The President wishes the Japanese to be very prudent about the introduction of opium, and if a treaty is made, he wishes that opium may be strictly prohibited.

The United States have no possessions in the east and do not desire to have any, as other countries do.

By means of steam one can go from California to Japan in eighteen days.

Japan and China are isolated and without intercourse with other countries; hence the President directed me to attend to or watch the state of affairs in China also.

We were sent to this country by the President, who desires to promote the welfare of Japan, and are quite different from the ambassadors of other countries.

It appears that the English think the Japanese... are fond of opium, and they want to bring it here also.

Any nation that refuses to hold intercourse with other nations must expect to be excluded from this family.