The Sun.
London, England, 1869-07-27 00:00:00

JOUI?NEYS IN CHINA AND JA PA

Some interesting accounts of journeys in China and
Japan, performed by Mr. Alabaster, Mr. Oxenham,
Mr. Markham, and Dr. Willis, of the Consular
service, have just been issued among the par-
liamentary papers. Mr. Alabaster took the over•
land route from Che-foo, where he had been officiating
as Consul, to Chin-kiang, on his way to Swatow, his new
post, being desirous of obtaining some reliable informa-
-1 tion respecting the gold mines, and to ascertain the
practicability of a line of railroad from Che-foo. Part
of his route lay along the line of the Grand Canal,
from the Yellow fiver to the Yang-tse, and Mr. Ala-
baster discovered ample evidence of commercial wealth
and traffic in ti,e large cities lying on its banks. The gold
mines at rington are full of water, and though worked
with considerable success some years back, the
works have been suspended in consequence of dis-
putes with Peking. Coalpits are plentiful in the
neighbourhood of Wei-hsitn, but the coal is very inferior.
It is thought, however, that a more valuable quality might
be found underneath. The traces of the mischief wrought
by the rebels were very manifest, but the Nienfei have
not been nearly such a scourge as the Taepings. Though
twelve years have passed since the latter made
their attempt on Peking, the country has scarcely yet
recovered. The journey from the Yellow River to
Chin-kiang was more animated. The country here was
populous, and the commercial activity and enterprise
shewn in the towns surprised the traveller. Chin-kiang-
pu is a city of three times the extent of Shanghae, though
purely Chinese, and from thence to Chin-kiang it
was a succession of trading towns and large walled
cities. Mr. Oxenham's journey was from Peking to
Hankow, overland, traversing four of the provinces lying
north of the Yang-tse along the line of greatest traffic.
This is the great trade route from north to south, and it is
satisfactory to find that Mr. Oxenham, like Mr.
Alabaster, gives an encouraging account of the
advantages which many of the inland centres of trade
offer for the extension of foreign commerce. For
the most part there was a total absence of hostile feeling
towards foreigners. Consul Markham, who traversed
Shan-tung (which was also visited by Mr. Alabaster),
reports that the ruling mandarins shewed an
unfriendly feeling, and he believes that they
bad their cue from the Central Government,
but the people of the province behaved with kindness
and civility. Dr. Willis's report is especially interesting. He
visited several places in Japan to render medical assistance
to wounded Japanese, 900 of whom were in the Mikado's
army and 700 of the Aidzu clan. Mr. Willis spared no efforts
to humanise the practice of the Japanese in regard to
their mode of warfare and the treatment of their prisoners,
and, as far as possible, he instructed the native doctors in
the treatment of the wounded. The Mikado expressed
his sense of the services rendered in a letter to
Sir H. Parkes, accompanied by a present of silk to
Dr. Willis. The silk industry forms an important
part of Japanese trade, and foreign influence has greatly
encouraged it. Dr. Willis gives a good deal of informa-
tion respecting the country, and especially remarks the
variety of useful plants. Japan, be says, might
be supposed to have borrowed from both Asia
and Europe the vegetable products most neces-
sary to man. Animal life is, however, scarce.
There are great local changes of temperature. In winter
the snow sometimes lies from ten to fifteen feet deep in
the valleys on the west coast. The western sea is excep-
tionally violent, and for miles inland the air is filled with
the sound of the breakers that beat the coast in all
weathers.

S ELF •MUTILATION TO AVOID WORK. —A convict
in the Ohio Penitentiary chopped off his right hand just
at the wrist, a few days ago, in order to be relieved from
work. A short time ago he cut off one of his fingers for
the same reason.—Ncw York, Tunes, July 15.

A Cunious STORY.—We (Delhi Gazette) learn
from the Punjaub that an officer of the 15th Bengal
Cavalry, in April last, applied through his commanding
officer for six months' lease to Cashmere eluting this
season, but the commanding officer refused to pass It
on, because, if sanctioned, it would interfere with his
own prospects of leave in August next. The matter
was referred to the major-general of the division, who
failed to see the force of the commanding officer's
objection, and the application was passed on through the
usual channel to his Excellency the Commander-in-Chief.
His Excellency vetoed the application. The officer in
question, on account of ill.hcalth, then sought through a
medical board a means of escape from the plains. The
regimental surgeon applied for a board; it was granted,
and .six months' leave on medical grounds to visit
Cashmere were recommended by the board. The
officer took his departure from Mooltan, and was
procceeding towards Cashmere via Binibur, but he
was stopped by a telegram from headquarters,
directing him not to proceed to Cashmere, but to report
his arrival at Murree. Ile reached Murree and reported
his arrival ; and there another medical board was
assembled, presided over by the Deputy Inspector-General
of Hospitals of the Indian Army, and this board con-
firmed the proceedings of the previous board, and recom-
mended on strong grounds that the officer should be per-
mitted to proceed to Cashmere. His Excellency has
again vetoed the recommendation of the board, pending
reference to the Inspector-General of Hospital(' of Ulf
DiditaiantiLi