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Satsuma, Nabeshima of Hizeu, etc. After 1849 (2nd year of Kaye) the warships were constructed after European (Dutch) methods. Tokugawa Nariaki of Mito earnestly endeavoured, among other Daimyos like Shimazu, to introduce Western civilization into the country. He employed for the first time the design of our present national flag, which was promptly accepted by the Government. Moreover, iron factories for manufacturing firearms, and cotton-mills after the Dutch pattern, were founded. William II. of the Netherlands sent two messages to the Government—one in 1844 (1st year of Kokwa), the second in 1852 (5th year of Kaye)—demonstrating the benefit to be derived from opening the country to international relations, and predicting in the latter message that the Americans would probably adopt strong measures to that effect. The Shogun’s Government, on the whole, was inclined from the start to settle matters peacefully, but, in regard to the opening of the country, the various opinions among the statesmen and politicians were very conflicting.

This was the general condition of things in Japan before the arrival of the American fleet in 1853 (6th year of Kaye): Progress and civilization were already advancing before the presence of foreigners in Japan, and the gradual change of the Governmental system was well under way. Advantageous changes were not so rapidly and decisively carried out then as after the Restoration, but the flame of the new epoch in our national history was already burning, and the Americans only, as it were, poured oil on, and so accentuated a conflagration which was gradually consuming the feudalism and military government.

In 1853 (6th year of Kaye) Commodore Perry arrived off the harbour of Uraga with a fleet consisting of two men-of-war and two transports, and demanded that the Governor of the harbour should meet the diplomatic representatives of his Government. The Governor instructed him to negotiate all such matters at Nagasaki, the place appointed for all negotiation concerning foreign intercourse. But Commodore Perry insisted upon his demands, and threatened to dash at once with his fleet to Yedo, now Tokyo, if his proposal were rejected. The Governor was at once appointed as a proper representative of the Government to settle the question. He met with Perry at Kuri-gahama, and received there the letter from the President of the United States. Perry soon abandoned the harbour, leaving word that he would return the following year to receive a definite answer from the Japanese Government, and threatened at the same time to bombard the city if the proposed treaty should not receive sanction. What the real intent of Perry was in making such a demonstration we do not know, but, as far as