New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-06-09
THE EMPIRE OF JAPAN.
IRON The National InieMsereerl

pears 10 have been sXtyone Emperora Alter this Pc
Rod In the year ll42 change took place From this
time double chronology commences, including the
regns Of the Dearos and Cubos The Dearios were
military officers and at period completely usurped
the power Of the Emperors but general BY the name
of Jeretmo being crowned succeeded in deprving the
Dearos CT all military power. At the present time the
kingdom Of Japan Is governed by An Emperor with full
military powers, Dearo with full civil powers and
Cubo or prime minister, who has authority over GER
| tain cities, their Parliament, &c.
The kingdom Of Japan consists Of three large and
thirty or forty smaller islands situated OF the coast Of
China The arcet Of these Islands Is Niphon the next
Jesso On the island Of Bungo, southwest Of TOnss 10
the city Of Nangasch and near that city Is the lille
tihcial leland Disns which Dutch factory is built
Jeddo or Yeddo the capital of the empire is situated
in the midst Of fine plain, in the province OF Musace
Ia built In The form Of crescent and intersected in
almost every street BY canal their banks being planted
with OF beautiful trees The city not icd
AZ most Eastern cities are, by wall, but has strong
castle 10 defend it. The river Tongsg waters H. and
supplies the castle ditch and being divided into i've
stream has bridge each. The public buildings
are on a magnificent scale. The imperial palace IS
ioImed by three cinctures, or circular pies OF ould
nes and Enclosing many streets, courts apartments, pa
y1ons guard houses ga'es drawbTidges, gardens ca
nails &c In it reside the Emperor and his family the
royal domesiics tributary princes and their resnues,
the Ministers Of State, many other officers OF Govern
mebt and a strong garrison TIE walls OF this magnn
cent palace built Of ireestone, without cement and
the prodgiOuy large. The whsle pile was origla
ally covered with gilt tiles which gave II very grand
and beautiful appearance. Many Of the stately apart
ments are formed and altered at pleasure by movable
screens The principal apartments are the Hall OF At
tendance the Council Chamber, Hall OF lnOusand
Mats &C.
The city is under the rule Of two Governors, who
rule year each .
The Iext largest city Is Meaco 1t is also royal city
and is situated on lake the middle Of the Island
OF Niphon and surrounded by mountains, which give
and delightful prospect to the whole; the
crcumjscent country between the city and the noun
tans is covered with temples sepulchers &c, &c and
is embelsbed with variety OF orchards, groves cas-
cades and puTDg streams. Three considerable rivers
water this fertile plain and unite their streams in the
center of the city, where magnificent stone bridge Ia
ctstes the communication between the different parts
Ct the city. strong cdse defends the town. Il IS SIR
hndrCd yards IN length, has tower In the center and
is surrounded by ditches the dry the other iu
of water This splendid city is twenty miles long and
nine wide within the suburbs, which well popu
lated as the city The number Of the inhabitants OF the
city proper is supposed 10 be 529OOO The universities
colleges, temples, &C. are almost In credible In number
and ma, nhcence. Il contains twelve capital or princ
pal streets in the center OF which the royal palaces
superby built Of marble, and adorned with gardens,
orchards, pavilOnf, terraces, groves &c.
The next principal town is Ozeaco us deemed the
chief seaport is very popuous, and has an army OF So
coo dIudys ready at the disposal and command OF the
Emperor IL is near fifteen miles In circumference.
The city OF Nangascke is the japanese naval depot:
but they have not yet found any use for navy their
vessels are only in the rough MATERIAL and stored away
for emergencies.
The kokan.a or prison is here The name means, in
the japanese, hell it has one hundred dungeons and
cages The history of hese few cities gives fair out
line Of the whole empire Their private dwellings are
small Tut neat ard ornamental with small gardens; in
this they excel they the very best OF h0cuur.
ists few feet Of ground turned to the best adj
vantage the japanese understand perfectly the art OF
dwaTfng plants trees, fruits and flowers. They use
neither tables bedstesds chairs but sit, eat, and
sleep, like moot Eastern nations, on mats
Almost the fret accomplishment learned by them is
the art and grace OF suicide the child In the nursery
abs itself with its finger stick and falls back in mi
ative death the lover cuts out his intetnes before his
obdurate mistress and the latter pours out her hearts
blood in the face of her fathless lover the criminal
executes himself; and in fact the whole nation, from
early youth, revels in the luxury OF suicide
Their trade H. at present. under great restrictions as
they only trade with the Chinese and Dutch The lat
ter have always fostered cherished and increased the
preudices of the Japanese against all other nations par
liculaIT the French, English, and Portuguese.
The mechanics and manufacturers In japan excel in
their different branches and are even far superior to
the Chinese. Their silks and cottons are excellent ard
their Japan and porcelain unequalled. Tneir eX.
ports and manufactured silks iron, Steel arti
fetal metals, furs teas finer than the Chinese Japan
ware, gold silver, copper gums medicinal herbs roots,
diamonds pearls, coral, shells ambergris sc. What
goods the Japanese want they pay Tor In godsnd
silver.
The Japanese worship the principal two gods, Xacs
and Amida. At Maceo there is stately temple, built
to of these gods IL Is of reestone as large St.
Paus with an arched roof supported by heavy pillars
in which stands an idol "copper" which reaches as high
the roof and, according 10 absorption given by Sir
Thomas Herbert, his chair is seventy feet high and
eighty ieetODg the head s big enough to hold fifteen
men, and the thumb forty inches ia circumference
There lie another statute called after the god Dabio made
of copper, twenty-five feet high in sitting posture
This shows that the japanese understand the art OF
working in bronze, and they far ahead OF Christian
nations in this particular. They allow polygsmy, and
they often strange their female children but never the
males. The nobility extract the two front teeth and
supply them with two of gold
The principal rivers the Uingava and Askagava-
the former rapid and wide that bridge cannot be
perpetual fluctuations. The chief lake. called Citz Is
100 miles long and 81 wide large valley exists In the
Interior hied with carbonic gas and called the Valley
Of the upas 1t covered with the skeletons Of numer
Gus wild and tame beasts and birds The Emperor, II
ssad, often sent criminals to the valley to bring away
spiecious gem OF inesdmable value and the bones OF
men also whiten its deadly sides
Aciouated lakes and thermal springs are common
throughout several Of the Islands
Their great source Of opulsnce their mines of gold
and silver, but they have enumony, calamine. sal
anmoniac, borax, or cinnebar, (quicksilyer) These
articles sre In demand, and bring high price Birds
ard every kind Of duck and poultry are plenty
phor trees are abundant and the cedars are the finest
IN the world Few countries open 80 fair field as the
islands of Japan for botanical ard geological research
Is not nect ssay here TO enter into adetaed statistical
account OF the commerce of Japan direct trade 10
that empire would increase the commerce of this coun-
| Try about $500 GOO annually il not more.
has always been in contemplation with this country
70 make an effort to open direct trade with Japan.
Commodore Porter, as far back 1915 addressed let
ter to Mr. Monroe on the subject Il was intended 70
NJ out fngate and two sOops war and place them
under his command, but subsequent events prevented
the contamination OF this design eutit has been revived
from time 10 time, without being carried out But few
years the undersigned drew the attention of Hon
\. Msson TO the subject by the recommendation of
steam line 10 China, with view of incidental CONNER.
csl intercourse, and finally direct trade with Japan II
would require but small efforts % accomplish CONNER
eia intercourse With shrewd people as the Jaoauese
who are alive to commercial feelings. A steam line d.
rect from Newl Ork 10 the lshmus being already in ex
isieree IL an easy matter 10 continue il the Gaoa
goss which Islands sbound in thence 10 the Mar
/ qaesss, and on 10 Shanghai or Jeddo w D. PORTER
NAVAL The u. s. steam frigate San
JscutO, Cspt Tbos. Crsbbe, remained at Cadiz Nav
/ to leave soon for the Mediterranean =
The l. 5 f1eate Congress, Com McKeever. Com
/ nanoer Pearson al MOnteyideo March Ia