THE JAPANESE MINISTER AT HOME.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXII, Issue 7411, 29 November 1884, Page 6

THE JAPANESE MINISTER AT HOME.

(Th* f«rR) Tho Ktate (irovide* Mr Inowy*’, It* Foreign Minister, with an nffirial reeidenre, where -oniiitlntss take place and [wrfb'i are given, much iw they are in anotheb Foreign «XfW ocar the Thame*. Thi* largo building i« furaUhcd throughout in the Kurojiean ilyle, now adopted by ail who derive to (tend well with Ministers and Mikado, In hi* pfelly o'liintry Itmuo on the outskirts of Tokie, Mr Inoitye preserve* the two mode* of living, there Iraing A suite of reception and dining room* ftirnbbed tin I'ottenham Court road, whilst one wing of tire house 1* in tho Ja{*uie*e style. Nothing could l«< daioticr or in Wtti'r teitn than in the Jn|*ftfK«e home, The colouring i* cxquUite, and the various »u«b, limply julUhed and showing ih© grain, are a 4 idoasurn ti» look itjuui. The bonne stawb dgh. with trees and field« facing K, and in hot weal Iter is tho porfiT tiuti of a summer residence. It U very ditlicult now to obtain real old lacquer or old thing 4 * of any kind in Japan, t he touriit of all nation* and th© agent of many " hon*©* “ are abroad, and eagerly pick up whatever is old. Jajtaucftc modern art i* equal to the umergemy, and makes many thing* that are laiautiful if not «dd. Madiiim 4 Inonyc has not only the knowledge, the tarie, and Special opportuniUcs of exercising it. but lias boon quietly at work for some years, and her rooms are full of treasures unpurchasable to-day. Sitting in the European drawing-room (which, after all, has its convenience in the matter of chairs), Mr Inotiyi? tells tho story of his life. It is also, in a great measure, the story of the life of the new Empire of Japan. In 186* Japan was in throes which surely presaged a new birth of one kind or other, most probably of revolution and rapine. The Tycoon reigned, but scarcely governed, at Tokio j the Mikado reigned, but in no sense governed, at Kiyote. The old nobles of Japan were the real ruler* of tho Empire, though for convenience’ sake, and with the object of preventing one or other of their fellows from usurping tho empty throne, they were content to do homage to the Tycoon. But when he proved faithless to all the traditions of tho country, by entering upon treaties with the despised foreigner#, some of them resolved to assert the personal independence which bad always existed in fact. Foremost amongst these hot-headed chief tains was the Prince of Choriu. He swore a great oath that, let the Tycoon do what be pleased, and make such treaties m ho thought fit in Tokio, the province of Cboeiu should be held free from th© contaminating touch of the foreigners. Amongst his retinue were two young men of 22 or 23 years of age. one named I to and tb© other Inouyl. They were of the Samauri doss, and their sagacity and courage had, even at this early age, raised them high in the counsels of their Prince. They were daring enough to offer him advice, and when he talked of keeping Ih® foreigners off with his puny forte, they gloomily shook their heads. Tho Prince listened to reason from hi* young but trusted counsellors, and a notable scheme was hatched. These two youths, with three others of the same age and standing, were to go to England, spy oat the land, master the great secret of naval supremacy, bring it back to Japan, straightway create a fleet, mad then let England, the United States, and Franco look out! lnouy£ induced the Consul at Yokohama to ship them in the dead of the night in the guise of common sailors to Shanghai, whence they could take passage for England. Tho Prince of Choriu raised jfiiOOO to meet the expenses of their expedition, a sum bo placed to their credit with the house of Jardine, Mathcsoa and Co., one of the pioneers of British trade in Japan. Everything went well as for as Shanghai, but here a hitch occurred. Three of the party duly sailed as passengers, and reached England after a more or less pleasant voyage, Ito and Inouye met with quite another fate. Being questioned as to their desires and intentions, luouyii expended tho greater port of his English In declaring that he " wanted to learn navigation His heart was full and his mind engrossed by the object of his mixtion. Knowledge of navigation was the secret of England’s greatness, and the foundation of the power which enabled her to be overbearing and insolent in Japan. He and his dear friend Ito would go and study navigation in it* chief school. They would come back and spread it through Chosiu. Then should the star of the British Empire on the sea* pale, and who knows but what it would be found worth while that Great Britain should be annexed, and should be even as Tczxo. or one of the countless islands that stud the Inland Sea ? Accordingly, when asked what they wonted to do. Inouyc answered, “ Navigationand that being all tho reply to lie got out of him, he and his comrade were shipped as common sailors on board the good ship Pegasus, bound for the port of London. They did not discover their position till Shanghai hod become a dim streak on the horizon, and they found themselves buffeted about, ordered in on unknown tongue to do impossible things. Tho sailors took pains to teach them their business, and, with the natural aptitude of the Japanese, they »pe**dily bocAin® able wauion* 4 * 1 Hover see a (tailing ship now," tho Foreign Minister raid, as ho puffed hi* cigarette. •• but I find myself scanning the rigging and running off the names of tho rope* and smra. as I used to do on the Pegasus. When they arrived in the port of London, tho sailors loft the ship, mid hurried off to home or other haunts. But the two Japanese runaway# had nowhither to go. They were dazed with the right and sound* of mighty london, with it* moving crowd*, it* inloruuuttblo its fovvtft of ship*. They were in the centre of millions of people, whoso ultimate fate they held in the palm of their bauds, but who. for the present, with provoking indifference, took no more notice of them than if they hod been two gnat* that had strayed into dock from Plumstoad Marshes. Moreqxvt, they to fwM very hungry. With the end of the voyage, rations, such a* they were, had *to}q«d. The galley fire wa* cold, the wok nad disappeared, and there wa* not even a lit ot mouldy biscuit to be bad. They stayed on board partly because they had nowhere else to go. mid jsirtly because Uieyexpcc tcd that their arrival would be duly netihed. and that some one would come down mid lead them to a place »♦** they were to •toy. Nobody coming* ami hunger gnawing at them, Inouy* volunteered to go ashore and buy seme food. They had three dollars left, which they hod secreted beyond the ken of the rapacious bo’sun. Not knowing the value of such coin in England, it was deemed desirable that the emissary should take with him all the money. He eeoorvUugly pocketed the three dollars, and went forth in search of something to eat Ho would surely come upon a place where rice was sold ready boUed. or tiny bowls of soup were dispensed, or, peradventure, a little fish, with trimmings of seaweed, might he purchased. Wandering about, with his weather ey» Kfor suck contittgonoira, young Inouy© ngth came to a baker’s shop. Iterad does not form part of Japanese daily fcod. but he hod learned to eat hlseuit on board tho Pegasus, and tills at least would be softer. Besides, the negotiations for the purchase of a loaf of bread would not bo impeded by hlaignoranoe of the Ho need not sneak a word. He had only to enter the shop, take np a loaf, put down the money, and the transaotkm wra ototed. H« took up a loaf, when It ocoarred to him that ha ifld not knowhow much toiytor It. He had never bought a loaf before, and could not even gne*». ** »*• price. It might be one dollar, or less i it might be two dollars, or even three- He did not like to offer too llttk. Of oouwo

t hi> gate too touch the omit would give hiitt th« change. Bo he {rut down the three dollar*. One hi sorry and ashamed to learn that the taker, after looking at him and disking the coin* In test the gnod«ft«* of tV silver, swept them all Into tbw till, and InouyJ, with a sinking heart, left the shop- He had got a loaf r<f bread, hut in the heart of thl* big and pitiless fitly ho and his comraVa were ponmbws. A Sew trouble V»**t him whon he left the shop. He had taken the hearing* of the ship a* carefully ft* he could, hut he hod fi«t gone far before he discorded that he had bat hi* wuy. for hour# be walked about,faint with hunger, fatigue, and fear. Ho waa hungry too, and till he mold share with him he would not break bread. At last, when it was growing dusk, he happened to turn in at the dock gate*, and ImrA Ito in a state of desperation on his account. The two sat down in the empty forecastle, and ate their bread with a mighty content. The next day a messenger from Jordinw, Matheeon and (>»,, rescued them, f/dgings Were provided for them in Gower street, and they had plenty of money nl their command. This they used in prosecuting those inrpiine* which were the object of their expedition. TVy were Vwn-wyed young men, and were not long in discovering how Indkrrotisly slight was the foundation on which they bad built their lofty hopes. A wne' of the Invincible pow**r of England, which had dawned upon them in their voyage up the Thames, grew with every day> residence in the country. At the end of three months news asm*. from Japan which greatly added to their trouble. The Prince of Cfmlu—perhaps incited by the knowledge that he had five secret emissaries la the enemy's camp, who would presently possess themwdves of the talisman of England's power—had kicked over the traces* Ho had cl wed the Straits of Hhimonosokl against British ships, and had threatened to fire upon any that came within range of hi* guns. The Tycoon hod solemnly rebuked him, and he had defied the Tycoon, Inouyc and Ito knew only too surely what would he the end ol this. Their first and immediate duty was to go hack to Japan, and warn their Prince of the hopelessness of the straggle upon which he had embarked. They called upon Messrs Jardine, Mat Veon and Co., and explained the peremptory need of their return. Bat the members ol that eminent and practical firm only shoal their heads. These young Japanese had been consigned to their care with other goods from Japan. They were labelled " students,” and Mean* Jardine, MatVvoi; and Co. had put them in the way of study Till fresh orders were received, they could not re-shlp them for any port. This wag a serious rebuff. But the two young Japanese had grown accustomed to rebuffs, and had already formed a habit of disregarding them. Since there wore no other mean* ol obtaining a passage, they, profiting by their experience on the Pegasus, shipped before the mast as common (women, and making the long voyo «• by the Cape oi Good Hope, reached Shanghai in safety lire next thing was to get to Japan, ai enterprise even mote difficult than th< Journey from Europe to Asia. They shrewdly suspected that the Britial Minister at Pekin would gladly accept their good offices in farthering the settle meat of the difficulties which their hot beaded Prince had created. They appeal** personally and directly to Sir Katherforc Aioock; told him of their conviction of th* utter useleatnesa ol the Prince of Chodu’i kicking against the pricks, and of then argent desire to come face to face will him, and report the result of their obacr rations in England. The British Minister touched by this mixture of simplicity one shrewdness, ordered Admiral Keppel the* in command of the British Seat in the Chinese tea, to land them as near the camp of the Prince their master as was practicable. As soon as they got ashore they hastened to the Prince, earnestly besought him to desist from a hopeless conflict, and in part succeeded in stepping him in his mad career. But they were more truly representatives ot Japanese opinion when, eight months earlier, they bad left the country in search of means te trample on the foreigner. The Prince him self was helpless to stem the coarse events were taking. He had raised a spectra which he could not lay at will. Ai 1 for the new and unexpected emissaries of peace, it fared hardly with them. Ito had to hide himself from popular indignation. Inoayv, falling iute the hands of the angered Samourai, was slashed, hacked, and left for dead by the roadside. He had just sufficient strength left to crawl to his mother’s house, where he was nuraed back to life and carefully hidden. But to this day he bears on his face a memento of that terrible night. Within four years of these events the inevitable end bad come. The power ol the Tycoon had crumbled to pieces. The Mikado wo* restored to actual authority: the feudal system which had brought about this result in its turn miraculously melted away t and after a transformation scene, the like of which has never before been enacted in the history of the world, Japan found itself under something approaching to constitutional government. In fostering the growth of popular liberty, and concomitantly of national prosperity, which has since invigorated Japan, the sailor apprentices of the Pegasus have borne a principal share. The lemons they learned in Gower street in 1801 have not faded from their memory. Abandoning ail notions of conquering England, they determined as far as possible to imitate herThey have introduced into Japan, railways, telegraphs, a postal service, and a thorough svstem of education. The dream of their early vouth haa been realised to the extent that Japan now has a navy of first-class ships, though their guns are not loaded to keep off foreigners. On the contrary, foreigners ore welcomed throughout the Empire, and foreign trade flourishes at half a dozen open port*. The energy of the present Government, of which Mr Ito and Mr InouyJ are the founders and the sustaining forces, are deliberately and persistently directed toward* extending this sound and liberal policy.