What He Has Seen and the People He Has Met in the Course of the Last Forty Years
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The narrative of a Japanese; what he has seen and the people he has met in the course of the last forty years. By Joseph Heco. Edited by James Murdoch THE NARRATIVE OF A JAPANESE; What he has seen and the people he has met in the course of the last forty years. BY JOSEPH HECO. Edited BY JAMES MURDOCH, M.A. VOL. II. [ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.] PLATE 1. BIRD's-EYE VIEW OF THE CITY OF YEDO, AS IT APPEARED IN 1863. The narrative of a Japanese; what he has seen and the people he has met in the course of the last forty years. By Joseph Heco. Edited by James Murdoch http://www.loc.gov/resource/calbk.112 I. August 4th. This morning the U.S. Consulate was found to be minus its national coat-of-arms over the gate-way. This seemed to ruffle the worthy Consul very considerably. He at once issued a notice offering a reward for information leading to the apprehension and conviction of the thief who had been tampering with Uncle Sam's fowl-yard. But all to no purpose,—for what really became of that American Eagle remains a mystery even unto this day. On August 6th the English fleet under Admiral Kupper steamed out of the bay in line. It was said to be bound for Kagoshima, Satsuma's Capital, to exact reparation from that Daimio for the outrage committed by his men at Namamugi on the Tokaido in September, 1862. August 8th. The foreign representatives were notified by the Shogun's Government that Ogasawara, Dzosho-no-kami had been released from his membership of the Gorojiu. August 10th. To-day, I was specially warned by the native authorities of Yokohama to be 2 careful not to leave the town for any distance, and not to venture out on the Kanagawa side at all, inasmuch as there were several Choshiu men wandering about in the neighbourhood, with intent to slay six marked men, of whom I was one. They went on to tell me how two days before the Kanagawa authorities had discovered a gory, clotted human head in a wayside privy on the Tokaido, with the following notice attached to it:—“ This is the head of one of the Pilots who went on the American Ship-of-war to Shimonoseki on the 13th July and fought against his own countrymen on the 16th of the same month. There are five more men at large who are to be served in the same fashion.” August 13th. This morning the native town of Yokohama was found to be placarded all over in an ominous manner. These notices intimated that all Government officials were to be cut down and their houses fired. In consequence of this, extra guards were distributed in the place and posted at all the gateways with instructions to be specially vigilant. August 14th. Early this morning it was reported that a large body of Choshiu Samurai were marching upon Yokohama to attack and burn the foreign settlement, and that a large stock of The narrative of a Japanese; what he has seen and the people he has met in the course of the last forty years. By Joseph Heco. Edited by James Murdoch http://www.loc.gov/resource/calbk.112 weapons and munitions of war had already been smuggled into the native town by their secret agents. 3 August 16th. This morning we were startled by news of an ominous affair in Kioto. It was reported that five or six of the leading merchants there who had been dealing in foreign goods had been cut down by so-called ro¯nins, who had pilloried their victims' heads on the principal bridges of the city with the following notice affixed to them:—“ These unprincipled persons have been dealing with foreign barbarians for their own gain, and have caused all goods to rise in price, whereby the majority of the people are suffering. Their actions are also contrary to the wishes of the Sovereign of the Empire, and therefore we have punished them as they deserve.” In consequence of this intelligence we noticed this same afternoon that several of the native places of business were shut. Many of them remained closed for several days. We afterwards learned that this was partly from fear, and partly to mourn the fate of their friends at Kioto. August 19th. This morning a local newspaper published the following despatch addressed by H.B.M.'s Chargé d' Affaires to the Prince of Satsuma. H.B.M.'s Legation, 12th August, 1863. To His Highness, Matsudaira Shuri-no-Daibu, the Daimio -Prince of Satsuma, or, in his absence, the Regent or other high officer for the time being administering the Government of the Prince of Patsuma, Hiuga, Osumi and the Lew-chew Islands. Your Highness,—It is well known to you that a barbarous murder of an unarmed and un-offending British subject and merchant was 4 perpetrated on the 14th of the month of September last— the 21st day of the 8th month of the 2nd year of Bunkiu of the Japanese reckoning—upon the Tokaido near Kanagawa, by persons attending the procession and surrounding the norimono of Shimadzu Saburo, who, I am informed, is the father of your Highness. It is equally known to you that a murderous assault was made at the same time by the same retinue upon a lady and two The narrative of a Japanese; what he has seen and the people he has met in the course of the last forty years. By Joseph Heco. Edited by James Murdoch http://www.loc.gov/resource/calbk.112 other gentlemen, British subjects, by whom he was accompanied, the two gentlemen having been severely and seriously wounded while the lady escaped by a miracle. The names of the British subjects here referred to are as follows:—Chas. Lenox Richardson, murdered; Mrs. Borrodaile, Mr. Wm. Clarke, and Mr. Wm. Marshall severely wounded. This event filled with great and just indignation the British Government and people, and excited the sympathy of, and produced a painful impression upon all civilized countries. Impressed with friendly and considerate feelings towards the Government of the Tycoon, with whom the Queen of Great Britain—my august Sovereign—is in relations by a Treaty of Peace and Amity, I acted with proper consideration for the Tycoon's Government, by leaving in its hands the legitimate means of speedily arresting and bringing to capital punishment the murderers from among Shimadzu Saburo's retinue. This necessary forbearance on my part has been entirely approved by my Government, and appreciated and acknowledged by the Government of the Tycoon. A different course proposed at the moment to be adopted in the excitement attending the barbarous outrage, might have resulted in the capture and, perhaps, death by summary retribution of Shimadzu Saburo himself. Ten months have now elapsed since the perpetration of this unprovoked outrage, during which period my Government has been duly informed by me of the circumstances attending it, while the Tycoon's Ministers have held out to me from time to time assurance and hopes that the murderers would be given up by your Highness, according to the Tycoon's desire, and sent to Yedo for trial and execution. But I have had occasion to report to my Government that, removed in your distant domain from the direct influence of the Japanese Government and shielded also by certain privileges and immunities 5 which belong to Daimios of this Empire, you have utterly disregarded all orders or decrees of the Japanese Government calling you to afford justice by sending the real criminals to Yedo. They The narrative of a Japanese; what he has seen and the people he has met in the course of the last forty years. By Joseph Heco. Edited by James Murdoch http://www.loc.gov/resource/calbk.112 have not been arrested or sent: and no redress has consequently been afforded by the Tycoon's Government, however desirous it may be of doing so. In the meanwhile I have received the explicit instructions of my Government how to act in this matter. The Tycoon's Government may be impeded by the laws of the country and more specially by political embarrassments, from enforcing its desires upon Daimios of the Empire in regard to criminal acts committed by their adherents. But when British subjects are the victims of these acts, Japan as a nation must—through its Government—pay a penalty and disavow the misdeeds of its subjects to whatever rank they may belong. Under instructions from my Government I demanded from the Tycoon's Government an apology and the payment of a considerable penalty for permitting the murderous attack made by your retainers on British subjects passing on a road open to them by treaty. Both these demands have been acceded to. But the British Government has also decided that these circumstances constitute no reason why the real delinquents and actual murderers should he shielded by your Highness, or by any means escape the condign punishment which they merit and which they would be subjected to for great crimes, such as they have committed, in all other parts of the world. It has thereupon been determined by my Government, and I am instructed to demand of your Highness as follows:— First. The immediate trial and capital execution, in the presence of one or more of H.M.'s naval officers, of the perpetrators of the murder of Mr. Richardson and of the murderous assault upon the lady and the two gentlemen who accompanied him.