The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1855-06-05
THE JAPANESE LETTER

THE JAPANESE LETTER
itwas at Simods, on fine sunshiny morning, 10
tne latter part of April. 1854, had landed, accord
Ing to previous appointment, 10 take botanical
tramp lrto the country with the author of the
Middle Kingdom" and with gentleman from
south Carolina, our botsnst. | reached the shore
before Them, and g number of the villagers around
stood on the glislening white beach between the
Town aud the fishing village of Kskz xxi, watching
the lazy swell as t came n and rolled against Cen
ire Selma, or broke with low splash through rs
gothic cavern, when | was approached by TWO
young japanese, whose dress and address told
tnat they were gentlemen In their land They
the rich brocade breeches the handles of their
snort and long swords are decorated with amulets
and the light blue oval on the summit of their fresh
sasven polls shons far smoother than T" a stubble
land at harvest home" After the characteristic
pended and knee pressing salutation, accompanied
with the aspirated " eh,' which only a Japanese
can do exactly, which jocuarly replied to with
abeyo, they came quite close TO me. Pointing to
our different ships In the harbor they attempted to
pronounce their names, but as they scarcely sue
ceeded either In their sequences or their articula
ton, particularly of Mississippi and Powha>
ta1 did for them, and ar til cir request wrote ell
OF their names'down, with one OF their camels hair
pencils This done, they affected to examine with
some in crest the chain attached to my "tokay" or
watch, and a. the same time slipped into the bosom
OF my vest an enveloped letter, which noticing i'm
medistsy attempted to wi.hdra ", when they gently
restrain ed my hand, cast an anxious glance around
and looked most iruploping look tor secrecy
moments thought, AID was willing to indulgethem
la this believing the document to have some refer.
ence to matter which had been mooted by the
younger officers Of the Squadron OF which was
one just after this couple of the resident ccers
came Up t.ol1 the direction Of Simoda, whose ap.
preach was the siugnal fer ihs scattering of the
villagers vEO are not permitted TO stand aad gaze
on stranger. Between them and my EcoEnito
epistolaIy rlaGds, s&lUGatoLs were formally litter
changed, Elen both parties moved ot In opposite
directions. The exanlin.rg look which accompa-
"a ffFlz Flkd-a
the pa. u these from SiaaCda, caused he Idea to
pass tar0l 4 my mind thGt the CthsEs were from
another ? oVince.
by tElst ne, my irie1ds ftol Ias Ezg ship having
joined 1t struck into tie couaITy 10 the South
WaIc 10 "a Ee what in the pigeon L..lscts Of the
ChilGLcG:', Is called !oos SIS" 81 The Botany of
Japan al Lch those who have uor5 oftLis pleasant
iniorm@ttA n than uy6elt, represent IS being e
much int rest. will not now give ga Cut!ina Of
thst days walk tangled iGu.per' and "beds of
reeds ~ re scarcely anything coEpared with the
thick ind rgrowth which at tiLnes hindared our as
cent of st ep hills.
We hac eeated ourselves near mid day on the
front step Of very picturesquely located Temple,
to partak. of little chow chow when the incidents
OF the me rntng came to my recollection, and
hsnded o1er my epiStle "eItra0rdinGire" to nv
friend, oLr Interpreter, TO get iukl1ng of what il
was all about, at the same time giving him my sur
miSes as to Its content 1t was of much more import
he thought the Commodore should see It. promising
TO return IL to me. AS there were number around
U.S. no dOuDt lnCul Slng IN tne unrem1ttDg Japanese
espionage: Ionly got at the time, the superscrip-
tion, which was
"a secret communication for the American Men
of war ship: to go up higher"
The next night the officer of the mid watch Of
the mississippi" heard the words American
American pronounced Ia low tone, from the
top of the gangway ladder, and Immediately two
young japanese descended to the deck They made
gns to him of great fatigue held up their tender
though bistered hands, and desred to cast off their
boat from the ship, which they were not permitted
TO do. An attempt was made to comprehend them
by means of a Chinese servant,who was awoke Tor
the purpose, but the domestic celestial insisted III at
they had rice for sale" The Commander OF the
Mississippi directed them to be put board of the
flag ship. Here it was ascertained that they were
from Yedo that they were very desirous OF
coming to our country, and that, unable to effect
that object or have communication with us when
we lay off Yokohama, they had followed u.s. at
much risk, Ia an open boat from the Bay Of Yedo,
TO our then anchorage at Simoda. Their plan was
after getting on board of u.s. permit their boat TO
adrit ao wing their swords to remain in her UhiC
family relic the Japanese regard very heir
looms, not TO be parted with but in the last extre-
nifty, and by this means to produce the belief tha AZ
their owners had been drowned when the boat
should be picked up. Fearing there might be some
deception in the matter, perhaps ruse TO see in
what faith were prepared to observe their laws
which we were aware Inhibited any OF their people
to leave Japan for foreign country, they were or
dered to be put ashore Ia ships boat at a point
where they would be liable TO observation which
was done, the hour being nearly two in the morn
ing. On reaching the beach they soon disappear
ed In the woods.
A few days afterwards, some of our officers In
their stroils ashore, ascertained that there were
two japanese confined in a cage, st little barrack
back of the town, and on going there, they were
found to be the persons who had paid the midnight
visit to ships. and they also proved to be my
unfortunate friends OF the letter. They did no,
appear greatly down cast by their situation, and
one of them wrote Ia his native character on a
piece of board and passed it through the bars of
his cage, to one of our Surgeons present. who
partly understood their language, that their lives
would probably be taken for their temeri.y.
The Commodore, it is said, did not hear of their
capture and confinement, until the next morning,
when he sent some officers ashore, to see what
might be done ia the way of intercession, but on
reaching the barrack, it was found that they had
that morning been sent TO the city of Yedo and
the attendant at the place made sign, for the pur.
pose of being beheaded.
The following Is the translation of the letter,
which the unfortunate aspirants, for sight of the
great world, beyond their herme;ic Empire,
placed 10 the breast of my vest, the neat and
sharply defined characters, of whose original as 1t
lies before me, would assure even one who did LUl
comprehend their language that 1t had been pen.
cilled by men Of intelligence and taste
TEE LETTER OF THE JAPANESE.
Two scholars OF Yedo, in Japan, named Issgi Kooda
| and Kwanguchi Manji, present this letter to the