The Sun.
London, England, 1861-04-22 00:00:00

FOREIGNERS IN JAPAN.

A letter from Yokuhama, dated Feb. 5, says :
Affairs in Japan are in a most critical state at the
present moment. On the Ist of January the foreign,
Ministers were informed by the Japanese Govern-
ment that there were some 500 or 600 Zoonines, or
disbanded retainers of Princes, in the neighbouring
districts who were meditating a general massacre
of the foreigners at Yokuhama, the burning and
pillaging of all their property, the murder of the
consuls at Kanagawa, and the total annihilation of
the various legations at Yeddo, with their inmates.
They therefore proposed that all the officers of the
legation should take refuge in the Tycoon's Castle,
and that the consuls at Kanagawa should go over
to Yokuhama, where they would all be protested.
This proposition was refused in toto. In consequence
of this refusal and for our protection they filled the
legation grounds with 200 or 300 Yakonins (two-
sworded officers), in the service of two Daimios.
Two brass field-pieces were placed on the premises;
'and a very vigilant watch kept; patrols wandered
about the grounds day and night, armed with
spears, swords, and loaded muskets. A watchword
was given and changed daily. It was rather amus•
ing to see our protectors—gamekeeper-like—beat
the hedges and one or two little covers in our neigh-
bourhood for Zoonines. Revolvers became with us
cherished wade-mecums—we had them at hand day
and night, and practised occasionally for the pur-
pose of acquiring a steady hand. We expected to
be attacked every moment, and, as experience has
proved that not the slightest dependence can be
placed on our valiant looking defenders, we prepared
for the worst, fully resolved, should occasion require,
to sell our lives dearly. And yet how did all this end P
On the evening of the 15th of January, while some of
us were gaily chatting over a comfortable fire, it was
a snowy, nasty night, we were astonished by intelli-
gence from the American Minister that his secretary,
Mr. Heusken, had been attacked in the public
streets and dangerously wounded, and by a request
for me to come immediately to his assistance.
The poor fellow was riding home from the Prussian
Legation (about half a mile distant) at 9 o'clock in
the evening, accompanied by three Yakonins on
horseback, and when perhaps a quarter of a mile
from the American Legation he was, in a narrow
street, waylaid and attacked by seven armed ruf-
fians, who from both sides of the street, st ith a
ferocious howl, rushed upon him, and having ex-
tinguished the lanterns the Yakonins were carry-
ing, and wounded two of their horses, succeeded in
wounding poor Heusken in the abdomen, the left
arm, and the back. He was, unfortunately, unarmed,
so could not defend himself. It appears that he
rode on for 200 yards, quite unconscious of his
wounds, when he suddenly called out to his escort
to stop, as he was hurt ; they, however, took to
flight, his groom alone assisting him to dismount.
He lay in the street for nearly half an hour,
when assistance came, the Yakonins having given
the alarm. They then carried him to his house
within the American Legation grounds on a shutter.
The Prussian Legation being much nearer than
ours, the doctor attached to it was able to render
the poor fellow assistance before me. On my
arrival I found him busy sewing up the wound
in the abdomen, which was about eight or ten
inches long, extending from a little above the
navel to the right hip, and so deep that a portion
of the intestines was cut. His clothes were cut
as neatly as if it had been done with a pair of
scissors. The other Wouod. .lisht. Having
ascertained the nature and extent of the injury,
I felt that the unfortunate man must die. I was
convinced that no power on earth could save him ;
his wound was mortal, and before medical aid
could reach him he had lost a fatal amount of
blood. Yet we did all that our professional know-
ledge I
ledge enabled us to do. He lingered on until mid-
night, conscious almost to the last. I cannot de-
scribe to you ho w much regret I felt, and still
feel, and even now the poor victim's dying face
is as fresh to my mind as if that dreadful night
had only just passed away. You can easily con-
ceive what a depressing effect such an awful catas-
trophe would produce on the few pale-faced residents
in the Japanese metropolis. Three days after Hens-
ken's death we buried him by the side of the lin-
guist of our legation, who was murdered last year
at our very gate. The whole of the diplomatic and
consular corps, and a number of Prussian and
Dutch naval officers, all in full uniform, attended to
render the last honours to the murdered man. On
the morning of the funeral the American Minister
was informed, through the Minister of Foreign
Affairs, that if we persisted in carrying out our in-
tention of attending the funeral, we should proba-
bly be attacked and murdered ; they therefore re-
quested us not to go. The American Minister
promptly replied, that if a hair on our heads was
touched the Powers of the West, would not rest
until just vengeance had been taken upon them for
their perfidy and cruelty. We went, of course, had
a guard of Prussian and Dutch marines, who walked
on either side of us, the band of the. former playing
funereal marches while the procession was proceed-
ing. We were all armed to the teeth, and certainly
did not appear like men who were assisting at a
aolemn, peaceful ceremony. Such a state of things
the civilised people of the West could have had no
conception of. The whole line of our march to the
cemetery was unprotected. No provision was made
by the Japanese Government for our defence in case
of an attack, and this, after the warning given to
the Ministers in the morning, does seem, to my
mind, very strange After this murder,
after the repeated warnings of danger given to the
Ministers by the Japanese Government, and after
the most convincing proofs of the utter inadequacy
of the means adopted for our security, the foreign
Ministers, with the exception of the one who ought
to have been or rather was most concerned in the
matter, the American, determined to leave Yeddo,
and to reside at Yokuhama-(near Kanagawa), until
matters could be satisfactorily settled. Her
Majesty's ship Encounter brought us down to this
place, about 18 miles from Yeddo, on Saturday,
the 26th of January, and we have taken up our
quarters at what was formerly the Yokuhama
Hotel, but now her Britannic Majesty's Legation.
A guard of a dozen marines has been placed on the
premises. We are thus, thank Heaven, rid of those
Yakonins, who are not of the slightest use in case
of emergency. They do remarkably well for clear-
ing the road of little urchins and old women, but in
no single instance have they defended a foreigner
when assaulted ; to say they are cowards is to use
too mild an expression. The' French Charge d'Af-
faires came down with us. The Dutch Consul
General left several days before us in a Dutch war
brig. The American Minister remained at Yeddo,
imagining that, by his conduct, he will impress
on us his own belief that the murder of his secretary
was an accident.

A more acceptable announcement could scarcelybe made
than that which our columns contain to. day of a popular
edition of Lord Dundonald's autobiography, which will
place it within the reach of all. At the present juncture,
when the efficiency of the navy is the great question of the
day, the narrative of the great old Sea King will be read by
thousands upon thousands, and every one will be glad to
possess the life of this great hero, who ranks beside our
glorious Nelson. It is a most remarkable circumstance
that Lord Dundonald was spared only just long enough to
complete the narrative of his great services in the British
navy; be died a few days after sending the last sheets to
the press. A very characteristic portrait of the venerable
hero, taken shortly befora his death, is prefixed to the new
edition.

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