ing the throne of the Mikado, were busily working against the Tycoon, and that the second in power at Japan was required to go to Kioto to justify his conduct. The maps specify Kioto the capital as Miaka, which word simply means capital. At the commencement of 1863, the Tycoon set out on his journey, and informed the foreign ministers that he would do all he could to arrange matters. He had received, he said, orders from the Mikado to expel them, and as the refusal to obey this order entailed on him dismissal from his station, which he would be ready to yield, he should gain what time he could in order to induce the Mikado to adopt a different and more just line of policy. On many occasions the Tycoon had, before the complaints of the foreigners, thrown all the blame on the daimios, and each time had represented to him that in case he should be engaged in hostilities with them he would have the support of the powers which signed the treaties of 1858; but the Tycoon had answered that such was no doubt an extreme case to which he should not resort, and that if war should take place between him and the daimios, he was sure of his

cause.

Whatever might be the real opinion of the Tycoon, it is certain that shortly before his departure the government of Yedo redoubled their means of attack and defence. He had formed a corps of officers of European engineers: he had sent young Japanese to Holland to receive there a scientific military education, for it must be remembered that of all the Eastern nations Japan alone had never accepted the services of foreign officers: he had established cannon foundries and small arm factories; and had directed his attention to the establishment of a navy. The elementary form of Japanese junks, faithfully preserved for ages, would not do for a service of this nature; he built some ships after European models, and native industry not being able to produce delicate machinery, the Tycoon obtained by foreign commerce several steamers. In fact, new fortifications were constructed at different parts of the coast and old ones were renewed. The great daimios followed the example: they constructed forts, bought or made arms and ships so well, that at the commencement of 1863 they had among them, as well as with the Tycoon's, from twenty-five to thirty vessels from abroad, fitted as well as they could be as ships of war. It was at this uncertain period that the events took place, when the contracting powers of 1858 directed the military operations against Japan, in which we took a part, and which we now propose to relate.

For more than six months the murder of Mr. Richardson and other acts of violence towards foreign residents remained without reparation, when, on the 6th of April, 1863, in consequence of orders from England, an ultimatum was addressed to the government at Yedo by Colonel Neal, the British minister at Japan. On the 26th of April, the day fixed in the ultimatum as the expiration of the time allowed for the answer, the Semiramis, bearing the flag of the French Admiral Jaures, cast anchor in the roads of Yokohama. She had arrived from Cochin China, having, with the Spanish ships of war, put down an insurrection. In the bay was a Netherland corvette, the Medusa,

commanded by M. de Casembroot, an aide-de-camp of the King of Holland, and the English squadron, commanded by Admiral Kuper, making together some twenty vessels of war in the gulf of Yedo. This employment of naval force proved to be no vain precaution. There was considerable alarm among the Europeans at Yokohama: it was said that in case of hostilities Admiral Kuper could not answer for the safety of the place, and that he offered them a retreat on board his ships and again parties of those lonines were reported to be likely to attack the place with fire and sword, so that no one went abroad without being well armed, and at night every house was barricaded.

The threat of the lonines (robbers) was constantly in the mouths of the Japanese authorities when they wished to frighten the foreigners. It is not easy to define the meaning of the term, which seems to have several explanations. Every officer who has lost his station, whether from a serious offence or from the poverty or degradation of his patron daimio, becomes a lonine. Reduced to his own resources, and to live among the people being impossible for him, he becomes a kind of brigand, hiding himself in the country, and giving his services with his sword to any one who will pay him for them. Again, officers voluntarily become lonines to revenge the death of a friend or to execute the orders of a master: from that moment recognizing no one else than the object in view, they devote themselves solely to it, and to attain it will overcome every obstacle.

The ultimatum of Colonel Neale, precise and categorical, demanded two fold reparation: the Tycoon on one hand was to express his formal regret at not being able to prevent the murder of an English subject on a public road, and to pay an indemnity of a hundred thousand pounds and Prince Satzuma was first to judge and execute the principal offenders in the murder in presence of one or more officers of the royal navy then to pay twenty-five thousand pounds to be distributed among the relatives of Mr. Richardson and those who had escaped from the assassins. In case of refusal, the forces of her Britannic Majesty were to take coercive measures of a nature to satisfy the honour and interests of Great Britain.

The Tycoon, as we know, set out for Kioto. The gorodjo, a council composed of ministers and the highest functionaries of the country, did not fail from the first to allege his absence, pretending that he alone could settle such important questions, and that it was necessary to await his return. The English authorities did not consider it necessary to wait for him; they believed that all should be conceded at the sight of their guns, and these first symptoms of resistance were unpalatable. Instead of adhering to the plain terms of the ultimatum, Colonel Neale answered the reply of the gorodjo by requiring to know when the Tycoon would give a definite answer. The two parties, desirous of avoiding an immediate rupture, resolved to refer to the mediation of France. The gorodjo requested the good offices of M. du Chesne de Bellecourt to obtain a further delay, and Colonel Neale, at his request, consented to suspend further operations until the 11th of May.

Unfortunately the events in the interior of Japan were not of a

nature to encourage a pacific solution of affairs. Accounts from Hakodadi addressed to Europeans informed them that the hostile party, under unfavourable influence, had exacted from the Micado a decree of expulsion against all foreigners. In vain had the Tycoon, it was said, endeavoured to change the views of the spititual governor. He was at once to carry into effect the Mikado's decree, and various powerful daimios were commissioned to begin hostilities at various points. And to give further countenance to this information, in the beginning of May the following event occurred at Yokohama. One fine morning the departure of the Japanese was reported, amounting to some thousands, from the merchants' quarter as well as from that of the foreigners', consisting in this of their domestics. At the orders of the Yaconnines (the agents of the Tycoon and the principal princes) all had flown, saying, we fear much more the sabres of our officers than the dangers of open hostilities against the town. The road to Kanagawa was crowded with fugitives, on horseback and in hand-barrows, carrying children and luggage. In three days the evacuation would be completed, and the European colony would then be left destitute of all provisions.

Under such circumstances the prompt action of the allies became important; and the ambassadors informed the governor of Yokohama that if the evacuation continued it would be regarded as an act of hostility on the part of the Japanese government, and would be followed immediately by the military occupation of Yokohama. This step was successful. The governor put a stop to the emigration movement; and those of the Japanese, on receiving his order to this effect, who had retired to the country were to return to the city in the same quiet manner in which they had left it.

The

The continual efforts of the feudal party had much changed the character and proportions of the cause of the quarrel. The indemnity demanded by the English was not the only point at issue now. question of the treaties already signed and broken had now to be considered, and even of the existence of the foreigners themselves in Japan. The representatives of England and France, therefore, setting aside the ultimatum above mentioned, informed the messenger from the gorodjo that they had directed their admirals (Juarez and Kuper) to offer their protection to the Tycoon, and to assist him in resisting the tyrannical party which had compelled him to break the treaty. Another delay, in which the status quo ante was preserved, was thus given to the Yeddo government. On the 25th of May, at the British legation at Yokohama, a conference took place between the envoy of the gorodjo returned from the capital, where he had been with the Tycoon's answer, and the ministers of England and France, the two admirals being also present.

Japanese diplomacy is always for temporizing and duplicity. Avoiding straightforward questions, they take advantage of the ignorance of languages, slowness at translation, the least mention of conciliation, in order that with a good opportunity they may make a good retreat. Hence the conferences with the representatives of this country are long, tiresome, and generally little conclusive. This time, at the end

of some hours, the numerous and extraordinary allegations of the envoy might be thus summed up. First, concerning the proposal of assistance lent by England and France against the daimios in revolt, he answered that the Tycoon was not yet decided on suppressing a rebellion by force on which he was not yet fully informed. As to the payment of the indemnity claimed by the two European powers, he could not determine until the return of the Tycoon to Yedo. Then, that the execution of such a measure presented serious inconveniences; it might produce trouble, and the agents of the party hostile to strangers-i. e., the lonines about the Mikado-profiting by the absence of the Tycoon, would set about undermining the government in favour of a prince who would expel the Europeans.

The envoy of the gorodjo, in order to soften the effect of the answers, which implied an indefinite adjournment, proposed as immediate satisfaction an indirect and clandestine payment. The Japanese had for some time ceased exacting the demands of the custom house, and this was replaced by the French minister and Admiral Juarez, who retired from a council in which they had no interest.

The Japanese followed up their work with an indefatigable patience. General Pruyn, the United States minister, as we have seen, lived alone at Yedo, thinking to maintain his influence by that course. In the latter part of May his residence was destroyed by fire. Having taken refuge in a neighbouring temple, he tried in vain to remain at Yedo in spite of the pretended fears of the Japanese. On the night of the 1st of June he was surrounded, and under pretext of immediate danger threatening him was placed on board a Japanese vessel in the roads of Yokohama. He no longer remained the only foreigner in Yedo, and the efforts of the government seemed to be more directed against Yokohama, the governors under the cloak of the safety of foreigners proposing to occupy the European quarter with their own troops. These crafty offers were steadily refused by the admirals, and the governors contented themselves with guarding more closely the approaches to the town.

(To be continued.)

THE HAUNTED SHIP.

The following narrative is by Washington Irving, but it is not included in his collected works: it must be new to most of our readers.

.. The world abounds with ghost stories, but it is exceedingly difficult to get them at first hand-that is to say, from persons who have actually seen the ghosts: this may be the reason why they have fallen into discredit with the dubious. I once, however, heard a story of the kind from one who came within an ace of being an eye-witness, and who believed in it most honestly. He was a worthy captain of

the sea, a native either of Nantucket or Martha's Vineyard, I forget which at any rate, a place noted for its breed of hardy mariners. I met with him in the ancient city of Seville, having anchored with his brig in the Guadalquivir, in the course of a wandering voyage. Our conversation one day turned upon the wonders and adventures of the sea, when he informed me that, among his multifarious cruisings, he had once made a voyage on board of a haunted ship. It was a vessel that had been met with, drifting, half dismantled and with flagging sails, near the Gulf of Florida, between the main land and the Bahama Banks. Those who boarded her found her without a living soul on board; the hatchways were broken open; the cargo had been rifled; the decks fore and aft were covered with blood; the shrouds and rigging were smeared with the same, as if some wretched beings had been massacred as they clung to them. It was evident that the ship had been plundered by pirates, and to all appearance the crew had been murdered and thrown overboard.

The ship was taken possession of by the finders, and brought to Boston in New England; but the sailors who navigated her to port declared they would not make such another voyage for all the wealth of Peru. They had been harassed the whole way by the ghosts of the murdered crew, who at night would come up out of the companionway and the forecastle, run up the shrouds, station themselves on the yards and at the mastheads, and appear to perform all the duties of the ship.

As no harm had resulted from this ghostly seamanship, the story was treated lightly, and the vessel was fitted out for another voyage; but when ready for sea no sailors could be got to embark in her. She lay for some time in Boston Harbour, regarded by the superstitious seamen as a fated ship; and there she might have rotted, had not the worthy captain who related to me the story undertaken to command her. He succeeded in getting some hardy tars, who stood less in awe of ghosts, to accompany him, and his brother-in-law sailed with him as chief mate.

When they got fairly to sea, the hobgoblin crew began to play their pranks. At night there would be the deuce to pay in the hold; such racketing and rummaging, as if the whole cargo was overhauled, bales tumbled about, and sometimes it seemed as if all the ballast was shifted from side to side. All this was heard with dismay by the sailors, and even the captain's brother-in-law, who appears to have been a very sagacious man, was exceedingly troubled at it. As to the captain himself, he honestly confessed to me that he never saw or heard anything; but then he slept soundly, and when once asleep was hard to be awakened.

Notwithstanding all these vagaries the ship arrived safely at the destined end of her voyage, which was one of the South American rivers under the line. The captain proposed to go in his boat to a town some distance up the river, leaving his ship in charge of his brother-in-law. The latter said he would anchor her opposite to an island in the river, where he could go on shore at night, and yet be at