RATIFICATION OF THE TREATY OF KANAGAWA. 205 



Lieutenant Governor. We do not understand English, and wish you to give us a Dutch trans- 

 lation of the treaty. 



Captain A. I cannot do that. You have already a Dutch translation, which was made and 

 carefully compared with the treaty at Kanagawa. 



Lieutenant Governor. We do not understand the meaning of the word "within." 



The meaning of this word was here explained in Dutch and Chinese by Mr. Lobscheid. The 

 difficulty about the signature of the Emperor was resumed by Kurakawa Kahei. He wished to 

 know whether the ratification should not be signed by the high government authorities ; they 

 were the proper persons, &c, &c. I told him very shortly, that, as I had often said before, 

 according to the 12th article of the treaty, the ratifications were to be signed by the President 

 of the United States and the august sovereign of Japan, and that I would not accept anything 

 less than the name of the august sovereign of Japan, whoever he might be, inasmuch as the 

 President of the United States had signed the ratification himself. 



Lieutenant Governor. The Emperor does not rule in Japan. The government is conducted by 

 a supreme council, and the chief of the council is the head of the government. He performs 

 all duties. 



Captain A. I have heard this before. Why, then, was the Emperor's name inserted in the 

 original treaty ? Why not the prime minister ? Now the Emperor must sign the treaty. It 

 is useless to discuss the matter any further at present. 



Lieutenant Governor. Here is a bundle of religious books, left in Simoda by "Bittincrer." 

 This is contrary to Japanese law, and is not right. The governor has had them all collected, 

 and begs you will receive them, and carry them away to America. 



Captain A. I will take them. To-morrow I will wait on the commissioner. 



The next day, February 13th, I went on shore to the house of the governor, accompanied by 

 Lieutenant Pegram, Purser Eldridge, Mr. Lobscheid, and Mr. Craig, Captain McCluney's 

 clerk, who was to take notes of the conversation. I found the commissioners had all arrived, 

 and were in readiness to receive me. Their names were : Ido-Tsu-Sima Nokami, Lsawa Mima- 

 saki, Nokami, Tsoesocki Soeroega Nokami, Matsmotu Dzulo, and Eoka kin Idsero, with Tatse- 

 noske for chief interpreter. After an exchange of salutations, compliments, &c, 



Captain A. Have the commissioners brought the original treaty with them from Yedo? 



Commissioners. We have brought them for comparison ; the same that were written at 

 Ka-na-ga-wa last year. 



These copies were now produced, and the ratified copy brought by me carefully compared 

 with the Dutch translation. After the reading was done : 



Captain A. You have heard it now, is it all right ? 



Commissioners. All is right ; but our understanding was that the exchange should not take 

 place for eighteen months. The fault of the delay was on our part, not yours ; another excuse 

 for us is, that we have been very busy with the Kussians. 



Captain A. Since the American copy is found to be all right, if you have the Japanese ratifi- 

 cation, we will now compare that with the Dutch translation. 



Commissioners. We have here the original, which was made last year. We wish to compare 

 that. 



The Japanese original was then produced, and carefully compared with the Dutch translation. 

 They were found to differ, the Japanese averring that in their language it read "after eighteen 

 months." 



