ve expired; so that it will make no difference to
you whether you put it in the treaty to be opened now or in ten months.

_Japanese_. We are willing to put it in the treaty "to be opened now,"
if you will give us a letter or promise that no ships will come here
before the President gives his permission.

_Perry_. I cannot do that very well, but I am willing to put it off
ninety days; that will be about the time I shall return from Hakodate;
it was your own proposition, yesterday, to open that port immediately. I
consent to this, however, to show you how desirous I am to do what I can
to please you. I cannot consent to a longer time.

_Japanese_. If we put it in the treaty to be opened now, we would like
you to give us an order that no ships shall enter that port before ten
months.

_Perry_. I cannot do that. But there is no probability that any ships
will come here before that time, as I shall not leave here for three
months, and they will not hear of it before that time; and when they do
hear of it, it will take several months for ships to make the voyage
here. If you choose I will keep one of the ships at Simoda for several
months.

_Japanese_. If ships go there before that time we shall not be able to
give them other than provisions, wood, and water.

_Perry_. The ships that may go there will want such things only as you
may have; if you have them not, of course you cannot and will not be
expected to furnish them; but, as I said before, there is no probability
that ships will go there before the expiration of ten months.

_Japanese_. When you come back from Matsumai, we shall have plenty of
provisions at Simoda for the whole squadron; but to other ships we
cannot furnish more than wood, water, etc.

_Perry_. When we return from Matsumai we shall not want many provisions,
as we shall be going to a place where we shall get plenty. It is only
the principle I wish settled now. I have come here as a peacemaker, and
I desire to settle everything now, and thus prevent trouble hereafter; I
wish to write home to my Government that the Japanese are friends.

_Japanese_. We will write you a letter stating that we cannot furnish
you anything before ten months, but that we can furnish wood and water
immediately, and that we will furnish such other things as we possibly
can. This letter we should like you to answer.

_Perry_. Very well; I will.

_Japanese_. [Entering on another part of the terms agreed on.] We will
n