In the meantime a survey of the harbor was proceeded in; some very good wild game was killed on the opposite shore from the town, and our seine being hauled, yielded nice salmon and quantities of shellfish, which were most acceptable. The second day after our arrival, the commodore—varying from his usual rule of only seeing the highest officer of a place, who would have been, in this instance, Prince Matsmai Idzee-no-kami, residing at the city of Matsmai, not far distant—granted an interview on the Mississippi, to Matsmai Kageyu, deputy of the prince of Matsmai, or freely translated, “Prince’s family’s great officer,” and to Yendo Matazaymon, an officer of Hakodadi. The boats in which they came off were like others, but were the first and only ones that I saw _rowed_ in Japan instead of sculled; and this was done by continually revolving the oar as they pulled. The rowers, who were numerous, were dressed in long, green gowns, and characters on the shoulders told whom they served, like the inscription about the neck of the thrall of Cedric the Saxon. These officers said, not being able to divine the cause of our visit, they had concluded it to be a predatory one; and that the people possessed of this idea had been leaving the place with their movables, and that the stampede still continued. On delivering to them a letter from the commissioners, however, and showing them the treaty, their anxiety was at once allayed. When told that we would not be followed by their police when we came ashore for a walk, they said very well, but that they thought that our officers and theirs being seen in friendly intercourse, would have a good effect with the people, and cause those who had left, to return. They said they had nothing at Hakodadi to dispose of but fish-oil, dried fish, and deerskins. The relative value of our currency and theirs, was settled by weighing our dollar, which was a feather lighter than three of their little square coins—the kana-its-evoo. The effect of this rating was to make our dollar equal to 4,800 cash—their _its-evoo_ being estimated at 1,600 cash. This was scarcely just when it was recollected that in China our dollar was only taken for 1,200, or at most, 1,600 cash. The wind blowing very fresh, these officers remained on board some time, when they were entertained in the cabin, and shown over the ship. When they came off they brought with them a present consisting of dried fish, placed on a lacquered tray, and a quantity of sweet potatoes contained in a straw-bag.