The Daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1845-1850, 1850-09-09
American Prisoners i'm Japan

The first part of the very voiumlnous correspon-
dence relative to the visit of the u S. Ship Peble to
the port Nangasacki, for the purpose of demanding
sixteen American seanen held in prison by the
thorities of JAPAN is published in the Washington
Union, filling nearly two pages of that paper. We
condense the leading facts of this most interesting
| narrative. :
About the beginning of June, 184S, fifteen men,
from the American whaler Lagoda, of New Bedford,
deserted the ship in boats when off the coast of ia
pan, and on the 18th of June landed an island
near Matsmai. Their names were Robert Mccoy,
ofPhiladelphia, aged %; John Martin, Jacob Boyd,
Melchoir Bifar, John Bull and Ezra Goldthwait all
Americans, and Sandwich Islanders. On the
cond day, at the island ofVesso they were nished
by the natives with water, but refused food. After
some difficulty they got permission to sleep in vii
age, in tents of mats, which the natives erected for
them. On the third day body of armed soldiers
surrounded them, and erected calico screens about
them. Rice and wood also furnished them.
They were kept under stu; guard, although promis-
ed that they should have boat to leave the county
in twenty days. These promises being broken about
the middle of July, Mccoy and Bell escaped through
the roof of their prisons; but, being unable to find
whale ship on the coast, they were re-taken. On
the 25th of July, Mccoy again escaped, with Mar
tin. They pursued into the sea and were soon
re-taken.
The prisoners, after this were taken in junk and
put into cages, five feet high, with wooden bars in
front and on top. Here they quarelled among them
selves. Martin was, on occasion, taken out of
the cage, and whipped numerically The Junk sail
ed to Nangasacki, where it arrived about the LIST of
September. Here party of japanese chiefs and an
interpreter came on board and questioned the pris-
oners closely. They were taken on shore, in separ-
ate, eGgoS Ga sort of sedan chair.) They were con-
Quoted to the town house, where each one was
made to trampe upon the cruciix. They were again
examined closely as to where they came from, and
| whether they were not spies. They were then re-
moved to temple on a mountain near Nangasacki,
and confined. Here the Dutch superintendent visit
ed them and questioned them to their country and
business. He furnished them afterwards with coffee
sugar, gin, wine and cotton CLOTH Through him.
a promise was made that they should be permitted
| to sail in the Dutch ship, which was to leave in
| twenty-five days. As the commerce Of Japan with
other nations is confined to Dutch ship per an.
mum, this seemed their only chance of escape.
Mccoy, who appears to have been the most active
and intelligent of the party, contrved TO escape agar
to the mountains, but was retaken, confined again
and, with his shipmates put into the stocks. After
wards he was confined separately for three weeks
Here he began to despair, as the Dutch shin haf
sailed. At length he was restored to the prison O
his former shipmates. Here another frutess attemn
to escape was made, and the prisoners were bount
and put again in the stocks. They were again con
nneo In TWO cages, where they suffered immensel,
from vermin and filth. One night one of their part,
a Sandwich Islander, hung himselfil the cage. TIL
weather was severe, and snow and rain beat in up
on them. On the 22d of December, Ezra Gold
thwait died from exposure and neglect Thus the,
continued until the middle of April, 1919 when tb,
Preble arrived The Dutch superintendent had no
tilted Com. Geisinger of the prisoners condition, an,
he had sent the Preble, under Commander Gvinn
TO demand. On the 10Th of April they were de
livered up and taken on the Preble, and taken f.
Macao, whence they were sent home
MIR. Levyssohn, the Dutch superintendent at De
Gina, is highly compmented by Commodore Gels
niger for his attention to the prisoners, and his ex
ertions in their behalf-Phila. Bulletin.