454 



JAPAN. 



with each other and takes away our rights. We 

 must humbly beseech your Majesty that it may 

 please your Majesty to appoint a stipendiary magis- 

 trate to sit at every court-day, as may enable us to 

 obtain satisfaction. We have also to state that con- 

 sequently the island has been abolished, all the 

 sugar estates, coffee mountains, feeding and grazing 

 farms, that were in cultivation iu former days, have 

 been thrown up, which has actually brought a famine 

 upon the lands. There are many young persons 

 that were from respectable connections have suffered 

 very great adversities by not having to do, whereas 

 if all those properties were in cultivation they could 

 have had something to do. We prays that it may 

 please your Majestv's grace to send the Americans 

 to cultivate those thrown up properties, as may en- 

 able us to get something to do. All we ask is, that 

 your Majesty may be pleased to consider over the 

 state of this island, and render the poor some assist- 

 ance. And that your Majesty's life may be long 

 spared, and that the blessings of those ready to 

 perish may rest on you. This is the sincere wish of 

 your most humble petitioners. 



(Signed) ANDREW ROSS. 



(And thirty-nine others). 



JAPAN", an empire in Eastern Asia. The 

 name of the Mikado is only known by the im- 

 perial princes. He resides at Miaco, in the 

 principality of Kioto. The name of the Tycoon, 

 or Temporal Kegent, is Mino Motto ; his resi- 

 dence Yeddo. The population is estimated at 

 from thirty-five to forty millions of inhabi- 

 tants.* 



Thfc Paris " Moniteur de 1'Armee " gives 

 the following information concerning the Jap- 

 anese army : " The Japanese army is composed 

 of two distinct elements, comprising: 1. The 

 troops maintained by the fendal chiefs termed 

 Daimios, for the purpose of defending their do- 

 mains ; and 2. The troops maintained by the 

 Tycoon, which constitute the imperial army 

 properly speaking. The number of the Daimios 

 having troops in their service is 200, and these 

 troops form an effective force of 370,000 infantry 

 and 40,000 cavalry. These constitute the federal 

 army, and are placed at the disposition of the 

 Tycoon whenever the independence of the 

 country is menaced. The imperial army usually 

 maintained by the Tycoon was supposed to be 

 100,000 infantry and 20,000 cavalry, but its 

 effective force did not in reality exceed half that 

 number. The present Tycoon has, however, re- 

 organized it. It .will henceforth comprise 80,- 

 000 men infantry, cavalry, artillery, and en- 

 gineers. The infantry will be -divided into 

 regiments, they will manoeuvre like our sol- 

 diers, and will also be armed d la Franfaise. 

 A certain number of Japanese officers and 

 subalterns have been instructed by us at Yoko- 

 hama, and are now going to instruct their coun- 

 trymen." 



The European settlements, during the year 

 1865, made marked progress. According to an 

 English paper published in Japan, the Japan 

 " Herald," a railroad, with a locomotive engine 

 and tender, is now in operation on the Bund, 

 at Nagasaki, and excites a great deal of attention 



* For further Information concerning the Government, 

 commerce, etc., compare Art. JAPAN in the ANNUAL CYCLO- 

 VJEi>iAforlSC4. 



among the Japanese, who come from far and near 

 to see it. The Prince of Satsuma has planted 

 40,000 mulberry trees during the past year, a 

 significant fact, which shows his estimation of 

 foreign commerce. He is also making con- 

 siderable preparations for the improved manu- 

 facture of sugar at the Loo-choos, and is re- 

 ported to have engaged a Scotch overseer to 

 the works there, and imported the latest im- 

 proved machinery. If reports be true, the 

 local Daimios in the southern portion of Japan 

 are all anxious to open their ports to foreign- 

 ers, and to give them every encouragement and 

 protection in their trading operations. In Yo- 

 kohama a chamber of commerce was formed. 

 Letters from that city describe changes made 

 during the past twelvemonth as having been 

 very great. That which was cultivated ground 

 ten months before is now built over with camp 

 huts and hospitals: Latterly the Japanese have 

 made a good carriage road for the English, six 

 or seven miles long, and there may be seen 

 every afternoon all the elite of the place, riding, 

 driving, or walking. Six months before there 

 was not a carriage to be seen. The French 

 Government decided to establish in Yokohama 

 an arsenal. 



According to a report of the British Consul, 

 the value of the imports and exports of the 

 three ports opened to foreign trade was, in the 

 year 1863 and 1864, as follows: Imports for 

 1863, 755,871 ; exports, 1,667,741. Imports' 

 for 1864, 1,879,757; exports, 2,788,004. 



The movement of shipping was, in 1863, as 

 follows: Entered, 170 vessels (100 British, 40 

 American, 13 Dutch, 8 German, 7 French, 2 

 Eussian); together, of 64,328 tons: Cleared, 

 168 vessels, of 61,210 tons. 



The relations of Japan to the foreign Powers 

 underwent, in the latter part of the year 1865, 

 a most important change, which was expected 

 to be the final death-blow to the exclusive anti- 

 foreign policy of the Japanese Government. 

 The representatives of Great Britain, France, 

 and the Netherlands, being unable to obtain 

 the fulfilment of former treaties, and their rati- 

 fication by the Mikado, a fleet, consisting of 

 five English, four French, and one Dutch ves- 

 sels left Yokohama, on November 1st, for the 

 Inland Sea. The British, French, and Dutch 

 Ministers accompanied the expedition. The 

 following account of the progress and result 

 of the expedition is taken from the "Japan 

 Market Keport," which declares to have re- 

 ceived it from an unquestionable source : " Tho 

 Tycoon and his government had information 

 (more or less) of the intention of the foreign 

 representatives to visit Osaka. On the arrival 

 of the fleet, the Tycoon was at Kioto, awaiting 

 the final orders of the Mikado respecting Na- 

 gato. On the very day on which the foreign 

 ships dropped anchor off Hiogo, he received a 

 djeen laori (war dress) and a tatchi (war sword). 

 The foreign ministers at once sent officers to 

 Osaka to take to the Gorogio letters, in which 

 were stated the requirements of the treaty 



