I remarked on the extraordinary rapidity with which a nation, closed like the Japanese, up to within thirty years since, to European trade and European ideas, had adopted and assimilated the system of Western civilization. "Yes," he replied, "we can learn, and we have learnt, because we saw that the knowledge would give us a great advantage in our own part of the world." He had been in France, and expressed great admiration of French ship-building and French seamanship, and seemed doubtful when I maintained that British seamen would in case of war assert their superiority over the French ones just as decisively now as they ever had done in the past--and of naval history in general Hishidi had a good idea. "You might," he said, "as your navy is so much larger than theirs." But I pointed out that our naval triumphs had seldom been gained by superior force--"although," I admitted, "we certainly have now double the force of any other European power, on which account none of them dare attack us singly, as they know that if they did, the majority of their knocked-out tubs would be towing up the Downs in a very brief space of time. But numbers apart, the British sailor of to-day can still do more with a ship than a Frenchman. The conditions are certainly completely changed, but the best seaman will make the most of the new order." He shook his head dubiously, and said he should like to see a war between England and France. "Well," said I, "you may live to see that and not be an old man. You may live to see a war between England and half the rest of the world, and see England get the best of it. It has happened once or twice before." On another occasion we were talking about Russia, when Hishidi remarked-- "Russia wants China." "Russia wants everything," said I. "Ah, that is what they say of you," replied he. I once asked him what he thought of the torpedo.