A Sultan's Message for an Emperor

The Ertugrul was an Ottoman frigate, sent to Japan in 1890 on a diplomatic mission to strengthen relations between the Ottoman Empire and Japan. Aboard was a delegation led by Admiral Osman Pasha. After a long voyage, the crew received a warm welcome. The delegation met Japanese officials and delivered gifts and a message from Sultan Abdulhamid II to Emperor Meiji. The ship stayed about three months. In September 1890, it left Yokohama and sailed south along the Japanese coast, in the middle of typhoon season.