr. Portman, the Dutch, were directed to state to him 

 that the Commodore would not receive any one but a functionary of the highest rank, and that 

 he might return on shore. As there seemed to be some difficulty in making progress in the 

 Japanese language, one on board the boat alongside said, in very good English, "I can speak 

 Dutch." Mr. Portman then commenced a conversation with him in that language, as his 

 English seemed to have been exhausted in the first sentence. He appeared to be perfectly 

 familiar with the Dutch, however, and commenced a very brisk volley of questions, many of 

 which were not responded to. He asked if the ships came from America, and seemed to have 

 expected them. He was very pertinacious in urging to be allowed to come on board, but was 

 constantly refused j^ermission, and was told that the commander of the squadron was of the 

 highest rank, in the service to which he belonged, in the United States, and could confer 

 only with the highest in rank at Uraga. He then stated that the vice-governor of Uraga 

 was in the boat, and pointed to one of those in authority at his side, who, he said, held 

 the highest position in the city, and was the proj)er person to be received. He was now 

 asked why the governor himself did not come off, to which he replied that he was prevented 

 by the laws from going on board ships in the roads ; and proposed that the Commodore 

 should appoint an officer of corresponding rank with the vice-governor to confer with him, 

 as he was desirous of communicating to the government the object of the squadron's visit. 

 The Commodore, after some intentional delay, consented to this request, and appointed his 

 aid, Lieutenant Contee, to receive him. The gangway-ladder was accordingly lowered, and 

 the vice-governor, Nagazima Saboroske, accompanied by his interprerer, Hori Tatsnoske, who 

 spoke Dutch, came on board, and was received in the captain's cabin, where a conference was 

 held, in fact, with the Commodore, who, however, studiously kept himself secluded in his own 

 cabin, and communicated with the Japanese through his aid only. 



It was directed that the dignitary should be informed that the Commodore, who had been 

 sent by his country on a friendly mission to Japan, had brought a letter from the President of 

 the United States, addressed to tbe Emperor, and that he wished a suitable officer might 

 be sent on board his ship to receive a copy of the same, in order that a day might 

 be appointed for the Commodore formally to deliver the original. To this he replied that 

 Nagasaki was the only place, according to the laws of Japan, for negotiating foreign business, 

 and it would be necessary for the squadron to go there. In answer to this he was told that the 

 Commodore had come purposely to Uraga because it was near to Yedo, and that he sJiouId not 

 go to Nagasaki ; that he expected the letter to be duly and properly received where he then 

 was ; that his intentions were perfectly friendly, but that he would allow of no indignity ; and 

 would not permit the guard-boats which were collecting around the shijis to remain where they 

 were, and if they were not immediately removed, the Commodore declared that he would 

 disperse them by force. When this was interpreted to him, the functionary suddenly left his 

 seat, went to the gangway, and gave an order which caused most of the boats to return to the 

 shore ; but a few of them still remaining in clusters, an armed boat was sent frorn the ship to 



