The Cedar County advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Iowa) 1853-1856, 1854-08-26

verted to innumerable ases-all is made |
available to purposes Of profit. We have
gone into these few particulars respect.
ing the whale, because il is that which
has brought our coantrymen into contact |
with Japan. Many .: our ships have for
some considerable time past frs7uented
those seas for capturing the whale, IN oc-
cupation which, it is found, might be pur.
sued with great advantage, under, = COM
mercial tre,ty with Japan, whose inha-
man laws At present not only prevent
any assistance being rendered to ship
wrecked mariners, but expose them to
positive mal.treatmens, and even 70 vio-
lent death. To obtain redress in this re-
spect was the primary object Of Commo-
dore Perry's expedition. ~'g
Japan ubounds in natural and ar,i6-
cial productions Of great value. Its min
eral riches are enormous, and includes
metals Of various kinds, especially gold,
silver and copper. Sulphur and nisre
are also found in large quantities there
is no want Of coal, and there are precious
stones Of almost every variety; agates.
sapphires, jarspars, comedians, and even
diamonds; while pearls are found in
great plenty among the shells upon the
coast. Then the fertility of the soil is
very great The mulberry tree grows
extensively and affords food for countless
myriads OF silk worms. The Kudsi, or
paper.tree, serves innumerable useful
purposes including the nanufactuse Of
cloth, stufis and cordage. The perusi, OF
uarnish tree, Is another valuable produc-
ton Of the county, yielding large qaanti-
ties Of milky juice which the natives
employ to varnish, or japan, as we call it.
various articles. Then there are the bay.
tree, the fig-trce, the cypress-,ree, witt
very many more, all more OF less valua'
bic, and from which great variety OF
useful things are made; and last. though
no, least, there is the ,ea-shrub, from the
leaves of which the common drink OF the
people is brewel. and which is capable
of welding article ot commerce. Trees
growing nuts OF various kinds are abun-
dant the maple is extensive and excel
lent; balnboos are very plentiful and 0
great use, as they are everywhere IN The
Indies; they cultivate as much hemp ant
cotton as they can6nd room tor IN .helI
fields: and as to rice, which is the man
food of the natives, tina, grown IN Japaf
is considered the bes. in all Asia, and !
can be produced in almos, any quantity
Their corns are of several sorts; beside
the kop,, or rice, there are the koanugg
a kind of barley; the kaoumggi, shei
native wheat; and the doidsoa,, specie
of bean-all of which abound with 81
perior farms.
The manufactures Of Japan have hlth
erto been confined ainost exclusively I
their own domestic wants, but many Z
them are nevertheless valuable US article
Of export. Our adoption here an
throughout Europe OF the term Japan 9
opplied to certain kinds oil varnlsne
wore. indicates how well known has bee
their peculiar excellence in, II not the'
invention OF tha, useful art. They max
various articles from the papef-tree, re
semblng our papisr-mace, which the
na,nt, and varnish on paper, very h'ghi
and these might form objects OF COT
s;derabl. trade. Their silks. muslin
and cotton goods are most OF them vef
superior, and some Of them are calcai'
ted to become highly reehrahe and the
carvings in wood, ivory, pearl ane III
: hone are mos, ingenious and elegant.
These are bu, few Of the products
. their handicraf,, bat they are sufficient
. show taken in connexion with their ma
ural productions, how varied ana nc
valuable are the resources OF the Jap
nese.