File:Narrative of the expedition of an American squadron to the China seas and Japan (1857) (14597895260).jpg

Identifier: narrativeofexped05perr (find matches)
Title: Narrative of the expedition of an American squadron to the China seas and Japan
Year: 1857 (1850s)
Authors: Perry, Matthew Calbraith, 1794-1858 Hawks, Francis L. (Francis Lister), 1798-1866
Subjects: United States Naval Expedition to Japan (1852-1854)
Publisher: New York, D. Appleton and company (etc., etc.)
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: The Library of Congress

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ched the imperial city of the Ja)(anese the more conciliating andfriendly they became. The governor had brought with him some presents,consisting of some pieces of silk, some fans, lacquered tea-cups and tobaccopipes. These objects were interesting as specimens of Japanese manufac-ture, and though not very valuable, were creditable evidences of mechanicalskill. The cups were made of a very light wood, neatly executed and beau-tifully polished in surface with the famous Japanese lacquer. The silkswere of fine texture, richly interwoven with braids of gold and silver, ela-borately wrought into various ornamental figures. The fans were coveredwith those dragons and chimeras dire in which the grotesque fancy ofJapanese art seems especially to delight, and the pipes were small and likewhat had been previously observed in use among the Lew Chewans. Yezaimen was informed, by the orders of the Commodore, that the presentswhich he had brought could not be received unless others from the Commo-
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m EXCHANGE OF PRESENTS. 313 dore were accepted in return. To this Yezaimen at first demurred by inter-posing tlie invariable plea that the Japanese law forbade it. He was nowanswered that ximerican laws enjoined a reciprocity, and that his presentscould not be otherwise received. Finding the Commodore resolute upon this,as upon all other points of ceremony, Yezaimen consented at last to receivein return whatever, with the exception of arms, there was a disposition togive to him. Accordingly, some few articles of more value than thosebrought by the Japanese were sent on deck; but when Yezaimen saw them, hedeclared that they were of too much value, and that he dared not take on shoreanything but what he and his interpreter could conceal about their persons.He was then informed that if he could not receive the articles openly, andwithout concealment, that those which he had brought with him would beput back into his boat. He then departed, carrying with him all the Com-modores presents,

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