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 study in America (see under ), purchased the printing equipment of the London Mission, which was then no longer used by Legge. In 1872 Wang issued the 普法戰記 Pu-Fa chan-chi, 14 chüan, an account of the Franco-Prussian War, in which he was aided by a translator named Chang Tsung-liang 張宗良, who gathered materials from foreign periodicals. This work was reprinted by the Japanese Army Department in 1878. Later Wang had this account expanded to 20 chüan and printed it in 1886 under the same title. It at once brought him fame as one who understood foreign affairs.

By 1873 Wang T'ao had begun his newspaper activities, exercising in this field such a pioneer influence that he may justly be regarded as one of the founders of modern Chinese journalism. In his editorials, which he seems to have popularized in China, he advocated reforms, and expressed much resentment at the Japanese annexation of the Loochoo Islands (see under ). Soon he became the editor of the 近事編錄 Chin-shih pien-lu, a daily newspaper which had been printed at Hong Kong since 1864. In 1873 or 1874 he and Huang Shêng founded at Hong Kong the Tsun Wan Yat Pao (循環日報 Hsün-huan jih-pao) which still exists. Associated in this enterprise was the future diplomat, Wu T'ing-fang 伍廷芳. By 1875 Wang had published at Hong Kong several of his own works: a book of stories, entitled 遯窟讕言 Tun-k'u lan-yen, 12 chüan, printed in 1875 and reprinted in 1880; various accounts of Shanghai, entitled 瀛壖雜誌 Ying-juan tsa-chih, 6 chüan, printed in 1875; and reflections on contemporary affairs, foreign countries, and the Taiping rebellion, entitled 甕牖餘談 Wêng-yu yü-t'an, 8 chüan. The Tun-k'u lan-yên was so popular that it was pirated by a printer in Kiangsi, under the title 閒談消夏錄 Hsien-t'an hsiao-hsia lu. In 1879 he made a trip to Japan, recording his impressions in a work, entitled 扶桑遊記 Fu-sang yu-chi, 3 chüan, reprinted in Japan in 1880. In Japan he was well received, both as a scholar and as a reformer. On his return he stopped briefly at Shanghai to fraternize with some officials, but perhaps deemed it still unsafe to settle there. Nevertheless, after two subsequent visits, in 1882 and 1883, he finally (1884) made Shanghai his home. By this time he had saved about Mex. $5,000. and had accumulated a library of 100,000 chüan. There he continued his book-writing, and his journalism in the form of steady contributions to the Shun Pao (申報 Shên Pao), whose editor, Ch'ien Chêng 錢徵, was his son-in-law. He resumed his association with foreigners in Shanghai, notably with Alexander Wylie (see under ) and John Fryer (see under ), who invited him to be dean of the Chinese Polytechnic Institute known as Ko-chih Shu-yüan 格致書院. This organization, founded by private subscription in 1874, had a reading room and subsequently a scientific book depot. The Institute was later transferred to the Shanghai Municipal Council and became the Polytechnic Public School for Chinese. The general object of these undertakings by Dr. Fryer was the spread of scientific education, to lay a basis for the modernization of China in the field of applied science. To this Wang Tao and some other Chinese of his day were sympathetic, but as a reformer Wang went much further in openly favoring the adoption of many political institutions of the West. Nevertheless he accepted the view of the time that these institutions—particularly the franchise and constitutional government—were implicit in the Chinese classics and existed in the alleged Golden Age of antiquity. Wang's ideas of reform are chiefly set forth in the 韜園文錄外編 T'ao-yüan wên-lu wai-pien, 12 chüan, printed in 1882 at Hong Kong, and in his letters which are in two collections, one entitled T'ao-yüan ch'ih-tu (尺牘), 12 chüan, printed in 1886, the other entitled T'ao-yüan ch'ih-tu hsü-ch'ao (續鈔), 6 chüan, printed in 1889.

Wang T'ao's writings cover a wide field including, in addition to the above-inentioned items: verse, works on optics, mechanics, and on the history of Western institutions. Particularly popular, and widely reprinted, are his compositions written in a style, half fiction and half fact, usually turning upon his travels and following the pattern of Liao-chai chih-i. His 淞隱漫錄 Sung-yin man-lu, 12 chüan, printed in 1887, and his 淞濱瑣話 Sung-pin so-hua, 12 chüan, printed 1887, are examples of this type. His collected poems, entitled 蘅華館詩錄 Hêng-hua kuan shih-lu, 5 chüan, were printed in 1880. After a journey to Shantung (1889) he hoped to realize an ideal held in mind since 1884, namely to found a publishing house of his own, to be known as the T'ao-yüan Shu-chü 韜園書局. In a prospectus printed in 1889 he outlined his plan, offering shares at Mex. $25.00 and listing his works under thirty-six titles. He states that twelve of these works were already printed in 838