received a mortal thrust from a lance, he fell like an old Roman, covered with wounds and glory." The enemy numbered three hundred, mostly negroes and mulattoes. "Captain Haynes, son to the Major-General, at the head of twenty horse totally dispersed them, without loss of a man, and rescued his father's dead body.

This coat is the same as that granted in 1578 to Nicholas Haynes, grandfather of John Haynes, Governor of Massachusetts and Connecticut (born 1594; died March 1, 1653–4, at Hartford, Connecticut).

The Major-General who fell at Jamaica was therefore of the Governor's kin, and may have been his younger brother Emanuell.1

Mr. APPLETON presented to the Society an original letter relating to the Flag of Fort McHenry, from which letter Admiral Preble obtained facts for the second edition of his work on "Our Flag;" and a copy of "Land League Songs" by Miss Fanny Parnell, which was presented to him by the authoress.

It was announced that the next meeting of the Society would be held on the third Thursday of April, the 15th, at noon, the Governor having designated the second Thursday of that month as Fast Day.

1 Long's History of Jamaica, vol. i. pp. 230, 231; N. E. Hist. and Geneal. Reg. vol. xxiv. pp. 126, 423.

33

APRIL MEETING, 1886.

The Annual Meeting was held on Thursday, the 15th instant, at noon, Dr. GEORGE E. ELLIS in the chair.

The minutes of the last meeting were read by the Recording Secretary.

The donations to the Library for the past month were reported by the Librarian, and among them were the "American Cyclopædia," from D. Appleton & Co., publishers; Lord Macaulay's Works, in eight volumes, from Dr. Everett; and a copy of the "Ordinance of Secession" adopted by the people of Virginia in 1861, which was taken, by permission of General Devens, from the house of Jefferson Davis in Richmond, on the 7th of April, 1865, by Mr. R. B. Forbes, of this city.

It was mentioned by the Corresponding Secretary that Mr. Horatio Hale, of Clinton, Ontario, Canada, had signified his acceptance of his election as a Corresponding Member.

The PRESIDENT announced the decease of the Hon. John J. Babson, the historian of Gloucester, and paid a tribute to his worth, and stated that Mr. C. C. Smith had been appointed to prepare a memoir of him for the Proceedings.

Mrs. Nathaniel Thayer, of this city, presented a marble bust of Alexander Hamilton, a copy of the original one by Houdon. The PRESIDENT read a communication from Mrs. Henry P. Sturgis, of Boston, who enclosed the following letter, written by the purser of the United States steamer "Susquehanna " to one of the firm of Messrs. Russell & Sturgis, of Manila, giving an account of the first attempt to open communication with the Emperor of Japan on behalf of the Government of this country:

U. S. STEAM FRIGATE "SUSQUEHANNA,"
JAPAN, 14 July, 1853.

MY DEAR MR. Let me give you a rapid sketch of our doings since we left Hong-Kong for Shanghai, where we carried Mr. Marshall the Commissioner. We called at Macao for him and for Dr.

1 This was the late Hon. Humphrey Marshall, then minister of the United States to China. - EDS.

Parker,' who went with us, being Secretary of Legation. After our arrival at Shanghai, we attempted to take Colonel Marshall and suite to Nankin; but our steamer is too large, and we grounded fifteen miles up the Yangtse-Kiang River, and returned. Early in May Commodore Perry arrived, and transferred his flag to our ship from the "Mississippi ;" and on the 23d we started for the Loo-Choo Islands, arriving at Napa-Kiang on the 26th. About ten days afterwards we marched to Sheudi, the capital of the island, to make our respects to the Regent, who did not seem to appreciate our politeness, but was extremely anxious to prevent the visit and to induce us to go away. But we insisted on being friendly and polite, although he came on board to beg us not to go, and made use of all the diplomacy of helplessness, but in vain. They have a holy horror of missionaries, and are extremely reluctant to have strangers come amongst them. On the 9th of June we sailed for the Bonin Islands, where the depot must be if they establish a line of steamers between Shanghai and California. We arrived at Port Lloyd on the 14th, and sailing on the 18th returned to Napa on the 23d. On the 2d of July we sailed on the grand Japan expedition, and on the 8th ran up the magnificent Bay of Jeddo, the capital of the Empire. Our arrival was signalized by rockets from the forts; and very soon a great number of boats came off and surrounded us, but we would not let any one come on board until we were informed that the Governor of Uraga was alongside. We immediately invited him and his suite on board, and gave them a polite reception. They were very gentlemanly in their deportment, and, pretending not to know our object, inquired why we had come into that forbidden portion of the Empire. We told them very distinctly that we were the bearers of a letter from the President of the United States to his Majesty the Emperor of Japan, which we had. come here to deliver. They contended that no communication could be received here, that it must be delivered at Nagasaki and presented through the Dutch. We told them that our President's letter could not be presented through any foreign people, but must be received directly from ourselves by the high authorities of Japan. We told them also that as we pledged our word that no American should land or molest them, we could not suffer our ships, armed as they were with heavy guns, to be surrounded, as was usual, by their boats, and that if they did not leave the vicinity of the ships in fifteen minutes, we would fire into them and send the armed men whom they saw before them to destroy or disperse them. The Governor and some of his suite looked eagerly at the big guns, tried to lift the sixty-four-pound shot, viewed the stern array of the marines, put their heads into the muzzles of the

1 Dr. Peter Parker was both physician and missionary, not only among the foreigners, but among the upper-class Chinese. He was also interpreter to the American Embassy, and subsequently full minister. - EDS.

eight-inch guns to be satisfied of their size, seemed to be convinced there was no mistake, then waved his fan and gave orders to the boats, which immediately dispersed and never assembled near us again. This ship towed the "Saratoga" and the "Mississippi" and the "Plymouth" all the way. After many attempts to change our determination, which we always met with courteous firmness on our part, they told us, yesterday afternoon, that the Prince of Idzu, a high councillor of State, had been appointed by the Emperor a full ambassador to receive the President's letter; that he had already arrived and proposed that the Commodore should land with his staff and guards to present the letter at Gori-Hama, about two or three miles below Uraga,- -a place much better suited to the purpose, and where they were now erecting buildings for the ceremony. We agreed without hesitation, never caring for Golownin's fate or troubling our heads about treachery, etc. Accordingly, this morning we landed about fifty officers, about two hundred blue jackets, and about one hundred and twenty marines, and two bands of music. Buchanan 1 was the first to land, Major Zeilin the second, and your friend the purser the third. As the men landed we rapidly formed them on the beach; and when the Commodore arrived, placing him and the officers in the centre, we marched right up to about five thousand Japanese troops drawn up in different lines to receive us; and passing through them, the officers entered the building where the Prince was awaiting our arrival. The Governor of Uraga and his interpreter then received the letter of the President to the Emperor, and the letter of credence of Commodore Perry,2 having the seal of our country enclosed in golden boxes, and on their knees put them into a Japan box, which they secured with silk cords, by command of the Prince to be carried out in that manner to the Emperor. We then bowed ourselves out of the temporary building, after receiving the credentials of the Prince and a receipt for the letter. The effect as we approached the shore was beautiful and exciting: a mere handful, less than four hundred Americans, were landing in the face of five thousand troops, whose various Eastern dresses and silken banners were imposing, whose character for cunning and duplicity was well known, and who were supported by countless multitudes covering the neighboring hills. But the moment we came near enough to compare ourselves with them, all ideas of treachery vanished; for there was not a Yankee who did not feel that with one broadside, one war

1 He was commander of the " Susquehanna," and afterwards, during the Civil War, belonged to the Confederate army, and was at one time confined in Fort Warren. EDS.

2 In the "Narrative of the Expedition of Commodore Perry to the China Seas and Japan," compiled by Francis L. Hawks, D.D., LL.D. (chap. xiii.), this letter is given, together with many interesting details of the landing, and an engraving representing the scene when President Fillmore's letter to the Emperor was delivered. EDS.

whoop, and a rush upon them with the cold steel we could scatter as many as could stand before us. Their unsoldierlike dresses, their antiquated arms, spears, and cross-bows, matchlocks, and about sixty old Tower muskets, and four or five two-pound brass field-pieces. Their officers, dressed in silk and seated on camp-stools, in front of the soldiers under umbrellas, made us feel confident that we could drive any number of them like pigeons before our eagles. Your navy has accomplished in six days what it required the Emperor of all the Russias six months to succeed in; yes, and more, - for his letter was delivered at Nagasaki, under many restrictions, and ours was received near Jeddo, freely and directly, by a prince of the Empire specially appointed for the purpose. We have landed at their own instance at this heretofore sealed portion of the Empire; we have unfurled the stars and stripes to their breezes, and awakened the echoes of their hills for the first time since the creation to the music of "Yankee Doodle" and "Hail Columbia." We have surveyed their harbor, promised to return with a large force next spring for our answer, and left them on the most friendly terms, without a single accident or disturbance. We sailed on the 17th, arrived again at Napa on the 25th, sailed August 1, and arrived at Hong-Kong August 7. The Japanese gentlemen wear two swords and one fan!

Mr. CHASE presented to the Society an original portrait of Charles Carroll, of Carrollton, by Thomas Sully, which formerly belonged to the late Governor Swann of Maryland.

Judge HOAR presented Whall's picture of the Apostle Eliot preaching to the Indians; Salter's portrait of the Duke of Wellington, which was taken from personal sittings of the Duke; and Chester Harding's of Daniel Webster, which had been bequeathed by the late John H. Eastburn to this Society.

The Hon. R. C. WINTHROP presented an original miniature likeness of Oliver Cromwell, by Samuel Cooper, which had been left to him by the late Mr. Joseph Coolidge, of this city, with the wish that it might ultimately be deposited with this Society.

The PRESIDENT presented a sermon delivered by Mather Byles, March 6, 1760, being a day appointed by order of his Majesty as a public thanksgiving for the signal successes granted to the British arms.

Mr. JENKS presented an outline map showing a portion of the town of Canton in 1725.

Mr. T. C. AMORY presented a catalogue of sixty or more portraits of Daniel Webster and of more than ten statues, statuettes, and busts. Many on the list are repetitions, but a