Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-11-12
THE JAPAN EXPEDITION.

PERRYs arrival at Uraga and his negotiations with tn,
japan ofcais that gave all the principal circumstance
that attended the visit Of the United States SQUADRON
We find, however in Mr. BAYARD TAYLoRs letters to til,
New York Tribune, statements relating to the cha
of the inhabitants scenery Of the country Sc thai
are not without interest:
Another shell was fred after to anchor and
four FIVE boats filed with japanese, approached
The rowers, who all TALL athletic men, naked
cloth around the oins, shouted Justify they
scued with all their strength toward u.s. The boats
of implanted wood very sharp in the bows carrying
their greatest breadth Of beam well aft and propelled
with great rapidy. The resemblance of their model to
that Of the yacht America struck every body board
In the stern of each small flag with three horizon
tai stripes, the central black and the others white
In each several who by their dress and the
two swords stuck in their belts, appeared to be of
| authority.
The Japanese boatmen were tall, handsomely formed
with vigorous and symmetrical bodies and hardy
manly expression of countenance. As the air grew
esher toward evening they put sort of loose gown
with wide hanging sleeves As the crew of each boat
all atred alike the dress appeared to be uniform
denong that they in Government service The most
of them had blue gowns with white stripes the sleeves
meeting the shoulder, to form triangular juno
tion and crest coat oarms upon the back. Others
had gowns OF red and white stripes with black lozenge
upon the back Some upon their heads cap made
of bamboo splints, resembling broad shallow basin
vercd but the greater part had their heads bare the top
and shaved and the hair from the back and sides
brought up and fastened in small knot through which
short metal pin thrust The officers wore light and
beautifully ackered hats protect them from the sum-
with gded coat-o arms upon the front part In most
of the boats noticed tall spear with ackered sheath
for the head resembling number or character referring
| to the rank of the officer on board.
After dark watch-fre began blaze along the Shore
both from the beach and from the SUBMITS Of the hills,
chiefly the western side of the bay. At the time
heard at regular intervals the sound of deep toned
bell 1t had very sweet, rich tone and from the dis
nctness with which its long reverberaons reached us
L hau haan nf CIR l1,,l1
established during our stay and officers except the
purser and surgeons exempt from serving But the
nights quiet and peaceful and il never fell to my
| lot to report suspicious appearance of any kind.
From anchorage off Uraga we enjoyed charming
panorama Of the bay 1t far surpassed my pconceived
ideas of Japanese scenery The western shore is bold
and steep, running here and there into lofty bluffs light
gray rock but the greater part of it is covered With turf
brightest and freshest green From Uraga to another
and shaower blight which makes in nearly two miles
below, the shore s less abrupt and shows signs
cultivation The hills behind though not above FIVE hum
dred feet in height beautifully unduating in their
outlines and dotted with groves of pine and other trees
From Uraga to the end of the promentory distance of
mile and quarter there is almost unbroken line of
villages The houses of wood with sharp roofs some
pointed in the Chinese STYLE square and pyramda
few painted white but the greater number were
implanted and weather-beaten. At least hundred small
craft with number Of unks, lay in the harbor of Uraga
and thence to the headand there hundred boats
lying close in shore.
examined the Notifications frequently and carefully
through glass; and found that their strength had been
greatly exaggerated. Two of them appeared to have
been recently made, and bluff half enclosing the
little harbor of Uraga the east there another still
in the course of construction. Between this and the
headland there three batteries and the extremity
one, making five in ALL The embrasures were so large
that from position good marksman might in O short
time have dslodged every of their guns The chief
post was the central battery, which village
and several buildings of large size apparently arsenas
or barracks
Every morning and evening" when the air was clear.
we had distinct view of the famous volcanic peak of
Fusyamma rising in the western heaven high above the
hills and sixty miles away In the evenings lis solitary
cone Of pale violet hue defined with great beauty
against the rosy flush Of but in the morning when
the light fell upon it. we could see the Of old erup
tons and the cold rayines OF its northern side
II IS the highest mountain in Japan and estimated to be
twelve or thirteen thousand feet above the sea level
On the morning after arrival the Japanese put up
false battery of black canvass about hundred Yards
in length the shore south Of Uraga There was no
appearance of guns, but with glass two or three
companies Of soldiers in scarlet uniform riding through
the groves in the rear In most Of the batteries they
also erected behind the cmbasures with
what object il difficult to conceive These diversions
they repeated often during stay that at last we
ceased to regard them but it amusing hear some
Of old quartermasers and then grayely report
to Capt Buchanan "Another dungaree fort thrown up
sir"
On Saturday morning surveying expedition consist
ing Of boat from each ship under the charge of Lieut.
BENT, OF the Mississippi sent for the purpose Of
sounding up the bay The other officers were Lieut.
GUEST, Of the Susquehanna Lieut.. BALcH Of the Ply
mouth, and Mr.. MADIGAY Master Of the Saratoga The
boats carried in addition to the usual ensign white flag
at the bow and fully manned with armed seamen
They up the bay to distance Of about four miles,
and found everywhere from thirty fortythree fahom
OF water The recall then hoised and signal gun
fred to bring them back In the afternoon they sounded
around the blight OF Uraga, keeping about length
from the shore They found FIVE fathoms Of water at this
distance though to the beach there were occasion
al reefs. MIR. HENE, the artist obtained panoramic
sketch Of the shore with the batteries villages and other
objects in detail On approaching the forts the soldiers
Mt first out armed with machocks but as the boats
advanced nearer they retired within the walls
The forts oil of very rude and imperfect construc
ton and all together only mounted fourteen guns none
Of which larger than inepounders. The whole
number of soldiers about four hundred a con-
siderable portion Of whom armed with spears Their
caps and shields ackered aud gttered in the sun
like polished The carriages Of the guns were also
lackered. The embrazures wide that the guns
wholly unprotected while they were so stationed
that the forts could be sormed from either side with very
little risk to the assautng party The parapets Of
earth and about twelve feet in thickness and the bar
Of the japanese deences appeared aughable after all the
extravagant stories we had heard.
Mr. MADGAy approached at one place to within hun
bred yards Of the shore. Three official personages
standing upon bank OF EARTH when one in the
boat raised spy glass to get view Of them No
did they behold the gittcring tube pointed at
them than they scrambled down as quickly possible
and concealed themselves There three boat loads
Of soldiers tho shore, who made signs TO him to
keep off, but he answered them by pointing out the way
he intended to 90. Thereupon they put of and bore down
upon him rapidly that he at first thought they intend
ed into him. and ordered his trail their
and put caps their carbnes The boat stopped at once
and made with the