DEATH OF THE JAPANESE EMPEROR, 



321 



CHAPTER XVIII. 



LETTER FROM DUTCH GOVER^^OR GENERAL OF INDIA ANNOUNCING THE DEATH OF THE JAPANESE EMPEROR. COMMODORE S 



REPLY. — ENUMERATION OF THE SEVERAL OBJECTS IN VIEW. — PROSPECTS OF THEIR ATTAINMENT BY THE MISSION. OFFI- 

 CERS AND MEN LEFT IN LEW CHEW. ARRIVAL OF THE SARATOGA. RUN TO YEDO BAY. OHO-SIMA. CLEOPATRA ISLES. 



MIJAKO-SIMA. ALL BELONG TO LEW CHEW GROUP. ENTRANCE OF GULF OR OUTER BAY OF YEDO. JAPANESE CHARTS OF 



LITTLE VALUE, MADE FOR MERE COASTING. WINTRY ASPECT OF JAPAN. MACEDONIAN AGROUND. HAULED OFF BY THE 



MISSISSIPPI. FRIENDLY OFFERS OF THE JAPANESE TO ASSIST THE MACEDONIAN. SQUADRON PROCEEDS UP THE BAY AND 



ANCHORS AT THE " AMERICAN ANCHORAGE." JAPANESE OFFICIALS COME ALONGSIDE.— RECEIVED BY CAPTAIN ADAMS ON 



THE POWHATAN, PURSUANT TO THE COMMODORe's ORDERS. THEY ATTEMPT TO PREVAIL ON THE COMMODORE TO RETURN 



TO DRAGA, STATING THAT THE HIGH JAPANESE FUNCTIONARIES WERE THERE AWAITING HIS ARRIVAL, BY APPOINTMENT 



OF THE EMPEROR. COMMODORE DECLINES ON ACCOUNT OP SAFETY OF THE SHIPS. VISIT ON THE NEXT DAY FROM THE 



OFFICIALS, WHO REITERATE THEIR REQUEST, WITH AN ASSURANCE THAT THE COMMISSIONERS WERE ORDERED TO RECEIVE 



THE COMMODORE AT URAGA WITH DISTINGUISHED CONSIDERATION. COMMODORE AGAIN DECLINES. ^JAPANESE ASK THAT 



AN OFFICER MAT BE SENT TO URAGA TO CONFER WITH THE COMMISSIONERS AS TO A PLACE OF MEETING. COMMODORE 



CONSENTS THAT CAPTAIN ADAMS MAT HOLD SUCH A CONFERENCE, BUT THAT THE COMMISSIONERS MUST COME THERE TO 



HOLD IT. JAPANESE BECOME ALARMED AS TO THE FRIENDLY FEELINGS OF THE AMERICANS. THEIR FEARS ALLAYED. 



SURVEY OF THE BAY RESUMED WITHOUT INTERRUPTION BY THE JAPANESE. OCR BOATS FORBIDDEN BY THE COMMODORE 



TO LAND JAPANESE PERSIST FOR SEVERAL DAYS IN DESIRING THE COMMODORE TO GO TO URAGA WITH THE SHIPS. 



COMMODORE INVARIABLY REFUSES. AT LENGTH THE JAPANESE ARE INFORMED THAT THE COMMODORE WILL ALLOW CAPTAIN 



ADAMS TO MEET A COMMISSIONER ON SHORE NEAR THE SHIPS, OR THAT HE WILL PROCEED UP THE BAY TO YEDO. — NOTE 



FROM THE COMMISSIONERS TO THE COMMODORE. HIS REPLY. CAPTAIN ADAMS SENT DOWN TO URAGA TO COMMUNICATE 



TO THE COMMISSIONERS THE COMMODORe's REASONS FOR DECLINING TO TAKE THE SHIPS TO URAGA. SOME OF THE 



JAPANESE ACCO.MP.ANY HIM IN THE VANDALIA. INTERVIEW OF CAPTAIN ADAMS WITH THE COMMISSIONERS AT URAGA. 



VISIT TO CAPTAIN ADAMS FROM YEZAIMAN ON BOARD THE VANDALIA. ASSURES CAPTAIN ADAMS OF THE FRIENDLY DISPO- 

 SITION OF THE EMPEROR. VANDALIA RETURNS, AND PERCEIVES AHEAD THE SQUADRON STANDING UP THE BAY TOWARD 



YEDO. THE JAP.4NESE NO LONGER URGE GOING TO URAGA, BUT SUDDENLY PROPOSE YOKU-HAMA, WHERE THE SHIPS THEN 



WERE, ABOUT EIGHT MILES FROM YEDO.— COMMODORE IMMEDIATELY ASSENTS. BUILDINGS CONSTRUCTED AT YOKUHAMA. 



A JAPANESE SEAMAN IN THE SQUADRON SENDS A LETTER TO HIS FAMILY ASHORE, BY YEZAIMAN. YEZAIMAN DESIRES AW 



INTERVIEW WITH HIM. THE INTERVIEW. CEREMONIALS SETTLED AS TO THE CONFERENCES ON SHORE FOR NEGOTIATION. 



REvious to leaving Napha, Commodore Perry had re- 

 ceived a communication from the governor general of 

 Dutch India, conveying information of the death of the 

 Emperor of Japan, soon after the reception of the Pre- 

 sident's letter. The Japanese government (so said the 

 communication) l\ad requested the Dutch superintendent 

 to communicate the fact to the American government, 

 as this event, according to the laws and customs of 

 Japan, made certain ceremonies of mourning and ar- 

 rangements for succession to the throne necessary, and 

 the consequent postponement of all consideration of the 

 President's letter for the present. The Japanese authorities accordingly had, as was stated by 

 the governor general, repeatedly requested the superintendent of the Dutch factory at Nagasaki 

 41 J 



