New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-01-01
A Japanese school shin.

AS the South owns very little shipping. I
and employs very few of her gallant and
active young men in maritime pursuits, it
may stimulate public thought to remind our
fellow citizens of how the Japanese are
going ahead. a California correspondent
of the New York Times gives the following
accent of Japanese progress in that line:
They have now a well-established naval
academy at Toxic, which is governed upon
the same principles of instruction as our
own Annapolis school The cadets are 4
placed upon training vessels, where they
remain for period Of five years, after
which they are assigned to duty upon re-
gular men-of-War. The Tsukuba is tho 1
largest of the training vessels, and ID yearly 1
sent en- cruise abroad, Two years ago
she went to China, last year to Formosa,
and this is her first visit to the American 1
coast. Upon going aboard the Tsukuba
there is nothing essentially different TO be 1
noticed in her appearance from that OF |
American war vessels, excepting, Of course, I
the officers and crew. She was originally
built for the English navy, and was pur- !
chased by the Japanese government some /
five years since. The vessel is built Of /
teak wood, and the commanders and the /
captains quarters in the after cabin are
neat and roomy. Everything is in regular /
man-ot-war style. The orders, piping to 4
quarters, ETC., are after the fashion Of our
own navy. The accommodations for the
junior officers and cadets, on the berth deck !,
can not be exoelied in neatness: while the
hammocks and MEETINGS lashed fore and aft
put us in mind of the good old days when
non monitors were unknown. She registers
1893 tons, and has An engine of two hun
dred horse power, manufactured by
Humphreys & Tenant, London. She
is commanded by Captain Il. Y, Ito
assisted BY T. Y. Fukumura as Lieu
tenant. The English instructors are
Messrs. T. W.'Austin, E. Yeo and Wood
ward. These instructors are detailed from
the British navy, by request of the Japan
ese government, to teach practical seaman
ship, and are, we understand, a gunner,
boatswain and an able seaman, each pro-
fcient in his department. They are the
only foreigners on board. Altogether she
has twenty.f officers, thirty-six cadets,
232 seamea and seventeen mariners. Mr..
Austin, the chief instructor, informs us that
the crew Of the vessel are as active and
efficient IS any white crew. On the pilot
boarding her yesterday he immediately
kept away for the entrance, and after getting
her headed all right, yards squared etc, al
hands were given instructions to prepara
tor port, and they immediately put on their
neat man-of-war costume, similar to that u
use in the American navy. As they So
| preached the land, the vessel was covered
fore and eft with the Japanese, shetchin
the entrance and every object Of interest
and numerous were the inquiries that were
made in regard to every prominent object.
| OF Alcatraz, the corvette saluted tht
| American flag with . national salute, which
was promptly returned by the fort. TIE
armament consists Of twelve large guns, 81
on the upper deck, which were mannfaa-
/ tured at Kagoshima, Japan. They are made
of brass, carry q fifty-pound ball, and
| are altogether formi6able and efficient
weapons. In the magazipe, on the deck be-
| low, are 100 Snyder rites, sixty Smith a.
| Wesson pistols, SIXTY cutlasses and two
six-pound Armstrong field pieces. The
TsukubA left SinhgoWa, the anchorage Of
4 Toxic, the eapitaJof Japan, situated on the
| YedO bay, on November g. Her stay ia
San ErAnciscOJ will extend to about 0nn
month, duriD9 which season abe will visit
Mare Ialana navy yard, and other points ol
interest 0 this vicinity, The officers and
crew were desirons Of going also to
Atlantic coast, but for some reason
Japadese government refused eansent
thfgvoyage ct present.