Chap. IV. 
THE YAKONEENS. 
75 
given up to them as their places of residence. 
These gardens are all remarkable for azaleas of 
extraordinary size, which have been kept carefully 
clipped ; and if they are covered with flowers in 
the spring, as I believe they are, they must be 
indeed charming objects to look upon. 
The gardens and grounds of the Legation are 
surrounded by a high wooden fence, and the gates 
are guarded by armed yakoneens. If any of the 
members of the Legation or their visitors pass out 
of this enclosure, they are immediately followed by 
some of these men. If the foreigner prefers a walk 
they walk after him ; or if he goes out on horse- 
back they follow in the same style. For some time 
this proceeding was thought to be quite un- 
necessary, and it was supposed that these men 
acted merely as spies, to report all the doings of 
the foreigners. The Japanese Government have 
always maintained that the system was necessary 
for our protection ; and although it has no doubt 
signally failed in some instances, as for example, 
in the case of poor Mr. Heuskin the American 
interpreter, yet I have no doubt in my own mind 
that many lives have been saved by means of it. 
In so far as the Government is concerned, I believe 
there is every desire to prevent disturbances with 
foreigners, and this is one' of the means it uses to 
accomplish that object. 
At the time of my visit there were an unusually 
large number of foreigners living in Yedo. In 
addition to the members of the English, French, 
