The Sun.
London, England, 1861-04-18 00:00:00

LITERA7UR.6:.

Ten Weeks in Japan. .B 1 ,
of Victoria Hon2,.'Elong. Longman.
This very ac:recable and interesting voiume
gives us a narrative of the writer's impressions of
Japan add the Japanese, derived from a ten weeks'
sojourn in the empire. He does not pretend to
give " a profound or elaborate treatise, but a
simple record of facts which the author witnessed
during his brief visit to the country, and on which
he has grounded some general observations respect-
ing the moral, social, and political condition of the
Japanese race." For this very reason the work
will be more attractive to the general reads, who
may form a very good idea of the general character
and habits of this singular people from its pages.
Dr. Smith represents the Japanese in much the
same light as other travellers have done. He speaks
of them as a fine race, brave, intelligent, and eager
for information, but degraded by their low tone of
morals and injured in their social qualities by the
system of espionage which prevails. On the occa-
sion of the bishop's visit of ceremony to the
Governor of Nagasaki, in company with the British
Consul, a cautious conversation ensued, in which
the Japanese declined to give direct answers to
the questions asked :--
It was not until the close that we noticed the rapid
motion of pen with which a native reporter was recording
our words, and passing with hurried movements from page
to page. Every incident of the interview was doubtless
made the subject of an official report, which was soon on
its way to Yedde, 70Q miles distant. He once turned
round and compared notes with a second reporter, more re-
tired from view, and seated behind the chair of one of the
official, who acted in his turn as a secret watch or spy, and
checked by the most precise details the accuracy of the
other writer. This system of espionage and checks is a
heavy restraint upon the public officers, spreads abroad a
universal spirit of mutual distrust, sows the seeds of con-
spiracy and false accusation broadcast over the land, and
operates
of
on the national character by fostering
a body hypocrites and spies in every rank; of society.
The Government is, indeed, by this odious system
rendered almost omniscent in the details of official life.
But a heavy price is paid in the universal suspicion and
heartless treachery which separates man from man.
The efficacy of the law in repressing crime is, how-
ever, very great. The trades of the chief cities are
busy and active, and the number and variety of the
goods offered for sale are worthy of any European
mart. The first impression generally borne away
from this busy scene. according to tha
sense of tawdriness and want of finish; for if, on
the one hand, the signs of destitution are absent,
yet on the other there are no indications of wealth
and luxury. Few wants, primitive habits, and
rigid adherence to old forms, and the subdivision
of classes, combine to withdraw the ordinary
stimulants to exertion and progress. But the
people, as a nation, are happy and contented

If the Japanese do not enjoy the blessings of what is
callel in the West constitutional freedom, and know little
about theories of civil and religious liberty, they contrive
to make daily life flow smoothly on the stream of time, and
are content to be borne along on the tide of present sensual
enjoyment and careless ease. If we could dare to exclude
from our estimate all thought of an Almighty Ruler of the
world, the holy purity of the Divine law, and the certainty
of a judgment to come, a Christian narrator might find
less difficulty in coinciding in the generally received ex-
pressions respecting the happy condition and external
prosperity of the people of Japan. Exempt from political
cares, they know few trials apart from bodily wants, and,
the hard toil of labouring for the meat that perisheth.
They compensate themselves for the absence of the com-
forts of a civilisation, to which they are as yet strangers,
by helping themselves liberally to those material comforts
which a little money at any time places within their reach.
Old and young banish care by a plentiful intermixture of
pastime in the occupations of life.
The people have a great desire for information,
and are willing and anxious to learn from their
European visitors. As the author observes, there
is great hope for a country and a race of people
thus conscious of their own inferiority, and will-
ing to avail themselves of the instruction of
strangers in remedying the defects of native
science. This remerk made in speaking of the
medical school near Desima,iin which Dr. Pompe,
the Dutch physician attached to the factory there,
gives lectures to native students and practitioners,
receiving a salary from the Japanese Government
for so doing. The medical pupils are boarded and
lodged in the school at the expense of the Tycoon,
and a class is formed in the afternoon of a numbor
of local practitioners, who melee their professional
visits in the morning, and afterwards avail them-
selves of the advantages of European instruction.
A naval, school was also established under the
supervision of the Dutch at the expense of the Impe-
rial Government. The institution has, however,
been abandoned, which is the more to be regretted,
as some of the pupils gave promise of great ability.
One yoking man, who was quite ignorant of the
Dutch language on entering, in the space of 18
months had made considerable progress in mathe-
matics, and mastered all the problems of trigono-
metry. The Japanese authorities are now
relaxing a little of their religious intolerance,
though they keep a strict supervision over the dis-
semination of books. Since the massacre and
expulsion of tho Jesuite, Christianity has not been
tolerated. It was not always so, how ever, judging
from the story told of the Emperor Nohanan, who,
when a petition demanding the expulsion of the
missionaries was given him, asked how many re•
ligions there were in Japan. "'Thirty-five" was
the reply. "Nell, then," said the Emperor, "we
may easily hear a thirty-sixth ; let the strangers
dwell in peace." Of the future prospects of the
people Dr. Smith speaks hopefully, recommending,
like all men of sense and discernment, proper care
and caution in dealing with their prejudices. He
laments the overbearing and contemptuous manner
so often worn by Europeans and Americans, as-
suming the airs of a conquering race in countries
where they are scarcely tolerated. Another
matter of regret is the reckless dishonesty
of some traders, and the connivance of the
Japanese officials, which the author truly repre-
sents to be a most shortsighted policy. The ex-
port of raw silk from Yokuhama during a certain
period was reported in the commercial statistics
at Shanghae as exceeding 3,000 bales, during which
time the export duty paid on silk to the local
custom house was officially returned as between
500 and 600 bales. Truly, such conduct is not
likely to increase the Japanese love for trade, or to
awaken the Government to a sense of the national
value of commerce. Of the structure of the lan-
guage, of the climate and the earthquakes, and the
manners and habits of the people copious informa-
tion is given. The illustrations consist of eight
large coloured plates, and a map, which greatly
enhance the attractions of the volume. Those who
wish to gather a good general idea of the ways of
the people and the conduct of the Government will
very likely gain more knowledge from these simple
and graphic chapters than from more abstruse and
elaborate volumes.

Anahuac; or, Mexico andthe Mexicans, Ancient and
Modern. By Edward B. Tyler. Longman.
This is a narrative of the adventures of Mr. Tyler
and his friend, Mr. Christy, in Mexico during the
year 1856. It would be difficult to define with any
exactitude the limits of their travels, which were
particularly erratic; but their line of route is marked
on a sketch of the country which is appended to
the work. Starting from the Havana (where the
travellers first met) some insight is given (if such
alas were needed) into the mode in which the
Spaniards observe the Treaty with England for the
suppression of the slave trade. It is well known
in this country that it is but a farce for England
to send squadrons to the gold coast and to the shores
of Cuba, while the Spaniards, faithless to. honour
and the laws of oiyilised nntiono, oneouing,e tilts
Iniquitous trade. But Mr. Tylor goes further, he
declares, "that from information he has received," all
the officials, from the highest to the lowest, profit
by it. Also that some 15,000 negroes are landed
yearly. But what right have we to complain.
What are the coolies and Chinese in the West
Indies ? We do not admit that their treatment
there is so
i bad is when they get among the Spa-
niards or into Southern States of America ; but it is
after all slavery under another name. Mr. Tylor
writes with great clearness upon this subject gene-
rally, but we must not let him loiter on the way, and
so land him at once at Vera Cruz. The first experiences
of our friends could not have been very pleasant,
or, on the road from the aforesaid city " en route",
for the capital, they met with rather inhospitable
usage. Travelling by diligence they halted for the
night at the village of Huemantla Puebla, a city
containing about 70,000 inhabitants; the usual halt-
ing place, being at that time in revolt, was besieged
by the President; but among this volcanic people
civil war is so common that it makes
little difference to trade, except that ,it
causes the country to be infested with bands of
robbers, as the following adventure will show :
At the inn, they found the travellers by. the down
coach, who were bewailing their hard fate, for
while entering the village the whole of the luggage
had been cut adrift by highwaymen, and on com-
plaint being made at the coach office they were in-
formed that they might think themselves fortu-
nate that they had not been shot into the bargain.
Here was a pleasant look out for the passengers by
the up stage, and to keep up their courage they
were told most fearful stories of murder, &c. :

TIIE INNKEEPER.
These gentlemen had indeed got off easily, as the driver
said ; for the last diligence from Vera Cruz, with our
steamboat acquaintances in it, had been stopped just out-
side this very town of Huamantla as they left it before
daylight in the morning. The robbers were but three, but
they had plundered the unfortunate travellers as effectu-
ally as thirty could have done. Now, all this was very
pretty to hear as a tale, but not satisfactory to travellers
who were going by the same road the next morning ; and
in the disagreeable barrack-room where our beds stood
in
long lines, we, the nine passengers of the "up" diligence,
held a council, standing, like Mr. Macaulay's senators,
and there decided on a most Christian line of conduct—.
that 1Y1494 ti4g WO Into 49" IiPQA n 5; 444 OA 1111g40 of

the inevitable escopeta was poked in at our window, wa
w•-add descend meekly, and at the command of " boca
~j," (mow h il.wnwards), we would humiliate ourselves
with our ne:-.es in the chr., iobbc.l quietly. Having
thus decided' beforehand, according to the etiquette of the
road, whether we w6c to fight or submit, and being tired
with a long day's journey, iNe all turned in, and were fast
LElepp in a moment. •
It seemed that almost directly afterwards the dirtiest
man possible came round, and shook us till we were con-
scious ; and we washed in the customary saucers, by the
light of a real,
exactly what the Romans used in Pompeii, except that
flaring, smoking, Spanish lamp with a beak,
this is of brass, not bronze.

With our eyes still half-shut we crawled into the kitchen
for our morning chocolate, and demanded our bill. Such
a bill I One of us, a stout Spaniard, sent for the landlord
and abused him in a set speech. The "patron" divested
his countenance of every trace of expression, scratched his
head through his greasy nightcap, and stood listening
patiently. The stout man 'grew fiercer and fiercer, and
wound up witk a climax. "If we meet with the robVers,"
said he, rolling himself up in his great cloak, "we must tell'
them that we have passed through your worship's hands,
and there is none left for them." The landlord bowed
gravely, saw us into the diligence, and hoped we should
have a fortunate journey, and meet with no novelty on the
road. A "novelty" in Spanish countries means a mis-
fortune.

We met with no novelty, though, when we-looked out of
the window in the early dawn and spied three men with
muskets, following us at a short distance, we thought our
time had come, and watches and valuables were plunged
into boots and under seats, and through slits into the pad-
ding of the diligence ; but the three men came no nearer,
and we supposed them to be an escort of soldiers. When
it was light the difficulty was to recover the valuables—no
easy matter, so securely had they been hidden.
Our travellers did not show much pluck, but this
is perhaps the custom in Mexico. They, however,
arrived safe in due time, and the author, having
given a description of the appearance of the country
on his route, plunges into one of the cities of Mexico,
where he enjoys himself and dives into the archives
of the monasteries, and shows great zeal in collect-
ing much interesting information. He remarks
on, and we rather think condemns, the het dishes
of the country, but of course tastes vary in all
climes. After giving an account of Old Mexico,
which was destroyed at the time of the Spanish
invasion under Cortez, and the building of the
new city, he
describes a curious contrivance, to
which the natives in certain localities resorted
enable them to live on their own property