ADVANTAGES OF SURVEY OF THE BAY OF YEDO. 273 



Prince of Idzii and his associate, the Prince of Iwami, the Commodore and his staff remained 

 quietly seated, and used no more ceremony toward the Jajjanese jirinces than woukl have heen 

 proj^er in a similar conference with the commissioners of any country duly credited. 



The survey of the bay of Yedo, in spite of the protests of the authorities, and under the very 

 guns of their batteries, was an important advantage. It not only taught the Japanese the folly 

 of attempting to frighten away the Americans by bravado and sham exhibitions of force, but 

 has proved to the world, for the first time, the practicability of sailing even to the capital of 

 Japan, and secured every facility for approaching it in the charts which have been the results 

 of the observations of the hydrographical department of the expedition. 



The Commodore, conscious that he was dealing with a ceremonious people, never lost an 

 opportunity of symbolising, even by form and etiquette, his resolute determination to uphold 

 the dignity of his mission. Thus, in the matter of giving and receiving presents, it was taken 

 care that the invariable eastern custom should be strictly followed, and that tlie advantage, on 

 the score of the value of gifts, should never be on the side of the Japanese. Heretofore it had 

 been the policy of China and Japan to consider and receive all presents as so many tributes to 

 their superior power. In the equal exchange carefully regarded by the Commodore he deter- 

 mined that presents should be considered merely as a mutual interchange of friendly courtesy, 

 and he accordingly never received anything without returning at least its equivalent. 



While the Commodore strove to impress the Japanese with a just idea of the power and 

 superiority of his country, he was ever studious of exhibiting the most friendly disposition in all 

 his relations with the authorities of Japan, that they might understand that it was the desire of 

 the United States to cultivate a kindly intercourse. Thus, on the one hand, a resolute deter- 

 mination was shown to demand a respectful hearing, and to secure at all hazards a protection 

 for American citizens who might be at the mercy of Jajjan, and on the other, a courteous 

 desire was expressed of cultivating a mutual trade and commerce, by which international good 

 feeling and reciprocal interests are most securely created and safely guaranteed. The Japanese 

 were reminded how closely the geographical position of their Empire had been brought to the 

 United States by the new possessions on the Pacific, and the development of the mighty power 

 of steam, the effective operation of which had been so strikingly revealed to the people of Japan 

 by the appearance of the American naval steamers almost within gun-shot of their capital. 

 How far this policy, which proved the power to compel, while it exhibited the disposition to 

 conciliate, was successful, will be developed in the future pages of the narrative. 



3.1 J 



