THE WEST SHORE. 297 priests wore driven away and their native neophytes slaughtered, Yedo still ruled the empire. It was thou thnt the country adopted its policy of seclusion and non intercourse with foreigu nations, and when Commodore Terry broke this shell of excluttivoueHS the Shogun was still found playing the ro7o of onqwror. The Hth of July, 18511, wns tlie day t for the roeep tion of the President's letter by the representative of the Khoguii. A place of meeting was prepared upon the shore, whore the ambassador oould Iw received with due ceremony, and a temporary landing wharf was coiiHtrunted of straw hags filled with sand. Tlio Commodore's barge and two largo lxmts with bands of music, proeeded by au eHCort of twenty IxmU filled with armed iuoufc and each mounting a howiter in the 1hw, left the flagHhip amidst a salute of heavy guns and approached the shore, the bauds playing and tlags flying gnyly in the hroexe. The marines having landed and been drawn up iu double rauk betwoen the shore and reception hall, the bonU were quickly arranged along the beach to the right and left, their howitzers bearing on the natives and their orew ready for action iu ease of the least evidence of treachery. The Commodore, with his guards of houoi and escort of music, marched direct from the lauding to the recep tion hall between the double ranks of marines, no Jap anese, save two official escorts, being ermittod within the lines. Near the entrance tlio Jupnneao had planted two littlo brass cannon, two or three feet long, atniut largo enough to make Fourth of July toys for an Ameri can boy, nnd in the rear of the marines were drawn up nlKiut twenty native soldiers, dressed in dirty shirts and bamboo hats, with equally dirty cross-Wits, and armod with old English and American muskets or native match locks. Those were nil the native troop who bore fire arms, and a queer looking lot they were, with their dirty shirts flapping against their bare legs. Iu marked con trast to these were tho thousands of men and officers of the imperial army, drawn up on tlio plain beyond, their bright armor and shining helmet glittering iu the iuu as tut as the eye oould reach. Armed with swords, spears, lances, battle-axes and liowi ami arrows, their gay hauliers unfurled to the breeze, they made a grand mar tial display. Iu front of the reception hall stood nine tall flsgNtalTs upon which were hoisted beautiful silken banuora of great sine, while across the frout of the building, to cover the rough boards of the hastily erected structure, wero hung purple crae curtains, richly worked in gold with the Hhoguu's coat-of-arms. The whole interior of the building was curtained and festoonod with purple, crim son and gold. At the extreme end of the hall, upou au elevated floor, were table aud a few camp stools for the commissioner aud bis staff on one aide and the Commo dore aud staff on the other, while the majority of the escort of Wth Mtrtioe were coiiielhd to stand. The ceremonies were brief. The President's letter and other documents were enclosed in a richly embossed box of gold, which was contained iu a heavy rosewood ease mounted with gold. The letter and Perry's credentials, beautifully cngrossod on vellum aud dooorated with gold cord and tassels, bore the broad seal of the United States, Those wore handed to tho commissioners, for wbiah they gave their receipt, ami without further ceremony the Commodore withdrew. The marines aud sailors returned on board their respective vessels, and the first aud most difficult Mirtiou of the Commodore's mission was accom plished. Commodore Perry had reason to bo proud of his sue cess. Iu six days he hod so far compelled the Japanese to relax their haughty pride that, whereas they at first forbade him to proceed beyond Nagasaki, aud would only forward his message to the Hhoguu by the hand of au inferior official, they finally deputed royal princes, to re ceive it with great ceremony only a short distance from Yedo. Thus by his wiso management were opened the first negotiations between Japan aud Caucasian nation that had been permitted for two centuries. Prom the first arrival of the fleet tho temple bell iu the villages were heard tolling and boaoou fires blaxod from hill to hill, carrying newt of the invasion, till the whole empire was iu a formont Yet, in spite of all they could do, Porry forced them to receive him with proper respect There was another olomeut which contributed its por tion to achieve the Commodore's success. The night after tho (loot's arrival a very large blaming meteor ap leared in the sky, illuminating the whole country around almost as bright aa sunlight from midnight till four o'clock in the morning. It apoarod like a huge blue ball with a flaming red tail, and emitted sparks like au ascending rocket Perry remarked that the anoieuta would have looked ukmi this as an augur of success a sign of approval and euoouragemeut sent direct from Heaven. "And," said lie, " we will so Interpret It, praying that our effort to omiii this wonderful lorrn iwyniht and restore it to civilisation may be blessed with success without the shedding of a drop of blood." After returning on board his vessels from the recep tion hall, Perry weighed anchor and the whole squadron proceeded up Yedo Day In search of a better anchorage ground for the fleet whou they should return in the spring to receive the Emperor' i answer. This movement caused the greatest consternation among the thousands of natives on the shore, who oonoelvod the Idea that this invincible being had decided to go to Yedo after alL When he dropod anchor again several miles further up the bay, the Governor of Uragawa hastened on boardjto learn the object of this unexpected movement nd to protest vigorously against any further advanoa in the direction of Yedo. When told of Die (Vinniodore'a pur pose, aud that he would return in the spring with hi whole fleet of ten vessels to receive a reply to the Presi dent's letter, the Governor shrugged his shoulder, aa much as to say that it was useless to struggle against fate, and retired over the side of the ship. On tho 17th of July the squadron sailed for Chiua, having acoom plUhad the most difficult part of iU mission without hav ing fired a shot save at an honorable saint Jonathan Gobix