Nvi.] TRINCE YOHI HISHA. G27 



lield in the great hall in Koku-Dai-Gakii, a large stone 

 building surrounded with beautiful trees, which were lighted up 

 for the occasion by a number of variegated paper lanterns. 

 Several Japanese ladies dressed in European style took part 

 in the entertainment. I sat by the side of the chairman, 

 Prince Kita-Shira-Kava, a young member of the imperial 

 house, who had served some time in the German army and 

 speaks German very well. During the disturbances which were 

 caused by the removal of the residence from Kioto to Yedo 

 (Tokio), a group of insurgents had seized the prince, then a 

 minor, who imder the name of RiNNOJiNO-MlYA was chief 

 priest in a temple, and endeavoured to set him up in opposition 

 to the Emperor. The plan failed, and in consequence of the 

 reconciliation at the end of the conflict, which distinguished in 

 so honourable a way the many involved and bloody political 

 struggles in Japan during recent years, this adventure was 

 attended with no other result for him than that the former 

 chief priest was sent to a German military school. He was 

 recalled sooner than was intended because he wished to marry 

 a European, which was considered below the dignity of the 

 family of the Mikado. After his return he was declared nearest 

 heir to the throne, in case the Mikado should die without male 

 heirs, and his name, Kita-Shira-Kaya-no-Miya, was changed 

 a second time to YoHl HiSHA. The former name was at the 

 bottom of the speech he made for us at the dinner, and which 

 he gave me, and the latter, with the addition, " Prince of Japan," 

 was on his calling card. The dinner was quite European, 

 with a large number of speeches, principally in European 

 languages, but also in Japanese. Before every guest lay a map, 

 of the foiTH of a fan, with the course of the Vega marked upon 

 it. As a memorial of the feast I received some days after a 

 large medal in silver inlaid in gold, of which a drawing is given 

 on pages 628, 629. We w^ere conveyed back to the Tokio 

 railway station in European equipages, in the same way as we 

 had been brought to the dinner. During dinner musicians 

 from the band of the imperial navy played European pieces of 

 music with great skill, to the evident satisfaction of the 

 Japanese, 



On the forenoon of the 17th September we w^ere presented 

 at the court of the Mikado in Tokio by the Swedish-Dutch 

 minister. We were fetched from the railway station by imperial 

 equipages, consisting of simple but ornamental and conve- 

 nient svjlcit carriages, each drawn by a pair of beautiful black 

 horses of no great size. As is common in Japan, a running 

 groom, clad in black, accompanied each carriage. The recep- 

 tion took place in the imperial palace, a very modest wooden 

 building. The rooms we saw were furnished, almost poorly, in 



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