3 



new settlements; and that was America. Thither, 

 therefore, he himself proceeded in the fall of 1870. J 

 He studied the rapid and wonderful progress of 

 colonization in that country, and thought that the 

 modus operandi at work there might well produce 

 similar results in Japan. The simple adoption of 

 American methods without trained hands to rightly 

 direct them, would merely amount to an apish trick. 

 His appreciation of education now rose higher than 

 ever. What particularly struck him as a remark- 

 able trait in American civilization was the immense 

 influence which women wielded there, and the 

 healthy tone it imparted to the society in general. 

 Returning in July, 1871, lie presented a memorial to-i 

 the Government, to the effect that the work of pio- I 

 neering was not confined to the opening of rivers, 1 

 and mountains, nor even to the augmenting of popu- 

 lation, but that it must take cognizance of the all 

 important labor of fostering human talents, of train- 

 ing youthful minds in one word, that the first great 

 aim never to be lost sight of in founding a new colony, 

 must be to provide itself with men and women, pro-^ 

 perly equipped to become the leaders of a pioneering 

 population. He closed his memorial with a sugges- 

 tion to send abroad some young girls, who might 

 some day become mothers in the infant colony. The 

 suggestion was carried into practice, and several 

 girls were taken over to America. 



Pursuant to his plan of education, General Kuroda 

 started a germ of a school in Tokyo under the pat- 

 ronage of the Kaitakushi. On the 21st of June, 1872, 

 it was ready to receive students. It provided two 

 courses, a general and a special. The latter embraced 



