LETTER FROM THE GOVERNOR OF HAKODADI. 435 



The governor, on hearing these demands, asked for a dehij^ until the officers appointed hy the 

 commissioners, whom the Commodore had stateil he expected, should arrive with instructions 

 from Yedo. Tlie governor accounted for the delay in the arrival of the Japanese officials hy the 

 long distance of the capital from Hakodadi, saying that it was a journey of thirty-seven days 

 length in winter and thirty in summer. He also declared that he had no special commands 

 himself but what were contained in the letter presented by the Commodore, which merely 

 commended the Americans to the ordinary welcome and good treatment, and enjoined upon the 

 authorities to supply the ships with provisions and water. After some discussion, in the course 

 of which the American officers reiterated their demands and the governor his objections, it was 

 agreed that the views of the authorities of Hakodadi should be stated at length in writing, and 

 submitted next day for the consideration of the Commodore. 



Accordingly, on the succeeding morning, the following communication was received from the 

 governor and his coadjutors : "Hakodadi is an outlying, remote region, and its poinilation 

 sparse and ignorant, so that when your honorable ships arrived recently in this place, all, both 

 old and young, fled away into the interior, although the local officers ordered them not to 

 scatter." 



" You have come to this place under the impression doubtless that it was an extensive region 

 and well settled, not with the least desire to rob or rudely force your way into it without 

 permission. The common people here being ignorant and easily alarmed, we have been unable 

 to get them to come before us, so that we could instruct them in this matter personally, for such 

 is their waywardness ; and it accounts for their timidity, as you saw yesterday when you and 

 other officers went through the streets, and for there being no business doing. But after this 

 you may go on shore, no obstructions will be put in the way of your walking, nor will the 

 people be rude to you." 



" This place is as it were no bigger than a pill or a speck, and the country in its vicinity is 

 sterile, and produces almost nothing. The provisions and other necessaries are brought from 

 other principalities, quite unlike the rich regions of Simoda and Uraga, and we fear the list now 

 given, (deer skins, dried fish, fish oil, salt salmon, surume, a sort of fish, saccharine fucus 

 laminaria, and roe of salmon,) meagre as it is, will by no means meet your desires after you 

 have examined it, but rather dissatisfy you. As for what has been hitherto supplied no prices 

 are asked." 



"Yesterday jon spoke of maintaining friendly relations with us, and this surely involves the 

 duty on both sides of adhering to right, and nothing should be done to hinder amicable feelings. 

 We are placed here in charge of the public halls, and to rule the people, as our chief duty, 

 which cannot be evaded ; and though to let you have the halls as you desire might be agreeable 

 to you, yet the result would be very heavy and serious to us, and the people would hardly know 

 to whom to look as their rulers. If you press the matter to this degree, and insist on three 

 buildings, will it be consistent with your professions of friendship?" 



"Yesterday, your gentlemen explained to us several particulars having reference to inter- 

 course with us, to wit : that on the 31st of March a treaty was formed at Yoku-hama, between 

 the high officers of our respective countries, and in compliance with that, you had come to 

 Hakodadi to carry its provisions into efifect, in the same manner as had been done at Simoda 

 respecting trade and procuring three houses for resting at, and wherein to make drawings." 

 " It is a matter of great surprise to us that^ since a treaty has been formed at Yoku-hama, no 



