The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-11-25
UNITED STATES SHIP POwHATAN,
iShdnQhui, China, Sept. 8, 1885,
spondence of the New York Herald

UNITED STATES SHIP POwHATAN,
Shanghai, China, Sept 8, 1858
We remained after signing the new treaty
between Japan and the United States on the
29th August, at Simoda until the 9Th inst, at
ter returning from Kanagawa, during which
time we saw great deal of the people, and
learned much of them from Mr.. Harris. This
gentleman, who has now been at Simoda for
two years, and who is man of remarkable OBJ
servaton, has collected more interesting and
reliable information in regard to those almost
unknown people than is contained IN all the
books ever written about Japan. be has been
twice TO Jeddo, had several interviews with the
Emperor, and constant association with the
mobiles. He has also been in company with the
wife of KinanonO-kami, of whom he speaks
in high terms. | asked him if she was any
fairer than the wives of the merchants whom
we every day saw, and he replied yes, but that
if the latter had never been more exposed to
the weather than she, they would be equally
fair 1t was his impression that all japanese
sprang from the same parentage, which Is OPP
posed to the views of some writers, who pro-
claim the nobility to be ruling caste. Upon
another occasion, / asked him when he thought
they would send Minister to the United States,
and he replied, that the exact time had not yet
been determined upon, but that he thought that
by next spring one would be on his way. They
asked me, he continued, if the United States
would provide steamer to carry him as far as
the Isthmus of Panama; and | told them that
! could not answer positively, but that thought
they would. They are very anxious to send
one, and remarked to me that it would only be
a return of the kind feeling which the United
States evinced in already sending several to
Japan.
| asked him if there any japanese Of
ability among the nobility who would be likely
to fill such post with credit, and he replied,
q Yes, several; and spoke of the Prince of
Hgo as one of the most prominent. | then
asked, farther, if Higo-no-Kami was man of
large wealth; if he would be likely to make a
grand display, &c; to which he replied. that
the Government would of course pay his ex-
penses; but that:as to his making display, he
thought he would travel from New York to
Washington, with his suite of twenty or thirty,
with as little regard to show and parade as had
been evinced when he visited at Kanagawa
from Jeddo. There was another. thing which
he told me that surprised me greatly. He said
that ii was n very mistaken idea that the peo-
pie of Japan were IN favor of intercourse with
foreigners, while the nobility and Emperor were
opposed to it ; it was Just the contrary. Upon
one occasion, when the Prince had advocated
a certain liberal foreign policy measure, cards
had been posted, threatening the death Of the
officials who should bring It about In fact he
said, were ii not for this opposition on the part
of the people, the Government would at once
throw Japan open to the world as it was how
even, they were obliged to proceed with extreme
caution
have already mentioned that Mr.. Harris
has been to Jeddo twice, and that he had seen
the Emperor in his palace. We were speaking
of this fact upon one occasion, when some one
asked him what the Emperor looked like. and
if he lived in grand style?
In reply, he said that as it was the fashion
in Japan to ask how old he was and how many
children he had, he had easily satisfied himself
upon these and similar points. The Emperor
was thirty-sIX Years old, had one legal wife, and
as many secondary ones as he desired. As for
his palace and style of living, the former was
vses large and comfortable, but extremely plain
WHILE the latter could not certainly cost him
more than five hundred dollars a year. his
clothing included it was great mistake
wh;ch early writers had made when speaking
of the magnfcence of the Court of Jeddo-if
any existed, he, Mr.. H., had never seen any
thing of it,
asked him if there were really two Emperors
in Japan, or if the celestial one was merely a
myth, kept up to deceive the people?
Oh, yes 81 he replied :" that is, there lives
at Miaco, in the strictest retirement, the nom-
nal Emperor of Japan. He has two titles
Ten-sin, or Son of Heaven, and Mikado, or En-
peror. He has twelve legal wives. and as many
secondary ones as he desires. and is believed
never to die. They acknowledge that his body
perishes and is buried, but insist that his spirit
passes into thai, of the body which succeeds him,
end that he is thus kept among them. They
say that Japan is peopled solely by his offspring,
and venerate him accordingly as their common
father Every one who approaches him must
kneel, even the Tai Koon or Great Ruler, who
lives at Jeddo,s and who is generally called En-
peror. 1t is the law of Japan, that this Tai
Koon shall visit the Son of Heaven once in
every seven years; but as the former does not
like to kneel to him, he has been gradually
throwing cold water upon the custom, until now
he does not go at all. He contents himself
with sending high officer once year to act
for him. This Tai-koon, or Great Ruler, as
his title implies, is virtually the Emperor He
is not all-pOwertul, however though the most
powerful man in Japan, the laws being as bind
llg upon HIM as upon the meanest of his sub
lects. He is man of very liberal views, and
asked earnestly as to our form of Government
habits, and customs, &c. Of course | gave
him great idea Of our country, though not at
the expense of those of Europe. He seems to
see, however, that we are destined at no distant
day to be more powerful STILL and feels toward
'us accordingly. was asked, upon the occasion,
If, in case of any difficulty with England or
France, we would not give them the benefit of
-oir good offices. This speaks as plainly of the
nature Of their feeling toward us as acts could
Let me now say word about the coal mines
of Japan. When Commodore Perry was there
some four years since, / was there mvsefthree
months after he Left there was but one mine
known oi-the same which is now worked near
Nangasaki. Since that time, others have been
discovered, and are being worked near Hako
dadi, and within the last few months an ex
tensive deposit has been found few miles to
the north of Jeddo Thus we have coal in the
centre and at both extremes of Japan, and Mr.
Harris says that they are searching in other
localities, and that it will doubtless be found to
prevail over all the islands Unfortunately.
however, its quality is not in keeping with its
quantity. All that we have vet used at about
I'VE dollars per tom has been an inferior btu
mnous, strongly charged with sulphur. pvrites
Of iron, &c, and hence extremely liable to
spontaneous combustion. 1t cannot be burned
mt all with smal-fue boilers, but gets up steam
very quickly In large-tlue boilers like ours 1t
also burns longer than one would suppose 1t
makes very dense and black smoke and
throws abundance of burning particles from the
smoke stack-so much so. in fact. as tn have
caused us to ring the irebell quite energetically
one morning. No damage was done. but il
served to make us unusually watchful. All of
these drawbacks considered, | think that it will
be reported unfavorably of by our own engi-
neeTs.
On August Sd, the Mississippi continued on
her way to Hakodadi, and on the 9Th we also
left for Shanghai, via Nangasak We hoped
ito find Mr.. William b. Reed and the Minnesota,
with our letters, at the latter port. but were dis