Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1853-11-11
From the Washington Sentinel,
Commodore PerrV,s Expedition to Japan

letter written by prominent and distinguished
officer of the United States Navy, to his estina-
bic wife, resident in this city. The extracts con-
tain matter of interest, and cannot fail to arrest
the attention Of our readers although not intend
ed for publication, and written with the freedom
and minutencss which always distinguish such
correspondence they will, therefore, be perused
with more avidity than il prepared parposely for
the press.
:. IT'S distance lends enchantmcnt 10 the view"
Here we are in the harbor of Jeddo afer run
ming over nearly 80 600 miles Of various seas and
various climes-here at anchor four miles higher
up the bay than has ever yet anchored ship bear
ing Christian flag. We anchored at 2. NJ,
and soon large boats, rowed cheerily with about
twenty men, and in each some Inandarins, or
gentlemen, with two swords, neat and wei dress
ed, came swarming off with determination fell to
come on board. demand the names, the nation,
and the intentions ofthe four crafts thus coming
boldly il in JOY aud calm. They were met with
a wave Of the hand, and keep Of, no one allow
ed to come on board save the highest mandarin.
This literally took them all abacll but they clus
tered together and insisted upon admittance. At
last, voice said in Dutch, do you speak HoIlan-
desc. Soon the Commodore's Clerk Mr.. Post
man. was in high confab.
After much persuasion on their part, and their
insisting that one Of them was q high mandarin,
! the commodore ordered me 60 put on my uni
/ form, and to receive him and the Interpreter on
board in the cabin, and TO represent himself:
saying that our mission is ficadIy one. We
are the bearers Of a letter from the President Of
the United States to his Majesty Of Japan, that it
was necessary 10 send on board high manda
rim to receive this letter and the sooner the bet
ter. Again, was 10 insist upon il that boats
should not lie by the hundred, near and around
our ships,th guarding and watching US, As has
been their custom. (The Columbus and Yincsn-
mes having from five hundred TO one thousand
/ boats around them constantly, all linked togetL-
err That we would not submit to this, but
would drive them Of: Here you have the basis
of my instructions. Thus armed, I took 4Ir.
/ Mandarin and interpreter, with my two inter
prete1s-Nr. Williams, in Chinese, and Mr.. Post
man, in Dutch-into the cabin.
After being seated a moment, Mr.. Mandarin
arose made a bolaanl la japanese and then e,z-
tending his hand, we shook hands then seated
ourselves, using Mr.. Postman as Interpreter. as
the japanese Interpreter spoke Dutch luentlv.
:
such was the mandarin) that I am the aid of our
chief, the admiral, and instructed to speak
for him. We have come here on a friendly mis-
sion, with friendly intentions, to deliver a letter
! from the President Of the United States TO your
sovereign, the emperor of Japan that the letter
I is ready for delivery by Q o'clock 20 morrow, 10
any mandarin sufficiently high to receive 1t. -
To this was~replied: - 1t must be referred to
higher powers to know who can receive the let
ter then asked, . How long will il take to
give US an answer 2" They could not tell"
said, * think the sooner the better, as we are
anxious to be off, The reply was, q do not
think it viii take long - and it was then under
stood that, in the morning q mandarin would be
off to receive the letter.
then emphatically said . This ship has
aboard the chief-there is his pennant. All mes
sages from shore must come here by high man
DARN. No boats must so to the other ships their
commanders have orders not to permit inter
course; they have no right to think and must
obey. We insist that no boats shall hang around
our vessels to watch them" This was not pal
a.abe. They said; a" 1t is japanese custom, law.
and we must carry them out" Says /: .. Tell
MIN, Sir, that we too have our customs. and will
lowed to come within certain range" TheTe
was no positive consent given just then as to
what they would do they cvaded it by asking
questions. - Where are you from g. From
the United States of America ?'' g Yes but
what part-Washington, New York, Boston ?"
Ny surprise was so great that l smiled and told
him, " Some from Washington, some from New
York all parts that the President of the United
States lived in Washington What is the
name of the ship, how many people, guns, &c. 2"
Tell him, Sir, that not traders, we seek
no trade, We are armed ships, and our custom is
never to answer such questions
The questions were again repeated in pretty
much the same way, when told Mr. P. to make
the same reply, and to add that I have no cl7i-
osity 70 know how many men are either in the
emperors army or in his navy; and also that he
could see for himself that we had four Ships that
we had others in these waters. - When will the
o'AefS como 90 =. I'o.IIs
on the answer TO the letter" - What are the
contents of the letter ?'' Tell him, sir, that
I the letter is from the President to the Emperor
of Japan, and it would be most indicate in me
/ 10 inquire into its contents" This rebuke was
received in an apologize manner, and this ques-
tioning dropped. l then again alluded to the
/ boats which were still clustering around our shin
and the other ships told him that It was abso-
/ lutely necessary that they should be kept off:
/ that this must be done. 4" We shall he sorry.
with our kind and friendly feelings to YOU. 10 do
you any harm, to come into collision with
you; but, if you do not order your boats of, We
/ shall fire into them and drive them of. Our
boats are now armed and ready, ana we cannot