ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 5t 
thereby to keep their people isolated within their own islands. Once forced 
from the coast by stress of weather, these rudders are soon washed away, 
when the vessels naturally fall off into the trough of the sea, and roll their 
masts out. The number, of which no record exists, which have thus suftered 
during the past nineteen centuries must be very large, probably many 
thousand vessels. 
Among Japanese mariners, the fear of being thus blown off their coast, has 
been an ever-threatening danger; and the memory of such time-honored 
accidents, is a common feature in the traditions of every seaport settlement 
along the eastern coast of Japan. ° 
By the Government Census, taken in 1874, the total population of Japan 
was 33,300,675 souls, and there were 22,670 registered sailing vessels of Jap- 
anese style, (junks) of from 8 to 383 tons, engaged in the coasting trade. 
The crews of ordinary trading junks average from eight to twelve men each. 
In the sixteenth year of the reign of the Emperor Suizin, B. C. 81, 
merchant ships and ships of war are first spoken of as built in Japan. 
Under the Shogoon Iyémitsu, about 1639, edicts commanded the destruction 
of all boats built upon‘any foreign model, and forbade the building of vessels 
of any size or shape superior to. that of the present junk. 
By the imperial decree of 1637, Japanese who had left their country and 
been abroad, were not allowed to return, death being the penalty for traveling 
abroad, studying foreign Janguages, introducing foreign customs, or believing 
in Christianity. 
The Empire of Japan is situated in the northwestern part of the Pacific 
Ocean, and is composed of four large islands and of a great number of smaller 
ones. It faces to the northwest the Kingdom of Corea, and is separated from 
it by the Japan sea. To the northeast the archipelago of Chijima (Kurile 
Islands) extends towards Kamschatka. At the southwest the Liu Kiu Islands 
are situated opposite the Island of Formosa. 
Its whole length, extending from one end to the other of the empire, meas- 
ures more than 500 Ris (about 1225 English miles), and its breadth varies 
from 20 to 60 Ris (about 734% to 146 English miles.) Its total area is 23,740 
Square Ris. 
The sources of information at command have been exceptionally good. 
During seventeen years, in which I represented the Government of Japan at 
this port, it has been my pleasure to devote much critical attention to the 
subject of Japanese wrecks, picked up adrift in the North Pacific Ocean and 
stranded upon the northwest coast of America and its various outlying 
islands, and those of the chain extending from Hawaii towards Niphon. 
Besides keeping a detailed record of all wrecks reported during this period, I 
have also collected and verified many cases of earlier reports, which although 
still extant, were likely to be overlooked. 
In at least 37 of the cases quoted, I have either seen the saved, or received 
a personal account from those who were themselves witnesses. Hawaiian 
and Japanese traditions I have myself gathered in those countries. 
In March, 1860, I took an Indian boy on board the Japanese steam corvette 
Kanrin-maru, where a comparison of Coast-Indian and pure Japanese words 
was made at my request, by Fukuzawa Ukitchy, then Admiral’s Secretary: 
