Townsend Harris: First American Envoy in Japan |
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Common terms and phrases
American answer arrival asked audience bearers cent China Chinese coin Commissioners Commodore Commodore Perry consul copy Council daimiōs December dollars Dutch English ernor February February 25 feet five P. M. Foreign Affairs Friday fudai gave give Go-yosho Governor guns Hakodaté hara-kiri harbor Harris's Heusken honor Hotta hour hundred January Japan Japanese Kakizaki Kami kami-shimos Kanagawa Kiōto koku land letter matter Matthew Calbraith Perry ment Mikado miles Minister of Foreign Monday Moriyama Nagasaki nations negotiations norimono November 20 October officers opened Osaka passed Perry person Possiet present Prince of Shinano promise proposition received refused replied residence Russians salute San Jacinto Saturday sent Shimoda Shinagawa ship Shōgun Sunday Tai-kun temple Thursday tion to-day to-morrow Tōkiō told Townsend Harris trade translated treaty Treaty of Kanagawa Tuesday Tycoon United vice-governor Wednesday wished word write Yedo
Popular passages
Page 58 - Spar falls, breaks cross-trees, fortunately no one hurt. At last get a reinforcement from the ship, flagstaff erected. Men form a ring around it, and, half past two PM of this day, I hoist the first Consular flag ever seen in this Empire. Grave reflections. Ominous of change. Undoubted beginning of the end. Query, — if for the real good of Japan...
Page 274 - Americans who have been convicted of felony, or twice convicted of misdemeanors, shall not go more than (1) one Japanese ri inland from the places of their respective residences, and all persons so convicted shall lose their right of permanent residence in Japan, and the Japanese authorities may require...
Page 225 - Mr. Heusken's dress was the undress navy uniform, regulation sword and cocked hat. Our route was by the same street that I have mentioned on my visit to the Minister, but we crossed the moat by a bridge that was about half a mile from my house. The gateway with the quadrangular...
Page 29 - I shall be the first recognized agent from a civilized power to reside in Japan. This forms an epoch in my life and may be the beginning of a new order of things in Japan. I hope I may so conduct myself that I may have honorable mention in the histories which will be written on Japan and its future destiny.
Page 105 - I am determined to take firm ground with the Japanese. I will cordially meet any real offers of amity, but words will not do.
Page 243 - ... daimyos could have understood such arguments. Perhaps as many samurai were driven into opposition because of the threats which were from time to time used as were converted to a belief in foreign intercourse through fear. A few days after this remarkable interview Harris recorded in his journal: " I may be said to be now engaged in teaching the elements of political economy to the Japanese, and in giving them information as to the working of commercial regulations in the West.
Page 189 - ... I was surprised at the numbers of the people, which were apparently far more numerous than the whole population of the place. On asking for an explanation I was told that the time of my arrival was known many days ago, and that all those who could procure permission had come to Mishima to see me ; that some had come more than one hundred miles. The people were perfectly well behaved ; no crowding on me, no shouting, or noise of any kind. As I passed, all knelt and cast their eyes down (as though...
Page 198 - Four or five iron rings are attached by eyes to the top of the rod, which make a loud jingling noise as the foot of the rod is struck on the ground by the policeman at each two or three steps. They alternate the time of striking the rod on the ground by a regular measure, and this, with the different tones of the rings, makes a species of music. The number of people seen increases. They are all fat, well clad and happy looking, but there is an equal absence of any appearance of wealth or of poverty...
Page 202 - ... or dress of ceremony. The number admitted into the streets through which I passed formed a rank of five deep on each side of the way. Every cross-street had its stockade closed to prevent too great a crowd, and as I looked up and down those streets they seemed a solid mass of men and women. The most perfect order was maintained from Shinagawa to my lodgings, a distance of over seven miles ; not a shout or cry was heard. The silence of such a vast multitude had something appalling in it. Lord...
Page 223 - The first blow is now struck against the cruel persecution of Christianity by the Japanese; and, by the blessing of God, if I succeed in establishing negotiations at this time with the Japanese, I mean to boldly demand for Americans the free exercise of their religion in Japan with the right to build churches, and I will also demand the abolition of the custom of trampling on the cross or crucifix, which the Dutch have basely witnessed for two hundred and thirty years without a word of...