Mr. Everett was inclined to make the attempt to gain access thereto, he was to hold his squadron at his disposition for that purpose; and should Mr. Everett decline, he himself might, if he saw fit, persevere in the design.
Under these instructions Mr. Everett transferred his letter of credence to Commodore Biddle, who sailed from Macao with two naval vessels, and anchored in the Bay of Yedo, July 20, 1846. He was at once surrounded by a cordon composed of a great multitude of boats, and was waited upon by a Japanese official to inquire the object of his coming. The commodore stated that it was to ascertain whether Japan had opened her ports and was disposed to make a treaty with the United States. He was asked to reduce this to writing, which was done, and the officer said that within a few days an answer would be received from the emperor, and that in the meanwhile none of the crew would be permitted to land. On the 27th an answer was delivered by the Japanese officer, in which it was stated that foreigners could only be received at Nagasaki, that no treaty with the United States would be made, and that the vessels must depart as quickly as possible and not come back any more to Japan. The commodore received a blow or a push from a Japanese soldier during the delivery of the letter, for which apology was made by the Japanese officials and an assurance given that the soldier should be punished, but the incident greatly injured the prestige of the Americans in the estimation of the Japanese people.
The squadron sailed away, and Mr. Everett reported
