"of very high rank, equal to that of the lord admiral." It was arranged that the ceremony of reception of the President's letter should occur the following forenoon.
On the morning of July 14, the squadron took position in front of the place fixed for the meeting, within easy cannon range. The governor of Uraga, acting as master of ceremonies, and another Japanese official, escorted by a number of imperial boats, came off to the flagship to accompany the commodore and suite to the hall of reception. As the latter stepped into his barge a salute was fired from the squadron in his honor. This was the first time since his arrival that he had been seen by the Japanese. His escort consisted of all the officers who could be spared from the ships and of about three hundred sailors and marines, with two bands of music. About the landing place and the reception hall were stationed five thousand Japanese soldiers, infantry and cavalry. On landing the commodore was preceded by the Japanese master of ceremonies and one of the squadron captains, the sailors and marines, two stalwart sailors who bore the American flag and the broad pennant, followed by two boys tastefully dressed for the occasion bearing the boxes containing the President's letter and the credentials. Then came the commodore accompanied on either side by a tall, well-formed, heavily armed negro as a bodyguard. The official narrative says "all this, of course, was but for effect."
On entering the hall the two princes designated by the emperor to receive the documents arose and saluted the commodore with low bows, their names being
