Directory_and_Chronicle_1841 — Page 174

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Notices of Japan, No. VII.

MARCH,

ART. II. Notices of Japan, No. VII.: recent attempts by foreign- ers to open relations with Japan; by Americans; by Russians; and by English.*

WHEN Christianity was finally extirpated throughout Japan, and the remnant of the European trade committed to the Dutch factory at Dezima, the resolute seclu- sion of the insular empire was long respected and left undisturbed by other nations. The slight attempt made by the English under Charles II., which the Dutch foil- ed by proclaiming the English queen to be a Portuguese princess, can hardly be called an exception.

This abstinence from any endeavors to transgress the prohibitory laws of Ja- pan allowed the strong feelings in which they originated to die away; and towards the close of the last century, the continuance of the system appears to have proceeded rather from indifference to foreign trade and respect for existing cus- toms, than from hatred or fear. Whilst the public mind of Japan remained in this `easy state, although no trade, nor unnecessary intercourse with foreigners, was permitted, foreign ships in distress for provisions or other necessaries, were freely suffered to approach the coast, and their wants were cheerfully relieved. Captain Broughton,† when exploring the Japanese seas in the years 1795-6-7, was, perhaps,

* [Several papers on foreign intercourse with Japan have already appeared in the pages of the Repository; see Vols. VI and VII. In this paper, some things are repeated that are found in those articles, but much that is here given concern- ing Russian and American intercourse has not been before related, and we retain it in the series.]

+ [Capt. Broughton published an account of his cruise in the Japanese waters in 1804, in a small quarto of 393 pages. Speaking of the conduct of the Japanese towards him and his ship, he says; "The same unremitted jealousy of foreign- ers seems to have pervaded every place in those seas where the Providence touched at; and although the desires of the crew for wood and water were readi- ly complied with, yet any wish of exploring the interior of the country, or of gaining a more perfect knowledge of its government, produce, and manners, was invariably and pertinaciously resisted." The Providence was a strongly built ship of 400 tons. After taking her departure from Oahu in 1796, she made a cruise north of Nippon, and in the spring of the next year anchored at Macao. Here, her enterprising commander having purchased a tender, left in April for the same seas, and on 17th of May, he was unfortunately wrecked on a reef at the north of Typinsan, one of the Madjicosima (or more correctly Hachi kosima, the Eight islets), a group of small islands between Lewchew and Formosa. The tender now proved to be of great service, and by the kind assistance of the natives of the group, who from his account are much like the Lewchewans in dress, language, and appearance, he was able to provision her and return to Macao in June. Hav- ing discharged some of his crew, captain Broughton planned a continuation of his cruise in the tender, notwithstanding she was only 87 tons, and, as he adds, “in- adequate in many respects. But still there was some prospect of acquiring geographical knowledge of the Tartarean and Corean coasts; and I was unwill- ing, even under the existing circumstances, not to use every endeavor to the utmost of my power, that could tend to the improvement of science by the ex- ploration of unknown parts." With these wishes, so characteristic of British navigators, and seconded by his officers, he left for the Japanese seas; he touched at Lewchew, Endermo harbor in Yesso or Insu, Matsmai, Tsus sima, Chosan in Corea, and Quelpaert I.; and returned to Macao in Nov. 1797. The volume contains but little else than nautical observations and remarks, which may be one reason why it has since its publication been so little spoken of or quoted.]