 Etō was refused support in Kagoshima, and fled to Tosa in a fishing boat, where he was received coldly.While attempting to find a boat to take him to Tokyo, he was apprehended on March 28.Sympathy for Etō was high, with Sanjo Sanetomi writing to Ōkubo to remind him that Etō's motives were not evil, and with Kido Takayoshi likewise writing to suggest that Etō be employed in the upcoming Taiwan Expedition of 1874.