Hugh Cortazzi - Collected Writings by Hugh Cortazzi

Author:Hugh Cortazzi [Cortazzi, Hugh]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781138971059
Barnesnoble:
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Published: 2016-08-10T00:00:00+00:00

They buried Dankichi a few days later. Members of all the Legations were present at the temple which was situated some way off by the banks of the river ‘which runs through Yeddo’. Alcock found the ceremonial of this Buddhist funeral similar, with its chanting and incense, to ceremonies of the Greek and Roman churches.

Other murders followed. For instance on 26 February 1860 Alcock received news that two Dutch Merchant Captains had been slain at night in the main streets of Yokohama. The French Minister's Italian servant was attacked ‘while standing quietly at the gate of the French Legation, by two Samourai passing at the moment’. Fire which had consumed the French Legation caused damage at Tozenji in November 1860. Alcock found that his ‘servants, with the lack of discretion and prudence usual in Japanese…. had lit a monstrous fire in the dining-room stove…. The rafters had caught fire, and when I got outside, the glower of a smouldering fire began to show by the side of the pipe where it pierced the roof.’ The temple bell was rung and it seemed to Alcock that the whole place must be consumed. However, despite the chaos, the building was saved by a rnelee of helpers.

In December 1860 Alcock had two couples from China staying with him. They apparently were enjoying their visit. However, the husband of one of them was threatened by ‘a two-sworded retainer of a Daimio something the worse for liquor’.

The year 1861 began inauspiciously with further alarms of a general massacre. Alcock noted in a despatch to the Foreign Secretary that ‘we carry on our relations under a menace which may at any moment be carried into execution’. He doubted if there would be much if any warning and even if they had time to, escape there would probably not be a British ship to which they could escape. The Admiral in command in the Far East was not being helpful and following an outbreak of smallpox on the flag-ship, Alcock decided that the fleet would have to be allowed to depart. He was left with two small ships to defend British subjects and the Legation in Japan.

On 14 January 1861 news reached Alcock of the murder of Heusken, the Dutch interpreter for the American Legation. He had been waylaid on his return from the Prussian Legation by a band of assassins, and mortally wounded. When Heusken was buried four days later, Harris, the American Minister, was warned by the Japanese authorities that, if the Diplomatic Corps persisted in their intention of following the body to the grave, they were likely to lose their own lives. Alcock noted: ‘No one hesitated’ and all attended. The next day the Ministers met at the British Legation to consider the position and decide what they should do for their own safety. Alcock found himself in agreement with his French, Dutch and Prussian colleagues, but Townsend Harris, the American Minister, disagreed with the others. Despite Heusken's assassination, he was prepared to put

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