210 PAST AND PKESENT. 



at once with many bows to the rescue, got me on his 

 back, and trotted ofi' a good mile to where I had left 

 my boat. Placing me in the hands of my men, he 

 turned and was off. Not having a penny in my pocket, 

 I called to him, and begged him to come off to the ship 

 with me. Not a bit of it, he positively refused. So I 

 had him caught by two hulking blue-jackets and carried 

 struggling into the boat. I half expected to see him 

 jump overboard on our way off, but fortunately he 

 remained quiet. Getting alongside I directed the 

 Japanese official interpreter to explain to him I only 

 wanted to make him some little present for his kind- 

 ness, and begged him to come on board the ship. 

 Nothing, however, would induce him to leave the boat, 

 so, giving a dollar to the little man, I sent him back. 

 His wonder and gratitude at receiving such a large 

 piece of silver was unbounded. I don't think he 

 left off bowing his acknowledgments until the boat 

 reached the shore. Then turning round, when on terra 

 firma, to the crew who had pulled him there, he 

 again made a low bow and disappeared. The nearest 

 European settlement was more than 100 miles distant, 

 and I believe we were the first and probably the last 

 foreigners he ever saw. 



The complete change in the system of government 



