256 
A PRACTICAL EVIDENCE OF ZEAL, 
That evening we were again at Si-mo-da, the Japanese 
appearing not to care a farthing about our having visited 
Iley-da. although they had opposed it so violently before 
it was accomplished. 
Our stay at Si-mo-da was now drawing to a close. We 
had rcsurveyed tlie harbour, compared our work with 
the chart of Lieutenants Maury and Bent, of Perry’s 
squadron, and found that the destructive eai'thquake and 
its attendant sea-wave which had reduced Si-mo-da to 
ruins since the visit of that squadron had not perceptibly 
altered its formation or soundings. 
As an evidence of the zeal by which both officers and 
men were filled during this cruise, I will remark that, 
about this time, the idea of exploring and surveying the 
coast of Nipon from Si-mo-da to the northeast point of 
the iskind, and then crossing the stormy Straits of 
T'Sugar to Ila-ko-da-di, island of Jesso, in an open boat, 
was originated by some one and subsequently executed 
with happy success. The coast-line to be thus examined 
was nearly five hundred miles in length, their charts 
were very unreliable, and it was the season when violent 
gales were likely to cross their track at any moment. It 
was undoubtedly a most hazardous undertaking. 
As soon as the expedition was proposed, volunteers 
sprang forward from every quarter, and, as soon as the 
officers and crew were selected, the boat was prepared 
for the unusual service and proclaimed ready for sea. 
She was the largest boat carried by the Vincennes, 
was known as ^‘the launch,” and measured probably 
from four to five tons. They had built a light forecastle- 
deck forward, knocked up a few lockers aft, and rigged 
