On leaving this place we clambered to the summit of high, bleak hills, with a very white volcanic formation, at the top, so bright that at a distance it might well have been taken for snow. The ascent was anything but agreeable, as we were impeded by thick bushes, brier and bramble. Two Japanese who attempted to play pilot, fared worst, but upon getting up some distance had the “sava” to see that going ahead were as well as going back. We rested at an abandoned quarry on the summit, and from here had a fine view of the surrounding country. My companions having filled the leaves of an old census-book with little botanical specimens, comprising rare little plants and cosy little wild flowers of every hue, together with what they thought were some new specimens of the fern family, we descended into a pretty little valley waving in wheat, and at sundown were at Simoda.
That night the officer of the mid-watch of the Mississippi heard the words “American! American!” pronounced in a low tone from the top of the gangway-ladder, and immediately two young Japanese descended to the deck. They made signs to him of great fatigue, held up their tender though blistered hands, and desired to cast off their boat from the ship, which they were not permitted to do. An attempt was made to comprehend them by means of a Chinese servant, who was awoke for the purpose, but the domestic celestial insisted that they had “rice for sale.” The commander of the Mississippi directed them to be put on board of the flag-ship. Here it was ascertained they were from Yedo; that they were desirous of coming to our country, and that, unable to effect that object or have communication with us when we lay off Yokohama, they had followed us, at much risk, in an open boat, from the bay of Yedo to our anchorage at Simoda. Their plan was, after getting on board of us, to permit their boat to go adrift, allowing their swords to remain in her, which family relics the Japanese regard as very heir-looms, not to be parted with but in the last extremity, and by this means to produce the belief that their owners had been drowned when the boat should be picked up. Fearing there might be some deception in the matter, perhaps a ruse to see in what faith we were prepared to observe their laws, which we were aware prohibited any of their people from leaving Japan for a foreign country, they were ordered to be put ashore in a ship’s boat at a point where they would not be liable to observation, which was done, the hour being nearly two in the morning. On reaching the beach they soon disappeared in the woods.
A few days afterward, some of our officers in their strolls ashore, ascertained that there were two Japanese confined in a cage at a little barrack back of the town, and on going there they were found to be the persons who had paid the midnight visit to our ships, and they also proved to be my unfortunate friends of the letter. They did not appear greatly down-cast by their situation, and one of them wrote in his native character on a piece of board, and passed through the bars of his cage, to one of our surgeons present, what follows:—
When a hero fails in his purpose, his acts are then regarded as those of a villain and robber. In public have we been seized and pinioned, and darkly imprisoned for many days; the village elders and headmen treat us disdainfully, their oppressions being grievous indeed; therefore looking up while yet we have nothing wherewith to reproach ourselves, it must now be seen whether a hero will prove himself to be one indeed.
Regarding the liberty of going through the sixty states (of Japan) as not enough for our desires, we wished to make the circuit of the five great continents; this was our heart’s wish for a long time. Suddenly our plans are defeated, and we find ourselves in a half-sized house, where eating, resting, sitting, and sleeping, are difficult, nor can we find our exit from this place. Weeping we seem as fools, laughing as rogues—alas! for us, silent we can only be.
Isagi Kóóda,
Kwansuchi Manji.
The commodore, it is said, did not hear of their capture and confinement, until the next morning, when he sent some officers ashore to see what might be done in the way of intercession, but on reaching the barrack, it was found that they had that morning been sent to the city of Yedo, and as the attendant at the place made sign, for the purpose of being beheaded.
The following is the translation of the letter, which the unfortunate aspirants, for a sight of the great world, beyond their hermetic empire, placed in the breast of my vest, the neat and sharply-defined characters of whose original, as it lies before me, would assure even one, who did not comprehend their language, that it had been pencilled by men of intelligence and taste.
Two scholars of Yedo, in Japan, named Isagi Kóóda and Kwansuchi Manji, present this letter to the high officers or others who manage affairs. That which we have received is meager and trifling, as are our persons insignificant, so that we are ashamed to come before distinguished personages. We are ignorant of arms and their uses in battle, nor do we know the rules of strategy and discipline. We have in short, uselessly whiled away our months and years, and know nothing. We heard a little of the customs and knowledge of the Europeans and Americans, and have desired to travel about in the five great continents, but the maritime prohibitions of our country are exceeding strict, so that for the foreigners to enter the “inner land” or for natives to go to other countries, are alike among the immutable regulations. Therefore our desire to travel has been checked, and could only go to and fro in our breasts, unable to find utterance, and our feet so hampered that we could not stir.
This had been the case many years, when happily the arrival of so many of your ships anchoring in our waters, now for several days, and our careful and repeated observation of the kind and humane conduct of your officers, and their love for others, has revived the cherished desire of years, which now struggles for its exit. We have decided on a plan, which is, very privately to take us aboard of your ships and carry us to sea, that we may travel over the five continents, even if, by so doing, we disregard our laws. We hope you will not regard our humble request with disdain, but rather enable us to carry it out. Whatever we are able to do to serve, will be considered as an order so soon as we hear it.