414 



JAPAN. 



the recipients in full at the time named, as ori- 

 ginally intended, a new arrangement, so as to 

 spread the disbursements over several years, 

 and into national investments, was proposed 

 by Iwakura well known as chief of the mis- 

 sion to Europe some years ago. He suggested 

 that one-half of this amount be invested in the 

 establishment of a bank, to be conducted on 

 the most approved foreign system ; 2,500,000 



CASTLE OF OZAKA. 



be made a Government loan at liberal interest, 

 and the remainder be employed in the estab- 

 lishment of useful manufactures by machinery. 

 This proposition, although sanctioned by his 

 colleagues in the administration, was opposed 

 in the Assembly of Nobles not only by the in- 

 ferior ex-daimios, but by some of the most in- 

 fluential in the state, whose kinsmen held im- 

 portant positions in the army and navy, as well 

 as in the civil service. The leader among these 

 malcontents was Shimadzo Saburo, father of 

 the ex-Daimio of Satsuma, and recognized chief 

 of that powerful clan, occupying the district 

 or Ken of Kagoshima, at the southwestern 

 extremity of Kiushiu, one of the smaller Jap- 

 anese islands. It was here that the outbreak 

 began. Early in February an armed party of 

 Satsuma men seized a Government steamer, 

 and a quantity of gunpowder which was loaded 

 at Kagoshima. The rebels proceeded thence 

 northward, gaining considerable additions to 

 their ranks as they went. Kumamoto, a large 

 fortified town on the west coast of the province 

 of Higo, was taken and held for some time ; 

 but after severe fighting, in which there was 

 great loss of life on both sides, the rebel troops 

 were forced to evacuate it. They then pro- 

 ceeded southward, and held foratune Hitoyo- 

 shi and other large towns. Suffering continued 

 defeat, they retired westward, through a thinly- 

 populated and exceedingly mountainous region. 

 The warfare here was of a very uncertain nature. 



Small bodies of the opposing troops occasion- 

 ally met, and in such encounters it is said the 

 Imperialists generally were successful. There 

 were evidences of a failure of supplies in the 

 rebel army, stones being used as bullets, and 

 food being unprocurable in the hilly districts. 

 It gradually retreated before the advancing Im- 

 perialists, being much harassed by them ; and 

 as it neared the eastern shore of the island, it 

 became partially demor- 

 alized, and wholesale 

 desertions from it took 

 place. Saigo, with his 

 force thus weakened 

 boldly emerged from 

 the hilly region, and, 

 with the remainder of 

 his army, took posses- 

 sion of Nobeoka, a large 

 town on the east coast 

 of Kiushiu. On August 

 14th he was forced to 

 retreat from Nobeoka, 

 and to take again to the 

 mountains. At this time 

 he was again left by 

 many of his followers, 

 so that but 600 re- 

 mained. With these he 

 made a forced march of 

 150 miles; and, suddenly 

 appearing before Kago- 

 shima, captured the 

 Government stores of 



ammunition, and sent off the Government of- 

 ficials in rapid flight. Having established him- 

 self, as securely as circumstances admitted, in 

 his own town, which he had left eight months 

 before, he immediately proceeded to the enlist- 

 ment of fresh recruits for his army, when his 

 operations were disturbed by the arrival of 

 Government troops. He at once retired to a 

 strongly fortified eminence, named Shiroyama, 

 in the neighborhood of the town, and wag 

 there surrounded by a body of 15,000 Impe- 

 rialists. An attack was made on his position 

 on September 24th, which ended in the almost 

 complete annihilation of the rebel army, 80 

 only escaping with their lives. The bodies of 

 Saigo, Kirino, and of four other principal lead- 

 ers, were found lying together, death having 

 been caused by seppuku, or self-immolation. 

 The heads had been cut off and buried, in order 

 to prevent identification, but they were after- 

 ward discovered, and, it is stated, were exposed 

 in the streets of Kagoshima. This put an end 

 to the rebellion, and the authority of the Gov- 

 ernment was again established over the whole 

 country, thongh at a cost of 12,000 men, and 

 between 7,000,000 and 8,000,000. 



On August 21st, a national exhibition of 

 arts and industries was opened at Tokio, by 

 the Emperor. It consisted of an Agricultural 

 Hall, a Machinery Hall, a Fine-Arts Building, 

 an Horticultural Building, and an Eastern and 

 Western Hall. The exhibitions in agriculture 



