[NARES (George Strong)]. & FURUKAWA (Masao), transl.

Eishiki unyou zensho [A complete English Operational Manual].

FOUNDATION OF THE JAPANESE NAVY

First edition. 12vols. of text (incl. several plates and illustrations) and one atlas volume with 313 illustrations on 108 tipped-in plates (some folding), complete. Fukurutoji. Large 8vo. Original yellow boards (minor soiling) with printed title-slips. Red stamp on facing page of atlas and vol. 1. Overall a very good set. [Tokyo], Kaigun Heigaku [Naval Academy], dated: Meiji 4 [i.e, 1871.

£7,500.00

A key text for the development of the Japanese Navy after the Meiji restoration.

Furukawa Masao (1837-1877) was an important figure in the development of a new education system for Japan, and he became the first president of Keio University. Born in a small village in Hiroshima Prefecture, he was the third son of the village headman. In 1856 he moved to Osaka to enter the famous Tekijuku school which taught Western sciences based on Dutch teaching. There he met Fukuzawa Yukichi (1835-1901), who was himself the most important reformer and educator during the Meiji period. In 1868 he entered into the Boshin war (on the wrong side) arrested and sentenced to death but later released. In 1870 he became an instructor at the Tsukiji Naval Academy which modelled itself on British teaching methods for the development of its new navy.

The book is a translation of Sir George S. Nares (1831-1915) illustrated work entitled “Seamanship - Used on board H. M. training ship Britannia” which was published in Portsea in 1862. It was regarded as the best naval manual of its day. Some of the book’s focus is on sailing ships which Nares still regarded as the essential foundation for training any naval cadet. Terminology of all aspects of the ship (masts, sails, rigging, knots, etc) and all aspects of the handling of the ship are discussed in great detail. As most of these words had no counterpart in the Japanese language, Furukawa was forced to use katakana for the phonetic transcription of each term: Fore, Midship and Aft became ‘foru-pato’, ‘michipu-pato’, and ‘afutaru-pato’. Nares name is given as Neill (‘Neiru’) which is why Japanese readers were not able to identify the book from which this was translated. The illustrations which were originally made by J. Murray, are reproduced in lithography to the highest standard.

Very rare. Only two sets in OCLC (NDL & Harvard).

Stock No.
258400