They not only
always followed this practice themselves, but insisted that their
American guests, when entertained at a Japanese feast, should adopt it
also.
Whenever the Commodore and his officers were feasted on shore, paper
parcels of the remnants were thrust into their hands on leaving. After
the banquet the Japanese were entertained by an exhibition of negro
minstrelsy, got up by some of the sailors. The gravity of the saturnine
Hayashi was not proof against the grotesque exhibition, and even he
joined in the general hilarity. It was now sunset and the Japanese
prepared to depart, with quite as much wine in them as they could well
bear. The jovial Matsusaki threw his arms about the Commodore's neck,
crushing in his tipsy embrace a pair of new epaulettes, and repeating,
in Japanese, with maudlin affection, these words, as interpreted into
English: "Nippon and America, all the same heart." He then went toddling
into his boat, supported by some of his more steady companions, and soon
all the happy party had left the ships and were making rapidly for the
shore.
Pages:
577
578
579
580
581
582
583
584
585
586
587
588
589
590
591
592
593
594
595
596
597
598
599
600
601