File:Narrative of the expedition of an American squadron to the China seas and Japan (1857) (14784302342).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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his sound judgment, added to hisknown pious zeal, entitles his opinions to the respect of Christians of alldenominations. He thus writes: Apart from governmental influence, I think there would be no greatdifficulty in introducing Christianity; hut the government would interferemost decidedly. I performed funeral services on shore four times : once atYoku-hama, twice at Hakodadi, and once at Simoda; in every instance inthe presence of the Japanese, and, in most, when large numbers werecollected. They always behaved well. Japanese officers were present, withtheir insignia, on all occasions. I thus became known among the peopleeverywhere as a Christian clergyman^ or, to follow their signs for designa-ting me, as a praying man. Instead of this producing a shrinking fromme, as I had supposed it would, I found that I had decidedly gained by it intheir respect, and this among officials as well as commoners. At our lastvisit to Simoda we found a new governor, it having now become a royal in-
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ij:iEaT IN lui.i- Di;ESb, slmoda. PROSPECTS FOR CHRISTIANITY. 517 stead of a provincial town. This governor was an affable, yet dignified, man,of very polished manners, and would compare favorably with the best gen-tlemen in any country. At the bazaar, amid the buying, &c., I was led upto him by one of the officials and introduced as a clergyman. The gover-nors countenance brightened up as my office was announced, and his saluta-tion and treatment of me became additionally courteous. I mention this,however, for what it may be worth. There was no seeming aversion to mebecause I was a minister of Christianity. The government, however,beyond all doubt, is exceedingly jealous about our religion; but the Japa-nese officials, as well as the people, are so inquisitive, and so observant of allthat comes within their reach, that, doubtless, after a time, they might bebrought to see the difference between ourselves and the Romanists. Againstthe latter they have a deep-seated dislike. Until

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