NATIVES ALWAYS POLITE
"I wish to say," he added, "that the Japanese were never really offensive. They were always polite, but they did want to be left alone."
Commodore Perry took with him on this expedition, two men, enlisted by him, William Heine and E. Brown, artists, to take sketches, pictures, etc., of what was worthy of being perpetuated in that way.
Admiral Robie has hanging on the walls of his home four fine colored lithographs prepared by these artists, which he says are remarkably true to life, some of the figures in them having first been taken by the daguerreotype process. They portray the arrival of the fleet in Japanese waters, and the landing at Shui, the evolution's of the sailors and the marines before the Imperial Japanese commissioners at Simoda, and a fine view of the temple grounds, showing the Japanese temple, the priests' quarters and a belfry, truly Japanese in its quaintness, with tiled roof, in which was suspended a great bell, 8 feet long and 2 feet wide, which was rung by striking it with a suspended beam, drawn back and forth by a rope. "Its beautiful tone", said the Admiral, "could be heard two miles away."
"Commodore Perry", continued Admiral Robie, "wished to impress the people of Japan in a way that would carry with it an irresistible force of conviction, and among other things, he conceived the idea of showing them their own photographs, taken by the daguerreotype process. Our artist, however, had either forgotten some of his art, or was not entirely familiar with the daguerreotype process, and his work was a failure. I knew something of the daguerreotype business myself, and volunteered to the Commodore to try to take a picture. He consented, and in a short while my materials were prepared and I got a good picture of him."

TAKES FIRST SUN PICTURE
"It was the first sun picture ever taken in Japan, and the success of my efforts greatly pleased him."
"I also erected the first electric telegraph line that was put up in Japan. It was 1,200 feet long. One end was attached at the Temple and the other at a hut in the woods, the wire being supported along the route by trees. Do you know that within 24 hours after we had put up that telegraph line the Japanese had learned enough about it to send a message over it themselves. The Japanese struck me then, as they do now, as a most remarkable and intelligent people."
"I also assisted in building the first steam railroad there. It covered the circumference of a circle 500 feet in diameter, with a fourteen inch gauge track, the equipment being about a quarter of full size. I was the engineer and ran the train, and it was amazing to see the Japanese sit on top of the one little car of the train and ride around the circuit. They surprised me again, for in a very short while they had mastered the details of operating the road and running the engine. The track and equipment had been carried out by Commodore Perry as one of the things to impress the people."
It was, of course, the desire and intention of Commodore Perry to effect a treaty with the Japanese Government, but that was a difficult thing to accomplish. We had evidently impressed them, but they were slow to sign a treaty. They promised, however, to give it consideration.
"In the meanwhile we were obliged to leave the Japanese shores and go to Shanghai to protect American interests. At that time, (1853), the great Tai Ping rebellion against the Chinese government was in full swing. It was an immense insurrection, and more lives were lost in it than in our Civil War."

READY TO SIGN TREATY
"We returned to Japan, however, in February, when we found the Japanese commissioners ready to make the desired treaty. Two of the lithograph pictures on the wall represent our landing and experience then."
"It was a wonderful accomplishment to win over these people, and my recollection of them and my experience among them will always be among the pleasant ones of my life."
"We had with us on that expedition 15 vessels in all. There were nearly 200 officers in the fleet, but only five of them now survive. They are: William Speiden, who was purser's clerk; Chief Engineer Fithian, then of the Susquehanna; Rear Admiral J. H. Upshur and O. F. Stanton, and myself."
 

But it was not alone in the expedition to Japan that Admiral Robie distinguished himself. He has other achievements to his credit that go to make up an interesting and remarkable record.
While attached to the Susquehanna in 1857, that vessel, with the Niagara of the American Navy, and two British ships of war, the Agamemnon and the Leopard, made an unsuccessful attempt to lay the first cable across the Atlantic, from Valencia, Ireland, to St. Johns, Newfoundland. About 400 miles from the coast of Ireland the cable broke, and with the imperfect apparatus of those days, they were unable to recover it, although they spent some time in grappling for it. The four ships were finally compelled to return to Plymouth, England.
Admiral Robie designed the first steam floating iron derrick used in the United States Navy for the New York Navy Yard. He also designed the first steel boiler used in the Navy for the U.S.S. Rocket, as well as the ventilating apparatus for the President's yacht. He assisted, too, in designing the first floating iron dry dock. He superintended the construction of the monitor Dictator, and to a large extent designed its interior work, so far as its equipment and ordnance were concerned. He designed what are known as the standing berths, whereby three tiers of berths were secured in the space thereto fore used for one, and the magazines, the shot, shell and fixed ammunition rooms were also of his designing. He superintended the construction of other vessels, designing steam steering gears, and also the construction of other floating dry docks. In this respect, for an officer in his branch of the service, his career was an exceptional one.