Admiral Perry's Invasion of Japan
"The expedition under Commodore Perry sailed, in 1852,
on a never-to-be-forgotten trip around the world, and returned to New York in
1855, after having successfully circumnavigated the globe, being the first
instance in the history of the American Navy for a steam frigate to accomplish
that feat.
I was attached to the Flagship Mississippi one of the
three frigates in the fleet, he two others being the Susquehanna and the
Powhatan. They were old fashioned side wheel steamers, with wooden hulls, and
boilers built of copper plate a quarter of an inch thick to sustain a steam
pressure of eight pounds to the square inch and maintain a speed, the wonderful
speed, of eight knots per hour. There were with the fleet several sloops of war,
the Plymouth, the Saratoga, and others, numbering in all 15 vessels.
They sailed from Hampton Roads, VA., in November 1852, via
Capetown, South Africa, touching at Madeira, the Azores and St. Helena. Leaving
Capetown, we touched at Mauritius in the Indian Ocean, and then Point de Galle,
Ceylon, and after many more miles of voyage, reached Singapore; Hong Kong, China
came next on the itinerary and then Japan.
The first point we touched in Japan was Shui, capitol of
Lew Chew, Jun 6, 1853. The country was a revelation to us, and when we first
went ashore almost everyone was sketching what he saw, even the common sailors
doing the best they could.
At Shui we found a walled city and Commodore Perry
signified to the Japanese officials, through interpreters, that he wished to
visit it. They were appalled and told him that under no circumstances would that
be permitted. The Commodore, however, whom we affectionately dubbed the "Ursa
Major", in his quiet, forceful way, informed them that on the following day
he would land and visit the city and would expect its gates to be opened to him.
The Japanese were courteous and polite, but we were evidently not to their
liking. They would, I think, have crushed us had they dared, but were wise
enough to recognize our superior strength, and so, when, on the morrow, the
Commodore, accompanied by about 300 sailors and marines, to whom fifty
rounds of ammunition had been furnished for guns and our dozen howitzers,
appeared at the gates of the walled city, he found them open and we entered and
marched all around the city, in which no white man had ever set foot before.
From Shui, we went to the Bay of Yeddo and Yokohama. The
waters of the Bay had never been charted, and we did not know how far, or to
what extent they were navigable. We had to chart them and the work was begun at
once. Imagine the surprise of the natives. We were told that no steamship had
ever been seen in these waters before.
The Japanese came down to meet us in force, in hundreds of
boats laden with men armed with swords and spears, bows and arrows, escorted by
their best battleship, an old one sail junk. Just think of it, and this only 55
years ago. Well, as our cutters moved ahead in their work of sounding and
charting the waters, the Japanese would steer their boats in front of ours and
endeavor to obstruct our way. A show of muskets by our men and a determined
attitude, however, soon induced them to get out of our way, and in this way the
Bay of Yeddo was sounded and charted by us.
It was the first sun picture ever taken in Japan,
and the success of my efforts greatly pleased him.
I also erected the first electric telegraph line
that was put up in Japan. It was 1,200 feet long. One end was attached at the
Temple and the other at a hut in the woods, the wire being supported along the
route by trees. Do you know that within 24 hours after we had put up that
telegraph line the Japanese had learned enough about it to send a message over
it themselves. The Japanese struck me then, as they do now, as a most remarkable
and intelligent people.
It was, of course, the desire and intention of Commodore
Perry to effect a treaty with the Japanese Government, but that was a difficult
thing to accomplish. We had evidently impressed them, but they were slow to sign
a treaty. They promised, however, to give it consideration.
In the meanwhile we were obliged to leave the
Japanese shores and go to Shanghai to protect American interests. At that time,
(1853), the great Tai Ping rebellion against the Chinese government was in full
swing. It was an immense insurrection, and more lives were lost in it than in
our Civil War.
We returned to Japan, however, in February, when we
found the Japanese commissioners ready to make the desired treaty. Two of the
lithograph pictures on the wall represent our landing and experience then.
It was a wonderful accomplishment to win over these
people, and my recollection of them and my experience among them will always be
among the pleasant ones of my life.
We had with us on that expedition 15 vessels in all.
There were nearly 200 officers in the fleet, but only five of them now survive.
They are: William Speiden, who was purser's clerk; Chief Engineer Fithian, then
of the Susquehanna; Rear Admiral J. H. Upshur and O. F. Stanton, and
myself."
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- Edward Robie, Chief Engineer
1910