Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1860-11-10
JAPANESE SCHOLARS AND THEIR
COMPOSITIONS.


u. S. FRIGATE PowuArTAN,}
AT SEA, Aug 10, 1860.
AT other times have given your readers yari-
Gus notes of my pedagogical career in the city
of Nagasaki, Japan, originating from a request
of the Governor that the Commodore would
designate some one to teach niEe young men,
the interpreters Of the government, the English
or they call it, the American language. Our
first visit to Nagasaki was in June. 1853, before
Japan was opened by treaty to foreign COM
merce. Having gone up to Simoda, where our
Consul General then resided, and taken him up
to the Gulf of Jcddo, where the japanese min
isters came on board the Pawhatan, and signed
the treaty, we returned to Ncgasaki the first of
September, before foreign merchant vessel
had entered the port. The Governor, however,
had foreseen the future, and prepared in season
to meet it. The port was destined to have
rush Of foreign vessels, and commerce could not
be conducted quietly and satisfactorily without
more or less knowledge of foreign languages
the most important of which, as the Governor
saw, was the English, though the crafty and at
the same stolid Dutchman, who had lived for
nearly two centuries and half in the prison
house of the little artificial three-acre island of
SimoGa, had always told them the Dutch was
the most important language, and Holland the
most important and powerful nation in the
world. Being requested to take this service,
cheeriully and most thankfully accepted the
offer, in the hope and anticipation of results
beyond the mere teaching of nine Young men,
Nor have | been disappointed. a fine room
was provided in certain quarter of the city
called the Russian Bazaar. where daily repair
ed in the morning, teaching the Young men,
who belonged TO the upper class of the people,
reading, writing, arithmetic. geography and the
principles OF astronomy as far as | could COM
muncatc them. and the outlines of history
sacred and profane. Taking advantage of cues
tous they asked, or of passages coming up in
the lessons, | also taught them the first prnci-
pies and facts of Christianity, meeting with no
opposition, and always being listened to with
attention and respect The school was contin-
ued for two months with the most gratifying
and very surprising results, the interpreters
being able at the close both to speak and write
with good degree of facility and accuracy.
have kept specimens of their composition, which
surprise me more by the fine sentiments they
sometimes express than by the mastery of the
language gained In so short time. My schol-
ars were acquainted with the Dutch, III which
they had dictionaries and elementary books,
which aided me much in my labors. | had a
request from the Governor and the school, when
our snip was about to depart from this line bay
and most beautiful hill and vale and mountain
scenery, with requests to close my connection
with the ship and become permanent teacher
IN the city, which OF course could not be done,
and with many expressions OF gratitudes from
the Governor and the interpreters, and many
emotions OF sadness and sorrow on my part, |
bade them farewell Except few little pres
ents as souvenirs and expressions of gratitude
l received no compensation; l asked and eX-
pected none, and yet was never so well paid.
Returning last year to Nagasakl, found
three OF the young men remaining IN the place,
and occupying honorable positions in the gov
ernment service, and rendering important aid
in the rush OF commerce to this part. They
manifested the utmost pleasure in reunion,
and were exceedingly corteous and gentlemanly.
They said that two of their number had been
sent to llakodadi, the important port opened on
the island OF Jesse, the most northern in the
empire two to kanagawa, and two to Jeddo,
who were doing the same service in these places
which they were doing IN Nagasak. With
those in kanaSawa and Jeddo afterwards had
the pleasure of repeatedly meeting at those pla-
ces Thus my school was ditiused from one
end of Japan to the other, and results so i'm
portant come from so humble beginning.
Encouraged by these facts, and better ac-
quanted with the Japanese character, when the
japanese embassy came on board our ship to
take passage for the United States, at once
resolved, and indeed had before resolved, to re-
peat the operation of teaching, opening my
school on the great ocean when it could not be
done on the land, and making man-of-war
my school.house instead of the neat chamber in
the Russian Bazaar. No sooner was the pro-
posal made to the young men of the embassy
than any number offered and the ambassadors,
upon being consulted, not only approved the
measure, but gave the use of their fore cabin
for the school, which was quite ample in its di-
mensions and accommodations, as well as con-
venient of access. Here forenoon and after
noon, and sometimes turning into sunset, the
school was conducted, the scholars numbering
twelve, besides several who dropped off from
i'll health or want of talent to master our Ian
guage, or from sudden turn in their minds
after seeing the Sandwich Islands and San
Francisco from books to trade, and building