CONSEQUENCES OF THE VISIT OF THE TWO GENTLEMEN. 421 



not to return to the shore, by the desire they expressed of casting off their boat, utterly 

 regardless of its fate. The captain of the Mississippi directed them to the flag-ship, to which, 

 on retiring to their boat, they pulled off at once. Having reached her with some difficulty, 

 in consequence of the heavy swell in the harbor, they had hardly got upon the ladder and 

 mounted to the gangway, when their boat got adrift, either by accident, or from being let go 

 intentionally. On their reaching the deck, the officer informed the Commodore of their presence, 

 who sent his interpreter to confer with them and learn the purjiose of their untimely visit. 

 They frankly confessed that their object was to be taken to the United States, where they might 

 gratify their desire of travelling, and seeing the world. They were now recognised as the two men 

 who had met the officers on shore and given one of them the letter. They seemed much fatigued 

 by their boating excursion, and their clothes showed signs of being travel worn, although they 

 proved to be Japanese gentlemen of good position. They both were entitled to wear the two 

 swords, and one still retained a single one, but they had left the other three in the boat which 

 had gone adrift with them. They were educated men, and wrote the mandarin Chinese 

 with fluency and apparent elegance, and their manners were courteous and highly refined. 

 The Commodore, on learning the purpose of their visit, sent word that he regretted that he was 

 unable to receive them, as he would like very much to take some Japanese to America with him. 

 He, however, was compelled to refuse them until they received permission from their government, 

 for seeking which they would have ample opportunity, as the squadron would remain in the 

 harbor of Simoda for some time longer. They were greatly disturbed by this answer of the 

 Commodore, and declaring that if they returned to the land they would lose their heads, earnestly 

 implored to be allowed to remain. The jjrayer was firmly but kindly refused. A long 

 discussion ensued, in the course of which they urged every possible argument in their favor, 

 and continued to appeal to the humanity of the Americans. A boat was now lowered, and 

 after some mild resistance on their part to being sent off, they descended the gangway piteously 

 deploring their fate, and were landed at a spot near where it was supposed their boat might 

 have drifted. 



On the afternoon of the next day, Yenoske, the chief interpreter, who had come to Simoda 

 from Yedo for the express purpose of requesting the postponement of the expedition to Oho-sima, 

 which was conditionally granted by the Commodore, came on board the Powhatan, and requested 

 to see the flag-lieutenant, to whom he stated, that ' ' last night a couple of demented Japanese 

 had gone off to one of the American vessels," and wished to know if it had been the flag-ship ; 

 and if so, whether the men had been guilty of any impropriety. The flag-lieutenant replied, 

 that it was difficult to retain any very precise recollection of those who visited the ships, as so 

 many were constantly coming from the shore in the watering boats and on business, but he 

 assured the interpreter that no misdemeanor could have been committed, or he would have been 

 aware of the fact. The interpreter was then asked, whether the Japanese he referred to had 

 reached the shore in safety, to which the very .satisfactory answer that "they had" was received. 



The Commodore, upon hearing of the visit of the interpreter and the apparent anxiety of the 

 Japanese authorities in regard to the conduct of the two strange visitors to the ships, sent an 

 officer on shore in order to quiet the excitement which had been created, and to interpose as far 

 as possible in behalf of the poor fellows, who it was certain would be pursued with the utmost 

 rigor of Japanese law. The authorities were thanked for the solicitude tliey had expressed 

 lest the Americans should have been inconvenienced by any of their people, and assured that 



