The Express.
London, England, 1863-08-21 00:00:00

LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, AUGUST 21, 1863.

JAPAN AND ITS PEOPLE.

The following extracts from a private letter,
dated Yokohama, June 14, from a medical naval
officer now on service in the Japanese waters, to
his friends at Manchester, will be read with in-
tenet :

Nagasaki is beautifully situated at the head of a deep '•
bay and at the foot of green bills, backed up by lofty
mountains. The soesery is most beautiful, the lead is
most fertile, and almost every available spot is cultivated
with rice, barley, he., somewhat in the terraced manner
of the Chinese. The approach and the passage to Yoko- t
hams is among innumerable islands, all clothed with
cultivation or forests of every shade of green, with the
white sandstone peeping out here and there. Each island
is • gem in itself—the brilliant green of the young rios
was beautifully contrasted with the many-coloured forests,
and the whole was eel in a broad frame of the purest blue I
water, dotted in every direction, as far as the eye could
see, with Wands or came. The whole scene recalled to
me the travels of &Mel the Sailor, and was more like •
dream from • fairy tide than en actual reality. The shores
were very populous; we passed numerous large towns with
their toylike temples and sombre-coloured low houses, es
clean and neat as those in China are dirty and untidy ; inns..
namable junks of all miles, wham captains threw up their '
arms as we passed in token of friendship ; innumerable fish-
heals, wit► “111 EMS, or • man, or, perhaps, a Mitts
urchin, who pinned a geed-humoured smile ; innumerable
pretty villages •ad houses to the water's-edge—one I well
remember when we pseud within • cable of • sort of bal-
cony, which was crowded with Japaneee gide, who greeted
us with waving their fans and chattering in • way that
women only can.
The people at Yokohama do not appear so hostile u at
Nagasaki, probably hearse there are here no Damios.
The trading classes are, indeed, everywhere for us, and some
of the Damios, but the majority of the Mimics are de-
cidedly against us, and they bold all the power in their
hands. One thing is (late certain, if we wish to extend,
or even preserve, oar trade with Japan, the power of the
Damioe must be broken, and • war of a very bloody and
expensive kind ensue sooner or later. No one of the fled
wishes war ; the coolies and common classes are so civil sad
good that we should be sorry to fire a single shot et them,
fer they, and not the Damen, would suffer. All we an
possibly do is to bombard their towns, of which, indeed,
they are now so afraid that Jeddo is nearly deserted. We
aunt march into the interior, or force Iliako, without •
very large army. The Japanese fight desperately, sod are
in such respects totally unlike the Chinese, for whom they
entertain • profound coatempt.
Them Dames, or Princes, some of whom, as Satsuma,
are enormously rich and powerful, with their proud swag-
gering retainers, resemble much the old feudal throne of the
middle ages. They resemble them, further, in baying
continual feuds amongst themselves, which are handed
down from generation to generation. They are very cruel
and meeting in their conduct to the lower classes. A day
or two ago, before we entered Nagasaki, • Demi° was
passing with his suite along the great road, when two little
girls ran across in front of the promotion. Now, this to a
Japanese is the greatest insult you could offer ; but them
children were too young to know it. They were immedi-
ately seised and decapitated, and their bodies left on the
rood with the Damio's mark.

Yokoherna is a consider►ble town of 80,000 iahabit►nts.
The Japanese houses are rarely more than one story, and
most omelet of two rooms, a front and ► back. Built of
bamboo and mud, and rarely of stone, they are always
painted nicely outside, or varnished, and generally kept very
clean. All ornamentation is eschewed swept on the roof,
which is generally edged with chequered tiles. Wherever it
can be afforded a small garden, with dwarfed trees, is stirs
to be in good condition ; and almost in every room you see
vases with flowers or dwarfed tress growing in them.
The floors are carpeted with a very even kind of ma-
ths, laid in strips a yard wide—the edges booed in black,
so as to make an agreeable parqueterie," and it is sherry'
kept very clean, even by the poorest classes. They take
off their shoes before mitering a house, leaving them out-
side the entrance, and look sa jealous at your hoots
when you enter as any English lady could, proud of ► new
drawing-room carpet. They never sit on chairs or stools,
but squat down me the floor with. their feet underneath, so
that they appear to sit on their heels. And as you peas
through the street thus you see them round a kind of
square trough in the front room, in which there is always
charcoal burning. They are either working or eating, or
smoking a very fragrant tobacco out of a email bowled
pipe, enjoying it immensely, and puffing it out slowly
through the nostrils. Women, even girls, smoke as much
as the men, sod with equal pleasure—or they are chat-
tering with great earneetums and volubility in a
language much softer and more liquid, lam twanging
and more harmonious, than the Chinese; or they are
singing, accompanying themselves on an instrument
lake the banjo, w►ich they play with great dexterity.
They enjoy their own manic immensely, and turn up their
eyes, sad beat time and look wisely critical, all in the most
approved style. I cannot see much, or rather hear much
beauty in their music, though some of the airs are plain.
tive ; but, or. the other band, they can see none in ours,
and say it is too loud, and fit ally for deaf people. Or they
are washing themselves without any reservation, and appe-
really quits unconscious of an► harm therein. Indeed in
the baths, which they frequent very often, the women
are always washed all over by men, smiling in the most''
isamst manner. This almost total disregard of modesty,
es we should say, is oar of •tbs most curious features in
Japan, and does not appear to laid to any licentiousness.
Or they are limy at their toilette, which is soon accom-
plished, all but the hair.
A Japanese lady ►ppese to spend all her talent on her
head. Her hair is black, glossy, thick, and long, and is
does up in a most imposing superstructure with the aid of
cushion., false hair, combs, and daggers or cress tars of
tortoise shell. I cannot describe it exactly, but there spe
pears to be this phut :—Brushed back in two lateral and am
central rams from the forehead, it meets with the back hair
brushed straight up, and the consequeoce is a series of rolls
intertwined with gold thread and edit stuff, and curiously
fastened up with coral-headed pins, gilt combs, and tor-
toise-shell bars. It really has a very pretty effect. The
married ladies further adorn themselves by pulling oat
their eyebrows and blackening their teeth, though I
believe the origin of this was with the husbands, who,
always free themselves, wished to make their wives
unattractive to others. Any infidelity is punished by
death ; but before marriage women are perfectly free,
Their faces, when they don't powder themeless—which
they ere very fond of doing, and painting their lips with
red—are very pretty when you are become a little accus-
tomed to the gamines Mongolian type. Their figures are
absolute perfection, and their hands sod feet smaller and
better shaped than any I ever saw in Europe. This is
owing to their dram, which is never tight ; and to their
never wearing boots, but only str►w sandals, or a kind of
potion in wet weather.
The dram of men and women is almost the same. A
keg " kes-m0.n0," desceoding to the incise in men, and
to the ground with women, though tucked up any height
in walking oat, is like a nightgown open in front right
dews, folded over the breast, and secured at the waist by
a girdle. The sleeves are very large, and bang down nearly
to the knee. In addition, the women have a long piece
of figured silk, which they wind twice or thrice round the
waist, and then hang up behind so as to droop in a kind of
rectangular festoon down to the back of the knees•
Colours are geserally sombre, and as well as the patterns,
which are commonly checks, are regulated by the laws for
the different classes. No cap is worn, but the coolie class
generally bind round their head a piece of coarse stuff.
The Yakonins wear a closer kind of ken-mano, and over
this a kind of mantle, generally of gauze or maps, and
marked with the devices of the Diunio, to whom they ho-
kum. They wear various shaped hats, and always carry
two swords at the left side, one longer than the other, and
both generally In admirable working order. Yon must
always keep an eye on these two-sworded men. If they
draw, you must shoot them tor k cheap, for there Is e law
(originally doubtless with a human* object) that if the►
draw their sword they must use it. otherwise they are
either decapitated, or commit hari-kari, that is, slit up their 1,
bowels.

The Japsame eat like the Chinese with chop-elicks, sod
appear to live chiefly on rice sod flab. With this simple
dist, however, they have very robust frames, aid though

pot tall ar fine men. appear able to endure much fatigue.
you eater a house, they rise up end maks a deep salaam,
saying, " O-hoe•io," and do the same when you leave, ray-
ing, " Siy.3forro " (may you be happy). They generally
bring you something to sit on in deference to your European
mutant, and present you with a cup of tea. The lady
will then take a sweetmeat between her fingers, and you
will be expeeted to opea your mouth, swallow it, look as
if you liked it, and say " a.rieg-a-to" (thank you), to
which she will bow and ay " Do•it•aahimaati" (equivalent
to don't mention it). Afterwards, she will light a pipe, and
transferring it from her bps to yours, will watch you smoke
it, and then give you some more tea. They are exceedingly
polite, and are much gratified if you are equally so. They
are very curious, Led examine everything about you—but-
tons, cloth, watch, knife, pips, Sc,—with various exclama-
tion, of satorishment, almost invariably asking bow much
you gave for this or that.

- I think them a moat inteUigent and Interesting people.
All clams* appear to be able to read and write, and to calcu-
late, which to more than ma be said of us et home.

FATAL. GUNPOWDIR ACCIDZIIT.—An inquest was
held at the Newcastle Infirmary on Wedecedad on the body
of Catherine Doesley, who died at that ratite** from
lorries received at her own hoer by as explores of gun-
powder, on the 15th July. Cuthbert Herring, nor
Corrpenoquare, Cowrie Colliery, the first witness caned,
maid ism the demised wee die wife of Jame Deaday,
miser, of Cowpse-equare. He thought she ward be
between thirty and forty years of age. On the 15th
July w!tnese was in the house of George Nesbitt, Orr-
peenquare, next door to the hoer of the dressed.
It was about one o'clock in the morning. At that time
they heard a noir, and a shook, as from aue
own of gunpowder, in the deeresd's house, and Nesbitt
asked witness to go and see what it was. He aoccediogly
went but found the door fast. He broke it open and went
in. He found the deceased standing behind the door.
The room was hill of smoke. The deceased was partially
undressed, sad what dress she had on was on fire between
the shoulders. She did not then state how it happened.
When be west in, she put her anon round his seek ie her
fright, and he could not get from her, or she would not
have been so much burnt as she was, as be could not
ambit in potting out the flame,. The fire burnt until the
strings of her dress were communed and her clothes fell
from her. There was no or is the house with the de-
creed but a child about three year old. Deceased after-
wards stated that she lad got op to give the child a drink,
and that to make a light *she put what she thought to be a
paper of sugar into the fire to make it bore, but it proved
to be gunpowder, and exploded. Her horsed red gun-
powder at his work at Cowen pit. There were three pounds
of powder in the house, and it appeared that she bad got
bold of a two pound parceL In stroking • little out of the
parcel no to the fire, r is supposed, it exploded, and *xenon-
stored to the net in the paper. and caused the explosion.
The third pouod of powder was afterwards foiled in the house,
sad it was wrapped in blue paper similar to that used for
sugar. Witness could not may whether she was drank at the
time of the explosion or not, but she had her drinking
during the day. She wee attended in her bore by Mr.
Trotter, surgeon, Myth, for some days, and afterwards
taken to the infirmary. The house top was partly shifted
on both sides by the explosion. The child was in bed is the
same room, and uniejorsd.— Dr. Boltoo, here surgeon at
the infirmary, stated that the deceased was brought there
about three weeks ago. Hers her on admission. She bad
been regularly attended end droned by a surgeon before ad-
minion. She was extensively burnt about the neck, chest,
back, and arms. She sank from those iejuries., and died on
Wednesday morning. A verdict of "Accidental death" was
rehired.

FL&I CULTURI ur Insienn.—We are indebted
to the Begiatrar-General for • • eopy of the atithisties
of the &crease of flax sown in Ireland in the
vent 1863. The total sense under flax I. as fol-
lows :—Uistsr, 207,345 mem ; Monster, 2,183; Laisster,
2,099; Oonnaught, 2,465. Total for 1863, 214,092; 1862,150.070 ; 1861, 147,957; 1880, 128,596; 16041, 136,282 ;
1868, 91,646 ; 1857. 97.721; 1856, 106,311; 1855, 97,075 ;
1854, 151,403. These figures speak for themselves, sod they
offer both to the spinner and the farmer a very cheer-
ing prcepect. The increase of mines in 1863 is nearly 45
per mot. as tempered with 1862 ; and, as compared with soy
ore of the years 1855. 1856.1857, aad 1858, the increase is
more than 100 pee emit. The quality of the fax and ha
prim, far so far, are pa that scold b deired.—Northers
Whip.

KIDNAPPING IN TB SOUTH PACIFIC.—Hy ar-
rivals from Tahiti we learn of the seizure there of another
vanl by the Freak authorities for beteg engaged in the
pusilzge infamous traffic of kidnap Kaaba into slavery. While
the foga was in Tahiti. a Peruvian brig (name un-
known). supposed to be enp in this bastams, came into
port and as seized, and •of sad srew were eat
into The aocouste of this traffic as being perpo.
tra in the South Pacific are almost beyond belief. At the
inland of Rowateogs and Mange", about 600 miles south-west
of Tahiti, • lap number of Menthes bad been treacherously
kidnapped by various vessels. A considerable trade has
heretofore been cooducted with these islands from Sydney
ad Tahiti. Per many year* back American whalers have
Yearly taken from 500 to 600 men from them, whose see•
vices were of great value in the Southern fisheries. When
we consider the condition of these people it seems scarcely
possible that such 'litany should be perpetrated. For more
than 30 years back EngFah missionaries have made these
islands their home, ad the remelt of their labours is visible
in the Christianity and almost perfect civilisation of the
natives. It is en undisputed fact that on these Weeds
there is to native male or female over 12 years of age but
who can read and write in their own language ; sod pro-
bably one-fourth of the adult males "peak English sufficient
for all useful purposes.—Panama Star.
THE HUDSON'S HAT COMPANY'S TIOIRITORIPS.—
The last mail from Cana& keine@ us important intelligence
as regards the mineral resources of the territories of the
Hudson's Bay Company. The recent prospectus of that
newly.organised corporation referred to the belief that the
compsey's territory was rich in mineral wealth, bat its
author, could hardly have anticipated so soon receiving the
extraordinary confirmation that Is afforded in the last
despatches from the country itself. We lest week published
extracts from the Nor'-Wester of July 15, from which
we learn that miners are actually working with much
success on the Saskatchewan ad the other rivers
that low eastward from the Rooky Mountain. Gold
has been felted at Fort Edmonton, and although those
engaged were mostly half-brods frees the Red River settle-
ment, having had no experieuce in mining or its opera-
noes, yet four of theme raw hands succeeded in washing out
in three days upwards of 801. of gold dust. Another of
thesehalf-breeds writes ini the 10th of May from White
Mud Fort, 55 miles above Edmonton, that gold was to be
found in almost every point or her such as to pay, with
their present mode of working, from six to eight shillings
sterling per day, and that his party had made from eight to
ten shillinp sterling per day—the precise amount they had
been unable to ascertain, owing to the want of quicksilver to
separate the fine metal from the drat. He says else that
the news from Peso" River aid other places nearer the
mountains is very thawing, and that, attracted by the su-
perior value of tbees fields as a ban of operations, 500
masers had lett the wises in the west, and bad undergone
the hardships of cronies the mountains to operate on this
side.—Canadian New, August 20.
NORTH AND SOUTH. —A controversy had arisen
between Pena and Baltimore as to the bousdary line betweea
Pennsylvania and Maryland. In suits between claimants •
survey of the line was made. Mason and Dixon submitted
to the Court of Chaacery in &gifted • report of the survey
establishing the live. This line lied throe been extended by
legislation to the Pacific, taking a zigzag coarse without
regard to latitude or climate. Illinois was north ; Missouri,
without 1111 interest leading that way, was south. A stranger
might see where the line runs without stories, notches, or
trees, surveyors' marks, or Mama and Dixon's report. Doss
he see cultivated lands, well stared granaries, house and
tenors in repair, a deems and educated popidatiora
poor children educated, free schools within roach of
all 'l He is north of the line. The lead may be hostile,
unproductive ; the climate cold, but than liberty has passed,
scattering her blessing., thrift, intelligens" PresPrhel.
upon a free people. Does the Meager see a sunny land,
rich in moil, irrigated, with awes propitious, prolific of the
choicest productions of earth, favourable to land and naval
commerce—a lard which tasks in the smiles of nature, is
held by an oligarchy, eight million, holding it in &ukase to
the exclusion of eighteen million* who would bring it light,
is governed by an aristocracy, combatting the declaration of
independence, that great plea for humanity, enslaving
negroes, excluding white men, the rich educated, the poor
governed, acquiescing in laws destructive of the;r own in.
West, upholding them, fighting for them ; a great scarcity
of public schools, publie libraries, public institutions, sad
public spirit generally? He is south of the line.—Misethri
De!socret.

PHOTOOKAPHY.—On the reoom-
meodatioa of the director of public instructios at Madru,
the Governor in Council has suthoris• d the principal of the
Civil Engineer College to expand fifty rupees per meneem,
from the Commencement of the next session of the
in providing an iostructor sod the uscasinu7 materials 44:r
teaching photography to such of the more advanced Mo-
diste as may evince as aptitude for the art. The principal
bugle° bessauthorised to purchase a small tent, and to incur
mach *Mart:ill...2 charges as may be necessary at the out-
set. The ex Hare now sanctioned to to be met from
the budget wanes for contingencies.

BAT WITH CAUTION.—Few persons are ignorant
of the extensive system of sdniteratioe of nearly every article of
food. Sven the staff of our daily breed" la adulterated
to many cases to an enormous eatent. The only remedy which
fandlles can adopt for ',curios pure bread. pastry.&r..lo .0*
Borwlek's Baking Powder, recommended by Dr. Hassell. the
analytical chemist of the " lancet," who says it was the first.
and H aWI the best ever offered to the public.—[Ativertlsement J

[Stamped, ld. Additional.]