New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-11-05
THE JAPAN EXPEDITION
BAfARD TAYLOR's REPORT
Editorial SoresPondsnes Of The " Y TYA.,.
Y. 3. STEAMSHIP Srsav,,

49, eoAlc
ulars OF our visit to Japan, beginning with ovr
ARRIVAL on THE JAPAN ocAsr
Tie squadron, consisting of the susdueS,,.. q,
ship Mississippi Plymouth and Sara,os.--,l. y
sloopsof'war being taken in tow By the two g..
sailed from the harbOr of Nspa Kiang Loo lh.,
the I'd of July. On the night Of tie 81 and -
Of the 18th, we passed the large island o. OAo.i,,
of the Kingdom of Loo Choo. This island. wA,I@
been known to the Dutch, through tia J,,..-
Charts and was seen by the French Admiral c.
lS46, is not found on English Charts. Tie II u
Prcble in l5i9, supposed she had made TIA sr,,T
cOvery of it, and gave it the name Of Prabl. L.
1t has never been visited by foreign vesse. n.
thirty forty miles long, mountainous and ,Ai.t..
hSbited After passing it We had very satr, va.
until We reached Jspan-the Thermometer ..,,l..
e49 at night snd So to 9Oo at noon, ia the eool.. ~.
on board.
AZ daybreak, on the morning Of July : ". g..
made land which proved to be Cape Ilzu Ian, HI
lard on the Coastof Nippon, not lar south Of TIA
trauce of the great Bay of YedO The B,ocksD "a,
Vulcan Islands were in sight on our right Ansr n,,
ing Rock Island, we stood in nearer to the ,S,,.
which doomed up grandly through the hazy amo,o..,.
The promontory of Idzu is group of mountans rs,,
to II hight of FIVE or six thousand feet their sauni
SCARED with slides and their sides mostly covered ws
forests though here and there could discern ps,h.
Of cultivated land. There were number Of 6shi,,
junks off the coast, some of which put back again
We approached. The wind was ahead, we had Al
sails furled and the yards squared and the sight Of o
two immense steamers-the first that ever entered J,a
sDese waers-dashing along at the rate OF nine kn,s
in hour must have struck the natives with the asna
establishment.
Leaving the mountains of Idzu behind US, we stool
across the mouth Of the Bay of Kowsdzu as the soas
ern half of the burcate Bay OF Yedo is called) tow
Cape Sagami, at the extremity OF the prOmonDU
which divides the two. The noon observation gayest
"a 81 n, and soon afterward Cape Sagami came ia
sight We lay TO while the Captains of the Mississippi.
Plymouth and Saratoga came on board to receive IA
structions, and then resumed our course. The deck
were cleared for action, the guns shotted, the small
arms put in complete order, and every precaaiios
taken, in case should meet with hostile reception
Near Cape Sagam we deserted large tower, and m
we came within two miles Of the shore, number Of
iunks amounting to twelve or fifteen put off, with tho
evident intention of visiting us. Each one bore large
banner, upon which characters were inscribed. The
rapidly Of our progress, against the wind soon lsf
them behind no doubt completely nOnpussed as to the
invisible power which bore us away from them. TAs
Bay now began to be thickly studded with fishing
smacks, with here and there large junk.
The shores Of Sagami are exceedingly picturesque
and beautiful. They rise in abrupt bluffs, two hun
II n nj doilr NJ ~,
brightest yerdure, which slope steeply down to hs
water while the country behind rises in undulasls
hills, displaying charming alienation of groves and
cultivated fields. In the distance rose mounha
ranges recedng behind each other until the vapor Nd
fher farthest SUBMITS The eastern coast, belonging
to the province Of Ava, now came in sight aheadd
us. for we were entering the narrOwest part OF u,
Bay, leading to the upper Bay of Yedo. The distance
from shore to shore here varies from FIVE to eight
miles but afterward expands to twelve or fifteen.
We kept directly up the Bay, and in half an hear
after dnnhling Cane Sagami before us bold pro
montory making out from the western coast at the en-
trance of tie Upper Bay Within it was the Blight Of
Uraea, and we could plainly see the town of the sane
name at the head of it. The Plymouth and Saratoga
were cast off, and advanced slowly, sounding We
went, until we had advanced more than mile beyond
the point reached by the Columbus and the Morrison
We were about mile and half from the prOmOnlorJ,
when two discharges of cannon were heard from Bat
terry at its extremity, and Immediately afterwad 3
light ball of smoke in the air showed that shell bad
been thrown up. An order was Immediately given 10
let so the anchor, but as the lead still showed Is
fatboms, the steamers head was put in toward the
shore, and in few minutes the anchor was dropped
NEGOTIATIONs-THE EXPRESS TO yEDO.
Another shell was fired, after we came TO anchor.
and four or FIVE boats filed with japanese approached
u.s. The rowers who were all tall, athletic men, naked
save cloth around the lOns, shouted Justify as iAsy
sculled with all their strength toward The bOsis
were of Imprinted wood very sharp in the bows car
ing their greatest breadth of beam well aft and were
propelled with great rapidity. The resemblance Of
their model to that of the yacht America struck eVe
body on beard. In the stern Of each was q small Jag
with three horizontal stripes the central black aud
the others white In each were several persons, wh'
by their dress and the two swords stuck in their be
Appeared to be men OF authority.
The first boat came alongside, and one Of the two
sworded individuals made signs for the gangway to b
let down. This was refused, but Mr.. Wells Williams
the Interpreter and Mr.. Portman, the COmmodOrs'
Clerk who is native of Iolland,) went to the ships
side to state that nobody would be received on board
except the, first in rank at Uraga The conversation
carried principally in Dutch, which tue inter-
prefer spoke very we'll lie asked at once If we "'rs
not Americans, and by his manner of asking showed
that our coming had been anticipated. He was "''
that the Commander Of the Squadron was an olcsf y
very high rank in me United statesl and could 0''l
commuEr;c with the first !. rank on shore Az"
i0ng parley, the Vice Governor of Ursga, who was