36 LEAVE JAPAN. [1845. 



tions, &c., when landed, and probably returning by sea 

 to the station from whence our appearance had caused 

 their summons. 



As the non-appearance of the Officer warranted our 

 delay at the anchorage, in the hope of his visit, the ship 

 continued plying over the ground (perfecting our work), 

 when, despairing of the contemplated visit, we bore up at 

 noon on the 10th of August, and took our farewell for 

 the season, as we imagined, of the shores of Japan. My 

 most ardent wish is, that the next visit of a British ship- 

 of-war may be attended with equal courtesy, and that 

 she may obtain all the objects so fully anticipated upon 

 the revisit of the ' Samarang.' 



The following remarks are from the voyage of the 

 ' Morrison ' before alluded to, in 1837, which contains, 

 under the term introduction, extending to seventy-five 

 pages, a suitable digest of the early history of Japan. 



" The earliest visitor to these regions is supposed to be 

 Marco Polo, succeeded by Fernando Mendez Pinto, 

 driven upon their shores by a gale in 1 542. Xavier fol- 

 lowed in 1547, and was very successful in propagating 

 the Catholic religion, but quitted in 1551. 



"About this time (year 1569) the Portuguese first 

 pointed out to the Prince of Omura the advantages of the 

 harbours of Nangasaki over the ports they had been used 

 to frequent. Their suggestions led to the formation of a 

 settlement, which, ere long, became an important city, 

 and which retains an unhappy celebrity down to our own 

 day. It may give some idea of the rapid extension of 

 Catholicism at this time, to add, that the successor of 

 Xavier died in 1570, having founded fifty churches, and 



