had escaped
severe assaults; but, a few months after the assassination of the
secretary, a midnight attack was made on the British legation, which,
from its formidable character, showed that it contemplated the massacre
of the entire body. The assassins met with a spirited resistance from
the English and their Japanese guard. In that desperate encounter, Mr.
Lawrence Oliphant, secretary of legation, was wounded severely, Mr.
Morrison (consul, a son of the celebrated missionary) and two servants
slightly. Of the Tycoon's guard two were killed and fourteen wounded. On
the part of the assailants three were killed on the spot, two, who were
captured, committed suicide by ripping themselves up, and several of
those who escaped were wounded.

A subsequent attack on the British legation resulted in the death of two
English sentries, one receiving nine and the other sixteen sword wounds.
The last of these murderous assaults was made on three English gentlemen
and a lady, who were riding on the Tokaido, where they were met by the
cortege of Shimadzoo Sabara, prince of Satzuma. Being ordered to return,
they complied, but no sooner had they turned their backs than they were
set upon by the retainers of the prince, numbering between five and six
hundred. The lady miraculously escaped, two of the gentlemen were
wounded, and the third, Mr. Richardson, being nearly cut to pieces, fell
from his horse, and when lying in a dying state, one of the high
officials of the cortege commanded a follower to cut the throat of the
unfortunate gentleman, an order that was quickly obeyed.

These sanguinary deeds were diversified by various attempts at
arson--the latest, with aid of gunpowder, being successful. On the first
of last February, the British minister's residence at Yedo was burned to
the ground by armed incendiaries, who made their work more sure by
laying trains of gunpowder, which caused a tremendous explosion; but as
it was, the members of the legation were all at Yokuhama, and there was
no loss of life except among the natives who tried to extinguish the
fire--they were shot down by the incendiaries.

The inquiry naturally occurs, Are there no extenuating circumstances to
be adduced on the part of the Japanese? Were there no acts of
provocation on the part of foreigners? If we rely merely on the
testimony of the complainants, the reply would be an unqualified
negative. An impartial witness, however, finds no difficulty in
presenti