Ihe First Visit of an American Ship to Japan. 149 



was discovered in a sinking condition from which eleven 

 other sailors were rescued and informed of the purpose of 

 the Americans to restore them to their homes. Arriving 

 on the coast of I^iphon he despatclied two of the natives 

 he had rescued with a message to the emperor announcing 

 his intention to enter the harbor of Jcddo. In due time 

 he passed through the straits or channel leading from the 

 open sea to the bay and entered the bay itself deep within 

 which the city is situated. Here a barge met him, coming 

 from the city, the commander of which notified him of the 

 arrival of his messengers and the emperor's permission 

 for him to proceed further up the bay. He was directed 

 to anchor for the night under a certain headland. The 

 next morning the ship was surrounded with hundreds of 

 boats manned with oarsmen and men-at-arms liberally fur- 

 nished with swords and spears. These boats formed in 

 several long lines, were made fast to each other and to 

 the ship by ropes and awaited the signal to advance. The 

 Manhattan then hove up her anchor and amid the shouts 

 of the multitude of boatmen was towed up to anew anchor- 

 age within a few miles of the city. Here he was visited 

 by large numbers of the Japanese of all ranks, but neither 

 himself nor any of his crew were permitted to land them- 

 selves. 



Conversation with the Japanese officials was carried on 

 through a Dutch interpreter. The frank and manly bear- 

 ing of Capt. Cooper, as well as his personal kindness to 

 his passengers, won the confidence and respect of the re- 

 presentatives of the government, and in particular of the 

 governor of Jeddo who had many interviews with him. 

 During his stay this ofiScer treated him with marked 

 courtesy and on his subsequent visit to IN'ew York as one 

 of the principal personages of the Japanese embassy, made 

 particular inquiries of his welfare. 



The prohibition to land was no paper blockade. On 



