Sakai Muta No Kami to R. B. Van Vankenburgh, January 27, 1868

[Translation.]

By the order of Tycoon Ieuka, we have the honor to inform you by the present letter the following subjects:

The vessels of Matsdaira Shuri No Daibu, (Satsuma,) having violated the law of Japan, have committed acts of rebellion to which we are now taking necessary steps to put an end.

In consequence of this circumstance, we request you will kindly issue the order to your countrymen to confine strictly themselves to the stipulations of the treaty prohibiting the contraband and stating that the merchant vessels are not allowed to enter for commercial purpose into any port except that opened by the treaty, and that all kinds of arms and ships of war cannot be sold to another except to the Japanese government.

Those stipulations, considered as a mere matter of obligation in time of peace, must be regarded as one of the gravest importance in time of civil war, so that slight fault in carrying out the engagement of this kind in the first case should be considered as the serious infraction of the law of nations in the latter. We therefore trust that, according to the speech addressed to Tycoon Ieuka, in late audiences, by yourself as well as by your colleagues, to assure him that you will remain quite a stranger to the interior affairs of the country, you will kindly adopt such measures as you may think suitable in order to place your countrymen in a limit of maintaining and conforming themselves to the strict sense of the said treaty.

As to what concerns to us, we shall be obliged to employ the force in case of necessity for reducing the rebels to obey the government, and we beg to inform you before-hand that we have already given necessary order to the commanding officers of our navy to keep up careful watch to see whether there is any vessel violating the treaty.

We hope that when this hostility will be opened you will do, in concordance withus, everything conformable to the usage of your country under such circumstances, on the ground of right and justice. We further request you will be good enough to give orders to your countrymen not to take passage on board of any vessel of the above-named Daimio, because we have already given the orders to seize or to employ the force, if resistance be made, all the vessels of Matsdaira Shuri No Daibu, (Satsuma,) as soon as they appear before us, both commercial and men-of-war.

In case of some foreigners being found on board of such vessel, we shall render every effort to protect them from danger and hand them over to their respective authorities, but in case of employing the force, we are sorry to say that they will most likely endanger the life by their own risk.

We have not slightest doubt to see that the necessary communication shall be made by you to all the commanding officers of your men-of-war to prevent them from interfering when the fire shall be changed between the vessels of Tycoon and those of rebels close to the vessels of your country.

Stated with respect and consideration.