New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-11-04

HE LITERATURE or THE JAPANESE
from drowning by Lieut.. Tennlson, of the U. 5.
X. NJ, OF the officers and crew Of japanese Junk
which had been wrecked This chance had already
led to very important discoveries into the character
and Literature Of that singular and isolated people
and may possibly open the way to unrestricted com
mmicaton between them and the United States
Lieut. T. describes them as extremely intelligent
and he suggests that 1t would be Of great value that
they should take a tour through the United States,
with the view OF impresslng them with the ad-
vantages to be derived from international communl-
cation between the two people lie sends their
pass and alphabet as cunosties. \ correspond
emit OF The CorriCr & Enquirer writing from Wash
mgton, thus describes the latter
The Japanese alphabet, as represented by L.. Ten
NIsoSS diagram, contains Is characters, which con-
sisi OF straight, Cblcue, parallel crooked and angu-
tar Ines and marks, resembling thick and ragged
Scrawls with bad gun pen. There are, think, no
circles Oyals, and but curve IN the forty eight
Signs The names OF these letters, written lake H.,
so as TO give near may be the japanese prOnun-
CIatOn aIe-Es, ron, ha, nhec no. hcV, tgDY che>,
y, Hh0o choir. u, wd" car, yOb fGn, day. sur $500
man. nam, urar moo. %, E. No, o, hoo, gar, man,
L. J00. koV, 4. thea, An, kre, yO0, may, nee 4,
H. ghSc, nOw. sag, DcOo q Il vii be remarked that
the character occurs tSlce and once IN at.ltlOn,
followed by the same letter IN smaller SIZE. The
repetition II 10 DOUBT susceptible Of eNpsna-
ton consistent with the assumption that they
are separate letters In this representation of the
ALPHABET. and IN the lists of the numerals and the
proper nan.S II rs observable that the letters num-
beIS. ana names stand IN perpendicular columns
that the place Of beginning Is 1t the night hand, up
per corner OF TIE page, a! what would be with usthe
head of the last column that the order of reading
or writing l. from the top 10 the bottom Of the col
umn and from the night to the left side Of the page,
after the manner Of the Chinese, and directly the
reverse OF our own. who write and read horizon
tally, and from left to right. The name OF the cap
tam MONTHS which IS neither very foreign TO our
ears nor hard to be pronounced Some OF the other
sound almost famlliar-as JIs-rorcH, a connection,
very possibly, of our SAN-PArcH. who moistened
his unlucky clay IN the GeneSee SIN FAY, THAMk-
THO, IiEcEoTHo, and AoU-AN-rHo. "OO,' the
and tho" seem to be fayonte formations, and.
beng written separately, are, perhaps, Surnames.
The calhgraphy OF these signatures looks grotcsque
enough, but not more so, probably, than the auto
graphs of the President and Cabinet, for example
would to the most enlightened Japanese.
The numerals afford decisive proof OF the advance
Of this my stefl0uS people IN mathematics, science
the cultivation OF v hen Is always an accompaniment
VI high civilization Their system for the expression
OF numbers seems 10 pardke OF both thief Arabic and
Roman methods. They do not appear 10 have at
tained the noble and comprehensive simplicity Oft
Arabian numerals, with their manner Of arrange
ment, by which TIE best and the greatest o. concey-
able quantities expressed by the use OF no! more
than ten cardinal signs but they Tar in advance
OF the Romans. who had no better plan of enumera-
ton than The employment OF less or greater num-
Der of signs repre- Sentlng fixed quantities.
The same correspondent thus speaks Of their
compass
The compass is represented by two circular lines
surrounding rude figure OF IN arrow, probably IN
tended for the needle, and the circumference OF the
outer circle IS divided of INTO astronomical signs
Indicated by figures OF rat, COW, tiger, RABBIT,
snake, small snake, hors-, goat. monkey. rooster,
dog, and an animal not specifically named, but
about the size Of dog
The writer having gwen these details, expresses
strong conviction that the japanese are highly
cultivated and enlightened people and entertalns a
hope that Efforts Will be made to improve this occs-
SION Of becoming acquainted with the polty, gov
crnmeut. ard traditions Of the empire Of japan.