The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1858-12-04
Correspondent ofthe Public Ledger
Interesting Sketch OfJapan.
UNITED STATES STEAMSHIP PowuATAS,
SIMODA Aur l. 1873

SIMoDA, Aug. l, 1858.
Iisit Of tie Pomh0tan to Nogaski-M
Harris Pogress Nth the Japanese-Cem
: pe,ry's Prssents-B,o Ueecribing ia
fan Generally Humbugs.
l 1t is now two years since we sent ou
: first consul to Japan, in accnrda zee with
. pcosSion of the treaty Of Kanegawn, mad
in lS5I-5, by Commodore Perry. He wa.
. brought here by the United States steamer
: San Jacinto, and left alone in his glory,
to the intimate disgust of the authorities
who toll! him TO go away for a year, ane
then come back, by which time they shoulo
have house uilt for him. Being thus un
avoidably left upon their hands, they mad,
ths best of bad bargain, however, gave
him large temll lie to live in, servants to at
tend upon him, supplied him with every
thing in the japanese eating line, and final
ly began toiook upon HIM and his secretary
as rather pleasant additions to their society
Messrs. Harris and Hueskin now began to
look around them for amuSement They
found the golden pheasant pIentiui among
the ncighboring hills, and, when satiated
with cunning and long walks, the former
turned his eye in the direction OF Yeddo.-
After while he received permission to Wis I
that city in his official capasity, and the first
thing that know he has obtained tie
signing of an important convention, and is
again at Smoda This COZ veutIor was pub
h>led in the United States in Jsuuary of
this wear, and 80 ] shall let II PASS. Tnu
manner IN viii n Nr. Harris and his Sxcre-
tary went to Jeddo is Interesting. The
Emperor sent hin bedy guard OF 1870 men,
and had comfortable houses put up along
The road for him 10 pass the nj hts IN. He
also sent bin large sedan clair, carried by
"eivr bearers, ami 30 roorav tnat-hc put a
mittraNS INTO il and rcCluet A. full leagth
when he was t:red of sitting. II is oaly
about seventy miles irrm tniS place to Juddo;
but the country - % rugged and the roa =
50 bad the first part Of The way that they
were seven days IN accomplishing the dis
tance. Every night they stopped 1t oe of
houses which had been prepared expressly
upon his account, and after early break
f..t resumed the road. Upon arriving at
Jrdio they were lodged ia the most com
mrdlou> quarters, treated with the greatest
respect aud attention, and granted inter
view. wrth thv emperor. Tie reader is Of
c ur>e aware that every one foreigner or ia
panese, who has heretofore approached the
Emperor has been required to DO - upon
his neuS Tni> custom they we're deterin;n-
I'd 10 adhere to in the present case; but
so difficult To "brll III" cat" WhO was
to speak to NJ. iI-atou, i':' That was
t.e que Stion. Finally n JaDa:sse Douglas
.teppcd forward and offered 10 brace his
hg.c shoulder, to the task. This gentleman
was no. the most Diet. ru'ncd man IN japan,
but then he was upon The most Intimate
terms Of both social and o itICal iEtcrccuI -
with Amcricam Legation" lie therefore c
cal upon Mr.. II and oumrnced the at
tach by begging that he wooulI not be Of
Tended at what he was going - say.
" Certainly not, says that genteman.-
But he has an inklins of what IS coming,
and look sudden and unuaSual gravity
causes Douglas to trcmble. Instead, there
fore. Of br"schinC the SUI jet, he bees once
more tha, his Exceliency wlli not be OF
fended at somcihiu. which he, Dousin-, has
h"~n ~--i--~i s~y-' - "-'.' ''.-.' -~Vu5"> ana
looks behind hun.
Certainly not, and an increase Of grav-
ity in the Consular face. Corresponding IN
crease OF Nervousness on the part Of Doug
las Grand tsh.,au, in which the Amerl-
can eagle j. supposed to dominate. t'na'
desperation OF Douglas, and ouiburstlns OF
the secret.
Mr.. Harris listened quietly and kindly 10
al! lac had to saw, and then replied w;h as
usual Judgement and tirnncs> Of manner. -
He tod nlm that he was anxious to do every
thing that was COuS>tant w'th sell respect
to DO honor 10 the Emperor, bnt that tins
thing was out OF the question. and had better
not Ec referred 10 gam. 'N "~Ic NlpCn 10
send a minister tC nay country, hc SAID, ne
might approach our President IN any man
ner he saw iit He might kne,l and knock
his bead aglin>. the floor, or he '-ht bow
TO Lin and shake hands. There We allow
.t.s har
right, therefore, that be allowed the same
here"
"Vcrv well, very vel, replied Douglas,
half Apologize ,llr. And thus WAS settled
this question "ior ever, remarked Mr.
H.
Mr. Harris has been twice 10 jcido since
he was landad BY the San .jacinro, and r..
maiucd some three months each time. ii.
speaks in most fittcring terms Of the pr'mi
tive simplicity Of the imperial HABITS, OF the
absence OF everything like maSnIiicsncs
about his palace, aAd Of the general KIND
ness and good feeling evinrea by al classes
towards him. He mentioned the case o
one old lady in particular, who wa eve:
now engaged in the moth,r'y ia X Of max
ing him some waddcd silk shirts to protect
HIM from the approaching winter. These
acts are trivial, but they indicate vc'y pain
" the nature Of japanese feeling towards
Americans. Even the Emperor has loaded
hrin down with kindness. When he was
living sick at this place, a SPECIAL messenger
arrived daily from JcdGo TO ask after hI'
health. and to bring lin some present eX.
prcS~ive 0:the interest that was felt Tor his
recovery. Thc imperial doctor was als0
sent to attend upon him. Such things as
these have never before been known in the
. Of an l., trD a
has vc.y poor opinion about the mrjoriiy
of books which have been written about this
country. When he queries -" when
will writer's learn TO write only that which
they see: \ man has 40 need OF imag'na
ton hcre-truth is strong enough. We 1--we
. in a world Of romance. simply because (re'
lerriug to writers in generai) The truth IS
not in them" He, however, speaks in the
highest, terms of Commodore Perry S course
while out here, and mentioned many good
results which are now flowing from it, He
was a man of great good judgement, and
accomplished as much as any one could pos
! sible have donc under the circumstances. y
He said, upon one occasion thought dii-
fercn,ly myself, but accepted his ldgemcnt
as more likely to be correct Qhrough per-
sonal observatory than my own"
Speaking of Commodore Perry, | asked
/ how the japanese had treated the express
/ i've presents which that officer had present
cd them, On Tie part of the government,
! three or fou: yeats back.
" W,l, know am going to surprise you
row." he replied. "You know that Com
modore Perry gave them, among other
things, circ lar railroad, an engine and a
tender, and brass boat howitzer-onc OF
the Dahlgreen guns. They have large
house built for the safe keeping of this rail
road, and every now and then taAe it out lay
the track, get up steam, and then away go a
dozen or more high officers upon a circular
pleasure trip. Japense engineers have
IL 100000. x,c. .,..rx thirr aI.d nIa puror at .