3-1. 1870年10月8日ジャパン・ウィークリー・メール誌の記事

Japan Weekly Mail, October 8, 1870. YOKOSKA ARSENAL.

--WE recently gave our readers a very exhaustive account of the Lighthouses which have been erected by the Japanese Government, agreeably to the obligations in this respect which they assumed under the Convention of I860. We now propose to place before them an equally ample account of the Arsenal of Yokoska, the greatest public work yet undertaken at foreign instigation in Japan, if we except the railway now in progress.

--The acquisition, by the Japanese Government and the native Princes, of a considerable number of steamers, very soon after the opening of the Empire to foreign trade,

involved the establishment of a dockyard where ships could be sent for repair in case of need, and as the ambition of the State, stimulated by the sight of the vessels of the European navies, took the form of a desire to possess a Navy of its own, an Arsenal for the purpose of building, equipping and repairing vessels of War, was deemed necessary ; and with these views the arsenal of Yokoska was founded.

--The harbour of Yokoska, or more correctly, Yokosuka, is situated in the Bay of Yedo, about eleven miles from the Custom House of Yokohama, from which it bears in a

South Westerly direction, and is not far from Kansonsaki lighthouse. Early in the year 1865, the surveyors appointed by the Japanese Government to select some suitable spot for the purpose, recognized the superior merit of Yokoska over that of all its rivals, and with the advise and under the direction of M. Leon Roches,

--Minister of France to Japan, it was chosen for the seat of the future arsenal, which was to be constructed on a sufficiently important scale to respond to the present and

even to the prospective wants of the Empire. It was also proposed at the same time, to establish schools, in which French instructors should impart to the cadets of good Japanese families, the European languages, and the sciences of ship-building, engineering, gunnery, seaman ship and naval maneuvering.

--No spot could have been better chosen for these purposes. The harbour is well sheltered, and possesses a broad and deep entrance, easily made, and easy for entrance or exit. It is approximately about three quarters of an English mile long, and about one third of a mile broad. The holding ground is excellent, and the water deep and calm in all weathers, except during gales from the North, which, however, have do power to ruffle it  further than a hundred yards within the entrance. An abundance of fresh water is found close to the shore.

--The depth of the harbour is such that the largest ship in the world could anchor in any part of it, the few isolated rocks which existed in it having now been removed. The

average rise of the tide is about six feet. Ships drawing twenty-eight feet of water can find secure anchorage close to the shore.

--The harbour contains three inlets. One is situated at its head, and is almost, if not entirely faced with masonry. It has a depth of twenty-four feet near the shore, and eighteen feet at the face of the sea wall. The rocks which existed in it have been removed by blasting. The second inlet is near to the Foundry, is two hundred yards in length, and has a depth of five fathoms. The third is close to the entrance of the harbour, and has an average depth of about twenty feet, at a distance of eight or ten yards from the shore. The water of the harbour contains worms, but not more than the average found in Japanese waters. Tho main trouble arises from seaweed and algte of many various kinds.

--The chief direction of the Arsenal was given to Monsieur Louis Verny, who had served with distinction as an engineer and naval architect of the French Imperial navy, and whose scientific and practical know ledge, high personal character and administrative capacity, well qualified him for the post. The second director is Monsieur Thibaudikh, formerly of the same service, and also a man of unquestioned ability. The medical charge of the establishment is in the hands of Dr. Sabatier, and there is a French priest attached to it who contributes to the moral and religious welfare of the French workmen, of whom there now are upwards of thirty. They were selected from similar establishments in France for their intelligence and steady character, and serve in the capacity of firemen, working engineers, machinists, tool makers, carpenters, boat builders, sailmakers & o. Their number, which was at one time larger, appears somewhat short for an arsenal of such magnitude.

--The plan of the works was drawn up by M. Verny, but owing to insufficient funds, his original designs have not been fully carried out. The works have been some what starved on this account, and their progress retarded, stocks of all kinds have been minimized, and the whole original design stunted and reduced. At the end of the harbour furthest from the sea, the ground is being solidly filled in with debris of volcanic mud rock, with the object of making a straight quay of about one hundred and twenty yards frontage, each end being finished off with small abutments at right angles. It is intended to face the quay with masonry, and to fit it with appropriate machinery. Surveying the works from the quay, which is now nearly, or entirely finished, and looking seaward towards the mouth of the harbour, the spectator would face East by North, and the following objects in the arsenal would present themselves :—

1st.—A patent slip.

2nd.—Three small building slips

3rd.—An inlet— the first of those alluded to.

4th.—The range of permanent store houses, brick built, with tile roofing and stone basements.

5th.—A dry dock.

6th.—A pump house for the above, and for the second dry dock.

7th. —The great dry dock.

8th.—A mound of volcanic mud rock now in process of removal.

9th.—The second inlet alluded to above.

10th.—A ridge of volcanic mud rock.

11th.—The third inlet.

12th.—The harbour entrance.

--In the rear of the slip No. 1, is a long wooden building, the lower floor of which is used for stores of various kinds, and the upper story for a school, in which about forty Japanese receive instruction from one European master. Part of the lower floor is used as a rope walk, the machinery of which is hand-worked. The gentle man who superintends the school is not of questioned competency, but it is manifest that to such a wide variety of the arts and sciences as are taught to forty pupils ranging from the age of ten to eighteen, the services of one master, be they never so efficient, are wholly inadequate. It seems to us that the Government should either suppress this, or render it efficient. But to effect the latter object, we should conceive that some such establishment as the following would be required.

1st.—A head master, combining a good knowledge of history and physics with an equally good knowledge of mathematics and the mechanical sciences, to govern the school and the subordinate teachers.

2nd.—A Frenchman to teach French, Algebra, &c.

3rd.—An Englishman to teach English, Mathematics and Algebra.

4th.—A master to teach the arts of navigation, seaman ship, gunnery, the art of war, Sac.

5th.—A drawing master.

--Any extension of this limited curriculum would involve the appointment of other masters. We have now arrived at the head of the harbour,—on the right side if we face its entrance. We have above enumerated the various objects to be seen from hence, and will now analyze them in detail.

No. 1.—The patent slip. This is of ordinary construction, and stands on good ground, close to deep water. The appertaining machinery is worked by hand. It can take a vessel of five or six hundred tons easily : it was once used for one of a thousand tons measurement, but the strain on it was somewhat excessive.

No. 2.—Three small building slips, which are used for their appropriate purposes.

No. 3.—A convenient inlet, with twenty-six feet of water near the shore. It is intended to face this with masonry, and to fit it with cranes, shears, &c. The rocks in it can easily be blasted out.

No. 4.—Consists of storehouses, containing all the requisites for fitting up sailing vessels or steamers. Adjoining, is a well-arranged and commodious shop for boat building, with ribbon and circular saws, punches, automatic tools, etc., made by well-known machinists. This building is also well fitted with steam machinery of various kinds.

No. 5.—Is the dry dock No. 1, which has boon three years in construction, and will be ready within a few months. It is cut out of volcanic mud rock, and is so dry

 that it requires no piling, buttressing or support at the sides.

--It is largo enough to take in H. M. S. Ocean or one of the Pacific Mail Company's Steamers, It is closed with a caisson and pumped out by very powerful steam pumps. It has been extremely well, and very cheaply constructed, considering its great size. The estimated cost may be approximately placed at 8300,000.

--On the sea face between Nos. 5 and 7 is a quay, which it is intended to face completely with masonry. There is a boiler plate steam crane upon it, calculated to raise 35 to 40 tons easily.

No. 7—is the second great dry dock, now in process of excavation. Its dimensions have not, we believe, been finally settled ; but it will be at least 430 feet long and 90 wide, with a depth of from 24 to 28 feet at high tide on the dock sill.

No. 8—Is a mound of volcanic mud, which, as it is out away, is used for filling up the bay shore so as to form quays.

No. 9 —An inlet— (the second in our previous enumeration.) An old steamer, the Ly-ee-moon, formerly belong ing to Dent & Co., lies there in 28 feet of water. There is accommodation here for six large vessels.

No. 10.— A ridge of volcanic mud rook, pierced by a tunnel, about 35 feet high, 25 feet wide, and 200 feet long, which gives access by a good road, to be hereafter laid with a tramway to—

No. 11.—The third inlet, in which ten ships of six to eight hundred tons burthen could be moored ; (not so as to swing.) There are twenty feet of water in it at six yards from the shore ; and at its head is a large piece of reclaimed ground which it is intended to use eventually for coal and timber stores, and combustible materials, such as pitch, tar &c.

No.- 12.—Is the harbour entrance, looking towards Yokohama, which bears North by East.

--Retracing our steps towards the harbour head and going northwards, we leave behind us the wooden building referred to above (the store shop) and come on a second line (the sea face being considered a first line) to i->*

1st.—The Offices of the Directors, staff draughtsmen, &o. : the buildings are small and inexpensive—too small indeed, and may be presumed to be temporary. The draughting, copying, &o. are done by Japanese, who work neatly and fairly. In front of the buildings is a flag staff bearing the Japanese national flag.

--After passing some small buildings, guard houses &o. of no importance, we arrive at the Smithy, which is a building with its seaward face heading the first and second dry docks. It has a long gallery annexed which runs seaward at an obtuse angle. It is well and substantially built, light and well ventilated. It contains three large furnaces and cranes, and six steam hammers varying in weight from six tons to three hundred weight, made by the International Society of Rotterdam, and all of one pattern. In the annexe are twelve forges, with blasting machines <fec. well fitted with all the necessary apparatus belonging to them. To render this department thoroughly efficient, there should be a steam hammer of twenty tons and one of ten tons.

--We next arrive at a large block of buildings forming a square, and containing interior factories. First in order  is the boiler shop, roomy and well arranged, with fittings of cranes, shears, punching machines, bending apparatus, furnaces, &c, &c. ; not, perhaps, of very novel construction. Several important adjuncts are yet wanting to render this shop really efficient, and a large outlay would be required to fit it with new and improved machinery. The greater part of that erected in this building is from Paris. It is strong and heavy, and would appear to be efficient.

--We next come to a building not yet completed, but intended for a foundry. The fittings are mostly in their places, and the shop, like the others, is roomy and well arranged. In all parts, care and intelligent design are manifest. It contains two very large furnaces for melting masses of metal, and some smaller ones, blast-pipes, cranes, Ac, all well arranged, but only equal to casting eight tons of metal at once, for such a work as a cylinder, which must be cast at one time. All the machinery is very good, substantial and convenient.

We next arrive at an extensive fitting shop, which, when completed, it is proposed to fill with tools of various kinds, clothing machines, drills, lathes, and other automatic apparatus proper to such a department. This is supplemented by a shop for the repair of large boilers and other work of a similar kind ; it is, however, in an unfinished state and the machinery is not yet in its place. Next is the boiler house, with four large highpressure cylindrical boilers of very great aggregate power, sufficient to work all the tools of the shop adjoining. All this is still in an incomplete state, but it is believed that by the end of this year the whole of this machinery will be bedded and in its place, and the arsenal and dockyard be then for the first time in really efficient order for the repair of large ships.

--In the rear of these buildings is a brick kiln, where all the bricks used on the works have been burnt. They are red, common and uncompressed, nor is it desirable to make more expensive bricks, as there is an abundance of fine stone in the neighbourhood, and the Japanese masons are excellent workmen. On a third line are the residences of the Directors, the chapel, dispensary, the doctor's house and the cottages of the workmen.

--Convicts to the number of one or two hundred are employed upon the works, and there are perhaps a thousand Japanese labours on regular pay. They receive a boo a day and a fair increase for overtime. Comparisons are often instituted between the moral and physical qualities of the Chinese and the Japanese, .and here there is an opportunity of contrasting them. But it points to the entire superiority of the Chinese, who, in the arsenals of Kiangnan and Foochow, and in the dockyards of Whampoa and Shanghai, show themselves capable of executing with greater ease than the Japanese, work of a far heavier description. We should be disposed to think, too, that the average intelligence of the Chinese would be superior to that of their neighbours.

--Several small steamers have been built on the works, but it is doubtful whether there is any intention of making implements of war there. There is evidence of great waste of money in the quantities of useless machinery lying about the place, bought by the Japanese in the United States, Holland and France, all which is obsolete and therefore useless, while its cost must have been heavy.

--The stocks of foreign timber are insignificant, and it may be doubted whether Kiaki is an enduring wood for ship building, while a very large expenditure of money, both

on this account and for machinery of all kinds, is necessary to make the establishment really efficient. It appears, however, to be managed well, honestly and economically.

--That the Japanese, many of whom have seen the great arsenals of Europe, should have been tempted to construct an establishment of this kind, is not to be wondered at, but can, as it seems to us, hardly be sufficiently regretted; and even presuming that the advice was disinterested under which they undertook it, the wisdom of that advice is gravely open to question. In case of any disagreement with the foreign powers, Yokoska could be immediately demolished—for it is totally undefended, even could any defence avail it for a single hour. It can add nothing to the strength of Japan, while it is a perpetual drain on her resources. It is an incentive to spend money on objects she does not really require, and to undertake unnecessary work because she has an establishment where such work can be executed. The cost of the Arsenal is reported by the Japanese to have been not far from five millions of dollars, and the monthly expenditure on it to be something like twenty-five thousand dollars.

--Had all the money lavished on Yokoska been expended on her mines, it would have added greatly to her wealth, and repaid itself over and over again. A small arsenal, ill fit

ted for want of money to make it thoroughly efficient, is of little service to a country. A large one Japan does not require, at least as yet, and could not afford, even if it were

desirable. A great work of this nature requires an immense preliminary outlay, and a strong exchequer at its back. It is doubtless important that the Japanese should possess a good dock, but the idea of building an arsenal or even a dockyard for the construction of iron or wooden vessels, was one of the most wanton and pernicious ever put into the mind of a nation at such an early period of its progress. Nearly the whole of the. vast expenditure lavished on it is unproductive, and only works of industry which yield a return to the nation, should be encouraged in this country. A largo expenditure on armaments which yield nothing, or the building of vessels, which could be purchased far more cheaply in England, is in the highest degree injudicious and lamentable. A certain return may, of course, be derived from it for the repairs of vessels which may be docked there, and when the accommodation for such purposes is larger, this source of revenue must increase. But looking at the work as a whole, we are convinced that the drain on the national resources entailed by such an establishment is a source of great weakness, and that the money so expended would have been of infinitely greater service, had it been employed in developing the| internal resources of tho country.