19th century Hakodate and the doomed voyage of the Remi: Part 1

Hakodate in 1897 / Public domain

By Robert Neff

In the spring of 1860, Hakodate ― one of Japan's far northern ports ― was bustling with change. It the past it was nothing more than "a poor insignificant fishing village," but in 1855 (after the Perry expedition) it was designated as a port in which whalers could put in for provisions (potatoes ― which were grown in great abundance ― as well as onions, tomatoes, salmon, chickens and eggs; venison, bear and later beef were also provided) and warships could find "safe and good anchorage."

The port had a population of about 24,000 people including a handful of foreigners ― nearly all were associated with the three consulates. The American commercial representative was Elisha Rice, an ex-whaler standing about six-foot-six, who lived in a former temple and was kept fairly busy; most of the whaling ships that visited the port were American and they had a tendency to play rough.

The British representative (who also represented French interests), C. Pemberton Hodgson, also lived in a former temple but, unlike the lonely American, was kept company by his wife and child. One can imagine that, for a short time at least, his wife and child generated a lot of excitement in the community.

Hakodate in the 1850s / Perry's Narrative, Vol. 1.

Just prior to the British consul's arrival, an American whaling vessel appeared in the port. The captain's wife had given birth while en route from Hawaii to Hakodate and when she and her child went ashore, they were mobbed. According to a witness:

"The baby excited the most intense curiosity among the women and children: with gaping mouths, outstretched necks and piercing eyes they followed it through the streets; every turn, every movement, was watched; police officers would occasionally drive them off but it was only to give place to more eager faces; at the turn of every street troops would dash off and seek to get a better view by appearing through other streets to intercept her at the next corner."

19th century Hakodate and the doomed voyage of the Remi: Part 3

2021-06-06 18:31 | About the past

I am guessing that eventually, the novelty of a Western child wore off and the consul and his family were granted a degree of peace.

A temple in Hakodate in the 1850s / Perry's Narrative, Vol. 1.

Russians dominated the small foreign community. Iosif Antonovich Goskkevich (the Russian representative) was accompanied by his wife, mother and a personal secretary. His staff was made up of a naval officer, a doctor and his wife, a priest, and four servants (two men and two women). They were housed in a newly built two-story white consulate, complete with a hospital and sauna, located on a hillside at the outskirts of the port. One early Russian visitor proudly proclaimed, "We can see only one piece of European architecture, commanding the entire city, and the most beautiful and comfortable of all the buildings, the house of our consul."

A British naval officer, obviously not as proud, wryly observed, "The Russians have everything [in the port] but trade. Trade does not seem their object." The naval officer was not the only one to share these observations ― many felt the Russians were seeking to firmly establish themselves in Hakodate in a bid to make it Russia's chief port in the region as it was ice-free and commanded the entrance to the East Sea from the Pacific Ocean and the port could easily be defended.

There were very few visitors to the port except the seasonal whalers and the frequent Russian warships whose officers added "to the society of the place, and its drunken sailors to the streets of town." Undoubtedly, the whalers and sailors were frequent visitors to the brothel established for them in 1858.

An Ainu harvests potatoes circa 1900s. / Robert Neff Collection

While the Russians were not interested in trade, others, like the British, were. Dried fish and seaweed were exported from the port to Shanghai on small sailing vessels, but on June 2, 1859, Hakodate was opened to general trade and several Western companies in Shanghai began to dabble in trade. The English firm Stephenson, Wilkie & Co. established an office in the port and advertised as being "General Agents" ― able to facilitate trade for other companies and ships. Later, they would be joined by others, but the permanent foreign community remained under two dozen for several years.

A camel that passed through Hakodate in 1860. / California Magazine, November 1860

Timber was an especially attractive venture for early merchants. The region surrounding the port was heavily forested and Shanghai was in need of timber for its construction boom. Two firms, Dent & Co. and Lindsay & Co., rushed to take advantage of this market but because of Hakodate's remote location and the costs of transporting the timber (in addition to the initial sudden glut of timber in Shanghai when several ships arrived full of timber which caused prices to plunge), their efforts were relatively unsuccessful.

Hakodate also served as a provision port for ships traveling from California to the Russian wilderness. Some of the cargoes that passed through the port in 1860 are surprising ― including some of the first camels in the United States. Some cargoes were illicit ― including a young samurai who had sought refuge in the American consulate and was eventually smuggled to Portland, Oregon. However, those tales are for another time.

I am sure you, the reader, are wondering how any of this has anything to do with Korea. The answer is Remi, Schmidt et Cie. This company, based in Shanghai, decided to explore the possibility of doing business in Hakodate, and sent its prized 322-ton steamer Remi. The ship, with a crew of 26 men commanded by Captain Peter A. Laen, arrived at Hakodate in early April.

A view of the region surrounding Hakodate in the 1850s / Perry's Narrative, Vol. 1.

It isn't clear what, if any, cargo was loaded on board the ship but we do know there were 25 Chinese passengers ― possibly they were laborers returning to Shanghai from Russia or had been engaged in lumbering in Hakodate. Regardless, on the morning of April 10, 1860, the steamship Remi, accompanied by the Japanese (a Russian steamship), sailed out of Hakodate.

The weather was described as "cloudy and unsettled" and Captain Laen probably anticipated a quick and smooth trip back to Shanghai, but he was not an experienced sailor in these waters and was unaware that in this region Mother Nature was very fickle and prone to show her fury ― as we shall see tomorrow.

Robert Neff has authored and co-authored several books including, Letters from Joseon, Korea Through Western Eyes and Brief Encounters.