As already recounted, the sight of foreign ships had gradually put
ideas of sea-power into the minds of the various governors of Japanese
provinces. One of the first, if not the first, ships to be acquired was
the Tsukuba, which still survives as a hulk. Her first name was the
Malacca, and she was launched in the United States in 1851. She was, in
her time, a fine-looking screw frigate of 1950 tons, carrying 20 guns,
and able to steam at the then satisfactory speed of 8 knots.
The Riaden, a small screw yacht of 370 tons, and the Chiyoda-nata
(Chiyoda type), of less than 140 tons, both schooner rigged, were
enrolled about the same time, and then followed by the Kasuga, a
two-funnelled, three-masted paddler, originally the Kiang-tse. She
carried six guns, and for some time served as the Shogun’s yacht.
Following this, the Fuji Yama, a full-rigged ship—a sailing frigate of
about 1010 tons and 24 guns—and the 523-ton barque-rigged sailing-ship
Ken-he were purchased.
To learn how to work this naval militia, Japan imported instructors
of various kinds from the Western world. In response to applications,
the present Admiral Tracy was sent out by the British Government, and
with him a small host of other Westerners. With their natural aptitude,
the Japanese rapidly acquired the rudiments of sea service, while on
shore the beginnings of a shipbuilding yard were made at Yokosuka.
The British naval uniform was adopted with some slight differences.
Officers were sent to Europe—chiefly to Holland—to study the principles
of naval warfare, and at once a desire to possess ironclads arose.
Out of this came the purchase of Japan’s first ironclad, the Adsuma.