Manners and Customs of the Japanese in Nineteenth Century by Philipp Franz von Siebold Ph.D

Author:Philipp Franz von Siebold, Ph.D.
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-4629-1144-8
Publisher: Tuttle Publishing

Footnotes

* Fischer.

* Siebold.

* Doeff.

* Edinburgh Gazetteer.

* Doeff and Meylan.

* Meylan.

* Meylan.

* Edinburgh Gazetteer.

* Siebold.

* Moylan.

† Fischer.

* Titsingh.

† Meylan.

‡ See Note XIII.

* Fischer.

CHAPTER IX.

ANECDOTES ILLUSTRATIVE OF THE CHARACTER AND MANNERS OF THE JAPANESE.

The Phaeton, Captain Pellew, enters Nagasaki Bay.—Transactions there.—Japanese Governor's Plans.—Neglect of Duty Discovered.—The Phaeton's Departure.—Disastrous Results.—Siebold's Adventures.—Tchouya's Conspiracy.—Arrests.—His Wife's Presence of Mind.—He and his Friends tortured.—Sibata Zabrobi's Friendship.—Execution.—Yorinobon's Escape by his Secretary's Suicide.—Gratitude of his Posterity.—Ziogoon's Purpose of Illegal Adoption.—Minister's Fruitless Remonstrances.—Midia's Mode of Prevention.—Japanese Lucretia.—Minister Threatened.—His Good-humour.—Test of an Accountant's Qualifications.—Safe Mode of Nicknaming a Monarch.—Ingenuity of a Fisherman.—Its Reward.—Artificial Mermaid.—Curious Mode of Trial.

OF this kind of illustration recent Dutch writers afford very little, and that little is chiefly found in Doeff's Recollections; but from Titsingh's Annals a few anecdotes may be gathered, that strongly exemplify some national peculiarities both of mind and manners, as the vindictiveness and the inflexible constancy of the Japanese, the slight account they make of human life, save when its loss would imply an act of injustice, their love of jesting, their ideas of good-breeding, &c. The following occurrences are related by Doeff.

In the year 1808, Capt. Pellew, of the English ship, Phaeton, while cruising in the Indian seas, projected the capture of the annual Dut.ch vessels trading to Japan. His search for them, of course, proved unsuccessful, as none were despatched during that year; he prosecuted it, however, even into the Bay of Nagasaki. The consequences of this step were such, we are assured, as to excite a fierce hatred of England in the minds of the Japanese.

Upon Capt. Pellew's making the coast, the report of a strange vessel being in sight was brought to Nagasaki, and the usual deputation was sent forth. The boat with the members of the Dutch factory was ahead of that containing the Japanese commissioners, and, as the ship displayed Dutch colours, advanced without suspicion to meet her shallop, when, as soon as the Dutch officials were within reach, they were seized, dragged forcibly into the ship's boat, and carried on board. The Japanese police-officers and interpreter, in utter dismay at so unexpected and incomprehensible a catastrophe, rowed back to relate the misadventure that had happened to their colleagues. The governor of Nagasaki, to whom the loss of two of the strangers in his charge was matter of life and death, ordered the gobanyosis to bring back the captured Dutchmen or not return alive; and then sent to ask Beer Doeff what could be the meaning of the occurrence, and whether he saw any means of recovering his people. Doeff replied that he conceived the ship to be an English man-of-war, and that the Dutchmen, being civilians, might be recovered by negotiation. But even while these messages were passing the Phaeton made her way, unpiloted, into the harbour, and the Japanese, confounded at an exploit so altogether unprecedented, raised the cry that she was bearing down upon Dezima.

The governor, who now feared that he might lose his whole factory, ordered all the Dutch, with. their, most valuable effects, to the government-house, where, at least, they would be as safe as himself.

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