This was nothing but a child-play compared with the railroad activity
which the later years brought forth, for now we have a railway system
extending over one thousand two hundred miles. But this concerns the
later period, so we shall not dwell upon it at present.

4. Steamers and the coasting trade. In 1871 the number of ships
of foreign build was only 74, but by 1878 they had reached 377. The
number of vessels of native build in 1876 was 450,000, and in 1878 had
reached 460,000.[3]

"Since the Restoration the use of steamers has daily increased,
and the inland sea, the lakes and large rivers are now constantly
navigated by small steamers employed in the carrying trade."

With the increased facility of communication, commerce and trade
were stimulated. In 1869 the total amount of imports and exports was
33,680,000 yen, and in 1879 64,120,000 yen. Imports had grown from
20,780,000 yen to 36,290,000 yen, and exports from 12,909,000 yen to
27,830,000 yen; in the one case showing an advance from 2 to 3-1/2, in
the other from 2 to 5.[4]


II.--EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS.

Previous to the Restoration, the schools supported by Daimios and
the private schools were few in number; but since that epoch the
educational system has been vastly improved, with a resulting increase
in the number of schools and pupils. In 1878, of high, middle, and
primary schools there were altogether 27,600, with 68,000 teachers and