When London Became An Island
Soochong, Shoguns and the Saracen’s surveys
The information about Hakodadi and the visit of the Saracen to that port in Chapters 17 and 18 is taken from published sources and the Saracen’s log, which is held in the National Archives Kew. The observations below were copied from the Remarks Book kept by Richards, which is held at the United Kingdom Hydrological Office Archives in Taunton, Somerset.
I have copied the text as it is in the book, but have made some changes both to punctuation and in the use of upper case letters. This, I hope, will make for greater clarity and continuity. For example I replaced the sentence;
This matter they said should be referred to the Governor and then enquired what supplies we stood in need of, and here we were sadly disappointed; in vain we spoke of ‘Beef’, ‘Mutton’, ‘Pork’ and ‘Fowls’.
with
This matter they said should be referred to the Governor and then enquired what supplies we stood in need of, and here we were sadly disappointed; in vain we spoke of beef, mutton, pork and fowls.
Notes:
1 I think the monti table referred to by Richards was used for gambling, probably on the turn of a card.
2 It is unclear which currency is meant by the symbols in the list of prices shown below. Richards used what looks like an H with a squiggly bar and for this I have substituted the $ sign. Whatever the currency the list indicates how prices rose during the time the Saracen was in port.
3 The Saracen arrived off Hakodadi on May 21st, which is where this text begins. It runs intermittently until September 2nd at which point the ship was approaching Nagasaki.
Here we found the American brig ‘Greta’ laden with stores and provisions for the
American Surveying Expedition. She had sailed from Hong Kong for this place on 22nd
April and made the passage East of Nippon in 20 days. She had fair weather until
within 200 miles of the Port where she encountered a heavy gale, and she was detained
three days at the entrance of the Straits of Sangar by the force of the North Easterly
current setting through. They reported that the authorities of the place were civil
but steadily refused to trade with them.
Shortly after we anchored the Japanese came on board and asked the usual questions. My name. The ships name and nation, where we had come from, our object in coming etc. etc. to which replies having been given they proceeded to read the Port regulations as follows.
No foreigner is permitted to trade with the Japanese secretly, and all Articles purchased in the shops must be marked with the price agreed on and then sent to the Customs House, there to be paid for under the superintendence of the authorities.
No foreigner is allowed to land at any other place but the Customs House and not even then before asking permission.
Fresh provisions and wood shall be sent on board of the arriving vessels as far as the authorities can provide these articles.
The use of Fire Arms is prohibited.
Seeing that the Port regulations interfered with my landing for observations I represented it and said that I must land at Kasmida occasionally but that my duties would confine me to the beach and that I would give my word not to go beyond. This matter they said should be referred to the Governor and then enquired what supplies we stood in need of, and here we were sadly disappointed; in vain we spoke of beef, mutton, pork and fowls. Wood, water, eggs and fish were all they could supply, we did indeed succeed in procuring a few potatoes about the size of walnuts and some very inferior dried fruits were subsequently purchased on shore but even these were, or appeared to be, exhausted after one or two and the enormous prices put on everything perfectly astonished us. So much for Hakodadi as a Port for supplies!
Early on the morning following our arrival permission was sent to me from the Governor that I might land for observation but desiring that I would never land again without first asking permission, I replied that my time was too valuable to waste in any useless forms and that I must land when I judged necessary; on this being interpreted to them they gradually conceded the point but requested that I would not walk into the country without giving them notice, which of course I promised to do.
The supercargo of the American Brig informed me that there were two houses in the town set apart as the ‘American’ and ‘English’ Bazaars, so of course our first visit to shore was made to them. On landing at the Customs house we were received by Officers who escorted us thither through a crowd of curious natives whose countenances beamed with good humour and intelligence. The English Bazaar which we first encountered appeared to be a superior kind of dwelling house converted for the occasion, entering by a kind of porch doorway and passing through an intermediate Hall we found ourselves in a spacious but rather low apartment of about 20 feet square with a couple of low benches covered with articles for sale. The room was carpeted with fine cushion mats.
The front of this apartment was open and looked out on a prettily arranged flower garden, on one side sat two Government officials attended by a native interpreter to regulate the sale of the articles, and in the back ground were the owners of the wares kneeling and ever and anon replying to the questions addressed to them from the Officers by crawling forward on all fours and knocking the forehead twice on the floor and after replying retreating as they advanced, if this is the style that Trade is to be carried on it may be fairly presumed that Japan will never become a great commercial nation.
The government officers were very polite and affable in their bearing towards us on our visit to the shore, but particularly to our leaving it, and before parting they always enquired when we intended to land again. No objection was made to our walking wherever we thought proper but we were always attended at a respectful distance by a couple of soldiers. Some of our party tried to outmatch these fellows occasionally and found it no difficult matter, but they always succeeded in tracking us out, evincing great delight on rejoining, and joining heartily in the laugh against themselves. We were all disappointed in the appearance of the Town, it is built entirely of wood with the exception of the Temples, which are large and well built of bricks and handsomely fitted up inside. The dwelling houses are generally of one story low and of a wretched interior which is further increased by the wooden roofs being covered with large stones. The streets are generally wide and cleaner than in Chinese Towns but much disfigured by numerous dog kennels. One of these is placed in front of about every third house and their unruly tenants are the greatest pest to strangers, the streets are further encumbered by large tubs of water and piles of buckets at intervals; the house tops are also charged in a similar manner, as a precaution against fire.
The main street of the Town runs parallel to the beach and nearly every house in it is a shop. The people seem to have a decided taste for trade. The respectable tradesmen spends most of the day in his shop where, solaced occasionally by a whiff of his diminutive pipe he waits for a customer or an acquaintance to drop in and purchase his wares or discuss the news of the day.
More than half the shops seem devoted to the sale of grain, of the rest the most respectable appear to be devoted to drapes and lacquered wear; a few Pawnbrokers, and others where vegetables, dried fish, children’s toys and sweet meats are frequently found together. No wheeled carriages of any sort were seen by us, and although this is a great commercial port of Japan all the junk’s cargoes are carried in and out of the town on horses or bullocks back.
On our rambles about the town we occasionally visited the temples and witnessed their religious ceremonies; The dimly illuminated shrine of the idol, the shaven priests dressed in long white flowing robes around and chanting the service; the devotees kneeling in the rear, and occasionally the whole prostrating themselves together, gave to the whole affair quite a theatrical effect; At the conclusion of the service and during what appeared to be an exhortation one of the priests went round amongst the congregation to collect a subscription. The priests appear to be a jolly and good natured set and we always found them very polite and attentive to us when we visited the temples.
Respectable women are not shut up here as in China but mingle freely in general society, our ideas of propriety were much shocked at seeing both sexes use public baths together without the slightest covering or screen to separate them but it appears to be the general custom, nor did our looking in to witness such an incredible circumstance appear to cause them any embarrassment, this says little in favour of the Japanese ladies but the following circumstances that happened whilst we were here will probably assist in pointing out misgovernment as the cause.
The supercargo of an American Vessel (a German) was much smitten with a beautiful Japanese girl, the daughter of a Merchant of the Town, and as the authorities wished to secure his services as Interpreter for the Dutch and English languages (with which he was well acquainted) they offered him the girl if he would enter service of the government.
In our walks about the town we were always welcome visitors at the shops and whether we wanted to purchase or not, the Japanese hospitality of offering a small cup of tea was generally gone through and accepted. Of course the shop that contained the beautiful girl was more frequently visited, for the father is the first lacquered ware merchant in the place; our appearance was the signal for a general muster of the neighbourhood (ladies as well as gentlemen) and after making our purchases and partaking of tea, vocabularies were introduced and we were requested to pronounce the English names of the words pointed out by them after which they took great pains to make us pronounce their equivalents in Japanese. We found them apt scholars, and before we left the place most of the little urchins that we met in the street would accost us with How do you do? How are you? Good morning etc. and we have occasionally been stopped in the street by a student who has politely requested the English pronunciation of a particular word, which after obtaining he has acknowledged by Thank you and You are very kind etc. in excellent English.
The Government interpreters improved their English wonderfully during our stay for when we first arrived they could only speak a few words and all communication was in Dutch – before we left Dutch was almost a dead language, and lately when the French ships of war arrived the Government communications with them was carried on altogether in English; the credit of this is of course due to the Japanese themselves for although they generally made a teacher of every Englishman they could get hold of, few of us took any interest in it other than pleasing them for the time.
Some of the Japanese officials seeing the ease with which our pinnace was moved about with either sails or oars, and the facility with which she worked to windwards of and outstripped their fastest boats requested permission to take her lines, dimensions of spars sails etc. which of course I granted directly, and allowed them to take the boat out frequently under sail so that they might gain experience in handling her. Before we left the Port they had made considerable progress with a very good imitation of her, and I greatly regretted that my time would not permit me to remain a day or two to rig and make sails for them.
Considering the Japanese as almost a nation of vegetarians nothing surprised one more than the meagre supply of fruits and vegetables for sale: from the time of our arrival on the 21st May to the 10th August we had ample opportunities of judging and during the whole of this period we never once saw a decent supply in the market: in the subjoined list I have entered every article of provision we obtained during our stay. The increase in the prices I suppose were in consequence of the large demand created by our squadron.
Click on the lists to the right to see the record of prices made by Richards.
Many people will think with me that this is a meagre bill of fare for a fertile country in a temperate climate, in vain we looked for the delicate fruits that might be produced: a small very hard and indigestible pear is plentiful, and I did once see and purchase some rather nice apples, about the size of walnuts, but paid a very high price for them and I could never get any afterwards – all articles purchased, even the most trivial, went through the Customs House and the prices were sometimes arranged there in rather an arbitrary manner. All money taken from foreigners goes into the coffers of the state, Government paying the merchant the value of his goods in coin of the realm.
By the American Treaty all goods purchased are to be paid for in Mexican dollars, but as Commodore Perry neglected to establish the value of the Mexican dollar relatively with the dollar current in Japan the Japanese have classed them together to their own advantage although their coin is only about half the value of the Mexican dollar.
On the 20th the hired steamer Tartar arrived; and we fell in with the Admiral in the Winchester on the following day as we were proceeding out to survey the Strait. I intended commencing operations by an astronomical position on Cape Nambu, but calms prevailing and being unacquainted with the peculiar sets of the very rapid tides I considered myself fortunate in obtaining anchorage in 45 fms on the Niphon shore, 26 miles to the S.E. of Hakodadi, on the same night I left the bay: as the following day being particularly fine I landed early and commenced operations at once.
Being detained at my first station until the afternoon for equal altitudes of the sun I was surrounded by a crowd of natives but they were extremely well behaved and gave no trouble. I thought both sexes much better looking than the people of Hokodadi, particularly the women who although by their course dresses evidently belonged to the poorer classes were generally delicately formed with small hands and feet and rosy complexions. The young women had the heads, necks and lower parts of the face swathed with white cloth I presume as a protection against the sun, for they made no scruple of uncovering when tempted by a glass of wine or biscuit. In consequence of the pressing desire of the natives to look through the theodolite and learn English, my boats crew (stationed as sentries to keep a ring) officiated as schoolmasters to the men, and I further compromised matters by allowing a select body of the ladies to approach and examine the theodolite; their frequent bursts of amusement at seeing objects inverted appeared to whet the curiosity of the men for several resolute attempts to ‘join the ladies’ were made by them, but on each occasion they were ignominiously bundled back to the infinite amusement of the lookers on.
After surveying the coast to Cape Toriwisaka and obtaining another astronomical position on the small island off it we returned to Hakodadi on the 2nd of June. Here we found the Spartan and the steamer Tartar and learnt that on the evening of the 29th the Bittern had arrived with intelligence that a Russian Squadron had been reconnoitred in Castries Bay by Commodore Elliot on the 21st. On the receipt of this intelligence the Admiral had left immediately with the Bittern to join the Commodore, leaving the Tartar at this place to await our arrival; after which the Saracen was ordered to remain in Port for the purpose of communicating with the Admiral’s orders to the different ships of our squadron on their arrival and the Tartar was to rejoin the Admiral. As the Spartan had now arrived in the interval the Tartar now took her in tow and both vessels proceeded to join the Admiral. On the 7th of June the American Surveying expedition consisting of the Vincennes, John Hancock and Fennimore Cooper, under Commodore Rogers, arrived in the Bay from Simoda; and about the same time two American schooners arrived from California with people desirous of settling in Japan – the Japanese refusing to allow them to land called forth a remonstrance from the Commodore, which led to a discussion concerning the meaning of certain ambiguous terms in the American Treaty with Japan, they contended that they never contemplated foreigners settling amongst them, they understood to persons shipwrecked on their shores, or incapacitated from proceeding on their voyage by sickness – this matter has been referred by the Commodore to his Government and all Americans are anxiously awaiting the result.
To the Commodore belongs the credit of effecting sundry reforms on the Japanese Port regulations regarding foreigners. He declared the attendance of Japanese soldiers on Americans walking on shore for recreation an indignity that he would not permit, the authorities tried hard to carry their point and persisted in following everybody as they landed until one of the American Officers gave his guard a good thrashing, when they took to their heels and from that time they have given up the custom. The Americans also (disregarding the Port regulations) hauled their sein on the beach at Karmida and with much success, the authorities protested and begged at least that they would embark the fish caught from the Custom House but their request was not listened to.
Now as I had up to this period acted strictly up to the port rules I was curious to ascertain whether it was properly appreciated by them. I therefore waited on the authorities and stated that their prices for fresh provisions were so exorbitant as to place them altogether out of the reach of my men, who having now been a long time on salt provisions stood much in need of refreshments; that out of respect for their laws I had not hauled the sein to supply myself, and finally requested to know whether the Governor intended to make any distinction between us and the Americans. I was immediately assured that the Governor would take care that I should be provided with everything in his power and a large present of fish, eggs and vegetables was sent off immediately. A few days after this one of our party succeeded in quelling a drunken quarrel among some American seamen who were fighting with knives in the very court of the Custom House. This service was acknowledged by the Governor sending off a Mandarin on the following day to tender his thanks; the Governor desired also to express his approbation of the very quiet manner our men had behaved when they had visited the shore and he further informed us (to use the interpreters words) that the Japanese heart was warm towards the English.
One of the American schooners ‘Caroline E. Foot’ had on board two lady passengers, who together with their husbands had come from San Francisco via Simoda, with the intention of settling in Japan and not being permitted by the Japanese to carry out their object were now on their way back again. On this vessels first arrival at Simoda in March last she found the crew of the late Russian Frigate Diana (which it may be remembered was wrecked in Simoda Bay last year during an earthquake) living on shore and the Russian Captain engaged the Caroline E. Foot to take himself and part of the officers and crew to Petropolski. The Japanese being pleased to get rid of the distressed Russians allowed the passengers on board the schooner to land and remain during her temporary absence. On her route she put into the port for wood and water on the 21st April and sailed again immediately about a week before the arrival of Commodore Elliot. After landing the Russians at Petropolski she returned to Simoda and embarking her passengers was again on her route to San Francisco.
The other schooner was also from San Francisco and the port was bound to the sea of Ockhotsk on a whaling voyage; her passengers to this place (male) had brought in addition to what they stood upright in a cask of brandy and a case of liqueurs to begin ‘life in Japan’ with and during the very short time they were permitted to remain on shore they made themselves ‘generally useful’ by selling brandy to seamen, and keeping a monti table for the entertainment of visitors disposed to honour them with a call; as after the arrival of these ‘rolling stones’ the European (and particularly the American) prestige and character was somewhat tarnished by occasional cases of drunkenness amongst the seamen, none regretted to find that that Commodore Rogers had determined to support the authorities in packing them off again and they finally took their departure in the Caroline. E. Foot.
On the 13th of June, leaving the ship in port to carry out the Admirals orders, I started with the pinnace on a surveying expedition to the Eastward; and on this occasion I was absent three days, during which time I minutely surveyed the northern shore from C. Esarine to Hokadadi, a distance of 24 miles.
On the 26th of June part of the squadron returning from their unsuccessful chase after the Russians relieved me from inactivity and I proceeded on with the survey of the strait, but owing to the calms, thick fogs and the continuous Easterly current I was three days out, before getting half way to my destination (Cape Sangar). After this the Admiral kindly placed the Tartar at my disposal for a few days during which time I availed myself of the opportunity of getting my principal points in and obtaining Astronomical positions on Cape Sangar, Cape Greig, Cape Matsma and Cape Nambu. Having thus cut up my ground pretty well and finding it impossible to move the ship about without great delays from continued calms I anchored her in a good bay and leaving her in charge of the Assistant Surgeon proceeded with the work in my boats.
In the course of my work I landed on numerous points of the coast and was invariably well received by the people. I have occasionally been surrounded by Government Officers and soldiers who did in one or two instances intimate by unmistakeable signs their wishes that I should embark, but I found it no difficult matter to divert their attention until I had finished any observations and we always parted in a friendly way. During the time the ship was laying in Memoya Bay the officers frequently walked for miles into the country without meeting the slightest interruption from anyone; a couple of soldiers always accompanied each party but they made themselves very useful in carrying refreshments and pointing out birds for shooting and seemed delighted when an extraordinary good shot was made. We did not procure refreshment anywhere except at Matsmai and at that place a dozen and a half of fowls and a few eggs were given, I believe as a bribe to induce us to leave the place as quickly as possible. The city of Matsmai has a very fine appearance from the sea, it appears to be about thrice the size of Hakodadi and the houses are all constructed on a much larger scale. The streets appear wide, well kept and very clean compared with the latter town.
The Governors residence is in a large fort situated in a commanding position about the middle of the town. It is an earthen work, with pagoda like towers at the angles; the rampart is covered with fine trees, it has outworks planted with cannon, ten of which I counted pointing towards the sea; and altogether its neat and well kept appearance adds greatly to the place.
The sea front of Matsmai is protected by extensive reefs of rocks (basalt) which, running in ridges parallel to the shore at the distance of a cables length or so, forms numerous small boat harbours; heavy blocks of wood have been sunk into the reefs at intervals, to which the junks are secured laying in tiers with their bows seaward. I counted upwards of a hundred sail at the time of our visit and they were from 20 to 150 tons burthen.
Richards then continues to record his survey work in the Straits of Sangar and elsewhere in July and August. Most of this section is to do with the technical aspects of the survey such as the latitude and longitude of small islands. However, he did record the reception the Saracen was given in a couple of places when it was anchored. Although official attitudes may have been cool and suspicious the reception of ordinary people was, as he found previously, by no means unfriendly. On September 1st the survey vessel, now sailing south, anchored in a ’snug bay’ of an island in order to shelter from stormy weather. The ship was about a quarter of a mile from a Japanese village and Richards noted;
Soon after anchoring we were boarded by a Japanese boat containing several respectably dressed officials who seemed by their manner desirous of knowing what we wanted, with the assistance of a vocabulary and signs we made them comprehend the purpose of our visit and after satisfying their curiosity by a minute inspection of the ship and taking numerous notes they departed.
Great numbers of people lined the shore and stood gazing at us notwithstanding the heavy rain, and many came off in boats to get a nearer view and pulled round the ship but could not be induced to come on board.
In the middle watch the officers of the deck fancied he heard someone in the water alongside the ship, and on looking over saw a Japanese swimming with a tub containing a quantity of fish, on being helped up the side he tendered the fish as a present for permission to examine the ship and immediately commenced a minute inspection. After satisfying his curiosity and smoking a pipe he left by the way he came taking his tub and its contents along with him.
September 2nd
Early this morning we received an official visit from the authorities. They brought a present of fish, vegetables, wood and water and seemed anxious to know when we intended to leave. They readily pointed out the direction of Nangasaki but I could not prevail on them to give me a pilot. The island we were anchored under they called Afkitch and the large one to the eastward they called Hirado (Firando they did not appear to know). They gave us plainly to understand at first there was a channel east of Hirado but afterwards when they saw us proceeding in that direction in the ship came off in haste and intimated by signs that there was not sufficient depth of water. Whilst thus engaged on board Mr Obee (my assistant) landed on the western point of Hirado (at the narrowest part of the channel between it and Afkitsh) and was fortunate enough to secure equal altitudes for time as well as the sun at noon, he also sounded the channel across and ascertained that it was quite clear and had a depth of 14 fathoms in the middle. A breeze springing up just as he returned on board and I weighed and ran for the north point of Hirado with the intention of passing through or proving the impracticality of the channel inside that island, but did not succeed in making more than four miles in that direction when we were becalmed and came to with the stream anchor in 30 fathoms off the entrance to an apparent harbour (probably Port Firando of the Admiralty chart). We were soon surrounded by boats filled with the sight seeing part of the population chiefly of the lower class and a few women and children. They would not come on board but did not scruple to receive the trifling presents we made them. Bottles seemed to be much prized by them and they would spring out of their boats into the water directly one was thrown towards them. Finding that we hit on a method of becoming intimate we expended all our spare bottles in this way and kept up a general scramble until sunset to the intense delight as well as profit to the Japanese, who were only prevented from coming on board by the appearance of a small boat containing a single soldier, who seemed to watch our motions very nervously although keeping at a very respectful distance.
On to Chapter 19 (To Nagasaki)
Observations at Hakodadi and on the subsequent voyage to Nagasaki
Commanders and clippers
