326 TRAVEL, AD VENTURE, AND SPORT. 



attack on the residence of the British Minister at 

 Yedo threatens new difficulties. The fact is, that 

 the people of these islands are able to supply them- 

 selves with all that they know or wish for without 

 going abroad for a single article, and their rulers are 

 by no means anxious that wants should be created 

 which can only be supplied from other countries, nor 

 do they see that they are called on to supply silk or 

 anything else to the rest of the world. The state of 

 isolation in which their beautiful country has lain 

 for two centuries has evidently been highly favour- 

 able to its internal development and enjoyment, 

 so it is no wonder that they look upon the foreign 

 intruders with disfavour, and throw very puzzling 

 obstacles in our way, without committing themselves, 

 as yet, to acts which would lead to open war. Their 

 policy at present is, to weary out foreigners by affected 

 slowness of comprehension and difficulty of movement. 

 Elle est pleine de finesse sous I'apparence de betise. 

 This vis inertice of theirs has been calculated and 

 used with great skill. They have not been able to 

 understand the most simple matters, and the most 

 urgent affairs have been treated with forms and 

 ceremonies involving an enormous loss of time. Yet 

 care has been taken to avoid giving open ground of 

 offence. My individual opinion, however, is not only 

 that the Japanese are ready to go to war with us, if 

 they find they cannot otherwise protect their peculiar 

 institutions from our innovating influence, but that, 



