six o'clock in the evening
The journey of eighteen miles was performed in an hour , in an exceedingly comfortable first-class carriage , upholstered in red morocco ; and I noticed that the guard and engine-driver of the train were Englishmen -- another good sign for me , I thought . Although the speed of the train was nothing to boast of , I found the journey interesting , for the scenery , with its little grey villages of thatched , wooden houses , and the temples with their quaintly shaped roofs on the one hand , and the sea on the other , with its islands , wooded gardens , and hundreds of fishing-boats , with Fujisan always dominating everything else , were all novelties to me . The railway does not run right into the city of Tokio , but has its terminus at the village of Shimbashi , on the outskirts ; here , therefore , we left the train and , engaging kurumas for ourselves and our baggage , drove to the Imperial Hotel , where Nakamura advised me to take up my quarters _ pro tem _ , and where he also intended to stay , that night . It was then six o'clock in the evening , and too late to transact our business , so , after a wash and brush-up , we sallied forth to see something of the city . On the following morning , at ten o'clock , I presented myself before Vice-Admiral Baron Yamamoto , the Minister of the Navy , and handed him my credentials . He received me with great politeness , read a private letter from Viscount Hayashi , of which I was the bearer , asked me a good many questions as to the length and nature of my service in the British Navy , and my experiences therein , and finally handed me my commission as Lieutenant , together with a letter to Admiral Togo , which I was to deliver to him at Sasebo , without delay . Now , Sasebo is situated on the north-western extremity of the island of Kiushiu , and is nearer seven than six hundred miles from Tokio ; moreover , I found that during my voyage out to Japan , events had been progressing by leaps and bounds -- so far at least as Japan was concerned .