raised into importance, the government
officials sent thither from Jeddo were feeling the
chill of the sharp winds that, even in May—
when the squadron paid its first visit—were
whistling down from among the mountains.
At Jeddo, said the governor's secretary (who
had been but a few weeks in the north) in the
depth of winter, two silk robes keep out the
cold. " Here it is May; and, though I am
now clothed in five, I shiver." He spoke, in
fact, very much as an Italian might speak of
May at Scarborough.

While using all official forms—and
Japanese officials are as courteous as they
are cunning—the authorities at Hakodadi
manifested a decided kindliness towards
the strangers. The Americans had left
behind them a good character; which was
by the English who came after them,
maintained and strengthened. The first
ceremonious visits to the town were made
under circumstances of jealous reserve on
behalf of the Japanese; the officers invited
were marched between files of guards; police
walked in the van and rear to see that
every native had retired within doors,
and the tradition of the country kept up.
Apart from ceremony, however, it was in the
power of our officers to roam over the hills
or through the surrounding villages; and,
tiring out their escort, to find their way
unguarded through back streets of the town,
provided they fell quietly in the main streets again
under the customary surveillance. There
was abundant opportunity of getting
knowledge of the temper of the people; and this
proved to be so friendly, that some self-command
was needed to obey the letter of the
treaty, by resisting all the invitations of the
natives to enter their houses and accept their
hospitality. However tyrannical the government,
the people of Japan—if those of Hakodadi
be a sample of the rest—are well-fed,
cheerful, and contented. Captain Whittingham
saw no beggary or misery in the worst
suburbs of the port. The men everywhere
were well to do, and prompt with smiles or
laughter; the children fat and rosy; the
unmarried girls tall and well-shaped, with
bright complexions, and teeth purely white,
blackened on marriage. They grow soon old,
and are when old frightfully ugly; but that
is their nature, or our ignorance of the charm
that may be found by a people even in the
decrepit form of its own national
physiognomy. Tartars, Hindus, negroes, all
except our own Caucasians, are unendurable
to us after their features have been broken
down by age, and the true skull begins to
grin in its own ominous way behind the
sunken eyes and fallen cheeks. Yet we
can see beauty in the eye of those of our
own race. So, and as justly, does the
old Japanese husband when he invokes blessings
on the frosty pow of his old Japanese
wife.

The Japanese are quick at learning ; and,
although they have for a peculiar reason
ceased for a long time to be the commercial
race they were once and will doubtless be
again, the desire of picking up experience and
knowledge is most active among them. The
higher authorities collect European instruments.
The governor of Hakodadi, when
paying a return visit to the English commodore
—after all the rest of his party had
been busy with ale, claret, sherry, and
Old Tom, reminded his host of a promise
to show him the ship; and, not only
looked over it, but discussed with the utmost
intelligence all that he saw. "Immediately
on entering the main-deck," says Captain
Whittingham, " he stopped at the first gun;
and, with great shrewdness, asked several
questions about the foundry of guns, the use
of gear about it, and, thoroughly understanding
the loading, desired to see the tubes and to
be permitted to fire one; which he did, after
stooping down and looking at the pointing.
He then asked for one of the carbines which
he saw in their place above his head, capped
it, pointed it out of the port and fired it. He
made most pertinent inquiries concerning
every object that struck him as he went
round the ship, occasionally taking a roll of
paper from the all-capacious breast of the
robe, and roughly sketching anything the
manufacture of which he wished to have
elucidated. There was a calm dignity and
good-breeding in his method of eliciting
information which was really admirable, and
led us to attach weight to the interpreter's
report that he was of the Ziogoon family,
and sent to Hakodadi on the part of that
dignitary, who governs but does not reign.
This, it will be seen, differs entirely from the
Chinese spirit; and, it must not be forgotten
that the shutting up of Japan—in the first
instance caused by violence—has been
maintained under the idea that it is a political
necessity; although it is, in reality, antagonistic
to the nature and the habits of the
people.

The common people at Hakodadi showed
their readiness to fraternise in every way
possible. On the occasion of each visit of
the squadron, men and boys, whenever the
sailors went where they could be accosted,
made good-humoured approaches and desired
opportunities of picking up morsels of
English. Some scraps they had gathered
from the Americans, which they repeated
merrily and called Americanee; the desires
for Englishee were very strong. Objects
would be pointed out, and English names of
them inquired for, then repeated with a high
enjoyment. We will quote from Captain
Whittingham—with some alterations for the
purpose of compression—the account given by
him of a country ramble in the neighbourhood
of Hakodadi. " One afternoon we went
in the galley a little distance up the river
nearest us, and landed close to a high trestle-
bridge, which spanned a stream of forty or