This was shown most unequivocally in the remark already
recorded in one of the conferences--"We do not wish any women to come
and remain at Simoda."
Simoda was one of the ports open for trade with us; they knew that our
people had wives and daughters, and that a man's family were ordinarily
resident with him in his permanent abode, and that if the head of the
family lived in Simoda as a Japanese would live, there would certainly
be women who would "come and remain at Simoda." But more than this. It
will be remembered that the Commodore had submitted to them our treaty
with China, and they had held it under consideration for a week, at the
end of which time they said: "As to opening a trade, such as is now
carried on by China with your country, we certainly cannot yet bring it
about. The Chinese have long had intercourse with Western nations, while
we have had dealings at Nagasaki with only the people of Holland and
China." Now what was "such a trade" as we carried on with China? The
Japanese read in our treaty that five ports were open to us, that
permission was given "to the citizens of the United States to frequent"
them; and further, "to reside with their families and trade there.
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