Monongalia mirror. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1855, 1853-11-26

WnOie amount VI tHe JdphhSae ueis"SSs
appeared Imaginable, after all the extrav,
agun, stories we had heard.
Mr.. Madigan approached at one place
10 within hundred yards of the shore.
Three official personages were standing
upon bank of earth, when some one
in the buas raised spyglass to get a
nearer view of them. No sooner did
they behold the glittering 'uhe pointed
at them than they scrambled down as
quickly as possible und concealed them.
selves. There were three boat loads of
soldiers near the shore, who made signs
to him to keep of, but he answered them
by pointing out the way he intended t"
go. Thercupon they put off and bore
down upon him SO rapidly that he at
first thought they intended to run into
him, and ordered his men to trail their
oars and put caps on their ca'hines'-,-
The boats stopped at once, and made
no attempt to interfere with the cutters
course.
On Monday morning The same sur
vcying patty was again despatched up
the Bay, followed by the Mississippi,
which was designed to protect them and
tow them back in the evening. Lieut..
Ben;'s boat was in advance, and as he
passed the promontory of Urasa, three
Japanese boats put out to meet him.
The officers in them made signs to re-
turn, but he kept steadily on his way.
We watched the progress of our boats
with glasses, but at the distance of four
miles, they. with the Mississippi, passed
out of sight behind the point.
Several Government boats, fully man.
ned, were seen from time to time, pull.
ing across the Bay, in the direction of
the surveying feet, but no prominent
movement occurred until noon. AT
this time the distant shores were so lift.
ed by the effect of mirage, that we saw
land extending entirely around the head
of the Bay, where previously none had
been visible. The eastern shore was
remarkably distinct, and for the first
time we observed low, sandy promon-
tory stretching out into the Bay. hre or
six miles to the north of US. Near the
midst of ii rose a low mound on which,
by the aid Of a glass, We could discern
a number of soldiers, clustered around
some white objects, which | took to be
tents. In a short time. several hundred
men were marched down to the beach,
where they formed line nearly half a
mile in length. At least fifty banners,
of various colors and devices, were PLAN
ted along the line. A number of Gov
eminent boats, similar to those which
had visited US, were drawn up on the
beach. The greater part of the soldiers
embarked in the boats, which put off one
after another, aud made directly across
the Bay. We saw nothing more until
A O'Clock in the afternoon, when the
Mississippi made her appearance, a, a
distance often miles. The headland of
Uraga was crowded with soldiers, who
came out to see her pass.
From some of the officers who were
of the party, learned the following par
ticulars. In ascending the Bay, they
were constantly me. by Government
boats, the officers in which urged them,
by sigus, to return. They kept on their
course, however, until Mir. Bent endeav-
ored to proceed to the head of a deep
Bay on the western coast. Here he was
met by fory-fve Japanese boats, which
placed themselves in front Of him to in
iercept his progress. He ordered his
men 10 lay on their oars, and fix bayo.
nets to,heir muskets, but this produced
no impression. As the Mississippi was
more than two miles astern, he dispatch
ed one of the boats to summon her, aud
varied his course sufficiently to prevent
coming in collision with tho japanese.
The approach ofthc steamer soon dis
porsed them.
The boats everywhere obtained deep
soundings, with bottom of soft mud.
The farthest point reached was ten or l2
miles from our anchorage. The shores
were bold aud steep, with mountains in
the background, and the bay 10 which
Lieut.. Bent gave the name of Perry's
Bay), offers secure and commoaious
anchorage. On her return, the Nlissis'
sippi came down the centre of the Bay,
finding everywhere abundance of water.
Landing of Commodore Perry--Reccptlen
Of the Presidents Letter by the
Prince of Iduz.
1t had been arranged with tho Japan
ese officials that the Presidents letter
would be delivered on Thursday morn
ing, July ii, al the town of Gorihama,
two miles south Of Uraga.
Tho morning was heavy aud dark be.
fore sunrise, but soon alterward cleared
of brilliantly. As soon as the shore.
could be distinguished, it was seen that
the principal battery on the promonto.
ry Of Uraga had been greatly amplifed
aud adorned by screens ofcotton canvass
in honor Of the occasion. On the hill
above, among the trees, there were two
small forts. or rather pavillions, of the