The Express.
London, England, 1861-09-28 00:00:00

THE REGLSTICATIONS.

(Stamped, Id. Additional.)

I have not been able to gather at what precise time or in
what direction the Japanese assistance first arrived, but
most probably as pointed out in the foregoing. Nor is there
any clear clue to the exact number of the assassins. At
the moment of the attack it was of course impossible
even to surmise their numbers ; the details would
Ewa's% 14 or 15 (or possibly a few more), say
the two who were actually encountered, two to four
who smashed through the glass windows, and from five to
ten at the front door. There is no evidence of any others
either entering or endeavouring to enter the house, and it
is impossible to conceive their doing so without penetrating
to the drawing.room, to which one main passage leads, the
aide ones only being intricate, the one being lighted and
the others dark. Neither would the casualties suggest any
great number five Loonings were killed and seven
soldiers wounded, some very severely.• One of theoflleeni
grooms was also killed. On entering the grounds
the assassins cut down two gatekeepers, and passing
through the kitchens demanded of attire servant " where
these foreigners were to be found ;" and on his denying any
knowledge, they wounded him mortally with their swords.
One of the priests likewise was cut down, but was not
killed, and is doing well. Amongst themselves, the
Japanese think very little of death and woonda—affrays :
are so common ; the importance of the present e►nt is the
rank of the intended victim, the representative of the meet
powerful of sovereigns, and the audacity of the attempt.
Their deliverance must indeed have been felt by all to have
been most providential. Surely such an event cannot be
passed over like the previous assassinations.
On the pest day Mr. Aloock and the whole party "'Whoa
the wounded soldiers.

The bodies of the slain assassins remain where they fell,
laid low by tremendous gashes of the nature which
it was their intention to have inflicted on our country. aim. Ballo
lni seingled arms and other wounds the
nase Mow aeausd -generally at the back of the thstad,
through skull and jaws and tongue as the teeth—hcerible to
look at, but of muse attended with instantaneous death.
Close in the neighbourhood of the Legation is a suburb
' called Sinagawa, in a tea house of which the assassins are
found to have held a debauch previous to their undertaking.
The government is sure to obtain some information, but
the question is whether they will communicate it to the
foreign authorities. The immediate peril past the diplo-
matic difficulties commence, and these are almost more for-
midable than the tomer ; they require certainly much more 1
endurance. Admiral Hope is expected here in a few days
with two ships.
One thing is certain, proved by Japanese history, that an
enterprise momentarilyi
defeated s not finally quelled, and
unless the British government determines, and that
speedily, to support and protect its representatives cast into
the midst of hostile principslities, these will certainly sooner
or later fall the victims of assassination.
P. 8.—1 have just received another letter fromYokuhama,
which says, " AJapanese merchant arrived here about noon
of the day after the attack, so that he must have left Yedo
soon after sunrise. He gave a foreign acquaintance many
details which could only have been learned from some of the
camped band. He stated that he had passed the previous
day in Sinagawa, the suburb near the Legation ; that • band
of 30 or 40 men had been knocking about all day, ending by
a debauch, some of them in a particular teahouse kept by
an old retainer of Prince Mito, and the usual haunt of his
people ; that they paid their bill of 30 itriboes and west
forth to the rendezvous, the gate of the Legation. Here all
were to have assembled at the tolling of a bell, which
occurred nightly at the tame hour in a neighbouring cere-
mony. Before the time, however, a dog within the gate
commermed to bark. Those who were ready thought it was
a foreign dog, and that they were discovered. They there-
fore, on the gatekeeper refusing to open, forced their way
in through the side paliaga, cut him down, and killed the
dog. He also said that the village officers had informedthe
police during the day of the presence of the suspicious
band. The truth of this man's statement im evinced by the
facts that the entry wax effected in the way said. that the
gatekeeper was cut down, and the dog lay killed just within
the gate. The question becomes important how all these
and doubtless further details should be known throughout
the village while the blood was still warm in the veins of
those who fell. The speedy arrival of effective aid would
also almost imply that the government was forewarned. It
is said that the usual guard on the grounds being called on
for aid refused, saying that their duty was to write—in fact
to spy—and not to fight. It is presumable that Mr. Aleock
would quickly send these csrpst heights about their business.

The following is a copy of a circular letter addreseed to
the foreign representatives in Yedo by her Majesty's Envoy
Extrwonlinary,'which we giver authentic though not
ofliciaL

Her Majesty's Legation, Yedo, July 6.
Sir,—Let night, between eleven and twelve o'clock, the
British Legation was suddenly attacked, awl an entrance
aggpoted at sa_vagal pitipts simulnineoindy armed beads et
Lr:t, by muse to be Lamina, by others Prince
mes. Twd of the members alb. establishment,
Mr. Oliphant and Mr. Morrison, were met in • passage and
both wounded, the filet, lam sorry to say, very severely,
when a momentary diversion was effected by • shot from
Mr. Morrison's revolver, which appeared to have taken
effect. A few minutes later the sarne or another division of
the assassins sought to effect an entraooe to the apartments
occupied by myself. by breaking through and hacking in
pieces some glass doors opening on to another suite, having
mistaken their way. To this alone, under Providence, we
probably owe our lives, for several minutes were thus lost
to them, at Unread of which some of the Yaconins, or Doi.
mio's guard, appear to have come to the spot, and the assail-
ants were finally driven out of the house, after having
penetrated into nearly every room except my own, leaving
traces of their presence by slashing at all the beds and fur-
niture. Mark, of blood were found in various directions,
and • prolonged oonfiict took place outside in the avenue
and approaches to the Legation with the officers and men
on service.

Such • deed of atrocity perpetrated in the capital of a
government to which foreign representatives are accredited
by the Western Powers needs no comment ; I only feel it
a duty to communicate to my colleagues the facts for their
guidance and information, and to aomaint them that as •
temporary measure I have ordered up her Majesty's ship
Morley., and caused a guard of men to be lauded. What
measures it may be expedient to adopt for the future seen.
rity of this and the other Legations in Yedo, and the main-
tenance of those international right' and immunities so
grievously attacked, becomes • serious consideration, and
one the pressing importance of which cannot well be over-
looked. But on this part of the subject I shall be glad to
enter into further communication with you and the rest of
my colleagues, should you feed disposed to favour me with
your views.—l am, Ac.,
(Signed) ROTHEIWORD
The following notice on the subject has since been issued
by her Majesty's Consul at Kanagawa:—