The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-04-23

more necessary plants, probably binders the ia
Tancse from cultvating this cane, which is merely
an article Of luxury.
The Japanese salt the currants and bird cherries,
and eat them instead Of salad. OF the herbs poor
people make soup, and also eat them salted
Picked mushrooms are considered q grea.
deeacy; they are boiled in soups, saed, or laid in
vinegar.
With respect TO the sea-cabbage this plant,
which is disegarded almost every where else, not
only gives food to millions of people in Japan. but
it is also an article Of commerce. The Japanese
dry it, and then use it in soup, or, wrapping it
round fish, boil and eat both together. Often they
bro it over the fire, strcw salt on it, and eat it
without any further dressing This cabbage serves
chiefly peor people for their support; but the rich
frequently eat them dressed in different manner,
and even the Emperors kitchen is furnished with it,
The domestic animals of the Japanese, besides
horses and oxen, which have mentioned before,
are swine, dogs, and cats The first used as
food by those sects that permitted to eat meat.
| The dogs are employed in the chase and to guard
the houses ana the cats perform the same services
as in Europe, though writer upon Japan says
that the japanese cats do not catch mice. This
is however, false; it not, nature must deviate
in Japan, from her own laws. Besides, experience
cat that had, understood his business perfectly,
/ and was not inferior to any of his European
brethren. must observe, besides, that he often
amused US in prison by his tricks and was our fa-
yet instinct made him catch the rats and mice. If
European writer's have often denied to Japanese
animals the qualities with which nature has on
dowed them, can We wonder that they painted the
japanese in such false colOrs?
Chickens and ducks are the only domestic fowl
that the Japanese use Chough but seldom) as food.
Though it is permitted in some sects, yet, from
attachment to these animals, they do not like to kill
them. Hone Of us was i'll, and the Japanese wished
to make him some chicken broth, as they had
heard that it was usually given to the sick in Eu-
rope, they had great difficulty in finding anybody
who would sell them fowl, though they offered
high price for one.
The Japanese are fond of eggs: they boil them
hard, and eat them at the dessert like fruit, fire.
in soup, with vegetables. For people of distinction,
fowls kept in rooms, where they lay their eggs,
and are fed with rice. The great people would not
eat the eggs of fowls that run about at their will,
and pick up what they can find Many keep also
swans, geese, and turkeys, but merely for pleasure,
as we do peacocks, which they also have.
OF wild quadrupeds, the Japanese use for some
purposes the following boars bears deer,
lowed to eat meat, use them for food; and in the
northern parts Of Japan, where the winters are very
cold, the poor people use bear skins as quilts
The rich have travelling bags or cases made of
these skins to put over things which they desire to
protect against bad weather, such rs trunks with
clothes, bOttle-cases, and the like.
The gall of the bear is made by them into solid
mass, and used as a strengthening medicine for
weakness in the stomach, and other disorders 1t
is highly valued by the japanese for its medicinal
virtue, and paid for at high price. They affirm
|
island of Niphon is far eficacious than that Of
the bears Of Matsmai which latter are therefore
less esteemed. The hunters often practise great
frauds in the sale of the bears gall. When they
arc the chace they kill all the animals that come
in their way, and take out the gall If they have
the good fortune to kill bear, they carry him
home publicly as possible, in order to attract at
tention, and us the Japanese miss no opportunity
of purchasing the valuable medicine, all who meet
the hunters ask if they have already sold the bears
gall! The huntsman then gives them the gall Of
some other animal, and if the purchaser is not
judge, he is defrauded. In this manner they vii!
sell the gall of a bear many times over. Many Of
the japanese, however, are able to distinguish by
the taste, not only the gall of any animal from that
from that of those of Matsmai. Our interpreter.
Kumaddschero, was such Judge. Tho method Of
using this remedy is very simple; they bite of
little pieces and swallow them.
Of deer skins the japanese manufacture kind Of
thick and fine chamois leather.
Of useful insects the Japanese have silk-worms
and bees The honey which the latter produce is
employed only in medicine, and the wax used only
| by apOthecaries, for pasters.
In the third and last division of the productions
Of Japan, reckon those from which the inhabitants
derive little or no advantage. Among them may
mention Goals, which are in abundance in Japan,
| but not used
Raspberies, wild and garden strawberries, which
we esteem so highly in Europe, not eaten by
the japanese. They consider them as unwhole g,
Pleasant in Japan; they are. indeed. as large as
ours, and of dark red color, but they are not
sweet, are very watery, and almost without smell
In general the Japanese eat no berries that grow on
herbs.
The following wild quadrupeds are found in ia
pan bears, panthers, leopards, wolves. wild dogs
and foxes. Many supersttious japanese ascribe
to the last the power Of the devil. In the southern
and middle provinces of the empire there are mon
keys of small race in the island of Matsmai, sabes
but their fur is reddish, and, therefore, does not
bear high price. Elephants, tigers. lions. camels
apes grayhounds. pointers, setting-dogs and other
species Of dogs, are known to the Japanese only
from drawings.
There are numerous kinds of birds Of prey in
Japan, such eagles, falcons, hawks, kites, &C. OF
ducks for food Swans and cranes are hold sacred,
and nobody dares to kill them. Of singing birds,
such as we also have, We saw in cages, starinngs,
bufnches, and greentnches; but no Others. The
japanese are fond Of singing birds in their houses,
and there are shops that deal in them.
More common birds, such as cuckoos, ravens,
crows, sparrows, &c., as numerous in the north
of Japan and Matsmai as with us. Parrots and
canary birds arc not met with in Japan. On the
coasts there is abundance of sea-fowl, such as
albatrosses, cormorants, various species OF guns,
Greenland pigeons, SC.
This is all that am able to say Of the natural
!, In speaking Of the manufactures Of this empire,
those OF SILK. steel, porcelain, and ackered goods
must have the first place.
The silk manufactures are important, not only on
account ofthe quantity but also the good quality Of
the articles which they furnish. The Japanese
make several kinds Of stufs and costly articles,
which are not at all inferior to those of China
With respect TO steel manufactures, the Japanese
sabres and daggers surpass all Others In the world,
those Of Damascus, perhaps, excepted. They bear
extraordinary trials. The japanese are extremely
skilful in polishing steel, and all other metals.
They make metal mirrors. which are scarcely in
ferior to looking glasses We often saw carpenters
and cabinetmakers' tools, made in Japan, which
might almost be compared with the English.
| Their saws are SO good, that the thinnest boards
| may be sawn out Of the hardest wood.
That the Japanese lackered goods surpass those
Of other nations is notorious.
The japanese porcelain is far superior to the
Chinese; but it is dearcr and manufactured in such
small quantities. that it is insufficient for the
sumption Of Japan itself, so that great deal Of
| porcelain is imported from China. The Japanese
have also more ordinary porcelain and earthcn-
ware, but they are both coarse and clumsy. 1t is