Aboriginal and Torres Straits Islander peoples should be aware that this book contains references to the names and work of deceased First Nation persons.

Japanese names are written in Japanese order (surname, given name), unless I am citing from a primary source, or unless the person in question is an author who has published in English.

When referring to ships, tonnage indicates a measurement of volume; elsewhere, where tonnage refers to weight (e.g. of coal), I have mostly not offered a metric conversion – partly due to the different definitions of a nineteenth century ton being used in the sources.

All translations are mine except where otherwise stated. In some instances I have included not just transliterated Japanese terms but also Chinese characters in the main text, where I judge they may be of interest to readers of Chinese.