Commodore Perry Delivering the President’s Letter to the Japanese Representatives.
On Tuesday, July 12th, came word permitting the message to be delivered in a house to be erected for the purpose on the shore of the bay and promising an answer in due time at the same place. An official of the highest rank was assigned to receive the message. The Thursday following was the day set for delivering the message. So Commodore Perry ordered out his barge with fourteen others to carry guards of honor. The boats formed in line and the advance guard-boat, with an American captain in command, was accompanied by two Japanese boats containing, as a mark of honor, the Governor and Vice-governor of Uraga. There was a band of music, and to the blare of brazen instruments was added the roar of a thirteen-gun salute.
On reaching the shore the American guard, consisting of four hundred marines and sailors, lined up to salute the commodore. Then a procession was formed, with the commodore in a sedan-chair borne by Chinese members of the crew, while the letter of the President and the credentials of the commodore were borne by two negroes selected for their size and bearing. These documents, by the way, were written on vellum of folio size, the big seals were enclosed in solid gold boxes, and the documents were enclosed in gold-mounted caskets.
The commodore’s sedan was flanked by two immense negroes in gorgeous uniform and armed like pirates.
A Japanese Fish-Present.
(One of the invariable Imperial gifts. The substance protruding at each end is edible sea-weed on which the fish is laid and covered with paper.)
From a wood-cut in Perry’s “Narrative.”
There was no great ceremony in the house of reception. The dignitaries took seats, a box that had been prepared for the occasion was pointed out as the receptacle of the message, and into it the message was placed. There was, of course, plenty of bowing and rising up in the presence of the great men of both nations. But after the big ceremony was over the princes went on board ship and had a sail around the bay. There was also an exchange of presents, the Japanese being somewhat surprised to find the Americans refusing to accept presents without returning something of equal value.