exquisite personal cleanliness. The contrast was
especially agreeable to persons who had been
spending six months at Shanghai, in the midst of
that disgusting human ant-hill which is called a
Chinese town, and on the flat and wearisome
banks of the Whampou.

Simoda was the scene of the famous shipwreck
of the Russian frigate, the Diana: a rare instance
of a ship at sea being destroyed by the effects of
an earthquake. At one minute, the frigate had
sixty feet of water beneath her; at another, she
could see her anchors. Then, an immense wave,
rolling in all at once from the open sea, suddenly
filled the roadstead, upset the town, and
inundated the valley. The admiral and his men
swam on shore; only fourteen of the crew were
lost.

The Japanese authorities gave a cordial
welcome to the French embassy, paying the first
visit. When it was returned, the governor,
Namorano Nedanwano Kami, received his visitors
with perfect grace beneath the portico of his
palace, surrounded by his principal officers. A
splendid collation was served in a vast audience-
chamber. The strangers took their places
to the left, on seats; the governor and six of his
officers squatted on their heels, on the other
side, opposite to their guests. The Japanese
interpreter, kneeling, transmitted to the governor
the sentences uttered by the Abbé Mermet.
Shortly, tea and saki (a spirit made from rice,
lukewarm, and frightfully strong) were sent
round. Fish, pork, and eggs in forty different
shapes, were successively served in dishes and
cups,made of red, brown, and black lacquer.
Generally speaking, Japanese cookery appeared analogous
to that of China, but was infinitely superior
in style of serving, in tempting appearance,
and in cleanliness. The persons who waited, wore
each two sabres; and at each fresh course there
was a "surprise"—a little refinement of luxury
and elegance, which is not to be found at the
tables of Chinese mandarins. At first, there
were dwarf trees, trained into the form of flowers
or animals; then, came an enormous fish in a
dish representing the sea and seaweeds, followed
by groups of charming flowers made with crawfish
and cut turnips. The governor boasted
with a smile of satisfaction that the flowers were
the handiwork of his officers: imparting thereby
a high idea of those gentlemen's skill, but also
a diminished estimate of the importance and
gravity of their occupations. In the midst of
these strange novelties, the greatest marvel was
to behold a real gâteau de Savoie, or sponge-
cake, admirably sliced and perfect in flavour.
This importation dates from the time of the
Spaniards—that is, two centuries ago and still
retains in Japan its Castilian name.

The bazaar of Simoda deserves special
mention. To this very day the Japanese are
forbidden, on pain of death, to sell anything what-
ever to strangers; the government reserves to
itself the monopoly of selling to foreigners.
The authorities, therefore, expecting the arrival
of the vessels of the four nations, had got together
in an immense shed, every product of the
country likely to attract attention. Japanese
lacquer-work appeared in every possible form;
there were long rows of inkstands, boxes, trunks,
and tables of all sizes and colours. Every object
was ticketed with its price in "itchibous,"
written in Arabic numerals; and a little wooden
packing-case, made expressly to fit each article,
was ready to receive it, and be sent on board.
Everybody was bitten with the mania of buying,
from the ambassador and his secretaries, to the
naval officers and common sailors. It was
computed that the French spent some thirty thousand
francs in lacquer-work at Simoda.

Their intercourse with the inhabitants was as
familiar as could be; they went on shore at all
hours of the day and night. Everywhere they
were well received. During the day, they visited
the pagodas, which are very curious; they went
into different houses to drink tea; and in the
evening they joined the choruses and dances in
honour of the moon. Frequently they were
accommodated with boats to return on board,
gratuitously; but they were told with a smile that they
must not expect the same civility and attention at
Jeddo, which turned out to be the case. To the
last minute before their departure, the decks of
the vessels were crowded with Japanese come to
drink champagne and liqueurs, to inspect the
steam-engines and the different parts of the ship,
and to write upon their fans long notes of what
they saw. In the Celestial Empire it was quite
different; not a single Chinaman came on board
except for the purpose of selling his wares. The
Japanese endeavour to obtain information; the
Chinaman disdains everything which does not
appertain to the ways and customs of the black-
haired race.

The day before the embassy set sail, they were
informed of the death, or rather of the publication
of the death, of the Taïcoun, who had been
carried off three weeks previously by gout in the
stomach, at the early age of thirty-five. The
government, following the traditional policy of
the court of Jeddo, judged it prudent to conceal
his decease for a while. His successor, an
adopted son, was only thirteen years old, and not
yet recognised. A council of regency conducted
the government. For forty days the Japanese
were obliged to let their beards grow, in token of
mourning. It was whispered, very confidentially,
that the new Taïcoun was terribly ill-tempered.
He was commencing his "grand studies," and
had little taste for Confucius and his commentators.
Etiquette required that he should be
acquainted with them. His tutor could only
speak to him on his knees, but in that deferential
posture he spoke pretty severely.

On their arrival at Jeddo they were besieged
for eight-and-forty hours by a crowd of Japanese
officers, clad in rich silks, with a tail of double-
sabred followers, coming and going, and
circulating throughout the vessel. Seven governors
of Jeddo came on board at once. But the cold
politeness of these fine officials raised sincere
regrets for the hearty good nature of the people
of Simoda. Baron Gros's decided determination
to go on shore, to reside in the city of