'Strange, indeed!" said he,

you please." "Please let me hear it." All the guests seemed to be amazed at the mysteriousness of my words. I seated myself aright and said: "The 'Positive II' of 'Tai ()' was obtained.

"The 'Interpretation' says 'The heaven and the earth meeting together are [the emblem] of Tai. Monarchs accordingly hold the principles of the heaven and the earth; promote the seasonableness of the heaven and the earth; and thus govern the people.' 'The heaven and the earth meeting' means to have an extensive intercourse, 'Hold' and 'promote' mean to bless and utilise. 'Governs the people' means to guide the people and make them be at ease. The honourable men presented this emblem to make the sovereigns open the way for national opulence and indicate the people the ground of happiness, in conformity with the Providence, and give the people the liberty and convenience of doing and obtaining anything they like. You are going to Hawaii to be present at the coronation of her king, but I know that, your object really lies in consulting about the emigrants, and I am very thankful to have our government to be so anxious of the happiness and wellbeing of the people. You may doubt and question why I know the real object to be so. I shall answer. "The positives of the inner complement are the emblem of the inland's being overstocked with population, and the negatives of the outer are the emblem of the existence of a distant uncultivated land and of sending emigrants out there. Again, the 'Linetaion' says, 'Positive II tolerates wasteness, employs the daring, and does not discard the distant. When factions are annihilated, the path of mean will be respected' Tolerates wasteness' means to adopt and occupy an uncultivated land. Employs the daring' involves the act of going on message over the ocean waves and of observing the nature of the land and the customs of its

inhabitants. 'Does not discard the distant' means not to abandon though it be distant from us. "The path of mean will be respected' means to go far abroad and to execute an unnatural achievement.

"Now, this Empire, though fruitful, has already a sufficient number of population. The art of small-poxing has been lately introduced, and the health of the people is especially regarded to, so that the population is yearly increasing in number, at the rate of roughly 400,000 a year. Continuing at this rate, it will be doubled in seventy years, and will amount to 100,000,000 in a hundred years. It may be increased up to infinity in elapse of ages. In order to accommodate such a number of population, no other means but emigration can be adopted. The best land suited for this purpose is South America, and I believe, Hawaii is the ablest bridge to America for the emigrants.

"Again, from the point of view of the hexagram, that which corresponds to the second is the 'Negative V' which says, 'A pricess of blood is given in marriage. Blissful and perfectly lucky.' This involves that the Hawaiian King wishes to marry his daughter to one of our nobles. When you are there, you are sure to be obliged to assist her wedding. 'Blissfull and perfectly lucky' means, the success of this marriage will produce a great blessing in both countries, by and by."

On hearing this, the ambassador indulged in a meditation for some time, and then clapping his hands, he admired it very heartily.

When he came home afterwards, he called on me, and as soon as he saw me, 66 'Mysterious is your 'Eki'!" he bawled out, "and mysterious is your interpretation! Before starting I could not believe your remarks completely, as they were quite out of my expectation. But as I saw the King, he opened his mouth first, and

offered to sell his land at a low price to the Japanese. He also asked me to marry his princess to one of our nobles. I was then quite struck at the mysteriousness and exactness of your divination."

He showed me a picture of the princess fishing with a pole. From that time he doubts my divination no

more.

XII. HI (Obstruction).

Hi is against humanity; not advantageous to the constancy of honourable men; the great go away and the small come. Exposition. "Hi is against humanity; not advantageous to the constancy of honourable men; the great go away and the small come "-in other words, the heaven and the earth do not harmonize. The superior and the inferior do not meet together, and there is not a state under the heaven. The inner complement is negative, and the other complement is positive. The inner complement is weak, and the outer complement is strong. The inner complement is a small-minded man, and the outer complement is an honurable man. The principles of small-minded men prosper, and the principles of honourable men perish.

Interpretation. The heaven and the earth, not meeting together, are [the emblem of] Hi. Honourable men accordingly conceal their virtues and thus avoid difficulties. They ought not to think it honourable to get official emolument.

Negative I. In pulling up rushes, roots come off in a mass, consisting of the same variety. Lucky and auspicious, if constant.

Interpretation. In pulling up rushes, it is lucky if constant, because the mind is turned toward the sovereign.

Negateve II. Is submissive. Lucky for small-minded men. Obstructive yet auspicious for great men. Interpretation. "Obstructive yet auspicious for great men,' because they do not mix with the multitude. Negative III. Veils his shame.

Interpretation. "[Negative III] veils his shame," because he occupies an improper position.

Positive IV. An order is given.

Friends receive felicity.

Interpretation.

Free from blame.

An order is given.

blame" because one's object is carried out.

Free from

Positive V. Stops Hi. Lucky for great men. How critical! How critical! [Make it as secure as if] it be fastened to a densely grown mulberry grove.

Interpretation.

"Lucky for great men," because

the position is just and proper.

Positive VI. Gives a turn to Hi. Obstructed at first, but rejoicing in the end.

Interpretation. Hi declines in the end. How can

it be permanent?

EXAMPLES.

seer.

PUNISHMENT OF MASAJIRO SUGA.

A censor belonging to the late Shōgnic government, named M. Suga, committed a crime and was thrown into the prison, at the time when I was there too. He had been frequently to the prison as he was an overI asked him what kind of crimes brought him there, and he answered, "I do not know that I ever committed any crime except one. At the election of the attendance physician for the Shōgun, I was ordered to investigate the biographies of many physicians. One of them offered me some bribes, asking me to take him, and I consented. I think that my arrestment is from the discovery of this mean demeanour, which I am ashamed of, now. I am told that you are skilled in divining, please divine my punishment for me." I agreed, and