Directory_and_Chronicle_1879 — Page 875

Directories & Chronicles 香港指南 All

Fu and Ken

Bureau of Police

Local Police

Shrines ...

...

JAPAN,

385

Brought forward...

...

$41,423,363 3,896,700

1,300,000

1,443,101

141,170

542,100

1,456,500

500,000

...

572,992

500,000

1,500,000

Repairs and Constructions in Fu and Ken ..

Repairs and Constructions of Dykes in Fu and Ken Legations and Consulates in Foreign Countries... Miscellaneous Expenditure Loans by the Government Reserve Fund

Total Estimated Expenditure...... 53,275,926

The domestic debt of Japan in 1878 was, inclusive of paper money in circulation, Capitalized Persion Bonds, &c., &c., $362,626,284. This also inclu les an Internal Loan of $12,500,000 raised by public subscription in two months, $20,000,000 having been subscribed. The Foreign debt of Japan was :-

Bearing interest 9 per cent.

Bearing interest 7 per cent:

$ 1,952,000 10,672,072

-$12,624,072

The armed force of Japan is composed, since 1869, of a single element, the troops kept by the Mikado, who constitute the Imperial army. By a decree of the Mikado, dated December 28th, 1872, the liability to arms is made universal, but it was reported in 1877 that this order had not found execution. At present the Imperial army, under the command of the Mikado, is not large. When on a peace footing there are 34,768 men comprising all arms, and on a war footing 49,378 men, giving a ratio of the army on a peace footing to the total population of 1,000 to 1,000,000. The army has been organized on the French system by officers specially selected by the French Government.

The navy of Japan consisted at the end June, 1877, of one ironclad frigate; two ironclad corvettes: two wooden corvettes; three schooners; one gunboat; one transport, and one yacht. The largest of these ships, the ironclad frigate Foo-800, was built by Messrs. Samuda, Brothers, at Poplar, London, and launched April 14th, 1877. The Foo-800 has a burthen of 3,700 tons displacement, with engines of 3,500 horse-power. The armour is from 7 inches to 9 inches in thickness, while the armament consists of four 15 ton and two 51-ton steel breechloaders by Krupp, so arranged as to command every point of the horizon. The second largest ship of the navy is an ironclad corvette, called the Kon-go, constructed at Earl's shipbuilding yard, Hull, after the design of Mr. Edw. J. Red, and launched April 17th, 1877. The Kon-go has a burthen of 2,800 tons displacement, with engines of 2,500 horse-power, and has a belt of armour 44 inches thick. The armament consists of 12 Krupp guns, capable of throwing steel shells of 142 pounds. The Hi-yei is a sister ship to the Kon-go, and was launched in 1878. The navy is manned by 1,200 sailors, including 67 artillerymen, aud 260 marines. Naval instruction is given to the per- sonnel of the Japanese navy by eight commissioned and twenty-three non-commissioned English officers, who arrived in the country in 1873.

POPULATION, TRADE, AND INDUSTRY.

The total area of Japan is estimated at 156,604 square miles, with a population of 33,298,286, namely, 16,890,560 males, and 16,407,726 females, according to official reports of the year 1877. The empire is geographically divided into the four islands of Honde, the central and most important territory; Kiusbiu, "the nine provinces,” the south-western island; Sikoku, "the four states," the southern island; and Yesso, the most northerly and least developed. Admi..istratively, there exists a division into seven large districts, called "Do," or roads, which are subdivided into twenty- five provinces.

Education is very general in Japan, and is making greater progress than before the revolution which made Japan a monarchy. In 1871, the Mikado

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