The Sun.
London, England, 1862-05-08 00:00:00

THE JAPAABSE MISSION.

Yesterday the Japanese Ambassadors, accom-
panied by Mr. Macdonald, Attache of the English
Legation in Japan, and five of the principal officers
of their suite, including one next in rank to them-
selves, whom they designate the Vice-Governor,
paid a visit to the arsenal and garrison at Woolwich.
They left the London-bridge Terminus of the North
Kent Railway at a quarter-past 10 o'clock by a fast
train, arriving at Woolwich shortly before 11. At
the station there they were received by Brigade-

Major Millward and &pt. Forbes, Staff Captain, by
whom they were conducted direct to th© Arsenal on

bot.

Their visit and the time of it had been previ-

ously known, and a considerable number of the in-
habitants were waiting their arrival. The demean-
our of the crowd was marked by a feeling of respect-

ful curiosity which never for an instant bordered on
rudeness. Indeed, the general bearing of these
remarkable men, calm, self-possessed, quiet, and
unobtrusive as it is, at once inspires respect wherever

they go. They are courteous to a degree, and
acknowledge the tokens of kindly interest shown
them hero on all hands with an easy politeness and

grace all their own. At the Arsenal they were
received with every mark of respect by GenerallSir

Richard Dacres, the commandant of the garrison ;
Colonel Bingham, deputy-adjuhnt of Royal Artil-
lery ; Capt. Gordon, principal storekeeper ; Colonel
Boxer, superintendent of the laboratories ; Colonel

Clerk, superintendent of the carriage department;
Major Field, deputy-assist.-quartermaster-general;

Mr. Howell, director-general of contracts; Captain

Inglis, Royal Engineers, inspector of works; and
Mr. Anderson, assistant-superintendent of the gun
factories. After an interchange of civilities they
were conducted, first of all to the laboratories, the
various processes and operations in which were
explained to them by Col. Boxer. It may be stated,
by the way, that throughout the day two of their
retinue took copious notes of all they saw, as far as
time and opportunity would permit. In a graceful
and fluent character resembling a system of short-
hand to the eye, written in perpendicular lines
down each page, and from right to left, these chro-
niclers jotted down their ideas, under the inspiration
of the moment, with marvellous rapidity, and with
an evident view to future use. Time pressed, and
the tour of the visitors through laboratories and
other departments of the establishment was unavoid-
ably hurried. They appeared to take particular inte-
rest in some specimens of diaphragm and other shells
shown them by Col. Boxer, and also in the opera-
tions of two machines for fabricating percussion
caps, which invariably excite the admiration of
strangers. The scribes of the party with unflag-
ging zeal tried hard to embody the momentary im-

pressions which each process produced, but at best
it was an example of the pursuit of knowledge under
difficulties. Leaving the principal laboratory they
had next an opportunity of witnessing the manu-
facture on a large scale of paper cartridges, which
is carried on in a separate building. They were
then conducted through the harness department,

where trappings and fittings for some 10,000 horses
are stored in admirable order. From a window of
this building they caught a glimpse of the Thames,
with the acres of shot and shell intervening, piled
in mounds, and for some minutes the spectacle en-
gaged their attention. They passed on to the gun
factories, through which they were conducted by
Mr. Anderson, the assistant-superintendent, who
explained to them them through their interpreters
all the different operations in detail. For the last
few years circumstances with which the public are
familiar have given to this department unusual in-

terest, and here the distinguished strangers were
evidently amazed with all they witnessed. There
they saw the casting and fitting of Armstrong guns

in every conceivable stage of process, and others in
the finished state. Here a huge 100-pounder
wa. bctuis turned goutly avuud, while thick dikes
of wrought iron were being peeled by a machine
from its sides as if the material were cheese. There
a ponderous steam hammer was moulding a huge
piece of red-hot iron like so much dough into a
trunnion for a gun. The vsrious operations of bor-
ing, coiling, rifling, and shrinking, all in the
highest degree interesting, were shown in succes-
sion. At the gun factories alone some 600 or 700
men are now employed, the whole Arsenal giving
occupation to an aggregate force of more than 1,700
artificers and labourers. The visitors were after-
wards shown the shell factory, Col. Boxer again
rendering his services in the way of explanation.
Thence they went to the carriage department,
through which they were conducted by Col. Clerk,
the superintendent, and with many of the processes

in which they seemed delighted. The operations
in particular of an endless saw, with a moveable
platform, by which saddle-trees were being
fashioned, and which is capable of moulding wood
into the most fantastic forms, engaged their atten-
tion, and one of the suite was so pleased with its
performances that he clapped with his hands, the
only demonstrative expression of feeling to which
any of the party was seen to give way during the
inspection, and in that he checked himself. They
were also a good deal struck with the nice processes
of morticing the felloes and moulding the spokes of
carriage wheels by machinery. With the inspec-
tion of this department the visit of the Ambassadors
to the Arsenal terminated. It would be idle to spe-
culate on the varying feelings with which it may
have impressed men whose contact with European
civilisation has been so abrupt. In all that they
saw they certainly took an absorbing interest,
though, whether from constitutional temperament,
or as a point of manners, it would be difficult to say,
they were at no pain to demonstrate it. The atten-
tion of the Chief Minister in particular was unwea-
ried throughout the day. They lingered over the
operations in the gun factory as if under some spell,
regardless of the fierce heat from the furnaces to
which they were often exposed, and they left the
place with evident reluctance. They were after wards
entertained at luncheon by Gen. Sir Richard Dacres
and the principal officers of the garrison at their
head-quarters, A review in their honour had been
fixed for 2 o'clock, at which four troops of horse
artillery, three field batteries, three battalions of
foot artillery, and two battalions of marines would
have played a part. but in consequence of a relent-
less rain the intention was reluctantly abandoned.
Having receivedthe hospitalities of the commandant
of the garrison, the Ambassadors took their depar-
ture shortly after 3 o'clock, under a military salute,
and returned to town by rail.