The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1854-06-29

though smaller than in China, have more
gliding on their walls and ornaments on
f the idols, and generally are in better or
. der. The priests as we'll as the people
were distinguished for their courtesy
The cities visited were not only very ex-
tensive, ESTIMATED to be six-miles long,
but with wide we'll formed streets. Kas-
acca Is some fifteen to twenty miles dis
tant, by land, from the ships; and Mr.
Bittinger being thus necessarily long abb
sent, some anxiety was felt about him
AS he was returning a japanese officer
put into his hands an order from the com
modore for all officers TO return on board,
and shortly afterwards a courier, mount
ed on splendid black horse, delivered
a similar despatch, and, finding it was
understood and acted on, turned round
and gallopped back aigan to report the
approach Of the American officer, who
concluded his journey by torch-fght, and
found on his arrival that every thing that
had occurred had been noted, even the
number of buttons on his coat being re-
corded
One officer contrived to get up to Jed
( do, or sufficiently near it to inform him
self that there is five fathoms depth of
water close up to the city. 1t was ex-
pected that when the treaty was signed
permission would be given to strangers to
visit the capital OF the two ports, Mats
mai and Osaka, the opening of which the
treaty provides for, the Hong Kong Reg
lister gives a brief account. Matsmai is
the chief city of the island Yeso, and is
situated at the south end of the island;
near the Straits of Sanger, between Yeso
and Niphon. Osaka is capital in Nip
hon, or Japan proper, and is situated on
the western side, about half way between
Jeddo, the capital, and Nagasaki, the
Dutch port of trade. A correspondent of
the China Mail gives the following account
of the burial of one of the sailors of the
American Squadron:
One of the standing opinions about the
japanese destined to be thrown down by
Com. Perry has been that they were
.invincibly intolerant of christianity. In
deed, this has been assigned as main
reason for their exclusiveness. To the
emblem of the cross they still object, but
the story Of the expelled Portuguese, that
every Christian landing at Japan was re-
quired to trample on it, or on represen-
tation of the Virgin and Saviour, must ii,
true, have been almost entirely confined
to themselves and their co-religionists.-
More recent writer's, who have been able
to deny that such is now the custom; tell
US the 'practice Of religious rites is pro-
hibited by irrevocable japanese laws"
but the following narrative of the Turner
al Of marine of the United States squad
ron shows that there is as little founda-
ton for the one statement as for the 9TH
er.
On the 9th Of March, the day follow
ing the first meeting between Commodore
Perry and the Imperial Commissioner
from Jeddo to negotiate the terms of
commercial treaty, soldiers and a chris
tian burial was given to a marine, Rob
ert Williams, who had died few days
before on board the steamer Mississippi.
The party detailed for this purpose con.
sisted of several officers, one of them the
chaplain in his gown, an escort of eight
marines in charge of corporal, and four
marines as bearers of the corpse. Two
boats left the ship, one containing the Of
fcors and the other the body and escort.
Upon reaching the shore the party was
met by several Japanese officials, ready
to Conduct them to the grave. The es-
cort landed first, and received the body
with the usual honors. The little process
sion was then formed; first the escort, fol-
lowed by the music, drum and flfe;) next
the body, borne on the shoulders of four
messmates; and then the chaplain with
the other officers, and few sailors from
the boats bringing up the rear. In this
order, with the music playing dead
march, the party moved to the grave,
winding through the streets of village
a distance of nearly half a mile. On eth
er side Of the road, and on the surround
ing hills, at the foot Of one of which the
grave had been made, thousands of peo-
pie, men, women, and children, could be
seen, all manifcsting eager curiosity.
| could but think, as we passed along,
how strange not only the procession, but
each Of Us individually must appear to
that eager throng, not one Of whom prob
ably had ever before looked upon the face
of IA stranger from foreign country; and
yet there was 10 undue noise or apparent
alarm on the part Of any of them-only
intense interest in observing what was
passing before them. As we neared the
grave, which occupied very pretty spot,
the voice Of the chaplain could be heard:
81 am the resurrection and the life; saith
the Lord; he thai believeth in me, though
be were dead, yet shall he live; and who
soeyer liveth and believeth in me shall
never die"
AS we gathered around the grave, and
The reading of the burial service proceed
ed, the scene was one Of unusual interest;
for the time and place and circumstances
consPIred to make it, as an incident, hon