The steamers were coaled from shore by Loo-Chooan junks, during our stay; the gunner of the Mississippi was sent to an island, called Reef island, in a boat, to see whether it was used as a female penal settlement as had been stated; and we saw the Japanese junks departing, bearing away the rice of the island, some to Japan, some to Chapoo in China, where the sons of the wealthy in Loo-Choo are educated without cost.
The American opperbevelhebber seems to have had a “would be a nun, and a wouldn’t be a nun” idea of the _status_ of Loo-Choo: In a letter to the secretary of the navy, as found in Senate-Document, No. 34 of the XXXIIID Congress, he first says: “I am constantly obtaining information confirmatory of the opinion that _Loo-Choo_, Meyaco-Sima, and the Oho-Sima islands, are all dependencies of Japan.”
On the 18th of June, 1854, he writes: “The opinions expressed in my despatch, No. 41, _have been confirmed_ by subsequent observations, and Loo-Choo, it appears, is in a measure an _independent_ sovereignty, holding only slight allegiance either to Japan or China, but preferring rather its relationship to the _latter_ empire; that the islands stretching from Formosa to Kiusiu are all under its sovereignty, and are in such intercourse with the parent island, Great Loo-Choo, as the imperfect character of their means of navigation will allow.”
In this despatch “No. 41,” he says—like Cowper’s bird perched upon the church-steeple, “What says he?” “—— and are moreover told that Loo-Choo is a royal fief of the empire of Japan, though it is asserted by some writers, that it owes fealty only to the prince of Satsuma.”
How does this “confirm” the statements contained in the despatch of 18th of June, 1854?
In the Pickwickian Gazette, published in the English colony of Hong Kong, y’clept “The China Mail,” of the 27th of July, 1854, the demi-official announcement—of course in accordance with Secretary Kennedy’s order—says:—
“Having been assured by the commissioners at Yokohama, that Japan exercised no jurisdiction whatever over Loo-Choo, the commodore proposed making a treaty with the regent and drew up a sketch of what he thought it desirable should be established by official sanction: with some unimportant modifications, this was accepted.”