The Literature, History, and Civilization of the Japanese [pp. 306-329]

1872.] OF THE JAPANESE. 323
themselves in Japan, and to favor the manufacturers of optical instruments who would contribute to the renewing of the
material of the imperial observatories.
I will not speak of mat~~ia[Tha1 studies, since the Japanese
profess the same prejudices against us in regard to them as
the Chinese. They maintain that il~ey are our superiors in
many points in algebra and geometry. It is very probable
that these pretensions are ill-founded. However, I think
that I should speak with the reserve due to the value of the
mathematical knowledge, which must be conceded to those
who have been able to translate such works as the ~ie'caniq~e Ue'Thste of Laplace, etc.
The Japanese have made progress in the study of Botwy?.
The elements of this science, as it is understood in Europe
since Linn~us and the Jussicus, were introduced into Owari
by the celebrated traveller, M. de Siebold, who instituted in
that city a society of the Friends of Nature, which is a centre for all the enlightened naturalists of the empire. Industrial botany interests them greatly; and the physicians of
the embassy of the Tycoon have several times repeated to
me that their desire to have in Japan a course of organic chemistry and practical botany.
Since I have mentioned the word cAemistry, I hasten to add
that few sciences now interest them so much as chem~try and
~Ays~s. They have obtained in Holland, France and England numerous works upon these two great sciences, and they
mean to popularize them among their countrymen by translations. They have also proenred several vah~able collections of the sabstances necessary for their intended operations. But they aekuowledge that their prospective progress
will be realized only so far as Europeans shall supply them,
in their ports, with pure and abundant manufactures of
chemical products. A Japanese merchant with whom I eorrespond has founded at Yokohama an establishment of pharmacentic preparations, which, although very imperfe~Uy
assorted as yet, has brought an immense fortune to its prolpnetor.
The indu8t~~~t sciences have been eagerly cultivated for