Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1853-11-03
LATEST FROM THE JAPAN ExPEDI-
U.& uInN HHr

LATEST FROM THE JAPAN ExPEDI-
TO
We are under great obligations for the pri-
vilege of publishing the following extracts from
a letter written by a prominent and distin-
guished officer of the United States navy, to his
estimable wife, resident in this city. The ex-
tracts contain matter Of interest, and cannot
fail to arrest the attention Of our readers, al
though not intended for publication, and written
with the freedom and minuteness which always
distinguish such correspondence; they will,
therefore, be perused with more ayidity than if
prepared purposely for the press.
Interesting from Japan.
Pirate letter received from. an officer Of the squadron,
dated y. S. steamer Smsqnehanna, of Oraga,ca,
Uragd, Bay Of Jeddo, tDe'ayfue niks from The
city Of Jeddo.
FRIDAY, July 8, 1853.
"'Tis distance lends enchantment TO the view
Here we are in the harbor Of Jeddo, after running
over nearly SO, 900 miles of various seas and Of
various climes-here at anchor four miles higher
up the bay than has ever yet anchored ship bear
ing a Christian flag. We anchored at 3 p. M,
and soon large boats, rowed cheerily with about
twenty men, and in each some mandarins, or gen.
tlemen, with two swords, neat and well dressed,
came swarming off with determination fell to
come on board, demand the names, the nation,
boldly in in JOY and calm. They were met with a
wave of the hand, and keep of, no one allowed
to come on board save the highest mandarin This
literally took them all aback, but they clustered
together and insisted upon admittance. AT last,
a voice said in Dutch, do you speak Hollandese,
soon the commodore's clerk, Mr.. Postman, was
in high confab. v
After much persuasion on their part, and their
insisting that one of them was a high mandarin,
the commodore ordered me 10 put on my uniform,
and 10 receive him and the interpreter ON board in
the cabin, and TO represent himself; saving that
our mission is a friendly one. We are the bear
srs of a letter from the President of the United
States to his Majesty OF Japanj that IL Woo asoas-
sary to send on board a high mandarin 10 receive
this letter, and the sooner the better. Again | was
TO insist upon it that boats should not lie, by the
hundred, near and around our ships, thus guard
ing and watching us, as has been their custom.
(The Columbus and Vincennes having from FIVE
hundred TO one thousand boats around them con-
stantly, all linked t~ogether) That we would not
submit TO this, but would drive them of. Here
you have the basis Of my instructions. Thus arm
ed, / took Mr.. Mandarin and interpreter, with my
two interpreters-Mr. Williams, in Chinese, and
Mr.. Postman, in Dutch-into the cabin.
After being seated a moment, Mr.. Mandarin
arose, made a saLaam a la Japanese, and then ex-
tending his hand, we shook hands then seated
ourselves, using Mr.. Postman as interpreter, as
the Japanese interpreter spoke Dutch huently. /
thus opened HTell the Lieutenant governor flor
such was the mandarin) that | am the aid of our,
Chief, the admiral, and am instructed TO speak for
him. We have come here on a friendly mission,
with friendly intentions, to deliver a letter from
the President of the United States to your sover-
eign, the emperor of Japan; that the letter is
ready for delivery by 8 O'Clock, tomorrow, to any
mandarin sufficiently high TO receive it." To this
was replied "ltmustb be referred to higher powess
to know who can receive the letter. / then asked,
g How long will it take to give us an answer? 2"
:. They could not tell" | said, q think the sooner
the better, as we are anxious 10 be of" The re-
ply was, = | do not think it will take long !" and it
was then understood that, in the morning, a man
DARN would be off TO receive the letter.
/ then emphatically said: "This ship has aboard
the chief-there is his pennant. All messages
from shore must come here by a high mandarin.
No boats must go TO the other ships their COM
manders have orders not to permit intercourse I;
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 ~palatable. They
said: cit is Japanese custom, law, and we must
carry them out" Says I: Tell him, sir, that we
too have our customs, and with men-of-war one
of the laws is that no boat is allowed to come
within a certain range There was no positive
consent given Just then as to what they would do
thSy CNaoCo IL Wy asking quCStNouS' - w HcTc uIc
you from 3" .'From the United States of Ameri-
ca Yes; but what part, Washington, New York,
Boston g My 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,
&cT" "Tell him, sir, that we are not traders, we
seek no trade, we are armed ships, and our custom
is never 10 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 / have no curiosity
to know how many men are either in the empe-
rors army or in his navy; and also that he could
see for himself that we had four ships; that we
had others in those waters. "When willthe others
come" II don't know; it depends upon the an
swer to the letter. "What are the contents Of
the letter." "Tell him, sir, that the letter is from
the President 10 the emperor Of Japan, and it
would be most indicate in me to inquire into its
contents This rebuke was received in an apollo
getic manner, and this questioning dropped. /
then again alluded to the boats which were still
clustering around our ship and the other ships /;
told him. that it was absolutely necessary that they
should be kept off; that this must be done. I'VE
shall be sorry, with our kind and friendly feelings
10 you, 10 do you any harm, or to come into COLI
sion with you; but, if you do not order your boats
of, we shall fire into them and drive them off.
Our boats are now armed and ready, and we can
not allow you more than fifteen minutes to give
your orders and to keep them of. At the end Of
that time you must suffer-
Mr.. Mandarin went out, told this to the boats,
sent word 10 the other boats, and came in. "Now
| must have an answer. What have you decided
about the boats II have ordered them off from
all the ships, and with orders onlyto communicate
with this" "Yes, from all the ships and if any
come around you, send word to the governor, and
he will punish them.o Thus was this point, never
before yielded, conceded. After a few more re-
marks, ] bowed Mr.. Mandarin of, and away he
went on shore, taking the boats of with him.
My interview with my friend was again renewed
in the evening, and in rather a different phase,
which does not promise to end so peacefully but
tomorrow will tell. AT present | am too tired,
having been up all day from an early hour-and
here we are, too, our pistols loaded, our swords
ready at hand, armed men and sentinels patrolling
the decks, guns loaded, and trained and cast loose;
for we lie down to sleep tonight in the neighbor.
hood OF 100000 of men, brave, enterprising,
ready, never conquered. 1t behooves us to be
watchful. So ! will to bed, and rest. n n n
SUNDAY, July IL, l2 A. M. This hallowed day
OF quiet has again come around, and finds us lying
quietly at our anchors, enjoying a day of rest; our
broadsides upon the towns and forts on the shores;
our glasses watching the marches and counter.