JAPAN IN THE COMMERCE OF THE WORLD. 529 



remains to recount briefly the development of foreign commerce 

 that has taken place under this new system. 



According to the "Treaty of Kanagawa," which Commodore 

 Perry concluded with the government of the Shogun, March 31, 

 1854, in the name of the United States of America, and which 

 was put in force the following spring, the ports Shimoda in Idzu 

 and Hakodate on Yezo, were to be open to trade with North 

 American ships. But Shimoda soon proved unsuitable, and 

 Hakodate too far from the centre of national life to serve the 

 chief purpose of the treaty, so that Consul-General Harris insisted 

 on its revision, and at last successfully. 



The American pioneers were soon followed by the Russians, 

 French, and English, and in i860 by Prussians, Dutch, and other 

 nations. They secured the same rights. The treaties were con- 

 cluded with the government of the Shogun in Yedo, at a time 

 when its relation to the Mikado in Kioto was not clearly known, 

 but in 1865 they were confirmed by him. Their principal pro- 

 visions are as follows : — 



1. Diplomatic agents of the governments concerned obtain the 

 right to dwell in Yedo, are under the protection of the Shogun, 

 and may travel in the country unmolested. 



2. The treaty-powers may also establish consulates in the ports 

 open to commerce. 



3. Kanagawa (Yokohama), Nagasaki, and Hakodate are opened 

 on July 1st, 1859, Niigata, i860 ; Hiogo (Kobe) and Osaka, 1863. 



4. In each of these places a fixed territory is given over to 

 foreigners, upon which they may build, after paying a regulation 

 tax. 



5. These districts remain under the jurisdiction of their own 

 consular officials. 



6. They enjoy freedom of religion and trade ; the latter, how- 

 ever, only with the payment of a fixed tariff of 5 per cent, of the 

 value of exported and imported goods. 



7. The foreigners have freedom of locomotion within a circle of 

 10 Ri from the settlement, but must have special permission 

 (which was always most willingly accorded for scientific and 

 sanitary purposes) to cross the treaty-limits. 



Kanagawa, after which the treaties were named, and whose 

 name still appears in English consular reports, was soon exchanged 

 for Yokohama, hard by. Plere the deep, spacious, and accessible 

 bay, with its good anchorage, offered far more favourable conditions 

 for shipping, while the nearness of the capital, Tokio, and of the 

 principal silk and tea districts, afford greater advantages to com- 

 merce than any of the other harbours. Under these circumstances 

 the fishing village Yokohama developed rapidly into a large city, 

 numbering now about 80,000 inhabitants. The foreign colony at 

 its side, a city by itself, with gas and all other European comforts, 

 contained 4,000 souls in 1883, including 2,681 Chinese, with 180 



II. M M 



