The northern galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1844-1848, 1847-02-16
THE AMERICAN EXPEDITION TO
JAPAN.
Correspondent ofTbe Sun.
U. S. Ship Columbus,
Honolulu Sent % 1916

hnowing the interest our visit 10 Japal
mas excited among civilized nations. | dis
patch the following particulars BY an oppor
iuniiy DOW Offering for Boston:
/ We sailed IRON Macao on the 26ih OF May
osiensbiy for The Sandwich Islands but wIu
secret Instructions 10 touch aG the porls o
Annoy and Chusan, on our way To Japan,
as far as possible promote friendly iniercours,
between The Americans in those cities an,
The Chinese Inhabitants. In This The gaan
Commodore BlGdle WAS altogether success
lul, and alter run Of fifteen DAYS we hove il
sight o. Japan, aud in company with Ib,
Fncennes anchored below Y edo, or Jeddo
The commercial metropolis. Having DC
charts Of The harbor, and The natives refusing
10 pIloi Us up, We remained in The bay. The
authorities came of and(requesied Us not ID
come near the shore They would supply
US with everything we required, and deliver
any communication we N ghi have for the
grand Cuboy, or Emperor, who resides al
Jeddo: some miles inland. E.
forwarded his lelter Of introduction 10 the
Emperor. from the President Of The Uniled
States, which explained lie object Of our
visit The CubOy Is styled the Industrious
Monarch uAder Heaven" or'lhe sovereign
Of The ahode Oi The gods under Sun rising
t1Is majesty rules thirty millions Of people.
he has TWO hundred and fifty thousand So
miles Of territory, an army Of three hundred
| thousand Infantry, and len thousand cavalry.
Next 10 the CubOy is the Dsiro, or Spiritual
head OF The Empire. These are sovereign
n ihtir respective governments and each in
turn is compelled TO obey the oiLer. The
Cuboy has petty princes under him who rule
The provinces into which the empire e divi-
/ ueC- TIE DARN baz frrsIr, 81.
Cuboy an unlimited number. Poygamy is
universal. The religion is Ike Thai OF CHI
M. Ia art. science ard literature. The Jap
arese are superior TO iheChinese from whom
they descended. They have converted their
barren Islands Into beautiful gardens, which
rise IN terraces on the mountains. They
have copper, iron. shetland silver. and in
working these metals they are noi SURPASSED
| by Europeans. Coal also abounds in tie
islands. The manufacture Of porcelain ami
glass, iacquerec wo-e, silk and co;ivn goods
has been carried on by Them for centuries.
Their Trade Is conlned 10 the Ouich. the Chi
nese and The Clreans, and the only port O.
pen 10 these Is NangaFaki. Their dread Of
foreigners was caused by'gn attempt Of the
Portuguese 10 establish The Roman Catholic
religion over them II the beginning ol the
seventeenth century when Ouch merchants
disclosed the pio. 10 tie Japanese priests.
The Cuboy himself had embraced lie Cath
Ole religion, with a third Of his people, with
AL these, With the Catholic Missionaries.
were slam by The Dairo and his religious
followers. Ever since the Dutch merchants
have enjoyed exclusive privileges, and al
the great men Of the empire speak lie low
Dutch with great iuency, BY his means
they obtain from the Dutch newspapers a..
accurate knowlod= e Of occurrence s through
out the world. As an cvilence Of This. W.
were aStonished 10 learn that they hac heard
ofour intended visit. The presidents letter
informed the Emperor that The people Of the
United States were DESTROYS Of culIiyaiins
friendly relations with The japanese. 10 which
The Emperor replied that be had heard o. the
9 eainess Of the United STATES, he hoped
they would Continue 10 be prosperous and
happy. but The policy Of his country would
not permit him 10 open his 7oris TO aLv bu
The Chinese and Dutch. He be cred The
Commodore 10 supply himself with whal he
wanted; that The people would furnish him
with al The country afforded. and having
obtained his supplies, lie hoped he would
reiire lro n The bay az rapidly rs possible and
never return They brought Us everything
we wanted-7E fuel, wafer and provisions
&c. but would take nothing in return. Ac-
companying The Emperors reply ssas a bun
die OF worthless trirkeis, rs present from
his majesty TO Com. Biddle which he refu-
+ 8 o accept This puzzled The japanese
Ambassador. He care not return with his
presents, 50 he loiiered about the deck uuiil
nighifall, and then Then throwing the bundle !
into the ships boat. aud daried Of 10 the /
shore. Com. Biddle distributed The iTinkeis |
i -. I
o land. and The MandaTians told US that % |
we attempted to land by force. they would /
all commit suicide by ripping out her inies-
tines, that beinglhe custom other country. !
Some accepted our presents but returned |
them all before we left. They would take |
nothing from Us. Most OF the officers and |
people who came on board brought their own !
provisions with them. Sumo wanted 10 sleep |
on board. but were not permitted. We could |
see none OF their women, who are said TO |
excel in beauty and virtDe. and resent indig- |
mites 10 their honor. hy committing suicide |
al once. Their men are extremely beguii I
ful, and even al middle age present The tull |
development oil athletic power. with the fresh |
ness aud vigor Of youth. They attain /
great age. Animal food is not in general |
use. We could neither obtain beef nor /
pork. but received poultry, game, eggs aGo /
vegetables in abundance. Their officers
dress in gowns, much like our lemale aiiire. /
Each had III 0 swords, a small one and alarge 4
one, equal in temper and finish 10 our best /
American swords. The soldiers dress in /
flexible metallic armor, which Is Beautifully |
japanned. and covers The body and limbs l
Each wears on his back the armoriai insig- 4
MIA OF his regiment. and in come instances /
cross was worked in their coat farms, prob
ablvin commemora:ion OF the massacre OF
the Christians
Their boats and similar devices on their
flags, aRd each different. In religious opIn-
ions they are greatly divided. Yet The Bod
hisis, the followers Of SInio and the disciples
of Coniucius all agree in the following:
which constitute the moral phiinsnp' Y OF the |
Empire, viz: l. not 10 kill, nor 10 eat any |
creature that has been killed; 2. not 10 com
nit fornication nor adultery; 3 noi 10 seal
/ moi 10 lie; and, ). 10 abstain from wine
and all intoxicating drinks They are friend |
" and polite IN their intercourse win each
other and with strangers Ed0caUna - UNI
y.rsll- s.liliiTits Vi iearlling are - sbliSll-