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the coast were daily invented. The Government at last resolved to put down these rumours by a proclamation. This proclamation stated that a variety of rumours had become current in regard to some officials who had been sent on a visit of inspection in connexion with the arrival of some foreign ships off the coast of Yezo and Saghalien, and summarily prohibited any more talk on the subject.
The Government also urged the northern Daimios to redouble their vigilance. Matsumaye seems to have shown some remissness for we find that about this time his territory in Yezo was taken from him, lands being provided in exchange on the main island of Japan and a subsidy granted him to defray the expense of removal. The northern ports were closed to the native junk traffic, and no junk was allowed to put to sea from any port in Oshiu or Dena.
The next appearance of the Russians was off the port of Hakodate. They entered the strait from the west, so they probably came round by the north of Yezo through the Strait of La Perouse or Aniwa. They appear to have merely passed through the Hakodate Strait without making any hostile demonstration. Great preparations had been made by the Hakodate generals in the way of reviews, councils of war, watch-fires and the like, but more essential matters seem to have been neglected. Of ammunition in particular the supply was extremely scanty. Economy was the order of the day, and so rigidly were expenses cut down that there was not enough ammunition in the place to hold out for a single day’s fighting. The important duty of keeping a look-out for the enemy’s ships was entrusted to a merchant named Kimbei, a sort of harbour master for the port of Hakodate. He neglected to attend to it, and the consequence was that the appearance of the Russians took everybody by surprise. Many of the towns-people and of the wives and children of the officials and soldiers took refuge in the hills. As an instance of the unprepared state of the garrison it is stated that the gunners of a cannon in one of the batteries having applied for ammunition for their gun, were told that there was no
