To His Excellency John A. Bingham to Terashima Munenori , H. I. J. M.’s, November 14, 1874

Mr. Bingham to Mr. Terashima.

[Unofficial.]

Your Excellency: I have the honor to inform you that I am in receipt of a communication from Hon. John W. Foster, United States minister to Mexico, in which he acquaints me that the government of Mexico has appointed commissioners to observe the transit of Venus, viz, F. Diaz Covorrubias, chief of the expedition, and as assistants, F. Junarez, D. M. Fernandez, D. A. Brevoso, and D. F. Bulues.

These gentlemen, having arrived in Japan, and preferring not to proceed to China, as they have been authorized to do, ask my good offices, in the absence of a Mexican minister in this Empire, to make known their presence in Japan and the duties assigned them, to the end, if it please your excellency’s government, that a permit may be given to them to locate in Japan, at such place as may be deemed advisable, a station for making the observations, and also the privilege of erecting a telegraph line to connect their station of observation with the nearest telegraph office of the Empire.

It gives me pleasure to commend these gentlemen as of high character and attainments, and to say that they have expressed the wish, if it be agreeable to your excellency’s government to grant their request, that your excellency’s government will designate some Japanese officials to join them and to witness their methods in taking the observations, and to aid them in the use of the telegraph.

May I ask the favor of an early reply to this communication?

I have the honor to be, your excellency’s obedient servant,