392 



JAPAN. 



scription, and the next day Dr. Hepburn and 

 another missionary distributed rice and blank- 

 ets to the sufferers on the scene of the confla- 

 gration. 



The day following the abandonment of Osaca 

 by the Tycoon, the Government officials called 

 on all the consuls, and advised them to direct 

 their subjects to take refuge on board their 

 national vessels, as they could offer them no 

 farther assistance or protection, and intended 

 to abandon the place to the insurgents and 

 leave at once to join the Tycoon. Acting 

 upon this suggestion, the consuls met, but did 

 not instruct their people to leave ; they simply 

 informed them of the information they pos- 

 sessed, and left them to act as they thought 

 best; at the same time arrangements were 

 made with the men-of-war of all nations to be 

 prepared, in case of an attack from the troops 

 of the southern Daimios, for giving them a 

 warm reception. The next day the ministers 

 were compelled to fly from Osaca, as the place 

 had been fired by Satsuma, and arrived at 

 Hiogo (Kobe) the same day and took up their 

 quarters in the abandoned Government house 

 and custom-house. 



On the 4th of February, some of the troops 

 of Prince Bizen (one of the confederate Dai- 

 mios opposed to Stotsbashi) entered Hiogo and 

 attacked several foreigners. A French marine 

 and an American sailor were wounded by 

 shots. Sir H. Parkes, who was riding in their 

 neighborhood, narrowly escaped, several shots 

 being aimed at him. The detachments of the 

 9th British regiment were called out, and the 

 Japanese troops were pursued and dispersed. 

 A naval brigade was landed from the Ocean, 

 and in a few hours Hiogo was again quiet. 

 The confederate Daimios, however, claimed to 

 be favorably disposed to foreigners, and did not 

 indorse the outrages committed by the meb. 

 The Mikado addressed a communication to 

 Chosin and Satsuma, warning them to be 

 particularly careful that no rudeness nor law- 

 less conduct be observed toward foreigners by 

 those passing through Hiogo. In consequence 

 of the outrage committed at Hiogo by Prince 

 Bizen's men, the foreign men-of-war seized, on 

 the 5th of February, all the steamers owned 

 by Japanese, anchored in the port of Hiogo. 

 This was because, as stated in the declaration 

 of the foreign ministers, the affair concerned 

 not only the clan of Bizen, but all the clans 

 throughout Japan. The Government of the 

 Mikado deemed it necessary to punish the au- 

 thor of the outrages. Accordingly, Kenza- 

 boro, the officer in command of Prince Bizen's 

 troops, who ordered the firing on the foreign- 

 ers, was executed by order of the Mikado in 

 the presence of one foreigner from each Euro- 

 pean legation, together with an equal number 

 of Japanese officials. The condemned, being 

 of high rank, was permitted to commit hari- 

 kari. Before his death he acknowledged the 

 offence, admitted that his trial was fair and his 

 sentence just, and he advised the Japanese to 



hereafter treat foreigners with consideration. 

 The foreign representatives requested the Gov- 

 ernment not to confiscate his estate according 

 to the Japanese law, but permit it to descend 

 to his family. The request was granted. Next 

 day the the ministers received letters of apolo- 

 gy from the Mikado Government. 



On March 5th, the ministers, with each of 

 their vessels, went to Osaca, intending to re- 

 occupy their former legations. They found 

 the British legations destroyed by fire, and the 

 French legations torn to pieces. The Ameri- 

 can and other legations were untouched. On 

 March 8th, the French sailors surveying off Osa- 

 ca were attacked by Prince Tosa's men ; eleven 

 Frenchmen were killed and five wounded. On 

 learning the massacre, the English, Prussian, 

 Dutch, Italian, and United States ministers 

 met at the residence of the French minister at 

 Osaca, and decided by common accord to leave 

 Osaca, haul down their flags, and withdraw 

 their consuls, until satisfaction should have 

 been granted. On the following day the Jap- 

 anese authorities came and declared the mas- 

 sacre to be inexcusable, and the murderers 

 were placed at the disposal of the French min- 

 ister. All the ministers of the other powers 

 supported the French demand for reparation 

 by energetic notes. The French minister de- 

 manded the execution of the men concerned 

 in the murder, with an apology from Tosa and 

 the Mikado's Government ; also a money in- 

 demnity of $150,000. The demands were com- 

 plied with, and twenty Japanese were be- 

 headed. 



On March 13th, the American minister left 

 for Yokohama, taking with him the Italian and 

 Prussian ministers and their suites, in the 

 United States steamer Monocacy, with the in- 

 tention of defending foreign interests, the Mi- 

 kado having informed them that large bodies 

 of troops were marching on Jeddo with the 

 probable intention of fighting. On March 1 8th, 

 the American minister went to Jeddo, remain- 

 ing one week, and conferring with the Ty- 

 coon's officers, and then returned to Yokohama. 

 He was the last and only minister at Jeddo. 

 The Mikado's troops were marching toward 

 Jeddo, and straggled largely into Yokohama, 

 apparently uncontrolled. Disturbances oc- 

 curred, and the people became alarmed. The 

 ministers conferred with the Government au- 

 thorities of Yokohama, and decided to post the 

 American, Prussian, French, and British sol- 

 diers and marines at the entrances of the set- 

 tlement, and prohibit the entrance of armed 

 Japanese from without. This insured tran- 

 quillity. The French, British, and Dutch min- 

 isters remained at Hiogo. After the settle- 

 ment of the French indemnity, they were 

 invited to an audience with the Mikado at 

 Kioto. 



The interview took place on the 21st of 

 March, this being the first time that represent- 

 atives of the foreign powers have been admitted 

 to the presence of the Mikado. The day fol- 



