his superior would not receive the letter addressed to
the Emperor; that he doubted that the Emperor would receive the letter
at all. He was instantly informed that if the superior officer did not
come for the letter at once the ships would proceed up the Bay of Yeddo
and deliver the letter without him. Of course this ultimatum created
great excitement and the officer finally asked a stay in the proceedings
until the next day.

During the night signal fires blazed from the mountain tops and bells
sounded the hours. In the next few days the famous letter, which was
incased in a golden box of a thousand dollars value, was delivered.
Nothing very definite was accomplished, however, and the fleet came
home. The next year Commodore Perry returned with a larger fleet,
another letter, and with presents of various kinds. These consisted of
cloth, agricultural implements, firearms and a small locomotive with
cars and a mile of circular track for the miniature train, together with
a telegraph line to go around it.

The interest and curiosity caused by this miniature railway was
wonderful. People walked hundreds of miles to see it. When some of the
dignitaries were told that in the United States of America there were
many large trains in which hundreds of passengers were carried they
could hardly believe it. One of these officials said that if big trains
could carry passengers little ones ought to be able to do so. It was
then arranged for him to take a ride. With his flowing robe he was
assisted to mount one of these little cars like as if it were a donkey.
The whistle was blown, the steam turned on and away he went around the
circle and it created as much excitement as a balloon once did at a
circus in this country.

Finally, it was suggested that a treaty be made between the United
States and Japan. On board the flagship of Commodore Perry was a
minister of the gospel who was consulted and after much discussion a
clause was inserted giving America the right to erect or establish
places of worship in Japan and a promise that Japan would abolish the
practice of trampling on the face of Christ and the cross.

At first our missionaries were restricted to certain localities and
they had a time of it. Less than twenty-five years ago this treaty was
revised and until this was done no Christian missionary could leave
these restricted areas without permission from the Japanese government.
This treaty also gave Japan the right to se