eing that Japan should recognize Russia's title to the
whole of Saghalien and Russia should recognize Japan's title to the
Kuriles. These latter islands had always been regarded as Japanese
property, and therefore the arrangement now effected amounted to the
purchase of an area of Japanese territory by Russia, who paid for it
with a part of Japan's belongings. An interesting sequel to this
chapter of history is that, thirty years later, Saghalien became the
scene of a Japanese invasion and was ultimately divided between the
two nations along the fiftieth parallel, which was precisely what the
Bakufu statesmen had originally proposed.

THE FORMOSAN EXPEDITION

The expedition of Formosa in 1874 has already been spoken of.
Insignificant in itself, the incident derived vicarious interest from
its effect upon the relations between Japan and China in connexion
with the ownership of the Ryukyu Islands. Lying a little south of
Japan, these islands had for some centuries been regarded as an
appanage of the Satsuma fief, and the language spoken by their
inhabitants showed unmistakable traces of affinity with the Japanese
tongue. Therefore when, in 1873, the crew of a wrecked Ryukyuan junk
was barbarously treated by the Formosan aborigines, the Yedo
Government at once sought redress from Peking. But the Chinese paid
no attention to this demand until a force of Japanese troops had made
a punitory visit to Formosa, and China, recognizing that her
territory had been invaded, lodged a protest which would probably
have involved the two empires in a war had not the British minister
in Peking intervened. The arrangement made was that China should
indemnify Japan to the extent of the expenses incurred by the latter
in punishing the aborigines.

THE RYUKYU COMPLICATION

A fact collaterally established by the Formosan affair was that the
Ryukyu Islands belonged to Japan, and, in 1876, the system of local
government already inaugurated in Japan proper was extended to
Ryukyu, the ruler of the latter being pensioned. China now formulated
a protest. She claimed that Ryukyu had always been a tributary of her
empire. But China's interpretation of "tribute" was essentially
unpractical. "So long as her own advantage could be promoted, she
regarded as a token of vassalage the presents periodically carried to
her Court from neighbouring States, but so soon as there arose any
question of discharging a suzerain's duties, she classed these
offerin