The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1896-07-02
FIRST SHIP TO JAPAN
THE WILMINGTON SAILED FROM NEW
LONDON IN 1855.
The Yankee Received the Marble Heart at
Hikdats, but the Owners of the Ship
Got a Big sum From the japanese Gov
ernment For Violation OF Treaty.

ernment For Violation OF Treaty.
In the early fifties, shortly after the
first treaty was made between the Unit
ed States and Japan, little group Of
New Londoners got together and secret
ly planned trading voyage to that far
off and at that time almost unknown
land. The pres and cons were carefully
discussed, and the verdict, which was
unanimous, can be best expressed in the
language of Colonel Sellers, There's
millions in it. "
Accordingly the topsail schooner Will
mington was secured, and clothing and
provisions bought and loaded aboard the
| little craft that lay impatiently waiting
to be off.
Every detail finished, the hawser was
cast off on the 23d of January, 1855,
and the Wilmington, with saucy little
toss of stern, stood out toward the race.
| The Wilmington was owned by Tho-n-
as Fitch, Captain William Brown and
| George Fitch. all of this city, and was
officered as follows: William Brown,
captain; Thomas Gager, first mate, and
| George Fitch, second mate. In addition
to these were cook, colored steward
and four able seamen.
Fairly clear from the harbor, the
course was laid for Cape Town, and she
made the run in SO days, remarkably
good running for any craft. But for
this litGle schooner the run was consid
cred marvellous.
The rest of the story is best told by
George G. Fitch He said: "We ran in
to Cape Town and traded for about two
weeks or ten days, and had fair success.
Then we ran up to Ange point, on the
island of Java, and traded at the Dutch
settlements for week or so, and from
there we ran up to Batavia, which was
quite large city, and did very we'll
there After laying there for short
time, as long as the natives would
trade, we sailed for Hongllong,
'"The Malays were very friendly to
us, though there We're lots of pirates all
around there, but they never molested
us. We watched them pretty closely,
and guess maybe that had as much to
do with it as anything else.
"We had intended to stop at the is
lands of Borneo, but we heard of an
English bark that had been there but a
short time before and had all hands
murdered
''We gave that place the go by and
! went on up to HOngkong, as l before
stated. We ran into the last port leak
ing, and discharged cargo for repairs.
After we finished repairs, we reloaded
what we had not sold of our cargo, and
, started for our objective point, as origi
, nally planned That was Hikdata, ia
: pan. We ran into the harbor abou
: midday. and We're Immediately boarded
, by a lot of japanese officers, gesticula
! ting wildly and swinging their arms
, like so many crazy people.
"After awhile and after mighty
t bad lot of pigeon English had beer
spoken we began to understand wha
they wanted They We're forbidding us
/ to land, and all around were lots o.
Japanese in boats, and as they looked
{ anything but pleasant we took up oul
} anchor and cruised back down to Shang
hal, China.
"The action of the Japanese was en-
3 tirely unlocked for on our part, as ,
$ trading treaty had just been made be
tween them and our government, ant
! their refusal to allow us to land serious
} ly interfered with our plans and causet
, us "a great loss of money. l don't know
/ as you know it, but ours was the frs
} American ship to enter a japanese por
l for trading purposes. At Shanghai W.
/ discharged our cargo and got the mos
> we could for it and then chartered ou,
| vessel for 81, 200 month to the Eng
> Iish government for cruising purposes
Captain Brown entered protes
| against the actions of the Japanese au
thorities, and the officers and crew scat
: tered and worked their different way
2 back to New London the best they could
A short while after the English had tn,
Wilmington, she was caught in ty
phoon in the China seas and torn VI
+ badly. She was run back into port, re
t paired and finally sold to pay the bill
D for the same.
, Later the owners of the Wilmington
received from the Japan government ;
) sum between 100000 and $4,000 fo
| nonfulfillment Of treaty. The voyage t,
Japan was first planned and mapped
i ouU ny Suptdll w AoAoWA, WIN
| was an old whaling captain and hat
1 been all through the China seas 1t wa
/ failure, and we all lost great deal O
money. We didn't get the money iron
the Japan government until three o
f four years ago
5 "It was paid to us through Richar'
3 Latimer of Hartford, who also has
D summer house over on the other side O
the river
3 Mr.. Fitch is the only living membe
f Of that memorable voyage left, and ma.
! be seen at almost any time drumming
= up his hacking business at the Uniol
e depot, as hale and hearty as when h
f left these shores to seek his fortune. =
New London Day.
y Baron de Hirsch's Death.
I Baron de Hirsch died in fit Of ange
| at having haen SWindled according n