On The Eleventh Student of Ranald MacDonald

Abstract

Ranald MacDonald came into Japan in 1848 during the Tokugawa Era while she was closed to the foreign countries, in order to know Japan and to teach English to the Japanese. He came ashore first on Yagishiri Island and then on Rishiri Island, but as he was soon caught and imprisoned in Eramachi, he could not attain his purpose in Yezo (now Hokkaido). Later he was sent to Nagasaki and then back to America in 1849.While he was in Nagasaki, he got the chance of teaching English to 14 Japanese interpreters. Their names were written down in “Ranald MacDonald” edited by William S. Lewis and Naojiro Murakami, and were confirmed except the 11th student. The name of the 11th student was “Inderego Horn” and its Japanese name was reported differently. “Hori Ichiro”, “Hor Tatsnoskay” or “Inabe Teijiro” was thought to be “Inderego Horn”; but not yet confirmed.But recently “Inderego Horn” was found to be the misspelling of “Judgero Hory” by Mr. Tomita, and I began to study according to this discovery. I looked into the List of the Japanese interpreters in 1847 and found the name of “Hori Jujiro” between the 10th and the 12th student; and I was deeply convinced that “Hori Jujiro” was the same person as “Judgero Hory”, the 11th student of Ranald MacDonald.He later changed his name to “Hori Denzo”, came to Hakodate as an interpreter there for a short period, and returned to Nagasaki; but his later career was yet unknown. I sincerely wish to know his whole career.