486 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 



ship. The trutli is that Slam never, during the whole stay of the squadron in Japan, appeared 

 fiilly to understand the independence and safety of his position. Long habit had so impressed 

 upon him the cowardice of trembling servility before his superiors in Japan, that it was very 

 obvious the interview with the officials produced no emotion but abject fear. He fell on his 

 knees before them after the manner of his country, and would have remained in that position if 

 Lieutenant Bent, who was determined that no such obsequiousness should be shown on the deck 

 of an American man-of-war, and under the flag of the United States, to anything wearing the 

 human form, had not peremptorily ordered him immediately to rise to his feet. 



Sam had taken his place as one of the crew, and had won the goodwill of his shipmates 

 generally by his good nature. All pitied his misfortunes, and one of the marines named G-oble, 

 a religious man, had taken a special interest in him ; finding in his docility and intelligence 

 ju'omise of good fruit from a properly directed religious training, Goble had begun witli him a 

 system of instruction which he hoped would not only make the Japanese a fair English scholar, 

 but a faithful Christian. Sam came to the United States in the Mississippi, and accompanied 

 his benevolent shipmate and devoted teacher to his home in the interior of New York, where 

 Goble has property. At the last accounts they were living there together, and it is not 

 unreasonable to hope that Sam, with the education of his faitliful American friend, may be an 

 instrument, in the event of his return to Japan, under a further development of our relations 

 with that Empire, of aiding in the introduction of a higlier and better civilization into his own 

 country. 



It will be recollected that, of the several Japanese who had been picked up on the coast of 

 California and taken to Shanghai, with the view of restoring them to their own country, Sam 

 Patch was the only one who accompanied the expedition to Japan. The rest were all afraid, 

 and Sam went with fear and trembling. On the return of the Mississippi to China, on her way 

 home, another of the Japanese expressed a wish to visit the United States, and was gratified in 

 his desire ; this was the young man whom we have mentioned on a former page. His Japanese 

 name is something like Dans-Kevitcli ; but the sailors, with their usual fondness for christening 

 those adopted into their roving family, soon called him Dan Ketch. It was fortunate for the 

 poor fellow that he escaped the more usual nautical coguoraen of Jack; for that, however 

 respectable in itself, would have made a much less reputable combination in union with the 

 Americo- Japanese Ketch; and poor Dan might have found himself undesirably elevated to the 

 office of a hangman, without precisely understanding the process which conferred the unenviable 

 rank. Dan is under the protection of the Commodore, and evinces great intelligence with an 

 eager desire for knowledge. Should he ever return to Japan, as at present he purjioses, after 

 learning more about us, he will doubtless carry home with him no small amount of information 

 about our country. 



The Commodore now transferred his broad pennant from the Powhatan back to the Missis- 

 sippi, and the two steamers got under way and moved down to the outer roads of Simoda, wlicre 

 they anchored preparatory to their final departure. Moryama Yenoske, in company with some 

 of the other officials, paid a farewell visit to the Commodore on that day, bringing with him 

 the closing accounts of the ships, and some specimens of natural history as presents. A hand- 

 some entertainment was spread before the visitors in tlie cabin, and in the course of the friendly 

 conversation around the table, a Japanese picture, representing the punishment of crucifixion, 

 was shown to Yenoske. This had been purchased at Simoda, by some of our officers, and 



