Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1856-01-26
JAPAN.

Much information concerning Japan and the
Japanese may be CLEANED from the work of j. w.
Spaulding,* who accompanied the expedition Of
Perry. OF the value of this informa-
ton, or the advantages to be derived from the
treaty made with these secluded islanders, there
seems yet to be some doubt. They are singular
people, however, and every item of information
concerning them is regarded with interest. We
quote the following:
JAPANESE PLACES OF WoRsuIP are the chief OBJ
jects of interest ashore to visit, and consist of the
Sintoo, Buddhist temples, and some smaller ones,
dedicated to the tutelar deities OF the soldiers and
the mariners. The Japanese display great rural
taste always in their locations, selecting the most
picturesque, and at times the most elevated spots
for their erection. Attached to these temples are
usually KungpaS, or places where the weary trav.
eler may rest for the night, and get some tea and
eatables from the attendant priests, a Sintoo tenn
pie, just at the end of the principal street from the
landing at Simoda, was the chief place for the hold
ing of official interviews, o~verhung by large trees
and steep boulders of granite. The spacious and
level yard in front was divided with stone cross
ings smoothly cut, and in it stood alone a tower of
Cyclopean masonry, IN which was hung one o, the
sweet-toned bells. Their manner Of striking, which
is by a piece of green wood swung horizontally
on the outside Of the bell, gives a delightful soft
ness to the sound, while the proximity to the earth
increases the distance at which it may be heard.
The altar in the place of worship was very plain,
anu ndQ incense burning OH IL. llo OuIy OTnaultHI
consisted of bronze castings. representing their sa-
cred crane on the back 4 tortoise, and q small gilded
elephant. There, of course, was the invariable
accompaniment of Sintoo worship-a small mirror
an emblem of the soul's perfect purity; or accord
ing to some, as plainly as the yotary sees his own
features in that mirror-so plainly do the media
tory spirits to whom he prays see his spiritual and
temporal wants. Such a style of worship would
scarcely answer for the bellies of our land. AS the
devotee enters one of these temples, he first drops
a few "cash" (about the fifteenth of a cent? into n
carefully secured tin box at the door; then by sha.
king a lot Of sleigh-looking bells hanging from a
beam, attracts to his prayers the attention of his
mediatory spirits, who only number some three
thousand these are the Kdmi, conferees of the
Spiritual Emperor or Mikado, and analogous to the
saints of the Catholics.
VEHIcLEs.-The only wheeled vehicle you see is
a rude hand-cart, the wheels without tires. Should
You meet a man on the back of an OK, bringing to
town bundles of wood, the sight of your barbarian
garments is very apt to incense him greatly and
the rider, disturbed by his movements, d.smounts,
takes him by the tether, and leads him aside.
PLowIso.-This is done with a small plow. with
a single hand and beam, the share being like an
iron scoop, not of much diameter. 1t is drawn
by an OK in traces and with a wooden saddle. while
a small boy leads him with a stick attached to q
ring in the nose, and a man holds the handle OF
the diminutiye earth-scratcher.
JAPANESE B~ELLEs.-Tbe young women, with
their elaborate arrangements of hair, though rath,
er ungainly in gait, owing to the use of clogs, and
wearing about the hips an awkw ard COMPRISING
scarf, are quite good-looking, and, with lighter
compilations, have also much better shaped eyes
than the Chinese. On marrying, they shave of
their eyebrows, and blacken their teeth with some
iron rust as a badge of the marital state-fron
which they become most repulsiye.-Dime.
sJAPAs AND AROUND THE WORLD: an account Of Three Visits Il
!, the Japonese Empire, with Sketches of MADEIRA, st. Helena, Cap,
! Of Good Hope, Mauritius, Ceylon, Singapore, China, and Loot hoo
5 By J, W. spaulding. Redheld, 81 Deekmaustreet, New York.