208 January 1855 Kagoshima Bay could land entirely unmolested, and my shore-collections were chiefly made here. Strang parties did, however, occasionally landed at other places, though ordered off by the officers who continually har assed the shores. Near the observing station, between tide- marks, was a warm spring, in a slight cavity in which one might observe nu- mberous dead crustaceans and mollusks, which had gotten in there during the flouring of the tide, when the heat would of course be more perceptible. One day Mr Wright and myself ac- companied the Commodore on a sur- veying expedition toward the mouth of the Bay, along its western shore. We landed in "Rock Rock" a pyramid about 8 ft in height, perforated through its lower half by a hole through which a boat might pass with oars ex- tended. While the Commodore took angles we gathered plants, seaweds, barnacles crustaceans, and littoral shells. On our way back to the Ship we saw large flocks of ducks in the small 209 January 1855 Kagoshima Bay rocky coves. We landed on a smooth sand beach, and were immediately surrounded by crowds of Japanese among whom were sev- eral officers, who were distinguished by their finer dress and the two swords. Mr Wright and myself immediately rushed off in different directions, - he for plants, - I for shells, with small varieties of which the beach was strewn. I was continually elbowed and pushed by the be-sworded gentry, who tried every means to urge me back to the boat; but knowing that they would not proceed to extremities I persevered, un- til, when the time approached for the boat to shore off, I had a considerable num- ber both of species and individuals. Some of the Japanese even helped me in col- lecting. In the mean time the Com- modore had been showing these people the operation of a revolving pistol by firing at a mark. We returned to the Ship having had a pleasant excursion. The chief method of collecting which I found convenient here, consisted, of course, in dredging operations, which were highly