River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1907-12-26

gun came, with all ceremony, TO treat
with him, he was received by Lieut.
Contee as the commodore's represen-
tative The commodore himself could
not be seen. In spite of all the willy
oriental could do, the American am
bassador remained aloof, and i'm
pressed the Japanese official nightly
as a great man by this very exclusive
ness.
When seeking trade, the Dutch had
been willing to sink dignity and to
treat with anyone. Therefore they
were pigs, reasoned the Japanese.
Surely these western hairy barbara
ans" must be the same. When they
found otherwise, messengers were
kept running at breakneck speed be-
tween the Sho-guns city and the seat
of the mikados government.
At last the bunio, who had been
able to see only the "admiral's' subor-
dinates, because he was not of suffi-
cient Importance to gaze upon the
august features of the ambassador,
announced that two daimios had been
appointed to receive the mysterious
papers so carefully guarded in caskets,
which the king of the power that had
whipped Mexico" desired to send to
the Lord of Creation"
Some three miles from our anchor
age" SAYS DIR. Sewall, "a little semi
circular harbor makes in on the west
ern side of the bay. At the head OF
it stood the village or hamlet of Kuri-
hama That was the spot selected for
the meeting of the western envoy and
the imperial commissioners. And
there the Japanese erected temper
airy hall of audience.
1T was a memorable scene. The
two frigates steamed slowly down and
anchored off the harbor. How big,
black and sullen they looked to the
natives! Our little flotilla of Is boats
landed under cover of their guns.
I'VE were not quite 800 all told, but
every one was in full uniform and
armed to the teeth. The commodore
had given orders to make as magnifi-
cent an appearance as we could, for
the purpose of impressing a people
who lay much stress on show. Yet
our little body of men were few in
number to confront 5000 native troops
drawn up on the beach to receive us.
Outshone the Japanese.
Crowds of curious spectators lined
the housetops and grouped on the hills
in the rear to witness our landing.
Radiant uniforms, trappings and en-
signs were everywhere-but we COM
pared favorably. Commodore Perry
had, in fact, outshone the Japanese.
1.-The Japanese regiments seemed
to have ben cut out of rainbows and
sunsets. But if they were lively, their
officers were not. For they sat in
silent dignity on camp stools in front
of the lines.
mot until our force had disem-
barked and formed on the beach did
the commodore show himself. No
Japanese had seen him up to that
time. He had remained to them a
mysterious presence, who would only
appear when the duly qualified ambas-
sailors of the emperor came to treat
with him-and they must be princes
Of the blood.
Gas our lines formed, the commo-
dore stepped into his barge. Instantly
the fleet was enveloped in great crowds
of smoke. The guns were laundering
out a salute that echoed among the
hills back of the village. In all the
negotiations he had played the Japa-
nese peoples own game and had en-
veloped himself in mystery.
"This was not childs play. 1t was
not an assumption of pomp inconsist-
ent with republican simplicity. Com
modore Perry was dealing with an orr
entail potentate according to oriental
ideas; and results proved his sagacity.
At this time Commodore Perry was So
years old, a man of splendid physique
and commanding presence. He was
the right kind of man for America to
send on such an errand to such a peo-
pie.
within the hall sat the Japanese
commissioners on chairs. The imperi-
al commissioners were Princes Idzu
and Iwami, and they were surrounded
by their kneeling suite. The vacant
seats opposite were taken by the COM
modore and his staff. He entered the
pavilion escorted by two gorgeously
comparisoned blacks, preceded by two
richly uniformed pages bearing the
precious caskets containing the official
papers to the emperor.
Ceremony Not Long.
"The ceremony began. 1t was very
brief. At a signal the two boys in blue
brought forward in slow and impress
sive fashion the rosewood caskets con-
tanning the mysterious papers which
az n