430 



JAPAK 



waive the insertion of the agreement, which 

 must appear in plain terms. As, at another in- 

 terview, which took place on October 23d, an 

 agreement on this point could not be reached, 

 the Japanese embassadors prepared to leave Pe- 

 king for home, and on the 25th General Le Gen- 

 dre did set out. Hearing of this, and of the 

 imminent withdrawal of the remainder of the 

 mission, Prince Ivung went to the residence 

 of Mr. Wade, and requested him to take a mes- 

 sage to Okubo, which might have the effect of 

 detaining him. He offered, in distinct words, 

 the first really acceptable terms of settlement 

 that had come from the Chinese side, and of- 

 fered them in a way that, this time, left little 

 doubt as to the sincerity of his intentions. Mr. 

 Wade promptly consented, and visited the Ja- 

 panese commissioner without delay. He stated 

 that he was empowered to declare that there 

 would be no objection raised against Okubo's 

 resolution to obtain written evidence of con- 

 sent to the terms proposed. 



Late at night, on the 25th, Okubo informed 

 Mr. Wade that he would listen to proposals 

 based upon this new development, but he was 

 determined not to consider any repetitions of 

 the assumptions of established authority over 

 the whole of Formosa. Nor was he disposed 

 to confer personally with the Tsung li Yamen 

 until he felt assured that there would be no 

 further attempt at evasion or delay. The com- 

 munications thus reopened were carried on 

 through Mr. Wade, who courteously acted as a 

 willing messenger, until the 31st of October, 

 when the last and decisive interview was held. 

 The Chinese, who formally acknowledged the 

 right of Japan to send the expedition to For- 

 mosa, withdrew all their accusations of lack of 

 good faith on the part of the Japanese Govern- 

 ment, and declared themselves ready to pay 

 500,000 taels. All this they, were fully pre- 

 pared to pledge themselves to, under their hand 

 and seal. Every stipulation should be clearly 

 set down in the convention about to be exe- 

 cuted. But they were still sensitive in regard 

 to the word " indemnity," and represented 

 with much feeling that it would leave an un- 

 pleasant impression upon their minds. They 

 urged that the application of the money should 

 be described as partly for the relief of the fami- 

 lies of murdered Japanese subjects, and partly 

 in payment for improvements in Southern For- 

 mosa, as had been previously indicated on the 

 20th of October. As the Japanese embassadors 

 were willing to accept this plea, the negotiations 

 were speedily brought to an end. The conven-. 

 tion was drawn up and signed, and the Chinese 

 and Japanese officers took leave of each other 

 with the customary expressions of consideration 

 and good-will. 



The articles of the convention were as fol- 

 lows: 



Okubo-, High Commissioner Plenipotentiary of 

 Great Japan, Councilor of State and Minister of the 

 Interior, on the one part, and the ministers of Great 

 Tsing (China) charged with the. general superin- 



tendence of foreign affairs, namely, the Prince of 

 Kung (and nine other ministers, the names and 

 titles of whom are given in full), on the other part 



Have agreed together upon the following articles, 

 and hereby execute the present instrument, in proof 

 of the arrangement determined on. 



As the people of all nations have a riglit to protec- 

 tion and to immunity from wrong, it becomes the 

 duty of each state to take its own measures to insure 

 full protection (within itself), and it is incumbent on 

 the state within which questions (as to protection) 

 may occur to take its own steps for the settlement 

 of the same. 



The savage tribes of Formosa, having willfully in- 

 flicted injury upon people belonging to Japan, and 

 Japan at first believing that responsibility rested 

 with the said savages, dispatched a force to the 

 spot and punished them. Now, however, Japan has 

 distinctly agreed with China to withdraw her troops, 

 and to conclude in three articles the following sup- 

 plementary arrangement for the disposal of this 

 question : 



1. The proceedings of Japan on this occasion hav- 

 ing originally been taken for the rightful object of 

 protecting her people, China does not regard them 

 as wrongful. 



_ 2. China shall pay consolation-money to the fami- 

 lies of the distressed (or shipwrecked) people who 

 were injured on the former occasion, and as she 

 wishes to retain for her own use the roads, houses, 

 and other works constructed by Japan at the said 

 place, China first agrees to pay for the same under 

 arrangements set forth in a separate document. 



3. The whole of the correspondence relating to 

 this question which has passed between the two na- 

 tions will be withdrawn and canceled by both par- 

 ties, and discussion thereon will cease forever. As 

 to the savage tribes of the said locality, China ought, 

 of course, to take measures for keeping them under 

 proper control, in order that navigators may be for- 

 ever protected, and never again exposed to outrage 

 or wrong. 



MEIJI, seventh year, tenth month, day. 



TUNGCHI, thirteenth year, ninth month, day. 

 (October, 1874.) 



Countersigned by YANAGIWABA, 



Minister Plenipotentiary of Great Japan. 



SUPPLEMENTARY ARTICLE. 



Okubo, High Commissioner Plenipotentiary of 

 Great Japan, Councilor of State and Minister of the 



(and 'nine other ministers, the names and titles 01 

 whom are given in full), on the other part 



Hereby execute the following certificate of a joint 

 agreement : 



In the matter of the Formosan savages, His Excel- 

 lency the British minister Wade has already at this 

 time effected a distinct agreement with the two na- 

 tions who mutually execute this day an instrument 

 in proof of the arrangement arrived at. China agrees, 

 in the first place, to give to the families of the dis- 

 tressed (or shipwrecked) Japanese who were injured 

 on former occasions, 100,000 taels as consolation- 

 money, and further, on the withdrawal of the Japan- 

 ese troops, as China wishes to retain for her own 

 use the roads, builings, and other works constructed 

 at the said place, she will pay as the cost of the same 

 400,000 taels. It has also been stipulated and agreed 

 by Japan on the one hand that the withdrawal of 

 her troops shall be completed by the twentieth day 

 of the twelfth month of the seventh year of Meiji. 

 and by China on the other that the whole sum shall 

 be paid by the twelfth day of the eleventh month of 

 the thirteenth year of Tungchi (both dates being sy- 

 nonymous, and answering to the 20th December, 

 1874). The time thus named shall not be exceeded 

 by either party. So long as the Japanese troops are 



