1860: The Japanese Visit Castle & Cooke's Hardware Store

Recently, I was reading Amos Starr and Juliette Montague Cooke: Their Autobiographies Gleaned from their Journals and Letters, by Mary Atherton Richards.

On page 450 there is a transcript of Mr. Cooke’s journal referencing the arrival of the Powhatan and a visit by the Japanese:

“Mch. 6, ’60 –This morning the U.S. Steamer Powhatan, Josiah Thrall, has come in our harbor with Japanese ambassador attended by a retinue of about 72.”

“Mch 9, ’60 – 4 Japanese called into the store & bought a pocket knife.”

“Mch 10, ’60 – This afternoon we have shut the store, for most have gone on board the steamer Powhatan, but I have written two pages to Mother. Yesterday I paid to Capt. Holdsworth $200 being 10% on two shares of Haiku Sugar Co. The same for A. Wilcox.”