We reached the street leading to the palace-grounds about twelve o’clock. This was a wide one of nicely-rolled gravel, and on either side were walls of much height and thickness, showing smooth and expensive masonry. In marching along this approach, we passed under three roofed and detached gateways, built at intervals across it. They had three distinct entrances, the widest being in the centre, over which a red sign, with Japanese characters in gilt, had this announcement: “This is a small island, but observes the rules of propriety; distinguished persons will pass through the centre opening, others will go through those at the sides.”
On arriving at the main gate of the palace, a number of the chiefs, in their yellow and red caps, were there to receive us. Leaving the escort outside, the commodore and suite of officers entered, and after passing through successive courts, and up stone steps alternately to the right and left, at a considerable elevation from the street, the party was ushered into the hall of audience. Here were a number of yellow and red-capped chiefs assembled. Chairs and tables for each one of the guests were placed, and pipes, tea, and cakes, with lacquered chop-sticks, served. When the regent—quite an old man, with long, white beard—entered, with his councillors, he advanced and saluted the commodore half way, insisting on rank or equality. The interview was a short one; compliments were interchanged through Dr. Bettelheim and Mr. S. W. Williams of Canton, when the regent was invited aboard of the Susquehanna, when she should return to Napa, after a contemplated absence of twelve days. The presents were then left in the middle of the floor, and the visiting party retired. On reaching the street we were conducted to a large hall in another part of the ground, where a feast had been prepared for us, set out upon black lacquered tables. The first course consisted of soups, of which there were nearly a dozen different kinds furnished in succession, in small cup-bowls, with porcelain spoons. There was nearly every kind from egg-soup to “bird’s-nest.” The solids were pleasant to the taste but rather suspicious in appearance, among which were slices of hard-boiled eggs, so colored as to resemble sections of the uncooked tomato. Finding that we were not able to make any progress with the black lacquered chop-sticks which had been distributed at each one’s place, they furnished us with little sharpened pieces of oak, with the aid of which we did full justice to our hosts.
After strange-looking cakes had been brought, tea removed, and pipes handed, very small porcelain cups were placed, and our honorable red-cap attendants, who according to their custom, wait themselves upon their guests, kept them continually filled with SAKI from silver vessels shaped like tea-pots. This was the first taste we had of this colorless, celebrated Japanese national beverage. It was pleasant to the taste, and yet the after-math was not; it had some of the goût of champagne, and then it was turnipy. Buckingham might be on the seas, and then the seas might be on him; but a man could scarcely be considered “in his cups” though a hundred cups were in him of saki. Nor could he exclaim with Falstaff that the villain had put lime in his “sack,” (did Shakespeare know Japanese?)—because the thimble-sized tankard would not admit of it.
The commodore, through the interpreter, toasted the queen and young prince, and hoped Loo-Chooan man and American man would always be friends. The chiefs of course salaamed considerably to this sentiment, but I am quite dubious whether they did not regard it as an indication of closer proximity with these Americans, who might disturb at a future day the nolli me tangere doctrines of their country.
The feast over, the column of escort was again formed, and making the march down to Tumai, in less time than up to Sheudi, by four o’clock, all were aboard of their respective ships.
No more beautiful place than Sheudi, so far as verdure, elevated situation, and attractive foliage, is concerned. Our officers took many a tramp up there, and always with pleasure. At cool springs well cared for they could slake their thirst; under enormous trees they could pic-nic or siesta if they chose, and afterward bathe in a walled lake all covered over with trees. What would the palace-grounds, the Komooe of Sheudi, be worth in this country?—no more baronial domain in England. Should you have gone unprovided with chow-chow on these excursions, stop at a roadside Kunkwa, usually adjoining some place of worship, and the occupants will promptly give you tea and cakes, and the examination of your strange costume, and sage queries about your ship, is their reward for their entertainment. If it should rain during your walk, request one of your unbidden native officer associates to procure a papyrus parasol.
There are many things to interest an antiquarian taste, and provoke conjecture, about Loo-Choo. At Napa there are stone-statues, eight feet high, quite well executed, of their “far-seeing God”—there are causeways of stone, breakwaters, forts constructed with good engineering, and well designed and located for defence, though now entirely disarmed; and you pass over well-arched bridges, with neatly-cut stone balustrading, and in fine state of preservation. The palace at Sheudi is a perfect fortress in wall and situation, and in determined hands would laugh at a siege of many days. When were these built?—when were these forts disarmed? As Basil Hall told Napoleon at St. Helena, in speaking of this island, there are point de fusils there now. The invocation of the Ethiopic song, “Rise, old Napa, rise!” would be now of no avail.
Although a line of steamers from our Pacific coast to Shanghae, China, on the arc of a great circle, would come nowhere nigh the group known as the Bonin islands to the northeast of Loo-Choo, yet the commodore still deemed it best to make a hasty reconnoissance of the harbor of Port Lloyd, which had been surveyed some years ago by the English, who claim sovereignty over Peel island by right of possession, though it can be proven that it was first permanently settled by an American, or one owing allegiance to our country; but as the whole policy of our government has been opposed to foreign colonial possession, there is scarcely any chance of there being any dispute about it. Mr. English, under-secretary of state for foreign affairs, may make himself comfortable.
On the 9th of June the Susquehanna, with the sloop-of-war Saratoga in tow, took their departure, leaving the Mississippi, and storeship Supply in the harbor. A few days afterward the Plymouth arrived from north China, bringing us papers containing an account of the presidential inauguration.
The Susquehanna and the Saratoga reached Peel island, after a pleasant passage, on the 14th. After a stay there of four days, during which the commodore sent parties of officers to explore the island, put a quantity of live stock ashore in the custody of some American residents at Port Lloyd, and also purchased an eligible lot for the government, should it ever hereafter be required, for a coal depot, the ships returned to Napa, bringing with them fish and turtle. They ascertained that some twenty whalers had stopped at the island during the year for refreshments. A parcel of long-nosed porkers turned loose by ships passing, can only be reached by the aid of the rifle; but some of the officers who took a crack at them, facetiously spoke in their letters to the United States of their hunting the wild boar.