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New Zealand Tablet, Volume IV, Issue 205, 9 March 1877, Page 12

Our trade with Japan increases fast. The Japanese people are inventive. When they buy our fabrics they set about improving them, and their genius is displayed in many such innovations. When our G-overnmeut sent Commodore Perry to break the exclusiveness ot Japan, we sent, among other presents, a case of Sharp's rifles. Two years later the Japanese Government sent to us return presents. Among them was what appeared to be the identical box of Sharp's rifles. The box bore exact resemblance and the rifles the same, even to the name of Sharp engraved upon them. Our Government supposed this to be evidence of disapproval, for inspectors pronounced them the same rifles returned. Sharp was sent for, at Philadelphia. The first Sharp survey revealed to him a certain improvement, which, had baffled his inventive genius, and which he had given up as impractical. It saved one extra movement in breech-loading, and Sharp immediately adopted it. — ' Baltimore Sun.'