TWO JAPANESE GENTLEMEN. 419 



The Commodore, upon being made aware of this treatment of his officers, felt greatly indignant, 

 as it was in viohxtion of the stipulations of the treaty, and he determined to bring the authorities 

 of Simoda^ whom he held responsible, to account. He accordingly dispatched his flag lieutenant 

 and his two interpreters on shore, to call upon the prefect and lay before him certain complaints, 

 which were specified in a memorandum in which the Commodore expressed his dissatisfaction at 

 the manner in which his officers were treated on going ashore, and protested against their 

 being followed by soldiers, the dispersion of the people, and the closing of the shops. These, he 

 declared^ were at variance with the stipulations of the treaty ; and threatened, if the annoyances 

 should continue, that he woiild sail to Yedo with his whole squadron and demand an explanation. 

 The Commodore also took occasion to insist upon a suitable place being set apart on shore for a 

 resort for himself and officers ; and as he proposed a visit to the island of Oho-sima, requested 

 that proper provisions should be made for the journey, a junk be provided, and certain Japanese 

 officials selected to accompany the American expedition. 



The prefect, upon hearing this protest of the Commodore, replied, that the Dutch at Nagasak 

 were always followed by twelve or fourteen Japanese soldiers, and seemed to think that such a 

 precedent should be a rule of conduct for the Americans. He was, however, told, that the 

 treatment of the Dutch was not to be taken for a moment as a criterion by which the Japanese 

 authorities were to judge of what was proper in their relations with the Americans, who had a 

 " treaty of amity and intercourse" with Japan ; and coming, as they did, to Simoda as friends, 

 they would insist upon being treated as such, and suffer no infringement of privileges which 

 had been guarantied by a solemn compact. The prefect, moreover, was told that the Americans 

 intended no harm to the people, but, on the contrary, desired the most friendly relations with 

 them, and the freest intercourse, without being watched and restrained by soldiers, acting under 

 the orders of their superiors. Such a surveillance as had hitherto been practised was what 

 Americans were not accustomed to, and particularly as it would seem to indicate that they were 

 intent upon the commission of some outrage. 



This resolute language produced its desired effect upon the prefect, who excused his conduct 

 upon the plea that he had left Yoku-hama before the signing of the treaty, and had, in 

 consequence, not been aware that it contained the clause "free intercourse." He would be 

 obliged, he continued, to refer to his superiors at Yedo for instructions on this point, and 

 ascertain how they construed that article ; but, in the meanwhile, he would give orders that the 

 houses should not be closed, and try the experiment of allowing the officers to visit the shore 

 without being followed by soldiers. 



The prefect then readily acceded to tlie Commodore's demands in regard to a place of resort 

 and the visit to Oho-sima, saying that any of the temples were at his disposition, where the 

 best accommodation Simoda afforded would be prepared for him, and that a junk, two boats 

 and certain Japanese attendants would be immediately provided for those jiersons of the 

 squadron the Commodore wished to send to Oho-sima. After an expression from the i^refect of 

 courtesy, and the hope that trifles would not be permitted to interrupt the friendly feelino- 

 subsisting between the Americans and the Japanese, the interview closed. 



The various officers of the squadron now visited the shore daily, and for a time there was 

 apparently less disposition to interfere with their movements, or watch their proceedings. On 

 one of these occasions a party had passed out into the country beyond the suburbs, when they 

 found two Japanese following them ; but, as they were supposed to be n couple of spies on tlie 



