On the 19th of March the squadron was increased by the arrival of the storeship Supply, from China. She brought us the intelligence of a naval engagement between the Russians and the Turks; but the disappointment of many in not getting letters was great, and they thought
Oh the troubles that do espan,
The man who will go to Japan!
The Japanese having offered the harbor of Simoda, in the province of Idzoo, as one of the ports for American ships to visit, the Vandalia and Southampton were sent down to that place, to make a reconnoissance, and to report upon its facilities of entrance, and capacity. The weather was raw, rough, squally, and rainy. Agreeably to instructions from the government, received before leaving China—a wise thing, as naval commanders are always very chary, and not at all disposed to render any more facilities to the foreign diplomatic agents of the country, than they can help, on the 25th of the month, the steam-frigate Susquehanna left Japan for Hong Kong, to convey the new American commissioner to such of the Cinque ports as he desired to visit.
On the same day there was a landing, not for purposes of negotiation, but for the reception of the presents from the Japanese, which consisted of lacquered cabinets, desks, some silks, bags of rice, &c., not very numerous or at all comparable in use or value to those given them. On this occasion there was quite a number of officials present, who were compelled to manifest curiosity, when they saw the beautiful little locomotive, with its highly-finished rosewood car, complete in all the customary furniture, driven by a charcoal-fire alone, at a rate of a mile in three minutes, around a circular track of three hundred feet. The Americans were entertained with the contests in the ring of some Japanese athletes. These men were of great stature and much obesity, but their limbs displayed none of the angular muscularity, of a Monsieur Paul, lifting his cannon or resisting the draught of horses, or the pugilistic activity of the American Tom Hyers and Sullivans, who could no doubt whale them with little difficulty. These men are in the pay of princes, and have such designations as “Giant of the North,” &c. Their hair is gathered upon their head, as others of their country, though not shorn, perhaps to prevent their Samsonian qualities being affected. In front of their persons, which is otherwise unclothed, they wear a scarf, with the insignia of the prince they serve upon it. They commence with an exhibition of their strength, such as throwing with each hand over the shoulder, or lying on the ground, and somerseting with large straw-bags containing two hundred pounds of rice each. Then came the trial of the ring, not more than eight feet in diameter, and made of rice straw. Before commencing the combatants squatted and rubbed their knees, as if to assure themselves of their strength, and then rubbed a little dust under each arm, something like an infuriated cow, when she throws it on her back, and then with a grunt they closed, and though the claret was occasionally drawn, and great welts were raised upon the shoulders, yet there did not appear much of that belicosity, descriptions of which have graced some of the columns of the papers of our own country, since the infusion into it of Bill Poole blackguardism. The effort was rather to get one another out of the ring, when the effort ends. After being sufficiently amused at this intellectual display, the commodore and party returned aboard.
Nearly every day, some of the Japanese officials came off to the flag-ship to arrange in the preparation of the treaty, that matters might be facilitated during the formal interviews held ashore. Chief at such times, on their part, was Moriyama Yenoske, the imperial interpreter in the Dutch language; indeed he was the man of the treaty, so far as the Japanese were concerned; to his friendly regard to the Americans, his clear appreciation of propositions, and the accurate conveyance of them to the minds of the commissioners by his translations, we are much indebted.
On the 27th an entertainment was given to the commissioners on board of the flag-ship. It was the first time that the Japanese imperial flag floated from the mast-heads of foreign men-of-war. The guests came off about three o’clock in the afternoon. On passing the Mississippi they received a salute of seventeen great guns. They first went aboard of the Macedonian, when her crew were beat to general quarters, and the broadside-guns of the ship, together with her large “pivots,” exercised before them. From here they went to the flag-ship Powhatan, but some of them, who had changed from their steady-moving boats, by invitation, to our buoyant and lively ones, did not have their appetites for the repast that awaited them, improved by the qualmy motion. On the Powhatan they were shown the exercise and rapid firing of the twelve-pounder howitzers, in which they appeared to take much interest. They then partook of a dinner, which had been spread for them: the commissioners dining with the commodore, and the rest of the company from tables spread under the awnings of the quarter-deck. The Japanese did full justice to the dishes before them, and when partaken to satiety, they aided the disappearance of the food, after the manner of their country, by wrapping up and taking away an occasional pie or sweetmeat of which they are very fond. Music from the band regaled the occasion, and as the hermetics drained their draughts of champagne and cordial down, they became very social, if not confidential, and proposed frequent sentiments of friendship between “Nipong” and America. With such a people, John Barleycorn is very potent: particularly in treaty-making. At night on the forecastle the Japanese witnessed a capital Ethiopic performance, at which they appeared much amused. Indeed their stoic gravity had pretty well left them before this hour, and one of them, during the evening, indulged in a polka under the hurricane-deck with a very intelligent midshipman. They left at an early hour for the shore, and after a salute from the Saratoga, their flag was hauled down. One of the commissioners had a fancy for a large cake, which was given him by the commodore, together with some cordial, to be sent ashore the next day. During the night one of the orderlies at the cabin-door stole and made away with the cake. Not wishing to give the Japanese the bad idea of our men, that the mention of this theft might produce, the diplomacy was resorted to of telling the Japanese, when presenting the wine, that it was an American custom to present cake in the evening; by which time, another one had been made, and was sent ashore.
On the last day of March, the ships having gotten back from Simoda, and made their report as to that harbor, the commodore had his last official interview ashore, with the commissioners, at Yokahama, Kanagawa, when after much difficulty, and talking, and debate as to the wording, the following treaty was signed:—
The United States of America and the Empire of Japan, desiring to establish firm, lasting, and sincere friendship between the two nations have resolved to fix, in a manner clear and positive, by means of a treaty or general convention of peace and amity, the rules which shall in future be mutually observed in the intercourse of their respective countries, for which most desirable object the President of the United States has conferred full powers on his commissioner, Matthew Calbraith Perry, special ambassador of the United States to Japan, and the august sovereign of Japan has given similar full powers to his commissioners, Hayashi, Daigaku-nokami, Ido, prince of Tsus-Sima, Izawa, prince of Mimasaki, and Udono, member of the board of revenue. And the said commissioners, after having exchanged their said full powers, and duly considered the premises, have agreed to the following articles:
ARTICLE I.