from their historic connection with the life of new Japan, its marvellous strides to the front in latter days, in every department of the higher civilization, and their leadership in the cabinet and in the field in the late war with China, and their subsequent and present relations of a far more than diplomatic friendship with the United States of America, incident to the Hispano-American War.

At the period of which we write, the rivalry between the treaty powers for supremacy of control of the trade of Japan and China and Corea was intense if not, at times, bitter. Their old treaties with the United States and Great Britian of the time of "Commodore" Perry, and subsequently with Germany and France, in the estimation of Japan, belonged to that age of her history ere she had emerged from the night of hermitism and intolerance of church and state, into the light of the new day,

when she felt herself entitled to co-equal political self-government with the enlightened nations of the earth.

Hence, as a result of her petition, the treaty powers, by common Protocol, agreed with Japan to organize an International Conference to convene at Tokio in 1885 to consider, with plenary powers, the revision of the treaties with that Empire, which had begun in 1882. Before sketching, therefore, the discussions and results of that, the most important body of diplomats ever assembled in the Orient, a body of which the then American Minister was a memberby special commission of his government,—it is apropos that our readers should know the Ministers or Ambassadors of the Foreign Powers with whom the United States were associated during our ministry and during that conference which lasted nearly three years of our official life in Japan. Great Britain's Minister was Sir

Frances Plunkett; the German Empire's Minister was Dr. Baron Von Holleben; France's Minister was Monsieur A. Sinkaweitz; Russia's Minister was Hon. Mons. D. Shcvreitch; Italy's Minister was Signor De Martino; Austria's Minister was Count Zulaski, and there were others who will be named hereafter. These were the representatives of the great powers having the most important political and commercial relations with Japan. Our own countrymen will become better acquainted with the American status of that day among European and Oriental Powers as voiced in debates of the treaty conference-literally preserved by the most accomplished official stenogra phers, under oath and seal of secrecy as were the members of the conference at the time; but from which conference the seal of secrecy has now been removed by consent of all the powers.

CHAPTER IX.

AMERICA'S DAY AT COURT.

N the last days of June, 1885, the recently-appointed American

Minister received from His Excellency, Count Inouye, Minister of State for Japan's Foreign Affairs, his official call (at the United States Legation), and was courteously notified that His Majesty, the Emperor, and Her Majesty, the Empress, would be pleased to give official audience to the American Minister and his Lady at the Palace! The day was designated. The author had been somewhat familiar with the simple forms and ceremonies of our American receptions and inaugurals of Governors and Presidents; but had never before witnessed, much less been