208 PAST AND PKESENT. 



lent Japanese money at this same period, and have 

 never lost a cent by so doing. If they were trusted, 

 their honour was perfect. 



Coming now to later years. In 1870 their great 

 taste for foreign ways was particularly shown by their 

 mania for Inverness capes, and the men cutting their 

 hair as we do. European boots also were in great 

 demand. English school-books of every description 

 were now introduced ; and I used to find the native 

 schools far away from the foreign settlements, and in 

 many cases where a foreigner had never been seen, 

 teaching English. Frequently a little urchin at some 

 out-of-the-way place would come confidently up to you, 

 and, holding out a slate, say in English, " Please, sir, 

 can you explain this ? " — this being a sum. When 

 passing over the mountain ranges hundreds of miles 

 from the treaty ports, either making for some con- 

 spicuous peak to place my theodohte on, or perhaps 

 shooting, I have come to some woodman's cottage, on 

 the white-washed walls of which almost to a certainty, 

 a lot of arithmetic sums, steamers, men in European 

 costume, and other tilings would be drawn. A taste 

 for rabbits followed ; then one for pigs, and then dogs. 

 I have known as much as forty-seven dollars given for a 

 common black-and-white rabbit, and 500 for a wretched 



