304 
THE VOYAGE OF THE VEGA. 
[chap. 
well received in Japan, and we are informed that a special 
committee is appointed to make arrangements for their re¬ 
ception. This has given offence in certain quarters, and 
shortly before our arrival a proclamation was issued by a secret 
society, which threatened, if no change were made, to kill one of 
the ministers and one of the foreigners who were entertained 
in this, in the opinion of the secret society, extravagant way. 
One of my Japanese friends promised me a copy of the pro¬ 
clamation, hut did not keep his promise, probably because it 
was impossible for the uninitiated to get hold of the dangerous 
writing. 
On the 13th September a grand dinner was arranged for us 
by the German Club, the photographer Andersen being chair¬ 
man. The hall was adorned in a festive manner with flags, 
and with representations of the Vega in various more or less 
dangerous positions among the ice, which had been got up 
for the occasion; the bill of fare had reference to the cir¬ 
cumstances of our wintering, &c. A number of speeches were 
made; the feeling was cheerful and merry. 
On the 15th September there was a grand entertainment in 
Tokio, given by the Tokio Geographical Society, the Asiatic 
Society of Japan, and the German Asiatic Society. It was 
held in the great hall in Koku-Dai-Gaku, a large stone 
building surrounded with beautiful trees, which were lighted up 
for the occasion by a number of variegated paper lanterns. 
Several Japanese ladies dressed in European style took part 
in the entertainment. I sat by the side of the chairman, 
Prince Kita-Shira-Kava, a young member of the imperial 
house, who had served some time in the German army and 
speaks German very well. During the disturbances which were 
caused by the removal of the residence from Kioto to Yedo 
(Tokio), a group of insurgents had seized the prince, then a 
minor, who under the name of Rinnojino-Miya was chief 
priest in a temple, and endeavoured to set him up in opposition 
