| Commodore Matthew Calbraith Perry (1794-1858) arrived in Edo Bay on July 8, 1853 with 1,600 men aboard seven black ships. He had been dispatched in November by President Fillmore with a request for a treaty. After making his request, he departed on July 16, leaving word that he would return in the spring for a favorable reply. Returning in February with ten ships, his form of "gunboat diplomacy" resulted in the Treaty of Kanagawa being signed on March 31. The Japanese ports of Hakodate and Shimoda were thus opened to U.S. trade, provision was made for shipwrecked sailors, and friendly relations were established. The Narrative was actually written under Perry's supervision by Rev. Francis L. Hawks and Dr. Robert Townes from the official records and journals of Perry and other officers. 1 |
| Narrative
of the Expedition of an American Squadron to the China Seas and Japan,
Performed in the Years 1852, 1853, and 1854, under the Command of Commodore
M.C. Perry, United States Navy (1856):
"Horticulture.-- In this department the Japanese are very skillful. They possess the art, in a wonderful degree, either of dwarfing, or of unnaturally enlarging all natural productions. As an evidence of the first, may be seen, in the miniature gardens of the towns, perfectly mature trees, of various kinds, not more than three feet high, and with heads about three feet in diameter. These dwarfed trees are often placed in flower pots. Fischer says that he saw in a box four inches long, one and a half wide, and six in height, a bamboo, a fir, and a plum tree, all thriving, and the latter in full blossom... 2 |
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1 Trager, James The People's Chronology (New York: Henry Holt and Company; 1992, 1994), pp. 461, 464. "1856 Narrative, Three Volume Set Original Narrative of the Expedition," http://www.baxleystamps.com/litho/ry_litho_narrative.shtml. 2 Perry, Commodore Matthew Calbraith Narrative of the Expedition of an American Squadron to the China Seas and Japan, Performed in the Years 1852, 1853, and 1854, under the Command of Commodore M.C. Perry, United States Navy (Washington, D.C.;1856), pg. 53. Three volumes. Compiled by Francis L. Hawks. The Introduction (to page 73) includes a detailed recap of the various Western nations' dealings with the Japanese. A poor quality microfilm copy was searched for this quote -- there could be others in this work and the numerous illustrations were not reviewed for potential dwarf trees. The above quote is also mostly reproduced in Long, Charles R. "An Informal History of Bonsai," Arnoldia, 1971, 31:268. It appears that most accounts from this time included mention of Fischer. |