Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-10-29
LETTER FROM THE JAPAN EXPEDITION

\
The Harrisburg Telegraph publishes the following in
terestins letter, written to hi, relatives by young Mid
shipman who is connected with the japan Expedition
UNITED STATES STEAMER MISSISSIPPI,
| HGr6or Of Hapa, Loo Choo Island J4ly ., 1853
We have been here litte than month, anxious
~ expecting the Powhatan, Vandalia, and Macedonian
which have not yet arrived If all should 20 we'll may
in my next be able to give you description of the first
4th of July celebration in the harbor of Jeddo All on,
hopes run in that direction but we may be dsappont
ed Our squadron is composed of the following YES
sells: The Susquehanna, Mississippi, Plymouth, Sarato
gathe two latter soops of war; and the other three
| storeshps
When we arrived deputation of Mandarns came on
board and requested not TO land at the time Of
ferng all the provisions we might need. The Commo-
dore informed them that his communication must be with
the Regent who few days afterwards visited the flag
ship The result of the conference that we should
be allowed to visit the shore &c. was among the first
TO land, and enjoyed rich treat in sight of the Loo
Choo Islanders Their appearance in the degree
eieminate and simple, and is increased by their dress
They shear the top of the head leaving ridge of hair
all round This, when it grows long, is gathered up and
made into knot on the crown the ends being turned
under and concealed and all brushed smoothly as not
TO leave hair out OF place. 1t is then kept in its place
by two pins crossing each other. Their dress consists
merely OF piece OF light airy material thrown the
shoulders and gathered by belt at the waist the ends
hanging down almost to the ground. Their sandals
made OF kind OF straw, secured by strap the in
step and another connecting with it, rearing the
foot and passing between the big and toe This is
tho general dress That of the Mandarns and the up
per ten is somewhat richer; there is little of it.
and they are allowed the luxury of stockings ALL upon
| entering house, leave their sandals at the door.
The only Europeans here English missionary
and his family, who have been living here about seven
years The natives every to get rid of him,
but he sticks to them like brother and considers it
Godsend when strange vessel happens to call this way.
He sometimes succeeds in getting crowd together and
commences his discourse, to which they all listen aten
lively As soon, however, he shows any symptoms of
excitement, he police give signal and all leave him in
! the midst of lis sermon
| We fen Japanese junks every day, and board
of them OF our friends from Japan" They are
large, fine looking men, and suspect would not be very
easily handled They are however quite sociable and
friendly. went board Of their junks after
she arrived They brought US tea and pipes, examined
US curously and greatly pleased with number of
things we had about We showed them watch,
which astonished them much Columbus did the In
dams when his ships first hove in sight Of America In
return they exhibited their little trnkes, which gene
rally not strange to Before coming here
did not know that there any thing formidable in
my appearance to any to away from
me, but even now at the sight of any Of coming to-
wards them the people scatter and like frightened
sheep As to the women they cannot be approached to
within gun-sho One day, when cunning in of the
farming villages, woman carrying two buckets of water
on bamboo stick swung her shoulders, suddenly
turned corner towards me. As soon as she she
stopped dropped her buckets, threw away her bamboo,
and took her heels On coming the spot she had
started from sorry find that she had knocked the
bottom out of of her buckets If the fault mine
it was unntentonal, and couldn't help but smile and
wonder whether was rery ugly
| In 1886 two English sailing vessels and in 1913 an
English steamer visited this port With the exception of
these and two whaers, and the American soopof
Prebe the vessels of squadron the only ones,
either European American that have been here
and we the only who have remained any length
Of time.
Some of the most beautiful spots in the world Il be-
eye, and some who have of the world than
agree with mel to be found this island They
not exceed Italy any part of the coast Of the Med
terranean that have seen in any Of the places in all
the ATTITUDES and ongitudes through which have
passed in voyage hther The farmers generally live
in clusters, as l may say, and in larger
number settle together and form village On each side
Of the streets there hedge wall Of bamboo growing
straight to the height of twenty feet and coming together
at the top, forming beautiful green gothic arch The
houses poor aud stand back about twenty feet from
the street In front of EACH about half way between the
gate and the entrance the house. is planted close
hedge, forming an efectual screen.
| z. 5. When l commenced my letter / was two days
ahead of my reckoning There is longer any
hope Of hearing Fourth Of July salute echoed back
from the walls Of Jeddo. We are however far from
Japan, and my next viii be written in sight Of the Empc
ror's palace, If live and all goes we'll