JAPAX. 



445 



sols a free passage through the Straits of Simona- 

 eaki, employing, to that end, if necessary, force 

 conjointly with the commander of the French 

 naval division. 3. The reductions in the tariff, 

 which were granted by the Tycoon to the 

 foreign commerce, shall continue in favor of 

 importations from France, or under the French 

 flair, as long as the treaty of October, 1858, re- 

 mains in force. 



While the Japanese ambassadors were in 

 France, the strength of the anti-foreign party 

 was steadily increasing. A council of daimios 

 held at Kioto, had declared against the stay of 

 foreigners in Japan, and condemned the policy 

 of the Tycoon, and called on the latter to cause 

 the abandonment by the foreigners of Yoko- 

 hama. Armed bands of " Eonins " roamed 

 through the country and even threatened 

 Yeddo. After a long vacillation, the Tycoon 

 at length resolved to adopt energetic meas- 

 ures against the native party. He deposed the 

 regent, suspended the Gorogio, and sent troops 

 against the "Eonins," who in two successive 

 battles were totally defeated. 



A new act of hostility against American ves- 

 sels was committed by the Prince of Xagato in 

 July. The following is the statement of this act : 



The American steamer Monitor left Hakodadi July 

 3d for Nagasaki ; she encountered strong gales, be- 

 came short of fuel, and at about lat. 34 she ran into 

 a large bay with good anchorage and a small village 

 on the east side. Two officials came on board, ask- 

 ed what was wanted, when the owner and captain 

 explained their distress, and that they wanted wood 

 or coal, water and fresh provisions, for which they 

 would pay. At the same time the officers were in- 

 formed it was an American vessel, where from and 

 whither bound. The officials said they would re- 

 port it to the head men ; it was then night. 



At daylight the first messenger was a shot from a 

 4-gun battery near the village ; the steamer got up 

 steam as soon as possible, the battery meanwhile 

 firing at her, but without effect. As soon as there 

 was light enough they saw that screens had been 

 placed before the village, and behind it infantry, 

 who also fired at the steamer, 24 balls hitting her 

 sides, but fortunately injuring no one. As soon as 

 steam was got up the vessel ran out of range, when 

 a 6-gun battery, more to the southward, commenced 

 to fire upon her, but with no effect. The Monitor 

 having on board two 24-pounder Parrott guns, then 

 fired 2(5 shells into the first battery and village, set- 

 ting it on fire in two places. She then left, running 

 across to the island Tsu-Shima, and there only suc- 

 ceeded in getting wood by cutting it themselves. 

 They then succeeded in reaching Nagaski. 



The bay where the steamer was fired in is in Na- 

 gato's territory; and before the steamer went in 

 there she had burned several bulkheads, planks, 

 some bales of hemp, having reserved only a few tons 

 of coal for any emergency. The attack was coward- 

 ly and basely treacherous. 



After receiving the despatch from France 

 announcing the conclusion of the new treaty, 

 the French ambassador, as well as the ambas- 

 sadors of England, Holland, and the United 

 States, addressed notes to the Tycoon, asking 

 for an immediate answer whether the treaty 

 would be ratified. On August 25th, they were 

 notified by the Tycoon that the treaty would 

 not be ratified. This reply hastened the expe- 

 dition which the four ambassadors had for 



some time planned against the Prince of T$&- 

 gato, in order to punish him for his continued 

 hostility to the foreigners, destroy his fortifica- 

 tions, and secure a free passage through the 

 straits of Simonosaki. Of the operations of 

 the allied fleets the China Mail of Hong Kong, 

 Sept. 27th, gives the following account : 



" The vessels of war detailed for this under- 

 taking were as follows : English, the Barossa, 

 the Perseus, the Argus, the Coquette, and the 

 Bouncer. French : The Semiramis, the Du- 

 pleix, and the Tancrede. Dutch : The Metal- 

 len-Cruz, the Djambi, the Medusa, and the 

 Amsterdam. The American minister, having 

 no vessel of war at command, chartered the 

 Ta-kiang, on board of which the United States 

 flag was displayed, in order to show that Amer- 

 ica was acting in unison with the other powers. 



" On the 5th of September the fleet having 

 previously anchored off Simonosaki, an attack 

 *pon Prince Nagato's forts was commenced, 

 which ended in the destruction of two bat- 

 teries on the eastern extremity. The Japanese 

 fired some shot and shell during the attack, but 

 without any serious effect. is"ot more than 

 seven vessels of the allied fleet were engaged in 

 the attack. On the following day, Sept. 6th, 

 shortly after daybreak, the Tartar and Barossa 

 were in action, having been challenged by the 

 fire of some Japanese forts further on, and in 

 half an hour they succeeded in silencing the 

 guns. Shortly afterwards, however, the firing 

 was renewed, and arrangements were made for 

 landing the marines. The men were put on 

 shore at 9.30 A. M. along with the contingents 

 from the French and Dutch vessels, and in 

 about twenty minutes the forts were taken. 

 The Perseus went on shore while protecting 

 the landing parties, but continued to do service 

 notwithstanding ; she was got off 36 hours 

 afterwards, the Barossa having stood guard 

 over her all the while. The storming party 

 were assailed with various weapons, including 

 arrows ; and it was remarked that the latter 

 made nasty wounds. The struggle at this time 

 was tough ; Capt. Alexander, of the Euryalus, 

 was among those who received severe injury. 



" On the 7th instant, at daybreak, four ves- 

 sels of the allied squadron moved on to the 

 forts at Hakusima; but the successes of the 

 previous day, and the play of the Armstrong 

 guns, induced the occupants of these forts to 

 retire. The Barossa and Leopard took charge 

 of the captured guns, spiking some and taking 

 others on board. Soon after this (at 8 A. M., on 

 the 7th of September), a flag of truce was sent 

 off in a boat under charge of one of the Japan- 

 ese who had lately been in England. In the 

 course of the day the signal of truce was hoist- 

 ed all over the fleet ; and it is reported that 

 Nagato is quite willing to open the Straits and 

 treat foreigners civilly. It is even affirmed that 

 he has offered to open ports for trade upon hia 

 territories, and we can only hope he is sincere. 



" The total loss sustained throughout the en- 

 tire fleet does not exceed 100 killed and wound- 



