1845.] COURTESY OF THE JAPANESE. 17 



or be attended by three or four, including himself, and 

 that they would take tea and sweetmeats. Directing the 

 necessary preparations to be made, I took my nap, rising 

 at two, and waiting with considerable anxiety until day- 

 light. No one came; but the heavy rains which fell 

 probably prevented the visit, which 1 construed into an 

 official act, of seeing all correct up to the moment of 

 sailing. 



There is one peculiar feature attending this visit. On 

 all former occasions that Japan has been visited by 

 strangers, an edict has been issued forbidding any return. 

 In this instance the promise to re-visit Nangasaki was 

 received with apparent satisfaction, and the Chiefs (and 

 it extended to the young men of family) expressed the 

 hope that they might be able to show me their houses, 

 and introduce me to their families. They further re- 

 quested, that I would bring with me Cow-pock matter, 

 Sulphate of Quinine, Ipecacuanha, Nux vomica, and other 

 medicines, engaging on their part to have several little 

 commisions executed for me. All these communications 

 were privately made in my cabin, but duly committed to 

 paper ; I am, therefore, far from believing in such con- 

 summate hypocrisy, as to imagine for an instant that any 

 deceit was practised, a crime in their code (as regards 

 invitation to the return of foreigners) which might, in 

 the event of hostility resulting, be attended with risk to 

 their heads, or rather bowels, the crucial incision in that 

 region being the only honourable mode of death per- 

 mitted. The following account of this torture is from 

 M. Titsingh's ' Illustations of Japan, &c.' 



" Mention is so frequently made in this volume and in 



VOL. II. C 



