INVITATION FROM AMERICAN MINISTER. Chap. XII. 
was unwilling to make an application to the gentle- 
man who had been left in charge of the Legation, 
as he might not have the power to grant me my 
request, and at the same time it would he disagree- 
able, I thought, for him to refuse. What was then 
to he done? Mr. Alcock was not expected hack 
until the end of June, and if I could not visit Yedo 
until that time all the spring-flowers would be past, 
and the opportunity of adding some plants of in- 
terest and value to my collection would he lost. 
Most anxious to accomplish the object I had in 
view, I wrote to Mr. Townsend Harris, the United 
States Minister, and asked him to receive me for a 
few days at the American Legation. Mr. Harris 
sent me a very kind reply, inviting me to his 
house in Yedo, and begging me to remain there as 
long as I pleased. Thus far everything went well, 
and I was delighted with the opportunity which I 
was likely to have of adding to the number of those 
useful and beautiful trees and other plants which I 
had discovered in Yedo the winter before ; but the 
sequel will show that things were not destined to 
go on quite so smoothly as I had anticipated. 
On the 20th of May Mr. Portman and a guard 
of yakoneens were sent down to meet me at the 
river Loga. I had frequently heard of a beautiful 
inland road from Kanagawa to Yedo ; and as I had 
seen quite enough of the Imperial highway, it was 
determined that we should take the new route. 
Before striking into the country we paid a visit to 
the celebrated tea-house at Omora, which I have 
