Early Geographers of the United States 401 



of that section of the country were just 

 bringing into prominence the impor- 

 tance to us of the Pacific Ocean, when 

 Perry, with great wisdom and fore- 

 thought, announced the opinion that 

 "it is self-evident that the course of 

 coming events will ere long make it 

 necessary for the United States to ex- 

 tend its territorial jurisdiction beyond 

 the limits of the Western Continent, and 

 I assume the responsibility of urging 

 the expediency of establishing a foot- 

 hold in this quarter of the globe as a 

 measure of positive necessity to the sus- 

 tainment of our maritime rights in the 

 East." 



The Navy Department soon after 

 fitted out an imposing fleet under the 

 command of this distinguished officer, 

 who sailed for China early in 1853. 

 The main results of that expedition, 

 which brought into the community of 

 civilized nations that wonderful coun- 

 try which has long since passed out of 

 leading strings and has not only become 

 a world power, but a great world power, 

 need not be dwelt upon here. My ob- 

 ject is to give a brief statement of its 

 scientific accomplishments, which have 

 been so eclipsed by its greater achieve- 

 ments of commercial importance as 

 hardly to be remembered at the present 

 time. 



During all the time that negotiations 

 were going on for a treaty that should 

 secure protection and kind treatment to 

 all Americans who might through any 

 cause find themselves within the juris- 

 diction of the Japanese people, as well 

 as grant privileges never before con- 

 ceded to them, Perry used his large 

 force in making surveys and studying 

 the then little known countries which 

 he visited. These included an exten- 

 sive reconnoissance of Yedo Bay, up to 

 within a distance of seven miles from the 

 capital, and of the Liu Kiu Archipelago, 

 where he established a port of refuge at 

 Naka. While waiting at Naka to gain 

 the confidence of the people of the 



group, which was a conquered depen- 

 dency of Japan, Perry sailed to the 

 Bonin Islands, and with two of his ships 

 entered and established a harbor of 

 refuge at Port Lloyd. He caused the 

 principal islands to be explored and 

 gave to the inhabitants varieties of gar- 

 den seeds and some animals. He ac- 

 cumulated a large amount of geograph- 

 ical data, from which were made several 

 charts of the Liu Kiu group of islands. 

 Later the ship Plymouth was sent to the 

 Bonin Islands to explore the interior of 

 that group. 



A monument recently established by 

 the Japanese people at the place where 

 Commodore Perry landed commemo- 

 rates the important event which there 

 took place, thus evincing the high ap- 

 preciation which they hold for this dis- 

 tinguished man, who had reflected new 

 honors on his country and its navy. 



SURVEYS IN JAPAN 



Lieutenant Murray S. Day, U. S. N., 

 who was appointed as surveyor-in-chief 

 in the Kaitakushi of Hokkaido, reports 

 fromTokio, Japan, under date of March 

 27, 1876, that the preliminary work in 

 the triangulation (Island of Yesso) has 

 been extended over an area of about 

 12,000 square miles ; that the survey of 

 the coast line (as well as special surveys 

 of the principal towns and villages of 

 the coast) has been completed ; that the 

 accurate length of the Yubutsu base line 

 has been determined by three measure- 

 ments, and that the Hakodate base also 

 has been prepared for accurate measure- 

 ment ; that the difference of longitude 

 between Sapporo and Hakodate has been 

 determined by the telegraphic method, 

 and that a general map of the island has 

 been constructed which shows the prog- 

 ress of the survey up to the close of the 

 year, besides numerous sectional maps 

 of coast lines, towns, and rivers, etc. 



For a period of three years Day con- 

 tinued the work of organizing Japanese 

 students into surveying parties and su- 



