Many incidental remarks occur in Foote's journal respecting the Japanese, whom he seems to have studied, and their history, with great interest in the brief time he was in Japan -some of which seem almost to have suggested the wonderful development of that people in these late years. He writes that on a visit to the Governor of Simoda, "one of them remarked that he hoped the day was not far distant when the Japanese would visit America; they readily admit our superiority, and seem to be strongly impressed by our country." Hakodadi was also visited, which place pleased the commander even better than Simoda. He remarks upon its spacious harbor, completely land-locked, and capable of containing two hundred sail in an anchorage of from five to twelve fathoms. He thought it the most desirable harbor, in point of security and health, for a man-of-war that he had ever visited. Its position in relation to California, and to Russia and the Amoor River, make it a port of trade and supply of great importance to our government, far preferable to Simoda, whose harbor is too small to admit of more than five or six vessels obtaining a good anchorage. A feast was given to the Governor of Hakodadi and his suite on board ship, where the oblique-eyed natives did straight justice to their fare, and handled knife and fork with an intuitive dexterity. The hospitality was not, however, very generously returned. The supply of bullocks fell short, and since, as Commander Foote remarks, "beef sometimes involves a principle," a peremptory demand for fresh beef, with the guns of the Portsmouth to back it, brought at once an abundant supply. Our hero was shorter than some in his diplomacy with the Orientals, and, it may be added, more successful. After placing a buoy at the termination of the spit which forms the harbor of Hakodadi, rendering the entrance easier than when Commodore Perry visited this port, Foote sailed for Hong-Kong, which he reached October 26th, after a passage of sixteen days. On his passage, he speaks of

Correspondence with the Kings of Siam.

131

the phosphorescent appearance of the sea in a heavy gale of wind at night as resembling immense banks or shoals. of snow in constant motion. At Hong-Kong he learned of the fall of Delhi, and of the approaching end of the Indian rebellion. While lying here he also received an interesting letter from the second king of Siam, the English of which is remarkably good. In his answer to this royal epistle, he says: "It is impossible to say where we shall cruise for the future. We all hope to go home in the course of five or six months. A sealife is monotonous as well as dangerous in these seas of typhoons and currents and shoals. I presume that your majesty will cruise about the Gulf of Siam in the man-of-war yacht. You will certainly work chronometer and meridian observations well. You will also take lunar observations. The vessel will be as well navigated as any in the China seas should your majesty handle the instruments." Our bluff sailor knew how to pay a compliment when the time for it came. A letter was addressed by him to the first king of Siam in acknowledgment of the gift of a gold and silver cigar-case, which was accompanied by an autograph letter; and still another epistle to the second king, dated January 11, 1858, informing him of the bombardment and capture of Canton by the combined forces of the English and French, with a stately letter from the first king, received during the civil war in America, deploring the war, but giving all his sympathies to the cause of the Union, closed this curious correspondence, which seems to have originated purely from personal liking or friendship, and had nothing of an official character.

In December, 1857, the Portsmouth ran twice over to Macao, once to carry Mr. Reed, the American minister, and suite, and a second time to protect American citizens during the assault of the English forces on Canton. In February, Commander Foote left Hong-Kong for Manilla, and there quite unexpectedly received orders for home. He sailed March 5th for Anjer,

island of Java, where the ship took in water and supplies; thence to St. Helena; and from St. Helena to Portsmouth, New Hampshire, United States, where they arrived on Sunday, June 13th, 1858, having sailed since leaving the United States more than forty-nine thousand miles.

A few letters, written and received during her home voyage, will conclude the narrative of the eventful cruise of the Portsmouth.

"U.S. SHIP. PORTSMOUTH,'

66 At sea, lat. 5° S., long. 107° E., March 23, 1858.

}

"MY DEAR WIFE,-We ought three days ago to have been in Anjer, and been ready with our water and chickens to leave 'Java Head,' homeward bound via St. Helena. We hurried off from Manilla in order to save the monsoon and avoid the coming typhoons. The latter we must be exposed to when off the Mauritius, Isle of France. The commodore and Mr. Reed sent me two handsome letters. I left the squadron on the best of terms. We ran under the commodore's stern, and gave him three cheers, and then hauled up the courses and fired a salute; then ran under the Minnesota's stern, and they gave us three cheers, which we heartily answered; and then, in the dark night, we stood out for the narrow entrance into the bay, and passed it at daylight next morning. I had but little sleep. We have had light winds, making only one hundred miles on an average daily. I was up all night in running through Gaspar Strait-intricate navigation. Next day, Sunday, read service and a sermon on deck, and delivered a lecture at berth-deck service. We hope to anchor to-morrow, when I will resume this. Write on the 20th of June, and address the letter to me at Portsmouth Navy Yard, New Hampshire. Tell Mr. Bacon that I have written to have his things sent on to New York by the San Jacinto. Of course, we did not expect to go home before returning to Hong-Kong, or I should have taken his things on board. I wished myself to return to Hong-Kong in order to buy some china, grass-cloth handkerchiefs, and other things. But if we had gone back, it would have delayed us three months. I feel very anxious to have to wait until six months expire without hearing from you. I commend you all to God's grace. I would have addressed this to Josephine, but your name was down before I was aware of it. Tell her it is for you both. You will receive a bill in my name for seven hundred dollars. I have certainly economized to the utmost this cruise-hardly keeping up my position."

"Anjer, March 25, 1858.-We arrived early this morning, and, as you may imagine, in these straits of tacks and shoals I was up most of the squally night. We are nineteen and a half days from Manilla, but have beaten the clipper ships, one of which I wrote you sailed eight days before us, and is not here yet. I ran inside of all the shipping, and the captain of the port says I am rather close to the shore.

66

We hear that an attempt has been made on Louis Napoleon's life, also that Paulding has seized Walker. I go ashore to breakfast with the port officer. We sail to-night or at daylight in the morning. May God watch over you and the dear children, and enable us to meet and see each other. I wish the boys were here to see the monkeys and parrots, and eat the pine-apples and other fruit. A splendid banyan-tree that would cover your garden is close at hand. There is a delicious sensation in this balmy climate and tropical scenery."

"SAN JACINTO,' MANILLA, March 4, 1858.

"MY DEAR FOOTE,-Our association afloat on duty has been very short, but has been rendered by you so agreeable that I could wish it were to be longer; but the wish could be scarcely generous, as you leave the arid shores of China for happy old Connecticut and your family. I wish you with all my heart a happy reunion with them, and I trust that your good ship, in which you have so long and so faithfully served, may prove true to you to the last.

"My kindest regards and remembrance to your family, and believe me, very sincerely your friend,

"JOSIAH TATNALL, Commodore.

"Captain Andrew H. Foote, U. S. Ship Portsmouth."

"DEAR SIR,-Pray add to your autographs this most earnest expression of my gratitude for all you have done and all you are going to do for me and mine. I am a good deal disturbed at parting with my son-more than I thought I should be; but my decision is a wise one, for all reasoning fails if three months' association with you, and such as you have about you, do not do him good. He is a good-natured boy, with no defects of temper. Treat him, for my sake, as a son, and correct him if he do wrong, which I think he will not do intentionally. If you Philadelphia, try to see Mrs. Reed, who will welcome you as m The record of my good opinion is of little value, but you shall b is no flattery, but exact truth, that the service has not an of

in

worthy of confidence for any duty than him to whom these few words of earnest farewell are written. God bless you, my dear sir.

"Ever truly yours,

WILLIAM B. REED.

"To Captain A. H. Foote, MANILLA, March 4th, 1858."

These are extracts from Commander H. H. Bell's letters from Whampoa, dated April and May:

"I have visited the burying-grounds three or four times, and could not discover that the graves of our dead had been molested otherwise than by the removal of the wooden head-boards-except in one instance, where three graves bordering upon a paddy-field had been dug away for the extension of said field; the wretches betraying themselves in this peculiarly Chinese theft by leaving the heads of the graves-say six inches deep-showing in the bank which they had cut away, though no part of the coffins remain-this does not look like malicious desecration. Mr. Everett's monument remains intact, having Chinese characters written on it; yet the grave of -'s little boy is said to have been broken

up.

they say, was much disliked by the natives. The tombs of the English were entirely destroyed."

"I accompanied our consul as a passenger and guest; the 'Barrier Forts' are as we left them, no attempt having been made to renew them. The French frigate Capricieuse lay there. The city of Canton, along the line of the river as well as in the interior, is a sad spectacle, most of the houses having been deserted, and presenting nothing but ruins and desolation to the view-the broken walls and torn roofs giving melancholy evidence of the ruthless bombardments in the several attacks on the city. I found the streets quite deserted for a Chinese city, the people looking cowed and dejected, and apparently of the worst class. All who were able have retired to the neighboring cities and villages, under the terror of British guns."

"Wentworth, the leper, whom you left here, is said to be a putrid mass. It is feared we shall have to receive him, for your charities excite no little feeling on the part of those who have to do the nursing."

Aressea

of it. Telflose these two fighting Portsmouth chapters with an for seven hof a pleasant letter of Commander Foote to his eldest this cruise-stus, then a little boy, dated Bangkok, June 7, 1857: