Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1854-04-20
A DINNER PARTY IN JAPAN.

A German, who accompanied the Amer-
cen Expedition to Japan, has written an &C.
coun. of his voyage, which is now in course
OF publication in the Augsburg Gazette,
and enters more into details than any other
narrative we have ever seen. The passages
relate 10 dinner which was given by the
Regent Of the Loo-Choo Islands 10 the
officers Of The American Squadron -
"The hall in which the feas. was 10 be
given, had been prepared at few fee. from
the gales of the town. The arms had been
stacked and the cannon muzzled. The Gre
received extraordinary ralions Of grog,
while lhe officers repaired TO the place as
signed for the feast. The hall was divided
into three apartments, of which The one in
the middle contsined four tables for eminent
personages. These tables groaned under
the weight Of a remarkable quantity Of
small plates filled with all kinds of ea,ables,
quite encouraging to the appetite and Of a
most delicious taste bu. which were alto
gelher too delicate for the maws Of hungry
mariners.
"Tea was served in. exceedingly small
cups, which servants were always on hand
to FILL There was neither sugar nor milk
in it, bu. ou. of regard for US they had pro-
vided some sugar candy. These were
no,hing bu. the preliminaries Of the feast.
The repast, properly SO called, consisted Of
twelve kinds of soup, which, we were as
sured, was in Japan considered to be roy
al repast. II is the custom there to have a
Geas. consisting Of three, four or nine soups
or services according to the quality of the
guest but dinner of twelve soups was the
ne plus ultra of the consideration they could
show stranger.
''The food was put in small plates of the
size of saucer, and consisted of different
kinds Of meat, fish, vegetables and fried
eggs ; and only think, there was plate FL
led with creates. delicacy Of all-dog's
meat. Do not believe for moment that
The animals which are used for this purpose
in The Japanese kitchen resembles in any
respect European quadrupeds of the same
name. They are delicate little puppies,
fa.lened for this purpose from the most
tender age; and frankly confess have
never eaten more agreeable or more succu-
nave no iauIT 70 nnd win r:
"Wi,h the tea, they served Us with jacky,
a drink made of rice, and of most deli
cious taste, but again without sugar. They
poured it ou! of a pot placed on the table,
and it was given to US in little Lilliputian
cups, of the size of .himble, made Of china,
which obliged US TO get them filled up in
several times. This drink was not a,
all intoxicating, and confess, for my part,
drank fifteen cups of il without, feeling the
slightest effect. |. is quite remarkable, that
all the meats are served up in very small
quantities, but they are handed around so
often that in the end one is satisfied.
"To eat these luxuries, they had chop
sticks on the table, kind of sharp pointed
they hold between the thumb and third fin
ger, and which they move about at pleas
ure. performed my part very we'll for
my first attempt; bu, 10 eat the soup, or
rather the diferen. kind of soups, they man
aged to make up for our European awk-
wardness, by giving US spoons made Of
China, whilst they used the chop sticks with
great dexterity. Apart from these rather
singular customs, in point of manners and
refinement, there was nothing TO complain
of.
''Lke all Oriental nations, the peculiari-
ty Of their tastes may a. first strike US as
rather out of the way, but we soon get ac-
cus,omed to them, and, believe, the A.
merican officers who accepted of their hos
pilali,y, had no reason to regret the receP-
ton they met with. We returned TO the
ships, highly delighted with the civlIilies of
these grandees or Japan; and although they
gave us dogs meat TO eat, no one said he
had an appetite for any other delicacy -
Every one seemed satisfed!' -