308 TEAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT. 



the Mikado or Spiritual Emperor, and the greatest com- 

 mercial emporium in the "Land of the Rising Sun." 

 I gladly embraced the opportunity of going through 

 this sea, as that was really passing through a great 

 portion of the interior of the country Avithout en- 

 countering the almost insuperable obstacles to which 

 the traveller would otherwise be exposed. It was 

 also of great interest to be able to see Ohosaka, 

 which had not then been visited by any European 

 in modern times, and which must afford by far the 

 greater part of our future trade with Japan. 



The vessels selected for this somewhat doubtful 

 trip were the steamer Sydney of the Indian Navy, 

 and the American ship Fanny M'Henry, chartered 

 to the British Government, but commanded by 

 Captain Smith, a young Virginian, and a most 

 courteous and agreeable specimen of the "Old 

 Dominion." Leaving Nagasaki, or "Long Cape," 

 as its meaning implies, we soon reached Hirado 

 Island, and proceeded through a narrow passage of 

 two or three miles in length, .with a pretty sharp 

 turn in it, a fort on either side, and barely room for 

 large vessels to pass. Here a rather exciting incident 

 occurred. When we were about two-thirds through, 

 and opposite one of the forts, the tiller- chains of the 

 steamer got jammed, and it came to a dead stop in 

 the middle of the channel. That was all very well 

 for the steamer, which could keep itself pretty 

 stationary; but the twelve hundred ton ship be- 



