ent into action with their old favourite
weapon, the Japanese sword.

A passport is still required for travelling in the interior of the
country, but this is easily obtained at the request of the consul if
health or the wish to prosecute researches be given as the reason,
it being possible perhaps to include common love of travelling under
the latter head. Commercial travelling is not yet permitted in the
interior, nor is the right of settling for the purpose of carrying
on business granted to Europeans. The foreign ambassadors have often
entered into negotiations in order to bring about a change on this
point, but hitherto without success, because the Government, as a
condition for the complete opening of the country, require the
abrogation of the unreasonable "extraterritorial" arrangement which
is in force, and by which the foreigner is not subject to the common
laws and courts of Japan, but to the laws of his own country,
administered by consular courts. An alteration in this point may
however be brought about in a short time, as Japan will soon be
sufficiently powerful to be able to abrogate all the injurious
paragraphs in her treaties with the civilised countries of Europe.
Now, besides, the ambassadors of the foreign powers, who in former
times all acted together, have divided into two parties, of which
one--Russia and America--wishes, or at least feigns to wish,
gradually to free Japan from all tutelage and to place it on an
equality with other civilised countries, the other again--England,
Germany, Holland, and France--wishes still to retain the
guardianship, which was established by violence, and confirmed by
treaty several years ago.

Shortly before our arrival a quarrel took place between Japan and
the European powers about, as the Japanese themselves said, a breach
of international law, which caused much irritation in the country. A
German vessel coming from Nagasaki, where the cholera was raging, on
the advice of the German minister broke the quarantine prescribed by
the Government, and without further precautions discharged her cargo
in the harbour of Yokohama. That the cholera in this town was
thereby _made worse_ is indeed not only unproved but also
undoubtedly incorrect, though many Japanese in their irritation
positively affirmed that this was the case, but the words that were
uttered by Japan's _feted_ guest, ex-President General GRANT,[381]
that the Japanese Government had the right without more