It was well enough with the Japanese, as long as they remained secluded, but when the visit of the American ships gave their military men an opportunity of seeing what great improvements had been made in “——— the mortal engines, Whose rude throats, Jove’s dread clamors conterfeit,” the contrast showed them the defectiveness of their defences, and with an enterprise far ahead of their Cathayan neighbors, they at once proceeded to cudgel their brains to see how their security might be made greater. They at first thought of fortifying Simoda, but being told that it could never become a great commercial place, they gave that up. Izabavo, one of their most prominent engineers, was told to make a report as to the fortification of Uraga, because with more sagacity than that displayed by the Americans, they know its importance with reference to their capital. Yedo is the London—the Paris of Japan. When it falls, the empire goes with it. They know that the supplies for this enormous place are gotten coastwise by the junks, who come into the bay, and that the blockading of Uraga in the bay of Yedo, easily reached, would stop the throat of the Japanese empire. Izabavo reported, that, as no two fortifications could protect Uraga, and that the width and roughness of the bay at times, and the depth of water, would make floating batteries impracticable, a gunboat system, such as was once adopted by our own government, must be their defence. These matters were discussed by the imperial council, as also the reorganization of their army on the European plan, that is the having a standing army, that would obey promptly, the behests of the centralized government at Yedo, and quiet any refractory sentiment of their thousands, like the _coup d’etat_ of the 2d of December by Napoleon III., instead of each of the princes of the empire contributing a quota of troops, as now. We had now lain nearly a month at Simoda, seeing more of Japan than during the two months we lay in the bay of Yedo. We had enjoyed the walks ashore, we had enjoyed baths from a fine spring, and picknicked in the woods of Sarahama. But we had missed Foogee Yama, which at all other points we thought ubiquitous. I had climbed the high hills back of Kakizaki, to get another look at the mountain, but other and higher hills more distant, obstructed the view.