Evening journal., 1905-06-15
EASTERN SHOREMAN WHO
WAS WITH PERRY IN '53
DR.. STEELE RECALLS THE FAMOUS ExPEDi-
TlON TO JAPAN AND TELLS OF I'M
PRESSlONS FORMED HALF A CEN
TURY AGO

took no chances OF attack, and sailed in (
with officers and men al their stations /
and ships cleared for action"
Dr. Steele in letter written In May /
1853, TO his bride of short time gave |
his impressions of the new country in
the following interesting manner;
WHAT HE WROTE HIS BRIDE.
MAY iO-The neet is lying about one
and halr to TWO miles from the shore,
in good range for our great guns. Tho
coast. or shore for some distance ISL
slsirtcd with houses which make one con-
tinuous town. Ia The way OF boats they
can beat amy people save at Canton, that
ever saw. None of them, however APP
pear armed They have not honorcd as
as they did Commodore nlddlo. for then
they $50 completely surrounded tho Co
ltmibus and Nnccnncs that il WAS a diff
ncult matter 10 get through them. The
Commodore told The Lieutenant Governor
that he didn't want the boats around
him. and The Governor SAID lie would
send them away-and NOW there arc none
at all around us. hope things will go
right, and There viii be no bloodshed.
From nu deck the country louils very
pretty Thc high hills are covered with
trees ana shrubhcry, ana every available
spot seems 10 be cultivated But every
thing so far as l have seen, Is much be-
low my expectations. or course nn opiu-
ion cannot be formed from what is seen
from the decks: for ia oldrn times, II
tho accounts are correct Il was a coun-
try OF much maguinconcc. SO far ] have
seen about as much of Ycddo as you can
see from the high bank Ga spot at Ham
BROOKS Md)-and not a bit moro. II il
could be done with safety ] should like
TO see the grand city very much, but
am afraid there is not much chnnce.
WHAT HE THOUGHT or JAps.
"You must not believe an you read
about The Japanese. a good many of
the books or opinions of this country
are vague and incorental. and are liable
20 be FUN of impcrlcctlons and mistakes.
The mcn drc better looking in every re-
spect than the Loo Chows and Chinese.
The officers ANA gentlemen are extreme
ly well built ana gcnucmanly looking.
They dress for their style beautifully.
aud wear as history says, one. two or
more swords, according to their rank
THE women of the upper ranks are. as
the writer's say very pretty nc they
can be Judged Of from the appearance of
thp men, l would say SO. In the fnmily
circles Of the rich there is no doubt
much elegance ana style. For two cen
turtles they have been nearly shut on
from the rest of the world. and alone and
unaidcd they have developed and pro-
grcssed TO a high state OF Oriental c.vili-
1aiiun. They may have, ana doubt-
less did, learn a good deal from the miss
sionaries who lived among them IN the
Seventeenth Century. A good many Of
thcm. their Interpreters especially. sneak
Dutch. ANA through that language we
can set along with thcm without any
difficulty, as The Commodorc's clerk Is a
Dutchman. by their knowledge of one
/ European language they are much bet
ter Informed about geography ana The
affairs OF the world generally than the
chinese. globe was placed before
them TO show where the United states
were. when the head man immediately
said OH yes aud pointed out 10 New
York Boston and Washington. calling
them by name IN the most familiar man
ner One doctor has TO 80 on shore with
the Commodore tomorrow from This
ship, but ! don't know whether Il viii
ran on Williams (who had succeeded DR.
SMITH or myself 1 would like 10 20
very much just TO say / have been on
japanese soil, II nothing more. So IN
bid you gcodhye until the grand funo-
ton is over. Don't mention anything I
have said about the proceedings going
on here
ACCEPTING PRESIDENTS LETTER.
Continuing his narrative, Or steele
said; 1T was known TO all that the Jans
were avorse TO having any intercourse
with us OF any kind, but finally the firm.
though polite, insistence of Cammcdors
Perry Induced thom 10 receive the pres.
idents letter, and to promise an answe,
/ IF we would go away then ana come
: back next spring. on the day after ou
arrival we had surprise and a heart,
laugh. The shore. which the night be-
: fore had Keen barren Of fortlaoations
soemed as IL by magic TO have change,
into an immense fort. for almost as fai
] as the eye could reach there appeare,
I rampafts bristing with portholes fol
! cannon frowning down upon us. But
2 required no minute inspection TO dis
p cover that these were made Of cloth o.
{ some species Of canvass. with black port
S holes painted upon thcml So this mod
z of terrifying MS availed as little as IN
b many thousands OF thcir soldiers VIII
e swarmed upon the shores. Though ou
p force was SO small in comparison.
r was disciplined ana wen armed. and w
r felt equal TO any number of Japancs
? who carried, some Of them old hintloc
y musisets, and more OF them matchlocki
S but the great majority only spears ant
e battle-aXes'