CASK OF THE SCHOONEE FOOTE. 391 



now expect in fifteen or twenty days. Should our schooner be lost and never return, our plans may be changed altogether ; and 

 should we not hear from her for two months to come, we then may seek other means of conveyance from this place." 



" Our object is not to mingle or trade with the Japanese, but to trade with and assist our own people and ships that visi^ 

 Japan." 



As to the treaty, the letter proceeds: " We know %vell the interpretation and meaning given to it by our government." 

 " We shall never compromise our government by saying that we have no riglit to remain here a week, a month, a year, or even 

 five years, for we know, by the treaty, we have a perfect right so to do." 



Mr. Doty, in his letter to the authorities of Simoda, dated the 23d of April, as published in the " New York Herald" of 

 October 15, 1855, thus writes : 



" I give you in writing the following reason for my sojourn at this place : 



" I arrived in this port on the 15th ult., on board the American vessel C. E. Foote. Soon after our arrival, I was informed 

 that the vessel would sail hence to Heda, and from thence to a foreign port, with officers and men of the late Russian frigate 

 Diana. Not wishing to make the above voyage with ray family, I came on shore, and now must necessarily remain here until 

 the return of our vessel, when it is my intention to leave Simoda. 



" If the vessel should not return aft.er a reasonable time for making the voyage has elapsed, I shall avail myself of the first 

 opportunity that offers to sail direct for the United States of America. 



" In answer to the question of right of Americans to reside here, I would most respectfully beg leave to represent that, in my 

 opinion, it is a matter to be settled by our respective governments, and, therefore, decline making any further communication 

 upon this subject." 



A proclamation was then issued by the authorities of Simoda, as follows : 



"PROCLAMATION. 

 " To THE Americans at Yokusheu Temple: 



" About your leaving this place, your intention is heard, which you have declared that staying in this place is not properly 

 your intention. But because the Russians have engaged the vessel manned by you, with which they have gone home, you 

 have been compelled to stay here, and that vou will, on the return of the vessel, leave this place, or should she not return in 

 the intended time, to await the arrival of a vessel tiiat sails for your country, and with that vessel to leave this place. 



" According to this declaration, you must, on the return of your vessel, leave this place ; or should she Hot return in the 

 declared time, then, upon the arrival of an American ship, you must leave this place, without, at that time, e.xpressing any 

 excuse to delay you. 



•' Your present slay among us is found necessary, but it cannot in future be taken as an example. 



" Never let it be asked again to stay. It is not only so in this place, but also at Hakodadi, which you and all Americans are 

 obliged to observe. 



" The foregoing is communicated by word of mouth from the governor of Simoda." 



Soon after this. Commander Rogers, of the United States surveying expedition to the North Pacific, arrived at Simoda in the 

 Vincennes, and to him the Americans appealed. This officer, taking distinctly the ground tliat the proper interpretation of tiie 

 treaty was not confided to him, but could be settled only by the two governments of Japan and the United States, still 

 endeavored, by a temperate and judicious letter to the authorities of Simoda, to induce them to put a different construction from 

 that they had adopted upon the '* temporary residence" allowed to Americans under the treaty ; his effort, however, was 

 fruitless. 



But the object of Messrs. Reed and Dougherty, as they have stated it in the "San Francisco Herald" of the 18th of 

 September, 1855, was to transport goods, and to establish themselves in Hakodadi for the purpose of supplying our whale ships 

 that designed to winter there instead of at Honolulu. In other words, their object was to make at Hakodadi a permanent 

 commercial agency and ; upply depot for whale ships; to live in Japan with their families, just as they would live in any 

 European foreign port where they might establish a storehouse. They, therefore, while yet at Simoda, on the 20th of May, 

 addressed the following letter to the governor of Hakodadi, and forwarded it by the Vincennes, that was about to sail for 

 Hakodadi : 



" To His Excellekct the Governor of Hakodadi : 



'* We have the honor to commHnicate with you, through Commodore Rodgers, commanding the United States surveying 

 expedition, and who visits your place to meet a part of his squadron, and also to survey and make a chart of your harbor. We 

 are merchants on our way to your place, to make a temporary residence there, in order that we may receive and supply a 

 certain number of our ships that are daily expected there. The supplies we intend to furnish are necessary, and cannot be 

 furnished by the Japanese, for they have them not, such as chains and anchors, pork and beef, sails, tar and cordage, and ship, 

 chandlery generally. We have our families with us, and shall require or want a house for them to live in, and also a building 

 to store our goods, for which we expect to pay a reasonable compensation or sum of money. We have been living here (at 

 Simoda) for the past three months, awaiting the return of our vessel to take us to your place. When it returns, (and we expect 

 it every day,) we shall leave this place for Hakodadi. On our arrival there, we trust your excellency, in the absence of hotels 

 and inns, will have selected a suitable place for our families to reside, and also to store our goods. Sutler us, also, to ask of 

 your honor to inform any of our ships which may arrive tliere before us that we are at this place, and expect soon o be at 

 Hakodadi." 



To tliis an answer was sent through Commander Rodgers, the purport of which will be seen from the following communication, 

 sent by that gentleman to Messrs. Reed and Dougherty: 



" United States Ship Vincennes, Hakodadi, June 19, 1855. 

 "Gentlemen: The governor of Hakodadi has replied to my application for permission for you to reside on shore, in 

 aeeordanee with the stipulations of the treaty of Kanagawa, that temporary, used in the treaty means a short time — he thinks 



