SURVEY OF THE BAY OF YEDO. 241 



during the present visit, lie, the Commodore, would be obliged to return in the ensuing 

 spring with a larger force ; and, as the anchorage in front of Uraga was not convenient or 

 safe, he was desirous of seeking a more favorable situation nearer to Yedo, which would 

 facilitate his communication with that city. 



The surveying party, as on the previous occasion, was composed of boats from each ship 

 of the squadron, under the command of Lieutenant Bent. They were sent out with general 

 directions from the Commodore to go as far uji the bay toward Yedo as possible^ without 

 getting out of signal distance from the squadron, and to avoid giving any occasion of conflict 

 with the people of the country. Their departure was watched with considerable anxiety by 

 those on board the Susquehanna. Thirty fathoms of her cable had been taken in, and the 

 remainder was all ready to slip, while steam was got up, to be in readiness for any 

 emergency. The movements on shore were quite lively : in the distance, on the eastern 

 shore, large numbers of soldiers — as- many apparently as a thousand — were seen to march 

 down from the higher ground to the beach, and there embark in boats, which put off 

 immediately in the direction of the surveying party. And, during the whole time, the 

 various batteries were busy with the movements of the troops, who seemed to be either 

 preparing for hostilities, or attempting to make a formidable show of force. 



The boats proceeded from ten to twelve miles further toward Yedo than the anchorage of 

 the squadron. In proceeding up the bay, numbers of government vessels appeared, waving 

 off the intruders, and some thirty-five put off in a direction fronting the course of the 

 surveying boats, as if intending to intercept them. Lieutenant Bent, who was in advance, 

 ordered his men to rest on their oars, and to affix their bayonets to their muskets, but this 

 proceeding did not seem to have the eflect he had hoped for, of stopping the Japanese boats. 

 They still came on. The lieutenant, anxious to avoid a rupture, then changed his course 

 somewhat, to prevent an immediate collision, and dispatched a boat for the Mississippi, 

 which was about two miles astern. The desired effect was soon produced by the approach 

 of the steamer, and there was no apparent disposition shown afterward to interfere with the 

 party, which continued the exploration. Deep soundings were found the whole distance, 

 with a soft bottom of mud. A channel seemed to exist at the furthest point reached ; in 

 the centre the lead gave a depth of twenty fathoms, while on the sides it struck upon banks 

 of mud at not more than five fathoms It was inferred that there were deep soundings still 

 further, and that the squadron might readily push on with safety to within a few miles of 

 Yedo itself. At the extreme distance of the boats' passage there was a smaller bay, cut out, 

 as it were, from the larger, which^ it was supposed, woirld probably afford an excellent 

 anchorage. On either side the shores were abrupt, and extended back into lofty hills, and 

 from the position of the boats at this point a town was observed on the right side of the 

 bay of Yedo. The Mississippi had disappeared for some time from the view of those on 

 board the other .ships ; but, just as the signal gun was about to be fired for her recall, she 

 shot round the promontory, some two or three miles up the bay, which had concealed her 

 from sight, came steaming down, with the boats in tow, and was soon quietly settled at her 

 old anchorage, passing on her way between the Susquehanna and the Uraga shore, and 

 attracting the attention of numbers of soldiers on the latter, who came out to see her pass. 



The bay was covered all day, as usual, with the Japanese junks, sailing up or down, 

 apparently carrying on a brisk commerce, and not at all disturbed by the presence of the 

 squadron. Some of the fishing smack.s and other boats would, indeed, at times approach 

 31 J 



