The harbor of Simoda, though of rather difficult access at times to sailing vessels, and subject to quite a heavy swell, when the wind blows from a southerly direction, is quite a secure one, after getting in. The entrance is narrow between high bluffs, but on passing inside, the water spreads into a fan-shaped bay, with a bight, on which the principal town of Simoda is situated, on the left hand, which place is not visible until reaching a central island. It is encompassed on every hand by high hills, bleak and uninviting in some patches, and others cultivated in terraced fields of rice and wheat, or clothed in the deep verdure of the pine and other trees. Across the bay of Simoda about half a mile round a sweep of white level-shiny beach, on which the waves sullenly chafe, is a little fishing village, called Kakizaki, which also has its temples. Here was a spring possessed of sulphurous qualities; and on the beach the ship’s seines were hauled with some success. Having to remain at Simoda some time, a party under Lieutenant Maury was at once set at work to make a survey of the harbor. The officers spent their time ashore in strolls through the town, visits to the temples, rambles into the country, occasionally taking a gun, though there was very little to kill. The people, when we landed, appeared glad to see us, and were always inclined to be sociable, but for the omnipresence of their police. They would gather around and examine the cloth of our clothes with much curiosity—particularly the old women—and the designs on our buttons. The remarkable and unremitting espionage of the Japanese is everywhere shown. Should you give some peasant a button, even while apparently out of sight of any one, it will be most singular, if one of the officers does not return it to you before or after you are on shipboard again. At first our steps were dogged by the police wherever we went. This did not require much effort in the town, but when we struck into the country and climbed hills with thick and sharp undergrowth, these officers not being as well habited as ourselves to withstand brier and thorn, their scratched legs usually paid the penalty. Besides this, their lazy habits had made them very indifferent pedestrians. In a walk of any length they generally broke down; they would rub their legs and beg us to return, but as we were not aware of having solicited the pleasure of their company, we declined compliance with their requests. The commodore complained to the acting chief magistrate, Kimakawa Kahei, of this practice of spying upon the movements of his officers, and said, that if it were not stopped, he should recommend them each to take a stick with them, and stop it. They contended, that it was a precaution for our protection, the people not yet being accustomed to the sight of us. They were answered, that we felt ourselves quite competent for our own protection.