The Sun.
London, England, 1860-07-04 00:00:00

SCOTCH BANKRUPTS.

James Grant M'Lean, merchant and agent, Glasgow.
Alexander Drummond, commission agent, Glasgow.

THE JAPANESE AMBASSADORS.

NEW YORK, JUNE 20.—The Japanese Ambassa-
dors, with their long suite, made their entrance
into New York on Saturday last. Great prepara-
tions had been made for them by the municipal
authorities, and the favouring heavens lent their
smiles to make the display everything that could
be asked. The bay of New York, the beauty of
which in the eyes of New Yorkers, at least, is justly
celebrated, was alive with yachts and steamers,
waiting to receive and accompany the train, and the
shipping at the docks was gaily dressed and
sparkled with all the hues of the rainbow. The
Ambassadors were to arrive from Philadelphia by
way of Amboy, which would bring them up the
bay at the hour when it was brightest and most
cheerful. As their steamer passed up it was duly
saluted from the various forts in the harbour, and
upon arrival was received with the proper amount
of gunpowder. Long before the hour every avail-
able window on the line of procession was occupied.
The streets below were filled with an immense
throng, reminding me of the streets of London on
the day of the funeral of the Duke of Wellington,
and wherever a little open space permitted trees to
grow they bore a full fruit of ragged boys. As the
procession started a rising cloud fortunately ob-
scured the sun, which was before then blazing down
with a summer heat, so that both ambassadors and
people, seers and seen, could perform their respec-
tive functions without inconvenience. Of the de-
tails of the procession it is sufficient to say that it
consisted only of the ambassadors and their train, the
city Government, and the local militia, about 7,000
strong. The chiefs of the embassy manifested a
stolid indifference to the whole display, and to the
crowd gathered to s^e it. As one of the latter, I
was unable to see that either of them raised their
eyes, or in any way showed the slightest knowledge
that there was a human being near them. A guard
of honour upon each side, and a policeman at each
door of the carriage, kept the crowd at a distance;
but there was no sign of a consciousness that there
was any crowd there. The subs of the embassy were
by no means so indifferent. They waved their
handkerchiefs and fans, and kissed their hands to
the ladies, who crowded every window. Many of
them also were armed with opera-glasses, with
which they scanned the balconies and windows
with all the air of an habitue of the Opera. Most of
them wore French kid gloves; with that exception,
there was nothing Occidental in their toilets. Few
had hats ; most of them wore their dark hair
braided upon the tops ofatheir heads ; two or three
only had their crowns entirely shaven. Their
dresses were generally of sombre colours, little
ornamented, and suited for travelling. Most of
them smoked, and, with the exception of the chefs,
they were chatting together, calling each other's
attention to this, that, and th© other thing on the
line of their march, and indulged in frequent peals
of merry laughter at what they saw. From the
windows and balconies they looked like old men,
and from their high cheek bones, dark
braided hair, and tawny hue might have
been mistaken for American Indians. A
nearer inspection, however, entirely disabused one
of such an idea. They are many of them young,
their features are straighter than those of the
American Indian, and in their scrupulous personal
cleanliness they bear no resemblance to that filthy
specimen of humanity. After they were deposited
at their sumptuous apartments in the Metropolitan
Hotel they were left to themselves for a day. On
Monday they were received by the Mayor at the
City-hall. This was the last of their tortures, and
now it is understood that they are to be permitted
to enjoy themselves quietly and like reasonable
beings. I meet them about in the various
shops, where their curiosity or acquisitiveness
takes them, and I am struck with the tho-
rougly business-like manner in which they canvass
the goods and beat down the shopkeepers. An
education in Paris could not have made them
greater adepts at the business. Photographic
works seem to have a greater interest for them
than anything else. They are not only having
themselves constantly " taken," but they are also
examining and buying stereoscopic views and every
sort of photographic works. They go about quietly,
under charge of policemen, gathering little crowds
about them wherever they stop, but with quite as
little trouble to themselves and quite as unmolested
as Lord Elgin's suite were allowed to go about
Jeddo. They are getting anxious for the Niagara
to be ready. The workmen are driving on the
work upon the vessel as fast as possible, and it is
understood that as soon as she is ready they will
leave.