and three of us, the elder and younger Toms and myself, had entered into fresh agreements, for another three years in the latter two cases. The elder Tom made a different arrangement, probably being better informed than we were owing to his proximity to head-quarters; and the fourth man was ultimately obliged to retire, as by the time his original agreement expired, further changes in the views of the authorities had come about. The other three men of our date departed from Japan before the end of 1876; and the Chief Assistant-Engineer went away to Tōkiyō, relieving the elder Tom, who returned to Kobe to do duty for a time in a local charge.

CHAPTER VI.

COMPLETION OF THE ŌSAKA-KIYŌTO RAILWAY-THE GREAT REBELLION OF 1877.

THE opening days of 1877 were remarkable for the extreme uneasiness that was spread throughout all classes by the impending troubles. There were many who, mindful of the prestige of the great fighting clan of Satsuma, and believing to the full the rumours, not only as to the numbers of warriors ready to follow the lead of Saigo Takamori, but as to the disaffection of the shizoku throughout the empire, looked upon the overthrow of the existing government as a foregone conclusion; and counted the strength of the navy, officered and manned almost entirely by Satsuma men, as so much more weight to be placed in the scale that held the resources of revolution. There were among the foreigners in Japan many who also believed that if armed rebellion once broke out, it would be impossible to re-establish peace unless either the Satsuma leaders were victorious, or the whole shizoku class destroyed; and who justly looked upon this latter consummation as not within the bounds of reasonable probability. It was supposed that the standing army at the disposal of the government was in

efficient; and that the policy of recruiting it from among the "heimin" or unprivileged classes would show disastrous results when the old fighting men arrayed themselves generally, as was expected, on the other side. The announced visit of the Mikado to Kiyōto, nearer by some three or four hundred miles than the official capital to the scene of the expected outbreak, was looked upon as a piece of bravado that was not likely to be actually carried out; and the preparations that were being made for a peaceful pageant, that of the State opening of the railway, to which all the representatives of foreign powers were invited, were supposed to be merely a blind.

How we did "jump around," as the Americans would say, that month of January! and by how many hours we were ahead of requirements at the last I should not like to say. The sort of "can't-be-helped" way of looking at things, that seems to be the normal state of Japanese officials, was changed for the opposite phase, during the prevalence of which every one gets hold of something and does something with it; a good and refreshing state of things, if only direction be not wanting to their efforts. It was required of us that we should have the permanent terminus ready at Kiyōto for the formal opening, if not for the arrival of the Mikado a few days earlier; and we were able to get our task finished and land his Majesty at the completed buildings.

The Emperor left Yokohama by steamer with an escort of vessels of war in the last week of January, and after being driven into the Toba anchorage for shelter, as heavy weather was met with, finally reached Kobe on the 27th, and was housed at the post office. We had

notice to stop all traffic next day, and run a special train through to Kiyōto, which was done in due course, the whole length of the line being guarded by police, and the stations occupied by detachments of troops. No great parade was made otherwise, but our Chief rode up on the engine, and all the engineering staff in charge of the line accompanied the train. My first sight of the Mikado was at Kiyōto, where, after the train and the platform had been cleared, we were drawn up in line beside the door of the Imperial carriage; and our little Chief Commissioner, who had been riding with his Majesty, stood opposite to us as the Mikado stepped on to the platform and paused a moment. The Chief Commissioner said, "Gentlemen, I am ordered by his Majesty to thank you for your care for his safety to-day;" whereupon we all bowed, and blushed like pickled cabbage, and when we recovered saw the august cocked hat and coat-tails vanishing in the distance.

Next day we resumed the traffic as before, to the temporary station, and a crowd of officials of the household department took possession of the permanent building, and prepared it for the solemn function of the 5th of February. The offices were fitted up as withdrawing and reception rooms, and a sort of stage was built out in front of the station, carpeted and hung round with tapestry, with a gorgeous throne all proper. All the approaches were decorated, stands for spectators arranged, and curious devices set up, such as gigantic lanterns, dwarf Fujisans, ships, engines, etc., with Venetian masts, strings of lanterns and flags, and so on, and the same at both Ōsaka and Kobe. The saloon

carriage upon which the energies of the locomotive superintendent and the carriage department had been concentrated for six months past, was secretly run up to Kiyōto by night, as a thing "that mote not be prophaned of common eyes," and No. 20 engine was painted and silvered up until she looked almost quite too beautiful, and the driver and stoker, even in their Sunday coats, were by no means congruous; so they were hidden in a grove of evergreen cunningly attached to the cab.

My little house at Ken-nin-ji was for the time almost in the midst of a metropolis of diplomatic talent; for the temple with its surrounding houses was made the lodging for all the ambassadors, and I never went in or out without feeling that I was a gross fraud, and that I ought to apologize to the crowd who congregated round the entrance gates and discussed my personal appearance audibly, supposing me to wield the power of Russia or represent the hauteur of Spain. These were of course the visitors from the country, as I was well enough known by most of the inhabitants of that quarter of the city, and had even been caricatured, with an enormous eyeglass and a very Roman-nosed waistcoat, by some local genius, upon the blank walls round the enclosure of the temple. I always suspected a certain shaven-pated blackguard, who used to come out of the chief priest's house and strike the hours upon the big bell, of this artless proceeding; he devoted so much time to watching me as I paced up and down under the trees with a cigar on fine evenings.

I had to make a special run down to Kobe, where I secured the last hat there was in the place, so as to