The organ of the temperance reform. (Cincinnati, O. [Ohio]) 1852-1853, 1852-10-01

far superior to the Chinese. Their silks and
cottons are excellent, and their japan ware
aud porcelain unequallcd. Their exports are
raw and manufactured silks, iron, steel, arti-
ficial metals, furs, teas finer than the Chinese,
Japan ware, gold, silver, copper, gums, medl-
cnal herbs, roots, diamonds, pearls, coral
shells, ambergris, &c. Whatever goods the
japanese want, they pay for in gold and silver.
The japanese worship the principal two gods,
Xaca and Amida; at Macca there is a stately
temple, built to one Of these gods it is of free
stone, as large as st. Paul's, with arched roof,
supported by heavy pillars, in which stands an
idol of copper, which reaches as high as the
roof and, according to a description given by
Sir Thomas Herbert, his chair Is seventy feet
high aud eighty feet long; the head IS big
enough to hold fifteen men, and the thumb is
forty inches in circumference. There is anO-
thur statue, called after the gol Dabio, made
Of copper, twenty-five feet high. in a sitting
posture. This shows that the japanese under
stand the art of working in brouze, and they
are far ahead Of Christian nations in this par
ticular. They allow polygamy, and they often
strangle female children, but never the males.
The nobility extract two front teeth, and sup
ply them with two OF gold.
The principle rivers arc the UJingaye and
AskagaYa, the former so rapid and wide that a
bridge cannot be built over it, the latter re.
markable for its depth aud its perpetual fluc-
tuatiOus. The chief lake is called City, Is
one hundred miles long and twenty-one wide,
A large valley exists in the interior, filled with
carbonic gas, and called the Valley OF the
Upas. 1t is covered with the skeletons Of nu-
merous wild and tame beasts and birds. The
Emperor, il is said, often sent criminals to the
valley to bring away precious gem OF inesti-
mable value and the bones Of men also whiten
A,i1rl,tn1 1aE and fba1,
NAL springs are common throughout several oil
the islands
Their great sources of opulence are thGil
mines Of gold aud silver, but they have no an
timony, calaminC, sal ammoniac, boraX, OF
cinnebar, (quicksilyer.) These articles are in
demand, and bring high price. Birds and
every kind of duck and poultry arc plenty
camphOr trees are abundant and the cedar;
arc the finest in the world. Few countries
open so fair field as the islands OF Japan fol
botanic aud geological research. tits not ne
Cessary here to enter into detailed statistiCa
account Of the commerce Of Japan. direc
trade to that empire would increase the com
mercc Of this country about $500 900 600 an
uuaily, if not more.
1t has always been in contemplation witt
this country to make an effort to open a direc
trade with Japan. Commodore Porter, so ia
back as 1915, addressed a letter to Mr.. Mon
roe on the subject. This letter has been pub
lished in the Intelligencer.) 1t was intended
/ to fit out frgatc and two sloops- of-war ant
| place them under his command, but subse
/ queut events prevented the communication o
/ this design, but it has been reviewed from tim
! to time, without being carried out; but tey
years ago the undersigned drew the attention
/ Of the Hon. J. Y Mason to the subject, b.
the recommendation Of steam line to China
with a view Of incidental commercial inter
course, and finally direct trade with Japan. -
1t would require but small efforts to accom-
plish commercial intercourse with so shrcw
people as the japanese, who arc alive. t
York to the Isthmus being already in exist
cncc. it is an easy matter to continue it to tn
Galapagos, which islands abound in coal
thence to the Marqucsas and on to Shanghai q
Jcddo.-Aat. IaiH
". d. PORTER.