established at Tōkyō, and gunnery and torpedo schools were also organised. In addition to ordinary training-ships, a standing squadron is kept afloat, which goes out every year for long cruises and squadron exercises. A suitable law of conscription, based largely on the volunteer system, is in force.
As regards dockyards, there are four "first-class naval stations," each of which is provided with ship-building plant. The oldest is that at Yokosuka near Yokohama, which was built by French naval architects some forty years ago, and has since been greatly extended; but the most important is at Kure on the Inland Sea, which, in addition to a well-equipped dockyard and a magnificent harbour, possesses a fine arsenal for the manufacture of large-calibre modern breach-loading steel guns, and also of large-calibre steel shell. Sasebo in Kyūshū ranks as the third naval station, with three dry docks. The fourth is Maizuru on the Sea of Japan, completed in 1901. A fifth is to be established at Muroran in Yezo. Most of the ships and guns are, however, still imported from abroad.
When the war with China broke out in 1894, the navy was already well-prepared to take its share in the fray, because, though numerically weaker than the Chinese fleet, it was superior in seamanship and in discipline. The advance, alike in morale and in matériel, was so constant, so solid, that, when preparing the last edition of this book in 1901, we ventured to express ourselves as follows:—
"We are no sailor, and the opinion of an amateur on naval matters is notoriously worthless. Nevertheless, we cannot refrain from repeating in other words what we have already said of the Japanese army. We cannot help expressing our admiration of and belief in the Japanese navy also, and of Japan altogether as a military power. Though it may not be for us to judge of the technical excellencies of ships and guns and docks, it is perhaps given to an old resident who has travelled widely, and read a good deal, and mixed much with all classes, to appreciate the existence of those qualities of intellect and morale which go to make up a good fighting man whether on land or sea. To
