356 



EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 



should enter the villages, and hoped they woiild go down the hay, and not northward. The 

 suhject of supplies was next spoken of, and the question of payment seemed to he conceded hy 

 the Japanese, who proposed that as soon as a port was selected, certain compradors should he 

 appointed for the sale of articles of every kind, hut in the meantime, they said a single person 

 would he chosen, whose duty it would he to supply what was necessary, and receive in payment 

 the American coin, to he estimated weight for weight with the Japanese money. They would 

 prefer, they said, that Nagasaki should he the place for such transactions, hut granted the 

 necessity of carrying them on for the present where they were. The hours for the future 

 meetings heing settled at from eleven o'clock to one, instead of the previous irregular mode, the 

 Japanese took their departure. 



On the next day (March 11) a short conference was held hy Captain Adams with the same 

 Japanese officials in the treaty house on shore. He also hore a communication of the date of 

 the 10th of March from the Commodore, addressed to the commissioners, in which the answer to 

 the President's letter was acknowledged. The Commodore, while he expressed his satisfaction 

 at the determination of the Japanese government to alter its policy in regard to foreign govern- 

 ments, at the same time stated that the concessions proposed were not enough, and that a 

 written compact or treaty, with wider provisions, was essential. The chief points talked of 

 were, the answer to the Commodore's notes in reference to the proposed treaty, and the privilege 

 of going ashore. In regard to the former, they stated that a reply was not yet prepared ; hut 

 as for the latter, the interpreter remarked, unofficially, that there would he no objection to the 

 Commodore and his officers going ashore; hut that if the permission should he general, diffi- 

 culty with the people might ensue. Some general conversation followed in regard to the 

 necessity of dispatch in the negotiations. Captain Adams stating that it was the Commodore's 

 intention to send one of his ships to the United States, in the course of a week or so, to inform 

 the government at home of the progress of the negotiations, that it might know whether it was 

 necessary to send more vessels or not. The Japanese evinced some uneasiness at this statement, 

 and asked, "Whether the Americans are friendly?" "Certainly we are," was the answer, 

 and the conference closed in the most amicable manner. 



The day agreed upon had arrived (Monday, March 13) for the landing of the presents, and 

 although the weather was imsettled, and the waters of the hay somewhat rough, they all 

 reached the shore without damage.* 



* The following is a list of some of the various presents landed on the occasion ! 



Emperor. 



1 box of arms, containing — 



5 Hall's rifles, 

 3 Maynard's muskets, 



12 cavalry swords, 



6 artillery swords, 



1 carbine, 

 20 army pistols, 



2 carbines, cartridge boxes, and belts, containing 120 



cartridges. 



10 Hall's rifles. 



11 cavalry swords. 



1 carbine, cartridge box and belts, and 60 cartridges. 

 60 hall cartridges. 

 1 box books. Emperor. 

 1 box dressing-cases, Emperor. 



1 box perfumery, 2 packages. Emperor. 



1 barrel whiskey, Emperor. 



1 cask wine, Emperor. 



1 box for distribution. 



1 box containing 11 pistols, for distribution. 



1 box perfumery, for distribution. 



A quantity of clicrry cordials, distribution. 



A quantity of cherry cordials. Emperor. 



A number of baskets cliampaigne, Emperor. 



A number of baskets cliampaigne, commissioners 



1 bo.x China ware, commissioners. 



A quantity of maraschino, commissioners. 



1 telescope. Emperor. 



Boxes of tea, Emperor. 



1 box of tea, comniissioners. 



