House Documents Volume 1; V. 80 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1856 edition. Excerpt: ...to his American friends. His boat soon pulled out of sight behind the projecting promontory of Uraga, and nothing more was seen of the courteous Yezaimen and his worthy and learned associates Tatznoske and Toksaro. The survey of the west side of the magnificent bay having been completed from Uraga to a point about fourteen miles below Yedo, and the steamer Mississippi having ascended with the boats and sounded six miles nearer to that capital, the Commodore believed that a sufiicient knowledge was obtained of the navigation of the bay to conduct the man-of-war, the Vermont, which was to join his squadron on his next visit, to the American anchorage, or even higher if necessary. ' _ The governor of Uraga, as will have been observed, had evinced a great anxiety, during the several conferences on board the Susquehanna, to learn how long the Commodore intended to remain on the coast. On these occasions Yezaimen always took care to remark that it was the custom of the Japanese government to be very slow in deciding upon matters having reference to foreign countries. In consequence of these representations, and knowing that the propositions contained in the President's letter were of such importance as to require time for deliberation, overturning, as they would, if acceded to, many of the fundamental laws of the Empire, the Commodore deemed it advisable not to wait for a reply. To these were added other reasons of importance. The Commodore had not provisions or water sufficient to allow of his remaining on the coast more than a month longer, and he well knew that the Japanese authorities could easily, and with every apparent show of reason, defer any satisfactory reply to a period beyond the time when it would be absolutely necessary for...