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of conversing a few days ago, spoke Japanese with perfect correctness. It is also stated that the higher officials are acquainted with the Court dialect of China. It would not be a hazardous conjecture to suppose that the Satsuma dialect of Japanese, which contains several words unknown in other parts of this country, is closely allied to the Loochooan tongue. This is, however, a subject which should be treated separately.
I will conclude with a free translation of the last page of the ‘Short Account,’ which, it must be remembered, was written in 1850, while the Tokugawa dynasty still flourished.
“Althougu Liukiu lies several hundred miles away in the sea to the south it can easily be reached by ship. The temperament of the people and their manners and customs closely resemble those of our own nation. The countries which from ancient times have rendered homage to Japan are China, Corea, Liukiu and Holland. Intercourse with China is restricted to visits made to Nagasaki for the purpose of trading, while the Coreans have ceased to visit the capital in modern times, and though the Dutch visit the capital, their numbers do not exceed three individuals on any one occasion. The envoys who came with presents from Liukin alone show evidence of appreciation of the perfect etiquette observed to foreign barbarians by the glorious line which rules over us. Though every one is acquainted with the valour of the province of Satsuma, it would be difficult to parallel its glory, which has lasted through countless generations, even to the present day.”
