Regent of Loo-Choo

Harper's New Monthly Magazine:
Commodore Perry's Expedition to Japan, Harper's, New York, 1856, Volume XII, 441-466 pp (March, 1856) and 733-756 pp (May, 1856), 8vo - 16.5 x 25 cm (6 3/4 x 9 3/4 in), double column, 37 woodcut illustrations. The woodcut illustrations are of the scenes of Loo Choo & Japan and are generally the same found in the lithographs and test illustrations in the official Narrative of the expedition. The two monthly issues (paper wraps) are numbers LXX (March, March) and LXXII (May, 1856). To see the covers of the two monthly issues, click here.

The two Perry Expedition articles are contained in Volume XII which is a bound edition of Harper's New Monthly Magazine that covers the period from December, 1855 through May, 1856. These articles probably represent the first widespread distribution of information about the expedition and accounts of the visits to Lew Chew (Okinawa) and Japan.

The articles are not attributed to a specific writer. However, they are a chronological narrative of events and are written in the same style as you find the official Narrative and abbreviated version. I believe they were written by Hawks based upon his compilation of the various logs and journals that were maintained during the expedition.

You will find pages:

441-66 (Volume XII, Issue 72, March 1856) on-line (no illustrations) here.
733-56 (Volume XII, Issue 72, May 1856) on-line (no illustrations) here.

List of Illustrations (March 1856 Article):
Page                                            Size
        Misc (2)                             Approximate
441     Commodore Perry                       1/2  page


443     Shanghae                              3/4  page


        Okinawa (11)
444     Tombs of Napa                         1/8+ page
445     First Visit of Dignitaries            1/8  page
446     Regent of Loo-Choo and Attendants     1/4+ page

447     Street in Napa, Loo-Choo              1/2  page


448     Loo-Choo Merchant                     1/4+ page

449     Peasant of Loo-Choo                   3/4  page


450     Loo-Choans of Middle Class            1/4  page
451     Bridge and Causeway, Loo-Choo         1/3  page
452     Temple at Tumai                       1/3  page
455     Castle of Na-ga-gus-ko                1/3  page
457     Dinner at the Regent's, Loo-Choo      1/3+ page

        Bonin Island (2)
458     View of Bonin Islands                 1/8+ page
459     Natural Cave, Bonin Islands           3/4  page

        Japan  (4)
461     Mouth of Bay of Yedo                  1/4  page
461     Japanese Government Boat              1/8+ page
464     FirstLanding at Gorahama, Japan       1/3+ page
465     A Japanese Mackintosh                 1/8  page

List of Illustrations (May 1856 Article):
Page                                          Size
        Japan (18)                          Approximate
734     The Bay of Jedo, Japan                1/3+ page
736     View of Yokuhama                      1/4  page
737     Commissioners' Barges                 2/3  page
738     Japanese Nobles                       3/4  page
740     Japanese Wrestlers                    1/3  page
744     Japanese Ladies                       3/4  page
745     Village of Yokuhama                   3/4  page
747     Japanese Household Utensils           1/8+ page
747     Boiling the Pot                       1/4  page
748     Shrines and Candlesticks              1/8+ page
749     Buddhist Temple                       2/3  page
750     Musical Instruments                   1/4+ page
750     View of Hakodadi                      1/2  page
752     Fishing at Hakodadi                   2/3  page
753     Weaving                               2/3  page
754     Blacksmith's Bellows                  1/4  page
754     Praying Machine                       1/3  page
755     American Burial Place                 1/4  page

Various Illustrations

 
Temple at Tumai - Page 452 - 1/3 page

 
Landing at Gorahama - Page 464 - 1/3+ page

 
The Perry Expedition articles are only a small part of this volume (Volume XII). Here are a few of the many articles in the bound volume:

Adventures in the Gold Fields of Central America
A Nightly Scene in London by Charles Dickens
Conquest of Mexico by John S. C. Abbott
George Washington by John S. C. Abbott
How the Destruction of Trees Affects the Rains
Israel Putnam
Remembrances of the Mississippi by T. B. Thorpe
The "Gees" by Herman Melville (of Moby-Dick Fame) The Juniata by T. Addison Richards

Volume XII is a profusely illustrated book of 864 pages. It is an excellent way to put the Perry Expedition in context with the current events of the day.