62 



ASIA. 



year, a great change seems to have been 

 effected in the home government. The Tycoon 

 resigned his position, and it was reported that 

 the Mikado himself, aided by a council of Dai- 

 ruios. would assume the reins of the govern- 

 ment. Finally, the Japanese Government took 

 the first definite step toward establishing a per- 

 manent diplomatic connection with foreign 

 governments, by appointing a consul-general at 

 San Francisco. This appointment, it is ex- 

 pected, will soon be followed by the appoint- 

 ment of Japanese ministei-s at the capitals of 

 the great countries of Europe and America. 

 (See JAPAN.) 



In China, the influence of foreigners shows 

 itself every year more plainly in the numerous 

 ports, and the masses of the Chinese population 

 are rapidly accustoming themselves to a commer- 

 cial intercourse with strangers. Christian mis- 

 sionaries penetrate in all directions into the in- 

 terior, and they are, on the whole, satisfied 

 with the protection which the Chinese Gov- 

 ernment extends to them. China is now on 

 the eve of a. revision of the treaty of 1859, 

 which is the basis of the present friendly rela- 

 tions between China and the Christian Govern- 

 ments. The Chinese Government placed a 

 special confidence in the Hon. Anson Bur- 

 lingame, minister of the United States in Pekin, 

 and offered to him the appointment of special 

 envoy to confer, in its name, with the chief 

 foreign Governments 011 the revision of the 

 treaty. (See CHINA.) 



India is making steady progress in the estab- 

 lishment of schools and the diffusion of knowl- 

 edge, and the increasing class of intelligent 

 natives appreciate the advantages which India 

 is deriving from the rule of England and from 

 the influence of Christianity. Both the peace at 

 home and the peaceable relations with the neigh- 

 boring states remained, on the whole, undis- 

 turbed ; though considerable alarm was felt by 

 the British authorities at the advance of Russia 

 in Central Asia. A number of the native 

 troops were employed for the Abyssinian ex- 

 pedition, and confidence was felt both in their 

 loyalty and availability. (See INDIA.) 



The steady progress of Russia in Central 

 Asia, and the consolidation of the new acquisi- 

 tions into Russian provinces, is one of the most 

 important stages in the steady transformation 

 of Asia. The few independent Khans in Cen- 

 tral Asia are too weak to resist the advance of 

 Russia, and their countries cannot escape 

 annexation either to Russia or to India. Civil 

 war continued throughout the year to devastate 

 Affghanistan, which, like other weak nations, 

 seems to be unable to maintain a national in- 

 dependence. 



France again enlarged her territory in Far- 

 ther India by annexing, in addition to the 

 provinces of Ben-Hoa, Jia-Dinh (Saigon), and 

 Dinh-Tuong (Hitho), which had been ceded by 

 the treaty of 1862, those of Vinh-Long, Hang- 

 iang, and Hatien. The French no\v possess the 

 whole of Lower Cochin-China. It is commonlv 



believed now to be the fixed policy of the 

 French Government to annex, in the course of 

 time, the whole of Farther India. 



In the south the Dutch will obtain a new 

 lease of power when the Liberals triumph in 

 the abolition of serfdom, and, if not, Australia 

 is pushing northward, and will occupy New 

 Guinea, and force Spain to do its duty to the 

 Philippines, or withdraw. 



Though five times the size of Europe, Asia is 

 more and more becoming dependent on Europe. 

 At present it contains only nine kings not de- 

 pendent on England, Russia, Holland, Spain, 

 France, and the Porte. Allowing that Arabia 

 indirectly acknowledges the last, and that the 

 Mussulmans of Eastern Tartary have not yet 

 established their power, there are only the 

 Shah of Persia, the Khan of Khiva, the Ameer 

 of Bokhara, the Ameer of Affghanistan, the 

 Emperor of China, the Mikado of Japan, the 

 Emperor of Anam, the King of Burmah, and 

 the King of Siam. If we omit the Emperor of 

 China, Russia alone rules a vaster and England 

 a more populous and wealthy Asiatic empire 

 than all combined. There can be little doubt 

 that the Khan, tho two Ameers, and the Kings 

 of Burmah and Siam, if they maintain their 

 independence at all, will be feudatories of a 

 European power. The only really independent 

 sovereigns in Asia will be those of Turkey, 

 Persia, China, and Japan. 



The extension of the telegraph wires through 

 Asia promises to have a great influence on the 

 progress of civilization. An English paper of In- 

 dia gives the following account of the Asiatic 

 telegraphs about the middle of the year : " The 

 telegraph and courier service through Russia 

 and Mongolia via Kiatchta, the frontier town, 

 is improving. The time occupied by the 

 couriers between Kiatchta and Tientsin has 

 now been reduced to twelve days. The tele- 

 graph wires are complete from London to 

 Kiatchta, and seem to work well, a telegram 

 having been received in fourteen hours. Lieu- 

 tenant W. H. Pierson, R. E., who inspected the 

 Persian telegraph from Teheran to Julfa on the 

 Russian frontier last August, gives a bad ac- 

 count of the line. Its great defect is its dis- 

 tance from the post road and its consequent in- 

 accessibility. A great portion of the line is 

 condemned, and the Shah is recommended to 

 reconstruct it on a better principle. The offices 

 at Kasvin, Zenjan, Myaneh, and Julfa are only 

 supplied with one Morse instrument each, and 

 from the way which that instrument is con- 

 nected and disconnected with the line at discre- 

 tion of a Persian signaller, they can at present 

 only be regarded as impediments to the 

 steady and rapid transmission of messages 

 between Tabreez and Teheran. On the other 

 hand, the Russian wire in the Caucasus is well 

 spoken of. The line itself is a double one, 

 exceedingly well constructed, the posts are 

 very large and strong, and renewed every 

 three years ; the insulators are very good. 

 The line is everywhere close to the post road. 



