On descending from the Yama, I spied an open gate leading into a prison-yard enclosed by walls and stockade. The objections by the attendant and the police to our entrance were strong, as those we had first experienced in Simoda. They drew their finger across their throats and held up their right thumb to show the penalty they might undergo from the chief man, in not hindering our movements. But we had seen enough of them not to be deterred by any such flimsiness. We knew that, if we wished to sneeze in their territory, that they would shake their head, hold up the chief-man finger, and say “Ni! ni!” On one occasion two companions and myself had approached a small building with a sliding door, to see whether it did not contain a cage. The officers attempted to impede our progress, but on our getting close to it, they looked horrified and shuddered; two of the party, who were smoking, supposing that it was a powder-magazine, immediately threw away their cigars. On sliding aside the door, there was visible an old mat in a small vacant room. We made up our mind, in our movements to do only what we ourselves would deem proper in our own country, and so went ahead.
In the town there are fire-proof magazines, built at intervals by the government, for the storage of articles, and for the protection of things during a fire.
There are no forts in the vicinity of Hakodadi, unless a small excavated one with two direct embrasures may be so called. This place was without any garrison; you descended into it by an inclined plane made with fascines. In its rear was a very well-constructed magazine made with gabions, and covered with earth-works. The sides were supported with stockade and fascine. The merlon was sustained by flanking so clumsy that the range of the deep embrasures was quite small. Its object must have been to bring ships to, but the reduced size of the guns as shown by the houses built over them—if there were any guns underneath—each crack being carefully stopped—would do little damage.
Not far from here are some wayside praying machines, and a cemetery in which several of the poor fellows of the “Vandalia” were interred. On the occasion of their burial by their messmates, preceded by drum and fife, the streets were lined on either side by the Japanese police, who kept every avenue clear.