One of the largest spaces devoted to the exhibits of any one country in the transportation building is that occupied by Japan, and it is always the centre of xn interested crowd of visitors. But the exhibit is lacking in one respect—it contains no articles to illustrate the old methods of travel and transportation, and it lacks even some of the means employed at the present day. The chief of the department, Mr. Williard A, Smith, tells me that the Japanese, wishing to be considered a modern nation, declined to exhibit any articles which were not in the line of modern progress. It is not easy to get the force of this argument, for even if such things were exceedingly rude and barbarous, they would, by very contrast with the modern inventions, bring out the niore clearly the progress which hasbeen made by Japan with-inthe last forty years. The objects which are conspicuous by their absence are the nori-mono, the kao, and the jinricsha, The exhibit is divided, part of it being contained in the northwest gallery of the building, and the remainder on the main floor, The section down stairs is devoted entirely to naval matters, such as models, charts and drawings. The models, made' by the ils of the dock-yard school near Yoko-pelles a twin-screw engine, double ended ma, at Yokosuka, are those of a pro-
lier, ete. There are other models made at this dock-yard, of the cruiser Takao, of a third-class cruiser, of the Akitsushima and of the Hashidate. These models all display remarkably fine work. The naval arsenal at Tokio has sent out for exhibition 'a quick-firing gun with automatic recoil carriage, made according to an improved and excellent system, named Yamanouchi, after the inventor. Visitors do not fail to notice the admirable drawings of vessels, whole and. in sections, outaige and melds views, and of the machinery arrangements and engines, all made by students of the dock-yard school. There are also excellent Japanese coast. It was not till 1870 that naval charts of different parts of the
country to prepare a reliable hart, the first attempt was made by any Asiatic
is true that in 1810 and in 1862 attempts were made by the Japanese, but the charts were imperfect. In 1870 the hydrographic office was established in Japan.
407 charts, perfectly reliable issued. The work has been done by the Japanese alone, with no assistance from abroad, except instruction in the necessary sciences. In the gallery issu model of the Ogaki sluice, first built in'1691, several times renewed, and yet existing.' There are numerous models of bridges, some of them marvels of ingenuity and skill. Charts, tables of statistics, and photographs caum: plete this interesting display, which is highly creditable to the nation.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.