The ordinary subjects of instruction are those tending to expand the intelligence of the pupils.

The books used are the books mentioned in the rules for the instruction of children, (given below.)

In the schools founded by private individuals the English language and moral precepts are taught.

The pupils make good progress, but by slow degrees.

Although the distinction between the schools for boys and those for girls does not now exist, still in the schools there is a separation between them. The number of boys who are pupils is 1,430 and the girls who are pupils number 815.

I subjoin the following further information respecting the schools of Yokohama, for which I have to thank Mr. Russell Robertson, Her Majesty's consul:

There are in Yokohama two or three schools for girls, one under the patronage of the vicegovernor of Iseyama; one under the direction of the American Women's Union Mission, at the head of which is Mrs. Pruyn; and, lastly, the school of the Sisters of Charity.

Query. The number and nationality of teachers and pupils respectively in the schools, and likewise the general age of the latter?

Answer. The light-house-works school has 2 English teachers; the number of pupils is somewhat under 50.

Takashimaya's (a Japanese gentleman of Yokohama) school has 2 American teachers and 135 pupils.

The school under Dr. Brown's charge has 3 American instructors and 56 pupils. The ages of the pupils range from 8 to 24 years, with but few of them at these extremes. Their average age is about 16 years.

Q. What are the subjects of instruction and the books generally used in the school? A. The course pursued in the "Shin bun Kwan" under Dr. Brown may be taken as an example: daily lessons in speaking, reading, spelling, penmanship, and composition. The first object sought is to impart a knowledge of English, both written and spoken. A threeyears' course of study is also marked out in geography, primary and practical arithmetic, general history, grammar, and natural philosophy. One half-day in each week is also devoted by the whole school to declamation in English, one-half the pupils being listeners and the other half declaiming, on alternate weeks.

American school-books are used in the school on Noge Hill (Dr. Brown's school) and at Takashimaya's school.

Q. What is the average capacity of the pupils?

4. It is good. Probably the capacity of the Japanese is much the same as that of persons of other nationalities if placed in like circumstances for its manifestations.

Q. Can you give any particulars in regard to girls' school?

A. The school on Iseyama, already spoken of, is taught in by 2 American ladies and has about 50 pupils.

There are some sixty pupils in Mrs. Pruyn's school, at No. 212. Both of these are interesting schools from the number in attendance and the progress which the pupils make in their studies. The former is the older school, and has been under very able instruction, so that perhaps the pupils are, some of them, more advanced in their studies on that account; but in both the progress made is very encouraging.

Q. Do Eurasians show any exceptional physical or intellectual qualities?

A. The number of Eurasians is so small and they are so young that nothing special in these respects has as yet developed itself.

There are two or three difficulties which schools have to contend with in Japan. One arises from the circumstance that the Mombusho (educational department) at Yedo, which controls them, is a department which very few Japanese are competent to fill. Hence crude experiments are often tried and changes made by the department that only tend to obstruct the progress of the pupils and otherwise damage the schools.

Another difficulty is that the Japanese, who have not yet been put through a systematic course of study sufficient to show them that intellectual culture and knowledge are not to be attained by long and sudden leaps, but step by step, beginning at the beginning, are

anxious to grapple with the higher studies before they have had any thorough fundamental training.

"I attended, on Monday, the 14th instant, (July, 1873,) at the examination of the pupils (Japanese) at the school on Noge Hill, until lately under the management of the Rev. Dr. Brown, (American.) The school is known as the Shin bun Kwan.

"There was a fairly large attendance of visitors, principally Americans. The governor of Kanagawa was present. The pupils' ages appeared to vary from 8 to 23. The school was divided into four classes-about twelve boys in the lowest or further class, some twenty in the third, eleven or twelve in the second, and four in the first.

'The fourth class was examined first in reading and spelling, and the performance was creditable. The reading consisted in short, easy lessons, much the same as those met with in English primers, and easy words were selected in spelling.

"The third class was put through the same course, only of a more advanced stage.

'The second class was examined in reading and in arithmetic.

"The examination of the first class did not come on until a late hour, and I was compelled to leave before it came off.

"The general appearance of the scholars was characterized by intelligence, though a few dull ones were scattered here and there. The very young ones seemed in most cases to be the sharpest and most advanced.

"Geography formed part of the examination of the second class. A blank map of the world was hung on the wall, and one of the boys, a lad of 15, was asked to point out different places on the map. This he did with great accuracy, naming and pointing to the different oceans and seas, the principal countries, rivers, and some of the towns.

“Much attention had, I think, been paid to the pronunciation of words, always a difficulty with Japanese when speaking English. With but few exceptions, the words were rendered very distinctly.

"I cannot but think, however, that, with such good material, the boys might all have been brought to a higher degree of proficiency with a better system. Thus I found many with a knowledge of English, written and spoken, that would have enabled them to read many books, as of history, travels, biographies, &c., that would have given them a good general knowledge of subjects that all lads should know, and would, while increasing their knowledge of language, leave on their minds a deposit which would go on increasing from day to day. In the higher classes the books seemed altogether too elementary. The answers to many questions in examinations seemed to be given with parrot-like fluency, and I was sorry to observe no attempt at construing sentences. I cannot but think that most of the answers had been learned by heart and that there existed but a vague idea of the construction of what was learned.

"It is scarcely fair, however, to attempt to criticise on the strength of the slight experience I had during a brief visit of three hours to the school. Whatever I might see faulty in the system, there was enough to show that great labor had been expended to bring the pupils to the attainment of such knowledge as they exhibited."

For the following information respecting the Kioto primary schools I am indebted to Mr. H. S. Wilkinson, who visited that place in April last. He was informed by Mr. Makimura, the vice-governor of Kioto, that Kioto had been divided into sixty-six divisions and that one primary school had been established in each division; that the householders contributed to the support of these schools; and that no school-fees were paid by the children. He was told that this arrangement had been in operation for about five years.

He visited the primary school in the twenty-ninth division or ward. The building in which it is held is also the office and assembly-room of the ward. Here the registers are kept. One register is kept in which is inscribed the name of every householder in the ward. One page of it is given to each family. Births, deaths, and marriages are recorded, and also the fact of any of the members of the ward-families having left the ward to travel or reside elsewhere.

This register enables the ward-officers to know all the children in the ward. An attendance-roll is kept, and when children do not come, an explanation is required from their parents.

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The school-hours are from 8 a. m. till 12 noon and from 1 p. m. till 4 p. m., or seven hours in all daily. Of these seven hours about three are occupied in learning to write, one in repeating from memory, and three in learning reading and arithmetic.

The writing-room occupies nearly all the ground-floor. It is furnished with Japanese mats and low Japanese writing-desks.

Above stairs is a large room in which the pupils are taught the other branches of their education. In this room are desks and benches in the European fashion.

A list of books to be used in primary schools has been published by the Kioto Fu. It is intended, however, to adopt the scheme of the education-department, and to exclude the Chinese classics from this scheme.

Of the two books which pupils first use as reading-books, one is written in square character and in the Chinese order, and one is written in the grass-character, with "hirakana" mixed.

In arithmetic the pupils learn the Japanese method on the "Soroban," and also the European method. They are provided with slates and use the Arabic numerals.

The scheme of education is exactly the same for girls as for boys. The girls of one class were reading, while Mr. Wilkinson was present, the book of Instruction to Street-Officers. Two hundred and fifty pupils attend this school. Their ages vary from 4 to 12 or 13 years.

Mr. Wilkinson was informed by Mr. Nakamura that the attendance in the different schools varies from 100 to 500.

INTERMEDIARY SCHOOLS.

There had been in Kioto both a superior and an intermediary school, but both had been abolished by the education-department.

The material, however, for an intermediary school exists, and a new building has been erected and will shortly be opened. The main feature of this school is that foreign languages are to be taught in it. The new building is arranged as follows:

There are four buildings to be used as school-rooms, and one for the use of the officers of the school, not the foreign teachers. These, with one exception, are to be provided with accom modation outside. Of the four school-rooms, one is to be devoted to pupils learning French,

one to pupils learning German, and two to pupils learning English. The proportion is about 130 for French, 170 for German, and 300 for English.

This school is to be opened to every person. The fee is about 2 bus (2s.) a month, or 4 rios (84) a year. At present there is not any accommodation for resident pupils, but it is intended to provide accommodation for a few.

The pupils who are to be collected in this building are now scattered in separate schools over the city.

Mr. Wilkinson visited one of these schools which had lately been under the superintendence of an English gentleman and his wife. It was divided into two departments. In the girls' department there were 160 girls on the roll and 136 in attendance on the day of his visit. In the boys' department there were 131.

The hours of attendance are from 7 a. m. till 2 p. m., with an interval of one hour between 11 and 12 o'clock for lunch.

The girls are taught reading in the morning and sewing in the afternoon. There are twelve sewing-machines in the school and two looms, but the latter had only lately been introduced.

The school-books are English. One from which the pupils read is the Illustrated Spelling and Reading Book published by Messrs. Cassell, Petter & Galpin.

The pupils read in English and then translate into Japanese.

The following are the schools in the Nagasaki Ken, namely: One at which the pupils are taught by European teachers, under the direct control of the Mombusho, (educational department.) At Yedo 65 pupils are studying the English language, of which there are 2 teachers, and 5 pupils the French, of which there is 1 teacher. The pupils' ages vary from 12 to 18 years.

There are three primary schools in which foreign languages are taught by Japanese interpreters. School No. 1 has 219 pupils, of which number 198 are boys and 21 are girls, varying in age from 6 to 15 years. School No. 2 has 101 pupils, 77 boys and 24 girls. School No. 3 has 52 pupils, 43 boys and 9 girls. These three schools are under the direct control of the Nagasaki "Kencho."

At the government-hospital in Nagasaki there are 41 students studying medicine under the supervision of two Dutch doctors. A Prussian has lately been engaged, who will teach these students the Dutch and Latin languages.

Among the other provincial schools which I may mention is one at Shidzuoka, in the province of Tzuruga, which is under the direction of Mr. Clark, of the United States, and which has about 500 scholars.

There are also a hospital- and a medical school, under the direction of Dr. Junghams, a German North-American, at Saga, the capital of Hizen. Medical instruction is also imparted at Kagoshima, in the province of Satsuma, by Dr. Willis, formerly of Her Majesty's legation, but I have not yet received from him the details for which I have applied respecting his sphere of operations.

The following are the details which I have procured relative to the Hakodaté governmentschool, and to the hospital and the private schools which have been established at that place : Teachers: Of English, 5, (Japanese;) of Russian, (M. Sartoff,) 1, (Russian;) of Russian, 3, (Japanese ;) Chinese, 3, (Japanese;) arithmetic, 3, (Japanese.)

Pupils: Resident scholars at government-expense, learning English, with Chinese and arithmetic, 15; resident scholars at private expense learning English, with Chinese and arithmetic, 13; resident scholars at private expense learning Russian, 3; day-scholars learning English, with Chinese and arithmetic, 38; learning Russian, 38.

The pupils' ages vary from 8 to 21 years. There are three officers in charge. Total num ber of persons connected with government-school, 125.

GOVERNMENT-HOSPITAL.

American doctor, (Dr. Eldridge)..

Japanese doctors...

Apothecaries.

Officers....

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3

In the above-mentioned schools the ordinary Japanese writing and reading are taught. It was proposed last year to extend the government-school-system at Hakodaté, but this has not yet been done further than as above stated.

To the above specific items I may append the following general observations which were made to me by Mr. Tanaka, who, I may remark, seemed to possess much acquaintance with the systems of public instruction which are being pursued in other countries and who was familiar with the name and measures of Mr. Forster.

There are, he said, at the present time 150 young Japanese who are students of medical science, 220 young Japanese who study special subjects and 300 young Japanese who are pursuing their studies abroad. At Yedo, 50 Japanese girls are being put through a course of instruction by an American lady. There are, including all, about 1,100 young men who, having completed their course of instruction, are now employed in the service of the state. There are in all 72 foreign instructors who are employed by the educational department alone, the professional adviser of that department being professor David Murray, of the United States. There are 3 normal schools at present in operation; one at Yedo, one at Osaka, and one at Shendai, each containing 200 scholars, who are supported by the government; 256 schools are at present in receipt of governmental aid.

In reply to my inquiry, Mr. Tanaka said that it is the intention of the Japanese government to make education in Japan, so far as the state is concerned, entirely secular, in as far as is consistent with the fundamental tenets of the Shinto faith.

I have since learned from a reliable source that the government have resolved that, while they will not interfere with private missionary-enterprise in Japan, no Christian divine will be employed, even as a secular teacher, by the government. It would appear that they have become convinced that some reverend teachers have been imperceptibly inculcating the doctrines of Christianity into the minds of their pupils, and consequently the abovestated resolution has been arrived at. In furtherance thereof, the Rev. Dr. Brown, & United States missionary of long standing in this country and to whom the Japanese government are indebted for excellent service, has been removed from his office as teacher, as has also the Rev. Dr. Verbeck, formerly principal of the chief educational establishment at Yedo. I have been informed that all of the clerical teachers who still remain in the Japanese service have likewise received notice of the termination of their respective engage

ments.

I may add that, in all of the educational establishments where pupils are being educated at the expense of the state, these pupils are required to conform their habits to western usages. Instead of being allowed to squat on mats, they must sit on chairs, and work, and eat at tables. While no material alteration is attempted in the costume of girls, the boys are, in many cases, as for instance in the naval college, required to adopt foreign uniform or clothing, and all are supplied exclusively with food prepared in the European manner and are attended by European medical officers.

PART II.

I have been led to devote a large space to the first portion or this report, which does not, I think, admit of being very much abridged; but I do not propose to enter into detail with