No. 311.
Mr. Bingham to Mr. Evarts.
Tokei, Japan , September 18, 1879. (Received October 16.)
Sir: On the 3d instant General Grant quitted Japan for the United States per the American steamer Tokio. He was attended from the Palace “Enryokwan,” in this city, to the railway station, by His Imperial Majesty’s guard and several of His Majesty’s ministers. Arriving at the railway station he was met by the representatives of every branch of His Majesty’s service and a large number of the quiet people of the capital who had come to see the departure of the great American, who had been received with so much consideration by the Emperor as the unofficial representative of the United States of America, the power which they believe to be most friendly to Japan.
In the harbor of Yokohama the vessels in the port were dressed, and the General was saluted with twenty-one guns by our own naval vessels, and also by those of Japan, there being no other saluting vessels in port.
The General, accompanied by Rear-Admiral Patterson, Japanese ministers, and myself, was conveyed in the Emperors’ barge from the admiralty office to the Tokio.
It may be said that every attention possible was shown to General Grant from the day of his arrival upon these shores to the day of his departure, and that His Imperial Majesty and his people left no room to doubt that they esteemed it to be a pleasure and a duty to thus receive and entertain their distinguished guest.
I have, &c.