THE INLAND SEA OF JAPAN. 323 



moment compare in size and importance with 

 Ohosaka, or " Great Board," which had been rightly 

 described, shortly before, by Dr Williams, as "one 

 of the largest cities in the empire, but not yet visited 

 by any foreign ships." Its great extent was not less 

 striking than its appearance, so far as our glasses 

 could determine, of prosperity and wealth. 



It was extremely provoking not to be able to land 

 in order to visit this place, but that was strictly 

 forbidden to us. I have no doubt it could have 

 been done, notwithstanding the objections of Japanese 

 officials ; and they would probably have allowed us 

 to proceed nayboen, or being there as if we were not 

 there ; but " the expedition " to dignify our two 

 vessels had received orders not to allow any parties 

 to land from it. So there was no help for it ; and 

 after going in as close as was deemed safe, we steamed 

 for about ten miles along the north side of the bay 

 to Hiogo, the place which is to be opened to foreign 

 trade in 1863, or even earlier if her Majesty's Pleni- 

 potentiary can prevail on the Government to do so, 

 as it has been found that the port of Neegata on the 

 south coast is all but useless for commercial purposes. 

 The shore, as we went along, was almost a continuous 

 stretch of villages, but soon rose up behind into 

 mountainous cliffs, on one of which were two white 

 houses that might have been the abodes of hermits. 

 The port of Hiogo is formed by a neck of land run- 

 ning southward from the north shore, and so effect u- 



