100 : General Notes. [ Jan. 
king of Loochoo, upon his accession to the throne, sent special 
envoys to announce the fact to the emperor, and to ask that com- 
missioners be sent to confer investiture upon the new king. 
This was always acceded to, and the reports of some of the com- 
missioners have been published in China and Japan, which are 
exceedingly well written and illustrated. The king of Loochoo 
always used as his seal of state one conferred upon him by the 
Chinese emperor. He also sent envoys at stated times to bear 
tribute and congratulations to the emperor, who generously 
allowed them to bring with them a certain number of the sons of 
the Loochooan nobles to be educated, at the emperor’s expense, 
in the Kwo tsi Kien, or National College, at Peking. This state 
of things continued until after the change in the Japanese govern- 
ment, in 1868, when it was put to an end by the Japanese. The 
Japanese first became acquainted with the Loochooans A.D. 1451, 
when certain Loochooans brought a present of one thousand 
strings of cash (or Chinese copper coins) to the ruling Shogun, 
and from this time the Loochooans traded frequently to Hiogo 
and Kagoshima. Their relations to Japan were always of a 
most friendly character, and their vessels came very frequently 
bearing presents. But, A.D. 1609, Iyehisa, prince of Satsuma, 
fitted out an expedition to sate, captured the king, and 
brought him prisoner to Kagoshima. He was released at the 
end of three years, although the Japanese could not succeed in 
inducing him to abjure his allegiance to the emperor of China, 
yet compelling him to pay an annual tribute to the prince of 
ember as the Japanese histories say, and forbidding him to 
he Chinese of the fact. From this time until 1868, the 
oaio continued to pay tribute both to China and Japan. 
When Commodore Perry wished to insert some provisions re- 
lating to Loochoo in his treaty with the Shogun (“ tycoon”), the 
latter was unable to accede to Perry’s wish, as the Shogun had 
no jurisdiction, Loochoo being considered by the Japanese as a 
dependency of the prince of Satsuma, and Commodore Perry 
(and after him the Hollanders) concluded a separate convention 
with the king or regent of Loochoo. After the surrender, in 
1871, by the oe "= F oes to the Mikado of their 
territorial powers possessions, the Imperial government, 
diaaa Eodéhvò ae asa arene dagcaaenoy of the Prince of Sat- 
suma, commenced to introduce more and more Japanese laws 
and regulations pet Loochoo; and finally, in 1879, notwithstand- 
ing the earnest remonstrances ‘of the Loochooan king’s envoys, 
who appealed is aid to the Chinese minister in Tokio, as well 
as to our own minister, the Hon. John A. Bingham, the Japan- 
oe ese dethroned the king of Loochoo, and brought him with his 
Tokit, where he now is abies a pension from the 
erni nent, who have s suppla native Ooan 
"and the TIST code, 
pee = aa E S ia 
ae: A EN Mana a aaa eel ae tae a, 
