August 31st.—Satow and myself had been invited by the Prince of Awa to go and pay him a visit at his castle in the Island of Shikoku (“the four countries,” so called from the principalities of Awa, Tosa, Sanuki and Iyo into which it was divided). Had the visit taken place as it was originally meant, we should no doubt have been able over the wine-cups to gather a good deal of information as to the attitude of the four clans in the crisis, together with a good many particulars in regard to the personalities of their leading men. But unfortunately at the last moment Sir Harry Parkes insisted on going too, with the Admiral and their respective staffs, in the _Salamis_ and the _Basilisk_; so the whole expedition was spoilt, and degenerated into a sort of official demonstration, at which the usual stale old political platitudes were served up—perfectly useless discussions, in which sincerity was apt to play a very meagre part on both sides. The weather, moreover, played us every conceivable trick by which to make us uncomfortable. The Prince, however, was very kind and courteous, and he had prepared a most amusing theatrical entertainment for us, in which his retainers acted with great spirit. They were dressed in the long trousers worn at Court, but did not wear the _yéboshi_ (black lacquer cap). The plot of the first piece, which consisted of three characters, the master, a servant and a guest, was very funny. The master tells his servant to imitate him in everything that he does, and the servant takes the order literally, and passes on to the guest everything that the master says to him. The enraged master cuffs the servant, who passes the thrashing on to the guest, and so it goes on—a series of practical jokes like the “spill and pelt” scene in a pantomime, until the master’s patience is exhausted and he finally kicks the servant out. Then came what was a sort of Oriental first-cousin to Offenbach’s _Les Deux Aveugles_. A man advertises for persons deprived by nature of their senses or limbs to enter his service. In answer to this there arrive a lame man, a dumb man, and a blind man—all these parts capitally acted. These three cripples are ruined gamblers who have adopted their disguises as beggars to get employment. The great man accepts them, and having placed them in charge of three storehouses, goes out. The men recognize one another and propose to go to the storehouse where the _saké_ is kept and have a drink, after which they may divide the money in the treasure-house. Of course they get roaring drunk, and by the time the master comes back each has forgotten his part. The blind man becomes dumb, the lame man blind, and the dumb man is afflicted with deafness. The exposure of the impostors is full of fun. After the play—the wine-cup and bibulous affection. The Prince of Awa swears that he is the Admiral’s son and elder brother to Sir Harry Parkes; Awaji no Kami, the Prince’s son, claims intimate relationship with Satow.