New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-10-24
JAPAN.
r-,n Or Own coresronsrnt.
tWu Notfttfun1cHt
Bar oE HAKorApp. Nav. tsxl

Bar oF HAKorApR, Nay, IssG.
About noon on the 10th OF May We doubled q an.
Toriwirski, aud eu,trtd the Straits Of sauynr. A
eroup OF scattered rocks and reefs lies OF the sxtreu
itv of the cape and te straits are rather diff u Of
NAVIGATION az present on account Of ngh,.fogs .hoh
are common in summer and the lack Of good cssrzt
want which we hope to supply. At noon on TIE
l7h we were Handsomely anchored in the Bay Of h,
kotade, tie second har6or opened to Us in Jspsa.
Hakotade Is another Gibraltar. II has the Same sag.
low isthmus, ending in the same mighty rock. with
another city sitting at it, feet The bay is seven
eight miles vide, with an entrance OF two or three
miles in width il is deep enough for shipsof theiins
to approach within mile Of the shore and its clayey
bottom, fee fcom rocks OF shoals affords excellent
anchorage, while it Is defended from the sea by
sandbapk, PToongArion Of the stbnus. Behind tho
bay the land is quite level but at the distance Of six
or eight miles il rises into range OF bills f,on one
to thSe thousand feet high. These hills, still
covered With snow, send down several streams
to the bay, fdraishng the best Of water for ships.
The plain is finely cultivated and fishing villages line
the shore. The fishermen dip their nets 10 q ds
cootion Of a speeiee u willow, to give them dusky
coor and to render them LEES Liable to rot We took
G.h pleatifaIly day 90 buckets, with moro than
70 fne salmon, some weighing IS pounds. The
and very large snpes, loon wi h knob above his
bill like an India goose, minature sea-pye, tbs
smallest bird that swims, and beautiful species Of
Wild duck. Many of the doors Of the fshermca's
houses were ornamented with likeness Of his Sub
terranean Majesty fully equPPed, with horns and pitch
fork.
Soon after we entered the harbor we q crowd
of people and loaded packhors leave the city and
pass over the isihmus We afterward learned that
they feared we had come TO take vengeance on them
for the capture and Imprisonment in Maismsy Of the
crew Of an American vessel which was wrecked on
this coast in lsi9. In two three days, however.
they were Measured and many Of the principal men.
including the Governor, visited US on boeri. Most
of the unks slipped away on our arrival go that thore
were not more than 900 in the harbor. well built
stone wharf with steps to 60 down to the water
assigned 10 US.
The city has should guess about 1000 houses
and perhaps FIVE times as many inhabitants. The
two main streets are parallel aud along the foot
Of the mountain. Narrower streets from the
yharves up the mountain crossing both the principal
street, one Of which is about thirty feet higher than
the other. The lower Of those Is almost as broad 40
Broadway, and infinitely cleaner. The houses Ga It
are well built most of them have two stories, with
shors on the ground floor. Ga the street which
starts from our wharf and above both the principal
streets stauds temple, which has been assigned To
Us for our dsgueneotypo apparatus 1t commands
splendid prospect Of tho city and harbor little to
the west Of this street is another, which seems
to be the Fifth-avenue of Hakotade. The manner
Of building reminds one very strongly OF Switzerland
A fiat projecting roof is covered with shingles which
are fastened by long poles, with stones laid upon them;
broad galleries run quite around the upper story; be-
fore the door s little wooden porch; this, too, with
projecting gable which, rs well as the pillars thst
support it, are often adorned with rich carving. The
temples one of which ia at least $50 feet square. arc
profusely ornamented with carvings. Dragons.
horses bulls and hares figure largely, but tortoise
shells and cranes carry the day. Tho torto'esholl is
here The emblem Of beauty. The swans Of Venus be-
cone tortoises. Great precautions arc taken against
Gre. Casks of water stand in the heuse-ysr and ON
the roofs; fre-buckets are hanging near Gre compn-
mics are organized. The first captain vho re sches
fire plants bis standard there, and DO other company
can give any aid unless at his express desire. This
rsures unity Of effort but, in spite Of all this saw
traces Of several recent fires. The police has mil
nsrvl organization The inhabitants of Uakotsde
are short; they will average scircey more than i've
feet They are not dark the inhabitants of the
moro northern Islands. They are good natured and
have great sofconiro You get to liking them after
you become familiar with some Of their strange cus-
toms Tie ambassador Of tho Prince Of Mafsmay.
especially s fine specimen of wcllbrcd, well-ed-
ucs,ed man. end has conducted himself, both as guest
aud host, with winning grace One secs but very
e W married womon but some young girls who came
to our temple to DO daguorreotyped had pleasing
aces ard charming manners. Tho dress Of tho
Japtnese women consists Of trowsors with
sort of iunic covering the upper part of the
persoD This garment opens in 'front.' and 10 fastened
by broad scarf tied about tho middle and holding
the dress together, except when the wearer walks
rapidly or runs. Then 1t always becomes deranged
and flies open, exposing the bosom down to the waist
look forward to the time, and not very far for
ward, when our whaling feet in the seas northeast Of
Japan and perhaps even in the Arctic Ocean, shall
fnd safe harbor, plentiful provisons and hearty
welcome in tic hsrbor Of HSkotade.