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