Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1858-03-25
From japan.
U. S. SHp "PoRTsxoUrH." AT SEA,
OFF the Island of Nippon, Japan, Sep. Is, 81


e U. S. SH1p "PoRrsxourH." AT SEA, /
: OFF the Island of Nippon. Japan, Sep. Is, 81
: Fancying that you are looking for lon.
letter, describing what am seeing and ex
, periencing in this land of comparative iso
5 ation from the rest of the world, and alst
> that you may be interested in and some
t what enlightened even by synopsis of it
history, l will now, with as much brevit,
, as the subject admits, lay before you tht
past aud present condition Of Japan, as des
cribed BY others, as well as that derived
from my own observation and intercourse
with the people.
We left Shanghae, under orders for ia.
} pan, on the 22d ultino. The passage tc
Simoda, as might have been anticipated in
the month of September, was long and
dreary. The Sunday previous to our arri'
val, "breakers ahead" were reported by the
lookout on the fore-topsail yard. We
stood on until they weTasplainly visible
from the deck; by whicl ktime the ship
was so near them, the wind being light
and current setting towards the newly dis
covered danger, that it was cleared with
difficulty on the opposite tack. By right
of discovery, as our charts showed clear
open sea in this vicinity, we named the
danger "Portsmouth's Breakers"-which
lie some thirty-fye miles in southwesterly
direction from Simoda, and thirteen miles
| from the land Immediately abreast of them.
Had it been A. NJ. instead of p. NJ.
when the danger was discovered-and We
had been running at night as on several
occasions equally close in with the land
the cruise of the -"PortsmoutE" would
have come to an abrupt termination. But
kiud Providence spared our lives, an en-
abled US on the following evening, Sep
tember Stb, to anchor in the harbor of ST.
moda.
Tue appearance of the bay, in fact the
entire country around Simoda, is striking
ly picturesque and beautiful. Deep ravines
lie between the mountain ranges; while
the highly cultivated terraced fields stretch
up to the very hill tops. Again, green
thickets were seen creeping up the valleys;
and lawns Of verdant turf here and there
overlapped the precipices. The appear
ance of the town, it must be confessed, ad-
ded no beauty to the scenery which sur
rounds it. AS soon as we had anchored,
large boat came along side with four Of
ficials, high in rank, who, in the name of
the Governor-bear in mind the quality
of the Japanese-gave us courteous and
cordial welcome. These representatives
were inquisitive, and manifested a degree
of intellige and culture corresponding to
their urbanity and courtesy. We were ia
vorably impressed with the cleanliness of
person and dress of the officials, as well as
of all the men in the boat; practice which
their celestial neighbors, in their houses,
towns and cities, as well as in person and
dress, might advantageously adopt.
Before describing the bay and town of
Simoda, we must draw up the promised
synopsis of japanese history.
In the year 1895, the first mention of
Japan was made by the celebrated trav-
eler Marco Palo, who, while in China,
had heard of the existence of great Is
land to the East of the Celestial Empire.
His account of the Island, accompanied
by map, had found its way to Genoa.
But the marvellous story rather shocked
the credulity Of the Europeans, and Palo's
map and statements were soon forgotten.
In the 10th century, however, Christopher
Columbus was led by the accounts of
Marco Palo, to believe that there must
be to the westward of Europe, great bod
les of land then entirely unknown. Ac-
cordingly, when the great discovereI made
the Island of Cuba, be believed that Pa
los Zipangu (Japan) was found.
Zipangu. as Japan was originally called,
contains four islands; Nippon, the largest,
which embraces the capitals, Yedo and
Miaco, the residence of the two Emperors,
temporal and spiritual, together with Kiu-
Stu, Sitkof and Yesso. These extend
from 81 to 4O-degrees north latitude, and
from 1Os to LAG degrees east longitude.
We will pass over the chain of islands to
which they belong, from the Loo Choos
to Kamschatka, in the line of that circle
of volcanic development surrounding the
Pacific shores from Terra-delFuego to the
Eastern Moluccas
Japan contains 100000 square miles,
embracing a population, as near as can
be ascertained, of 25,oOO,OOO souls. The
physical aspect of the country, as far as
our cruising and maps show, is that of
high mountains, hills and valleys. A peak
between Sinoda and Yedo, which we dis
cerned far off to sea, is $4,000 feet in
height. Craters of extinct volcanoes are
here and there visible; while one of some
activity, judging from the dense column of
smoke ascending from its crater was in
full view on an island bearing to the east
ward of us, while lying at anchor in the
harbor of Simoda. Rivers and Lakes,
Judging from the appearance of the coun-
try, and from our maps and charts, greatly
abound. Of the climate, it is healthy
heat and cold are probably much the same
in degree, as found in similar latitudes in
places bordering onFlhe sea; but milder
than that of China and Eastern America
more like that of Western Europe, and
on the shores of the Pacific Ocean. Kem-
per, an old writer on Japan, says: "No
part of the ocean is subject to heavier gales
than the sea around Japan, and the hurri-
canes are terrific; fogs also, as might be
expected are very prevalent; thunder storms
are common, and earthquakes have more
than once destroyed great part of the
most prosperous towns" 1 consider this
rather an extravagant travellers ACCOUNT
Although the fate of Simoda, q year or
two since, when Russian frigate de-
scribed s'forty circles in thirty minutes,
showing her anchors on the bare bottom