250 EXPEDITION TOJ A PAN. 



and of the Emperor's seal attached thereto, given under the hand of Kayaraa Yezaiman, the 

 governor, were also presented. The translations were as follows : 



Translation of letter of credence given by the Emperor of Japan to his liigJiness, Toda, Prince 



of Idzu. 



"I send you to Uraga to receive the letter of the President of the United States to me, 

 which letter has recently been brought to Uraga by the Admiral, upon receiving wliicli you 

 will jjroceed to Yedo, and take the same to me. 



[Here is the Emperor's seal.] 



" Sixth month in 1853." 



Trarvslation of certificate of Kayama Yezaiman^ governor of Uraga, verifying the authenticity 



of the Emperor's letter and seal. 



' ' You can rest assured that the high officer who has been accredited by the Emperor of 

 Japan himself, and who consequently comes here to Uraga from Yedo for the purpose of 

 receiving the original and translated letters,, is cf very high rank, equal to that of the Lord 

 Admiral. I do assure that. 



"KAYAMA YEZAIMAN." 



The governor, in tlie course of the conference, took care to state that the person appointed 

 by the Emperor had no authority to enter into discussions with the Commodore, but was merely 

 empowered to receive the papers and convey them to his sovereign. He also stated that he had 

 made inquiry as to the practicability of changing the place of meeting, and said that, as a 

 suitable building had already been erected, it would be inconvenient to change. The 

 Commodore was prepared for this reply, and as he could not know whether any treachery 

 was intended or not, he had determined to provide, as far as he could, against every contingency, 

 and had therefore ordered the surveying party to examine the little bay at the head of which 

 the building bad been erected for his reception. The officer sent upon this service promptly 

 performed the duty, and reported that the ships could be brought within gun-shot of the place, 

 where great numbers of the people had been observed employed in the completion of the 

 building, in transporting furniture, and in otherwise preparing for the occasion. 



The governor offered to accompany a boat to the place appointed for the reception, but this 

 was declined, and he was informed that, as it did not befit the dignity of the Commodore to 

 proceed a long distance in a small boat, the squadron would be removed to a position nearer the 

 building designed for the reception. It was then agreed that the Commodore and his party 

 should leave rtie ships between eight and nine o'clock the next day, (Thursday,) although the 

 Japanese seemed particularly anxious that the interview should take place at an earlier hour, 

 assigning as a reason that the heat of the day might thus be avoided. 



The question was now asked as to how many officers would accompany the Commodore on 

 the occasion, to which they received the answer that he would be followed by a large retinue, 

 since it was the cu.stom of the United States that when an officer of high rank bears a 

 communication from the President to the sovereign of another country, for him to go with 

 such an attendance as will be respectful to the power to which he is sent. Accordingly, tlie 

 governor was informed that all the officers who could be spared from the squadron would 

 accompany the Commodore, as the greater number would imply the greater compliment. 



