PRINCE YOHI HIStlA. 
305 
XVI.] 
to the Emperor. The plan failed, and in consequence of the 
reconciliation at the end of the conflict, which distinguished in 
so honourable a way the many involved and bloody political 
struggles in Japan during recent years, this adventure was 
attended with no other result for him than that the former 
chief priest was sent to a German military school. He was 
recalled sooner than was intended because he wished to marry 
a European, which was considered below the dignity of the 
family of the Mikado. After his return he was declared nearest 
heir to the throne, in case the Mikado should die without male 
heirs, and his name, Kita-Shira-Kava-no-Miya, was changed 
a second time to YoHl Hisha. The former name was at the 
bottom of the speech he made for us at the dinner, and which 
he gave me, and the latter, with the addition, “ Prince of Japan,” 
was on his calling card. The dinner was quite European, 
with a large number of speeches, principally in European 
languages, but also in Japanese. Before every guest lay a map, 
of the form of a fan, with the course of the Vega marked upon 
it. As a memorial of Jhe feast I received some days after a 
large medal in silver inlaid in gold, of which a drawing is given 
on pages 306, 307. We were conveyed back to the Tokio 
railway station in European equipages, in the same way as we 
had been brought to the dinner. During dinner musicians 
from the band of the imperial navy played European pieces of 
music with great skill, to the evident satisfaction of the 
Japanese. 
Oh the forenoon of the l7th SejDtember we v/ere presented 
at the court of the Mikado in Tokio by the Swedish-Dutch 
minister. We were fetched from the railway station by imperial 
equipages, consisting of simple but ornamental and conve¬ 
nient suflett carriages, each drawn by a pair of beautiful black 
horses of no great size. As is common in Japan, a running 
groom, clad in black, accompanied each carriage. The recep¬ 
tion took place in the imperial palace, a very modest wooden 
YOL. II. 
X 
