Washington telegraph., 1852-08-04
Emperor, 1t is near fifteen miles in cir

naval depot, but as they have not yet found
any use for a navy, the vessels are only in
the rough material, and stored away for
emergencies.
The Kokansa or prison is here. The
name means, in the Japanese, hell it has
one hundred dungeons and cages The his
tory of these few cities gives u fair outline
Of the whole empire. Their private dwell
ings are small but neat and ornamented with
small gardens; in this they excel, as they
are the very best of horticulturists A few
feet of ground are turned to the best ad-
vantage, as the japanese understand per-
fectly the art of growing plants trees, fruits
and flowers They use neither tables, bed
steads, nor chairs; but sit, eat and sleep,
like most eastern nations, On mats
Almost the first accomplishment learned
by them is the art and grace of suicide the
child in the nursery stabs itself with its finger
or stick, and falls back in initiative death );
the lover cuts out his intestines before his
obdurate mistress, 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 early youth revels
in the luxury of suicide.
Their trade is at present, under great
restrictions, as they only trade with the Chi
nese and Dutch: The latter have always
fosterod, cherished and increased the preju-
dices Of the japanese against all other ma
tons, particularly the French, English and
Portuguese.
The mechanics and manufacturers in ia
pan excel in their different branches, and
are even far superior to the Chinese. Their
silks and cottons are excellent; and their
Japan ware and porcelain unequalled.-
Their exports are raw and manufactured
silks, iron, steel, artificial metals, furs teas
finer than the Chinese, Japan wares gold,
silver, copper, gums, medical 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 Maceo there is
a stately temple built to cne of the gods; it is
of freestone, as large as ST Pauls, with an
arched roof supported by heavy pillars, in
which stands an idol Of copper, which reaches
as high as the roof; and, according to a des-
cription given by Sir Thomas Herbert, bis
chair is seventy feet high and eighty feet long;
the head is big enough to hold fifteen men,
and the thumb forty inches in circumference.
There is another statue called after the god
Dabio, made of copper, twenty-five feet
high, in sitting posture. This shows that
the japanese understand the art OF work.
inc in bronze and they are far ahead of
Christian nations in this particular They
allow poligamy. and they often strangle their
female children, but never the males. The
nobility extract tire two front teeth, and sup
ply them with two Of gold.
The principal rivers are the Ujngava and
Askagava-the former so rapid, and wide
that bridge cannot be built over it the
latter remarkable for its depth and perpetual
fluctuations. The chief lake called Citz, is
100 miles long and Il wide. A large val
ley exists in the interior, filed with carbon
ic gas, and called the valley of the Upas.-
It is covered with the skeletons of numer-
Gus wild and tame beasts and birds. The
Emperor, it is said, often sent criminals to
the valley, to bring away precious gem of
inestilpab1e value, and the bones OF men
whiten its deadly sides.
Acidulated lakes and thermal springs are
common throughout several OF the inlands.
Their great source of opulence are their
mines of gold and silver, but they have no
antimony calamine, sal ammoniac, borax,
or cinnebar, (quicksilver) THESE articles
are in demand. and bring high price
Birds and every kind of duck and poultry
are plenty camphor trees are abundant
and the cedars are the finest in the world
Few countries open so fair field as the Is
lands of Japan for botanical and geological
research. 1t is not necessary here to enter
into detailed statistical account Of the COM
merce of Japan. \ direct trade to that en-
pire would increase the commerce of this
country about 10000, 900 annually, if not
more.
1t has always been in contemplation with
this country to make an effort to open di-
rect trade with Japan. Commodore Porter,
as far back as 1915, addressed letter to
Mr. Monroe on the subject. 1t was intend
ed to fit out a frigate and two sloops-ot-war,
and place them under his command but SUBJ
sequent events prevented the consumation
of this design, but it has been revived from
time to time, without being carried out
But a few years ago the undersigned drew
the attention of Hon. j. Y Mason to the
subject by the Recommendation of a steam
line to China, with view of incidental CON-
marcial intercourSe and finally direct trade
with Japan. 1t would require but small eff
forts to accomplish commercial intercourse
with so shrewd people as the japanese,
who are alive to commercial feelings A
steam line direct from New York to the
Isthmus being already in existence, it IS an
easy matter to continue it to the Galapagos,
which islands abound in coal; thence to the