From Japan to San Francisco, 1850
A group of shipwrecked Japanese sailors are rescued by an American vessel and transported to the booming San Francisco.
Location: San Francisco, California, USA
Note: This article has been excerpted from a larger work in the public domain and shared here due to its historical value. It may contain outdated ideas and language that do not reflect TOTA’s opinions and beliefs.
From The Narrative of a Japanese by Joseph Heco, 1895.
[Joseph Heco, born Hikozō Hamada, was the first naturalized Japanese citizen of the United States. He came to the United States after a shipwreck deposited him and other survivors in San Francisco. From there, he began working as a diplomat and interpreter for the United States and Japan, traveling between both countries. Heco became a US citizen in the 1850s. His memoirs here describe his voyage to San Francisco after being rescued by an American vessel in the year 1850.]
A little before noon the second Mate brought some old clothes out of his room and made a sign to me to come and take off the Japanese clothing I had on. I obeyed him, and he put on me a flannel shirt, a pair of cloth trousers, and a cloth jacket. All of these were of course much too large for me, although he was smaller than the average man of his race. He marked the clothes here and there with some white stuff (chalk) and told me by a sign to take them off again. This I did, and he took them away to his room to alter them by cutting and sewing.
By the next afternoon he had completed the alterations and I put the clothes on again, when he found that they fitted me nicely. He looked at me and exclaimed, "Now you one Yankee boy!” and he smiled. I did not understand what he said at the time, but I remembered the sound of the words and afterward I learned their meaning. This was the first time in my life that I had ever put on foreign clothing, and I felt much tightness about my body; still they were much warmer than my own garment, besides being more convenient for working. I thanked the Mate by nodding and bowing for thus making me a comfortable dress. Then he patted my shoulder, said, "all right," and beckoned me to follow him to the cabin, which I did.
When we entered we found the Captain and first Mate seated and busily writing. The second Officer said something to them and at the same time pointed at me; they looked at me and smiled and the Captain came up to me and shook hands, at the same time saying something which I did not understand, except that they both said at the end "very nice."
On the following morning, while we were all on the quarter deck talking amongst ourselves my new friend the second Mate came to me and said something; pointing at my head and pulling his own hair. I did not know at all what it was that he said, but I nodded thinking that perhaps he meant to say my hair was darker than his, or that he wore his hair in a different style from mine. No sooner did he see me nodding at him, agreeing as he supposed, to what he said, than he went to his room, and in a few seconds came back with a pair of scissors and a stool. He signed to me to sit down upon it.
I did so and he then cut off my top-knot, and clipped my hair short all round my head. Then he brought sweet oil and rubbed it into my hair, and combed it and brushed it. When I saw the scissors, I wanted to stop his cutting off my top-knot, in that whilst on the wreck I had made a vow to our gods that if ever haply I might reach our native-land in safety, I should offer that top-knot up as an offering. But I was afraid to stop him, on account of not understanding his tongue, for he might misconstrue my meaning even as he had misunderstood what my thoughts were when I had nodded a few moments before.
But what that Mate had just done vexed me sorely. Though he had been kind and had acted with no ill intention on his part, still he had no right to cut that top-knot off, that top-knot which I had vowed to the gods, if perchance I should once more get back to any country. And now before ever that vow could be fulfilled the stranger goes and cuts it off!
However I reflected that had we known each other's language this misunderstanding would not have happened. Wherefore I went forward and washed my hands and my mouth and prayed to the gods and begged their forgiveness for the sin that had been unwittingly committed.
26th day of the 12th moon. About 9.30 a.m. we heard a loud screaming forward, so we went to find out what was the matter. To our amazement and horror we found that Chinese cook in the very act of killing one of these pigs on board for food! Such a thing we had never witnessed with our eyes before, although we had heard that in some of the far-off provinces of our country such as Satsuma and Loochoo the people ate pigs and rats. But we as dwellers on the mainland and religious men never did such cruel deeds.
After seeing the gruesome work of that Chinese cook, we began to talk among ourselves and to be afraid of the strangers. One of our elders solemnly shook his head and affirmed that if our course across the deep should be long these strangers would assuredly fall upon us and slay us and devour us.
29th day of the 12th moon. The weather began to change for the worse. Rain came down and the light wind from the S.S.W. increased in force apace as the day advanced. At 11 o'clock it was a gale. Then the rain ceased and presently the wind veered to the West and it became fine. Then it became necessary for the ship to heave to. This manoeuvre was a great novelty to us and as sailor-men we all watched it closely and with great interest. The barque took in all her. sails, and set a three-cornered sail on the main-mast below the main-yard, and reefed the jib and let the vessel come up to the wind. One man only was at the wheel, while all the others went below, some to sleep and others to read as though nothing was going on. And the vessel rode the sea with ease without any creaking whatsoever till the gale died away. What a difference between our old junk and this barque! We were all lost in astonishment and admiration at the beauty of the manoeuvre.
A few days after this, when the weather was fine and calm, the Captain ordered the men to open the hatches to let air into the hold. Then we looked down into it, and we saw that she had an abundance of eatable cargo such as tea and sugar and rice and biscuits. On seeing this we felt much more at ease, and our old fear of being devoured disappeared from our minds altogether.
2nd day of 2nd moon. The day broke calm but cloudy. At 10 o'clock the cloud-banks disappeared, and a west wind came whistling up. Then with all sails set and yards nearly squared we stood on for our destination. About 3 p.m. it again clouded over. Then some of the crew reported land in sight on our port. The Captain went aloft to the main-top with a spy-glass and looked towards our port-bow. Wherefore we supposed that the land was near at hand and our hearts were glad at the thought of gazing upon it again.
During the night the weather cleared, but being so near port, the vessel was compelled to heave to till day-break. Then she set sail again and stood for the harbour of San Francisco.
Next morning we were early astir looking eagerly for the land, for we had not seen it for nearly 100 days. About 7 a.m. we were near the entrance to the port. Several vessels of all classes were standing in and out while numerous smaller craft with three-cornered sails were rushing about like racers. These were pilot-boats I was afterwards told.
Soon we were within a few miles of the Golden Gate. Two of the little craft above mentioned (pilot schooners) bore down upon us. On board of them were several persons dressed differently from anything we had seen, in tall black hats. One of them on the schooner nearest to the Auckland called out something to our vessel through a trumpet, and the Captain of our barque replied. Shortly after the schooner lowered a boat and a gentleman and a sailor got into it. It pulled toward us and in a few minutes it was alongside, when the gentleman came on board and the sailor pulled back to the schooner.
Our Captain went forward and shook hands with the new comer. The latter brought lots of papers which he handed to the Captain, and both went on the quarter deck. In a few minutes more the new man took charge of the vessel, while the Captain went below and began to read those papers he had got from the other. We did not know then what these documents were, but we afterwards heard that they were called newspapers. By this time the schooner had hoisted her boat on board and sailed out seaward while we stood on in toward the port.
The stranger who had just come on board was dressed in a suit of black, with a great gold chain dangling in front of him just below his chest. His head was covered with something that looked like a black box with a wide bottom. I afterwards was told that this was a beaver hat. He was a large well-built man, with dark hair, a thick bushy beard running all over his face, and black eyes and seemed about 45 years of age. He spoke quickly and in a loud resonant voice. He had a trumpet under his arm, and whenever he spoke or gave an order to the men he spoke through that trumpet. He walked briskly to and fro on the quarter-deck with one hand in his trouser's pocket, and looked as if our ship and everything on it belonged to him.
About 10 a.m. our good old barque came to anchor at the North Beach close under Telegraph Hill.
Just before we anchored several little sharp built boats with one or two men in them came alongside. These men were dressed just like our sailors, in flannel shirts and cloth pantaloons. They looked somewhat rough in appearance, some smoking pipes and chewing tobacco and spitting continually like our first Mate. These, we were told, were boatmen by trade.
As soon as we came to anchor, the Captain made ready to go on shore. When he came to say good-bye to us we did not recognize him. For he had washed and shaved, and dressed himself in black cloth from head to foot, with a great gold chain on his vest and a tall black box on his head like the pilot, and altogether he had become very grand and very wonderful.
In a few minutes he was off in one of the small boats, and we saw him no more until a week thereafter.
As we were just about to anchor another boat came alongside. This was painted black, and had a crew of five men with two officers. These latter were dressed like the pilot all in black with tall hats. The boat flew a peculiar flag with vertical red and white stripes and with an eagle dyed or painted in at the upper corner. When the officers came on board our Captain and Mate received them and conducted them to the cabin where they had some drinks. One of them stayed on board while the other went off in the boat in which they had come. This boat belonged to the Custom-house of the port and these two gentlemen were the officers who had to watch on behalf of the revenue of the country, i.e. to see that no cargo was landed without a proper payment of duty.
About 2 p.m. another boat came alongside. In it were two men in flannel shirts, cloth pants, felt hats and suspenders over their shoulders to uphold their pants. They looked strong and healthy and seemed rough and very common class. They were exceedingly curious about us and came up and tried to talk to us, and although they could only make signs to us, they stayed with us for some time.
They had some conversation with the Mate and crew, and presently they asked us by signs to go ashore with them, indicating at the same time that they would bring us back. But none of us felt willing to accept their invitation as we were all more or less afraid of the uncouth appearance of these strangers. However at last one said that if two or more of the others would go, he would go too, and thereupon three of our party went with them.
After this boat had gone several boats of the same description and with similar men came alongside and stayed for a short time and then went away. We were afterwards told that these folks were called stevedores and that their business consisted in loading and unloading cargo.
About two hours after our companions had gone ashore they came back bringing with them pies, fresh bread, and cakes which the strangers had given them. They reported quite favourably of the city and of what they had seen there. All the people whom they had met had treated them very kindly, especially the two men who had taken them ashore. After hearing this many of us wished to go to see the city, but our own Captain Manzo warned us not to be in a hurry to do so.
On the fourth day after our arrival the barque was moored near to the Long Wharf. In the morning a heavy fog settled on the surface of the water, so that we could not see more than a few yards ahead. And this fog continued for months. Since our arrival in port our fare had become much nicer, inasmuch as fresh provisions were supplied and served out.
In the afternoon a boat similar, to the Customhouse boat with a crew of four men and a flag at the stern came alongside. In it were two gentlemen with gold bands on their caps and brass buttons on their coats, while one of them had a sword. These we were afterwards told were the Captain and an officer of the revenue cutter then in port. The Mate received them and conducted them to the cabin where they had some drinks, and talked for a few minutes. Then they came on deck and approached us. They looked at us, talking all the time with the Mate, and pointing to our dress and feet, but of course we could not understand what they were saying. They then passed forward, now and then looking into the hatchways.
At length they went away, and a few minutes afterwards another similar boat came with two gentlemen in black suits and tall hats. When they came on board they did exactly as the others had done, and then the Mate led them round and showed them everything. These gentlemen were from the Custom-house, and one was the Deputy Collector of the Port, Col. Green. These were more civil than the others who had come on board thus far; they came up and shook hands with some of us saying as they did so “How are you?" This sounded to us "Katuai" which in our language means love or sympathy. When we heard this word we fancied they understood our language, and some of us began to talk to them. But they gave us no direct reply, except that now and then they smiled.
When they were ready to leave one of these gentlemen signed to me that he wished me to go ashore with him. And as I did not understand him, he spoke to our Mate and he came and told me by signs that if I went with the gentleman he would buy me a pair of shoes, for I was still wearing old sandals. So I signed that if he (the Mate) went also I would go, for I was still averse to trusting myself to an utter stranger. This the Mate seemed to comprehend and he went and dressed and we went off in the same boat with the visitors.
Heco, Joseph. The Narrative of a Japanese. American-Japanese Publishing Association, 1895.
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