紀徳碑

　西之表市街地から車でおよそ３０分で、安城小学校に着きます。米国商船カシミヤ号の乗組員を救助したのを記念して紀徳碑が建てられています。なお、碑文は、西之表市立伊関小学校付近にある記念碑と同文です。正面は日本語で、裏は英語で書かれています。碑文は次のとおりです。

　紀徳碑
明治十八年九月米利堅国商船遇？破壊干我種子島近海乗客多溺以脚船免者僅十有二人三人抵伊関村七人抵安城村抵安城者依村人岩坪平左衛門者抵伊関者夜上岸彷徨號？會村人古田貞吉出漁闇之赴救導？舎十二人団頓殆死既而両村人民給之衣食看護備至遂得蘇息両村告状村衛村吏護送之鹿児島無幾得師其国米国政府深徳我得漂民之厚賜者岩坪古田両人賞牌各一個及金各二十五円更恩所以酬両村人民者我明治二十二年三月間之其国会議決及贈米金五千弗於両村人民以酬厚誼我外務省交之鹿児島縣知事渡邊千秋千秋使熊毛郡長面高成三折半其金分興両村各買整理公績証書以為共有年以其息充学資於其用之得其�℃ｧ米国政府之徳義亦足以不朽其為村民謀深且遠？以所係者大也村民相謀欲勤事由干石以使子弟不忘其徳迄乞予文予日希代之盛事也罕闇者也及不辞略叙其顛末？末係之以辞白
善隣之道　所係非軽　我
皇有訓　維民仰成　災阨相恤
？不同情　労微報厚　見彼至誠
永受其錫　育我群英
明治廿三年五月一日　平山寛蔵撰

裏の英文の碑文は次のとおりです。
IN SEPTEMBER 1885 AN AMERICAN SAILING-SHIP
WAS WOPECKED OFF THE ISLAND OF TANEGASHIMA
ALL THE PASSENGERS OF THE SHIP WERE
DROWNED. EXCEPT TWEIVE WHO SAVED THEIR
LIVES BY BOATS /FIVE OF THE MLANDED ON THE
SHORE OF THE VILLAGE OF ISEKI AND THE
OTHERS LANDED ON THE SHORE OF THE
VILLAGE OF ANJO. WHERE THEY WERE KINDY
CARED FOR BY H.IWATSUBO. A VILLAGE.
THE FORMER HAVING LANDED BY NIGHT. ERE
WANDERING ABOUT AND SHOUTING WHEN A
VILLAGER. FULTA. HEARD THEM ON HIS WAY TO
FISH. AND TOOK THEM TO HIS COTTAGE.
THOUGH. THE TVELVE FELL SENSELESS AND NEAR-
LY DEAD WHEN THEY FIRST LANDED THEY WERE
REVIVED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE TWO VILLAGE.
WHO GAVE THEM CLOTHES AND FOOD AND CARED
FOR THEM WITH PATIOULAR KINDNESS.
THEN THE VILLAGERS IMFORMED THE OFFICERS
SENT THE CASTA WAYS TO KAGOSHIMA UNDER
A GUARD.
THUS. AFTER A WHILE THEY RETURNED SAFELY
TO THEIR HOMES.
THE AMERICAN GORVERMENT APPRECIATING
VERY MUCH THE KINDNESS OF THE ISLANDERS
PRESENTED ONE MEDAL AND TWENTY-FIVE DOL-
LARS EACH TO IWATSUBO AND FULTA
BUT THE GORVERMENT NOT CONTENTING WITH
THIS PRESENTED FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS TO
THE TWO VILLAGES AS A FARTHER GRATUITY
BY ACT OF CONGRES OF MARCH 1889.
OUR FORGLN MINISTER RECEIVING THIS
MONEY SENT IT TO T.WATANABE THE GORVERNER
OF KAGOSHIMA. AND HE ORDERED IT TO BE
DIVIDET. EQUALLY A MONG THE VILLAGERS.
THEN THE VILLAGERS PURCHASED GOVERNMENT
BONDS AS THE COMMON PRORERTY OF THE
VILLAGERS. AND THE YEARLY INTEBEST IS
ENOUGH TO SUPPORT THE SCHHOLS OF BOTH
VILLAGES
THIS GRATUITY HAS BEEN PROPERLY APPIT-
ED. BECAUSE THE MONEY WILL BE KEPT
HENCEFORTH. AND THE JUSTICE OF THE AMERI-
CAN GORVERNMENT WILL BE LONG REMENBERD
BY THEIR DESCENDANTS
IN PRDER TO COMMEMORATE THIS THE VI-
LLAGERS ARE ERECTING MONUMENTS IN
BOTH SCHOOLS. AND I WAITE THE INSCRIP-
TI?N BY THEIR WANT.
HOW IMPRESSIVE IS FRATERN .FOLLOWING THE
PRECEPTS INSTILLED BY HIS JESTY. HIS RECPIE
SUCCORED THOSE IN PEPIL-AS WHO WOULD NOT-
AN AMPLE REWARD FOR A TRIVIAL SERVICE
PRESRVING FOR ALL TIME THE GENEROUS GIFT
WE DEVOTE IT TO A WORTHY PURPOSE-THE
EDUCATION OF OUR PROMISING YOUTHS

　碑文は以上です。文章の中で、？は不明文字、あるいは判読できない文字です。また、碑文に読み違いがあるかもしれません。

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