The "High School" at Taipeh, opened in September, 1895 has made most Satisfactory progress, but asa fact the people all over the Island exhibit the greatest eagerness for the development of these educational advantages. It is no uncommon thing for many persons to compete with each other school baildioy s, or provisional houses for offering free sites for the erection of the
the purpose of instruction, and no sooner is the school opened, than the flow of pupils is continuous; the elders of the place ently. paying visits and looking on sympathetically at the youths while at study. Even now these schools are located in numbers over the country, but it is intended to very much increase these so that no one can complain of remoteness from scholastic opportunities. Taking even those Japanese and Chinese who have already acquired a good smattering of each other's language, and who are being freely and effectively utilised in the government. service, their influence as me via for bringing the two peoples together has already made. itself appreciable and the prospects of future development in this direction seem the most encouraging. The whole Island will be divided into so many educational districts containing an Elementary School or schools. At each place where the head-local Government is situated a normal with its "Subordinate School" will also be established. At Polisia, and Pilam a " High owing to the recent floods, and the burdens heavy; the stranger very generously offered to help with the bags, for which ho was treated to rice. In Neanlufu we have no native letter hong, and the mail couriers did not push or try t9 reach the city that night, but lodged at an inn 5 li away. This inn is situated in a quiet neighbourhood, and having secured a small room here, the doors of the place were well protected with all the furniture the place could muster. Wheh about to retire for the night the "agreeable companion" was distressed to he had to occupy {the common room alone, and begged he might be allowed to share the small room with the mail couriers, This was agreed, and on the men retiring it was found that the stranger had no pillow and so a mail bag was lent to him for that purpose.
Daring the night nothing was heard to cause any alarm, not even the scratching of the notorious "rat" which plays such an important part in most robberies in this district; but alas, on the dawn of day it was found that the "agreeable fellow traveller" had disappeared, and strange to say his pillow "walked," said the courier, pillow had gone too; both the man and the
such an ungrateful being as he is.
Immediately an alarm was raised and information given to the policeman and word was also sent to the yamen in the city. While this was going on, another little scene was being enacted at a silver shop inside the city. Immediately this shop was opened, a man entered and asked to have some silver changed into cash, and, said he, we will not "kiang" the price as I want to get along the road quickly. Suspicions were aroused and excuse made for being so long in serving the man, Said the book man—"What do heavy?" "Oh," replied the thief, "only on carry in your bag, as it seems so very some copper cash and a few other articles I
School " will be opened. "Middle Schools" fo require on my journey." At this juncture will also be set up at Taipeh, Tainan, four men entered the shop, and the early Taichung. A complete Mechanical Institu-and] customer was much surprised to see tio of tion is to be established at Taipeh. the couriers and two yamen officials behind From what I can gather the authorities him. Of course the man denied hay seem very properly to lay far more stress stolen the silver and said it was his own, on the effects this extensive scheme for but it was very evident he had not carefully educating the youngsters, and through them examined his "booty," for on the bag propitiating their elders, will have in probeing searched, 500 anaces of silver, foreign moting the future and good govern-mails for Tanch'eng and Laohokou, anda detailed list of the entire contents of the ment of the Islnd than any amount of military demonstration could possibly bring mail were found at the bottom. The man about. To quote the oft-expressed hope of and his pillow had now to, part company the higher and more responsible officials and soon he found himself within four is to be trusted that their present impatient It} walls, "which did to him a prison make." critics will, it they only afford sufficient time, have yet reason to admit that their imputations' as to the taint of 'Oriental Savagery' being still adherent to the Japanese race are neither founded on fact, nor justified by that reasonable and generous consideration of circumstance which in fairness ought to be extended towards them."
2nd October.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.