· 164
Notices of Japan, No. VII.
MARCH,
not of safety, as he readily suffered the ammunition to be landed and held by the Japanese.
President Doeff avers, that it was solely owing to his good offices and personal influence with the governor, that the ship, thus imperfectly disarmed, was permit- ted to enter the harbor, and take up a secure anchorage, there to await the answer from Yedo, not as to the future opening of negotiations, but as to the present ceremonial. This single evening the Dutchmen were indulged in spending cheer- fully in European society. But the next day a suspicion seems to have arisen of possible confederacy between the two sets of foreigners, however manifestly op. posed their interests, and they were never again allowed to exchange a word. They contrived, however, to correspond in French, through the medium of the interpreters, always, ready apparently to favor the violation of the rigid code: the way, indeed, in which excessive rigidity is in most cases usefully though illegally compensated.
The jealousy of combination between the Dutch and Russians went so far, that the annual ship, this year really Dutch, and then in course of loading, was remov. ed from her wonted berth to a distant station, and when she set sail, the captain and crew were forbidden to answer the kindly greetings and farewell of the Rus- sians. The Dutch captain durst only wave his hat in reply, and this want of politeness seems to have given great offense to the courteous Muscovites, who imputed it to mercantile ill-will.
Meanwhile, the Russian embassador earnestly solicted permission to land, and Capt. Krusenstern, the commander of the ship, as earnestly desired leave to repair his vessel. These requests, being contrary to law, required a reference to Yedo. But Nagasaki now witnessed an unprecedented phenomenon-the simultaneous presence of the two governors: the relief governor having arrived, and the reliev. ed governor fearing to depart at so critical an emergency. Whilst awaiting the orders from Yedo, the colleagues deliberated. They inquired whether the Dutch factory could accommodate the embassy at Dezima, which Doeff, though straiten- ed for room in consequence of a recent fire, agreed to do. But the proposal was not repeated, and the governors next talked of giving the Russians the use of a temple. This idea likewise was abandoned, and finally a fish warehouse, over against Dezima, but at the further extremity of Nagasaki, was selected for the residence of the Russian embassy. It was accordingly cleared out, cleaned, and prepared, for their reception, by inclosing it with palisades, to prevent external communication. These preliminary arrangements being completed, count Re- sanoff was, about the middle of December, installed with his suite in this strange hotel d'ambassade, where the Russian soldiers mounted guard with unloaded mus- kets. It is said that the court of Yedo decidedly disapproved of this ungentle- manlike treatment, in minor points, of the rejected European embassy. A former siogoun had, indeed, beheaded a Portuguese embassy, leaving only enough sur. vivors to carry home the report of their reception, but he had not degraded or insulted them.
All these delays, difficulties, and annoyances, which Doeff ascribes to Resanoff's refusal to give up his guns and perform the kotow, were imputed by the Russians to Dutch influence and misrepresentation. This question requires no investiga. tion; of course, the Dutch did not wish the Russian mission success, but under- hand efforts were scarcely wanted to insure its failure. The affair was, however,