This department, which has for its object the translation and publication of books relating to the Arts and Sciences of the West, was established towards the close of the year 1867 mainly through the instruality of Mr, Hsi and Mr. Hwa, natives of Wu-selli, and who at that time were on the staff of officials at the Kiangnan Arsenal, The causes which led to the commencement of this important undertaking are, however, traceable to a much earlier date. In fact to find a suitable starting point for its history it i necessary ick to the earlier portion of the lives of those two Chinese gentlemen.
Wu-selli is an important city on the borders of the Ta Hu or Great lake, in the province of Kiangsu, and has long been noted for its industrial pursuits as well as the energy and enterprise of its inhabitants, many of whom have emigrated to Japan at various times. It was in this busy city that a little coterie of intelligent scholars was formed, all deploring the hollow and unsatisfying nature of the ordinary routine of Chinese studies. They determined to push their investigations in a more useful and promising Geld by endeavouring to become acquainted with the great nws nature, and to gather as much information as they possibly could respecting the vari ous branches of science and art.
Without organizing themselves into a Society these aspirants for intellectual ligt used to have occasional meetings of an informal kind for mutual improvement, each person explaining any new facts ideas he had acquired. The works of the early Jesuit fathers on Mathematics, Astronomy, and kindred subjects were carefully read, as well as original native works. Bue at last, during a visit to Shanghai they found valuable prize in Dr.' Hobson's translation of a treatise on Natural Philosophy, published at the London Mission Press in Shanghai in the year 1853. This book, though of a very elementary character, was like the dawn of a new era upon their minis, enabling them to leap at one bound across the two centuries that ad elapsed since the Jesuit fathers commenced the task of the intellectual enlightenment of China, and bringing them face to face with the results of some of the great modern disco veries. Apparatus was extemporized their homes to perform the various experi ments described in its pages, and ever} new theory or law put to the test as far as their limited means would permit. Frequent papers were written and circulated from one to another, while queries were continually started by individuale asking for more information on dificult subjects, A pile of such manuscripts acoumniated in the house of Mr. Hsii, who with his son formed a sort of contre for this little oasis in the midst of a vast desert of ignorance and superstition. Unfortunately, however, these manuscripts were all destroyed when the Taiping rebels captured che city, and the little company were glad to escape with their lives to the neighbouring hills amorly which they found a temporary refuge. Even in these trying circumstances they were able to turn their knowledge to good account in different ways s0 a9 to alleviate their own hardships as well as those of their fellow sufferers.
In the third moon of the first year of Tong Chih, or 1862, an Imperial edict called upon the Governor-General of the Two-Kiang provinces to search throughout h jurisdiction for men of talent and ingenuity, and versed in the arts and sciences, who should in improving the condition of the Empire. H.E. Tseng-kwo-fan accordingly selected six men whose names were duly forwarded to Peking. Among the number were Mr, Hsii and Mr. Hwa, whose reputation as scientists had by this time extended far beyond their native town. They were afterwards invited to an interview with the Governor-General at Anching, and were at once retained on his staff, with the view of their being able to study and perfect themselves in the more useful of the Foreign arts, sciences, and manufactures, At that tine the rebels ware in possession of Nanking, and the surrounding country was in a most unsettled state, so that but little could be done in the direction of improvement or study. Mr, Hwa, how-over, was engaged with others in col-ceting and preparing such scientific books as China then possessed. This work was afterwards continued at Nanking, where, under the auspices of the Viceroy, an establishment was commenced for' the publication of useful books, Many valuable books, such as Mr, Wylie's translation of Euclid, the Differential and Integral Calculus, Dr. Edkin's translation of Mechanics, and similar treatises have already been republished there and the establishment is still in operation. While Mr, Hwa was engaged in this kind of Inbour, Mr. Hati was called upon to perform a task of a very different kind, The Viceroy required him to build a steamboat, and reluctantly he consented to make the attempt. He first made a model of an engine from the somewhat rough illustrations in Dr. Hobson's work f before referred to.
This proving to boa success, ho was encouraged to proceed with the more difficult task assigned him, By means of Chinese tools and materials, and such ideas as he contrived to get through looking carefully over a small steamer at Anching, he managed to prepare his designs, and commenced his work with no foreign assistance whatever. He met with a most determined opposition from local officials, but, assisted by his son and encouraged by the Viceroy, who took a lively interest in the proceedings, the work was at length completed; not however without at least one entire failure. The steamer, which was of twenty-five tons measurement, was able at her trial trip on the Yangtsze in the year 1865 to make 255 li or about 85 miles in fourteen hours, and to do the return journey in less thad eight hours, The Marq Tstng, now Ambassador to England, a took great interest in this little craft, giving her the highly classical name of " Wang Kao" or "Yellow Swan," and maling several trips in her on the Yangtsze.
Tt will be readily granted that the experience gained under so many difficulties ought to have given Mr. Hsii and his son somewhat of an insight into foreign arts and sciences, and to have raised them far above the level of the hest of their fellow-countrymen. Notcontented, however, with the small stock of knowledge they felt
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.