(No. 132)
The Earl of Derby
Yedo
August 11, 1876

My Lord,

I have to thank Your Lordship for having been so good as to communicate to me in your despatch No. 72 the views of the Admiralty relative to the Survey of the outlying Islands on the Corean Coast by H.M.S. “Sylvia.”
That my action in this matter may not appear inconsistent I trust it will be borne in mind that, when I suggested, in my despatch No. 61, of April last, that this Survey should be delayed the circumstances were different to those which existed in July 1875 when I recommended that it should be undertaken.
At the latter date there seemed no prospect, whatever, of Corea being brought into amicable relations with any power, and the feeling which prevailed in that country at that date may be judged of by the attack which was shortly afterwards made on the Japanese Ean vessel “Unyokan,” and also on the boats of H.M.S. “Sylvia.” In advising the survey, in the first instance, I certainly was of opinion that we could not be expected to wait for that feeling to change before we took measures to protect our ships from the risk to which they are now exposed whenever they pass the Corean coast; but there appeared reason to suppose that a favourable change was occurring when we learned that the Corean Government had conceded to the Japanese Mission sent early this year full rights of navigation and commerce as soon as they were demanded, and had also given Japan permission to make a Survey of the whole Corean Coast. It then occurred to me as possible that our own Government, on becoming acquainted with the Treaty concluded by Japan with Corea, would perhaps be disposed to send a Mission there to negotiate for similar advantages. In that case, I think it would have been better, even in the interest of the Survey alone, that it should have been postponed until the Corean Government had been communicated with, as it is obvious that much more can be accomplished when the Authorities of the country are willing to afford assistance to surveyors than when they meet them with obstruction or opposition. It may occur to Your Lordship that my views on this subject were epitomized in my telegram of the 6th of June in which I observed “I am of opinion that it is undesirable to proceed with “Sylvia"'s Survey if a mission be contemplated, but, if not, then that Corean Envoy should receive notice of the Survey.”
As no mission, however, is apparently, at present contemplated, I have no longer any objections to offer to the Survey being resumed, and indeed I think it is desirable that this should now be done for the reasons I gave in July last year. My despatch No. 110 will have informed Your Lordship that, as soon as I heard through Admiral Ryder, on the 25th of June, that the survey was to be prosecuted I took advantage of the despatch of the Japanese Commissioner Mr. Miyamoto to Corea to request the Japanese Foreign Minister to urge the Government of Corea to give directions that H.M.S. “Sylvia” and “Swinger” should be properly treated, and I lately had the satisfaction of hearing from the Vice Prime Minister, whose opinion is probably the best obtainable on Corean Subjects, that if Mr. Miyamoto's representations are made in time he believes they will have the effect of preventing opposition being offered by the Coreans to the surveying operations of those ships.
The Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty naturally attach importance to the experience gained by our surveying vessels on the Coast of Corea in 1861-63, but it should be remembered that various events have occurred since that period which have affected the policy and self esteem of the Corean Government. In the interval they have burnt the American vessel “General Sherman,” and murdered all on board, and they have repulsed, in their opinion, the squadrons of France and the United States. They have also issued orders that whenever a foreign vessel appears on their coast she is to be driven away. We have seen that they applied this rule to the Japanese last year, and also to the “Sylvia.” We have also seen, however, that they apologized to the Japanese Government, and promised to behave differently in the future, as soon as the latter sent an expedition, composed, it may be observed, of very indifferent ships, to demand redress, and it may now be hoped that through the influence of the Japanese Government the above named orders may be abrogated, and that the “Sylvia” may be treated differently on her present cruize.
I have the honour to be with the highest respect,
My Lord,
Your Lordship’s most Obedient, humble Servant,

Harry S. Parkes