Butte record., 1853-11-12

or cotton Ihe former appears to be
very abundant, as rich dresses of it are
worn even by the common soldiers on
festive days, and it may be seen on peo-
pie of all ranks, even in the poor towns.
The fabrics are at least equal to those of
China. The cotton of Japan seems to
be of the same kind as that of the West
India colonies 1t furnishes the ordip-
ary dress of the great mass of the people.
and also serves all the other purposes for
which we employ woods, flax, furs and
feathers. The culture of it is, of course,
very extensive but the fabrics are all
very coarse. Golownin could hardly
make them believe that his muslin era
vat was of this material. There is some
hemp, which is manufactured for sails.
etc., but cables and ropes, very inferior
to ours, are made from the bark of tree
called the kadyz. This bark likewise
supplies materials for thread, lamp-wicks,
writing-paper, and the coarse paper used
for poeket-handkerchies.
There is no lack of fruit trees, as the
orange, lemon, peach, plum, 6g, chestnut,
and apple But the vine yields only a
small, sour grape, perhaps for want of
culture. Timber trees grow only in the
mountainous districts, which are unfit for
cultivation. Camphor sproduced abun-
dainty in the south, and large quantities
are exported by the Chinese and Dutch.
The celebrated yarniSh of Japan, drawn
from tree called silz, is so plentiful
that it is used for lacqucring the most
ordinary utensils. Its natural color is
white, but it assumes any that is given
to it by mixture The best vanished
vessels reflect the face as in a mirror.
and hot water may be poured into them
without occasioning the least smell
The chief domestic animals are horses
and oxen for draught cats and dogs
are kept for the same uses as with us
and swine furnish food for the few sects
who eat flesh. Sheep and goats seem to
be totally unknown: the Russian cap
tives had to make drawings of the former
to convey some idea of the origin of wool.
There are considerable mines of cold
and silver IA several parts of the Empire,
but the Government does not permit
them to be all worked, for fear of depre-
ciating the value of these metals. They
supply, with copper, she material of the
curency, and are also literally used in
the decoration Of public buildings, and in
the domestic utensils of the wealthy
There is sufficiency of quicksilver, lead
and tin for the wants of the country, and
one island is entirely covered with sui
phur Copper is very abundant and of
remarkably fine quality All kitchen
utensils, tobacco pipes and fire shovels,
are made of it, and so well made, that
our author mentions his tea kettle as
having stood on the fire, like all other
Japanese kettles, day and night for
months, without burning into holes
This metal is likewise employed for the
purpose of sheathing ships, and covering
the Jolsts and fiat roofs of houses. Iron
is less abundant, and much that is used
is obtained from the Dutch. Nails alone
of which immense numbers are used i'll
all carpentery work, consume large
quantity. Diamonds, comedians, jaspers,
and some very fine agates, and other
precious stones are found but the na-
tives seem not to well understand polish
ing them. Pearls are abundant, but not
being considered ornamental they arc re-
served for the Chinese market.
Steel and porcelain are the manufac-
lures in which the Japanese chiefly ex-
eel, besides those in silk stuffs and lac
quered ware, already mentioned. Their
porcelain is far superior to the Chinese,
but is scarce and dear. With respect
to steel manufactures, the sabres and dag
gers of Japan yield only to those of Da-
mascus and Golownin says their cabi-
binet-makers' tools might almost be com
pared with the English. In painting,
engraving, and printing, they are far be-
hind; and they seem to have no know
ledge of ship-building or navigation be-
yond what suffices for coasting voyages,
though they have intelligent and enterpri-
zing sailors. There is an immense inter-
nal traffic, for facilitating which there
are good roads and bridges where water
carriage is impracticable. These distant
Orientals have likewise bills of exchange
and commercial gazettes. The Emperor
enjoys monopoly of the foreign COM
merce.
Iti popularity said that Japan has two
Emperors-one spiritual and the other