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During that time, he managed to keep the monks and other Ryukyuan authorities out of the temple, and engaged in various efforts to proselytize to the people of Naha, despite the government's efforts to stop him. He offered the authorities that he might teach English or sciences, or provide medical services, but was rebuffed, with the explanation that Chinese language, sciences, and medicine, were more than sufficient; his requests for tutors or teachers in the Chinese language and Chinese classics were granted, but he repeatedly tried to make use of these lessons to produce translations of the Bible, or to otherwise serve his missionary goals, resulting in the resignation or dismissal of his tutors. He had a third child while on the island, naming her Lucy Lewchew Bettelheim.

During that time, he managed to keep the monks and other Ryukyuan authorities out of the temple, and engaged in various efforts to proselytize to the people of Naha, despite the government's efforts to stop him. He offered the authorities that he might teach English or sciences, or provide medical services, but was rebuffed, with the explanation that Chinese language, sciences, and medicine, were more than sufficient; his requests for tutors or teachers in the Chinese language and Chinese classics were granted, but he repeatedly tried to make use of these lessons to produce translations of the Bible, or to otherwise serve his missionary goals, resulting in the resignation or dismissal of his tutors. He had a third child while on the island, naming her Lucy Lewchew Bettelheim.

Bettelheim was seen as obnoxious and difficult, a source of trouble, and a financial burden. The royal government established a guard post outside Gokoku-ji, and assigned roughly one hundred men to watch the family, and to follow Bettelheim and monitor his activities. He would break into private homes to preach to the people, and would scatter pamphlets in the marketplaces and public streets, followed by Ryukyuan guards who gathered them up and took them away. Sometimes he preached loudly outside the gates to [[Shuri castle|the palace]], or in public squares, sometimes even interrupting public town meetings, to preach to the gathered crowd. On one occasion, on [[1849]]/11/23<ref>January 6, 1850.</ref>, he was thrown out of a private home and attacked in the streets by guards; he claims he lay in the street for two hours before his wife found him and brought him back to the temple. Since people were forbidden from selling goods to the Bettelheims, and since most were apprehensive to interact with them anyway, Bettelheim took to simply taking whatever he desired from street stalls and shops, and leaving what he estimated was a fair amount.

Bettelheim studied ''[[katakana]]'' and believed himself to have obtained a degree of capability in the [[Okinawan language]], even producing supposed "translations" of the Bible, but it seems unlikely that he obtained any degree of true fluency, and it is unclear the extent to which any of his sermons (or other interactions) were indeed understandable to the Okinawans with whom he interacted. Only one figure converted to Christianity by Bettelheim is known; the man was arrested for professing his faith, and after being visited by Bettelheim in prison, was moved to a more distant location, where he died.

Of course, as a medical doctor, he did often provide inoculations and other forms of medical care, for which he gained some degree of popularity among the locals; some took to calling him "Naminoue no megane" ("the eyeglasses of Naminoue");<ref>Gokoku-ji was located adjacent to [[Naminoue Shrine]], so he was associated with that area.</ref> others called him ''in gan chô'' (doctor with dogs and spectacles), as he kept frightening dogs at the temple.

Bettelheim was, for the most part, seen by the Ryukyuan authorities as obnoxious and difficult, a source of trouble, and a financial burden. The royal government established a guard post outside Gokoku-ji, and assigned roughly one hundred men to watch the family, and to follow Bettelheim and monitor his activities. He would break into private homes to preach to the people, and would scatter pamphlets in the marketplaces and public streets, followed by Ryukyuan guards who gathered them up and took them away. Sometimes he preached loudly outside the gates to [[Shuri castle|the palace]], or in public squares, sometimes even interrupting public town meetings, to preach to the gathered crowd. On one occasion, on [[1849]]/11/23<ref>January 6, 1850.</ref>, he was thrown out of a private home and attacked in the streets by guards; he claims he lay in the street for two hours before his wife found him and brought him back to the temple. Since people were forbidden from selling goods to the Bettelheims, and since most were apprehensive to interact with them anyway, Bettelheim took to simply taking whatever he desired from street stalls and shops, and leaving what he estimated was a fair amount. The Loochoo Mission (under Lt. Clifford) continued to send funds to Bettelheim's Hong Kong bank accounts, and members of the mission based in Hong Kong or elsewhere in southern China sent supplies to Bettelheim on occasion. Okinawan ships also occasionally carried letters and packages to and from China for him.

He studied ''[[katakana]]'' and believed himself to have obtained a degree of capability in the [[Okinawan language]], even producing supposed "translations" of the Bible, but it seems unlikely that he obtained any degree of true fluency, and it is unclear the extent to which any of his sermons (or other interactions) were indeed understandable to the Okinawans with whom he interacted.

Despite the trouble he often caused, as a medical doctor, he did often provide inoculations and other forms of medical care, for which he gained some degree of popularity among the locals; some took to calling him "Naminoue no megane" ("the eyeglasses of Naminoue");<ref>Gokoku-ji was located adjacent to [[Naminoue Shrine]], so he was associated with that area.</ref> others called him ''in gan chô'' (doctor with dogs and spectacles), as he kept frightening dogs at the temple.

Bettelheim threatened on numerous occasions to contact the British authorities, but the Brits, for the most part, however, wanted to have nothing to do with him. The royal government petitioned Western crews on numerous occasions, including that of Commodore Perry, to take him away, but every time, Bettelheim, serving as interpreter, roundly refused to go; the foreign crews often refused responsibility for the man, not being British crews.

 

When pressured by the Ryukyuan authorities, Bettelheim threatened on numerous occasions to contact the British authorities, but the Brits as well, for the most part, wanted to have nothing to do with him. On one occasion, a British admiral accused him of posing as a British official (e.g. in his interactions with the Ryukyuan authorities, and perhaps with visiting Western crews) and threatened to file that his citizenship be revoked. The Loochoo Mission in Hong Kong & China did a fair job of hiding his troublemaking from the Mission's home office in London; however, officials in Satsuma and Beijing were well aware of such matters. Beijing claimed that his activities in the Ryukyus were in violation of the [[Treaty of Nanking]], which specified only five Chinese ports that would be open to missionary activity. Apparently, they interpreted Naha to be a Chinese port, or at least interpreted Ryûkyû to be Chinese territory beyond the boundaries of where foreign missionaries were permitted to travel.

 

As a result, Bettelheim's activities began to become more of a concern for the Mission and for British authorities, eventually reaching the level of being discussed by the Cabinet in London; if the difficulties with Bettelheim somehow sparked a larger international incident, it could potentially have had a serious impact upon British diplomatic relations and political intentions in the region. Thus, on [[1849]]/2/14 (March 8), the [[HMS ''Mariner'']], under the command of a Captain Matheson, pulled into port in Naha. The visitors were invited to a formal banquet by the chief magistrate of Naha, in preparation for an official meeting with the royal regent; yet, somehow Bettelheim convinced the Captain and his men to leave the banquet hall in order to have dinner at Bettelheim's house (i.e. at Gokoku-ji). The Naha officials were unable to stop them, and so had the entire banquet moved to Gokoku-ji. The regent stepped aboard the ''Mariner'' the following day to meet with Captain Matheson, and petitioned him to remove Bettelheim; the missionary translated the petition and interpreted for the meeting despite being the subject of discussion in this manner. The Captain agreed to take him, but Bettelheim refused to leave; in the end, Bettelheim remained ashore, while the ''Mariner'' returned to England with petitions from the Ryukyuans for Bettelheim's removal, and from Bettelheim petitioning that Royal Navy ships be sent to punish the Ryukyuan authorities for their treatment of him.

When Commodore Perry arrived in Naha in 1853, Bettelheim appointed himself interpreter for the Americans, and pressed upon Perry that he take action against the Ryukyuan government, which had so mistreated him over the years. The Commodore, for the most part, refused, but used Bettelheim as his interpreter in his various meetings with the Ryukyuan regent. He agreed to send a number of things back to Shanghai for Bettelheim, including letters and $800 to be deposited into his bank accounts; Perry also claimed a portion of the Gokoku-ji grounds to use as pasture for sheep he brought with him to Okinawa, while Bettelheim preached to the American crewmen.

When Commodore Perry arrived in Naha in 1853, Bettelheim appointed himself interpreter for the Americans, and pressed upon Perry that he take action against the Ryukyuan government, which had so mistreated him over the years. The Commodore, for the most part, refused, but used Bettelheim as his interpreter in his various meetings with the Ryukyuan regent. He agreed to send a number of things back to Shanghai for Bettelheim, including letters and $800 to be deposited into his bank accounts; Perry also claimed a portion of the Gokoku-ji grounds to use as pasture for sheep he brought with him to Okinawa, while Bettelheim preached to the American crewmen.

[[Category:Foreigners]]

[[Category:Foreigners]]

[[Category:Ryukyu]]

[[Category:Ryukyu]]

[[Category:Bakumatsu Period]]

[[Category:Bakumatsu]]