LETTER 



COMMUNICATING THE 



PARTICULARS OF THE RATIFICATION OF THE TREATY OF KANAGAWA. 



Captain H. A. Adams to Commodore Perry. 



Philadelphia, July 9, 1855. 

 Sir : In the belief that an account of my proceedings since I left your immediate command in 

 April, 1854, may be acceptable, I will offer you a statement in detail which will include an 

 account of the exchange of ratifications of the treaty with the Emperor of Japan. Agreeably 

 to your orders I sailed from Yedo bay on the 4th of April, 1854, in the Saratoga, Commander 

 Walker, carrying with me the treaty you had just concluded. We reached Honolulu on the 

 1st of May, where I took the first vessel that offered for San Francisco, whence I started by the 

 mail route via Panama for New York and Washington, and reached the seat of government on 

 the 12th of July. The news of the treaty was received with much pleasure, and obtained the 

 immediate and unanimous approval of the Senate. The ratified copy of the treaty was intrusted 

 to me to carry out to China, and subsequently to Japan. I left New York on the 30th of Sep- 

 tember, and arrived, by the English overland route, at Hong Kong on the 1st of January, 1855. 

 Commodore Abbot, in accordance with instructions from the Navy Department, gave orders to 

 Captain McCluney to convey me in the Powhatan to Simoda, where we arrived on the 26th of 

 January. At Hong Kong I had engaged a very intelligent gentleman, Mr. Wilhelm Lobscheid, 

 to act as interpreter. On my arrival I addressed the following letter to the chief of the supreme 

 council, which I sent by an officer of the governor of Simoda, requesting him to forward it 

 immediately to Yedo. 



U. S. Ship Powhatan, 



Simoda, January 26, 1855. 



Your Excellency: I have the honor to acquaint you, for the information of his Majesty the 



Emperor of Japan, that I have arrived here from the United States of North America, and 



bring with me a copy of the treaty made by Commodore Perry with the Empire of Jaj>an, which 



has been approved by the Senate of the United States, and signed by the President. I am 



furnished with full powers to exchange ratifications agreeably to the 12th article of the treaty, 



and am ready at any time to meet such high officer as shall be properly authorized for the same 



purpose by the Japanese government. 



I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant, 



H. A. ADAMS, 



Commander U. S. Navy. 

 His Excellency Abe Ise Nokami, &c., &c., dec., Yedo. 



26 s 



