The mountain sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1844-1853, 1852-06-17


we find communication from w. D. Porter,
Esq, relative to Japan and its principal cities
and towns. From this communication we have
condensed the annexed account of a nation whose
habits and condition are at all times matters of
interest in this quarter of the globe, but are at
this time more than usually attractive
Jeddo, or Yeddo the capital, is situated in
the midst of q fine plain, in the province Of Mus
caca. 1t is built in the form of a crescent, and
ntersected in almost every street by canals, their
banks being planted with rows Of beautiful trees.
The city is not surrounded as most eastern ci-
ties, are, by a wall but has strong castle to
defend it. The river Tongag, waters it. and sup
plies the castle ditch and, being divided into
five streams, has bridge over each.
The public buildings are magnificent scale.
The imperial palace is formed by three cincturcs.
or circular piles of buildings, and enclosing ma
ny streets, courts, apartments, pavilions, gates,
guard-houses, SC. In it resides the emperor
and his family, the royal domestic, tributary
princes and their retinues the ministers state,
many other officers of government, and a strong
garrison. The walls of this magnificent palace
are built of freestone, without cement, and the
stones are prodgiously large. The whole pile
was originally covered with guilt tiles, which
gave it q very grand and beautiful appearance.
Many of the stately apartments are formed and
altered at pleasure, by movable screens. The
principal apar tments are the Hall Of Attendance,
the Council Chamber Hall Of a thousand Mats,
sc. The city is under the rule of two govern
ors, who rule year each.
The next largest city is Meaco. 1t is alse
royal city, and is situated on a lake near the
middle of the island of Niphon, and surround
ed by mountains, which give remarkable and
delightful prospect to the whole The circum-
jacent country between the city and the noun
tains is covered with temples, sepulchres. &C.,
and is embeliished with variety of orchards,
groves, CASCADES, and purling streams Three
rivers water this fertile plain, and unite
their streams in the centre of the city, where a
stone bridge facilitates tie conn1u-
nication between the different parts of the city.
4 strong castle defends the town. tits coo
yards in length, has a towerin the centre, and
is surrounded by two bitches the one dry, the
ty miles long and nine wide within the suburbs,
which well populated as the city. The
number of the inhabitants offthe city proper is
supposed to be $4,000 The universities, col
leges, temples, &c, are almost increditable in
number and magnifceree. 1t contains twelve
capital or principal streets, in the centre of
which are the royal palaces, superbly built of
marble, covered with gardens, orchards, pavil-
lions, terrepines grapes, &c.
deemed the chief seaport, is very populous, and
has an army, of $4,000 men always ready at
the disposal and command of the emperor. It
is near fifteen miles in circumference.
Almost the first accomplishment learned by
the japanese is the art and grace of suicide
The child in the nursery stabs itself with its
finger or a stick, and falls back in initiative
death ;.the lover cuts out his intesitnes before
his obdurate, and the latter pours out her hearts
blood in the face of her faithless lover the
criminal executes himself; and, in fact the
whole nation from carly youth, reyels in the
luxury of suicide.
l. The mechanics and manufactures in Japan
excel in their different branches and are even
far superior to the Chinese. Their silks and cot
tens are excellent, and their Japan ware and
porcelain unequaled. Their exports raw
and manufactured silks, iron, steel, artificial
metals, furs, teas, finer than the Chinese, Japan
ware gold, silver, copper, gums, medicinal herbs,
roots, diamonds pearls, coral, shells, amber
girls, sc. Whatever goods the japanese want
they pay for in gold and silver
The Japanese worship principally two gods,
Xaca and Amida. At Meaco there is a stately
temple built to one these gods. 1t is of free
stone, as large as ST. Paul's with an arched roof
supported by heavy pillars, in which stands an
idol of copper, which reaches as high as the
roof and according 10 description given by
Sir Thomas Herbert his chair is seventy feet
long the head is big enough to hold fifteen
men, and the thumb forty inches in circumfer-
ance. There is another statue, called after the
god Dabio, made of copper, twenty-five feet high
in sitting posture. This shows that the ia
panese understand the art of working in bronze
| and they are far ahead of Christian nations in
this particular They allow polgamy, and they
| often strangle their female children, but never
the males. The nobility extract the two front
| teeth and supply them with two in gold.
| 4 Compliment to the Crqf.-The following is
! from letter written by John C. Rives, of the
firm of Blair and Rives
81 have seen the manuscript writings of mos
of the great men in this country during the las