his arrival there and fulfillment of the conditions of his bond. Passports are likewise required to be issued to each of the colonists, and when the ship reaches her destination, they are presented to the Portuguese consul there with this passport." Since these regulations have been in force, the evils formerly connected with Chinese emigration have diminished, though not entirely removed. The return of many persons from countries where they have worked out their time of service, has assisted to make the mass of people in the maritime ports of the province of Canton better acquainted with the whole design and conduct of the emigration, and put them on their guard against the wiles formerly practiced to inveigle them into the barracoons. The data for ascertaining the total number of coolies which have been taken from Macao up to the end of 1862 are very imperfect, and none are available for definitely stating the number leaving previous to 1856. The following table gives the number from 1856 to 1861, with the ports to which they sailed : In the years 1856, '57 and '58, besides the three vessels carrying 1377 coolies noted in this table as going viâ Hongkong, there were taken from that colony, 4991 coolies to Havana, and 292 to Demerara. The custom-house returns of Havana state that 7711 Chinese coolies entered that port up to Aug. 1855; but this furnishes a very imperfect idea of the traffic, for it was during the year 1855, that 6388 coolies left Swatau alone for different foreign countries. Foreign trade of any kind was then altogether illegal at that port, and this particular business was carried on by those who were careless as to means. The number of coolies sent away from Swatau between 1852 and 1858 has been estimated at 40,000 men; besides the 8,000 more who died on Double I. How many vessels were loaded at Amoy, Whampoa, Cumsing-moon, and at places on the coast west of Macao, during the years 1848 to 1860, can only be guessed at. Not a score of ships altogether have loaded with coolies at Shanghai, and none at Ningpo or Fuhchau; so that nearly all the Chinese who have left their country in this manner were natives of Kwangtung and Fuhkien provinces, from districts lying adjacent to the seacoast. The greatest portion have been carried to Havana and Peru; and the total number taken from all parts of China, since 1847, can hardly be less than one hundred and fifty thousand persons, of whom not more than a thousand were women and children. The free emigration during the same period was more than twice this number. The currency and weights in Macao are now the same as at Canton When the custom-house was open, there were some differences observed in the weight of the picul as applied to different articles; and also to the exchange between the tael and the dollar in different transactions, but these have all disappeared. Duties were then levied only on imports by charging six per cent. on a fixed valuation, following the same principle that regulated the arrangement of the Chinese tariff. The Chinese Customs also levied a small duty on goods sent into the interior. Goods exported from Macao to Canton are now regarded by the Chinese custom-house there as coming from abroad, and pay duty as from any other country. The rates of boat, coolie, and lorcha hire in the colony have been regulated by the Government; and a few of their common items are given as a guide, though, like cabmen in western cities, these boat-people generally ask as much as they hope to get. For landing each passenger 50 cash; baggage, 100 cash. For landing in the Inner Harbor, 30 to 50 cash. Going to ships in the Roads, 50 cents. Crossing the Inner Harbor, 100 cash. In very bad weather, these rates are increased 30 per cent. Boats for landing small amounts of cargo, 50 cents a day. One-masted boats for landing cargo, $1; or $2 per day to go out to the Roads. Two-masted boats, $2 a day; or $3 off to ships in the Roads. Lorchas to the Typa, $20 a trip; to Hongkong, $40; and to Canton, $60. Do. if used in the night, 75 cents. Coolies hired by the day, 20 cents; or half day 10 cents. Landing a bale of cotton, 2 candareens. Rice by the bag or picul, 8 cash. Rattans, metals, &c., 1 candareen per picul. Sugar, 7 cash per box. Tea, large chests of 50 catties I candareen; half-chests, 5 cash. Barrel of beer, wine, &c,, 1 candareen 5 cash. Hogsheads, 3 candareens. These rates are doubled if the distance is as far as from St Antonio Gate to the Cathedral; and tripled from St Antonio to St Lourenço, Furniture in general is reckoned at one candareen each article, or each coolie is employed at 20 cents a day. These rates are frequently modified or increased by distance, weather, and urgency. C.G. 32 CHAPTER IV. FOREIGN COMMERCE WITH JAPAN. Section 1. INTERCOURSE WITH JAPAN. THE seclusion of the Japanese people for more than two centuries, so that only imperfect and rather exaggerated notions of their condition and policy were obtainable in western countries, was one of those features in the history of that race, which every one desired to see altered, and yet no nation was so situated as peaceably to bring it about. Visits, remonstrances, and embassies were alike unsuccessful, though perhaps not wholly futile, in inducing the Government to relax its strictness. At last in 1853, the President of the United States sent an expedition to Japan, under the command of Commodore Perry, to endeavor to come to an understanding with the Court of Yedo respecting the treatment to be given to the crews of American vessels that might be wrecked on the coast, and to ascertain whether it could furnish coal and provisions to a line of steamers, if they should run between China and California. A general trade between the two countries was also proposed by President Fillmore in his letter, which was delivered to the Japanese commissioners at Gorihama, a small hamlet south of Uraga, in the Bay of Yedo, on the 14th of July, 1853. The Japanese authorities requested a few months' delay to consider these propositions, and Com. Perry agreed to defer their consultation to the following year. When he returned in Feb. 1854, the Japanese had concluded to accede to the propositions of the President, and appointed four commissioners of high rank, viz., Hayashi, a prince-councillor (Dai-gaku no kami); Ido, prince of Tsus-sima; Izawa, prince of Mimasaki; and Udono, a member of the Board of Revenue, to treat with his envoy. The treaty was signed at Yokohama, a village a few miles south of the town of Kanagawa, but it is called after the largest of the two places. The ratifications were exchanged at Simoda, Feb. 21st, 1855. It contains twelve articles, which stipulate in general terms that American ships can be supplied with wood, water, provisions, and coal, at Simoda and Hakodadi only; that mariners shipwrecked in Japan shall be well treated and taken to those ports without charge, nor be confined in a harsh way as formerly; that they and other Americans shall be allowed to go into the country a few miles around those two towns; that American vessels shall be permitted to carry on a modified trade through the intervention of Japanese officials; and that an American consul can be appointed to reside at Simoda. A series of port regulations, in twelve articles, was also drawn up by the parties to the treaty for the management of the trade and intercourse at Simoda, which was henceforth made an imperial city. The Japanese were not at that time willing to permit a general trade between their own subjects and Americans, but opened a sort of government bazaar at Simoda, where restricted purchases of manufactured ware and produce could be made. The treaty did not contemplate the residence of Americans in the Empire, and when a family came to Simoda in 1855 to reside on shore, the Japanese authorities very properly declined to allow it to settle. The Treaty of Kanagawa was not a commercial treaty, and its provisions were really preliminary to the subsequent negotiations which resulted in opening foreign commerce with Japan. It was a great step, however, towards that end, and the Japanese entered upon it, only after much deliberation, and then with reluctance. The commissioners described themselves at the time as being in the situation of persons long immured in a dark room, who were suddenly brought out into noonday glare, and required to examine delicate machinery and fine carving. The town of Simoda which was opened to the American trade by this treaty, is a small seaport in the principality of Idzu, near the southeastern end of Nippon, about 150 miles by sea from Yedo. It was then a poorly built town, containing about 7000 inhabitants, most of whom derived their living from agriculture and fishing. Its harbor affords a secure retreat to the small vessels plying along the coast and up to the capital, and from hence communications are soon sent overland to Yedo. The town lies at the opening of a pretty cultivated valley, through which the Inodzu-gawa flows, a small stream barely sufficient at high tide to float loaded scows a few miles up the valley. The extraordinary earthquake of Dec. 1854 greatly injured the harbor, and the town was damaged by the ocean swell which rolled in at the same time, and washed over it. The consul-general appointed by the President, Townsend Harris, reached Simoda in August, 1856, and took up his residence, with his secretary, Mr Van Heusken, at Kakizaki, a bamlet near the upper end of the harbor, where a temple had been set apart for his residence. Subsequently, after the removal of the trade to Kanagawa, and full experience of the insufficiency and insecurity of this harbor, and its ineligible position, Simoda was closed to foreign traffic in January 1860. Before Mr Harris' arrival, and soon after the Treaty of Kanagawa had been made known to the world, the commander-in-chief of the British naval forces in the East Indies, Admiral Sir James Stirling, visited Nagasaki in H. M. ship "Winchester," with a small squadron, and entered into negotiation with the Japanese authorities. The bunyo and metsuki (i. e. the imperial governor and his deputy) of Nagasaki, Mezino Chekfu-no Kami and Nagai Ewan-ocho, were appointed to treat with him; and their deliberations resulted in allowing the British permission to obtain supplies, and refit their ships at Nagasaki and Hakodadi, but not at Simoda. This Convention consisted of seven articles, and granted nothing of importance in addition to the concessions to the Americans. The port of Nagasaki was a much better one for supplying ships than Simoda, and was thus far an advance; but the same restrictions were extended to the British resorting there that were applied to the Dutch. The advantages to the British fleet, during the Crimean war, of thus obtaining access to the market and harbor of Hakodadi, however, were not small. At Simoda, the trade hardly extended beyond the purchase of a few curiosities by visitors, out of the government stores. Mr Harris was in constant intercourse with the Japanese authorities, and on June 17, 1857, he concluded a convention with them in nine articles, by which further privileges were obtained for the Americans. The principal of them were, the opening of Nagasaki to their vessels to refit; the permanent residence of American citizens at the ports of Simoda and Hakodadi; the equal valuation of American coins with Japanese in all transactions, deducting 6 per cent. for the expense of recoinage; the right of Americans arrested for committing offenses in Japan to be tried and punished by their own consular or other officers; and the right of the consulgeneral to furnish himself with necessary provisions, &c., directly from the market, and to travel beyond the former limits of seven ri from the town of Simoda. These negotiations led the way to a visit to Yedo by Mr Harris in the spring of 1858, and arranging the articles of a commercial treaty with commissioners in that city; they were all agreed to and made ready in March to fill in the date and add the signatures of the negotiators, when the Japanese requested a few weeks' delay in order to refer their provisions to the princes and the officials at Miako. The Netherlands' commissioner was also then negotiating a treaty of the same tenor, and the Japanese desired to conclude them both about the same time. However, in consequence of the arrival of the U. S. str. "Powhatan" off Kanagawa in July, with the tidings of the negotiations and treaties of Tientsin, the Japanese agreed to conclude the treaty; they all went on board the "Powhatan" on 29th July, 1858, with Mr Harris, and signed the draft already drawn up, without making any alteration. The Netherlands' commissioner, J. H. Donker Curtius, signed his treaty, August 18th, 1858. Lord Elgin, the British plenipotentiary, concluded a third treaty on the 26th of August, 1858. Next, Baron Gros, on behalf of the Emperor of the French, signed a fourth on the 9th of October, 1858. A fifth was concluded by Count Euphemius Poutiatine in the month of August, 1858, on behalf of the Emperor of Russia. Governor Guimaraes of Macao was appointed by the king of Portugal to negotiate a treaty with them, and signed a sixth on the 3d of August, 1860. Lastly, Count Eulenberg, envoy from Prussia, and acting on behalf of the German Zollverein, negotiated and signed a seventh treaty in 1861. They are all based on the treaty drawn up by Mr Harris, though a few unimportant differences may be found on comparison. These compacts with western nations have opened the Japanese empire to the commerce and influence which its people need for their full development. The ideas which will be introduced, in consequence of this enlarged intercourse, will gradually work out many changes in the Japanese political, social, and religious systems; some of them perhaps to be attended with great distress, loss, and even civil war among the natives, before the nation reaches its highest position as a civilized people. In 1860, an embassy was sent from Yedo to Washington to exchange the ratifications of the treaty of July, 1858; and another went in 1862 to Europe, to visit those powers with whom the Siogoun had |