Fukuzawa Yukichi (1835-1901) was a Japanese author, writer, teacher, translator, and entrepreneur who founded Keio University. “. . . I am willing to admit my pride in this accomplishment for Japan. The facts are these: It was not until the sixth year of Kaei (1853) that a steamship was seen for the first time; it was only in the second year of Ansei (1855) that we began to study navigation from the Dutch in Nagasaki; by 1860, the science was sufficiently understood to enable us to sail a ship across the Pacific. This means that about seven years after the first sight of a steamship, after only about five years of practice, the Japanese people made a transpacific crossing without help from foreign experts. I think we can without undue pride boast before the world of this courage and skill. As I have shown, the Japanese officers were to receive no aid from Captain Brooke throughout the voyage. Even in taking observations, our officers and the Americans made them independently of each other. Sometimes they compared their results, but we were never in the least dependent on the Americans. . . .”

give me the main idea in 1 sentence

The main idea of Fukuzawa Yukichi's statement is that the Japanese people demonstrated their courage and skill by successfully making a transpacific crossing without relying on foreign assistance.