LIFE AND LETTERS OF JOSEPH HARDY NEESIMA

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EARLY REMINISCENCES. 45 stroyed entirely my dawning hope to study. ·when his younger brother took his place, he changed most everything which his departed brother had established. The school was entirely neglected, and many scholars left it because the prince expressed his hatred towards them instead of encouraging them. He chose the most ignorant and foolish persons among his people for his cup-bearers, and discharged all the best men whom his brother had employed. He appointed me an assistant of his secretary, and kept me busy like a slave. Besides the secretaryship on one hand, I had forty or fifty little pupils on the other, and could scarcely find a time to study Chinese. It was a very trying work indeed to teach such young playful pu­pils. When I treated them too gently they began to think I was too easy, and did not study very hard; and when I whipped them they became more obsti­nate, and some of them kept crying a long while and did not study at all. I was very much disgusted in teaching them, because my heart was not in it, but on study. I frequently thought that I should run away from home and go to a place where I might further my knowledge. I could not keep down my rambling thoughts, and often desired to perform that plan." Neesima's diary prior to his arrival in Boston, and the notebooks written while pursuing his studies at home, are exeeedingly interesting. On the long voy­age from Hakodate to Boston he filled several books with his attempts at English composition. Everything was new to this boy, whose world had hitherto been the " square inclosure " of his prince. Every mechanical contrivance about the ship, the capstan, force pump, pulley tackle, steering gear, etc., was accurately delin­eated in perspective, and to these drawings was added

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