Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1940-01-27

AFTER an m1GT1uGG as SypfSt, SkRc nov
is on AUNT Jennys Real Life Stories
over CHS. Ruth comes from Gary, Ind,
and got her ground work in dramatics
at Lake Forest college, Illinois.
==== |
essays repose in the files of the state
historical society at Helena.
While Ranald Mcdonald was still a
| boy, q Japanese ship was wrecked ON
| the Pacific coast near his home and
the Japanese sailors aboard were taken
captive. The unfortunate seamen were
held in close confinement and were
never allowed TO return to their home
| land. Young Ranald became acquaint-
ed with them, learned something OF
| their language, and listened by the
hour to their tales of mysterious
Japan, the cherry blossom empire of
the mikado and the Shoguns. Their
tales inspired in the youth a desire
to visit Japan. This he resolved 10 do
as soon as he became man. Most
boys make such youthful vows, but
few keep them Ranald Mcdonald was
different than most. however, and
when he was not yet 20 he sailed for
Japan IN a whaling ship He caused
himself to be set adrift from the ship,
alone In a small boat, and made his
way to the shores of the forbidden
empire.
To appreciate the magnitude of
Ranald McDonald'S undertaking and
daring It's execution required, 1t must
be remembered that in the early 18th
century the shores Of Japan we're for
hidden to all foreign devils, with the
exception Of the Dutch. The feudal
lords who ruled Japan and kept the
mikado a virtual prisoner In his palace,
were suspicious of all foreigners, es-
pecially Christians. During the 18th
and 18th centuries the japanese had
allowed the Spanish and Portuguese
missionaries Of the Jesuit, Dominican
and Franciscan orders TO come into
Japan. As was customary with these
rival orders In those early times, the
good brothers Of the three groups got
to quarrelfng among themselves. The
Dutch Protestant missionaries arrived
in 1900 and between them and the
Christians managed to make such a
mess of things and cause so much in
ternRl strife that the japanese threw
them all out; not, however, until the
Shotgun had maSSacred several hundred
missionaries and their japanese con-
vertS In 1888 the japanese rulers Is
sued the following edict: For the flu
tlre, let none. so long as the sun IL
Eliminates the world, presume TO sail
to Japan, not even in the quality OF
ambassadors, and this declaration Is
never to be revoked on pain of death"
Ports Closed to Alien Ships
As q concession to the Dutch, some
of whose sailors had helped In the
converts, the Japanese allowed one |
Dutch vessel to enter the harbor OF |
NagasH each year. Otherwise the !
coasts of Japan were closed to foreign /
ships, and japanese we're forbidden to |
visit other countries. Even japanese
fishermen who were carried away from
their native shores by storms were
forbidden to return. Those who did
return were jailed for life.
Crews of foreign ships that did land
On Japanese shores were badly treated.
The japanese refused to sell supplies
10 whaling ships, and sailors who land
ed were imprisoned until they could
be sent away when the Dutch ship
made its annual visit One group of
sailors from the wrecked American |
Thaler, Lad0ga, were forced to stamp
ln a Christian cross and we're flogged
f they refused to do so.
Ranald Mcdonald knew all this, Tor
he had interviewed American Seamen
Who had experienced Imprisonment in
Japan. Despite this knowledge of what
night befall him, he had himself cast
drift from his ship and made his
way alone TO the coast. The treatment
accorded him was in line with that |
Ihown other stranded sailors, but he !
tayed In Japan longer than had any
'thers. He saw wonderous land that .
ew foreigners had seen before him;
land ruled and ordered by feudal
lobility with weird looking armies In
lnious padded armor; a land Of secret
rts. AS he had been attracted by the I
ales of Japanese sailors cast away on |
he Pacific coast years before, several
japanese boys were equally interested
4 his tales of life in America. Nc /
)onald taught the English language 8
D the Japanese youths, thus becoming
he first teacher Of English IN Japan.
'wo Of his students later became In
erpreters during Perry's negotiations c
+ 1853. Y
Ranaid Mcdonald was rescued from !
apan In 184e. After his return to r
merica he wrote the story Of his re- "
Variable Japanese adventure and I
lied to get It published. Nobody was Z
lterested in putting the story into h
Ook form. and the manuscript re- b
lained unpublished until 1928, quar- a
n of a century after the authors a
cath. Then 1t was published IN a .
United edition under the title. ~Ra- Il
aid AEcDOna1d-The Narrative Of His v
arIy Life ON the Columbia Under the q
-udson's Bay Co. Regime, OF His Ex- q
sriences Ia the Pacific Whale Fishery, 4
nd OF Hh Great Adventure to Japan, q
18th q 1keAeh ut Els Later Life ON the v
F@eseTm wxxmAAew.~
TgsAa aeasna Il 3 saekinw rammrmaemf 70 q