The Japan expedition. Japan and around the world / An account of three visits to the Japanese empire, with sketches of Madeira, St. Helena, cape of Good Hope, Mauritius, Ceylon, Singapore, China, and Loo-Choo

by J. W. Spalding

But little is known of the metaliferous history of Japan, further than its territory, in many places, is very auriferous, and that the mining of gold is an imperial monopoly. The Japanese founded their valuation by the price of bullion as regulated by their law or imperial decree, being assured that as long as Japan was excluded from all social and commercial intercourse with other nations, and formed a little world of its own, that a system of this kind might be carried on, without prejudice to the rights of any; the Japanese government by putting a fictitious value on their coin, or adopting the system of seignorage, no doubt did so to take away the motive and inducement for the exportation of their specie for purposes of profit. Their great philosopher, Arai Trikayo-no-kami, compared the mineral production of a country to its frame and bones, and the products of the soil to the flesh of the body, which should always be in due proportion. The bones, he said, once removed, could not be replaced. In addition to an adherence to this doctrine, it has been a belief among the Japanese ever since their intercourse with the Portuguese, who showed particular avidity for the procurement of their bullion, that it was the policy of foreigners to drain Japan of this resource, that it might fall an easier prey to conquest when thus impoverished.

The monetary system of Japan will require such almost radical alteration, that it forms their objection, and presents the greatest hinderance to commercial intercourse with others. The non-exportation of bullion, must render trade a very difficult thing, and would have the effect, as at Nangasaki with the Dutch and Chinese, of making the government banker for both parties to a bargain, in buying and selling, and all payments and receipts to pass through the hands of its officers.

The government of Japan is now one of progress; and they admit their willingness to make improvements in it; but these improvements must not be hurried ones, but with due foresight and proper precaution—slowly and gradually; fearing, to use their simile, that unaccustomed to light, too much of its glare at one time, would dazzle and produce blindness.

After the survey of the harbor of Simoda, buoys were placed upon the rocks discovered, surmounted with poles from which waved little flags that we had made; and on one side of the entrance to the harbor had been placed a large sign to indicate the locality of a dangerous rock that lies in mid-channel of the entrance. The Japanese objected to the presence of these flags, put there by us, on the grounds that it looked as if we had taken possession of the place, and on their promising to keep their places filled with their little customhouse-flag, they were permitted to remove ours.

They furnished a sample of their coal, which was brought aboard in hampers. It was from the interior, and mere surface coal, they not having any knowledge of how it should be mined. They might be able to furnish it at thirty dollars per ton: it could be landed there from the United States or England for twenty-five dollars. When they acquire the knowledge of working their mines, and have the roads to convey it to the seaboard, it may be different.

Here, as at Hakodadi, after paying for them, stones of the requisite size were procured for the Washington monument. Two of their long, sharp, copper-fastened pine-boats, with their peculiar sculls, ordered to be made previously, being completed, were hoisted on board of the storeship Southampton to be sent to the United States. Our band performed in the large temple-yard ashore. The governor of the place allowed the poorer classes to come within the enclosure, and the attention and delight with which they listened, and their asking permission to present the musicians with fruit, showed that they were both fonder and had more appreciation of pleasant strains than the stolid Chinaman, who acknowledges no music save his horrible nasal screech, or stupid tom-tom.

A theatrical performance was given on board which was attended by the commissioners. The body of the marine, Williams, was brought from Yokohama in a Japanese boat in charge of some of his messmates, and re-interred near the poor fellow killed on the Powhatan, in the spot set apart in the Kakizaki temple ground, for an American cemetery.

On the longest day in the year, the 21st of June, the bazar so long looked for, was announced ready. The articles were arranged in the temple Leosenthsi, money changing in a temple being a small thing with the Japanese. The quantity of articles exposed, were not at all proportioned to the number who wished to purchase, and there was much disappointment. The Japanese made the excuse that they had not sufficient time allowed them for the making of articles. The commodore first visited the place, and found the articles ticketed with excessive prices; particularly when seventeen cents per day may be regarded as the average price of Japanese labor. He intimated to the commissioners his displeasure at this, but these functionaries, who had no doubt thus fixed things, very adroitly gave it to be understood that the reduction of the prices of things at the vendue was a matter rather below their position. The method in the madness of these official gentry was no doubt this: there were a number of articles in this bazar similar to those presented by their government to ours at Yokohama, and by affixing these high prices they thought to give increased value to the others, in our eyes.

It was determined to dispose of the articles by lottery, so that all might procure something. They were principally crapes and silks, and specimens of porcelain and lacquered ware. The first-named fabrics, I shrewdly suspect, may not have been of Japanese manufacture, but probably were sent from Chapoo in China, by the junks to Loo-Choo, and thence in their own to Japan. The amount of silks and crapes of the finest texture made in their own country is not very great, and no doubt entirely consumed by the higher castes. Siebold says, that their most beautiful silks are woven by high-born criminals, who are confined upon a small, rocky, unproductive island, deprived of their property, and obliged to pay for the provisions with which they are supplied by sea, with the produce of their manual labor; and that the exportation of these silks is prohibited.

The Japanese porcelain is of the purest, and surpasses in delicacy and transparency any that France and England can offer. The finest, with little raised images upon it, it is said, is made of a peculiar clay, found in the vicinity of Meaco, and which is now nearly exhausted. Out of little cups made of this ware, the saki is drunk.