[8] As a teacher in this school I ranked as a “two-button” official (_sōninkan_) of the Japanese Government, and thus technically entitled to wear two buttons on the sleeve of my coat, and to carry a short sword with a white handle. The Director of the school, the Head Master and the heads of one or two departments and the other “foreign” teachers were also “two-button” officials. The majority of the teachers were “one-button” officials (_hanninkan_), entitled to wear only one button on the sleeve of their coats and to carry a black-handled sword. The “two-button” officials were “invited”--i.e. practically commanded--to attend official government banquets and similar functions, and to meet visiting princes and other notables from the “mother-country.” The “one-button” officials escaped these honours. [9] The picturesque and interesting--because still untouristized--city in the extreme south of Japan, situated under the shadow of Sakurajima, the still active volcano, which early in 1914--the year that I was in Kagoshima--destroyed a portion of the city, and killed several hundred of its inhabitants. [10] A school for the daughters of Japanese officials has also been established in Taihoku; but it is an interesting commentary upon the position of women in Japan, even at the present time, that while several “foreign” (English and American) teachers are engaged for the boys’ school, no “foreign” teacher is employed for the girls’ school. That would be “too expensive for a girls’ school,” the Japanese say. Also, while the curriculum of the two schools is--with the exception of English--practically the same, yet the boys’ school is called a Middle School (Chu Gakkō), because the boys are expected to go later to a Higher School, for the completion of their education; while the girls’ school is called a Higher School (Kōtō Gakkō) because the education of girls is supposed to be completed with the completion of the course in this school. CHAPTER II IMPRESSIONS AT FIRST-HAND The Voyage from Kobe to Keelung--The History of Formosa as recounted by a Chinese-Formosan--A Visit to a Chinese-Formosan Home--The Scenery of Formosa--Experience with Japanese Officialdom in Formosa.